Mixed Nut Butter and Turbana Plantain Chips

It's a lot of fun being a food writer. I love to figure out what to make with all the food product samples that get sent to me. This time I am featuring Turbana Plantain Chips, Lil Shuga/Hey Shuga Organic Syrup, and Kelapo Coconut Oil.

For dessert on Sunday, I made a nut butter with a blend of almonds, cashews, macadamias, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, and Brazil nuts. I served the nut butter with apple slices and some plantain chips made by Turbana! Recipe below, but first, a little more about the products I used.

Lil' Shuga! is a 100% organic blend of stevia leaf extract and cane sugar. The result is a delicious blend that is two times as sweet as sugar, allowing you to use less for the same amount of sweetness. You can find them on Facebook here and on twitter here.

Kelapo Coconut Oil: Harvested from exclusive coconut palms in Sri Lanka, this is a 100% organic, trans fat free oil. I just love the single serve packets. You can follow Kelapo on twitter here, and their Facebook page is here.

Turbana Plantain Chips: Turbana plantain chips are cooked in palm vegetable oil. They contain no trans fats, have 0% Cholesterol, are gluten free, are non-GMO, are low in sodium, high in potassium and fiber. Their Facebook page is here and you can follow them on twitter here.

To make the nut butter:
2 cups mixed nuts (use your favorites)
I used almonds, cashews, macadamias, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, and Brazil nuts that I found on sale Saturday at Sprouts market. Don't get the roasted, salted kind. Use the raw. :)1 package of Kelapo Coconut Oil
1 Tbs of Lil' Shuga! syrup
1/4 tsp salt

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. You can add a little more coconut oil to make the butter extra smooth. You can also flavor with cinnamon and vanilla for something a little extra. So easy and so good! Serve with sliced apples and Turbana plantain chips.

Chicken Larb in Cabbage Cups and the 2008 Le Casque Roussanne

1 head of cabbage

2/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 3 limes)
1/3 cup fish sauce
2 teaspoons Thai roasted chili paste

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
3 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass
1 tablespoon thinly sliced jalapeño pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Separate the cabbage into individual leaves.

Mix the first 3 ingredients together with the garlic, set aside.

Melt some coconut oil in a skillet and sauté the green onions, pepper shallots, and the lemongrass until tender. Transfer to a different pan, then cook the ground chicken in the same skillet used for the shallots/onions. When chicken has cooked most of the way through (make sure you have broken it up with a spoon into small pieces while cooking). Pour in the sauce mixture and add the cooked vegetables. Add the cilantro and mint.

Spoon into cabbage pieces. This recipe feeds 4 as an appetizer and 2 as a main course.

Serve with a white wine such as Le Casque's 2008 Roussanne. You can find it at their winery located in Loomis, CA. For more information, you can visit their website here.

Dukkah Spice Blend and Curried Cashews

During my journey with Paleo, nuts have been a staple in my diet. When eaten raw or dry roasted (dry-roasted at home, not purchased as roasted/salted), they are exceptionally nutritious. So, today I'd like to show you two recipes showcasing nuts as a sort of condiment, and nuts as a snack.

The first recipe is called dukkah. We use it to season our vegetable sautees. Cauliflower, kale, chard... it really takes the flavor of the vegetables to another level! :)

Dukkah

You can modify/change up these ingredients to your liking:

1/4 cup ground coriander
5 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoon dried mint leaves
2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

Nuts:
1/2 cup raw hazelnuts
1/2 cup raw pistachio nuts
1/2 cup raw almonds

3/4 cup cashews

It's easiest I think to roast all the nuts in the oven first, until they are golden brown. I do this on a sheet pan at 350° until they turn color. Be sure to watch closely, they will burn fast.

While the nuts are toasting in the oven, toast the herbs, spices, and seeds until they are brown/toasty/aromatic. Allow each of them to cool completely.

Place the nuts and seeds, along with the mint and salt, into a food processor and pulse into a coarse consistency.

This is the finished product...

Snack Two! 

Curried Cashews and Almonds

1 cup cashews
1 cup almonds

1 Tbsp curry powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tbs coconut oil (melted)

Toast the nuts in the oven or in a skillet until they are golden brown.

Place the spices in a mortar and pestle and grind to incorporate the curry and the red pepper flakes.

Drizzle 1 Tbs coconut oil over the toasted nuts and then sprinkle the curry powder mixture over it. Stir with a spoon to coat the nuts completely.

Bag them up and sneak them into any sort of function where the food options are limited/non-Paleo!!
This way, you won't starve--you eat clean--no matter what, you win--you might be/or eventually be the sexiest person in the room. #truth!

Chocolate on the Paleo Diet

So, big disclaimer here... if you are trying to lose weight/lean out on the Paleo diet, you should probably obstain from eating chocolate altogether... but if you are at a healthy weight, or at a weight you are comfortable maintaining (maybe you get a lot of "dee-ammns" when you walk by the opposite sex?), then OK, you are allowed to have a little chocolate in moderation on the Paleo diet.

I am really not that much of a dessert person anymore, unless it's fresh or dried fruit and almonds. I even used to do a small cheese arrangement, but in the past few months I have been more strict than ever doing Paleo, so I rarely even have cheese anymore. Practice what you preach, you know? :)

But recently, my boyfriend and I went to the Winter Fancy Food Show, and one of the vendors present was TCHO Chocolates. I made a connection with the company because I think it's important to buy products from companies who make it a point to sell organic and free trade items.

Organic and fair trade, and the highest concentration of cacao that you can find in this bar, the 99%... which, is spectacular with a port or a late harvest zinfandel.

TCHO also sent me some other samples to try, such as these Dark Chocolate Organic (yes!!) Baking Drops. They clock in at 68% cacao.

I melted them down and used them to make a classic treat: Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

And if you are going to have chocolate on the Paleo diet, that's just about the best way to do it. You can go with a chocolate that is not as sweet and it's portion controlled because there is only so much chocolate that can fit on the berry. How many berries you eat, however, is up to you. The best thing about this dessert is that the chocolate is so intense, you wind up not eating that many.

To melt the discs, I heated some coconut milk in a bowl in the microwave (not boiling, but hot enough to melt the chocolate. Depending on how many strawberries you plan on making, place some of the chocolate discs in another bowl and add the heated milk (about 1/4 cup per 6-8ozs of chocolate). Stir the chocolate until it is smooth and add 1/2 to 1 tsp of your favorite liqueur.

Then dip the strawberries and set them on parchment or wax paper and allow the chocolate to solidify. To speed up the process, set them in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes. Share with someone special. ;)

You can find TCHO on Facebook here and on twitter here.

Paleo Recipe: "True Love" Blood Orange and Red Onion Salad with Kalamata Olives

I just love going to the farmer's market and buying whatever catches my eye. Last Sunday, it was blood oranges. Here's a quick salad that's completely Paleo using those that beautiful citrus I picked up!! This recipe serves 2 people as an appetizer or side dish.

Ingredients:

3 blood oranges, sliced widthwise

1 red onion, sliced into rings

10-12 Kalamata olives, sliced into rings

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used Gaea Laconia P.G.I., 

kindly sent to me by the reps at Gaea.)

Procedure:

Peel the oranges and slice them widthwise so the slices will look like the picture above. Lay one layer of them out on a plate and then slice the onion into rings and lay them over/on the oranges. Then arrange another bit of oranges around the onions. As you are doing this, you can squeeze a little of the juice over the onions and the plate. Then chop the olives into little rings and sprinkle over the onions and orange slices. To finish, drizzle the olive oil over the salad.

So unique, but simple to prepare, and beautiful on the plate. I named the recipe "true love" because of the ring shapes in the salad (the symbol of eternity), and all that red/orange color in the mix.

It might sound like an odd combination, but I hope you try it. :) 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Paleo Recipe: Hard Boiled Eggs with Avocado, Cumin, & Curry

Hey, I know these eggs don't look all that exciting. I made them as a last minute surprise appetizer for the Wintun Ranch Grass Fed Steaks we had as our main course last night. According to the BF, "they almost upstaged the entire dinner!" I really loved them too, and am actually going to make some more tonight. As you can imagine, after dining with someone who has Adam Richman's appetite (but far better metabolism), these eggs were "gone in 60 seconds". ;)

So, wanna give them a try? Depending on how much you want to make, you can multiply the ingredients. I will give the ratio for the amount of eggs I made last night: 3, yielding the six portions you see in the picture. :)

Hard Boiled Eggs with Avocado, Cumin and Curry
Ingredients:
3 organic cage free eggs
1/2 of one avocado
1tsp cumin
1/2 tsp curry
1/2 tsp garlic pureé
pinch of salt to taste
optional: fresh black pepper on top

Hard boil the eggs and peel them out of their shells. Cut them in half and scoop out the yolks into a small bowl. Cut half an avocado and mash it together with the yolks in the bowl. Add the spices and garlic puree and the salt to taste. Spoon the mixture back into the egg white halves. Top with cracked pepper.

I am going to dice some beets to top the eggs with tonight when I make them again, as this will make them a little more visually appealing without affecting the taste very much. I will update with a new picture and instructions on the beets tomorrow.

Happy Sunday!

UPDATE! 

I added beets to garnish the eggs, and they look and taste great.
To prepare the beets, cut them into cubes and boil them until they are tender. They will slip out of their outer skins much easier after they cook. Cut into little "diamond" shapes and place on top of the avocado and egg filling. Here is what it looks like:

Almond, Rosemary and Date Crackers (Gluten Free!)

Last night was one of my favorite nights of the month, wine tasting night (with a local wine group to which I belong) at the Barton Gallery (next to Michaelangelo's Restaurant.

Typically, we each bring a bottle of wine (based on a theme we decide ahead of time for the month) and a dish (if we can) to share. This month was sort of a competition to choose the themes for the next three months, so we brought bottles to vote. The very best as decided by the group would win the themes for February, March, and April.

Some of varietals, regions, themes present last night were: Alsace, San Luis Obispo, Barbera, Barbaresco, Tour of Italy, Rare Italians, and the Middle East. We decided that next month's theme would be Alsatian Wines, and it was an easy decision after we tried an Alsatian Riesling (C and R brought, the Domaine Gresser Riesling, Alsace 2007 to be exact) that had all the great characteristics of a Riesling, such as clean, bright, and crisp, without being sticky and cloying.

I brought these Rosemary Date Crackers to the tasting because I wanted to make sure there was some sort of cracker/snack I could eat once I got there. I do sometimes get weak and miss bread/crackers at wine tastings, but these crackers were way more flavorful than store bought. The original inspiration came from Elena over at Elena's Pantry, but I have changed it up quite a bit. Enjoy!

Almond, Rosemary and Date Crackers (Gluten Free and Paleo!!)
2 cups blanched almond flour  
(Tip: Make your own with raw almonds and a food processor)
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tbs fresh or dried rosemary 
(Tip: If you use dried, you can grind up with a mortar and pestle to release the oils.)
4-5 Medjool Dates, chopped
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 Tbs unsalted organic butter


1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine almond flour, salt, rosemary and dates.
3. Mix in egg, butter and oil until well combined. It's really best if you dig in and mix with your hands.
4. Roll out the mixture between parchment paper with a rolling pin.
5. Cut dough with pizza cutter, or for fun, you can use little cookie cutters. I left the rolled out pieces right on the paper and placed the paper on a cookie sheet to bake.
6. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
7. Bring to wine tasting and people will love you for them. :)

Paleo Recipe: Saffron Chicken with Cauliflower "Rice"

My boyfriend's mother (who I hear enjoyed cooking as much as I do) passed away recently, and left a treasure trove of spices behind, including an abundance of saffron. So I started to think about how we could put some of those precious red threads to good use, and here's what came to mind. :)

Another great thing about this dish is that it is 100% Paleo. I am so encouraged to find more and more people locally who are curious about/have started the Paleo diet. Here I am approaching ten months, and I don't see any reason to stop now. I am healthier mentally and physically than I have ever been, and I know it is due to my diet and workout routine.

Saffron Chicken with Cauliflower "Rice"
Ingredients:
2 large organic skin-on chicken breasts or chicken thighs (about 14-16 oz of meat)

1/2 stick clarified butter or coconut oil

1 1/2 large onions
2 Tbs of lime juice
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 Tbs of tomato purée

Optional: 1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 portions each of 1/2 cup of saffron infused water

(Prepare this by adding 1 Tbs of scalding water into a mortar and pestle with 4 or 5 threads of saffron, grind the saffron and then adding the saffron mixer to the rest of the water. One you will use in the chicken portion of the dish, and one will go in the cauliflower rice.)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to about 310°F.
Quarter the onions, and then fry in 1 1/2 Tbs clarified butter or coconut oil until transparent.

Gently fry the onion in a large pan until it becomes transparent. If you want to put in the mushrooms, you will add those at this point, too. Brown them with the onion, and then add the chicken pieces, salt and pepper and sear the meat so it becomes browned on the outside. Add the turmeric, tomato purée, and lime juice to the saffron infusion, and then pour over browned chicken. Mix the infusion into the onions and chicken so that everything is well coated. Add about one cup of chicken stock or broth to the pot.

Allow to simmer for a few minutes, then cover and place in the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Of course this will vary depending on the thickness of the meat.

While the chicken is in the oven, cut one head of cauliflower into pieces and pulse in a food processor until it becomes the texture of rice or couscous. Heat a skillet and melt 2 Tbs of butter or coconut oil. Then, sauté the cauliflower rice and season it to taste. Allow the cauliflower to cook a bit, and then add the second saffron infusion. Continue to heat the cauliflower and cook to desired tenderness.

Slightly before the chicken is done, remove from the oven and let rest. Portion the rice on your plate and serve with the chicken pieces and the sauce in the pot.

If you are interested in the Paleo diet and live locally, please contact me. I have started a Facebook group called "Sacramento: Beyond the Paleo" and would love to have you join us, even if you are not fully Paleo and just want to learn more about the diet. You can find me on Facebook here and follow me on twitter here. Cheers!

It's Organic Produce Delivery Service and Homemade Paleo Dinner!

Every other Tuesday, I receive a box like this from a company called It's Organic Delivery! They are one of a few produce delivery services available in the greater Sacramento area.

Here is a peek of what comes inside an all-vegetable box. It serves a family of 2-4 and costs $34.99 per delivery or $31.99 with promo code.

A mixed fruits and vegetables box serves a family of 2-4, is $34.99 per delivery or $29.99 with a promo code, and contains between 10-12 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables.

A fruits only box serves a family of 2-4 costs $34.99 per delivery or $31.99 with promo code and is packed full of organic fresh fruits.

As a reader of cakegrrl.com, I'd like to offer you the promo code to enter when you sign up! It is "organic5off"

If you are still considering a produce delivery service, but aren't sure what to do with a lot of things that come in the box, please stay tuned to my website because I'll be throwing out lots of ideas for you!

To sign up to receive your produce from It's Organic, please follow the link here.

There are many reasons I have gone organic for nearly all of my fruits and vegetables. Yes, it is a little more expensive, but I believe that buying organic will eventually pay off in the long run. I hope I don't have to tell all of you how toxic pesticides are. If you are trying to be healthy and getting in all your servings of fruits and vegetables, what is the point if they have loads of poison on them from pesticides? It is so very important to avoid putting chemicals into your body. The best thing I heard today that really puts things in perspective is... "if they have to wear gas masks to grow your food, what are you supposed to eat it with?"

Beyond that, buying organic is important because it creates a demand for organic. Why is this important? Have you considered the farm workers who harvest your fruits and vegetables and their daily exposure to toxins in the pesticides? What about the fact that when you buy local and organic, you help to stimulate your LOCAL economy? :)

And, yes, you DO have to actually wash, cut and MAKE SOMETHING out of what is in the box, but the best part is that they deliver it straight to your door! It's kind of like Christmas Day for me when my produce box arrives. It's fun to play a little game of Iron Chef and make meals out of whatever comes to me for the week.

So, this is what I did with the bunch of Rainbow Chard I received. I chopped up the stems...cook those first, because they take a little longer to cook than the leaves do.

Here's a nice picture of the leaves after I removed the stems. What I did to about 3 or 4 leaves is blanch them in boiling water for about a minute to make the leaves pliable.

And then I wrapped them around some BEAUTIFUL halibut filets purchased from another Paleo friend of mine from Taylor's Market (HOLLA) (which I rubbed down with smoked salt, curry, cumin, lemon, pepper, cinnamon), and baked them in a 350 degree oven for 20ish minutes.

Meanwhile, I sauteed onions, the chard stems, the rest of the chard leaves, garlic, and bacon in this skillet. I also added some chopped, toasted almonds.

Remember the acorn squash in the beginning of this post? Here's what it looks like after I baked it, and pureéd it in the blender with carmelized onions, garlic, sea salt, chicken stock, coconut milk, and spices including curry, cumin, cinnamon... 

 

And here's what the meal looks like completed. I can't tell you how good it feels to eat this way, so healthy, guiltless, and delicious. I really don't know how you could eat anything processed or from a box ever again. EVER. Sure it might be convenient, but it's pretty much LESS convenient to get cancer from stuff you thought was supposed to be food. I don't know, maybe that's just me? ;) I'm telling you this because I care about your health and I want you to look and feel your very best... not because I am trying to be an elitist jerk. You might think you "don't have the money to buy organic" but I am telling you this: I NEVER get sick. I never have headaches. I don't have joint pain or allergies. Isn't that worth giving up a few things to avoid feeling like crap all the time?

This way of eating might be extreme for some, but I think it's extremely delicious. When you get enough fat and protein in your meals, you don't need (and after a while won't crave) any bread or potatoes.

I will step down from my soapbox long enough ;) to let you know you can follow It's Organic on twitter here and like them on Facebook here.

Everyday Paleo: Recipes for Real Life!!

I made the meal (pictured above) last night and the main course (stuffed portobello mushroom) was inspired by a recipe in the new book Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso.

I began a Paleo diet at the end of March after about 2 years of reading about eating Paleo and resisting, insisting the way I was eating and living was ok with my body and just peachy with the environment around me. (I will expound on both of these topics in later posts.)

Then after I gained 33 pounds that I had lost last year, and my clothes no longer fit me, I decided enough was enough. I had to DO SOMETHING. I remembered all the reading I had done on Primal/Paleo and still had a blog subscription to one of my heroes: Mark's Daily Apple author Mark Sisson.

Even though I repeatedly turned away going completely Paleo, a lot of information he wrote about on his website really struck a chord with me. It made so much sense. So, I joined a website to start logging my calories daily (note: many Paleo people do not log calories or measure portions), and decided this time I would follow Paleo.
I googled "Paleo recipes" and also looked for podcasts about Paleo. It was then I found a podcast called "Everyday Paleo"! Everyday Paleo is hosted by Sarah Fragoso, and Chrissy Gower (blog author of Growing Up Paleo). and I also discovered that it was recorded practically in my own backyard!! I am located in Sacramento, and the Everyday Paleo hosts hail from Chico! I was encouraged to have likeminded people, not to mention Paleo experts so nearby. At the time I became a listener, Everyday Paleo only had 10 episodes under their belt, so I was able to listen to all the archived shows. In the shows, Sarah talked about her upcoming book, which is the very book I am now recommending!

So, I have to tell you at first glance Paleo eating seems very restrictive. But, if you look closer, you will see that it's more about what you CAN eat. Everyday Paleo gives you a shopping list if you have no idea where to start, and if you are already a Paleo pro, it gives you fresh recipe ideas. If you are not Paleo, but you are someone who is gluten intolerant, BOOM! a whole book you can eat from!

The great thing about Everyday Paleo is that it is so accessible for anyone at any fitness level. One reason is because Sarah herself was not the most fit person. There are before and after photos of Sarah and the results are spectacular! You would never know she has three children and that one of them is in high school! Speaking of kids, Sarah has made the recipes kid-friendly. There are dishes in the book for all ages, and ones that can be prepped ahead of time and reheated. None of them are difficult to make, and the average prep time for the recipes are 30 mins.

I also love that Sarah put exercise "recipes" in the back of the book. It's not all about cardio anymore. I am excited because I am a beginner with resistance training (after always having been a chronic cardio fanatic) , and this book serves as a good starting point for me.

Oh yes, I almost forgot... About that meal I have pictured above: It was inspired by a recipe out of Sarah's book! It is a spin off of her recipe for "Giant Stuffed Portobellos" I made mine with a 1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef, 1/4 pound nitrate-free ground sausage, a sautéed mixture of shredded carrots, onions and green and red bell peppers, and the insides of the tops of the mushrooms and their stems.

To prepare the stuffed mushrooms, I browned the meat, then sautéed the vegetables in some of the fat to cook them.  I should note that when I prepare stuffed mushrooms, a vital step for me is to roast the mushrooms in the oven before stuffing them. This really brings out the richness of the mushrooms. I brush the caps with a little olive oil and brown them while I am preparing the stuffing. I place the side where the stem was down to roast.
I seasoned the cooked meat and vegetables with salt, garlic, fresh sage, and black pepper. I then added one egg to the mixture to bind it. In the recipe from the book, Sarah also uses coconut flour as a binder. I suspect that this takes the place of breadcrumbs in a regular stuffed mushrooms recipe. I did not use either. I piled the meat and veggies in the roasted mushrooms and pressed them to compact. Then I placed them in the oven again (I used a lower temperature of 350°). The finish product should be browned and bubbly when you take it out of the oven.

I topped mine with a tomato sauce I made from Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted tomato products. I pulsed a can of the fire roasted tomatoes and a little tomato paste in the food processor, along with salt and minced garlic. Then I cooked it down to reduce some of the liquid. To obtain a "ketchup-like" meatloaf effect on the mushrooms, I put the sauce on as they were roasting in the oven. Yum!

The side dishes I made were: Mashed Cauliflower & Acorn Squash, and Kale with Nitrate-Free Bacon and Toasted Walnuts. I will post the recipes separately to come, because I want to this post to focus on Sarah's book.

I am still reading through it, but I can tell you the price ($17) is completely worth it for the amount of information you get. Not only that, but there are HUGE illustrations for every recipe, along with easy-to-read type. This is a bonus if you are in your kitchen actually making a dish. You can still read it at a bit of a distance, and your kids will be able to read it, too. For anyone who is already acquainted with Paleo, there is a foreword by Robb Wolf.
The book officially released today! :)

PS: I have now lost 10 pounds in about 28 days. I count calories and follow a strict exercise program in addition to following the Paleo diet.

Another Holiday Helping: Fruitcake Biscotti

The holiday deliciousness continues with my recipe for Fruitcake Biscotti. OK, I know that fruitcake is one of the most dreaded "gifts" on the planet, but this recipe will forever change your mind about the brick shaped confection that doubles as a doorstop.

It is an adapted recipe from Martha Stewart's Cherry Almond Biscotti, which I also happened to make this week for a friend of mine.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups dried fruit

(cherries, plums, cranberries, raisins, currants, figs, apricots, anything you like)
1 cup dark rum, plus more if needed

2 cups granulated sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

8 large eggs (6 whole, 2 lightly beaten)

4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1 1/2 cups fancy blanched nuts, chopped (cashews, filberts, pecans)

6 tablespoons coarse sugar

Icing ingredients:

1 lb powdered sugar

2 Tbs meringue powder

1 tsp salt

1/4-1/2 cup dark rum

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp orange juice

2 tsp butter extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat dried fruit and rum in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit has absorbed the liquid. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the rum. If there is not 1/4 cup left, then add more rum to equal that amount. You can also use the microwave to quickly macerate the dried fruit.

Sift together flour, baking powder, spices, and salt into a bowl. Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip about 2 minutes. Mix in 6 whole eggs, one at a time. Mix in reserved rum and the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour mixture. Stir in dried fruit and chopped nuts.

On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into thirds. Shape each into a log, however big you want your biscotti to be. Flatten logs to 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper. Brush logs with beaten egg; sprinkle with the coarse sugar.

Bake 35 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool completely, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Cut each log on a diagonal. Transfer pieces to racks, laying them on sides. Set racks on baking sheets. Bake 8 minutes; flip. Bake 8 minutes more. Let cool until crisp.

To prepare your icing, sift a 1pound box of powdered sugar into a mixing bowl and add the rest of the icing ingredients. Beat until thoroughly mixed. If icing is too stiff, add more rum. If icing is too runny, add more powdered sugar.

When biscotti pieces have cooled, drizzle each one with the icing and set on a rack to dry.

While waiting on the biscottis to dry, enjoy this Fruitcake horror film!

Fruitcake from stephmcparty on Vimeo.

Bleu Cheese Pecan Bread with Balsamic Reduction aka "Crack Bread"

As promised, here is another dish I served my cookie exchange guests that has nothing to do with cookies, but is just as addictive. The best thing about it is that it is so easy to make!!

I came up with the idea for this when I had something very similar at a place in Grass Valley called The Owl Grill. The dish there is called Billy Blue Bread. Go there if you have a chance!! I decided for myself that Grass Valley is too far away for me and that I should just recreate the dish from memory. :)

Bleu Cheese Pecan Bread with Balsamic Reduction aka Crack Bread

You will need:
1 bottle of balsamic vinegar
1 baguette
1 1/2 sticks of butter (softened)
2 containers of bleu cheese
2 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.
Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the chopped pecans on the sheet. Toast for 5-10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the pecans. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl.

Reduce the balsamic vinegar over a simmer until it gets to be the consistency of molasses. This will take about 20 minutes. You will be looking for a thick, viscous consistency that will stick to the back of a spoon.

Raise the oven temperature to 375°.
While the balsamic is reducing, slice your bread on a bias, into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices. Line another baking sheet with parchment and toast your baguette slices about 5 minutes.

Mix one container of the bleu cheese with 1 stick of butter. The other 1/2 stick of butter you will use with the toasted pecans. Take the bread out of the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Melt the remaining 1/2 stick of butter and pour it over the toasted pecans. Then sprinkle the brown sugar over the pecans. Toss to coat.

Spread the toasted cooled slices with the bleu cheese and butter mixture. Then press the bread slices face down into the brown sugared pecans. Then line each slice on a baking sheet once again, and top with 1-2 Tbs of extra blue cheese crumbles.

Bake for 10 more minutes until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Be careful not to burn the sugared pecans... it is easy to do.

When the bread is done, allow to cool slightly and then drizzle the balsamic reduction over each slice.
This is one of my favorite appetizers, hands down. ADDICTIVE!!

Chicken & Gingerbread Waffles with Cranberry Syrup

Hey there... sorry long time, no post. I have a new job and just moved back into my house, and haven't had a lot of extra free time when I get home. I just threw a party to celebrate my return home, and so I thought I would share a few recipes of the food I served as well as recap the party... It was a cookie exchange and several of my sweet friends braved the rain to share the evening with me. It really meant a lot since I have no family here.

One of the dishes I made for my guests is a holiday spin on Chicken & Waffles. I made Chicken & Gingerbread Waffles with Cranberry Syrup.

Baked or Fried Chicken

1/2 to 3/4 lbs per person chicken breast tenderloins

(I use one chicken tenderloin per skewer, some guests might want two servings)

Breading:

1 box corn flakes

6-10 gingersnap cookies

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

salt

Eggwash:

6 eggs

1/2 milk

I suggest making the waffles a day in advance if you do not have a lot of time. I will list that recipe below. To make the chicken, preheat your oven to 400°, and mix your breading ingredients in a bowl...then pour the crumbs mixture into a shallow pan so that you will have plenty of room to bread the chicken in it. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper for the chicken to bake on. Make your eggwash by beating the eggs and then pouring in the milk. Mix until combined. 

To bread the chicken, dip it into the crumbs, then the eggwash, then the crumbs, then the eggwash, then the crumbs again. Lay each piece on the cooking sheets with plenty of room all around them. When you have filled a tray, spray each piece with a non-stick cooking spray. Make sure your oven is up to temperature and bake each sheet until the breading is golden brown. This will not take long, maybe 15-20 minutes, so keep your oven light on and an eye on it! Chicken is great when it is cooked nicely and almost unpalatable when it is OVERCOOKED and DRY. :(

If you want to skip the baking and deep fry the pieces, go for it! I just didn't want the oil smell throughout the house with guests coming over. 

Cranberry Syrup:

2 cans jelled cranberry sauce 

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/4 brown sugar

1/4 lemon juice

Heat the sauce with the corn syrup, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan, slowly bring to a boil for about a minute. If sauce is too thick add a little orange juice and heat through. 

Gingerbread Waffles:

2 cups flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbs ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp clove

3 Tbs sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups milk

4 tbs butter (melted)

1/2 cup molasses

Preheat your waffle iron. Mix the dry ingredients together and then the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Grease your waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and then pour the battle onto the griddle. Cook for about 5 minutes and then check for doneness.

When waffles are cooked through and browned, remove from iron and cut them into squares.

Place them on skewers alternating chicken pieces and waffle pieces. Drizzle the syrup over them and serve!!

Tune in the rest of this week for more recipes from the party!

Thanksgiving Dinner in a Cake: Recipe!!

Thanksgiving Dinner in a Cake
Preheat your oven to 350 F. All your cake layers will bake at this temperature.
Begin with preparation of the pecan pie layer, since it takes nearly an hour to bake.

Pecan Pie Layer
1 refrigerated piecrust
2 large eggs
1/2 sugar
1/2  cup  light corn syrup
1 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 cup pecan halves

Stir together eggs and next 5 ingredients; stir in pecans.
Pour filling into piecrust. This will be a mini pie (and a layer of your final cake), so fold the pie crust edges over so that the pie is 8" round. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely.


Apple and Corn Layer:
1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 can creamed corn

Measure sifted flour, baking soda, salt, and spices into sifter.
In a mixing bowl, beat in eggs and sugar together, then add the oil. In a different bowl, combine the apple sauce and creamed corn with the buttermilk. Sift in dry ingredients in about 4 additions, alternating with the applesauce mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended. and pour into prepared 8" round pan. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 30 minutes, or until center springs back when lightly touched with finger.


Cranberry Buttercream/Chestnut Buttercream
In this recipe, you will make a double batch of buttercream, then divide it and make it two different flavors.

1 cup butter
1 cup shortening
1/2 can cranberry sauce (jellied kind)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream
16 cups powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean or 1 Tbs vanilla extract
salt to taste (1/2-1 Tbs)
1 can of roasted and shelled chesnuts

Soak the cranberries in the orange juice, and place in the microwave to heat through and plump them/reconstitute with the orange juice.

During this time, beat room temperature butter and shortening together, adding the powdered sugar and heavy cream in intervals. Add the salt to taste. When you have added most of the sugar and the mixture is frosting consistency, divide the mixture in half.

Cranberry Buttercream:Return to the microwaved cranberries and pulse them in a food processor until well blended
To the remaining mixture in the bowl, add the 1/2 can cranberry sauce and the processed cranberries. Add more powdered sugar if necessary. The mixture should be spreading consistency, not too thick or thin.

Chestnut Buttercream:In a food processor, pulse the chesnuts until they are like a peanut butter consistency. In another mixing bowl, add the remaining frosting and beat in the processed chesnuts. Mix until well combined and add sugar and more salt if necessary to get to a desired consistency and taste.


Pea and Potato Layer (recipe adapted from the Sweet Pea Cupcakes as seen on Vanilla Garlic)
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups frozen peas, pureed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup mashed potato flakes
pinch salt
1 tsp baking powder

Whisk together the eggs and sugar for a few minutes. Add the oil, extract, lemon juice, and pea puree until well blended. Add the flour, potato flakes, baking powder, and salt. Beat until just mixed. Bake in a prepared 8" round pan.


Pumpkin-Yam Layer
 1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup pumpkin (canned)
1/3 cup yams, drained from syrup.
1/4 cup orange juice

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Puree pumpkin and yam in a food processor. Beat eggs and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Add orange juice. Beat in pumpkin and yam puree. Add flour mixture and mix until combined. Spread evenly into prepared pan (8 in round). Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched.

Wild Turkey Syrup
 2 Tbs Wild Turkey bourbon
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 Tbs orange liqueur
1 tsp vanilla
Combine all ingredients and stir until blended. Brush on top of all layers in between their frosting.

Construct your cake layers... One flavor at a time, beginning with the most dense layer. This will probably be the pie layer or the yam and pumpkin layer. Repeat this process. Cake layer, Wild Turkey syrup, then either cranberry or chesnut buttercream. The recipe will allow plenty of buttercream to frost and fill your cake, so use as much or as little as you like between the layers. The lightest layer is the apple or the pea layer, so finish with that on the top. Decorate as you like with the remaining frosting. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Dinner in a Cake, Kind of My Ode to the Cherpumple

 

A few days ago, I was contacted by Girls on the Grid for a Thanksgiving Day recipe round-up. They asked "what is your favorite Thanksgiving Day dish, and do you have a recipe to share for it?"

Since I couldn't decide on just ONE, I tried to cover all the bases, and this cake was born. In it, I used several components of a traditional Thanksgiving Day meal and created something fairly non-traditional. To some, this might look and sound like an atrocity, but it tastes really delicious. As the title of this post states, it was inspired by the Cherpumple. Thank you, Charles Phoenix!! :)

Layer one: APPLE and CREAMED CORN cake. I combined applesauce and creamed corn, and a few standard holiday spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger.

Brushed the layer with a syrup I made from Wild TURKEY, corn syrup, & vanilla.

Then I spread a layer of CHESTNUT buttercream over that....

Then next was a layer of YAM and PUMPKIN cake (sorry, no photo). This layer was also flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, with some clove as well. Used brown sugar in this recipe.

The cake layer was also given the Wild TURKEY treatment.

I topped this layer with CRANBERRY buttercream.

Ah yes, and then there is the pecan pie layer. Yes. That is a whole pecan pie sitting on top of the cake we have constructed so far... The pie was topped more Wild TURKEY and then some CHESTNUT buttercream over it.

Then a layer of PEA and MASHED POTATO cake. Followed by another round of Wild TURKEY syrup and then the CRANBERRY buttercream again.

So that's apple, corn, yam, pumpkin, chestnuts, turkey, cranberry, pecan pie, peas, and mashed potatoes! Alas, there's no gravy or ham, or bacon :( in there, but still quite a meal!!

Recipe to come... look for it this week on the Girls on the Grid website and here on this website! Happy Thanksgiving week, everyone. Be safe!

Pumpkin & Caramel Cake with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting

Pumpkin & Caramel Cake:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

6 eggs

¾ cup canned pumpkin

½ cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

   

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare 2 9-inch layer cake pans (butter and line with parchment). 
As you can see, I made cupcakes from this batter.

Sift the sifted flour and baking powder together. Then cream the butter and sugars together and add the eggs, one at a time, mix well after each egg. In a small bowl, pour the cream into the pumpkin and then stir in the vanilla. Add in the flour mixture, a little at a time, alternately with the pumpkin mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir well after each addition, but do not beat. Pour the batter into prepared cake pans. Bake in a preheated 325° oven until the cakes spring back when lightly touched (about 35ish minutes). While you are waiting for the cakes to cool, you can prepare the frosting and the syrup.

So for the frosting, I will give you a nice recipe to complement the cake, but it is not my signature buttercream—that is top secret. To get the same buttercream, you have to buy it from me. For the cupcakes I made, I didn’t use any spices in the cake or in the frosting because I will be posting a recipe for another pumpkin cake next week that uses cinnamon, nutmeg, clove (all the fall stuff). 

Pumpkin & Orange Buttercream:
2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temp
1/3 c. pumpkin puree
2 Tbs orange juice
1/2 tsp orange extract
1 tsp vanilla or brandy
1/2 tsp. salt
2 lbs. confectioner’s sugar
1 Tbs. meringue powder

Cream the butter with the pumpkin. Slowly add sugar until the buttercream holds together (it will separate from the pumpkin at first). Add the juice and extracts/liqueurs and the meringue powder. Add more sugar if needed. Frosting should be piping consistency so that it holds up at room temperature. 

Syrup (oh so important!!)
To make the syrup, use about 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 1/2 cup of corn syrup, and 1/2 cup orange juice, bring to a simmer and let reduce. Then add a little triple sec (1 Tbs) and stir. Set aside and let cool.

When the cupcakes or cake has cooled, poke each cake (or the layers) with a fork, and brush the syrup over the layers. If you are torting the cake, use a knife or a leveler to cut the cake first, and brush the layers as you are building the cake. The fork poking really gets the syrup into the cake and keeps it soooo delicious even a few days after you make it!

 

I like to always fill my cupcakes with a filling (either a filling I make extra or the frosting I am using). In this case, I used the frosting to fill them.

Stay tuned for more fun pumpkin recipes. Two weddings coming next weekend! xo

Make this Now, Thank Me Later! German Stirfry

Seriously, make this now. If you don't like sauerkraut, you might like this dish. If you don't eat bacon, all I can do is apologize.

German Stirfry

What you need:

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Red or White Wine

Red Onion

Sugar (optional)

Garlic

Acorn or Butternut Squash (cubed)

Eggplant, Zucchini Squash or Diced Potatoes

Apple, Granny Smith, Fuji, or Gala... any non-mushy apple will do.

Bacon (as many slices as you like—you can also use pork sausage in place of or in addition. I just use bacon because I also add cheese.

Sauerkraut

Cheese, any hard and semi-hard cheese will do. Some to try: Allgäuer Emmentaler, & Gouda. My favorites to use in this recipe are fontina and parmigiano reggiano (not German cheeses).

It's funny how our tastes change as adults. I used to HATE sauerkraut as a kid and refuse to eat it. I would go to the Waynesville Sauerkraut Festival with my mom every year, but refuse to sample any of the food there. Now I love sauerkraut, and it's one of my favorite foods. It is fibrous, low calorie, and filling. I might be getting married to it soon.

I came up with this recipe to honor my new found love, and I have been eating it several times a week. I call it German Stirfry because the recipe contains a few of German ingredients, and they are all cooked together basically like I do with a stirfry.

You can use eggplant or not, or potatoes or not, it all depends on what you like. I really prefer cooking to baking a lot of times, because most recipes are so flexible. This one is as well.

To prepare:

Slice the onion and sauté in oil. Salt the onions to help them carmelize, and add a little sugar if you like. Cook the onions down and add a little wine or vegetable stock if the pan gets too dry. Add the squash and cook for 5-10 minutes. If you are adding potato, you will want to add it a little before the squash. Add the apple next. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a separate pan until fully browned and crisp.

When the squash and potato are nearly cooked, add the eggplant, and cook until eggplant is tender. Chop the bacon and the sauerkraut and toss in. Heat thoroughly and remove from heat. While still warm, grate your favorite fresh cheese over the pan.

Enjoy with a glass of Dono dal Cielo Sauvignon Blanc, James David Muscat Blanc, a Bavarian/German inspired style from Brew it Up!, the Paulaner Oktoberfest-Märzen, or some Spaten!

PS: If you are in the Cincinnati or Dayton area, the Waynesville Sauerkraut Festival is today until 6pm! I sure do miss that festival... Get your sauerkraut donuts and goose clothing while they last!