Du Puy Lentils with Carrots and Spinach -- Continuing Crockpot Adventures

It was a rainy Monday, and our fridge was bare. It seemed like a good idea to do some cooking. We got the crockpot going, roasted some fennel and beets for a salad, made a polenta, and baked four dozen oatmeal raisin cookies. And then we danced. In the rain. A la Singing in the Rain. Just kidding. Sort of.

The thing I enjoy about a crock pot is that aside from the chopping and measuring, no work is involved, and magic happens. Ingredients go in, and food comes out. So great.

This dish has a nice flavour, and gave us a nice variation from the tomato-chickpea  kick we've been on. And it goes very well with the latest polenta dish. (My son is eating the tomato polenta for breakfast as I write this. Second breakfast actually. He thinks he's a hobbit.)

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, finely chopped, approx 1/2 cup
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 1/2 cups du Puy lentils
1/2 lb finely diced roma tomatoes (aka plum tomatoes)
3 cups filtered water
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp marjoram
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp allspice

1 1/2 cups diced asian sweet potatoes

150 g chopped spinach


directions:

1. turn on the crockpot to HIGH and set for 6 hours
2. layer the ingredients as follows:
a) coconut oil
b) garlic
c) onion
d) carrots
e) lentils
f) tomatoes
g) salt, marjoram, bay leaves, all spice
h) water
g) sweet potato
(reserve the spinach for after the heat is turned off)
3. after the dish has finished cooking, turn off the heat, and stir in the spinach

Voila. It is done. Ingredients go in, food comes out. Cool beans.

This would be a great dish to serve with crusty bread ...

Savoury Polenta with Garlic, Onion, and Tomato -- gluten-free, polenta with a twist

Apparently, we are still on our polenta kick. One of my favourite ways to make polenta is with a pound or two of tomatoes, with some well sauteed onion and garlic for extra zest. It's so savoury and flavourful that I've served it in small sticks as a party finger food. That format is also quite appealing to littlies, because it's easy to pick up and shove in their mouths. The large amount of almond meal and flax meal along with the tomato practically make this dish a meal in itself. Certainly, I've eaten variations of this as a lunch time porridge.

If you are not as much of a garlic phobe as am I, you may or may not cook your garlic and onions to death. However, I think the flavour of the tomatoes, garlic, and onions is mellowed, harmonized, and balanced by the saute and simmer. I used marjoram and a little chili powder. Oregano and or basil would also rock in this dish. 

The making is simple. A little saute in coconut oil, a little water and the cornmeal/almond meal brought to a boil, then baking in a greased baking dish. If you are a purist, you can certainly make this using only cornmeal, no almond meal and flax meal. However, I believe that the addition of the flax and almond do not detract from the taste and texture in anyway, and go a long way to making this a dish that will be stabilizing to blood sugar, and much better for you than a dish made just with cornmeal. Unless you are allergic to nuts. Then this dish will be much better for you without the almond meal ;) But if you are allergic to nuts or coconut, chances are you gave up on my blog long ago, if you ever found your way here at all.

ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 tbsp finely minced garlic

1 small onion, finely chopped -- approx 1/2 cup

1/2 lb finely diced roma tomatoes (or more)

2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tbsp marjoram

3 cups water

1/4 cup flax meal

1 cup almond meal

1 cup organic corn meal

directions:

1. saute the garlic and onion in the coconut oil in a large pot until they are fully cooked

2. add the tomatoes and simmer until the tomatoes are cooked into submission

3. add the water, and stir in the flax meal, almond meal, and corn meal

4. over low heat, keep stirring until the mixture thickens up

5. put into a prepared baking dish (a square glass dish would be my choice here 1 1/2 or 2 L dish) (or the  recipe can be doubled and baked in a 3L rectangular dish)

6. bake at 345 for 60 minutes

7. allow to cool before cutting or it will just fall apart

8. pieces can be brushed with oil and grilled or reheated in the oven on a baking sheet

Kohlrabi and Carrots -- more fun with the saute pan

this kohlrabi is smiling at us

Continuing in the whole new veggies and new brassicas theme, we decided to detour to kohlrabi. We added a little colour with some carrots. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the finished saute. Please picture sticks of pale translucent green, and sticks of bright orange all shiny and glistening with moisture, heat, and coconut oil. You get the picture.

I first tried kohlrabi about 13 years ago, and I like it as much now as I did then. Then, it was a random find at Fiesta Farms when I lived in the Annex. Now, I feel lucky when I come across it, because it's just not that common. 

I would describe kohlrabi as 'if broccoli and radish had a child' but without the bite of radish, or the watery-ness. Kohlrabi is more like hearts of broccoli in a round format.

Kohlrabi keeps well, requires no chemical pesticides (brassicas are naturally hardy against pests, according to the owner of Highberry Farm up on Lake Huron), and is perfect for sautes, soups, stews, salads, inside our samosas etc. Additionally, they are super adorable. 

ingredients:

1 bunch kohlrabi cut into sticks (approx 500 g)

2 large carrots cut into sticks     (approx 200 g)

1 - 2 tbsp coconut oil

Harvest Sun vegetable bouillion seasoning (or other organic bouillion seasoning)

 or just salt and pepper, which is great, too

directions:

1. saute the kohlrabi and carrot in coconut oil over low heat

2. season to taste

3. serve and enjoy

Have you tried kohlrabi before? How do you like to prepare it?

Black Kale -- A good pirate name, or food?

This isn't a recipe so much as a food suggestion: try new vegetables. We've had kale many times, however, black kale was a bit of a novelty. There are so many great veggies out there. Sometimes I like to go to the store and just try veggies I've never had before. You can research on the internet how to prepare them, or if in doubt, saute with a little coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt. It's a wonderful, veggie-tastic world out there, and brassicas abound. Yay!

We lightly sauteed up a few bunches of black kale with a little coconut oil and sea salt on low heat, and it was fabulous. I could eat brassicas from dawn til dusk, being a green veggie lover. My son seems to take after me in that regard. They all have quite different flavours, kale having more of a savoury flavour and bite to it than broccoli, with its mellow sweetness ...

Some people prefer kale baked until crisp. To prepare it that way, wash it, cut it into bite sized pieces, and massage it with some oil, a little sea salt, possibly some lemon, or parmesan cheese. Whatever turns your fancy. Then bake in the oven spread on a baking sheet until crisp. It's delicious. However, I have to confess that I still prefer my brassicas sauteed. They are so lush and luscious that way.

Yum :)

What cool veggies have you tried, and how do you like 'em prepared?

Gulag Peas -- I still remember the 1970s ...

Back when I was a kid and we'd have frozen vegetables, I could barely choke down the peas. They were so dry and nasty tasting. As an adult, I purchased frozen peas and was amazed to find them tender and sweet, practically on par with the sweet peas and mange-tout I could buy at the farmer's markets. Every now and then I would come across what I affectionately called 'gulag peas' in a dish at a Chinese restaurant for example. Peas that are so dry and nasty tasting that they could have been the food given prisoners in a prison camp. Peas that gave me an instant flashback to my gag-worthy frozen enemies from the seventies.

I purchased some frozen organic peas, and when I opened them I was surprised to find that they had much more in common with gulag peas than they did with the sweet peas more usually found in the frozen vegetable aisle of the super market.

Rather than serve them lightly sauteed with a little coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt, I realized bigger guns would be needed to bring out the virtue in these gulag peas.

The dish I came up with is savoury and tasty although still simple enough to appeal to my son who tends to eschew veggies that are jazzed up. Yes, I just can't get this kid to stop eating plain brassicas with just a little coconut oil and sea salt. No, I am not really complaining.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

500 g frozen peas, defrosted

2 large roma tomatoes, diced

300 g frozen spinach, defrosted (or you can use fresh)

sea salt

black pepper

granulated garlic

chili powder

directions:

1. in a large saute pan, add the coconut oil, peas, and tomatoes

2. add some chili powder, sea salt, black pepper, and a pinch of granulated garlic (just a little, now)

3. simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. The moisture from the tomatoes will hopefully counteract the dryness of the peas ...

4. once the tomatoes are reduced, add the spinach, and stir well to combine. If using fresh, allow the spinach to wilt slightly and heat thoroughly. Do not over cook the spinach!

5. serve and enjoy

Brown Rice and Adzuki Beans Make Friends -- Gluten free, vegan, and good for you

Rice and beans are a tummy comforting staple in many parts of the world. I thought it would be fun to use our fave short grain brown with the little cuties called adzuki beans, because the adzukis have a serendipitous habit of tinting the rice pink as they cook. Pretty! If I'd used a darker rice, such as our colasari red or wild rice, the pretty pinkness would have been entirely lost.

The mild and sweet flavour of adzukis is inoffensive to most, even those who are not big bean fans. Our favourite bean is probably the garbanzo or chickpea, however I wanted something that would cook without soaking in almost the same amount of time as our whole grain rice, so that I could do them the honour of cooking them together, allowing them to become friends.

I opted not to salt the cooking water until the end, just adding a dollop of coconut oil. Now, some cooks advocate never adding salt or acid (tomato) to the water when cooking beans as it makes their delicate skins toughen. I can't say I'm convinced, however I wanted this rice and bean dish to be a vehicle for the exciting seasoned sea salts we were gifted, so just a little coconut oil found its way into the water, although I did add a little salt just before the cooking was finished. FYI, oil in the cooking water will keep starchy boiling pots of pasta, rice, beans, etc from boiling over in my experience. I did add 1 tsp of salt at the very end, and stirred it through. Not enough to fully season it, but a start.

Rice and beans are one of the simplest and most satisfying meals, and can be flavoured however you like, cooked with some sauteed onion and carrot, spiked with herbs, teased with garlic and chili. Sided with some sauteed broccoli, and you have everything you could want in one simple meal. They work for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, can be used as a filling for flat breads, lettuce leaf rolls, and hollowed up peppers, tomatoes, or zuchinis. So versatile. So simple. The variations are limitless, bordered only by your imagination and your palate. Varieties of beans and rice, although finite, are more than I can name here. They can be cooked in a crockpot or on the stove top, or in the oven in a casserole. And what can I say, but I am a fan of the humble rice and bean.

If you are in the mood for simple, just some salt and pepper on your plate of rice and beans will make your rice and beans sing a folk song. For more complicated arias and operatic feats, you'll have to look to your imagination and your personal pleasures of palate. Salsa or chutney, seasoning or sauce, anything goes with rice and beans.

ingredients:

1 cup adzuki beans

1 cup short grain brown rice (eg calrose)

4 cups water

1 or 2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp sea salt

directions:

1. put rice and beans in a pot and add the water and coconut oil.

2. bring to a boil, and turn down to a simmer

3. set the timer for 1 hour

4. at one hour, add a little more water, add 1 tsp sea salt, and stir until well combined and creamy.

5. turn off the heat, and let the water absorb for a few minutes before serving

6. serve and season as befits your palate with sea salt, pepper, etc.

We enjoyed ours tonight topped with seaweed granules, freshly ground black pepper,  and seasoned sea salt. My three year old insisted the coffee accented salt was what he wanted, and figuring a few grains wouldn't over-burden him with caffein, I acquiesced. I then watched him tuck joyfully into his rice, beans, and sea weed, and pop sauteed cauliflower florets in his mouth with enjoyment. Who says little kids don't like veggies?? This week he ate plenty of his usual broccoli, but also lots of sauteed black kale, sauteed kolrabi, and a salad of boiled eggs, avocado, diced tomato, and carrot. When I see that I remind myself not to worry the next time all he wants to eat in a day is almond butter sandwich after almond butter sandwich after almond butter sandwich ...

Play Dough: finally, a use for those ingredients that have been languishing for years ...

In this household, I just don't cook with white flour, refined table salt, oils other than coconut (and occasionally olive and butter), or traditional food dye -- you know, the ones in those little bottles  with labels that say things like 'red dye number 4' on them. Have I really become such a food snob that I don't even regard these items as food anymore? Sadly, yes. I have to admit that I will go through incredible feats of culinary engineering to avoid using white flour even in a cake. Kamut flour, coconut flour, almond flour, I bow down at thy altars ... Shame on me? Perhaps.

I have food dye lying around from the last time I made fake blood (which is, incidentally, the only time I will ever use corn syrup), thus only in yellow and red. I have a container of refined table salt that my husband had from his bachelor days, and a bottle of grapeseed oil that I wouldn't use for cooking because it's definitely old ... And a bag of organic white pastry flour that I probably bought last time I made a traditional cake ... when was that?

Despite the fact that I can't cook with these items, I still can't through them away. Because that feels wasteful, and ... there are people hungry in the world ... even if this isn't actually food. (Yes, I'll say it again -- shame on me).

Perfect. I made play dough for my son. I knew I was keeping this stuff for a reason ...

He received some homemade playdough as a party favour from a birthday party a few weeks ago, and has been loving it ever since. This morning, we found it had starting growing mould. A quick internet search later, I found many recipes for play dough that involves only things I already have (and most of them never use). The consensus is: 2 flour 2 water 1 salt, with some other things thrown in for texture and effectiveness. I found recipes for edible play dough, long lived play dough, non-cook play dough, and every thing else you could imagine. Why would anyone want their kid to think it's okay to eat play dough? I had to shudder when I read the recipes anyway, because I don't actually consider the ingredients to be edible. (All together now: Shame On Me)

To stave off the insurgence of mould, I added some peppermint essential oil, which has good anti-microbial  properties. However, you could also just keep it in the fridge when you are not using it. Or keep it for a few weeks and then compost it and make more. Yes, this is completely bio-degradable.


ingredients:

1/2 cup white flour (mine was organic, but here you could definitely use conventional)
1/4 cup salt (save your expensive sea salt for something edible, and use that vilified table salt)
1 tbsp cream of tartar (you can buy this powder in bulk, or in the spice section of a grocery store)
1/2 tbsp oil (use whatever's cheap and cheerful that you have lying around, but save your expensive oil)
1/2 cup water (hah -- I didn't even filter it) (okay, one last time: shame on me)


essential oil such as lavender or peppermint if you have it (totally optional)

food dye (if you don't have any, you can skip this, use berry or beet juice, or a little water based paint)


directions:

1. combine all ingredients except food dye in a pot and cook over low heat until it forms a ball of dough, stirring constantly. This will take just a few minutes.
2. take the ball of dough out of the pot and knead it on a piece of parchment paper or a silicone mat
3. add food dye. (I divided mine into 3 balls of about 90 g each, and added 4 drops of red to one for pink, 4 drops of yellow to one for yellow, and 4 drops each of yellow and red to one for orange.)
4. flatten the balls, and add a few drops of food dye, and knead it in. Try not to get it on your hands ...

This makes a lovely consistency of play dough, and will keep in a sealed container or baggie.

Oooh, and what pretty ice cream colours.

Banana Muffins -- Gluten-free, moist, and very banana-y

We didn't manage to get through the bananas from our organic box before they were far too ripe for even the staunchest banana eaters in our house to tackle them. Over ripe bananas are the harbinger of banana muffins around here, so I knew the time had come for me to put our politically correct fruit to the test and come up with a gluten-free treat.

You may recall from my banana pecan muffin recipe that I have a predilection for lightly mashed bananas instead of pureed bananas. Now, if you are operating from frozen, you'll pretty much need to go with the puree or the utter mash. However, if you are using bananas that are "flecked with brown and have a golden hue" as the old Chiquita song goes (you know, when the skin has become super thin, and they are very very sweet?), you can lightly mash them to a chunky consistency using a dinner fork. The difference for me is the resulting texture of the finished muffin. A lightly mashed banana results in a lighter, fluffier muffin in my experience. As I recall the banana cake of my childhood, I can still feel it like a rock in my stomach ... However, I have also cooked with bananas from frozen, because it may not always be the right time to bake just because your bananas' biological clock has spoken.

Thanks to the coconut flour in these muffins, they will not be dry. In fact, they will stay wonderfully moist for days if not weeks. The coconut sugar was sort of an after-thought, not motivated by the need for sweetness so much as a desire to add to the depth of flavour. Coconut sugar adds a little darkness, the lemon juice a little brightness, the banana sort of a middle tone. Coconut flour has a bit of a stultifying effect on flavours, so the flavour balancing act is even more important than usual (and it's always very important). I might try a tbsp of carob powder next time, perhaps instead of the coconut sugar, but the flavour of these muffins is very pleasant the way they are, and will go over well with banana lovers. My three year old gives them the pre-schooler seal of approval -- which basically means stuffing them into his mouth and making as much of a mess as possible, then asking for more while his mouth is still full.


ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 xl eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups lightly mashed bananas (about 4)
1/4 cup coconut sugar (sort of optional)

2 tsp ground vanilla bean (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp regular ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp sea salt
a little freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup coconut flour

optional -- some good quality chocolate morsels for the chocolate monkey lover ...


directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the warm water and coconut oil to melt the coconut oil
2. add the lemon juice and mashed banana
3. add the egg and coconut sugar
4. add the vanilla and cinnamon
5. add the salt and pepper
6. add the almond flour then the baking soda
7. finally add the coconut flour
8. if using, throw in 1/2 - 3/4 cup of chocolate morsels
9. scoop into 24 lined prepare baking cups
10. bake at 345 for 45 minutes

I'm So Spoiled

I just received my first ever fan mail -- of a sort -- which included gifts. How spoiled am I? Answer: very.

As a thank you from someone who has been enjoying my recipes, I received a silicone spoon/scraper, a dough cutter/scraper, and some very fancy flavoured sea salts in fabulous ice cream colours. I am such a geek when it comes to kitchen tools, and I am very anxious to try my new toys out. They are just so cool, so I wanted to share them.

Thank you!!!!!!

I loves me a silicone scraper ...

dough cutter/scraper -- shiny -- I'm like the magpie ...

seriously ... it's sea salt ...
I'm going to have to steam up some plain short grain brown rice tomorrow to sprinkle this on ...

Quinoa Polenta -- Nut free, gluten free, savoury, and great for you

A new twist on quinoa. Instead of cooking it the usual way, just in a pot with some water, I decided to cook it a la polenta, jazzing it up with some other ingredients, then baking it in the oven. The resulting polenta can be sliced and topped with something savoury such as the yummy Vegetables with Green Peas and Chickpeas we topped ours with, or eaten as a side to whatever you wish. Or by itself as a quick meal. My previous polenta was mostly cornmeal, jazzed up with a little almond meal and flax meal. Gluten free, but not nut free. This one is nut free as well as gluten free. I think it's possible to experiment and add whatever strikes your fancy. I'll often saute some tomato and garlic with the onion, and use that as a base for my cornmeal polenta. Wanting to go simple this time, I just used a little onion. However, I think this sort of dish is open to endless possibilities, depending on what sort of flavours you are in the mood for. Your imagination (and pantry) are your only limitations.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tsp sea salt

3 cups water
1/2 tbsp herbe de provence
black pepper

1/4 cup (organic) corn meal
1/4 cup flax meal
2 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 cup amaranth
1/2 cup quinoa


directions:

1. saute the onion in coconut oil with sea salt until translucent and well cooked
2. add the boiling water and herbe de provence
3. stir in the corn meal
4. stir in the flax and chia
5. add the quinoa and amaranth
6. cook for 30 minutes at a very low simmer until thickened, and the quinoa is fully cooked
7. scoop into a greased baking dish (this would fit a square), and bake on 345 for 1 hour
8. allow to cool before cutting
9. serve as a side, or as a base for such dishes as vegetables with chickpeas and green peas

This dish won't be quite as 'cohesive' as polenta with more corn meal in it, however it will cut into pieces when cool.

I specify to use organic cornmeal because, along with soy, corn is one of the more polluted options in its non-organic form, according to my research.

Vegetables with Green Peas and Chickpeas -- Continuing Crockpot Adventures, or is it Chickpea Variations?

This dish feels spring appropriate to me with its flavours of green peas and celery. The ingredients mellow and blend together, so there are no sharp edges, just a satisfying meal that appeals to all ages. We have been enjoying it as a topper to slices of quinoa polenta, and my three year old gobbles it down with great enjoyment. Even my husband has no complaints on this one ;)

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrot

1/4 cup amaranth

3 cups finely diced tomato
1/2 tbsp sea salt
1/2 tbsp marjoram
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp mesquite powder
black pepper
2 bay leaves

1 1/2 cups chickpeas

2 cups frozen green peas, defrosted (organic) (250g)

1/2 tbsp sea salt

2 cups broccoli florets, either lightly steamed, or defrosted from frozen (250g)


directions:

1. turn your crockpot to high, set the timer for 6 hours
2. layer:
a) coconut oil
b) garlic
c) onion
d) celery and carrot
e) amaranth
f) tomato
g) sea salt, marjoram, mesquite, black pepper
h) tomato
i) chickpeas
j) green peas
k) rest of sea salt
3. cook for 6 hours
4. turn off heat and stir in broccoli
5. serve over quinoa polenta, cornmeal polenta, with a slice of bread, with a big smile, or simply with pride and enjoyment.

very yummy.

Roasted Fennel, Jicama, and Apple Salad -- Refreshing and yummy

Our organic box included something I have never used: fennel. In addition, I had picked up a jicama when I happened to come across one. So, I thought it would be fun to see what I could do. The result was a refreshing, crunchy, and tasty salad that went nicely with our oven roasted potatoes.

ingredients:

preheat oven to 345

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 fennel, bulb cut into slices, then halves of slices

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 jicama, peeled and cut into 'matchsticks'

1 pink lady apple, cut into 'matchsticks' (or granny smith)

1 piñata apple, cut into 'matchsticks' (or royal gala)

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp lime juice

3/8 tsp sea salt

directions:

1. melt the coconut oil in your baking pan by placing it in the preheating oven for a few minutes

2. add the fennel and 1/4 tsp sea salt, and toss well

3. bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until fennel is done

4. combine apples, jicama, and fennel, and toss to coat everything with the oil from the baking fennel

5. add the honey, lime juice, and sea salt, and toss well

6. add the parsley, and toss well

I found the roasted fennel to be sublime, and the jicama to be interesting. In future, I might try skipping the jicama, and add some oven roasted beet for contrast ... or perhaps oven roasted black radish.

The salad was enjoyed very much by all ages, including the unpredictable three year old, and my dear husband who has the tongue of a twelve year old.

Oven Roasted Potatoes with Parsley

I rarely cook potatoes. I'm just not a big fan. However, we received a pound of red potatoes in our organic box, so potatoes it was.

My husband pronounced the results to be 'fantastic', and fortunately the recipe is easy-peasy.

ingredients:

preheat the oven to 345

1 tbps extra virgin coconut oil

1 pound of small potatoes (we had seven), cut into halves then wedges

1/2 tsp sea salt

black pepper

1/4 tsp marjoram (dried)

2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

directions:

1. lightly warm your (covered) baking dish with the coconut oil to melt it (I do this by putting the casserole in the oven for a few minutes as it's preheating)

2. add the potatoes, and toss well to coat

3. add the sea salt, pepper, and marjoram

4. bake at 345 for 40 minutes

5. remove from the oven, and add the fresh parsley, and toss well. Cover for 10 minutes, then serve.

Simple.

Even I thought they tasted good ;).

Chili Con Broccoli -- Continuing Crockpot Adventures

Oops, I just realized that athough I had posted the cornmeal polenta that I made as a side for this dish -- actually, I sliced it and used it as a base, and put the chili on top -- yum -- I neglected to post this recipe. It was sitting there, languishing in my 'drafts' section. Sorry!

It's quite zesty and bright in its flavours -- not as mellow as the chickpea stew from a week or two ago. However, we enjoyed it very much, and the mellowness of the polenta was an excellent foil for these flavours.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 onion finely chopped -- about 1/2 cup

1 tbsp finely minced garlic

3/4 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery

1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans

5 or 6 cups diced organic roma tomatoes -- 1 1/2 or 2 lbs

1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp marjoram
1 tsp mesquite powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil
black pepper

1 1/2 cup cubed sweet potato

2 cups broccoli florets (either lightly steamed or defrosted from frozen) (250 g)


directions:

1. turn your crockpot on to High, and set the timer for 6 hours, (if you have that long -- a longer cooking time will mellow and meld the flavours more, and improve the dish)
2. layer as follows:
a) coconut oil
b) garlic
c) onion
d) celery
e) carrot
f) tomato
g) 1/2 of salt, pepper, herbs, mesquite etc
h) kidney beans
i) sweet potato and rest of salt
3. after the cooking has finished, turn off the heat and stir in the  broccoli florets.

Typical of tomato based dishes, this tastes great the next day. If you like you can serve it with polenta, quinoa, bagels, bread, nothing, or whatever else strikes your fancy.

My three year old enjoyed this very much, and for him I cut polenta into small cubes and ladled the stew on top. It was a big hit.

Cornmeal Muffins -- Savoury or sweet, gluten free and dairy free.

Despite rarely using corn, I was still in the mood after our delectable chili con broccoli on polenta this week. So, I decided to make cornmeal muffins. I wanted to make them gluten free, and although they have 2 xl organic eggs, they are dairy free. These muffins are super versatile. I made this batch with some cinnamon and vanilla, and a little coconut sugar. But they could easily be make with some salt and pepper, a generous dose of chili powder, and a couple of handfuls of corn kernels thrown into the batter. Super yummy to go with soup, me thinks. I think these muffins would take blueberries beautifully, but I didn't add anything this time, because I wanted to make sure the texture of the pastry would be suitable.

So, plain with just a hint of cinnamon and vanilla, they are simple and homey tasting, perfect with a cup of tea, and could take a little butter or honey beautifully.

Unlike some cornmeal muffins, the coconut flour keeps these ones nice and moist, and the texture is light and delicate, with that lovely cornmeal crunchiness.

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

2 cups water

2 xl organic eggs

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp ground vanilla

2 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1/4 cup flax meal

1 cup almond meal

1 cup organic cornmeal

4 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

optional, to be added at the end:

1/2 cup blueberries (frozen are fine --  add them at the end when they are still frozen fully)

and add 5 minutes to the baking time

or 

1/2 cup corn kernels -- these you can defrost before using

(eliminate the vanilla and cinnamon, increase the sea salt to 1 tsp, add some black pepper, and 1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder)

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. pour warm water over the coconut oil to melt it

2. add the apple cider vinegar, and eggs (makes sure the water is not too warm)

3. add the coconut sugar, if using

4. mix in the spices and sea salt

5. add the flax meal

6. add the almond flour

7. add the corn meal

8. add the baking soda

9. add the coconut flour

10. finally, when the batter is fully mixed, add the blueberries or corn kernels if you are using any

11. scoop into 24 prepared muffin cups, and bake at 345 for 25 to 30 minutes (in the upper half of the oven), until the muffins feel resiliant to the touch

12. remove the muffins from the muffin cups shortly after taking them out of the oven

Polenta My Way (or the highway) -- gluten free, dairy free, vegan and all that jazz

We don't eat a lot of corn or corn products, but every now and then we really enjoy some polenta. I often will add sauteed tomato, garlic, and onion, but this time I wanted a very simple and basic tasting polenta as a side for our rather zesty chili con broccoli. I did use a tiny bit of sauteed onion, and some herbs, but the taste is simple and homey, instead of a zesty party in your mouth. If you prefer a zesty party, I recommend adding said sauteed tomato and garlic, and perhaps a little chili powder, too. I personally loved it like this, and I think it makes a very nice basis for other dishes. Think slices of polenta topped with chili, slices of polenta topped with chevre, slices of polenta topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions ... 

I have veered from a traditional polenta by adding both flax meal and almond meal, but I believe neither the taste nor the texture are compromised by this compromise ;)

And like with all soy products, I would strongly urge you to choose organic corn and corn products if at all possible. You can find organic corn meal in the organic section at Loblaws, and it is widely available.

ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

6 cups boiling water

2 or 3 tsp sea salt

black pepper

1 tsp herbe de provence

2 cups organic corn meal
1/2 cup flax meal
1 cup almond meal


directions:

preheat oven to 345

1. cook the onions into submission in the coconut oil with the salt
2. add the boiling water, then stir in the flax meal, almond meal, and corn meal
3. add the herbs and pepper
4. stir until thickens
5. scoop into a greased baking dish (square) and bake for 60 minutes on 345.
6. allow to sit for 1 hour before serving in order to remove from the pan without mushing, but can be reheated in slices lightly basted with coconut oil on a baking sheet.

YUM