Trial and Error

Well, like any new venture many things are learned by trial and error. Some days there seems to be more error than success and sometimes I just decide to stay with the known-the safe. Thankfully I am used to trying new things in the kitchen and even though I don't know how things will turn out, I give it a go.
So far I have discovered that a few simple changes can sometimes produce satisfactory results. A simple change out of ingredients in chocolate chip cookies produces a delicious, if slightly crumbly, treat. Swap flour for gluten-free flour mix, egg for egg-replacer, butter is changed out for a shortening, gluten-free vanilla-check, dark chocolate chips without dairy. All set. Sometimes, things don't go so well. Rice milk won't make a creamy sauce but now I know that hemp milk will. Biscuits, well, swap outs won't work for those. Remember those playdough Christmas ornaments? Yeah, has that kind of texture with a little less salt. Not so satisfying no matter the amount of jam slathered on top. Still working on those.
The real test for me was last Saturday. There was a chocolate cake Throw Down to be had. Sure, I knew my recipe could handle its own. What I wasn't sure about was being around all that chocolate cake and not indulging. So I decided to give it a go. But would an "everything free" cake be worth eating? I decided to find out. The answer: Heck yes!

Elimination Diet Cake:
Cake:

• 3 cups Gluten-free Flour
• 1 cup cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 scant teaspoons of guar or xanthum gum
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla
• 3 teaspoons Energ Egg Replacer
• 2 1/4 cups water, divided (next time I want to try coffee)

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease two 8-inch cake pans.
In a small dish mix egg replacer and 1/4 cup water. In a large bowl mix dry ingredients together. Add in wet ingredients (including Egg-replacer mixture) and stir until combined. Split between prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes and remove from pan.

Syrup:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean (optional but delish)

Combine in a small sauce pan. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Filling:

• 1 can of Thai Kitchen coconut milk, NOT shaken (not light, and yes, you have to use that brand for this step)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons syrup, to taste

Carefully open coconut milk and scoop out the firm white top. Combine in a small bowl with vanilla and syrup, beat until fluffy. Set aside in fridge.

Ganache:

• 6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped (check the label)
• 5 oz. coconut milk, HOT

Pour hot coconut milk over the chocolate. Wait a few minutes, then stir until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool and thicken.

To assemble brush cakes with syrup. Place one cake on plate. Cover the top of cake with coconut-vanilla filling. Top with second cake. Spread ganache over the top. Grab a fork!

There will be blogging....

Excuse me? Hello? Is this thing on???? {{{{blows dust away}}}} Food blogging will soon resume.

Trying to figure out Nadia's allergy issues and you get to come along for the ride! It's gonna be a dairy, soy, nut, gluten, oat, corn, shellfish, beef, egg-free journey. Wahoo.

No idea...

Pork with Pineapple Salsa

Sometimes I do this thing where I make tasty food. I even remember to take a picture. Then I forget to blog it and have no idea what I put in it. Darn. I do remember that I under cooked it and had to put my chop back on the heat.

Excuses, Excuses: Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Egg Nog

Yes, I am painfully aware of how quiet it has been around here. I feel like I have a fairly valid excuse though. Actually, it's a short list. You can pick which one you prefer and apply it as you see fit. Feel free to also borrow any that may apply to yourself.

1. I had a baby
2. Said baby is very cute and sweet thus commanding my attention
3. Said baby is very cranky, teething and won't sleep thus requiring my attention
4. Said baby can't have dairy or soy but THANK GOD can handle butter

This is where we get to number four. If you know me you are aware of my unfailing love and devotion to dairy. Well, not so much right now. Don't get me wrong, I still adore it. I just don't adore what it does to my tiny sweetie (and quite frankly the older sweetie says he feels better with less as well). This means that my kitchen habits have changed. Meal preparation is now even more experimental than before. For some things substitutions is easy, others not so much. Some things come out just as they should and others are, well, a little different. The trick is to make the food taste like something you would want to eat anyway, not just because you can't have the "real" (dairy) thing.
Due to the growing awareness of food allergies there is more and more available to make it a little easier. Certain things I have found are great but there was one thing missing for me that is pretty important right now. Egg Nog! Sure, there is soy nog, but we can't do that. There is rice nog but I am not a fan of the rice milk substitutes. So I made my own.

Nutty Nog (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Egg Nog)

• 4 cups plain, unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 4 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• nutmeg to taste
• Rum or rum extract (or in our house, Tuaca)but that's all optional
  

In a large sauce pan heat almond milk, and sugar over medium heat. Heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is steaming. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk eggs lightly. When milk and sugar mixture is hot SLOWLY stream into eggs while beating constantly. Transfer egg mixture back to pan and continue to cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened. I was never able to get it to coat the spoon so just wait till it's thickened slightly.
Remove from heat and pour through a mesh strainer into a pitcher. Stir in coconut milk, vanilla and nutmeg. Cover and cool in fridge. Stir to mix before serving.

2-1-1:Roasted Green Beans, Potatoes and Salmon

Dishes are the enemy. Am I the only one who feels like the moment you finish washing the dishes it's time to cook again? Oh, sure, there's the whole"wash as you go" thing but it's just not for me. It slows me down. It drives me crazy. There is also the "one-pot-meal" approach which I actually love but sometimes I want separate flavors.
Tonight I made dinner for two in one hour with one baking sheet. If your feeding more, two baking sheets for a whole meal is not to shabby. Never under estimate the power of lining your baking sheets with foil either. (OK, I used a knife and cutting board too.)

Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans and Salmon for two

• 2 medium potatoes
• olive oil
• Seasoning salt (or salt, garlic powder, paprika, and a little sugar)

Preheat your oven to 375 . Scrub your potatoes and slice into 1/2 inch rounds. Toss in olive oil and sprinkle on spices. ( I just did this on the baking sheet) Place into the oven.

• 2 large handfuls of green beans, trimmed
• olive oil
• balsamic vinaigrette (save for later)

30 minutes after the potatoes go in toss your green beans in olive oil and add to the baking sheet

• 2 salmon fillets
• olive oil ( unless there is enough on your baking sheet to keep it from sticking
• 1 tablespoon apricot preserves
• 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. whole grain mustard
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Add salmon to baking sheet I (coat with olive oil if you're concerned it will stick). Bake for 10 minutes. Combine preserves, balsamic, mustard and thyme. Top salmon with mixture and bake another 5 minutes. Pull the whole tray out and dish up!

Frugal Friday: Italian Chicken Stew

After freezing my, ahem, off last night at Kurt's softball game I am convinced that autumn is really here. More and more leaves are turning shades of crimson, and orange and though the days are still fairly pleasant the night air carries a familiar crispness. My iced lattes have long since turned to piping hot mug-fulls and I've started wanting tea in the afternoon to warm me up.
After a long summer of grilling and cold salads I find myself wanting warm meals to cozy up to. Fall means I can pull out the crock pot and make Pot Roast with wine or coffee. Lasagne starts sounding better and better. Soup with squash sounds so soothing. I keep wanting to braise things.
Braising is great and often very budget friendly since it usually uses cheaper cuts of meet but there isn't always time...or the necessary forethought. So how about a quick braising recipe that can be completed on the stove in under an hour or thrown in the crock pot and finished in minutes? Sounds good to me to. Now if I could just find a reason to get excited about the cold mornings...

Italian Chicken Stew, adapted from Everyday Italian

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced (optional cause I hate cooked celery)
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled but left whole
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1 tablespoons sun-dried tomato puree or tomato paste
  
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with liquid
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup wine (optional, any kind you have)
  
• flour for dredging
• 2 bone-in chicken breasts
• 7 oz. canned white beans, rinsed and drained
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• minced parsley to garnish
  

1. In a large saute pan heat oil over medium heat. Add carrot, celery,onion and garlic clove, saute until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add bay leaves, basil, thyme, tomato puree, diced tomatoes, broth and wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat.
3. Place green beans into stew. Dredge chicken in flour and place into sauce, pushing down into liquid. Continue cooking, uncovered, until chicken is almost cooked, about 20 minutes.
   
4. Remove chicken, cool 5 minutes and cut into bite size pieces (discarding bones and skin). Add chicken back to pot and add white beans. Cook chicken through. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve over egg noodles, rice or alone.
   *This could easily be placed in a slow cooker in the morning and be ready for dinner when you are.

Why is this frugal? I usually buy my chicken breasts on sale for $.99 a pound. Tomatoes can be bought cheaply at Costco. I make my own chicken stock.

Ballpark food: Green Bean Potato Salad

I know you're loving the thoughtful plating.

We recently took Nadia to her first baseball game and while I have respect for traditional ballpark fare, sometimes it just doesn't sit right. Is it the bratwurst topped with onions, kraut ad spicy mustard from our beloved "hot dog man"? Kraut is full of probiotics so surely not. Couldn't be my kiddie tray of nachos with plastic cheese. I carefully place a jalapeno slice atop each chip to ensure I am getting some veggies, a little fiber too. I really can't understand why I awake the next morning with a belly ache. I suppose somethings in life will remain a mystery.

For whatever reason I just wasn't feeling the plastic cheese that evening. I decided to throw a few things together instead. I was just using up odds and ends but was pleasantly surprised. This salad came together in a way that is simple, yet delightful. Here's another un-recipe:

Green Bean Potato Salad
Mix together:

• fingerling potatoes, boiled and chilled
• green beans, boiled an chilled ( or steamed if you prefer but I just through them in part way through cooking the potatoes)
• crumbled feta cheese
• fresh basil, chiffonade
• orange olive oil*
• salt and cracked pepper to taste

* If you don't have orange olive oil try warming some olive oil with strips of orange zest. Cool and strain to remove the zest. I believe you can also purchase it at Safeway.

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