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Posted at 03:53 PM in Make with Children | Permalink | Comments (0)
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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
Posted at 03:51 PM in Recipes, Recipes: Desserts | Permalink | Comments (2)
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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
click to enlarge
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
Posted at 08:09 AM in Recipes, Recipes: Pasta | Permalink | Comments (9)
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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.
Posted at 05:33 PM in Well-Stocked | Permalink | Comments (4)
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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
Posted at 06:24 AM in Make with Children, Recipes, Recipes: Breakfast | Permalink | Comments (0)
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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)
click to enlarge
Posted at 05:11 AM in Recipes, Recipes: Breakfast, Recipes: Grains, Recipes: Snacks | Permalink | Comments (1)
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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
Posted at 07:55 AM in Recipes, Recipes: Grains, Recipes: Side Dishes | Permalink | Comments (0)
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