Savoury Corn Meal Muffins

DRY
1 cup GF flour (I use flour that I premake in large batches: 1 cup rice flour, 1 cup sorghum, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/3 cup buckwheat, 1 tsp xanthan)
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 cup corn meal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

WET
Use a large liquid measuring cup and add
1 egg
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1/4 cup chia seed
1/4 cup ground flax seed
3 tbsp coconut nectar
Fill up container with unsweetened almond milk to the 2 cup mark.
Whisk this quite well...it should have the consistency of yoghurt.

Add wet ingredients to well mixed dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.  Add chopped green onions/cayenne/olives etc to match your meal.

Bake in well oiled cast iron corn meal tray or muffin tins at 425 F for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Beautiful Borscht

I first discovered that I actually love beets in my late 20s.  I had joined a food co-op and there was a weekly CSA that I signed up for.  This was the mid 90s, before the locavore 'fad' really took off and I was exposed to many foods that I had never eaten before, and some of them I had never even seen.

One of these items was beets.  Yes, beets.  Oh sure, on occasion, I'd tentatively sampled those generally awful pickled beets that are way too sweet and use the cheapest quality of white vinegar.  I had determined from those scrunched up face samples that no thank-you, like my mother, I did not like beets.

So when these first fresh beets arrived I queried my fellow CSA members and was told to roast them, skins on, for about an hour (these were generously sized beets).  Roasting them with the skins on retains more of the fresh flavour - you remove the skin after baking them.  I was also told back then that you could eat beets raw, like carrots.  At that time I felt that a whole new culinary closet had been revealed to me.  Because, you see, it turned out that I actually love beets.  Really really love them. I also have fond memories of my daughter painting her face with them - she would get so excited when I made beets because she was allowed to play with her food :)

And since then I have grown them, souped them, slawed them and still often roast them with their skins on.  I really like the candy striped variety that I grew a couple of years ago.  Another favourite variety are the bright orange (gold) ones too.  I stay away from pickling them although I might give that a go since I've tasted better quality beet pickles now too.

One recipe that I never quite got the knack of was Borscht.  And last week, while walking my dog, one of my wonderful neighbours called me over to give my dog a treat (she doesn't have a dog, she just keeps treats for dog passerbys by like me).  I joked that my dog was living the good life on that particular day since I had made chicken stock the previous day and she was enjoying all the gristle from that (bones removed, of course).  This neighbour then said that she had made borscht the previous weekend and would I like some of the rib gristle for my dog? She had been giving it to her cats but there was still plenty.  This led to an exchange by not only animal lovers but also made-from-scratch food lovers.  She told me the recipe of her Ukrainian heritage family and yesterday I finally made it after craving it since she told me about it.

Ukrainian Borscht
1 - 2 lbs pork ribs  - I used riblets
1 bunch beets peeled and chopped into bit sized pieces - use root only - I used the green tops for another soup I made
1/2 bunch fresh dill (about 12 stalks)
1/4 - 1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp salt
salt and pepper to taste

Put the ribs in a medium sized cast iron pot with a tight fitting lid and cover with water.  Add salt and bring to a boil.  Simmer until meat is falling off the bones, about 2 hours.  Use a colander to strain the broth.  Return the broth to the pot and remove the meat from the bones and gristle.  Add the small sized meat pieces to the stock. Add the chopped beet.  Add the stalks of dill with the thickest parts of the stalk removed,  I then 'broke' the stalks into large pieces of about 2 - 6 inches in length. Bring the mixture back to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes in order to cook the beets. Refrigerate at least 1 day in order to let the flavours settle.  Add the lemon juice (to taste) before serving.

My soup pot and one of the freezer jars of borscht.

Buckwheat Cranberry Stuffed Chicken and Kale Mushroom Acorn Squash

When was your last cooking experience with cast iron cookware?

Never? What?

It is amazing to think that many people in our modern world are so removed from basic cookware that served generations upon generations of humans.

Yes, it's heavy.

And no, it's not dishwasher safe.

If you have glazed over then you probably aren't interested in what I'm going to write next.

Cast iron cookware provides nutritional opportunities that other cookware can not. More specifically:

Researchers found that cooking in an iron skillet greatly increases the iron content of many foods. Acidic foods that have a higher moisture content, such as applesauce and spaghetti sauce, absorbed the most iron. (via which is an excellent summary of the 1986 research publication)

Yup, you read that correctly. Go to the source for a complete list of the foods tested by the researchers. More iron? 'Naturally'? Yup. Most women of child bearing age could use a tad more iron.

And another thing about cast iron cookware. It gets very very very hot. Don't say I didn't warn you (the next time you burn yourself you'll remember this warning...as will I....lol).

And oh yeah - cleaning? Elbow grease. Heat the pan with a bit of salt water if the going gets tough (no soap). Invest in some bbq/copper bristle brushes (I have a collection). And thoroughly dry the cast iron pan after washing - I always heat mine to dry either on the stove top or in the oven. Some people lightly grease their cast iron pans before storing...I only do that with my bakeware since I do not use it as often. I use most of my cast iron cookware at least once or more a week.

I have a ceramic glass top stove so if that's an excuse you've used then you'll be happy to hear that I've not had any problems using cast iron on top of my glass topped stove. Mind you, the times I've forgotten that cast iron gets hot hot hot have not involved the dropping of the cast iron onto my stove top and I hope that is a scenario I haven't invited upon myself now that I've written it - YIKES! Perhaps the good karma intended by sharing operational issues surrounding the use of cast iron will follow me on this one ;)

Buckwheat Cranberry Stuffed Chicken

2 - 4 organic bone-in chicken breasts $16.09/kg ON Beretta

Stuffing
1/2 cup buckwheat grits - I have used buckwheat flakes for this too $5.44/kg QC Karma
1/2 cup chopped cranberries $6.43/kg ? Karma
1 medium chopped organic onion $3.25/kg ON Karma
1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp organic yellow mustard seed ? ? Karma
1/2 tsp organic dried thyme $39.86/kg ON Karma
1/2 tsp organic dried sage $27.38/kg ON Karma
1/2 tsp organic dried rosemary $23.40/kg ON Karma
sea salt and pepper to taste
2 strips chopped uncooked organic bacon $17.24/kg ON Beretta


Mix the stuffing ingredients thoroughly. Stuff each breast by carefully separating the skin from the flesh on each breast and gently packing in the above mixture. Any leftover stuffing can be baked for about 30 minutes. Bake the stuffed chicken in a heavy covered pan at 350F for 45 minutes - 1 hour depending on the size of your chicken breasts. Keeping the lid on during the entire cooking time will help the chicken retain the moisture of the stuffing. Serve each breast drizzled with the pan drippings and the below stuffed squash ;)

Kale Mushroom Acorn Squash

1 organic squash $2.53/kg ON Karma
200 g organic variety mushrooms $11.74/kg ON Loblaws
1 bunch black kale $2.25/bunch CA Karma
3-5 cloves organic garlic $11.15/kg CA Karma

Clean and halve squash and bake for 40-50 minutes face down in an oven proof pan (don't forget to roast the seeds for about 15 minutes for a pre-dinner snack ;).

In another pan - preferably cast iron with a well fitting lid to use after roasting - add the mushrooms and garlic and roast in the oven alongside the squash for about 20 minutes . Take this mixture out when there is still about 10 minutes left for the squash. Add the prepared chopped kale to the roasted garlic/mushroom pan and cover but do not return this to the oven. The heat of the cast iron pan will soften the kale just enough without overcooking it. Add this mixture to the cooked squash and serve open faced as pictured. Each serving size is approximately 1/4 squash.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Sugar Free Buckwheat Waffles

This is my front yard today. Toronto has been the recipient of about 15 cm of snow in the last 24 hours and it is still coming down (but is expected to end tonight).

So most of us in the city are nesting. I chose to nest by creating waffles for brunch. They took the edge off the cold by warming up our insides!

Gluten Free Dairy Free Sugar Free Buckwheat Waffles

Wet Ingredients
1 organic free range egg $5.53/dozen ON Karma
4 pitted dates $3.99/kg IRAN Local grocery
1/2 - 3/4 cup organic rice milk $2.09/L QC Karma
1 tbsp organic sunflower oil $2.09/L ON Karma
additional oil is required to oil the griddle

Dry Ingredients
1 cup buckwheat flour $2.46/kg MB Karma
1/4 cup tapioca flour $1.25/kg THAILAND Chinatown, Toronto
1/4 cup sweet rice flour $1.67/kg THAILAND Chinatown, Toronto
2.5 tsp aluminum/gluten free baking powder $2.99/kg ON Karma
1 tsp sea salt $1.06/kg ? Karma

Use a blender to mix the wet ingredients thoroughly (mincing the dates). Use less milk for drier waffles (and a more solid batter). Add the dry ingredients and blend well.

Pre-heat the cast iron griddle (both sides) in the oven at 450 F. Oil both sides of the griddle before adding 1/4 of the battter to one side. Cover with the other half and return griddle to the oven. Bake about 5 minutes or until steam starts escaping out of the griddle. Remove from oven and use a metal spatula to lift out of the pan. Repeat until batter is done - oiling both sides each time. Keep waffles in warming oven or freeze for future use.

Serve with warmed fruit or maple syrup (or both!).

Waitress Soufflé with Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes 2.0

The movie Waitress is one of the best movies of the century so far - imho. If you have seen it then you know why it is appearing on a food blog. The main character's obsession is with creating pies as her form of therapy. If you haven't seen it and you are a foodie then you really must ;)

Last night, whilst literally whipping up the following, I pondered that movie. I had a moment of complete simpatico with the main character and I felt a relief wash through me.

My obsession is not with pies but with creating foods that I can enjoy within the parameters of my diet restrictions.

I must say that the following inspirations turned out quite divine.

Waitress Soufflé

I used my blender to beat the following ingredients:

4 organic free range eggs $5.53/dozen ON Karma
3 organic mushrooms: one crimini, one oyster and one shitake $11.74/kg ON Loblaws
1/8 cup corn meal $1.23/kg ? Karma
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

I poured this into a preheated lightly oiled 10" cast iron skillet. I added 2 cooked and chopped pieces of organic bacon ($17.24/kg ON Beretta) directly on top of the mixture. I covered the skillet on the stove top and cooked at med-low heat for about 10 minutes or until the sides started coming away. I then put this into a 275 F oven for about 15 minutes.

I served the soufflé with an organic baby spinach ($27.96/kg CA Dominion) and sliced cucumber ($1.95/each ON Karma) salad and my second effort at dairy free mashed potatoes i.e. 2.0 using internet vernacular. There were no left over mashed potatoes....they were quite good.

Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes 2.0

4 medium organic red potatoes $1.98/kg ON Karma
1/8 cup pesticide free hemp seed nut $22.00/kg MB ManitobaHarvest
1/4 lightly chopped organic white onion $3.25/kg ON Karma
1 tsp nutritional yeast $12.30/kg ? Ambrosia
1/8 cup organic sesame seed oil $16.38/L QC Karma

Peel and boil the potatoes. While the potatoes are boiling use a nut blender and grind the hemp seed nut (using a regular blender will make the 'milk' a little more textured). Using the same blender add the onion, nutritional yeast, sesame oil and about 1/4 - 1/2 cup water.

After mashing the potatoes mix in the blenderized 'milk'. I then placed this in the oven with the soufflé at 275 F for 15 minutes. The low heat softened the onions and reheated the mashed potatoes.

Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes? I'm trying!

This is what I hauled out to make the mashed potatoes. I figured that with my blender, all things are possible.

A plain accompaniment allows the comfort of the mashed potatoes to seep in thoroughly.

I cooked wild caught cod (for me) and a naturally raised pork chop (for my daughter, the "ew fish are creepy" kid...sigh...but we both take fish oil daily).

I covered the cod with dill and pork bits trimmed from the chop that is in the top pan (newfie style ;). I usually feed my dog these raw pork bones (raw is good for dogs, cooked is bad). I used a salt free greek seasoning for the chop. I added a chopped onion to both the cod and the pork chop and baked these, covered, for 40 minutes at 350F.

Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes (enough for three generous servings)
4 medium peeled organic potatoes (I used red) - chop these into at least 8 pieces each for boiling
1 stalk organic celery
3 cloves organic garlic
1 cup spring water

Cook potatoes until soft. Puree the celery, garlic and water in a blender and put this in the oven (in an ovenproof container) and bake at 350 F for as long as your meat (about 40 minutes using covered cast iron). Mash the drained potatoes and add this cooked stock.

Garnish with hemp seed nut and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh organic greens and grilled meat/fish (cod is in the above picture).

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Organic Soup with Roots

Roots. We all have 'em and we all should eat more of 'em. Blend 'em up and you get a medley. A melting pot if you will.

Canada has lots of roots.

I love that about her.

Organic Soup with Roots

The ingredients are in the picture on the top right and are listed (roughly) clockwise from the top:
6 cups chicken/turkey stock (I make my own whenever I cook any meat with bones). You could also use just water.
1 organic onion
1/8 head organic red cabbage
4 stalks organic purple kale
1 large organic carrot
1/2 cooked squash (I find it easier to peel when it is cooked)
3 small organic beets, peeled
3 organic jerusalem artichokes (well scrubbed)
1/2 organic burdock root (well scrubbed)
1 medium organic rutabaga
Use a blender and the stock to puree the above. Add to a large pan (I've used my cast iron dutch oven)
Sea salt, sage, rosemary and thyme to taste
Once this is boiled simmer for at least 1 hour.

This freezes well.

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Root Vegetables, Gingered Goat and Lightly Spiced Millet

This is a cornucopia of the selection of local root vegetables available in Ontario at this time of year. I roasted all of the following and prepared two different soups with the considerable amount of leftovers.

This endeavour took me the whole evening but I have a few mason jars full of yummy soup in my freezer too (just blend the leftovers with stock!).

Roasted Root Vegetables (bake at 350F for 45 minutes or so)
organic squash (in white dish)
organic beet (in glass dish - peel beets after baking to retain sweetness)
The following items are on a lightly oiled cast iron baking tray - items are listed left thru right:
organic sweet potato
organic jerusalem artichoke
purple sweet potato (a close up of this is provided in the top photo...so sweet and yummy!)
organic carrot
organic parsnip
organic onion (chopped on top)
Sprinkle with rosemary, sage, thyme and salt.

Serve with:

Lightly Spice Millet
Simmer preroasted millet for 20 minutes with available stock..I created a goat stock with the bones from the goat chops I purchased and deboned before preparing
Garnish this with chopped green mustard leaves for a slightly spicy flavour (and amazing nutrition).

Ginger Mustard Goat
Cubed goat meat (I used goat chops see above for the use of the bones)
Garlic
Ginger
Ground Mustard Seed
Bake the above with a small amount of sunflower oil for 30 minutes at 350F.

All of the above items except the goat and purple sweet potatoes were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Gluten Free Maple Sesame Hemp Bars (Candy Making 101)

If you are going to make candy then you should have candy equipment.

Or an adventurous spirit and a perfect cast iron pan for cooling. And fond memories of Laura Ingalls making molasses and maple sugar candy in the Little House in the Big Woods book.


Back in my early twenties I use to make peanut brittle with the microwave. I felt a bit let down because it was so easy.

Well...I'm now microwave free and peanut/dairy free so I am free to pursue this challenge.

This is my first venture and it was challenging mostly due to the small serving size I made.

Gluten Free Maple Sesame Hemp Bars

3/4 - 1 cup maple syrup (use less if it is a thicker grade of syrup)
3/4 cup toasted organic sesame seeds

Bring the above to a slow boil in a 3 Quart heavy bottomed pot (I used a cast iron pot). This should be stirred constantly. The temperature of the boiling mixture should be 284 F (140 C)for at least 5 minutes. Do not let the mix dry out (the time will depend on the grade of maple syrup you have used). The mix should still be quite runny.

Before pouring the candy onto a lightly oiled jelly roll sheet (or cast iron pans ;) add

1/4 cup hemp nut

These are scrumptious even if they didn't all harden properly. The unhardened mix is a great addition to cereal or fruit.

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Gluten Free Buckwheat Hemp Crackers

I found out two things tonight.

Firstly...making crackers is not that difficult. And - they are amazing!!

And secondly...I need a pastry cutter. I was never much of a pie person but if I'm gonna continue with any more cracker adventures then I'd be better off with one!

Gluten Free Buckwheat Hemp Crackers
2 cups organic dark buckwheat flour
2 tbsp hemp butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp organic sunflower oil
1 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup organic brown rice milk
white rice flour for rolling dough
garnish with additional sea salt if desired (up to 1 tsp)


Method:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Use ungreased cast iron cookie sheets for best heat distribution.

Combine all ingredients except the rice milk with a pastry cutter (or cut with a wooden spoon or your fingers). Mix this until the mixture looks a bit crumby.

Slowly stir in the rice milk until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The mixture should be soft and you should be able to form a ball with the dough easily (it should not be runny or sticky).

Divide the dough into balls (2-4 depending on the size of your sheets). Lightly dust a dry surface with rice flour and roll the dough into a sheet 1/8" or thinner.

Trim the uneven edges (if desired) and use a spatula to lift the dough onto the sheets. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to score the dough into desired cracker shapes.

Sprinkle the top with salt if desired and press into dough. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the edges start turning up. Take sheets out of oven and turn over the crackers using tongs or gently with a spatula.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until the edges are well browned. Remove from oven and cool crackers completely on racks.

Break crackers apart (if needed) and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Gluten Free Ginger Drops (Sugar Free and Dairy Free too!)

I adapted this recipe from the recipe I used 30 years ago for the first time.

I mixed all of the following using my food processor. I added the flours slowly at the end.

1/4 cup organic sunflower oil
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup ground sesame seed
1/2 cup pitted dates (about 10)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 free range egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 tsp gluten free aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp organic ground ginger (I did not have fresh on hand...I'd triple this for fresh)
1 tsp organic ground cinnamon

1 cup organic sorghum flour
1 cup organic buckwheat flour

Lemon zest for garnish (optional)

Form balls, garnish with lemon zest and place on lightly greased pans. I used some of my cast iron pans. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.

All of the above items except for the sorghum flour were purchased at Karma Co-op ;) I purchased the sorghum flour at Fiesta Farms.

Cast Iron Cookware

I have a marvelous collection of cast iron cookware that I have acquired at exhibitions, thrift shops and ebay.

Why? Aside from the health reasons.....the cooking is just marvelous once you get the knack. My daughter even makes nachos using the cast iron griddle since she loves the fact that the heat is retained while you are eating off the griddle!

I will post pix of my cast iron ware as I use them in my recipes. I encourage you to find your own. If anyone needs Toronto pointers I'd be willing to put a list together of cheap outlets for new cast iron cookware! Canadian Tire, Home Hardware and some Kensington Market and Chinatown locations are good starting points!

(PS You have to clean cast iron with muscle. I usually get my dog to do a pre-rinse :) and then I soak/heat the pan with salt water before scrubbing with copper brushes...after washing I dry and heat and treat with oil if needed).

Buckwheat pancakes

1/2 cup organic buckwheat grits (NOT groats)
1/2 cup boiling water (add to above and mix thoroughly)

Mix the following into the mix using a whisk or a hand held electric beater;
1/2 cup organic buckwheat flour
1/8 cup organic ground flax/sesame/sunflower/pumpkin seed (this adds a wonderful texture in addition to the grits - I keep a pre-ground mix in an airtight container of this mixture to add to cereals/salads/baking in my fridge all the time)
1/2 cup coconut water kefir (or suitable milk substitute)
1 egg (or use 1/8 of extra ground organic flax seed with 1/8 cup water)
1/8 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup sunflower oil
1 tbsp baking powder (aluminum free)
1/2 tsp sea salt

Use a pastry brush to lightly coat a cast iron griddle with sunflower oil. Cook pancakes when a drop of water evaporates quickly on the griddle (indicating it is hot enough). Pour a ladle full of liquidy pancake mix (add more kefir if it is not 'runny') and turn when bubbles form on the top. Be careful not to burn when using cast iron (but the cast iron griddle will provide the most uniform heat to the pancakes and they will be VERY fluffy!).

These pancakes keep in well in the refrigerator or freezer. Serve with warm maple syrup and/or in season fruit and cinnamon!