Apple Crumble (GF option available)

Autumn has arrived and the seasons are shifting. Now is the time to go pick apples, eat donuts and drink cider. Here is my easy recipe for apple crumble. I like to use a variety of different apples to lend better texture and a tart, balanced flavor. Make sure to have ice cream ready!

Heat oven to 400

Ingredients:

8 apples peeled, cored and sliced one inch thick

Juice of one lemon over your sliced apples

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp Maple Syrup

Pinch of salt

2 Tbsp flour (cornstarch GF)

In a large bowl toss apples in all above ingredients and put into a baking dish of your choice. Fill to about 1 inch below the edge of the dish. Apples will shrink a little when baking.

Crumble Ingredients:

1 Stick COLD butter, unsalted preferred (cut into small cubes )

1 cup AP flour (1 1/4 almond four GF)

1 Cup Oats

1/2 C Brown Sugar

Pinch of Salt

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until crumbles are around the size of small peas. Or mix by hand.

Top apples with crumble topping and spread evenly over the apples covering the entire dish.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes and drop heat to 350 and bake another 20-30 minutes. Crumble top should be golden brown and the apples should be bubbling. Remove and let cool slightly before serving. Allowing the crumble time to cool will allow the filling to thicken and set. Top with classic vanilla ice cream and write me a thank you card :)

Wild Rice and Quinoa Dolmas

Dolmas are a Mediterranean classic and make a great healthy grab and go snack. I pack them for work, bike rides and hiking and am always satisfied by these little leaves. They take a bit of patience to make but once you get the hang of it this will become a recipe you can rely on. Instead of white rice I blend wild rice and quinoa for added texture, flavor and protein. Get funky with your fillings and make these any way you like!

Ingredients:

1 Jar Whole Grape Leaves (roughly 50 in a jar)

1 Medium Yellow Onion, Small Dice

3/4 cup Pine Nuts, ( try sunflower seeds instead, cheaper and delicious)

2 Cups Wild Rice and Quinoa Blend, Partially Cooked

1 Bunch of Parsley, Finely Chopped

1 Bunch of Mint, Finely Chopped

Zest of 2 Lemons, 2 Tbsp Roughly

Juice of 2 Lemons for filling, (have more lemons on hand for serving and eating)

1 Tbsp Honey

2 Glugs of Good Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine 1 cup uncooked wild rice and 1 cup raw quinoa in a saucepan and add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to heat to low and simmer on low for 25 mins. Uncover and scoop out 2 cups of the rice blend being mindful to leave as much liquid behind as possible. Place into a bowl. Mixture will still be wet because it is not done cooking. (You want this mixture 75% of the way done). Let the remaining rice mixture finish cooking on the stove (roughly 15 more mins). Take the two cups you removed and strain any excess liquid. Discard liquid or add back to the pot if needed.

Sweat onion in olive oil on medium/low heat for 6 minutes. Add pine nuts or sunflower seeds and cook for 5 mins more until onions are soft and nuts are nutty. Add this mixture to the rice mix.

Add chopped fresh herbs. It may look like a lot of herbs but they really do the talking in this recipe. They are bright, healthy and delicious and add great flavor. Stir to combine.

Add lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, olive oil and salt and pepper. Stir and taste! Adjust seasoning to your liking. You want the filling to be able to stick together slightly but not too wet. If it is too dry add more olive oil and or honey as you like.

Pro tip: When “seasoning” with salt you never want to taste salt. You want to taste the ingredients at their best and the salt is there to enhance their natural flavors.

Now that your filling is perfect its time to make the Dolmades.

Remove the leaves from the jar (as gently as possibly being careful not to tear) and rinse each leaf in a colander or bowl under cold water. You want to remove some of the “brining” liquid that it has been marinating in.

Place a single leaf flat on your cutting board and make sure the veins of the leaf are facing up. With a small knife remove the stem of the leaf. Add about a Tablespoon of filling to the base of the leaf and then fold the sides in left and right. Then roll from the bottom upward like a little burrito. Begin placing finished Dolmas in a large stock pot that has a few inches of water and and a steamer basket in the bottom. Repeat rolling the dolmas until all of the filling and leaves are used up. This recipe makes about 45 Dolmas.

Be patient! Pour a glass of wine, put on some tunes and get into the Dance of the Dolmas. You should enjoy cooking as much as you enjoy eating!

Pack the dolmas in a tight layer and and then stack them on top as you go. Once finished cover the pot and simmer on low for 30 minutes steaming them. You want a gentle steady steam and you don’t want to blast them apart (dolmas are delicate). Steaming will allow the rice mixture to cook the rest of the way, the flavors to merry and the grape leaves to seal shut.

Allow them to cool uncovered about 45 minutes so that they are able to be removed gently from the pot. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight before serving. Dolmas are served cold or at room temp.

To serve: Drizzle with good quality olive oil, fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt! You can also dip them in a nice tangy greek yogurt.

Thai Spicy Sweet and Sour Soup

This soup can be a labor of love if you want to make everything from scratch (chili paste) but I added some short cuts with a twist so you can achieve a flavorful satisfying soup without too many steps.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Broth

• 1 Tbsp Coconut oil or olive oil

• 1/2 lb Shrimp (shelled and deveined, use shells for broth and save shrimp in refrigerator for later

• 2 stalks Lemongrass ( smashed with the back of a knife an cut into 3 inch pieces)

• 2 Carrots rough chop

• 1 Onion rough chop

• 2 Celery stalks rough chop

• 1 Large nob of ginger (3 large coins sliced, 1 Tbsp minced for later)

• 5 Kafir Lime Leaves

• 2 Serrano chilies, sliced in half (remove ribs and seeds for less heat but i throw the whole thing in)

• Mushroom water

• Cilantro stems

• 1 cup white wine (Riesling preferred but any white will do)

  (A dry style Riesling makes a great accompaniment to spicy food, I like anything from Washington. Use a cup for cooking and enjoy sipping on the rest!)

• 2 Qts cold water, 64 oz

  Broth Directions:

  Peel and devein the shrimp. In a large stock pot or soup pot saute shrimp shells in coconut oil over medium high heat until golden brown. Add onion, carrot and celery aka mirepoix and saute until soft about 5-7 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and cook another 2 minutes on med high heat until slightly reduced. Add all other ingredients except mushroom water to the pot and bring to low simmer. Allow broth to simmer gently uncovered on low heat for at least 30 minutes but preferably an hour. Add mushroom water after broth has simmered and reduced.

  Broth will reduce almost by half and intensify flavor, just make sure it doesn’t reduce too much. You want enough broth to make your soup!

  Taste broth and season with a pinch of salt. Strain and set aside.

  Soup Ingredients:

• 1 oz dried Lobster Mushrooms preferred, (any dried will do or you can substitute 2 cups slice fresh mushrooms) If using dried mushrooms place in a bowl of warm water and let plump up for 20 minutes. Strain off mushroom water and save for broth

• 2 Tomatoes small dice

• 2 Tbsp Sambal (chili paste)

• 1 Tbsp minced ginger

• 3 Cloves minced garlic

• 3 Juicy limes

• 2 Tbsp Fish sauce

• Sriacha (your call)

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar or white sugar

• Minced Cilantro

• Minced Thai Basil or regular basil is fine

• Remaining broth

  Soup Directions:

  In the same empty stock pot saute mushrooms in coconut oil until golden brown. Add Sambal chili paste, garlic and ginger and stir for one minute until perfumed and bloomed. Add tomatoes, sugar and fish sauce and stir another 3 minutes. Things should be looking saucy and smelling good. Add your broth and stir. Add lime juice and taste for seasoning. You are going for spicy, sweet and sour so adjust to your liking. This is where I add a squeeze of sriacha to round out the flavors. Taste for salt and adjust.

Once your broth is to your liking add the shrimp just before serving. It will poach in the soup and cook in about 3-5 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp. Serve and top with minced cilantro and basil, lime wedges and extra chilies if you like! You should sweat a little while you slurp.

Enjoy with the rest of your wine or a nice cold beer!

Banana Quinoa Cakes

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I love cooking a bunch of quinoa for the week and using it in different ways. Sweet or savory these satisfying seeds add texture, protein and a bit of personality to any dish. I prefer tri colored quinoa because it keeps a great firm texture. For me the brown gets too mushy.

This recipe makes 4 small/medium cakes

• 1 Banana

• 2 Eggs

• 1/2 Cup Cornmeal or Almond Flour

• 1 tsp Baking Powder

• Pinch of Salt

• Cooked Quinoa

• Honey or Maple Syrup for the drizzle

Instructions:

Combine banana and eggs in blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour in bowl and add, cornmeal/flour, salt and baking powder. Stir to combine (batter will be loose) and start cooking cakes just like normal pancakes. I like to sprinkle the cooked quinoa on the top of the pancake while the underside is cooking. I do this so when you flip the cake the quinoa has a chance to hit the pan directly and get extra toasty. Yum!

Cook until golden brown on both sides then drizzle and top with whatever you like. These cakes are fun and easy and are a good use for that squishy banana. The quinoa packs some protein making it a great breakfast to start any day. Enjoy!

Avocado Banana Bread

I make a blueberry banana bread that I am very proud of but I have been experimenting with healthier versions of my favorite treat. I love butter and believe in full fat baked goods but it is always fun to try a different method. Avocados are so versatile so I replaced a full stick of butter with one whole avocado. I was shocked by how moist and yummy my classic recipe came out! 

Ingredients

• 1 medium/large Avocado, soft and ripe
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• pinch of salt
• 3 overripe bananas frozen, then thawed in microwave
• 2 cups ap flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 T ground flax seed, optional
• 1 cup blueberries, optional
• 2 T chopped walnuts, optional
• Almond milk, only if batter is too dry

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a food processor combine avocado and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs, salt and process until smooth. 
3. Thaw bananas in microwave. Slice along the side from top to bottom with a paring knife and add soft banana to the avocado mixture in the food processor. Blend.
4. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredient, flour, baking soda and flax. Stir to combine. 
5. Pour avocado banana mixture into a bowl. Add dry ingredients in two stages to wet ingredients and combine until evenly incorporated. If it is too thick add a couple Tablespoons of almond milk or any milk product you have until consistency resembles thick pancake batter. 
6. Fold in blueberries and pour into a heavily greased loaf pan. 
7. Top with chopped walnuts. 
8. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes, rotating pan halfway through for even cooking. Bump the heat to 375 for the last 10-15 minutes with the bread in the oven to create a nice brown crust. Check for doneness with a wooden skewer or butter knife by inserting into the middle of the loaf. When it comes out clean it is done. 
9. Allow to cool in pan 5 minutes then turn out onto a plate and finish cooling at room temp. 
10. Slice and enjoy!

Disclaimer:  If you do not have a food processor you can use a blender. Add eggs first, banana, avocado and sugar and salt last. Blend it up!

January

Tuscan Kale and Tomato Soup

This is a heart healthy soup to get you through those cold winter months whilst keeping you on track with your resolve. It incorporates lots of fresh veggies, Italian flavors, and a comforting kick to keep you warm. Instead of traditional white beans I use garbanzo beans, known in Italy as chi chi beans. Chi Chi beans are high in magnesium, potassium, iron and are full of fiber and protein. They keep their texture and firmness longer than white beans. I also like the unique texture they add to the soup!

Ingredients

1 medium onion, small dice
3 carrots, small dice
2 celery stalks, preferably with leaves, small dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of whole tomatoes, 1 lb/12 oz
32 oz veg stock. I like better than bouillon brand veg base
1 bunch Tuscan Kale or Regular Kale, cored and chopped very fine
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 1/2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp red chili flake
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Chop and Drop, Simmer and Stir!

Notes: I like to use the largest soup pot I have for this. This allows more room for large amounts of kale to be added. The kale will eventually cook down into the soup but having the large pot helps. Also make sure to chop the kale very fine, almost like you would herbs. There is nothing worse than hot wet kale slapping you in the face while you are trying to enjoy a bowl of tasty soup. 

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat.
2. Add diced onion and a pinch of salt. Sweat onions over medium high heat for about 4 minutes. Adding salt at this stage helps to release the sugar and water from the onions and jump start the cooking process. 
3. Add carrots and celery and stir. Cook over medium high heat for another 7 minutes until just slightly tender. Note: I like to use celery stalks that have leaves on them. They add extra flavor and it's like getting free herbs from your celery. To dice them small I run my knife length wise from just beneath where the leaves start to sprout down to the base one or two times. Keeping the top in tact. This creates two or three long thin strands all connected by the tip of the celery. Then I can chop horizontally up the celery stalk creating a fine dice. 
4.  Take the Italian seasoning and crunch it with your hands into the pot. You want to awaken the dry spices. By adding them at this point it allows them to connect to heat, bloom and toast a bit. Add chili flakes. 
5. Sip wine!
6. Using a blender or hand mixer buzz up the tomatoes. You want a rough crush. I like buying whole tomatoes and crushing them myself because I can control the consistency better. I also like using whole products whenever possible. I think whole tomatoes taste better too. 
7. Add crushed tomatoes to pot and stir. Turn heat to medium and simmer veggies and tomatoes for 4 minutes allowing the ingredients to get to know each other and allowing some acidity to cook out of the tomatoes. This is a good time to season again gently with salt and black pepper. Note: Taste your stock for sodium and beware of added salt throughout the recipe.
8. After 4 minutes add veg stock and bring to a light simmer over medium high heat.
9. Add Kale to the pot. A little at a time or if you have a large pot, throw it all in there. Simmer and stir occassionally for about 10 minutes to allow your veggies to soften. 
10. Add the chi chi beans at the end. They only need to be heated through but can with stand some heat. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve

I like to drizzle with a little olive oil on top for added richness and parmesan cheese if you're feeling fancy. 

Note: If you want to make the soup even heartier I sometimes add chicken. The rotisserie chickens from the grocers are great. Just remove the meat. Dice small and add at the same time you add the chi chi beans. 

December

Golabki
Polish Cabbage Rolls

This recipe has been passed down from my Grandma Wanda. She lived and raised a family in the Polish district of Detroit. This is a recipe I often make for the holidays and is great for large groups or potlucks. 

"Golabki are the reason for my holiday season!"

Polish Golabkis

Makes 24 Cabbage Rolls (roughly)

1/2 lb Ground Beef
1/2 lb Ground Pork
1/2 lb Ground Veal
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
4 cloves of garlic, small dice
2 cups cooked rice
4 cans campbell's tomato soup
1 10 oz can whole tomatoes
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1-2 cups of water
Squeeze of Sriracha, optional

2 medium heads of green cabbage

Tips:

• If you don't like veal you can omit it and use more beef or pork. Any ratio will do. 
• You can substitute white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar.
• If you have extra filling you can freeze the mixture and make stuffed peppers later in the week. I use the same sauce method! 

1. Pour yourself a glass of wine! Preheat oven to 350 
2. Cook the rice according to package instructions and let cool a bit.
3. Boil a large pot of water for the cabbage. Using a paring knife carefully core the cabbage. I use small angled cuts to go around the core. Then gently leverage the knife to release the core. Once cored add the whole head of cabbage to the boiling water. After about 4 minutes you can begin to peel away each leaf with tongs. Move them to a sheet pan to cool.
4. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil with salt and pepper for about 7 minutes until soft and slightly golden. Remove to a large bowl and let cool a bit. 
5. Add your ground meat mixture to the bowl of onions and garlic along with 2 cups cooked and cooled rice. Season meat generously with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups of tomato soup right out of the can to the mixture. 
6. I like to use my hands to evenly mix the meat, rice, onions, garlic and sauce. Once mixed take a tablespoons of meat mixture and cook in the saute pan like a patty. Eat the little snack! This is a great way to check for seasoning in your mixture. Adjust to taste and get ready to roll!
7. Assemble the tomato sauce by blending the can of whole tomatoes with remaining tomato soup mix, vinegar, sugar, sriracha, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in 1-2 cups of water. You want the sauce to resemble a thick soup and it should coat the back of a spoon. 
8. In a large roasting pan spoon some of the sauce to spread a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. 
9. Take a leaf of cabbage and spoon about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the leaf near where the core used to be. (The amount of filling will depend on the size of the cabbage leaf. The smaller the leaves get the less filling will be able to be rolled up) Now using a "burrito method" roll the bottom of the leaf up and over the filling pulling back to tighten. Then fold the left corner, right corner  and roll up to the top of the leaf. Place golabki seam side down in the roasting pan and repeat until the pan is full. 
10. Pour remaining sauce over the galabki until almost covered. Reserve extra sauce for later. 
11. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more. Let rest 10 minutes. Heat extra sauce and serve on side. 

I like to enjoy the golabkis with nice crusty bread! The sauce is sweet and sour and reduces while the cabbage rolls bubble away. Try the recipe in my bread battle for a truly homemade meal. 

Smacznego!

Enjoy!

November 2015

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO WITH CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUT LEAVES AND PINE NUTS

Serves 4 hungry hippos

1 Large Butternut Squash Peeled, Seeded
Dice 1 1/2 cups small dice
Chop the rest medium dice
10 Sage leaves whole
1 onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, fine dice
2 Cups Arborio Rice
1 cup white wine, drinkable white wine
10 cups stock, your choice, I like Better than Bouillon Veg base if you don't make your own
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, or Asiago. Chefs Choice!
 2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper

Roughly 24 medium sized Brussels Sprouts
Split in half, cut out core and tear off leaves as much as possible
1 lemon, zest first and reserve for later
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

1 small bag Pine Nuts
lightly toasted


Ready Set, Risotto!

• Tip: Once the rice begins cooking you will need to be standing and stirring fairly constantly for the next 30 minutes or so. Make sure to have your other prep ready and pour yourself a beverage because it will take time, but comes together quickly at the end. 
• Tip: Control the amount of salt in your stock. If it is salty then season sparingly throughout the rest of the dish. Taste as you go!

1. Warm stock on med/low heat, add medium diced squash and sage. Let simmer 30 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove sage and discard. Remove squash and 1 cup stock to separate dish. Puree until smooth. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Let that stand at room temp, we will add it later. Keep your squash/sage scented stock on low. 
2. Set oven to 500 degrees. Prep your Brussels Sprouts. Once peeled apart, spread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt pepper and lemon zest. Toss with your hands to coat evenly. Roast for 4 minutes at a time at 500. Remove and toss around and return to oven for 4 minutes at a time. It usually takes three times at 4 minutes each to get the leaves crispy and brown. Set aside on baking sheet. Let cool at room temp.
3. In a dry pan over low heat, toast pine nuts. Keep an eye on them and shake the pan often to lightly toast. Remove from pan and leave aside for later. 
4. Sauté onion with salt and pepper in olive oil on med heat until soft and translucent about 4-5 mins. Add finely diced garlic and butternut squash.Sauté until just tender. Another 5 minutes. You want the squash to be tender but still have a little bite to it. Taste as you go! Remove onion and squash mixture to separate bowl. We will come back to it later.
5. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to same pan. Its okay if some onion bits are still in there, adds flavor! Over med heat add rice and stir constantly in oil until the rice grains begin to toast and turn a bit translucent. About 3-4 minutes. Add your wine and simmer until absorbed all the way. It will sizzle and bubble, that's good just keep stirring. Now begin to add your stock the rice 2 ladles at a time. Stirring consistently until almost all the stock is absorbed. Then add your next two ladles. Ass you stir the Risotto you begin to soften the rice grains and release their starches. This will begin to make a creamy risotto without having to add any cream. Continue to stir and add stock until the rice is al dente. About 30-40 minutes.  You may or may not use all the stock it depends on where the rice is at this point. But almost all of if should be gone by the end. I like to start with extra in case it reduces as you go a long and lose volume. 
6. When your risotto is al dente and about 3 minutes from perfection add in the squash puree and squash and onion sauté mixture. Stir to combine. Add two tablespoons of butter, cheese and stir. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed. Things should be looking and tasting pretty good right now. Remove from heat. 
7. Squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon over Brussels Sprouts and stir once more. 

Time to Plate, Time to Eat! 

Spoon risotto into a shallow bowl or plate. Top with desired amount of Brussel Sprouts and Pine Nuts. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil. DIG IN! 

CHEERS!