Paleo Fusion Tostadas

In an effort to reduce my intake of grains, I've been experimenting with recreating some dietary staples such as bread, tortillas, baked things and various crusts. These tostada shells are made from almond flour which give them a crispy, pastry quality that is something between a pie crust and a flatbread. I've been reading the book Grain Brain, which is an interesting and informative perspective on those deeply affected by the spectrum of grain-gluten sensitivity and intolerance. I've also been deeply diving into the personal story and cookbook Against All Grain, which also offers more perspective on the effects of our GMO crops and they have affected our evolving biology. I am personally not on either end of the spectrum with regard to my own body's digestive process, but somewhere in the middle. If you are exploring these topics, I highly recommend checking out both books.

This recipe uses blanched almond flour, fresh lime juice + cilantro. They are baked, not pan-fried which keeps them light and crisp. I'll include various substitutions for the ingredients that work just as well so that you can play around with them and find the one that is best for you, whether that is vegan or purely paleo.

INGREDIENTS

2.5 c blanched almond flour, or a combination of your choice nut flour + GF oat flour
1 t sea salt
1|2 t baking soda
2 T olive oil, or coconut oil
2 large eggs, or equal parts flax egg ( 1 T flaxseed meal + 2.5 T water per egg)
2 t chopped cilantro, or herbs of choice to fit your recipe for toppings
1 t lime juice, or lemon or orange or even apple cider vinegar

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or food processor until a dough forms. Portion into 6-8 balls and roll between your hands until smooth. If you have a tortilla press, this works really well for these by pressing each ball between two pieces of parchment paper until about 1|8 inch thick. This can also be done by using a rolling pin, still keeping each one between parchment and rolling out to about 6 inches wide. Transfer each one gently to the sheet pan and bake for 18 minutes, flipping each one and rotating the pan halfway through at about 9 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to ensure crispiness.

As always, there are many optional embellishments for ways to build a tostada. The ones pictured here are loaded with a black bean puree, shredded greens + cilantro, chopped pickled jalapeños + carrots, my pickled red onions, shredded chicken, labne (or greek yogurt or sour cream), avocado and  chili powder.

ENJOY!

Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos

I hope it doesn't seem like I start every blog post with how this is the best dish ever and you totally have to make this. Although, that's the point in writing a food blog isn't it? And I totally stand by the quality of my food. Not everything works the first time, and not everything makes the cut for the online recipe box. But seriously, these nachos are the bomb and there is no cheese! They are gluten free and easily made vegan by omitting one ingredient, which I'll make a note about in the recipe. The only thing you can't see from these photos is that there is a tasty layer of black bean mash on the potatoes and underneath all of the veggies. It's the glue that makes everything stick together, in place of a ton of cheese. I put nutritional yeast in the beans so it totally gives you that flavor. If you are a purist and really want a truly crispy nacho, you can blanch and fry your sweet potatoes or use sweet potato chips. HOWEVER, these are the most delicious oven baked sweet potato chips you'll make, and of course they're healthy!

INGREDIENTS

1 large sweet potato, cut into slices or half moons
1 cup cooked black beans or 1 can prepared
1 tomato, cut to preference
1 avocado, chopped
green onion, sliced
napa cabbage, finely shredded
any kind of sprouts you like - I used radish
cilantro - substitute parsley if you prefer
lime
chili powder
crushed red pepper flakes
cumin
nutritional yeast
neutral vegetable oil - I used sunflower
onion + garlic granules
salt + pepper
creamy dressing or greek yogurt

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss the sweet potatoes in oil, salt, pepper, onion + garlic, crushed red pepper + nutritional yeast. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake another 10-15 minutes until forming a crust. While these are baking, prepare everything else. Put the beans into a medium skillet with a little oil + water to get the right consistency. Season them with salt, pepper, chili powder and nutritional yeast. Mash about half of them with a fork as they cook in the pan. When the potatoes come out, assemble onto a plate or serving platter single layer, putting any extra on top, staggered. Drizzle with a creamy dressing or greek yogurt. Put a layer of the beans on next. Then the cabbage - squeeze some lime juice onto it. Then tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, green or red onion. Top with sprouts and hot sauce or chili powder. You're all set!

ENJOY!

Zucchini Croquettes with Turmeric Spiced Chickpeas + Tzatziki

This is one of my favorite recipes and I find myself coming back to it all the time with little tweaks and modifications on the original to fit what I happen to be in the mood for. Sometimes I put them on pita and eat them like felafel and sometimes I want them as a savory side to a soup or salad. This time, I was really craving a little of all of that. I made the traditional mint tzatziki and added lemon zest, more fresh herbs and these AMAZING turmeric spiced chickpeas for added protein and heat. Your optimal choice would be to sprout the chickpeas overnight, but using a can of rinsed peas works just as well and certainly expedites this as a quick lunch. I usually make the batter for the croquettes ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator so that I can just scoop out individual portions and make them right on the spot. They take minutes in the skillet. You can also bake them on a sheet pan at 375 ahead of time and freeze them for later. They are easily reheated in the oven. So versatile!

INGREDIENTS

CROQUETTES
1 medium to large zucchini, grated
1 large leek, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only - save the dark green tops for stock!)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 - 5 medium cremini mushrooms, diced
1|2 cup arborio rice
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock, warmed
1 egg (substitute a flax egg for vegan - 1 T flax meal soaked in 3 T water)
1|4 cup flour ( I used oat flour - gluten free works great)
1|4 tsp baking powder
1 - 2 T nutritional yeast
freshly chopped parsley
sea salt + black pepper to taste
olive oil
--> Put the zucchini into a thin dish towel and squeeze out all of the water. Set aside. Cook the arborio rice like risotto. Add the rice to a dry skillet and toast for 2 minutes on medium heat. Gradually add the warm stock one half cup at a time, stirring until it has been absorbed until all of the stock has been added and the rice is tender and a little sticky. Remove it to a mixing bowl and set aside. Warm some more olive oil in the same skillet and add the leeks, mushrooms and garlic, cooking until tender. Add the vegetables and the zucchini to the cooled rice and season with salt and pepper. Mix the dry ingredients together and add the rice mixture until a sticky, doughy batter comes together that can be formed into patties. Chill for about 20 minutes while you make the chickpeas and the tzatziki.

SPICED CHICKPEAS
1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed if using canned
turmeric powder
cumin powder
paprika powder
garlic powder
sea salt + black pepper to taste
olive oil
fresh chopped cilantro
--> Warm 1 T olive oil on medium in a skillet. Add the chickpeas and spices and cook until they become slightly crispy and very fragrant. Season with salt + pepper and garnish with cilantro. Set aside.

TZATZIKI
1 cup plain, Greek yogurt (substitute coconut yogurt for vegan)
1|4 cup cucumber, peeled and grated
1 - 2 T fresh lemon juice, peel reserved for zest
fresh chopped mint
sea salt to taste
--> Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate while you assemble the croquettes.


Form the croquettes into small patties, pressing down slightly and cook in olive oil until golden on each side, about 2 - 3 minutes. Serve immediately or freeze for later.

Try them on mixed greens with seasoned, sliced tomatoes. Add the chickpeas and top the croquettes with the yogurt sauce and garnish with extra mint and lemon zest. These are also good in pita bread or served with the yogurt and a soup or even tabouli.

ENJOY!

The Anytime Frittata

I might otherwise call this the end of summer frittata, but we just rolled over into fall officially. I'm still using up the slowly fading harvest of the heat as the tomatoes, peppers and basil have hit their peaks and appear to be ready for retirement. I'll be making a ton of pesto to freeze, pickling an assortment of peppers for the pantry and stewing some tomatoes with garlic chives for those tasty pastas, lasagnas, manicottis, pizzas and calzones. How wonderful it is to be able to savor the flavor of summer well into the winter when we get snowed in, become wracked with cabin fever and are left to spend our time hovering around the oven and stove, creating delicious things to eat. Preserving, pickling, canning, freezing and fermenting are incredible ways to extend the life of your garden and get creative with sustainable practices that not only bring us tasty joy, but reduce our kitchen cook print.

Frittatas are about the easiest, one - pan dishes you can make that is suitable any time of the day. I take the opportunity to clean out the crisper and use any excess produce on hand. The combinations of ingredients are limitless and I've found one that nearly suits everyone in my family. The only tools you need are a cast iron skillet and a wooden spoon. I like using my enamel coated one because the egg doesn't stick so badly to it as it does the raw iron. Both will work, but one is tougher to clean. Furthermore, choose the one that is the right size according to how many you want to serve. This is an 8 inch pan and made four lovely servings. Pair it with a fresh salad and you have a perfect plate.

INGREDIENTS

For a basic frittata, make a base of eggs and a little milk or cream. This is basically a crustless quiche.  The ratio of 2 - 3 eggs to about 1|4 cup of milk works well and will give you a nice custard.
For this variety, I used these other optional embellishments.

5 - 6 spears asparagus, ends trimmed, stalks chopped, tips reserved
1|4 c red onion, diced
5 - 6 cremini mushrooms, medium to large, thick sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1|2 bell pepper, any variety, chopped
5 - 6 large cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
crumbled goat cheese
fresh parsley, basil, garlic chives
nutritional yeast
grass - fed butter + good olive oil
salt + pepper + crushed red (or diced jalapeño)


DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Warm your pan on medium high and gently warm the olive oil until it glimmers. Sauté the onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, mushrooms and asparagus stems. Season everything with salt + pepper + crushed red until just right for your taste. Add 1 -2 tablespoons of butter, the fresh herbs (reserving a little for garnish), nutritional yeast (a few shakes or a palmful) and mix everything together well. Turn off the heat. Mix your eggs and milk together in a bowl and pour right over the vegetables. Arrange the asparagus spears on top with the tomatoes. Crumble the goat cheese all over and bake until golden brown around the edges and little bubbles begin to form and brown across the top, about 30 minutes for this size pan. Up to 40 - 45 for a ten inch or larger. Check the center with a toothpick. It should not be wet and should be firm in the middle if gently pressed with your finger. Serve with a side salad and a basic vinaigrette and some crusty french bread, if desired. It's good for mopping up your plate!

ENJOY!

Warrior Chicken Salad

With regard for salads as entrees, whether that's a lunch or a dinner, add this one to your home recipe box for a 30 minute go - to dish that is not only extremely simple but has an amazing amount of protein which is primarily plant based. I added some some super thin, well - seasoned chicken, but that is clearly optional to make it vegetarian. Leave off the feta and it's vegan. It's already gluten free. The base is sprouted quinoa and chickpeas. It has all the fresh flavor of a tabouli with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, parsley, lemon and good olive oil. I added hemp hearts for a little extra boost and tossed it all in a bright vinaigrette. It can totally be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. It is best if left to sit for about an hour to let the flavors develop while you prepare the chicken or any other main course to pair it with.

INGREDIENTS

1|2 cup sprouted quinoa
1 cup cooked chickpeas, or 1 can drained + rinsed
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cucumber peeled + deseeded + chopped
1|2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1|4 - 1|2 red onion, shaved thin
2 T raw hemp hearts
3 - 4 chopped pepperoncini peppers, stemmed + seeded
1|4 c chopped parsley
1|4 c chopped mint
1 t dried oregano
salt + pepper + crushed red to personal taste
sprinkle of granulated or powdered garlic
2 T good quality olive oil
1 - 2 T red wine vinegar
juice of 1 medium lemon, seeds removed
drizzle of honey
feta cheese for garnish
*optional chicken breasts, butterflied + pounded thin
  season chicken with salt + pepper + dried oregano on both sides


METHOD

Mix everything except the seasonings and acids together into a medium mixing bowl. Add half of the olive oil, lemon, vinegar, honey, oregano, salt + peppers. Set aside. Butterfly the chicken breast on your cutting board, cover with plastic wrap and pound very thin with a tenderizing mallet. Warm the rest of the olive oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken on both sides, about 4 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice thin and fan it over the top. Garnish with additional parsley and crumbled feta cheese.

ENJOY!!

Spring - Inspired Farm to Table Dinner

Join us for an intimate, casual evening at Prairie Wind Nursery for our Spring - Inspired Farm to Table Dinner, highlighting fresh, seasonal ingredients, locally sourced from Oklahoma farms and gardeners. We will be serving an appetizer and three courses paired with wines from our local Native Spirits Winery in our outdoor dining room. Our cocktail hour will begin at 6:00 pm, offering a variety of wine and kombucha elixirs, brewed by The Herban Fortress. Dinner will start at 7:30, showcasing a palette of fresh - themed flavors, sourcing herbs directly from Prairie Wind and fresh produce from Little River Aquaponics Farm in Norman. Accompanying music will be provided by Nick Larchey. Come celebrate the season with us - take a micro tour of the Prairie Wind greenhouses and see everything that we specialize in, from unique and unusual culinary herbs to medicinal perennials, native plants and prairie grasses. Get connected with your local community of growers and sustainable makers as we combine our skills and passions to bring more workshops, classes and special events directly to you! Space is limited for this special event - send guest requests to purchase tickets to redmagnetic@gmail.com ! We look forward to seeing you there!

Just one of the beautiful Prairie Wind Nursery greenhouses.

Fresh, crisp radishes from The Herban Fortress gardens and from Little River Aquaponics will be part of the menu.

All of the herbs used in our menu will be sourced directly from Prairie Wind.

Micro greens are an incredible source of phytonutrients, antioxidants and easily digested minerals. We will incorporate plenty of these into three of the four courses.

Dark Chocolate Superfood Cookies

I've posted this recipe before but it's been a while and recently some readers were having a hard time locating in the archives, so I thought I'd post an updated version with a minor tweak and suggestions for modifying it if you were vegan. They're already gluten free. So, in a nutshell, these are incredibly healthy + super delicious. They're my kids favorite treat, so that works for me. I'll let them have one or sometimes two anytime of the day because they are low in sugar but still plenty sweet to satisfy that craving. You can take this basic cookie recipe and substitute the embellishments to suit your preferences, which is how all good recipes should read. And these cookies turn out perfect every single time I make them, so that should give you some confidence diving in if you've ever felt intimidated or frustrated with getting your cookie just right. Soft on the inside and a little crispy on the outside. I've been asked for these at gatherings many times so I guess it's one of my specialties. If you want to make them vegan, substitute coconut oil for the butter. There are lots of egg substitutions but many of them alter the flavor because they're typically applesauce or a banana. I like to make a flax egg because it maintains a neutral flavor and the outcome is nearly identical. To make a flax egg, take 1 tablespoon of milled flax seed or flax meal (same thing) and mix it with 2 tablespoons of water.  Let it sit for 15 minutes until it starts to coagulate - the texture will be like egg white.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup gluten free flour - almond, oat or a store bought blend
1|4 tsp xanthan gum (this mimics the gluten)
1|4 cup flax or chia meal (optional but recommended)
1|2 tsp baking soda
1|8 tsp vanilla salt or sea salt
1 egg or substitute (egg should be room temp)
1|2 cup coconut sugar
1|2 cup high quality butter (I like grass fed, organic or clarified) or coconut oil, both at room temp
1|2 tsp good vanilla
1|2 cup dark chocolate chips
1|4 cup chopped nuts (toasted almonds or walnuts)
1|4 cup oats (also optional) shredded coconut or raisins are also good
2 tablespoons Philosophie Superfood Coconut Butter (also optional but an incredible investment)

METHOD
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Using a hand mixer or by hand with a spoon, mix the dry ingredients together (the first five). In a second bowl, mix the wet ingredients together starting with the butter and the sugar until creamy and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla and the Philosophie if using. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. Stir in by hand the optional stuff - chocolate chips, nuts, oats, coconut, raisins etc. Spoon into tablespoons onto a non stick baking sheet. Bake one direction for 6 minutes then rotate the pan and bake for another 6. You're done! Cool for 10 minutes then ENJOY!