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Easy Slow Cooker Pho Bo

I love pho. Growing up in the Bay Area, you can find a good pho place in almost every neighborhood. The whole experience of picking which meats you want in it, getting that huge steaming bowl of broth, and then picking apart Thai basil leaves, squeezing the lime in, throwing in some jalapeños, sriracha, hoisin, whatever I want. Bean sprouts are such a welcome crunch, and those thinly shaved onions with sweet and salty broth, tender brisket, and chewy noodles: it’s one of my favorite ways to cure a cold or warm up a cold day. Here in Monterey, we have an awesome pho place that makes amazing broth. But I also love the experience of making pho myself. I wanted to have broth left over for freezing, which was its own long process, but along the way I stumbled across my new favorite way for making a small portion of pho broth. 

Pho is such a process, and it can take such a long time to get a really good, rich broth going. The slow cooker, I discovered, is a fantastic way to set and forget the hours long process of slowly simmering the flavor out of beef bones and fat. I didn’t have access to budget friendly, good quality beef bones, so I chose to make my broth from whole fatty chuck roast. For the factors of ease, price, and availability, I chose to go with my own spices (from the Mexican market, for whole spices and good price points), 1 1/2 lbs of fatty chuck roast from Costco (I cooked the other 1 1/2 lbs in something else), and dried noodles. I set the pho up at about 7 pm yesterday, and woke up at about 8 am to a beautiful smell in my house and a broth ready for dinner tonight. 

If you’re looking for an easy way to have a home-cooked, delicious pho for dinner, this slow cooker process will give you the easiest results! It does take about half an hour to 45 minutes of prep to set up, but the rest is just set and forget cooking and then easy serving. 

Recipe below the cut: 

In addition to ingredients, you will need: a slow cooker, cheesecloth, and kitchen twine. 

Ingredients for broth: 

4 to 6 star anise

10 cloves

1 tsp. fennel seeds

1 cardamom pod

1 ½ TB coriander seeds

2 cinnamon sticks

5 garlic cloves

2 medium onions (yellow or white), quartered

3 to 5 inch piece of ginger, sliced

1 pound piece of chuck roast with lots of fat on it

1 tsp. fish sauce

1 TB salt to start, more to taste

1 inch chunk of yellow rock sugar or brown stick sugar from an Asian market

½ tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. rice vinegar

Ingredients for serving:

8 oz. banh pho noodles (or rice stick noodles, sold in the Asian section of your supermarket)

fresh lime quarters for each serving

Optional toppings:

2 green onions, sliced

cilantro

thai basil

½ yellow onion sliced very thin and soaked in cold water

fresh jalapeño

sriracha

fresh mung bean sprouts

First, prepare the seasonings for the broth. If you want a particularly good flavor, use your grill or gas burner to char the outside of your ginger and onions. Then, place them in the slow cooker. Put the chuck roast on top of this bed of onions and ginger. Add the sugar, fish sauce, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and salt on top of the beef. 

If it seems to you like there are a lot of spices in this, you’d be right. But all the dry spices can be popped in the same frying pan and dry toasted until fragrant, then wrapped up in cheesecloth and kitchen twine for an easy to remove spice bundle (you can also let them float free if you’re willing to do the extra work of straining later.) Toast the spices (fennel, star anise, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves) and contain them in any way you want before placing them in your slow cooker on top of the beef. 

Fill the slow cooker up to the maximum fill line, set to low, and leave for at least eight hours- or until the beef is falling apart, and the broth has fat floating on top. Taste the broth and add salt (or sugar) as needed, to your taste. Mine definitely needed more salt, but I also routinely crave salt, so- I made the initial measurement more conservative.

In a pot, boil salted water and cook the rice sticks until tender and opaque. Divide into a small mound at the bottom of each large bowl. Remove the beef from the broth, and shred it, placing a serving at the bottom of each bowl. Place mung bean sprouts, lime juice, basil, cilantro, onions, jalapeño, sriracha, and green onions on top as desired, then pour broth over each bowl until full. 

Enjoy!

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Get ya spice game up. I go to a local farmers market and get all my spices. They have a whole spice wall that I love.

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Pumpkin Sage Pasta

So, you know when you taste something, and it just... takes you back. Some memory, somewhere, some person, all linked to a food. For me, food is an incredibly powerful memory tool, because my family shares food as a form of love. Recipes, and places we’ve traveled, and memories, and new experiences are all shared in food, and they have this irreplaceable way of transferring emotions to us. 

Which ties in to the reason I’m posting this recipe. Because this pasta, for me, brought back with such perfect vividness the memory of eating a pumpkin sage ravioli in the North End of Boston at Giacomo’s on my fourteenth birthday. It was so buttery, so cheesy, so creamy and wonderful. The pasta was handmade, and it had the absolute best chew to it. I recall it exactly. But since going gluten free, and in many cases avoiding dairy, I hadn’t thought to try and bring that beautiful taste back into my life. Well, that ended Tuesday night. 

Jules’ family is visiting, and with their visit comes dietary challenges- no corn, rice, soy, wheat, dairy, or nuts. A solution and a wonderfully happy medium was this pasta, its delicious sauce served over Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi. I really want to try it with other pastas now too. It is so warming and comforting, and pumpkin and sage is such a classic combination. Because we live in foggy Pacific Grove, it was easy to eat such a hearty meal on a summer’s day, but for many of you this will be more of a fall or winter recipe. As the woman in my current favorite youtube series, Pasta Grannies, says, “Buon Apetito.” 

Recipe below the cut!

2 packages of TJ’s cauliflower gnocchi, or approximately 24 oz. gnocchi. If you’re using a rotini, fusilli, macaroni, or penne, use about 12-16 oz. 

A generous few TB of olive oil

A good handful of sage leaves, chopped roughly, plus 1 TB reserved and minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. fresh thyme (if it’s not fresh, leave it out, it isn’t worth it)

1/2 an onion, chopped finely

4 TB of tomato paste

1/2 c. broth of your choice (I used veggie broth)

1 16 oz. can of pureed pumpkin (butternut squash puree would also be awesome, I think)

1 can of coconut cream

1-2 tsp. salt and pepper each, to your liking

3 TB parmesan, plus more parmesan to top (1 1/2 TB nutritional yeast in the sauce if you’re going dairy free/vegan)

In a large nonstick skillet (big enough to hold pasta and sauce together) pour a generous amount of olive oil and add the sage, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, and onion. Heat the oil with the spices and aromatics in it until the sage is browning slightly, and the onion is translucent. Then, add the tomato paste. Add the half cup of broth, stirring until the tomato paste is easily mixable. Then, add the pumpkin and bring to a simmer as you mix it.

Add the coconut cream and stir thoroughly, seasoning with salt and pepper to your liking along the way. Finally, add the 3 TB of parmesan or the 1 1/2 TB of nutritional yeast, and bring the sauce to a simmer again. Let it simmer a good 15 minutes to let everything come together. 

Cook your pasta to al dente, or according to instructions, and add a little pasta water along with the pasta to the sauce. Let the sauce meld with the pasta and thicken up a little. You can add some chopped rotisserie chicken or perhaps some sautéed seitan if you want a little protein! Serve with parmesan (or breadcrumbs) sprinkled on top, and it will warm you to the core on a cold night! 

Enjoy!

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Chawan Mushi: Variations on a Theme

Around my house, chawan mushi is really kind of a spontaneous thing. I rarely measure, but it always turns out pretty much the same. I guess at this point, I’m mostly so used to making it when we don’t have enough eggs for both of us in the morning, or we have random veggies I’d like to use up. It’s such a warm, lovely breakfast- and it can be a great side dish to lunch or dinner too. Even on a summer morning, I’ll get up early and make it ahead of time, let it chill, and eat it cold. 

This picture is a mushroom version of chawan mushi, with pumpkin in it as well. 

As for cooking it, if you have a steamer apparatus, you should definitely use it. Our steamer basket doesn’t always fit the size ramekins or glass bowls I’m steaming it in, so what I’ve also found to work is a small dish towel on the bottom of a large skillet, fill the skillet with water, place the ramekins in, and cover. They won’t slide around, because of the towel, and they won’t chip against the pan either! Until we get our new steamer, that’s the way I’m going to be making this delightful dish. 

Recipe below the cut!

Basic Ingredients

2 eggs

3/4 c. chicken, fish, or beef stock (dashi stock is most traditional, I believe)

1 dash mirin

1 tsp. soy sauce (or temari, or 2 tsp. coconut aminos and a pinch of salt)

Seasoning options:

1 dash fish sauce

1 dash sriracha

1 clove minced garlic

Vegetable options:

1/3 c. shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly

1/3 c. cooked kabocha squash chunks

1 chopped green onion

1/3 c. drained and thawed frozen chopped spinach 

1/2 carrot, sliced thinly

1/4 c. edamame beans

1/4 c. canned pumpkin, drained well (add slightly less stock)

Protein options:

1/3 c. chopped cooked chicken

1/3 c. chopped cooked shrimp

1/3 c. slices of fish cake

While there are very many different methods of filling your chawan mushi, the basic recipe is much the same. 

Whisk together the eggs, stock, soy sauce, mirin, and other seasonings as desired in a bowl until fully combined and homogenous- there should be little to no egg white or yolk visible anymore. Place the veggies you desire in the bottom of your containers before pouring the egg mixture over. Divide the egg mixture into 3 ramekins, or one larger glass container. Then, place the protein on top of the mixture. 

Bring water to boil in a steamer, or rigged up sauté pan like I mentioned in the recipe description. Gently put the cups of chawan mushi in the steamer and cover. Steam for 12-18 minutes (up to 25 if your container is much larger), until the egg is firm but, as one recipe I recall vividly described it, “soft and silky like tofu”. 

Using careful hands, tongs, and oven mitts if needed, remove the finished ramekins or containers and place on a towel on your kitchen counter to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm. 

Enjoy!

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Pernil con Aji Verde, Pico de Gallo, y Tamales Verduras

I just made a recipe of Aji Verde (recipe found here) and I needed something to put it on (other than: the latke I ate with breakfast, my eggs, a piece of chicken I had for lunch, and just about every veggie today, because it’s so so good.) Well, we had country ribs in the freezer, and potatoes in the drawer! 

I love the flavors of pernil- even if a traditional pernil would have definitely been a boneless pork shoulder, and we just had what was available in the freezer. But this was so delicious, and it tasted perfect. We also had leftover veggies, some maseca in the cabinet, and a lot of tomatoes. This meal was, overall, one of weekend convenience, and I was so pleasantly surprised by how delightful it was together. 

Pernil is marinated overnight (at least 18 hours!), so be sure to plan ahead. And if you don’t have time or energy to get corn husks, which I didn’t, you can make some sacrilegious tamales with foil. Lots of different veggies go fantastically in a tamale: zucchini, roasted carrot, tomato, mushrooms, onions, sweet corn, summer squash. Be creative with what you have! 

Recipe below the cut!

For the Pernil Style Roast

2 lbs. pork country ribs

6 minced cloves garlic

3 TB olive oil

1 ½ tb. apple cider

Juice of two limes

1 TB oregano

1 TB onion powder

1 tsp cumin

½ TB chili powder

1 ½ tsp. sugar

½ TB salt

ground pepper to taste

1 sliced onion

1 lb sliced potatoes

For the Cheater’s Easy Tamales Verduras

1 1/3 c. maseca, mixed with 1/2 TB salt, onion powder and pepper to taste

3/4 c. chopped, cooked, and strained spinach

1/2 c. sautéed mushrooms

3 minced garlic cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 c. greek yogurt (I use CoYo coconut yogurt substitute)

2 c. boiling water

1/4 c. olive oil

1 tsp. boullion paste. 

1/2 tsp. baking powder

aluminum foil or soaked corn husks

For Serving

pico de gallo

aji verde

The day before cooking, pat the country ribs dry, and place in a sealable container (non metal). Mix together garlic, cider, lime juice, olive oil, oregano, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, sugar, salt, and ground pepper. Pat and massage into the ribs until they are completely covered. Seal container and put in fridge overnight (for about 18 hours total). 

When you’re ready to cook, take the roast out to come to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 x 13 or roasting pan with oil, and place sliced potatoes and onion in it as a bed for the ribs. You can also season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Then, gently lay the ribs over the potatoes and onions. Place the pan uncovered in the oven for 3o mins. 

After 30 minutes, pour 1 cup of water into the pan, and cover it with foil. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and roast for between 1 hour 30 minutes and 3 hours, until the ribs are tender and falling apart, and the potatoes are cooked through. This long cooking time also lets the sauce reduce a bit in the pan. 

While you are cooking the roast, make the tamales verduras. Set a pot of water to boil with a steamer attachment in it, so you can steam the tamales. 

To make the tamales, first mix the maseca and spices with baking powder, boullion, and olive oil, and pour small amounts of boiling water in until it comes together into a springy dough. Let it sit while you prepare the filling. Mix spinach and mushrooms with garlic, greek yogurt or coyo (you can also use chevre goat cheese!) salt, and pepper. Then, using corn husks or aluminum foil, pat a small layer of masa down on the wrapper, and use a tablespoon to put veggie filling in the middle. Roll the filling using the wrapper to form the tamale, and wrap it loosely in the wrapper. 

Place them in the steamer for approximately an hour. When finished, set aside. 

Remove from the roast from the oven when it is finished cooking, and let cool for about ten minutes.

Plate the dishes side by side with the pernil atop the roasted potatoes and onions, and the pico de gallo and aji verde on top of the tamale. Aji verde also goes great with the pernil. 

Enjoy! 

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Aji Verde

A delightful Peruvian sauce! Here’s my take on it. I made a few pepper adjustments based on what we had- the recipe I adapted called for jalapeños, but only serrano were available, so I made do. You can adjust this as spicy or mild as you like- definitely use jalapeños if you want is less spicy than serrano. 

This goes good on: tofu, potatoes, pernil, tacos, salads, sandwiches, you name it! It’s almost like a light, spicy, cilantro heavy aioli. 

Recipe under the cut!

2 TB olive oil

¼ c. chopped yellow onion

⅓ c. mayonnaise

Juice of 1 lime

2 TB white vinegar

1 TB mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1 serrano pepper OR 2 jalapeños

1 ½ c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves

7 cloves garlic, minced

1 poblano pepper, charred on the grill

1. Slice and dice everything into blender appropriate chunks, making sure to remove the seeds from the peppers using gloves.

2. Add all ingredients to blender, and blend thoroughly until it becomes a smooth, creamy green sauce.

3. Taste and adjust spiciness and saltiness to your liking!

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Beef, Mushroom, and Horseradish Stew

It’s a cold May here in Pacific Grove, and I’ve got those characteristically achey fibromyalgia muscles and joints from it. The fog came in pretty heavy these last three days! There was a sale on mushrooms and on sustainably raised stew meat, so it was time to brew up something that could make us warm from the inside out. Stews are fantastic set and boil things, so I stacked all the ingredients in a pot after browning my meat and left it to simmer while I tutored one of my favorite kiddos over Skype this afternoon. By the time tutoring is over, the stew has reduced as much as it needs to, and I can keep a more watchful eye on the tenderness of the meat. 

I love adding horseradish to a stew- I used the grated, prepared kind found in a jar at the supermarket. If you add it in the beginning only, it adds a sweet and mellow note. If you add it in the end, it’s bright and kicky. I love to add it at both times for a multidimensional flavor. It’s worth noting here that you could probably use a better wine than we did, but this one was three dollars and locally made, so it got chosen for that over flavor concerns. 

Recipe under the cut! 

1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat 

24 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced

8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 c. chopped onions

3 stalks celery, sliced 

1 c. carrots, chopped

6 cloves garlic

2 TB of prepared horseradish, divided into 1 TB portions

3 cans broth

2 cups water

2 tsp. better than bouillon paste

5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

1 c. red cooking wine (we used Estancia 2016 pinot noir)

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. ground black pepper

Season beef pieces with  salt and 1 tsp. black pepper.  Heat oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot over MED-HIGH heat until shimmering, then add beef in a single layer.  You can do this in stages if you need to, to avoid crowding them.  Brown on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side, then take off heat.  Reserve beef to the side. 

Add onions and garlic to the pan, and sauté for a few minutes until browned bits appear. Then, add beef back into the pan. 

Add mushrooms, celery, carrots, 1 TB of horseradish, broth, water, bouillon paste, Worcestershire sauce, cooking wine, and the other tsp. of black pepper to the pot and stir thoroughly. Set on a simmer and keep the stew going for about 3 hours, or until the beef bits are tender and falling apart. 

Then, add the other TB of horseradish, and stir thoroughly. 

If you want to thicken the stew, you can use a roux of 1 TB butter and 1 TB flour, mixed in a separate bowl, and added to the mixture at this time. After adding the roux, you can cook it for about 20-30 more minutes, and then serve hot with potatoes, bread, rice, or on its own. 

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Creamy Mushroom Gravy

I found some really nice portabella mushrooms at the supermarket, and I’ve been wanting to eat gravy and mashed potatoes lately. But I don’t love making white meat-based gravy, since I can’t do dairy, and coconut cream doesn’t go well with the meat flavors in a gravy, in my opinion. 

This was my compromise- tonight, we’ll eat this mushroom gravy on a few mini potatoes, with a new type of plant protein sausage (beyond meat brand) I’m going to try, and some Brussels sprouts. I think it turned out really well. It’s not meat, but it does give me that savory, salty sauce that I want with my potatoes!

Recipe below the cut!

1 can of broth, any kind

1 or 2 dried shiitake mushrooms

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. boullion paste, matching the broth

1/2 c. canned coconut milk (not lite or coconut “beverage”)

1 portabella mushroom, chopped as shown in picture above

ground pepper to taste

2 tsp. corn starch, dissolved in 1 1/2 TB of cold water. 

The first step is to steep the broth- it’s almost like making a savory tea. Bring to a boil the can of broth (or equivalent amount to 1 can) with the dried mushroom and 1/2 tsp. of thyme. Lower it to a simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Next, strain the thyme and mushrooms out of the broth, and reserve broth. Take the dried, now rehydrated mushrooms and set aside to cool, and discard thyme. 

In the pan, pour a few teaspoons of oil, and fry the portabella mushroom, stirring occasionally, until it’s browned and aromatic. Add half of the garlic and stir. Return the broth to the pan, add the boullion paste, and crack pepper into the pan. 

Simmer this mixture until reduced by a third, with portabella mushrooms becoming soft and tender. While it’s simmering, slice the reserved rehydrated mushrooms and use a garlic press to smush the soft mushroom through. You will get a paste somewhat like the minced garlic! This should be added to the gravy before the coconut milk. When the gravy is reduced, and the mushroom paste is added in, pour the coconut milk in. Bring to a boil. 

Now, stirring constantly, add the cornstarch mixture. The gravy will thicken significantly as it cooks. When it reaches the texture you prefer, take off heat, add the rest of the garlic, and let cool. Once cool, blend it until just slightly chunky. Serve on potatoes, stuffing, or with biscuits! 

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Semi-Homemade Gluten Free Choco-mint Brownies

So maybe you’re like me, and you have a chronic illness (personally, I struggle with fibromyalgia and a few others.) That doesn’t mean baking has to be a huge pain in the butt, and stop you from making delicious things! I had the energy to make a brownie from scratch, but the frosting was just going to be too much work. For one, it had to be dairy free, and a dairy free buttercream isn’t my favorite to make. For two, it’s a Monday, and I already baked all last weekend! 

Grasshopper brownies were Jules’ request for their actual birthday, though. So I wanted to make that happen. Despite the amount of sugary recipes I’ve been posting, we actually restrict our sugar and starch intake in this house quite a bit, to deal with my insulin resistance. The birthday was an excuse for three whole nights of desserts, back to back, and this is the final night’s offering. 

So I went at a semi-homemade version of grasshopper brownies (no green food coloring in the house, sadly) and it turned out really really well! I used a store bought frosting, flavored with peppermint, and a from-scratch brownie recipe, modified to our allergies. These brownies are super fudgy and dense!

Recipe below the cut! 

3/4 cup plus 2 TB of gluten free flour (your own premade blend, or 1/2 c. rice flour, 1/4 c. tapioca starch, 2 TB millet flour)

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips (divided into 1 cup and 1/2 cup portions)

8 TB earth balance soy free margarine sticks (or 8 TB butter and 1/2 tsp. salt)

3 TB unsweetened cocoa powder

3 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 package of Pillsbury “White” whipped frosting. (It’s dairy free, can you believe it?!)

Peppermint extract, to taste

1 TB coconut oil

In an 8 x 8 baking pan, make a foil or parchment sling, in order to remove the brownies easily, and spray with oil. 

Whisk the flour blend, salt (if using unsalted butter instead of margarine), xanthan gum, and sugar together in a medium bowl. 

Microwave 1 cup of the chocolate chips, the margarine, and the cocoa powder in a bowl for a few minutes (1-3) with the power level at 50%, stirring occasionally, until it’s smooth and melted thoroughly. Let it cool just a bit. Then, whisk the eggs into it. 

When the eggs are totally combined, add the vanilla and dry ingredients. Mix completely. Pour into the prepared pan, and let sit for thirty minutes. THIS STEP IS VITAL! You need to let gluten free flours hydrate fully, or your baked goods have a high risk of turning out gritty and gross. I know it’s sad to wait for brownies but I promise it’s worth it. 

While you’re resting the batter, you can preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. When your batter is done resting, put the brownies in for 40-55 minutes, turning it around halfway through. They should be done when a skewer or knife in the middle comes out pretty clean. It may not come out completely clean, but that’s just because it’s such a low flour recipe. 

Let the brownies cool completely, and then turn them out on a paper towel or rack to remove the foil sling. Place them back in the pan. 

Now, mix peppermint extract into the pre-made frosting until you get your desired level of mintiness. I used about 1.5 tsp. before I hit the right amount for me. Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies. 

Melt the 1/2 cup of reserved chocolate chips and the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl until smooth. Then, drizzle over the top of the frosting and spread carefully to create separate chocolate and frosting layers. 

Keep brownies in the fridge in an airtight container once cut and enjoyed. 

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Tutto Il Limone Tart with Rhubarb: A 2 Day Lemon Adventure

Yesterday was a family BBQ for Jules’ birthday, and I made a gluten free & dairy free All of the Lemon tart with a Rhubarb gel made from that recipe of rhubarb compote I posted earlier this week. It’s not exactly a single step recipe: in fact, it takes some planning, prep work, and knowledge of mixing gluten free flours. In this post, I’ll put links to the recipe for tart dough (both gluten full and gluten free) and the compote. This recipe is originally a Dolce Italiano recipe, but I’ve modified it for food allergies. It’s vegetarian (using agar to set the gel) as well. 

If you have sweet lemons (Lebanese, Meyer, etc.) growing in your back yard, this is a nice way to use up a few without having to make lemonade or chicken piccata for the fourth time this week. It’s a strong and sour flavor, balanced nicely by the rhubarb gel. I put some borage flowers on the top, as suggested by my mom, to decorate it and fancy it up a little. The tart will set well, but be warned that if you do not roll your dough out (or press it into the tart pan, in gluten free cases) thin enough, you may get a soggy middle. 

I used a Wilton tart pan, shown above, and my favorite brand of coconut milk, also shown above. I find it has a great fat content for replacing heavy cream. Make sure you refrigerate it and scrape the fattiest bits off for use in the recipe to correctly replace heavy cream. 

Recipe below the cut!

For the Tart Shell: Click Here

For the Rhubarb Compote: Click Here

Also needed: 1 1/2 tsp. agar agar powder. 

For the Filling:

2 large lemons

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup coconut cream, scraped off a refrigerated can of coconut milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

The Day Before: wash the lemons, then slice them as thinly as you can using a sharp knife. Take out the seeds put the slices in a medium bowl (make sure it’s nonreactive). Add the sugar and toss to coat the lemon slices. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Make the tart shell as shown in the recipe linked above, or your favorite tart shell. Refrigerate the dough overnight. 

The Baking Day:  Preheat the oven to 325 and position a rack in the center.

For Gluten-Full Crusts: On a floured board roll the tart dough to an 11 inch circle 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 10 inch tart pan with fluted sides and a removable bottom by rolling the dough around the pin like a carpet and then unrolling it onto the pan. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan, then trim it so it is flush with the top of the pan. Chill the tart shell while you make the filling.

For Gluten-Free Crusts: Pinch bits of dough off the ball of refrigerated dough and place them evenly throughout the tart pan. Then, cover with a piece of plastic wrap and press gently and evenly to mold them together into one large crust. Even out as needed.  Take the bowl of lemon slices from the refrigerator and put the entire mixture in a blender. Add the lemon juice and coconut cream and blend the ingredients on high speed until the lemon rinds are finely chopped. Transfer the contents of the blender to a medium bowl (non-reactive bowl needed!). In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Add the egg mixture to the lemon mixture, whisking well to combine thoroughly. Remove the tart shell from the refrigerator and place it on a cookie baking sheet to catch drips. Pour the filling into the shell carefully. Bake the tart for 20 minutes, then turn the pan, and bake for an another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is set but still pale. The crust should be lightly golden for gluten free crusts and a little more brown for gluten full crusts. Let the tart cool completely  before moving on to the next step, if you are putting the rhubarb topping on. If not, dust with powdered sugar and serve chilled. 

Prepare the rhubarb compote as shown in the recipe linked above. Then, when it has cooled slightly, blend it in a blender until smooth and pureed. Return it to the saucepan, and add the 1 1/2 tsp. of agar agar powder. Stir thoroughly to combine and bring to a boil. Then, while still hot, pour over the cooled tart and even out thoroughly. 

Chill tart until serving. 

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Tart Crusts: G-Free and G-Full

I use a pretty basic tart crust recipe on almost every tart I make. When I’m going for a gluten-full tart, I use a recipe from my favorite dessert cookbook, Dolce Italiano, modified only slightly. When I’m going gluten-free, however, as I usually am, I go for a modified version of the Cook’s Illustrated How Can It Be Gluten Free cookbook. My significant other’s mom has tons of food sensitivities, so I am usually modifying gluten free recipes to fit her personal needs. Therefore, my tart shell recipe is a little complicated. If you want to make it simpler, just use a pre-made gluten free flour blend like King Arthur’s or Cup4Cup, substituted for the total volume of flour used in the recipe. 

When I am making a tart with a specific flavor, I like to add something like a spice or citrus zest to the crust to tie it all together. Feel free to add lemon zest for a lemon tart, a little bit of nutmeg for a custard tart, etc. 

Recipes below the cut!

Sweet Tart Crust (Pasta Frolla) for Regular Wheat Tarts

2 ⅓ cups all purpose flour

⅓ cups granulated sugar

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. baking powder

Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon or 1 small orange

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) of unsalted butter, cold, cut into ¼ inch cubes

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

¼ cup heavy cream

A few drops of ice water if necessary

Place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and citrus zest in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to combine the dry ingredients. Add all of the cold, cubed butter to the bowl and pulse to process the mixture until it is sandy and there are no visible lumps of butter.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Add the wet ingredients to the food processor, and pulse 3 or 4 times, or until the dough comes together. If necessary, add some ice water, a few drops at a time, to make the dough come together.

Remove the dough from the food processor and work it with your hands to even out any dry or wet spots. Form the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, and warp in plastic to chill for 1 to 2 hours before rolling out. You can freeze the dough well wrapped for two months.

Tart Crust for Gluten Free Tarts (makes one 13” tart, or halve for a 9’’ tart pan.)

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ⅔ cups plus ½ cup gluten free flour blend (1 cup sorghum flour, ⅔ cup tapioca starch, ½ cup oat flour, if making for rice/corn sensitive folks)

½ cup confectioners sugar

⅔ cup light brown sugar (well packed)

2 tsp. xanthan gum

½ tsp. salt

16 TB. unsalted butter, cut into ¼ inch pieces and chilled

3 tsp. ice water

Whisk egg yolk and vanilla together in a bowl. Process flour blend, brown sugar, confectioners’ sugar, xanthan gum, and salt together in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter butter over top, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 10 pulses.

With processor running, add egg yolk mixture and continue to process until the dough just comes together, around 15 seconds. Add 1 teaspoon ice water and pulse until dough comes together. If dough does not come together, add remaining 1 teaspoon ice water and pulse until dough comes together.

Turn dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour (up to 2 days, or frozen for up to months.)

Let the dough sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes. Spray a tart pan with removable bottom with oil spray, and roll dough between to large sheets of plastic wrap, since it will be very sticky. Use with any tart recipe.

[whatluluate]

My Favorite Brussels Sprouts

These Brussels sprouts are really simple, and fairly neutral as a side dish. I think they go well with lots of different foods. Here, I’ve paired them with my rosemary pork tenderloin in onion gravy I wrote about a few posts down, some thyme roasted mushrooms, and roasted beets. If you’d like the recipe for that pork loin, check here. 

If you want to spice them up a bit more, try balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top, or add some minced garlic! Crushed red pepper flakes will turn the heat up as well. I also find pine nuts and pepitas to be a welcome dimension of crunch if you want that. 

Recipe under the cut! 

1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts, cut into 1/2 inch slices and washed thoroughly

2-3 TB oil

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c. water

parmesan cheese to garnish

These Brussels sprouts do most of the work themselves! Heat the oil in a pan and arrange the sprouts in a fairly even layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a pan and let sit undisturbed for 3-5 minutes, or until caramelized and browning. It may seem like they’re burning- but they’re really just gaining an extra dimension of flavor! 

Add the 1/2 cup of water to the pan, stir, and cover again. This time, let them sit until all the water has evaporated. On medium heat, for me, it took about seven minutes. Once you can hear them crackling away again and the water is gone, check them to make sure they’re nice and soft. If they’re ready, turn the heat off. If not, add a splash more water and let them steam a little longer. 

Once off the heat, add the lemon juice and toss to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and serve as a side dish! 

[whatluluate]

Gluten, Nut, and Dairy Free Mojito Cookies

Jules’ mom is massively food intolerant- she can’t have rice, corn, soy, wheat, dairy, most nuts, too much sugar, or a multitude of FODMAP foods. Last 4th of July, I was determined to find a dessert that she could enjoy! I landed on a recipe from Allergy Free Alaska, a great website for low-allergen or allergen free recipes. That recipe still had some things she couldn’t eat, so I modified it further for her to get these cookies. I found them really hard to roll out, so they’re a better drop cookie than roll out sugar cookie. 

Enjoy them on a summer day and relish in the fact that almost anyone can eat them!

Recipe below the cut!

3/4 cup soy free earth balance margarine

3/4 cup cane sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp. cold water

2 TB lime juice, divided into 1 TB each

3 tsp. lime zest, divided into 2 tsp. and 1 tsp. respectively

1 tsp. finely minced fresh mint leaves

1/2 tsp. sea salt (if your margarine is unsalted)

1 tsp. baking powder

2 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum. 

2 1/2 teaspoons millet flour

3/4 c. sorghum flour

1 cup tapioca starch

1/4 cup potato starch (or more tapioca starch)

1 c. confectioner’s sugar

lime green food coloring (optional, if you want to color them like the ones above)

1 tsp. silver rum

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the margarine, brown sugar, 1 TB lime juice, 2 tsp. lime zest, 1 tsp. of mint leaves, and cane sugar. Cream the mixture together. Add the egg, water, and vanilla, beating until completely blended. Then, add salt, xanthan gum, millet flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, and potato starch. The dough will be pretty wet and sticky! 

The dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour so the flours can fully hydrate. While it’s chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Drop the cookies in rounds and press down with greased fingertips to create the circular shape. Bake for 10-14 minutes until the cookies are slightly golden around the edges. Cool while you make the icing. 

In a large bowl, mix together the confectioner’s sugar and 1 TB of the lime juice, the silver rum, and 1 tsp. of lime zest until it forms a thick glaze. Pour into a ziploc bag, and cut a small hole at the corner to use as a piping bag, and decorate as you like! If the glaze is being tricky, add water or coconut milk until it forms a nice consistency. 

If you want to make them into lime slices like I did, you can separate out the glaze into three different bags and make three different shades of green. 

[whatluluate]

Chateaubriand Steak with Goat Cheese Potatoes and Broccoli Rabe

When we first moved in to our house in Monterey, I wanted to make something special and hearty for our first winter night here. The Whole Foods had chateaubriand steak on sale, and we already had broccoli rabe, goat cheese, and potatoes at home. It was a good way to celebrate our move! 

Recipe below the cut! 

1 lb. chateaubriand steak or roast

2 TB olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 sprig rosemary

3 cloves garlic, smashed

2 TB shallots, minced

1/2 c. dry red wine

1 c. beef broth

1/4 c. coconut cream

2 yellow potatoes

2 TB margarine

1/2 c. herbed goat cheese (chevre)

1/4 c. coconut milk

1 c. broccoli rabe 

1 TB balsamic vinegar 

To make the goat cheese potatoes, boil the two yellow potatoes and remove the skins. Mash until slightly chunky, and add the goat cheese and margarine while still warm. Stir thoroughly until the mash comes together, and it’s well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. 

To make the broccoli rabe, chop the broccoli rabe into two inch long pieces and sauté in a frying pan until tender with some olive oil. If the broccoli rabe begins to brown or burn before it is tender, add some water to the pan and cover with a lid to steam it. When it’s tender, and the water or juice has completely reduced, pour the balsamic vinegar over it and set aside. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and let the steak sit out to rest at room temperature while it preheats. Rub the steak with salt and pepper to taste, and sear it in a cast iron skillet. Letting the steak rest in the pan, add 2 TB of olive oil, the sprig of rosemary, and three cloves of garlic. Place the steak in the oven for 8 minutes to get a medium rare finish, or 10-12 for a more well done steak.

Let the steak rest on a cutting board when you remove it from the oven for at least ten minutes. 

While the steak is resting, sauté the shallots in the pan drippings, and then deglaze the pan with the red wine and beef broth. Add the coconut cream, and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly. Set aside. 

Plate the steak, broccoli rabe, and potatoes together, pouring the red wine reduction over the potatoes and steak, and serve hot. 

[whatluluate]

Brown Sugar Bacon

I used this as an excuse to make a fun snack and garnish with some leftover pork rub from another recipe! You can use it to top a potato dish (particularly sweet potatos), butternut squash, or to spice up a salad. I’m going to be putting it on some brussels sprouts later. Recipe under the cut! 

1 lb of bacon

2 TB brown sugar

ground pepper, to taste

optional: 1 tsp of five spice powder, ginger, rosemary, or cayenne powder. 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easier cleanup- I made the mistake of trying it first without, and ended up with a terrible mess to scrape out of my baking sheet.) Lay your bacon strips flat and grind pepper over them to your liking. 

If you’re using another spice, add it to the brown sugar and mix thoroughly. 

Sprinkle the brown sugar over the bacon, making sure it’s fairly evenly covered.  Bake the bacon for 12-15 minutes, or until it’s crispy and the sugar is caramelized. 

Serve as its own candy treat, or use as a garnish. 

[whatluluate]

Rhubarb-Ginger Compote: A lovely topping for a lemon pie, ice cream, or pound cake. 

I’m testing out recipes for my significant other (Jules), because it’s their birthday this next Monday! We’re having a family barbecue this Sunday, and I wanted to bring something that celebrates the fresh spring weather and produce we’re getting here on the peninsula. 

The result: a rhubarb compote, which will sweeten and add complexity to the slight bitterness of the tutti di limone tart (all of the lemon tart) I’m making as the main dessert. The recipe for the tart will be forthcoming in the next few days as I make parts of it and get a chance to photograph the process. 

Remember that rhubarb stem is edible when cooked, but the leaves should never be eaten! If you get rhubarb with leaves attached, remove them carefully and throw them out or compost them. 

Recipe under the cut! 

3 cups of rhubarb stem, chopped into 1/4 inch slices. 

1/4 cup of candied ginger, preferably not crystallized. Trader Joe’s has a reasonably priced uncrystallized ginger, shown here in the photo. 

1 1/2 TB honey

1 TB lemon juice

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. sugar

Place the chopped rhubarb, ginger, honey, lemon juice, and sugar into a large saucepan or pot, and stir well to combine all the ingredients. Then, sprinkle the baking soda over the mixture and mix well. It will foam, but don’t worry- it takes the tartness and bitterness down a level, which I wanted because the lemon tart I’m pairing this compote with has a bitter note to it. You don’t have to add the baking soda if you’re going to put this compote on something that’s very sweet, because the sourness will be balanced by that! 

Cook on a medium heat, allowing it to bubble, stirring frequently to prevent crystallization of the sugar. When the rhubarb is soft and coming apart in the sauce and the juices have thickened slightly. 

Cool, and serve as a sauce or accompaniment to another dessert! 

This keeps well in the fridge for a few weeks, or freezes easily for a future use. 

[whatluluate]

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Onion Gravy

When I was younger, one of the foods with the greatest association to my grandparents’ house was pork tenderloin. Sometimes my grandfather would grill it, and sometimes my grandmother would roast it, and usually it was served with some sort of preserved fruit sauce. I can vividly recall the warm colors of their kitchen and the bright overhead lights, watching my grandfather cut the tenderloin carefully into little medallions of juicy pork. 

Today, I tried my own version of this classic with rosemary powder I just got in the mail from an online spice retailer. This will cover a 1 1/4 lb. pork tenderloin. 

Recipe under the cut! 

1 TB powdered or fresh minced rosemary

3 TB brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground pepper

1 TB oil

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. mustard powder

1 1/4 lb pork tenderloin

1 yellow onion, chopped roughly

7 garlic cloves, chopped roughly

optional: 4 strips of bacon

1 TB mustard of your choice

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. better than bouillon paste (flavor of your choice, I used roasted beef)

1/4 c. broth

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Chop the onion and garlic roughly, and place in an oiled roasting pan. Personally, I used an 11x7 brownie pan and it all fit quite nicely.

Mix the rosemary, brown sugar, pepper, salt, oil, cinnamon, and mustard powder together to make a coarse rub. Rub the pork tenderloin with the mixture thoroughly. Rest the tenderloin on the onion in the pan, and lay the bacon strips over it, cutting them as necessary to cover the top. 

Roast the tenderloin for 25-35 minutes, or until the roast is browned on the outside and there is no pink in the middle. This should be about 165-170 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle on a meat thermometer. 

Rest the tenderloin for ten minutes before slicing it into medallions and leaving it to rest further while you make the “gravy”. It’s not really a true gravy with flour thickeners and deglazing of pans, but I can’t have gluten full flour so I choose to thicken my sauce with the roasted veggies. 

Place the roasted onion, garlic, and pan drippings into a blender with the tablespoon of mustard, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon paste, and broth. Blend until just slightly chunky, but mostly smooth. 

Serve the tenderloin with roasted veggies (I’m doing brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and beets) and pour the onion sauce over the top.