Gluten-Free Orange Scented Irish Soda Bread

Good morning! Gluten-free orange scented Irish soda bread.

Mid January confession (now that we're half way to February and red hearts are sprouting up around chocolate displays in our local market). Valentine's Day looms. And yes, I use the word looms. Rather than a more enthusiastic awaits. Or glimmers. As in, I haven't been that into Valentine's Day lately. Not that I have anything against love. Or chocolate. Or roses. That would make me rather icy. A stone cold cynic. The prickly sort who kicks away puppies. Or grimaces at kittens and babies. Don't worry.

I don't indulge in any such blasphemy.

I still believe in love.

And though I may be, shall we say, a tad older than the estrogen-fueled ovulating audience targeted for Valentine's Day, I am not cantankerous. Nor am I without sympathy.

It's just that I find the accoutrements to our consumerist version of love rather ridiculous. All that red lace. Glitter lipsticks. And goddess forbid.

Thongs.

Never buy a piece of clothing that requires you to shave.

Everything.

I personally prefer a little mystery in my romance. Leaving something to the imagination. But then, I am a child of the long-haired free love sixties. Pre-porn aesthetic. We didn't fear body hair.

Last year we stayed home and ate baked mac and cheese for our dinner 'o love. And settled in with a Mad Men DVD. No red silk in sight. No high heels. Not exactly glamorous. But then, you know us artists. We have paint under our fingernails. We have more books than lipsticks. We are curling iron challenged.

I've never been into the whole glossy, magazine style glamor. I am more into comfort (and warmth- after all, it is winter!). I'm not a party girl. I'd rather be home. In my flannel PJ's.

Baking a soda bread.

Read more + get the recipe >>

Good morning! Gluten-free orange scented Irish soda bread.

Mid January confession (now that we're half way to February and red hearts are sprouting up around chocolate displays in our local market). Valentine's Day looms. And yes, I use the word looms. Rather than a more enthusiastic awaits. Or glimmers. As in, I haven't been that into Valentine's Day lately. Not that I have anything against love. Or chocolate. Or roses. That would make me rather icy. A stone cold cynic. The prickly sort who kicks away puppies. Or grimaces at kittens and babies. Don't worry.

I don't indulge in any such blasphemy.

I still believe in love.

And though I may be, shall we say, a tad older than the estrogen-fueled ovulating audience targeted for Valentine's Day, I am not cantankerous. Nor am I without sympathy.

It's just that I find the accoutrements to our consumerist version of love rather ridiculous. All that red lace. Glitter lipsticks. And goddess forbid.

Thongs.

Never buy a piece of clothing that requires you to shave.

Everything.

I personally prefer a little mystery in my romance. Leaving something to the imagination. But then, I am a child of the long-haired free love sixties. Pre-porn aesthetic. We didn't fear body hair.

Last year we stayed home and ate baked mac and cheese for our dinner 'o love. And settled in with a Mad Men DVD. No red silk in sight. No high heels. Not exactly glamorous. But then, you know us artists. We have paint under our fingernails. We have more books than lipsticks. We are curling iron challenged.

I've never been into the whole glossy, magazine style glamor. I am more into comfort (and warmth- after all, it is winter!). I'm not a party girl. I'd rather be home. In my flannel PJ's.

Baking a soda bread.

Read more + get the recipe >>

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Street Tacos, Spanish Fried Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

We have a full meal here, quite a bit going on and all so worth it. Funny how things work, part of this recipe came to be while I was at the gym. I was already planning on making the taco's and quinoa afterwards. And what do you know was on TV...it was Taco Nite on the cooking channel which inspired the black bean salad! They showed that as a veggie taco filler and so I have it here because it's so simple and pairs nicely with the quinoa. As a matter of fact, combined together the quinoa and black bean salad make a great 'Spanish Black Bean Quinoa Salad' to be used for leftovers!

The simple taco filling is pretty fantastic. We're using walnuts, mushrooms and a few spices to create a nut filling. If this is new to you, I think you are going to enjoy this recipe and will make it again and again. For the Mexican flavors use spices like cumin, chili powder, cayenne, coriander, paprika, cilantro and/or lime. You can also use this nut meat in burritos or on top of a taco salad. Or mix up the spices for an Italian flair using oregano, basil, marjoram, sun dried tomatoes, sage, thyme or rosemary and use it in lasagne or on top of spaghetti. 

The thing I really love about all of these recipes together is that you can mix and match everything to your liking making tacos out of it all. I've also included the option of using lettuce leaves instead of corn tortilla's. Both ways are fantastic!

Maybe you'll prefer your tacos on the fresh side! These raw tacos are so delicious and refreshing. If you've never tried them I urge you to pick up some butter, romaine or other leafy lettuce and give this a try....you will not be disappointed. You may also opt to have your nut meat served at room temperature instead of warmed if you like. You could also double up on the leaves. If your interested in the nut meats, I also have a Rawsome Taco Salad w/ Lime Cilantro 'Sour Cream' that you may like to try as well. The Lime Cilantro Cashew 'Sour Cream' would be great along side this recipe.

The traditional corn tortillas warmed on the griddle or warm skillet will envelope all the goodies you put into your street taco. So simple, healthy and delicious! 

Don't forget the Tapatio! Really sets the tacos off nicely, even the lettuce wrapped ones.

Now let's get cooking and eat...

Street Tacos, Spanish Fried Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

Ingredients (serves 3)

Tacos

• corn tortillas (2 per person)
• butter, romaine or other leafy green lettuce leaves for raw taco wrap, optional
• cilantro
• lime wedges
• pico de gallo
• avocado slices
• tapatio

Nut Meat for Tacos

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
• 1 tablespoon tamari, soy sauce or bragg's
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Pico de Gallo

• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• himalayan salt to taste

Spanish Fried Quinoa

• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive or sesame oil
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce or about 3/4 cup 
• 1 cup water or veggie broth (liquid total between water and tomato sauce should be 1 3/4 cup, at most)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded & diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon chili powder, optional
• himalayan salt to taste
• cilantro, chopped
• (use any veggies you want in place of bell peppers...ie, peas, chopped carrots, chopped tomatoes, etc)

Black Bean Salad

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 2 corn off the cob, grilled (optional) or 1 can corn, drained or 1 cup frozen, thawed
• 1/2 teaspoon or so cumin
• himalayan salt to taste
• juice of 1 lime
• cilantro, to taste

First start with the corn, if roasting. I used my griddle on high and it took about 50 minutes with turning every so often to get the nice roasted look. Fresh corn right of the cob would be great too, it's sweet and tasty without  needing to be cooked. Roasting is optional. 

Onto the Spanish fried quinoa. In medium size pan or skillet, heat oil over medium high heat, add onion and cook for two minutes, add quinoa and cook another five minutes or so stirring frequently until quinoa starts to get toasty and turn slightly golden. Add water, tomato sauce, bell pepper or veggies of choice, jalapeno, garlic powder, chili powder and salt, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. When done, remove cover, stir in some chopped cilantro to taste, and let set for 15 minutes to absorb the rest of the liquids. Taste for seasonings before serving.

Next, put together the pico de gallo. Chop and dice your ingredients, combine everything in a small bowl with lime juice and salt to taste. Set aside to let the flavors mingle. 

Now onto the black bean salad. In a medium size bowl, combine all the ingredients, taste for seasoning adding anything extra you might like. 

Start the nut meat. Place all ingredients in food processor/blender and pulse until you have chunky crumbles. Don't over process or you will have a nut mushroom pate...which wouldn't be so bad but we want a crumbly effect here. :) This is optional but in a small sauce pan, heat the nut meat on low just until warm. You don't want to over heat or the mushrooms will cook too much, we just want it slightly warm. I find both ways, warm and room temp, to be just as appealing. 

Warm your tortillas on the griddle or skillet for 30 seconds per side. 

Finally, put your plates and tacos together as you wish! You may find that you end up combining the black bean salsa with the spanish fried quinoa. You may also find yourself making tacos out of both of those side dishes as well. However you craft your plate....

Enjoy! 

Follow my kitchen adventures on Instagram!

We have a full meal here, quite a bit going on and all so worth it. Funny how things work, part of this recipe came to be while I was at the gym. I was already planning on making the taco's and quinoa afterwards. And what do you know was on TV...it was Taco Nite on the cooking channel which inspired the black bean salad! They showed that as a veggie taco filler and so I have it here because it's so simple and pairs nicely with the quinoa. As a matter of fact, combined together the quinoa and black bean salad make a great 'Spanish Black Bean Quinoa Salad' to be used for leftovers!

The simple taco filling is pretty fantastic. We're using walnuts, mushrooms and a few spices to create a nut filling. If this is new to you, I think you are going to enjoy this recipe and will make it again and again. For the Mexican flavors use spices like cumin, chili powder, cayenne, coriander, paprika, cilantro and/or lime. You can also use this nut meat in burritos or on top of a taco salad. Or mix up the spices for an Italian flair using oregano, basil, marjoram, sun dried tomatoes, sage, thyme or rosemary and use it in lasagne or on top of spaghetti. 

The thing I really love about all of these recipes together is that you can mix and match everything to your liking making tacos out of it all. I've also included the option of using lettuce leaves instead of corn tortilla's. Both ways are fantastic!

Maybe you'll prefer your tacos on the fresh side! These raw tacos are so delicious and refreshing. If you've never tried them I urge you to pick up some butter, romaine or other leafy lettuce and give this a try....you will not be disappointed. You may also opt to have your nut meat served at room temperature instead of warmed if you like. You could also double up on the leaves. If your interested in the nut meats, I also have a Rawsome Taco Salad w/ Lime Cilantro 'Sour Cream' that you may like to try as well. The Lime Cilantro Cashew 'Sour Cream' would be great along side this recipe.

The traditional corn tortillas warmed on the griddle or warm skillet will envelope all the goodies you put into your street taco. So simple, healthy and delicious! 

Don't forget the Tapatio! Really sets the tacos off nicely, even the lettuce wrapped ones.

Now let's get cooking and eat...

Street Tacos, Spanish Fried Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

Ingredients (serves 3)

Tacos

• corn tortillas (2 per person)
• butter, romaine or other leafy green lettuce leaves for raw taco wrap, optional
• cilantro
• lime wedges
• pico de gallo
• avocado slices
• tapatio

Nut Meat for Tacos

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
• 1 tablespoon tamari, soy sauce or bragg's
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Pico de Gallo

• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• himalayan salt to taste

Spanish Fried Quinoa

• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive or sesame oil
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce or about 3/4 cup 
• 1 cup water or veggie broth (liquid total between water and tomato sauce should be 1 3/4 cup, at most)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded & diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon chili powder, optional
• himalayan salt to taste
• cilantro, chopped
• (use any veggies you want in place of bell peppers...ie, peas, chopped carrots, chopped tomatoes, etc)

Black Bean Salad

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 2 corn off the cob, grilled (optional) or 1 can corn, drained or 1 cup frozen, thawed
• 1/2 teaspoon or so cumin
• himalayan salt to taste
• juice of 1 lime
• cilantro, to taste

First start with the corn, if roasting. I used my griddle on high and it took about 50 minutes with turning every so often to get the nice roasted look. Fresh corn right of the cob would be great too, it's sweet and tasty without  needing to be cooked. Roasting is optional. 

Onto the Spanish fried quinoa. In medium size pan or skillet, heat oil over medium high heat, add onion and cook for two minutes, add quinoa and cook another five minutes or so stirring frequently until quinoa starts to get toasty and turn slightly golden. Add water, tomato sauce, bell pepper or veggies of choice, jalapeno, garlic powder, chili powder and salt, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. When done, remove cover, stir in some chopped cilantro to taste, and let set for 15 minutes to absorb the rest of the liquids. Taste for seasonings before serving.

Next, put together the pico de gallo. Chop and dice your ingredients, combine everything in a small bowl with lime juice and salt to taste. Set aside to let the flavors mingle. 

Now onto the black bean salad. In a medium size bowl, combine all the ingredients, taste for seasoning adding anything extra you might like. 

Start the nut meat. Place all ingredients in food processor/blender and pulse until you have chunky crumbles. Don't over process or you will have a nut mushroom pate...which wouldn't be so bad but we want a crumbly effect here. :) This is optional but in a small sauce pan, heat the nut meat on low just until warm. You don't want to over heat or the mushrooms will cook too much, we just want it slightly warm. I find both ways, warm and room temp, to be just as appealing. 

Warm your tortillas on the griddle or skillet for 30 seconds per side. 

Finally, put your plates and tacos together as you wish! You may find that you end up combining the black bean salsa with the spanish fried quinoa. You may also find yourself making tacos out of both of those side dishes as well. However you craft your plate....

Enjoy! 

Follow my kitchen adventures on Instagram!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Soup For You!

I'm not sure where you're reading this from, but for the sake of this post I'll assume it's freezing outside, and you're craving a huge bowl of steaming, hot soup. Sweaters are great, but when you need to get warm from the inside out, there is really only one way...well, two actually, but this isn't a cocktails blog, so we're just going with soup. Here are a few of my personal favorite cold weather soups. Click on caption to read the post and watch the video. Bundle up and enjoy!

Spicy Coconut Shrimp Bisque

Bumblebee Soup - Bacon, Black Bean and Corn Chowder

Minestrone Soup

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

I'm not sure where you're reading this from, but for the sake of this post I'll assume it's freezing outside, and you're craving a huge bowl of steaming, hot soup. Sweaters are great, but when you need to get warm from the inside out, there is really only one way...well, two actually, but this isn't a cocktails blog, so we're just going with soup. Here are a few of my personal favorite cold weather soups. Click on caption to read the post and watch the video. Bundle up and enjoy!

Spicy Coconut Shrimp Bisque

Bumblebee Soup - Bacon, Black Bean and Corn Chowder

Minestrone Soup

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Mulligatawny Detox Soup - Gluten-Free Goddess Style

Need to detox for the New Year? Make some mulligatawny soup.

Did you over indulge (just a little)? Are you craving something fresh and light and nourishing? Or simply feeling a tad under the weather with the mid-January blues? Don't worry, Darling. I've got a body and soul soothing cure.

Mulligatawny detox soup.

It's chock full of antioxidant vegetable goodness with detoxing spices to boot. Cook it on the stove top or in a Crock Pot and let it simmer for the afternoon, filling your kitchen with a comforting aroma that feels like one big hug.

Mulligatawny is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes. But this version is not the traditional mulligatawny recipe with chicken. Nope. It's meat-free and dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar-free. The spices help promote detoxing and healing.

But best of all? You won't feel deprived doing what's good for your body. This mulligatawny is a mouth crush of flavors sweet and savory, creamy, spicy and tangy- all at once. A gluten-free diet never tasted so good.

Vegan Mulligatawny Detox Soup Recipe

This delectable post-modern version of mulligatawny is deliciously complex. The chick peas give it a boost of protein; the apple gives it a sweet-tart kick. Use organic vegetables for maximum detox. Adjust spices if you prefer a mild soup, as cayenne pepper packs some heat.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon avocado oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons mild GF organic curry powder
1 teaspoon organic turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste
1 medium sweet or red onion, peeled, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage
1 quart fresh spring water
2 cups organic fresh veggie juice blend (or your fave V8-style juice)
1 14-oz. can organic chick peas, drained
A small pinch of sea salt, to taste
1 14-oz. can coconut milk, stirred
Juice from 1 medium lime, or to taste
1-2 teaspoons organic agave nectar*

For garnish:

Thin apple slices or shredded apple
Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Instructions:

For a slow cooker:

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker except the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Cover and cook on high according to your manufacturer's instructions for cooking vegetable soup. When the veggies are tender, add in the coconut milk and lime. Taste test. Add brown syrup to taste. Heat through 15 minutes.

For stove top:

Heat the avocado oil over medium high heat in a medium size soup pot. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, turmeric and cayenne and briefly stir for to season the oil. Add the onion, carrots, cauliflower, apples, sweet potato and cabbage, and sauté until softened, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the spring water and chick peas; season with a touch of sea salt, if desired. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Stir well. Taste for seasoning adjustments. Heat through gently; don't boil.

Options:

If you desire a smooth soup, puree the soup with a hand held immersion blender (or puree- carefully- in small batches, tightly covered, in a blender or food processor) until smooth. Return the puree to the soup pot. Heat over low heat until serving.

If you prefer more texture, puree only half the soup, or mash lightly with a potato masher until you have the consistency you desire.

It is also beautiful left as is, as a hearty, chunky stew.

Note* I used to use organic brown rice syrup, but with the latest news about arsenic in brown rice syrup, I now use organic agave nectar or honey.

Serves 4-6.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you. 

Need to detox for the New Year? Make some mulligatawny soup.

Did you over indulge (just a little)? Are you craving something fresh and light and nourishing? Or simply feeling a tad under the weather with the mid-January blues? Don't worry, Darling. I've got a body and soul soothing cure.

Mulligatawny detox soup.

It's chock full of antioxidant vegetable goodness with detoxing spices to boot. Cook it on the stove top or in a Crock Pot and let it simmer for the afternoon, filling your kitchen with a comforting aroma that feels like one big hug.

Mulligatawny is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes. But this version is not the traditional mulligatawny recipe with chicken. Nope. It's meat-free and dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar-free. The spices help promote detoxing and healing.

But best of all? You won't feel deprived doing what's good for your body. This mulligatawny is a mouth crush of flavors sweet and savory, creamy, spicy and tangy- all at once. A gluten-free diet never tasted so good.

Vegan Mulligatawny Detox Soup Recipe

This delectable post-modern version of mulligatawny is deliciously complex. The chick peas give it a boost of protein; the apple gives it a sweet-tart kick. Use organic vegetables for maximum detox. Adjust spices if you prefer a mild soup, as cayenne pepper packs some heat.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon avocado oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons mild GF organic curry powder
1 teaspoon organic turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste
1 medium sweet or red onion, peeled, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage
1 quart fresh spring water
2 cups organic fresh veggie juice blend (or your fave V8-style juice)
1 14-oz. can organic chick peas, drained
A small pinch of sea salt, to taste
1 14-oz. can coconut milk, stirred
Juice from 1 medium lime, or to taste
1-2 teaspoons organic agave nectar*

For garnish:

Thin apple slices or shredded apple
Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Instructions:

For a slow cooker:

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker except the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Cover and cook on high according to your manufacturer's instructions for cooking vegetable soup. When the veggies are tender, add in the coconut milk and lime. Taste test. Add brown syrup to taste. Heat through 15 minutes.

For stove top:

Heat the avocado oil over medium high heat in a medium size soup pot. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, turmeric and cayenne and briefly stir for to season the oil. Add the onion, carrots, cauliflower, apples, sweet potato and cabbage, and sauté until softened, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the spring water and chick peas; season with a touch of sea salt, if desired. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Stir well. Taste for seasoning adjustments. Heat through gently; don't boil.

Options:

If you desire a smooth soup, puree the soup with a hand held immersion blender (or puree- carefully- in small batches, tightly covered, in a blender or food processor) until smooth. Return the puree to the soup pot. Heat over low heat until serving.

If you prefer more texture, puree only half the soup, or mash lightly with a potato masher until you have the consistency you desire.

It is also beautiful left as is, as a hearty, chunky stew.

Note* I used to use organic brown rice syrup, but with the latest news about arsenic in brown rice syrup, I now use organic agave nectar or honey.

Serves 4-6.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you. 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Portobello & Kale Calzone with Garlic Miso Cream

I can't remember the last time I had a calzone....WOW....they are delicious! This recipe was inspired from Leafy Greens and Me...I could barely wait to get this one underway. I've had a few of these the last few days trying to get good pictures...what a tough job right! :) What I really loved about this is the roasted garlic cream sauce....roasted garlic is amazing and actually mellows out after roasting leaving wonderful mild flavors, a little nutty, sweet, almost caramel like. I added some miso to the garlic sauce, giving it that little extra something. Miso is a staple in my refrigerator and lasts up to a year, you can find more uses for miso by searching my site in the box on the right or by scrolling down to the ingredients list. I have a couple recipes that you might enjoy. Be sure to pick up some miso and get this calzone into your life, and if you don't have miso this will still be a great roasted garlic cream sauce!

There is quite a bit of high heat oven time going on so this is definitely a great meal during the cooler months....perfect for this time of year. You don't want the oven on like this in the summer, especially in the hotter regions....400 & 500 degrees for an hour or two and someone is bound to get slapped upside the head. ;) This is also not an energy saving recipe for those ultra conservatives, but we do a bit here and a bit there so I think we'll be alright to enjoy this scrumptious calzone every now and then. As a matter of fact while were on the subject of the environment, did you know the global warming we are experiencing is a natural part of the earth's cycle. Yes indeed, it would happen no matter what...with us or without us...just ask and I will forward you some interesting information! Of course, it definitely doesn't help creating new canister hairsprays, or having herds of cars, or herds of factory farmed animals contributing to the already warming trend, but what are we going to do...little by little, step by step everything will come to light...in the meantime let's relax & eat...

Portobello & Kale Calzone with Garlic Miso Cream

Ingredients (makes 4)

• 1 1b. whole wheat/grain pizza dough (I used Trader Joe's), divided into 4 sections
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 2 portabello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut somewhat small
• four large leaves of kale, stems removed and roughly chopped or left somewhat whole (I used curly kale) or a bundle of spinach
• large handful cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• olive oil, to brush on top of calzone
• himalayan salt and cracked pepper to taste
• cornmeal for dusting the pizza wheel

Garlic Cream Sauce

• 1 cup cashews, soaked for at least two hours or over night
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup water, if you soaked the cashew for two hours use 1 cup, if soaked overnight use 1/2 cup water
• 1 head garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons white miso
• juice of 1 lemon
• himalayan salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

First, roast the garlic for the garlic cream sauce. Remove most of the outer layer of skin on the garlic leaving enough to hold them in place, lay sideways and cut the tops off. Place garlic cut side up on a piece of tinfoil, drizzle with olive oil and top with sea salt & cracked pepper. Fold ends of foil up and squeeze together and crimp the edge. Place on cookie sheet and cook for 40-45 minutes. Let cool. Check here for a great visual tutorial from Oh She Glows: How To Roast Garlic

Once garlic is done, turn the oven up to 475-500 degrees. Place pizza stone inside the oven for about 45 minutes before cooking.

While garlic is roasting, let pizza dough come to room temp in it's package away from oven heat for 30 minutes. Remove from package, place on a lightly floured surface, flatten out a bit with your hands, cut dough into four equal portions, roll each portion into a ball, cover with light towel and let set for another 30 minutes away from oven heat to let the gluten relax....if the gluten isn't relaxed you may have a hard time rolling out your dough properly.

Next onto the garlic cream sauce. Drain cashews and place all ingredients into food processor/blender and process until creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes. If cream is too thick and extra water 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency being careful not to thin it out too much making it runny, if in doubt leave it on the thick side. Taste for seasoning, set aside.

Slice your grape/cherry tomatoes in half, place in small bowl and set aside. You may even want to dip a tomato half into the garlic cream sauce, just to make sure it tastes good! 

In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic and cook until onions become soft. Add in mushrooms, broccoli, kale/spinach, thyme and salt & pepper to taste, cook for another 5 minutes or so. Turn off heat and cover ajar to help steam and soften the veggies a little more while working on the next step. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion out into an eight inch oval, rectangle, circle, ...whatever works easiest for you. Lay on some of the veggie mixture, add a few heaping tablespoons of the garlic miso cream and top with some of the kale and tomatoes (or layer however you like, this is just a suggestion, my emphasize is to keep the cream in the middle of the calzone as much as possible). Fold the other half over and seal the edges by rolling them up and sealing or by pressing with a fork, or both. Top with a light coat of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, pepper and thyme.

Dust the heated pizza stone with cornmeal, place calzone on the pizza stone and bake for 7 - 10 minutes, until crust is puffy and golden brown. Let cool a few minutes and serve. Serve with some garlic miso sauce on the side.

Enjoy!

Note: Pizza stones are a really nice item to have...they work great for pizza of course, and this calzone, as well as baking artisan bread. Some of my favorite loaves of artisan bread were baked using a pizza stone. 

I can't remember the last time I had a calzone....WOW....they are delicious! This recipe was inspired from Leafy Greens and Me...I could barely wait to get this one underway. I've had a few of these the last few days trying to get good pictures...what a tough job right! :) What I really loved about this is the roasted garlic cream sauce....roasted garlic is amazing and actually mellows out after roasting leaving wonderful mild flavors, a little nutty, sweet, almost caramel like. I added some miso to the garlic sauce, giving it that little extra something. Miso is a staple in my refrigerator and lasts up to a year, you can find more uses for miso by searching my site in the box on the right or by scrolling down to the ingredients list. I have a couple recipes that you might enjoy. Be sure to pick up some miso and get this calzone into your life, and if you don't have miso this will still be a great roasted garlic cream sauce!

There is quite a bit of high heat oven time going on so this is definitely a great meal during the cooler months....perfect for this time of year. You don't want the oven on like this in the summer, especially in the hotter regions....400 & 500 degrees for an hour or two and someone is bound to get slapped upside the head. ;) This is also not an energy saving recipe for those ultra conservatives, but we do a bit here and a bit there so I think we'll be alright to enjoy this scrumptious calzone every now and then. As a matter of fact while were on the subject of the environment, did you know the global warming we are experiencing is a natural part of the earth's cycle. Yes indeed, it would happen no matter what...with us or without us...just ask and I will forward you some interesting information! Of course, it definitely doesn't help creating new canister hairsprays, or having herds of cars, or herds of factory farmed animals contributing to the already warming trend, but what are we going to do...little by little, step by step everything will come to light...in the meantime let's relax & eat...

Portobello & Kale Calzone with Garlic Miso Cream

Ingredients (makes 4)

• 1 1b. whole wheat/grain pizza dough (I used Trader Joe's), divided into 4 sections
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 2 portabello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut somewhat small
• four large leaves of kale, stems removed and roughly chopped or left somewhat whole (I used curly kale) or a bundle of spinach
• large handful cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• olive oil, to brush on top of calzone
• himalayan salt and cracked pepper to taste
• cornmeal for dusting the pizza wheel

Garlic Cream Sauce

• 1 cup cashews, soaked for at least two hours or over night
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup water, if you soaked the cashew for two hours use 1 cup, if soaked overnight use 1/2 cup water
• 1 head garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons white miso
• juice of 1 lemon
• himalayan salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

First, roast the garlic for the garlic cream sauce. Remove most of the outer layer of skin on the garlic leaving enough to hold them in place, lay sideways and cut the tops off. Place garlic cut side up on a piece of tinfoil, drizzle with olive oil and top with sea salt & cracked pepper. Fold ends of foil up and squeeze together and crimp the edge. Place on cookie sheet and cook for 40-45 minutes. Let cool. Check here for a great visual tutorial from Oh She Glows: How To Roast Garlic

Once garlic is done, turn the oven up to 475-500 degrees. Place pizza stone inside the oven for about 45 minutes before cooking.

While garlic is roasting, let pizza dough come to room temp in it's package away from oven heat for 30 minutes. Remove from package, place on a lightly floured surface, flatten out a bit with your hands, cut dough into four equal portions, roll each portion into a ball, cover with light towel and let set for another 30 minutes away from oven heat to let the gluten relax....if the gluten isn't relaxed you may have a hard time rolling out your dough properly.

Next onto the garlic cream sauce. Drain cashews and place all ingredients into food processor/blender and process until creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes. If cream is too thick and extra water 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency being careful not to thin it out too much making it runny, if in doubt leave it on the thick side. Taste for seasoning, set aside.

Slice your grape/cherry tomatoes in half, place in small bowl and set aside. You may even want to dip a tomato half into the garlic cream sauce, just to make sure it tastes good! 

In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic and cook until onions become soft. Add in mushrooms, broccoli, kale/spinach, thyme and salt & pepper to taste, cook for another 5 minutes or so. Turn off heat and cover ajar to help steam and soften the veggies a little more while working on the next step. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion out into an eight inch oval, rectangle, circle, ...whatever works easiest for you. Lay on some of the veggie mixture, add a few heaping tablespoons of the garlic miso cream and top with some of the kale and tomatoes (or layer however you like, this is just a suggestion, my emphasize is to keep the cream in the middle of the calzone as much as possible). Fold the other half over and seal the edges by rolling them up and sealing or by pressing with a fork, or both. Top with a light coat of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, pepper and thyme.

Dust the heated pizza stone with cornmeal, place calzone on the pizza stone and bake for 7 - 10 minutes, until crust is puffy and golden brown. Let cool a few minutes and serve. Serve with some garlic miso sauce on the side.

Enjoy!

Note: Pizza stones are a really nice item to have...they work great for pizza of course, and this calzone, as well as baking artisan bread. Some of my favorite loaves of artisan bread were baked using a pizza stone. 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Garlic Parm Hot Wings – Video Recipe 800! 800? Really?

This garlic Parmesan hot wings video represents the 800th recipe we’ve uploaded to YouTube since we launched the channel in January 2007. As I waited for the file to upload, an odd sense of disbelief started to wash over me. Had I really cooked, filmed, and posted 800 video recipes? It didn’t seem possible.

The more I thought about just how much content that is, the more improbable it seemed. 800 recipes? That’s like 10 cookbooks! Then, a different kind of disbelief came over me as I considered all the dishes I’ve still not done.

After all these hundreds and hundreds of recipes, I still have not done things like risotto, goulash, blue cheese dressing, calamari, or beef Wellington; just to name a few. Anyway, it was an interesting and introspective ten minutes, sitting there watching the upload progress bar slowly move across the screen, thinking about what I had done, and how much I still needed to do.

As far as these gorgeous wings go, they rocked. My wife Michele, who is not a big fan of chicken wings, ate more than I’d ever seen her eat before, and deemed them my best yet. I’m not sure about that, but they did come out really, really well.

One reason it’s hard to get a crispy-crusty coating on a wing in the oven is all the moisture that leaks out during the initial phase of baking. Here, we are parboiling the wings in a very flavorful liquid, which not only helped season the chicken, but also produced a surface texture in the oven that your guests will swear came straight out of a deep fryer. I hope you give these a try soon, and as always, and for the 800th time, enjoy!

Ingredients for 5 pounds of wings (about 48 pieces):

3 quarts cold water

1/4 cup salt

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried rosemary

4 to 5 pounds of chicken wing sections

8-10 cloves garlic plus big pinch of salt

3 or 4 tbsp olive oil, or as needed

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste (obviously you can add cayenne or other hot stuff to make these even spicier)
2 tbsp fine breadcrumbs

about 1 cup of very finely and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

creamy Italian dressing for dipping, optional

View the complete recipe

This garlic Parmesan hot wings video represents the 800th recipe we’ve uploaded to YouTube since we launched the channel in January 2007. As I waited for the file to upload, an odd sense of disbelief started to wash over me. Had I really cooked, filmed, and posted 800 video recipes? It didn’t seem possible.

The more I thought about just how much content that is, the more improbable it seemed. 800 recipes? That’s like 10 cookbooks! Then, a different kind of disbelief came over me as I considered all the dishes I’ve still not done.

After all these hundreds and hundreds of recipes, I still have not done things like risotto, goulash, blue cheese dressing, calamari, or beef Wellington; just to name a few. Anyway, it was an interesting and introspective ten minutes, sitting there watching the upload progress bar slowly move across the screen, thinking about what I had done, and how much I still needed to do.

As far as these gorgeous wings go, they rocked. My wife Michele, who is not a big fan of chicken wings, ate more than I’d ever seen her eat before, and deemed them my best yet. I’m not sure about that, but they did come out really, really well.

One reason it’s hard to get a crispy-crusty coating on a wing in the oven is all the moisture that leaks out during the initial phase of baking. Here, we are parboiling the wings in a very flavorful liquid, which not only helped season the chicken, but also produced a surface texture in the oven that your guests will swear came straight out of a deep fryer. I hope you give these a try soon, and as always, and for the 800th time, enjoy!

Ingredients for 5 pounds of wings (about 48 pieces):

3 quarts cold water

1/4 cup salt

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried rosemary

4 to 5 pounds of chicken wing sections

8-10 cloves garlic plus big pinch of salt

3 or 4 tbsp olive oil, or as needed

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste (obviously you can add cayenne or other hot stuff to make these even spicier)
2 tbsp fine breadcrumbs

about 1 cup of very finely and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

creamy Italian dressing for dipping, optional

View the complete recipe

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Raw Zucchini Wraps with Kale Pesto

One delicious bite after another!

These were such a hit when I shared my 'Follow My Kitchen' photo on Facebook that I wanted to put the recipe together for everyone to have. And it comes at a good time too, I think people right now are looking for some Superbowl snack idea's....this is a great snack for the line up. Not only are they super healthy but they're refreshing, filling, easy and fun to make! And so colorful too....just lovely. All these vibrant colors are good for you...full of antioxidents, nutrients, fiber and yes, even protein! Fresh and raw is a beautiful way to eat. At least half of our daily food consumption should be raw foods for optimal health, not always easy, but hopefully this will be a fun way to add some rawness to your life. Your mind, body and soul will thank you!

Raw Zucchini Wraps with Kale Pesto

What you'll need

• 1 - 3 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise*
• red bell pepper, julienned
• yellow bell pepper, julienned
• carrots, julienned (I used baby carrots, cut into quarters)
• sprouts/micro greens of choice
• cilantro, optional
• fresh cracked pepper
• tooth picks

Kale Pesto

• 1 cup basil or kale
• 1 cup kale
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons tahini, optional
• 3 tablespoons or so extra virgin olive oil (if not using tahini add 1 or 2 extra tablespoons olive oil)
• himalayan salt to taste

Amounts here will vary on how many your making, use your best judgement on how much you will need. If you can't find sprouts or micro greens, try using cilantro or fresh basil leaves. 

For the kale pesto, place ingredients into food processor and process until desired consistency. Taste for seasoning. 

Lay your zucchini flat on a hard surface, layer with the pesto, add sprouts, veggies and starting from the veggie end, roll and stick with a toothpick in the center. Top with cracked pepper. Serve and enjoy!

* Look for the smaller zucchini, they will be the perfect size for these bite size rolls. The length and width is just right. 

Here's a few photos to get an idea of what I did...

Use a mandoline to slice the zucchini. There are different types of mandolines from hand held to box types. Some have adjustments so you can decide how thick or thin you want your slices. If this is new to you do a google search and find the right one for you. I'm actually using a peeler, works great and is very easy to use! It has an attachment for use as an official mandoline but I haven't figured out how to attach the piece yet, but this works great without it too. This was gifted to me by my wonderful parents and you can find it online Primo Peeler. 

Layer, roll, stick with toothpick...top with fresh cracked pepper and enjoy!

One delicious bite after another!

These were such a hit when I shared my 'Follow My Kitchen' photo on Facebook that I wanted to put the recipe together for everyone to have. And it comes at a good time too, I think people right now are looking for some Superbowl snack idea's....this is a great snack for the line up. Not only are they super healthy but they're refreshing, filling, easy and fun to make! And so colorful too....just lovely. All these vibrant colors are good for you...full of antioxidents, nutrients, fiber and yes, even protein! Fresh and raw is a beautiful way to eat. At least half of our daily food consumption should be raw foods for optimal health, not always easy, but hopefully this will be a fun way to add some rawness to your life. Your mind, body and soul will thank you!

Raw Zucchini Wraps with Kale Pesto

What you'll need

• 1 - 3 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise*
• red bell pepper, julienned
• yellow bell pepper, julienned
• carrots, julienned (I used baby carrots, cut into quarters)
• sprouts/micro greens of choice
• cilantro, optional
• fresh cracked pepper
• tooth picks

Kale Pesto

• 1 cup basil or kale
• 1 cup kale
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons tahini, optional
• 3 tablespoons or so extra virgin olive oil (if not using tahini add 1 or 2 extra tablespoons olive oil)
• himalayan salt to taste

Amounts here will vary on how many your making, use your best judgement on how much you will need. If you can't find sprouts or micro greens, try using cilantro or fresh basil leaves. 

For the kale pesto, place ingredients into food processor and process until desired consistency. Taste for seasoning. 

Lay your zucchini flat on a hard surface, layer with the pesto, add sprouts, veggies and starting from the veggie end, roll and stick with a toothpick in the center. Top with cracked pepper. Serve and enjoy!

* Look for the smaller zucchini, they will be the perfect size for these bite size rolls. The length and width is just right. 

Here's a few photos to get an idea of what I did...

Use a mandoline to slice the zucchini. There are different types of mandolines from hand held to box types. Some have adjustments so you can decide how thick or thin you want your slices. If this is new to you do a google search and find the right one for you. I'm actually using a peeler, works great and is very easy to use! It has an attachment for use as an official mandoline but I haven't figured out how to attach the piece yet, but this works great without it too. This was gifted to me by my wonderful parents and you can find it online Primo Peeler. 

Layer, roll, stick with toothpick...top with fresh cracked pepper and enjoy!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad