Blog

Jan
9

Preserved Meyer Lemons

Meyer Lemon is a special lemon. It’s smaller and sweeter than other lemons; its rind is thin and delicate with a fragrant floral aroma. It’s less acidic and tastes like an orange and a lemon had a baby 🙂 That’s how I would describe it …

Usually, Meyer lemons are available only in winter. Some are darker in color, kind of a light orange color, which can be confusing. The first time I saw a Meyer lemon was when a co-worker brought it in to work. Thinking it was an orange, she bit into it–her face had the expression of a sour surprise …

A good way to enjoy them even when they’re not in season is to preserve them and make a preserved lemon condiment, which means to let them pickle in their own juices and salt until they become tender with perfect balance of tart , saltiness and a hint of bitterness (from the rind).

Most preserved lemon recipes call for at least 2 to 3 weeks before it is ready to be used. I find that with the Meyer lemons it’s much quicker. Five to seven days is enough; the thin skin and slicing them very thin speeds up the process. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, use regular lemons, but just keep in mind that they will take longer to preserve.

When ready, the liquid becomes thicker–almost like an oily jelly consistency. A deeper flavor will develop with time; the more it sits in the liquid the better. Oh… the flavor! So simple to make but yet so intense and bold.

If you’re like me, you will treat this stuff like a jar of gold… I add just a little bit at a time to stews, sauces, sandwiches, salad dressings; or garnish just like in this stuffed grape leaves recipe. Once it’s in the fridge, it’s good for up to 6 months.

Ingredients

4-5 Meyer Lemons

1 Tbsp. Sea Salt

1 Cup fresh Lemon Juice

1 Cup filtered Water

Preparation

First, wash the lemons and trim both ends.

Slice the lemons very thinly, and remove the seeds.

Combine the brine liquid and pour over the lemons in a glass bowl. Press down on the lemons a bit with a large spoon or fork to squeeze out more juice and to soften them. Make sure everything is submerged in the liquid and cover. Set aside for 5 to 7 days at room temperature.

When ready, transfer into an airtight container/ jar and store in the refrigerator.

You can always adjust the saltiness if it’s too salty for your taste. Just wash some in water before you use them or add more water into the jar.

Category: Blog, Dips and Spreads, Easy & Simple, Gluten Free, Raw, Recipies, Uncategorized

Dec
19

Roasted Cauliflower Potato Leek Soup

It’s finally snowing in New York and its a perfect day for homemade hot creamy soup (without any creams of course …)

A little “twist” to the typical ‘Potato Leeks Soup’ here, is simply the addition of cauliflower. Oven roasted cauliflower to be precise. Roasting the cauliflower on high heat concentrates the flavor and that steps it up from good to awesome as in Awe-Some-More Please!!

Ingredients

3 Medium Potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

1 Head of Cauliflower (Cut into florets)

1 Large Leek, finely chopped (use only the white and light green parts)

3-4 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 Quart Vegetable Broth

2 Cups Water

Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. Adobo or (Spice mixture that contains: Sea salt, garlic, onion, black pepper, oregano, bay and turmeric)

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Roasted Sliced Almonds (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°

Spread the cauliflower florets on to a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Roast for about 25-30 minutes, tossing half way if needed until golden brown at the edges, check every few minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn.

In a large pot, sauté leeks and garlic in little olive oil, add the roasted cauliflower, potatoes, vegetable broth, water and spices until the vegetables are covered in liquid. bring to a boil and let it simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Use a hand blender to blend until silky smooth, add water if its too thick.

Taste and adjust spices if needed.

To serve: sprinkle black pepper and roasted sliced almonds.

Category: Blog, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Recipies, Soups

Dec
11

Homemade Hummus Spread with Baby Bella Mushrooms

Hummus is a must have staple in our kitchen, it’s always in the fridge and ready to use as a base for sandwiches, wraps or just like in this recipe – as a dip topped with mushrooms, served with fresh pita bread and chopped salad. Hummus is a Mediterranean spread/dip made from Garbanzo beans A.K.A Chic Peas, Tahini paste, lemon and spices. It is a good source of protein, calcium (in the Tahini) and is very satisfying.

I sometimes buy a good quality Hummus but prefer to make it myself from scratch. It takes 5 minutes on the clock to prepare, and yes, I did time myself (: I like to use the BPA-Free Tetra Pak® Garbanzo Beans or the BPA-Free Can (just like in my Mexican Black Bean Dip recipe). Sometimes I add a bunch of pitted olives into the food processor, for added zest, and make an Olive- flavored Hummus, which is absolutely De-Lish’!

Ingredients

1 Can or 1½ Cup Cooked Garbanzo beans (about 15oz)

1½-2 Tbsp. Tahini

2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (Juice of ½ lemon)

1 tsp. Cumin

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt to taste

For the Mushroom Topping:

1 Pack Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced ,stems off

Oilve Oil

Salt and Pepper

Chopped Parsley ,Scallion and Paprika for garnish

Preparation

Place all Hummus ingredients in a food processor and mix, add lemon juice and olive oil gradually, until it becomes paste like consistency. Taste and adjust to your liking.

If it’s too “dry”, I like to add a little bit of the sesame oil that’s at the top of the Tahini Jar. (It also adds more flavor).

You can add more lemon juice or water if it is still not as smooth as you like, add it gradually, a Tbsp at a time so it won’t be too “watery”.

Don’t forget to leave some whole chic peas on the side for later.

Sauté the mushrooms in oil for a few minutes, until soft, add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, generously spread homemade Hummus on a plate. Drizzle olive oil on top, add mushrooms, chic peas and scallion. Decorate with paprika and parsley.

Get some fresh pita bread and start “wiping”…

Category: Blog, Dips and Spreads, Easy & Simple, Gluten Free, Lunch, Party, Recipies, Snacks, Uncategorized

Oct
24

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce

Just saying “chocolate cake” makes everyone smile 🙂 . Chocolate cake with raspberry sauce makes me smile even more. It was one of my pregnancy cravings… I was addicted to a chocolate soufflé with raspberry sauce from a Belgian restaurant in NYC and made my husband go with me or bring it home every chance I got… Sometimes at crazy hours. Well, you get a permit to harass your husband when you’re hormonal 😉

According to a Parenting magazine, chocolate is the number 2 most craved food by pregnant women, right after ice! It said “Chocolate — or any sweet for that matter — is something pregnant women can’t get enough of. This could be because chocolate makes you happy, and since there’s no drinking for pregnant women, chocolate is literally the next best thing. An old wives’ tale states if you crave sweets it means you’re carrying a girl”. Can you believe it?! Pregnant or not, nobody says NO to a piece of this moist chocolaty gorgeous red raspberry goodness.

I wanted a taller cake so I actually made two cakes to assemble as two layers. It is perfect as a one layer cake too, so If you want you can skip the second cake and just make it without the jam/sauce in the middle.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

Makes One 9 -Inch Round Layer

Dry:

1 ½ Cup All Purpose Flour

1 Cup Sugar (I used Turbinado Cane Sugar)

1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

¼ tsp. Baking Powder

½ tsp Salt

Wet:

1 Cup Almond Milk (I used sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk)

½ Cup Oil (Canola Oil or Grape-seed oil)

1/8 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

Raspberry Sauce:

2 Cups Fresh Raspberries

2 ½ Tbsp. Water

¼ Cup Sugar

1 tsp. Lemon Juice

1/8 tsp. Salt

For spreading between the layers:

3 Tbsp. Raspberry Jam

Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

Dark Chocolate chunks (about 1 and 1/2 – 2 Cups)

1 Cup Almond Milk

4 Tbsp. Maple Syrup (or Sugar)

Garnish:

Fresh Raspberries

Handful roasted Pistachios

Preparation

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°

Brush with oil a 9-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together wet ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

In another bowl sift together the flour and cocoa powder, add in the rest of the dry ingredients.

Combine the wet into the dry and mix until smooth.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. (check if it’s ready, insert a tooth-pick it should come out dry)

Let the cake cool before adding the ganache and the raspberry sauce.

Raspberry Sauce:

Place all sauce ingredients In a medium saucepan, cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

Place the sauce in a small food processor or a blender and blend until smooth. Press it through a small fine mesh strainer with a spoon to get rid of the seeds. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Mix 3 Tbsp. of the raspberry sauce with 3 Tbsp. of store bought Raspberry Jam to make it thicker. “Shave” the top of the bottom cake to make it more even. Flip the top layer cake upside down to get a flatter top and spread the raspberry sauce and jam mixture between the two layers of cake before covering with the ganache frosting.

Ganache Frosting:

In a saucepan, boil the almond milk, reduce to simmer, add the chocolate and maple, turn off the heat and stir well until the chocolate has melted.

Cool a bit, spread over the top and sides of the cake and place in the fridge to harden.

To Serve:

When you are ready to serve, cut the frosted cake, decorate every piece with a raspberry, pour some raspberry sauce on top, sprinkle with pistachios and start dieting tommorow…

Another way to decorate…

Category: Blog, Holidays, Kid Friendly, Party, Recipies, Sweets and Desserts

Oct
15

Penne A La Cherry Vodka

Traditionally, Penne Alla-Vodka has a pink creamy sauce. What gives the sauce its pink color is the tomato sauce mixed with heavy cream. These days, “Heavy cream” means something else for me. It means heavy cow’s udders, udders that will never comfort and nourish a baby cow because in the dairy industry cows are separated from their babies right after birth and the calfs are thrown into a small cage the size of their body. The mother cows are then “milked” by painful machines, so humans could steal their milk and drink it in their coffee or make heavy creams. Sad but true, I know it doesn’t have to be like that. We can have delicious nutritious food without it.

If you feel like you need a drink now… I’ve got your fix… how about Cherry Vodka? Well, not really for getting drunk but more for depth of flavors, most of the alcohol evaporates during cooking anyway, so don’t worry! it’s Ok to give it to the kids, worse case scenario they’ll go to sleep early. Just kidding, just kidding… (;

The ‘Cherry’ part in the Penne Alla ‘Cherry Vodka’ was an honest mistake which turned out to be a good mistake. I opened the freezer, picked up the bottle of Vodka without looking at it too much. Later I remembered that alcohol is not always vegan, I ran back into the kitchen to check and only then I realized it was a Cherry Vodka. Oh well, too late, it was already in the pan making friends with tomatoes and cashews. Also, technically tomatoes and cherries are both fruits right? so why not? it works for me… I was happy to find out that it was indeed a vegan Vodka, which made it even more tastier now 🙂 If you want to find out if an alcohol beverage is vegan, you can check it on this site: http://www.barnivore.com

For the ~~Heavy~~ Happy cream I used cashew butter mixed in with unsweetened soy milk, If you can’t find cashew butter it’s easy to make a simple cashew cream/”milk” from scratch. (see below)

Ingredients

1 Pack Penne Pasta (about 16 oz.)

2 Cups Crushed Tomatoes (I used San Marzano 28 oz. can)

1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste

4 Tbsp. Cashew Butter (Or ¼ Cup raw cashews: see below)

1 Cup Unsweetened Soy Milk

3-5 Cloves Garlic

2 Tbsp. Cherry Vodka

1 tsp Oil

1 tsp. Dried Basil

Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to the directions on the package, (about 9 minutes to get it ‘Al-Dente’) Drain and set aside (do not wash the pasta!)

In a saucepan add the garlic and oil, sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, cashew butter, soy milk, cherry Vodka, basil, salt and pepper.

Stir in more water or soy milk if it’s too thick.

Cook for about 15 minutes and pour over the pasta to serve.

If you prefer to make the cashew cream from scratch:

Soak ¼ Cup raw cashews for 2-4 hours in water. Wash and drain. In a high-speed blender, place the cashews and ¾ Cup of soy milk or water and blend until creamy, add into the tomato sauce. (Instead of the cashew butter and soy milk).