Picture Perfect Edamame Millet Bowl

What is it with little children and mixed ingredients? If I serve my six
year-old millet, carrots, seaweed and cilantro, he will happily eat them as long these foods are not mixed together. However, if I dare to serve them in a one-dish-meal: it's all over. I know he will outgrow this aversion eventually. It's fascinating though--it's like an artist refusing to mix paint because it alters the purity of each color.



I have obviously outgrown this tendency since I love one-dish-meals. I play around with the colors, textures and flavors. It's comfort food to me. This edamame millet bowl is so delicious. The millet provides a great change from rice. You can use whatever seasonal vegetable you have on hand. Try to contrast the textures and sweetness/saltiness ratio and you'll have a winning dish. The secret, frankly, is the sauce which is generously poured over the mixture.

Edamame Millet Bowl with Ginger Miso Sauce (serves 8) Feel free to use your own mix of vegetables such as: baby spinach leaves, asparagus, and corn. Cook your millet the same way you would brown rice. I like to saute the grains in a little bit of olive oil for a minute or so and then add the water (1:2 millet to water ratio) and salt to taste. Then, simmer covered for about 35 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and then fluff with a fork. 4 cups of cooked millet 2 cups shelled edamame, steamed 1 cup shredded carrots 1 cup cooked pumpkin, cubed 1/4 cup green onions, chopped 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 1 cup baked tofu, diced 1 sheet of roasted nori seaweed, sliced into thin strips Sauce: 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated 1 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 1 tablespoon GF soy sauce 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil 3 tablespoons white miso paste Toasted seeds for garnish Mix all the warm ingredients in a large bowl or platter and set aside. In small pot, under medium heat, bring to a boil the ginger, orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes, stirring every once in a while. Turn the heat off. Put the miso in a small bowl and add about 1/4 cup of the orange/ginger sauce. Mix well until fully combined. Add miso mixture to the rest of the pot and mix well. Pour sauce over the millet edamame mixture. Mix to combine, garnish with sesame seeds and serve.

Other great tofu recipes:
Tofu Saute in Peanut Sauce
Pomegranate Marinated Tofu
Caramelized Tofu

Dreamy Mocha Pie

Dessert is such a loaded word. It is a vessel for all our expectations and desires. I always start out with an idea of texture in mind: crunchy, creamy or crumbly. The sweetness needs to be balanced and not so overpowering that it takes away from all the other flavors involved. I dream of the possibilities and try to bring them to life in my kitchen.



I made this delectable mocha pie on Friday and the silence that followed the first bite we each took spoke loudly of how incredible it was. My husband was out of town. It took great self-control to save him a nicely-sized slice of this heavenly pie. I was really proud of myself--there are not a lot people I would sacrifice like that for.



Dreamy Mocha Pie (serves 8)
Feel free to use 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour + 1/2 cup whole-wheat white flour instead of the gluten-free flours and omit the xantham gum if you are not concerned about gluten or wheat.
Agar agar is a seaweed. It mimics gelatin. It's available in health/natural food stores.

Pie Crust:
1 cup GF baking flour mix (1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 cup garbanzo flour, 1/4 cup sorghum flour or a store bought GF mix)
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 teaspoon xantham gum
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
1/3 cup egg whites
1 tablespoon ice water (or more as needed)

Filling:
12.3 oz carton silken firm tofu
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon agar agar flakes, diluted in 1/4 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon GF vanilla extract

Topping:
1/4 cup half and half
1 cup light sour cream
4 teaspoon instant expresso powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar

cocoa powder to sprinkle on, optional

Preheat oven 375F.
In the bowl of a food processor mix the flours, xantham, salt and sugar. Add the butter and process until crumbly. Scrape the sides of the bowl a few times if necessary. Add the egg whites and ice water and pulse until a dough forms (add more ice water, if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time ). If the dough is too soft to roll, leave it in the fridge for an hour. If not, roll it on a floured board. Place the pie crust in a ceramic pie dish, adjust the edges to your esthetic taste. Prebake the pie crust until slightly golden (about 15-20 minutes).

While the crust is baking. Clean the food processor and put all the ingredients for the filling in it. Blend completely, scraping the sides as needed, until perfectly combined. Pour the filling in the crust.

Prepare the topping by mixing the half and half, sour cream, expresso powder and granulated sugar (I used my mixer for this step). Spread the topping on top of chocolate filling and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Sprinkle some cocoa powder on top before serving.

This bite is for all the veterans out there... Happy Veteran's Day!


Artsy-Foodie's Tip:
This crust is wonderful because it keeps its structure even after a few days. It doesn't get soggy. You can use it for savory pies: just omit the sugar, increase the salt by 1/4 teaspoon and add some chopped fresh herbs as well. It rolls out nicely and transfers to the pie dish without much fuss--a big plus for gluten-free bakers.

Soup Dilemma: To Dunk or Not to Dunk?

I grew up eating unadulterated soup. Crackers or bread were not part of this heart warming ritual. At the most, we would add a spoon-full of creme fraiche to cool off a cream of vegetable soup.

I like to end the day, especially in Fall and Winter, with a nice bowl of soup. I pair it up with homemade bread, muffins or crackers whenever possible. It adds another dimension to the meal. The sweet creaminess of butternut squash goes especially well with parmesan crackers. I added some pumpkin seeds to the recipe for some added crunch. Now, that you have the perfect recipe, all you'll need is to decide whether it's appropriate to dunk or not.



I am all about playing with my food, so I say: dunk, dunk, dunk.

Parmesan, Pumpkin-Seed Crackers This recipe works well with all purpose flour. If you are not concerned about gluten or wheat, omit the xantham gum and use 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose instead of flours called for in this recipe. 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese 1/4 cup sorghum flour 1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour 1/2 cup brown rice flour 1/4 teaspoon xantham gum 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons shelled pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup lowfat milk 1 large egg, beaten Egg Wash: 1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water, beaten In a mixer, combine all the dry ingredients. Then drizzle in the olive oil. Turn mixer on for two more minutes. While the mixer is going, prepare the egg in a bowl and mix with the milk. Drizzle in to form a batter. Mix well for about 3 minutes. Wrap the batter with a piece of parchment paper coated with some oil. Store in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350F. oil a cookie-sheet Spread a thin coating of gluten free flour onto a board and a rolling-pin. Roll out the dough into a thin rectangle. With a knife cut strips 3/4" wide. Gently take the strip and shape them into a twig. You can be as creative as you would like with the shape as long as it is fairly thin. I pinched and twisted mine to make them look as organic as possible. Arrange them onto the cookie sheet. Baste them with some egg-wash and bake for 20-30 minutes, rotating the pan every 10 minutes or so. The cracker sticks should be golden. Serve with your favorite dip or soup.

Velvet Butternut Squash and Lima Bean Soup (serves 10) 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 cups sliced leeks, whites only 8 cups cubed butternut squash 16oz frozen Lima beans 2 teaspoon dried sage leaves 2 teaspoon sea salt 8 cups water 1/4 cup light sour cream salt to taste In a large pot, heat the oil and then add the leeks. Saute on medium heat until translucent. Add the butternut squash, beans, sage leaves and salt. Mix well and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until squash and beans are really soft. Add sour cream. Turn off the heat, remove the lid and let cool for ten minutes. Blend until really smooth. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Serve with bread or crackers.

More related recipes:
Daring Bakers Lavash Crackers
Miso Soup

Election Day Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

HAPPY VOTING DAY!!!

Today, I have great hopes that I will stop being consumed by the news and this never-ending political campaign. I also hope that it will all end on a sweet note. I realize that this means different things for different people. So this is what I propose:
-If you are happy with our new president, you can celebrate with these wonderful cookies.
-If you are unhappy with our new president, you can cheer up with these wonderful cookies.

Not a bad deal, eh?



I have to wonder what I will do with my free-time? For the past year, I have spent so many hours listening to the radio, watching news shows, reading countless articles, and biting my fingernails (when I should have been eating cookies). I never miss a chance to vote. I take my role as a voter so seriously that I even took a political science class to brush up on my knowledge. It gave me a great understanding of our government and what influences its policies. Here's what I've learned: relax and greet anything you can't control with a laugh and a good cookie.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies (makes 19) 1/3 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup agave nectar 1/4 cup salted peanuts 1/8 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups GF rolled oats 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips Preheat oven 375F Oil cookie sheet Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 20 times, scraping the sides halfway. Carefully remove the blade from the bowl. Form each cookie by scooping 1 rounded tablespoon of batter. Roll it into a ball and place on cookie sheet. Finish forming all the cookies. Oil the back of spatula and use it to flatten each cookie slightly. Bake for 15 minutes or until bottom and tops are slightly golden. Cool on a rack and enjoy! Store in an airtight container.

More scrumptious cookies to get through election day...
Lebanese Walnut Cookies
Pistachio Cranberry Wedding Cookies
Cardamon Dark Chocolate Cookies

And one last fun picture... teapot created by my daughter.

Halloween-- Pumpkin Chocolate Treats

Are you ready for the sugar-rush that will come upon us on Friday? My little clan includes: a witch, twins posing as each other, and a little boy who turned into a venus flytrap.
I've never noticed that sugar had an effect on my children, although some of my friends might disagree. I prefer to stay delusional on Halloween night and let them have some fun.

I moved from France to California with my family when I was ten. It was the week before Halloween. Although I did not speak English yet, I quickly learned how to say: "trick or treat". I remember that night vividly in all its magic. People made their own costumes back then--no, it wasn't that long ago. The neighbors all knew each other and welcomed you with candies and smiles.

This year, we're getting together with some friends for a casual dinner and the usual Halloween festivities. I hope your Halloween is merry and magical.



For this recipe, I was inspired by the Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bars I saw on Eggs on Sunday. I decided to make them with olive oil instead of butter. I know it sounds strange, but olive oil is wonderful at mimicking the richness of butter while blending into your baked-goods. I also altered the recipe to make it gluten-free. Instead of making them into bars, I decided to pour the cake batter into individual cups to make it easier for the kids at my son's Halloween party.

Pumpkin Chocolate Treats (makes 12) These treats are more like a cake than a muffin. They are incredibly moist and delicious. 1/2 cup olive oil 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp GF vanilla extract 3/4 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 cup brown rice flour 1/4 cup tapioca starch 1/4 cup sorghum flour 1/4 tsp xantham gum 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground allspice 1/4 cup GF chocolate chips Orange decorative sugar (optional/I use an all natural product) Preheat oven 375F Prepare muffin pan, and paper liners. Mix all the dry ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a bowl. Place the olive oil and sugar in a mixer and combine until smooth and fluffy (3 minutes). Add egg and vanilla to sugar mixture and mix some more. Add Pumpkin puree and stir until evenly distributed. Little by little add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until batter is well comined. Add chocolate chips. Distribute the batter evenly into the muffin cups. Sprinkle a little bit of the orange sugar on top of each muffin and bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the center of muffin. Let cool.

And because it's Halloween tomorrow, here are some more treats...

GF Cranberry Pistachio Mexican Wedding Cookies
Cardamom Dark Chocolate Cookies

Daring Bakers October: Fabulous Pizza

My second Daring Bakers' challenge was to make the ultimate pizza with my choice of toppings. Rosa was kind enough to provide the detailed instructions for this month's event. The goal was to toss the pizza dough up in the air like a professional. Rosa added an extra challenge: participants were to take pictures or film themselves during this process.

Sadly, tossing the dough was not a possibility for me. Gluten is what gives dough its elasticity; without it you're left with only one option: to roll out the dough.



The dough requires some advance planning. I made it the day before and it waited patiently its required 24 hours in the fridge. I was inspired by the fresh produce from my CSA for the toppings. My family enjoyed both versions and I hope you will too.

Don't forget to visit the rest of the Daring Bakers... You'll enjoy the creativity and originality. Thank you Rosa for your wonderful instructions and enthusiasm!

Here's the recipe for the pizza dough as it was given:
~ BASIC PIZZA DOUGH ~
Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.
Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Ingredients:
4 ½ cups GF Flour Blend with xanthan gum or 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup corn flour, 1 cup oat flour, 1 ½ cup arrowroot, potato or tapioca starch + 2 tsp xanthan or guar gum
1 3/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Instant yeast - FOR GF use 2 tsp
1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)
1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
1 Tb sugar - FOR GF use agave syrup
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting


DAY ONE
Method:
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).
2. Add the oil, sugar or agave syrup and cold water, then mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).

NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.

NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO
8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the number of desired dough balls from the refrigerator. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with a gluten free flour. Delicately press the dough into disks about ½ inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil. Lightly cover the dough round with a sheet of parchment paper and allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C).

NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.

10. Press the dough into the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough).
11. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.
12. Place the garnished pizza on the parchment paper onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8 minutes.



NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.
13. Follow the notes for this step.

NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.

If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

Here are my recipes for two fantastic pizza pies. These delectable toppings can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.

Eggplant, Goat Cheese and Pine Nut Topping 1 eggplant, sliced thin and salted olive oil olive oil spray 1/4 cup pine nuts 1/4 crumbled goat cheese 375F preheated oven Coat a cookie sheet with olive oil. Spray the eggplant slices with olive oil on both sides. Spread the eggplant slices and pine nuts on it and bake in hot oven until cooked through and golden (about 20 minutes but watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. Spread goat cheese on pizza crust, followed by the eggplant slices and the pine nuts. Bake the pizza in a really hot oven until cheese is hot and a little bubbly.

Balsamic Corn-Tomato Topping with Goat Cheese 1 1/2 cups sweet cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon herbes de provence 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese Preheat oven to 375F Combine all the ingredients in a ceramic pie dish and bake for 30 minutes Spread over the pizza dough followed by the goat cheese. Bake in a really hot oven until crust is crisp and topping is hot and bubbly (about 10 minutes).

Pumpkin Dal with Rice

My family loves legumes. We enjoy them in a variety of dishes from salads to comforting stews. They're an easy way to create a satisfying vegetarian course full of flavor and protein. The advantages of making them a staple in your meal-planning go beyond good taste--they are economical as well.



Legumes are fruits that have been dried. In France, the word "legume" means vegetable, while in the english language it identifies specifically the dried fruits inside pods. Its wide-spread use is not surprising. One can imagine how easy it would have been for different varieties to cross borders, as people migrated. Through-out history, it has been used as an excellent source of protein or an extender when meat was scarce. From the tiny lentil to the fatty peanut, they vary widely in size, taste, fat content and texture.

This recipe is a perfect example of how you can turn legumes into a fantastic meal. It features split peas and chana dal, as well as creamy pumpkin, an array of spices and fragrant basmati rice.



Legume Puree with Pumpkin and Rice (serves 6-8)
If you cannot find chana dal (available at natural/health food stores and Indian markets), replace it with some yellow split peas instead and proceed as per the recipe.

1 cup chana dal
1 cup green spilt peas
4 cups diced pumpkin, or butternut squash
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried funegreek leaves

4 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cups cooked basmati rice

Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt (I favor goat yogurt)
1 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chaat masala seasoning (available in international or indian markets)


Soak the chana dal and split peas overnight. Rinse well. Transfer to large pot with diced pumpkin, turmeric, ground cumin, water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the peas, beans and pumpkin are very tender.

In a small pan, heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Saute until they start to sizzle and crackle. Pour fragrant mixture into the dal pot along with the cooked rice. Mix well. Let simmer, uncovered, until the mixture thickens slightly. Make sure you mix often.

Make the yogurt sauce by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl (keep refrigerated until ready to serve with the dal).

Serve the dal/rice mixture in a bowl, topped with a generous spoon of the yogurt sauce.




Artsy-Foodie's Announcement:
During this busy time of the year, in order to keep up the quality of my posts, I feel the need to go to biweekly postings. From now on, I will be posting on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and additionally for special events such as Daring Bakers. I have some wonderful recipes in the works-- I look forward to sharing them with you.






More legume recipes:
Edamame Avocado Spread
Black Lentil Soup with Kale and turnip chips