Johnny Cake

Variation on recipe from Fannie Farmer Cookbook

Mix
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 C white corn meal
1 C hot nut milk

Spread 1/4" deep in buttered shallow pan or in buttered muffin tins.  If you like, dot with butter or ghee.
Bake until crisp at 350.   Split and butter, serving warm.

Comment:  This is good, a little salty, but definitely a fun treat.

Jam Bars

Based on a recipe from Fannie Farmer Cookbook

Butter a shallow 8 or 9 inch square pan.  Set oven to 400.
Cream
1/2 C Ghee
1/4 C Organic Sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp pure almond flavoring
Stir in
1 organic egg
Add
1 1/4 C Brown Rice Flour (add a tiny bit more if batter is too fluid)
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp powdered cloves
1/2 tsp sea salt
Mix well and spread half in the pan.  Cover with a layer of raspberry jam, blackberry jam, or orange marmalade.
Spoon the rest of the dough on top.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Cool and cut into bars.


   

Foo Foo Frittata for Easter

As in: "Little Bunny Foo Foo

Hopping through the forest

Scooping up the field mice

And bopping them on the head

Down came the Good Fairy, and she said

"Little bunny Foo Foo

I don't want to see you

Scooping up the field mice

And bopping them on the head."

Foo Foo Frittata:

6 eggs, beaten

1-ounce grated sheep cheese

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Pinch sea salt

1 tsp. butter or ghee

1/2 C chopped roasted asparagus

1/2 cup chopped non-nitrated bacon

1 tbl. chopped parsley

Directions

 Mix eggs in a medium size bowl.  Add grated sheep cheese, pepper, and salt. Add butter or ghee to a 12-inch oven safe pan and heat over medium high heat. Add asparagus and bacon and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour egg mixture into pan and stir with rubber spatula. Cook until egg mixture begins to set up on top. Sprinkle with parsley.  Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from pan and cut into 6 servings. Lovely gluten-free brunch or dinner.  If you're dairy-free, substitue a soy or almond cheese.

Happy meal!

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Pare 6 to 8 Granny Smiths and pack into buttered baking dish.
Season with 1/4 to 1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbl. rice flour (if apples are juicy)
Dot with 1 Tbl. butter or ghee

Cover with a top crust and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Crust:
1/4 C. ghee
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3/4 C. brown rice flour
1 tsp. baking powder

This non-gluten dough is very tender and crumbly.  I'd add more flour to get it to a handling texture, then try rolling or pressing between waxed paper.  Carefully lie crust over apples and bake until apples are tender.
Serve with coconut ice cream.

Deviled Almonds

Fanny Farmer Cookbook, my favorite cookbook suggests these almonds served with chicken or fish.

Blanch and shred 2/3 C. almonds
Melt: 1 Tbl. butter or ghee
Add almonds and saute until well browned.  Set aside.

Mix together:
1 Tbl. Chutney
2 Tbl. chopped pickles
1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp sea salt
Few grains of cayenne

Stir into nuts and heat.

Blanching almonds:  Drop nuts into boiling water for 6 minutes.  Remove into colander and run cold water over nuts.  Pat dry between paper towels and let cool until warm.  Pinch nuts from skins.

Drawn Butter Sauce for Fish

To 2 Tbl. melted butter or ghee, add:
2 Tbl. Rice Flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Stir until smooth and keep stirring as you add:
1 C. hot water or Fish Stock and boil for 5 minutes.

Add:
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbl. butter, bit by bit

Around here we like to eat grilled salmon.  This sauce would be delicious over a salmon steak or over fresh cod or halibut.

Drummond's Holiday Eggs

This is the first time I've made this dish--haven't really ordered it out at restaurants either.  The main thing is it is full of butter.  If you can't eat butter because of lactose, perhaps try it with ghee.  I imagine the clarified fat would still work, as it thickens like mayonnaise with the egg yolks.

Fry up some bacon.  Two slices per slice of rice bread or non-gluten English muffin.  Set aside.

Hollandaise Sauce:
In a double boiler--I stacked a smaller pan inside a bigger one with water enough to boil but not spill over--
add three egg yolks.  Whisk them and then stir in 2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice.  Add !/2 cup ghee or margarine, 2 Tbl hot water and 1/4 tsp salt.  If you like, ad a pinch of cayenne.  Now heat this over medium heat until thickened.

Now poach two farm fresh eggs.  While they are simmering in hot water, toast two slices of rice bread from Trader Joe's.  

Now assemble.  First the toast, then bacon, then the poached egg, then the sauce.  Lovely and delicious.
Made a great birthday breakfast for a friend.

Carrot Cake

In  a big bowl measure and stir together:

1/2 cup rice flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

2 tsp non-aluminum baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cardamom (I love this spice. Great on baked pears!)

1/4 tsp salt

Add 2 eggs

1/4 C melted ghee  or butter or safflower oil

1/4 C maple syrup

1/2 walnuts (optional)

1/2 cup raisins

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 C.apple juice

1 C grated organic carrots

The proportions of oil and water can be adjusted to get a thick batter that is easily stirred.  Spread into a baking dish (8" x 8") and bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until golden.

This is a new recipe for me--I invented it minutes ago--so the results are not out of the oven yet.  I'll let you know.  As for icing, I think a dusty of powdered sugar would do.  Or perhaps creamy goat cheese mixed with powdered sugar and vanilla.  I'll try this and let you know.

Confetti Corn

Ingredients:

10 oz. frozen organic corn

1 chopped red pepper

3 chopped green onions

1 zucchini, cubed or in thin rounds

1 jalapeño, minced

1/2 cup salsa

2 tbl cilantro

1 tbl ghee

salt and pepper 

Heat ghee over med heat until melted.  Add peppers, onions, zucchini.  Saute until nearly tender then add corn and salsa.  Cook until flavors are mixed and corn is tender.  Check seasonings, adding salt and pepper if desired.  Sprinkle cilantro over the top of corn dish and serve.  Delicious, quick, and easy.

Note:  Slice jalapeño in half and carefully remove seeds with knife tip.  The seeds are very hot.  Never use your thumb to scoop out seeds.  Chop peppers very small, touching little.  Then wash your hands like crazy. The capsaicin will burn whatever you touch, such as your eyes.  Yikes!

Clarified Butter or Ghee

"A unique feature of clarified butter (ghee), which is butter with the milk solids removed, is a healing property not found in other saturated fats.  According to Ayurvedic teachings, clarified butter enhances the ojas, an essence that governs the tissues of the body and balances the hormones.  Ample ojas ensures a strong mind and body, resistance against disease, and is essential for longevity.  Clarified butter promotes the healing of injuries and gastro-intestinal inflammations such as ulcers and colitis."  Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford

Not only is ghee healthy to bake or cook with, it also tastes wonderful.  Nutty, I'd say.  Makes cookies have that wonderful buttery taste that you get with broiled garlic bread (back when I used to eat such foods).  I used to make ghee all the time, now I don't, because the little bit of milk that I get from butter doesn't bother me.  It's easy to make or you can buy it at some stores.

How to: Heat two pounds of sweet unsalted organic butter in a saucepan until boiling, then adjust heat to maintain a slight rolling boil.  Skim off the foam that collects on top.  After 12-15 minutes, when boiling stops and the frying-oil  popping sounds begins, remove from heat and allow to cool until easily handled.  Then pour the clarified butter through a fine sieve into a glass canning jar.  The sediment in the bottom of the pan and the skimmings from the top are milk solids and can be used if you do dairy.

Makes approximately one pound of clarified butter.  Keep refrigerated.

Candied Yams (Mama's Recipe)

2 1/2 # Ruby Yams Baked (leave slightly firm)

1/2 cup brown Sugar

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter or ghee (I know, I know, it's a lot)

1/2 cup brandy (no kidding)

Bake at 325 for 45-50 minutes.  OMG, this dish is delicious!

Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Prosciutto

4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto
2 1/2 Tbs ghee
2 red Anjou pears, cored and cut in 1/4 inch slices
2 celery stalks cut in 1/2 inch slices
1 yellow onions cut in 1/2 inch slices
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar butternut (2 LB) squash puree (Williams-Sonoma Stores) or cook your own.
2 cups organic chicken broth
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Arrange the prosciutto slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to wire racks and let the prosciutto cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt 1 tbl. ghee.  Add enough pear slices to form a single layer and cook, turning once, until caramelized on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.  Repeat to cook the remaining pears.

In the same pot over medium heat, melt the remaining ghee.  Add celery and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Stir in the butternut squash puree, the 2 cups of broth, thyme, half of the pears, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Using a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth.  Return the soup to the pot and stir in the coconut milk.  Add more broth if needed to reach the desired consistency.  Ladle the soup into bowls.  Garnish with the prosciutto and remaining pear slices.  Serve immediately.  Serves 6.

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Almond Flour Cookies

1/2 cup butter or ghee (Ghee is clarified butter, there is no milk solids in it, just butter fat)

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup brown rice flour

2/3 cup almond flour

1 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

Sliced almonds for decorating the top of the cookies

With cold hands, press into 2 inch rounds.  Decorate with sliced almonds.

Bake at 350 for 15- 20 minutes, or until browned.

Note: I haven't experimented with this recipe, yet it is similar to other cookie recipes I use.  I would experiment with using this recipe for a pie crust.