Strawberries and Cream Scones

I've tried making scones before and they didn't turn out so great. I think you definitely have to recipe test more than once in order to find the right balance of ingredients, making modifications with flours, sweeteners and flavors. I've been experimenting with gluten free baking mixes lately and it's pretty tricky to get just the right texture. For this one, I used Bob's Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour and almond flour. The secret is adding xanthan gum. It behaves like gluten and binds and stretches, making the end result a little lighter. The almond flour is light and nutty and perfect for pastry. Plus, it tastes really good with the strawberries. The cream is coconut milk but you could use almond milk. These were originally vegan but I used butter. You could use cold coconut oil or a vegan butter if you wanted. I served these for a ladies brunch I hosted at my place. I also made fresh almond milk that morning which was so delicious as an addition to coffee and tea. You can read my post on making your own almond milk and almond flour here plus links to earlier posts with recipes that showcase it.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose flour
3|4 cup homemade almond flour
1|2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1|2 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1|2 teaspoon baking soda
1|2 teaspoon sea salt
splash of vanilla
5 tablespoons cold butter
1|2 cup coconut milk or almond milk
1 cup diced strawberries

DIRECTIONS
Sift the dry ingredients together and cut in the cold butter using a pastry knife or pulse in a food processor. Mix in the vanilla and the milk. Fold in the strawberries. Spread a sheet of plastic wrap out on the counter and dust it with a little flour. Press the dough into a 12 inch circle and cut into 8 wedges.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 16-18 minutes at 400 degrees. Rotate the pan halfway through the cook time. Cool on a wire rack.

ENJOY!

Seasonal Spaghetti Squashes

Spaghetti squashes are one of my favorite gluten free substitutions for pasta. They're perfect eaten roasted, straight out of the oven with salt and pepper or tossed with your favorite ingredients and sauce. These perfect halves are ready to scrape down. They have cooled for about a half hour and can now be handled. Using a spoon, run it between the skin and the flesh. The 'spaghetti' comes right out.

This version was made with some lightly sauteed red onion, garlic and cabbage. I left the spinach raw so that it could slightly wilt with the warm squash. I added chopped tomatoes and toasted almonds. You can toss the cooked squash into the saute pan at the last minute to bring it back up to temperature and distribute your flavors. Season with salt and pepper and your done! In order to keep it entirely gluten free, I paired it with my Herbed Seed and Nut Crackers instead of toast.

For this version, I used zucchini and garlic in my saute and threw in some chopped tomatoes at the last minute to warm them up. I seasoned it with a little butter, fresh basil and pecornio and lots of lemon juice. I think this one is my favorite.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 375. Cut the ends off of the squash and slice it in half from end to end. Scrape out the seeds. You can roast these at the same time and add them to the top of your dish. Rinse them under cold water after you have separated them from the pulp. Spread them out on a paper towel and pat dry. Toss them with olive oil, salt + pepper and spread out on a separate sheet pan. Take your cleaned squash halves and brush them with olive oil and season generously with salt + pepper. Lay them flat side down and roast for thirty minutes. Check the tenderness with a knive. When they're done, it should slide right in. Allow them to cool until you can handle them. Scrape out the flesh and discard the skin. Now you're ready for the perfect pasta! Pick your ingredients and you're all set. The possibilities are pretty endless. Be creative!

ENJOY!

Spring Vegetable Omelette with Fresh Mozzarella

The word omelette is kind of traditional and this recipe is far from that. Typically, you layer the ingredients inside the egg and fold it over to make a half moon but I don't really stick to a method. It's really more like a hard scramble. The secret is not to overwork the eggs because they will start to fall apart. Moving them across the pan in large sheets keeps them firm and in larger pieces. I also served my cheese on the side in fresh wedges instead of melting it on top, cafe style. I love eating food that's in season. It's always going to be the freshest in the markets and of course, if you are growing it yourself. This is a good way to incorporate lots of greens into your breakfast. I have so many varieties in my winter garden right now that I eat a combination of them with every meal. I prefer a 2:1 ratio of whites to yolks, so I separated a couple of mine. You can use whole eggs if you prefer. Take a little walk through my winter garden of greens with me on the way to the recipe....

This beautiful, blue kale is my all - star. It performs better than any other cool weather green. It's strong, hardy and vigorous! I keep it pinched back all winter long, eating the larger leaves first. The baby leaves are sweet and tender enough for salad. 

This mesclun mix of lettuces are the glamour girls of the greens. Lacy, pointed and dotted with dark red, they are super delicate and perfect eaten immediately picked and always raw.

Spinach is second in line for hardiness. It hardly blinks under snow and freezing temperatures when protected. Keep the leaves pinched once a week and you will have it until May. It's delicious cooked or raw. I use it both ways all the time because it's so versatile.

This intermix of mache and chervil are really pretty together. Mache has a very green flavor and tastes best mingled with other lettuces. Chervil has a distinct anise flavor and is complimentary with fish, lemon and vinegars.

INGREDIENTS
Fresh, organic eggs - 2 per person, either separated or whole, whisked
asparagus, tough ends trimmed, diced
cherry or grape tomates, halved or quartered
shallot or red onion, thinly sliced
fresh garlic, minced
baby kale or spinach, cut into ribbons
fresh jalapenos, sliced (optional of course)
other optional ingredients could be sliced mushrooms, zucchini or bell pepper
parsley, chopped
fresh water mozzarella, cut into triangles or medallions
olive oil + butter or ghee
sea salt + black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Warm a saute pan on medium and add the olive oil. Add all of the vegetables except the tomatoes, greens and parsley. Season with a little salt. Cook about 2 minutes. Add about a tablespoon of butter or ghee and the tomatoes, greens and parsley. Season with black pepper. Add the eggs. Using a flexible spatula, move the eggs across the pan in sheets, careful to keep them firm and in large pieces. Adjust the salt + pepper. Cook until they have just set. Serve on a nice plate, arranging the wedges of mozzarella around one side and garnish with any reserved parsley and black pepper.

ENJOY!

Pretzel Tartlets with Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter

I've been really inspired with my sweets lately. I pretty much always incorporate dark chocolate into them in one form or another because it's the constant ingredient that makes everyone happy. Plus, I've written extensively on the health benefits of good, dark chocolate. When you clean up the rest of the ingredients in your recipe using high-quality, organic nuts, flours, seeds and sweeteners, you will always end up with a treat that is both good for you and satisfies a craving. The shells of these tartlets are made with pretzels which make a crunchy, pastry like dessert almost like eating a graham cracker crust. 

 I'm pretty obsessed with my mini silicone cups. They make tiny portions that are easy to pack in lunches or take in the car. You can fill them with just about anything. I also like making cornbread muffins and tiny little pies in them.

I topped these with crushed peanuts and finely shredded coconut but you could use almonds or cashews or walnuts and substitute the nut butter with any other that you like or prefer.

This crust is crunchy while the inside is rich and creamy. That is a winning combination of textures in my opinion. You can keep them in the fridge or freezer and they will be more firm in the middle if you like that better. Be creative with your toppings!

INGREDIENTS
About 2 cups whole grain pretzels
1|4 cup cold, unsalted butter cut into pieces + a little extra for your tins if you don't use the cups
1|2 teaspoon vanilla
1|3 cup coconut sugar (muscovado and turbinado work too)
1 egg yolk
2 ounces dark chocolate (60% - 72% cacao)
1|4 cup cream or milk
1|3 cup natural nut butter (I used peanut)
1|4 cup toasted nuts
1|4 cup finely shredded coconut
flaked sea salt for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350. In a food processor, pulse the pretzels until they form a coarse meal. Don't worry if there are a few small pieces - it isn't supposed to be as fine as flour. Measure the pretzel meal, you should have about 1 1|2 cups. Adjust the quantity if necessary. Return it to the food processor and add the egg yolk, vanilla, sugar and the butter. While it's running, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture sticks together. Chill the bowl in the fridge for about a half hour.
Grease a mini muffin tin with butter or get your mini cups out. Press a tablespoon of the chilled crust mixture into each one, carefully pressing all the way to the corners and up the sides. Bake the crusts for about 12 - 15 minutes until they are dry and barely golden. Remove the pan and let them cool before filling.
While you wait, create a double boiler and melt your chocolate in the top. Slowly add in the warm cream and stir until a smooth, thick chocolate is formed.
Fill the tart shells with a dollop of nut butter. Using a clean spoon, top them with a layer of the chocolate ganache and spread it to the edge. Top with flaked sea salt if you wish and the toasted nuts and coconut. These are ready! The centers are soft so if you like something more firm, pop the tray into the fridge for about 30 minutes to set them. They should be stored in there. You can set them out on the counter to warm up before you eat them, depending on your preference.
ENJOY!