New Years Cake?

January is always a funny month. Working in coffee, I see the classic New Years' patterns. Pastries are avoided for the first week after the New Year is rung in, sugar is cut back, people switch from large lattes to black coffee... it's a little predictable. I like to be a little unpredictable. Making decadent chocolate cake in January is how I start new habits!

My husband got me a wonderful cookbook for Christmas: Flourless by Nicole Spiridakas. I have been eating gluten free for almost one year (since finding out I am celiac), and Jordon has been very gracious in eating all sorts of gluten-free fails (and successes). This book has a neat philosophy that goes against trying to make all desserts taste 'normal' by replacing them with gluten free flours. This book is all about keeping it simple, natural, and delicious. It uses lots of nut and seed flours, and who doesn't love almonds and pistachios, really? 

This pear chocolate cake is a delicious, moist, and beautiful dessert. Check out the full post on the Farminista Blog! 

A Stinkin' Big Pancake.

 I had never been the biggest fan of breakfast. It actually used to be difficult for me to eat so early in the morning, so I rarely ate much at all. Until I got a full time job and I knew I wasn't going to be able to eat until lunch time. So I forced myself to put something down in the early hours every single day. Slowly, but surely, I found myself starting to enjoy it. And then I discovered coffee and everything changed. Suddenly, breakfast tasted so much better! Seriously, coffee with any breakfast makes me so happy. I don't think I'll ever tire of drinking it. 

Once I discovered this jentacular love (I've always wanted to use that word. Now seemed like the perfect moment), I now make breakfast at all times of the day. I also have found myself enjoying a wide range of breakfast related foods. Yesterday just so happened to feel like a Dutch Baby day. And, looking at the 10 lb. box of blueberries in our fridge, I realized I had no choice but to make a blueberry syrup to go with. It turned out to be magical. Heaven, really. In pancake form. 

Dutch Baby Pancake with Blueberry Syrup

adapted from Naturally Ella

2 eggs

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

zest from 1/2 a lemon

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cups blueberries

1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine eggs, maple syrup, milk, flour, salt and lemon zest and blend or beat with a whisk. Try to remove any lumps of flour

3. On the stovetop, melt butter in a 10" cast iron pan (I did not use cast iron, but have a stainless steel pan that can be used under hot temperatures). Swirl the butter around to cover all areas inside the pan. Remove from heat and pour in batter. Bake in oven until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. 

4. Meanwhile, combine blueberries and maple syrup on the stovetop and simmer at a medium temperature until berries burst.

5. Remove dutch baby from oven and serve!

-Jenni

Summer Meals

I'm longing for summer weather. There have been too many rainy days and chilly mornings for it to really be June! To make things a little easier, we've been getting into Summer meals. We can't eat them all on the patio yet, unfortunately. But we are barbecuing, farmers market shopping, and plant watering in order to make the summer come eventually!

I tried making a recipe based on these Rainbow Spring Roll recipe I found. Full of colourful veggies, fresh herbs, wrapped in rice paper wrappers, and dipped in a sweet and sour sauce, they are so light, summery and delicious!

I think the first time I saw rice paper wrappers in all their beautiful glory (other than a restaurant setting) was the summer me and Jenni lived together. I had just recently started cooking for myself, and Jenni made something similar to this recipe and stored them in our shared fridge. I was a bit impressed by her culinary skills, I'll admit. The rice papers looked so delicate and thin! Little did I know they would be so easy to use...and really quite durable. Oh well. Jenni, you impressed me!

I adapted the recipe a tad. Here's my version.

3/4 red pepper, cut into thin strips

1 carrot, cut into thin strips

shredded cabbage

spinach cut into strips

1 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tsp fresh basil, chopped

6 rice paper wrappers

Place about 3-4 Tbsp of this mixture in each rice wrapper, soaking the rice wrapper 15 seconds in warm water before filling.

I absolutely loved the sauce for these bundles of goodness. The base for it was originally oolong tea. I used a ginger jasmine tea, and it was fantastic. Here's my version:

1/3 cup of orange juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup strongly steeped ginger tea

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp gluten free soy sauce

few drops sesame oil

pinch red pepper flakes

1 tbsp corn starch

Bring everything but 1/4 cup of tea and cornstarch to a boil. Add cornstarch to reserved tea and make a slurry, add to boiling mixture and reduce heat until it becomes a thick glaze. 

We added a little prosciutto wrapped asparagus on the side, cause it's just so good!

What are some ideas for light summer meals that you have in your repertoire?

Kristen

Turkey + Courgette Burgers

We like connecting with others around us over creative things and every once in a while, we would like to invite others to share their creative endeavours in this space with us! Today, I've invited Bethany, a dear friend and food enthusiast, to share a few thoughts and something tasty. She works in a cute cookbook shop, Barbara Jo's Books to Cooks, and is surrounded by food inspiration daily so she always has something delicious to share. You can also find more of Bethany's previous cooking adventures on her blog, Page and Crumb. Now, without further ado, here she is to share a delectable looking recipe!

When my husband and I moved to Edinburgh for his Masters degree, I was afraid we’d be lonely. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. During the two years we lived in Scotland, we made some wonderful new friends and had 20 friends and family members come to visit us! Naturally, this meant a lot of cooking and sharing meals around our table. And while the conversations were always different, one thing was always the same, the food on the table had to be simple, but delicious.

One of our favourite cookbooks to get inspiration from is Jerusalem, by Yotam Ottolenghi. Initially I thought this book would be one for special occasions only, one I would bring out when I wanted to make something really different and impressive. But I’ve found myself easily making dishes inspired by this ancient city even on the weekdays.

This recipe for Turkey Courgette Burgers is one of our favourites for both ease and flavour. They are the perfect kind of sharing food, and are very portable- great for picnics and potlucks with both old and new friends. We usually serve them with cous cous (made with the zest of one orange and chopped almonds) and a green salad.

And even though I seem to be one of those people who can never fully complete a grocery list, these little guys always come together. Forgot the cilantro? Add more mint. No green onions? Use red instead. Oftentimes I use extra courgette; it’s become a little game to see just how much I can add without the burgers crumbling apart, and they look so beautiful with all that green inside.

Turkey & Courgette Burgers with Spring Onion and Cumin

Adapted from Jerusalem

For the burgers you’ll need:

500g ground turkey

2 medium courgettes (zucchini), grated

2-3 spring (green) onions, thinly sliced

1 large egg

2 tbsp chopped mint

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

pinch of dried chilli flakes

vegetable oil, for frying

Sour Cream and Sumac Sauce:

100 g sour cream

150 g Greek yoghurt

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 small garlic clove (or half of a big one), crushed

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp sumac

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

First make the sumac and sour cream sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the flavours according to what you like. We like it extra sour, so often add more lemon juice and sumac. Refrigerate until needed.

Then, in a large bowl mix together all of the ingredients for the burgers except the oil. Once thoroughly mixed, shape into burgers that are roughly the size of your palm.

Coat your frying pan with a thin layer of oil to keep your burgers from sticking and preheat the pan to medium high. Once the pan is hot, add the burgers and fry until cooked through and golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature with the sauce spooned over or on the side.

-Bethany

The Upscale Sandwich

Sometimes, you need a good sandwich for lunch. Everyone has tried to elevate the sandwich lately. From changing the bread to changing the name to something fancy, sandwiches are constantly being revamped into something more than the PB + J. 

Here's my take on the elevated sandwich. In easy to follow photos. Cause that's more fun. 

Toast your bread in the oven with goat cheese on one side until it gets warm, toasty, and melty. 

Add dijon mustard. 

Top the dijon side with the greens of your choice (I used spinach) and some oven roasted chicken. 

Add sliced figs and almonds to the goat cheese side. 

Add some more greens, cause greens are good. 

Sandwich the sides together!

It's just a sandwich, but these flavours are some of my favourite together! The sweetness of the figs, the creaminess of the goat cheese, the tangy-ness of the dijon. It's just a good combination. 

Some substitution ideas I had:

- Roasted apples instead of figs

-Arugula in lemon juice instead of spinach

- Fresh Basil/Mayo instead of Dijon

Other amateur foodies, Please try it! Let me know what you think.

Kristen

Lemon Sorbet

I have a memory of when I was first living on my own. I had no car, hadn't figured out the bus system yet, and it was a fairly long walk to the grocery store. My roommate was feeling incredibly ill and I, feeling sorry for her, wanted to help her out by picking up some soup for her. Which ended up being a predicament considering my no-transporation situation. So naturally, I called up Grandma. Grandmas seem to know everything about making people feel better and not only did Grandma drive all the way to our house with homemade soup, she stopped by the grocery store to pick up a nice big carton of lemon sorbet. 

This was my first encounter with this deliciously refreshing dessert. And oh, how that memory has lasted on my tongue to this day. I haven't been able to find that same brand of lemon sorbet (and, believe me, I've tried!) but I decided to experiment with making my own and it comes in a close second. Surprisingly, it's not all that difficult to make, either! You will find yourself in an incredibly lucky situation if you have an ice cream maker, but for those of you without one, do not fear. You'll have your lemon sorbet delightfully swirling on your tongue in no time! 

Lemon Sorbet*

Serves 4

1 1/4 cup water

1/2 - 3/4 cups sugar (I used 3/4, but it was quite sweet)

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (or 2 large lemons)

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water and sugar. Add the lemon zest and stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.

2. Add lemon juice to sugar mixture, stir and freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions. If you're not using an ice cream maker, pour your mixture into tall container and place in freezer. Stir every few hours for even freezing. Once it is almost totally frozen, blend the mixture using a high speed blender. Place the mixture back in its container in the freezer and let set for 4 hours. 

3. Let that frozen lemonade tasting goodness fill your mouth and savour the taste :)

Slightly adapted from Spoonful of Flavor 

*Not recommended for eating under cold conditions. Be advised that brain freeze may follow. 

The Amateur Foodie: Farmers' Market Salad

Sometimes, I really do crave a salad. Sure, I like a good hearty burger sometimes, or a nice steak, but with spring coming (finally), I wanted to create a healthy, hearty salad.

A reminder, I'm an amateur foodie. This isn't a hard recipe! But sometimes, when I really don't think I can cook, I watch Kitchen Nightmares. Have you seen that show? Yikes, some people. Really makes me crave fresh food! I stopped by the Farmer's Market in the morning, and came home to made a nice fresh salad. Here's how I did it. 

First, I roasted some chickpeas. I started with a blend of curry powder, cumin, paprika, and garlic powder. I sprinkled that blend over rinsed, shelled chickpeas with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. 

Roasted for 40 minutes at 350F, they came out nice and crispy. 

To create the salad, I started with some really nice greens from Floating Gardens. So fresh!

Added a hard-boiled egg. 

Topped it with some sweet cherry tomatoes. 

Sprinkled some goat cheese. 

My dressing is a nice combination of a bit of extra virgin olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, some black currant ginger juice from Just Ginger, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

I have grown to make all my salad dressings. Honestly, we don't go through a dressing bottle fast enough in our house, and there's often gluten in salad dressings, which I can't have. It's easier, fresh every time, and way tastier!

And here's the final product! So tasty!

Farmer's Market Salad

- a nice big helping of greens

- 1/3 curry roasted chickpeas

- 6-7 cherry tomatoes

- 1 hard boiled egg

- a scant 1/4 goat cheese

- Black Currant Ginger Vinaigrette 

Have you tried any new recipes this week? If you need inspiration, head to the farmers' market. You won't regret it. 

The Amateur Foodie: Tasty Guacamole

This is a really short and sweet post as I am in Portland, taking a little mini vacation with the hubster! More to come on that later, but for now to keep your senses salivating, I made this amazing guacamole the other day from Is This Really My Life? blog. I had avocados to use up before the trip, so guac it was! And what a guac it was...yum! If you also have avocados to devour, head on over to find the recipe. And if you happen to have mangoes to use up, (because really, who doesn't have mangos and avocados coming out of their ears?? Unless you don't have a Superstore where there are amazing deals, in which case, I'm terribly sorry) they taste great alongside the chips and guacamole!

The Amateur Foodie: Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

I'm not an incredible baker or cook by any means, but in the last few years I've started to REALLY enjoy trying out new recipes and learning new techniques. It helps that I work at a coffee shop that totally encourages creativity in that area. I get to learn from some pretty talented people daily. This series is designed to share some recipes Jenni and I have tried, maybe teach you something (?) and share some general food love!

A challenge I have in cooking and baking is making it all gluten and dairy free for myself. As the gluten thing is new, I'm still making gluten-full cookies for my husband! This recipe is so decadent. In his words, "It's like a brownie cookie". And infused with Madcap Third Coast Espresso, they truly are a treat. 

I found the recipe here at Hungry Rabbit, and adapted it only a little. Instead of coffee and espresso powder, I pulled one double shot of espresso and added that. This ends up being more than 1 tbsp of liquid, but I just omitted the Kahlua. These cookies are decadent enough as it is! I also reduced the sugar by 1/2 a cup (I always seem to do this with desserts...I know, it's strange, but I like things less sweet!) And for the chopped chocolate, I used dark chocolate chips, but topped each with a chopped Godiva chocolate truffle! Are you drooling yet?

My husband and I recently ordered Madcap Third Coast Espresso blend, and it's so tasty, I had to include it in the cookies. Currently, it's a blend of San Sebastian Columbia, Ariel Honduras and Borana, Ethiopia. It's described as creamy and citrusy most prominently, but the chocolate notes really come through in this cookie, obviously...cause there's a lot of chocolate in the recipe. But if you're in the market to try a new espresso, I'd highly recommend this one. 

If you're looking for a treat to get you through the week, this might be it! 

Are there other amateur foodies trying out new recipes this week? Let me know what you've tried! 

Kristen