For The Love of Food

Peppermint Chocolate Fudge Brownies

2012-09-03T19:28:00.000-06:00

Peppermint Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

1 can Black beans, rinsed
1 cup egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant coffee
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract (depending on taste)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins

OR

For a real holiday treat omit the walnuts and raisins and replace with 1 cup chopped candy canes :) Save some for when the cake is done to sprinkle on top.

Directions:

1. In a food processor, blend all the ingredients except the walnuts and raisins, until smooth.
2. Pour the batter into a bowl and then fold in the raisins and walnuts.
3. Line a 9" cake pan with parchement paper and grease the edges.
5. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

To Harvest or Not to Harvest......

2012-09-03T19:06:00.001-06:00

It's September 3rd, and that time of year when even the warm sunny days feel a bit like fall. The mornings are cooler, and the evenings shorter. I love fall, I like the food, the clothes, the smells, the upcoming holidays. All of it just makes me feel cozy. All of it but one thing.

At about this time every year, I start to become slightly OCD - wait, all year I'm a little OCD about certain items - just as Business about his missing dishes, or many To Do lists. What I'm referring to here is my seasonal OCD regarding watching the weather - particularly the over night forecast temperature. You see, in Alberta, and even more so in my small town, it's common to have days of plus 24 degrees and sunny, dropping to 2 degrees over night. So what right? Wrong.

I have 42 tomato plants outside. Each of those tomato plants have more than 10 tomatoes on them. Green tomatoes.

So, for the month of September I play a game with the weather, trying to balance the risk of leaving the tomatoes out long enough to get them to ripen but not at the risk of losing all my perfect lil green toms to a nasty frost.

Last year, one Sunday at about 4pm, the weather network posted a Frost Warning and with the nip in the air already at 4, I knew they were right about this one. Business was out of town for the day visiting his Mom. I was the their only hope.

I could have covered them, posted PVC pipes around their raised beds and pulled the thin plastic sheets out over them, taking time to clip the sides, secure the bottoms. It was windy that afternoon though, and I wasn't confident the sheets would stay. So with a heavy sigh I decided to pull them out, cages and all and hang them upside down in my garage where they could take their time ripening on the vine in the warmth and shelter of our insulated garage.

This decision paid dividends, right until January. I picked many tomatoes off those vines, first perfectly juicy ones for slicing and eating, then some best for cooking with, sometimes pulling in so many I would make 4 or more litres of sauce in a day to can. Finally in the first week of January I pulled off the final few tomatoes, with these I made the most delicious, oven roasted tomatoes.

Anyhow, back to today, today I begin the waiting/balancing game of what to do to protect my tomatoes from the sure to arrive frost this September.

For all of you though who have great weather, and cooperating tomatoes, check out my

Tomato Harvest Marinara Sauce

to use up your abundance of tomatoes.

Spicy Black Bean Dip

2012-07-31T21:18:00.001-06:00

Three and a half weeks ago I got married. Things have since become well, normal :) I love my husband very much and I think more everyday - including all 24 days since we got married. I also have loved how post wedding, life returns to normal.

We had a long engagement - about 18 months. I had so many plans and so many ideas for the wedding and for leading up to the wedding. You would think with all that time everything would have made it from the To Do List to the Done List. Many things did, certainly all the most important. We had our marriage license, the rings and we both showed up on time. Well, 20 minutes late is on time for the Bride right?

Anyway, with all that time planning I felt comfortable hosting the reheasal BBQ at our house, with all food made by me. I wanted something healthy and unique and of course tasty. I made some of the usuals, hummus, deviled eggs, potato salad. They are turned out good, but also everyone has had them before.

The one dip I made that stood out the most was my Spicy Black Bean Dip. It's a spicy, Asian take on hummus. I have had enough requests for the recipe that I thought posting it here would be easier than sending out individual emails, after all what I need to be working on is my Thank You Cards :)

Spicy Black Bean Dip

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans, well rinsed and drained
1/4 cup tahini
2 tbsp. sesame oil
1-2 tbsp. Sirachi sauce (depending on desired heat)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tsp. soy sauce ( I use Braggs Soy Seasoning as it is GF)
1 tsp. fish sauce (If you do not have on hand you can omit and use 1 tsp. more soy sauce)
1 large handful cilantro, stems and leaves
Water if needed

Directions:

1. Add the black beans and tahini and sesame to a food processor and process until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth. Add water to achieve desired texture.
2. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or ideally overnight beofre serving.
3. Enjoy with crackers, chips, as a sandwish spread or my favorite - with jicama sticks!

Ratatouille

2012-07-16T20:49:00.000-06:00

Previous to last night I'm not sure I've ever had ratatouille before, so I'm not really sure why I decided I had to make it - but on Sunday afternoon, when the last of our wedding guests left, I decided I must make it.

Ratatouille is a delicious, beautiful dish. It's super savoury and satisfying, but also really light. It's only veggies, but eats like a meal. I want to eat it tonight again, but we finished the whole pan yesterday. I'd make another pan, but although easy, it is a time consuming dish. Perfect for making on Sunday afternoon.

I added the richness of goat cheese and some homemade GF breadcrumbs that made this dish over the top yummy and clearly irresistible.

Ratatouille My Way

Ingredients:

Vegetable Stack:

2 green zucchinis
2 Chinese eggplants
(I'd also add in yellow squash if available)
6 fresh tomatoes - Roma's work best but any will do
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Tomato Base:

1 can of diced tomatoes (or your own canned marinara sauce)
3 cloves of garlic
1 onion
Olive Oil
Red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper

Crust:

1/2 slice GF toast
1-2 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:

To make the tomato base, rough chop the garlic cloves and dice the onion. Cook both the onion and garlic over medium heat in the olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Once the onions have become translucent add the tomatoes, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring the sauce to a simmer. I like to let the sauce simmer for at least an hour, but even longer will help develop the flavours fully. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To make the vegetable stack, slice all the zucchinis and eggplant and the tomatoes into 2-3 mm slices. I used a mandolin. Toss the zucchinis and squash and eggplant in a large bowl with olive oil and salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan with a small bit of olive oil in it. Sear all the zucchinis, squash and eggplant slices on both sides until slightly browned.
To make the crust, brush the GF toast with butter and rub with a clove of garlic on both sides. Toast in the oven until dried out. Turn the slice of toast into crumbs in a food processor.

Assembly:

In the bottom of a 12 X 12 pan, add about 2 cups of tomato sauce - to the depth of about 1/2 an inch. Then layer the veggies, alternating the squash, zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes.

Repeat the pattern until the whole dish is filled. Top with the breadcrumbs, then the goat cheese crumbles.

Bake for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Turn the broiler on for the final few minutes if you desire a crispy crust.

Enjoy :)

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

2012-01-22T21:23:00.002-07:00

This is another one of those recipes that I never made before my gluten free days and also that I wouldn't have thought of had Business not put the idea in my mind.

I make the soup base so much it was really just the dumplings that I had to play around with. I thought they would fall apart but these dumplings have a surprising texture, you'd never guess there isn't any gluten in them! I like the way they beef up the soup, making it just a bit heartier but still keeping it well balanced and light.

If you try these dumplings with other flour, please let me know how it turns out. I'm thinking of trying quinoa flour in place of the potato starch and coconut flour.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Ingredients:

Soup

1 whole chicken, roasted, meat off the bone and chopped
8 cups homemade chicken stock
2 large carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Olive oil

Dumplings

3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp. poultry seasoning

Directions:

For the soup:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the minced garlic and onions. Cook until softened. Add the carrots and celery. Cook until softened and slightly browned.
3. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken. Before adding the dumpling bring the heat up until the soup is nearly boiling.

For the dumplings:

1. Sift the coconut flour and potato starch into the beaten eggs. Whisk until well combined. Add the olive oil and whisk again.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the seasoning into the almond flour.
3. Add the almond flour into the wet mixture and stir until well combined.
4. Using a teaspoon, scoop slightly larger than teaspoon size portions of the dough using a spoon. Roll the dough quickly between your palms (the dough will be very sticky - I find refrigerating it for 20 minutes helps - or try lightly oiling your hand with olive oil).
5. Drop the dumplings into the simmering soup. They only take a few minutes to cook - but get better with time as they absorb the flavour from the soup.

This post has been linked to: Not "Baaad" Sundays, Sundae Scoop, Sugar Free Sunday, Real Food 101, Makin' You Crave Mondays, Your Recipe Kitchen, Mouthwatering Mondays, Melt in Your Mouth Mondays, Mangia Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Savvy Homemade Monday Party, Homestead Barn Hop, Monday Mania, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, Made From Scratch Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, FAmily Time Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Tea Party Tuesday, Delicious Dishes, Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits, Show Me What Ya Got,

Julia Child Inspired Beef Bourguignon

2012-01-16T21:56:00.001-07:00

It's freezing cold in Alberta right now. And I don't mean just sorta cold. It's minus 31 degrees right now! That's nostril freezing, toe numbing, breath catching cold - AND - it's forecast to stay this way all week.

I think that a cold week like this calls for something indulgent and rich, comforting and warm.

Most soups and stews and chilies fall into this category, but there must be one that stands out. I started thinking about all the stews and soups I wanted to make yesterday. I came up with a whole host of ideas including Chicken Chili, Sausage and Mushroom Soup, I thought about making a batch of Split Pea Soup, as that seemed like a top contender in the comfort food category.

Then, like many things on this blog, Business challenged me to make Beef Stew. I've never actually made Beef Stew, and I don't remember my Mom making beef stew when I was growing up. I liked the idea, and decided to run with it.

That's when a brilliant idea hit me. I would use Julia Child's famous Beef Bourguignon recipe as inspiration.

Julia Child Inspired Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients:

1 lbs. stewing beef, cut into cubes

6 slices of bacon

1 onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 carrot, sliced into dimes

4 tbsp. chickpea flour

Salt and Pepper

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

1 cup red wine

1/4 cup tomato paste

4 cups low sodium vegetable juice

2 cups vegetable, beef or chicken stock

20 button mushrooms

15 pearl onions

Bay Leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a large, heavy pot, brown the bacon over medium heat. Once the bacon is cooked through, but not crisp, remove it from the pan and place on paper towels.

3. Heat the bacon fat to almost smoking. Add the pieces of beef into the pot one at a time. Turn the beef once, only once it's become easy to flip. The beef should not stick to the bottom of the pan once properly seared. Remove each piece of beef as it cooks and place with the bacon. Cook beef in batches until all it seared.

4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, onions and carrots to the pot. Cook until softened and slightly browned.

5. Meanwhile, combine the flour, salt and pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.

6. Add the beef and bacon back to the pot. Sprinkle with the half the flour mixture.

7. Place the pot, uncovered in the preheated oven for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, remove the pot, sprinkle with the remaining flour and place back in the oven for another 4 minutes.

8. Remove the pot from the oven. Reduce the oven to 325 degrees.

9. Place the pot back over medium high heat, and add the wine, scrap the bottom and sides of the pan to release the little bits,

10. Bring the wine up to a boil, then add the tomato paste, vegetable juice and the stock. Bring up to a boil.

11. Place the pot, covered in the oven. Cook for 4 hours. The beef should be melt in your mouth tender, and the broth should have thickened.

12. Thirty minutes before the end of cooking time, take a large pan and heat 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms. Cover. Remove the lid after about 5 minutes. The mushrooms should have released all their water. Continue to cook over medium heat until the water evaporates. Shake the pan to turn the mushrooms and onions. The mushrooms and onions should brown on all sides. Add the mushrooms and onions to the stew and cook for the final thirty minutes.

13. Serve with a full bodied red wine and enjoy your very indulgent, worth the wait stew.

This post has been linked to : Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, Family Time Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Made From Scratch Tuesday, Tea Party Tuesday,

Roasted Beet Soup With Coconut Creme Fraiche

2012-01-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, beets were on super sale and cost only .33 cents a pound at my grocery store. I couldn't resist the deal and so I bought what must have been 15 lbs. My plan was to steam and freeze them for later use. A great idea not only to save money, but also because having beets mid week is much more appealing when you don't have to deal with the hassle of scrubbing, slicing and steaming them - all the while making sure not to cover yourself in the red juice.

When I got all the beets home, I decided I needed to deal with them pronto while my inspiration was still high. I scrubbed all the beets, then top and tailed them. Next, I pulled out my mandolin and started slicing. As I had enough sliced, I would do a batch in my steamer and then keep slicing.

Four large batches in, and I was bored. I still about about 15 beets left.

I decided I would quarter and wrap the rest in bundles or tin foil, then roast. Wayyy faster then slicing.

I roasted my beets for about 90 minutes, making sure they were all the way tender. I let the beets cool in their little tin foil bundles, then wrapped them in newspaper flyer bags (I always save them thinking they would come in handy!). Popped them in the back of my freezer, and waited for an idea to cross my mind to use them.

This soup took about 15 minutes to make with my already roasted beets. I still have three bundles in the freezer and so I this recipe will be any easy go to next time I'm crunched for time.

Roasted Beet Soup

Ingredients:

Soup

5-6 Beets, quartered
3 Cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 red onion chopped
4-6 cups of stock
2 tbsp. Olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Coconut Creme Fraiche

1/4 cup Coconut cream
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
Chopped green onions or chives

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Scrub the beets and cut into quarters. Wrap the beets in tin foil, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour or until softened.
3. Heat the olive oil in a medium size pan. Add the garlic and red onion. Saute until soft and slightly browned. Bring up the heat to high and add the balsamic vinegar. Scrap the bottom of the pan to release any bits that have stuck to the bottom.
4. Add the 3 cups stock and beets to the pot. Bring up to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
5. Puree the soup in batches in the stand up blender or use an emulsion blender until smooth. Add stock as needed.
6. Mix the coconut cream with the lemon juice.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with a dollop of coconut creme fraiche and sprinkle with green onions or chives.

Note: You could also use plain yogurt or sour cream as a dollop on top to create the same effect.

Sausage, Mushroom and Zucchini Soup

2012-01-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

Business would eat beef everyday if he could get away with it. And I would live on salad, eggs and chicken. This soup is a great compromise. It's hearty and rich tasting like a stew, but I it's ingredients make it light - something I could eat any day.

I used the Calgary famous Spolumbo sausage. Instead of their regular pork sausage though I used their new Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage.

I cooked the sausage in the broth - I wanted to get all the flavour from the sausage into the soup. I think though it would be just as good or better had I grilled the sausages first, then sliced them and added them to the soup.

I cut my mushrooms into quarters instead of slicing them because I wanted more texture in the soup. For that reason I also sliced the zucchini quite thick and only simmered them in the soup until softened.

Sausage, Mushroom and Zucchini Soup

Ingredients:

3 uncooked chicken sausages
8 cups stock
1 onion, chopped
20 button mushrooms, quartered
1 large zucchini, sliced
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil

Directions:

1. Pour in the stock into a medium sized pat. Bring up to a boil.
2. Add the sausage to the boiling stock. Cook sausage for 10 - 12 minutes.
3. Remove the sausage from the stock and allow to cool slightly.
4. Meanwhile, add the mushrooms, and onions to a pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat until softened and slightly browned.
5. Once the sausage had cooled, slice.
6. Add the mushroom and onion mixture to the stock, add the sausage, add the sliced zucchini.
7. Simmer over medium low heat until the zucchini has softened.
8. Enjoy :)

This post has been linked to: Not Baaad Sundays, Making You Crave Mondays, Your Recipe My Kitchen , Made By You Monday, Makin' It Mouthwatering , Melt in Your Mouth Monday , Mangia Mondays, This Week's Cravings, Market Yourself Monday, Savvy Homemade Monday, Hunk Of Meat Monday, Barnhop, Mania Monday, Make Your Own Monday

Roasted Garlic, White Bean and Kale Soup

2012-01-10T21:18:00.003-07:00

I've been seeing a lot of Kale and White Bean Soup recipes lately. Just seeing the name of this soup makes me want it. I figured it was my turn to see what flavours I could creat using White Beans and Kale.

I decided to start with roasted garlic. Roasted garlic is up there among my top ten savoury ingredients. I still remember the time I bought a kilo of garlic, sliced the bottom off every bulb, placed them all in a baking dish, drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper. I roasted those bulbs for an hour and a half. The result? perfectly roasted garlic that I pureed and froze into ice cube trays. Brilliant.

Until Business got home and smelled the garlic as soon as he got out of his car.... in the driveway. You can imagine how thrilled he was with the lingering smell in the house....

Now, when I want to do a large batch I do it on the BBQ.

For this recipe though, I did one bulb of garlic, drizzled with olive oil and wrapped in tin foil. I put it in the oven at 400 for 45 minutes. The garlic should come out soft, and carmelized.

My Opa always grew Kale in his giant garden. Opa and Oma would harvest the kale, wash, blanch and freeze it. Then, they would share this, along with all the other goodies from their gardenwith us.

One of my favorite dishes, from the garden, was Boerenkool. It's a Dutch dish, made of potatoes, mashed with steamed kale, topped with smoked sausage and then served with salt and vinegar. I'll post a recipe soon, and I know you'll love it.

Anyway, back to the soup.

Roasted Garlic, White Bean and Kale Soup.

1 large onion, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 bulb roasted garlic
Olive oil
1 can white beans, drained and well rinsed
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 bunches of kale, washed, and chopped

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and lightly browned. Add the cloves of garlic. Mash the cloves down a bit.
2. Add the white bean and mix well. I find this step helps give the beans some of the raosted garlic flavour.
3. Add the stock and bring up to a simmer.
4. 15 minutes before you are ready to serve, add the chopped kale. The soup is ready once the kale has softened.

Split Pea Soup

2012-01-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

Some people turn up their nose at Split Pea Soup. They expect something thick, and bland and bitter.

Growing up, my whole family looked forward to the days when Mom would make Split Pea Soup. It's a great meal on a cold day. It's even great cold in lunches the next day.

Now, as a fairly busy person, I understand why my Mom might have liked making this dish too - it's really easy to make! If you make it in a crock pot like I did, you can make it in the morning and come home to perfectly cooked soup.

I have made this soup a few different way, but I think when I made this soup this Sunday, it turned out as my absolute best batch.

I learned a brilliant little tip from Ricardo Larrivee. It was a Saturday morning this fall, and I slipped down to the kitchen and made myself a coffee, then slipped under a blanket on the couch and tuned into the Food Network. Ricardo happened to be making a maple brunch buffet which included Maple Ham. I didn't use this recipe for my soup, but I did use one simple trick that stood out to me.

Ricardo took the ham and simmered it in water, twice, each time for thirty minutes. He claimed this pulls a lot of the salt out of the ham and tenderizes it. I was skeptical, but thought I would try it.

The ham came out SO tender! And definitely less salty. I'm thrilled.

Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups split peas
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 carrots, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 celery stocks, chopped
Olive oil
1-2 lb ham

Directions:

1. In your crock pot, add the stock and split peas. Turn on high heat and cover.
2. Place your ham in a pot and cover with cool, filtered water. Place over high heat, and once the water is about to boil, reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pour off the water, cover the ham again with cool, filtered water and, repeat. After 30 minutes, drain off the water and place the ham on a cutting board to cool.

3. In a large pan, heat your olive oil, add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook until slightly browned and softened.
4. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the crock pot, cover and keep on a temperature that will keep the soup, just bubbling, but not boiling hard. Cook until the peas are softened.

5. Chop the ham into desired size and shape and add to the soup at the end of cooking, heat through and serve.

Light and Creamy Mushroom Soup

2012-01-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I had some serious vices. Things I'm not proud of. Today, I also have some vices.

Growing up, they included, as my Mom could tell you, mandarin oranges (she found many a peel under my bed), bacon bits (behind a trinket on my book shelf), ice cream (used spoons hidden in my room), peanut butter and jam sandwiches (I made triple deckers), and I could go on. Luckily, those silly habits are all in my past.

Still I have to admit there are certain things that if they are in the house, I just can't seem to limit my intake like I should. Grapes, peanut butter, raisins, olives and bananas all make my current list.

Cream of mushroom soup, although I have no embarrassing stories about being caught sneaking it into my room, was always a vice for me growing up and still is. We didn't have it often as a lunch or a dinner, but when we did, I loved it and ate as much as I could.

In both elementary school and high school one of my best friends, Dan and I would often spend lunch time together. His mom always stocked the house with canned goodies, things like Chef Boyardee and Campbell's soups. That's where I got my fill of Cream of Mushrooms soup.

Now this soup, so much different than that nasty gelatinous soup from a can, is quite sophisticated, a mix of different mushrooms, creamy coconut cream instead of milk, and drunken with red wine and thyme for flavour. It beats any variety from a can, and any Business or I have had from a restaurant.

Bonus? It's easy to make and good for you!

Creamy Light Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

4 lbs mushrooms, mixed variety (I like button, cremini, and porcini), sliced

1 lg. onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. coconut oil

Salt and pepper

1/2 bottle red wine

1 cup filtered water

Bunch of fresh sprigs of thyme

1/2 cup coconut milk (you can sub in homo milk or table cream if you can have dairy)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, melt the coconut oil and heat the olive oil together over medium heat. Add the onions. Cook over medium heat until the onions are softened. About 5 minutes.

2. Add all the mushrooms. Cover, and let cook for about 5 minutes. (a lot of water will come out of the mushrooms and they should become soft quite quickly.

3. Remove the lid and allow the mushrooms to continue to cook, while the liquid evaporates.

4. Once the liquid in the pan had reduced to about half, add the wine and thyme sprigs. Cook over medium heat until the wine had reduced by half.

5. Pull the sprigs of thyme out, scrapping your fingers along the stems as you remove them, leaving behind the leaves.

6. Add the water and coconut milk, simmer for at least 15 minutes. Enjoy :)

This post has been linked up to : Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mangia Mondays, Your Recipe, My Kitchen, Made by you Monday, Mouthwatering Monday , This Week's Cravings, Market Yourself Monday, Savvy Homemade Monday Party, Slighty Indulgent Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Made From Scratch Tuesday,

Homemade Vegetable Stock

2012-01-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

I'm frugal.

Could be my Dutch background. Maybe it's just a habit I've developed. Either way I love it. And I love a deal, or a solution to what would otherwise cost money.

There are many things I don't like spending money on, stock or bouillon cubes are among that list.

Making your own stock, whether it by chicken or beef, fish or vegetable, if just so easy and cheap. And perhaps most importantly, so much more natural than those bought on the shelf.

All week long I have saved my onion peels, carrot and celery tops and bottoms, garlic skins, pepper tops - any veggie scraps I have. Then on the weekend I simply simmer all my scraps with filtered water and bay leaves, usually for about 2 hours, strain and can. Done. Then use within the week or freeze in mason jars for later use.

It costs nothing since you're just using scraps that you would normally throw out or compost.

Vegetable Stock

Ingredients:

Any tops and tails and peels and scraps from any vegetables - avoid adding broccoli or cabbage or any thing from the same family - the taste will over take the flavour of the stock.
Bay leaves

Directions:

1. Add all the scraps to a large pot. Cover with clean, cool, filtered water.
2. Add the bay leaves and bring up to a simmer.
3. Simmer for at least an hour and up to 3 hours.
4. Strain and pour the stock into clean jars for storage.
5. Keep in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for 6 months.

Note: Your stock will take on the color of any bold colored vegetable that you include in the stock. This week I used a lot of red onions and so, have a darker stock than normal. Also, if you use veggie scraps from veggies in the cabbage family your stock will be bitter - better to omit.

My Mom's Soup

2012-01-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

I was a lucky kid in that my family always had dinner together. Perhaps that's why I've developed such a love of food, and cooking and cooking for others. I love the way cooking clears my mind, and I love the way I feel providing the people I love with yummy, wholesome food.

I think my Mom's soup is a dish that always brought my family together. We often had this soup on Sundays when Mom had the time to make something that needs a lot of time and preparation. Plus, on Sunday's for some reason we often didn't eat lunch. I think it's because we would come home from church, and just have tea or coffee and some sort of treat - especially if we were hosting my Beppe that week. Anyway, not having a big lunch always left me super hungry and excited for Sunday dinner. Sometimes Mom would even make fresh bread to go with this soup - which I would inevitably spread with far too much butter, but I always enjoyed every bite.

If Mom had a day off work, I'd always hope she might make this soup, and in the winter months, she often would - totally a treat mid week! I can't even describe how giddy I was coming home from school having worked up an appetite and smelling the aroma that this soup would fill the whole house with.

Or if it was on a Friday, I knew I had left over soup for lunch to look forward to. Bonus.

I hope you enjoy my take on my Mom's signature soup as much as myself and my whole family does.

Oh and we always served this soup with Maggi - an Indonesian condiment - on the side. Careful, a little goes a long way! (I use Bragg's Amino Acids now that I'm gluten free)

My Mom's Soup
*minus the noodles

Ingredients:

Soup

4 large carrots, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
8 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves

Meatballs

3 lbs ground beef or turkey or combination
2 eggs
1/4 cup ground flax seed
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Soup

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the garlic and onions to the pot. Cook the garlic and onions until just softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the carrots and celery to the pot, allow the carrots and celery to cook for 5-8 minutes.

3. Add the vegetable stock, and bay leaves. Bring the heat up to high and bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer the soup.

Meatballs

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, add the ground beef or turkey. Sprinkle with spices and ground flax.
3. In a separate bowl, gently whisk the eggs. Add the eggs to the meat. Using your hands combine the mixture until just mixed. Do not over work the meat.
4. Roll the meat mixture into desired size meatballs. Place meatballs on slotted broiler pan.
5. Bake the meatballs at 375 until no longer pink in the middle. About 20 minutes for an average sized meatball.
6. I like to add about 5 meatballs to the soup before cooking those meatballs. I bring the soup up to a boil and drop the soup into the pot to cook.
7. Once the meatballs in the soup have cooked, add the oven baked meatballs to the soup. Allow to simmer and let the favors blend.
8. Remove the bay leaves and enjoy :)

PS I would normally have a picture of my soup, served in a bowl - this time however, when I went to take a pic, the soup was all gone - David likes this soup a lot !

This post has been linked to : Just Something I Whipped up, Makin' You Crave Monday

Taco Salad Soup

2012-01-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

There are a few things that are universally liked, pizza, ice cream, long weekends, 50% off sales, puppies, and heated seats in the winter.

I think tacos also fall under this category.

I haven't had tacos in quite some time, in fact, last time was this past spring. I had piles of butter lettuce coming out of my garden and so I made salmon tacos using lettuce leaves for the taco shells.

We filled them with wasabi sour cream, eddamame beans, bean sprouts and teriyaki salmon. They were really yummy. The crisp lettuce held all my Asian inspired ingredients in place. But they weren't traditional tacos, with beef and tomatoes, and avocados.

I suppose this dish also isn't a traditional taco dish, it is a soup after all. But the flavours are a bit more traditional.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

3 lbs. ground beef, or turkey
1 1.89 litre jug of low sodium vegetable juice
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
2 green peppers, roughly chopped
2 red peppers, roughly chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 -2 tsp. red chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. ground coriander
3 green onions, sliced
1 bunch cilantro
1 avocado
4 fresh Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup shredded goat cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, cook your beef or turkey, drain away the fat. Return the meat to the pot.
2. Over medium heat, add the chopped onions, peppers, zucchini, cumin, coriander and red chili powder.
3. After about 5-8 minutes, (once the veggies are just softened), add the vegetable juice and bring the heat up to high.
4. Add the beans.
5. Allow the soup to simmer, just below boiling for approximately 30 minutes or longer if time allows. This will let the vegetable juice cook and sweeten.
6. Serve the soup in large bowls. Top with the shredded ice berg lettuce, chopped Roma tomatoes, a slice of avocado, and a dollop of Greek yogurt, then sprinkle with cilantro, green onions and cheddar.

This post has been linked to: Not Baaaad Sundays, Sundae Scoop Link Party

French Onion Soup

2012-01-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

This story begins much like my story about my Chicken Pot Pie.

I asked Business "What should I make? I feel like soup." His reply, "French Onion Soup"

I had never even had French Onion Soup before, though I had dreamt about how delicious it must be. I don't really know why I'd never had it at a restaurant - before I was gluten free - I'm sure I had the chance.

Because I hadn't, I was really nervous when I served this dish to Business the first time. I had tried it, taste tested it, but I didn't really know what French Onion Soup was supposed to taste like so how could I know if I nailed it?

I've since tested this recipe on many, including my sister, and her husband. They loved it. And there little kids gobbled it up too.

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1 large red onion, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 large white onion, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced

3 regular onions, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. honey
Salt
4-5 cups beef stock
4 slices of bread OR 1 recipe for my Four-Years-In-The-Making Pizza Crust
4 slices of of cheddar, or Swiss, or Emmental, or Gouda (I have tried all kinds of cheese and they all turn out great - use your fave - but I suggest something strong flavoured)

Directions:

1. To a large pot, add the butter and olive oil, and place over medium heat until the butter is melted.
2. Add all the sliced onions and stir to coat. Add water and cover the pot to soften the onions - about 8-10 minutes.

3. Take the lid off the pot, add the honey, and just a pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to low.
4. Let the onions slowly cook, stirring them occasionally, they should develop a rich, caramel color and the water should evaporate. This can take up to 2 hours - but usually an hour is about enough. Be patient, putting the heat up will burn your onions and make them bitter, not sweet the way you want them.
5. While the onions are cooking, if you are using the Pizza crust recipe for the tops, use this time to prepare the recipe. To get the size and number of tops you need, press the crust onto a sheet of parchment into the shape and size you need for each. Bake the crusts as the recipe shows, just monitor the time to make sure they don't get over cooked.
6. Once the onions are completely cooked, add the stock and bring up to a simmer. Taste test and add salt if desired.
7. Pour into individual bowls that are broiler safe. Top with bread or crusts, add a slice of cheese.
8. Place about 12 inches below the broiler on high, and keep a close eye on them. They are ready when the cheese is bubbly.

My Take Mediterranean Soup

2012-01-03T20:09:00.001-07:00

I started brainstorming soup ideas about a week ago.

My third idea was a Mediterranean soup, odd, since I've never actually had a Mediterranean soup. Perhaps it's my enjoyment of Mediterranean flavours that enticed me to make a soup inspired by them. Just ask my girlfriend Theresa, when we both worked at a restaurant together, she probably saw me order 100 Greek salads.

I like olives, and tomatoes, feta, garlic, chickpeas, peppers, Oregano....I could go on. I also like soup, clearly. So I thought combining the two would be a no brainer. A no brained indeed but simple? Not entirely.

I tossed around the idea of adding quinoa, artichokes, green olives, black olives, cucumbers (gross warm if you ask me). I considered a broth base, a tomato base, and settled on a light tomato broth base :)

I didn't add the artichokes, but I still wonder if they would be a good addition - perhaps another soup day I'll try. I choose black olives over green, and served as a garnish. And no quinoa - I wanted this soup to be really light - great with a glass of wine.

I cooked this soup and just before serving I poached a fillet of sole in the dish to create a complete meal. I didn't want to add the fish to the whole pot as I feared it would get over cooked and essentially dissolve into the soup creating a funky texture.

I also served the soup without the fish, and topped it with oven roasted Roma tomatoes, pitted black olives and crumbly feta cheese - Delish! I think this would make a stunning and impressive starter to a fabulous dinner party.

My Take Mediterranean Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups broth - I used a homemade veggie broth but store bought would work too
2 cups marinara sauce - I used homemade but store bought would work too
1 cup chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 roasted red pepper
6 Roma tomatoes
1 green pepper, chopped
2 Bay leaves
3 springs Oregano
10-15 pitted black olives
Feta cheese for crumbling on top

Optional: Sole fillets - 1-2 per person

Directions:

1. Pour the broth and marinara into a pot, and set on low-med heat, add bay leaves and Oregano, simmer.

I used my homemade Harvest Marinara Sauce

2. Meanwhile, slice the Roma tomatoes lengthwise and place in a baking pan, skin side down, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in preheated 450 degree oven and roast for 30 minutes.

3. Chop all your veggies and drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add to the broth and continue to simmer. Once the veggies have softened, the soup is ready.
4. To serve, ladle soup into a bowl, top with two slices of Roma tomatoes, a few olives and some crumbly feta cheese.

Optional:

5. Ladle two ladles of soup into a shallow pan and bring to a near boil. Add a Sole fillet and turn the heat up to high. Cook the fish for only 2-3 minutes, until flaky. Serve the soup in a large bowl, add garnishes and enjoy.

Easy Home Style Chili

2012-01-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

The dish I cook most often from September to March is, hands down, chili. I create a lot of different chili's. Ones with no beans, lotsa beans, tonnes of vegetables, spicy ones, smokey ones. I've made chili's with exotic mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes. I've added quinoa to my chili. Just about anything you think can go into a chili, I've added.

But most often, I make a down home, plain Jane chili. The type that almost anyone would recognize as a homemade chili, one they've had before.

You might wonder then why I think it's valuable to write a recipe that everyone really should already know? Well, what I've come to learn is that, well not everyone, and probably not most people actually know how to set out to create a pot of chili, even one that they recognize as a simple, homemade chili.

Working as a personal trainer, I'm always talking to my clients about nutrition and about cooking for themselves and their families. I'm often surprised at the lack of cooking knowledge and skill that people have. I don't mean just the men, or the teenagers, or the twenty somethings. I'm talking about the mom's. Women that are often in charge of the grocery shopping, the dinner making and sometimes (if the husband and kids are spoiled), lunch packing mom's.

That's why I think, although, some readers might view this recipe as just far too simple, I think it's a great one to include for any new to the kitchen person, looking for a hearty, satisfying recipe.

I like chili for so many reasons.

1. Chili's very hearty, a real meal in a bowl
2. Chili gets better with time - I often make mine on football Sunday and continue to eat it right through till Wednesday.
4. Chili freezes really well. And there is something comforting to know that I've got a few litres of chili in my freezer just in case.... just in case what? I'm not really sure,... a freak snow storm leaving us trapped in our house for several days? Perhaps. Friends expectantly showing up for lunch without warning? Yes. Or a lazy Friday night when I don't want to cook, and despite the invitation, don't want to go to dinner out either.
5. I love how chili pleases almost everyone. It makes for a great moving day thank you meal - especially if you are moving in the Winter like we did. Can you say ice storm?
6. Chili changes every time you make it, depending on what you have or don't have in the house when you decide to make it.
7. Chili is what brought me to think of Sunday's in the fall as a cozy day to hang around the house, watching football and cooking.

Like I said before, my chili is a pretty standard one. The two additions that one might find interesting are the honey and the apple cider vinegar. I find the honey adds a sweetness to the chili that helps balance out the spiciness of the other flavours in the chili. I find the vinegar helps brighten and lighten up the taste and feel of the chili. Both are subtle, but both are items I always add now, and would miss them if I didn't.

Home Style Chili

*Omit the beef or turkey and you instantly have a hearty vegan dish, great for everyone, especially when you've got a vegan guest

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 green peppers, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
2 lg. carrots, diced
2 lg. onion, chopped
1 lg. zucchini, sliced
1 lbs. mushrooms, sliced
2-3 lbs. ground beef or turkey
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can fava beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 cups low sodium veggie cocktail
1 tbsp. smokey paprika
1 tbsp. red chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp nutmeg
1-2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pot. I like to use my red Le Creuset pan.
2. Add onions to the pan, and cook until translucent.
3. Add the beef or turkey to the pan and cook through. Stir often during the cooking process. Once the meat is fully cooked, drain away the extra fat.
4. Add the rest of the vegetables and cover, turn the heat to low. Cook until all the veggies are tender. About 10 - 15 minutes.
5. Add the spices into the meat and veggie mixture and turn the heat up to medium. This will help the spices fully come to life.
6. Add the all the beans, tomatoes, and veggie cocktail. Bring up the simmer.
7. After the chili has cooked for 30 minutes or so, add the honey and apple cider vinegar. Taste and then add salt and pepper.
8. Enjoy! Or cook all day long on low heat and enjoy even more later.

This post has been linked to : Traditional Tuesdays

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

2011-12-31T09:46:00.003-07:00

Business and I love Indian food. I like the vibrant colors of their curries, the spicy in their vegetable dishes and the richness in all the sauces.

Every so often, we think it's a good idea to order in Indian food. It's a great idea until the next morning when I'm so thirsty and puffy from all the salt in the food, I feel like I have a food hangover. I don't blame the restaurants, they need to appeal to the common palate, and the truth is most people in North America are used to a lot of salt.

So following each take out experience, I get even more encouraged to cook our own version of Indian food at home, sans copious amounts of salt.

In the nature of the theme of January (stay tuned and you'll soon figure it out), I made an Indian Curry, Sweet Potato Soup. It turned out great, smooth and creamy, a little smokey but with floral tones that really brighten it up and make it feel light. A great start to a light, Indian meal (recipe to follow).

Typically, I have seen recipes where the sweet potato is boiled or steamed before becoming the pureed, creamy base of the soup. I decided to roast my sweet potatoes, first dicing them into dice sized pieces and then tossing them with ground spices and coconut oil and ghee. They roasted for over an hour in a hot oven, filling our whole house with the wonderful scent of spice. Also, I found the roasting brought out the sweetness in the potatoes enough that they naturally balanced out the heat from the red chili I used.

While the potatoes were roasting, I made a homemade chicken stock, which I used to thin out the soup once it was pureed. You could just also use a store bought chicken, or vegetable stock but it's so easy to make your own, I have a hard time spending money on the store bought stuff.

Curried, Roast Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

3 lbs. Sweet Potato, diced into 1cm cubes
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp. ghee, melted
1 tbsp. Turmeric
1 tbsp. Cumin seeds
1 tbsp. Coriander seeds
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. paprika
1-3 tsp ground red chilies
3-4 cups of homemade stock
Cream of the top of a can of coconut milk
Fresh cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Mix the melted oil and ghee with the ground spices.
2. Pour the mixture over the diced sweet potato, on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

3. Roast the potatoes in the oven for an hour.
4. Put the roasted sweet potatoes into a large pot and pour about half of the stock into the pot.
5. Start to puree the mixture with an emulsion blender, add more stock as needed to thin our the soup.
6. Place the pot on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for at least 10 minutes.
7. Ladle into bowls, and finish with a dollop of coconut cream, and some fresh chopped cilantro.

This recipe has been linked to: Fat Tuesday, Slight Imdulgent Tuesdays, Hearth and Soul Hop

Hearty Gingersnaps

2011-12-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

Business and I were in Ontario this past week for an Early Christmas. On what we called our Christmas - December 10th - my whole family and Business and I spent the day at my Mom and Dad's. First we did professional family photo's - a gift my sister, brother and I got for my parents.

Followed by the photos, we all chatted while the ladies put together some awesome appetizers. I had prepared some gluten free gingerbread men dough for the kids to make and then decorate, but amongst all the chatter I just didn't have time to make it happen. That's alright though, we had plenty of food anyway :)

The next day after church, we all gathered again at my Mom and Dad's and had a lunch of leftovers before heading to Niagara Falls to see the holiday light displays. The lights are something I haven't seen in a few years and I think I enjoyed the sights about as much as the kids did.

I baked the gingerbread dough just before leaving as little button gingersnaps and they turned out just perfectly.

Thank goodness for the walking and the cold weather. After all those gingersnaps I need the exercise and fresh air.

Hearty Buckwheat Gingersnaps (Or Gingerbread Men)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups buckwheat flour, plus some for rolling if you make cut outs
1/3 cup finely ground flax seeds
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted) or butter (softened)
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, room temperature
2/3 cup molasses

Directions:

1. Combine together the buckwheat, flax seeds, all the spices, and salt. Set aside.
2. Whisk together the oil or butter, honey, egg and molasses.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
4. Form into a ball and wrap tightly in saran and refrigerate for at least one hour.
5. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
6. Either roll out dough on clean, lightly floured counter top and cut into shapes. Transfer shapes onto cookie sheets or form little balls of dough and place on cookie sheet, then press two ways with a wet fork.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 18 minutes depending on the thickness of the cookie. More time will make for a snappier gingersnap while less time with make for a more chewy molasses cookie.

Carrot Cake with Goat Cheese Glaze

2011-12-18T16:25:00.000-07:00

Every so often I get an idea that is so very simple and yet so exciting I can barely contain myself.

Last night, we were invited to our friends Adam and Theresa's house, I asked if I could bring something and Theresa suggested a warm appetizer and a dessert. No problem.

I love to cook and bake but this week has just been busy busy busy and also, after being away last week I just didn't have many ingredients in the house - and no desire to go the holiday busy grocery store. So, I started looking in the cupboards and fridge for inspiration - and availability of ingredients.

I happened to have a large bag of carrots in the fridge, and immediately thought, carrot cake! Quickly, though I followed up that excitement with disappointment, not knowing how I would make cream cheese icing ( I don't eat cow's dairy, just goat) which really is a large part of what makes carrot cake so delicious.

Then it hit me, goat cheese. I'll use goat cheese in my icing. And it worked, perfectly.

Even my girlfriend Michelle, who hates the idea (but not always the outcome) of my baking liked it, and that says a lot. So does Michelle. :)

Spiced Carrot Cake with Goat Cheese Glaze

Preheat oven to 325.

Carrot Cake:

3 cups almond flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
3 cups finely grated carrots
2 cups of any combination of raisins, walnuts, shredded coconut and cranberries. My fave is raisins and walnuts.

Goat Cheese Glaze:

3/4 cup soft goat cheese
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup powdered (icing) sugar
1/4 cup honey
Splash of good quality vanilla extract.
Splash of almond milk (or any milk), if needed to make smooth.

Directions:

1. Combine the almond flour, flax seed, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Whisk the eggs, honey and coconut oil in a separate bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry.
4. Fold in the carrots, and nuts/dry fruits until just combined.
5. Grease 2 9" pans (I line mine with parchment paper). Pour the half the batter into each cake pan.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, blend the glaze ingredients together with a hand blender on high until a smooth, light mixture is made. Refrigerate until ready to use.
8. After letting the cakes cool, place one cake on cake serving tray. Ice just the top of the first cake with a thing layer of glaze.
9. Place the second cake on the first and ice the tops and sides with the remaining glaze. Keep cool until ready to serve.

This post is linked to:
The Sunday Showcase, Not 'Baaad' Sundays, Just Something I Whipped Up, Makin' You Crave Monday, Mingle Monday, Your Recipe My Kitchen, Made By You Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Mangia Mondays, This Weeks Cravings, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Slighty Indulgent Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Made From Scratch Tuesday, Tea Party Tuesday, Inspiration Board, Delicious Dishes

The Mighty Chickpea Cupcake

2011-10-31T20:13:00.001-06:00

Coconut flour, millet flour, amaranth flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, guar gum..... so many ingredients, so many combinations, so many possible outcomes.

I have experimented with many different flours and techniques. I've tried measuring and weighing. I've tried gums and starches and flours in so many different ways - but one thing always seems to stay the same - the results are never perfectly consistent.

Then, one night many moons ago (probably at least a year ago), I created a cupcake on a whim. I looked in the pantry and didn't have the flours I was most comfortable working with so, I thought, why not try chickpea? And not chickpea flour, but whole chickpeas.

Since then I have been using this recipe as my go-to recipe for birthdays and special occasions. I have turned this recipe into cakes (Including a triple layer black forest cake for my girlfriend Theresa's Bridal Shower), brownies and even, by adding nuts and seeds, into hearty breakfast muffins.

Please try my Chickpea Cupcake recipe, and play around with it any way you choose - and when you do, please share the results!!

The Mighty Chocolate Chickpea Cupcake

2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
Big splash vanilla
Big splash coffee
5 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup melted coconut butter
1/4-1/2 honey or agave (more for milk chocolate like cupcakes, less for dark chocolate cupcakes)
1/2 -1/3 cup cocoa (less for milk chocolate like cupcakes, more for dark chocolate cupcakes)
Pinch salt

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until perfectly smooth.

Bake at 350 in muffin paper lined muffin tins for 25-45 minutes - depending on the size of the muffins.

Alternatively, you can bake this as a cake in a 9 inch round pan that has been oiled and lightly floured,

Also, I've made this recipe with:

Walnuts and Raisins

Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter Chips

Raspberries

Coconut Flakes and Cinnamon

Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds, and Raisins

This Recipe has been linked to: Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, Fight Back Friday, Freaky Friday, Your Recipe My Kitchen,

Tomato Harvest Marinara Sauce

2011-10-18T08:10:00.002-06:00

I grew up in Southwest Ontario, where the summers are hot and humid and long. I always wanted to have a full garden brimming with vegetables and fruits that I could tend to all summer long, then harvest all my goodies and can and freeze the full flavour of fresh vegetables for later in the winter. So when we finally got into a house of our own and built the garden boxes I'd been dreaming of having I was super excited for my first full growing season.

Oh but I forgot one thing - I moved to Alberta - where the summers aren't so hot and humid - and certainly not as long.

Last year, my Mom and Dad visited in the early spring and Dad and David built me two 8' x 4' cedar boxes in which to grow my vegetables. I grew many tomatoes, and peppers. The plants did really well - right up until an early frost wrecked most of the plants, and also the fruits that were waiting to ripen.

This year after starting all my plants inside from seeds - my kitchen was over taken by 40 6inch pots!

I was very excited to plant what was is now 7 cedar boxes ( David and his brother Jesse built me more boxes since I loved the first two so much ). It was June 3rd and I thought I waited long enough, I planted all my perfect little plants. Within an hour of finishing and cleaning up, I looked outside to see a freak hail storm beating my little babies into the reality of what is Calgary's sporadic weather patterns. They mostly survived and the ones that didn't I replaced with nursery bought plants.

This fall, unlike last fall, to ensure I didn't lose a single tomato or pepper to an early frost. I pulled all my 34 tomato plants and 8 pepper plants out of the garden, roots intact and hung them upside down in my garage to ripen on the vine.

This weekend - just in time for Thanksgiving - I was able to harvest 15 or more lbs of juicy, ripe tomatoes.

I decided to make a pure, simple, traditional marinara sauce. Many times I make thick, or chunky tomato sauces that are full of basil and oregano and probably cooked for way too long. The marinara sauce that I wanted to make this time would only have four ingredients - perfectly ripened tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and salt.

Tomato Harvest Marinara Sauce

10 lbs very ripe tomatoes - roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 head of garlic - roughly chopped
Salt to taste.

Heat a dutch oven on the stove over medium high heat and add the olive oil and when the oil gets warm, add your garlic.

Stir frequently to make sure the garlic doesn't get too dark. Once the garlic is evenly and lightly browned, add the chopped tomatoes. while stirring constantly bring the pot up to a boil.

Then, reduce the heat to low and cover. Let the sauce cook for only 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to ensure the sauce isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan. Taste test the sauce, and salt to your liking. You could also puree the sauce if you want a perfectly smooth sauce, or leave it slightly chunky like I did.

At this point you can use the sauce anyway you choose. We made pasta. And canned the rest.

Saturday nights in this house are typically reserved for Pizza night, so to convince David that making something new with this sauce was a good idea was no easy task. The resulting dish however, might mean we need to choose a night every week for pasta night too!

I made homemade meatballs, and sauteed some green and red peppers and red onions, cooked some brown rice pasta and crumbled some goat cheese. Then served each component up family style and we both layered the ingredients into our bowls - delish! It was by far the best pasta I've ever had - even if I do say so myself.

This post has been shared on: Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Traditional Tuesdays, Made From Scratch Tuesdays, The Hearth and Soul Hop

All Nuts (and Seeds) Bread

2011-05-15T21:20:00.008-06:00

There really aren't too many things that I still really crave when it comes to gluten free dining - however, I still have one haunting craving.

It hits me often - in the bakery section at Amarenth Health Food Store, walking past a Cinnabon Store in the mall, smalling toast when I'm out for breakfast....

Have you guessed it yet?

It's Cinnamon Raisin Bread. I want it cold. I want it hot and toasted with peanut butter. I want it with way too much butter. I want it with a cold glass of milk. I want it alot. And now - I can have it.

I started this idea with the making of my Granola and Granola-type Cookies. I was always trying to use more and more nuts and seeds and less and less flour. Finally I thought that if I just ground all the nuts - perhaps they would hold together like a bread. I didn't know the results would be this good! This "bread" is slicable! Seriously.

And you can toast it.

It is dense - not really a sandwich bread. But imagine it still warm from the oven with soft goat cheese on it. Wow.

Also, I've made this bread with savory seasonings - think mustard - basil - garlic - onion powder - the options are limitless.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

1 1/2 cups almonds, ground
1 cup walunuts, ground
3/4 cup sunflower seeds, ground
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds, ground
3/4 cup flax, ground
8-10 egg whites
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 tbsp. cinnamon
1 pinch sea salt
1-2 cups raisins - depends how much you like

Grind all your nuts - one variety at a time.
Mix the nuts with the vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and raisins. Add the egg whites.
The batter should be about as running as thick muffin batter. Add more egg whites if needed (tends to depend on how dry your nuts are).
Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.
Run a knife around the edges of the loaf pan and flip the loaf out onto a plate or wire rack to cool.
Slice and enjoy.

This recipe has been entered on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Hearth and Soul Hop, Fat Tuesday, Tea Party Tuesday, Monday Mania, Traditional Tuesdays, Confession Tuesdays, Family Time Tuesdays, The Tuesday Talent Show.

Macaroons

2011-03-13T21:17:00.008-06:00

I love love love to bake, and I also love to eat. Turns out though, that as much as
I like to bake and eat, it's rare that I ever eat too much of my baking.

Not the case for my fiance, Business.

I recall a night a few months ago when Business - after listening to me rave about the three different baked goods I had just made - looked down at me, smiled, hugged me and said "Cook more, bake less."

Turns out, Business has a harder time than I in limiting his baked good consumption.

And he's looking to "Lose weight and tone up" Lol. A very funny phrase coming from a super muscular, big, tall manly man but none the less something he says time and time again when I talk about all the baked concoctions running through my head.

So, because my itch to bake sometimes keeps me up at night, but also because I would like to keep both mine and Business's waist sizes in check I've decided to focus my energy on creating low carb (I hate the way that sounds), high protein, high fat delicious, sweet baked goods.

Thank me later - like this summer when you're feeling totally hot in your short shorts or too cute halter top :)

Chocolate (Or Blond - But why blond when there is chocolate?) Macaroons

Ingredients:

6 Egg whites - I use 3/4 cup of whites from a carton
1/4 tsp. salt
5-10 packets of Stevia - don't use liquid as the glycerin will make the whites fall
1 tbsp. Vanilla extract
3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut - I like a mix of shredded and ribbons
1/4 cup pure raw cocoa powder

Instructions:

1. Whip the egg whites and salt until stiff.
2. Mix the cocoa and the coconut in a separate bowl.
3. Add the Stevia and vanilla to the egg whites, fold in the cocoa and coconut mixture.
4. Drop the mixture by the spoonful (I pat it together using two spoons before putting it on the pan) unto a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Place in the oven to bake at 350 for approx. 15 minutes - the bottoms should be just browned.
6. Let cool and enjoy :)

Notes:

Top make blond macaroons omit the cocoa and add add another 1/8 cup of coconut.

If using egg whites from a carton you can taste test the mixture to ensure the sweetness is right before baking - since the eggs are pasturized.

Alternatively, you can use about 1/4 cup of another sweetener - honey, agave, maple syrup.

Coconut Flour Brownies

2011-03-06T07:33:00.003-07:00

Coconut Flour Brownies

1/3 Cup of Coconut Oil
1/2 Cup of Quality Cocoa Powder
6 Eggs
Splash of Vanilla
2/3 Cup of Agave, or Palm Sugar, or Honey
Pinch of Sea Salt
1 Tbsp. Espresso Powder (optional)
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1 Cup Walnuts

1. Melt the coconut oil over low heat - once melted, add the cocoa powder. Blend well.
2. In a medium size bowl, lightly beat together the eggs and sugar, add the vanilla, salt and espresso powder.
3. Sift the coconut powder into the mix and fold into until just smooth.
5. Fold in your walnuts.
6. Pour batter into a well greased square baking pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.