Monday, 8 April 2013

Recipe Catch Up!

Hey everyone, Happy monday again!

I have promised several recipes that I haven't posted yet, so I am going to play catch up today!

First, and easiest to post, is the Paleo Bread that I made last week.  I can't take any credit for this one and I am going to send you directly to the source so that this woman gets all the credit she is due!

click here for the recipe.


You have to scroll all the way down to get to the actual recipe.

The first time I made this I somehow used baking powder instead of baking soda, so it was short, dense and a little bland.  (Still amazing for carb free bread though.)

The second time I made this, I added more salt (because it was bland the first time) and made sure to use baking soda.  They rose much better....but were WAAAAAAAY to salty.  I hadn't connected the dots that baking soda is salty too.

Third try worked like a charm.  Made one plain loaf and one loaf with dark chocolate bits, a splash of vanilla and 1/2 cup of xylitol.  The chocolate loaf took significantly longer to bake, but its amazing with coffee in the morning or afternoon.

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Second promised recipe is the Cauliflower "loaded baked potato" soup from a few weeks ago.   The weather is getting nicer, but this is still amazing on a cold and rainy spring day.  This recipe is so good that my grandmother-in-law who can't remember anything for more than 10 minutes, remembered this soup a WEEK later :P

I can't find where I first saw this recipe but if do find the source I will post a link for credit.   Of course, being me I changed it up a little bit anyway and this is my version.   I also made 14 batches at once...it freezes very well.


Here is the recipe:

Makes 3-4 servings

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets.
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed (more or less to your taste)
2 c. water or broth
1 t. sea salt
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 t. black pepper
2 T. nutritional yeast seasoning (available at most health food stores, this is what adds most of the flavour and cheesy taste)
Diced chives or onions, bacon bits and shredded cheese to garnish.

Instructions:

In a large pot, place cauliflower, garlic, water and salt.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Drain cauliflower and reserve the cooking liquid!

Puree with an immersion blender or regular blender.   With motor running, add back in 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, olive oil, pepper, and nutritional yeast.  Adjust seasoning to taste, add more liquid if necessary.

Serve hot, top with chopped onions, bacon bits and shredded cheese :)

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The third and final recipe is probably the most impressive ;)  It is completely AMAZING for something that is almost completely carb/starch free (the only added starch is corn starch) and sugar free as well.  I can't take much credit for it...but it sure is YUMMY!  I made two of these for Easter.  I will say that this pie does not hold its amazing consistency if you try to freeze it.  Its edible, but it is much better not to freeze it.


Sugar Free - Grain Free - Lemon Chiffon Pie

Coconut Flour "Graham Cracker" Crust

1/4 cup almond flour*
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup salted butter, softened (I would use a bit more butter next time)
1/4 cup xyletol
1 organic egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (325 if you have a convection oven)

Mix the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix until combined and crumbly.

Using your fingers, press the dough as evenly as possible ;) into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie or tart pan.

Bake for 15 minutes for a pie pan (7 minutes for a tart) cool completely, then add filling.


* In all of the recipes that I use almond flour in, I use my own.  This has proven to be somewhat difficult because the term "almond flour" generally means almond MEAL.  Almond meal can be made by pulsing almonds in a blender or food processor until coarse.  But if you want to know how to make FLOUR that doesn't need to be refrigerated and is exactly what I use for my recipes then click here to read my tutorial on almond milk/flour making.

Lemon Chiffon Pie (filling)

This recipe is from Cooks Illustrated Magazine and they have a fantastic article on how to get the perfect consistency by using corn starch and gelatin.  The only thing I did was use Xylitol instead of sugar, and I used 3/4 cups total, not 1 1/4 cups.  

For ease, I am just going to copy and paste the recipe and add my changes.  The link is at the bottom if you want to read the article.

Serves 8

*Before cooking the curd mixture, be sure to whisk thoroughly so that no clumps of cornstarch or streaks of egg white remain. Pasteurized egg whites can be substituted for the 3 raw egg whites. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

1 t. unflavored gelatin
4 T. water
5 large eggs (2 whole, 3 separated)
3/4 c. xylitol 
1 T. cornstarch
1/8 t. salt
1 T. grated lemon zest plus 3/4 cup juice (4 lemons)
1/4 c. heavy cream
4 ounces (half a block) cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, softened

Instructions:

Sprinkle ½ teaspoon gelatin over 2 tablespoons water in small bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Repeat with second small bowl, remaining ½ teaspoon gelatin, and remaining 2 tablespoons water.

Whisk 2 eggs and 3 yolks together in medium saucepan until thoroughly combined. Whisk in xylitol, cornstarch, and salt until well combined. Whisk in lemon zest and juice and heavy cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and slightly translucent, 4 to 5 minutes (mixture should register 170 degrees). Stir in 1 water-gelatin mixture until dissolved. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 2 minutes.

Remove 1¼ cups curd from pan and pour through fine-mesh strainer set in bowl. Transfer strained curd to prepared pie shell (do not wash out strainer or bowl). Place filled pie shell in freezer. Add remaining water-gelatin mixture and cream cheese to remaining curd in pan and whisk to combine. (If cream cheese does not melt, briefly return pan to low heat.) Pour through strainer into now-empty bowl.

Using stand mixer, whip 3 egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and slowly add remaining ¼ cup sugar. Continue whipping until whites are stiff and glossy, about 4 minutes. Add curd–cream cheese mixture and whip on medium speed until few streaks remain, about 30 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and, using spatula, scrape sides of bowl and stir mixture until no streaks remain. Remove pie shell from freezer and carefully pour chiffon over curd, allowing chiffon to mound slightly in center. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days before serving.

Serve with whipping cream sweetened with stevia or xylitol (you would want to zing the xylitol in a coffee grinder until it is a fine powder, otherwise it will not dissolve in your whipped cream.  You'll just get crunchy whipped cream!

Find the original recipe or read the full article here.



Hope you enjoy these!  Let me know if you make any of them!!!

xoxo

Marie