Sunday, November 4, 2012
autumn spice no-oat meal
today is nearly done, but before i go to bed i had to share a link for a recipe my friend sara told me about a couple weeks ago. i opened the link on my phone and it has been staring at me every day since then. finally, this evening i made it. it was INCREDIBLE. and, totally grain-free. here's the link...try it soon!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
hot fudge and coconut "cake"
my good friend (who is also our ASL teacher) had a birthday today. as part of a class surprise, i made a "cake" out of chocolate covered katie's coconut crack bars and my hot fudge. both use no cane sugar and are grain-free. the result was a delicious mounds-type "cake" that was devoured quickly...leaving me without a picture, but with multiple recipe requests.
if you haven't gotten to know katie yet, you should. she has remarkable desserts and treats. nearly all of her creations are grain-free and refined sugar-free. all are incredibly delicious. my only problem with ms. katie is this: her recipes are too small. surely she does this on purpose because she isn't cooking for a family of six and (if it was me) would probably make herself sick eating large amounts of dessert. you can find and follow katie here.
back to our "cake"...i started with katie's recipe, but made a few changes. my recipe for the coconut "cake" looked like this:
5 C unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 C coconut oil, melted (do this by placing the sealed coconut oil jar intoa bowl of hot water)
3/4 C agave
1 T vanilla
put the above ingredients into a food processor and let them mix for 3-5 minutes. press finished dough into a 9" springform pan or 9x13 pan (for a thinner bar). allow to chill in the refrigerator or freezer until hot fudge is ready.
you could totally stop there...it's delicious by itself. but to kick it up to the next level, the hot fudge topping is a neccesity. this is the same hot fudge i used in my boccone dolce.
hot fudge
3 T butter
3 T honey3 T coconut oil
2 T cocoa powder
add
if you haven't gotten to know katie yet, you should. she has remarkable desserts and treats. nearly all of her creations are grain-free and refined sugar-free. all are incredibly delicious. my only problem with ms. katie is this: her recipes are too small. surely she does this on purpose because she isn't cooking for a family of six and (if it was me) would probably make herself sick eating large amounts of dessert. you can find and follow katie here.
back to our "cake"...i started with katie's recipe, but made a few changes. my recipe for the coconut "cake" looked like this:
5 C unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 C coconut oil, melted (do this by placing the sealed coconut oil jar intoa bowl of hot water)
3/4 C agave
1 T vanilla
put the above ingredients into a food processor and let them mix for 3-5 minutes. press finished dough into a 9" springform pan or 9x13 pan (for a thinner bar). allow to chill in the refrigerator or freezer until hot fudge is ready.
you could totally stop there...it's delicious by itself. but to kick it up to the next level, the hot fudge topping is a neccesity. this is the same hot fudge i used in my boccone dolce.
hot fudge
3 T butter
3 T honey3 T coconut oil
2 T cocoa powder
cut butter and set aside. melt coconut oil and honey while whisking in cocoa powder.
once everything is melted and mixed, whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. allow to cool slightly and pour on the cake or into a jar (preferably one that your spoon will fit into nicely for when you abbé the urge...and i know you will because i tend to eat it straight from the jar. ;)
i topped my coconut cake with about 1/2 C of the hot fudge and then put it in the freezer to chill and set for 25-30 minutes. run a knife around the edge of your springform pan, and serve your beautiful creation.
add
Thursday, August 23, 2012
chocolate pudding (that's GOOD for you!)
avocados...in pudding? let's just say i was more than skeptical when i saw the recipe here, but with a bag of avocados on my counter and a strong desire for dessert i thought i would give it a try. it was awesome. in my family, awesome is a word reserved for few things. growing up my mom would say, "sweetie, God is awesome, babies being born are awesome. *that* is not awesome."
this pudding could challenge her definition. it has the consistency of those horrible-for-you pudding cups and my children beg to eat its healthiness, so i'd say that's pretty awe-inspiring. ;)
chocolate avocado pudding (or "chocamole" as kirby likes to call it)
the family of six recipe
4-5 avocados
1/3 C cocoa powder
1/3 C maple syrup or agave (both work wonderfully)
2-3 T milk, almond milk, coconut milk, or water (i usually end up rinsing out my maple syrup or agave bottle with the water and then pouring that into the mix)
1 T vanilla
pit and scoop avocados. place everything in your food processor and let it whirl for 3-5 minutes, or until you see no small green pieces. serve with whipped cream or whipped coconut cream and berry sauce, hot fudge, or fresh fruit. be forewarned that this pudding is deceptively filling. four avocados is seriously enough to feed the six dessert-mongers in my house. if you didn't believe me and you made too much, don't worry...it saves in the fridge for at least three days (that's as long as it's ever lasted).
enjoy!
this pudding could challenge her definition. it has the consistency of those horrible-for-you pudding cups and my children beg to eat its healthiness, so i'd say that's pretty awe-inspiring. ;)
chocolate avocado pudding (or "chocamole" as kirby likes to call it)
the family of six recipe
4-5 avocados
1/3 C cocoa powder
1/3 C maple syrup or agave (both work wonderfully)
2-3 T milk, almond milk, coconut milk, or water (i usually end up rinsing out my maple syrup or agave bottle with the water and then pouring that into the mix)
1 T vanilla
pit and scoop avocados. place everything in your food processor and let it whirl for 3-5 minutes, or until you see no small green pieces. serve with whipped cream or whipped coconut cream and berry sauce, hot fudge, or fresh fruit. be forewarned that this pudding is deceptively filling. four avocados is seriously enough to feed the six dessert-mongers in my house. if you didn't believe me and you made too much, don't worry...it saves in the fridge for at least three days (that's as long as it's ever lasted).
enjoy!
baked egg recipe
okay, so i realize it's been a while since i have posted anything. what's new? my sister camye of the quad cities moms blog was sharing some of my recipes on tv today, so i thought i should probably have one of the only-in-my-brain recipes online. also, this may be a good excuse to catch you up on all of the other recipes i have been sitting on for the last month(s). first, the baked egg. it's basically a quiche filling made without a crust. giving up extra flour a few years back led me to make it this way. i know, i know, it's nothing groundbreaking, but i've been making it this way for over five years now and some people may not have been introduced to it yet. in the meschke household, it's a common meal...for breakfast and dinner. it's a very flexible recipe, as you will see.
baked eggs
12-18 eggs, beaten
1/2-1 C milk or yogurt (or non-dairy alternative)
1 onion, diced (red, yellow, or sweet...if you have onion-pickers, i suggest using a microplane to grate the onion)
salt and pepper
add-ins:
cheese (shredded mozzarella, colby jack, jack, cheddar, etc, or crumbled feta, goat cheese, gorgonzola...you get the drift)
meat (browned sausage, crumbled bacon, diced ham, etc)
veggies (chopped peppers, mushrooms, fresh tomato, chopped spinach, shredded or sliced zucchini, etc)
extra seasonings (nutmeg, basil, oregano, stone ground mustard, bruschetta spread, etc)
beat your eggs, then whisk in the milk/yogurt. stir onions and other add-ins into the egg mixture. pour into greased 9x13 pan, 10x14 pan (if you used 18 eggs and lots of add-ins), or divide between muffin tins. bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes for pan or 18-25 minutes for muffin tins. it's done when the center doesn't jiggle. let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. leftovers are very good!
some of my favorite baked egg combinations are:
traditional ham and cheese: use one 8oz package of hormel naturals smoked ham, diced, 1-2 C shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese, 1 T stone ground brown mustard, and a pinch of nutmeg. this is best when you use yogurt for the liquid.
italian bake: chop 2-3 big handfuls of baby spinach. add one jar of bruschetta spread (i used to get an all-natural one at walmart, but now find it more easily at trader joe's) and 1-2 C shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese.
zucchini season: finely shred 3-5 zucchini (alternatively, you can slice or dice them but i find when the zucchini is shredded little fingers can't pick it out). add 1-2 C shredded vintage cheddar or mozzarella or parmesan. you can also add 2-3 diced tomatoes or one drained can of diced tomatoes.
enjoy!
baked eggs
12-18 eggs, beaten
1/2-1 C milk or yogurt (or non-dairy alternative)
1 onion, diced (red, yellow, or sweet...if you have onion-pickers, i suggest using a microplane to grate the onion)
salt and pepper
add-ins:
cheese (shredded mozzarella, colby jack, jack, cheddar, etc, or crumbled feta, goat cheese, gorgonzola...you get the drift)
meat (browned sausage, crumbled bacon, diced ham, etc)
veggies (chopped peppers, mushrooms, fresh tomato, chopped spinach, shredded or sliced zucchini, etc)
extra seasonings (nutmeg, basil, oregano, stone ground mustard, bruschetta spread, etc)
beat your eggs, then whisk in the milk/yogurt. stir onions and other add-ins into the egg mixture. pour into greased 9x13 pan, 10x14 pan (if you used 18 eggs and lots of add-ins), or divide between muffin tins. bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes for pan or 18-25 minutes for muffin tins. it's done when the center doesn't jiggle. let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. leftovers are very good!
some of my favorite baked egg combinations are:
traditional ham and cheese: use one 8oz package of hormel naturals smoked ham, diced, 1-2 C shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese, 1 T stone ground brown mustard, and a pinch of nutmeg. this is best when you use yogurt for the liquid.
italian bake: chop 2-3 big handfuls of baby spinach. add one jar of bruschetta spread (i used to get an all-natural one at walmart, but now find it more easily at trader joe's) and 1-2 C shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese.
zucchini season: finely shred 3-5 zucchini (alternatively, you can slice or dice them but i find when the zucchini is shredded little fingers can't pick it out). add 1-2 C shredded vintage cheddar or mozzarella or parmesan. you can also add 2-3 diced tomatoes or one drained can of diced tomatoes.
enjoy!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
"deliciousness" perfected
my children call the peanut butter/raisin dessert "deliciousness". if i was honest, i would have to call it "obsession" because it is my complete snack obsession. today, instead of keeping it grain-free i grabbed the oatmeal and decided it was even better. i <3 oatmeal. here's the revised recipe:
peanut butter "deliciousness"
put 1 C raw almonds into the food processor and process until fine. add 2 C raisins and process again, 3-5 minutes until raisins are very small. pour in 1 - 16oz jar of creamy natural peanut butter (no need to stir), 1-2 t vanilla, 1 C quick oats, and 1/2 C raw cacao nibs. process until everything is well combined, another couple minutes. shape into balls or just transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator. try not to eat it all by yourself. ;)
peanut butter "deliciousness"
put 1 C raw almonds into the food processor and process until fine. add 2 C raisins and process again, 3-5 minutes until raisins are very small. pour in 1 - 16oz jar of creamy natural peanut butter (no need to stir), 1-2 t vanilla, 1 C quick oats, and 1/2 C raw cacao nibs. process until everything is well combined, another couple minutes. shape into balls or just transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator. try not to eat it all by yourself. ;)
tortilla soup
i make a lot of soup. no joke. like, three to six nights a week. tortilla soup is a family favorite. my kids eat whatever i put on the table, which is quite a variety of things (as mentioned before, usually in broth). some of the soups i make are not their first choice, but they never groan when i serve this.
tortilla soup
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3-5 garlic cloves, pressed
saute in cold-pressed canola oil. add 1-2 T cumin, stir and allow cumin to toast. pour in:
48-64 oz chicken broth (depending on how many people you are serving and how soupy you like your soup)
16oz jar of your favorite salsa (i use trader joe's chunky salsa)
2-3 C black beans
2-4 C chopped chicken (cooked or raw), optional (i don't normally use chicken)
salt and pepper to taste
bring to a boil, then turn off heat and add:
16 oz bag frozen corn
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 bunch cilantro, finely minced, or 3-5 frozen cilantro cubes (dorot)
2-3 limes, juiced
ladle into bowls and serve with:
shredded colby/jack or monetery jack cheese
crunched tortilla chips (the broken pieces at the bottom of the bag work great)
tortilla soup
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3-5 garlic cloves, pressed
saute in cold-pressed canola oil. add 1-2 T cumin, stir and allow cumin to toast. pour in:
48-64 oz chicken broth (depending on how many people you are serving and how soupy you like your soup)
16oz jar of your favorite salsa (i use trader joe's chunky salsa)
2-3 C black beans
2-4 C chopped chicken (cooked or raw), optional (i don't normally use chicken)
salt and pepper to taste
bring to a boil, then turn off heat and add:
16 oz bag frozen corn
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 bunch cilantro, finely minced, or 3-5 frozen cilantro cubes (dorot)
2-3 limes, juiced
ladle into bowls and serve with:
shredded colby/jack or monetery jack cheese
crunched tortilla chips (the broken pieces at the bottom of the bag work great)
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
boccone dolce
dessert was so wonderful that i thought i would share the love by sharing the recipe. fortunately the pastry chef at papa haydn's had their recipe online here. i altered it a bit to account for having more egg whites and wanting to use less sugar. i'm not sure if meringues can be made successfully with the use of agave, but will have to try that some time. be sure to leave plenty of time...the egg whites whip better if they are at room temperature and the meringues take two hours to bake. my recipe is based on the 16 egg whites i had left from making lemon curd, so feel free to divide. if you want a crispier meringue, you will have to use more sugar. here's the deliciousness:
boccone dolce
16 egg whites (2 C)
1 C evaporated cane juice **EDIT: 10.29.14...i successfully sweetened with 3 T of maple sugar. the meringues start out crisp and wonderful, but end up a little chewier after storing**
begin by whisking the egg whites in your stand mixer. once stiff peaks have formed, mix the sugar in 1-2 T at a time, allowing to whisk 2-3 minutes between additions so the sugar dissolves completely. once everything is thoroughly whipped, line your baking sheets with parchment paper. the traditional shape for boccone dolce is a circle. you can draw your shape on the back of the parchment paper for accuracy or you can just eyeball it. i had a LOT of meringue and didn't want to cook them in two batches, so i went with rectangles because i could cook all four at the same time. bake for 2 hours at 200-225 (depending on your oven), switching the pans half way through (or more frequently if your oven is finicky). **EDIT: 10.29.14...i have begun whipping the meringues in the evening (around 8-10pm), baking them for two hours, switching the pans from the top rack to the bottom and vice versa before i go to bed, and then leaving them in the oven until morning. perfectly dry meringues every time! i also just spread the entire sheet of meringue on my 11"x16" silicone baking mats and cut the meringue in half when i remove them from the oven instead of trying to make four individual rectangles. the extra bonus is these tweaks make it easier for me to produce this dessert so i do it more often, which is a win for us all. ;) **
while your meringues are baking, prepare your fruit. papa haydn's normally uses raspberries and blackberries, but it is also delicious with strawberries. i had leftover lemon curd, so to use that i took half a bag of frozen wild blueberries out to thaw.
closer to the end of baking time, you will need to make whipped cream. you can either whip it on your own, with a stand mixer, or with my favorite kitchen accessory...the whipped cream maker. andy bought this lovely gadget for my birthday five years ago. we have *loved* it. i can even make dairy-free coconut whipped cream with no problem. mine is an iSi and cost around $50. worth. every. cent.
whipped cream
1 pint whipping cream
1 T agave
1-2 t vanilla
open the whipping cream carton and pour in the agave and vanilla. hold the carton's spout closed tightly and shake to incorporate. pour everything into the whipped cream maker, screw on lid/etc, charge with N2O, and shake. refrigerate if you're not ready to use your whipped cream.
you also have to choose your chocolate. the subrosa recipe calls for melted bittersweet chocolate. with the lemon curd and blueberries, white chocolate would have been delicious, but i decided to use my favorite hot fudge. it solidifies when exposed to cold (whipped cream, partially frozen blueberries) like magic shell. plus, it's sweetened with honey.
hot fudge
3 T butter
3 T honey
3 T coconut oil
2 T cocoa powder
melt the above ingredients in a saucepan, stirring or whisking to incorporate. remove from heat and add:
1/4 t cinnamon (optional)
2 t vanilla
1/4t himalayan salt (plain kosher will work fine. use a small pinch if your butter is salted)
this fudge solidifies when drizzled on icecream, but remains chewy and wonderful. it takes on more of a soft-solid fudge state when chilled. (can you say, "eat with a spoon directly from the container."?!)
okay, now your meringues are done baking, your fruit, whipped cream, and chocolate/hot fudge are all ready, and you can assemble your dessert. find as serving dish and put down one meringue. drizzle on chocolate/hot fudge, top with whipped cream, sprinkle on fruit. smash down the next meringue. repeat the fillings. smash down another meringue. this is where i put the lemon curd. i topped the curd with whipped cream and put on the last meringue (because i had four, instead of the normal three) and drizzle more chocolate/hot fudge on top. cut and serve. try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting. mmmmmm…
boccone dolce
16 egg whites (2 C)
1 C evaporated cane juice **EDIT: 10.29.14...i successfully sweetened with 3 T of maple sugar. the meringues start out crisp and wonderful, but end up a little chewier after storing**
begin by whisking the egg whites in your stand mixer. once stiff peaks have formed, mix the sugar in 1-2 T at a time, allowing to whisk 2-3 minutes between additions so the sugar dissolves completely. once everything is thoroughly whipped, line your baking sheets with parchment paper. the traditional shape for boccone dolce is a circle. you can draw your shape on the back of the parchment paper for accuracy or you can just eyeball it. i had a LOT of meringue and didn't want to cook them in two batches, so i went with rectangles because i could cook all four at the same time. bake for 2 hours at 200-225 (depending on your oven), switching the pans half way through (or more frequently if your oven is finicky). **EDIT: 10.29.14...i have begun whipping the meringues in the evening (around 8-10pm), baking them for two hours, switching the pans from the top rack to the bottom and vice versa before i go to bed, and then leaving them in the oven until morning. perfectly dry meringues every time! i also just spread the entire sheet of meringue on my 11"x16" silicone baking mats and cut the meringue in half when i remove them from the oven instead of trying to make four individual rectangles. the extra bonus is these tweaks make it easier for me to produce this dessert so i do it more often, which is a win for us all. ;) **
while your meringues are baking, prepare your fruit. papa haydn's normally uses raspberries and blackberries, but it is also delicious with strawberries. i had leftover lemon curd, so to use that i took half a bag of frozen wild blueberries out to thaw.
closer to the end of baking time, you will need to make whipped cream. you can either whip it on your own, with a stand mixer, or with my favorite kitchen accessory...the whipped cream maker. andy bought this lovely gadget for my birthday five years ago. we have *loved* it. i can even make dairy-free coconut whipped cream with no problem. mine is an iSi and cost around $50. worth. every. cent.
whipped cream
1 pint whipping cream
1 T agave
1-2 t vanilla
open the whipping cream carton and pour in the agave and vanilla. hold the carton's spout closed tightly and shake to incorporate. pour everything into the whipped cream maker, screw on lid/etc, charge with N2O, and shake. refrigerate if you're not ready to use your whipped cream.
you also have to choose your chocolate. the subrosa recipe calls for melted bittersweet chocolate. with the lemon curd and blueberries, white chocolate would have been delicious, but i decided to use my favorite hot fudge. it solidifies when exposed to cold (whipped cream, partially frozen blueberries) like magic shell. plus, it's sweetened with honey.
hot fudge
3 T butter
3 T honey
3 T coconut oil
2 T cocoa powder
melt the above ingredients in a saucepan, stirring or whisking to incorporate. remove from heat and add:
1/4 t cinnamon (optional)
2 t vanilla
1/4t himalayan salt (plain kosher will work fine. use a small pinch if your butter is salted)
this fudge solidifies when drizzled on icecream, but remains chewy and wonderful. it takes on more of a soft-solid fudge state when chilled. (can you say, "eat with a spoon directly from the container."?!)
okay, now your meringues are done baking, your fruit, whipped cream, and chocolate/hot fudge are all ready, and you can assemble your dessert. find as serving dish and put down one meringue. drizzle on chocolate/hot fudge, top with whipped cream, sprinkle on fruit. smash down the next meringue. repeat the fillings. smash down another meringue. this is where i put the lemon curd. i topped the curd with whipped cream and put on the last meringue (because i had four, instead of the normal three) and drizzle more chocolate/hot fudge on top. cut and serve. try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting. mmmmmm…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
