Freedom Macaroons for Passover

Passover celebrates the Jews being freed from slavery in Egypt.  They fled so quickly that they did not have time to let their bread rise, thus it is tradition to not eat leaven breads during Passover.  I am not Jewish myself, but growing up going to my friend's seders, I feel a connection to this holiday.  And also, I know a little something about abstaining from bread.  For me it isn't just a one week religious sacrifice, but an ongoing lifestyle.  But I don't see giving up bread as a "sacrifice" anymore, I see it as freedom.  Freedom from feeling sick, from asthma, from not knowing what was wrong with my health.  My wheat/sugar/dairy free diet gives me the freedom to breathe and live healthily.  So for the seder I am going to tomorrow, I will be bringing gluten/sugar/dairy/and egg FREE macaroons! I adapted this recipe from Jennifer Katzinger's Flying Apron's cookbook.  Enjoy!

Freedom Macaroons

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup of coconut flour  (you can also use almond or brown rice flour)
•  5 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2/3 cup of agave
• 1 cup of lite coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• sliced almonds

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  Mix together the coconut flour, shredded coconut, agave, coconut milk, vanilla, and salt together in a bowl.
3.  Press the dough into a clean tablespoon.  Pack it in tightly so it's really dense; that way it will stick together once baked. 
4.  Gently remove the ball of dough from the tablespoon, and place onto a greased baking pan.
5.  Clean off the tablespoon and repeat making about 20 macaroons.
6.  Stick a slivered almond into the top of each macaroon.
7.  Bake in the oven for about 15 minute so they are nice and golden.

 *If you want to make chocolate covered macaroons, follow the above directions, except do not put an almond in the macaroons yet.  Then:

1.  In a double boiler melt 8 ounces of unsweetened 100% chocolate.  Once it is melted add a teaspoon of vanilla and about 1/4 to a 1/3 cup of agave, a little at a time.  The tricky thing about sugar/dairy free chocolate is that the consistency seems to always come out as a soft and sticky frosting/ganache, which is lovely, but it just won't harden like traditional chocolate does when it cools (oh well!)
2.  Once the macaroons have cooled completely, you can spread some chocolate onto the macaroons.
3.  Place an almond on top of the chocolate covered macaroons and devour!

Sexy steamed squash, sesame tofu and soba noodles

Forget strawberries and chocolate, there is nothing sexier than a bowl of soba noodles, steamed squash, bok choy and tofu triangles.  These100% buckwheat soba noodles are so earthy and sensual.  I love how they slip and slide between my chopsticks! I'm also in love with my bamboo steamer.  It cooks my favorite veggies like sweet potatoes and kale in no time- with no need for oil!

For this recipe, make sure you find the 100% buckwheat soba noodles.  Soba noodles are Japanese buckwheat noodles, but be careful because most brands of soba are made from a blend of buckwheat and wheat flour (restaurants mostly use the wheat-filled kind!)  100% buckwheat soba noodles can be found at Whole Foods and are totally safe for gluten intolerant folks.  Though the name is misleading, buckwheat is not related to wheat at all! To use a bamboo steamer, simply find a pan that is slightly smaller than your steamer (so the steamer can sit on the top rim of the pan, not in the pan.)  Boil some water in the pan, put the steamer on top, add your veggies, and wait just a few minutes.  Another tip, I have tried steaming lot's of squashes, and really only butternut squash and sweet potatoes hold their flavor through steaming. Delicata or kobocha squash will turn super bland if you steam them.

This sexy meal will take no time, and will certainly satisfy you!


Soba Noodles with Sesame Maple Tofu and Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 package of 100% buckwheat soba noodles (check ingredients!)
• 1 package of firm tofu
• 1 head of bok choy
• 1 small squash
• 1/3 cup of wheat free tamari (a type of soy sauce)
• 2 tbs maple syrup
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp ginger powder or fresh grated ginger
• 1 scallion
• 1 tbs of sesame seeds (plus extra for garnish)
• Nori flakes

Directions:
1.  Cut tofu into small triangles.
2.  In a wide bowl, mix together tamari, maple syrup, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and sesame seeds.
3. Marinate the tofu in the tamari mixture for 10 minutes or more.
4.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and when ready, bake tofu for about 20 minutes (depending on if you want it to stay soft or get chewy and crispy.)
5. Start boiling water for soba noodles (check package for directions). 
6. Strain soba noodles after about 10 minutes and coat with a little of the leftover tamari mixture.
7.  Wash and peel squash with a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife and cut into small cubes.
8. Wash and chop the bok choy.
9.  Steam squash and bok choy in separate layers of bamboo steamer.  Steam squash for about 8-10 minutes, and the bok choy for about 3-5 minutes. 
10.  Cut scallions into thin rings.
11.  Artfully place the noodles, squash, bok choy, and tofu into a bowl.  Drizzle with a little of the tamari mixture and garnish with nori flakes, scallions and sesame seeds!

Slow Sunday Pancakes

Daylight savings was this weekend and time slipped right away from me...in a good way.  Saturday morning I had a list of things to get done: return my library books, call my sister, deposit my check, write for my blog.  But instead I spent most of the day bike riding and sun bathing with my friend engrossed in conversation, letting the hours pass on by.  So I knew that if I wanted to get anything done on Sunday (especially with the time change) I couldn't stop and bask in the sunshine.  But of course when I woke up Sunday morning I had a craving for pancakes and was so inspired by the ripe tangerines sitting in my fruit bowl, that I spent an hour making up this new citrus almond pancake recipe.

After indulging in breakfast, I was ready to start my day and jump on my bike for a quick trip to Rainbow Grocery, when my roommate asked if he could join me since he had never been before.  I was so delighted to show someone my favorite grocery store that I couldn't say no.  It is like giving someone a tour of my hometown, and there was no rushing past the sights: the local organic miso and sauerkraut, the natural peppermint soaps, the wall of organic green leafy vegetables, and the tub of dried persimmons.  We were in the spice section for a half an hour collecting bags of bright yellow turmeric, black mustard seeds, and cinnamon sticks from those pretty glass jars.  For once in my life, I let go of any plans and "to do" lists and instead hung out in the richness of the present moment.  Next Sunday, when you make these pancakes, make sure you do the same!  

Citrus Almond Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of gluten free flour (rice/sorghum)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of ginger
• 1/4 cup of citrus juice (orange, lemon, tangerines...)
• 1/4 cup of soy/rice/almond milk or soy yogurt
• 1 teaspoon of w/s/d free vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons of sliced almonds
• Earth Balance and honey

Directions:
1.  In a large bowl, blend all dry ingredients together.
2.  Mix in wet ingredients.
3.  Heat Earth Balance in a small cast iron pan on medium heat.
4.  Pour enough batter into the pan so pancake looks thin enough to cook through, but thick enough to flip.
5.  Cook pancake for about 3-5 minutes until the bubbles in the middle rise, then flip and cook for about 2-3 minutes. 
6.  Repeat until you have a stack of these babies then drizzle warm honey and Earth Balance all over them.... and get lost in this blissful breakfast!

Happy Pizza

I often think that happiness is some external thing that's going to come to me, in the form of a new love, a slice of chocolate cream pie, or a vacation.  When I was a senior in high school all I wanted was to go to a small, alternative, liberal arts college- you know, the kind of college where your classroom is in an old barn with 5 other students and your mid-term is to create an interpretive dance about gender politics in Cuba. I thought that going to a school like that was the only thing that would make me happy.  Unfortunately I didn't receive enough financial aid from any of these schools and was forced to take a "year off" to re access my college options.  Surprisingly, that year turned out to be one of the most transcendent years of my life.  It opened up new passions in me that I didn't even know were there, like West African dance and photography.  I began to realize that happiness was already living inside of me, just waiting to be revealed.

Also during that year off, I lived with a woman who was into macrobiotic cooking.  She exposed me to new foods like umeboshi plums and brown rice mochi, which I loved.  I also remember us making this delicious vegetarian pizza topped with caramelized onions and artichokes.  So when I decided to make a w/s/d free pizza for my blog, I thought back to this sweet and savory pizza. Now, don't expect this pizza recipe to taste "just like the real thing." This pizza is it's own thing.  But just because it's different from "regular" pizza, doesn't mean you won't love it!  Even though I ended up going to a big state university- which is nothing like the school I thought I wanted to go to- I had an incredibly enriching experience (and I still got to do interpretive dance!) This pizza will surprise you with it's sweet and hearty toppings and crunchy chewy crust.  This recipe is not as much inspired by the memory of that old pizza, as it is by the miracle of new experiences that open up pockets of pleasure and happiness inside of you.

Veggie Pizza (actually it's vegan and soy-free!)

Pizza Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups of gluten free flour (rice, corn, and buckwheat)
• 1/2 cup of potato starch
• 1 cup of warm rice (or soy) milk at 105-110 degrees F
• 2 packages of yeast
• 1 tbs of agave 
• 3 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• Extra oil and some cornmeal for dusting

Toppings:

• Tomato sauce
• W/S/D free pesto (recipe to come)
• Almond (or soy) cheese
• Vegetables:  portabella mushrooms, zucchini, artichoke hearts, onions, whatever you love...

Directions:
1.  Warm milk to 105/100 degrees F.  Mix in the yeast and agave and let sit for 10 minutes so it gets bubbly and foamy.
2.  Mix together flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, herbs, and salt together in a separate bowl.
3.  When yeast is ready, mix together yeast mixture with the flour mixture.
4.  Add olive oil and cider vinegar.
5.  Roll into a sticky ball.  Add more liquid or flour if necessary.
6.  Place ball of dough into an oiled bowl and cover tightly and let sit for an hour.
7.  After an hour take out dough and kneed onto a floured surface.
8.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
9.  Sprinkle a layer of cornmeal onto a baking sheet and gently flatten the ball of dough onto it, spreading the dough into an even, thin round crust.
10.  Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
12.  While it's baking, saute chopped onions and mushrooms until they are soft and caramelized.  Add balsamic vinegar if you like (my sister's tip) to make the onions super caramelized.
13.  Cut the zucchini into thin slices and chop up the artichoke hearts.
14.  When pizza crust is golden, remove from oven (make sure it is cooked through, because once you put the toppings on, the middle of the crust doesn't cook much more in the oven.)
15.  Spread pesto onto crust, then the tomato sauce.  Top with vegetables, and shredded almond cheese.
16.  Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted.

Cut and enjoy!