Crispy Sweet and Spicy Chickpeas

4 cups cooked chickpeas

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon fresh garlic

1 tablespoon honey

1 lemon, juiced

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 F

Combine all the ingredients. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Spread in a single layer on a lined baking sheets and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until crispy and brown. Turn them over frequently during baking to avoid burning.

Gluten Free Vanilla Raspberry Chocolate Cake

4 cups Mia's gluten free cake flour blend

4 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

2 teaspoons guar gum

1 1/2 cups powdered/icing sugar

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1 cup milk

1 cup butter, room temperature

4 eggs, room temperature

2 cups dark chocolate chunks or chips

1 cup raspberry preserve

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well in between. Using a separate bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chunks.

Combine milk and yogurt in a small jug. Fold flour and milk mixture, alternately to the batter, making sure to start with flour end with flour.

Divide batter equally into two lined round cake pans (9"). Drop tablespoonfuls of the raspberry preserve randomly over the top of the cake and use a knife or the tip of a rubber to gently swirl preserve in a circular motion. 

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a stick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and put directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This process makes the cake lovely and moist.

Leave to cool completely in the pan.

Cranberry Sauce

This recipe has been chosen for my upcoming book, "Rustic Modern Cuisine". To support this endeavor, please pre-order now by clicking here. Thanks!

Available for a limited time only!

Sweet Potato Green Bean Pearl Couscous Salad

2/3 cups pearl couscous

1 large sweet potato, remove skin, cut into small cubes

1 cut chopped fresh green beans

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

1/4 cup roasted walnuts

1 small white onion, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

5 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

3 cups vegetable broth

Saute sweet potato, onions, and green beans in two tablespoons of olive oil to cook. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Boil couscous in vegetable broth for 10 to 12 minutes until al dente. Drain excess liquid.  Combine all the ingredients. Drizzle olive oil over the top to serve.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup fresh cranberry sauce

1/2 cup ice

1 tablespoon raw honey

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

Blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Egg Chorizo Aged Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich

6 thick slices of bread of your choice

1 cup chorizo

4 large eggs

3 large slices aged cheddar cheese

1 small white onion, finely chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Whisk eggs to combine. In a large pan, add one tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, add onions and chorizo to cook (about 4 minutes). Add eggs. Saute until cooked (about 1 to 2 minutes). Season with sea salt and black pepper.

On a flat surface line three slices of bread. Add cheese to the bottom, followed by chorizo and egg scramble. Add the remainder of the bread to the top. Press down firmly.

Add sandwiches to a hot skillet. Turn over frequently until toasted and cheese melted.

Serve immediately.

Chicken Bean Veggie Stew

8 pieces boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces

1 cup white Navy beans

1 large carrot, cut into bite size pieces

1 large red potato, peel and cut into bite size pieces

1 red onion, cut into bite size pieces

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

4 cups water

1/4 cup good drinking dry white wine

2 tablespoons organic chicken bouillon paste

Preheat oven to 350 F

Add all the ingredients into a large casserole dish. Lightly seasoned with sea salt and black pepper. Close and bake for three hours.

To serve, drizzle extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice over the top with fresh parsley.

Pea Carrot Soup

This recipe has been chosen for my upcoming book, "Rustic Modern Cuisine". To support this endeavor, please pre-order now by clicking here. Thanks!

Available for a limited time only!

Oatmeal Apricot Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-free)

Yield:30

If you are not gluten intolerant, use may use 1 3/4 cup all purpose unbleached white flour instead

1 3/4 cups gluten-free biscuit and baking flour blend (I use Bob's Red Mill)

1 cup oatmeal of your choice

8 tablespoons or 1 stick of salted butter, room temperature

1 cup sucanat or brown sugar

1 large room temperature egg

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, beating well to combine and vanilla. Turn mixer off and use a spoon to mix in the dry ingredients including chocolate chips and apricots.

Drop teaspoonfuls of the cookie dough into the palm of your hand and roll into a perfect ball. Arrange in a single layer on a lined cookie sheet.

Put cookie sheet in the middle rack and bake for 15 minutes.

Gluten Free Creamy Blue Cheese Sweet Potato Lasagna

1 box gluten-free lasagna sheets

1 cup Italian cheese blend

1 large baked white sweet potato, skin off

1 cup blue cheese crumbles

1/4 cup mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F

Blend sweet potato, blue cheese crumbles, mascarpone cheese, and olive oil until smooth. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Divide mixture in half. Set one half aside.

Boil lasagna noodles according to instructions on the box.  Drain noodles and separate them apart until they are cool enough to handle (this will prevent them sticking together).

Divide one half of the filling evenly amongst lasagna sheets. Roll up to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

On a large baking dish, arrange rolls in a single layer. Spread the other half of the filling over the top. Sprinkle with Italian cheese blend. Bake for 30 minutes to 50 minutes or until golden brown.

Gluten Free Pear Ginger Lemon Loaf

2 cups Mia's gluten free cake flour blend

4 ripe anjou pears, remove skin, core, and chopped into small pieces

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 cup milk

8 tablespoons butter

3 large room temperature eggs

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 teaspoons ginger powder

2 tablespoons lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Whisk milk and yogurt to combine. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well in between. Using a separate bowl, combine flour, ginger, pears, and lemon zest. Fold flour and milk mixture, alternately to the batter, making sure to start with flour end with flour.

Pour into a prepared square cake pan (8 by 8" or 20 by 20 cm). Bake for 1 hour or until a stick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan.

Gluten Free Mini Fruit Pies

Filling:

2 large green apples, remove skin and core and chop into very small pieces

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons candied orange peel, chop into small pieces

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 teaspoons apple spice blend

Combine apples, raisins sugar, orange peel, orange juice, and apple spice blend. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Crust:

2 cups gluten-free almond flour blend or all purpose

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon guar gum

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks

6 tablespoons cold water

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine flour, guar gum, and sea salt. Rub butter into the flour mixture with your finger tips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs working as quickly as possible to prevent the dough becoming warm. Add ice water to the dough and using a cold knife stir until the dough binds together. Add more water a teaspoon at a time if the mixture if too dry. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll each on a floured surface into 6"circles. Place tablespoonfuls of fruit in the middle of the pastry circles. Fold up the edges of pastry, leaving center uncovered. Brush folded pastry with egg wash.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until pastry is browned and cooked.

Gluten Free Spiced Chocolate Apple Muffins

Yields: 15

2 cups Mia's gluten free cake flour blend

1 teaspoon guar gum

2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

4 green apples, remove skin and core, chop into very small pieces

2 large room temperature eggs

1/2 cup melted dark chocolate

1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

1 cup milk

1 cup pure vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla paste

1 cup coconut sugar

3 teaspoons apple or pumpkin spice blend

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine apples, sugar, and apple spice.  Set aside for 30 minutes. In a another bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients until combined and fold into the dry. Add apple mixture to the mix. Scoop into a lined muffin pan. Drop a teaspoon of melted chocolate over the top of each muffin. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a sticked inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Gluten Free Rice Fritters

This recipe was inspired by Sunday At the Giacometti's

Yield: 12

2 cups cooked long grain white rice

2 large eggs

1 cup Italian blend cheese

2/3 cup gluten-free all purpose baking mix

1/2 red pepper, chopped finely

1/2 small red onion, chopped finely

Handful fresh parsley, chopped finely

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

2 cups salted pretzel crumbs

Preheat oven 400 F

Combine rice, eggs, cheese, flour, and veggies. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Drop a medium scoop of the mixture to the palm of your wet hands. Form into a ball and roll in pretzel crumbs. Continue until all the ingredients is used up. Arrange in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle oil over the top and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until crispy and brown.

Serve immediately.

Vanilla Berry Smoothie

1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt 

1 cup frozen mixed berries

1 cup fresh pineapple

1 cup almond milk

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 cup ice

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (Bluebonnet Whey Isolate French Vanilla) 

Blend all the ingredients until smooth.  Enjoy!

Chicken Roulade with Apple Chorizo Stuffing

2 large chicken breasts

1 cup organic ground chorizo

1 large Granny Smith apple, remove core, chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup chopped red cabbage

1 small white onion, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped finely

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Chicken:

Using a clean work surface, butterfly both chicken breasts. Use any instructional video online if you are not familiar with the process, as it is hard to describe. 

Here's how I do it: slice along the length of the chicken at an angle that leaves about a 1/2 inch thick of flesh (like peeling an apple, but thicker); continue slicing through, while pulling and unrolling the inside of the chicken until you get a flat rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick.  Season both sides with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Set aside.

Stuffing:

In a large deep-sided skillet, add three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  When hot, add chorizo, onion, apples, rosemary, and cabbage. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Saute, stirring occasionally until soft. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Roulade:

Spread stuffing on chicken starting from the edge closest to you, covering the chicken entirely, leaving about 1" clear on the far edge. Roll tightly, starting from the closest edge, then secure with twine.

Arrange roulade on a single layer on a oven dish. Bake for 30 minutes, turning over once at the halfway point. Glaze with 2 tablespoons of Maple Syrup during cooking and brush pan drippings all over the roulade for color and extra flavor.

Let the roulade rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Why Caring About Food Isn't An Option

http://www.huffingtonpost.com - Octobr 9th, 2012

"Food is life."

I have been known to say a similar thing, but when it came from the mouth of a Ugandan farmer, the words were more powerful than I could ever make them.

Sitting to the right of Constance Okollet on a panel titled Food Anthropology at SXSW Eco in Austin last week, I was humbled as she emphasized what food meant to her and her community. Okollet is  peasant farmer from Osukuru subcounty, Tororo district in eastern Uganda, Africa and a mother of seven. As if that wasn't enough, she's the Chairperson of Osukuru United Women Network, working on agriculture  health and the environment,  and a founding member of Climate Wise Women, traveling the world advocating against climate change and its effects on the communities around her.

During the course of our panel, we learned about her community's reduced access to food -- the effects of climate change have reduced the growing season and in turn the diversity of produce that can be grown. As she talked I became acutely aware of my privilege in even having access to some of the most basic food products.

The goal with the panel was to talk about whether or not our heightened awareness and discussion of food is having an effect on the people that need it the most. Does our Instagramming and food blogging really mean that people are eating better here at home and abroad? When you look at the case of Okollet and other subsistent farming communities around the world, it's easy to come up with a resounding "no." While we're busy perfectly placing a stalk of rosemary next to the batch of homemade muffins so that the picture with a filter to subdue the colors will look a little more quaint, there are millions of people around the world, and here at home, going hungry.

You simply can't argue your way out of that one.

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Spicy Pan Seared Salmon

This recipe has been chosen for my upcoming book, "Rustic Modern Cuisine". To support this endeavor, please pre-order now by clicking here. Thanks!

Available for a limited time only!

Fried Green Tomatoes with Creamy Wasabi Dip

4 large firm green tomatoes, slice into 1/2" thickness 

1 cup Greek yogurt 

2 eggs 

2 cups cornmeal

1 cup all purpose GF flour 

1 teaspoon coconut sugar 

1 teaspoon pure wasabi paste 

Sea salt and black pepper

Add GF flour into a large ziplock bag. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Add 5 slices of tomatoes at a time. Close ziplock and toss tomatoes to fully coat in flour. Remove from bag.

Whisk eggs, sugar, wasabi paste, and greek yogurt to combine in a large bowl. Season with sea salt and black. Whisk eggs, sugar, wasabi paste, and greek yogurt to combine in a large bowl. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Dip tomatoes to fully coat.

Add cornmeal to a large bowl. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Dredge tomatoes making sure to completely coat. Arrange in a single layer on a lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for one hour. Remove from the refrigerator.

On medium heat in a large deep sided skillet, add pure vegetable oil so that there is 1/2" of oil in the bottom of the pan. When oil is hot, add 4 slices of tomatoes at a time so as not to crowd the pan. When the tomatoes are browned,  Flip and fry the other side.

Drain on a paper towel and serve immediately.

Wasabi Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt 

2 teaspoons wasabi paste 

1 teaspoon ginger paste 

2 teaspoons honey

Combine yogurt, ginger, honey, and wasabi paste. Whisk to combine. Serve chilled

When Is A Steak Not A Steak?

www.huffingtonpost.com - October 5th, 2012

Have you ever noticed that the USDA recommends that steaks and roasts be cooked to 145° while ground beef should be cooked to 160°? Have you ever wondered why there is a difference? After all, beef is beef -- right?

Actually there is a very good reason for the difference. While meat starts out sterile, it can become contaminated with bacteria -- like E. coli O157:H7 -- when it isn't handled properly during slaughtering or processing, and once contaminated, the only thing that will kill the bacteria is heat. With intact cuts of meat -- like steaks and roasts -- that contamination will be on the surface, not on the inside. Pathogens on the surface are much easier to kill, after all, the outside of the meat heats up much faster than the inside does, so the recommended temperature can be lower. However, with non-intact meat -- like ground beef -- surface bacteria can be moved moved or "translocated" to the inside of the meat where it is harder to kill, so a higher temperature is required. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Intact meat gets cooked to a lower temperature of 145° and non-intact meat gets cooked to 160°.

Unfortunately, steaks and roasts are often not as they seem.

So, when is a steak not a steak and a roast not a roast? As soon as its surface has been pierced, a steak or roast becomes a non-intact cut of meat and should be cooked to a higher temperature. Many of us grew up learning to make our steaks and roasts juicer and more flavorful by piercing them with a fork and letting them sit in a marinade for a while. Now, you may not be fully aware of it, but stabbing the meat created a "hide-out" for bacteria like E. coli O157:H7. And it means that the pierced steak or roast should be cooked differently. Now, assuming that you know about the increased risk of illness, you can make an informed choice about how well you want to cook that steak or roast. But what happens when you don't know that the steak or roast you have just bought or been served was already tenderized? How do you make an informed choice then?

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Avocado Egg Tomato Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

To me, the ingredients in a salad can be varied and changed depending on what you have on hand. The quantities are up to you, the cook, and this is just my version. The salad is dressed with a simple vinaigrette and the basic recipe follows.

Salad: 

6 cups mixed salad greens 

2 large ripe avocados, skinned and cut into wedges 

3 hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges 

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges 

1 cup alf alf a sprouts

 Extra virgin olive oil 

Sea salt and black pepper

Arrange salad ingredients on a large serving platter (refer to picture). Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Vinaigrette:

 1 cup Greek yogurt 

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 

1 garlic clove, crushed

Sea salt and black pepper 

Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper and drizzle generously over the salad.

Climate Change To Shrink Fish By 2050

www.huffingtonpost.com - October 4th, 2012

OSLO, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Fish are likely to get smaller on average by 2050 because global warming will cut the amount of oxygen in the oceans in a shift that may also mean dwindling catches, according to a study on Sunday.

Average maximum body weights for 600 types of marine fish, such as cod, plaice, halibut and flounder, would contract by 14-24 percent by 2050 from 2000 under a scenario of a quick rise in greenhouse gas emissions, it said.

"The reductions in body size will affect whole ecosystems," lead author William Cheung of the University of British Columbia in Canada, told Reuters of the findings in the journal Nature Climate Change."

His team of scientists said a trend towards smaller sizes was "expected to have large implications" for ocean food webs and for human "fisheries and global protein supply.

"The consequences of failing to curtail greenhouse gas emissions on marine ecosystems are likely to be larger than previously indicated," the U.S. and Canada-based scientists wrote."

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Salmon Artichoke Sliders with Creamy Roasted Pepper Dressing

Dressing:

1/4 cup roasted red peppers

2 tablespoons non-pareil Capers  

1 teaspoon blue cheese crumbles

2 tablespoons sour cream

Sea salt and black pepper

Blend until smooth. Season to your preference.  Refrigerate.

Salmon Patties:

6 ounces of cooked salmon

1 tablespoon marinated artichoke hearts

3 large garlic olives, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoons non-pareil capers 

1 tablespoon chopped red onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 large egg

Sea salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Combine all the ingredients (except olive oil).  Season lightly with sea salt and black pepper to taste.  Divide ingredients into 4 equal portions and form into round patties. Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a large, hot skillet (medium heat) and add patties.  Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until firm (roughly 6 minutes total).

Sliders:

2 large slices of artisan ciabatta bread, cut into 4 equal squares each

4 spinach leaves

8 fresh cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

2 slices swiss cheese, cut into 4 equal squares

Sandwich Preparation:

Spread dressing on the bottom of 4 slices of bread.  Add spinach and cheese, followed by the patties and tomatoes.  Drizzle with extra dressing on top before you close the sandwich.

GMO Cow Produces Hypo-Allergenic Milk

www.nzherald.co.nz - October 2nd, 2012

AgResearch scientists have bred Daisy, the first cow in the world to produce high protein milk that may be hypo-allergenic.

AgResearch scientists who may have produced a world-first in genetic modification - the possibility of hypo-allergenic cow's milk - want New Zealand to benefit from their findings.

While some scientists have hailed the discovery as a breakthrough, anti-GM groups have called early results taken from a genetically modified cow as a worrying development.

Its developers have been cautious not to speculate over the research's commercial potential, describing it only as a science discovery whose applications could be several years away from being understood.

The team had sought to find if they could produce milk which contained less beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) - a milk whey protein known to be allergenic.

A large proportion of the 2 to 3 per cent of infants who were allergic to cow's milk had a BLG intolerance, said Dr Stefan Wagner, one of the paper's lead authors.

The scientists first tested the process in a mouse model engineered to produce the sheep form of BLG protein in mouse milk. Using a technique called RNA interference, two microRNAs were then introduced into the mouse to knock down the expression of the sheep BLG protein - resulting in a 96 per cent reduction in the sheep BLG protein in mouse milk.

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