Super Simple and Easy Roast Turkey with Herb Butter

Turkey has a bad reputation as fussy to cook and not that great, but guess what, I’m here to dispel that myth with the easiest turkey recipe! After a couple of days of salting and just hanging out in the fridge, this juicy turkey takes almost no effort on the day of cooking. Rub it down with a bit of butter and herbs, shove it in the oven, and forget about for a couple of hours. No basting, no trussing, no nothing, just juicy roast turkey and crispy crackly skin. Jump Straight to The Recipe

I like to think of myself as an adventurer in the kitchen. Even on on Thanksgiving when people tend to stick to their traditional family recipes, I am always keen to venture out into uncharted waters. For Thanksgiving 2010, I did a gorgeous Latin-inspired feast and made everything from a 25lb pork leg with cracklins to huitlacoche and poblano tarts. A few years back, I did an all vegan Thanksgiving feast! Last year, I went southwestern and even made my own chorizo!

I think I even shocked myself a little when, this year, I reached for the file of recipes from my mother and grandmother. Something about this year made me crave the simple homespun recipes I grew up with. My grandmother’s turkey was always perfect, though we never once ate it warm because my grandfather had to carve the bird in his very special way so that it looked like a bird when he was through with it.

This year, I decided to make a bird that would take very little effort on my part. Aside from the dry brine, you barely even have to think about this turkey. Once it’s in the oven, it’s no baste, no fuss and no muss! Also, it’s delicious with a juicy breast, crispy skin, and succulent legs.

A word of warning, all of the ritual of checking the bird, basting it, and worrying over it- well that’s sort of done for. You may even have to talk to your drunk uncle rather than hanging out in the kitchen fussing over your turkey. Or better yet, you can sequester yourself in the kitchen and drink a glass or two of champagne before going out to talk politics and religion with folks you shouldn’t be discussing either with.

This turkey borrows from my grandmother, as well as the great Judy Rodgers, and Kenji Lopez Alt. Now if that’s not a vote of confidence, I don’t know what is. Now, it might seem strange to ditch the roasting pan, but this method from Kenji Lopez Alt gets amazingly even cooking. If you’re interested in why the roasting pan is a bad idea for roasting a whole turkey, Kenji talks about the science, here. The other key here is to heat the oven for a long long long time— the baking steel or stone retains a ton of heat and is also important for getting that even cook on the bird. This one uses a lovely herb butter and the stuffing cooks outside the bird. It’s almost too easy, but once you bite into that juicy turkey with crispy skin, you’ll be sold. Other than that, your turkey doesn’t really need anything special except a great meat thermometer. I love the Thermapen for it’s dead-on accuracy, durability, and quick read.

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Easy Roast Turkey with Herb Butter

Prep time:  30 mins

Cook time:  3 hours

Total time:  3 hours 30 mins

Serves: 6-12 people

This simple recipe works wonders for a small roast turkey. In fact, this is the easiest most foolproof turkey recipe I've ever encounters. The keys to success here, are the salting, the air drying, and the use of the baking stone in conjunction with the cookie sheet and roasting rack. I promise if you follow these instructions, you'll have an awesome turkey for dinner!

Ingredients

• 1 8-12 lb turkey
• ¾ Teaspoon coarse sea salt for each pound of turkey
• 1 stick of butter
• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh herbs (I used sage, parsley, rosemary, and lemon thyme)

Instructions

1. One to three days before cooking, salt the turkey both inside and out. Cover tightly and leave in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours. Eight hours before (or the night before) cooking, gently rinse the turkey and pat it dry with a towel. Place it on a rack on a baking sheet uncovered in the fridge for 8-12 hours. This is what ensures truly crispy skin. Do not leave the turkey uncovered for more than 12 hours to avoid getting tough leathery skin.
2. On cooking day, Take the turkey out of the fridge and bring to room temperature while you make the herb butter and heat the oven. Place a baking steel or pizza stone on the middle rack of your oven and preheat to 500º for a minimum of one hour while the turkey looses its chill. Line a baking sheet with foil so that it comes up the sides, and overlaps well then place a v-shaped cooking rack on top.

Make the Herb Butter

1. Melt butter with mustard and maple syrup or honey over low heat. Once butter is completely melted, stir herbs in and allow steep in butter for about 10 minutes before brushing on the turkey.
2. Brush the herb butter all over the turkey and even put a bit inside the cavity. Set the turkey on the roasting rack then put the baking sheet, rack, and turkey in the oven right on top of your baking steel or pizza stone. Immediately lower oven temp to 300º and roast for 2-3 hours until a temperature, thrust into the deepest parts of the breast registers 150º and the deepest part of the legs register 165º.
3. Remove the turkey from the oven and tent with foil for 30 minutes before carving.

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Check out these awesome Gluten Free Thanksgiving Recipes:

Goat Cheese Mousse
Cranberry Chutney
Gluten Free Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Caramelized Shallot Mashed Potatoes with Creme Fraiche
Roasted Butternut Squash Stuffing
Gluten Free Butternut Squash Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

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Vegan Carrot Soup with Caramelized Onions

This creamy carrot soup is vegan, gluten free, and paleo friendly. Packed with sweetness from the carrots and a deep umami from the caramelized onions, this soup is the perfect thing to perk up a cold grey day. Jump to the recipe.

It wouldn’t be exactly true to say that I woke up to rain. Still, a heavy blanket of fog swaddled our little yellow house on the hill, and the ground was wet enough that I can imagine it may have rained overnight.

Bundled up in my red winter coat, I leashed up the pooch and went for a long walk in McLaren Park. Despite what folks say, we do have seasons in California.

Sometimes, we live with evidence of all of them at once. Just today, as Ruby and I tromped through mud and autumnal fallen yellow leaves, I also bathed in the smell of winter’s piney conifers. These firs, lush yet strangely expectant, as if they’re just waiting to be strung with shiny glass balls.

Follow The Tomato Tart’s board • • • Vegan Recipes • • • on Pinterest.

Just a short way down the path, I was surprised to find evidence of the first blackberry blossoms, a reminder that summer will come and provide mounds of juicy berries- rife for the foraging.

I found pink cottage roses wet with dew, spiders spinning sparkly webs, dazzlingly-bright yellow flowers, shy mushrooms peeking from beneath blades of grass, and nasturtiums- from whom I stole a sip of spicy nectar. When I left the cover of the tress and came upon a grassy playground, robins sang while hunting for fat little worms.

You see all the seasons, right there before me.

As we neared the end of our walk, a few raindrops fell. Tucking my camera into my coat and quickening my pace, I looked forward to the decidedly wintery soup waiting for me at home.

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Vegan Carrot Soup with Caramelized Onions

Rating  4.8 from 6 reviews

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  1 hour 30 mins

Total time:  1 hour 45 mins

This caramelized onion and carrot soup will feed a crowd. Though this recipe is easily halved, the onions take about an hour to caramelize, so I like to make the full size batch and freeze half in pint sized Mason jars. Then we take out one or two at a time to thaw. This makes a great meal with a salad and a nice glass of wine.

Ingredients

FOR SOUP

• 2 large onions, sliced
• 3 tablespoonsolive oil
• 2.5 lbs carrots peeled and sliced into coins
• 1 large yukon gold potato peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
• ½ cup celery sliced
• 16 oz carton vegetable stock- homemade or low sodium variety
• salt and pepper to taste

OPTIONAL GARNISHES

• Parsley leaves, loosely packed
• Lemon thyme, leaves removed from stem
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• Piment d'espelette

Instructions

SOUP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook onions and olive oil over low heat until well-caramelized and a dark golden brown, stirring infrequently (about 50-60 minutes)
2. Add carrots, potato, and celery and cook for another 10 minutes, tossing well to coat with olive oil and onions.
3. Add vegetable stock, turn heat to medium high, and bring to a rapid boil. Cook until vegetables are very tender almost falling apart- about 20 minutes.
4. Blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth, thinning with just a little bit of stock, water, or milk of your choice if you'd like a thinner soup
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve with herb oil and a sprinkling of piment d'espelette if using

HERB OIL INSTRUCTIONS (Optional)

1. While the soup is cooking, finely chop ¾ cup parsley and 2 sprigs thyme in food processor until very tiny.
2. Add ½ cup olive oil and give it a little whirl. Rest the herb oil at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
3. When ready to serve, strain through a fine mesh sieve and add one teaspoon of the herbs back to the strained oil and whisk to incorporate.

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Inspired by salade Lyonnaise, this French potato salad has little red potatoes, crisp bacon, hard boiled eggs, frisee lettuce and a warm bacon vinaigrette. I hope your potato salad is ready for an upgrade! Jump to the recipe >

French Potato Salad with Bacon, Egg, and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette.

I love potato salad in all of its forms. The German potato salad made with bacon fat, the American potato salad with mayonnaise, and the Jewish deli potato salad with sour cream— these all have a place at my table. But the potato salad I grew up with and the one I love the most is French potato salad. It is made with skin-on little red potatoes and a bright and garlicky vinaigrette.

The salad I love the most- like in the whole world- is the salade Lyonnaise. It features frisée lettuce, bacon, soft cooked eggs, and a simple vinaigrette. This potato salad is like a mashup of my grandmother’s French potato salad and the salade lyonaisse. It has little red potatoes, crisp bacon, hard boiled eggs, and a warm bacon vinaigrette. It is, in a word, transcendent.

If you’re serving this one cold, you can prepare all your ingredients the day before and dress the salad with the warm bacon vinaigrette just as you’re about to serve it. No one needs to know your new potato salad masterpiece is inspired by a famous salad from Lyon, France. All they need to know is whether there’s enough for seconds.

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French Potato Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Rating  4.8 from 4 reviews

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  40 mins

Inspired by salade lyonnaise, this French potato salad has little red potatoes, crisp bacon, hard boiled eggs, frisée lettuce and a warm bacon vinaigrette.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs small red potatoes
• ¾ lb thick cut bacon
• 1 head frisee lettuce, well washed and torn into bite sides pieces
• 1 head frisee lettuce, well washed and torn into bite sides pieces
• 4 large boiled eggs, peeled and quatered
• 4 large boiled eggs, peeled and quatered
• ¼ cup bacon fat
• ¼ cup bacon fat
• 1.5 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1.5 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
• 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cut potatoes into 1.5 inch wedges. Set a steamer basket in a large pot- filled with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Steam for 20-25 minutes on high then check for doneness. If they are still a bit hard, steam until they are fork tender, but not mushy.
2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over low heat- pouring off and reserving a bit of rendered fat each time you turn the bacon. When bacon is ready, cut into small pieces and set aside.
3. Make Dressing:
 Just before assembling, warm bacon fat until it is completely liquid. Whisk in vinegar and garlic. Since some bacon is quite seasoned, I recommend holding off on adding salt and pepper until you’ve tasted your vinaigrette.
4. Assemble the Salad: Toss potatoes and bacon with vinaigrette, letttuce, and chopped parsley. Top with quartered boiled eggs and a dusting of coarse ground black pepper.

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The post French Potato Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette appeared first on The Tomato Tart.

Lentil stew is such a savory and healthy comfort food. This vegan version is made in the instant pot- so no need to stand at the stove. It’s packed with veggies and lots of mushrooms, and it makes a great meal for Meatless Monday or any day. Jump Straight to the Recipe

Instant Pot Vegan Lentil Stew with Mushrooms (Gluten Free)

My grandmother made the best French lentils. Lots of carrots for me, and a little bit of sausage for texture and flavor. I often find myself craving lentils as the weather starts to cool, but these days, I very seldom eat meat. I set about creating a vegan lentil dish that had all the hearty flavors of my grandmother’s lentil stew, without the meat.

Nugget Markets one of my favorite partners on this blog, and they’re sponsoring this post. When we started throwing around ideas for healthy and easy weeknight meals, we settled on vegan lentil and mushroom stew really quickly.  I decided it would be fun to make this in the instant pot. As much as I enjoy a day of slow-paced cooking, I also love the hands-off nature of an electric pressure cooker for some things. I work from home, and this recipe comes together quickly enough that I can step away from my computer for a few minutes at 11:30 and be eating lentil stew for lunch!

My first test of this recipe was basically my grandmother’s- just ditching the sausage and adding mushrooms.  Unfortunately, it was only okay. Sausage is seasoned and fatty, so I knew I had to amp up the flavors and add a bit more fat.

On my second test, I stopped by my local Nugget Market in West Sacramento and strolled down the spice aisle for a little inspiration. I was excited to see Greek Freak from Spiceology, a line of spices that was actually started by my friend, Heather. I can always count on Nugget Markets when I’m looking for something unique- even from small boutique producers like Spiceology.

In addition to the spices, I included a bit of tomato paste and some nice white wine. To top it all off, I’ve made a simple garlic and parsley oil with some really nice local olive oil from Nugget Markets own house brand, Fresh to Market. The garlic and herb oil is optional, so if you’re just too busy or if you’re watching your fat intake, you might just add a little fresh parsley to your bowl before serving and a bit of dairy or non-dairy yogurt. Adding an extra clove of garlic to the lentil stew wouldn’t hurt either. But then, an extra clove of garlic never hurts!

Hope you enjoy this one just as much as we did. Happy holidays and happy cooking!

This post is sponsored by Nugget Markets. All opinions are my own, and are never for sale. Thank you for supporting the brands who help keep this site free.

For this gluten free and vegan lentil and mushroom stew, I’ve used French green lentils which are largely the same as Puy lentils. These lentils hold their shape beautifully when cooked, but if you cannot find them, you can substitute beluga lentils or plain green or brown lentils. For this recipe, yellow, red, or orange lentils are not recommended as they become mushy when cooked- and have quite a different cooking time. Also, if you don’t cook with wine or don’t have any handy, you can substitute water with a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

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Instant Pot Vegan Lentil and Mushroom Stew

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  40 mins

Serves: 8 servings

Lentil stew is such a savory and healthy comfort food. This vegan version is made in the instant pot- so no need to stand at the stove. It’s packed with veggies and lots of mushrooms, and it makes a great meal for Meatless Monday or any day.

Ingredients

FOR THE LENTILS

• ¼ cup nice extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 lb carrots, sliced into ½ in -¾ in slices
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 12oz mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 lb French green lentils (puy lentils, beluga lentils, or green or brown lentils are a fine substitute)
• 1 Tablespoon Spiceology Greek Freak (or ½ tablespoon salt-free herb seasoning like herbs de provence + 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cups water
• ½ cup white wine

FOR THE GARLIC PARSLEY OIL

• 1 bunch parsley
• 3 cloves of garlic
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Turn instant pot to sauté and add olive oil- heat for a minute or so to let the oil warm and spread across the bottom of the pot. Add onion, carrots, and celery and sauté until onions are transluscent- about five minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and sauté for another couple of minutes until the mushrooms begin to shrink in size and the garlic smells fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the lentils, spices, salt (if using) and pepper along with the water and wine (if using).
2. Turn the Instant Pot off and put the lid on. Make sure the valve is set to seal. Press manual on the instant pot and select high pressure. Set the time to 16 minutes and then allow natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes. After that, open the pressure valve and quick release the steam.
3. While the vegan lentil mushroom stew is cooking, make the garlic and parsley oil by adding all ingredients to a mini chopper or a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blentech to get it really smooth.
4. Serve lentils with garlic parsley oil drizzled over the top.

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The post Instant Pot Vegan Lentil and Mushroom Stew (Gluten Free) appeared first on The Tomato Tart.

Gluten Free Brownies with Candy Cane Crunch

My dad was a cookie guy. Every morning, he ate a couple of Chinese almond cookies with his milky tea. I can still see him sitting at our kitchen counter with the newspaper and a small plate of golden-hued cookies.

My husband is a cookie guy, especially if there is chocolate involved. Give the man a bag of Tate’s Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, and he is happy.

Me, I’m a cookie agnostic. I enjoy a cookie or two, but I am not a cookie craver. There is, however, one exception. Mint + Chocolate = me going cookie crazy. Before I knew about the whole “my body thinks gluten is poison” thing, we lived near a bakery in San Francisco called Arizmendi. They made a vegan double chocolate mint cookie that still stands as the best cookie I have ever eaten. I have tried (and failed) to replicate those cookies for years.

When I decided to join The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap of 2014, I knew my cookie had to involve chocolate and candy canes- what says Christmas more than chocolate and candy canes? The cookie swap benefits Cookies for Kids Cancer, a national nonprofit committed to funding new therapies for cancers that affect children. I have some choice words for cancer, but none that are fit for this blog. So, I’ll just say, I wish cancer would take a long walk off a short pier.

Though technically not exactly a cookie, I love sending gluten free brownies to people. Partially because they hold up so well and partially because well… brownies. These candy cane topped gluten free brownies are rich and fudgy and SUPER easy. They look so cute on a cookie plate and if you want leftovers, you’d better make a double batch. Best of all, these gluten free brownies are also grain free. I have made them with organic sugar, muscavado sugar, and even coconut sugar for a paleo-friendly version.

I hope you all have a happy holiday season this year. Be sure to check out my fellow swappers. I received some truly delicious cookies from these lovely ladies.
Amanda of Heartbeet Kitchen
Christina of Body Rebooted
Jessica of Kettler Cuisine
And Megan of Brooklyn Locavore

Also, a big shout out to Lindsay and Julie for organizing The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. You can bet your knickers that I’ll be joining again next year.

The post Gluten Free Brownies with Candy Canes for Holiday Baking appeared first on The Tomato Tart.

Gluten Free Chocolate Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

These gluten free chocolate crinkle cookies get mixed up with gingerbread spice for Christmas cookie that truly delights. Crisp on the outside and delightfully fudgy and chewy on the inside, I love these crinkles with a kick. Oh, and did I mention these bad boys are dairy free too?  Jump Straight to the Recipe

Come December, our thoughts shift from pumpkins and turkey to cookies and well… more cookies. The holiday cookie swap is not a new thing, by any means, but it seems like cookie exchanges are more popular than ever. Every time I turn around, there’s a cookie party popping up and one of the most popular Christmas cookies seems to be the chocolate crinkle cookie! So, of course, I had to make a gluten free version plus add my favorite spices like cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and a hint of cayenne.

My earliest memories of Christmas cookies are confections come from our next door neighbor, Jeanette Watkins, and my mom’s dear friend Mrs. Patton. Jeanette made rice crispy treats, and peanut brittle and would bring them over in a lovely tin at Christmas time. Mrs. Patton’s specialty was her rich and decadent fudge. When my little brother came along, Mrs. Patton always gave us an extra tin of fudge for him because it was his absolute favorite thing in the world.

My mom was not a baker, Santa got Chips Ahoy or Oreos in our house, so I did not grow up with a tradition of baking cookies. As a matter of fact, I recently found myself wondering “When did Christmas cookies become a thing?” I thought maybe it was a more modern tradition, but no, it’s got quite a long history- though it seems like its popularity may have waned in the 70s and 80s as more moms were working. 

A timeline I found on FoodTimeLine.org looks at the history of the cookie exchange and it seems the tradition may have come from sororities! The first news article mentioning cookie exchanges references the Tri Kappas hosting an exchange at Montgomery Market in 1917. By 1960, The Los Angeles times was calling the cookie swap party a “rising trend”. In 1963, Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book suggests that women have a Christmas “Cooky” Swap Party where each woman brings a dozen cookies for each of the other women at the gathering. HOLY COW, better hope it’s a small party. Who wants to bake 11 dozen cookies?

My gluten free chocolate crinkle cookies are a super simple cookie to make. Though some crinkles are made with butter, I thought I’d go for gluten free AND dairy free by using oil instead. There are only a few ingredients and you may even have everything in your pantry right now! These cookies are chocolatey and super chewy with a nice punch from the gingerbread spice. These are so good on their own, but I think they truly shine when you dunk them in hot chocolate or cold milk.

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Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with Gingerbread Spice

Rating  4.9 from 8 reviews

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  8 mins

Total time:  28 mins

Serves: 3 dozen cookies

Gluten free and dairy free chocolate crinkle cookies with a kiss of gingerbread spice are knock your socks off awesome. This crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, cookie is a holiday favorite.

Ingredients

• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extra
• 3 & ½ cups gluten free all purpose flour
• 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa
• 2 tablespoons gingerbread spice
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 & ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Using either a stand mixer or a hand mixer, mix the sugars, oil, egg and vanilla on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until well-combined.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, gingerbread spice, baking powder and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients in three additions and mix until fully combined.
3. Press plastic wrap over the surface of the dough and refrigerate for at least four hours or up to overnight.
4. Once the dough is fully chilled, preheat oven to 350º and line two heavy baking sheets with parchment and place about 1 cup powdered sugar a wide shallow bowl.
5. Use a cookie scoop to portion dough into 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon balls. Roll each dough ball in the powdered sugar and place on the cookie sheets, a couple of inches a part. Bake for 8 minutes- they will still be very soft and you might think they’re not baked, but they are! If you bake them any longer, the awesome chewiness will be gone.
6. Cool briefly on the baking sheets and then carefully remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely eating. Store at room temperature for up to a week.

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Cravings of a Lunatic • Desserts Required  • Poet in the Pantry  •  The Redhead Baker  •  Pineapple and Coconut   •   All Roads Lead to the Kitchen  •  Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks   •   Cupcakes & Kale Chips  • Cooking on the Front Burner   •   The Little Ferraro Kitchen  •   Crumb: A Food Blog   •  The Bitter Side of Sweet   •   Amee’s Savory Dish  •   Comfortably Domestic  •   Food Done Light   •   Farm Fresh Feasts  •   Flour On My Face  •   Mother Would Know  •   Food Lust People Love  •   My Catholic Kitchen  •   Daily Appetite  •   Try Anything Once Culinary  •   That Skinny Chick Can Bake  •   Savory Experiments  •   Cooking In Stilettos  •   Food Babbles  •   Mind Over Batter  •   Rants From My Crazy Kitchen  •   Lauren Kelly Nutrition  •   Big Bear’s Wife  •   Everyday Southwest  •   From Gate to Plate  •   Karen’s Kitchen Stories  •   Savoring Italy  •   Dixie Chik Cooks  •   The Tomato Tart  •   Aloha Flavor  •   CopyKat Recipes

Recipes from Day 1 of Christmas Week! Please visit all our talented participants:

Pistachio Brittle from Cravings of a Lunatic
Coconut Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake from Desserts Required
Peppermint Bark from Poet in the Pantry
Eggnog Pound Cake from The Redhead Baker
Quince, Cranberry and Persimmon Crisps from Pineapple and Coconut
Chocolate Fruit ‘n Nut Bites from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
Fancy Chocolate Covered Marshallows from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
Marzipan Fruits from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Eggnog Truffles from Crumb: A Food Blog
Peppermint Fudge from The Bitter Side of Sweet
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes from Amee’s Savory Dish
Gingerbread Cake with Orange Cream Glaze from Comfortably Domestic
Christmas Sweets and Treats from Food Done Light
Spiked Hot Cocoa Gift Mix from Farm Fresh Feasts
Chanukah Olive Oil Cookies from Mother Would Know
Coconut Pralines from Food Lust People Love
Blueberry Overnight Sweet Rolls from My Catholic Kitchen
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies from Daily Appetite
Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps from Try Anything Once Culinary
Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Dark Chocolate Almond Cheesecake Cups from Savory Experiments
Bourbon Soaked Eggnog Cake from Cooking In Stilettos
Ginger Snap Cocktail from Food Babbles
Coquito Cinnamon Roll Bundt from Mind Over Batter
No-Bake Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Easy White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge from Big Bear’s Wife
Easy Cream Cheese Cookies from Everyday Southwest
Gingerbread Cookie Bars from From Gate to Plate
Molasses Ginger Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Apricot Spice Biscotti from Savoring Italy
Caramel Bacon Bark from Dixie Chik Cooks
Gluten Free Chocolate Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies from The Tomato Tart
Easy Macadamia Cashew Brittle from Aloha Flavor

The post Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with Gingerbread appeared first on The Tomato Tart.

At its heart, all great cooking is alchemy. We’re transforming basic elements into something greater than the sum of their parts. Take these oven-roasted tomatoes with olive oil for example. We use low heat and lots of time to turn the simplest of ingredients (only tomatoes, olive oil, and salt) into complex little flavor bombs. Use these roasted tomatoes to up your caprese game, pile them on a baguette, toss them with pasta, or eat them straight off a fork. Jump straight to the recipe!

Oven Roasted Tomatoes Preserved in Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Vegan, Gluten Free, Paleo, Whole30 Approved

On a Friday morning in early August, I pull off the interstate and onto a little road that takes me to the heart of one of the most fertile valleys in California. You may not know it by name, but the Capay Valley is home to dozens of farms and ranches producing everything from watermelon to wine to wool to walnuts. On this particular day, I’m here to meet my friend Nicole Rogers, Director of Marketing and Communications for Nugget Markets. We’re meeting on the land of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation for a tour of Seka Hills Olive Oil.

Corrin of Seka Hills takes us out to see grove after grove of olives. Native Americans have been living here in the “blue hills” of Capay for thousands of years, and there’s no question as to why. I was gob smacked by its beauty. I was also privileged to visit a ceremonial site, check out some of the artifacts found on the properties, and I even made a horse friend!

While the people of Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation have been here for ages, the olives are pretty new. In 2008, the tribe planted its first arbequina olives, and Nugget Markets was among the first buyers. Their relationship has grown over the years, and now every Nugget Market carries olive oil from Seka Hills. Upon tasting the olive oil, there’s no question that Nugget made a wise choice!

I knew I wanted to do something really special with this incredible olive oil. I was inspired by the relationship of Nugget Markets and Seka Hills, and so I thought I’d highlight one of my favorite culinary relationships—tomatoes and olive oil.

So that’s how these oven roasted tomatoes in olive oil came to be—relationships- magic- alchemy…

With heat and time, juicy summer tomatoes become shrunken, dark, and caramelized at the edges. What was bright and fresh intensifies into something rich, velvety, deeply flavored, and complex. The magical thing is that there is nearly no effort required on the cook’s part to make these oven-roasted tomatoes.

While they’re amazing for eating right away, I’ve taken to packing them in small jars topped with olive oil and keeping them in the fridge for a couple of weeks or storing them in the freezer. Because although fresh tomatoes are abundant this time of year, they’re also ephemeral. Days get shorter, summer wanes, leaves turn, and the local tomato disappears.

As autumn turns to winter, and I think I can’t stand one more butternut squash this or brussels sprout that, I hungrily reach for the jars of tomatoes I’ve packed away.

This post is sponsored by the kind folks at Nugget Markets. While I have been paid for this post, the content and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make The Tomato Tart possible.

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Oven Roasted Tomatoes With Olive Oil

Rating  5.0 from 3 reviews

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  4 hours

Total time:  4 hours 10 mins

Serves: 1 quart

This recipe is really a very loose set of instructions. The key, here, it to truly focus on the ingredients.
Nice tomatoes, sea salt, and really fantastic olive oil will make this simple dish remarkable. Your cooking time will vary depending on the size of your tomatoes. With a golf ball sized tomato, your cook time may be only three hours and with a baseball-sized one, it will be closer to five.
I encourage you to taste- starting at about 2 hours. I love these best when the skin is chewy and a bit brown at the edges but the insides are totally soft and stewy.
I usually do 7 to 10 lbs at a time. 5 lbs will yield one quart.

Ingredients

• 2.5-10 lbs of tomatoes. I usually do 7 or 8 lbs at a time.
• Sea Salt
• Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange tomatoes cut side up. Sprinkle generously with sea salt. Brush with lots of extra virgin olive oil.
2. Roast in 250º F oven for 2-5 hours depending on the size of the tomatoes and desired doneness. Rotate the baking sheets every hour or so for even cooking and caramelizing.
3. Once cool enough to handle, pack into clean mason jars and cover with olive oil. Will keep in the fridge for two weeks or in the freezer for at least six months.

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Polish Cucumber Salad with Greek Yogurt

Food, family, and memory are inextricably tied . This is especially true when you come from a family like mine- where food was a central component to every birthday, every holiday, every chance possible. This recipe for creamy Polish cucumber salad is completely tied to my Uncle Fred Swiderski. Now, I thought it was called Polish Cucumbers because my Uncle Fred loved them and he is Polish. Little did I know that Mizeria or Polish Cucumber Salad is a pretty big deal in Poland.

Mizeria literally translates to misery because Polish peasants invented the dish and the upper class referred to them as “The Miserable Ones”. There is nothing at all miserable about this fabulous cucumber salad. My love for this salad reaffirms my belief that peasant food is the best food.

Joshua and I eat Polish cucumber salad at least once a week in the summer when cucumbers are abundant and local. These polish cucumbers are a perfect picnic dish, a refreshing side, or a great little lunch. I’ve lightened things up by choosing low fat Greek yogurt rather than sour cream. You can certainly use sour cream or even crème fraiche for a treat.

Another way I’ve strayed from my original family recipe is to use Gourmet Garden Herbs and Spices in place of the fresh. I’ve used the dill paste and the lightly dried chives. Dill is an essential component to this cucumber salad and I can’t imagine eating this without the bright fresh punch of dill. Since I don’t use dill very often, it’s not an herb I grow. It’s also an herb with a short shelf life, and I hate food waste. I always have a tube of the Gourmet Garden Dill on hand because when you need dill in a recipe, there is really no other substitute. OH, and if you can get Gourmet Garden Lightly Dried Chives in your neck of the woods, RUN do not walk. I put these on everything. They might be my favorite kitchen time saver in the whole wide world!

This week is my Uncle Fred’s birthday. I believe this is his 96th year. Although he’s been unwell for a couple of months, he is one of the strongest, kindest, funniest men I’ve ever known and I hope he’ll be back to health soon. Known around town for building a wall of boulders in his 80s, randomly rescuing the king and queen of Thailand in his boat, and singing a rousing rendition of “The Night They Invented Champagne” this guy is incredible. Loved and admired by EVERYONE who ever met him is the best way I can describe my Uncle Fred. Here’s to feeling better. Love you, Uncle Fred!

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Lightened Up Polish Cucumber Salad (Mizeria)

Rating  5.0 from 1 reviews

Prep time:  15 mins

Total time:  15 mins

Serves: 8 servings

This healthy and gorgeous cucumber salad is a snap to put together. It's a fabulous side for a picnic or barbecue and goes great with rich or spicy food, too.

Ingredients

• This recipe for Polish Cucumber Salad will feed a crowd. Feel free to halve or quarter it.
• 4 large cucumbers straight from the fridge, peeled in a stripey fashion and thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Gourmet Garden Herbs and Spices Dill (or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill)
• 1 tablespoon Gourmet Garden Lightly Dried Chives (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup low fat Greek yogurt (whole milk or nonfat will also work)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, toss cucumbers with salt. Top with the remaining ingredients and and stir to coat. Serve ice cold. May be made up to 12 hours ahead of time.

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Poke every damn day. Ahem, get your mind out of the gutter. I’m talking about my favorite Hawaiian food, poke (pronounced po-keh). Poke is a Hawaiian fish salad that has found major popularity both in the islands and on the mainland. These homemade poke bowls are made with ahi tuna and a yuzu ponzu sauce and served with mixed greens, veggies, avocado, and seaweed. Best of all, they’re super healthy, paleo, gluten free, whole30 approved, keto-friendly and come together in a matter of minutes.  Jump Straight to the Recipe

Gluten Free & Paleo Homemade Poke Bowls

My husband and I were married on Maui. During our month-long stay, we mostly lived on a diet of foraged passionfruit, leftover wedding cake, steamed buns from the 7-11, and poke. So. Much. Poke.

In Hawaii, you can find poke everywhere- from Foodland, a local grocery store, to lunch counters, to fine dining establishments.  Flavors range from the traditional sea salt and oil to miso, shoyu, spicy, sesame, and even kimchi. One of my favorites is yuzu ponzu poke- which draws on Japanese flavors. Of course, my version is gluten free and soy free and even Whole30 compliant.

I’ve teamed up with my friends at Nugget Markets to bring you this ahi poke bowl recipe. Nugget Markets invited me to get up close and personal with any of their departments, and I didn’t even have to think for a second before choosing fish and seafood. I met with the head of the seafood department, Bill Davis, to talk turkey—well actually fish.

I know the seafood at Nugget Markets is fresh and delicious, but I wanted to hear more about trends and sustainability. On trending, Bill told me that the number one trend is fresh wild fish and seafood. He also said that people are really paying attention to the Fishwise sustainability ratings these days. When I asked Bill about his philosophy for the fish department, he said,

“It’s not about now. It’s about the future. At Nugget Markets, we ask ourselves if we’re headed in the right direction. Of course we love growth, but we only want to grow in the right way.”

–Bill Davis, Nugget Markets

While touring the seafood department at their Davis,CA store, I was eyeing some glorious hunks of ahi. Homemade poke was definitely on the menu. So guess what, I’m sharing the recipe with you.

Homemade poke bowls are endlessly customizable. I’ve made these on a bed of mixed greens, but you can serve your poke over sushi rice or just by itself. I’ve also included some of my favorite veggies on my bowl- like cucumber, radish, avocado, seaweed, and green onion. You can get creative and add your own twist- like daikon, macadamias, watermelon radish, cilantro, jicama, even mango!

This poke bowl is simple to make, but includes some specialty ingredients. If you’re near a Nugget Markets location, you can find everything there. If not, well-stocked grocery stores should carry all of the ingredients. If your store doesn’t have a robust global foods section, y may need a trip to an Asian market.

Here’s a rundown of the specialty ingredients in my poke bowl.

Ahi Tuna: Make sure your ahi is suitable for eating raw. Just ask your fishmonger if it’s sushi grade.

Dried Seaweed Salad:  I love the seaweed salad mix from SeaSnax, but you can get any kind of seaweed salad mix. I especially love suginori the delicate and colorful seaweed resembling corals. If you can’t find seaweed salad mix, you can omit or even use thinly sliced toasted nori sheets.

Yuzu Juice: Yuzu is a Japanese citrus that tastes like a combination of meyer lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin, but more fragrant and sour. If you cannot find this, you can use meyer lemon and rice vinegar in equal parts.

Togarashi: Schimi Togarashi is a Japanese spice blend which has chilies, black pepper, sesame, dried orange peel, and other Japanese spices. It’s one of my secret pantry superstars!

Sesame Seeds and Sesame Oil: Make sure to buy toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. The flavor of sesame comes alive when toasted. I’ve used black sesame seeds here, but feel free to use the toasted white sesame seeds.

Coconut Aminos: I can’t do gluten and my husband can’t do soy, so coconut aminos are the perfect stand in. You can use tamari or soy sauce if you like, but keep it mind it may be saltier than coconut aminos.

This post has been sponsored by the amazing folks at Nugget Markets. Though I have been paid for this post, my opinions, as always, are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make The Tomato Tart possible.

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Homemade Poke Bowls

Rating  5.0 from 5 reviews

Prep time:  15 mins

Total time:  15 mins

Serves: 4 Servings

This poke bowl is made with ahi tuna and a yuzu ponzu sauce and served with mixed greens, veggies, avocado, and seaweed. Best of all, it’s super healthy, paleo, gluten free, and comes together in a matter of minutes.

Ingredients

• Poke Ingredients
• ½ cup coconut aminos
• 2 tablespoons yuzu juice (or sub 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon rice vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon neutral flavored oil (I used algae oil)
• 1 tablespoon togarashi (omit for non spicy version)
• 1 lb sushi grade tuna, cubed into pieces
• ¼ cup thinly sliced onion
• Bowl Ingredients
• ½ cup dried seaweed salad (optional)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons neutral flavored oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 6 cups mixed greens
• 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
• 4 thinly sliced radishes
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1 thinly sliced jalapeno or fresno chili (omit if you don’t like spice)

Instructions

1. Make the poke In a medium bowl, whisk coconut aminos, yuzu juice, sesame oil, neutral oil, and togarshi together. Add tuna and red onion, stirring to combine. Cover and chill while you make the salad.
2. Rehydrate the seaweed salad In a small bowl, cover dried seaweed salad with cool water for 7-10 minutes, then rinse and drain.
3. Make your bowls In a medium bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper. Toss your mixed greens until well dressed. Divide the greens between four smaller bowls. Top each with cucumber, radishes, avocado, seaweed, chilies, and poke. Sprinkle sesame seeds and green onions over the top and serve immediately.

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It’s Cinco De Mayo Week at The Tomato Tart, and I’m so excited to celebrate with friends and family and fantastic food like this strawberry rhubarb salsa. Cinco De Mayo or May 5^th , is one of my favorite culinary holidays. Celebrated as Mexican Independence Day in the US, Cinco De Mayo is actually the date that the Mexicans beat the French in the battle of Puebla in 1882. If you’re questioning why a French girl loves this holiday so much, no need. Never question a French person’s passion for excellent food and a good party.

I’m also from California, so I’ve always been surrounded by friends and extended family of Mexican ethnicity. Which also means, I’ve been lucky enough to eat the food in authentic eateries and in the kitchens of talented home cooks for most of my life. Tacos, ceviche, sopa de tortilla, salsas, quesadillas, mariscos of every shape and size, soft and fluffy arroz, flan, cajeta, sopapillas, and pozole. I love Mexican and Latin food of every origin.

Another aspect of being from California means that I’m sensitive to my friends’ dietary restrictions and preferences.  This week, I’ll be offering a menu of foods that you can prepare for Cinco de Mayo for everyone- whether gluten free, vegan, lactose-intolerant, pescatarian, or omni.  We’ll start off with this vegan, gluten-free, strawberry-rhubarb salsa.

I love this fresh and perfectly seasonal spring salsa for a few reasons- not the least of which is the inclusion of tart and crisp raw rhubarb. The rhubarb gets a 24-48 hour soak in a cilantro simple syrup to take away some of the bracing sourness. I happen to like that flavor, but I understand that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I also like the balance of sweet and hot- the strawberries and rhubarb are totally offset by the smoky sea salt and spicy serrano chili.  Some things just beg for a big bowl of chips. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled for a crowd, just make sure to make extra syrup for the rhubarb if you’re doing so.

• INGREDIENTS STRAWBERRY RHUBARB SALSA

• 2 stalks of rhubarb (toxic leaves and roots discarded!) thinly sliced
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾  cup water
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• zest of 1 lime
• 4 cups of organic strawberries (I used sweet tart chandler strawberries)
• 1 shallot
• 1 serrano chili
• smoked sea salt

• INSTRUCTIONS STRAWBERRY RHUBARB SALSA

• Bring sugar and water to a boil over medium high heat. Stir gently to dissolve sugar, and boil for five minutes.  Add a large handful of cilantro and the lime zest and boil for five more minutes.
• Strain the cilantro lime syrup into a mason jar and add sliced rhubarb.  Cool for at least one hour before refrigerating- then refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
• Remove tops from well-rinsed berries. Finely dice the strawberries into ¼ inch pieces and add to a bowl.
• Drain the rhubarb and dice into 1/8 inch pieces, and add to the strawberries.
• To the strawberry & rhubarb mix, add 3 tablespoons finely minced shallot, 1 finely diced serrano chili (seeds removed if you want to avoid the heat), one large handful finely chopped cilantro, and mix well. Add smoked sea salt to taste and serve with crispy tortilla chips.

PS- I like salt free organic chips so I can salt my salsa, and never have to worry that my chips will make it taste too salty!

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