Against the grain

I have my sister to thank for introducing me to Against the Grain pizza and my friend Musetta to thank for encouraging me to Blog what I do with food. This pizza isn't the cheapest, but I think it's the best frozen pizza. And you won't even know it's also gluten free. The crust is amazing if you're a thin crust lover.

Since I started eating gluten free about a year and a half ago, I've really missed my Round Table Pizza with pepperoni, extra garlic,  mushrooms, and black olive toppings. My solution now is to buy an Against the Grain pizza and add toppings to customize it more to my taste. The additional cost doesn't have to be a lot - unless you're adding black truffles like I do periodically.

I'm also a big cheese lover so I usually add some Romano or Parmesan on top of my other toppings before baking it for extra cheesy goodness.

If you're looking for a variation to this, I also like their three cheese pizza. I'll add prosciutto and black truffles before baking. I love how the prosciutto gets really crispy. You can also add some arugula at the end for color and mild peppery flavor.

Serve with a side salad and the beverage of your choice, and you have a delicious and simple lunch or dinner - and no need to dial out and order.

Bon appetite! 

Savory Bread Pudding

This is a recipe from 'The Violet Bakery Cookbook' by Claire Ptack. I love this cookbook because it includes both sweet and savory recipes. While I'm typing this, I have blueberry scones in the oven and a blueberry compote on the stove from this same cookbook. Yum!

I've made a few tweaks to this recipe based on my tastes and what I have in the fridge and cupboards. For example, I like bread crust and enjoy the texture of it in this pudding. She removes the crust.

Here's what you'll need:

1 loaf sour dough bread, thinly sliced. Butter a large baking pan or cassoulet baking pot. Place one layer of bread in the bottom. Set remainder of bread aside.

Custard:
8 eggs 
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
salt and pepper (I like Omnivore salt which can be purchased on Amazon or some grocery stores carry it.) 

I use my stand-up mixture to make the custard. Start with the eggs first in case any shells end up in the bowl. A regular glass or stainless steel bowl will work fine too. Whisk all of the custard ingredients together until blended.

Custard can be kept out while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, but if your kitchen is warm, I suggest placing in the fridge.

Remainder of filling ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large fennel bulb or 2 small ones, washed, and cut into 1/2 inch wedges. (I also use the stems.)
sale and pepper
6 garlic cloves peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice plus the zest from the skin
2 tablespoons white or red Balsamic vinegar ( I love Kitchen of Love, Cucina & Amore brand)
1 small organic tomato (Heirloom if in season)
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
10 black olives (I usually use Trader Joe's pitted Kalamata olives)
1/2 teaspoon dried Savory or Thyme
1/2 teaspoon Harissa seasoning or dried chilis (I like Spicely Organics and joined their coop)
5 onces Gruyere cheese, grated (I also like the Gruyere, cheddar cheese I can sometimes find at Traders.) 
1/3 cup ricotta cheese (I've used 1/3 cup goat cheese I had stored in the freezer too.)

Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a large pan. Use a cast iron large skillet if you have one. Add and brown the fennel. Remove the fennel from the pan and place aside on plate or in a bowl. (I often use the lid, upside down, of my cassoulet pot as a plate for this.)

Add remainder of olive oil and add the garlic. Brown the garlic until golden. Add lemon juice, vinegar, tomato, olives, and spices, and cook on medium until juices are cooked down by half. Add capers. Return fennel to the pan. Add lemon zest.

Preheat your oven to 355 F.

Basically you're going to layer the cheese, bread, custard and filling like you would if you were making a lasagne. On the layer of bread already in the pan, add approximately 1/3 of the custard and filling. Then add about 1/3 of the grated and soft cheese. 

Now add another layer of bread, filling, custard and cheese. And again another layer of bread, etc. I end up with a final few pieces of bread and I'll add extra cheese if needed so the top layer is toasty, cheesy, crispy, bread - topping off this custardy savory goodness.

Bake for 1 hour or until set and golden. In my deep, dish cassoulet, it's usually more like 1 1/2 hours to be set and done. It should be firm and not runny.

Bon Appetite! Buy her cookbook for this blueberry scone recipe.

Preserving Summer produce for the Fall/Winter

I love summer. I think it's my favorite season because of the produce - stone fruit, strawberries, sweet red onions, watermelon radishes, fresh peas, I can go on and on. Yum! Another bonus is all this fresh produce costs less this time of year. I cook a lot and freeze as much as my freezers can hold so I have some of these delights come fall/winter when the days are shorter and colder.

Magic Mineral Broth and Chicken Stock in particular I make in large batches to freeze during the summer. The links I've included will take you to Rebecca Katz recipes - I'm a huge fan of her healthy and flavorful recipes including soup stocks. I use these in crock pot stews and vegetable dishes. You get the flavor boost without needing to add flavor by using butter or cream. Yes, I'm guilty of using fat to add flavor. Julia Child I'm not - and she sure knew how to cook!

Recently, I was visiting me sister in Temecula and she also mentioned how she likes to cook and freeze during the summer, but has had trouble with glass jars cracking in the freezer. I also used to have this same problem - which is terrible to have to toss a jar of deliciousness in the trash.

Store the jars overnight in your refrigerator to ensure they have completely cooled. Also make sure you have at least a half inch of space from the lid and the liquid/food you're freezing. Then place the glass jars in the freezer. This will eliminate the jars from cracking. At least it has been foolproof for me.

Bon Appetite!

Pancakes are better than brains

I promise I didn't change any of the ingredients or the proportions so your pancakes can be as good as mine - and my grandma's. Many a grandmother in Lodi has been unofficially 'known' to alter and share recipes so only when they make them, they are absolutely delicious. 

But, I'll do just about anything for a good book review of Pancakes Are Better Than Brains now available on Amazon. Kidding. I welcome honest reviews if you do decide to order my 1st  childrens' book. 

I sincerely hope that you and the little monsters in your life enjoy this story of Mortimer the brain eating monster. I also find my nephews very clever. I think bullies can be synonymous with monsters. Creative solutions are always, always better than resorting to violence.

Here's what you'll need to make these super delicious pancakes (aka Hot Cakes)

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons sugar,  maple syrup or honey
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter( OK, these are for a monster who isn't worried about his cholesterol)
• 2 cups buttermilk or milk
• 1/2 cup cornmeal (fine or medium ground)
• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder

Mix all these ingredients with a spoon in a glass bowl. Add more milk if needed to make the batter like a muddy creek. Heat the skillet or griddle until it's very hot so that when you drip one drop of water on it, it bubbles and races on the griddle/skillet surface.

Makes 10 - 4" pancakes

Add whipped cream, berries and chocolate chips for special monster win over power. Because with the added whipped cream, berries, and chocolate chips, who can deny that pancakes really are better than brains.

Bon appetite and happy holidays to you and yours. Wishing you a safe and merry holiday season!

Boo-lishes Soup

Fall is in the air with chilly nights and beautiful sunny days so I'm ready for soup. I modified a recipe for Carrot-Ginger Soup that I found in Always Hungry by Dr. David Ludwig so it could be a meal instead of a side-kick to a main meal. It's also perfect frozen and then taken to work for lunch.

Here's what you'll need:

• Immersion blender, although a regular hand mixer will work in a pinch
• 1/2 can coconut milk with 1/2 the cream top (Organic, full fat from Trader Joe's. Freeze the remainder if you're not going to be using the remainder in the next 3-5 days)
• 7 carrots peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 1/2 inch ginger peeled and grated
• 1 medium onion - sweet onion if you can find it (I used an organic sweet onion from Trader Joe's)
• 2 cups Magic Mineral broth or vegetable stock (I make my stock ahead of time and freeze in 16 ounce glass jars. Tip: Leave 1/2 - 1 inch below rim and cool overnight before freezing to prevent glass from cracking in freezer.)
• 2 cups water (I use filtered water from my Brita to prevent any tap water flavors. It really depends on your taste buds and nose sensitivity.)
• Roasted chicken meat shredded with your fingers - I had about 3/4 cup of leftover chicken breast meat

Place everything in a soup pot and cook on medium for 20 minutes or until carrots are very tender. Turn off stove and using an immersion blender puree until it has a creamy consistency. It should still be very hot and ready to serve.

• To get fancy - chopped chives with blossoms for garnish

Bon Appetite!

No going back to store bought mayo now...

I made my 1st batch of homemade mayonnaise yesterday. I'll never buy mayo again. It is soooo easy and incredibly delicious. My sister has been a raving fan for years and I finally decided to try it. 

Here's what you'll need:

Critical tip - all ingredients at room temperature.

• 1 egg (I buy mine at my farmers market. You really can smell and taste the difference. Eggs laid by happy, free range chickens do taste better.)
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (I juice lemons and freeze for future use making it easier. It thaws pretty fast and it also needs to be at room temperature for this recipe.)
• 1 1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil (You can add white truffle oil to use with your homemade steak fries if you want to get fancy.)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (I love and use Simply Organic brand which you should be able to find in the spice section of your grocery store or at Target in little green boxes and or glass bottles. The dry mustard is the magic ingredient for this recipe.)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (Order Omnivore online or if you can find it at your local grocer)

In a ball glass jar or small bowl using an emulsifier or a mixer, whip/blend the egg and lemon juice. Very slowly, gradually add the remaining ingredients including the oil. Blend and whip until a fluffy, creamy white traditional mayonnaise consistency.

Meal idea: I sautéed free range chicken breast meat from Trader Joe's with chopped garlic, diced shallots, Turmeric and curry in a small caste iron skillet. I added some homemade mayo and served on a bed of baby mixed greens and green onion.

Bon Appetite!

Keeping it tasty and interesting with yogurt

I've now lost 5 pounds and 2 inches off my waist thanks to the Always Hungry diet program. Of course, the 'real' truth will happen the end of July when I have blood work done to see if my cholesterol is lower - not just what's appearing on the scale. 

I'm enjoying the diet (yes, I know it sounds crazy to enjoy a diet but it's true), and have found the weekday breakfast menus too complicated and time consuming for my commute and work. I ate yogurt everyday before the program but alas, it was yogurt with fruit and corn syrup.

To keep things tasty and interesting as well as easy now, I'm using 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt. Tip: 2% tastes a lot tarter and regular whole milk yogurt isn't as filling. Tip 2: Regular yogurt is better to use for smoothies.

Here's what you'll need to add variety to daily yogurt breakfasts - or for a quick lunch to munch:

• 1 cup fresh berries or
• 1 orange peeled and sliced plus 1/4 almonds
• 2 teaspoons chocolate sauce and 1 Tablespoon peanut butter (using emulsifier with yogurt to make a smoothie) plus 1/4 whole milk
• 1 portion spicy fruit plus 1/4 cup almonds (warm before serving if you have a microwave at work)

Chocolate sauce recipe (enough for 1-2 weeks of individual servings)

• 4 ounces 70% cocoa or greater dark chocolate bar (Trader's sells a really nice 72% Belgian dark chocolate bar)
• 1/2 cup whole milk

In a sauce pan or double boiler on low to medium heat, heat chocolate and milk until chocolate is melted; be careful to not overcook and stir regularly. Cool slightly and store in glass or ceramic container in the fridge. When cold it will have the consistency of fudge so It's easy to spoon and add to other things.

Poached seasonal stone fruit or apples or pears recipe (4 servings)

• 2 pieces of medium sized fruit, cut in half with seeds/pits removed (I kept the skin on and didn't find that it deterred from the flavor)
• 1/2 cup filtered water ( I use my Brita filtered water)
• 1/2 teaspoon Spicely Organic or Spice House ground cinnamon. (Fresh, ground cinnamon makes a HUGE difference in flavor versus something that's been sitting on the store shelf and then in our cabinet for months if not years)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch of Kosher salt

In a sauce pan, add fruit, water and spices and bring to a boil on medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook until fruit is soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and store in glass jar in fridge.

Black Bean Hash - w/o Tofu

Another delicious recipe from Always Hungry with a few Trudi modifications; I made this without tofu and a side of two fried eggs. I adjusted the fat count by adding a Tablespoon of sour cream and 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese. I also added a red bell pepper for sweetness and color.

 Here's what you'll need to make this tasty breakfast treat:

• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin good olive oil (If you don't buy and drink cheap wine, don't do it with olive oil. A bottle of oil lasts a whole lot longer than a bottle of wine. The taste is worth it!)
• 2-3 peeled, finely chopped garlic cloves
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Simply Organic dried jalapeño or 1 whole, washed, seeded, chopped fresh jalapeño (Don't rub your eyes or face after handling without thoroughly washing your hands.) And skip this ingredient if you don't like spicy.
• 1 teaspoon Omnivore salt
• 1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin Simply Organic (Look for at grocery store in spice isle in small green cardboard boxes)
• 1 (15 once can) cooked organic black beans drained, rinsed (I buy at Trader Joe's or Safeway)
• 1/2 cup fresh, washed, de-stemmed cilantro
• 1-2 small shallots peeled, chopped
• 1 washed, seeded, sliced organic red bell pepper (I also buy at Trader's)

For topping and side:

• 1 Tablespoon organic sour cream
• 1/3 cup grated cheddar or jack cheese
• 1 small avocado or 1/2 large one peeled, chopped as a side

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet if you have one. Add everything except toppings and heat on medium high 8-10 minutes.

I'm planning on eating the leftover beans with fresh lime juice as a salad. I'll let you know how that goes. And thanks to this diet after 1 week I've lost 1 inch in my waist! Not exactly waisting away ;-) so healthy and happy program. Buy the book!

Always Hungry? Not anymore

I've been gaining about 10 pounds a decade so now at 50+ years old, I'm 20-30 pounds overweight. And I love to cook and eat! My total cholesterol has also gradually creeped-up and I have side effects from the various statins after taking them for 6 months. I saw my cardiologist, who is fantastic. She gave me the option of trying new injectable statins - or trying a diet her other patients have had success with lowering their cholesterol.

I'm someone who craves fat. I know people who crave bread. This program would probably be harder for them. The food is fabulous so far.

I'm on day 4 of the initial two week start to 'reprogram' my metabolism. I've also lost 4 pounds, but I think that may have more to do with no wine and associated calories the past three nights. I'm a wino and have missed cooking and eating dinner with a glass or two or three of wine. It has been a small price to pay for losing weight and still eating fabulous meals.

 

So far, one of my favorite recipes and meals is the Shepard's Pie with a Cauliflower/white bean topping. I love it better than with a potato topping. For those of you who are purists - or Irish - this isn't your traditional pie. Dr. Ludwig suggests making individual portions and freezing. Since I didn't have 6 small ramekin baking dishes (the recipe is six servings), I made it in a 9x12 pan, chilled overnight in the fridge in glass jars, and froze. 

He also suggests taking dinner to lunch to munch the next day. He's a very smart guy too. Here's what you'll need to make it the way I did (I followed his recipe; my way):

• 1 small to medium head of cauliflower (I bought at my farmers market but bought everything else at my Trader Joe's)
• 1 large onions (I used two small sweet red onions)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 medium fennel bulb including stocks, washed and sliced (I threw out frilly 'leaves')
• 1 teaspoon olive oil for browning ground beef
• 2 Tablespoons butter for cauliflower/white bean topping
• 8 ounces button or cremona mushrooms (I was able to find organic ones at Traders)
• 1 pound 90% lean beef (recipe calls for 1 1/2 pounds but I didn't want to buy two and divide. I bought the grass fed beef that's 90% lean at Traders)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt (I use Omnivore brand. They're based out of SF and flavor is fabulous)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 ounces canned, organic tomato paste (I used Trader Joe's brand. If you don't have a TJ's, Safeway now offers great organic selection)
• 1/2 cup filtered water 
• Dash of cayenne pepper (I use Simply Organic brand. You may see it in little green boxes in the spice section of your local grocery store)
• 1 can (1 3/4 cups) cooked organic cannelloni or other white beans, drained and rinsed in a colander

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place washed cauliflower, cut into large pieces in a pot and add water to just cover it. Boil on high heat and then reduce to medium heat, cooking until it is easy to pierce with a fork. About 10-15 minutes.

In a large, cast iron skillet (if you have one), add ground beef, olive oil, chopped onion, fennel and garlic. Stir periodically and once it is almost all cooked brown, add sliced mushrooms, water, tomatoes paste, and cayenne. Continue to brown until mushrooms are mostly all cooked and soft. Place the meat mixture in the bottom of a pan or 6 small baking dishes.

Now you're ready to make the topping. Drain the cauliflower, and return to the pot you cooked it in and add drained/rinsed beans and the butter. If you have an immersion hand blender, use it or a regular blender or masher to puree and whip the cauliflower bean mixture until creamy. Spread over top of beef mixer and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Bon Appetite! And buy the book. Food is totally yummy and you'll feel better.

3 Bean Melody

It's been cold and rainy so I love a bowl or mug of soup to help warm me up. Here's what you'll need for this bean melody:

• 1 Crockpot
• 1 1/2 total cups of dried beans. Soak overnight is a glass or stainless steel bowl with beans below at least 1 inch of water (Use 3 different kinds of beans. I favor organic heirlooms.)

Rinse soaked beans well in a colander and place in the Crockpot. Add 8 cups of filtered water.

Roast at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes the following on a cookie sheet (this can be done a couple of days in advance and refrigerated):

• 2 organic red bell peppers
• 1 small pumpkin or other squash

Using an ice cream scooper, scoop out the flesh of the squash. Skin, seed, and slice the peppers and place in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet. Add to the skillet: 

• 1-2 Tablespoons bacon fat or olive oil. (I store bacon drippings in a glass jar in the fridge and use when I want smoky flavor.)
• 2-3 teaspoons Omnivore or Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup white Balsamic vinegar

• 2 teaspoons each ground cinnamon, Ancho chilies, California chili (I use Simply Organic brand. Any mild chili powder will work and I use a couple of different chilies for more complex flavor.)
• 1/4 cup washed, de-stemmed flat leaf  Italian parsley leaves
• 2 leeks trimmed, thoroughly washed, sliced thinly. White, yellow or red onion can also be used.

Cook in skillet until onion are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add to beans in Crockpot and cook on high for the day (8-10 hours).

Puree cooked melody with a stainless steel hand emulsifier or hand mixer. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with 1 Tablespoon creme fresh or sour cream plus 1/2 avocado sliced.

I put the remaining soup in glass jars and refrigerate overnight to cool and then place in the freezer the following day for future lunches. 

1-2 warm cookies at a time - a delight

I'm single and also need to lose a few pounds so baking an entire batch of cookies isn't something I want to regularly do. Moderation is key for me. For a sweet treat and to satisfy the craving, I do like a couple of cookies. I'm also thrifty and prefer organic ingredients so I'm not going to buy fancy, frozen ready to bake cookies either. Note: I've been making and freezing cookie dough for years.

My 'go too' favorite cookie recipes are peanut butter (Share the Love 2/14/14 blog for recipe) and oatmeal chocolate chip. I'm a big fan of the Old Fashioned Quaker Oats cookie recipe that used to be on the container. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup shortening at room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (I buy organic sugar at Costco. Trader Joe's also sells it. It has a richer flavor)
• 1 egg (Free range eggs if you can afford them. I buy at my farmers market. They smell and taste better - even in cookies)
• 1/4 cup water (I use filtered water)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons real vanilla (I buy either Simply Organic or order from the Spice House online. Madagascar vanilla is amazing.  You don't use much in baking and can really taste the difference.)
• 1 cup organic flour (I buy the Safeway organic flour or pastry flour in bulk at Whole Foods. Flour does vary and you want it with a higher fat. You don't want over processed flour which has no flavor.)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cups organic old fashioned oats (Do not use quick cooking type. They will make a mushier cookie. I buy organic oats at Trader Joe's.)
• 1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (I buy either at Trader Joe's or Ghiradelli brand at Safeway)

Optional: 1/2 cups roughly chopped walnuts or hazelnuts

Beat with a hand mixer or stand-up mixer the first 6 ingredients. Sift and add flour, salt, and soda to creamed mixture and blend well. Stir in with a spoon the oats and chips and nuts. I refrigerate the dough either overnight or for a few hours because it's easier to work with to make cookie balls the size of walnuts. 

Line a ziplock plastic bag with parchment paper. Fill of walnut size cookie balls and freeze for later baking 1-2 cookies at a time.

I bake on ungreased aluminum foil in my toaster oven or on a parchment lined cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes; cook a bit less for a chewy cookie and 15 minutes for a crisper cookie.

A golden beauty

I periodically crave turmeric which can be found in many Thai and Indian cuisines. I'm also a big fan of Rachel Katz and she includes turmeric in several of her recipes. So why the praise and inclusion of this golden beauty known as tumeric?

It turns out that tumeric also is know as a cancer fighting food. Since losing my mom to the big 'C' two years ago, I'm even more focused on what I eat and keeping my immune system in fighter mode. (To learn more, check out the following article on thetruthaboutcancer.com:  https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/cancer-fighting-benefits-of-curcumin/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialWarfare )

I created a salad dressing to help me include more tumeric in my diet.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup Cecchetti basil olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon mayonaise or greek yogurt
• Pinch of sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/2 teaspoon Spicely Chili California (mild red chili powder)
• 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and use an emulsifier or blender to blend until creamy.

I added leftover roasted chicken, some washed, sliced radishes and baby salad greens, and tossed for a lunch munch salad. Yum!

Bon Appetite!

5 Ingredient Easy Summer Salad

Even if you decide to grow your own arugula like I did, this is an easy summer salad. I found growing my own Arugula was almost as easy as buying it. And of course it tastes so much better because it's fresh cut for this salad.

Here's what you'll need:

• fresh arugula from garden, farmers' market or Trader Joe's, washed

• white balsamicvinegar

• good olive oil like Cecchetti (buy online on their website or in Lodi, Ca at farmers market)

• avocado, seeded, peeled and sliced in chunks

• orange (any sweet citrus including sweet grapefruit can be used for this salad) peeled, sliced

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss greens, avocado and citrus. You can add a small amount of kosher salad and pepper to your taste if you want too. 

Bon appetite.