[As I mentioned last time, I'm thrilled beyond words that my cookbook, Sweet Freedom, is one of only three cookbooks recommended on Ellen DeGeneres's new "Going Vegan with Ellen" page! If you've had success with the recipes or if you have the book and like it, please hop over and leave a comment to let Ellen know as well!]
There’s just enough time to squeeze in one more summer giveaway before we all head back to the city from the cottage, back to school from the parks and beaches, back to work from our holidays, or just back to autumn after the long, lazy, delightful days of summer–so how could I resist? Besides, with autumn in the air in these parts (the mornings are already feeling a wee bit chilly), I needed something to cheer me up!
These days, the importance for Omega 3s, those essential fatty acids (EFAs) that we can only acquire from foods (our body can’t make them) is being emphasized all over the media and the supermarket aisles. EFAs are even added to foods in which they’d never appear naturally (such as orange juice), in what seems to me a pseudo-GMO fashion. And everyone is concerned about how to get their fill.
When I was in nutrition school back in the early 2000s, hardly anyone had even heard of Omega 3s. In class, we learned that the best sources for EFAs were salmon, walnuts, and flax seeds. Our teachers advised us to consume at least 1-2 teaspoons (10 ml) of the stuff a day. And the product they recommended most often to ensure we achieved our daily quota was fish oil.
For couple of years after school ended, I forced myself to take my fish oil daily, despite the fact that I was entirely unhappy with its source; further, the “lemon flavor” never really tasted like lemon to me, and I had a hard time swallowing it (literally). I tried mixing it in smoothies, but found that the flavor simply overpowered the smoothie. Finally, I determined to stop taking it when I cut other animal products out completely, and I turned to walnuts, flax and, later on, chia seeds for my Omega 3s.
Well, imagine my surprise when I learned that there’s a totally vegan Omega 3 oil out there, and one that is derived from plant and algae sources! When I was contacted by Kristine from Ascenta Health to see whether I was interested in reviewing their vegan Omega 3 oil, I was most surprised to discover that the company for which she worked was the same one that made NutraSea! The product she offered me was a vegan counterpart, called NutraVege.
I agreed to try the oil, making no promises. The bottle arrived a few days later, and I set up my station by the sink: open bottle in one hand, teaspoon in the other, full glass of water to drown out the taste on the counter. I poured; I slid the spoon into my mouth; I swallowed and grabbed the glass.
And then–the strangest thing happened! There was no need to drink. No need to mask the flavor at all, in fact, because it was actually extremely pleasant! The oil is smooth and clear with a subtle citrus note that lingers for a few seconds. In fact, the taste was so pleasant that I felt I could happily incorporate the oil into my recipes, though honestly, you can eat this stuff entirely on its own.
First I added some to a smoothie (this one has kale, cucumber, lettuce, plum, cinnamon, and coconut water):
As I suspected, it was dee-licious!
Next, I made this fantastic salad based on a recipe from Nava Atlas’s VegKitchen, subbing part of the oil with NutraVege. The addition of a citrus boost worked beautifully with the lime-based dressing. (You could also simply use olive oil for the dressing if you don’t have the NutraVege at home, of course).
Apart from its lovely flavor, NutraVege is also a powerful source of Omega 3s for vegans (with 20 times more DHA than flax, according to their website). One of the problems with plant-based sources of Omega-3s is that they don’t readily convert to DHA (those with low thyroid function, for instance, have a hard time with flax-based Omega 3s), but since NutraVege is derived from the Echium plantagineum plant (I had never heard of it before, either!), its source is readily converted and so offers a great alternative to fish-based oils. And the Algal DHA it contains is identical to that found in fish, since it’s actually the source eaten by the fish to provide their own DHA. (The company also provides a neat little chart comparing their oil to flax oil in terms of both cost and effectiveness. Take a look for more info.).
I was so thrilled with the sample, in fact, that I wrote back to Kristine and I askedher if I could give some away to one of you! She graciously agreed and then offered not one, not two, but three prizes to lucky DDD readers!
So if you’d like to win a bottle of Nutra-Vege of your very own, here’s all you have to do:
1) Live in Canada (so sorry, US friends–this is one giveaway restricted to Canada. I promise the next one will be open to everyone!).
2) Leave a Commenton this post telling me why you’d like to try it.
3) For extra entries, check out the Ascenta website and tell me one interesting fact you found there; follow @Ascenta_Health on twitter; tweet about the giveaway (using @rickiheller so I see it); ”like” Diet, Dessert and Dogs on Facebook and leave a comment on the wall; follow me on twitter and send me a tweet to @rickiheller; blog about this with a link back to this page; post about it on Facebook and link to Diet, Dessert and Dogs either here or on Facebook. For each of these, please come back here and leave a separate comment so I know you did so.
I’m really excited to have a healthy, delicious and vegan alternative to fish oils available for a great boost of Omega 3s and 6s. Now it’s easy to obtain all your essential fatty acids without animal products!
The giveaway will remain open until Friday, August 19th at midnight. I’ll then choose three winners at random and post their names by Monday. Please be sure to come back on Monday and check whether or not you’ve won! If I don’t hear from the winners within a week of announcing them, I’ll choose new winner(s).
Good luck, everyone!
And if you’d like to try that amazing salad, here ‘s the recipe.
Raw Sweet Potato and Greens Slaw (suitable for ACD all stages)
The minute I saw the recipe for Raw Sweet Potato and Cabbage Salad on Nava Atlas’s VegKitchen, I knew I had to try it. Grated raw sweet potato is perfect alongside these hearty shredded greens. I recombined Nava’s original ingredients in the blender for a creamy version of her dressing.
1/2 large sweet potato, peeled and grated
2 cups (480 ml) very thinly sliced dark leafy greens (I used a mix of chard and kale)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh cilantro
heaping 1/4 cup (70 ml) raw cashews
1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, preferably organic
2 tsp (10 ml) Nutra-Vege Omega 3 oil (or use more olive/avocado oil)
1/2-1 tsp (2.5-5 ml) dried chili flakes, to your taste
Place the sweet potato, greens and green onion in a salad bowl and toss to distribute evenly. Set aside.
In a blender, combine the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth (you may need to add 1-2 Tbsp/15-30 ml water to achieve a pourable consistency).
Pour the dressing over the salad in the bowl and toss to coat well. Allow to sit for 20-30 minutes to allow the greens to soften a bit and for the flavors to blend. Makes 4-6 servings. Keep, covered in the refrigerator, up to 2 days.
And don’t forget: you can still submit your healthy recipe to this week’s Wellness Weekend, until midnight tomorrow (Monday)!
[Dinner Bowl with millet, sesame chard, grated carrot, avocado, grape tomatoes, and almond sauce.]
When I was about four and the Nurse was eight, my parents decided to have our portraits taken. Now, in those days (we’re talking Dark Ages of technology, folks) no one had heard of digital photography, let alone Photoshop; you had to make due with photos as they appeared once developed, sometimes days or weeks after you’d snapped them in the first place.
[Insalata Roma: Mesclun greens with roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts, "goat cheese" and balsamic vinaigrette.]
In those days, the style was to dress up your kids, have them sit still for an hour or so while a photographer (who had arrived at your home hours earlier, toting enormous cameras, lenses, black boxes, velvet throws and a host of other tools of the trade) cajoled your child into staring at the camera long enough so that he could snap fifty or so photographs. Then, he went away and developed the photos, returning a few weeks later with the contact prints so that you could choose the one you wanted.
[Purple Monster I: gluten-free pancakes with blended berry sauce and tofu scramble.]
In order to simulate traditional artists’ portraits, the photographer blew up the black and white print to portrait size, then painted over the original with colored oil paints. These “portraits” were then hung in ornate gold frames, usually in the living room or family room. Most of my parents’ friends had similar portraits hanging in their own homes (with their own kids in the frames, that is). In fact, the image of four year-old me, a Mona Lisa smile on her face and hair teased and flipped like a 50s housewife’s, wearing my favorite dress with the white princess collar and pale blue crinolines, still gazes over my dad’s sofa (with matching portraits of each of my sisters on either side).
[Purple Monster II: Red cabbage slaw with green apples, toasted walnuts and poppyseed dressing.]
Why am I telling you all this, you wonder? Well, occasionally there were kids who simply wouldn’t participate (I recall hours of silly voices, fuzzy bears and sparkly jewelry passing before the CFO’s tear-stained face on the day, years later, of her portait-sitting; after almost four hours, the disheveled photographer finally elicited a semi-smile, which is the shot that was ultimately used). Worse, there were sometimes kids who were more than happy to oblige the photographer, but who, after all the developer was mixed, the paper bathed in the stop bath and the photos hung to dry, simply weren’t meant for such things.
[Gluten free pizza with pesto, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic and red onion.]
Well, sometimes, I cook food that tastes great, but for one reason or another, doesn’t give good blog. You know the meals–either you chomp them up too quickly, and by the time you remember to snap a pic, the meal is half gone; or else you snap and snap, eventually tuning in more to the rumbling in your stomach than the food on the table, and give up before you acquire that one useful photo. In these cases, I usually file the pics away, assuming I won’t be using them.
[Thai-inspired Coconut Curry Tofu Scramble with spinach, carrot, peppers and cashews.]
Still, some of those foods were really tasty. And just because they’re not photogenic, does that mean they should miss out? Heck, no! Just like the legendary blind date “with the great personality” (ah, if only I had a dime for all the times I was described in such a way), these dishes are really wonderful if you give them a chance.
[Tuscan Bean Soup, adapted from this recipe--my version below.]
And so, I thought it might be fun to share some of the more homely–yet still appealing–foods I’ve made in the past few months.
Just don’t try to snap their portraits.
“Mum, you know, we let you snap our portraits all the time. But if you want me to smile, well, how about a little cajoling with treats or a frisbee?”
Tuscan Bean Soup
This is a thick, filling, and comforting soup for cooler months. I used the stems from the chard, but found their flavor a bit overpowering; I’d leave them off next time.
1 pound (450 g) dried white beans (Great Northern, cannellini, or navy), picked over and rinsed
Soak beans in cold water overnight, or at least 8 hours. Discard water, rinse the beans, and set aside.
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are soft, 8-10 minutes. Add the beans, stock, water, bay leaf and pepper and simmer, uncovered, until beans are tender, 45 minutes to an hour.
Stir in the swiss chard and salt to taste and continue to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chard is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove about 2 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth, or use an immersion blender and blend briefly in only one or two spots so that most of the soup remains chunky. Stir the blended soup back into the pot, simmer until heated through, and season to taste. Garnish with nutritional yeast, if desired. Makes 6-8 servings. May be frozen.
[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).]
[With Collards, Chard and Red Onion]
It’s been a truly crazy past week, what with our new semester starting up today at the college and my cookbook deadline being perilously close.* (And let’s not forget the Golden Globes from last evening–didn’t B & A look marvelous amidst the hubub and Moet & Chandon? And did you hear that Tracy Morgan is the new face of the US? But Mamma Mia, that Ms. Streep is timeless! ) With all that, there’s been no time for handiwork in the kitchen.
Instead, here’s what I’ve been eating lately–and by “lately,” I mean pretty much every day. I’ve made this three times in the past six days: it’s quick, it’s easy, it’s delicious and it contains nature’s most nutritious vegetables, leafy greens. And with all the deepbrowns, ochres, ambers and ecrus I’ve been consuming over the past few weeks, I figured it was time for some green.
[With Collards and Yellow Onion]
Besides, I adore leafy greens and have been trying to include them in my diet more often. Jagged, zippy dandelion greens are like the tough kid in the schoolyard, the punk who wears his black leather jacket like a trophy and loiters in the corner of the schoolyard chain-smoking. With a hard and bitter exterior, he’s really a sweetheart once you get to know him. Collards, with their elegant, frond-like shape, are the modern jazz dancers of the group, deftly swaying side to side as they harmoniously meld the delicate and the cacophonous. And kale, my very favorite, is the ditzy neighbour, the plucky, perky best friend, the Mary Richards of leafy greens; she fidgets and bobs and sighs histrionically, clad in her ruffly collar and matching cuffs–she’s a little wacky, maybe, but always honest and reliable. How could you not love greens?
This dish was created when I had intended to try out a recipe for brussels sprouts and apples I read about on Vegalicious a while back. When I discovered I had no sprouts, I opted for the greens instead (heck, they’re all brassicas, right?). Using the other recipe for inspiration, I threw this together. It was ready in ten minutes, and I was left to marvel that something so simple could taste so good.
The barely-wilted greens are chewy and toothsome, while the apples and onions, having softened and caramelized slightly, provide a balancing sweetness to the slightly bitter leaves. The addition of lemon juice here, besides imparting an appealing tang, renders the minerals in the vegetables more bio-available (and thereby more easily absorbed) so you can best benefit from their high mineral content.
* As to the cookbook, right now, it looks as if the publication date will be mid-April; I’ll report back as soon as I’m given a “firm” date from the publisher. What this means, however, is that my blogging may become slightly more sporadic over the next few weeks, as will my commenting on other blogs. But know that I’ll keep reading and enjoying all of your blogs even if I don’t make my presence known. And I do hope that you will still comment here–I always look forward to, and read, every single comment on this site–it is truly a high point in my day!
Perfect as a quick weekday side dish or a great lunch main, this recipe comes together in no time an is infinitely adaptable: for a main course, add cubed tofu or lgihtly toasted nuts or seeds. A few raisins or currants tossed in would also work well. And feel free to switch up the greens or combine several types for equally good results.
1 large bunch collard greens, chad, kale or a combination
1 medium red or yellow onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large sweet apple (I used Gala),washed, cored, cut in eighths and sliced
1-2 tsp. (5-10 ml.) apple cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
Wash and dry the greens and remove any thick stems. Stack the leaves in batches, roll up along the long side, then cut across the roll into slices, creating thin strips. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in frypan and add the onion; sauté until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and apple slices and continue to sauté until the apples begin to soften, another 2-3 minutes. Add the greens, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Toss briefly to coat the greens, then cover and allow the steam to wilt the greens, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately. Makes 4 side dish or 2 main course servings.
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.”]
[Oh, and before I continue: notice the photo? Notice anything different? Um, like, actual detail on the food? Well, this here is my very first shot with my new, stunningly beautiful, too-complex-for-my-current-level-of-knowledge, can't-believe-how-heavy-this-thing-is, smashing and awesome and really, you shouldn't have but I LOVE IT camera! It was my birthday gift from The HH last week, and I am thrilled to bits with it! (I can't wait to actually learn how to use it.) For now, I'm still learning, so please excuse the awkward and unretouched photos that may appear here for a while. . . but wow, just look at those beans!!]
My friend The Architect married his highschool sweetheart this past weekend. Well, not literally. You see, they didn’t actually know each other in high school. However, she teaches high school, and she’s also his sweetheart; so, close enough. As both of them are extremely involved in environmental issues and preserving the local habitat, the wedding was an elegant event in a bucolic setting just north of where we live. And, true to form, the ceremony was outdoors, amid the towering maples and the burbling streams and the chattering squirrels. Oh, and the pelting rain and the occasional snowflake and the sodden leaves being torn from the trees and whipping across our faces path. Because, you see, it was late October. In CANADA. (Let’s just say, I wore earmuffs to the ceremony).*
Still, it was a joyful, enjoyable affair and the HH and I ate, drank, and danced like it was 1999. After so much weekend revelry, I decided I wanted something simple for dinner yesterday.
Now, it’s possible I’ve mentioned before that I am basically a lazy cook. Extremely lazy. And, as I (now) do with chickpeas for the occasional mock tuna salad, I also tend to keep cans of baked beans on hand for those occasional evenings when I crave their sweet, soft, quick and filling nourishment.
I didn’t even realize there existed specifically vegan baked beans until I was an undergrad in university, when I first lived (and cooked) on my own. Because my mother was an unacknowledged vegetarian herself, the only kind of baked beans she ever used were the “in tomato sauce” flavor (naturally vegan). In university, however, my room mate was the grocery shopper. One week, I requested canned baked beans, and she brought home the bacon beans. I opened the can in anticipation of my usual leguminous fulfillment. What I encountered, instead, was a single cube of pasty, greyish-white, gelatinous pork fat. At first, I couldn’t imagine what it was, but then I read the label and. . . wow, you wouldn’t believe how those saucy beans stick to the inside of the garbage can.
I love to eat baked beans just as they are, with a plump spelt bagel torn into pieces that I use to sop up the sauce. The Nurse doctors hers up with kethcup, mustard, maple syrup, corn kernels (!) and hot dogs (blech); the CFO makes hers from scratch (also vegan, but that’s just a coincidence). Lately, I’ve been trying to eat greens every day, so I thought about combining the beans with something dark and leafy. As it happened, my mind was already on steamed greens since I read about kale boiled in stock on Orangette (but 30 minutes? Molly, is that really necessary?) and Sally’s latest post on Beans and Greens. I figured, why not use up some chard I had in the house? Molly served her kale with eggs; and don’t those beans have a naturally ovoid shape? It was meant to be(an).
You won’t believe how easy this dish is. I loved the textural contrast of the beans’ exterior firmness and slightly creamy interior, set against the soft yet springy chard; the sweet-smoky bean sauce and the astringent bitterness of the greens, in every bite. Of course, you could also simply toss the two ingredients together, but those beans look so much more jewel-like when nestled sweetly inside the wreath of chard, don’t you think? A perfect way to follow up that weekend of celebrations.
I’ll be away visiting the CFO this weekend, so I’m going to miss all the Halloween fun! However, thanks to the magic of WordPress, I do have a Halloween-inspired post for y’all over the weekend.
Have fun Trick or Treating, everyone!
Baked Beans Nested on Greens
1 large bunch of your favorite leafy greens, washed, trimmed, sliced thin (chop and use stems if possible)
about 1/2 cup vegetable stock, any type
1 can of your favorite baked beans (or homemade if you have them), heated through
Heat the broth in a nonstick frypan or dutch oven over medium heat. Place the stips of greens over the liquid, press down to cover as much as possible, and cover the pan or pot. Reduce heat to low, and cook the greens until just wilted, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the beans according to the directions on the can. Arrange the greens in a wreath on a plate, and gently spoon the hot beans in the center for a nested effect. Eat. Makes 2 servings. (Quick. Easy. Tasty. So simple, a little birdy could almost make it.)
“Mum, the beans look okay, but if that little birdy isn’t doing anything else, you know we’d be happy to, um, dispose of it for you. . . ”
* Let’s also just say, I want to move to California. Or New South Wales. Or the Bahamas. But no, I’m stuck here, where I wore earmuffs, on October 26th. The older I get, the more I realize: comfort trumps fashion, every time. And–why, yes, I do believe this marks the official launch of my “the weather is too cold I hate it I have to move away from here somebody save me” winter weather whingeing. And–lucky you!–it continues unabated, for the next 6 months!
While taking some leisure time to browse through a few food blogs recently (read: two hours at my desk when I should have been working), I happened upon the blog event They Go Really Well Together, hosted by blog.khymos.org (“dedicated to molecular gastronomy”). The gist of the event is that two or more seemingly mis-matched flavors are paired according to their molecular compatibility (a la Fat Duck), said compatibility not always apparent to those deficient in the chef’s olfactory supremacy (such as moi).
Then I got to thinking, it’s true; some ostensibly odd couplings do actually work well together: Sonny and Cher, purple and mustard yellow walls (but only for the previous tenant, not us), Elsie and Chaser, paisley and–hmmn. Well, Sonny and Cher, anyway.
This pasta dish, a favorite in our house, is one of those weird couplings: rhyme off the ingredients one at a time and they sound not like a recipe but more like a grocery list jotted in haste on the back of an envelope, its disparate elements each appealing on its own, but not meant to share space in a simmering pot. Yet, when tossed together haphazardly as we tend to do over here, the result is pure delight.
I must admit, I have a tendency to be remiss about planning meals even at the best of times (“Does that make you bad, Mum? Bad Girl! Can we have your treats, then?”), but during times such as these, when I’m inundated with midterm assignments and hillocks of tests to mark, I’m lucky if I have a passing thought about dinner as I turn the key in the front door at 6:00 PM. Okay, I’m exaggerating, just a little. 5:58 PM.
And so this pasta is our saviour many a busy night. It comes together incredibly quickly, basically in the time it takes to boil and drain the noodles. I’m sure I’ve seen variations of this combination floating about on the Internet, but since we were introduced to the recipe this way, we like to stick with it.
The dish combines soba noodles, the Japanese version of spaghetti, with the agreeable combination of ginger, soy sauce, and chard. It’s also a great way to incorporate more greens into your cooking, as the chard shrinks down until it’s barely noticeable, never overtaking the toasted nuts. The sprinkling of chili flakes provides a pleasant hint of spice that lingers on the palate. And it’s enough, on its own, for a satisfying light dinner.
We got the original recipe from the newsletter we receive each week with our organic produce delivery. We’ve tweaked it slightly, but not much. And since it truly is a presto! pasta, I’m submitting this to the weekly Presto Pasta night event, hosted by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast.
Soba Noodles with Ginger, Chard and Walnuts
This is a great recipe for a quick and easy dinner. Nuts combined with the whole-grain noodles provide a complete protein in this meal, and the chard adds a bevy of minerals and vitamins. [And isn't it cute how the pasta and the plate are all kind of the same colors?]
1 package (about 1 lb/500 g.) soba noodles (we use Sobaya, kamut-buckwheat)
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1″ (2.5 cm) piece ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp. (or more, to taste) chili flakes
2-4 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce, depending on your taste
1/4 cup water
1 large head chard, washed, ribs removed, and chopped into large pieces
1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces
nutritional yeast (or, for the omnivores, grated parmesan cheese)
Fill a large pot with water and set it boiling for the soba noodles. When the water boils, add the noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
At the same time as the water heats, begin the sauce. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil and add the garlic and ginger. Saute until the garlic begins to brown (don’t worry if the mixture sticks a bit to the bottom of the pot). Add the chili flakes and stir for another 30 seconds or so.
Deglaze the pan by pouring the soysauce over the garlic and ginger mixture; the browned bits should come loose. Add the water and chard, and stir to coat the chard and allow it to wilt a bit, 2-3 minutes. Toss in the walnuts, turn down the heat and cover the pot.
By now, your noodles should either be ready or just about ready. As soon as the noodles are done, add them to the pot with the chard mixture, and toss to distribute the mixture and coat the noodles. Serve immediately, sprinkled with nutritional yeast. Makes 4 entree servings.
WOCA Update: So. Three days down. But I’m hanging in there I want chocolate. It’s tough, but with effort, I’ll persevere Must. Have. Some. Give me some. I knew before I started that I’d have a hard time giving up my favorite food Chocolate. NOWGivemeNOW. But I mustn’t capitulate, or all is lost! No; there will be no chocolate in the GimmesomeNOW. No, no chocolate! Chocolate is verboten. Choco–NOW, I said. You know you want it. Go on, just have some. . . NO! Chocolate is my downfall, every time! Absolutely no chocolate. No–Eat it. Eat it now. Yummy, creamy, sweet, deliciou–Back, stay BACK, you sweet satan! Chocolate must be eradicated! Chocolate is the devil! Chocolate is–Just take some. So what if it’s fattening. Who cares if it’s bad for you. C’mon. Just take one, just a little piece. . . I won’t tell if you don’t. Okay, I’ll pay you. You can have my comic book collection. You can have my wedding band (the one from the first marriage). You can have my–OUT, OUT, DAMNED CHOCOLATE!! A POX ON YOU, I SAY! LEAVE ME! AVAUNT AND BE GONE! LEAVE ME IN PEACE!! leave me. . . . .leave. . . me. . . .
Ahem. Well. This may be just a tad more difficult than I anticipated.
Those of you who live in the GTA will be familiar with Il Fornello: the hip, alt-chic series of restaurants that seem to be able to satisfy all palates. Besides fabulous pizza baked in wood-burning ovens, this contemporary Italian resto also provides a wide variety of dishes for those of us sensitive to wheat, gluten, or dairy. In other words, it’s the perfect weekday dinner out for me and my HH: he gets to have the Chicken Asiago (chicken breast stuffed with spinach/asiago mix), while I get to have my alternative pizza. We eat, we enjoy, we laugh about how my dinner costs $6.85 and his is $42.50 (okay, well, I laugh).
For years, my favorite pizza at Il Fornello was the “make your own”: start with a crust of your choice (in my case, spelt, of course), then add your pick of toppings from their list. Despite my best intentions to break free of old habits, I inevitably choose the same old, same old, consisting of roasted garlic, hot peppers, kalamata olives, tomatoes, and either spinach or roasted eggplant. If I’m really hungry, I’ll add some sliced onion or capers to the mix.
Finally, after staring at the list of crust ingredients just about every time I ate there for a few years, at least, I thought, “why don’t I just try to do this at home?” It seemed eminently achievable, given that (a) it was spelt, my flour of choice; (b) there was no dreaded yeast in the crust; (c) it was thin-crust, my preference; and (d) sometimes, you just want to have pizza at home.
So I took the basic list of ingredients from the restaurant menu, omitted a couple (such as the millet, which just didn’t seem necessary), changed another (subbed agave for honey), then played with the proportions. What I came up with was the following crust, ridiculously easy, totally yummy, and great for a pizza night when you’re snowed in at home. Because I’m basically a lazy cook (I may have mentioned that before), there’s no rolling or throwing into the air required. Oh, and it’s also great for breakfast the next day.
Spelt Pizza with Caramelized Onion, Artichokes and Chard
This pizza is quick and easy, and can be infinitely adapted to include any of your favorite ingredients.If using a tomato-based pizza sauce, spread it over the crust just before adding the other ingredients, after pre-baking the crust.
Crust:
1-1/4 cups whole spelt flour
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup (or a bit more) water
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. agave nectar
Pinch salt
Topping:
2 large onions, sliced fine
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped chard (leaves only)
1 whole bulb garlic, roasted (see below)
1 can artichoke hearts, drained (not the marinated kind)
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
2 T. nutritional yeast or grated parmesan cheese
Prepare the garlic ahead of time:
Preheat oven to 375F. Cut the top off the whole head of garlic horizontally so that every clove is exposed at the top. Place on a square of aluminum foil or in a garlic baker and sprinkle with one tablespoon of the oil. Seal tightly and bake at 375F for 45 minutes to an hour, until the garlic is golden and very soft.Cool about 5 minutes, then pinch the cloves from the bottom up so that the soft garlic meat is squeezed out.Set aside the soft garlic in a small bowl.
For the topping, heat the 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-low heat in a frypan and add the onions.Sauté at until onions are very soft and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes.Add the chard and allow just to wilt.Turn off heat and cover.
While the topping cooks, prepare the crust:lightly spray a pizza pan with nonstick coating, or line with parchment paper.
Mix flour, flax, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.In a measuring cup, measure the 1/2 cup water.Then add the 2 Tbsp. oil, agave and salt, and mix well.
Pour the wet mixture over the dry and toss with a fork.Once it starts to come together, knead with your hands about 2 minutes.It should be a soft dough, a little bit sticky, but one that holds together.
Using firm pressure, press the dough with your floured knuckles or fingers evenly over the pizza pan.Let the dough extend a little onto the rim of the pan.Prick the surface with a fork and then bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is dry.
Assemble the pizza:
Increase oven temperature to 400F. Spread the roasted garlic evenly over the surface of the pre-baked pizza, then top with the caramelized onion mixture. Slice the artichoke hearts into quarters and toss evenly over the pizza along with the olives. (If using parmesan cheese, sprinkle it evenly over the top of the mixture).
Bake the pizza for about 20 minutes, until heated through and the edges of the crust are deep golden.Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the nutritional yeast.Slice and serve, perhaps while reading Holidailies.Makes 6-8 slices.
For now, I'm still learning, so please excuse the awkward and unretouched photos that may appear here for a while. . . but wow, just look at those beans!!]
