Excellent Blogs + Spiced Vegan Chai Cocoa
Sorry for the uber long delay here! Thank Cheryl over at Gluten Free Goodness for dragging me out of the blogging closet with her nomination of Cindalou's for an Excellent Blog Award. I begrudgingly (and gratefully, I might add) brushed off our basement office mold and dust to peck yet again at the keyboard. (This time it is not for calculations of the rate of matter spiraling into a black hole or deriving the gauge transformation with the trace reversed metric perturbation ... sorry, that's GR speak polluting my brain from our midterm exam).
This time, however, I can share goodies about Cheryl and her nutrition-packed gluten, dairy, soy, egg, and corn free (whew!) kitchen. Hey, that beats the heck out of ion implantation stuff. How can Neon ions compare with her pesto? Admittedly, I'll need to nut-free that pesto for myself with a heaping pile of extra kalamata olives, but that garlic-y pesto looks deliciously green and appetizing. Alternatively, you may prefer Cheryl's creative Pesto-ed Fish, featuring garlic scapes. If you like healthy allergen free recipes with tons of fresh garden produce, I recommend Cheryl and re-nominate her for an excellent blog award. I don't know if that's possible, but rules are just guidelines anyways ... especially when they come between garlic pesto fish and myself. As an organic gardener and cook, Cheryl makes excellent dishes with seasonal produce. If you have a bumper crop of pears, basil, or veggies, then check out her concoctions for dinner ideas!
Here's the spiel:
The rules that accompany this award are as follows:
?Please find at least 10 more blogs of any kind which you deem to be excellent; but hey if you only come up with 3 or 5 (I chose 8), I don?t mind. Post about the blogs you picked, linking back to me and to them. Once you?ve posted, return here to let me know your post is up, and of course let your 10 award winners know too." Cindalou's "Excellent Blogs":Gluten Free For Good: Pumpkin anyone? Beets and Greens? Melissa over at Gluten Free for Good has a fantastic blog (and website) that extends beyond the gluten free community, as she lends her nutritionist expertise to everyone with an ear to hear (eye to read?). Seasonal ingredients (with recipes!) punctuate the health posts and exposes on hot nutrition topics. Melissa also knows how to have a good time, as she often shares her beautiful photos taken while hiking the Colorado wilderness. I can admire those sharp mountain peaks from afar, drool over her Pumpkin Pancakes, and laugh out loud at her humorous rantings on nutritional disasters and the advertising conspiracy. If you haven't seen the high fructose corn syrup commercials yet, read her comments on it and the role of sugar in modern diets versus health. If you have a sweet tooth, don't despair! Even as a bonafide health professional, she makes sweet amends and provides recent Celiac health & nutrition conference updates to the rest of us *unprivileged* non-health pro invitees.
Gluten Free Mommy: Unfortunately Natalie is out of the kitchen blogosphere right now due to her pregnancy (what a great reason, yey!), but GF Mommy is one of my favorite (and NC local) blogs. Her fish stew is reminiscent of one of my favorite quick healthy recipes for cool nights, and her beautiful pictures of gluten free cakes make me pine for dairy and a trip to Raleigh :). Also, if you enjoy Indian food as much as I do, you don't want to miss Natalie's bombay chicken and kung pao chicken. Update: She posted a fantastic Thanksgiving Frozen Pumpkin Pie which looks oh-so-tempting (once dairy-freed, of course).
Book of Yum: Although Sea is already an "E" blog as well, I'm going to jump aboard and give Book of Yum another vote. How could I forget such an expansive multiple-allergen friendly food blogger with a kindred appreciation for turmeric and spinach? I love the exotic Asian-inspired and Indian dishes from Book of Yum, as well as the focus on creative and often vegetarian and/or vegan recipes. Her uncheese nutritional yeast dairy free spinach pie and recent poppy seed goat cheese beet salad are calling my name (darn that goat cheese!). If you are adventurous in the kitchen, check out Sea's creations for great bento (lunch box) and dinner idea. Sea also gives many nondairy (often soy or nut based) "butter" and "cream" recipes for dairy-intolerant individuals like myself.
Great Mastications: Orla dishes up some great gf healthy recipes with a serious Canadian appreciation of healthy hemp, as well as teaching all of us a little more common sense about sustainable green living (see her post Green Business for a great "Stop buying crap we don't need" read). Come spring and summertime, I'll be gorging myself with her hemp seed and green onion dip, mmm!
Gluten Free Bay: Fall is brimming with holiday opportunity to try out a few of the Bay's plethora of creative kosher gluten free recipes. I am looking forward to some matzo balls for chicken soup and some low glycemic sweet potato and leek latkes. If you keep kosher and juggle allergies, the Bay is an invaluable resource for recipes and product updates!
Caveman Food: Elizabeth serves up great Paleo meals like the Sam I Am Eggs (told you Mom!) and Lamb Meatballs. For everyone on a low carb or cavemen-esque diet, I highly recommend her site. It's easy to get stuck in a rut on a low carb diet and eat the same ole ho-hum food, but Elizabeth's meals can appetize the low carber and regular diner alike. Who doesn't like (gluten and dairy free!) chicken fingers? Don't forget your vegetables either! Vital to health and the low carb and Paleo lifestyles, Cave(wo)men do eat their veggies! Restricted diets can be hard without further limiting food groups voluntarily, so check her out for gluten free, dairy free, low carb/Paleo meals.
Aprovechar: I know everyone else has given Sally an "E" already, but I must chime in. Sally's recipes are great healthy recipes for anyone looking for allergen free weight loss dinner ideas, but the real sparkle in her blogging comes from her heartfelt discussions regarding her life experience. Sally harbors the genuine glow of someone who has overcome traumatic health problems through an inspiring recovery. I know many people who can fake optimism, but Sally really has a true light shining from her soul. Besides, she makes tempting gluten free vegan Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies featuring flax seed (horrah!) to munch while you ponder enlightenment.
Jeena's Kitchen: Mediterranean cuisine (not all gluten or allergen free) with tons of delicious photographic recipes with everything from lamb and fish to traditional vegetable curries and desserts. The lamb dishes are always some of Jon's favorite objects 'o drool, like her lamb mint meatballs (use gf bread or ground flax).
I'm sure I missed a few excellent gluten free blogs, so my apologies. Other top authors are Cathy Wong and Dr. Ben Kim, both very knowledgeable alternative health authorities and creative cooks. Dr. Ben Kim even has a healthy corn syrup and HFCS free pecan pie recipe stocked full of delicious dates for the holidays! All of these yummy blogs are stirring my appetite for a nice warm mug of cocoa ...
Spiced Vegan Chai Cocoa
[low glycemic to boot]
The onset of brisk cold nights here in NC drags out a plethora of random herbs and unsweetened cocoa powder for a nightly rendevouz with my otherwise shivering hands. I have to make all my own cocoas since commercial AND affordable varieties come complete with a) corn syrup, b) dairy ... and more derivatives of dairy, and c) tons of other crap.
Unsweetened non-dutch processed cocoa is not treated with alkali and is all we use at Cindalou's. Why no dutch processed cocoa? The dutch processing destroys most of the flavonols present in cocoa, as discussed in this Chocolate as a Health Food article. Besides, addition of unnecessary metals to perfectly good cocoa for a milder taste seems .. unnecessary. Curious minds can find a concise description of the sundry varieties of chocolate and cocoa at this Wikipedia site.
All of the cocoa details aside, if you want quick and easy homemade vegan cocoa, gather any combination of the following herbs and ingredients and stir away! (The amounts are approximate, and as such, this is barely a recipe at all. This is an herb-y cocoa based on my old slippery elm tea of healing warmth.)
2 T. unsweetened non-dutch cocoa powder
4 drops liquid Stevia (if desired) or agave/honey to taste
1 t. slippery elm - various soothing digestive actions, high in iron and vitamins, helps kidney problems, diarrhea and constipation (similar action to psyllium)
1 t. cayenne pepper - arthritis, pain relief (internal & external), soothes & improves digestion, metabolic booster
2 t. cinnamon - antifungal, antibacterial, improves glucose metabolism (diabetes), anticlotting, helpful for memory
dash ground ginger - excellent nausea and digestive aid, antiinfammatory, aids in prevention of cancer, immunity booster
1 t. crushed fennel seeds - very high in Vitamin C, improves immunity, high in folate (a B vitamin) and fiber, helps keep the colon and heart healthydash ground fenugreek - high in fiber and amino acids, lowers cholesterol and regulates blood sugar, helps soothe digestion, loosens mucous, can stimulate the sex drive, and has an interesting folk use for breast enlargement. It also improves milk flow from nursing mothers, may help fight obesity, aids in heart disease, and can ease menstrual pain. It should not be used in high, frequent doses, or by pregnant women
1 t. cardamom (ground) - digestive aid, gas reliever, stimulant, and helps to break up mucous. Add extra cardamom to your tea, soups, stews, curry dishes, or pies if you have a cold or some congestion
dash coriander (ground) - helps control blood sugar, useful in diabetes, good source of mucilage, and helps control cholesterol
dash cloves (ground) - the active eugenol in cloves aids in inflammation and arthritis, digestive disorders and cancers, detoxification from environmental pollutants, pain relief, and anesthetic. Chew on a clove bud for a toothache and your whole mouth will go numb! It is also high in minerals and contains some Omega 3 fatty acids.2+ cups boiling water or 1 c. boiling water 1 c. hemp milk (or other milk or favorite milk substitute)Mix all in the mug(s), pour over water and/or warmed [hemp] milk and stir. Dilute and sweeten to preference. Use Stevia or agave for low glycemic (~0 and ~11 glycemic index, respectively), or add honey (~32 a low g.i.) as desired. Honey harbors amazing antimicrobial, antiviral, and antioxidant benefits, so don't fear the honey bee! If you want more health benefits on each ingredient, check out the links above.
Serves: 1-2 (depending on water or "milk" use)
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Tri-pepper Chicken Veggie Chowder
It's getting a little more chilly and rainy here as fall finally dons her hat, so I thought I'd share my excuse for a soup that is really chunky chili stew for the occasion. We made this soup awhile ago actually, but I'm behind on blogging here at Cindalou's due to much excitement and distraction in the "real" world. The bank bailouts and election coverage in the media are more intriguing than pepper stew, but they certainly lack the Vitamins A and C and healing capsaicin that the peppers pack. Capsicum is a collection of compounds found in chili peppers with amazing pain-reducing abilities when taking both internally and externally (with caution). There has been recent hype concerning the age-old capsicum and cayenne, also a source of the compounds, for use in arthritis creams and other topical aches and pains. Other benefits of capsicum include better digestion, ulcer treatment, a slight metabolism boost for weight loss, and some gentle pain relief. Personally, I'd rather eat a spicy stew than take a pill or use an external cream, though Jon swears the stew is what causes his pain ("mouth fire") :)
Late summer brings us the last of the pepper harvest around here, so drag out your slowcooker and stuff it full of some hot peppers and seasonal fall produce, or sit back to watch the fireworks on CNN. Hey, as bad as your lips and tongue sting at the spice (which is actually releasing aspirin-like compounds called salycilates and endorphins inside your body during digestion to relieve the pain), that spice is not as bad as the rhetoric on the economy. (Oh, and the white pepper innards hold the spice, not the seeds, so watch out!) Don't blame me for loving spice: I'm related to the Scovilles, though not the namesake of the Scoville pepper rating scale.
photo courtesy of squidoo hot sauce blog
3 large organic carrots
4 jalapeños, whole
1 habanero, whole (optional)
1 fresh, large, green banana pepper
1 red cherry pepper
1/2 green wax pepper
6 cloves fresh garlic
4 large whole thawed boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
2 ears fresh corn, sliced off ear OR 2/3 lb. frozen corn kernels
2-3 sundried tomatoes
1/2 can large black olives, drained
1 28 oz can organic crushed tomatoes
1 large onion
2 c. low sodium gluten free chicken broth (We use Imagine*)
~12 c. water (enough to cover the chicken breasts in your slow cooker, we have a large Crockpot)
~1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
1 7 oz. can fire roasted diced green chilies
Seasonings:
rosemary
garlic powder
sea salt and pepper
dash cayenne pepper (optional but highly recommended for optimal health whallop)
dash crushed red pepper flakes
parsley
Optional add ins (if you have on hand):
1/2 bag (5 oz) of fresh, washed organic baby spinach or other dark greens
2 stalks organic celery, washed
First, wash and pat dry all of the peppers, celery, and greens. I minced about half the garlic and reserved the rest of the whole cloves for the soup. Slice the peppers (wear a glove if you're sensitive to the oil) to your liking and set aside. I finely chopped my jalapeños, but roughly sliced the longer wax and banana peppers and quartered the cherry peppers. The habanero I leave whole in the soup for the "winner" (around here, that's me since Jon's terrified of it). If you do choose to chop up the habanero, be aware that your soup spice level will go through the roof as the oils disperse in the broth. Don't fret about all the different varieties of peppers, substitute ones you like. Note that sweet bell peppers will not have the capasicin-loaded benefits, but they are still excellent sources of Vitamin C (especially eaten raw).
Drizzle the olive oil into the slowercooker and place the washed chicken breasts in the bottom of the slowcooker. I chose to slice the corn off the cob and add the kernels directly to the Crockpot. Chop the carrots and celery and add to the pot as well. If you're adding any heavy greens like mustards or kale, chop and add them now as well. Either add whole sundried tomatoes, or chop them with kitchen shears and add to the pot. Add in all of your seasonings, broth, and water.
If you're using a Crockpot, make sure your's is large enough for all of the liquid. Cook the soup on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 5-7 hours - whichever timing fits your schedule best. Serve hot with a garnish of avocado wedges and a squeeze of lime. If you have fresh basil available, some chopped basil would be wonderful sprinkled on top right before serving.
* Imagine broths and soups are kosher, gluten and dairy free (depending on type). They are also non-GMO (not genetically modified). I buy the low sodium versions of the vegetable and free-range chicken broths.
A Brief (Incomplete) Synopsis of capsicum benefits:
pain-reliever for aliments such as arthritis and shinglesmetabolism booster for weight loss
aids indigestion and helps heal the inner mucosal membranes in digestive trackkills bacteria in the stomach which can cause ulcers
helps lower blood cholesterol and triglyceridescan help kill cancer: studies show it can induce apoptosis (death) of cancer cells in the prostate, lungs, gastrointestinal track, and leukemic cancers among others
A neat summary of peppers on the How
Stuff Works website
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Rockin' [with] the LHC
I'll come right out and say it: this is not at all a gluten, dairy, soy, nut, or anything food related post. Of course, there are no [food] allergens in subatomic particles, now are there? Sometimes I've heard of (and suffered from) a mild allergy to physics [homework], but no allergic responses to particle physics, so here goes!
As many of you know, by day I work in nuclear astrophysics (I love LENA, though our site is very outdated). What many of you (other than my parents who probably don't remember) don't know is that I did a brief stint in particle physics years back. I can't really claim more credit than that in the recent CERN LHC experiments as I spent only an internship at the University of Iowa in particle physics. However, I can proudly state that I came quite close friends with these cool little (very expensive) custom tubes which detect light given off by particle interactions inside a detector. In fact, I dreamed about Hamamatsu photomultiplier tubes (PMT) for a good few months after returning to my neck of the woods in Georgia and the safe haven of nuclear physics. If anyone is wondering how and why we need to characterize the dark current and radiation-exposure response of every single PMT going to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) @ CERN, the European Centre [Organization] for Nuclear Research, then email me. Just don't make me give another speech or seminar on it... please, pretty please?
A pictorial side-slice of the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) detector on which a few of the pieces I tested are used. The colors and lines show tracks of various particles (charged particles like protons or electrons) and muons (the long blue line). Credit: CERN
Besides, this short video is much more interesting than my summer of testing equipment and writing computer codes for equipment used in the current experiments at the LHC. Plus, humor is great for your health. Congrats to you, LHC. I know this accelerator runtime is quite a hard-earned victory a long time in the making.
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
8 Aug 2010 at 3:49pm
Gazpacho Fish with Avocado Salsa [Low Carb] [Low Glycemic Index]
Dive into the August/September Edition of Chef Jeena's Seafood and Fish Recipe Roundup! We love fish here at Cindalou's where wild salmon is a frequent visitor of our kitchen table, but I thought I'd share a simple, summery white fish recipe this time. Of course wild salmon (not farmed), mackerel, and other fish are much higher in healthy Omega 3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA, but summer is a great chance to enjoy a lighter, flakier white fish like whiting, wild cod, or wild sea bass (among others). Throw in some of that abundant summer produce like fresh tomatoes, herbs, and ripe avocados and you have a balanced refreshing way to add more high quality protein to "gazpacho." While Omega 3's from oily fish are vital for health, whiting offers fewer of these good fats but a nice forkful of B12, selenium, and phosphorus instead! Whiting is a relative of the cod, so substitute your favorite wild white fish if you can't afford wild whiting (it is cheapest in the frozen section of the grocery store). Note: if you eat kosher fish, many cod fish like freshwater cod are not kosher. Whiting, or silver hake, is a relative of the kosher family Gadidae fish (cod) and a few other varieties.
~1/4 c. organic red wine vinegar
squeeze lime or lemon juice
4 fillets wild caught fish of choice, I used whiting
2 ripe avocados
2 hot peppers (jalapeños) with seeds
2 thick slices red onion (garnish)
6-10 garlic cloves
1/2" fresh ginger root
5-6 fresh roma tomatoes
1 artichoke heart (15 oz canned), in quarters (drained if canned)
1 28 oz. can organic crushed tomatoes with basil (preferably Fire Roasted style)
1/2 c. dry sherry or red wine
~ 4 T extra virgin olive oil
Spices to taste:
sea salt, pepper, turmeric, a dash cayenne pepper, 5-6 sprigs fresh cilantro, a hearty sprinkle of fresh or dried dill, and fresh parsley
If using whole fresh or canned tomatoes for the bulk of the sauce, blend those tomatoes with the fresh roma tomatoes for about 1 minute on medium high in a food processor or blender (we used our VitaMix blender). Once the tomatoes are roughly chopped into a chunky sauce, add the last half of ginger root, half of the garlic, whole peppers, and red wine vinegar (or dry sherry) to the blender and run on high for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until the peppers and ginger are minced. Set the sauce aside.
Finely chop the rest of the garlic and add to a small frying pan with a tablespoon of virgin coconut oil (or real butter for dairy consumers) and turn to medium high heat. While the garlic is starting to lightly brown, pit both avocados. I do this the canonical way: first, I slice the avocados lengthwise, twist off one half of each avocado, and use the knife to carefully spear the pit. Once the pit is firmly in the tip of the knife, twist the avocado and loosen the pit. Discard the pit and scoop out the avocado and set aside. I chose to slice my avocado thickly and serve it on the side, but if you prefer to make fresh guacamole with it or slice it into small chunks then go for it!
Once the garlic is lightly browned, turn the heat to medium low (2-3) and add the tomato mixture from your blender. Turn up the heat to medium (4) and bring the mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, add the rinsed (defrosted if using frozen) fish fillets.
Cook covered on medium heat (4-5) for 10-12 minutes or until the fish is thoroughly cooked and flakes easily with a fork. Squeeze the lime juice into the pan and gently stir. Serve hot with the red onion slivers, quartered artichoke hearts, and avocado (or guacamole). Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the top before serving (don't heat the olive oil, it breaks down and becomes rancid at high heat).
Serving Suggestions: add a chopped fresh peach (preferably organic, they are highly pesticided) or a tablespoon or two of peach salsa for a nice seasonal touch.
Ingredients I wish I had on hand to make this (future tweaks, depending on the farmers market):
fresh organic red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
fresh peaches, plums, or nectarines (chopped finely with half of the fruit for garnish, half for the gazpacho)
a peeled and sectioned blood orange (half for garnish, half for the gazpacho)
Health Highlights:
Whiting (Silver Hake) Health Benefits per 3 oz cooked:
B12 2.2 mcg (~ 37% 1993 RDA to 111% current RDA, depending upon reference)Selenium 34.9 mcg (50% current RDA)Phosphorus 242 mg (24% current RDA)omega 3's 466 mg (~ 27:1 ratio of Omega 3:6 fatty acids)Nutrition Data Chart for 1 fillet
Don't forget about the Vitamin C loaded fresh veggies in the sauce! Tomatoes are known for their antioxidant lycopene content, but they are also great source of Vitamin A and C. Note that (at least to my knowledge) the lycopene concentration is higher once the tomatoes have been processed (either finely minced or made into a sauce) and cooked. The addition of fresh produce like peaches, jalapeños (or red or yellow bell peppers), and red onion all add a punch of vitamins and enzymes to aid in digestion. Ginger and garlic (two of my favorite "spices") are excellent on many nutrition forefronts. Garlic (especially raw) consumption naturally thins the blood and aids in headaches, heart disease (don't eat 400 cloves of it if you're on blood-thinning meds, however), and circulation. Garlic is also a great antibacterial- you can finely mince and crush raw garlic cloves for a quick compress or rub for a minor cut (it stings to me). It can be used to treat athlete's foot (ginger helps here also), the common cold (via the famous "Jewish Penicillin" chicken soup), in breastfeeding problems, and even improve your memory! Ginger is famous for its ability to treat indigestion, nausea and motion sickness, and improve immunity and fight viruses to name a few pointers. The little chemical helpers known as gingerols and shogaols are thought to be responsible for the digestive action in ginger, so when you add some fresh ginger slivers (or powdered ginger) to your soup, tea, or stir fry then be sure to thank those gingerols! Now you can reflect on the shogaols while enjoying your delicate, flaked fish gazpacho mmm! Don't forget to check out Jeena's Roundup of Fresh Fish and Seafood for other bloggers' favorite seafood recipes!
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Mediterranean Eggplant Bake (The Un-Parmesana) [Vegan]
It is already past the 1 year anniversary of Cindalou's Kitchen Blues' debut, which I only accidentally discovered when going to post this recipe and linking back to my old grilled eggplant recipe from last summer. My dad pointed out that I should have a birthday party for the blog, but I think I'll have a combo b-day bash with all my virtual friends in a few weeks for my (real) birthday and the blog's birthday. Maybe I'll finally make some coconut ice cream. I love icy desserts in the summer, but summertime is also prime season for outdoor grilled vegetables. I can never resist grilled squash, eggplant, and peppers. Thank heavens I don't have any allergies to nightshade vegetables!
What better time than the dog days of hot, lazy summer to drag all that hot kitchen cooking outside? This bake is my rendition of a veggie-laden eggplant Parmesan, minus the parm of course :) I used nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor and texture, but feel free to omit the yeast. The heat of baking most likely destroys most of the beneficial B vitamins in the yeast, but the flavor is still great. Plus, I'm a closet optimist (don't tell) so I cross my fingers for the energy-boosting B's in the yeast coming through cooking unscathed.
My mother's old eggplant parm recipe dipped the eggplant in wheat flour, Parmesan cheese, herbs, then baked the eggplant itself an hour before making the casserole. I am not that motivated - when I see a multi-step recipe like that, I think "Ha," not to mention the no wheat flour or cheese thing. This tastes just as great to me, plus it adds colorful veggies. The grilling nicks the need to egg, bread/flour and fry or prebake. Grill extra and use the leftovers in lunch quesadillas with kale and corn tortillas, omelets like my old Grilled Squash and Collards Omelette, or just snack on grilled thinly sliced eggplant and squash. Thinly sliced, they're reminiscent of veggie chips in a non-fried, spicy way. You get the idea...
1 15 oz can organic crushed tomatoes with basil
~ 1/2 can (7 oz) artichoke hearts or fresh artichoke hearts
1 large grilled eggplant>
2 cherry peppers
2 jalapenos
5-6 garlic cloves
1 large organic carrot
2-3 sun dried tomatoes (sulfur free)
handful chopped fresh (or 1/4 c. dried, rehydrated & drained) portabello mushrooms
nutritional yeast, to taste (optional, for "cheesy" taste)
splash dry red wine, optional
Spices:
oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, sea salt, pepper, and a dash of Italian seasoning.
Slice the eggplant widthwise into ~1/8 to 1/4" slices for round eggplant pieces. Season with your choice of spices and spray the grill. I seasoned the eggplant with a blend of turmeric, ground black peppercorns, a dash of cayenne pepper, oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, a bit of dried crushed red pepper, thyme, and sea salt. My Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant recipe from last summer is the basis for this recipe.
Add the eggplant and whole peppers to the grill. Close the grill and cook on high for about 10-15 minutes or until very tender. I used a George Foreman electric grill since it takes much less time than a gas grill. Adjust cooking time for grill type.
Meanwhile, chop your mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, and shred the carrot. If you're using dehydrated mushrooms, steep them in boiling water high enough to cover them, and leave them covered for about 10 minutes or until soft. When finished, drain the mushrooms and save the juice for a healthy and yummy broth or as a sauteing liquid.
Set the chopped and shredded ingredients aside. Once the eggplant and peppers are finished, remove them from the grill and do a second batch if necessary. Slice the grilled peppers once they are cooled. If you prefer a milder flavor, remove the jalapeno seeds.
Add about half of the chopped sundried tomatoes and red wine to the tomato sauce and stir. Spray the bottom of an oven-safe glass baking dish with nonstick spray. I used a small Pyrex and spread the sauce lightly, covering the bottom. Layer the grilled eggplant slices on the bottom of the dish, from large to small slices. Top with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast (optional) . Cover the yeast and eggplant with a thin layer of the prepared carrots, jalapenos, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes. Cover that layer with sauce, then add another layer, sauce, and repeat . Top the casserole with a layer of sauce and the artichoke hearts. If using canned artichokes, drain thoroughly and layer directly on top of the casserole. If you're using fresh artichoke, steam or grill them, then, once cooled, cut them into small pieces and add to the top.
Bake at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes. Note that the short time is for the convection oven setting I used. If you aren't using convection, baking may take longer. Serve hot. Serves approximately 4.
We had this with a few thin slices of grilled tamari grassfed sirloin steak, served over a bed of parsley and drizzled with olive oil, and a fresh red kale and parsley salad.
Spicing up your dishes, especially grilled vegetables, is a fantastic way to throw in a dash of the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric and cayenne pepper. Cayenne pepper is an old folk remedy for poor circulation, stomach upsets, gas, and arthritis/carpel tunnel syndrome. It is also a metabolic stimulant and can help for healthy long-term weight loss and management. In addition to being strongly anti-inflammatory, turmeric is famous for its antioxidant properties. Turmeric's antioxidant qualities help protect and cleanse the gallbladder (prevent kidney stones) and liver. It might also provide aid in memory retention and help in Alzheimer's disease, pending further research. Turmeric is also useful for gout and was used in ancient times for "vermin killing" and is thought to be effective against scabies and lice.
However, cayenne and other hot peppers can be irritating to the skin, lips, and mucus membranes, so judge your intake by personal experience. Turmeric is often used liberally in Indian curries, so it is considered safer than drinking coffee. Use turmeric with caution if you have a bile duct blockage concern.
In this age, the first reaction to indigestion or acid reflux seems to be to suppress natural stomach acid with Calcium Carbonate (Tums) or a whole rainbow of OTC or prescription proton pump inhibitors. However, the avoidance of spice as part of an attempt to lower stomach acid may worsen digestion, since bacteria are not killed and large chewed food particles are harder for the small intestine to absorb nutrients. Also, simply popping a TUMS (basically a chalk pill, mmm) is merely treating the symptom of poor diet and lifestyle. The underlying problems(s) causing the digestive issues should be addressed- trust me, I deal with this on a daily basis! :)
Keep in mind that no one-size-fits-all approach can work. Everything depends on your body type. Some people have legitimate acid reflux, esophageal valve problems, or ulcers and should not assume either extreme of over spicing or raising stomach acid, nor completely hinder their body's natural state of chemical digestion with acid-buffering drugs.
I make no assumptions or generalizations, and can only speak from my own experience: I tend towards poor digestion. I myself benefit from a bit more spice, apple cider vinegar, herbal teas like peppermint and cinnamon, and digestive enzymes. I had acid reflux all the time as a teen. I was so miserable my parents took me to a GI specialist for a barium upper GI series of x-rays to look for ulcers. In the end, after years of thinking TUMS were my best friend, I only eliminated the reflux by elimination of all dairy, stress management (my sister calls me a "stressball"), and adding spices. Hey, a little cayenne pepper is a heck of a lot cheaper than a series of x-rays and the experience of drinking that awful chalky Barium shake :) So cheers to spice, and spice for health.
Other yummy gf eggplant creations:
Book of Yum's Eggplant Parmesan Sans Crumbs (uses dairy and nuts)
Natalie's Baked Eggplant Parmesan or Baked Eggplant Zucchini Spaghetti (uses dairy)
Gluten Free Kay's Stuffed Eggplant
Jeena's Chunky Mediterranean Vegetable Soup Recipe
Karina's Roasted Eggplant Tapenade or Mediterranean Eggplant with Crumbled Beef, Tomatoes and Mint
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Purslane, Plum and Avocado Salad [Vegan] [Low Carb]
Perhaps you've heard recent hype about an obscure green weed with amazing health benefits for depression, but the truth is that purslane is an old herbal remedy-food and long-time enemy of a tidy gardener. If you're not sure about the safety of harvesting it in the wild, stop off at your local farmer's market. Now we can add "Purslane, Not Prozac" to the book "Potatoes, Not Prozac," or my personal (contrived) favorite slogan "pushups, Not Prozac." Whether you are concerned about depression, the odds are you know someone close to you who is. While exercise to alleviate depression as demonstrated by these Duke University studies may not necessarily be your cup of tea, perhaps a nice bunch of purslane in your salad, stir fry, or soup might be. Heck, while you're at it, toss in some fresh avocado and seasonal fruit- peaches, plums, nectarines. You might even forget the ominous "healthy" stuff in your meal after you take a bite.
1-2 organic plums
~ 2 lb. fresh purslane
1 ripe organic avocado
5-6 roma tomatoes
slivers red onion
oregano, to taste
Dressing:
50-50 mix of organic extra virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and pepper. Wash and pat dry the purslane and plums. Tear into bite sized pieces and put in a large bowl. Slice the red onion, plums, and avocado and add to the purslane. I cut my plums into thin wedges since I prefer them that way. Add the tomatoes and toss with dressing and oregano. That's it- fast, easy and delicious healthy greens and Omega 3's all in one tidy package.
If you are waiting to be impressed, check out the Nutritional profile of purslane. Purslane is high in magnesium and Vitamin C, so helps with:
depressioncardiac arrhthmiacold and flugingivitis
It is also high in potassium, healthy omega 3 fats, Vitamin A, folate (a critical B vitamin), and calcium. Dr. Duke in his classic herbal reference The Green Pharmacy lists purslane as packing
"... up to a whopping 16 percent antidepressant compounds, figured on a dry-weight basis." Well, with that resume why not try some purslane with your salad? As your salad? I'm sold, although this salad's a winner even without the purslane! I adore avocado, especially when combined with fresh organic peach or plum. It's an addiction akin to peach salsa. The seasonal local plums here add a nice juicy bite of Vitamins A, C, K, and a little fiber (eat the skin, always!) with a very low glycemic load of just a few points (under 55 glycemic index and under 10 glycemic load are "low"). Don't forget the humble avocado, harbor of healing monounsaturated good fat, a large amount of fiber (40% RDI of fiber: 13 carbs, 10 fiber per 150 g.), and a plethora of Vitamins C, K, E, folate, panthoethic acid (another B vitamin), and B6. Avocado also provides a good source of magnesuim, potassium, and other trace minerals necessary for health. Actually, I could (and may) write an entire post on the wonders of avocado and its use outside the parochial realm of guacamole dip or sliced topping. But for now, you can have your feel-good food without guilt (as if anything was stopping you).
Note: If purslane is hard to find in your area, watercress, spinach, dark leafy lettuce (not iceberg) are great alternatives.
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Speedy Hemp Seed Cucumber Dill Soup [Low Carb] [Vegan]
3 large organic cucumbers, washed with skin
3 cloves garlic
1/4" ginger
1 c. organic coconut milk*
1 1/2 c. unsweetened original hemp milk
~2 T. extra virgin olive oil
pinch dried spearmint leaves
dash cayenne pepper (optional!)
sea salt and pepper, to taste
hefty pinch dried dill
4 fresh basil leaves
4-5 fresh mint leaves
1 T. garlic powder
1/4 c. shelled organic hemp seed (plus extra for topping)
* you can use all hemp milk if you'd like. The coconut milk makes the ordinarily thin soup a bit thicker and more satisfying to me.
Wash, dry, and cut a whole cucumber into thirds or quarters. Add the cucumber, ginger root, and garlic to your VitaMix or other blender. For about 30 seconds, blend on medium-hi (5) while using the damper (or a long-handled spoon out of reach of the running blades) to compress the cucumber. Once the larger chunks of cucumber are chopped, turn off the blender.
Add in the hemp milk, coconut milk, olive oil and spices. Use your imagination for spices. I made this soup earlier in the summer when my mint plants were taking over the porch and begging to be used. Turn your blender to high and blend it for 1-2 minutes. I blend my soup until it is thoroughly mixed but there are still shreds of cucumber not pureed so it isn't just a single consistency. Serve cold, sprinkled with hemp seeds. This soup is quick and easy as a delicious, cooling appetizer or side soup.
I used to adore the Hungarian Cucumber Soup I made every summer, but after finally saying adios to yogurt and dairy I've not made it since. A recent onslaught of cucumbers, mint, and dill sent me craving another batch of coconut yogurt for this recipe. I will still do that in the future, but for now I'm making (dairy laden) goat milk yogurt in our Crockpot for Jon. I have to appease the dairy guzzlers in the house occasionally :) I thought a good swap for this soup would be coconut milk, but after reading on and on about Karina's love for hemp milk I decided to use it as the base.
I love hemp anyways and wanted another faucet of this amazing healthfood in my diet. This soup takes about 2-3 minutes in the Vitamix and is a nice cool, refreshing appetizer or meal. For even more protein toss in a scoop of hemp protein powder if you have it on hand. If not, no worries- hemp seed is nature's perfect little vegan package of balanced Omega3:6 healing fats, fiber (low carb!), and complete protein. All those Canadian's sure make a killing off our growing American demand for hemp!
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Easy Tahini Dressing [Vegan]
So much for a real recipe from Cindalou's here in the recent past, but since you're already primed for a whole host of non-recipes, I'll use this chance to combat my swamped-at-work-can't-post hysteria with a "recipe" for a healthy dressing or sauce. Of course everyone knows how to whip up (or at least purchase) tahini nowadays, so I'll bore you with more health benefits and history than an actual Tablespoon per tablespoon recipe :) Yes, I still cook. All the time. Cindalou's has taken a back seat to thank you notes, family visits, and our flourishing (and crowded) apartment garden. So how's that for yet another disclaimer/introduction? If you find my intro less than satisfactory, then I recommend Karina's new Strawberry Cobbler post. You'll smile (and lick the computer screen).
Sesame seeds and tahini are quick and easy snacks and make a handy homemade dressing. The seeds themselves claim the honorable position of being one of the oldest condiments and their use seems to be traced back as far as 1600 BC. The seeds are a great source of many trace minerals and Omega 6 fatty acids. Indeed, the seeds were held in high esteem for the quality of the oil which is exceptionally resistant to rancidity and spoilage. One interesting fact: the phrase "Open sesame" stems from the sesame seed pod itself, which bursts open when it reaches maturity.
Tahini dressing:
1/4 c. raw, organic sesame seeds (I use unhulled since they're cheaper here and the hulls contain much of the calcium in the seeds) OR organic tahini (Once Again has a good organic tahini on the market)
1-2 t. sea salt, more to taste
1 t. or "dash" of San-J wheat free tamari (optional, omit for soy free)
4 liberal T. organic extra virgin olive oil*
squeeze lemon juice
Combine the sesame seeds and the salt in the bottom of the Vitamix or your blender. You will probably want to use the dry blade attachment for the Vitamix if you have one. In my experience, the dry-blade purees the seeds better than the regular container. If you only have a normal blender, no worries, but you may need to puree the seeds in spurts (to prevent regular blender overheating) to get them all creamed up. If you 're using jarred tahini, just skip this step.
It only takes about 1 -2 minutes for me to make this batch. I grind the seeds in 30 second intervals, but I take a minute to take the top off and scrape the sides of the blender to mix in the stubborn seeds. Once the seeds are pureed "dry," add the sea salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and tamari (if you're using the San-J). If you want to add a dash of turmeric (a great detoxifier and antioxidant), parsley (high in iron), or rosemary, add it now. Close the lid and blend once more until well mixed. Scrape the sides and pour into your dipping bowl or drizzle over your entree or salad, like below.
I made my sauce here with a bit more olive oil and lemon juice than above in order to achieve a more fluid sauce to dress our grilled salmon and salad. Just adjust the olive oil to seed ratio to vary the consistency between a thick tahini chip/ raw veggie dip and a dressing (like we used it).
* Add more olive oil to taste, I tend to add more olive oil to my share of the dressing since my body burns good fat efficiently (sugars and high carby foods kill my poor digestive system, so to each his own. Check your body type and eat what is fresh, local, and makes you feel best. Perhaps most importantly, trust your instincts... no, that doesn't mean reach for that bag of salted corn chips since you just like the taste!)
Tahini Uses:
Tahini sauced mushroomsSalad dressing (of course)
Tahini Dressed Simple Spinach Salad
grilled wild salmon fillet dressing. I have a few old fish recipes here and the tahini sauce would be great drizzled over some Molasses Balsamic Salmon
Tahini Glazed Salmon
Stir fry dressing/sauceMore Sesame Seed Uses:
Dress up your veggies! Jon likes honey sesame green beans or broccoli
homemade raw (Vegan) food barstoss into any bread, cookie, or muffin/pancake recipe
Sesame seeds are high in Omega 6 fatty acids which are healthy fats, but should not be over consumed since the average diet is already too high in Omega 6 fats compared to Omega 3's. Sesame seeds have a whopping (that sounds quantifiable and scientific doesn't it?) amount of copper, manganese, tryptophan, iron, and some B vitamins to name a few. They also pack a fair amount of fiber for such tiny little packages. The entire nutritional profile from World's Healthiest Foods shows the nutrient scale and there's also a great in depth article on the seeds.
Be warned, however, that sesame seeds can be allergenic to some. Those of us with Celiac or gluten intolerance seem to garner the blessing of having multiple trigger foods (at least while the intestines are still healing). The other disclaimer for sesame seeds involves their oxalate content. Oxalates in the hull of the seed are generally bound in calcium oxalate and some doctors believe that they can aggravate kidney conditions, leading to kidney stones. The verdict is still out on this matter, since dietary intake of oxalates like those found in sesame seed hulls only amount to about 15% of the oxalate in calcium oxalate stones. The general wisdom among experts is, according to WHF,
"that dietary restriction cannot significantly reduce risk of stone formation". In addition, oxalates are naturally present in a full spectrum of fruits and vegetables are normally present no issues with stone formation. Just to be on the safe side, buy the hulled sesame seeds or lightly colored jarred tahini since these varieties have the hull (and thus the calcium oxalate) removed. Of course when you remove the hull you lose nutrition, but a compromise can be struck if you are worried about kidney stones. More interesting stuff on oxalates is here at World's Healthiest Foods.
A balance must be struck in diet just like everywhere in life, but natural and organic tahini is a great and far superior source of Omega 6's as compared with many popular vegetable oils touted for their "healthy mono and polyunsaturated fat content." The problem with many vegetable oils, as I've talked about from time to time, is that virtually all of them except commercial extra virgin olive oil are refined, bleached, or deodorized. These processes damage the unsaturated fat in the oil since the less saturated the oil, the more it is vulnerable to heat, light, and processing damage. So although you think or read the hype about soybean (a particularly poor oil choice), corn, canola, and even sunflower or safflower oils being "healthy," your oil is likely already rancid or damaged. Damaged oil wrecks havoc on our bodies as toxins, but no more about that here. I sound brooding and hell-bent on bringing down the vegetable oil market. If anyone's interested in more details about these fats and oils and the commercial propaganda surrounding them, please comment and let me know. I can expand on the subject and/or point you to fantastic references. It is always best to keep it simple. We use extra virgin olive oil (no heat - dressing and marinades only) and organic virgin coconut oil (for any heat or cooking) exclusively; you can't find another oil in our house except the fat stored in nuts :) This cuts down on buying multiple kinds of different oils and actually saves money and time at the store. It is my advice and practice. If you can do dairy and aren't quite thrilled about coconut oil, another good alternative is full-fat REAL butter, especially grass fed goat or cow butter. The saturated fats are what you need for heat and cooking since they are not destroyed by heat and light, (as opposed to margarine, vegetable (and olive) oils, and reduced or fat free products.) If only we could see our insides, then we'd all be a lot more picky about what we eat and how we prepare it. :)
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Happy Solstice!
NASA APOD
No matter the weather, go stick your head outdoors for the longest day of the year, Horray! Somehow, I am working longer today by happenstance so the rest of you need to get outside and enjoy some of the great day (except if you're in California with all those scorchers). NASA has a great Astronomy Picture of the Day of the moon over Greece, shown below (with permission). If you're not quite familar with all the fascinating astonomical details about solstice, check out Wikipedia's introduction. Sorry, no recipes for now since we'll be out enjoying a later nightfall in our garden.
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Blissful Gluten & Dairy Free Recipes [Low carb] [Vegan]
The long absence of Cindalou's Kitchen Blues was not merely a cosmic accident, lazy blogging on my behalf, nor an overambitious email spam blocker filter for all our subscribers, dear reader. I apologize for our long intermission from the gluten free blogging community. It looks like you all managed quite well without us :) How yummy your Cherry Clafouti looks Natalie! I am eying it alongside my coconut milk and bag of cherries in the fridge and thinking I might give your recipe a dairy-free attempt. I doubt I can touch your level of delicious with that heavy cream, but I'll try. Karina, your Strawberry Chocolate Chip Sherbet looks like the perfect candidate for our new ice cream maker! Funny, we received the same Cuisinart ice cream maker that you have, cool (no pun intended). Goddess, I love your hemp milk addiction- hemp is such a delicious (and nutritious, not that anyone cares about that :)) superfood!
Cindalou's long break from gluten and dairy free blogging is to blaim on my recent wedding to my long-time physics study partner, best friend, college (and grad school) office mate, pain-in-the-arse match made in heaven, and blog admin Jon. I remember my mother saying things like "be careful what you ask for.." and "just wait till you have children.." ... Thanks Mom, I feel like I'm already half there- heaven has divine retribution for my misdeeds by blessing me with possibly the only equally stubborn person in the world :) All joking aside, we are very very happy. A HUGE THANK YOU to our families, friends, and everyone who made our wedding perfect. Pictures aren't available yet, but we'll be sure to post some for you all later. Sorry no recipes yet from Cindalou's, we're working on it. In the interim, I'd like to share the beautiful "Recipes for a Happy Marriage" I received from friends at my fantastic surprise shower.
Ima's recipe:
50% communication
20% humor (laughter)
20% patience
10% temper control
Communication? Is that when I repeat myself 400 billion times and get stared at blankly with the claim that "you never said that"...? If so, we are on it!
Lauren's best friend prescription:
1 cup Love
1 cup Understanding
3 T. Compassion
1/2 t. of "the no look"
1/2 cup of Romance
Ha, I think I have wayyy too much of that "NO!" look going already!
Sandy's sisterly advice:
truckload o' love
bucket o' passion and romance
2 truckloads of patience and understanding
Lots o' fun
much communication
many kisses and hugs!
Does anyone else notice that my sister seems to also have a problem with exact measurements and recipe equivalents? Hmm, maybe its a Wood household thing... I'm blaming you Mom!
Momma's Good Ole' Recipe for Happiness:
Lots of Laughter
Kindness
Gentleness
Surprise
Empathy.
Mix well and often with love, friendship, openness and sharing.
Mom, strange no precise measurements of ingredients... this from the woman who actually does measure an 1/8 a teaspoon and bakes the same holiday poppyseed bread every year but MUST use her original recipe... Although she did include instructions, yey!
Marriage a la Sweethearts
Patience
Forgiveness
Space to be together
Space to be Separate
A Maid!
Ha! I love the space to be seperate- we live, work, and ride the bus to work together. We do sit in different areas of the bus, however, and do our best to pretend we hate each other in public :) Joking... and I am the joyful maid. I was trained at an early age by my Grandmother to wash dishes. We have photo proof of tiny lil Cindalou on a stool washing them (or whatever a 6 year old thinks is washing).
Untitled:
"In our society we teach unconditional love. Love is like air to women. Take away love and women can't breathe and will fight because they can't breathe. For men, take away respect and they can't breathe and they will fight and act unloving to get a breath.
So give your husband unconditional respect. Avoid saying the word "NO," they can easily experience it as disrespect. Read the book "Love and Respect" by E. Eggrich."
Ohh, respect- now that's a fantastic piece of advice! Something so important is often overlooked in the giddy, romantic beginnings of a relationship, but how crucial it is! I guess I don't have to say "NO" either since as Lauren noted I already have "the look" mixed in :)
Thank you all, and you dear reader, for sicking with Cindalous. We'll be back with some of our own dairy and gluten free delights in a short while.
xoxo, Cindalou
You can tell it is our car, huh?
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Visit a Random Gluten Free Blog Installation
I thought it'd be fun to have our own 'random gf blog' gadget, so I used Rachel's exhaustive list of gluten free bloggers in conjunction with a modified Random Link Generator to create the "Visit a Gluten Free Blog" button on our front page.
For Blogspot Bloggers, there are two installation options: the Easy Way, and the Customizable Way.
For Wordpress Bloggers, at the moment, you'll need to install the button similar to the last step (add page element) in the Customizable Way.
------------------
*UPDATE*
Due to several requests, I've made the button on this blog (left side, says "Visit a Gluten Free Blog") available to add as a Widget without any copying, pasting, or template modifications.
Click the following button to install yours:
*That's all - you now have a browser friendly, gluten free blog hopping button!*
The following steps are for those who prefer to style their widget via css.
--------------------------------
Here's how you can add one yourself, and style it too!
The first step is probably the most daring, as it requires you to enter your Layout (Dashboard - Layout) and click the Edit HTML tab.
Once you're at the Edit HTML page, make sure to backup your template by clicking "Download Full Template".
The purpose of entering your template is to add styling to the button so that you can change colors and event font sizes/types from your Fonts and Colors tabs.
You'll want to create Variable names for the styles you'd like to edit from within your Font and Colors tab. Here are the four variables I created for this button:
<Variable name="randomblogbkgcolor" description="Random Blog Background Color" type="color" default="#c60" value="#5d7588">
<Variable name="randomblogbordercolor" description="Random Blog Border Color" type="color" default="#c60" value="#9cb088">
<Variable name="randomblogbkghovercolor" description="Random Blog Background Hover Color" type="color" default="#c60" value="#9db189">
<Variable name="randomblogborderhovercolor" description="Random Blog Border Hover Color" type="color" default="#c60" value="#718fa6">
These lines should be pasted near the top of your template, between the <head> and </head> tags. If you have meta tags, these variable name tags are commonly placed after the meta tags.
The next step is to paste the following lines just before the line that contains: >]]></b:skin> in your template:
/* Random Blog Styling */
input.randomblog {
background-color: $randomblogbkgcolor;
border: 2px outset $randomblogbordercolor;
width: 100%;
text-align:center;
font-style:bold;
color: #fff;
padding: 1px;
margin: 1px;
}
input.randomblog:hover {
background-color: $randomblogbkghovercolor;
border: 2px outset $randomblogborderhovercolor;
width: 100%;
text-align:center;
font-style:bold;
color: #fff;
padding: 1px;
margin: 1px;
}
Once you've completed this step (including backing up your template), click Save Template.
To add the button, you'll need to go to your Page Elements section under Layout. Once there, select "Add a Page Element" and choose HTML/Javascript. Copy and paste the following code into the new window:
<script style="" src="http://randomblog.googlecode.com/files/randomblogsourceclass.js"></script>
*note* this is the script Wordpress bloggers will want to refer to when adding this widget
------------------
Select "Save" and you'll now have your own Visit a Random GF Blogger widget. To change the colors of the background, border, and hovered-over background a border, go to your Fonts and Colors tab under Layout and change the colors of the four variables that start with "Random Blog" i.e. Random Blog Background Color.
That's all! If you would like to be included in this random gf blog visitor, simply leave a comment here and let us know.
by JJockers@gmail.com (Jon)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Create your own [non Gluten Free] Random Visit Button
If you'd like to create your own random visit button as seen on our front page, but want to make your own list of websites and/or blogs to choose from, comment here with your list of websites and a title for your button, and I'll upload a script for you to use. I'll post a link to each script here for others to download.
The installation instructions are the same as those from Visit a Random Gluten Free Blogger Installation except you'll add a different script to your page element.
----------------------------
Per a suggestion from Uri Kalish, of Urikalization, advanced users who would prefer to do away with css styling in the template may do so by editing the source script in the following way:
Replace the class="randomblog" line in the script file with the following:
style="color:white" onmouseover="this.style.backgroundColor='red'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='blue'"
The lines above will change the font size in the form to white, the background color to blue, and the hovered over background color to red.
Remove the Variable information and the css style information in your template. Now you'll have a button that depends solely on the script (no css dependence).
Hope this helps!
by JJockers@gmail.com (Jon)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Coconut Milk Yogurt At Last! [Dairy Free] [Soy Free] [Vegan] [Low Carb]
Alas, the coconut milk yogurt has materialized in my kitchen! Sorry for the ridiculously long wait, but as I mentioned previously in my Ginger Sea Bass post, we were waiting on the probiotic and then went to GA for vacation after my exam and blah blah. Yo don't care, right? The yogurt is here in all of its gluten free, dairy free, soy, nut, corn, yeast, yadda yadda free glory!! I am really sorry I am a month late, Seamadien :) Can you forgive me? I am loving your spinach pie and that St. Pats pot pie looks intriguing...
Anyways, back to the coconut yogurt and why I chose Christian from Stephen's Recipes for my adoption way back when. I have a very strong connection to family (at least in my mind, don't ask my mom :) ) and I admire someone who has children and not only devotes their love and energy to them, but also sets aside time to blog about allergen free living for the rest of us! Christian has a sense of humor (see the taste warning at the blog header) and is committed to providing the healthiest environment for her boys. Today in the American age of McDonald's for dinner and tv or texting during a meal instead of family conversation, family values are of high esteem in my mind. I must sound like a crazy fanatical conservative, but sorry to disappoint you Pat Roberson- I just believe in good, ethical, moral living and loving. You chose your flavor of religious, moral, and lifestyle beliefs to suit you, in so long as you do not infringe on others' rights.
In any case, put the tv remote away and don't worry about bringing a Whopper over to dinner at my place. Cindalou's practices good old family mealtime courtesies and stimulating light dinner conversation like "So Mom, what is the exact significance of Jesus being divine for you? Why do people want someone else to die for their sins? That seems like a bit of a break in the personal responsibility chain..?" Ahh, musings of a curious child with really annoying questions and an even more annoying quest for deep, "not canned" responses. I think I offend people with these questions, but I really want to understand. Can you lend me a hand? Or answer? Please..??
And please excuse my politicking; we just met our favorite candidate for NC Congress, BJ Lawson, and "Mr. Liberty" Presidential Candidate Dr. Ron Paul himself is coming to both UNC and Duke on Jon's birthday- May 2nd!! Our amazing Tarheels for Paul coordinator Paige arranged for Jon to have lunch with Dr. Ron Paul, Dr. Lawson, and a few other campaign donors for his birthday too. I'm so excited!! It's not everyday you get that offer since presidential candidates are swamped with supporters at every stop. I believe both Obama and Hillary are in Chapel Hill now as well - I'll have to go check that out. It will just be such a relief to hear something other than McCain being the only Republican candidate on the ticket. This is not true and just shows irritating ignorance. Ergh, enough political frustration - I know everyone feels it in every party (or nonparty) :) How about some gluten/dairy free yogurt goodness?
Coconut Milk Yogurt (half batch)
1 can (15 oz.) organic coconut milk or lite coconut milk
heaping 1/4 t. dairy free probiotic*
Tools Needed:
2 half-quart Mason jars (I used cleaned salsa jars)
large stainless steel spoon
2 large/medium stainless steel pots (I used a double boiler nested pot setup)
kitchen thermometer
a few old clean kitchen towels, a large pot and lid (large enough to hold mason jars) OR yogurt maker
Yeah, we have a wee bit of coconut milk hangin' around...
*I used Culturaid dairy free probiotic since it is free of many of the common allergens: gluten, dairy, yeast, corn, and soy.
*UPDATE* As several of you have pointed out, Klaire Labs has discontinued Culturaid. I've written a length response in the comments section, but to keep it short, we recommend Dr. Ohhira's, Essential Formulas Inc., Probiotic, a 60 capsule probiotic with 12 active cultures, a 5-star rating from 300+ reviews, priced at ~$34.50 - $5 (Referal Coupon Code: JOC350), or $29.50, less than the Culturaid and other competing allergy free probiotics/yogurt starters.
Instructions for Coconut Milk Yogurt
[Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Corn, Yeast Free and Low Carb/Low Fat]
1.) Sterilize your container(s):
I boiled water in my electric kettle to sterilize my yogurt jars and stainless steel pot. After the water boiled, I let it sit for 10 or so minutes while I went onto step 2. When you need two yogurt containers, just discard the hot water.
2.) Pour out the sterilizing water from the pot and pour in the coconut milk. If you didn't shake the can and the milk has separated, just give it a quick stir with a clean/sterilized stainless steel spoon. Turn the milk to medium high heat and keep your thermometer handy. Bring the milk to just boiling with your thermometer in the milk, but not resting or touching the pot (you want the temperature of the milk, not the pot). Continuously stir the milk until it reaches around 160 degrees. I've seen the range of 170-180 degrees for "normal" milk in order to kill the bad bacteria, but the canned organic coconut milk does not suffer bovine growth hormones, animal antibiotics passed into the cow milk, pesticides, or any chemical residues that can hamper regular milk. I am more lax with the temperature for this reason. If you'd prefer to go to the higher temperature, go for it, but make sure to keep stirring so the milk doesn't burn. Several discussions about this post around the internet have questioned my rationale for this step - i.e. "why boil the coconut milk at all? Canned coconut milk ought to be sterilized in the canning process". This is true. The culture requires a coconut milk temperature between 80 - 100 degrees Fahrenheit, so the 160 degrees cited above is likely overkill.
3.) Set up your yogurt-making area.
The yogurt culturing area can be a real yogurt maker or this handy type setup shown below. All that is necessary is that the yogurt stay around 100 degrees (or as close as possible). I placed 2 jars in my largest pot with a few warmed towels on the bottom to insulate the jars. I used 1 jar for steaming hot water and the other jar for the yogurt. Here's a cool site for making yogurt by livelonger on HubPages which gives nice pictures and the incubation idea of a cooler and hot water instead of a yogurt maker.
4.) Let the coconut milk cool. Check the milk comes to around 100-110 degrees before adding the probiotic starter. Once the milk has cooled, stir in the probiotic starter. If you were making normal cow-based dairy yogurt, you could use premade/purchased yogurt with live cultures instead of specialty probiotic starter. For dairy free coconut milk yogurt, we can't do this of course- hence the Culturaid.
Boil some more water and pour into one of your open jars shown above. The hot water in this jar along with the insulating towels and closed pot will help keep the yogurt jar warm so the cultures can grown during incubation.
Pour the inoculated yogurt/coconut milk into the other jar and close the lid to keep it warm. I added a few more towels for jar insulation.
5.) Cover the whole setup or your yogurt maker. I turned my pot to very very low heat (barely on) to keep the setup warm. You may not need to do this depending upon the temperature of your kitchen. It was cold and rainy when I made this (Murphy's law in action). Let the yogurt ferment for 6-10 hours. Mine took more like 10 hours since it was so cold in my kitchen (crazy spring weather). Let the yogurt rest while it ferments.
6.) After the allotted time has passed, check the coconut milk yogurt. It should be firm and more of a yogurt texture. Mine was not as thick as cow milk yogurt (which often has yucky thickeners in addition to the plain old yogurt, especially if you eat the nonorganic kind), but it was definitely thicker. It had a nice slightly sweet-sour yogurt bite to it as well as all those uber healthy (nondairy) probiotics! Now I can down yogurt by the quart like Jon, right? :) Refrigerate the yogurt when it is thick and "finished."
The probiotics in yogurt and fermented foods (kraut, etc) are the "good" guys you want in your intestines to help improve your immunity, keep you regular, build and strengthen your bones, lose weight, and detoxify you. One of my favortie online general health bloggers, Cathy Wong, has a great summary of probiotic health benefits and possible interactions. The Harvard Medical School Health Guide also has a good article with some interesting folk uses for yogurt. Probiotics are especially vital in the healing process for those with compromised digestive systems, like those with IBS, Crohn's disease, and Celiac. In addition to this dairy free yourt, I love homemade red cabbage kraut and NutriWest total probiotics. I've noticed a sincere and immeasurable difference in my digestion and energy. It's just anecdotal evidence, but it does obey my "it works" philosophy. Yet another great resource is USProbiotics.org. A general Google search on the health benefits of probiotics is overwhelming, so I'm barely scratching the surface here. Don't fret, I'll be back ranting about them much more in future posts. My other favored site for health info at World's Healthiest Foods has a great summary on (regular) yogurt. Keep in mind that this coconut milk yogurt is dairy free, but since it is cultured with the probiotics it will contain many of the same fermentation byproducts like some B vitamins.
Oh, and Melissa, I have not forgotten about the 6 line meme! Uhh, I am still struggling with 6 (positive.... or at least not blaringly negative) things to say about myself. Here's a try at 6 words that summarize who I am:
independent
open mindedcompassionate (my mom might disagree when we get into politics, hehe)
tenacious (strong willed? what's the difference... it is subtle I guess)assertiveprincipled (to a point of aggravation of others I'm afraid :) )Do I get another 6 billion words to describe a bride-to-be with a few more weeks until her wedding? Suppose not .. stupid rules! Who makes up these things? Why do we need so many rules... why can't we do fun things, like list the top 6 problems with modeling the cosmic ray muon flux near the surface of the Earth? Come on, please? I could use some help and non-wedding motivation :)
Since this post is already riduclously long, I'll be back with a recipe and/or use for the yogurt later. For now I'll just stop here and go spoon some of the leftover yogurt on some freshly ground flaxseed (omega 3's, high protein, and all carbs=fiber), sliced fresh pear (keeping the washed, organic peel for fiber and vitamins), and a drizzle of blackstrap molasses (high in iron, B vitamins). Hey after writing all of this, I'll a little wiped out for a whole fancy recipe :)
A new recipe using yogurt that looks delicious is from Natalie @ Gluten Free Mommy who whipped up some yummy Yogurt Raspberry Lime Ice Cream. I can't wait to try it or something similar! I use the Vitamix to make many of our ice creams/sherbets, so maybe I'll toss some coconut yogurt into my old Raspberry Smoothie in honor of your ice cream, Natalie! (I don't use the egg protein anymore, its not necessary with the coconut yogurt and protein powders are NOT health foods- they're more like weight-building short term tools (I am still trying to gain weight & muscle) and not long term health or meal replacements. The only powder is still love is Manitoba Harvest's Organic Hemp powder- it comes in protein powder, powder plus fiber, and good old hemp seeds- all with the perfect balance of Omega3:6 fats for optimal health! It makes a killer blueberry smoothie, Yum!
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Ginger Sea Trout Asian-Style Soup [Low Carb] [Low Fat]
Sorry all for the long delay between posts, we've been busy bees trekking back and forth to Atlanta for Easter and wedding planning. Nothing like a great relaxing post-prelim break of driving furiously all around North Carolina and Georgia. If you've never been to Atlanta and like pain, I recommend I-285 during rush hour -- perfect meditation time! What else are you going to do for a 2 hour (10 mile) journey across the dry, cracked pavement? Anyways, Easter was great and family visits home were more than worth the trip (I'm not just saying that because our families read the blog... no way, ha).
I hate the girly details in wedding planning though. I still think jeans and hiking up the Appalachian Trail is a great wedding. God can hike, right? I might need to check on that before I pack my favorite washed denim $3 thrift store jeans. Weddings, I have come to realize, are complicated beasts. Do you know how difficult it is to find inexpensive sundresses or casual bridesmaid dresses?!? Suggestions? Purple and green are the colors so .. if you see any .. :) Has anyone else noticed the 30% increase in price when the "w" word is mentioned?
At least I have an army of angels (oxymoron?); my mom and her friends yanked the devilish details from me (to save my sanity, I lose weight and eat like a monster under high stress. $300+ weekly food bills are frustrating, especially when you keep losing weight!). We are very very grateful guys! How many gals are blessed with volunteer wedding planning friends and great parents (both sides, how lucky!)? ~Contended sigh~ Well, now that I have this plethora of free time nipping at my heels, I can move on and get back to some gluten free goodness. Without further ado, I give you yet another fish and soup recipe! Surprise, I bet you never would have thought I cook soup, right? Nope.
3 large leaves (with stems) Chinese broccoli
2 large handfuls (~ 1 c.) fresh organic collard greens
~1/3 c. fresh organic spinach
3 small sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4" chunk fresh ginger root, sliced thin
1 large fillet sea trout or cod
~1 T. San-J wheat free low sodium tamari
3-4 T. extra virgin olive oil or to taste
5-6 c. water
Seasonings:
pinch crushed red pepper
sea salt and pepper
a liberal shake ginger powder
garlic powder to taste
In a medium to large pot bring the water to a boil. While the water is warming up, wash and pat dry the greens and slice the ginger thinly. You can chop the greens into bite-sized pieces, but I just tore them leaf-by-leaf directly into the pot to save time. Finely chop the sundried tomatoes and add to the water.
Add the spices and tamari to the pot. Once the water is boiling, add the torn greens to the pot. Reduce the heat and let the greens cook for a few minutes until soft but still bright green. The cooking time here is flexible and depends on how mushy you like your vegetables. I like collards very soft but the broccoli and spinach are much better if only simmered for around 3-5 minutes.
Once the greens are to your liking (this was about 5 minutes for me), add the trout fillet and olive oil. I added it whole since it will break up as it cooks. Turn the heat to low and cover. Let simmer for another 2-3 minutes so the fish can poach. You do not want to overcook the fillet, so just check on it after a few minutes by prodding it with a spoon and see how easily it flakes. If it flakes easily, it is finished. Turn off the burner and remove the pot from the heat. Serve immediately.
Optional Additions at serving time (I didn't use them this time though):
sprinkle kelp or sea vegetable of choice (high in iodine, great for your thyroid)dash ginger powder
Hey, it's not Fish Stew of the like of Natalie @ Gluten Free Mommy (which I still want to make, by the way), but this soup had a wonderful flavor and really hit the spot. Of course, ginger and leafy greens are a far cry from a tomato-based stew, but you know I can't follow directions; I can only follow my sense of smell and taste. Besides, who can pass up fresh ginger? Fresh ginger root has many health benefits, but it is particularly excellent for digestion. I love fresh spinach too, so this was a treat. Hope you enjoy it too!
Collards are a great source of dairy free calcium and chlorophyll, so load up! Collards are also high in Vitamin K, A, C, and manganese. According to a study in The Journal of Nutrition, there is some fuss about the phytonutrients in collards helping lower liver cell secretion of the cholesterol transporter apolipoproteinB-100 (apoB) by greater than 50%. ApoB transports LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) to tissues. Maybe eating some collards would be a wise choice in view of the many problems and complications of pharmaceutical cholesterol-lowering drugs. In reality, remember we need a balance of not only nutrients, but also things like cholesterol (ie, LDL is not "bad" unless it is out of balance with your HDL). You should aim for a varied, balanced diet with food-based nutrient sources rather than pills. Isolated vitamins, minerals, and drugs are less recognizable and absorbable to the body. Collards are also a heck of a lot cheaper than a multi vitamin and cholesterol pill. Melissa @ Gluten Free for Good made a recent post on dairy-free woes with fantastic information. Check her Moo-Free Got Milk post for high calcium dairy free foods and explanations of how dairy breaks down.... literally! On an unrelated note, coconut yogurt is incubating now, so it should be up soon... only a month or so late. That's all for my ranting, until next time...slurp!
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
Quick Coconut Potato Herb Soup [Vegan]
Good news! This is my first official post-passing-the-prelim post. I have to admit, this is an old post which has been patiently waiting in the bin, so I do apologize for my .. lateness. The hard work paid off and I am now an official PhD candidate (still cheap grad labor, yesss!)... I guess those guys really want to know how 22Ne+p affects 23Na (must they salt their food often I wonder?). The coconut yogurt is still in the works, I promise! Sorry for all the delay and excuses; the gf/df probiotic we ordered is taking its sweet ole' time to ship here.
Thanks for waiting patiently at your computer and Happy Saint Pat's Day!! I figured this green-looking (well, in these pictures at least) soup might add to the cheer since everyone claims that last bit of 1/1000000 drop of Irish heritage today. So drink up (the soup :) ) and honor good old St. Patrick.
I know there are about a billion potato soup recipes out there, but I thought I'd add one more :) I am very pressed for time right now with work and, as I've said before, I am relying on my Vitamix to whip up quick healthy meals. I've done a different soup every night this past week and a half or so (they're all dairy free, and some low carb ones - not this potato one, of course). This is my healthy, dairy-free version of creamy potato soup. As you'll see in the recipe, I use red potatoes for a lower glycemic index than white potatoes. If you like potatoes or are as chilly as we are up here (where is spring darn it?!?) and want a different quick, healthy soup recipe(s), then see my links at the bottom. If you're on a low carb diet, substitute cauliflower for all of the potato and omit the water.
2-3 small to medium red potatoes, with skin (most of the vitamins and fiber are in the skin)
1/2 head fresh cauliflower OR 1/2 lb. frozen cauliflower
1/2 onion
4 T. shredded organic (no sulfur) coconut (divided- half for soup half for garnish)
1 c. water
1 c. low sodium vegetable broth (we use Pacific brand for gluten free vegan convenience broth)
2 c. organic lite coconut milk
2 T. extra virgin olive oil (more to taste)
4 cloves garlic
pinch ginger (ground)
Sea salt and pepper
hearty sprinkle dried dill weed
sprig fresh rosemary
Wash and dry potatoes and cauliflower. Chop the potatoes into halves or quarters and chop the cauliflower into half-fist sized chunks (no need to be exact, prechopping just reduces blending time). Add the potatoes and cauliflower to Vitamix (or your blender).
Pour in the water, coconut milk, vegetable broth, olive oil, and add the spices. I just dropped whole garlic cloves and the chunk of ginger directly into the blender. You can adjust the water to coconut (or other "milk") amounts to suit your taste. More coconut milk will make a creamier soup, of course, so use whichever ratio you prefer. Toss in half of the coconut and secure your blender lid.
Turn on the blender at low variable speed to roughly chop the potatoes and cauliflower in the bottom. Once these have been reduced in size a bit, blend on HIGH for 6-7 minutes or until mixture is steaming. Serve hot with some nice, steamed collard greens like my Easy Cranberry Greens with Kale and Collards and some Irish soda bread (see links below) or my Honey Potato Flatbread. Again, if you're a low carber then sub all cauliflower for potatoes and enjoy!
Other gluten free delicious potato soups:
Sweet Potato Peanut Soup @ Book of YumIrish Potato and Cabbage Soup @ Karina-s Kitchen (Gluten Free Goddess)St. Pats Irish Stew @ Gluten Free Journey
Potato Soup for the Sensitive Soul @ Karina-s Kitchen (Gluten Free Goddess)Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup @ Albion Cooks (I have to say I did this one a few nights ago on my own without having seen this recipe. This looks delicious and would work fine as a quick blender soup)My other Vitamix recipes or just plain ole' soup recipes. My old Spinach Potato Soup recipe is also a quick Vitamix soup packed full of the (non-heme) iron and vegan protein power of spinach.
by Cindalous@gmail.com (Cindy)
13 Nov 2008 at 7:19pm
A Transfer & Selling Our House
After we got home from Michigan, my husband and I started our annual planning of what house projects do we tackle this year. When your house is 83 years old, there is always a project waiting to be done. With our never ending list in our hands, we decided to do some outside painting, work on the chimney and line the sewer pipe with one of those new sleeve thingies. Everything was moving along pretty smoothly, we had Roto-Rooter in the basement lining the sewer, the chimney mason was slinging concrete and contractors wandering around giving us estimates on the painting we want done. And then it happened...
"Hey babe!" calls my husband, "They want us to move."
"Oh yeah? Where to?" I ask. "Back to Michigan?"
"Umm...no...they say Houston," he replied.
"Well, it probably won't happen," I said.
"Actually, they've got the funding to move us. Umm...I guess we need to sell the house," he murmured.
Smarty pants that I am...I thought I could handle baking, blogging, getting our house ready to sell, showing it, selling it and the hundreds of things it takes to get all this done. I was so wrong...
I discovered several things about myself during the last few months. First of all, I am not in any way shape or form related to the Energizer bunny. Second, caffeine is not a replacement for sleep...yeah, I had to learn this one yet again. You'd think college would have cemented it for me, but no...I had to learn it one more time. Third, I discovered I can be quite testy when not so great/not great/bad things happen beyond just the standard 3 in a row...like when it's in the multiples of 3, say 3x7. Now, it was probably a side effect of all that Espresso I was inhaling. But, holy cow! There just has to be an end to all the loonier aspects of moving.
I've been able to get back to doing a little baking, now that we have a closing date set for our house. I've been baking a lot of muffins and scones to get us through the breakfast house. It's really hard to do baking that's very involved, as I had to keep the kitchen scrupulously clean.
However, I did discover the morning the house went on the market just how long a gluten free sourdough starter will last without feeding in the refrigerator...30 days. That's it... On day 29, it will look and smell fine, but on day 30 watch out...a weird white fuzz will cover your starter and funky acetone aromas will take over.
And no...the smell doesn't depart from your fridge easily...
more to come...
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
1 Aug 2010 at 6:05pm
Focaccia (B&P42)
For the last three months, we've been living and working out of a temporary home in Michigan. My husband's on location contribution to a project here is nearing it's end. So, we've been trying to cram in all the Great Lakes tourist destinations that we can manage.
This past weekend, we headed off to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan. We had a lot of fun climbing hills, falling into the snow, banging up our knees, and taking pictures. Then we headed off to the lakeshore to look for rocks and fossils, plus seeing the lighthouses. Last, we cruised the coastline of the Grand Traverse Bay and looked at all the different birds frolicking in the frigid water.
I do have to admit that our little trips have been a bit challenging to coordinate. When you travel with kids, our dog and our various food issues, it can feel like a major war campaign just to go on a weekend getaway not to mention the two week vacation. We've been spoiled by the abundance of pet friendly hotels that are abundant on the eastern seaboard and in the south. Little did we realize that heading out into the forest lands of Michigan, that our hotel search would be more troublesome than our gluten free food planning.
I did use a couple of resources for this trip that proved to be pretty helpful, the Bed Bug Registry and Trip Advisor. I even used Google images to check for pictures of hotels, motels, plus bed & breakfast locations. After a great deal of searching, I located a family and pet friendly hotel in Traverse City, the Baymont Inn & Suites. It was a perfect lodging point for our trip and there were plenty of restaurants to try and negotiate a gluten free meal.
If you come out to Michigan to visit the Great Lakes, be aware that many lodging locations and tourist destinations are closed for the winter. The National and State Parks are mostly open, but have limited accessibility due to heavy snowfall. If you are interested in cross country skiing, snow shoeing or snow mobiling these are great destinations. Otherwise, you'll need to wait until there is enough of a thaw to allow for easier access to the trails.
To get us on the road, I made a loaf of focaccia drizzled with olive oil. fresh oregano and dotted with Kalamata olives. It was the perfect type of road food, easy to handle and not messy to eat. Delicious!
Enjoy!
Recipe
Protein Content
Original Amount: 43.94 g
GF Amount: 43.302 g
Biga
15 g brown rice flour (1.35 g)
14 g sweet rice flour (0.84 g)
14 g arrowroot starch (0.042 g)
22 g almond meal (4.4 g)
20 g white bean flour (4.3 g)
1 g instant dry yeast (120 - 130 degrees F/48 - 54 degrees C)
50 ml water
10 ml agave sweet
Final Dough
50 g brown rice flour (4.5 g)
40 g sweet rice flour (2.4 g)
40 g arrowroot starch (0.12 g)
73 g almond meal (14.6 g)
50 g white bean flour (10.75 g)
6 g chia seed meal
4 g agar agar powder
12 g instant dry yeast
7 g sea salt
126 g biga (from above)
15 g agave syrup
23 g olive oil
135 ml water (120 - 130 degrees F/48 - 54 degrees C)
Optional Toppings: fresh herbs, olives, roasted tomato slices, sauteed garlic or onion slices.
Biga Directions
In a medium sized bowl, combine the flours, water, agave syrup and yeast. Mix together, making sure the mixture is smooth. Cover the mixture or transfer to a container and allow to ferment at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C for 18 to 24 hours. When the biga is ready to use, it will have risen and receded, yet also look bubbly.
Final Dough Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients with the exception of the salt and yeast. Hold the salt out, so it can be added later in the mixing. Place the yeast into a small container, add the water and a little bit of the agave syrup. Stir to ensure the water mixes through the yeast. Allow the yeast to proof for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the yeast mixture, biga, the rest of the agave syrup and blend together. Just before the dough comes together, sprinkle in the salt and then continue blending until a soft ball forms. Note: This dough should be a little looser than other types of doughs.
3. Place the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with arrowroot starch. Gently pat the dough out into an 8-inch/20 cm circle and brush with olive oil. Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 2 hours. Brush the focaccia with olive oil again and cover with your choice of toppings.
4. Place an oven proof bowl filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Then place a baking stone on the top shelf. Preheat the oven to 460 degrees F/238 degrees C. Place the loaf in the oven and spray water over the oven box and the top of the loaf. Bake the loaf for 15 minutes. Prop the oven door open and continue to cook the bread for another 10 minutes. Remove the loaf and allow it to cool before serving.
What's Going On?
I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their culinary dvd's from my family for my birthday and our anniversary. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.
Want more?
You can follow me on Twitter and on Flickr.
Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts
Index of the Baking & Pastry Project
Baking & Pastry Week 21 - A Biga & A Sourdough Starter
Baking & Pastry Project #41 - Ciabatta (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project #40 - Rosemary Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project Week 20 - More Bigas
Baking & Pastry Project #39 - Cracked Rice & Potato Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project #38 - Almond & White Bean Batard (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project Week 19 - Bigas
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
17 Mar 2010 at 9:11pm
A Biga & A Sourdough Starter - Baking & Pastry Week 21
A Sour Story
This week I'm wrapping up my exploration of bigas and moving on to sourdoughs. I'm going to make a couple of different types of sours, starting with one that is light colored and mild flavored like one made from bread flour. The second will be stronger in flavor more like a rye flour. The final sour will be a whole grain style made with a stronger alternative flour, i..e. buckwheat, amaranth, teff, etc.
This first sour is mild and slightly colored and flavored with corn flour or an extra fine ground corn meal. It will take five days before your sour is ready to be made into a loaf of bread. When you measure out your flours to begin the starter, go ahead and measure out the rest of the flours for each feeding. Then your feeding process will be quick and easy.
If you are having trouble getting your culture started, you can add a grape, apple slice, onion or potato pieces. You can even use the water from boiling potatoes for your water in the recipe. I like using a mixture of flours in my sourdough starters, as I think you get a more vibrant culture.
Once your sourdough culture has been established, you will need to feed it again once the dough has risen and then recedes from it's previous feeding.
Enjoy!
Sourdough Starter Recipe
Day 1 & 2
60 ml water (80 degrees F/27 degrees C)
10 g brown rice flour (0.9 g)
13 g sweet rice flour (0.78 g)
10 g corn flour (not corn starch) (0.81 g)
13 g almond meal (2.6 g)
10 g white bean flour (2.15 g)
2 ml agave syrup
Mix the ingredients together and then cover. Allow to sit for 24 hours at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C. On Day 2, check to see if the water and flours have separated. If they have stir them together, cover and allow the sour to sit another 24 hours.
Day 3
Note: The image above is of this starter at Day 3.
60 ml water (80 degrees F/27 degrees C)
56 g sour (from Day 1 & 2)
10 g brown rice flour (0.9 g)
13 g sweet rice flour (0.78 g)
10 g corn flour (not corn starch) (0.81 g)
13 g almond meal (2.6 g)
10 g white bean flour (2.15 g)
2 ml agave syrup
Take 56 g of the sour from Day 1 & 2, discard any excess sour. Add the water and the flours for the first feeding combining thoroughly. Cover and rest for 24 hours at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C.
Day 4
60 ml water (80 degrees F/27 degrees C)
113 g sour (Days 1 - 3)
10 g brown rice flour (0.9 g)
13 g sweet rice flour (0.78 g)
10 g corn flour (not corn starch) (0.81 g)
13 g almond meal (2.6 g)
10 g white bean flour (2.15 g)
2 ml agave syrup
Take 113 g of the sour from Day 3, discard any excess sour. Add the water and the flours for the second feeding combining thoroughly. Cover and rest for 24 hours at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C.
Day 5
120 ml water (60 degrees F/16 degrees C)
56 g sour (from Day 4)
35 g brown rice flour (3.15 g)
35 g sweet rice flour (2.1 g)
30 g corn flour (2.43 g)
40 g almond meal (8 g)
30 g white bean flour (6.45 g)
2 ml agave syrup
Take 56 g of the sour from Day 4, discard any excess sour. Add the water and the flours for the first feeding combining thoroughly. Cover and rest for 4 hours at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C, before using this sour to make a loaf of bread.
What Am I Baking?
Focaccia made with a biga (egg free & dairy free)
Brown Rice & Corn Sourdough (egg free & dairy free)
Shopping List
Brown Rice Flour (Fine or Superfine Grind)
Sweet Rice Flour (also called glutinous rice flour)
Arrowroot Starch
Corn Flour
Almond Meal
High Protein Flours, such as: Soybean, White Bean, Black Bean
Whole Grain Flour, such as: Buckwheat, Millet, Sorghum, Quinoa, Teff
Instant Dry Yeast
Binding Agents, such as: Xanthan or Guar Gum, Chia Seed Meal, Agar Agar Powder
Olive Oil
Resources
Flours & Binding Agents: Authentic Foods, Barry Farm, Bob's Red Mill
Instant Dry Yeast: Barry Farm
Agave Syrup: Wild Organics, Native Seeds
Equipment
Cookie Sheet
Parchment Paper
Baking Stone
What's Going On?
I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their culinary dvd's from my family for my birthday and our anniversary. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.
Want more?
You can follow me on Twitter and on Flickr.
Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts
Index of the Baking & Pastry Project
Baking & Pastry Project #41 - Ciabatta (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project #40 - Rosemary Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project Week 20 - More Bigas
Baking & Pastry Project #39 - Cracked Rice & Potato Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project #38 - Almond & White Bean Batard (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project Week 19 - Bigas
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
15 Mar 2010 at 9:15pm
Ciabatta (B&P41)
Like many people who love to cook, I've got a thing for cookbooks, especially old ones. I go through old bookstores, thrift shops and even the collections of my family and friends looking for old treasures.
A while back I checked out the cookery section at Project Gutenberg, but didn't find anything all that interesting. Time makes all the difference in the world, especially when transferring old books into a digital format. Yesterday, I was back at Project "G" oogling their selection and they do have some nice ones available in the cookery section of the bookshelf. They have a variety of ways to download the books and some versions even have the images as well. I tested the Adobe EPUB and the Read Online formats and both worked very well.
There are some old gems in this collection like The Women's Institute of Cookery (vols. I - V), The White House Cookbook and The Cook's Decameron: A Study In Taste, Containing Over Two Hundred Recipes For Italian Dishes. There are quite a few interesting recipes to be found in this collection, especially one for Starvation Soup. It's found in The Belgian Cookbook (1915), a book of recipes provided by Belgian refugees of World War I.
With many old cookbooks, you will have to guess at the quantities required for a recipe. They might tell you to use an equal amount of almonds and sugar or use phrases like "...reckon the quantities as follows." These types of recipes give you the chance to really get a feel for the look, texture and taste of a baked good. Although, it can be frustrating sometimes when you have to try and figure out equal weights of eggs, butter, flour and sugar.
If you're looking for something really yummy to go with this very good loaf of ciabatta, check out a recipe for Roman Sauce from The Cook's Decameron. It calls for nutmeg, raisins, lemon, herbs, pine nuts or almonds, burnt sugar in an espagnole or brown sauce. For our dinner, I ended up choosing the classic tomato sauce with basil and garlic served it over brown rice pasta and meatballs. To finish it off, I served Chocolate and Drambuie Tiramisu, the latest Daring Baker Challenge recipe, along with a cup of organic Espresso. Delicious.
Enjoy!
Recipe
Protein Content
Original: 29.12 g
Gluten Free: 28.63 g
Biga
20 g brown rice flour (1.8 g)
15 g sweet rice flour (0.09 g)
15 g arrowroot starch (0.045 g)
20 g almond meal (4 g)
22 g white bean flour (4.73 g)
1 g instant dry yeast
50 ml water (120 - 130 degrees F/48 - 54 degrees C)
10 ml agave syrup
Final Dough
25 g brown rice flour (2.25 g)
22 g sweet rice flour (1.32 g)
20 g arrowroot starch (0.06 g)
30 g almond meal (6 g)
35 g white bean flour (7.525 g)
12 g instant dry yeast
6 g chia seed meal
4 g agar agar powder
7 g sea salt
126 g biga (from above)
130 ml water (120 - 130 degrees F/48 - 54 degrees C)
15 ml agave syrup
Biga Directions
In a medium sized bowl, combine the flours, water, agave syrup and yeast. Mix together, making sure the mixture is smooth. Cover the mixture or transfer to a container and allow to ferment at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C for 18 to 24 hours. When the biga is ready to use, it will have risen and receded, yet also look bubbly.
Final Dough Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients with the exception of the salt and yeast. Hold the salt out, so it can be added later in the mixing. Place the yeast into a small container, add the water and a little bit of the agave syrup. Stir to ensure the water mixes through the yeast. Allow the yeast to proof for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the yeast mixture, biga, the rest of the agave syrup and blend together. Just before the dough comes together, sprinkle in the salt and then continue blending until a soft ball forms. Note: This dough should be a little wetter or looser than other types of doughs.
3. Since this dough is looser, I made a foil frame so the bread would turn out the right shape. Take a long strip of aluminum foil and fold it lengthwise until it is 2 inches/5 cm wide. Fold up 1/2 inch/1.3cm from one long edge, but don't make a hard crease in the foil. Ease the foil around until the ends over lap and can rest one inside the other. Work the corners until the fold lays flat and you have a rounded edge rectangle. Let the sides ease out rather than be straight up and down. (See the picture above.) Gently line this frame with parchment paper, so you can reuse the frame for the ciabatta (the next B&P recipe).
4. Place the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with arrowroot starch. Gently pat the dough out into the frame, but don't press it into the sides or corners. The loaf should still have rounded sides. Slide the frame onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 2 hours.
5. Place an oven proof bowl filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Then place a baking stone on the top shelf. Preheat the oven to 460 degrees F/238 degrees C. Place the loaf in the oven and spray water over the oven box and the top of the loaf. Bake the loaf for 25 minutes. Prop the oven door open and continue to cook the bread for another 10 minutes. Remove the loaf and allow it to cool before serving.
What's Going On?
I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their DVD's from my family for my birthday. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.
Want more?
You can follow me on Twitter and on Flickr.
Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts
Baking & Pastry #40 - Rosemary Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Week 20 - More Bigas
Baking & Pastry #39 - Cracked Rice & Potato Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry #38 - Almond & White Bean Batard (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Week 19 - Bigas
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
7 Mar 2010 at 9:11am
Rosemary Bread (B&P40)
The beauty of a biga is the rich slightly fermented flavor they give a loaf of bread. The depth of flavor is intensely satisfying when you eat these loaves. The first time I made this loaf, I didn't allow the biga to mature to the full 18 hours. Instead I stopped it about 8 hours, because I really needed a loaf of bread for my dinner party.
The resulting bread looked and tasted good, but that extra something was missing. So, I made it again and allowed the biga to ferment for 24 hours. Wow! The biga had a heady wine-like aroma and gave the bread that little extra boost it needed.
I made an Italian style dinner for my guests and everyone loved the bread. It doesn't need anything extra to go with it, maybe some butter. However, it's simply wonderful to eat all on it's own.
Enjoy!
Recipe
Protein Content
Original: 40.3 g
Gluten Free: 39.72 g
Biga
10 g brown rice flour (0.9 g)
10 g sweet rice flour (0.6 g)
10 g arrowroot starch (0.03 g)
15 g white bean flour (3.225 g)
12 g almond meal (2.4 g)
1 g instant dry yeast
32 ml water (120 - 130 degrees F/48 - 54 degrees C)
10 ml agave syrup
Final Dough
50 g brown rice flour (4.5 g)
40 g sweet rice flour (2.4 g)
40 g arrowroot starch (0.12 g)
60 g almond meal (12 g)
63 g white bean flour (13.545 g)
12 g instant dry yeast
6 g chia seed meal
4 g agar agar powder
5 g sea salt
2 g rosemary, coarsely chopped
9 g olive oil
24 ml milk or alternative milk
132 ml water (120 - 130 degrees F/48 - 54 degrees C)
15 ml agave syrup
Biga Directions
In a medium sized bowl, combine the flours, water, agave syrup and yeast. Mix together, making sure the mixture is smooth. Cover the mixture or transfer to a container and allow to ferment at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C for 18 to 24 hours. When the biga is ready to use, it will have risen and receded, yet also look bubbly.
Final Dough Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients with the exception of the salt and yeast. Hold the salt out, so it can be added later in the mixing. Place the yeast into a small container, add the water and a little bit of the agave syrup. Stir to ensure the water mixes through the yeast. Allow the yeast to proof for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the yeast mixture, biga, the rest of the agave syrup and blend together. Just before the dough comes together, sprinkle in the salt and then continue blending until a soft ball forms. Note: This dough should be a little wetter or looser than other types of doughs.
3. Since this dough is looser, I made a foil frame so the bread would turn out the right shape. Take a long strip of aluminum foil and fold it lengthwise until it is 2 inches/5 cm wide. Fold up 1/2 inch/1.3cm from one long edge, but don't make a hard crease in the foil. Ease the foil around until the ends over lap and can rest one inside the other. Work the corners until the fold lays flat and you have a rounded edge rectangle. Let the sides ease out rather than be straight up and down. (See the picture above.) Gently line this frame with parchment paper, so you can reuse the frame for the ciabatta (the next B&P recipe).
4. Place the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with arrowroot starch. Gently pat the dough out into the frame, but don't press it into the sides or corners. The loaf should still have rounded sides. Take a sharp knife to one corner of the dough and score from that corner to each of the other 3 corners (see the photograph at the top of the post). Slide the frame onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 2 hours.
4. Place an oven proof bowl filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Then place a baking stone on the top shelf. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F/232 degrees C. Place the loaf in the oven and spray water over the oven box and the top of the loaf. Bake the loaf for 20 minutes. Prop the oven door open and continue to cook the bread for another 10 minutes. Remove the loaf and allow it to cool before serving.
What's Going On?
I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their DVD's from my family for my birthday. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.
Want more?
You can follow me on Twitter and on Flickr.
Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts
Baking & Pastry Week 20 - More Bigas
Baking & Pastry #39 - Cracked Rice & Potato Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry #38 - Almond & White Bean Batard (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Week 19 - Bigas
Baking & Pastry #37 - Roasted Potato Basil Loaf (Poolish)
Baking & Pastry #36 - Almond & White Bead Epi Wreath (Poolish)
Baking & Pastry Week 18 - Poolishes
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
1 Mar 2010 at 9:11am
Tiramisu with Chocolate Ganache & Drambuie
The February Daring Bakers Challenge
The February 2010 Daring Bakers? challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.
This divine Italian dessert translates to mean ?pick me up?, supposedly referring to the ?kick? provided by the strong coffee, sugar and alcohol in it!
On the other hand, a slight mistake in spelling it as "Tiramuso" could end up meaning that you were "pulling a sulky face"! Classic tiramisu is made of alternate layers of espresso soaked ladyfinger biscuits and a cream made from mascarpone cheese and zabaglione (an egg custard). The perfect Tiramisu is a balance of flavors of a sweet zabaglione, strong coffee, marsala wine, creamy mascarpone cheese and the dusting of unsweetened cocoa. Tiramisu is said to have its origins in Treviso (Italy), and there are quite a few stories about how it came to be created.
One story traces the tiramisu as far back as the Renaissance claiming that it was first made in honour of the visit of Grand Duke Cosimo di Medici to Tuscany. Yet another one points to the tiramisu being an adaptation of the "Zuppa Inglese" referring to the sponge cake and cream layered English Trifle.
However, experts in this area generally agree that the tiramisu as we know it today, was born in the ?70s. Some believe that the Tiramisu was created in the the Le Beccherie (a restaurant in Treviso). Others suggest that Tiramisu was first made in 1971 by an Italian baker named Carminantonio Iannaccone in a small bakery in Treviso, Italy.
Thank you Deeba and Aparna for a wonderful Daring Baker challenge this month. I love challenges that expand my skills...even if gaining this skill set exasperates me. I thoroughly enjoyed making the tiramisu.
I served it at a dinner party we had with some folks from my husband's work. Mr. Go Go and our guests thought it was simply fabulous, especially with the addition of the Drambuie.
Me...well...I thought it was okay, but I'm not that big on egg custard desserts. I love to make them though, because of the all the slow stirring. It's very soothing. Although making the zabaglione took me to the mind numbing stage. After 30 minutes of stirring, I couldn't get the temperature high enough nor would the mixture thicken. In aggravation, I dumped it into a small saucepot, stirred like a speed demon and two minutes later it was finally ready.
Now the ganache is another story. It's just scrumptious, especially with a touch of Drambuie added to it. There was some left in the bowl after I layered my dessert glasses and I quietly scraped the mixing bowl clean all by myself.
Enjoy!
Preparation Time:
Tiramisu is made up of several components which can be made separately and ahead of time and put together the day before serving. Making tiramisu from scratch requires about 2 to 3 days (including refrigeration) from when you start making the mascarpone to the time the tiramisu is served. The zabaglione & pastry cream also need 4 hours to an overnight for chilling, as does the main dessert. The flavours mature after an overnight rest, and the dessert can be kept refrigerated for 2-3 days. Once assembled, the tiramisu can be frozen till you need to serve it, in case you are not serving it immediately.
Equipment:
A double boiler (a stainless steel bowl that fits inside a large saucepan without touching the bottom will do)
Two or three large mixing bowls
Whisk
A medium sized heavy bottomed pan
Fine meshed strainer (to remove lumps from pastry cream, if any)
Electric mixer, hand held
Serving dish (or dishes) of choice (8" by 8" should be fine)
Spatula for folding and spoons as required
Plastic wrap/ clingfilm
Baking sheets
Parchment paper or nonstick liners
Pastry bag (can be disposable)
Plain 3/4" pastry bag tip or cut the end of pastry bag to this size or a Ziploc bag
Oven
Cooling rack
Thin-bladed spatula for removing ladyfinger biscuits from the baking sheets
Instant-read thermometer (optional)
Strainer
Cheesecloth or cotton napkin for draining mascarpone
Fine-mesh strainer for shaking cocoa powder on tiramisu
Ingredients
Zabaglione
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar/50gms
1/4 cup/60ml Coffee
1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml Drambuie
Vanilla Pastry Cream
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1 tablespoon/8gms sweet rice flour
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup/175ml whole milk
Whipped Cream:
1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract
Tiramisu:
1/3 cup/75gms mascarpone cheese
36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)
chocolate ganache
zabaglione
vanilla pastry cream
whipping cream
Zabaglione:
Heat water in a double boiler. If you don?t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.
In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the coffee and vanilla extract. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.
Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.
Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.
Pastry Cream:
Mix together the sugar, flour and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.
Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don?t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)
Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.
Whipped Cream:
Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.
Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8" by 8" should do) or one of your choice.
In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.
Assembling the tiramisu:
Working quickly, dip each of the ladyfinger buttons in the chocolate ganache. They should be moist but not soggy. Drop the dipped ladyfinger into the bottom of your serving glass.
Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfinger buttons, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges. Repeat to create 2 more layers, using more ladyfinger buttons and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight. Top with a layer of whipped cream, if desired.
To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.
Chocolate Ganache
2 ounces dark chocolate
2 ounces milk chocolate
1/2 cup whipping or heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla cognac or drambuie
Break up the chocolate pieces and place into a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the whipping or heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly pour the cream into the chocolate bowl. Stir the chocolate mixture until it becomes glossy. Allow the ganache to cool before spooning onto the ladyfingers/savoiardi biscuits.
Mascarpone Cheese
This recipe makes 12oz/ 340gm of mascarpone cheese
500 ml whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.
It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.
Vera?s notes: The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it?d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.
Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.
Ladyfingers/Savoiardi Biscuits
This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2" to 3" long) ladyfingers or lots of little ladyfinger buttons.
3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons /75gms granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
2 Tb cornstarch
1 tsp chia seed meal
1/4 tsp agar agar powder
6 tablespoons /50gms confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 Tb cocoa powder
Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.
Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.
Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Chill the batter in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before piping the batter. Pipe the batter into 5" long and 3/4" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips.
Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness. Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.
Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.
Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.
Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
26 Feb 2010 at 11:12pm
Exploring More Bigas - Baking & Pastry Week 20
The Penance Post or How to iPod Your Mom In Six Easy Steps
I got caught out the other day and found guilty of not just tuning out my Mom, but iPoding her. I razz my kids all the time about zoning out with their iPods. Honestly, I'm not offended, because if I wasn't driving the car or navigating us through another activity (i.e. grocery shopping), I'd be listening to my iPod too.
This past Christmas, we were home visiting with my family. I was busy in the kitchen, doing the white work icing on my gingerbread house. Happily zoning out listening to a book I downloaded from our library. Everyone else in the house was off doing their own thing or watching a movie in the family room. Turns out my Mom (i.e. the kid's grandmother) was telling everyone in the family room some important stuff about the next big family get together. I was off in book and icing land and didn't hear a word of it.
Last week, the kid's asked me if I had told Mimi (i.e. their grandmother) if we were going to be attending the big Spring family get together. I (of course) was puzzled by their question..."What big get together?" Informative pair that they are, they started to let me know all about the party. Once again, I'm trying to figure out how they got to be in the know, as I'm so totally clueless about this event.
"Oh, Mimi told us about it," they replied. "When was that?" I ask. "Oh, that night around Christmas when everyone was over watching that movie we rented," they said. "Well, what was I doing, 'cause I don't remember this," I reply. They said, "You were decorating the gingerbread house, Mom." "Well, that explains it," I reply. "How so?" asks my son. "I was listening to a book while I iced the gingerbread," I said. "Oooooohhhhhh, you iPoded Mimi!" they popped out in unison. "You're in trouble now! We're telling Dad!"
Our kid's have gotten a lot of mileage out of this transgression on my part...their Mom was caught iPoding her Mom. Priceless dirt as far as my kid's are concerned. They've told all their cousins, their friends and maybe even their grandfather. I've had emails from all my nephews and nieces asking the same question, "Is it true that you iPoded Mimi?" "Yep!" I emailed back. "Wow! I don't suppose you lost the use of your iPod?" my 16 year old nephew asked. "I just lost my iPod Touch for two weeks, because I didn't turn in some of my homework assignments." "Well," I said, "Not turning in your homework, is kinda different than iPoding Mimi." "Yeah, I know...," he mumbled.
So this post is my penance for iPoding my Mom. My family decided I should have to confess.
If you're wondering how you too can iPod someone, here are six easy steps to getting it done:
1. Remove the volume control on your iPod.
2. Buy better ear buds. Look at the Creative line for some nice ones.
3. Find a task to do with your hands while you listen.
4. Listen to something that will engross you, i.e. favorite music or book.
5. Make sure that the person you are iPoding is saying or doing something worth iPoding them over.
6. Be willing to pay the price for iPoding.
Now that I've confessed, I'm off to bake some more in solace. I'm remaking the first loaf of ciabatta I made. It ended up turning out into something looking more like focaccia rather than ciabatta. It tasted great, but I wanted a rounded loaf not a flat one, so back to the kitchen I go.
What Am I Baking?
Rosemary Bread made with a biga (egg free & dairy free option)
Ciabatta made with a biga (egg free & dairy free)
Shopping List
Brown Rice Flour (Fine or Superfine Grind)
Sweet Rice Flour (also called glutinous rice flour)
Arrowroot Starch
Almond Meal
High Protein Flours, such as: Soybean, White Bean, Black Bean
Whole Grain Flour, such as: Buckwheat, Millet, Sorghum, Quinoa, Teff
Instant Dry Yeast
Binding Agents, such as: Xanthan or Guar Gum, Chia Seed Meal, Agar Agar Powder
Olive Oil
Rosemary
Milk or Alternative Milk
Resources
Flours & Binding Agents: Authentic Foods, Barry Farm, Bob's Red Mill
Instant Dry Yeast: Barry Farm
Agave Syrup: Wild Organics, Native Seeds
Equipment
Cookie Sheet
Parchment Paper
Baking Stone
What's Going On?
I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their culinary dvd's from my family for my birthday and our anniversary. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.
Want more?
You can follow me on Twitter and on Flickr.
Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts
Index of the Baking & Pastry Project
Baking & Pastry Project #34 - Almond Buckwheat Batard with Poolish
Baking & Pastry Project #33 - Stollen
Baking & Pastry Project Week 17 - Sponge & A Poolish
Baking & Pastry Project #32 - Gugelhopf Crown
Baking & Pastry Project #31 - Panettone
Baking & Pastry Project Week 16 - Holiday Breads
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
25 Feb 2010 at 9:02am
Cracked Rice & Potato Bread Made With A Biga (B&P39)
Baby Steps
When you first start baking gluten free, there is a steep learning curve while you learn the differences between baking with and without gluten. You take baby steps towards your goal of making edible gluten free food. Then you get the hang of it and you're making breads, cakes and cookies.
Later you want to spread your wings and try different recipes or convert a wheat recipe to gluten free. Once again, you're taking baby steps and discovering the joys and sorrows of gluten free baking. I felt so bad about the food I was wasting, I took a detour into learning how to compost. However, truthfully nothing takes all the sting out of having to throw out a baked good with a lot of expensive nut meal in it, not even knowing you're feeding the earth and it's critters.
Those baby steps are taking me towards my goal of baking artisan gluten free bread. They took me into the romance of my quest to a glorious crusty loaf of bread filled with cracked wild and brown rice and yukon gold potatoes. Utterly delicious...satisfying.
What do you need to enjoy this loaf? Maybe warm the loaf a little and add some butter. Better yet, grab a loved one and a bottle of red wine, then share the romance.
Enjoy!
Recipe
Protein Content
Original: 15.81 g
Gluten Free: 15.40 g
Biga
5 g brown rice flour (0.45 g)
2 g sweet rice flour (0.12 g)
2 g arrowroot starch (0.006 g)
2 g almond meal (0.4 g)
5 g white bean flour (1.075 g)
1 g instant dry yeast
10 ml agave syrup
Soaker
6 g cracked mixed brown rice varieties
6 - 8 ml water
Roasted Potatoes
65 g potatoes
olive oil, as needed
sea salt, as needed
cracked black pepper, as needed
Final Dough
16 g brown rice flour (1.44 g)
10 g sweet rice flour (0.6 g)
10 g arrowroot starch (0.03 g)
15 g almond meal (3 g)
15 g white bean flour (3.225 g)
________________________replaces the bread flour
10 g buckwheat flour (1.45 g)
10 g arrowroot starch (0.03 g)
15 g almond meal (3 g)
________________________replaces the whole wheat flour
3 g cocoa powder (0.57 g)
3 g arrowroot starch (0.009 g)
________________________replaces the medium rye flour
22 g instant dry yeast
55 g biga (from above)
65 g potatoes
74 g soaker (from above)
6 g chia seed meal
4 g agar agar powder
45 ml water (120 - 130 degrees F/48 - 54 degrees C)
15 ml agave syrup
3 g sea salt
Biga Directions
In a medium sized bowl, combine the flours, water, agave syrup and yeast. Mix together, making sure the mixture is smooth. Cover the mixture or transfer to a container and allow to ferment at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C for 18 to 24 hours. When the biga is ready to use, it will have risen and receded, yet also look bubbly.
Soaker Directions
Place the assorted brown rice and wild rice mixture (Lundberg Family Farms) into a clean coffee grinder. Pulse until the the majority of the grains are cracked. Pour the cracked rice into a container and pour the water over it. Cover and set in the refrigerator to soak for 8 to 12 hours.
Roasted Potato Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C. Place the cut potatoes in a cookie pan or a rectangular baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and using a spoon or your hands coat the potatoes with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and stir the potatoes. Place back in the oven and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Allow to cool. Cut the potato wedges into bite size pieces.
Final Dough Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients with the exception of the salt and yeast. Hold the salt out, so it can be added later in the mixing. Place the yeast into a small container, add the water and a little bit of the agave syrup. Stir to ensure the water mixes through the yeast. Allow the yeast to proof for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the yeast mixture, biga, potatoes, soaker and the rest of the agave syrup and blend together. Just before the dough comes together, sprinkle in the salt and then continue blending until a soft ball forms. If the dough is still too soft, add arrowroot starch by the tablespoon (1 Tb/15 ml) until the dough firms up.
3. Place the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with arrowroot starch. Gently roll the dough into a cylinder about 12 in/30 cm long. Gently curve the dough into a horseshoe shape. Take a sharp knife and slice down the center of the cylinder. Place two small slices of potato at the top of the horseshoe. Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 2 hours.
4. Place an oven proof bowl filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Then place a baking stone on the top shelf. Preheat the oven to 435 degrees F/224 degrees C. Place the loaf in the oven and spray water over the oven box and the top of the loaf. Bake the loaf for 45 minutes. Prop the oven door open and continue to cook the bread for another 10 minutes. Remove the loaf and allow it to cool before serving.
What's Going On?
I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their DVD's from my family for my birthday. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.
Want more?
You can follow me on Twitter and on Flickr.
Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts
Baking & Pastry #38 - Almond & White Bean Batard (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Week 19 - Bigas
Baking & Pastry #37 - Roasted Potato Basil Loaf (Poolish)
Baking & Pastry #36 - Almond & White Bead Epi Wreath (Poolish)
Baking & Pastry Week 18 - Poolishes
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
18 Feb 2010 at 11:57pm
Almond White Bean Lean Loaf Made With A Biga (B&P38)
Quest, circa 1303, "a search for something" (esp. of judicial inquiries or hounds seeking game), from O.Fr. queste (Fr. quête), prop. "the act of seeking," from M.L. questa "search, inquiry," alteration of L. quæsitus, pp. of quærere "seek, gain, ask" (see query). Romance sense of "adventure undertaken by a knight" is attested from c.1384. The verb is first recorded c.1350.
Modern Language Association (MLA): "quest." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 16 Feb. 2010. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/quest>.
Each morning, most of us rise, get dressed, guzzle down a cup of coffee or tea and begin our search. We seek income, food, housing, safety, love and more. Each of our quests might not be along the lines a romantic grand tradition, however each one is necessary.
Every day, my husband goes out and seeks to do his best for employer and his clients. Each day, I seek to do my best for my family, whether it is through loving my family, caring for our home, cooking nutritious gluten free food, meeting our Sheltie's canine needs and working on my own endeavors.
Currently at Gluten A Go Go, I seek to bake artisan gluten free bread, and blog my adventure. Each conversion of a bread recipe from the CIA's Baking and Pastry tome, is a new challenge. A new opportunity to find the best artisan gluten free bread, a loaf that is airy, nutritious and doesn't fall apart when you eat it.
My quest can be broken down into smaller pursuits. Each one providing me an opportunity for the thrill of victory, such as getting the yeast to rise or the bread not to crumble. Yet, each of pursuits has the opportunity to fail and each one has at various times. Sometimes these failures have been pretty spectacular and others not so much. Each time I fail, I try again. Although quite honestly I think these basic lean bread recipes have it in for me. I have to remake these recipes more than any of the others in my baking project. This version turned out beautifully and has a fabulous slightly fermented taste. It's reminiscent of ciabatta, a recipe that is coming soon.
I'm slowly working my way through Baking and Pastry. My life doesn't quite accomodate the speed that Julie Powell was able to generate while cooking through, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It took Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck, years to create Mastering the Art of French Cooking. They didn't give up. They kept seeking the best recipes. They kept cooking until they got it right.
I keep at my quest. Some days, I find the romance (see my next bread, Cracked Rice and Roasted Potato Baguette). Other days...well...dadgum...if it could go wrong...it did.
At that point, I take a break and think on things. I work on my other pursuits, such as photography. I'm working on adding to my camera equipment, learning how to use it better and acting like bird paparazzi. I'm after a really nice image of a male cardinal and red hawk that are gracing the land around us.
Do you have a quest?
Protein Content
Biga:
Original: 11.05 g
Gluten Free: 12.23 g
Dough:
Original: 16.7 g
Gluten Free: 16.65 g
Biga
16 g brown rice flour (1.44 g)
16 g sweet rice flour (0.96 g)
16 g arrowroot starch (0.03 g)
19 g almond meal (4.32 g)
18 g white bean flour (4.08 g)
12 g instant dry yeast
50 ml water
15 ml agave syrup
Final Dough
22 g brown rice flour (1.98 g)
22 g sweet rice flour (1.32 g )
24 g arrowroot starch (0.07 g)
30 g almond meal (6 g)
28 g white bean flour (6.02 g)
6 g chia seed meal (1.26 g)
6 g sea salt
4 g agar agar powder
15 g instant dry yeast
126 g biga (from above)
20 ml agave syrup
128 ml water (120 - 130 degrees F/48 - 54 degrees C)
Biga Directions
In a medium sized bowl, combine the flours, water, agave syrup and yeast. Mix together, making sure the mixture is smooth. Cover the mixture or transfer to a container and allow to ferment at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C for 18 to 24 hours. When the biga is ready to use, it will have risen and receded, yet also look bubbly.
Final Dough Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients with the exception of the salt. Hold the salt out, so it can be added later in the mixing. Add the biga, water and agave syrup and blend together, just before the dough comes together, sprinkle in the salt and then continue blending until a soft ball forms. If the dough is still too soft, add arrowroot starch by the tablespoon (1 Tb/15 ml) until the dough firms up.
2. Place the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with arrowroot starch. Gently roll the dough into a cylinder about 10 in/25 cm long and taper the ends. Take a sharp knife and slice a cut across the center of the cylinder at a slight angle. Place matching cuts on either side of the center cut, so there are three cuts altogether. Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 2 hours.
3. Place an oven proof bowl filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Then place a baking stone on the top shelf. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F/232 degrees C. Place the loaf in the oven and spray water over the oven box and the top of the loaf. Bake the loaf for 30 minutes. Prop the oven door open and continue to cook the bread for another 10 minutes. Remove the loaf and allow it to cool before serving.
What's Going On?
I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their DVD's from my family for my birthday. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.
Want more?
You can follow me on Twitter and on Flickr.
Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts
Baking & Pastry Week 18 - Poolishes
Baking & Pastry #34 - Almond Buckwheat BatardBaking & Pastry #33 - Stollen
Baking & Pastry Week 17 - A Sponge and a Poolish
Baking & Pastry #32 - Gugelhopf
Baking & Pastry #31 - Panettone
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
16 Feb 2010 at 9:03am
A Couple of Bigas - Baking & Pastry Project Week 19
Making Bigas
A pre-ferment used in Italian bread making is called a biga. It is a mixture of flour, yeast and water that is allowed to sit and ferment for 12 to 24 hours. There is less water in a biga pre-ferment as compared to the French poolish, which has been used some of the previous B & P Project recipes.
The poolish will look like a slurry when put together, whereas the biga will look a big like bread dough that's just a bit too firm. When you look at your biga, you're brain will tell you it needs more water, however it is the right texture. An example of a biga pre-ferment bread that is commonly found in most bakeries is the ciabatta (coming next week).
A biga gives bread a more complex flavor, almost nutty in taste. It's aroma is richer, yet not quite like sourdough. Overall, your bread develops in more in aroma, flavor and texture when using a biga.
What Am I Baking?
Almond & White Bean Lean Bread made with a biga (egg free & dairy free)
Cracked Rice & Potato Bread made with a biga (egg free & dairy free)
Shopping List
Brown Rice Flour (Fine or Superfine Grind)
Sweet Rice Flour (also called glutinous rice flour)
Arrowroot Starch
Almond Meal
High Protein Flours, such as: Soybean, White Bean, Black Bean
Whole Grain Flour, such as: Buckwheat, Millet, Sorghum, Quinoa, Teff
Instant Dry Yeast
Binding Agents, such as: Xanthan or Guar Gum, Chia Seed Meal, Agar Agar Powder
Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Fresh Galic
Cracked Black Pepper
Assorted Brown Rices
Resources
Flours & Binding Agents: Authentic Foods, Barry Farm, Bob's Red Mill
Instant Dry Yeast: Barry Farm
Agave Syrup: Wild Organics, Native Seeds
Equipment
Cookie Sheet
Coffee Grinder or Food Mill
What's Going On?
I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their culinary dvd's from my family for my birthday and our anniversary. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.
Want more?
You can follow me on Twitter and on Flickr.
Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts
Index of the Baking & Pastry Project
Baking & Pastry Project #34 - Almond Buckwheat Batard with Poolish
Baking & Pastry Project #33 - Stollen
Baking & Pastry Project Week 17 - Sponge & A Poolish
Baking & Pastry Project #32 - Gugelhopf Crown
Baking & Pastry Project #31 - Panettone
Baking & Pastry Project Week 16 - Holiday Breads
Want More?
You can also follow me on Twitter, where I'm glutenagogo.
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
11 Feb 2010 at 10:01am
Almond White Bean Lean Loaf Made With A Poolish (B&P37)
I'm back on the baking trail now that my flours have all arrived. Last week, I was on the hunt for flours when my order went the opposite direction from me. It put a real crimp in my making the January Daring Bakers Challenge. So, I decided to maximize my chances of getting an order by picking 3 different vendors to order from. I was able to get enough flour in to finish the DB Challenge fortunately. However it wasn't enough to go back to baking bread. All the flours finally came in and I've got bread on the menu for today.
It's a truly lovely loaf of Almond White Bean Bread - a lean dough that is egg and dairy free. It has a wonderful flavor that is great as toast with scrambled eggs, a dollop of strawberry jelly or simply for eating plain.
This picture is from the first set I made in early morning light. I was waiting for later in the day, for a second set, when the light would be brighter and warmer through the patio doors. The dining area contains my photo studio in our temporary home, so I got things ready and then went off to take a shower. When I was finished getting ready, I discovered my son in his search for something to eat with his scrambled eggs had absconded with the loaf. A good portion was already gone and my daughter was digging into it to add to her breakfast plate. By the time the afternoon light came around, there wasn't enough of the loaf left to take another picture.
What's coming up next in my bread baking adventure? Bigas...another method of pre-ferment, which was used by Italian bakers. The biga will add a more complex flavor and larger air pockets. Well...I'm hopeful about the larger air holes, because you've got to keep on your positive thinking cap when you bake gluten free bread. First up will be the basic lean bread, Almond White Bean.Then I'm making a Cracked Rice and Potato Loaf that has the addition of whole grains of rice in it.
If you haven't tried many of the alternative flours, but you'd like to give some of them a try. Check out my latest article for the Daring Kitchen called "Playing With Alternative Flours." It might help you over the hurdle and into trying out an alternative flour that will add a different flavor, texture or nutrition to your food.
Recipe
Protein Content
Original: 33.8 g
Gluten Free: 33.44 g
Poolish
22 g brown rice flour (1.98 g)
22 g sweet rice flour (1.32 g)
22 g arrowroot starch (.06 g)
34 g almond meal (6.8 g)
28 g white bean flour (6.45 g)
12 g instant dry yeast
131 ml water
15 ml agave syrup
Final Dough
10 g brown rice flour (.09 g)
22 g sweet rice flour (1.32 g)
22 g arrowroot starch (.06 g)
35 g almond meal (7 g)
16 g buckwheat flour (2.32 g)
25 g white bean flour (5.37 g)
________________________replaces durum flour
22 g brown rice flour (1.98 g)
22 g sweet rice flour (1.32 g)
22 g arrowroot starch (.06 g)
30 g almond meal (6 g)
28 g white bean flour (6.02 g)
6 g chia seed meal (1.26 g)
________________________replaces bread flour
15 g instant dry yeast
10 g sea salt
4 g agar agar powder
135 ml water (120 - 130 degrees F)
10 ml agave syrup
Directions for Poolish
Pour all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and blend together. Then add the water and agave syrup and stir until incorporated. Set the bowl in a warm location to rise for 30 minutes.
Directions for Final Dough
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir together. Add the poolish, water and agave syrup and blend together until a soft ball forms. If the dough is still too soft, add arrowroot starch by the tablespoon (1 Tb/15 ml) until the dough firms up.
2. Place the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with arrowroot starch. Gently roll the dough into a cylinder about 10 in/25 cm long and taper the ends. Take a sharp knife and slice a an arcing cut in the center of the cylinder at an angle. Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 2 hours.
3. Place an oven proof bowl filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Then place a baking stone on the top shelf. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F/246 degrees C. Place the loaf in the oven and spray water over the oven box and the top of the loaf. Bake the loaf for 20 minutes. Prop the oven door open and continue to cook the bread for another 10 minutes. Remove the loaf and allow it to cool before serving.
What's Going On?
I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their DVD's from my family for my birthday. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.
Want more?
You can follow me on Twitter and on Flickr.
Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts
Baking & Pastry #36 - Roasted Potato & Basil Loaf
Baking & Pastry #35 - Almond White Bean Epi Wreath
Baking & Pastry Week 18 - Poolishes
Baking & Pastry #34 - Almond Buckwheat Batard
Baking & Pastry #33 - Stollen
Baking & Pastry Week 17 - A Sponge and a Poolish
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
7 Feb 2010 at 7:10am
Nanaimo Bars - A Tribute to Canada
January Daring Bakers Challenge
Nanaimo Bars are a classic Canadian dessert created in none other than Nanaimo, British Colombia. In case you were wondering, it?s pronounced Nah-nye-Moh. These bars have 3 layers: a base containing graham crackers, cocoa, coconut and nuts, a middle custard layer, and a topping of chocolate. They are extremely rich and available almost everywhere across the country.
Our Daring Baker Challenge this month also celebrates that the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver begin next month. The Nanaimo Bar recipe is a tasty way to welcome everyone to Canada!
The January 2010 Daring Bakers? challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and http://www.nanaimo.ca/.
This month the challenge was a bit more difficult from the supply perspective. I usually don't have any trouble living north of New York City finding just about anything I need. However, for this challenge I'm living in central Michigan where my husband is working on a contract. There aren't any Asian groceries, so I couldn't find any sweet rice flour. The local mega box store, Meijer, does have a small gluten free section with a nice basic selection of flours. Then I found a fantastic Co-op about 30 miles away in Mt. Pleasant, the Greentree, that has a wonderful array of organic and local foods.
Next, I went searching for Bird's custard powder. We began our search at the Eastman Party Store, as they said they carried a large selection of foreign foods. My husband and I imagined that it was a gourmet food store given their name, until we walked in the door. When we saw the numerous aisles of wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages, we understood the reason for the "Party Store" name. Wandering around, we found a variety of foods from around the world, including a jar of Bird's custard powder.
Now all I needed was a bag of sorghum flour. Since I also needed other gluten free flours that aren't easily found locally, I placed an order to a vendor I like to order from. After carefully filling out the form and double checking the Michigan shipping address, I clicked send. When I got the tracking notification for my box, I realized that my box was headed for New York and not Michigan. That meant a little juggling with the flours I had with me to make the Nanaimo bars.
When I worked on the recipe, I made an adjustment to the amount of sweet potato flour as the overall dough was basically honey flavored goo. The extra 1/2 cup sweet potato flour, fixed the goo issue and also kept the honey flavor from being over powering in the graham crackers. The final cracker was lightly honeyed and beautifully crisp.
The Nanaimo bars are fabulously rich and decadent. My family liked them cut into small squares for just a bit of sweetness.
Preparation time:
? Graham Wafers: 30 to 45 minutes total active prep, 2 ½ hours to overnight and 45 minutes inactive prep.
? Nanaimo Bars: 30 minutes.
Equipment required:
? Food Processor
? Bowls
? Parchment paper or silpats
? Cookie sheets
? Double boiler or pot and heatproof bowl
? 8 by 8 inch square pan
? Hand mixer or stand mixer (You may use a wooden spoon, but this makes it much easier!)
? Saucepan
Gluten-Free Graham Wafers Recipe
1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet Potato Flour
3/4 cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Arrowroot Starch
1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Buckwheat Flour
1/4 cup (56 g) (2 ounces) Brown Rice Flour
1/4 cup (56 g) (2 ounces) Almond Meal
1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
2 teaspoons (10 mL) Chia Seed Meal
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL ) Kosher Salt
7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract
Directions:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.
2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
3. Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.
4. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
5. Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
6. Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.
7. Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.
9. When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.
Nanaimo Bars Recipe
For Nanaimo Bars ? Bottom Layer:
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe)
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened) or Smashed Corn Flakes
For Nanaimo Bars ? Middle Layer:
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (60 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird?s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 teaspoons (10 mL) Vanilla Extract
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar
For Nanaimo Bars ? Top Layer:
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter
Directions:
1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.
2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.
3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.
Additional Information:
1. These bars freeze very well, so don?t be afraid to pop some into the freezer.
2. The graham wafers may be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
27 Jan 2010 at 5:00am
Roasted Potato & Basil Loaf (B&P36)
With my family engaged in the the movie, The Basilisk King, a made for the Syfy channel production, it appeared to be the perfect opportunity to finish this post. I've been hunting and pecking my way through it for the last two weeks, as my typing skills have been put on the sidelines. I had a close encounter with the tip of one of my Shun knives, while I was chopping vegetables. The tip of my finger took the brunt of this little accident and thankfully, it's still intact.
Food production has continued around my house, due to these little doo-hickies called first aid or finger cots. In other words, it's a condom for your finger. It seals off your finger, with it's lovely bandage and antibiotic ointment, from the food you're preparing. They are perfect for ensuring food safety. I picked up a box of 20 in assorted sizes from Meijer for about $1.50. So, outfitting your first aid kit with these won't dent the budget.
Most people keep a small selection of bandages and antibiotic ointment in their medicine cabinets. If you do a lot of cooking you should consider adding a few things to your home first aid supplies. Pick up some finger cots, finger tip and knuckle bandages, iodine swabs, burn ointment and some burn free pain relieving gel. If you can find them, a few Medi-Burn bandages would be good to have on hand. Since most kitchen accidents tend to be cuts or burns, adding some of these things to your home kit should keep you covered.
Once you've had that accident or you just want a wonderfully hearty loaf of bread to eat with your soup, try out this roasted potato and basil loaf. I thought it was best when it was warm, but my daughter preferred it cold with a swath of peanut butter covering it.
Enjoy!
Recipe
Protein Content:
Original Amount - 25.35 g
Gluten Free Amount - 25.321 g
Poolish
10 g brown rice flour (0.9 g)
10 g sweet rice flour (0.6 g)
10 g arrowroot starch (0.03 g)
15 g almond meal (3 g)
15 g white bean flour (3.22 g)
12 g instant dry yeast
135 ml water
20 ml agave syrup
Roasted Potatoes
126 g potatoes, cut in quarters
olive oil, as needed
2 - 3 g fresh basil, chopped
2 g garlic, chopped
sea salt, as needed
cracked black pepper, as needed
Final Dough
23 g brown rice flour (2.07 g)
22 g sweet rice flour (1.32 g)
22 g arrowroot starch (0.06 g)
34 g almond meal (6.8 g)
34 g white meal flour (7.31 g)
8 g buckwheat flour (1.16 g)
8 g arrowroot starch (0.02 g)
12 g almond meal (2.4 g)
12 g instant yeast
9 g sugar
6 g sea salt
6 g chia seed meal
4 g agar agar powder
120 g poolish
6 ml water
15 ml agave syrup
9 g butter, softened
Directions for Potatoes
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C. Place the cut potatoes in a cookie pan or a rectangular baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and using a spoon or your hands coat the potatoes with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and stir the potatoes. Place back in the oven and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Allow to cool.
2. Cut the potato wedges into bite size pieces. Preheat a skillet on the stove top. Drizzle in a small amount of olive oil, then allow the oil to warm. Put the garlic into the skillet and allow it to cook for about 30 seconds or until blonde in color. Sweep the garlic around so it doesn't burn. Add the potatoes and basil to the pan. Continue to sweep around for a about a minute so the flavors are incorporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Directions for Poolish
Pour all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and blend together. Then add the water and agave syrup and stir until incorporated. Set the bowl in a warm location to rise for 40 minutes.
Directions for Final Dough
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir together. Add the poolish, water and agave syrup and blend together until a soft ball forms. If the dough is still too soft, add arrowroot starch by the tablespoon (1 Tb/15 ml) until the dough firms up.
2. Place the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with arrowroot starch. Gently shape the dough into a ball. Take a sharp knife and cut a double swirl shape in the center of the dough. Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 1 1/2 hours.
3. Place an oven proof bowl filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Then place a baking stone on the top shelf. Preheat the oven to 435 degrees F/223 degrees C. Place the loaf in the oven and spray water over the oven box and the top of the loaf. Bake the loaf for 30 to 40 minutes. Prop the oven door open and continue to cook the bread for another 10 minutes. Remove the loaf and allow it to cool before serving.
What's Going On?
I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their DVD's from my family for my birthday. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.
Want more?
You can follow me on Twitter and on Flickr.
Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts
Baking & Pastry Week 18 - Poolishes
Baking & Pastry #34 - Almond Buckwheat Batard
Baking & Pastry #33 - Stollen
Baking & Pastry Week 17 - A Sponge and a Poolish
Baking & Pastry #32 - Gugelhopf
Baking & Pastry #31 - Panettone
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
24 Jan 2010 at 9:00am
Almond & White Bean Epi Wreath (B&P35)
Winter has barely started and we've got quite a bit of snow on the ground. Every afternoon, I'm outside with the kids and the dog. One day it's a snowball fight, the next day they are battling their way up the hill only to slide back down.
Our dog is always in the middle of the action chasing any flying snow. She plays a mean game of snowball, but she plays as shortstop. Her mission is to jump up and stop the balls before they can hit anyone.
It's been so cold, we bought her some Muttluks for her feet. She hasn't gotten used to them yet. Poor thing just minces around until she can manage to shake one of them off her feet.
For us, cold days require a bowl of soup served with a crusty roll. After spending a few hours in the cold, there is nothing better to warm your body back up. Well, hugging the radiator works really well too.
This is a wonderful loaf of bread, that smells heavenly while it's baking. It has a crackly crust that snaps nicely when you break apart the leaves. If you don't have any soup, warm your bread and serve it with a variety of cheeses. Delicious.
Recipe
Yield: 1 1-lb epi wreath
Protein Content:
Original Amount: 28.34 g
Gluten Free Amount: 29.708 g
Poolish
16 g brown rice flour (1.44 g)
16 g sweet rice flour (0.96 g)
16 g arrowroot starch (0.03 g)
19 g almond meal (4.32 g)
18 g white bean flour (4.085 g)
12 g instant yeast
90 ml water (115 to 120 deg F/46 to 49 deg C)
15 ml agave syrup
Dough
25 g brown rice flour (2.25 g)
25 g sweet rice flour (1.5 g)
24 g arrowroot starch (0.3 g)
30 g almond meal (7.2 g)
28 g white bean flour (6.02 g)
6 g sea salt
6 g chia seed meal
4 g agar agar powder
130 g poolish
30 ml agave syrup
60 ml water (115 to 120 deg F/46 to 49 deg C)
Directions for Poolish
Pour all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and blend together. Then add the water and agave syrup and stir until incorporated. Set the bowl in a warm location to rise for 30 minutes.
Directions for Final Dough
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir together. Add the poolish, water and agave syrup and blend together until a soft ball forms.
2. Place the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with arrowroot starch. Gently roll the dough into a cylinder about 15 in/38 cm long. Gently ease the ends of the dough together into a circle. Press the ends of the dough together. Take scissors or a sharp knife and holding them at a 45 degree angle, make diagonal cuts down the center of the ring. Place each cut piece to the side as you cut it. Then place a parallel slice on either side of the center cut. Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 1 1/2 hours.
3. Place an oven proof bowl filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Then place a baking stone on the top shelf. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F/246 degrees C. Slide the loaf on the parchment paper onto the baking stone. Thenspray water over the oven box and the top of the loaf. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Prop the oven door open and continue to cook the bread for another 5 minutes. Remove the loaf and allow it to cool before serving.
What's Going On?
I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their DVD's from my family for my birthday. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.
Want more?
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Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts
Baking & Pastry Week 18 - Poolishes
Baking & Pastry #34 - Almond Buckwheat Batard
Baking & Pastry #33 - Stollen
Baking & Pastry Week 17 - A Sponge and a Poolish
Baking & Pastry #32 - Gugelhopf
Baking & Pastry #31 - Panettone
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
12 Jan 2010 at 10:38pm
Snow in Michigan
I was at the counter, patting out the dough for pizza. I looked out the patio doors of our corporate rental patio house and this image caught my eye. The snow is coming down and slightly blurring the edges of the trees. In the middle of all this whiteness and dusk, there was Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. I had to share some love.
by noreply@blogger.com (Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl")
7 Jan 2010 at 7:09pm
