The Culinary Vampire

I'm still alive.

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 11:51:00 +0000

I'm still alive. Expect new recipes soon!

Porphyria-friendly recipe link love

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:29:00 +0000

This is a list of Porphyria-friendly recipes from around the web that I've seen this week (and then some). I do share some of these links on the Facebook page when I find them. So, if you'd like to get them sooner, make sure you "like" the page to get updates.

Artichoke pesto from Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes. I would replace the spinach with another green like arugula.
Cheesy herbed artichokes from How sweet it is. I *love* artichokes, but I only make them boiled and plain with mayo for dipping. (Don't judge, it's how I grew up eating them. Comfort food at its weirdest?) I've wanted to try them differently, but I had no idea what to do. I would totally make them this way. Although, Gorgonzola = Blue cheese = gross in my mind, so that will defo get switched out.
Buckwheat Patties from While Chasing Kids. These are just about the only veggie burgers I've seen that doesn't use beans as a base. Leave the flax seed out and replace the cilantro sauce with something more Porph-friendly, like pesto.
Toasted ravioli from A Zesty Bite. I love that it is healthier than fried ravioli, but that it's still nice and crunchy from the toasted coating.
Dried fig jam from the TasteSpotting blog. This would be the perfect thing to make with dried figs that I've been holding onto. I was originally going to make fig bars or homemade fig newtons, but I like this idea better. Plus, it's easier. Tara has been eating a lot of toast lately, so she's been getting into jams as a way to jazz up the toast and add carbs.
Egg and bacon bread bowls over at Jo Cooks. Of course the eggs and bacon aren't technically Porph-friendly, but the bread bowls are super customizable. I am seeing these with the extra bread that was pulled out mixed with rice, maybe cheese, spices, and a bit of some sort of liquid. Anything would work, as long as it's not too wet.
Beetroot tiramisu with pesto croutons from Cooking in Sens. I'm sharing this purely for the inspired pesto croutons. I've never thought about that! It just occurred to me recently that I can make my own croutons with leftover bread and I think pesto croutons would be fab. Use the recipe for arugula pesto on the blog or your favorite recipe.
Walnut Bella "meatball" subs from Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes (2nd link from them this week). "Meat" balls made with walnuts, dates, and seasonings. I love meat substitutions that don't rely on beans. Replace the flax egg with a regular egg or egg whites.
Mushroom Bread Pudding from Breanna's Recipe Box. I always want to like bread pudding, but it never lives up to its expectations for me. However, this recipe looks really good!
Cinnamon Apple French Toast Wraps from Food Family Finds. A tortilla isn't necessarily super high in carbs, so it's what you put in it that's important. I never think about sweet stuffed tortillas, so I love this. I keep wondering how it would be stuffed with rice pudding (or even just sweetened rice) and some fruit.
Sabudana (Sago) Khicdi from Ambika's Kitchen. I'm posting this for the inspiration to create a non-traditional breakfast. I see a sweet version with Israeli couscous as a great substitution. Maybe using rice milk as the liquid base? Even if water is used, I could add sugar, spices, and some fruit. I think I'm going to give this a try.
Penne pasta in a roasted beet sauce by Bev Cooks. Tomato free and onion free pasta sauce. Yet one more sauce to add to my must-try recipes. We like roasted beets at the house, but rarely eat them because they are a bit labor intensive. Wonder if this sauce would freeze well?

- Sunshine

Tips for increasing carbohydrates: New series

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:28:00 +0000

I'm starting a new series this week on tips for increasing carbohydrates (carbs).

I know one of the things we struggle with is how to keep Tara's carb level within the recommended 300g per day range. We do this by increasing the amount of carbs in a particular meal or snack and by adding in carbs throughout the day with something other than a meal or a snack.

The easiest way for Tara to "sneak" in carbs is to take them in through liquids. (This is, of course, also the easiest way to sneak in and increase your overall calorie intake, but that's a post for another time.) There are times when Tara doesn't feel good, but just can't or won't eat. It's a lot easier for her to drink something than to try and eat.

Gatorade is Tara's number one choice for liquid carbs. Tara normally drinks at least 2 quarts of extra strength Gatorade a day; she will increase that to 3 quarts during an attack or when she's not feeling so hot. Fruit punch is the only flavor that she likes. She prefers the powder over the already made liquid because she is able to control the strength and there are less ingredients. It's sold in most grocery stores, although we have been having some trouble finding the fruit punch flavor lately. It can be purchased online through places like Amazon (click on photo above).

Unfortunately, Tara's acid reflux has been acting up lately so she hasn't been able to get her full quota. She might drink 1 quart of watered down mix. It is because of this, in part, that she's been feeling worse than ever. There has definitely been a noticeable decrease in her overall health since she reduced the amount of Gatorade she's been drinking. She said the best she ever felt was when she was consistently drinking 1/2 gallon of fruit punch Gatorade per day. We've been looking into other alternatives but haven't found anything that is nearly as effective.

What do you do to increase you carb intake level throughout the day?

Foods with soy: Cranberry Walnut Dressing

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Here's another edition of my ongoing series, "Foods you didn't know had soy." I'm gonna change how I post the series. I'm going to make this a weekly series and post whatever foods with soy I find during the week instead of waiting until I have a certain amount of items.

You would think I'd be jaded and no longer shocked by all the foods I find that has soy, but I am constantly amazed at how many foods contain it. Almost every time I go to the store, I find something else and snap a pic with my iPhone.

Any food items with soy you've found recently that surprised you? If so, feel free to take a pic and e-mail it to me. I'll load them up as part of the series.

- Sunshine
*****

This week's entry is Cranberry Walnut Dressing from Naturally Fresh (I'm not even gonna go there with the company name). Even though I realize that almost every single ready made dressing has some form of soy in it, I'm always surprised when I find it, especially in the refrigerated (i.e. "fresher") brands.

I really like how this flavor combination sounds and think it would be a great fall fruit dip. I may end up attempting to recreate it.

And, soybean oil aside, since when did sour cream have so many damn ingredients?

Review: Barbaras Bakery Strawberry Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:25:00 +0000

Hey all,

Just a quick note to let y'all know that I haven't dropped off the blog. Quite the opposite, actually. I went to the FoodBloogForum Conference at Disney World in Orlando over St. Patrick's Day Weekend and I was so inspired. I have so many great ideas for this blog and my other blog, Scoops of Sunshine.

There has been some behind the scenes work going on for both of the blogs and I have several posts in the works, including a recap of FoodBlogForum Orlando.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a quick product review of these strawberry cereal bars from Barbara's Bakery(affiliate link).

One of the main things we struggle with is having easy, portable, and Porphyria-friendly snacks for Tara so that she can grab them for work or have something quick at home.

That's why I was pretty happy when I saw these bars and checked out the ingredients. Most importantly, it has no soy. I got so excited about a soy free "grain" product that I initially overlooked the slightly less than stellar ingredients like red cabbage and canola oil.

They can be a little hard to find. Only one of my local grocery stores carry the strawberry bars. Whole Foods carries a few different flavors, but that's not always convenient for everyone.

On a final note, Barbara's Bakery has several different type of bars, some of which contain soy, so be careful if you are strictly avoiding it.

TCV Quick notes

Pros: Portable, good amount of carbs, low fat, low protein, quick, convenient, dairy free, soy free, tastes good

Cons: Has a few iffy ingredients, can be hard to find.

Verdict: I would definitely buy these again.

Have you tried these bars?

Lasagna Stew

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:50:00 +0000

I wasn't too sure if I should share this recipe or not. It isn't exactly porphyria-friendly. Not only is there meat, but there are also tomatoes, onions, fennel, and a good amount of dairy. The only thing that it has going for it is that it has pasta. To be sure, Tara only had one serving and I ate the rest.

We definitely don't eat like this every day. But here's the thing, we're human and we don't always eat the best. It's just like when you're on a diet and you eat huge slice of cake (and a bowl of ice cream and some cookies, and a burger...); you know you shouldn't, but you do anyway. And, if you're the type, the next day you go bust your ass in the gym, or, at the very least, you get back on track with your diet. It's the same thing here. Tara occasionally gets cravings for certain foods that aren't so trigger-friendly or we're in a pinch. So, we try to eat foods before and after that are super high in carbs or she'll drink a Gatorade.

Anyway, enough of that and on to the recipe. Or the discussion of the recipe...

I initially saw Pass the Sushi's post on Lasagna Stew and it looked so good that I knew I was going to make it soon, like either that night or the next day, soon.

Thankfully, my version of lasagna soup - Lasagna Stew - did not disappoint! Honestly, the main reason I decided to post the recipe was because, people, this is good. I mean, really good. I'm not sure if it's because I love a good meat sauce and I rarely get to enjoy it, but I was savoring the sauce like nobody's business.

It doesn't taste quite like lasagna, but it is very lasagna-esque. You know, kind of like a cousin of lasagna. All the elements are there: meat sauce, pasta, ricotta, and browned mozzarella topping. They just combine to form something fabulous.

Despite what I said earlier about this lasagna stew being essentially a trigger-bomb, it is quite customizable. It can easily be made vegetarian by replacing the meat with veggies like mushrooms and/or zucchini, etc.. It can be made dairy-light or even dairy-free. You can change up the spices somewhat by leaving out the fennel and upping the basil, oregano, and bay lead. I suppose it could even be made onion-free, too, although I'm not entirely sure because, at that point, it would probably be another dish entirely.

Lasagna Stew

Adapted from Pass the Sushi and Closet Cooking and

Don't let the long list of ingredients fool you; this comes together fairly quickly. If you want to make this more soup-like, increase the chicken stock to at least 4 cups.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
2 medium - large onions, finely chopped,
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
3 tablespoon tomato paste (organic preferred)
1 28oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 1/2 cups, approximately, chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
8oz pasta (mafalda would be appropriate, but any big pasta will do)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil (I left this out)
Salt and pepper, to taste
8oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions

In a large pot (either a sauce pot or a large, high-sided skillet), heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until brown, breaking up into small chunks, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside (this step is optional, but it will help the next step go quicker.).

Add onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and fennel and sauté for about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes or so.

Add to the pan tomatoes with juice, sausage (if you removed it), stock, bay leaf, and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

While sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Dump in the pasta, boil for a minute or so, turn off the heat 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.

While the sauce and pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to broil and place oven safe bowls on a baking sheet.

When the pasta is cooked and the sauce is done simmering, fish out the bay leaf and discard. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Then stir in pasta.

Scoop a heaping spoonful of ricotta into each bowl. Ladle stew into bowls and top each bowl with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Place in broiler with oven door cracked for 3-5 minutes or until cheese browns.

Wait a few minutes before serving because the stew will be super hot.

Recipe variations:

Vegetarian: Replace the meat with any number of vegetables, but especially mushrooms. Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth or water.

Dairy-free or dairy-light: Decrease the amount of ricotta used in the lasagna and decrease the amount of topping. If you are just looking for a little bit of dairy, I would eliminate all but a smidge of the topping.

Fennel-free: Leave out the fennel and, if you are using a meat, use ground pork and beef in place of the sausage. Increase the rest of the seasonings, especially the salt, pepper and bay leaf, and double the basil by adding it to the sauce while it is cooking and then at the end.

Gluten-free: Use any gluten free pasta you prefer.

Onion-free: I am guessing about this one. Leave out the onion and significantly increase the seasonings. I would add 2-3 bay leaves, add the larger amount of red pepper flakes (assuming you can handle heat), increase the oregano (add some fresh, too, if you have it), and double the basil by adding it when the sauce is cooking and then at the end.

If you try out any of these variations, please let me know how they work for you or what you did or would do differently.

Arugula Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:31:00 +0000

This is another one from the unposted archives. It is, however, a timely one. Tara and I have been in a dinner rut recently, falling back on dishes that rely heavily on tomatoes. While they're good, I really need to make an effort to seek out some tomato-free pasta (and other) dishes.

I was doing a search on tomato-free pasta dishes and what came up were tomato-free pasta sauces that included things like beets, roasted red peppers, and sometimes squashes. That's all well and good, but I need something fairly easy and that doesn't require lots of steps. Then, as I was going through my draft posts, I happened upon this one for pesto. And I literally hit myself on the forehead.

How could I have ever forgotten pesto as a great, tomato-free pasta dish?! (Incidentally, it is also onion-free and could be made garlic-free.) The preparation is fairly simple and can probably be done in under 15 minutes. Basically, in the time that it takes to cook your pasta, you could have the pesto ready.

Arugula basil pesto

Use this recipe as more of a suggestion and starting place than a concrete, hard and fast rule. With the seasonings, garlic, olive oil, etc., start with a little bit and keep adding until you are satisfied with your result. Also, use all pine nuts or use all pumpkin seeds. Toast the nuts or don't toast. Use more basil and less arugula. Etc. Basically, make it yours.

Updated 4/3/12 to add: Arugula can be a little bitter. If your pesto is too bitter, add more basil to counter balance. If that doesn't work, top your final dish with a good amount of shredded Parmesan. I find that works for me.

You can use a mortar and pestle for small batches, but definitely break out the food processor or blender for bigger jobs.

Ingredients

2 large handfuls of arugula
1 very small handful of basil leaves
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 teaspoons garlic*
~ 1/4-1/3 olive oil*
1-2 tablespoons lime juice (optional)
salt and pepper (to taste)
Freshly grated Parmesan (to taste, but at least 1/4 cup)*

Directions

Pulse arugula and basil in food processor a few times. Add pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, and garlic; pulse a few times. Turn your food processor on and drizzle in olive oil through the feed tube. Turn off the food processor and check the consistency; add more olive oil and pulse if you need to. Add in a bit of lime juice, maybe a teaspoon or so at a time, and pulse; check the flavor as you add until you get it to where you like it. Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse to disperse; again, check the flavor as you add until you're satisfied.

Serve with pasta and sauteed mushrooms.

Notes:

1. You can make this garlic-free by leaving out the garlic (duh...). The arugula has a nice, spicy kick, so the garlic probably wouldn't be missed. You might need to punch up the lime juice and pepper to compensate, though. I haven't tried it, but let me know how it works if you do.

2. As you can tell from the photos, we like our pesto on the paste-y side where it's almost as thick as a spread, so we use only a little bit of olive oil - just enough to thin out the mixture a bit. Most people seem to like their pesto thinner; if you are one of those, use more olive oil.

3. Regarding the Parmesan, if you are baking a large batch and planning to freeze, don't include the Parmesan. Sprinkle the Parmesan on your dish when you mix in the pesto. If you are not planning on freezing, you can mix in the Parmesan while everything is in the food processor. That said, we rarely add Parmesan to the pesto anyway, because Tara doesn't like it on her pasta so much.

Oatmeal whole wheat bread

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:25:00 +0000

Ignore the fantabulous background and focus on the totally awesome looking bread.

Now that the blog is up and running, I can finally get to those posts that have been languishing in my cue for over a year.

When I first started making homemade bread, I was super excited because I conquered (mostly) my fear of yeast and - Hello! Homemade bread!

But, unfortunately, I haven't made any bread in a while. Tara isn't much of a fan (she likes plain ol' white bread) and there's only so much that I can eat. Because of that, it either goes bad or I have to freeze it for some yet-to-be-determined use. So, I just kind of...stopped.

However, looking at these photos is making me hungry for some fresh bread.

I had a few problems with this dough. Mainly, it was incredibly large and very unruly. It didn't just double; I think it quadrupled in size. I've learned a little bit more about bread-baking and now realize that the dough rose too much, probably because it was super humid and warm.

I also converted the yeast in the recipe from active dry to instant or rapid rise without reducing the amount; that may have played a part as well. I have fixed the amount in the recipe below.

I should have proceeded with the shaping and baking when the dough was the right size, not according to what the recipe said. I'm learning that, while the recipe is important, some skill and experience is also helpful. This is true of any baking or cooking, but it seems especially important with bread-baking.

I somewhat prefer the free-form loaf look, but I'm also a little scared of making a sandwich loaf. (It's silly, I know, but still...baby steps.) My loaf was probably no more that 2 and a half inches high at it's tallest spot.

I paired this with a few things, but my favorite was a smear of organic tomato paste (it must be organic, Trust me; it's totally worth the extra few cents.) and soft cheese like cream cheese or those Happy Cow wedges. I'm sure it would be a great sandwich bread, especially if you like whole wheat, slightly sweeter breads. Mine wasn't exactly conducive to sandwich making, though, because of its funky shape.

Little visitor.

Oatmeal Whole Wheat Bread
barely adapted from Cafe Fernando, adapted it from “Good to the Grain” by Kim Boyce.

I mixed the dough in my stand mixer, but I will give instructions for doing it by hand.

Ingredients

2 cups warm water
scant 2 tsp instant / rapid rise yeast
3 tbsp unsulphured molasses
2+1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 cup rolled oats
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tbsp kosher salt

Directions

Stand mixer: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add yeast, water, molasses, melted butter, oats, and half the flours. Using the paddle blade, blend until smooth. Stir in remaining flours with a wooden spoon. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.

Add salt to the dough, attach the bread hook to the mixer and mix on medium speed for 6 minutes, until the dough no longer sticks to the sides (add a tablespoon or two of flour if necessary). While the dough is mixing, lightly butter a large bowl. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it a few times. Proceed below.

By hand: Combine half the flour with the oats and yeast in a large bowl and stir to blend. Add the water, molasses, melted butter and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in remaining flours. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes. Lightly butter a large bowl. Add salt to the dough. Knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Proceed below.

Put the dough into the buttered bowl, cover with a towel or saran wrap, and let it rise for about 1 hour, or until it is doubled in size.

Free-form loaf shape: Scrape the dough onto a floured work surface. Shape the dough by bringing the sides of the dough to the bottom. Squeeze and pinch the seam closed tightly. Do this a few more times, making sure that you shape the loaf into an oval shape the last time. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle with a little flour, and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let rest until the dough puffs slightly, about 20 minutes. Pinch the bottom of the oval to seal the seam as best you can. Sprinkle all over with flour and put on a well-floured baking sheet. Let rise, covered, until it doubles in size again, about 1 to 2 hours.

Sandwich loaf shape: Shape it into a square, then fold it down from the top to the middle and then up from the bottom to the middle (just like you fold a letter). Bring the top and bottom edges together, pinch and seal. Place the dough in the pan with the seam side down, and press it gently into the corners of the pan. Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap, and let it rest in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size again.

About 30 minutes before you're going to bake, heat the oven to 450F. If you have a pizza stone, put it on the bottom rack. If you don't, on the oven floor, put a shallow ovenproof pot (I use 2 old metal bread making pans) half-filled with ordinary (but clean) rocks. Boil some water. Just before putting the bread in the oven, carefully pour boiling water to just over the top of the stones. Close the oven door. A minute later, put in the bread and start baking, turning the heat down to 400F.

Bake until the internal temperature of the bread is at least 210F on an instant-read thermometer, about 40 to 60 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Banana oat muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Today it's National Banana Bread Day. I could tell you that I had this post planned out on purpose, but I'm totally not a liar. We'll call it kismet instead.

Tara finished the Pumpkin Cranberry muffins from last week and I wanted to make another healthy muffin. I wanted to try something a little different and since we had bananas on the counter that were getting past their prime, banana bread muffins were a no-brainer.

I've recently discovered how wonderful bananas and cloves are together. There's only a touch of it, so you don't actually taste it (as in, it doesn't taste like Christmas). Feel free to up the amount if you want the flavor a bit more aggressive or present. Don't skimp on the cloves if you have some. Also, you can add cinnamon, nutmeg, or ground ginger if you'd like, but I found just the pinch of cloves and touch of vanilla were more than enough of an accent to the banana flavor.

These muffins are surprisingly light and tender. I think it's because of the 2 eggs (the original recipe only had 1). They're also very buttery, which is odd because there is no butter, whatsoever. I've had this happen before with other banana breads, but I'm still curious about it. Has anyone else noticed buttery banana bread when there was no butter?

Banana Oat Muffins
Adapted from allrecipes

Yield 14 muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose, whole wheat)
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8+ teaspoon (generous pinch) cloves
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup coconut oil (or other non-flavored oil like grapeseed)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heaping 1 cup mashed bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
1/2 - 2/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional, but highly recommended)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Grease muffin cups or line with liners.

Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, and cloves.

In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Pour the flour mixture into the banana mixture and stir a few times, until most of the powder is mixed. Fold in your nuts, if using, until everything is just combined.

Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool in the muffin pan (although, I dare you not to be seduced by the amazing smell and eat one while warm). Use a butter knife around each muffin to remove, if needed.

Cranberry orange clafoutis

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:53:00 +0000

We don't fuss too much over Valentine's Day. Rather, I should say that I don't fuss too much over V-Day. I'm a minimal kind of gal when it comes to most holidays. Tara, on the other hand, is sort of a holiday maniac. (It has taken us years to find a happy medium. Compromise is the key to a healthy and long-term relationship folks.)

Anyway, because of my holiday mentality, I usually suck at gift-giving, particularly with romantical events. So, I tend to fall back on the tried-and-true fancied-up homemade dinner and dessert to make it more gift-appropriate. Dinner was an easy choice of Penne a la Vodka, which is Tara's favorite meal that I make. For dessert, I had originally thought about doing something strawberry (you know, because it was V-Day), but as soon as I saw the recipe for Cranberry Orange Clafoutis over at BowlLicking, I knew I had to make it.

I'm so happy that I went with this dessert. Cranberry-orange is one of Tara's favorite flavor combos. Plus, the preparation was simple and quick (prep was 5 minutes, tops), but it looked elegant in a rustic sort of way.

So often, it's hard to find a high-impact dessert that's easy to make for two. Inevitably, there's always one ingredient that refuses to be broken down further (I'm talking to you, "one large egg".) or there's an odd fraction of an ingredient (1/8 cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon?). This recipe, however, was pretty reasonable; it was easily halved (or scaled up) and, if you're using an egg replacer, you could break it down even more.

Despite the heavy cream, egg, and sugar, the dish was rather light. I'd call it a mix of a souffle and a custard (like creme brulee). Don't skimp on the butter and sugar coating on the dish; it adds a nice caramelized crunch to the edge.

This recipe is extremely flexible, based on the multiple variations I saw when I did a super-quick Google search. Check below the recipe for gluten-free and dairy-free variations.

Cranberry Orange Clafoutis
Barely adapted from BowlLicking, who adapted it from Martha Stewart

Yield: 4 small servings

Ingredients

1/4 tablespoon unsalted butter (or nondairy alternative), melted, for ramekins
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon+ granulated sugar, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or gluten free alternative)
heaping 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch ground ginger (optional)
1 large egg
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (3/8 cup) heavy cream (or non-dairy cream alternative)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (3/8 cup) whole milk (or non-dairy alternative)
1/4 teaspoon orange oil (or 1/2 teaspoon orange extract or 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest)
3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
Powdered sugar, to dust

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush melted butter all over the bottom and sides of 4 small ramekins; sprinkle 1 tablespoon (or more as needed) sugar all over.

Whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, flour, salt, and ground ginger (if using) in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together egg, cream, milk and oil (or extract or zest) in a small mixing bowl. In two additions, whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins. Scatter cranberries evenly on top. Bake on top of a baking sheet (to catch any overflow) for 15-20 minutes, until puffed, barely set in the center, and light brown around the edges. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes or so. As you can tell from the pictures above, the mixture will rise pretty high while cooking and then fall while cooling.

Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Options

Gluten-free: Use an appropriate flour substitute such as pre-made GF flour or a nut flour.

Dairy-free: Use whatever non-dairy milk you prefer to replace the milk. To keep with the richness in this particular recipe, I would substitute the cream with the separated coconut milk from the can (the white-stuff on top after it separates). Finally, you can use a non-flavored oil or non-dairy, soy-free butter substitute in place of the butter to coat the ramekins (like this Organic Coconut Spread that I talked about in my last post on Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins).

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

It's been a little while since I've posted over here. But what's over a year break to you and I? We're just (hopefully) gonna pick right up and keep going like nothing ever happened.

I will, however, give y'all a brief update on how things have been with us. I recently started another blog. It's a dessert blog with a focus on ice cream. Go check it out over at Scoops of Sunshine. Tara has been focusing on her jewelry business, Flipside Creations, and has recently started a part time job as a tour guide down in Miami. Tara has wanted to be a tour guide for ever and it totally suits her. Unfortunately, she has to be in the sun for over 9 hours a day and she only gets quick snack breaks throughout the day, so she has been having some problems with her AIP.

We've been a little lax about our food choices and eating right, especially for Tara and her Porphyria. For example, Tara has been eating things like Pop Tarts, chips, and cookies for her snacks for work. She rarely eats a "real" breakfast, choosing to normally drink a glass of rice milk and maybe grab a banana for the road. So, I've taken it upon myself to start making better treats for her.

These cranberry pumpkin muffins are perfect snacks because they're portable, quick to eat, and don't need refrigeration.

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins
Adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 1997

Makes about 16 muffins

I made a few changes to the original recipe, mostly based on what I had on hand, but also personal preference. See the notes below for my verdict and possible substitutions.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup orange juice, fresh-squeezed if possible
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped (halved or quartered) cranberries (dried is OK, just make sure they're sulfur free)
butter or oil to grease the pan
Optional topping: 2 tablespoons chopped pecans or pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Other optional ingredients: ground ginger, crystallized ginger, orange zest or extract/oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin cups or line with liners.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, OJ, and butter. Add the orange zest or extract/oil, if using.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir a few times, until most of the powder is mixed. (Don't worry, we'll get it all in there.) Fold in your cranberries and crystallized ginger, if using.

Spoon batter into muffin cups. Fill to the top for nice, domed muffins. Sprinkle with chopped nuts or seeds, if using. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a few muffins comes out clean. Make sure to check about halfway through to see if you need to rotate the pan(s) around. Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Verdict and notes

I liked the bread well enough, but I would definitely make some changes if I were to make it again. The flavor was a little flat and I think some ginger would improve the taste dramatically. Also, I bet throwing in some crystallized ginger would be awesome. I'm not normally a fan, but it would amp up the complexity a bit. Finally, I think a little (not too much) orange extract or oil would have been good. If you're squeezing the orange juice from an orange, zest the orange and throw zest in the batter with the liquids.

As for substitutions, quick breads are usually very forgiving, so don't fear:
(1) Feel free to use any squash or sweet potatoes in place of the pumpkin.
(2) We use whole eggs in the house, but the original recipe used an egg substitute. Also, I bet egg whites would work, too. 1 egg equals 1/4 cup of substitute.
(3) I'm a firm believer in butter is better, but I think coconut oil would have been really tasty. Also, Earth Balance makes an Organic Coconut Spread (flash site) that is vegan and is soy free. It does, however, have canola oil in it. The coconut flavor is mild and only initially noticeable.

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

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.

Foods with soy

noreply@blogger.com (Sunshine) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:10:00 +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.

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, 1.5 liter, 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).