Edible Wednesdays: Allergy-Free Cookies

So it came to my attention (thank you Dr. Sodhi) that my lack of energy and near constant stuffed-up-ness was not due to a combination of a lagging cold and sheer exhaustion from raising two toddlers,,,it was actually an intolerance to those oh-so-common food allergies. Say goodbye to wheat, dairy and others my friends. I have had these reactions in the past but for some reason (again, perhaps from the sheer exhaustion) I did not put two and two together. Thankfully, I finally drove by ass over the bridge to visit Dr. Sodhi who it seems may solve all of my life's problems.

Just to test out the theory (ok, so I was still skeptical..maybe not skeptical but afraid) I decided to eat a very delicious cupcake 4 days after starting my new "diet"...and BAM BAM Thank You Ma'am, I was stuffed up and paying the price for it all night. I am actually STILL stuffed up from it. Damn wheat.

So hello garbonzo bean flour and arrowroot. Yuck, right? Well, again, thankfully I live in a city that is home to the BEST gluten-nut-free-vegan-organic bakery, The Flying Apron. In you are ever in Seattle, a stop here is a must even if you aren't allergic. The goods are just that good.

To top it off, she wrote a cookbook - bless her heart! So now I can enjoy her marvelous creations from the comfort of my own home. If you are curious, here is one of my favorites:

Berry Tea Biscuits

Edible Wednesdays: The Colors of Food

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The posts are random and spaced out these days - trying to spend some time gathering and healing my health and sanity instead of online. I am also developing a new project which I hope you will like but more on that a bit later...still working out the details. Happy Wednesday! 

Edible Wednesdays: Fried Green Tomato

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I am excited to try a fried green tomato BLT this summer...sounds so delicious. Here is how you would do the Tomato part: 

Ingredients

green tomatoes

eggs

fresh mint and chives

lemon

panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

flour

paprika

garlic powder

salt & pepper

Method

1. Whisk 2 eggs. Season with pepper and finely chopped mint and chives.
2. Pour flour into a bowl, season flour with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder and set aside.
3. Pour panko bread crumbs into a bowl and set aside.
4. Cut green, un-ripe tomatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices. Pat dry.
5. Dredge in flour, shake off excess.
6. Coat both sides with egg mixture then into the panko!
7. Fry in very hot oil until crispy and golden on both sides. Drain on paper towel.
8. Salt generously with kosher salt.
9. Serve with lemon wedges.
10. You can hold the fried tomatoes in a 200 degree oven on a rack for about 30 minutes.

Edible Wednesdays: Champagne Cocktails

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I have died and gone to heaven. This may be the best thing I have come across lately - a guide to champagne cocktails. I am a HUGE champagne fan. It is one of the only alcoholic drinks I enjoy. Just in time for summer sippin'...(I am in a fantasy world thinking that summer is close but a girl can dream)

Edible Wednesdays: Sandwich Bread

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Ok you guys - I know I post a lot of bread recipes but this is the best one so far. It is super easy using the bread hook on my KitchenAid mixer - something I never tried with any other bread recipes. My daughter poked it a little too much on the last cycle but it still turned out fluffy and delicious. A must try for any of you who are contemplating on making your own bread. 

Julia Child’s White Sandwich Bread

2 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
7 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter, softened

Edible Wednesdays: Waffles Waffles

from seriouseats

We are lucky enough to all be home in the morning for a good amount of time before anyone needs to rush off to school or Nana and Popa's or work. So very often we have nice big breakfasts to send us off in the day. Today we had waffles - this recipe is the best one we have found yet. Light and fluffy. And because we realized we had no milk a little too deep into the making of said waffles, we may or may not have used formula as a substitute. Don't hate.

Edible Wednesdays: Red Lentil Curry Soup

I have been feeling like absolute crap for the last 5 days...it is insane how long this is lasting. My daughter is finally feeling better except for a lingering runny nose and cough, my son had his worst day today - was attached to my boob almost the entire day - which I actually didn't mind too much since that meant I had to rest on the couch all day. Sinus congestion can really do you in I say! So when it came to dinner tonight, it had to be really easy and really delicious since I hadn't eaten much all day. I had my lovely husband running across town for a craigslist score so it was on me to make something appetizing. Luckily, I found this great recipe from Scaling Back and it did not disappoint. Exactly what this tired sick soul needed to end her day. 

Edible Wednesdays: Marshmallows

You will Need:
1 TB confectioners sugar
1 TB plain cornstarch
1 packet gelatin powder
canola oil for oiling pan and knife
2 egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water

candy thermometer

1. Sift the sugar and cornflour together into a small bowl. Rub the tin (shallow cake pan about 8 inches square) lightly with just a few drops of oil and shake a little of the icing sugar mix around the tin to coat the base and sides. Set the tin to one side.

Edible Wednesdays: Making your own Butter

Butter is very easy to make yourself and is a fun project for any kids needing something to do in the kitchen.

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You will need:
Heavy cream
Mason jar

Edible Wednesdays: Bloody Mary

This is my friend Brooke's secret Bloody Mary mix...please respect the recipe and go big.

Edible Wednesdays: Italian Wedding Soup

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Italian Wedding Soup.....so delicious on these cold cold days!

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 small onion, grated
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 8 ounces ground pork
• Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound curly endive, coarsely chopped (1 pound of escarole would be a good substitution)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Edible Wednesdays: English Pancakes

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To make about 15, you need:
1 1/2 cups All-purpose or white pastry flour
pinch of salt
2 free-range eggs
2 cups milk
sunflower oil for frying

supplies - sieve, mixing bowl, large measuring cup, ballon whisk, nonstick frying pan, tablespoon, cup, ladle, metal spatula, dinner plate

Edible Wednesdays: Braised Beef and Polenta

From Blissful Blog

Braised beef shanks with cheesy polenta

Ingredients:

For the beef:

2 to 2 ½ pounds beef shank, fat trimmed off

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

vegetable oil

12 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper sliced into 1/2 inch thick strips

1 bay leaf

1 rosemary sprig

1 bottle red wine

4 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 white onion sliced into 

Edible Wednesdays: Infused Booze

Here's a great gift idea - a little late for this holiday season but who's to say getting a gift in January or March is such a bad thing?  

Step 1: Choose your liquor
Vodka is an obvious choice, but why not use white rum or tequila, brandy or grappa? Don't go for the really cheap stuff, but don't splurge either. A middle-of-the-road, neutrally flavored liquor will produce the best infused spirits.

Edible Wednesdays: Side Dishes

I am sure you are inundated with sweet and sugary goodness in webland now that Christmas and Hanukkah are around the corner, so here are some savory side dishes sure to compliment most wintery main course meals. Enjoy!

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Edible Wednesdays: Ski Meals

Ski weekends mean major food prep for me. There are only so many fries and burgers you can take in one's weekend time at the lodge so I like to plan ahead and bring a bunch of food we can eat in our place or share with friends. Our place doesn't have a kitchen in it so I have to make food we can either heat up on a hot plate or eat straight out of the fridge. Here is what I brought last weekend:

Making Bread Part II

In case this recipe didn't quite push you into bread making, watch this Mark Bittman (NY Times) video on a very easy no-knead bread. This ought to convince you of the ease of making a simple bread at home. I try to make Mondays our baking day at home so that we have a few loaves for the week ahead and Maya can help me with the process (she makes bread at school every Thursday so she is an expert by now).

Edible Wednesdays: Jam, Tomatoes, Muesli and more

tomdowson

I had a free hour after dinner last night to churn out some staples for the week ahead. I was able to make raspberry jam (from homegrown raspberries that I had frozen specifically for making jam), roasted tomatoes a la G.Paltrow, some breakfast Muesli, a sourdough starter and some yogurt. Yes, in an HOUR (well, the yogurt "cooked" overnight). Talk about multi-tasking - not something that I am known to like to do but you do what you gotta do when free time is of the essence.

Raspberry (or strawberry, gooseberry) Jam (from the River Cottage Every Day):
Makes about 6 cups

3 pounds of fruit (raspberries was about 7 1/2 cups)
juice of one lemon
4 cups sugar

Sterilize some Mason jars in hot soapy water or dishwasher.

Divide fruit in half - smash half of the fruit and leave half of the fruit whole. Add the lemon juice and sugar. Stir to combine and leave for an hour or so to draw out the juices. Transfer the mixture to a preserving pan or a wide, heavy saucepan. Bring it quickly to a boil, stir a few times and boil hard for exactly 5 minutes. Take off the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Then pour hot jam into warm jars and seal. Store in fridge and use within 3 weeks.

Edible Wednesdays: Sweet Potato Cakes

Since it is Thanksgiving and all tomorrow, I guess I should post something Thanksgiving-ish. But I know you have enough cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie recipes so here is something I stumbled upon that uses the typical harvest crop: sweet potatoes. But with a kick. 

I tried this out last week and it was delicious. For the topping I just used a can of black beans and salsa mixed together. It's what I had.

Recipe from Lisa is Cooking:

Sweet Potato Cakes with Sour Cream and Chipotle Black Bean Salsa

For the sweet potato cakes:Adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
(Makes 34 small cakes)
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 green onions, both white and green parts, finely chopped
4-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4-6 tablespoons butter

Edible Wednesdays: Hot Drinks

versesfrommykitchen

It's getting to be that time of year again...hot drinks by the fire. Here are a few recipes to try out this year.