Mac 'n' cheese -- the kind that is good for you

My husband and I were going out to my IFA2 improv show at the Second City (I managed neither to fall on my face nor my arse yay), and I wanted to make something that could be cooked ahead of time, and then eaten by my son and my sister and beau (his babysitters -- thanks Sandra and Dave). I also want it to be something that would be easy to choke down by a four-year old who is at times recalcitrant these days. Success. This dish was comfort food at its best -- and chock full of 'good for you'. Sided with sautéed broccoli, raw spinach, or whatever you like, it's a taste-bud pleaser. It can also be made in advance, and frozen, then cooked from frozen.

ingredients:

375 g spiral pasta -- if you like gluten, go for kamut, if you hate gluten, go for your fave gluten free

6 - 8 eggs (depends on the size -- we had 2 cups of beaten egg)
2 cups of milk

200 g shredded cheese -- cheddar, mozzarella, and swiss


1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 medium  onions, finely chopped

2 cups shredded carrots
1 large shredded sweet potato

2 tbsp coconut oil

sea salt
black pepper

1/2 cup finely ground raw cashews
1/4 cup finely ground white sesame seeds

directions:

1. sauté the shredded vegetables in coconut oil with a little sea salt and pepper until the onion is translucent -- allow to cool
2. put your rotini in a big bowl
3. beat the eggs and mix with the milk, and pour over the noodles
4. add the shredded cheese and the cooled vegetables (I had a tiny bit of swiss and cheddar, and a 200 g package of mozzarella -- it all went in).
5. add the ground raw cashews and sesame seeds
6. pour into a greased 3L baking dish, and let sit for at least 15 minutes to let the noodles absorb as much as possible before cooking
6. bake at 345 for 1 hour
7. let cool for 15 minutes before serving
8. serve with green vegetables

Shredded Kohlrabi and carrot salad

Kind of coleslaw but not even remotely. Kohlrabi is more like broccoli hearts than cabbage, and the flavours of this owe nothing to the creamy or oily picnic standby. The fresh herbs kick this up in spritely spring freshness, and the sweetness of the kohlrabi, carrot, and grape tomatoes are a lovely foil for the hint of balsamic.

ingredients:
2 large kohlrabis
2 medium carrots
1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped
balsamic vinegar
sea salt
black pepper
1/2 tsp sea lettuce
1/2 pint quartered grape tomatoes


directions:

1. shred the kohlrabi and carrots using a large holed grater. If your kohlrabi is particularly juicy, squeeze out the shreds before using them to get rid of extra moisture so your salad isn't watery.
2. chop your tomatoes into quarters
3. coarsely chop your herbs
4. combine and toss with balsamic vinegar, sea salt, black pepper, and a little sea lettuce (or dulse) (if desired)

So simple and refreshing. It also kept well and was nice the next day for lunch ...

Crepes, the recipe. Dairy free, high in protein, but not nut free and not gluten free.

I really like crepes. I apologize to my gluten-free readers that this recipe is not for you, unless you have a handy flour you can sub in for the kamut. It is dairy free, but not vegan, although I can assure you our eggs come from very happy pastured chickens who live a good fowl life. Yes, we get them from The Milk Man.

I really like crepes, but I wanted a version that is lower in grain than our old standby that I'd make with milk and eggs and whole wheat flour. These ones use almond meal and chia seeds, and have a lovely taste and texture.

If you've never made crepes before, I will tell you right off that they are both easy and hard to make. Don't let the word hard stop you, because you will quickly get the hang of it. 

You need a good non-stick pan. I prefer my big square cast iron skillet for this, but I'm sure you'll have your fave.

There are 4 main things that make crepes tricky:

1. Getting the temperature just right for perfect cooking

2. Rolling the pan as it were to spread the batter when you pour it on

3. The sacrificial crepe -- more on that later

4. uh ... I forgot what 4 was for ... 

1. Now, cast iron pans take a little time to heat up, and I find that my first couple of crepes need 2 minutes per side, but after that 1 minute per side is fine. You want to keep your eye on the heat, and tweak it so that you can brown your crepes slightly without burning them in the alotted time. Usually pretty low -- 2 to 4 on the temperature dial seems to work best for me, but that also depends on the element.

2. You scoop the batter by 1/4 measure on to the middle of the pan, and then pick it up and tip it around and around to allow the batter to spread in a circle. This is how you get a nice thin crepe. If you are using a cast iron pan, it will be heavy, and you'll need to use 2 hands. If it has a helper handle, that can be very helpful for this. You'll need oven mitts after a while as the cast iron gets hot and distributes its heat.

3. Your first crepe will stick, fall apart, be both overcooked and undercooked, and must not be taken as discouraging or significant. Quite frankly, it's part of the process both in pancakes and in crepes. Around here we call it the sacrificial crepe or the sacrificial pancake. The first one in the pan is not a good indicator of things to come.

4. Dang. I still don't know what 4 was for ...

Onwards and upwards.

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

4 eggs

1/2 tsp sea salt

black pepper

1 cup almond flour

2 tbsp chia seeds

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup kamut flour

directions:

1. whisk together water, eggs, salt, and pepper

2. add the almond flour and chia seeds

3. add baking soda

4. add kamut flour

5. allow the batter to sit for at least 20 minutes

6. heat up your crepe pan/ griddle/skillet etc after liberally coating with coconut oil

7. when the pan is up to temperature, scoop 1/4 cup of batter on to it, and tilt around and around to spread batter

8. set the timer for 1 or 2 minutes

9. flip with a spatula when the crepe is ready, and set the timer again for 1 or 2 minutes

10. remove the crepe to a plate and repeat until all the batter is gone.

If you are less ocd than I, you can skip the timer, and just wing it, flipping at will. But I can't guarantee the results if you do.

These crepes would be lovely for sweet with the addition of some vanilla and cinnamon in the batter. 

As they are, I might try grinding the chia seeds next time, instead of putting them in whole. I found it made for an interesting texture, but I'd also be interested to see what the other way is like.

Socca ~ Farinata -- Chickpea finds a new shape. Gluten free, dairy free, but not yummy-free.

This chickpea dainty goes by many names. According to Wikipedia: In standard Italian, the dish is called "farinata" 'made of flour'. In Genoese dialect, it is fainâ. In Nice and the Côte d'Azur, it is called "socca", and in Tuscany, "cecina" 'made of chickpeas'. In Argentina it is Fainá or Faina. According to one of my readers, it can simply called fabulous, and I was intrigued to try it. Now, as I often do when making something that is an existing recipe, I research the heck out of it, and then modify and come up with what seems like a sensible recipe for me to try. In this case, the amount of water seemed inadequate, as it produced a thick paste, and not a consistency like heavy cream. Thus, I added more, and now have batter the consistency of heavy cream. Additionally, I chose to use coconut oil and not olive oil. Because that's the kind of freak I am. Finally, I am not comfortable cooking at super high temperatures, thus wanted to adapt the cooking temperature and time to produce a great but slightly modified product. And there you have it. Plus, I why would I use raw onion when I could use sauteed onion? Most of the recipes I came across have optional raw onion and rosemary components.


Finally, we received some wild leeks in our organic bin today. Unlike the other leeks with whom I have a nodding acquaintance, wild leeks are tender from head to toe, from tip to root. Lovely. How good would some sauteed leeks be in this dish?


Anyway, we did enjoy my first attempt with dinner tonight, and let me tell you that, aside from the fact that one of the recipes called for way too much salt -- ick -- it is indeed fabulosity. Really lovely. And, such a simple and rustic addition to a meal.


Oh, and usually -- well, always really -- it's round. But my round cast iron pan is way too small, and this one actually was perfect. Not round. But, you know, I'm sort of square myself. ;)




ingredients:


1 cup chickpea flour
1 tsp sea salt -- recduce to 1/2 tsp, methinks
plenty of black pepper
1/8-1/4 ground cumin
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 tbsp coconut oil




directions:


1. combine the chickpea flour with the salt, pepper, and cumin. (we live just down the street from Little India, so I had some BESAM in my cupboard already. For those of you who are not so situated, please seek it out in the organic section at Loblaws, at your neighbourhood natural food store, or at your favourite over-priced alternative food market.)
2. add the water and whisk to get rid of lumps and make it smooth
3. add the coconut oil. Because you used warm water, the coconut oil will melt.
4. if you are using any sauteed onion or leek, or raw onion and rosemary, you can add it now.
5. allow the batter to sit (covered!) on the counter for at least an hour or all afternoon like I did.
6. preheat your oven to 345. While it is heating, preheat your cast iron skillet of at least 12". After the skillet is hot, coat it with a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil, and pour the batter on.
7. bake this concoction in your oven for a long time. I think I baked mine for an hour. If you like to cook things on a high temperature, you can cook for a shorter time, and finish up with some time under the broiler, which I didn't do. I did, however, coat the top with a little extra coconut oil after about 40 minutes, and return it to the oven for a little longer, to brown on top, more. 


Some of it was chewy. Some of it was crispy. All of it was delicious, and I look forward to adding sauteed leek next time we make it.


Thanks, Michaela. :)


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