Mushroom Pie

This recipe is inspired by/adapted from Finnish Mushroom Pie from the great Sundays at Moosewood Cookbook. My brilliant husband adapted it for our gluten-free diet, and I think the walnut crust is even better than the traditional flour crust.

Crust:
4 C ground walnuts (or your choice of unsalted nuts)*
3 T rice flour
1/2 C softened butter


Filling:
1/2 an onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 C chopped mushrooms
1 T soy sauce (gluten-free tamari. If you're not sugar-free, substitute Worcestershire sauce)
salt & pepper to taste (heavy on the pepper)
2 slices prosciutto, chopped (optional)
8 oz cream cheese
2 eggs

Crust is simple: 4 cups ground walnut (your choice of I salted nuts) stir in 3 T rice flour, then mix in 1/2 cup butter. Shape this into the bottom and sides of a pie pan. 

Filling: Sauté onion and garlic. When they've softened, add mushrooms. When mushrooms are cooked and releasing their juice, stir in soy, salt, pepper, and prosciutto. Add cream cheese and remove from heat, stirring until melted. Let it cool a bit (just enough so it won't cook the eggs when you add them.) Fill the pie crust with 4/5 of the filling. Mix the remaining 1/5 with two eggs, really well and top the filling with this. 

Bake at 450 until brown on top.

Next time, we'll try a dusting of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.

*we grind them ourselves in a food processor, a cup at a time, until they're crumbles but not starting to soften into nut butter

Chocolate Ginger Macaroons

Adapted this recipe from Australian chef and blogger Girl on Raw. Can't make them fast enough! Best. Cookie. Ever.

3 C shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1/2 C ground nuts or nut flour
1 C cocoa powder
1/2 C honey or maple syrup or a mix of the two
1/2 C almond butter
1 T vanilla extract
1 T grated ginger*
2 t lemon juice
pinch salt

Mix all ingredients together. Use a cookie scoop or roll into 1" balls and dehydrate for 8 hours. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside!

*I keep whole ginger root in the freezer. It keeps for ages, grates beautifully, and slices okay if you have a good, heavy knife. I use a wood rasp for grating.

Spicy Corn Quesadillas

from Moosewood Cooks at Home

2 T oil
1 C chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 carrots, grated
1 fresh chile, minced, or cayenne to taste
3 C frozen corn
2 t cumin (I was out & subbed smoked paprika)
1 t coriander
1 T fresh cilantro
1 1/2 C cheese (I used cheddar & goat, cream cheese also good)
8 or 16 tortillas, depending on technique

Saute onion & garlic in oil 5 minutes. Stir in carrot, saute 2 more minutes. Add chile, corn, cumin, coriander, & cilantro. Cover & cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Salt & pepper to taste, remove from heat, and stir in cheese. Cover until cheese melts, stir again. Divide filling among 8 tortillas. Now you can either fold these in half, or top with another tortilla and fry in a little oil in a hot skillet. Serve with lettuce, avocado, sour cream, salsa, whatever looks good.

Chocolate Cookies

I don't know the provenance of this simple, delicious cookie recipe. I got it from my friend Monika, who's trying out the paleo diet and loving it. Paleo is a whole food diet with low carbs, minimal sugar, and no dairy. I prefer the low carb high fat diet which allows dairy. My ancestors were Northern European, therefore I have the gene that allows me to get nutrition from cow's milk. If your ancestors are from elsewhere, you may want to consider a non-dairy diet.

The idea of Paleo chocolate cookies makes me giggle. Cavemen did not eat cookies. Or chocolate. But we can, and they're delicious.

2 C almond butter
2 squares unsweetened bakers chocolate, chopped into chocolate chip-sized pieces
2 eggs
1/2 C cocoa powder
1 T vanilla
1/2 C honey

Mix together, drop about a table spoon at a time onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (I cut up paper grocery bags for this, rather than buying baking paper.) Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, and let set for 10.

PS Yes, that's supposed to be a tablespoon of vanilla, really. Best source of almond butter is Trader Joes or Costco.

Cheesecake

The second dessert I discovered that I can eat, and my go to for potlucks.

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For crust:
In a blender or food processor, blend to fine crumbs:
2 C nuts (unsalted) I usually use 2 different kinds
Add:
pinch of salt
3 Tbs. rice flour

Put into a bowl and mix in:
1/2 c. very soft organic butter

Press into a 9-inch buttered and wax paper lined spring-form pan. Set aside.

For cake:
In a bowl, beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form:
4 egg whites
Beat into whites:
1/2 cup agave syrup
24 oz. very soft organic cream cheese (or other soft, mild, white cheese of your choice. I leave the cream cheese out over night to get it soft enough. No, it doesn't go bad.)
When smooth, add:
1 tsp. vanilla
juice and zest of one lime (optional) or orange

Pour over crust.
 

Bake at 325F for 35 minutes, or until firm and lightly brown on top. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for about half an hour. It's great plain or topped with fresh berries.

Ice Cream

I had to give up processed sugars in 2007, and I went without sweets for a long time. Human physiology is amazing, and my tastes adapted quickly. (Especially considering that I used to start breakfast with a handful of M&Ms.) After a few months, milk tasted so sweet to me it made me nervous to drink it.

Then my mother gave my eldest kid an ice cream maker. Although baking with only liquid sweeteners (honey, maple syrup, agave) is a huge challenge, ice cream is easy! I recommend the type of maker with a chilled bowl you keep in your freezer. We use the Cuisinart, and have an extra bowl in case we want ice cream 2 days in a row.

Basic ice cream

2 cups heavy cream*
1 cup milk
1/4 C agave syrup
1 t vanilla

Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Stir in the other ingredients, and follow the directions for your ice cream maker.

Variations:
for Chocolate, add 1/4 C cocoa powder. You can also chop up a square of unsweetened baker's chocolate and throw it in.
For Fruit, puree 1/2 C of fruit and add another cup of pieces. (Whole, if berries, chopped, if peaches.)

*Be careful and read your labels! Fat-free "cream" is made of corn syrup and oil, and is not food. Don't eat it!

Barbeque

I'm not going to post many dinner recipes. Gluten and sugar free dinner is easy if you cook real food and don't serve bread. However, there are certain dishes that I love that are traditionally made with sugar. Of my two favorites, barbeque and sushi, we make both at home with great success. 

My children love this bbq sauce, and when they have more traditional sauces elsewhere, they don't like them! This recipe is adapted from Epicurious, first published in Bon Appétit magazine, March 2005, submitted by Joan and David Oswalt of Pasadena, California. Although I have made it with fresh berries, frozen works just as well.

The recipe as written is terrific, but I've slathered the sauce on chicken and pork chops as well. It's best when combined with the simple spice rub.

The rub:

4 teaspoons chili powder

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

The sauce:

2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries or frozen, thawed

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup minced peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

2 slabs baby back pork ribs (about 2 pounds)

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

Mix chili powder, garlic, and salt in small bowl; rub mixture into ribs. Place ribs on large rimmed baking sheet, meaty side up. Bake ribs 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree sauce ingredients in blender until almost smooth.  Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. 

Brush ribs with enough sauce to coat. Continue baking until sauce browns and forms thick glaze, about 10 minutes longer. Cut slabs between bones into individual ribs. Serve with remaining blackberry sauce. 

This sauce stores well in the freezer, and this recipe makes more than enough for two delicious dinners.