Diet, Dessert and Dogs

[Sometimes, you just want to eat something now.  I've decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly or else is so easy to make that no recipe is required. Here's today's "Flash in the Pan." (For other FitP recipes, see "Categories" at right).]

[Uber creamy--with no dairy or soy!]

Thanks, everyone, for all the great comments in response to my last post. One point I found fascinating–and hadn’t thought about before–is how so many vegan options in restaurants are just “meh.”  As Julie, Jessy and Danielle pointed out, most often the vegan foods are simply the regular items with the animal products taken out–rather than dishes designed from scratch as “vegan.”  In that case, I agree: more fun to eat at home!  I do feel fortunate that there are so many great choices here in Toronto, however.  (Oh, and summers are the best time to visit: it’s been sunny and between 22 and 30C/72-86F the past couple of weeks.  Toronto is a fabulous city, filled with world-class events, sights and culture, not to mention multicultural cuisine.  You’re welcome, Toronto Tourism Network).

One of the things I love about the ACD (a veto on over half the usual foods from my diet?  Causing a horrendous detox reaction in which I stumbled around with flu-like symptoms, barely able to think straight during the first few weeks of the diet? Forcing me to stave off cravings that persisted unabated, basically for the first six months–sort of like The Bride against the Crazy 88s in that scene from Kill Bill (Volume I)? ) is that, now finally in Stage II, I can rejoice over the return of some fruits to my culinary repertoire. 

I nearly wept with elation when I first ate fresh pineapple again a couple of weeks ago; I love it that much (can you believe the HH doesn’t fancy it?  “Too acidic,” he says.) Besides its heavenly, ambrosia flavor and distinctively pinecone exterior, pineapple always brings with it the pleasant satisfaction of accomplishment after you finally cut away all the inedible parts and sink your teeth into the luscious, juicy fruit inside.  I’ve even been known to gnaw at the yellow flesh clinging to the skin, risking the thorny bits for the joy of pineapple nectar running down my chin. (“Mum, you don’t have to take that risk.  Just let us eat it instead–we don’t care about the thorny bits.”)

In my zeal to bring more fresh pineapple into the house, I purchsed a huge specimen last week and went to town cutting away the peel and slicing it into bite-sized chunks.  But after two days of gorging on diced pineapple and with over half a container remaining, I realized that radical measures were necessary to finish the beloved treat before it began to ferment (a huge no-no for the ACD). 

Some of you may recall the wayward patch of mint growing at the side of our house.  Well, this year I determined to take the offensive and begin snipping and using those emerald leaves as soon as I saw their little Martian heads sprouting through the ground.  I’ve already made a variation on my original mint smoothie (with the aforementioned pineapple, as well) and today whipped up this quick and easy salad dressing (or mint sauce–it’s very adaptable that way). 

With Gena’s inspiration still in my mind, I based this dressing/sauce on the principle of “veggies + flax = creaminess.”  I also added pineapple for its natural sweetness and the fact that it contains the compound bromelain, a digestive enzyme that serves to distinguish pineapple (and, similarly,  papaya because of its papain) from other fruits as two that are acceptable to consume at the end of the meal even if you’re following principles of food combining (since they aid in digestion rather than delay it).

The dressing turned out light and smooth, its creamy texture complemented by a fresh and subtly mint flavor and aroma.  It created a beautiful visual and textural counterpart to my lunchtime dandelion salad (fresh dandelion greens, cucumber slices, and more pineapple chunks).  The very slight sweetness along with the spirited minty flavor were the perfect foils for the bitterness of the dandelion and crunch of the cucumber.  Just right for a light and summery meal.

While I used the mixture as a dressing, I think it would also make a perfect sauce for your next dinner in a bowl.  In fact, I’m going to cook up some millet for tonight’s supper and start thinking about which veggies would work well as a foundation for the sauce (I know; that’s sort of like buying furniture to match the color once you’ve already painted the walls, but hey).

Canada AM update:  a few of you asked where you could find the clip of me on the show. I’ve now added it to my Press page (first item under “Television and Radio”). 

Creamy Mint and Pineapple Dressing or Sauce

Quick and easy, this is a versatile summer salad dressing, dip or sauce.  Try it with crudités, potato salad, or pasta.  The zucchini here lends some creaminess, as does the tahini.

1 medium zucchini, cut into chunks

1 cup (240 ml) fresh pineapple chunks

1 Tbsp (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice

1/4 cup (60 ml) tahini (sesame paste)

1 Tbsp (15 ml) finely ground flax seeds

1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

20-25 fresh mint leaves (or more, to taste)

1/4 cup (60 ml) water

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until perfectly smooth.  Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes, then stir before using. Use over salad greens, on grain-based salads or over warm grain and vegetable bowls.  Makes about 1-1/2 cups (360 ml).  Store, covered, in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Since this contains my (very) local mint, I’m linking this post to Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays for this week.

Last Year at this Time: Dog Day: Where’s Mum?

Two Years Ago: Radish and Grapefruit Salad

© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs

[My cookbook, Sweet Freedom, will be on sale until mid-August! For more information or to order, click here. ]

[A sweet treat to celebrate the firsts: sunflower butter cups--recipe below]

I hope everyone here in Canada had a great Victoria Day weekend!

It seems as if this past week has been filled with a few exciting firsts for me (hmm, that sounds rather like a post-virginal confession, somehow, doesn’t it?  True, I was what you’d call a late bloomer, but even I am too old for that kind of “first.”).  No, the firsts to which I refer involved  a high profile TV appearance;  a meetup with a fellow blogger, and happening upon a new ACD-friendly restaurant–all within three days.

First Number One (aka ”First First”): Those of you who follow me on twitter already know that I appeared on Canada AM this past Thursday morning (and thanks for all the good wishes, everyone!). The show is the Canuck equivalent of Good Morning America or the Today Show in the US (it bills itself as “Canada’s most watched national morning show”) so I was beyond excited to be a guest!

I chatted about healthy eating and a few items from Sweet Freedom.  It was very gratifying to see the show’s host express genuine delight (and, perhaps, surprise) after tasting some of the goodies. The clip was available last week on the Canada AM main page, but it appears it’s been usurped by more recent ones now; I’ll try to get it up on YouTube if I can. 

First Number Two (“Second First”):  I’m sure many of you have experienced this:  you relate an anecdote about a fellow blogger, or wax enthusiastic about a food blog recipe you tried, and before you know it your husband/ significant other / friend/ relative’s eyes glaze over.  Their expression combines equal parts disdain and pity.  And without a sound, they arre able to communicate that, in their world, blog friendships couldn’t possibly be “real.” Like the HH, most of my friends perceive blog buddies on par with imaginary BFFs, as if I were a five year-old child recounting her vacant-chair tea party, or Jimmy Stewart in Harvey.

Now, anyone who writes or reads a blog with any regularity, anyone who has enjoyed a lively exchange of ideas in a comments queue, anyone who has shared a series of friendly emails with another blogger, or anyone who has participated in a blog exchange will know just how misguided such judgments are.

[My remake of a favorite salad at a local haunt: Insalata Roma, with mesclun mix, roasted red peppers, walnuts and "goat cheese"]

Last week, I had the unique pleasure of meeting one of my favorite “blogging buddies” in person: Amanda (of Still Life in Southeast Asia) was in Toronto and we met up for lunch.  What a total delight it was to meet with her! I’ve been following Amanda’s blog ever since she lived in Buenos Aires, and have always admired her poet, evocative writing style and enchanting photographs.  I learned a lot about the different places in which she’s lived (and there have been many) and vicariously enjoyed some of the local attractions through her posts.   

Although we’d never set eyes on each other before that moment, we hugged each other warmly and immediately began chattering like Saturday morning regulars at the local beauty salon.  To onlookers, we must have appeared like old room mates or relatives reunited.  Because of our blog connection, we were able to dispense with so much of the usual introductions; and I didn’t have to explain about my dietary restrictions or the need for an ACD-friendly restaurant.

Have I mentioned before how much I love eating in restaurants? I’m guessing my predilection is partly inherited from my mom (who felt the same way), and partly as a reaction against my dad, who abhorred any food that wasn’t cooked at home.  In fact, when my sisters and I were growing up, our family unit would eat in a restaurant perhaps once a year.  (No, that’s not a typo:  ONCE a YEAR). 

Why this aversion on his part?  It may have had something to do with the fact that my dad grew up on a farm and was accustomed to made-from-scratch foods. Or perhaps it was a consequence of his discovery, on an early date with my mom in Montreal’s Chinatown, of a matchstick (previously unlit) sharing space with the bean sprouts in his eggroll. Possibly, it was related to his work as a butcher, as he’d regularly share stories about local restaurants purchasing meat for daily specials from his store ; the meat was, he noted, barely a step above (and sometimes, below) dog food. In fact, I was basically forbidden from ever ordering hamburger in a restaurant.

[My version of my regular order at our local Middle Eastern resto: Israeli salad, with diced tomato, cucumber, red onion and avocado (and my addition of mixed lentil sprouts) with lemon-olive oil dressing.]

As for me, I rebelled against my father’s restaurant reluctance as soon as I was able to pay for my own food.  With my forays to eating establishments decidedly restricted over the past fourteen months (fourteen months on the ACD?  What kind of insanity is that?), I’ve resigned myself to meals in the same three places, over and over, with very limited choices from each menu.  So I wasn’t quite sure where Amanda and I would end up. Which leads me to. . .

First Number Three (“Third First”): Almost as soon as we started walking, however, Amanda pointed to a new café (I’d never seen it before) called Kale Organic Eatery. A small, quaint and cosy spot that exuded warmth and welcome, it offered a limited but varied buffet of both cold and hot dishes.  And everything on the menu was vegan–with many ACD-friendly options!  Whoo-hoo! There was also a terrific selection of homemade desserts (it’s okay; I averted my eyes).

Talking almost nonstop between bites of beets, steamed greens, tamari-marinated tempeh and brown rice with nori, we breezed through two hours of animated chatter and before we knew it, I had to leave for an appointment.  The company, the chat, the serendipitous restaurant find–it was a positive, energizing and fun way to spend an afternoon. Thanks so much, Amanda!

By the time I got home, I’d been thinking quite a bit about those desserts I couldn’t eat.  I decided to whip up these sunbutter cups, a sugar-free, allergen free, ACD-friendly version of the classic with peanut butter. Of course, you can use whatever nut or seed butter you like, but I thought the sunflower seed butter offered a nice change of pace.  The recipe is fairly small–just enough to share with a friend, whether virtual or otherwise.

Crunchy Sunbutter Chocolate Cups (ACD friendly Phase II and beyond)

Of course, you can fill these cups with whatever filling you choose; almond butter is ACD-friendly and would compliment the chocolate beautifully, as would walnut-cacao butter.  I chose sunbutter so that the cups would be allergy-friendly as well–and they tasted terrific!

Filling:

about 1/4 cup (60 ml) crunchy sunflower seed butter (or use 3 Tbsp/45 ml smooth butter and stir in 1 Tbsp (15 ml) coarsely ground sunflower seeds)

1/8 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

15-25 drops stevia, to taste (or use about 1 Tbsp/15 ml agave nectar)

Chocolate Cups:

2 oz (60 g) good quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 Tbsp (30 ml) carob powder

1 Tbsp (15 ml) coconut oil, preferably organic

35-45 drops chocolate, vanilla, or plain stevia liquid (to taste)

Line 4 muffin cups with paper liners.  Set aside.

Prepare the filling: In a small bowl, mix together the sunflower butter, salt, vanilla and stevia to taste.  Line a plate with plastic wrap and, using about 1 Tbsp (15 ml) for each, drop mounds of the mixture onto the plastic and place in the freezer until firm. 

Prepare the chocolate cups: In a small, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the chocolate, carob powder and coconut oil.  Stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Add the stevia and stir to combine well.  Using about 2 tsp of the mixture for each cup, cover the bottom of the cups with chocolate. Place the cups in the freezer until firm, about 5 minutes. 

Once the sunflower butter mixture is firm, shape each mound into a flat disk that is just smaller in diameter than the bottom of each chocolate cup.  Place one disk in each cup (it should almost cover the surface of the chocolate, leaving a very thin border of chocolate showing all around the disk).  Then, using about 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of chocolate per cup, pour the melted chocolate over sunflower filling, allowing it to flow into the edges and cover the top, effectively effectively encasing the filling in chocolate. 

Return the cups to the freezer until all the chocolate is firm.  Peel off paper and enjoy.  Makes 4 cups. May be stored, wrapped in plastic, in refrigerator up to one week. 

This recipe has been submitted to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays over at Amy’s blog, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free.

Last Year at This Time: The Ultimate Slow Food: Lupini Beans with Garlic and Olive Oil

Two Years Ago: You Say Potato Curry, I Say Aloo Masala

© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs

This month’s SOS (Sweet or Savory) Kitchen Challenge asked readers to whip up dishes with spinach, and wow, did you ever take on this challenge with gusto! We received a dozen fantastic, creative recipes to try that all highlight the super-healthy leafy green.  And yes, a few desserts are included as well!

Thanks to everyone who entered the challenge this month.  As always, if you’ve submitted a recipe and I forgot to include it here, please let me know asap so I can add it to the list.

Here’s what’s on the menu with spinach:

THE SAVORY CONTRIBUTIONS:

Our very first entry was from Janet at Taste Space (Toronto) –a colorful and delicious Quinoa and Butternut Squash Spinach Salad with Cranberry and Pear. Well, I think the title tells you everything you need to know–doesn’t that just sound delectable? This savory salad is also a bit sweet with the pear and cranberries. Suitable for gluten free, vegan, sugar free, egg free and dairy free diets.

Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes (Dundee, Scotland) offers up a great recipe for Spicy Spinach and Potato Curry adapted from a recipe she found in one huge tome of a cookbook.  Her pics look great (and check out the gratuitious cuteness of her new baby, Cooper!) This recipe is suitable for gluten free, soy-free, vegan, and ACD diets (contains coconut milk).

Kiersten from Full of Beans (Charlotte, NC )’s vegan Coconut Curried Chickpeas and Spinach looks like the perfect quick weekday dinner.  I love a good curry, and with chickpeas AND spinach, you can’t go wrong with this one! Vegan, soy-free, gluten free, ACD-friendly and otherwise nut-free.

A double savory whammy comes to us from Lisa of Vegan Cookbook Critic (Toronto).  First up, Lisa created a quick and easy savory Avocado-Spinach Spread–just look at the deep emerald color of that dip!

She also “uncooked” some gorgeously green Spinach-Hemp Flatbreads on which to spread it. Unlike many other dehydrated flatbreads, these remain soft, perfect for sandwiches. These both are vegan, dairy free, gluten free, raw, and sugar free.

Mom at the Gluten-Free Edge (Georgetown, Texas) decided that her Spinach Mushroom Pie should undergo a vegan revamp for this month’s entry! This is her remake of a long-time favorite recipe, and it worked out beautifully. The recipe is gluten free and vegan.

Donna from Fab Frugal Food (Provo, Utah) turned to Thai inspiration for her Wilted Spinach Salad with Thai Peanut Vinaigrette.  Using all natural peanut butter was the key to this delectable looking salad.  It’s gluten free, vegan and sugar free. 

Chaya from The Comfy Cook is back this month with a fabulous Oriental Rice Pizza.  This savory dish is filled with veggies and is a snap to make with its rice-based crust. It’s gluten free, sugar free and dairy free.

Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe (Melbourne, Australia) offers a cheezy spinach-based soup this month with her Pumpkin, Bean and Spinach Soup. While the recipe itself looks delicious, half the fun of the recipe is Johanna’s recounting of the experimentation that led her to it.  And doesn’t the concept of tofu croutons just sound fabulous?

Valerie of City Life Eats (Washington, DC) has created a Lemony Spinach Pepita Pesto. With a unique combination of ingredients, this pesto would be delicious on more than just pasta. It’s gluten free, vegan, nut free, sugar free and ACD-friendly.

Aubree Cherie, who blogs at Living Free (Kennett Square, PA), decided to move out of her usual spinach zone with these Almond Spinach Biscuits.  A great savory biscuit with a hint of sweet (dried cranberries), these treats were gobbled up by her significant other in no time.  Definitely a fun (and delicious) recipe.  Gluten free, sugar free, vegan and ACD-friendly.

My event partner, Kim at Affairs of Living, cooked up a fabulous Creamy Spinach and Celeriac Soup for those days when you crave something rich and healthy at the same time.  The recipe is vegan, gluten free, sugar free, ACD friendly, soy free and nut free.

My savory contribution this month is a Classic Tofu Quiche recipe that I’ve had for years but never thought to post.  The millet crust helps to make it quick, easy, and delicious! It’s gluten free, sugar free and vegan.

THE SWEET CONTRIBUTIONS (Yes, even spinach has a sweet side!):

Rachel from My Munchable Musings (WA) treated us to two sweet recipes this month! First up are these Spring Picnic Cupcakes, her take on the classic Strawberry and Spinach Salad–in a sweet mini confection! She’s also included a great bit of additional history and nutritional information about spinach here.  These are wheat free, sugar free and vegan.

Rachel also created these adorable Green Thumb Print Cookies, that are gluten free!  I love how the strawberry sits perfectly in the thumb print–seriously yummy looking.  These are gluten free, sugar free and vegan.

Kim’s second contribution this month is her Invisible Spinach Smoothie.  While you may have enjoyed smoothies with spinach before, this quick and easy recipe contains another veggie that you might not expect.  Vegan, ACD-friendly, gluten free.

Finally, my sweet contribution is this Green Monster Muffin.  Based on the concept of green smoothies, these muffins offer up spinach in a slightly sweet, hearty breakfast baked good.  I’ve used chopped apples, but you could add in raisins or even chocolate chips to the mix if you like.  Vegan, sugar free, gluten free.

Thanks again to everyone who played along this month.  Enjoy these recipes until next month, when Kim–our hostess for June’s Challenge–will announce the new SOS ingredient.

Last Year at this Time: The Ultimate Slow Food: Lupini Beans with Garlic and Olive Oil

Two Years Ago: When Cheesecake is Love (GF filling; spelt crust)

© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Thanks to everyone who entered the cookbook giveaway last week.  I was blown away by how many of you said you’d like to have my book–thanks so much! (And on that topic, you might like to know that I scored a fantastic discount with my publisher for my latest order of books–so I’ve put the book on sale until the end of the summer!  Click here for details.)

And the winner, chosen at random, is. . .

Number 20, Wendi from Veggie Obsessed! Congratulations, Wendi!

Please contact me via email (dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom) with your mailing address so that we can get your book out to you!

["Wow, Mum, that's great news for Wendi!  Now, if only you could get on The Ellen Show, my happiness would be complete!  (Oh, and if I manged to get a few extra treats while you're at it, then I'd be elated.")]

And don’t forget that you can still submit those spinach recipes until midnight tomorrow!

[Totally unrelated note: ever wonder how people find your blog? Well, ever since I wrote my post about our holiday in Florida, the number one search term that leads people to my blog is. . . "Alligators."  Yes, indeedy: folks looking for reptilian, steel trap-jawed people-eaters are sent to. . . my blog. In droves. Well, hi there, Everglade adventurers! Howdy, outback croc-hunters!  Welcome, designer shoe and handbag aficionados!]

By now, it’s probably evident that I’m a fan of spinach.  Certainly, devoting an entire SOS Kitchen Challenge to the popular leafy green is one indication (and if you hurry, you can still participate:  the deadline is May 20th!). 

It was through my friend Sterlin that I first learned to love spinach.  Even before I moved to Toronto myself, I was a frequent visitor to Sterlin’s place (her parents had pulled up stakes and made the trek from Montreal to Toronto long before I did).  I loved visiting this “exotic” metropolis, where, with Sterlin as both tour guide and chauffeur, we’d scour the city for interesting restaurants, university-based events, or dance clubs (in those days, single undergraduates in search of a boyfriend, we still frequented dance clubs).

After a long evening of inane chatter, bopping in our blister-inducing heels and drinking too many beer (I never did acquire a taste for the brew), we’d drive back to Sterlin’s parents’ house, and, with the intense precision and focus of a neurosurgeon, unlock the door without making a sound, the way only truly inebriated twenty-somethings can.  Once inside, we removed our shoes and tiptoed into the kitchen to raid the fridge, where, inevitably, we found. . . nothing.  (Okay, not literally “nothing.”  There was a half-eaten carton of cottage cheese and a few cans of Diet Coke).  At this point, Sterlin would move to the freezer, where she’d withdraw one of 5 or 6 boxes of frozen spinach (the only item in there).

“Want a snack?” she’d whisper, brandishing the box in the air.  “Mmm!  Let’s have some spinach!”

“Spinach?” I’d counter, equally susurrating, ” As a snack??”  I was accustomed to the cornucopia of home-baked chocolate chip cookies, chips, licorice, and other assorted junk foods in my own parents’ kitchen.  

But snack on spinach we did.  Sterlin loved the stuff so much that is was contagious, and I learned to love it, too.  I can’t say I ever think of frozen spinach as a snack these days, but I wouldn’t turn it down if someone offered it. (Beer, on the other hand, still doesn’t tempt me).

The second spinach epiphany I experienced courtesy of Sterlin was the classic 1980′s spinach salad.  You know the one:  baby spinach leaves coated in creamy, nondescript dressing, topped with a generous toss of chopped hardcooked eggs and a sprinkling of crispy bacon bits.  Back then, one of Toronto’s destination restaurants was a brand-new, ultra hip joint called Mr. Greenjeans (a current relative of the original place still exists, in a new location and without the flair or cachet of the original). 

Their specialty was–get this–salad (rather ahead of their time, don’t you think?).  And what made Mr. Greenjeans’ salads worth driving all the way downtown for? Why, their presentation: each portion of fresh greens was packed into a huge mason jar, perched atop a white plate the size of an hors d’oeuvre tray at a wedding.  Once served, you had the choice of picking at the salad right from the jar (the cool way) or emptying it onto the plate (the loser way).

Like an early iteration of Sassafras (where the gliterati hang out during the Toronto Film Festival), Mr. Greenjeans attracted diners not really because of the food, but more because of the reputation for cool.  After waiting in line for a table, we’d hope for a window seat, where we could see and be seen, scanning the sidewalk outside for celebrity sightings or people we might know. In those days, everyone who was anyone hung out at Mr. Greenjeans.

No wonder, then, that I thought of spinach as the first vegetable to include in a muffin when I first opened my organic bakery back in 2003.  In my zeal to include healthy veggies–especially leafy greens–in my recipes (and to provide an incentive to kids to eat their veggies), I created the Sweet Harvest Muffin, boasting not one, not two, but three different vegetables, including spinach.  Providing one full serving of vegetables in each muffin, the Sweet Harvest quickly became my best-selling product, and it was the first recipe I knew I’d include in Sweet Freedom. 

With this month’s SOS Challenge devoted to spinach, I decided to create an ACD-friendly variation of that best-selling muffin as my “sweet” entry to the challenge.  Based on the Green Monster smoothies that are ubiquitous on the internet, these contain both spinach and apple combined with carob and cinnamon, ingredients I often include in my own morning beverage. 

While these Green Monsters aren’t quite as sweet as the original muffins (which contain both raisins and chocolate chips), they do still make a tasty breakfast on the go; in fact, they tasted good enough that the HH noted he’d be happy to take one along to the office for his morning coffee. 

With the sepia carob masking its green, the spinach remains hidden in this muffin. You may not be getting quite the same quantity of spinach as you’d consume in an entire box of the frozen stuff, but you can feel good eating one of these babies for breakfast, knowing it provides a good sized hit toward your daily five to ten servings of fruits and vegetables.

This ACD-friendly adaptation also makes these muffins a perfect submission to Amy’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, over at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free.

And speaking of breakfast baking. . . I’ll be talking about breakfast (and other) baked goods from Sweet Freedom this Thursday morning on the Canadian version of Good Morning America, Canada AM! I am incredibly excited to share information about healthy eating with hosts Bev Thomson and Seamus O’Regan.  So set your PVRs, video recorders, etc for Thursday, May 20, between 8:00 and 9:00 AM!

Green Monster Muffins (ACD Phase II and beyond)

These muffins are a great way to start the day with both some fruit and some vegetables.  They’re sweet, but not overly so; and you won’t taste the spinach at all.  (Promise).

2 small apples, about 6-6 1/2 ounces (170-185 g) each, washed and cored (I used Granny Smith)

3  ounces (85 g) fresh or frozen spinach (include the stems)

1/4 cup (60 ml) natural smooth almond butter

2 Tbsp (30 ml) sunflower or other light tasting oil, preferably organic

2 tsp (10 ml) chia seeds, finely ground after measuring

2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract

1 tsp (5 ml) pure almond extract

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) apple cider vinegar

1-1/3 cups (320 ml) unsweetened soy or almond milk, plus up to 2 Tbsp (30 ml) more, if necessary

1/2 cup (60 g) carob powder*

1/2 cup (75 g) brown rice flour

1/2 cup (60 g) millet flour

1/4 cup (30 g) arrowroot powder

2 tsp (10 ml) cinnamon

1 Tbsp (15 ml) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking soda

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) xanthan gum, optional (muffins will be slightly crumbly without it)

1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 350F (180C).  Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners, or spray with nonstick spray.

Coarsely chop one of the apples and place it in the bowl of a food processor.  Dice the other apple into very small pieces (about the size of blueberries) and place in a small bowl; set the second apple aside until later.

Add the spinach to the food processor, and process the mixture until almost smooth. Add the almond butter, oil, chia, vanilla, almond extract, vinegar and milk and process again until well blended.  Add the reserved diced apple to the processor and mix it in by hand until all the pieces are coated, but don’t process again. Set aside while you measure the dry ingredients, or at least 3 minutes.

In a large bowl, sift together the carob powder, brown rice flour, millet flour, arrowroot powder, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, xanthan gum and salt.  Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until just blended.

Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup (80 ml) measuring cup, scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through, until a tester inserted into a center muffin comes out clean.  Cool five minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack.  Cool completely before sampling; the spinach will be discernible in the warm muffins, but the taste disappears once they’re cool.  Store, wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator up to 4 days.  May be frozen.

* you may use cocoa instead of carob, but cut back the quantity a bit (perhaps 2 Tbsp/30 ml) and add a bit more sweetener.

Last Year at this Time: Old Habits Die Hard: Mocha Cereal Cinnamon Muffins (non-ACD recipe)

Two Years Ago: Dolmades, Deconstructed (Mediterranean Rice Casserole)

© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs

[One of my baking exploits from the past week]

I’ve been spending inordinate amounts of time in the kitchen over the past week, baking up a storm (more on that in my next post).  I’ve just about perfected my next recipe, which I’ll share as soon as it’s ready. 

In the meantime, since I don’t have a recipe for you today, I thought it only fair that I provide you with the means to try out other recipes instead–and you get to choose which source! 

If you’d like to win a free baking cookbook, just click here for details.  Contest will run only until I post my next blog entry, so hurry!

In case you haven’t noticed, we Canadians are pretty obsessed with the weather.  It rules our schedules, our wardrobes and our moods.  Wake up to sunny skies and 26C (79 F), as we did a couple of weeks ago, and it’s going to be a good day.  Wake up to glum, sodden skies, and that scowl won’t leave your face for the next 18 hours. 

The weather influences how early you have to leave for work, your choice of foot covering for the day, whether your hair will behave or not, and how long your dog-walk will be.  Good or bad, it can even inspire me to haiku:

Last week was summer.
This week, earmuffs have returned.
Oh, Canada–why?

 (If you’re in the mood for more random haiku–including the HH’s magnum opus from his childhood–see this post).

Despite the unseasonally inclement weather this week, I’ve been hankering after raw foods for some reason.  (I’ve also been dreaming of appearing on The Ellen Show, but that’s pretty much standard every week these days.)

Maybe I’m just classically conditioned to react this way at this time of year, thermostat to the contrary or not. It’s sort of like being hungry at 12:00 noon, even if I’ve eaten breakfast at 11:00 AM; my head says, “Oh, yeah! Time to eat!” and I heed the call, even if my tummy is still churning through my cereal.  (Still trying to work on that “listen-to-your-body-signals” thing).  Whatever; I decided to give in to the impulse, and whip up some broccoli hummus.

“Mum, are you suggesting that there’s something wrong with classical conditioning?  And does this mean all of our work with that nice Mr. Pavlov was for naught? But you will still give us those treats every time you ring a bell, won’t you? “

This is Gena’s fantabulous recipe, so I can’t really take  the cake  this man to be my lawfully wedded husband  the heat  the credit for it. However, I did minimally adapt it since, unlike Gena, I find it’s a rare hummus I can enjoy without a good hit of garlic included.  If you prefer yours without the added allicin, then by all means, leave it out.  I also substituted miso for the nutritional yeast, since I’m still adhering to ACD, of course. 

The recipe is perfect in its simplicity, like a classic string of pearls, or a  Henry Moore sculpture, or Jessica Simpson.  I couldn’t believe how quickly it came together, and how scrumptious it was.  The zucchini confers both smoothness and creaminess, just as it does in Gena’s remarkably delicious zucchini dressing (which I’ve been making almost daily for the past couple of weeks) as well; and the tahini provides a bit more density and heft for spreading.

Even if you’re not a fan of broccoli, you’ll likely enjoy this, as the flavor is tempered by the tahini.  I’ve had the hummus spread on a raw collard wrap and on rice cakes–both work beautifully.  And between the broccoli and tahini, you’re getting a nice hit of calcium in each serving. All in all, a bowl of yum.

And if you squint really hard at that photo up top, you can pretend it’s a poetry-inspiring photo of  the sun, its rays emanating warmth and sunny dispositions across our Canadian skies this morning. 

Gena’s Raw Broccoli Hummus (ACD Phase I and beyond)

adapted from Choosing Raw

This quick and easy spread is a perfect alternative to standard hummus, especially if you’re trying to reduce starchy foods.  And since the main ingredients are broccoli and zucchini, you can even enjoy a little more than you would the regular stuff–without worrying about the calories.

1-1/2 cups (360 ml) raw broccoli, chopped

1-1/2 cups (360 ml) raw zucchini with skin, chopped

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup raw tahini (sesame paste)–use regular, as I did, if you don’t mind that the recipe isn’t entirely raw

1 Tbsp (15 ml) mild miso*

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) cumin

3 Tbsp (45 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

fresh ground pepper, to taste

olive oil, for drizzling

Place the broccoli and zucchini in a food processor and process until almost smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and continue to process until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides of processor bowl as necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings.  Serve immediately or refrigerate. Makes about 2 cups.  Will keep, covered, in refrigerator up to 3 days.

*NOTE: For ACD Phase I, use Bragg’s instead of miso.

Last Year at this Time: Virtual Vacation by the Sea and Appetizers for Two

Two Years Ago: French Toast Soufflé with Summer Berries (pre-ACD recipe)

© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs

For all the moms out there. . . 

Whether a Mom by birth,

[My mother on her wedding day, aged 22]

a Mom by choice,

[Elsie, you're a pretty good pillow."]

or a Mom you hold close in your heart,

[My Mom at my wedding, aged 59, three years before she died.]

Wishing you all day filled with happiness and time with loved ones, whoever they are, and wherever they may be.   

“Mum, we wish you a happy day, too.  And what do you mean, ‘Mom by choice’? Isn’t Elsie my real mother?  But–but she’s always been there, since I was born! And  I look just like her! And she lets me bug her without biting me back! And she–”

“Zip it, Chaser, Mum was talking about her and us.  I hate to break it to you, but we’re adopted. Even though I do look sort of like Mum, especially around the ears.”

“I’m devastated. But, okay, whatever, let’s play!”

Last Year at this Time: Dog Day: Celebrate All Moms

Two Years Ago: Dog Day: Still a Happy Day

© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs

*Or, Thanks, Michael Ruhlman (for the rule, man).

[Quick note:  Diet, Dessert and Dogs finally has its own Facebook Page!  If you like the DDD blog, come on over and "like" the page!]

[Millet, buckwheat, oat and bean flour with chopped pears and cranberry compote]

I’m all about freedom of choice. 

While my dad eats the identical breakfast every day**, I feel the need to rotate among cereal (hot or cold), omelets, baked sweet potato and almond sauce, apple and almond butter, various types of smoothies, last night’s leftovers, or other breakfast baked goods.

While the HH likes to spend his weekends in the same fashion each week (sleep in; brunch at our favorite place; toodle around a bookstore; come home and listen to classical music on his beyond-our-means stereo system), I’d rather do something entirely different each Saturday and Sunday–go to the museum, say, or the farmers market, or read my latest book of choice, or cook up something new in the DDD kitchen, or launch a campaign to get on The Ellen Show. 

Similarly, on his watch, the HH takes The Girls along the exact same route each time they go for a walk.  I, on the other hand, can’t help but mix it up a bit: one day to the baseball field, the next to the park, the third to the pond, and so on.  

I can’t imagine how people consume the exact same meal every day, or wear the same uniform to school, or choose the same car every time they purchase, or set up a room and never rearrange the furniture.  I mean, don’t they get bored of those foods/ vehicles/ outfits/ spouses (sorry, must have been the influence of the recent Tiger Woods/Jesse James scandals–meant to say, “houses”)?

As you may recall, I am a lover of pancakes.  My favorite breakfast back in the day (that would be the “pre-ACD, looked-okay-on-the-outside-but-was-actually-deteriorating-on-the-inside” day) was pancakes, sausages, scrambled eggs, and home fries.  Never mind that those calories alone could power the entire Gulf Coast cleanup mission; the quality of what I ate was none too great, either. 

One aspect of my standard “big breakfast” at restaurants that I didn’t enjoy, however, was the sameness of it.  Wherever we went, it was invariably the same pancake mix each place used, resulting in identical puffy, seemingly inflated, fried-in-hydrogenated-grease cakes that resemble those colored kitchen sponges a little too much for my comfort. (I think they just all used Bisquick as their base, now that I look back on it).  Even in my own kitchen, I’ve had to attempt various types and flavors of pancake to keep my flapjack love alive.

[Millet, rice, tapioca, chickpea flours with blueberries and cashew custard sauce]

Well, the more I’ve experimented with GF baking, the more I’ve come to love the fact that most recipes require a long ingredient list with at least two or three types of flour.  At first, like everyone else, I found this necessity a real drag; I mean, who has all these items in the pantry?  (Of course, there’s always all-purpose GF flour, but to me that sort of defeats the purpose.). Unlike baking with wheat, I realized, gluten free baking affords the opportunity to alter the recipe to your mood, to a particular meal, to a personal taste.  Feel like something rustic and hearty?  Try amaranth, or quinoa as the main flour.  Something light and delicate?  Your choice is millet or sorghum. A hint of chocolate?  Teff adds depth and color.  And so on. Baked goods made with gluten free flours are unique and distinctive; like snowflakes, no two are alike.  And this is a good thing.

Still, there are ways to streamline the process.  Something I noticed when baking from an established GF recipe was that most GF mixes include a grain, a starch, and a bean or legume flour.  In a pinch, they even replaced the beany flour with another grain. If I didn’t particularly like the flavor of the specific grain or bean that was chosen, or if I was missing an ingredient, I decided to experiment, swapping out one for the other.  And guess what?  It almost always worked!  Better yet, sometimes my result was even more flavorful or texturally appealing than the original.

You know how slot machines (those “one-armed bandits”) always display a new combination of pictures (cherries, oranges, and lemons, say) each time you pull the lever?  That’s how I think of this recipe. Like Michael Ruhlman’s concept in Ratio, this basic recipe provides the proportions, and you can change up the contents any way you wish. 

There are four main categories–grain, starch, legume and fruit or nut–and you can exchange any item from one category for another from the same category.  So each time you make these pancakes, they’ll turn up a little differently, yet still delicious.  

If you’re feeling adventurous, go ahead and experiment, too.  Luckily, this pancake recipe was created for substitutions, so any combination should come out palatable, at the least (and once in a while, you get that “coins pouring out the slot in waves” lucky combination that you write down and keep forever.).

There are four flour ingredients in these pancakes, in varied amounts: either 1/2 cup (120 ml) or 1/4 cup (60 ml)***.   Feel free to replace the grains with any other grains from the same category and your pancakes should still be light and fluffy (see exception, below).  Replace the starch with any other starch (see exception) and your pancakes will still be light and fluffy.  And pull out that bean and replace it with another bean or legume and yes, Virginia, your pancakes will still be light and fluffly.

[Amaranth, teff, oat and sorghum with blueberries and warm almond sauce]

So far, I’ve made these with the following combinations: amaranth, teff, oat (a grain exception that functions as a starch in these recipes) and sorghum; millet, buckwheat, oat and whole bean;  rice, arrowroot and carob; and rice, millet, arrowroot and garfava–and they’ve all come out great. 

This is the perfect pancake recipe for me: I can switch it up every time I have pancakes for breakfast, yet know that whatever I’ve got, I’ll enjoy the results. No more breakfast boredom!  The spice of life never tasted so good.

I’d love for you to try out your own unique combination of pancake ingredients and share them here!  Feel free to play with the recipe and replace the flours with others from the same category, the tahini with nut butter or other seed butter, the fruits with one(s) of your choice or nuts/seeds, the flax with chia (just remember that you’ll need much less chia–about 1 tsp/5 ml finely ground–instead of each Tbsp/15 ml flax), or the soy milk with almond, hemp or rice milk.  Instead of vanilla, how about almond extract, or lemon?  Instead of cinnamon, how about ginger, cardamom, or another spice? It’s all good!

[Rice, millet, arrowroot and garfava flours with walnut-cacao nut butter]

With all the possibilities out there, I can’t wait to hear about what you create!  Let me know if you try out your own combination, and I’ll add a link to your post. 

Have fun with it, and enjoy your varied pancake breakfasts! And with Mother’s Day tomorrow, pancakes might just offer a perfect brunch for you and Mom. 

“Mum, we’re not that great at cooking pancakes–lack of opposable thumbs, and all that–but we would be happy to share them with you tomorrow.”

** Corn flakes with 1/2 banana, 6 prunes, and a cup of tea, in case you were wondering.

Pick-Your-Own GF Pancakes

This recipe is a serendipitous invention that came about because I was out of brown rice flour for another pancake I wished to make.  By the time I was done, I’d altered almost every ingredient on the list and had discovered a fabulous, all-purpose generic pancake recipe.  This is the last pancake recipe you’ll ever need!

1/2 cup (120 ml)*** millet or other grain flour, or use 1/4 cup (60 ml) each of two different grain flours  (see List A, below)

1/4 cup (60 ml) sorghum, oat, or other starchy flour (see List B, below)

1/4 cup (60 ml) chickpea or other bean-based flour (see List C, below)

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) xanthan gum (optional, but pancakes will be less cohesive without it)

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) cinnamon, ginger, or other spice of choice (you may need to reduce the amount to 1/4 tsp/1 ml for other spices)

1 Tbsp (15 ml) GF baking powder

1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking soda

1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt

1 Tbsp (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice PLUS

plain or vanilla soy, almond or rice milk to equal 1-1/4 cups (300 ml)

2 Tbsp (30 ml) light agave nectar or 10 drops liquid stevia

2 Tbsp (30 ml) sunflower or other light-tasting oil, preferably organic

1 Tbsp (15 ml) finely ground flax seeds

1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp (2. 5 ml) additional flavoring, such as almond, lemon, or coconut (optional)

1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh or frozen berries or chopped fruit (such as apples, bananas or pears–do not thaw first if frozen), or nut pieces

In a large bowl, sift together the grain flour, starchy flour, beany flour, xanthan gum, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

Pour the 1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice into a glass measuring cup and add milk of choice until liquid measures 1-1/4 cups (300 ml).  To the cup, add the agave or stevia, oil, flax seeds, vanilla and other flavoring, if using. 

Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and stir just to blend.  Gently fold in the fruit or nuts.

Heat a nonstick frypan over medium heat.  Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup (80 ml) measuring cup, place scoops of batter in the preheated pan and spread out a bit so that pancake isn’t so thick.  Cook 4-5 minutes, until the tops are dry on top (they will lose their shine) and begin to brown on the edges (this may take time–be patient!).  Flip pancakes and cook another 3-4 minutes, until both sides are deep golden brown (they need to be well done or the insides will remain too moist).  As you finish the batter, keep pancakes warm in a low (300F/150C) oven.  Makes 7-9 pancakes.  May be frozen. 

These are great when fresh; if you wish to store them a day or two, wrapped in plastic in the fridge, they may dry out a bit and become a bit more crumbly next time round.  To avoid this outcome, you can always add 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) xanthan gum to the dry ingredients when you first prepare the pancakes.

***Note to Metric Cooks: I’ve used volume measurements even for the flours here, as weights will vary depending on which grains, beans, etc. you choose.  I’ve found that scooping and leveling with a dry measuring cup (the graduated metal ones) works well.

Choices, Choices! 

Here’s a basic list of gluten-free flours and beans/legumes (notice that oats are now on the list!) to help you along. Easy!

And here are the lists of various flours I’ve found that work well (sorry, I haven’t mastered how to insert a chart yet!).  The various combinations I’ve tried so far are listed at the bottom of the post. 

Do you know of any others?  Let me know!  And have fun!

List A: Grains

• brown rice flour
• teff flour
• amaranth flour
• quinoa flour
• millet flour
• buckwheat flour (technically a seed, but functions as a grain)

List B: Starchy Flours

• arrowroot flour
• cornstarch
• tapioca starch
• potato starch
• sorghum flour (technically a grain, but functions as a starch)
• oat flour (technically a grain, but functions as a starch)

List C: Beany Flours

• chickpea (besan) flour
• whole bean flour (possibly only available in Canada, at Bulk Barn)
• navy bean flour
• Garfava flour (garbanzo-fava bean mix)
• soy flour
• carob flour

Last Year at this Time: A Reunion and Some Reflections

Two Years Ago: Vanilla Vs. Vanilla (pre-ACD cupcakes and muffins with gluten and agave/maple syrup)

© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Now that May has arrived, it’s time for the second SOS Kitchen Challenge from Kim at Affairs of Living and me!  Thanks, again, to everyone who participated last time.  You helped to make the inaugural event a huge success!

This month, Kim and I decided to go with another versatile vegetable that can be used in a host of different ways.  Are you ready to exercise your kitchen creativity and cook up some Sweet or Savory dishes that contain. . .

SPINACH?!

Did you know that, of all vegetables, leafy greens contain the most nutrients? No wonder they’re considered the royalty of the vegetable world!  And when it comes to spinach, Popeye knew what he was talking about: this veggie really is a nutritional superhero.  With a light, delicate texture and mild flavor, it’s no surprise that spinach is the most popular of all the leafy greens.

Besides offering up ten times your daily requirement of Vitamin K (essential for healthy blood formation), three times the daily Vitamin A, and almost 100% of the daily manganese and folate, a cup of boiled spinach also provides a host of other minerals, vitamins, the amino acid tryptophan, and some heart-healthy Omega 3 fatty acids.  The anti-cancer properties of spinach (and all leafy greens) are well-known; this delicate leaf can combat prostate and ovarian cancers, improve bone and cardiovascular health, keep your mind sharp and your eyes healthy (the latter mostly due to the carotenoid lutein, which has been proven to help prevent macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness as people age).

According to Paul Pitchford in his classic tome, Healing with Whole Foods, spinach is also a considered cooling food within the traditions of Chinese medicine; it “has a ‘sliding’ nature, which facilitates internal body movements such as bowel action and urination, and thus is treatment for constipation and urinary difficulty.”  Moreover, the high chlorophyll and iron content help to build blood.  (Beware, however, which spinach you buy; according to the Environmental Working Group, spinach ranks number eight in the top twelve fruits and vegetables most sprayed with pesticides. With spinach, if you can afford it, it’s best to buy organic).

If all the health benefits don’t convince you, how about the taste and versatility?  I love using spinach raw in smoothies, as the main ingredient in a salad or the base for a yummy meal-in-a-bowl; cooked into a quick and easy Mediterranean Rice Casserole, or simply sautéed with garlic and soy sauce.  And let’s not forget the sweet possibilities: how about some vegan molten chocolate cakes or (the easier option), chocolate-studded cupcakes?

Finally, I love that spinach is such a lovely shade of green–a fact that ties in nicely with Kim’s focus this month on Lyme disease (it’s Lyme Awareness month), and the “lyme” green logo!

To enter this month’s SOS challenge, simply create and post a recipe using spinach before the deadline of midnight, May  20, 2010, CST, and send it to soskitchenchallengeATgmailDOTcom  (note: you don’t have to cook up an original recipe–any recipe that uses the ingredient is just fine, even if you found it somewhere else!).

For full details on what kinds of ingredients to use and how to enter the challenge, see this page.  I’ll post the roundup (as will Kim, on her blog) a week after the deadline so you can take your time browsing through the amazing collection of recipes before the next challenge! 

My first contribution to the challenge this month is this quiche that’s been a staple in our house for as long as the HH and I have been together (that’s more than a dozen years now–yikes!).  In fact, it’s such a standby recipe that I was sure I’d already posted it–but couldn’t find it in the archives.

I first tasted quiche as a callow undergrad at the University of Windsor, one weekend when my room mate’s friend (who hailed from the booming metropolis of Toronto) came to visit.  Ildiko (why is it all the good cooks I encountered as a university student had unusual names?) arrived with backpack in tow, from which she withdrew in quick succession, a bag of flour, a pound of butter, a carton of cream, various zip-loc bags of chopped vegetables, and, ultimately, a wooden rolling pin.  It was like watching the Grinch and his bottomless bag of gifts at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas--every time she pulled out another item, I assumed it would be the last, but there was always one more to follow.

Right there in our dorm room, Ildiko mixed up a pie crust, deftly rolled it out on a piece of wax paper on my desktop, then transferred it, seamlessly, to the pie plate.  Next she whipped together the eggs and cream, a few seasonings, and sprinkled in the chopped veggies.  We baked the quiche in a toast-r-oven we had in the room, and as the scent began to fill the air, I suspected that quiche was something I was going to enjoy.  Later, as we devoured slice after slice, the three of us polishing off the entire thing in no time, I learned that quiche came in infinite varieties–you could add pretty much any fillers you liked, but it was the custard that really defined it.

I can’t say I craved quiche over the years, but I did occasionally notice it on restaurant menus and think, “hmm, it would be nice to have a slice of that.”  As with that first quiche back as an undergrad, though, it was the custardy texture that most appealed to me.

And then, I discovered silken tofu–and this recipe. This classic vegan quiche is one I found online and adapted (sorry, I can’t recall the source; so if the recipe looks familiar, please let me know!). To my palate, it reproduces almost exactly the same smooth-yet-firm, moist and creamy custardy filling.  I’ve upped the veggies considerably compared to that first pie, but the general idea is remarkably similar to the “real thing.” In fact, this is one of my go-to recipes at home, and a regular feature when I teach gluten-free cooking classes.

With limitless possibilities for the vegetables in the filling, this quiche can be altered to your tastes and the occasion at hand.  I use a handy millet crust, but again, feel free to change it up; if you’ve got a nice pastry crust that you think will go well with this, go ahead and use it. 

To see Kim’s first spinach recipe (a creamy spinach and celeriac soup), check this post.

“Mum, real dogs do eat quiche, you know.  As long as you pick out the onions, that is.  And we like that custardy texture, too.”

Classic Tofu Quiche (ACD-friendly, Phase I and beyond)

The real beauty of this recipe is its versatility–as long as the volumes stay the same, you can use pretty much any vegetables in place of those listed.

For the crust: 

1/2 cup (115 g) dry millet

1-1/4 cups (300 ml) vegetable broth or stock

pinch of fine sea salt 

For the filling: 

1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic

1 onion, diced

2 roasted red peppers or 1 fresh, sliced into thin strips

1 carrot, grated

1 cup very firmly packed spinach or chard leaves, stems removed, chopped

2 cups (700 g) firm or extra firm silken tofu, or soft tofu

1 Tbsp (15 ml) white miso (for ACD Phase I, use extra tahini)

2 Tbsp (30 ml) tahini (sesame paste)

1 Tbsp (15 ml) Bragg’s liquid aminos, tamari, or soy sauce  

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease a pie plate, or line with parchment paper. 

Prepare the crust:  Pour millet into a small pot and add the broth.  Bring to boil over high heat, then lower heat to simmer, cover, and let simmer for 25 minutes, or until almost all the liquid is absorbed and the millet is soft and beginning to fall apart (if necessary, add extra stock until the millet reaches this consistency).  Stir well, then immediately pour the millet into the pie pan and, using the back of a spoon or wet hands (and being careful not to burn yourself!), press the millet into the pie plate to create a “crust.” (Dipping the spoon or your hands in water helps). Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes until slightly dry. 

Prepare the filling:  Heat oil in a large frypan and sauté onions for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and soft.  Add the pepper, carrot, and spinach, and sauté for another 5 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and other ingredients begin to soften.  Cover and turn off heat. 

In a food processor or blender, mix the tofu, miso, tahini and Bragg’s until very smooth. Pour the mixture over the vegetables in the pan and stir to combine well. Turn into the crust in the pie pan, and smooth the top.  If desired, sprinkle with a little paprika. 

Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the top is light golden brown.  Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes to set before serving.  May be eaten hot, at room temperature, or cold. Makes 8 servings. May be frozen.

I’m also linking this recipe to Linda’s Gluten-Free Wednesdays carnival over at The Gluten-Free Homemaker, as well as Meatless Monday at Hey What’s for Dinner and Meatless Monday at My Sweet and Savory.

Last Year at this Time: Vegetarian Veggie Burgers that are Made from Vegetables

Two Years Ago: Cultured Vegetables