Socca crackers -- a savoury, zesty, gluten free, crackery treat

For anyone who has had to listen to me ramble on about socca, you know how much I love the stuff. I love it so much I had to go and modify it into a sort of cracker that I can store in airtight containers and enjoy over the course of a couple of weeks instead of just for dinner.

My rosemary plants were glorious this summer, so large handfuls of the herb made it into this recipe. Liberal amounts of cumin and chili powder, apple cider vinegar, and most recently, turmeric, kick this crunchy affair up a notch. Don't get me wrong -- these are definitely not for the faint of heart. If you like bland and boring, please walk away now. These are not for you. 

However, if like me, you like a party in your mouth, you like ruby dancing shoes, and you like my zesty almond crackers, there is a good chance you'll groove on these the way I do, too.

ingredients:

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 cup chickpea flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chili powder

LOTS of fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

directions:

preheat the oven to 300

1. combine the oil and water, and stir in the flour, sea salt, and spices. A whisk can help get rid of any lumps

2. add the vinegar and rosemary, and mix well

3. pour the mixture onto a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet, and spread evenly into a large rectangle (or bake in small circles like from the top photos)

4. bake at 300 for 30 minutes, then turn the oven down to dry it out for at least 30 more, or until it is very crisp.

5. break into pieces when cool, and store in an airtight container.

Share with Kristanne.

Plum Pie with Vanilla Custard -- holy hannah that's good

The other day my son and I came across a basket of Ontario plums -- the dusky blue kind that start out green and go all soft and orange on the inside -- and we decided to make plum pie. We have a book we like to read called 'Each Peach Pear Plum' that ends with everyone eating plum pie -- even the bunnies, even baby bunting, even the wicked witch.

I thought about it for a while, and I decided exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted a sweet, cookie type crust to remind me of the crust of the plum tart my mother used to make when I was a kid. And I knew the plums would be kinda sour, so I wanted to play with that by topping it with a sweet and delicious vanilla custard that would celebrate both the flavour of the plums and their sourness. So, we got the cookie, we got the sour plumminess, bits of chewiness where the edges of the plums got all baked and delicious, we got the creamy, rich vanilla sweetness of the custard, all balancing together into one fabulous dessert where the sum is definitely more than the components. 

It was also easy to make, so don't be shy.

crust:

ingredients:

2 cups blanched almond meal

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup coconut sugar

3 tsp cinnamon (I used 1 tsp each of korintje, saigon, and ceylon)

1 tsp ground vanilla bean

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

directions:

preheat oven to 345

1. prepare a pie plate or springform pan (I like to line my springform pan with parchment and grease it well with coconut oil)

2. combine all ingredients in a bowl except for the coconut oil and vinegar

3. mix well

4. add the coconut oil, and cut it in as it were. I used a fork and sort of mashed it. It worked beautifully.

5. finally, add the apple cider vinegar, and mix very well

6. press the crumbly mixture VERY FIRMLY into the bottom of the pie plate or springform pan. VERY firmly.

7. bake for 20 minutes at 345

pie:

ingredients:

1 baked pie crust from above

1.5 L of blue plums (what, damsons are they?), washed, pitted, and diced or coarsely chopped -- yield 4 or 5 cups

pinch sea salt

1/4 cup coconut sugar

2 tbsp arrowroot powder

directions:

preheat oven to 345 if it's not still on from baking the crust

1. toss the chopped plums with the sea salt, coconut sugar, and arrowroot powder

2. put the plum mixture on the pie crust evenly, and return it to the oven

3. bake for 40 minutes at 345

custard:

ingredients:

2 cups milk (I use raw whole milk. I recommend at least using organic whole milk (not skim))

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp ground vanilla bean

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 tbsp arrowroot powder

directions:

1. combine the ingredients in a double boiler

2. stir while cooking until thickened

3. remove from heat and set aside to serve over slices of pie

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Chickpea, and Pumpkin Seed Saute -- Delicious Autumn Fare

A trip to the farmer's market (the Lesieville market on Sunday morning) netted new carrots as big as a baby's arm, and as chubby and stubby, too. We have our cache of sweet potatoes, the asian kind, from the sweet potato man, both purple and white. In the freezer, divided up into parcels of a few cups each, are cooked chickpeas. So, with what was readily at hand, I became inspired to make dinner. This dish is so simple and took just a few minutes to prepare. The hefty chunks of sweet potato and carrot meant it took a little while to cook, but nothing crazy. It was ready in plenty of time for dinner.

The pumpkin seeds add texture, and the spices blend their flavours beautifully with the ingredients. I'm really into cumin and turmeric right now, even going as far as to load up my breakfast porridge with them the past few days. 

I 'diced' the carrots and sweet potatoes so roughly that the pieces are quite large and chunky, but hey it only took me about 3 minutes to get everything into the pot.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

2 cups roughly chopped sweet potato

2 cups roughly chopped carrot

1 1/2 cups chickpeas, cooked

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

directions:

1. put the coconut oil, spices, and pumpkin seeds in a large skillet, saute pan, or pot and cook lightly for a minute

2. add the carrot, sweet potato, and chickpeas and toss well to combine everything.

3. cover the pan/pot and cook on low heat until carrots are tender. If you need to, you can add a splash of water (if things start sticking).

4. serve with sauteed kale and a salad of tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper.

Dinner, again. An autumn meal complete with pie ...

\

It wasn't a celebration. It was just a meal. It just worked out that way. We had plums that wanted pie-ing, and lovely kale and carrots from the farmer's market. Despite thinking about the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and the six months since Japan suffered a huge earthquake, it turned out to be a day for good eating.

We enjoyed a saute of sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin seeds, and chickpeas with sauteed kale, tomato salad, and sweet potato biscuits. We washed this down with a pretty plum pie topped with vanilla custard sauce. It was all so freakin' good. It was all so freakin' good that I would have loved to share the meal with you. Instead, I'll just share the recipes.

It was a day to look at photos and think and remember. Remember those lost, remember the lives broken, remember man's inhumanity to man, remember man's frailty in the face of nature and natural disaster, remember man's folly in the face of power, both nuclear and governmental.

I find it hard to feel grateful that my loved ones and I are safe and whole in light of all that, because it feels like it means I'm being glad someone else isn't, glad that these tragedies happened elsewhere to other people. Instead, I feel like we are all diminished somehow.

I hope my son grows up in a world where terror attacks and nuclear meltdowns are historical only.

And for all those who are lost or have lost, my thoughts are with you. I am with you ...

Chocolate Toasted Seed Cookies -- nut free and all that other stuff, too

Here we go with our nut-free, toasted seed cookies again. This time, I went overboard on the raw cacao, which is a pretty fun thing to do. The process was like last time -- toast the seeds and coconut then grind up -- and once again I made twice as many toasted seeds as I'd need ... So you can look forward to another nut-free, toasted seed cookie recipe in the not too distant future. With the heat of the summer over, perhaps I'll even return to my former posting glory ... I hope so. I've missed you.

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups toasted and ground sunflower and pumpkin seeds (any ratio is fine)

1 cup toasted and ground shredded coconut

1/4 cup ground flax meal

1/4 cup hemp seeds, also ground

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp green leaf stevia

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp ground vanilla

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 cup raw cacao

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

2 eggs

1/4 tsp baking soda

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the sunflower, pumpkin, flax, and hemp seeds and coconut

2. add the sea salt, stevia, vanilla, cinnamon, coconut sugar, and raw cacao
3. add the apple cider vinegar and coconut oil and mix well
4. add the eggs, and mix well
5. finally, stir in the baking soda
6. scoop teaspoon of cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet, and flatten the balls with a wet fork
7. bake at 345 for 16 minutes.
8. makes one tray of cookies
9. store in an airtight container once fully cooled

Chocolate Baby Cakes. The usual: gluten-free and sugar-free, dairy-free and junk-free

These cakes have a light springy texture that puts me in mind of store bought chocolate cupcakes.  Unlike my gluten-free brownies -- which scream in-your-face fudgey goodness -- these have a more subdued, refined, calm, chocolate taste. They are lovely, and I bet they'd take chocolate frosting very well ... We ate 'em plain. My husband avers they are good enough to make up for the fact that I am annoying in many ways ...

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/4 cup ground chia seeds

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1/4 cup hemp hearts

1 cup coconut sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup raw cacao

1 tsp green leaf stevia

2 cups almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 eggs

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine coconut oil, water, chia meal, flax meal, and hemp hearts

2. add the cinnamon, vanilla, sea salt, raw cacao, and stevia

3. if you have one, puree it all using a stick blender. If you don't have one, don't worry. It will be fine. Just stir.

4. add the almond flour and baking soda

5. finally add the eggs

6. when the batter is well mixed, scoop it into 24 prepare muffin cups
7. bake at 345 for 30 minutes
8. allow the cakes to cool in the muffin cups before removing
9. store in an airtight container

Toasted Seed Cookies with dirty little secrets -- No nuts, you crazy kids. Also, gluten free, grain free, and sugar free.

 When I made the toasted seed cookies last time, I doubled up on the seed toasting and grinding, so I had some containers of toasted and ground seeds all ready to go in the fridge.  This time, I decided to get darker and dirtier than last time. I'm weird like that. Anyway, these, too, taste great, and have nary a nut, grain, gluten, dairy, or sugar to boot.

Eat up and then let me know how much you like 'em.

ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup shredded coconut

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup cooconut sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup flax meal

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground vanilla

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup carob powder

1 tbsp water

directions:

1. toast the sunflower and pumpkin seeds for 30 minutes at 300 C.

2. toast the shredded coconut for 15 or 20 minutes at 300 C.

2b. If you need to toast your sesame seeds, do so in a dry pan over low heat on the stove top. You can grind these little cuties in a coffee grinder. BTW I used black sesame seeds this time, not white.

3. grind up the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and coconut in a food processor or fancy blender. Mortar and pestle?

4. preheat the oven to 345

5. combine the coconut oil (melted), coconut sugar, and eggs

6. mix in the sea salt, vanilla, and cinnamon

7. add the flax meal and hemp seeds

8. add the baking soda

9. mix in the toasted seeds and toasted coconut

10. add the carob powder and ground and toasted sesame seeds along with 1 tbsp water

11. mix really well

12. put spoonfuls on a lined baking sheet, and flatten with a wet fork

13. bake for 16 minutes

Makes 2 dozen or so depending on size. Store in an airtight container.

Toasted Seed Cookies

Seeds, bless their seedy little hearts, get a lot of flavour boost from gentle toasting. All you raw foodists out there may be scandalized by my flagrant use of toasting, but then again I'm sure you're not lurking around my blog since my only raw recipes are salads and the highly addictive chocolate power bars, but that's another matter.

Now, all you coconut haters must know there is very little coconutty about these cookies despite their toasted coconut content. The flavour is ... well, reminiscent of Dad's Oatmeal cookies. I was a kid in the seventies and I still remember trying to eat one in the wading pool in our backyard only to find they melted when they got wet ...

Anyway, here are some fabulous seed cookies that are 100% nut free. They are also gluten free, dairy free, and cane sugar free. They are sweetened with coconut sugar, which is nice and low on the glycemic index. I like 'em! They are an excellent cookie to go with tea.

Now, these cookies require 2 steps really. Because you have to toast the seeds then grind 'em up. You have to, or else the cookies will taste like raw seeds instead of toasted seeds, and won't be half as yummy. Trust me!

ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup shredded coconut

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup cooconut sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup flax meal

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground vanilla

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

directions:

1. toast the sunflower and pumpkin seeds for 30 minutes at 300 C.

2. toast the shredded coconut for 15 or 20 minutes at 300 C.

3. grind up the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and coconut in a food processor or fancy blender. Mortar and pestle?

4. preheat the oven to 345

5. combine the coconut oil (melted), coconut sugar, and eggs

6. mix in the sea salt, vanilla, and cinnamon

7. add the flax meal and hemp seeds

8. add the baking soda

9. mix in the toasted seeds and toasted coconut

10. put spoonfuls on a lined baking sheet, and flatten with a wet fork

11. bake for 16 minutes

Makes 2 dozen or so depending on size. Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Chip Baby Cakes for Papa Ed (Don't tell him they are gluten-free, sugar-free, and good for you ...)

Papa Ed doesn't like my brownies. Papa Ed likes the way chocolate cake from a bakery tastes, with thick fudge icing. I wanted to make some cakes to take with us to Oakville to share with Papa Ed, so I'm hoping these ones will not earn the thumbs down. We shall see. Will the copious quantity of callebaut save us? (Seriously, I think we went with the maximum chocolate-to-batter-ratio permissible by law.) Will this variation on our popular gluten free chocoloate chip baby cake recipe fit the bill? Will the soupçon of raw cacao and carob in the batter give depth of flavour without compromising the sweetness? Stay tuned to find out ...

Or try them yourselves?


ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
3/4 cups warm water
2 eggs
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp agave
3 tbps coconut sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean

2 tbsp ground chia seed
1 tbsp carob powder
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 cup almond meal
1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp coconut flour

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup bittersweet callebaut chocolate morsels (or other good quality chocolate chips)

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the warm water and coconut oil to melt the oil
2. make sure it's not too hot and add the eggs
3. add the coconut sugar, agave, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, cinnamon, vanilla, ground chia seed, raw cacao powder, and carob powder
4. mix well (I used an immersion blender)
5. add the almond flour and baking soda and mix
6. mix in the coconut flour
7. when thoroughly mixed, add the callebaut and stir
8. scoop into 12 prepared muffin cups and bake at 345 for 37-40 minutes
9. store in an airtight container when thoroughly cool

After the fact update: Papa Ed ate two of them and then declared that they were terrible so no one else would eat any. ;)

Lemon cake for my brother -- a guilt free trip down decadence lane

For some people, cake is a controversial topic. For me, it is like a polka in the ballroom of life -- a polka dot on an executive's socks. Me, I go for stripes, but that is neither here nor there. And for those of you who hate dancing, perhaps you can think of it as a cosmo daisy in a field of weeds.

Even if you've jumped on the low carb zero carb primal paleo bandwagon, perhaps we can set aside our differences to enjoy this brightly-flavoured, moist dessert. And for those of you who hate lemon, I say: don't be such a sour puss.

xoxo,

your conscience.


ingredients:

1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1 cup coconut sugar

1 tbsp ceylon cinnamon
2 tsp ground vanilla bean
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sea salt

4 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda
3 cups JK gourmet almond flour


directions:

preheat oven to 345

1. combine water, lemon juice, coconut oil, hemp seeds, and chia seeds
2. add in coconut sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, and sea salt
3. allow the mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes
4. add the eggs
5. add the baking soda and the almond flour
6. pour the batter into a prepared pan (I've used a rectangular pan for this, but also a 12 inch springform greased and lined with parchment
7. bake for 45 minutes on 345, or until the cake springs back when lightly poked
8. remove from oven and chill
9. serve with lemon glaze (recipe to follow)


lemon glaze:

ingredients:

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup coconut sugar
pinch sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil

directions:

1. dissolve the coconut sugar in the lemon juice
2. add the coconut oil and emulsify with a stick blender
3. pour over chilled cake
4. garnish with berries if desired -- don't be afraid to be a show off ...

Kick you Pizza Quiche -- gluten free and bad to the bone

I wanted to make a substantial, filling, satisfying entree that wouldn't be legume heavy, and wouldn't be intimidating to your average carnivore. I came up with this ass-kicker of an egg pie. It's dairy free, gluten-free, super high in protein, rich, fluffy, and super delicious.

crust:
ingredients:

1 1/2 cups blanched almond meal
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp water

directions:

1. combine the ingredients and form ball
2. press into a prepared pie plate (a big one)
3. prick with a fork and bake at 345 for 20 minutes

pie:
ingredients:

1 pie crust from above

1 good sized onion
coconut oil
sea salt

2 cups tomato sauce (sauteed tomato, onion, garlic etc -- see my other recipes please)
6 eggs
2 tbsp arrowroot flour
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 cup parmesan
1 tbsp oregano
3/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup diced mozzarella


directions:

1. saute the onion in coconut oil with a little sea salt until sweet, sweaty, and translucent
2. take your baked crust from above, and cover the bottom with sauteed onion
3. top the onion with the diced mozarella
4. combine the tomato sauce, eggs, arrowroot, nutritional yeast, parmesan, oregano, sea salt, pepper, and puree with a hand blender (immersion blender). You could probably also puree it in a food processor
5. pour the tomato sauce/egg mixture over the diced cheese. If you have any extra, pour it into greased silicone muffin moulds or any other well greased cake pan
6. decorate the top with rosemary
7. bake at 345 for 1 hour (or until the pie is firm to a light poke)
8. allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving

Rosemary Socca -- gluten free, dairy free, vegan, fun with chickpea flour!

If I could sit around in dirty sweat pants and do nothing but eat socca for the rest of my life, I would probably be both grubby and bored.  However, I love socca so much, especially this super savoury version, that I am tempted to do it all the same. This socca disappeared like a cat on a hot tin roof, and by the end of dinner there was nothing but crumbs (which I diligently scooped up in my abject piggery, I must confess). Please stay tuned for my socca cracker recipe based on this savoury scintillator ...

ingredients:

1 cup chickpea flour
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 or more tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

directions:

1. combine -- use a whisk if needed to de-lump -- and let sit
2. heat the oven to 345
3. oil a skillet and pour it on
4. bake at 345 for 1 hour or so, until crispy and chewy

sauteed broccoli

1. chop the broccoli

2. add some coconut oil to your pan and turn it on

3. add the broccoli, and sprinkle with sea salt

4. cover and steam a little, then uncover and saute a little (low heat)

5. serve with delight and devour with abandon

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 ...

M-Dog's B-Day Dinner -- happy birthday, my brother. A gluten-free feast

Well, in a confidential attempt to tempt my birthday brother's carnivorous palate, I pulled out the stops and made a bit of a feast. He didn't know it was a birthday dinner for him, because he wasn't keen on the idea of a family birthday dinner this year. So be it.

Anyway, on the menu:

a shredded summer salad of kohlrabi and carrot tossed with chopped parsley and basil, and quartered grape tomotoes, and seasoned with a  little balsamic vinegar, sea salt, sea weed, and black pepper

rosemary socca made with copious amounts of rosemary from our window box garden

sauteed broccoli (our fave)

an egg pie with the flavourful goodness of a gooey cheese pizza

and finally:

lemon cake with lemon glaze and much yumminess

recipes to follow!