Tag: vegetarian

Summertime

Gluten-Free Flaxseed Crepes with Oregon Berry Sauce and Orange Curd

by RebeccaLeave a Comment on Gluten-Free Flaxseed Crepes with Oregon Berry Sauce and Orange Curd

This past week has been a trial of tough decisions.  Growing up, one of my mentors always had two phrases that will forever stay with me:  “Show up to win” and “Remember the good things, the things that were done right; forget about the rest, and focus on what you did that went well.”  He was talking about showing horses, but I’ve found, years later, that he lives his life by that motto, and we should too.

Though life can often be found challenging, W and I try to embrace the good, the fun, and the beautiful moments that can be had.  So we made crepes.  Deliciousness ones with fresh berries that are perfectly ripe right now, and slathered with creamy, sweet orange curd.  They were a momentary cure for life’s uncertainties.  We followed the crepes with a beautiful hiking adventure through a short stretch of old growth forest up to a serene and quiet lake.  There were few people, and we could embrace the quiet of only the birds and other small creatures living amongst the foliage.

If you, too, find you need a little something to forget about your worries for a while, calm your spirit, and focus on the moments that be lived fully, I suggest you make crepes and then wander on into the woods.  It worked for us!

 
Gluten-Free Flaxseed Crepes, makes 4
14 grams flaxseed meal (about 2 Tbs.)
14 grams amaranth flour (about 2 Tbs.)
47 grams gluten-free flour mix* (about 1/3 cup)
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1 large egg
160 ml water (about 3/4 cup)
  • Combine all flours and salt. Use a fork to stir in the eggs. Stir in the water. Rest 30 minutes.
  • Heat a well-oiled 8-inch skillet to medium-high.  Spoon 1/4 cup-amounts into skillet.  Tilt so the batter spreads as thin as possible.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side.
  • Continue with batch, until all cooked.

Oregon Berry Sauce

  • Mix 1/2-1 cup fresh Oregon berries together. We used blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
  • Heat on stove top until the mixture is warm and bubbly.  Serve over crepes.
Orange Curd, recipe adapted from Culinate
2 1/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
9 large egg yolks
9 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. finely grated orange zest
6 Tbs. cold butter, cut into small pieces.
 
  • Pour the orange juice into a small saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 3/4 cup. (Have a liquid measure nearby so that you can check the volume as necessary.) Set the reduction aside to cool slightly.
  • Fill a small pot one-third of the way with water, and bring to a boil.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and orange zest. While whisking, slowly add the reduced orange juice until completely incorporated. Set the bowl over the pot of boiling water, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk constantly for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the curd thickens and holds its shape when stirred. (You can also do this in a double boiler.) Remove the bowl from the heat and gradually stir in the butter.
  • Set a metal bowl into a larger bowl of ice water, and strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into the smaller bowl. Stir the curd occasionally until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Transfer the curd to a small container, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled. Use within 1 week.

 

* My current gluten-free whole-grain mix of flour is:

200 grams brown rice flour
200 grams millet flour
200 grams sorghum flour
100 grams buckwheat flour
100 grams tapioca flour
100 grams potato starch
100 grams cornstarch 
Winter

Quiche with Beet Greens

by Rebecca4 Comments on Quiche with Beet Greens

Sometimes, you stumble across a good thing.  And you keep making it randomly here and there as convenience allows. Over and again and each time tweaking a bit here and a bit there.  And each time it tastes delicious and just a twinge different.

That’s what this quiche has done.  It’s one of those decadent gone-wholesome things that somehow tastes better than either merely decadent or wholesome can on their respective own.  I first tried this with chard, mushrooms, wheat germ, cheddar, and milk.  Now it’s beet greens, flax seed, smoked gouda, and buttermilk.  This is incredibly forgiving.

Just add enough greens, (whatever you have on hand that needs used up is fine), to make you think you might turn into popeye, and I guarantee, it’ll turn out alright.

The trick, I think, is the crust.  It’s incredibly unconventional, not at all like any other quiche I’ve ever found.  And oh, so delicious.  Half the greens go in the crust, you see.  And it’s like magic happens in the oven.  I think if I were really starving I could live on the crust alone and be happy.

Quiche with Beet Greens, Serves 2-3
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour or all-purpose gluten free flour mix
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. ground flax seed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 lb. beet greens (can easily substitute chard, spinach, etc.), finely chopped stems and leaves
1/4 medium red onion
1 oz. smoked gouda cheese, grated
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
pinch of dry mustard powder
pinch of nutmeg
 
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, flax seed, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Set aside. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add half the beet greens to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until greens wilt and release liquid.
  2. Add cooked greens to the flour mixture and mix with a fork to incorporate. Transfer to a 6-inch cake pan and firmly press mixture into bottom and about half-way up the side of the pan. If using gluten-free flour, you may need to add a bit extra moisture to this mixture, such as oil and water.  Bake until golden and firm, about 25 minutes. Cool.
  3. In reserved skillet, heat about 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining greens to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in the grated cheese.  Top the prepared crust with the greens and cheese mixture.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, nutmeg, mustard powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pinch of black pepper. Pour this custard over the greens mixture. Bake until the custard is set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
 
 
 
Winter

Hearty Winter Curry Pie

by RebeccaLeave a Comment on Hearty Winter Curry Pie

Some days I just love a good curry.  They are usually days when I could use a little comfort.  The soothing flavors of coconut, cream, curry spice, and ginger just make me want to fill up, then sit back with a nice cup of tea, warm slippers, and a good book.

For all intensive purposes, curry should not spark this reaction.  First off, I can hardly call this a comfort food when we were only introduced in the last couple of years!  Comfort foods require fond childhood memories, I should think.  But perhaps I am wrong and they only need warm memories of moments past.  Which this dish certainly has.

I tried a similar curry pie at an Irish pub a few months back that invoked fond memories of my months in the Eire–summer months that were cool enough to invoke a heavily-spiced dish such as curry.  Add to that the fact that I was eating at that particular pub on the cool Oregon coast–when you are as likely to chance an outstandingly lovely day in February as you are in July.

For months I’ve been meaning to recreate the curry pie I had there and seemingly never could get around to it.  With all this cool, gray, rainy weather we’ve finally been getting in the Pacific Northwest lately, the time has come for a comforting dish that warms the inside with good spices and winter veg, and brings fond memories of both a lovely summer in Ireland, and warm beaches on the coast!

Hearty Winter Curry Pie, serves 2-3
drizzle of olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 large brown mushrooms, chopped
1 cup cooked kidney beans
3/4 cup frozen peas
1 cup light coconut milk
2 tbs. heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
2 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
small handful raisins
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
  • Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and brown for a couple of minutes.
  • Add carrots, parsnips, bell pepper, celery, and mushrooms.  Cook for 8-10 minutes until golden brown and carrots begin to soften.  Stir in beans and frozen peas.
  • Add coconut milk, cream, lemon juice and spices.  Modify spices to taste by adding more ginger or cayenne, if necessary.  Stir in raisins and cook for 2 minutes more, until they begin to plump.
  • Spoon mixture into a small 2-quart casserole and lay puff pastry over the top.  Cut pastry and crimp to fit pan.  Dash steam vents in top of pastry.
  • Bake at 400 degrees F for approximately 25-30 minutes and enjoy!