The Culinary Vampire

Compost cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:15:00 +0000

You may have noticed that I haven't posted so frequently on The Culinary Vampire lately. I haven't abandoned it nor have I lost interest. If anything, I think about it almost daily. However, recently, I've been wrestling with the direction and focus of the blog. I love posting recipes and all, but sometimes I'd like to share some of our personal stories and struggles. Tara's AIP is such a focus in our daily lives and I want to share some of that with y'all. It's nice to know that other people are in the same boat as you, you know what I mean?

All that to say, while the blog will still be food-based, there will be a shift in focus and you can expect to see posts on topics like:

preparing meals for a mixed (AIP and non-AIP) household
eating right for AIP and exercising
losing weight with AIP (we know what a struggle that can be...)
more onion free and garlic free recipes
recipe fails (Hey, nobody's perfect and maybe you can learn from my mistakes!)
aaaand, delicious recipes, of course!

I hope you'll continue to read AND participate! If there is anything you'd like to see on The Culinary Vampire, speak up! I am always open to suggestions.

On to today's recipe...

This cookie is unfortunately named the Compost cookie. But it sounds a lot grosser than it actually is, especially when you realize that it comes from the pastry chef at Momofuku. Essentially, you're throwing in a whole mish-mash of sweet and salty food stuffs like pretzels, chips, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips and dried used coffee grounds (maybe that's where the name comes from?).

The sum is definitely greater than it's parts.

It's hard to see the scale in this picture, but they're about 2.5 inches in diameter, at least.

Normally, I am very opinionated about my cookies. I like them to be quite simple and not have too many ingredients, i.e. chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin (sans offending chocolate chips), peanut butter, etc. But, I've seen these cookies around the food blogosphere and they're always described as Amazing and DeeeliciousMind-blowing and - well, you get the idea. Since I can't get up to Milk Bar just yet, I decided I had to make them at home.

I even saved the ends of my pretzel bags (who wants to eat those crumbs anyway) so I could use them for these cookies.

Christina Tosi's Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookies
Adapted from rainy day gal, who adapted it from Live with Regis and Kelly

Yield: 15 6oz cookies

I changed the ingredients based on what I had on hand. Specifically, I left out the dried coffee grounds and butterscotch chips and I added Cocoa Pebbles (what?) and chocolate chunks with the chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is soy-free); also, instead of potato chips, I used tortilla chips. I actually had some graham cracker crumbs, but you could also crumble up some graham crackers in the food processor (soy-free versions are Back to Nature Honey Graham Sticks and Annie's Homemade Cinnamon Bunny Grahams). Finally, if you're corn syrup averse or don't want to go buy a an entire container for just 1 tablespoon, you could leave that out or substitue honey (not sure how that would work, though).

A stand mixer is definitely recommended for this recipe. I'm sure you could use a hand mixer, but make sure it's strong enough to handle the mixing required. I would NOT recommend making this by hand!

Ingredients

1 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Corn Syrup (I used light)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1 3/4 cups AP Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips mixed with Cocoa Pebbles or butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cups crushed potato chips and pretzel crisps
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons dried used coffee grounds
1/2 cup oats

Directions

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars, coffee grounds, and corn syrup on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar granules will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and your creamed mixture will double in size.

When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix 45-60 sec just until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Be careful not to over mix the dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.

On same low speed, add in the chocolate chip mixture (butterscotch chips and/or cereal, too), graham cracker crumbs, and oats and mix for 30-45 sec until they evenly mix into the dough. Add in the chips and pretzels last, mixing on low speed again until they are just incorporated.

Using a 6oz ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. (I don't have a 6oz ice cream or cookie scoop, so I just winged it by looking at rainy day gal's and Amateur Gourmet's pictures.)

Wrap scooped cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 1 week. Do NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.

Heat your oven to 400F. Just before the oven is ready, arrange your chilled cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet a minimum of 4″ apart in any direction. (Trust me on this, they spread.) Bake 9-11 min. While in the oven, the cookies will puff, crackle and spread. At 9 min the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. Leave the cookies in the oven for the additional minutes if these colors don’t match up and your cookies stills seem pale and doughy on the surface.
Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan. Transferring to an airtight container and store. At room temp, cookies will keep fresh 5 days. In the freezer, cookies will keep fresh 1 month.

Verdict and notes:

Tara and the rest of the softball team loved these. I was just OK with them. I wouldn't go through the trouble making them for personal consumption as I felt they were only marginally better than a good chocolate chip cookie. I did, however, like the salty-sweet combo, so I might consider adding some chips or pretzels to my next batch of chocolate chip cookies.

Cranberry sorbet

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:02:00 +0000

I made this cranberry sorbet as part of my annual ice cream birthday party. I've done it for a few years now and I always like to use different recipes for the social. After I had all my ice cream recipes gathered (oreo cheesecake, lemon curd, Irish Car Bomb with Guinness ice cream and a Bailey's Irish Creme swirl, honey vanilla coconut, basil, dulce de leche, and sweet cream), I realized that all the flavors were heavy and cream-based and there wasn't anything light and fruity. After a quick search, I settled on the season-appropriate cranberry sorbet.

I've made sorbet before and it froze rock-hard, even with alcohol. For this cranberry sorbet, I waited to churn it until shortly before the party. I needn't have worried, though. I've had it in my freezer for 2 weeks now, there is nary an icy chunk to be found, and it's still as good as when I first made it. We can thank the Grand Marnier for that; there's just enough to keep it soft and enhance, without overwhelming, the cranberry.

This sorbet exceeded my expectations! It was tart and sweet and it was fairly creamy (as far as sorbets go). One of my guests had the brilliant idea of pairing it with the lemon curd ice cream and it was super yummy!

Cranberry season may be winding down, but there is still plenty of time to make this sorbet, so hop to it!

Cranberry Sorbet
Barely adapted from UseRealButter who, in turn, adapted it from David Lebovitz.

The liqueur is optional, but highly recommended. The flavors really work together but, more importantly, it keeps the sorbet scoopable directly from the freezer. If you nix the liqueur, you'll need to let the sorbet stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping. Also, if you don't have any Grand Marnier, I bet you could substitute vodka, but go easy on it.

Makes about 1 quart.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cranberry-raspberry juice
2-3 teaspoons Grand Marnier (optional)

Directions

Heat cranberries, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan until liquid begins to boil. Let boil for 1 minute then remove from heat and cover. Let stand for about 30 minutes. Purée the cranberries and their liquid in a blender or food processor then press through a sieve to remove the cranberry skins and seeds. (conversely, you could use a food mill fitted with a fine disk). Stir in the juice and the liqueur. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Wordless Wednesday: Unfortunate result of my cooking and baking habits

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:01:00 +0000

Foods you didn't know had soy, 4th edition

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:41:00 +0000

This is the 4th edition of my ongoing series, "Foods you didn't know had soy." I am constantly amazed at how many foods have soy; at least once a week, I'll ask Tara (or somebody random if they're standing next to me at the supermarket), "Did you know that this had soy?! WTF?" Be sure to check out the rest of the series.

1. Meal replacement shakes

2. Microwave popcorn

3. Protein bars

Most, but not all, protein bars use soy as their protein.

4. Container frosting

Every style of frosting that I checked out at my regular supermarket had soy in it. Needless to say, I was pretty surprised.

5. Rainbow sprinkles

This was the biggest WTF? I mean, sprinkles? Really?

Note: While not all varieties of a product contain soy, each of the items pictured above does. For most items, there are a variety of alternatives; some, however, may be harder to find than others.

Cashew butter cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:22:00 +0000

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we can focus on Christmas! Here are those cashew butter cookies I promised in the oh-so-Thanksgiving-appropriate cashew nut butter post.

Just like the Key West lime coconut butter cookies, these cookies were a result of another nut-butter fail. I don't think I mentioned it in the cashew nut butter post, but my cashew butter was extremely dry and thick. It was barely spreadable. I worked with it as long as I could, but after that, I knew some cookies were in order.

(L) Cashew butter, (R) Coconut butter

I actually made these the same day as the coconut butter cookies and it was a toss up as to which ones Tara and I liked better. These cashew butter cookies were a little softer, richer, and more like peanut butter cookies.

Regardless, if you normally make peanut butter cookies for your cookie exchange, consider these cashew butter cookies instead. Or, better yet, make both - 'Tis the season for giving!

Honey cashew butter cookies
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 75th year anniversary

This is another riff off the classic peanut butter cookie recipe. The only thing I changed, aside from using cashew butter, was subbing in 1/4 cup honey for the brown sugar.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cashew butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Granulated sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and cashew butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar, honey, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and lime until combined . Beat in the flour, stirring if necessary. If the dough is difficult to handle, cover and chill for about 30 minutes.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in additional granulated sugar to coat. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten by making crisscross marks with the tines of a fork. Bake for 9 to 13 minutes (less for softer cookies) or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a wrack and let cool.

Cashew nut butter

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:52:00 +0000

I realize that tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I should probably post a more appropriate recipe, but this is what I have ready, so this is what you get! There are a few Fall/Thanksgiving appropriate dishes on the blog that you can check out if you need some last minute inspiration, though.

I enjoy making my own nut butter flavors at home. They're relatively easy and you can experiment with any number of nut/flavor combinations you can think of. I'm still experimenting with flavors, but so far, I've made plain pumpkin seed butter (can't wait to try this with some cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger or all 3), maple cinnamon pecan butter (OMG, to die for, recipe coming soon), and this cashew butter.

Nut butters can be used in the same way that you would use peanut butter: sandwiches, cookies (recipe coming up for cashew butter cookies), granola, smoothies, etc.

For the sandwiches below, I made a "Peanut butter & jelly" sandwich, but with the cashew butter and lingonberry preserves (cranberry sauce would work well, too). I gotta say, it was a pretty outstanding sandwich as far as PB&J goes.

Cashew nut butter

This is more of a concept than a hard and fast recipe; you can scale this up or down and add as little or as much flavorings as desired. I prefer to roast my own nuts so I can add any liquids before roasting and allow for caramelization. However, you can use already roasted nuts and add your liquids in the processor; just use a little bit less. Also, if you don't want to add the honey, you shouldn't need to add any oil; for some reason the honey clumps up the cashew butter.

Ingredients

16oz (1 pound) cashews
2-3 Tablespoons honey, or to taste
~1 teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons oil (I used a combo of grapeseed and coconut)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Coat cashews with honey (and any other flavorings). Roast for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they're a light golden brown; keep an eye on them because under done is better than over done in this case!

Place nuts in food process and process until the texture doesn't change anymore, stopping regularly to scrape down the bowl. The nuts will go through several stages (check out the above pic) and it might take awhile - 15 minutes or so. Add the salt and slowly pour in the oil. Process until you get a fairly smooth consistency.

I store my nut butters in old glass peanut butter jars. They'll be fine out of the fridge for a few months, but if you're unsure, you can store them in the fridge.

Couscous and sausage stuffed mushrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:27:00 +0000

My meals have been less than inspired lately. It's been difficult for me because not only does Tara have the dietary restrictions due to her Porphyria, but she's pretty picky, too; top that off with the fact that she's still recovering from jaw surgery and you could understand my frustration. Soooo, we've been eating lots of pastas and cobbled together meals of leftovers.

Mark Bittman to the rescue! The NYT recently re-shared Bittman's Top 101 Head Starts on the Day from 2009. I found so many ideas that I ended up making my own list of favorites. Expect to see some of them in upcoming posts.

A few things:

First, I normally have a loooong turn around time from cooking/eating a recipe to blogging about it. Not this dish. I made it just a few days ago and it was so good that I had to post about it as soon as possible. Plus, it's perfect for Thanksgiving.

Second, HUGE apologies for the bad quality of photos. I was working with the double whammy of my iPhone and bad lighting. Normally, I wouldn't blog a recipe if the pictures looked like these, but Tara loved this dish, so I had to share. Again, it was that good!

Third, Bittman doesn't give very detailed instructions, so I kinda had to wing it as far as writing the recipe.

Couscous and sausage stuffed mushrooms
Adapted from Mark Bittman, via The New York Times (#39)

I changed a few things in the "recipe" based on what was on hand and how much time I had. Mainly, I used couscous instead of rice, a shallot instead of onion and garlic, and a mixture of Fontina and Gruyere cheese instead of the Parmesan. In the spirit of the recipe, I didn't measure, so take the ingredient amounts as a guide rather than an absolute, especially with the couscous, bread crumbs and cheese.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz button, cremini, or portobello mushrooms
2 smallish mild Italian sausages, removed from casings and crumbled
1 shallot, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
~ 3/4 cup cooked couscous
1 egg
~ 1/4 cup soy free bread crumbs (I used Ian's Panko.)
~ 1/4 cup of grated cheese

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the sausage until it begins to brown. While the sausage is cooking, trim mushrooms and chop stems (do this first if you're not confident in your speedy kitchen skills).

When the sausage starts to brown, add stems, chopped onion, and garlic (if using). Stir often. (Time saving tip: Grate your cheese while waiting for the mixture to cook.) When the mixture is cooked, remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Add cooked couscous, egg, bread crumbs, and cheese. The mixture should stick together a little bit, so feel free to add cheese and bread crumbs as needed.

Spoon the stuffing into the mushroom caps (and ramekins for the extra mixture) and bake until tender, about 15 minutes.

Vegetarian option: Increase the mushrooms to 12-16oz. Dice half and cook with the stems. Season with black pepper and fennel.

Onion free and garlic free option: Replace the shallot and garlic with 1-2 stalks of diced celery.

Wordless Wednesday: Berry juice cubes

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:29:00 +0000

Granola with quinoa and seeds

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0000

I eat granola almost every weekday morning for breakfast, but until recently, I've never actually made my own. Any of the recipes I saw seemed too complicated or they had ingredients that I didn't want to use like corn syrup and/or oil (wtf?), or or they included nuts/seeds that I didn't have. So, even though I always check every recipe that I see, I've never once attempted to make it...until I saw a recipe for Quinoa Granola over at Fake Ginger.

At the time, I had a huge amount of red quinoa that I wanted to get rid of (even after using it in the Quinoa and sausage stuffed acorn squash), so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to both make granola for the first time AND use up the quinoa. I can't say that I would have ever thought to use quinoa in granola, but it makes sense since it's actually a seed.

Unfortunately, once I made and tasted the recipe, I wasn't entirely happy with the outcome. First, it wasn't sweet enough. Second, there was so much quinoa that, because it turned hard during baking, it made for difficult eating.

But, all was not lost because I finally realized just how easy it was to make granola and how infinitely customizable it is! Initially, I set out to make granola that tasted similar to my favorite commercially available granola, Oats and honey by Cascadian Farms. So, I modified the original recipe primarily by increasing the honey and decreasing the quinoa; I also added some other nuts, seeds, and flavors. I've made it several times now and each version is better than the previous.

See the puffed rice in the mix?

As a bonus, I found that I could make this granola gluten free without spending a ton of money on gluten free oats. I've tried a few batches with puffed rice, both mixed and 100%, and it ended up working very well.

[Our camera is on the fritz so these pics below (plus the header pic) were taken with my iPhone. Not too shabby, might I add.]

Granola
Inspiration from Fake Ginger

~10 1-cup servings

For the mix that's pictured above, I used a combination of puffed rice and oats; a nut and seed mix that included 1 cup walnuts, 4 tablespoons each of pumpkin and sunflower seeds, 4 tablespoons quinoa (rinsed and spread out to dry), and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (which are on the restricted list, but Tara isn't eating this stuff anytime soon, so no worries); and for the fruit, I used cranberries.

Ingredients

6 cups old-fashioned oats and/or puffed rice
2 cups mixed nuts and seeds
1 cup applesauce (or baby food)
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
sprinkle cinnamon
1 cup dried fruit
Optional additions: flax meal, protein powder, wheat germ

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300. Coat a baking dish or 2 with oil (preferred) or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, and seeds. Set aside.

Stir together applesauce and/or baby food, honey, molasses, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. (This is where I add in my optional ingredients, too. I feel that mixing it with the liquids gives it a better distribution.) Taste and add more flavorings as needed. Pour over oat mixture and stir to moisten all of the ingredients. Spread the mixture onto prepared baking dish.

Bake for 40 – 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until granola is golden and slightly crunchy (Don't cook it until it is totally crunchy because it will crisp up as it cools). Remove from oven and stir in dried fruit. Let cool and store tightly covered.

Notes: If you don't have a glut of baby food like us and are using applesauce, you may want to leave out or reduce the sugar, especially if you're not that into sweet stuff. By the same token, if you are using a flavored or sweetened protein powder, you may want to decrease or eliminate both the sugar and the vanilla.

Penne a la vodka

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:09:00 +0000

I know people like to knock Rachael Ray, but all of her recipes that I have made (and it's only been a few) were very approachable and relatively easy to make. This recipe is no exception. I mean, even Deb from Smitten Kitchen made it.

Rach's dish is somewhat annoyingly titled: You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta. But, it is Tara's favorite meal that I make for her. She requests it for her birthday every year plus she likes me to make it for special occasions. Other people buy their wives flowers; I make mine penne a la vodka! So, even though I haven't been single for many years (almost 10, people!), it certainly keeps me from being single again!

(By the way, the Decadent Duo for Decadent Duos: Chocolate Cups with Whipped Cream from the same episode is pretty phenomenal.)

I've tweaked this recipe so much over the years, per Tara's requests, that we've pretty much made it our own. Mainly, I added some heat with red pepper flakes and made it chunkier by increasing the amount of shallots, adding cut up stewed tomatoes, and eliminating the chicken stock.

Incidentally, I rarely drink any form of alcohol - I can count how many drinks I imbibe in one year on one hand - and I certainly don't buy alcohol for drinking. So, the first time I had to buy vodka for this recipe (normally I send Tara), there was a sale on the larger, 750ml, bottles. The irony of a non-drinker buying a rather large bottle of vodka was not lost on me. Also ironical is how decently stocked our liquor cabinet (shelf, actually) is due to my willingness to use multiple varieties in my cooking and baking.

Penne a la Vodka
Liberally adapted from Rachael Ray

Serves 4

If you want to make this alcohol free, swap the vodka for a half cup of chicken or vegetable broth (or water in a pinch); add it in with the tomatoes.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
4-5 shallots, chopped
2 cloves (or 1-2 teaspoons from a jar) minced garlic
red pepper flakes to taste (~1/4 tsp)
1 cup vodka
1 large (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes*
Salt and pepper to flavor
16 oz penne pasta
½ cup heavy cream
20 leaves basil, shredded/torn (optional)
grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil, butter, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3-5 minutes to develop sweetness. Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and saute for a minute or so. Add vodka to the pan and reduce by half (2-3 minutes). Add tomatoes to pan. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Dump in the pasta, boil for a minute or so and turn off the heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is cooked to your liking. Once done, drain and return to the pot.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove from heat. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

*Note: Regarding the tomatoes, for a thinner sauce, use the 28oz can of crushed tomatoes; for a super chunky sauce, use a 28oz can of stewed tomatoes, chopped; finally, if you need to compromise like I do, use one 14.5 oz can of stewed tomatoes, chopped, and one 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes. The 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes can be a bit difficult to find (I know Muir Glen makes it), so you may need to double the recipe. But don't worry, it freezes really well.

Wordless Wednesday: Orange melon

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:12:00 +0000

Orzo with mushrooms, tomatoes, and sausage

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:32:00 +0000

In the process of my pantry cleaning, I realized that we had a large amount of orzo so I have used it for several different meals. I've discovered that there is something about the texture of freshly cooked orzo that makes me happy. Typically, you'll see orzo used in soups or pasta salads, but I like to pair it with sauces (like regular noodles) or stew-type things like chili (where I would normally use rice).

A perfect example is the above meal: orzo with pesto, mushrooms, tomatoes, and sausage, which is both vegetarian-friendly and vegan-friendly. I'm not including any recipe because there's really not much to it. I boiled orzo pasta just like I would regular pasta - Watch it though, because it cooks up quick! Then I combined it with some homemade pesto, topped it off with sauteed mushrooms (because we all know how much I love them) and diced tomatoes. Leave it that way for a vegan side dish or add a sprinkle of Parmesan and some sliced sausage on the side and - Voila! - a fairly quick weeknight meal.

2 years ago, today...

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:50:00 +0000

Tara and I declared our love to each other in front of our family and friends.

Clearly, we had a lot of fun doing that...

I had so much difficulty choosing what cake flavor I wanted, that I got two cakes. We got them from the grocery store. They may not look all that fancy, but they sure tasted great!

Carrot cake torte.

Red velvet.

Here's to the rest of our lives together!

Onion-free and garlic-free pumpkin chili

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:42:00 +0000

I have a confession to make: we eat far more onions and garlic than we're supposed to. If you've checked out our Restricted Foods page, you've seen the explanation blurb in the Foods Not Yet Assessed section regarding the Allium family. Up until now, we've been loathe to cut out onions and garlic from our diet because we like their flavor and, quite frankly, it's kind of intimidating cooking without onion or garlic. I mean, it's rare that a savory recipe doesn't include one or both. However, according to all the sites I've read on Porphyria and sulfur sensitivities, including multiple anecdotes from people living with Porphyria, all foods in the Allium family should be avoided. So, that means no onion, no garlic, no chives - none of that!

After doing some research, I found out that onion and garlic are fairly easy to replace as long as they are not the star-player of the recipe. Essentially, they are just aromatics to give a little (or a lot) of extra oomph to the recipe. So, to replace the oomph from one aromatic, you need some oomph from another aromatic. The main suggestion for replacement has been celery. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of celery. I refuse to eat it if it's raw, but if it's hidden in a meal, well, OK. Because of this, I've hesitated to even attempt an onion free and garlic free recipe using celery.

Then I saw Ashley's pumpkin chili. Not only did the recipe and accompanying photos look amazing (except for the kidney beans - they give me the heeby jeebies), but there wasn't a crazy amount of onion or garlic included. So I decided it would be my first attempt at an onion free and garlic free recipe.

I plan on writing another post that includes tips and such on cooking onion free and garlic free (If y'all have any tips, please share.). In the meantime, if you are highly sensitive or allergic double check everything! I accidentally had traces of both onion and garlic in my recipe; I used a homemade broth that included both and the chili powder I used has garlic powder.

I cooked the chili uncovered, so it was extra thick. At that consistency, it would make amazing chili mac or as a sauce base for pizza with some shredded chicken on top. I didn't get to try any of those options because I finished it, but next time!

Onion free and garlic free pumpkin chili
liberally adapted from (never home)maker with onion free and garlic free inspiration from About.com.

I'm writing this recipe as I cooked it, but please see below for my comments and suggestions.

Ingredients

3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups cooked dry (or 1 can drained and rinsed) great northern beans
1 1/2 cups cooked dry (or 1 can drained and rinsed) small red beans
1 can corn kernels, drained
1 14 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, keep the juice
1 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin*
1/2 teaspoon chili powder*
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
Optional:

Sliced avocado, shredded cheese, and/or tortilla chips for topping.
For increased carbohydrates: cooked pasta such as macaroni noodles if the chili is thick, orzo if it is thinner.

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the celery. Cook until onions are tender. Pour in the beans, corn kernels, pumpkin puree, tomatoes, vegetable broth, and seasonings (including herbs). Mix.

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. When stirring, crush the whole tomatoes enough to mix them in a bit, but keep them chunky. Then lower the heat to a simmer and either cover for a thinner chili or leave uncovered for a thicker chili. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Verdict & notes:

First and foremost, I would increase all the spices, save the cayenne pepper - Dude, that stuff packs some heat!
Second, I would definitely increase (maybe double?) the fresh herbs; I'm still getting used to cooking with fresh herbs, so I've been starting off light. Also, Ashley originally suggested to add the herbs toward the end, but I really needed them to flavor the mixture, so I added them in the beginning. Thoughts?
Third, I might increase the celery by a stalk or two; I originally started out with one and a half and had to add some more in at the end (the recipe reflects this).
Finally, the pumpkin doesn't add much flavor, so don't be put off by it's addition to the chili; if you want some of the flavor to shine, add an additional half to a full can of pumpkin puree.

All that said, I definitely liked this chili. I ate it a few times without anything else, which is saying something for me.

*If you are being strict about removing all things onion and garlic, leave out the chili powder and substitute with up to 1 tablespoon of ground red pepper and increase the cumin to 1 teaspoon. I'm not sure how it will taste, but if anyone tries it, please let me know. Also, make your own vegetable broth without the offending onion and garlic (how-to post coming eventually).

Wordless Wednesday: Butternut squash hearts me...

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:10:00 +0000

10 Foods you didn't know had soy, 3rd edition: Candy special

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 03:32:00 +0000

When I first decided to make the "Foods you didn't know had soy" posts into a series, I was concerned that I wouldn't have enough food items to keep the series going. Well, I needn't have worried! There is no shortage of foods that contain soy.

Case in point: Tara and I were at the Dollar store this past weekend and, since Tara can get lost in there and I'm not much of a fan, I decided to check out their food section to see if I could find a few items with soy. Holy cow! Did I hit the jackpot! There were so many items that I actually started to get pissed off and upset. I kept running over to Tara to show her a pic, while exclaiming, "This [pointing at the pic], this has soy!" (It should be noted that while there were a fair amount of off-brands, there was also a significant number of name brands.)

The biggest surprise was the candy aisle. I found so many items that, in the spirit of Halloween this weekend, I decided to dedicate an entire edition to candy. I didn't list any chocolate candies because I already mentioned chocolate in the first edition. So, if a candy has chocolate, you're pretty much guaranteed that it also has soy. Even with ignoring the chocolate candy, I still found soooo many other candy products that have soy!

1. Bit-O-Honey

2. Caramel candies

3. Caramel Creams (Bull's Eyes)

I loved these growing up.

4. Certs mints

5. Wrigley's Spearmint gum

Every single flavor of Wrigley's that I checked out has soy, including the Orbit White Bubblemint sitting in my drawer at work. Glee Gum is a great alternative, but it doesn't last nearly as long as regular gum.

6. Creme Savers

I didn't actually see these at the Dollar store, but I found them when reading the Wrigley's website.

7. Willy Wonka Laffy Taffy

8. Now and Later

9. Pez

I'm not sure why, but this disappointed me the most

10. Sugar Daddy's (and Babies)

Alison, over at Sure Foods Living, made a list of all the available soy free candy that she was able to find. Also, in doing my searching online, I found a few places that sell soy-free candy; Natural Candy Store has a great selection (no affiliation).

Key West coconut butter lime cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 01:51:00 +0000

These cookies are the result of a total fail. I got the idea to make coconut butter from Edible Perspective and, while I had such high hopes for it, I just didn't like it. First, I used shaved coconut instead of coconut flour and I couldn't get it completely smooth so there were little pieces of coconut throughout. Second, and most importantly, I love the smell of coconut, but I don't really like the taste of it! I attempted to improve the flavor a bit by adding a little lime oil, but it didn't work.

I didn't want to waste it so I stuck it in the fridge until I could figure something out to do with it. Finally, I had the brilliant idea to make coconut butter cookies (a la peanut butter cookies). Success! These cookies are ridiculously good! They remind me of the lime sugar cookies that Tara and I couldn't get enough of during our last trip to the Keys. One of my friends said that they were a cross between a margarita and Key West (because Key West is a flavor, right?).

What is it about the smell of coconut that makes you think of the beach and summer?

Before I give you the recipe, I present: Cookie Art, by Tara. :)

Key West coconut lime butter cookies
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 75th year anniversary

A few observations: (1) If you decide to make your own coconut butter (and you should, because these cookies rock), make sure you get unsulphured and unsweetened dessicated coconut. (2) Both the lime and the coconut (say it with me: put the lime in the coconut...) are actually pretty mild.

You can purchase your lime oil from Boyajin; I gotta say, they are well worth the money. You can substitute lime extract, but increase the level to 1 teaspoon. Also, if you're not a fan of lime, you could substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract; I still have some coconut butter left, so I may make a version like this - I bet it would smell amazing!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup coconut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon lime oil
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Granulated sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and coconut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and lime until combined . Beat in the flour, stirring if necessary. If the dough is difficult to handle, cover and chill for about 30 minutes.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in additional granulated sugar to coat. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten by making crisscross marks with the tines of a fork. Bake for 9 to 13 minutes (less for softer cookies) or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a wrack and let cool.

Penne with zucchini ribbons and mushrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:23:00 +0000

I've been working on a granola post (plus several others) to give you, but I'm still tweaking the recipe, so instead I give you penne with zucchini ribbons and a quick write-up. (This is your cue to look at me like I'm crazy and say, "But Sunshine, it's Fall! Zucchinis are for summer." And to that I say, "Well, somebody needs to tell the people at Publix because they just had zucchini on sale last weak, so there.")

Also, I'm going to refer to the zucchini as zukes, because that what we call them at home and I like the way it sounds. Hope you don't mind.

This is an awesome meal for both AIP and non-AIP folks. Because the pasta amount is adjustable, you can have as much or as little carbs as you want or need. We've had this a few times and I've occasionally just had the zuke noodles and pesto on their own.

Penne with zucchini ribbons and sauteed mushrooms

While not so original, I prefer it topped with sauteed mushrooms just like some other recipes. Roasted pesto stuffed tomatoes (see Smitten kitchen and Veggie Belly's recipes) are a great accompaniment.

Ingredients

3 zucchini squashes
2+ tablespoons oil, divided
1 tablespoons butter
1/4 - 1/3 cup pesto*
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan
pasta of your choice

Directions

Pumpkin seeds:
Heat oven to 350F. Spread pumpkin layers in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Toast for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on these, they go from just right to burned pretty quickly. A few minutes before they're finished, they'll start to puff up and pop (which is fun to watch, by the way). When they're done, they seeds will be mostly puffed up and a greenish brown color. Conversely, you can toast them on the stove top on an ungreased pan over med heat, shaking frequently; I've never actually done it this way, so I can't speak to its effectiveness. (Because I use so many pumpkin seeds, I usually toast a large batch in the toaster oven and store them so they're recipe-ready.)

Pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Dump in the pasta, boil for a minute or so and turn off the heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is cooked to your liking. Check the pasta frequently after the 10 minute mark to determine when the pasta is done. I find this method a lot easier to cook pasta than the traditional method. Once the pasta is done, drain and return to the pot. Also, if you don't want to add oil to your pasta, you can rinse it once or twice in cold water (Tara thinks this is blasphemy, but she's also part Italian; I'm part Puerto Rican and can make up my own pasta rules.).

Mushrooms:
While you're waiting for the pasta water to boil, heat a large skillet over med - med/high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil. After the oil has heated, add the butter and cook until it has foamed. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir to coat in the butter-oil mixture; season with a little salt and pepper. Saute the mushrooms until they are done to your liking, 10-15 minutes. Empty into a bowl.

Zukes:
Prep your zukes while the pasta and mushrooms are cooking; do this first if you're not confident in your speedy kitchen skills. Peel the zukes. Then working around it's length, peel strips of flesh off. Continue until you get to the seed (You can throw away the remaining bits or use them up in a creative way; I haven't figured this out yet.). When the mushrooms are done, heat up the remaining oil if you need it (That's the "+" in the recipe.). Put your zuke strips in the pan and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently; you want them to soften up a bit, but still have some crispness to them. When they are done, toss them with the pesto and pumpkin seeds.

To serve, plate the noodles, top with the zuke noodle, pesto, pumpkin seed mixture, and, finally, top with the mushrooms and grated parmesan.

*Note: I just realized that there are no pumpkin seeds in the pictures, but add them anyway. They give a nice crunch. Also, we use homemade pesto and since we like ours on the dry side, it takes a little more to get good coverage. Adjust this to your preferences.

5 Foods you didn't know had soy, 2nd edition

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:59:00 +0000

In my continuing efforts to eliminate all soy products from the foods we eat at home, I've found even more foods that I never realized contained soy - so much so that I'm making my posts on "Foods you didn't know had soy in them" an occasional series! This one is my second post (in case you couldn't tell from the title...); be sure to check out the first post.

1. Margarine

Source

2. Potato chips

3. Bottled tomato sauce

4. Vegetable oil

This might sound obvious, but I was so surprised when I checked my bottle of 'vegetable' oil and the only ingredient was soybean oil.

5. Non-stick cooking spray

I have this brand in my cabinet.

The above spray has an oil blend that contains soybean oil and it also has soy lecithin. For each spray I checked, all varieties, even olive and sunflower oil, had soy lecithin. Your best bet here is to either get one of those pump spray things or go old-school.

Note: While not all varieties of a product contain soy, each of the items pictured above does. For most items, there are a variety of alternatives; some, however, may be harder to find than others.

BIG THANKS to Maggie Hoffman from Serious Eats for linking this post!

Peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat focaccia

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 15:11:00 +0000

I love a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It's not something I eat regularly, but every so often, I'll get on a kick and I'll eat it for a few days. (Tara, on the other hand, can't really stomach the stuff and thinks I'm a little bit off for being so enamored with it.) I'm rather particular about my PB&J: it has to be on whole wheat bread, I like it super rich with lots of peanut butter and lots of jelly, I only like it with grape jelly, and the peanut butter and jelly have to be in even amounts, spread all the way to the edges (I'm almost obsessive about the last two; I'll spend several minutes making sure each slice is the same, even going so far as to hold each slice next to each other to compare.).

While I could technically use my favorite bread for a sandwich, even though it has soy, I actually wanted to make wheat bread. However, I'm still a little nervous about making a whole wheat sandwich loaf and I was already making the olive oil bread that same day, so I didn't want to make another loaf style bread. I decided to buck tradition and make a whole wheat focaccia bread for my sandwiches. I didn't have any regular whole wheat flour, but I had some graham flour which I figured would add an interesting crunch (much like the addition of cornmeal to pizza).

I forgot to oil the top of the focaccia, so it baked up a bit wonky and the entire thing was slightly curved. Because of this, and the deep holes in the bread, I decided not to slice the focaccia pieces in half as you would for a traditional sandwich. Instead, I flipped each piece over and slathered what would have been the bottom with both the peanut butter and the jelly. I felt rather daring each time I made a PB&J slice.

Because my peanut butter was so thin, it was hard to get the ratios even. Believe me, I tried!

Whole wheat focaccia bread
Adapted from Mark Bittman

I followed the recipe below, but I would make a few changes next time. Mainly, I would use a bit less salt, reduce the oil in the bread to 2 tablespoons, and maybe add a tablespoon or so of honey. I used my stand mixer, but I'll give directions for mixing it in the food processor or by hand.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more as needed
1 1/2 cups whole wheat graham flour (or regular whole wheat)
1 1/2 cups (or more) water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

Directions

Stand mixer: Combine half the flours with the salt, yeast, 3 tablespoons of the oil, and water. Using the paddle blade, blend until smooth. With the machine on slow speed, add the remaining flour a little at a time, until the mixture has become a sticky ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl (switch to the dough hook, if needed). Knead by hand for one minute, adding as little flour as necessary. Proceed below.

Food processor: Combine the flours, yeast, and salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil through the feed tube, followed by 1 1/2 cups of water. Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. Proceed below.

By hand: Combine half the flours with the salt and yeast in a large bowl and stir to blend. Add the oil and water and stir with a wooden handle until smooth. Add the remaining flour a little at a time. When the mixture becomes too stiff to stir with a spoon, begin kneading, adding as little flour as possible - just enough to keep the dough from being a sticky mess. Knead until smooth but still quite moist, about 10 minutes. Proceed below.

Form a smooth, round dough ball, put it into a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours. When the dough is ready, shape the dough into a ball. Put the ball on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle with a little flour, and cover with plastic wrap (I used the same piece as before). Let rest until the dough puffs slightly, about 20 minutes.

Use the remaining tablespoon to grease an 11x17-inch jelly roll pan (I think my pan dimensions are a little different.). Press the dough into a small rectangle and put it into the pan; let it relax there for a minute. Press and stretch the dough until it reaches the edges of the pan. (I didn't have any trouble with this step, but if you do, the key is to take your time and don't fight the dough!) If it resists, let it rest a bit and then begin stretching again. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 425F . Uncover the dough and dimple the surface all over with your fingertips. Brush the surface of the dough with a little olive oil (I forgot this and it was a little dry. While this wasn't a problem for me because I intended it to be covered with peanut butter and jelly, your mileage may vary.). Put the focaccia in the oven and lower the temperature to 375F, and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove and cool on a rack.

Note: This focaccia freezes really well, so don't worry if you're not going to eat it all right away. Also, you could, of course, use this recipe as a base for toppings; just prepare it like I did for the butternut squash flatbread.

This post has been submitted to Yeastspotting.

Quinoa and sausage stuffed acorn squash

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 02:21:00 +0000

Woohoo! It's Fall!! Around here, Fall is more of an attitude than an actual season because significantly cooler temperatures don't arrive here until November. Normally, I'm not so excited about Fall, but this year, I've already put some mini pumpkins on display and I've started transitioning from lighter summer recipes to the heartier fall recipes. This past weekend, I had a marathon session in my kitchen where, among other things, I roasted butternut squash and a pumpkin and made this very fall-inspired dish.

I actually attempted this dish once before, but it did not turn out very well at all. I chalk it up more to user-error than anything else: I over-peppered and underseasoned at the same time, I tried to make it vegetarian while missing some of the key ingredients like celery and fresh herbs, and I used a butternut squash as the base, which made it squash heavy. I'd like to try vegetarian-izing it again, but, honestly, this version is so darn good, I'm not sure that I need to.

This recipe makes a lot of stuffing - probably enough for 8 servings - especially since I upped the quinoa amount. So, either scale down the recipe or save the stuffing for leftovers. I've already had the stuffing heated up plain, wrapped in a burrito with scrambled eggs, and microwaved with an egg mixed in and topped with salsa (most successful version, IMO). You could also put it in a small baking dish and top it with the cheese Panko mixture. I plan on doing this next time because I'm not sure how much the acorn squash adds to the flavor.

Quinoa and sausage stuffed acorn squash
Adapted from The Other Side of Fifty

Squash:

1 acorn or other small squash (mini pumpkins might work well, too)

Cut squash in half and remove seeds and any stringy pulp. Brush squash halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place squash halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet and add 1/4" of water to pan. Roast squash in 375 degree oven for 45-50 minutes, or until fork tender.

Quinoa:
I used red quinoa from the bulk bin at Whole Foods. If you buy your quinoa in bulk, use the directions below, otherwise follow the directions on the package. Also, I doubled this recipe, not realizing just how much it made.

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth (I used homemade mushroom broth)

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; pour in the quinoa and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.

Sausage stuffing:

1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup dried cranberries, no sulfur added
1/2 lb. chicken sausage (I used 2 1/2 links, casings removed)
1 TBSP olive oil (or cooking fat from sausage)
1/2 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 TBSP all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (you could also use thyme)
1/4 cup pumpkin or sunflower seed kernels (I used pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 TBSP parmesan cheese,grated

Brown sausage in large skillet. Remove from pan, leaving the cooking fat in the pan if you are using it, and set aside.

Return skillet to stove and add olive oil (if using). Add onion and celery and season with salt and pepper. Saute until onion is softened and translucent then add the garlic and saute for another minute or two. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for a few minutes to ensure that flour loses its raw taste. Whisk in the broth and cook/stir until smooth and bubbly. Stir in fresh herbs and remove pan from heat. Add the pumpkin or sunflower seeds, quinoa, cranberries, and sausage to the skillet, stirring to combine well.

Stir Panko and parmesan together in a small bowl.

Stuff each half of the acorn squash with the sausage/quinoa mixture. Sprinkle the tops with the Panko crumbs. Place squash back into oven for 10-15 minutes to heat through and brown the breadcrumbs.

Review: Enjoy Life Very Berry bar

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:51:00 +0000

When Tara and I started to get serious about her diet and the carbohydrate requirements associated with AIP, we realized that Tara was skipping the most important meal of the day - breakfast. Of course, eating breakfast is important for everyone, but it's doubly important for those living with AIP. People with AIP should eat regularly and not fast, so eating breakfast (break fast) is crucial. Well, in effect, Tara was fasting for 12+ hours in between dinner and her next meal. The problem, though, is that she's one of those people who gets nauseous if they eat too soon after waking. So we had to find portable breakfast items that she wanted to eat while driving to work. Initially, we tried rice cakes, but we had to nix those as soon as she got her braces. We had some success with a variety of snack bars (Kashi was pretty popular)...until we started eliminating foods that contraindicate AIP.

Enjoy life Very berry

Enter the company Enjoy Life. Their mission is "to make great-tasting allergy-friendly and gluten-free foods that nearly everyone can eat freely without worry." (source) All of their foods are free of the Big 8 allergens; they are also made without casein, potato, sesame, and sulfites (big bonus for folks with AIP). Check out their website to see all the allergen friendly goodies they have. I can't wait to try their trail mixes. Also, I've purchased and tasted their soy free chocolate chips (tastes just like the "real" stuff) but I have yet to use them in baking to see how they hold up. These are the only chocolate products I have seen that do not have soy!

I first found these all the way on the bottom shelf at Whole Foods after desperately searching every single breakfast bar variety in the section. I have since seen the Cocoa loco variety at both Publix and Walmart. In addition to the Very Berry and Cocoa Loco flavors, they also have Caramel Apple and Sunbutter crunch. So far, we've only tried the Very Berry. Tara thinks they are a rather bland and dry, especially when compared to regular breakfast bars. I'll agree that they're a little dry, but I rarely eat breakfast bars and I find these to be plenty sweet. Plus, I enjoy the crunch of the rice flakes. I probably won't buy them regularly, but that's because I really have no need to - I eat cereal or oatmeal every morning. If my needs suddenly changed, I would definitely buy these, though!

Do y'all have any recommendations for breakfast-y type foods that are AIP-friendly?

Shrimp and mushroom couscous

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 09:52:00 +0000

I've been making some serious headway into cleaning out the "pantry." The only problem is that Tara keeps requesting new stuff to eat! Poor girl! She normally gets bored of foods pretty quickly and, now that she's limited to liquid and super soft foods on top of the restrictions for Porphyria, she's been trying anything possible to vary up her diet. We have almost every variety of soup available at the local stores - but all that has done is reinforce why we're not soup people... It's been interesting - and a little frustrating, truth be told - but we're making do. On the plus side, she's lost a good amount of weight (~15 pounds as of last weigh in), but due to her curbed activity level, she hasn't had any AIP symptoms! We're hoping to use this as a jump start to further weight loss when she gets better. I'll definitely keep y'all posted as that is generally not an easy thing to do with Porphs.

In any event, this meal was a total pantry cleaner. I used some shrimp that was in the freezer for a while, a white/whole wheat couscous mix purchased from the bulk bins at Whole Foods, and some homemade mushroom stock for the liquid. While I love the simplicity of the flavors, it might be a little bland for some. Feel free to play around with seasonings or fresh herbs to up the flavor profile.

Shrimp and mushroom couscous
Serves 4

I like my mushrooms on the crispy side so I sauteed them separately, but you could just as easily cook them together and only dirty one pot. I'll give directions for both methods. Also, Tara and I like to have quite a few shrimp per serving, so adjust accordingly for your needs.

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat and/or white couscous
1 1/2 cups of vegetable stock or water
8 oz (or more) mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound large shrimp, peeled
1 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Directions

Heat the broiler (or toaster oven) until hot and put the rack as close to the heat source as possible.

Cooking the mushrooms and couscous separately:

Heat a large skillet over med - med/high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil. After the oil has heated, add the butter and cook until it has foamed. Add the mushrooms, stir to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Saute the mushrooms in the butter-oil mixture until they are slightly crispy, about 10-15 minutes.

While the saute pan is heating, bring the vegetable stock to boil in a medium pot. After the liquid has boiled, pour in the couscous, cover and turn off the heat. Let white couscous stand for 5 minutes, whole wheat for 10. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Cooking the mushrooms and couscous together:

Follow the directions for sauteing the mushrooms above. Put the couscous in the pan, stirring to coat with the oil and begins to toast, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

After you've started both the mushrooms and couscous, coat the shrimp with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil the shrimp, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes per side. (As you can see from the pictures, I used skewers for this. They're not required, but it makes turning a little easier.) (Also, if you look at the pictures, you'll see a sort of coating on the shrimp; I was experimenting with some ground pepitas/pumpkin seeds. It didn't work very well, which is why I didn't include it in the recipe. If you do want to add some crunch, include roasted pumpkin seeds just towards the end of the cooking.)

To serve, mix the mushrooms and couscous together and top with the shrimp.

Pasta with mushrooms and 'homemade' sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:35:00 +0000

While Tara is recovering from her jaw surgery, I can pretty much eat what I want. Naturally, there will be some meals consisting solely of popcorn or avocado toast, but I also want to take the opportunity to eat down some of the food that's been languishing in the kitchen. You know what I'm talking about - all that stuff that was bought with good intentions (Oooh, look! Homemade falafels; I can totally do that!*) - but for whatever reason, they weren't used. I'm actually looking forward to cooking up some of that food, especially the items that I like but Tara won't eat: Helloooooo angel hair pasta!

I came up with this meal on the fly. There were several things in the fridge and freezer that I wanted to use up: fresh mushrooms, frozen diced onion, ravioli, mystery grated cheese (Parmesan?), and a half-empty (full?) container of Ragu pasta sauce. Pasta it was! However, I took one taste of the sauce and dumped it down the drain; I don't know if it was just stale or too sweet, but it was nasty! So, I had to resort to canned tomatoes for a sauce and, thankfully, it was pretty good. I found the sauce to be a little salty, but Tara declared it the best pasta sauce she ever had. She even insisted on having a small bowl with noodles chopped up super small.

Pasta with mushrooms and 'homemade' sauce

The sauce makes 4-6 servings, depending on how saucy you like your pasta.

Your best bet to get the pasta, sauce, and mushrooms done at the same time is to start them around the same time - Shocking, I know! So, as soon as you put the water on to boil, turn the heat on for the oil, then puree the tomatoes and get them heating in the pot, and finally, start cooking the onions. If you time it right, you could potentially have this meal ready in 20-25 minutes.

Ingredients

1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes, Italian recipe
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, Basil, Garlic, and Oregano flavor
1/4 yellow or white onion, diced
8oz button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 heaping Tb butter
2 heaping Tb oil, divided (grapeseed or olive oil are good)
pasta of your choice
Parmesan cheese for topping, optional

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Dump in the pasta, boil for a minute or so and turn off the heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is cooked to your liking. Check the pasta frequently after the 10 minute mark to determine when the pasta is done. I find this method a lot easier to cook pasta than the traditional method. Once the pasta is done, drain and return to the pot.

Puree the tomatoes to your preferred consistency using a food processor, blender, or immersion blender; I only did a few pulses because I like my sauce chunky. In an uncovered sauce pot, bring the puree to a boil and then reduce heat to an easy simmer.

While the sauce is cooking and you're waiting for the pasta water to boil, heat a large skillet over med - med/high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil. After the oil has heated, add the butter and cook until it has foamed. Add the onions and stir to coat in the butter-oil mixture; turn down the heat down to medium. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until they have browned, about 5 minutes - Be careful not to burn them! Finally, add the sliced mushrooms, stirring to coat; you may need to add some more butter or oil at this point. Saute the mushroom-onion mixture until they are done to your liking, 10-15 minutes.

To serve, plate the noodles, top with sauce and mushrooms. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if using.

* When Tara read that sentence, she said, "I want homemade falafels!"

Fig, goat cheese, and prosciutto pita sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:07:00 +0000

My local grocery store had figs buy-one-get-one free (BOGO) and I was so excited that I gave a little "Woohoo!" in the store when I saw the set-up. Now, I've never had figs, so I had no idea what I was going to do with 2 pounds of figs, but - never fear - Tastespotting is here! After perusing several pages of fig recipes, I've discovered that figs and goat cheese is a classic combination. Since I was eating figs for the first time, I wanted to at least stick with something that was tried and true. As soon as I saw the Awesome Figgy Sandwich that The Noshery posted, I knew exactly what I was going to use the figs for; it, too, was another one of those "MUST MAKE NOW" recipes.

I gotta say, I wasn't all that enamored with the figs. I figure that's because I bought them from the store and didn't try them fresh (because everything is better fresh, of course). They tasted a bit flower-y to me and, on their own, they were really so-so. Plus, the texture was weird. However, when mixed with goat cheese and tart-sweet mango butter, the combination of all the flavors was quite tasty! Tara and I both kept saying how good the sandwich was as we were eating it.

I don't know if I'd do a BOGO of figs again, but I would definitely do a repeat of this combination!

Fig, goat cheese, and prosciutto pita sandwich
Inspired by The Noshery

I used pita bread because that's what I had; you could also use focaccia, ciabatta, or italian bread. Additionally, I would have liked some sort of drizzle on the sandwich like the original recipe, but since we're avoiding vinegars, I had to make do with the mango butter. Next time, I'd use either more mango butter or reduce some pomegranate juice (which I didn't have) to make a syrup.

I served this plate of deliciousness as the main dish with the cantaloupe, blueberry salad I posted recently.

Ingredients

1-2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
2-3 figs, sliced (I used black turkey)
goat cheese
mango butter (or some other type of sweet-tart jelly/jam/spread)
2 slices prosciutto
6 basil leaves
pita pocket, sliced in half (I recommend Toufayan)

Directions

Heat a large skillet over med - med/high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. After the oil has heated, add the butter. Once the butter has melted and foamed, add the onions and stir to coat in the butter-oil mixture; turn down the heat to medium. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until they have browned, about 5 minutes - Be careful not to burn them! Turn the heat down to medium or lower and continue cooking until the onions are done to your liking - I ended up with crispy (but not burnt) onions after about 30 minutes.

Assemble your sandwich as you see fit, but here's what I recommend: For each half, spread the goat cheese on one side of the pita - Don't skimp on this. Spread the mango butter (or substitute) on the other side. Place one slice of prosciutto along one side (either, really). Then, add the figs and the basil leaves. Finally, top it off with the onions. This will be a little messy and you'll get filling all over your fingers when pushing the ingredients in, but at least it tastes good! (You'll see in the picture that I didn't use this method, but after assembly, I decided that what I recommended would make a more efficient preparation.)

Tip: To make it easier to open the pita half, heat it in the microwave for a few seconds or bake it in the oven at 350F for about 5 minutes