Recipe, interrupted

The Eggless Easter Egg

This seems to be my week for dietary restrictions (scroll down for the vegan, gluten-free cake). I have no intention of giving up eggs, but I like this idea as a fun alternative – or addition – to Easter Eggs. 

It's also a novel way to serve kiwi to guests or young picky eaters.

Recipe: Vegan and Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

Whether or not we have dietary restrictions, the need to make a dessert that is vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, or eggless arises often enough.  There doesn't seem to be a children’s birthday party or potluck dinner that doesn’t include at least one person who has a special food requirement. But that doesn't have to be a big deal, especially with this cake, which can suit several diets at once.

I baked this cake for a catering event at which there was one person on a vegan diet and another on a gluten-free diet. Not only did they both enjoy it, the other guests happily dug into the cake as well. 

The recipe is an adaptation of a vegan cake recipe from Joy of Cooking; I used gluten-free flour in place of all-purpose flour and added xantham gum to help bind the cake together. And I topped the cake with a vegan, gluten-free icing that is super-easy.

This cake retains its moisture well, so you can make it a day in advance.

Makes one 8 x 8 inch sheet cake 

Preparation time: about 1 hour
 

For the cake:

1 ½ cups gluten-free baking flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour)

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened non-alkalized cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon xantham gum

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup grape seed oil (or other neutral vegetable oil)

1 tablespoon white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the icing:

¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (check the label to make sure it does not contain milk)

¾ cup vegan sour cream, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 8 x 8 inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Combine the wet ingredients, along with 1 cup of cold water. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until smooth.
   
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then remove from pan and allow the cake to cool completely on the rack while you make the icing.
   
5. To make the icing, gently melt the chocolate chips, either in a double boiler over low heat or in the microwave, using low power and short increments.  When the chocolate is almost completely melted, remove from heat, stir until smooth and let it cool to room temperature. Stir the vegan sour cream into the chocolate until smooth. Spread the icing on the cooled cake.

Print Friendly

Recipe: Penne with Fennel Pesto

This is a pesto that I learned to make during my externship at Craft. It was a dish that was prepared for the staff ‘family meal.’ The fennel bulbs were used for dishes on the menu, and all the fronds were left over. They were put to good use in this pesto that, at first glance, looks like the more common basil pesto. The taste is not unlike basil pesto, in that it has garlic, olive oil, nuts and parmesan cheese. But the fennel fronds have a fresh, green, and lightly anise-scented flavor that distinguishes it from the richly perfumed taste of basil.

When I have fennel at home, I get the most out of it by preparing the bulb one day (I love it roasted) and making the pesto out of the fronds on another day. You’ll have enough pesto left over from this pasta recipe to put in sandwiches or to brush onto some grilled fish.

 

Makes 4 servings, plus leftover pesto

Preparation time: 30 minutes

 

1/3 cup pistachios, toasted

1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 ounce (about ½ cup) freshly grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water

Ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups lightly packed fennel fronds (usually from 2 fennel bulbs with a good amount of fronds on them)

optional: 4-5 mint leaves, torn

about ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

juice of ½ lemon, or to taste

1 pound penne pasta

1 cup frozen peas

 

1. Put the pistachios, garlic, cheese, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse a few times to grind slightly.

   click to enlarge

2. Add fennel and mint, if using, to the food processor. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is reduced to a paste and has a spreadable, but not greasy consistency. Taste and add salt if necessary. Squeeze in a little bit of lemon juice to taste.
   

   
    click to enlarge 

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt the water generously and cook the pasta until al dente.
4. While the pasta is cooking, set up a colander in the sink and put the frozen peas in it. (If you have fresh peas, by all means use them. You can add them to the boiling water in the last few minutes of cooking the pasta.)

5. When the pasta is done, drain the pasta in the colander. Return the pasta, along with the peas, into the pot. Stir in the pesto until pasta is lightly coated and flavorful. Squeeze in a little lemon juice, to taste.

   

     click to enlarge

6. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Print Friendly

Well-Stocked: The Dangers of Teflon Pans

  
This image comes from canaryadvisor.com. 

I had always been conflicted about my use of teflon-coated pans, but in a vague sort of way. I had some sense of their potential to release toxins into the air and tried to limit my use of them by pre-heating them as little as possible and using them only over low to medium heat. But sometimes I strayed from my self-imposed limits and revved up the heat higher than perhaps I should.

Well, after this sobering Leonard Lopate interview that aired on WNYC recently, I'm back on the wagon. A friend forwarded me the link to this conversation with Bruce Lourie, the author of Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things. In listening to it, I learned that a canary in a kitchen with a teflon pan heated for 5 minutes or so will die inhaling the toxic fumes into its sensitive lungs.

Old habits die harder than canaries, but I am now considering getting rid of my non-stick pan entirely. I could probably make do with a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. At least no family members or pets will be hurt in the making of dinner.

Print Friendly

Recipe: Currant Scones with Lemon Icing

This is a good recipe to make with children. There’s no raw egg to handle and no sharp knives to deal with. I let my 4-year-old grate the lemon zest with some kids’ gardening gloves on.

And if you are not making this with children, you can easily do it in a food processor. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in the food processor, incorporate the butter by pulsing the processor about 10 times. When you add the cream, pour it in a steady stream with the processor running. Return the dough to a bowl to mix in the currants.

Makes 12 scones

Scones:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for kneading

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

grated zest of one lemon (a microplane zester does the job really well.)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut up into ½-inch chunks

¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (or 2 if needed) cream

¾ cup dried currants

Icing:

½ cup confectioners sugar

juice of ½ lemon

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
3. Mix the lemon zest and sugar together in a small bowl.
4. Add butter to flour mixture, rubbing the butter into the flour with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
5. Add the sugar to the flour/butter mixture.
6. Add the cream and stir with a fork until the dough begins to hold together. If it is too dry, add another tablespoon of cream.
7. Mix in the currants.
8. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it 10 times.
9. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it is 1/2 inch or so thick.
10. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out scones. Gather up scraps and reshape to cut out more scones.
11. Place scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden.
12. Place scones on a wire rack to cool.
13. While the scones are cooling, mix the confectioners sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
14. Brush each scone with the lemon icing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Print Friendly

Recipe: Not-Too-Sweet Granola

I used to be a devout muesli and yogurt eater. And then I made a batch of granola for my sister. My muesli suddenly looked so anemic next to the crispy, caramel-colored granola clusters. Gradually I converted and now I make this recipe regularly. I like the color and texture of granola, without the heavy sweetness and fat content of most store-bought varieties. This recipe has just enough honey and agave syrup to sweeten it just a touch and a little coconut butter and grape seed oil to give it crunch.

Wrapped up in decorative bags or jars, it makes a good gift.

Makes about 12 cups

Preparation time: 1 hour

 

6 cups rolled oats

2 ½ cups chopped raw nuts (I usually use a mix of almonds and hazelnuts)

½ cup raw pumpkin seeds

½ cup raw sunflower seeds

½ cup flax seeds

1/2 cup coconut butter

1/4 cup honey

¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

2 ½ cups dried fruit (I use raisins, cranberries, blueberries, and chopped unsweetened pineapple)

 

 

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place a rack 1/3 of the way and another rack 2/3 up.
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, nuts, and seeds until well-blended.
3. In a cup or small bowl, whisk together coconut butter, honey, and salt.
4. Drizzle the dressing into the bowl while stirring to make sure the oat mixture is coated evenly.
5. Spread the granola mixture onto 2 13” x 18” sheet pans and bake. Stir and rotate pans every 10-12 minutes. Bake until deeply golden, about 30 minutes total.

   click to enlarge

6. Cool in pans. Stir in dried fruit. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. 

Print Friendly

Recipe: Chamomile-Scented Hazelnut Freekeh with Spring Peas

 
I first heard about freekeh while doing my shift at the Park Slope Food Coop, where someone handed me a bag and said, “cook it like brown rice.” I opened the bag, and the grains smelled of sweet hay. It brought me back to the fields behind my grandparents’ house in Germany where chamomile flowers grew among the grains and a hazelnut tree stood nearby. The memory served me well in developing this recipe.

Cooking these whole grains of roasted green spelt in chamomile tea and adding in toasted hazelnuts accentuates the sweet and nutty qualities of the freekeh. I used whole grain freekeh, but it is sometimes sold cracked, like bulghur. If you are using cracked freekeh, the cooking time should be reduced. (I haven’t gotten my hands on the cracked kind, but would imagine it would cook in about 30 minutes.)

 

Serves 4 as a side dish

Preparation time: 1 hour

 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup freekeh

1 ¾ cups hot chamomile tea

½ kosher salt, plus more, to taste

½ cup shelled fresh peas

½ cup hazelnuts

1/3 cup minced parsley

juice of ½ lemon

2 teaspoons roasted hazelnut oil

 

 

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add butter. When butter is melted, add freekeh, tossing to coat the grains. After about 2 minutes, add the chamomile tea and salt. Bring to a simmer, lower heat and cover. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, quickly stir in the peas, and cover the pot again. When the freekeh is done, turn the heat off and keep the saucepan covered for another 10 minutes.
   
2. While the freekeh is cooking, toast the hazelnuts in a toaster oven or in a small pan on the stove until the skins begin to crack and the nuts are fragrant. Wrap the nuts in a clean dish towel and let them sit to allow the skins to loosen up. After five minutes, rub the nuts from the outside of the towel to encourage the skins to come off. Unwrap the towel and remove the nuts, leaving the skins behind. (A wire mesh skimmer, or “spider,” works very well. Also, a loose-messed onion or potato bag does the job nicely.) Chop the hazelnuts.
   
3. Add the hazelnuts, parsley, lemon juice, hazelnut oil, and salt, to taste to the freekeh and peas. Stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

 

Print Friendly