Champagne + Pears

These blushing beauties are the perfect accompaniment to any meal. 

If you would like to make a batch for your next brunch or dessert, check out my recipe for Champagne Poached Pears at Mother Earth Living.

Bon Appetit!

F is for Finocchio

Finocchio is an adorable Italian word which translates to Fennel. An anise scented bulbous vegetable that pairs well with fish, Parmesan, and blood oranges. Native to the Mediterranean, this veggie was brought to the states over 200 years ago (most likely by the Spanish), it is a biennial that blooms in its second season. Fennel is prolific and will quickly take over your garden, much like mint.

Try using it in place of celery. Fennel is delicious shaved thin and eaten raw with Parmesan & arugula drizzled with olive oil. It holds up well to braising, roasting, caramelizing or grilling and infuses potatoes with a lovely licorice bite in this Tuscan inspired Pommes Anna. The Tuscan inspiration comes from the Fennel (of course) as well as olive oil.

Victoria's Thai Green Curry Paste

fresh thai green curry paste

This simple creation is a favorite around my house. Using a food processor with the blade attachment puree the following ingredients into a thick paste:

a bunch of cilantro

a bunch of thai basil

a few stalks of lemongrass

1" nub of fresh ginger or galangal

a small bunch of scallion tips

3 large garlic cloves

several kaffir lime leaves

at least 5 thai green chiles

Simmer at least 1/4 of the paste with your favorite vegetables, protein & coconut milk until all ingredients are cooked through.

Finish the curry with fresh lime juice & sea salt. Freeze the remaining paste in small glass mason jars. For instant Thai Green Curry, simply defrost overnight at room temperature.

Gluten-Free & Vegan Birthdays

August is a big month for birthdays in my family. We celebrated both Travis' birthday & his mom's birthday this weekend. The Babycakes cookbook has been a big hit since the banana bread, so I baked Babycakes' Chocolate Cupcakes for Travis' birthday dessert. For his mom's cake I went with Babycakes' Double-Chocolate Crumb Cake.

babycakes

BabyCakes NYC is definitely on our list of bakeries to visit when we travel to New York.....one of these days.

Erin McKenna bakes up a beautiful banana bread loaf. Not just any banana bread, a recipe that is completely vegan & gluten-free. I prefer pouring the batter into muffin tins to create adorable babycakes. The miniature cakes are moist and sweet all the way through. I'm used to my hearty gluten-free muffins, these are light and almost springy. A delicious alternative to my Bittersweet Banana Cupcakes.

Summer Radishes & Cucumbers

Summer is the time of year we prefer chilled soups over steaming hot stews; crisp & cool salads over roasted veggies; and ice-cream, well for me over most things! This salad of cucumbers and radishes is one of my favorites to serve with fresh spring rolls, grilled salmon, seared scallops or spicy fried rice.

Ginger, Garlic, Coconut & Potatoes

Serve in place of rice as a side to Thai curry or place in the spotlight and pair with a steaming bowl of salted broccoli & a dipping bowl of sambal oelek.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice a dozen or so red potatoes into 1/4" half moons.

Drizzle with a few heaping tablespoons of coconut oil. Toss with minced fresh ginger and garlic. Roast in the pre-heated oven until golden brown and tender through, approximately 45 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes with Bittersweet Fig, Fennel & Almond Frosting

These cupcakes are gluten & dairy free! Perfect for Travis' tummy and any vegans out there.

For the cupcake use Vanilla Almond Cupcake recipe.

This frosting was inspired by Theo Chocolate's Fig, Fennel & Almond Chocolate Bar; a delectable bittersweet chocolate perfumed with fennel and studded with figs & almonds.

Vegan Cupcakes

This afternoon I baked cupcakes without eggs and butter. Instead, I played around with Moskowitz & Romero's Vanilla Gluten Freedom Cupcakes from their Vegan cookbook Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. Substituting oil & flax seeds for the traditional butter and eggs.

Teeny Tiny Superheros

Tabbouleh is traditionally made with Bulgur wheat; I take the gluten-free route by toasting Quinoa & Millet then simmering the two together until light and fluffy.

I also add Kalamata olives & fresh cilantro, shhhh don't tell the Traditionalists!

Quinoa is a complete protein, with an essential amino acid balance close to ideal. If grains and seeds were villains and superheros, then Super Quinoa would surely be the most powerful of Superheros!

Millet is the perfect sidekick packed full of protein and plenty of Vitamin B. This tiny seed actually increases the level of serotonin in our brain and helps promote the feeling of well-being, optimism and peacefulness.

I am not a huge advocate of measuring cups and spoons outside of baking. However, I'm quite particular about measuring when it comes to rice, grains & seeds. It is so disappointing to partake in a mushy, lumpy, heavy grain dish or a dish that is so dry the grain is crunchy and not cooked properly. I'm all for al dente and tadig, but not at all a fan of undercooked grains and rice.

Masala Sweet Potato Coconut Soup

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

The perpetual gray has set in, however the rain comes and goes. Protein packed lentils play nicely with warming spices and coconut milk. This soup is the perfect panacea for drizzly cold days. I prefer mine simmered with homemade chicken stock. However, for those on a vegan/vegetarian diet veggie stock is quite delicious!

Coconut Red Lentil Soup
Serves 4

3/4 t ground cumin
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 C red lentils, rinsed and picked through for rocks
4C Veggie Stock OR Chicken Stock
1 bay leaf
1/2-1C Coconut Milk
coconut oil for cooking
sea salt and coarse black pepper to taste


In a medium stockpot, warm the coconut oil over a medium flame and add the ground cumin until warm and fragrant, about 30 seconds-1 minute.

Add the onions, carrots and celery and saute for about 5-8 minutes until the vegetables are a touch tender and the onions are translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Toss in the lentils, stock and bay leaf; bring to a simmer, leave uncovered until the lentils are soft and cooked through about 20 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

Serve topped with a dollop of coconut cream

**For coconut cream: When using canned coconut milk, don't shake the can, open and pour out into a bowl. Scoop out a few tablespoons of the thicker meaty cream and pop into the fridge until ready to serve. Whisk the rest of the coconut meat in with the liquid milk until properly mixed together, then use this to pour into the soup.

Cheers!!

Buon Capodanno to you all! Happy New Year!

December disappeared quickly! I hope to have a little more time in front of my stove and behind my lens this year.

This morning Blue (our family's black lab) and I sneezed our way through the preparation of Peppered Potatoes.

Crushed red pepper flakes, coarse black pepper, minced fresh garlic, sliced yellow onions and dried oregano make for a pungent peppery potion.

So a preemptive Salute, Gesundheit, Bless You & Happy Cooking in this New Decade!!

Quinoa Or Chocolate?

Well the days of detoxing have ended......that is until next Spring; when the flowers are in full bloom, I shall find myself embarking on another journey of cleansing my organs.

I have to say after this 21 day cleanse, I wasn't craving anything that could possibly be thought of as naughty!

All quite suitable in fact, the type of ingredients that one is proud to crave. Quinoa and Spinach, no Chocolate, no Coffee, no Sugar, OH MY!

With my work, I'm surrounded by one of the world's finest organic fair-trade chocolates and I still don't eat nearly as much as I used to.

I'm constantly surrounded by delicious scents wafting up from the roasting of cocoa beans or the creation of a new confection flavor and if anything this helps with cravings as opposed to feeding into the craving.

In fact during the detox cleanse, I loved (well I always thoroughly enjoy this) but I ABSOLUTELY LOVED brewing coffee for Travis! The dark, earthiness of the coffee beans, the rich intoxicating scent of the hot water hitting the ground beans.....awwwww.

Welcome To Detoxville

My mom and I are in the middle of a Detox Purification Program. We've created a barter system, I plan all of the menus and cook all allergen-free dishes and she supplies me with the cleansing supplements.

In the real world, outside of Detoxville, I've been put to the test. I've baked several batches of brownies for family and I recently visited a local chocolate store with loads of samples; none of which I even attempted to eat, as I distracted myself with the deliciously scented body lotions and facial cleansers!! This my fellow blog readers is HUGE for me! As I eat chocolate daily!

On my shopping/cooking days I find I don't have a lot of time to feed myself so I stop at our local natural foods market and pick up their Red Lentil Patties with a side of Cilantro Sauce. They are a perfect power snack. They also work beautifully as an appetizer or stack up well served with a spinach salad for a main dish. I've decided to replicate the little delicacies, let me know what you think!