Red Lentil and Bulgur Kufteh in Lettuce Leaves

Last night I was lucky to be at the super creative PEM/PM Artopia event doing a demonstration on my meatball cookbook. The theme matches so well with the museum's focus on global cross-clutural exchange that it was a fun fit. They let us pass out samples and make a mess but we couldn't actually "cook" with any flame. Besides that technical issue, it all was fun! I am so glad that so many people came out to see us!  

These Kufteh are a traditional and popular appetizer in many middle eastern homes. They are like a vegetarian meatball, the texture of a chunky hummus made from red lentils and cracked wheat. The lettuce leaf provides an enjoyable crunch and an edible wrapping. They are eaten chilled or at room temperature, and made a delicious lunch or afternoon snack. A sprinkle of finishing salt and lemon juice is usually squeezed over the top. Last night we added a sliver of spicy cucumber pickles as well. 

If the appetizer presentation doesn't suit you, try the kufteh on top a large salad. They are naturally vegan. to make a gluten free version try replacing the bulgur with quinoa (but it would have to be simmered along with the lentils.) 


Red Lentil and Bulgur Kufteh in Lettuce Leaves

makes 20 veggie balls

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 cup red lentils
2 cups water
1/2 cup bulgur wheat (fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon aleppo pepper

20+ little gem lettuce leaves
1 handful parsley, chopped fine
lemon juice
spicy pickles (optional)

Toast the cumin seed in a dry pan on high heat. When the cumin becomes fragrant and the seeds darken a little in color.

Combine the lentils and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, skim off any foam, reduce the heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Not all of the water will be absorbed. 

Add the bulgur and salt, into the pot with the lentils. Stir together, cover and let sit for 30 minutes, until the bulgur is tender and all the liquid absorbed.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, until transparent and tender. Stir often. Add the ground cumin and stir together for about 30 seconds, then stir into the lentils and bulgur.

Using a wooden spoon or spatula, beat the lentil mixture in the bowl for a few minutes. This makes the mixture creamy. If it seems dry and crumbly, add a tablespoon of water at a time. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and Aleppo pepper if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Using two soup spoons form the lentil mixture into quenelles, (football shapes). Or, moisten your hands and shape the mixture into small lime-size balls. Moisten your hands again whenever the mixture begins to stick. 

Place on lettuce leaves arranged on a platter. Garnish with parsley and sprinkle with lemon juice and a dash of salt. A small slice of pickle is an untraditional but delicious addition. Serve cold or at room temperature. 

You love it? Its in my book, along with a bunch of other veggie balls and more!

Chermoula Chicken Boulettes AKA Paleo Chicken Balls on Sticks with Magic Sauce

Chermoula sauce is like fairy dust of the kitchen, it turns all it touches into magic food. Chermoula is a North African blend of warm spices, citrus and herbs in oil which is drizzled on everything from fish to meat and veggies. It can be used as a marinade, or a dressing. And I always wish I made a double batch, so I can drizzle its magical powers on everything. 

The chicken meatballs are so simple it is almost primitive cooking, two ingredients. Without the chermoula sauce they are almost unremarkable. Organic turkey or chicken is a good choice for all the reasons we know, environmental, health,  antibiotics, nutrition and animal rights. But also know that the flavors of the poultry are highlighted here, and it is a good time to choose the most happy organic chicken. 

This is a great dish if you are feeding friends who may or may not be gluten free, egg free or dairy free, or paleo! Obviously not a dish for vegetarians, but if you were doing a big party, I would stick some mushrooms or tofu on other skewers and let the vegetarians get some chermoula loving too.

Ground turkey is easy to find where I live, ground chicken less so. Both work. A butcher will often grind it for you, or in a pinch use a food processor to mince larger pieces of meat.

Anyway, now you have your ground or minced chicken. Mix it with the salt and form compact 1.5 inch balls of the chicken mixture. Thread them on metal or soaked wooden skewers. Place them to rest on a foil lined baking tray to rest while the chermoula sauce is made.

Place garlic, cilantro or parsley, lemon zest, paprika, chili powder, cumin, and olive oil into a blender. A blender really does a better job here than a food processor. If you live an electronics free life, do it old school with a mortar and pestle, adding oil in bit by bit as the herbs get bashed up. The sauce is not an emulsion, spices and herbs will settle out to the bottom giving it a chunky look. The flavors will blossom over time.

Drizzle just a bit of the chermoula on the uncooked meatballs. 

If your outdoor grill is covered in a snowy glacier, cook them under the broiler in your stove. With the broiler on high, line up the chicken skewers. Turning as they brown, keep a close eye on them. If your wooden skewers begin to char, cover them with some foil. 

The balls take about 10 to 12 minutes to cook through. Baste them occasionally with more sauce, or scoop up the pan drippings and use that. A thermometer at the interior should read 170° when the balls are throughly cooked.  

Remove to a plate and drizzle that chermoula sauce over them like crazy. 

Note: For individual appetizers, these can be cooked under a broiler in the same manner without the skewers. After the balls are cooked, plate up with some toothpicks. 

Chermoula Chicken Boulettes

16 medium meatballs, 4-5 servings

For the chermoula sauce:

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup cilantro or parsley

zest of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup olive oil

pinch of salt

For the chicken balls:

1 pound ground or minced chicken

1 teaspoon salt

4-5 skewers (soak if wooden)

Find this and 101 other meatball recipes in my new book Global Meatballs! I know, that is seriously a lot of meatballs. 

Mushroom Quinoa Pilaf with Sundried Tomatoes and Pesto

I am still cooking out of the pantry and the freezer. I think this is the last bit of quinoa in my house. So far the pantry challenge is going fine. If you missed it, look at my cupboard and freezer here. 

When I make quinoa pilaf all the veggies tend to rise to the surface during cooking. This one was different than my usual, with the addition of pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. The concentrated tomatoes gave it a wildly deep complex flavor. It is full of summer sunshine. Try it in your own kitchen. Made with frozen vegetables it a matter of dumping it all together and setting it to cook. Even the mushrooms and pesto were from the freezer.

Obviously it is easy as pie. Switch up the veggies, add in carrots or kale, you really can't go wrong.

I have a bowl as a meal by itself. It would make a luscious side to grilled fish. 

Mushroom Quinoa Pilaf with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Pesto

2 cups quinoa

4 cups water

1/2 cup frozen or fresh leeks (sliced)

1/2 cup frozen green peas 

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil

1/2 cup mushrooms cooked in olive oil (frozen or fresh)

1/4 cup basil pesto

generous pinch of salt

If using fresh mushrooms, slice and saute in olive oil with a pinch of salt. Slice the sun-dried tomatoes into bite sized pieces.  Put tomatoes and green peas, leeks, mushrooms and pesto into a pan with a tight fitting lid. 

This is a quick pilaf, the kind your whip up when you want to eat soon. The sun-dried tomato richness means we can skip a sauté step and still have complex flavors.

Add the water and quinoa to the same pot. Bring it to a boil. Give it a stir, cover, and cook for 20 minutes on low heat.

Enjoy!  

Millet, Oat, Peach & Apple Gluten Free Muffins, and thoughts on Snow

Winter is here. Waist high snow fall and towering eight foot piles of it have zapped much of my energy and enthusiasm for life.  At good moments I like to marvel at the surreal landscape around us, wind carved drifts and epic icicles.  I am most grateful for my new snow boots keeping me warm and dry. Seriously, if you are looking for the best boot ever, look no further. 

And I think it may be wise to invest in some Westeros Wildling fashions. 

Because, see, winter is here. These are my windows after the last storm. And we live on a raised first floor, I usually have to stand on my tiptoes to reach the windows from the outside in the summer. 

I have not been outside today, since this scary guy seems to be out there right now... 

Winter and I are not friends. Mostly I have been making meals out of melted cheese and various corn products; tortillas, chips, corn bread. Cooking out of the freezer and the pantry a lot. And filling the rest of my calories with chocolate in the form of vegan brownies, and obviously hot cocoa. This is me with winter the winter snow sadness, nachos in one hand and rum laced hot cocoa in the other. Actually the two do not taste so well together, don't try it.

I did make an effort of cheerfulness with some peach muffins for breakfast. Inspired by the Millet and Oat muffin recipe in Le Tartine Gourmonde, I of course changed some things by adding peaches and removing some sugar.

This is how I keep my oatmeal; with the ratio on the front for making oatmeal so I don't have to wonder if my brain is remembering correctly first thing in the morning!

Mixing up the muffin batter up is easy.

for a double batch of muffins which makes 24. I used one bag of frozen peaches. Defrost them to make slicing easy.



Fill your muffin cups 3/4 of the way with batter. Divide the peach chunks evenly around them, poking them into the batter a bit. Sprinkle the tops with dry oats. My peaches did not sink much, you can see them here on the baked muffins. I find the frozen peaches have a good flavor, but are less tender and juicy than fresh ones. In muffins this might be a bonus, as prevention against soggy muffins.



Millet, Oat, Peach & Apple Gluten Free Muffins
makes 12 muffins

2 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons tahini paste (well mixed)
3 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup millet flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup oats (plus more for topping)
5 ounces cut peaches (frozen is OK!)

Preheat oven to 350°

Mix eggs and sugar in a bowl until combined and sort of creamy. Add oil, tahnini paste, apple sauce and vanilla. Mix well.

Combine the millet flour, sorghum flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl, ensure there are no lumps. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add the oats. Stir until it is well mixed, with no dry spots.

Line a muffin pan with papers, or grease it. Or if you have a super easy silicone mold like mine, it needs no grease! Scoop 3/4 full of batter. Add peaches. Poke into the batter. Sprinkled with oats for garnish.

Bake for 25 minutes. Check that a toothpick comes out clean, indicated they are done.

Enjoy :)

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (egg free & nut free)

Paleo chocolate chip cookies that taste like soft Chips Ahoy? Made from plantains? You bet!

For all of you trying to stick to your healthy January plans, getting back to those good habits we gleefully forgot about over the holidays, this is what you should make when you are craving sweets and cookies. Because they taste sinful but are made of fruit!

For this recipe you want ripe yellow plantains. The ones I used are yellow but were not fully ripe. Its up to you, for a sweeter cookie, but more sugars, go for really ripe ones that are almost black. 

Peel the plantains, chop the fruit into smaller chunks and put 7 ounces into your food processor. (I started with a blender but it didn't work well with my semi-ripe plantains. So you will see I scooped it all into my food processor.) A vitamix would be awesome here. 

Measure various flours and sugars and baking things on top of the plantains. We have arrowroot, coconut flour, vanilla, cinnamon (optional), baking soda, coconut oil and coconut sugar. And chocolate chips, seriously. 

 

If you dont have arrowroot powder, tapioca powder or cornstarch will work in a similar way. 

Coconut sugar is one of those things, so delicious and good for you as sugars go. I love to bake with it and these days you can find it at most grocery stores. Maple syrup, honey, or cane sugar can all be substituted in the event you have eaten all the coconut sugar in your kitchen. It happens!

I love to use the mini chocolate chips I feel you get more chocolate in each bite that way. These vegan Enjoy Life ones are tasty. When I don't have those I use a bar of really dark chocolate, one that is so minimally processed, like 80% cocoa solids. The bar can be chopped up easily with a knife to get the 3 tablespoons of chips.  (Wait to add the chocolate until after all the blending, ok!

So there is the big mess of baking stuff.

(it got too messy to show in the middle here, so it was moved to the food processor.)

Now we are happily blending the life out of everything. We want it smooth. 

*Note: if it looks really dry during blending add some almond milk or something like that. start at 1 Tablespoon and add no more than a 1/4 cup. 

We are looking good! It is thick but without chunks. 

Sprinkle and fold in the glorious chocolate. (Seriously, what did humans live for before we got our hands on chocolate?) I wont tell if you put in even more chocolate. 

Prepare your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat. 

A small ice cream scooper for cookies is perfect here! This one scoops 1 and a half tablespoons. Use one of these or two spoons to make dollops of cookie dough on the paper. Keep them a consistent size so they cook at the same rate, I think 1 to 1.5 tablespoons if perfect. 

Press down the scoops to flatten the cookies. They don't melt much in the oven.

Dampen two fingers with water, to avoid cookie dough sticking, and press on the top of each cookie to flatten it, somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 of an inch. So it is short. 

Bake at 375° for 10 - 12 minutes. 

The cookies with soften, puff and then sink. They have pretty cracks and the centers will set. 

Let cool on the hot pans for some minutes. When the cookies are warm you can sort of taste the plantain flavor. Once they cool, the same plantain flavor is all gone.

Soft Paleo Plantain Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 14 cookies

7 oz peeled ripe plantain

2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder

2 Tablespoons coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

3 Tablespoons coconut sugar

3 Tablespoons coconut oil

3 Tablespoons chocolate chips (or more!)

(up to 1/4 cup milk if necessary for mixing)

Note: I always regret it if I don't make a double batch of these! 

Perfect Baked Beans in a Slow Cooker

I know a few of you who got new slow cookers over the holidays and some of you at our Christmas table who wanted a copy of this recipe. These baked beans are for you. They are super easy to throw together last thing before going to bed and in the morning you will wake wondering what the amazing smell in your apartment is.

My family has always eaten baked beans on Christmas since my mother was a young girl. The story is, one year my grandfather decreed they should have a proper filling nutritious breakfast on Christmas, grilled steaks, baked beans and broiled English muffins with butter. For half a century or so. 

Last year was the fist year I succeeded in adding vegetables to the table! Now we include vegetable laden frittatas which make everyone from the gourmands to the vegetarians satisfied. 

Making your own baked beans costs just pennies and ingredients which are probably in your pantry. And unlike prepared or canned ones you will know just what's in them, no preservatives, no mystery. Just a little planning ahead.

This recipe is for 1 pound of beans. Easily doubled if you are feeding a crowd and your cooker can handle the size. 

Soak 1 pound of navy beans. They are the little white ones that look like this. This is the actual brand I used, just toss the "ham flavor packet" into the garbage, ok!

Instead of industrial "ham flavor" we can use real ham! Bacon, ham, or maybe you are like me and have chunks of leftover fatty ham rind in the freezer from Easter. 

Cook the pork product of your choice in a small skillet on medium low heat. Dice one yellow onion and add it to the ham in the pan. Cook this on medium low for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the onion is softened and the ham is sizzling deglaze the pan with 3 tablespoons of whiskey. It will sizzle, cook off the whiskey. Set the ham and onion aside while the beans are arranged. 

Measure the water, molasses, brown sugar, tomato paste, salt and spices into the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Drain the beans of their soaking water.  Stir in the beans. Spoon the onion and fatty ham on top of the beans, don't stir this in, it will act as a layer to help the beans not dry out during cooking. 

Turn the cooker on high, go to bed, wake up 7 hours later to glorious smells. (If you have longer like 9 or 10 hours set the cooker to low. 

Stir 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into the beans, this gives it a great bite. Taste them and add more salt or sugar as you desire, but they should be pretty perfect at this point! Serve hot. 

At Christmas we serve ours from a bean pot which is rhrumored to be my great great grandmothers. It might be true. 

Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker

• 1 lb dry navy beans. (Soaked)
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 strips bacon or equivelnt ham product
• 3 Tablespoons bourbon
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 can of tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2-3 teaspoons salt
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

(If you want to make these vegetarian, replace the bacon with coconut oil.)

The Brussels Sprouts Recipe Everyone Wants

I have had many requests for this recipe, from people who ate the brussels sprouts, ones who heard about it, and some who read by thanksgiving post.  December is here, and we all return to work, but know that the holiday season has really started, and wish we could make cookies and play with ribbon all day long. Or more to the point, as a British friend said yesterday, December is all about alcoholic fruit and booze and cake. I think she included cake on the list, the Brits would need something to absorb all the boozy fruit. (Note: upcoming post, I will figure out what British boozy fruit is.)

December is here and brussels sprouts are among the few things still in season. These are incredibly savory and briny. A welcome change to the palate. The dressing is incredibly different than our usual heavy holiday season flavors or spice and sweetness.

It went around and around out holiday table, so that is worth something. People were like, "please pass the brussels sprouts" and "where did those amazing brussels sprouts go?" and "oh YES! There are still some left!" (Read thanksgiving Part1 and Part2.)

Simple enough to make up part of an every day dinner. Be sure to make extra because you will want the leftovers!

Notes on anchovies: many people are scared of the poor little fish. (Like my husband, who thinks he doesn't like them, but when I put them in food and does not tell him, he loves it!) They are super salty and little mashed fish is...whatever they are delicious. If you don't like them much, buy the European type in a tube, it is a paste and so easy to work with in the kitchen. Unscrew the top, squeeze into a dressing, screw back on the top, and back into the fridge for very easy storage. Don't skip them, they really make this dish sing.


Savory Brussels Sprouts with Capers and Walnuts

ROASTING:
3 lbs brussels sprouts, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
1 cup walnuts

DRESSING:
2 garlic cloves
2 shallots
1/2 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon grainy mustard
2 Tablespoons honey
3 Tablespoons capers (rinsed if in salt)
1/2 - 1 Tablespoon anchovy paste (or one 2 oz tin, drained and minced)
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°. Quarter each brussels sprout into 4 wedges. Place on 2 baking sheets, toss with olive oil and salt. Roast in the oven for 20 to 40 minutes. (Sprouts and ovens vary so.) Stir or shake once midway. The sprouts should have some charred black spots and crispy bits. The insides will be tender. Remove from the oven and transfer into a large bowl.

Toast the walnuts, spread them in an oven proof pan, roast in the oven for  about 8 minutes. The walnuts will be a warm brown and smell toasty and fragrant.

Make the dressing. If you have a food processor, fit it with the chopping blade. Peel garlic and shallots, chop into bits in the food processor. (Or mince with a knife.) The entire dressing can be made in the food processor, or a mason jar with a tight fitting lid works very well. Add the vinegars, olive oil, mustard, honey, capers, pepper, and some or all of the anchovy paste. Blend or shake the dressing well. Taste the dressing on a brussels sprout, add additional salt only if needed.

Pour the dressing over the still warm brussels sprouts (they absorb more flavor this way.) Serve warm or at room temperature.  Keeps for 4 days in the fridge.

*Adapted from Food and Wine, Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts, Capers and Anchovies (2011).

Thanksgiving Menu Making, what to do with those gluten free and paleo people.

Weather your Thanksgiving celebration is large or small, it is likley you will be facing guests with a handful of special diets. I was thinking of this while planning the menu for our upcoming thanksgiving dinner where we will host 18 people. We will be having 3 pescetarians (who eat fish but not other animals), 2 people who avoid gluten, 4 lactose intolerant folks, and two quasi Paleo people. True, some of these people, are the same, I count up 6 guests who have restricted diets. So what is a host to do?

Some people stand by their view that people should simply eat what they are served. That goes something like, "I am the cook, I'll make what I like!" Fine, but have you been on the side saying "no thank you" and facing the dismay on your host's face that is screaming "why are you not eating my manicotti?" I stand by the viewpoint that it is thoughtful to consider the happiness of your guests when inviting people to your home to eat.

That is why, this Thanksgiving I took into consideration all of this while planning the menu. Thanksgiving is great because there are so many options, and so many vegetables. The key is to keep them varied, chose to put milk and butter in the mashed potatoes but make a sweet potato dish which is lactose free. And plenty of people love and crave the buttery, bready, and meaty, so we keep them happy too!

Here is a sneak peak of my Thanksgiving menu, with links to some recipes of my inspiration. I would be happy if you take any ideas from this. It is Tuesday, you are still ahead of the game!


Turkey, Stuffing and Cranberry:

• Turkey (organic and local) 
• Gravy (made from the turkey, old fashioned way with flour)
• Veggie Gravy (vegetarian, lactose and dairy free)
• Mom's Stuffing (aka Pepperidge Farms stuffing with celery and onions, recipe from the back of the bag. I know...but she loves it, what can you do?)
• Cornbread Stuffing with leeks, mushrooms and shallots (I am really excited about this! GF, vegetarian and dairy free.)
• Cranberry Sauce with orange, apple and spices (super healthy and low in sugar)
• 1 can of cranberry sauce (because some people just need cranberry jelly.)

Starchy things:

• Mashed Potatoes (with butter, Lactaid milk, salt and pepper, so they are not really lactose free, but are less dairy-ful for those of us who want to take a bite but shouldn't.)
• Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Streusel (I have adapted this kind of thing, I make the topping with pecans, coconut oil, and a little maple syrup to glaze the pecans, when it bakes they get crunchy! No flour needed.)
• Cornbread vs Biscuits. The jury is still out on this one. Cornbread can be gluten free, so we might do that. Ill let you know what wins out.

Green sides:

• Brussels Sprouts with capers, walnuts and anchovies (this is the third year with this anchovy brussels sprout recipe, we use anchovy paste in a tube instead of the tinned variety, it is salty and awesome. GF, dairy free and pescetarian.)
• Kale and Pepitas Salad. (Just like my usual, we might add radishes for some spice at the table. GF, Veggie and dairy free.)
• Green Beans with Lemon and Za'atar. (Yes, its different, but everyone loves za'atar. GF, Veggie and dairy free.)

Wait - Dessert!, we like to go overboard with pie:

• Apple Pie
• Mince Pie
• Chocolate Pudding Pie (made with Lactaid milk, so mostly lactose free.)
• Pumpkin pie (regular, my Nana's recipe)
• Alternative Pumpkin Pie (with a gluten free crust, and lactose free custard. Don't fret, ill post it Wednesday!)

So that wraps it up. I am off to the grocery to hunt down chestnuts and more brussels sprouts. Happy cooking. Leave a comment if you have questions.

Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes with Cranberries and Apples

Ok, so I have been on hiatus from writing for a week or two. Life got busy and between running from jobs to projects, getting to the gym and back, and lets be honest- Netflix, the blogging lost out. I have been cooking a lot, things like soups which turn out well, but I took no photos of the process because...its just a soup and I was hungry. So I am back, and here is a weekend pancake recipe to kick off the Thanksgiving week with ingredients like cranberries, pumpkin and spices. Happy weekend before thanksgiving, which means menu planning and planning all the planning ahead we can do. Like, what day should I make my pie crust? As of now, still undecided. 

It is paleo, and thus low sugar. Wanting more sweetness in the pancakes, but not having any sort of sweet juice in the house I used an unusual technique of soaking dried fruit to extract some of the sugary flavors. Prunes, figs, or dates work well as they have a high sugar content. I used prunes here. So take about a 1/4 cup of dried fruit (9 prunes) cover with boiling water, let steep for 5-10 minutes, while you whip together the rest of the pancakes. You will want 1/4 cup of this fruit juice to put into the pancakes, the now soft dried fruit can be eaten or used on oatmeal tomorrow, or chopped up and put into quickbread, stuffing, or whatever!

So grab a can of pumpkin, some coconut oil, eggs, and your favorite "milk" product and lets go. Melt your coconut oil, I throw the jar into the microwave for 30 seconds and that does the trick. Whisk the eggs, pumpkin, "milk", and oil together.

Measure the arrowroot and almond meal into a bowl, break up any lumps before adding it into the wet ingredients. Add the spices and other dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture. (spices from top, clockwise are: cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and clove.)

Then add anything we missed, like maple syrup, prune juice, vanilla and apple cider vinegar. The batter is thick and custard-like.

Fresh cranberries are easily run over with a knife for chunks and bits which cook quickly in the batter. I always have some fresh cranberries in my freezer, which can easily be sliced up while still frozen. Stir the beautiful red berries into the batter and away we go.

I find success in a medium low heat, number 3 on my stove. And in my cast iron griddle pan which takes up two burners. I use coconut oil to grease the pan, since there is already coconut oil in the pancakes themselves. And because it is tasty and makes pancakes brown nicely. (Yes, butter is awesome too, I'll leave this choice up to you.)

Pour batter onto the griddle in 2"-3" rounds. If it does not flow easily, add more "milk". Cook slowly, bubbles will appear across the surface of the pancake when it is ready to flip. These can be delicate and my favorite tool is a fish spatula, it has an angled tip and is very thin, so it slides right under the pancakes. 

Once flipped over, they PUFF up, and when the pancakes reaches a puffy stage which is at the maximum puffyness and just before it begins to deflate...this is when it is done. Remove the pancakes from the griddle and begin to pile them up. Pour, cook, flip, cook, pile up. Repeat until done. 

Call everyone to the table and serve pancakes with maple syrup and cut apples.  

Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes with Cranberries and Apples

Serves 3-4

Wet ingredients: 
4 eggs
1 can pumpkin
2.5 T coconut oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or 1 packet stevia)
1 t vanilla
1/3 cup fig juice (something sweet)
1/2 cup hemp or almond milk (more as needed)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Dry ingredients:
1/2 cup arrowroot flour (or potato starch)
1 cup almond meal (or quinoa flour)
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon clove
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 t salt

Fruit:
1/2 cup of fresh cranberries
Sliced apple for serving
maple syrup for serving


Enjoy! ;)

Brussels sprouts with Avocado and Toasted Pecans

Brussels sprouts are a favorite this time of year. I like to buy them on the whole stalk when possible, I think they stay fresher, like cut flowers. They pop right off the stalk and the ends of the sprouts are fresh, meaning you don't have to trim the ends off! 

Despite their bad reputation with children, I always liked brussels sprouts. Im sure they were mostly frozen then, I remember them coming out of a box. My sister, poor thing I keep telling stories about her, liked them also but ate them in the most memorable way. She would strip off the leaves, tasting them one at a time. In the time I had likley finished my plate, she would savor one sprout. She is the cutest.

I did want to trim off the outer leaves, they are less tender and then I know my sprouts are way clean! The diminutive leaves are easily pulled off when the sprout is sliced in half first. Which for this dish is just how we want them!

Now we have our sprouts, our mini cabbages, cut in half. 

I have made this more than twenty times. It was given to me by Andy, we used to work together, and as a habit shared the good recipes we made. I think of it as Andy's Brussles Sprouts, but he found it in Food & Wine. And now that I go look it up it is actually a recipe by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. It is so clever and delicious, I haven't changed it at all except I skip the blanching step. No! I do, its one less pot to wash. Sometimes I think of adding anchovies. And sometimes I go heavy on the avocado. But honestly It is so good as is. 

The roasted sprouts are crisp tender. The avocado is creamy and the pecans are nutty and meaty. It was designed as a side dish. But I can eat just this for lunch, hot or cold.

Toasting the pecans is really important for the flavor. I have begun buying the toasted pieces of pecans at Trader Joe's because it is so easy. They do benefit from a warm up in the pan or oven to revive the flavors, but its not imperative if you are in a rush.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Avocado 

(Adapted from Jean-Georges' recipe)

• 21/2 lb Brussels Sprouts
• 1/4 cup olive oil, or less.
• salt
• 1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces
• 1-2 avocados, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 teaspoon thyme (dry or fresh, whatever!)
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°. 

Slice all the Brussels sprouts in half. Remove any outer leaves you dislike. Put onto a big baking pan or two, they should fit in one layer for the best browning action. Pour the olive oil onto the sprouts and salt liberally. Toss it all around so all sprouts are coated. Place sprouts cut-side down on the pan. 

Roast for 20 minutes. They should be crisp-tender. Remove pans from the oven.

Add the pecan pieces to the warm sprouts and toss around. so the flavors mingle well. 

Transfer the sprouts and nuts into a bowl. Add the avocado, balsamic vinegar, thyme and fresh ground pepper. Mix well. 

Serve hot, warm, room temperature or cold! Will keep for 4 days in the fridge.

Baked Pesto and Egg Tomatoes: Stuffing Part 3

A few things about tomatoes; The longest tomato plant ever measured was 65 feet and USDA says they are 25,000 varieties of tomato. Other sources claim only 10,000. Still a lot of varieties.

One of these varieties is a stuffing tomato! They resemble a cross between a tomato and a bell pepper, with thick walls, empty space inside and very little juice.





They are the sort of thing you may find at a farmers market, or more likely a friends garden. My uncle grew these beauties with red and yellow stripes.

They are light for their size and all the seeds hang clustered in the middle.

The innards are easily scooped out using your fingers. The seeds and ribs can be gathered in a bowl and thrown into a stew or whatever you are making next.

Some people like to stuff tomatoes with tuna salad or rice. This is part of my series trying out healthy takes on stuffed veggies, see my stuffed poblano peppers and paleo vegan stuffed mushrooms.

What I like best with tomatoes is PESTO! Set the tomato cups upright in a baking dish, scoop in a spoon of pesto into each, drizzle a tad bit of olive oil (I'm not sure if this is necessary but it felt right at the time) a sprinkle of salt and fresh ground pepper.



The other thing I love most with tomatoes is eggs. Well, to be honest I also love mayonnaise. That will have to be another day. Today I loved eggs the most. The way Brits serve warm tomatoes cooked on the griddle alongside morning eggs and toast. Sunny diced tomato folded into scrambled eggs, or a pan of shakshuka. Sign me up.

Easy as pie, tip a cracked egg into each tomato cup. Hopefully your tomatoes, like mine, would be the perfect size for an egg.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper for good measure. Bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on them towards the end, the whites should be set and the yolks still have a softness.

This is tricky to achieve, if you figure it out send me a message. My baked eggs always turn out with a nearly solid but still creamy yolk. I wish they were more runny, but I strongly hate loose uncooked whites on my plate. I have big goals for my life, figuring out baked eggs is one of them.

Serve alongside a salad for an inventive brunch dish. Every bit is delicious, When cut into the tomato bowl gives way, the egg slides apart, and the hot basil pesto covers everything. Decadent and special and yet healthy and feel good food.

Baked Pesto and Egg Tomatoes

serves 2

4 stuffing tomatoes

4 fresh farm eggs (on the small side)

4 tablespoons of basil pesto

drizzle of olive oil

salt and fresh pepper

good balsamic vinegar and salad for serving

Cut off just the tops of the tomatoes and remove the innards to prepare for stuffing. Place in a baking dish. Put one tablespoon of pesto in each tomato. sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil if desired. crack one egg into each tomato. Bake in a 375° oven for 20-25 minutes until the eggs are cooked to the desired level of done-ness. 

Serve alongside a salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar.