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Gluten Free Baked Shrimp Etouffée Recipe

June 14, 2013

I laughed out loud.

I’m not talking about chuckling or giggling here. I’m talking about a huge, hearty laugh. Again, and again, and again.

I’m not sure I’ve ever had a book make me laugh like Gluten Is My Bitch, Rants, Recipes and Ridiculousness for the Gluten-Free by April Peveteaux. At first it might seem odd to laugh at such a serious health condition, but laughter is medicine and humor is healing.

Now I should explain that I don’t have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, nor do I opt out of eating gluten for personal reasons. I have had my fair share of stomach issues in the past, but mine were corrected by cutting out all artificial sweeteners and fat replacers. In an indirect way, I can relate.

Keeping up on the various ways of eating and nutritional issues is also part of the deal after you spend your college years studying nutrition. The science, the mechanisms, the nutrients – as much as I love food and eating from a creative standpoint my left brain would never be satisfied without the scientific side.

This book has it all, and a little something extra.

When reading about conditions like celiac disease, what you don’t often get is the personal side. A side explaining what it is really like to be forced to change your diet. To eliminate things you love, not because you want to lose weight or reduce risk of disease, but because if you don’t, you will be in serious discomfort. It’s not a choice. There is no option.

I wouldn’t have thought there was a way to make such a serious issue so completely hilarious, but April figured it out. Along the way there are tips for eating out, feeding kids with gluten intolerances, traveling and substitutes for your old favorite foods.

Along with all this laughter and helpful information, there are also lots of recipes, bringing us to reason I wanted to review the book here. Cocktails, cakes, cookies, pasta dishes and meaty main courses like Fried Chicken and Waffles and Italian Meat Loaf.

I knew that the timing of this post would likely align with prepping for my first marathon (it’s Sunday!), so I wanted to make something filling. Something with plenty of (gluten-free) carbs. I also wanted it to be something I hadn’t tried before.

Enter, the Baked Shrimp Etouffée.

This hit the spot. For a gluten free version, April’s recipe calls for millet flour and gluten-free bread crumbs. The flavors are delicious and I love that this baked version is a one pot meal.

Whether you have a gluten intolerance, want to learn more about it, want some great recipes, or simply want to laugh out loud, add this book to your summer reading list.

Baked Shrimp Etouffée

Cajun food makes an impression. Or maybe that’s all the booze you ingested with your boudin. Which is why I still remember an etouffée that had a little extra somethin’-somethin’ from my very first trip to New Orleans, which was ages ago.

After experimenting, I do believe the crust atop this shrimp etouffée is spot on with the roux, and the stew, and now a little cheesy crunch. Laissez les bons temps rouler.

Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes
Makes: 10 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 Spanish onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
¼ cup millet flour
2 cups chicken stock
½ teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon oregano
1½ pounds shrimp, shelled and deveined
5 cups cooked rice
2 tablespoons gluten-free bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
Parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, heat the butter and oil. Add the garlic, pepper, onion, and celery, and cook until soft.

Whisk the flour into the onion mixture until well combined. Add ½ cup of the chicken broth and whisk to combine. Gradually add the remaining broth and cook until the mixture has thickened.

Add the salt, pepper, hot sauce, cayenne, paprika, and oregano. Stir, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, add the shrimp and continue cooking for about 4 minutes more, until the shrimp are pink. Do not overcook the shrimp.

Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it into a medium bowl. Place the cooked rice in the skillet, and top it with the shrimp mixture.

Sprinkle the gluten-free bread crumbs and Parmesan evenly over the shrimp mixture and place the skillet in the oven. Bake until slightly golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, top with the parsley, and serve.

Vegetarian Bell Pepper Adobo (Adobong Sili) Recipe from The Adobo Road Cookbook

June 4, 2013

Over the years, one of my favorite things about having this blog has become reviewing cookbooks. There are a lot of great cookbooks out there. To be honest, I have never reviewed any that were bad. But what makes a cookbook excellent to me, what makes it stand out among all the others, is when I can sense the passion for the food as I read the pages.

Lately I’ve had the opportunity to review several, but what I don’t always get to do is interact with the authors. Since our move to the Bay Area, one thing I am loving is that I can meet some of these cookbook authors at cookbook signings in the city.

That was the case with The Adobo Road Cookbook: A Filipino Food Journey-From Food Blog, to Food Truck, and Beyond by Marvin Gapultos (also the author of Burnt Lumpia). I received a review copy of the book and I was invited to the book signing at Omnivore Books. Having the chance to read it before the signing, I could not wait to learn more about the passion behind this book.

Yes, this book falls in the excellent category for me. The stories behind each recipe make you want to start creating, and continue to savor, family food memories of your own.

We haven’t been to the Philippines yet, but I’m continually intrigued by this cuisine. The tangy adobos and tasty lumpias, I’ve been wanting to try more dishes and The Adobo Road stepped right in with plenty of opportunities to do so. The best part is that the the recipes have a unique quality of being authentic without overwhelming the cook.

I enjoyed myself so much at the signing. Marvin described more about how the book came to be, and about the work that went into translating family cooking and memorized steps into a measured and written recipe that he could share with readers.

I knew what I was going to make prior to the signing, but I was even more encouraged when someone in the group asked what a person new to Filipino food should cook for the first time. His answer? An adobo. When I told Marvin that I hoped to make his Vegetarian Adobo for the blog, he told me more about his grandfather’s dish and how he hasn’t found the exact pepper used, but that this was incredibly close.

I’ve never made adobo before and the Vegetarian Bell Pepper Adobo (Adobong Sili) stood out for me due to it’s flavor and simplicity. In fact, I thought that it might be too simple or not as exciting as I hoped.

I underestimated its potential. I loved this dish! I wanted it to be as authentic as possible so I ordered the coconut vinegar online. I really think the slightly sweet flavor of this made the adobo. I’m so glad I decided to get it. Especially because it means there are more adobo dishes in my future.

If you’ve considered trying to make Filipino foods in your kitchen, definitely start with this book. The best way to describe it is easy authentic with plenty of passion to get you inspired!

Vegetarian Bell Pepper Adobo Adobong Sili

Serves 4–6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

2 tablespoons oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
5–6 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife and peeled
4 bell peppers of differing colors (green, red, yellow, orange), deseeded and cut into thin strips
¼ cup (65 ml) Filipino coconut vinegar, or distilled white vinegar
¼ cup (65 ml) soy sauce
¼ cup (65 ml) water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over moderately high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, 3–5 minutes. Toss in the bell peppers and sauté until they just begin to soften, 3–5 minutes.

Pour in the vinegar, soy sauce and water, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the brown sugar and black pepper, and add the bay leaf. Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the bell peppers become tender but not mushy. Discard the bay leaf and serve the adobo with steamed white rice.

From the book:

Adobo: What’s in a name?
Despite foreign inﬂuence on Filipino cuisine, Filipino adobo is indigenous and unique to the Philippines, existing before colonial rule. In the Philippines, “adobo” refers to a technique, rather than a singular dish. In the Spanish context, adobo generally refers to a marinade used to ﬂavor meats, whereas Mexican adobo refers to any number of spices. In all likelihood, Spanish colonists simply applied their term to what the Filipinos were already cooking and eating because it was similar in appearance to Spanish adobo, though not prepared the same way.

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review purposes. I was not required to post about it and received no compensation for doing so.

Coconut Bamboo Rice with Green Garbanzo Beans Recipe

May 31, 2013

I consider myself well-versed in fresh foods and in what my food looks like before it gets to my plate. I’ve grown a lot, and I have seen a lot in my travels. And that’s not to mention all the things I come across online. Yet, California continues to surprise me when it comes to produce.

I find something new to me at the Farmers Market almost every week. As you’d probably expect, I’m not shy. Many of the foods don’t have signs and at the market I go to some of the signs are only in an Asian language. As soon as something catches my attention, I walk right up to the vendor and ask what it is. I refuse to pass up on any food knowledge.

This past week, I spotted some small pods that I’d never seen before. Guess what they were. Garbanzo beans! I use garbanzo beans all the time, but I’ve never once seen the fresh version. I purchased a couple handfuls, not quite sure what I would do with them.

After posting the picture on Instagram, I got some help with how to cook them. The easiest way is to steam or boil them, and they cook rather quickly, similar to peas. I shelled and boiled mine, it took about 7 minutes or so to cook them.

It’s hard to describe the taste. They are obviously similar to the cooked-from-dried and canned versions, but they are fresher and lighter in both flavor and texture. I don’t know. Maybe it is just that green color making me think that, but either way, I loved them!

I picked up some bamboo rice (short grain rice infused with bamboo extract) a little while back and I’ve been hungry for something coconut. I used both and put together this very simple dish. It hit the spot for lunch after my mid-morning run.

Coconut Bamboo Rice with Green Garbanzo Beans

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup bamboo rice
¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
¾ cup lite coconut milk (I chose lite this time because it’s thinner)
1 tbsp chopped, fresh chives
¼ tsp salt (optional)
1 cup cooked, fresh (green) garbanzo beans

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium, add the rice. Cook about 60 to 90 seconds, stirring often. Pour in the stock and coconut milk. Bring to a low boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is softened.

Stir the chives and the salt into the rice. Note: if you are using salted stock you may not need the salt, so taste before adding it.

Divide the rice onto two plates and top with a ½ cup of the garbanzo beans. Serves 2.

Peanut Tea Cookies Recipe and a Weekend with The Peanut Institute

May 13, 2013

This year was our first time spending Derby Day in California and I had every intention of celebrating big — dressing up, mint juleps, meeting some University of Kentucky Alumni folks at a party in the city. And then I got an invitation that caused me to quickly trade pecan chocolate chip bourbon pies for peanuts.

I spent the first weekend in May at a sponsored Science & Culinary retreat on Plant-Powered Eating in Napa hosted by The Peanut Institute. A combination of nutritional research and cooking — I can think of few things that are more, well…me.

Truth be told, I was already a huge fan of peanuts. My preferred sandwich growing up was not PB&J, but straight up peanut butter. Now days I tend to skip over the sweetened versions and fully enjoy natural peanut butters with nuts and salt only. We also eat a fair share of dry roasted, unsalted nuts and I find shelling my own peanuts oddly rewarding.

So I really needed no convincing as to why one should eat peanuts as part of a plant-based diet, but I enjoyed the informative research presentations about recent studies using peanuts and the resulting health benefits.

You can expect more posts sharing the information learned at the retreat, but first I want to focus on a few things — the cooking (at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa, no less!), the incredibly diverse uses for peanuts in both sweet and savory cooking, and finally, my new favorite ingredient — peanut flour.

As you can imagine, almost every course of every meal of the weekend was touched by the peanut in some way. On Saturday night, we enjoyed an outstanding meal from the chefs at Hess Collection Winery. This was my first visit to this winery, but I encourage you to make it a stop if you are in Napa. The Chardonnay was outstanding and the tour of the art collection still has me a bit speechless.

It started with appetizers of Crab Ceviche.

Our salad included a Fennel Dusted Scallop over Red Watercress, Frisee, Endive, English Peas, Navel Oranges, Grilled Asparagus and Togarashi Candied Peanuts with a Wildflower Honey Citrus Vinaigrette. Is it possible to fit more seasonal ingredients in one dish? I think it may have been my favorite of the weekend.

Dinner included Oak Fire Grilled Line Caught Local Swordfish with Toasted Farro, Lollipop Kale, Royal Trumpet Mushrooms and Fava Beans with Truffle Whole Grain Mustard Sauce and Fresh Herb & Spring Onion Relish.

Dessert was a creative twist on the southern practice of dropping a few salted peanuts into a bottle of cola before drinking it — Chocolate Cola Cake, Peanut Horchata Sorbet and Cola Caramel.

Sunday was spent at the CIA with peanut-focused cooking demos and group cooking sessions. Our lunch feast was pretty incredible. We were split into teams, each assigned recipes to make which were focused on a food region. Our group had Latin, and this was our final dish.

The other dishes ranged from a gnocchi made with peanut flour to baba ganoush made with peanut butter. Here are a few.

Peanut Gnocchi with Peas and Pancetta

Pad Thai

Crispy Spring Rolls

Our dinner Sunday night was at the quaint Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen in downtown Napa. The food was delicious, but with lots of lively conversation I got fewer pictures this time around. That is, except for the one dish that gets the reward for the most peanut creativity.

Crispy Peanut Butter & Jelly Sliders! These were like little Monte Cristo sandwiches without the meat. Seriously tasty!

Not a bad weekend learning about the versatility of peanuts, right?

But now let’s talk about this peanut flour. It was mentioned the first day of presentations and everyone’s ears immediately perked up. Some people said they once bought it at Trader Joe’s, but that they no longer carry it. I had heard of it before, but that was the extent of my knowledge.

There are a few different varieties — lightly toasted, darker toasted and varying fat contents. Several of the recipes that were demonstrated or that we made used peanut flour. So I had a few ideas in my head before I got my bag home.

First of all, I’m a little amazed by it. If you taste it straight out of the bag, it’s actually quite good with a roasted peanut flavor without any grittiness. This is what makes it perfect for stirring into oatmeal and also for breakfast shakes. In fact, I’ve found the flour helps me get a more concentrated form of protein (and peanut flavor) into breakfast while reducing the calories I would get from adding peanut butter.

Aside from all this healthy breakfast stuff, I couldn’t wait to try the peanut flour in my baking. I was flipping through old posts when I got an idea. A few years ago, as part of the annual blogger holiday recipe exchange, I made Russian Tea Cakes. These were very similar to Mexican Wedding Cakes – light and tender cookies with nuts, coated in powdered sugar. I immediately wondered what might happen if I made a peanut version.

I was hoping to use all peanut flour, but I couldn’t get the consistency of the dough just right so I did add in a ¼ cup of unbleached, all-purpose flour. I used chopped dry roasted, lightly salted peanuts (so I omitted any extra salt in the recipe) and dusted the cookies with powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

First, your kitchen will smell amazing for hours after baking these cookies. And I’m thrilled with the result. They are a tasty peanutty twist on a classic.

Peanut Tea Cookies

Modified from Russian Tea Cakes

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 cup + 2 tbsp 28% fat, light peanut flour
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
⅓ cup dry roasted, lightly salted peanuts, chopped

For dusting:

¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the butter and powdered sugar, beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla.

Add the peanut flour and white flour and mix on low until combined, scraping the sides as needed. Mix in the peanuts.

Roll the dough into balls just shy of the size of a golf ball. Place on an ungreased baking sheet or a baking sheet covered with a baking mat. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the bottom edges begin to brown. Be careful not to over bake.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and do not disturb. The cookies are very fragile when warm.

In a flat dish, stir together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Once the cookies are completely cool, after about 15 -20 minutes, carefully remove them from the baking pan and roll in the dusting powder until completely coated. Store in a single layer in an airtight container for up to three days. Makes 12 cookies.

Disclosure: My attendance to the Science & Culinary retreat May 4-6, 2013 was fully sponsored by The Peanut Institute. The peanut flour from Old Virginia Byrd Mill used in this recipe was provided to me at this event. I was not required to post about this event or any products received, and I received no compensation for doing so. Thoughts are my own. I liked peanuts and peanut butter long before blogs existed and the FTC set disclosure regulations for them.

Maple-Bourbon Budino with Spiced Pecans from Bakeless Sweets

April 17, 2013

About a year ago I caught a post on The Kitchn called How Cookbooks Are Made: A Peek Into a Cookbook Photo Shoot. Since reading that story, I’ve had my eye out for Faith Durand’s, Bakeless Sweets.

I received a copy a few days ago, and there is already a good chance that I will refrain from turning on the oven all summer so that I can try every recipe in this book.

It has reintroduced me to a world of desserts that were somehow lost in my past. We ate many scratch-made puddings growing up so I debated why bakeless desserts had failed to get my attention in adulthood. The reason soon dawned on me.

After the scratch-made puddings of my youth, somewhere along the line bakeless desserts became fake. As in, they meant boxed pudding, jellos, and oil-based whipped cream — things that no longer have a place in my kitchen. It turns out that when those things went, so did all my desire to make bakeless desserts.

And that is what makes this cookbook brilliant. There is not a box of pudding required among its pages. In fact, Faith offers her own recipe for making pudding mix at home to keep on hand, eliminating the need for even the busiest cook to turn to the boxes.

As delicious as the many pudding recipes sound, don’t think for a minute that they are all this book has to offer. Every creative combination of stove-top and refrigerator desserts you can think of (and many more you never imagined) are in this book.

As Faith pointed out in that post I read a year ago, there is no cookbook like this on my shelf. It is truly unique, and not to mention, eye-opening when it comes to dessert.

A few of the recipes I plan to try out this summer include — Salted Caramel Risotto, Goat Cheese Panna Cotta with Cranberry-Port Glaze and Papaya Filled with Coconut Cream and Mango.

The book is also filled with gorgeous photos by Stacy Newgent. To be honest, I never thought mousse and jellies could be so pretty. The spoon selection used in the photographs is enough to make you want to spend the day shopping at an antique store so you can make your finished bowlful as beautiful.

I flipped through the pages admiring the photos as I tried to decide what to make. It didn’t take long before something on page 62 gave me a few flashbacks to my Old Kentucky Home. After living there for 10 years, I welcomed the change that came with moving to California, but there are two times a year that I know I will always miss.

Spring and autumn — when the horses are running.

I’m not exactly a true racing fan, but no one can deny the spirit in the air as Derby nears each May. So when I saw a recipe for Maple-Bourbon Budino with Spiced Pecans I knew I needed to add it to my long distance Derby celebration. (Budino is an Italian dessert that is similar to pudding, in case you were wondering like I was.)

A few tips. Just go ahead and make two batches of the pecans because you’ll have a hard time keeping your hands out of them before you finish the pudding. Also, don’t be scared of pudding. I have to admit the whisking, tempering and boiling all get me a bit nervous because I’ve failed so many times in the past. But thanks to Faith’s step-by-step instructions, I finally had a true pudding success. No lumps to be found. And the flavor of this rich, sweet and salty budino can’t be beat. Thanks to this book I was quickly reminded that I LOVE pudding, too!

Maple-Bourbon Budino with Spiced Pecans

(Both recipes reprinted with permission from Abrams Books.)

Maple and bourbon were meant to go together, with maple’s sweet fragrance and bourbon’s vanilla smoothness. They pair especially well in this intensely rich and sweet budino, which mounds up on the spoon like creamy maple syrup. It’s best eaten warm.

Makes 2 cups (480 ml) or eight servings.
Gluten-free.

1/4 cup (55 g) packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) Grade B maple syrup
1 cup (240 ml) cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon

Warm and sweeten the cream: Bring the sugar and maple syrup to a boil over medium heat in a 3-quart (2.8-L) saucepan. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced by about half. Whisk in the cream and heat until the surface begins to quiver. Turn off the heat.

Make a cornstarch and egg yolk slurry: Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch and salt together in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure there are no lumps. Whisk in the egg yolks. It is important that this mixture be as smooth as you can make it.(To be really sure, reach into the bowl and gently rub out any lumps between your fingers.)

Temper the slurry: Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of the hot cream into the bowl with the slurry and whisk vigorously to combine. They should come together smoothly, with no lumps. If you see any, add a little more liquid and whisk them out. Pour the tempered slurry back into the pan slowly, counting to 10 as you do and whisking vigorously.

Thicken the pudding: Turn the heat back on to medium. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly and vigorously, working all the angles of the pot and scraping the bottom. It will take 2 to 5 minutes for the custard to come to a boil, with large bubbles that slowly pop up to the surface. Boil, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes.Turn off the heat. Stir in the vanilla and bourbon.

Chill the pudding: Immediately pour the custard into a shallow container. Place plastic wrap or buttered wax paper directly on the surface to cover it, and refrigerate. This recipe is best served warm—almost immediately, or after 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Serve it with a spoonful of spiced maple pecans (recipe follows) scattered on top.

Spiced Maple Pecans

These lightly toasted spiced pecans are just piquant enough to balance the sweet richness of the Maple-Bourbon Budino.

Makes 1 cup (240 ml).
Gluten-free.

1 cup (110 g) roughly chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Butter a baking sheet and have it ready. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the pecans. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until they smell nutty and toasted. Add the spices and cook for 10 seconds, stirring. Add the butter and maple syrup and stir until melted, then bring to a simmer. As soon as the liquid bubbles down into a thick glaze, remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the salt. Turn out onto the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review purposes. I was not required to write about it and received no compensation for doing so. Thoughts are my own, and I also love pudding.

Whole Wheat Banana Snack Cake with Chocolate Guinness Frosting Recipe

April 8, 2013

When presented with an open beer (minus the ¼ cup you used in a recipe), most people would drink it. It’s a logical solution and one I’ve implemented myself numerous times. But when I made the Guinness Braised Kale with potatoes and poached egg for St. Patrick’s Day, I found myself debating whether to drink half a beer or make a cake.

I chose cake.

This isn’t your super sweet, rich, decadent dessert cake, which is why I decided to add snack cake to the name. It’s filling with the fresh flavor of banana, and the frosting will curb any craving for chocolate. Maybe even a hankering for dark beer. If you don’t mind a splash of booze and hearty whole grains for breakfast or as a snack, then I suggest you forgo finishing off your next pint, too.

Whole Wheat Banana Snack Cake with Chocolate Guinness Frosting via @Lori_Rice

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Whole Wheat Banana Snack Cake with Chocolate Guinness Frosting

Makes: 9 servings

Ingredients

¾ cup mascavo (muscovado) sugar

¼ cup olive oil*

2 eggs

1 overripe banana, mashed

1 tbsp Guinness beer

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

Frosting

1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups confectioner’s (powdered) sugar

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp Guinness beer

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×8 inch square pan.

Add the sugar, oil and egg to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium for about 1 minute. Add in the banana and mix on medium to medium-high 1 minute more. Mix in the 1 tablespoon of Guinness.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool.

To prepare the frosting, add the butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of the mixer fitted with the whisk or paddle attachment. Beat together the butter and powder sugar on medium and then medium-high until combined, and almost smooth, about 1 minute. Add the cocoa and 1 tablespoon of the Guinness. Mix on medium-high until the frosting is smooth, about 90 seconds. Mix in the additional 1 tablespoon of Guinness, based on your desired consistency for the frosting. The full 2 tablespoons was perfect for me.

Frost the cooled cake, cut into 9 pieces and serve.

*Be sure to use regular olive oil with this recipe because it has a more mild flavor. Virgin olive oils may add too much of an olive-like taste.

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Stuffed Cabbage Roll Recipe

March 6, 2013

I’m into my third month living in California, and aside from the typical missing of friends, family and horses, things are going wonderfully. Ok, a move across the country probably doesn’t include missing horses for most people, but it does when you move from Kentucky.

We’re fully unpacked, the house in Kentucky finally sold and I’m happy to say I actually feel kind of settled. As a result, we looked ahead to our travel schedule for the year. I feel a little like my entire life in California is one big travel adventure; there is so much to see here. But I’ve been aching for Europe.

Christmas 2012 was a bit of a bust. There was no Christmas tree and very little baking due to all the packing. We squeezed in a quick trip to celebrate with family only to have it cut short by an impending snow storm. Three days later we were on a cross-country drive to California.

I won’t lie; I’ve done my fair share of pouting ever since. I know many people are overwhelmed by the stress of the holidays, but I absolutely love that time of year. So when we talked about where we would travel this year, I insisted that Christmas be a big part of it.

As a result, we are now scheduled for one of my ultimate, must-do, bucket list worthy experiences – the Christmas markets in Europe! Not to mention that this will be preceded by a few days in New York City to see the tree there. Then we will head over to Vienna, still one of my favorite cities in the world, and then off to Krakow, Poland.

I don’t want to wish a year away, but I can’t hide my excitement for this trip!

In addition to all the Christmas action, my husband comes from Polish descent so we are very excited to finally travel there. And I have my mind on Polish recipes. I thought it was high time I try my hand at stuffed cabbage rolls.

Aside from the multiple steps, they are much easier to make than I expected, and this is coming from someone who is awful at rolling foods. Burritos, spring rolls, wraps – I might get one good looking roll out of 10. I’m happy to say that cabbage rolls are very forgiving when it comes to rolling them up.

This isn’t exactly a traditional recipe. It’s one I made by combining a quick look at recipes on the web with what I had on hand in the kitchen.

If you’ve never made stuffed cabbage, there are quite a few things going on at once, which I wasn’t expecting. You have to boil the head of cabbage, make the sauce, and then add some of that sauce to the filling. Just take your time and you won’t get overwhelmed. I suggest getting your cabbage leaves cooked and separated, and then concentrating on the rest of the recipe.

Grass-fed Beef Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe

1 small head green cabbage

Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 green bell pepper, cored and diced

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

14 ounces diced tomatoes (fresh will work, no-salt-added if you used canned)

¼ cup red wine

1 tbsp mascavo sugar (or brown sugar)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

Filling

½ of the sautéed vegetables from the sauce (see preparation below)

½ lb grass-fed ground beef

1 cup cooked rice

2 tbsp cabbage roll sauce (above)

1 tbsp hot sauce

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cabbage

Fill a large soup pot ¾ full with water. Bring to a boil. Remove any dirty or bruised outer leaves of the cabbage. Place the whole head of cabbage in the boiling water. Let it boil about 2 minutes, or until the outer leaves begin pull away from the head.

Remove the cabbage from the water (I used a ladle). Use kitchen shears to cut off the outer leaves at the stem. They should be partially cooked and flexible. Set them aside to dry and cool. Return the head of cabbage to the boiling water. Repeat this process until you have 10 to 12 cabbage leaves.

Reserve 1 to 2 cups of the cabbage cooking water.

Sauce

For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to brown and soften. Remove half of the vegetables from the pan and place in a glass mixing bowl. (This is for your filling.)

Back to the skillet, add the tomatoes and wine. Cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar, salt, basil and pepper. Cook 1 more minute. Stir in the 1 cup of reserved cabbage water.

Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Add more cabbage water if you want a thinner sauce. (I used only the 1 cup.) Pour the sauce back in the skillet to keep it warm.

Filling

Add the ground beef and rice to the bowl with the reserved vegetables. Add 2 tablespoons of the finished cabbage roll sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Use a fork or your clean hands to mix the filling well.

Assembly

First spoon about ¼ cup of the tomato sauce into a 5 quart Dutch oven and spread it over the bottom of the pan.

Place a cabbage leaf on the counter top with the inside facing up (it should curve up like a cup), and put about ¼ cup of the filling towards the stem end of the leaf. You will have to judge how much filling to use based on the size of your leaves. I had a huge variation so I used anywhere from 2 tablespoons to a ½ cup. Just ensure that it isn’t so much that it squeezes out the side.

Fold in the both sides, and starting with the stem end, roll the leaf around the filling. Place seam-side down in the Dutch oven. Repeat the process with the remaining leaves.

Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls, and cover the pot with the lid. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the cabbage has softened and the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Serves 3 to 4.

Sautéed Purple and Lacinato Kale Salad with Almond Dressing Recipe

February 20, 2013

I should probably warn you that the phrase “we explored a new Farmer’s Market” is likely to become common on the blog. That’s because there are 8 throughout the week within a 5 minute drive (some within a short walk), and probably 10 more within 15 to 20 minutes. So far I have only been to 2. I have a lot of exploring to do.

So…

We explored a new Farmer’s Market this past weekend. This time, in Berkeley, and I stumbled upon a beautiful box of purple kale. As much as I consider myself a kale connoisseur with the few varieties I’ve grown and the many kale recipes you find on this blog, I now realize I have been living a lie.

I knew there were other kale varieties, but I had no idea they were so pretty, so different in texture, so…tasty. I asked on my Facebook page who had tried purple kale, and I’m in the minority. Apparently, you all have been enjoying it without me for quite some time. Well, I was ready to join the club.

Along with purple kale, I have wanted to try Lacinato (Dinosaur) kale for at least a year or two and I was finally granted the opportunity. After staring at these leafy greens (and purples) in my kitchen for a couple days, I finally decided that I couldn’t get too fancy with the preparation. I needed their true flavors and colors to come out.

The Lacinato is top left.

I’m not a huge fan of raw kale. Massaged in oil it’s okay, but I prefer it to be stirred around a skillet even if it’s only for a few minutes. I tossed this sautéed kale salad in a super easy dressing of almond butter with a slight tang from rice vinegar. So far I’ve eaten it warm, room temperature and cold, and I have yet to find a way I don’t like it.

Sautéed Purple and Lacinato Kale Salad with Almond Dressing

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. Lacinato kale, chopped

½ lb. Purple kale chopped

2 tbsp raw almond butter

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp mascavo sugar (or brown sugar)

¼ tsp sea salt

Heat the olive oil in wok or skillet over medium-high. Add the garlic and the kale. Stir to coat the kale in oil. Add 2 tablespoons of water to help gently wilt the kale. Cook about 2 minutes total, allowing the water to cook off, and remove the kale from the heat.

In a small dish, mix together the almond butter, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Transfer the kale to a bowl and pour on the dressing. Toss to coat. Top with roasted almonds before serving if desired. Serves 4-6.

Double Chocolate Orange Cookies Recipe

February 8, 2013

These chocolate orange cookies bring together two of my very favorite ingredients!

Double Chocolate Orange Cookies | Fake Food Free

Did you ever buy those chocolate oranges? They came in the shiny foil and when you whacked it on the counter top it broke into appropriately imprinted orange slices.

I think they were introduced around Christmas or Easter one year and we went crazy for them. I don’t know if they are still available, but I owe them all the credit for introducing me to the flavor combination of chocolate and orange.

I don’t want to be so bold as to say that it ranks up there with chocolate and peanut butter, but if I had to pick a fruit to go with my chocolate, orange just might be it.

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and while I know it isn’t everyone’s favorite holiday, I am adamant about the fact that one should, at the very least, embrace a holiday that focuses so heavily on chocolate. Forget the love, the pink, the hearts if you must, but my goodness, eat some chocolate!

I’m here to help you out with this recipe. A lot of chocolate, a little orange, some whole grains and raw sugar. Nice and simple, but the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Double Chocolate Orange Cookies via @Lori_Rice

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Double Chocolate Orange Cookies Recipe

Makes: 18 cookies

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup raw sugar

1 large egg

½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp fresh orange juice

Zest of 1 orange

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup dark chocolate chips

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar, about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the egg. Mix until incorporated. Add the vanilla, orange juice and orange zest, mix about 30 seconds more.

Add the baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Mix until the cocoa powder is distributed throughout the dough. With the mixer on low, add the flour a ¼ cup at a time. Mix just until it is incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to transfer the dough to a standard baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Page Tangerine Walnut Muffins Recipe

January 22, 2013

One change that goes along with living in the Bay Area is that I can no longer complain about the endless cold days of January and February. No, no complaining here. In fact, you can’t get much closer to perfect for me. Sunshine and jacket weather, nicely balanced with a gloomy day that requires a scarf and maybe gloves.

I’ve always considered citrus season a bright spot in a long, dreary winter. Now it’s a bonus during an already enjoyable time of year. And wow, did I completely underestimated how amazing citrus season would be around here!

I’m not unfamiliar with regular access to amazing oranges. I had my pick of them when we lived in Brazil, but four varieties of oranges, mandarins, tangerines, lemons and sweet limes is a whole new ball game. We’ve purchased so much the past two weekends, we can barely carry them back to our apartment. Yet the fruit basket is completely empty come the following Saturday.

I’m incredible picky about my citrus. Mainly the seeds and tough membranes. It’s such an issue for me that I still serve my oranges old school cafeteria-style, sliced in quarters and eaten like a fourth grader. I’ve just now come around to the peel-and-eat citrus like mandarins, if they are small, tender and sweet.

Last week I was introduced to a new favorite that meets all my criteria – Page Tangerines. They are a cross of clementines and minneolas (tangelos). They are unbelievably sweet and tender. Some people at the Farmer’s Market stall complained that they are a little hard to peel, but I didn’t mind this too much.

Page Tangerines, a cross of clementines and minneolas (tangelos). | Page Tangerine Walnut Muffins Recipe | Fake Food Free

California Citrus | Ferry Building Farmers Market, San Francisco | Fake Food Free

Given that I can’t seem to control myself, and always buy way too much citrus, I decided to use some in muffins this past weekend. Along with the sweet citrus, I added walnuts for a little crunch and a sprinkle of raw sugar on the top.

Page Tangerine Walnut Muffins Recipe

Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups white whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup raw sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 Page tangerines, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp Page tangerine zest
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Raw sugar to top the muffins

Prep:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease the bottom of each muffin tin. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together the sugar, milk, olive oil, egg and vanilla.

Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing just until combined. Fold in the tangerines, zest and walnuts. Divide into 12 muffins. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with about a 1/2 tsp of raw sugar. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until muffins are browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and remove from pan.

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Sautéed Purple and Lacinato Kale Salad with Almond Dressing Recipe

Sautéed Purple and Lacinato Kale Salad with Almond Dressing

Double Chocolate Orange Cookies Recipe

Double Chocolate Orange Cookies Recipe

Page Tangerine Walnut Muffins Recipe

Page Tangerine Walnut Muffins Recipe

Thanks so much for reading!

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