Posts Tagged by butter
Mushroom and Herb Polenta
| May 15, 2013 | Filled under Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta, Rice, & Grains, Vegetables |
We’ve been eating vegetarian a few times a week and I’ve been experimenting with satisfying, simple, meatless meals. I’m not a vegetarian by any means, but I enjoy eating meatless meals quite often, especially when those vegetarian meals are cheesy, herb-filled comfort meals like this mushroom and herb polenta.
This recipe is adapted from ‘Plenty‘ by Yotam Ottolenghi. Famous for his famous London food shop ‘Ottolenghi’, he became renowned for his innovative vegetarian offerings. This cookbook is full of ‘vibrant vegetable recipes ‘ that are globally inspired and full of flavour. The recipes are accessible and easy to follow with interesting stories about his inspirations and beautiful photography for each recipe. It’s one of my favourites in my vast cookbook collection.
Mushrooms are so satisfying and the perfect meat substitute. You can use any mushrooms you like, and play around with the herb combinations too. I’ve used basil and parsley before, and played around with the proportions of the herbs. The options are limitless. Taleggio melts so amazingly and has a rich, salty flavour so perfect in this dish. Because Taleggio can be quite salty, it’s a good idea to add salt sparingly to the polenta.
I love that this dish is elegant enough to serve as a vegetarian main course for guests yet simple enough for a weeknight meal – perfect vegetarian eating that’s decadent and delicious.
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| 1. Add half olive oil and half the mushrooms to pan | 2. Fry a few minutes until just browned – don’t stir too much |
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| 3. Slowly add 1/2 cup of polenta to simmering vegetable stock | 4. Add garlic, rosemary, butter, Parmesan, salt and pepper to polenta and stir |
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| 5. Spread polenta in oven-ready dish | 6. Top polenta with mushroom herb mixture |
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| 7. Top mushrooms with Taleggoio and place in broiler | 8. Done when cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve hot. |
Mushroom and Herb Polenta (adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi)
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 cups mixed mushrooms, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp chopped tarragon
- 1 Tbsp chopped thyme
- 1 Tbsp truffle oil
- 2 ¼ cups vegetable stock
- ½ cup instant polenta
- 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 3 oz Taleggio cheese (rind removed), cut into 3/8” slices
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Pre-heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half olive oil and half the mushrooms to pan, and fry for a few minutes until just cooked, about 5 to 6 minutes. Don’t stir too much to get more golden brown bits. Remove mushrooms from pan and place in a bowl and set aside. Repeat with remaining olive oil and mushrooms. Remove pan from heat and add first batch of mushrooms back to pan. Add two-thirds of the garlic, and all the tarragon, thyme, and truffle oil. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Bring vegetable stock to boil in a medium saucepan and reduce to simmer. Once simmering, slowly pour in polenta, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cooking time will vary depending on brand; polenta is done when it leaves the sides but is still runny. Remove from heat.
- Preheat the broiler. Add Parmesan, butter, rosemary, and chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread polenta in oven-ready dish and top with mushrooms. Top mushrooms with Taleggio and place under broiler for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve hot.
Mushroom Toasts
| November 20, 2012 | Filled under Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetables |
Have you ever been to Copenhagen? I was there on vacation this summer and loved the entire experience in the design-savvy chilled-out happiest city on earth. A few fun factoids that I learned while I was there:
1) People from Denmark are Danish, not Dutch, and generally speaking are a beautiful bunch with fabulous cheekbones
2) Danish folks tend to go organic, ride bikes instead of driving cars, and enjoy Carlsberg beer. Also home of Lego, Vikings, and the Danish royal family.
3) Copenhagan has amazing food, including the world’s greatest restaurant Noma, new Nordic cuisine, hot dogs, open-faced sandwiches, and of course Danishes (the pastry)
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I’ve been making mushroom toasts appetizers for years, originally created as a mushroom brushetta - they’re my go-to starter. If you’ve ever come to my house for dinner, I’ve probably served these to you. I happened to see something similar, a Danish version, on a few menus while on my trip. These open-faced sandwiches are called ‘smorrebrod’, Danish for ‘butter’ and ’bread’, and can be found in all kinds of variations. With generous amounts of butter and served atop rye toast, these beautiful savoury sandwiches were a staple on many menus in Copenhagen, usually topped with fried fish, roast beef, eggs, shrimps, deli meat, and/or cheese. I took lots of pictures of smorrebrod in Copenhagen and other delicious eats. And yes, I take lots of pictures of food when I travel. I’m totally THAT person in a restaurant.
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My take is a bit healthier, where the mushrooms are lightly coated in olive oil instead of butter and cheese toppings are optional too (I usually opt for goat or brie). A little truffle oil drizzled on top really takes the flavour to the next level and of course, gluten-free bread is great substitution for rye bread. Perfect for entertaining or bringing a little bit of Scandinavia to your home.
Recipe Mushroom Toasts (Serves 4 to 6 as appetizer)
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- Salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 gluten-free baguette, cut into 3/4″ slices or 6 slices gluten-free bread, cut diagonally
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 3 Tbs olive oil or melted vegan butter
- 12 slices brie cheese or 3 ounces goat cheese
- Truffle oil (optional)
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine mushrooms, parsley and 2 tablespoons olive oil until mushrooms are evenly coated with oil.
- Combine garlic and remaining olive oil in a small bowl. Add one teaspoon of garlic oil mixture to slice of bread to coat. Layer mushroom slices on toasts, so all pieces have equal amounts of mushrooms. Top mushrooms with cheese.
- Place toasts on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned. To serve, drizzle toasts with a few drops of truffle oil if using.
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Berry Stuffed French Toast
| November 13, 2012 | Filled under Breakfast, Fruits |
Sometimes you want to pamper your loved ones with something special to show how much you care. For me, it’s often through food and this berry stuffed French toast is a personal favourite of mine. It’s delicate, delicious, and decadent all at the same time. I’ve served this to my beloved bridal party as part of my thank you brunch, to my mom and family on her most recent birthday, and to my closest friends at my housewarming last year. Each time I’ve whipped this out, my guests devour the toasts, shower me with compliments, and immediately ask for the recipe.
As many folks with food sensitivities know, brunch and breakfast can be a challenge in restaurants. I’m gluten-free and sensitive to dairy, which is basically the bulk of any brunch menu. By making brunch at home, I can customize the ingredients to suit my diet. The stars of this recipe are the gluten-free egg bread (challah) by Molly Bee (light, fluffy and totally un-brick-like) and dairy-free Better Than Cream Cheese by Tofutti. Go get them now. Seriously good stuff.
This is surprisingly easy to put together considering the elegant finished product. Totally doable while bleary-eyed and waiting for coffee to brew. You can even make the cream cheese the night before. And if you or your guests aren’t dairy/gluten-free, you can swap for regular challah and cream cheese. No fresh berries? No problem. Spread your favourite fruit preserves instead. So many delicious options that you can experiment and treat your loved ones to their favourite fillings, whatever’s in season, or whatever you have in your kitchen. Make this and get ready to make people happy.
This recipe is a hybrid of a couple of recipes. One is from an old back issue of Fine Cooking Magazine and the other from Donna Hay’s No Time to Cook. Both are huge sources of inspiration and have been invaluable cooking resources over the years. Beautiful photography, great recipes, and food you actually want to eat.
Also, I have to give credit to my dad for teaching me how to make the perfect French toast. He briefly worked at one of Toronto’s top hotels, and would recreate their French toast for our family on Sunday mornings. He worked a lot during the week and weekends were when he would take charge and make the most fabulous gourmet breakfasts – fancy croissant sandwiches, tasty omelets, pancakes, you name it. We always felt so special as we gobbled it up. Thanks Dad, for teaching me your breakfast skills and all the delicious memories.
Berry Stuffed French Toast (serves 4) Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine and Donna Hay
Ingredients:
Stuffing:
• ½ cup cream cheese, softened/room temperature (or dairy-free substitute Tofutti)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pint fresh raspberries
French Toast:
• 8 slices gluten-free egg bread (I use Molly Bee’s)
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons butter or butter substitute
• Icing sugar (to garnish)
• Pure maple syrup (to serve)
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combined softened cream cheese with lemon rind and one tablespoon of sugar and stir until combined. In a separate medium bowl, combine raspberries and one teaspoon sugar. Smash berries with the back of a fork and stir until combined. Set aside.
2. Spread two tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture onto slice of egg bread. Add two tablespoons of the raspberry mixture and spread evenly. Cover with another slice of egg bread and set aside. Repeat for all the slices of egg bread to make four sandwiches.
3. Preheat a large non-stick frying pan to medium heat for two minutes. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Melt butter in frying pan. In a deep sided dish, whisk eggs until pale yellow and stir in vanilla. Dip sandwiches into egg mixture until evenly coated on both sides and add to frying pan. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes, flip over, and repeat on other side. Place on tray lined baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm.
4. Slice in half to serve. To garnish, sift icing sugar over French toast. Serve with maple syrup.
Cereal Treats
| March 13, 2012 | Filled under Cookies & Bars, Desserts, Kid-Friendly, Snacks & Appetizers |
Sometimes you just want to feel like a kid again. Simple pleasures like these homemade cereal treats can be whipped up in minutes and packed in lunch boxes or purses alike. Using a variety of gluten-free cereals can keep this treat interesting and exciting – these ones are made with cocoa puffed rice ceral and I’ve used popped corn cereal too. Or get crazy and mix a couple of cereals together with some dried fruit or nuts. I’ve used coconut oil in the past and it gives the treats a lovely coconut-y flavour. The possibilities are endless. This recipe is just a reminder that going gluten-free doesn’t have to be complicated.
Cereal Treats (adapted from Joy of Baking)
Makes about 16 squares
Ingredients:
- 6 cups Gluten Free puffed rice cereal (used Koala crisp – cocoa flavoured)
- 3 Tbsp dairy-free buttery spread (Earth Balance), coconut oil, or butter
- Pinch salt
- 1 250 gram package mini marshmallows
- ½ tsp vanilla
Directions:
Butter or spray an 8” or 9” square baking pan with non-stick vegetable spray or canola oil. In a large sauce pan, melt butter and salt over medium-low heat. Add marshmallows and stir constantly until marshmallows melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add cereal treats and stir with a wooden spoon until all cereal is coated. Pour mixture into sprayed pan and lightly pat until even. Cool at room temperature until cereal is set. Cut into squares. To store, wrap squares individually in plastic wrap and store inside an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Triple Chocolate Torte
| February 7, 2012 | Filled under Cakes & Cupcakes, Desserts |
Valentine’s Day is around the corner and whipping up this luscious triple chocolate torte is a sure-fire way to show your sweetie that you care. It’s undoubtedly a show stopper, covered in a glossy dark chocolate ganache and enrobed in white chocolate slices. Not into V-Day? Me either (sort of). You can totally whip up this crowd-pleasing dessert to celebrate just about anything, from a new job, birthdays, showers, housewarming, festivus, you name it; it’s definitely a special occasion dessert.
As much as I go to baking mixes to help me create gluten-free desserts, this one was an easy adaptation of a recipe I found in the Globe and Mail over the holidays. It’s got a such a small amount of flour in proportion to the chocolate and other ingredients so it was easy to swap in GF flour. That being said, this dessert requires a) time b) planning and c) patience. All in all, it’s a pretty straight-forward recipe to make, Ie. it LOOKS way harder to make than it really is. And if you want to simplify, you can always make it a double chocolate torte and skip the white chocolate slices.
To break it down, this cake takes 3 steps. Step 1 is make the cake. Step 2 is to make the white chocolate slices. Step 3 is to make a ganache and assemble. Basically this cake involves a lot of chopping and melting chocolate (fun) and dish washing (not so fun which – I suggest outsourcing this piece to husbands/boyfriends/roommates/other parties who want to eventually eat this masterpiece).
Making the white chocolate slices is so simple and gives the cake its ‘wow!youmadethatyourself?’ look. Melt the white chocolate chunks and spread it onto a lined baking sheet to chill in the fridge. Once it’s chilled, simply remove and break into pieces and let your inner pastry chef/artist decorate. The more variations in the pieces, the better the cake looks.
The last part of the cake to make is the ganache which is dead simple to do. Seriously, just boil milk, pour it over chopped chocolate and stir to create a smooth and glossy chocolate spread. Pour onto the cooled prepared cake and spread around. It’s so much easier to make than icing or frosting and I love the silky rich taste so much that I just might ‘ganache’ all my cupcakes from now on.
So the next time you have a special occasion and 4 hours to spare, why not try making this amazing dessert? It’s so worth it and remember, after you serve this, you get to relish in all the adoring compliments while enjoy this decadent treat.
Triple Chocolate Torte (serves 8 to 10) Adapted from Lucy Waverman’s Triple Chocolate Torte for Globe and Mail
Ingredients
Cake
• 4 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• ½ cup unsalted butter or dairy-free vegan butter, softened
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
Dark Chocolate Ganache
• 8 oz dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate chopped into small pieces
• ½ cup unsweetened soy milk or regular milk
White Chocolate Pieces
• 6 oz white chocolate
Special Equipment: 9” round springform pan, off-set spatula, parchment paper
Directions:
1. Make cake. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Invert the base of a 9” round springform pan so that it is lip side down (avoids having an indent in the base of the cake). Grease bottom and sides of pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
2. Melt chocolate in a small heavy pot over low heat, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.
3. Cream butter and sugars in a large bowl until like and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions.
4. In a separate bowl, sift cocoa powder and add gluten-free flour, and salt and whisk until well combined. Beat into butter mixture. Stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Pour into springform pan and spread into an even layer.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until set and slightly puffed in the centre. Let cool in the pan.
6. Make ganache. Place dark chocolate in a bowl. Place soy milk in a small pot and bring to boil over medium heat. Pour over chocolate and stir to melt.
7. Remove cake from pan and pour ganache over cake, ensuring the ganache spreads to the edge. Use a spatula to help spread evenly over the top and sides. Chill in the fridge to set.
8. Make white chocolate rectangles. Place white chocolate in a small, heavy pot over low heat. Melt slowly, stirring occasionally. When melted, use an off-set spatula to spread evenly on a parchment paper or Silpat sheet lined baking sheet. Place in fridge to harden.
9. Remove white chocolate from parchment paper and break into large pieces and press white chocolate against the sides of the cake, overlapping slightly. Stick leftover white chocolate pieces vertically into the middle of the cake to create a pattern. Chill again until ready to serve. Remove from fridge for 15 minutes before serving.
Apple Crumble
| December 1, 2011 | Filled under Breakfast, Desserts, Fruits |
So the holidays are here. It’s official – Movember is over, holiday party invites are streaming in, and tis the season for baked goodies, egg nog, and shopping until you drop. Many of us are hosting parties and attending potlucks (or like me, doing both this weekend) and finding a dessert that everyone can eat can be a challenge. I’m gluten free and mostly dairy/egg-free and I have friends who have nut/sesame allergies. So what dessert do you make to delight everyone’s taste buds that’s actually satisfying? It’s this gluten-free vegan apple crumble. I made this a few weeks ago for a friends dinner party and it was described as ‘Christmas in a bowl’. How sweet is that?
The ingredients for the crumble are pretty basic and are usually in my pantry – Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free oats, vegan butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, brown sugar, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. The apples are usually ones I bought in a big bag and forgot to eat during the week, either Gala, Granny Smith or Honey Crisp. And lemon is optional.
After peeling the apples, you just slice them into 1/4″ slices. This helps them cook evenly and faster. What’s great about apple crumble is you can make a huge one like this for a crowd or a smaller one (halve the recipe in an 8″x8″ baking dish). Leftovers are awesome on hot oatmeal for breakfast (love desserts for brekkie).
The topping for this crumble is so easy – just a mix of oats, GF flour, vegan butter and brown sugar. Just mash crumble it up with your fingers all together until the butter is the size of peas and spread over the apple mixture. Then it’s ready to bake. To make ahead, I prepare the crumble until this point, cover it and put it in the fridge until I’m ready to bake it. That way you get the warm apple pie smells wafting through the house while it’s baking.
And don’t forget some dairy-free vanilla ice cream – my fave is Purely Decadent Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk ice cream. Made from coconut milk, it’s got a unique flavour that is amazing that everyone, no matter what their food sensitivities are, will love.
Recipe Apple Crumble (gluten/nut-free, vegan) serves 8
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs apples, peeled and cored and thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Canola oil or vegan butter for greasing the pan
Topping:
- ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats
- 6 Tbsp packed brown sugar
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup vegan butter, cut into small pieces (1 stick)
Equipment: 9”x13” baking dish
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss until apples are evenly coated. Grease the baking dish and pour ingredients into dish in an even layer.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar and salt and mix until combined. Add butter and using your fingers or a fork, work in the butter until they are pea-sized chunks.
- Spread the topping evenly over the apple filling and bake for about 25 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and topping is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
Crispy Potato Roast
| October 14, 2011 | Filled under Breakfast, Sides, Vegetables |
Thank goodness potatoes are gluten-free. I love Love LOVE potatoes and zoom in on them on restaurant menus since they’re an easy and obvious GF option. I’ve had my fair share of potatoes, and am always on the lookout for new ways to enjoy them. So when I found this Martha Stewart recipe, I knew I had to give them a try, without dairy, and happily, they turned out amazing. It’s such an elegant side dish that is deceptively easy to prepare and full of flavour.
The main switch-up here is the butter; I simply swapped the unsalted butter for dairy-free butter substitute. My preferred vegan butter is by Earth Balance which is organic, and they have a soy-free/dairy-free version that’s great for those with soy sensitivities. The great thing is it TASTES like real butter but is healthier and everyone can enjoy it. Also, I halved the recipe since it was only two of us enjoying this (with leftovers) but it can easily be doubled or tripled for company. My leftovers will be enjoyed with some eggs and spicy ketchup. Yum.
A mandolin is your best friend for this recipe, cutting the prep time into almost nothing. I used the second thickness setting on my OXO handheld mandolin but next time I make this, I’ll use the thinnest setting to get crispier taters.
The original recipe says to ‘arrange the potato slices vertically in dish’. I stacked the potatoes in and ended was like um, ok, ‘here are three potatos that got attacked by Edward Scissorhands.’ So I decided to make it uneven and stagger the different sizes of potato, which I liked for both asthetic and browning reasons. Make sure you put enough butter in the bottom of the pan too, otherwise the taters will stick (the amount in the picture above is a wimpy amount). Also, instead of thyme, I used rosemary, which I love for its warm and woodsy flavour. It gets added in after baking for 75 minutes. Martha Stewart, these potatoes are definitely a good thing.
Recipe (serves 4 as a side) adapted from Martha Stewart recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp melted vegan butter (soy-free optional)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
- 2 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise
- 1/2 to 1 tsp dried red-pepper flakes (optional)
- Coarse sea salt
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Special Equipment: small oven-proof dish (mine is from Crate and Barrel)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Brush bottom of the baking dish with a generous amount of butter mixture. With a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the potatoes very thinly crosswise.
- Arrange the potato slices veritically in the dish, staggering various sizes. Wedge the shallots throughout. Brush Sprinkle with salt and red-pepper flakes (if using) and brush with remaining butter mixture. Bake for 75 minutes. Remove from oven and wedge rosemary sprigs and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes more, until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top.
Peach and Blueberry Crumbles
| September 19, 2011 | Filled under Desserts, Fruits |
This past weekend was perfect for strolling through Ever Green Brickworks Farmer’s Market. An early start meant lots of parking and first pick of the goods. It was my first successful visit; my original failed attempt was due to the psychotic parking situation which had me vowing to get there before 11 to avoid the near fist fights in the parking lot. The covered market was full of amazing local/organic produce, awesome eats, a greenhouse and a few artisan crafts.
It’s the first farmer’s market I’ve been to where there was a variety of gluten free options from multiple vendors. My standout GF snacks were: a vegan chocolate cupcake and sweet potato beignets from LPK Culinary Groove , JKKitchen‘s organic fries with cilantro aioli, and Roasted Tomatillo Avocado Salsa and artisan corn tortilla chips by The Mad Mexican. Definitely a recommended Saturday morning excursion – thanks to StylinMommy for posting about Brickworks.
Besides the snacks, the trip also yielded a massive haul of produce including a boatload of Ontario peaches, baby eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, GF focaccia with poppyseed & onion, sweet potatoes, kale, and fancy mushrooms. The peaches were by far the best score – about 2 dozen peaches for $8 – but what do you do with that many peaches? I peeled and sliced up a few and froze them for future use and will give some away.
These crumbles were a great way to chip away at three or four of them. I feel like fruit desserts are as healthy as a dessert can be while still satisfying your sweet tooth, especially if they are homemade, vegan, and gluten-free. This recipe is an adaptation of Ina Garten’s recipe in Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. I have a signed copy of the book – I met Ina after standing in line for about 2 hours to get her autograph at Chapters. She is as lovely and likeable in person as she is on her cooking show.
The easiest way to peel a bunch of peaches is to immerse them in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then immediately dunk them in cold water. After this, the peach skin peel off very quickly and easily. I remember when my mom would can peaches and skinned bushels of peaches so we would enjoy her canned peaches throughout the winter.
The gluten free crumble is mainly a blend of brown and white sugar, Earth Balance’s Vegan Buttery Sticks, and Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour (all staples in my pantry/fridge). You can make this for your gluten eating friends and they won’t be able to tell that it’s vegan and gluten free. Also, this recipe can easily be multiplied for a crowd. It’s both a satisfying way to end a meal and say goodbye to summer as we head into fall.
Recipe (4 servings)
Fruit
- 1 lb peaches (about 3 or 4)
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest (preferably pesticide free)
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 2/3 cup blueberries (I used wild blueberries frozen)
Topping
- 1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 4 Tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, diced into cubes
Special Equipment: Four 6 ounce ramekins (mine are from Crate and Barrel - for $2.50 a pop they’re a steal)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium pot of boiling water, dunk the peaches in for about 30 seconds. Remove and immediately dunk in a bowl of cold water and remove after 30 seconds. Peel the skin off (it should slide off in large pieces very easily). Cut into 1″ wedges.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and flour. Add the peaches to the mixture and stir to combine. Add the blueberries and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl for a stand mixer, combine the ingredients for the topping and using the paddle attachment, blend on low speed until mixture resembles small peas. Using a fork, break up any large pieces. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a pastry cutter instead.
- Place the ramekins on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spoon the fruit mixture into the ramekins in an even layer. Spoon the crumble mixture on top of the fruit, one table at a time, until the fruit is evenly covered. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature, scoop of vanilla ice cream is optional.
Chocolate Fig Quinoa Granola Bars
| August 29, 2011 | Filled under Breakfast, Cookies & Bars, Pasta, Rice, & Grains, Snacks & Appetizers |
The glue that holds the granola together is a mixture of maple syrup, agave nectar, honey, and vegan butter. You just put everything together in a small pot until the butter melts and comes to a boil.
These are the dried figs up close. I used dried Calimyrna figs which aren’t as sweet as Mission Figs. I dig that the seeds kind of look like quinoa. I found them at Whole Foods. If you don’t dig figs, just swap for your fave dried fruit.
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2 cups Gluten Free Oats, not the quick cooking kind (Bob’s Red Mill)
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1 cup uncooked quinoa
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1 cup chopped walnuts
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1 cup shredded coconut
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1 cup dried figs, diced into 1/4″ cubes (or other dried fruit)
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1/4 tsp salt
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3 Tbsp agave nectar
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1/4 cup honey
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3 Tbsp maple syrup
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3 Tbsp vegan butter (I use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks)
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1/3 cup chocolate chips
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1/3 cup white chocolate chips
Oreo Ice Cream Pie
| August 23, 2011 | Filled under Cakes & Cupcakes, Cookies & Bars, Desserts |
What could be better than a big scoop of cookies’n cream on a hot summer day? How about a chocolate cookie crusted cookies’n cream ice cream pie? Suprisingly, this isn’t too sweet and is dairy/nut/gluten-free. Great for guests with food allergies and chocolate cravings and it’s ’easy as pie’ to make.
A food processor helps make this dessert a speedy one but you can also put the cookies in a large re-sealable plastic bag and smash the heck out of it with a rolling pin/hammer/frying pan. Great for relieving stress. Gluten-free chocolate vanilla cream cookies from Glutino taste just like regular Oreos. Cousin Lil taste tested for me and she is a tough GF taste critic.
Once you have crumbs, you just add some melted butter and press into the pie dish and bake. To make the gluten free cookies and cream ice cream, I just stirred together some softened vanilla ice cream (dairy free) and smashed cookies. Feel free to play around with flavours too. Chocolate crust + raspberry sorbet. Chocolate chip cookie crust + chocolate ice cream. Vanilla wafers + strawberry ice cream. Yum. Garnish with fresh fruits or even do layers of different ice cream flavours. When I was a teen and before I knew I was lactose-intolerant, I used to wolf down Oreo McFlurries… not healthy. This pie is so much better.
RECIPE Oreo Ice Cream Pie (Serves eight) Gluten/Nut/Dairy Free
- 20 to 25 Gluten Free chocolate cream filled cookies, extras for garnish (I used Glutino brand)
- 2 Tbsp non-dairy butter, melted (I used Earth Balance’s Vegan Buttery Sticks)
- 1 Pint dairy-free vanilla ice cream (I used So Delicious Purely Decadent)
Special equipment: 8.5″ pie dish
1. Let ice cream thaw for 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, add 15 cookies and pulse until the cookies become small crumbs. Pour crumbs into a mixing bowl and add melted butter. Mix until combined. Pour into the pie dish and gently press with fingers to create a crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, add remaining 5 to 10 cookies to the food processor and blend until cookies are broken into small chunks. Pour in softened icecream and blend. If ice cream is too thick, let thaw a little longer or pour mixture into a bowl and mix by hand.
4. Spoon ice cream onto cookie crust and press into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze for about 1 hour or until hardened. Cut into slices and garnish with cookies and additional crumbs.
What could be better than a big scoop of cookies’n cream on a hot summer day? How about a chocolate cookie crusted cookies’n cream ice cream pie? Suprisingly, this isn’t too sweet and is dairy/nut/gluten-free. Great for guests with food allergies and chocolate cravings and it’s ’easy as pie’ to make.
A food processor helps make this dessert a speedy one but you can also put the cookies in a large re-sealable plastic bag and smash the heck out of it with a rolling pin/hammer/frying pan. Great for relieving stress. Gluten-free chocolate vanilla cream cookies from Glutino taste just like regular Oreos. Cousin Lil taste tested for me and she is a tough GF taste critic.
Once you have crumbs, you just add some melted butter and press into the pie dish and bake. To make the gluten free cookies and cream ice cream, I just stirred together some softened vanilla ice cream (dairy free) and smashed cookies. Feel free to play around with flavours too. Chocolate crust + raspberry sorbet. Chocolate chip cookie crust + chocolate ice cream. Vanilla wafers + strawberry ice cream. Yum. Garnish with fresh fruits or even do layers of different ice cream flavours. When I was a teen and before I knew I was lactose-intolerant, I used to wolf down Oreo McFlurries… not healthy. This pie is so much better.
RECIPE Oreo Ice Cream Pie (Serves eight) Gluten/Nut/Dairy Free
- 20 to 25 Gluten Free chocolate cream filled cookies, extras for garnish (I used Glutino brand)
- 2 Tbsp non-dairy butter, melted (I used Earth Balance’s Vegan Buttery Sticks)
- 1 Pint dairy-free vanilla ice cream (I used So Delicious Purely Decadent)
Special equipment: 8.5″ pie dish
1. Let ice cream thaw for 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, add 15 cookies and pulse until the cookies become small crumbs. Pour crumbs into a mixing bowl and add melted butter. Mix until combined. Pour into the pie dish and gently press with fingers to create a crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, add remaining 5 to 10 cookies to the food processor and blend until cookies are broken into small chunks. Pour in softened icecream and blend. If ice cream is too thick, let thaw a little longer or pour mixture into a bowl and mix by hand.
4. Spoon ice cream onto cookie crust and press into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze for about 1 hour or until hardened. Cut into slices and garnish with cookies and additional crumbs.
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