snickerdoodles (dairy free, gluten free, no refined sugar)

I’ve made these gems a few times this winter.  I really liked them – the texture and taste.  I crumbed into my vanilla ice cream and it was true bliss.  Andy ate them too – and even vied for them (as they were made really with Greg in mind) which is pretty amazing too.  His friend Steve who is gluten free and Gabi my vegan hair colorist both gave a big thumbs up.  But most importantly, Greg loved them.  He went back to Boston with a little box full and he looked so happy about it.  It was nice to see that smile (for sweets) on my 24 year old as It is hard to bake for Greg given his restrictions (GF, DF).   I found this recipe in Bakerita:100 + No-Fuss Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Refined Sugar-Free Recipes for the Modern Baker by Rachel Conners.  I followed the recipe – although the second time I made them I used refined sugar in the cinnamon sugar blend that you roll the cookies in.  The coconut sugar was fine but the real sugar better – but do what makes you happy.

These are so easy to throw together – but you will probably need to go to the store and get a few things – although if you have food restrictions you may have some of the ingredients already in your pantry.  

Take out your kitchen scale if you have one as Rachel gives us the weighted measurements!

I baked some of these right away and I left some dough in the fridge to bake off as needed.  Fresh baked warm snickerdoodles…well, yum.

Enjoy-

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup (168 g) blanched almond flour
  • 1/4 cup (32 g) coconut flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 refined coconut oil (67 g), melted
  • 1/3 cup (113 g) maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 

    TOPPING
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or regular refined sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line sheet pan(s) with parchment. 

Whisk together the two flours, the baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and cinnamon.

Melt the coconut oil and mix in the maple syrup and vanilla extract

Mix the wet and the dry until thoroughly combined. 

Prepare the topping by mixing the two ingredients.

With a cookie scoop or spoon, form your cookies.  Roll in your hands a bit then roll around in the topping.  The cookies are delicate so be a bit careful.  I like a lot of sugar and cinnamon so I kind of pressed them into the topping to really coat the cookie.

The size of the cookie depends on you.   Rachel measures about a tablespoon of dough.  You can do that, or smaller if you like.  It will change the baking time a bit (the smaller the cookie the less time to bake).

Place cookies on sheet pan about 2 inches apart (they don’t really spread).  And then flatten a tad with your palm.  

The larger cookie bakes for about 10 minutes.  Mine took a bit longer.  I will say that it is hard to tell when these are done.  You want them to be a nice golden color.  

I decided to use one cookie as a tester and also checked the bottom for clues.  The hard part is that these cookies crumble fairly easily so that tester cookie, although still edible, will likely fall apart.  Anyway, the bottom should look a nice golden brown too.  Try not to overtake though.  This is the trickiest part of making these – trial and error will help.  I hope you like them! 

 

thai fish curry

This curry is a new favorite of ours –  I made it with flounder which was not the best choice as it fell apart a bit.  I managed to take a lovely photo but next time I’d try with a firmer fish like cod or haddock or cod.  I found this recipe in an older cookbook of mine.  Periodically I go through my books and donate a bunch that I rarely use.  This one though, The Mediterrasian Way, I always hold on to.  It is weird because the concept of the book is Mediterranean and also Asian.  The recipes are not mixed –  no fusion here.  Just simple healthy meals that are spicy and flavorful.   

Prep the ingredients before you cook as it all comes together fairly fast and easy.  Serve with rice or cauliflower rice – or over a bed of baby spinach (that will soften when you add the hot curry) or add extra veggies and eat just like that. You can also add the fresh spinach at the end – and that is also when I add peas and tomatoes and any veg that doesn’t take long to cook.  

I will give you the basic recipe here – but as you can see from the photo, I used haricot beans, baby Bella mushrooms, peas and tomato.  But have fun and make what you enjoy.  If you want your fish to have a little color to it, just pan sear right before you place it into the curry broth.  I didn’t here – but I know if I was cooking for a reluctant fish eater, I might because for some reason fish with color is a little less intimidating.  Maybe…

 

Serves: 4

medium to fairly easy

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tablespoons oil ( I used olive oil) book calls for canola or peanut 
  • bell pepper, sliced
  • 32 green beans (I did not count – but here if you need it) 
  • 2 cloves garlic, more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped lemongrass  (I used a lemongrass puree as discussed in the cod in coconut broth recipe)  
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 2 cups coconut milk (use full fat if you can handle it)
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 4 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • four to five 6-ounce firm whitefish fillets (snapper, cod, haddock) each cut into thirds
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil (I didn’t have any but would be delicious)
  • kosher salt or Maldon Salt
  • pepper  

Directions

Prep all ingredients and set up by the stove. 

  • In a large skillet – heat the oil over medium high heat and then add the pepper and green beans – stir here and there, until the pepper has softened – about 4 minutes (I used the mushroom instead of the red pepper) 
  • Add the garlic, lemongrass, ginger and turmeric and cook, stirring constantly for about a minute.  
  • Add the coconut milk, water, fish sauce, sugar and Chile powder and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 8 minutes 
  • Add the fish and spoon the sauce over the fish to coat, and simmer, covered for about 8 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through.
  • Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, basil, and season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

cod in coconut broth with lemongrass and ginger

This is my third attempt preparing a fish dinner (since the kids left) and it is a recipe finally worth writing about.  I added a ton of extra vegetables so it looks more complicated than it needs to be so please don’t be intimidated.  I will give you the basic recipe with the option to add more vegetables.  I love Thai flavors, lime, cilantro, lemongrass, ginger and fish sauce.  This all comes together so nicely – the broth is flavorful and highlights the flakiness of the cod.  I found this recipe in Foolproof Fish – America’s Test Kitchen – a cookbook that my mother suggested when I mentioned how little I know about preparing fish.  The book is beautiful and filled with recipes as well as substitutions and tips on cooking methods.  So give it a try if you think you might fancy it.  I don’t get payment btw!

I used a lemongrass puree that I found in the vegetable aisle of my local supermarket because I couldn’t find fresh lemongrass.  

Fish sauce is sold at most supermarkets these days – if you can’t find you can easily order online. 

You can use light coconut milk, but the broth will be noticeably thinner and less rich.  

This recipe serves 4 and you can substitute black sea bass, haddock, hake or pollock.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil – I used avocado oil, the author writes vegetable oil, but I think most oils work ok
  • 1 leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly
  • 1.5 teaspoon kosher salt 
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch long matchsticks
  • 1 (10inch) lemon grass stalk, trimmed to bottom 6 inches and bruised with back of knife (or use the lemongrass puree I used about a dollop the size of a quarter)
  • 4 (6-8) ounces skinless cod fillets – about 1 inch thick – or a little thicker is fine – 
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper – or to taste
  • 1/3 cup canned coconut milk (well shaken)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice plus more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dry roasted peanuts (if you like!)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves (find info here for a note on cilantro)
  • 1 serrano chile, stemmed and sliced thin (or less depending on your taste) If you don’t have serrano chile substitute with a red Fresno chile if possible.  Otherwise, improvise for some heat – I used dry serrano chile and minced.
  • As you can see in the photo, I added cooked corn, zucchini and squash ribbons, peas and tomatoes.  But completely unnecessary.  If interested though, I cooked the corn first and then I sautéed these vegetables a bit before I added them to the broth.  Maybe 5 minutes…really depends on the veggies you add.

Directions

Set up your mis-en-place (ingredients):

Clean and slice leeks, mince garlic, peel and grate the ginger, wash, peel and cut carrots, bruise the lemon grass, squeeze the lime, crush the peanuts, wash the cilantro, cut the chile

  • Heat oil in a 12 inch non stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. 
  • Add leek and a bit of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned about 5-7 minutes. 
  • Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds (don’t let it burn it will taste bitter).
  • Stir in water, carrots, and lemon grass and bring to simmer.
  • Pat cod dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.  
  •  Nestle the fish into the skillet and spoon some cooking liquid over the top and bring to a summer.  
  • Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with a paring knife or registers 135 degrees, this should take 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of your cod.  Cook longer if fish still looks opaque.  
  • If adding extra sautéed vegetables, you can add them to the skillet at this point.  
  • Transfer fish to individual shallow bowls, discard the lemon grass and divide leeks and carrots (and extra veggies if you used) evenly among the bowls.
  • Off heat whisk in the coconut milk, lime juice and fish sauce and season with kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • Ladle broth over fish and sprinkle with cilantro, peanuts and Chile.  Serve with lime wedges.  So good! I’d like it right now!

coconut macaroons

It’s been a long time.  Too long.  Pain in my feet is the root of my inactivity and although it persists I am just going to bake, donate and blog because I miss it!

Made delicious little golden nuggets of coconut filled joy yesterday.  These little gems were so good – so flavorful, moist, and EASY.  Andy is almost done eating sweets – he is often reluctant to try and craves real food more than desserts.  But he came home from his first day of school yesterday and started popping these in his mouth and said “these are really good mom” and “can I have some more?”  When I told him I donated the rest he was so glum.  I quickly made another batch for him right then and there (although I only had unsweetened coconut which wasn’t as good in these cookies btw) but he was happy.  And so was I.  These came from my newish cookbook The Splendid Table’s How To Eat Supper.  I’ve cooked meals from it several times but this is my first dessert from the book, and I’m psyched that they were so good.

Enjoy-

coconut macaroons (from Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swifts “How To Eat Supper”):

2 large eggs, well beaten (room temp if you remember)
1/2 cup sugar
generous pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use almond if you prefer)
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

chocolate chip option – add about 1/2 cup to the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla extract.  Add the coconut and mix to incorporate.

Drop by generous teaspoons onto the baking sheet. I used my smallest cookie scoop and pressed the mixture in it.  If you don’t have one, try to smoosh coconut into a small spoon and drop the dough out onto the pan.

Bake for 20-30 minutes – until they are golden around the edges and a little golden on top.  If you bake each pan one at a time, they will need closer to 20 m in the oven.  If you put 2 pans in together, you should switch racks halfway through and they will likely take a bit longer to cook.

 

 

caramel apple jam

Thanks mom for sending me this recipe!

MMMMmmmm….so delicious and warm and soothing and inviting.  Funny for a “jam” to be all that but it is!  Caramel, vanilla, and apples delightfully and simply combined.  Warm this up and pour over some vanilla ice cream and you have a winner.  Equally good on the savory side if you serve as a sweet side relish for pork or chicken.  Alison Roman, the creator of this apple jam, also suggests ice cream (like me) – but topped with crushed Nilla wafers.  And I say, sounds great, but make home made vanilla wafers (coming next)  and add a little whipped cream.

Use a variety of apples, makes for a more interesting outcome because different apples break down differently and this will provide texture and fun!

apple jam (from Bon Appetite Oct 24th):

Original recipe and write up are here.

1 cup sugar
3 pounds apples, use a variety if you can, peeled, cored and cubed about 3/4 inch thick.
1/2 vanilla bean (scraped)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
cinnamon stick or powder
kosher salt

Place 3 tablespoons water in a large saucepan.  Add the sugar and mix.  Heat on medium high and boil – and continue to cook until the sugar caramelizes.  It will turn a dark amber color – but be careful as it all happens very fast, and it is HOT.  Seriously hot.

Add the apples and the vanilla seeds and bean to the pot and cook on medium heat.  The caramel may seize up at the start (because the apples cool it down) but soon it will dissolve again.  Add a 1/2 cinnamon stick (if you don’t have a stick, wait and add some ground cinnamon to taste at the end.)

Continue to cook for about 20-25 m, stirring occasionally until some of the apples are translucent and some still have their shape, and most of the liquid is dissolved.  You can keep cooking btw, if you like your apples super soft, or remove them earlier if you like them super chunky.

Remove from heat.  Add lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt.  Store in a glass jar or container for up to a month in fridge.

 

NOEMA chocolate

This chocolate is made without peanut, tree nuts, dairy, egg, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish, as well as sesame.  NOEMA stands for None Of the Eight Major Allergens.  You can be worry free if you or your family suffers with allergies.  The equipment is brand new and has never touched any of the ingredients above.

Check out their website here!

coconut mounds (the best ever) (dairy and gluten free btw)

Loved these!  We all did – even those of us who don’t love coconut (including me, although I think I may have moved over into the like category.)  Judy and Marco really enjoyed – and she is a true coconut aficionado.  Alice Medrich calls these New Classic Coconut Macaroons because she recreated the recipe with unsweetened dried  coconut flakes (not sweetened, shredded and artificially preserved.)  Maybe that is why I like them so.  The cookie consistency is chewy and soft inside, and crispy on the outside and so very flavorful and quite pretty to look at.  (Long run-on, I’m aware.)  I threw some bittersweet chocolate shavings into some and wow — even better!  In others, I added dried cherries, and that too was another nice alternative.  Make these soon and make a lot!  They last 4-5 days in an airtight container.  Enjoy –

coconut mounds (from Chewy, Gooey, Crispy Crunchy by Alice Medrich):

makes about 22 cookies

4 large egg whites
3 1/2 cups (5.25 oz.) unsweetened dried coconut flakes (also called coconut chips)
3/4 cup (5.25 oz.) sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
slightly rounded 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all the ingredients in a stainless steel bowl.  Set the bowl over a sauce pan filled with an inch of barely simmering water (the bowl should be on top of the sauce pan, it should not fit inside the sauce pan.)

Mix the ingredients with a rubber spatula over the heated water until the mixture becomes more opaque and less translucent.  This should take about 5-7 minutes.  The mixture will get hot – which you want, but you don’t want to cook the egg whites.

Set batter aside for 30 minutes to fully absorb the coconut flavor.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place 2 tablespoons of batter for each cookie onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for about 5 – 7 minutes (rotating pans).  You want the coconut tips to just start to color.  Reduce the oven temp to 325 and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes (again, rotating your pans) until the cookies are a beautiful cream color with golden brown edges.

If the coconut tips are browning too fast, you can reduce the oven temp to 300.

Let cool on pans, and oh, best to enjoy day one as they are gooey and soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.  Yum.

pancakes (protein packed and gluten and dairy free!)

Yummy yummy yum!  I’m so happy these came out great the second time I made them.  Andy, Sylvie and Rob fight over these little guys and I love it because they are filled with goodness.  No flour, no dairy, low sugar, and packed with protein these are perfect if you (or your family or guests) suffer from Celiacs Disease or have gluten or lactose sensitivities.  Regardless, they are a hit with us and so healthy that I’m ridiculously happy to make them over and over again.  The first time I made these they had a pretty bad aftertaste and John my gluten free tester commented that they were fine but his mom’s gluten free pancakes from the box were better.  Well, that was tough to hear and a blow to my ego so I tried again this time using fresh almond meal (I think the first one was probably rancid – gross, I know!)  And I used agave nectar as recommended in the recipe and well, they were much much better.  Well, really tasty!  I made these with added cinnamon and tried one with raspberries which were actually the best.  I imagine blueberries would be delicious too.  But as usual, the kids like them with chocolate chips most.

Best to buy agave nectar in bulk from the health food store or online.  Amazon makes it easy.  You can find arrowroot powder at the supermarket but also great to buy in bulk at Penzeys.com or Amazon.  Lastly – you can find grapeseed oil at the supermarket.

Enjoy –

power packed pancakes (from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour cookbook by Elana Amsterdam):

I double this recipe as it yields only 12 smallish pancakes

2 large eggs
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour (almond meal)
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
chocolate chips, blueberries or raspberries to taste and as desired
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (for the pan)

In a bowl, whisk together the almond flour, salt, baking soda, arrowroot powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a blender, combine the eggs, agave nectar, vanilla extract and water.  Process on high for about a minute.

Add the dry ingredients to the blender and process again until thoroughly combined.

I like to use two skillets.  Pour a tablespoon of grapeseed oil into each pan and heat at medium low to eventually low.  Ladle 1 heaping tablespoon of  batter onto the skillet (then add a few chips or berries to each if desired) and cook until small bubbles appear.  Then turn over (this can be a little tricky) and gently cook the other side – being careful not to burn.

Repeat with remaining batter and serve 🙂

nutella fudge mini-cupcakes

Splendid little nuggets of goodness.  I mean ri-dic-u-lous!  If you are a Nutella fan then these are for you!!  Sylvie and I ate these right up.  I’m hoping Nutella fan Cousin Daniel did too (sent him a package).  If you are Nutella lover, try this recipe!  Nutella, eggs, flour and salt make Nutella flavored magic.  I paired these with caramelized bananas and some delicious ice cream and wow!!!  I don’t have much else to say about these.  They take only about 5 minutes to prepare, 10 minutes to cook and you’ve got a delicious treat.  No mess, no fuss…these are truly a winner.  Enjoy –

I doubled the batter to make 24 mini cupcakes.  Below is just for 12.  I imagine that they freeze well.  Do not over bake!  Oh, and if you do over bake, follow my friend Nora’s advice – she frosted the slightly overcooked cupcake with Nutella to add a little extra wetness and sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.  Pretty and a good idea regardless…

nutella fudge mini-cupcakes (barely adapted from Fine Cooking Cookies 2010 Magazine):

1/2 cup Nutella spread
1 large egg
5 tablespoons all purpose flour (look at baking tips for flour measuring)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, or a pinch
1/8th – 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts (optional)

Nutella – to frost (optional)

*again, this makes only 12 mini muffins.  double the batter to make 24.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven.  Line mini-muffin pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the Nutella and the egg until smooth.  Add the the flour and salt and mix until blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepped pans about 3/4’s full and then sprinkle with the toasted nuts if you are using.

Bake until a toothpick comes out with crumbs (wet and a little gooey) – about 8-12 minutes.  Really try not to over bake.  The beauty is in their wetness which will dry out if overcooked.

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes then remove and let cool on a rack.  These are great served warm or room temp later on in the day.

Enjoy-