Pasta e ceci soup on a cold night…

This recipe is adapted from Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver, Hyperion 2007.

This soup is definitely a 50% pasta 50% soup dish but so hearty and delicious. I use quinoa elbow pasta but you could use brown rice pasta if you like. I served with up for my dear friend Cecily and it was perfection on a cold winter night with wine and the 1930s classic, The Women.
Serves 4

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
A sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 14-oz. cans of chickpeas
2 1/4 cups of veggie stock
3 1/2 oz. quinoa pasta or brown rice pasta
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Optional: a small handful of fresh basil or parsley, leaves picked and torn

Put the finely chopped onion, celery, and garlic into a saucepan with a little extra virgin olive oil and the rosemary and cook as gently as possible, with the lid on, for about 15-20 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft, without any color.

Drain your chickpeas well and rinse them in cold water, then add them to the pan and cover with the stock. Cook gently for half an hour and then, using a slotted spoon, remove half the chickpeas and put them to one side in a bowl.

Puree the soup in the pan using a handheld immersion blender. If you don’t have one, you can whiz it up in a food processor instead, then pour it back into the pan. Add the reserved whole chickpeas and the pasta, season the soup with salt and pepper, and simmer gently until the chickpeas are tender and the pasta is cooked.

At this point, if the soup is a little thick, pour in some boiling water from the kettle to thin it down, and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve drizzled with good-quality extra virgin olive oil. Lovely sprinkled with some freshly torn basil or parsley. A real treat.

I’m so sorry dearest…

I know what you’re thinking. I’ve forgotten about you, I didn’t notice your new haircut or the five pounds you’ve lost since you’ve got on the Paleo Diet or Master Cleanse. To be honest, I broke my arm in late November and typing one handed really put a cramp in my cooking/typing style. I’m happy to say I’m back and bad-er than ev-a (in the words of Wu-Tang). 

I thought I’d kick off today’s post with some links to favourite websites.

First and foremost, my new love – Hairpin, an incredible blog for the modern sophisticated woman. The hard thing to admit with Hairpin is that I am officially a demographic. Someone who loves books, scandals of the 1940s and want my text messages from stupid boys analysed. 

Next, Kitchn – home to every recipe and tchochka I didn’t know I needed. Their sister sites have wonderful DIY projects and decorating recommendations. Here is a link to charming upside down clementine upside down cakes. To make these gluten free I’d suggest Bob’s Red Mill Gluten free flour and some xanthum gum.

And a third for good measure: Smitten Kitchen. Classic, timeless and often easy to substitute to make gluten free and dairy free. This blog is well written, well photographed and keeps me coming back for more. 

I’m working on some cupcakes and salads for the weekend and promise to keep you in the loop. Have a charming afternoon!

Sweet sentiments…

Today on one of my favourite kitchen/food blogs they talking about taking a 10 minute interlude from our normal busy lives. In my own words: Brew a cup of tea, take a favourite plate and eat something sweet on it away from your desk, laptop, till whatever and look out the window. Really look – gaze even.

For her full post click here: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/snacks/midweek-meditation-an-invitation-to-a-10minute-interlude–160358

When it gets dark at 4:50 PM and the sky is a little grey it is important to take those quiet moments and be still. Maybe call someone you love afterwards and say how’s it going. Emma Bridgewater knows: Happiness is cup of tea and a new magazine.

Gobble Gobble, Pumpkin Pie as Promised

As I said to my co-worker, last week I had a lot of first world problems.
1. The boy I like doesn’t want to date me.
2. A dress I love wouldn’t do up.
3. AND I had to fast for Yom Kippur which definitely made me feel better about the other two (that was sarcasm).

After the boy and I had our conversation, I, in true Nancy form, said “I have a pie to make, so I’d better go.” Here is that pie.

For the crust:

3 C kamut flour, + more for dusting

1 TBSP + 1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

7 TBSP coconut oil, + more for brushing

1/2 C + 2 TBSP agave nectar, + more for brushing

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 TBSP cold water

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the wet and mix until a dough is formed. Add a little more water a little bit at a time if you need to. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

For the filling:

2 cups pureed pumpkin (or one 15-oz can)
1 cup plain coconut beverage
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 – 3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Healthy Top vegan topping!
 

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix together the pumpkin, sugar and milk in a medium size bowl with an electric mixer. Add the cornstarch and spices and keep mixing until smooth.

Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out on a floured surface (I recommend doing this on wax paper). Oil a spring form pan, pie tin or whatever your heart desires. I used a spring form pan this time around. Place the pie dough on the pan and fix as necessary. Pour in the pumpkin filling. Put the pie tin/pan on a baking sheet and place in the oven. I cooked my pie for one hour and ten minutes and it was a little jiggly when I took it out. That is totally fine. It firms up as you cool it. Let it cool completely and then put in the fridge preferably overnight.

For the vegan topping I used Healthy Top which is made from almond and cashew and is my new favourite thing. Add dollops on top and devour.

Despite the fact that I was feeling a little down, the finished pie and the smiles of those at my thanksgiving dinner definitely filled me with gratitude. I am very thankful to have such considerate wonderful friends who indulge my binge baking.

Welcome Great Pumpkin!

Happy post turkey fest! After fasting for the Jewish high holidays Friday and Saturday I was pretty good at not over eating for a change. Ate some delicious turkey with friends and they made gluten free gravy so I could partake. In thanks, I prepare a personal triumph: vegan, wheat free pumpkin pie that was devoured with heaping spoonfuls of Healthy Top vegan whipping cream (worst name ever) that is made from almonds and cashews. For the first recipe from the weekend I share spicy pumpkin hummus. I got this recipe from this months Food and Drink magazine and it turned out wonderfully creamy. I would recommend a bit more cayenne but that is definitely a personal preference.

I should have the pumpkin pie recipe up this evening. Have a great Tuesday!

This recipes is from Food and Drink, Autumn, 2011.

Spicy Pumpkin Hummus

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp tahini
1/2 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

1. Place chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, water and tahini in food processor. Whirl until smooth. Add pumpkin and seasonings. Whirl. With motor running drizzle in olive oil until blended. Taste and add more lemon juice or cayenne pepper if needed.

How do you like them apples…

Soup’s on! Made this soup on Saturday after returning home from the St. Lawrence Farmer’s market. I must say, I was disappointed I missed out on fresh apple cider. It turned out so delicious I walked some to the corner for my organics grocer Pots and a young lady named Isabelle told me it was super tasty.

You will need:

4 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion peeled and roughly chopped
Thumb sized piece of ginger chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic peeled and sliced
2 apples peeled and roughly chopped
1-2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Black pepper to taste
A cinnamon stick
1 can of coconut milk
2 C veggie broth
1 C water
Salt to taste

In a medium sized pot sauté the onion for a few minutes, add the ginger, cook for another minute add the carrots and garlic and half cover with the lid to let it sort of steam. Once the carrots are almost tender (5-7 minutes) add the apples, curry powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper and cinnamon stick. Stir for about another minute. Add the can of coconut milk, the broth and water and give a stir. Bring to a boil, cover and turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes. Using a hand held blender blend until smooth. Salt to taste. Serve with some good bread or to a good friend.

 

Apple Fest Continues

Tonight I give you the apple cake my grandmother used to make. Don’t fret, it seems like very little batter but it goes far and puffs up. My father, brothers and I would devour a 9 x 9 cake in a sitting. I’ve adapted this recipe to make it gluten free. I used Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour and a little bit of xanthan gum.

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup oil
3 tablespoons water or orange juice
1 ½ cups Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose gluten free flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp xantham gum
¼ teaspoon salt
6-8 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup white or brown sugar
2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

1. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in oil. In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. Add liquid alternately with dry ingredients and beat until just smooth.
3. Spoon half of batter into a lightly greased 9-inch square baking pan. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Add apples, which have been sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Cover with remaining batter.
4. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until nicely browned.

I love you, a bushel and a peck…

And a hug around the neck!

It’s raining hard and I am long overdue to give you some recipes. I went apple picking on Sunday out in Brampton and I definitely bought a bushel of apples. I picked a few royal gala for eating and a ton of mackintosh for all things baking. Macs and granny smiths are my personal favourite for their super tart flavour and crisp flesh (man, I sound like Nigel Slater).

Here is my grandmother’s/mother’s applesauce recipe. You need a big ol’ sieve to make this happen. My late grandmother bought mine at a garage sale for me.

You will need:
Apples – lots of them (16 – 20)
Honey/agave or sugar – whatever you prefer
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
3 Tablespoons Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Remove the stems and cut the apples into fours. DO NOT PEEL THEM OR CORE THEM! It’s not necessary. They are going through a giant sieve.

Place them in a pot. Add about 1/4 – 1/2 Cup water, the cinnamon, sweetener, lemon juice and vanilla. Turn the stove on high. Leave them for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Turn off the heat when they have cooked down to be puffy and soft. Prepare your sieve over a big bowl. Ladle the apple mix into the sieve and mash around with the mallet provided.

Once you have mashed all you can mash use a spatula to remove the outer layer of apple sauce on the outside of the sieve. Voila – homemade, super delicious applesauce. I suggest freezing it in manageable quantities for winter blahs.

This sauce is great with BBQ chicken or easy to use for baking recipes.

Why hello pecan pie…

In one of my brighter moments I decided to have New Orleans themed party called “the first annual Hitzig-Gras”. I cooked for four days to feed the hoards of friends who showed up. In hind sight, I should have made two pecan pies. I know for next time. Here’s the recipe. Photos never happened because it was devoured to fast. The crust is thick enough but really the pecans shine in this pie that truly is more pecan than pie.

Single Crust
1 1/2 C Brown Rice Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 C plus 3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
3 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 to 2 Tablespoons Cold Water

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Combine the rice flour and salt. Add the coconut oil to the flour/salt mixture add the agave nectar and water mix until a soft dough has formed. If the dough is dry add additional water one tablespoon at a time. Dust your work surface with brown rice flour. Roll the dough into an 11 inch disc. Place your pie plate over top the rolled out dough and using one hand under the surface and the other on the pie plate and flip! Press the dough lighting into the pie plate. Cut off any excess dough.  If there are tears, just pinch and press till you’re in good shape.

Par bake the crust for 8 – 10 minutes.

For the pecan filling:

1/4 C plus 2 Tablespoons Brown Rice Syrup
3/4 C Maple Syrup
1 1/2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
3/4 Tsp of cinnamon
3 Tablespoons Almond Butter
3 3/4 C of chopped pecans plus 3 whole pecans for decorating the top of the pie

Mix together everything but the pecans until well blended. Add the pecans.

Pour the filling the prepared pie crust. Decorate with three whole pecans. Bake on the bottom rake of the oven until the filling is almost set about 35 – 40 minutes. If the crust is browning too fast cover it with foil. Cool before serving.

Sometimes you don’t want to make your own birthday cake…

On the weekend my awesome mother celebrated her 60th birthday. We had friends from all across the USA and Canada at the party. Our family friend and I are the anti-gluten contingent and I decided if everyone else was eating fancy cake, we deserved fancy cake too. I called a cake shop called Cake Opera Co. a week ago asking if they did gluten free/vegan things and I was in luck.

They created beautiful chocolate hazelnut cupcakes with light frosting and really unique garnishes that felt really special for the party. It seems a little daunting sometimes to make your own cakes and treats for special occasions and if you love to bake like I do you crave something that is beyond your skills. Like a perfect looking french tart, or a buttery tasting croissant that won’t poison you. The cupcakes were gone too fast to take a photo but check out their website. They do really magnificent, theatrical cakes. They had me at the small dark chocolate disc with a gold leaf picture of Maria Antoinette!

I will definitely go back to them in the future if I need unusual gourmandise.