[Today is the last day to enter two cookbook giveaways! Enter to win 500 Vegan Recipes right here on DDD--check this post. And if you'd like a free copy of my cookbook, Sweet Freedom, hop over to Sally's blog and enter before midnight tonight!]
I’ll be back with a new recipe over the weekend, but in the meantime, I thought I’d post some festive Easter-friendly recipes for those of you who celebrate (it’s only fair, since I posted Passover-friendly ones last week). The HH and I, on the other hand, will most likely partake of some Asian-themed fare this weekend.
Here are some holiday-appropriate dishes you might like to try. And if you’re following the ACD, don’t forget you can find 16 delicious gluten-free, allergen-free, ACD-friendly recipes in the Anti-Candida Feastebook (with desserts all stevia-sweetened!) for just $5.00 USD.
A very Happy Easter to all who celebrate!
“Mum, anotherholiday, so soon? Wow, you human types really know how to party.”
Before I get to today’s recipe, I’d like to mention two gifts: one for you, and one for me.
The first is the Simply Bar giveaway prize you can win by going here. The giveaway is on until September 7th, so you’ve still got time to enter!
The second is a gift I received in the mail this week, from the amazing and incredibly thoughtful Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe. Johanna is a new mum who manages to cook several fantastic dishes a week and still finds time to blog about them, take care of her darling baby girl, maintain a household and (from the sounds of it on her blog) an active social life as well. I’m incapable of accomplishing even half of that in a day–without any children! (Well, some people say that having a dog is like having a three year-old, one who never grows up. Still, I was never that productive, even before The Girls!). I was so thrilled with my present that I could barely wait until I got the package inside the house to rip it open.
Here are the authentic Aussie goodies that I found inside:
[Left to right: Promite (or vegemite), similar to Marmite, something I've been dying to try out for ages; Tasmania Mountain spices; Oz Tukka spices (including wattleseed, which I cannot WAIT to use in some brownies or truffles!), Lemon Myrtle soap (smells absolutely heavenly), an incredibly clever Melbourne snow-dome (they don't really get snow in Melbourne, do they?), and, in the back, a lovely bag from the botanical gardens and an Australian linen tea towel embellished with adorable koala bears.]
Such a generous and thoughtful gift–thank you so much, Johanna! It made my day–nay, my week!
Until I can begin to cook with my native Aussie ingredients, I have a few Canadian-made recipes to blog about. Such as this tomato tart, which began its short life as a pizza–sort of.
All around me these days, I see gardens flourishing in the heart of tomato season. Heirloom varieties and beefsteak and plums and cherry tomatoes are all ripening on vines. Our neighbours to the north have tomato plants that look like something out of Little Shop of Horrors, with vines that threaten to climb over the six-foot fence separating our properties and encroach on our yard, halted only by the profusion of ponderous red fruit dangling from their branches, keeping them weighted toward the ground.
In my own garden, sadly, there is no similar abundance of these fruit-cum-vegetables. Is it because I didn’t use chemical fertilizers? Is it because I didn’t pull the weeds thoroughly enough? Is it because the HH refuses to start a compost bin and I couldn’t properly feed the soil (shameful, I know)? Or is it because I simply suck at gardening?
Whatever the reason, plants that should at this very moment be yielding dozens of plump, juicy tomatoes are instead tentatively offering me only four (four!) squat, pebble-like, green fruit. I can only hope that the sunshine we experienced today continues for at least a month so that my poor tomatoes can reach full maturity before they are plucked from their stalks to sacrifice their lives in service to my plate (and my palate).
Yearning fresh tomatoes, I decided to do what any reasonable person would do instead: purchase them. Our local market was showcasing Ontario tomatoes in varying autumnal shades from deep crimson to rust to mustard yellow. I decided to buy a few of each and create the quintessential late-summer dish: a tomato tart.
Actually, a tart wasn’t my first choice; I had originally intended to create a pizza. A couple of weeks ago, I attempted my first gluten-free pizza crust, mostly to see if I could (and I figured my own creation couldn’t possibly be worse than the stiff, glossy, linoleum-hard crust I’d been ordering at Il Fornello whenever we eat there lately).
After combining elements of several recipes I found on the web, I mixed my ingredients and patted the dough into the pan. I pre-baked it to avoid the soggy center syndrome, then topped with pesto, veggies, and some ground pine nuts. And while the pie was actually quite tasty, it couldn’t qualify as pizza. With its crisp, slightly flaky crust and tender crumb, it was just too much like a biscuit to work as a pizza dough.
Well, have you ever read Real Simplemagazine? (it’s one of my summer-vacation indulgences, along with People). The magazine devotes an entire column each month to “new uses for old things,” or ways you can employ items in a completely different context from their original, intended, use. For instance, old cardboard rolls from paper towels can be used to separate and organize your computer cables (just string the cables through them one at a time). Rubber bands can be used to open jar lids. Post-It Notes can be used to clean your computer keyboard. Empty water bottles can be used as throw toys for Chaser, who will retrieve them indefinitely, or until she collapses on her pillow, whichever comes first. And so on.
Actually, Malcolm Gladwell talks about this same phenomenon in his latest book, Outliers. He cites a test of creativity in which people are asked to provide as many uses as they can for common items such as a brick. Aside from the obvious (“to build walls”), the most creative people came up with uses such as “To break windows for robbery. . . to use as ammunition, as pendulum, to practice carving. . . as a hammer, keep door open, footwiper, use as rubble for path filling. . . to prop up wobbly table, paperweight. . . to block up rabbit hole.”
Then there are the people who move to new and useful occupations after spending time in a previous incarnation: Julia Child, who became a chef and cookbook author after spending years supporting her husband in his diplomatic endeavors; John Grisham, who turned to writing best-selling suspense novels after a career as a lawyer; or Joaquin Pheonix, who made the transition from acting to singing rap last year (oh, wait, I said “useful,” didn’t I? Strike that last one).
Heck, “I can be creative!” I thought. “I can turn that pizza crust into a brick!” I decided to re-purpose the pizza crust as a savory rustic tart crust instead–one that requires neither rolling nor cutting, but only strong fingertips to pinch the edges high enough to enclose the filling.
(“Mum, that’s a great new idea for the pizza crust. But you could have just re-purposed it as dog treats, you know.”)
I covered the crust with thick slices of my tri-color tomatoes and hefty blobs of cashew goat cheese, which I’ve been eating lately by the boatload, it seems. (It’s piquant, creamy, and incredibly versatile in a variety of dishes, such as these daringly hot appetizers). Scattered with thin shreds of fresh, brilliantly green basil from our garden (at least something is growing as it should) and then drizzled with a tad more olive oil, this tart provided a flavorful, filling and aesthetically pleasing supper.
And so, what started life as a merely adequate pizza crust found its true fulfillment at last. Gladwell would be proud.
Freeform Tomato Tart with “Goat Cheese” and Fresh Basil
A lovely, easy weekday dinner, as long as you’ve got the cheese already on hand. This tart is also a perfect contribution to a brunch table, as it tastes just as good at room temperature.
Tart Crust:
1/3-1/2 cups ( g) brown rice flour
1/4 c (60 ml) whole bean flour
1/4 c (60 ml) chickpea flour
1/4 tsp (1 ml) xanthan gum (probably not necessary, but I had a bag in the freezer)
1/4 c (60 ml) finely ground flax
1-1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking soda
1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
2 Tbsp (30 ml) natural smooth almond butter
1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1/2 c (120 ml) unsweetened soy or almond milk, or vegetable bouillon
Filling:
Cashew “goat cheese” (I used this recipe without the pepper crust; or use another recipe of your choice)
4 medium ripe but firm tomatoes, cut about 1/4″ (.5 cm) thick
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
3-4 fresh basil leaves, sliced into very thin strips
more extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift the brown rice flour, whole bean flour, chickpea flour and xanthan gum, if using. Add the flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt and whisk to blend. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the almond butter and olive oil. Slowly add the soymilk and blend well. Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir to blend. The dough will be very soft, but still hold together.
Using wet fingers, press the dough into a rectangle about 12′” x 7″ (30.5 cm x 18 cm), with a 1/2″ (1.25 cm) ridge along the edges. Bake 10-15 minutesin preheated oven, until the top is dry and the crust puffs just a bit.
Arrange the tomatoes evenly over the top and bake another 35-40 minutes, until crust is crispy and dry on bottom (cover the edges with foil if they begin to brown too much). Add the cheese during the last 15 minutes of baking time, and continue to cook until cheese is beginning to brown. Sprinkle with basil and drizzle with a little more olive oil just before serving. Makes 8 servings.
Imagine this: a buttery, graham-like crust almost overflowing with smooth, rich, creamy filling, studded here and there with plump, sweet raisins and infused throughout with the heady fragrance of cinnamon and nutmeg. Top it all off with some coconut whipped cream, and what you’ve got is the perfect dessert for–December? What the heck am I doing baking a wintery pie in July, for goodness sakes?
Allow me to explain. You see, there’s a perfectly good reason why I found myself wandering into tart territory on this seventh month of the year, and it involves bunnies. Dust bunnies, that is.
[The HH's preferred way to eat the pie--as an accessory to whipped cream.]
My tendency when cleaning the house (okay, if I’m being honest, that phrase should read, “My tendency when I used to clean the house. . .” . You see, ever since the heinous candida reared its ugly spores, I’ve been easily fatigued, unable to concentrate, etc. and just haven’t had the energy to clean. Okay, if I’m being really honest, I wasn’t the greatest house-cleaner even before the candida appeared. I mean, who wants to spend their days dusting and Swiffering when it’s 28C (82F) and sunny outdoors? Okay, if I am being ONE HUNDRED PERCENT honest, who feels like cleaning at any time of the year? Because, basically, I’m just really lazy.)
Okay, so, back to the bunnies: when they threatened to seize control of the house the other day, I decided to start cleaning (I did consider training Chaser to crawl under the bed on her belly, military-style, so I could pick the dust tumbleweeds off her fur once she emerged, but for some reason she wouldn’t go for it). Now, everyone has their own unique style of cleaning; mine would be classified as “distracted.” My well-intentioned disinfecting frenzy might go something like this:
Scene:Kitchen. Ricki dons rubber gloves, fills sink with soapy water and wrings out a cloth. She begins to wipe the counters.
Ricki: La dee da. . . la da da da. . . Hmmm. . . [cloth stops before a pile of papers on the counter.] Oh, my, what are these? [riffles through the pile]: Ah, yes, the bills I opened yesterday and meant to take upstairs to the office. Well, I may as well clear the counter and take them now. [Removes gloves, grabs pile of bills and heads upstairs.]
Upstairs. Office. [Ricki heads to desk and places pile of bills on top of existing pile of even older bills. ]
Ricki: Oh, geez, these are nearing their due dates. Better pay up. [goes online and pays all the bills. Glancing down at desktop:] Ooh, look at this, that’s where I left that pair of black earrings. Gee, I love these earrings; I should really wear them more often. Better put them away so I don’t forget about them. [Picks up earrings and heads to bedroom].
Bedroom. [Placing earrings in box]: Hmmm. . . I sure do love those pearl earrings the HH gave me a few years back as well. . . hey, look, here’s that funky pair I love to wear in the summer! Love those, too. . . . [begins to pull out various pairs of earrings and examine them.]
[Twenty five minutes later. . . ]
Ricki: Okay, now, time to get busy! Let’s fold some of this laundry that’s been here since yesterday. . . [pulls T-shirt from laundry basket, folds it and places in dresser drawer.]
[Glancing at framed photo on dresser]: Aw, look at that photo of Mom at her wedding. . . I’ve always loved that photo. . . hmm, let’s just see. .. . [walks back to office and pulls photo album from bookcase] Ah, ha ha, what a great pic of the HH and me at that first party we went to together! Was that really twelve years ago?? Was I really that much slimmer then? Did the HH really have that much more hair then? Oh—tee hee giggle giggle just look at that pic of Elsie as a pup! Oh, she was just the cutest thing. . . ”
[One hour and seven minutes later. Ricki's legs are cramped from sitting cross-legged on the floor leafing through photo albums. The house is still a mess.] Oh my gosh! It’s almost dinnertime! Where do the days go–??
As in cleaning, so in blogging, it seems. Which leads me to raisin tart.
I have saved something like 200 recipes from other blogs, all of which I definitely intend to try. In fact, some have been on my computer since 2007. I know I will eventually make Andrea’s Hot and Sour Soup, Happy Herbivore’s Cajun Chickpea Cakes, Ashley’s Lemon Miso Tofu & Eggplant, Johanna’s vegetarian Haggis, and approximately 196 other recipes I’ve saved. Yet somehow, the allure of novelty can wrench me away from my predetermined plan, just as when I’m “cleaning.”
A few days ago, I sat leafing through an old cookbook I’ve had since the 1980s (I must have been cleaning the kitchen at the time). The American Country Inn and Bed and Breakfast Cookbook (Part II) was a gift from the CFO when I moved into my first apartment as a single professional gal! I hadn’t even glanced at the book for years, but for some reason, that day I happened upon a very fetching Sour Cream and Raisin Pie.
Now, you may think that Raisin Pie and summer–much like Madonna and Guy, red wine and seafood, Sarah Palin and public office, or a gas leak and cigarettes–is not the most auspicious pairing. And yet, something about that pie called to me, and I had to capitulate. Besides, the fact that the original recipe contained dairy sour cream, two eggs white sugar and massive amounts of butter was like dangling a stick in front of Chaser–I was immediately compelled to seize the opportunity (though, unlike our Doodle Girl, I chose not to use my teeth).
“Mum, you’re wrong! It’s not that I am compelled to seize that stick. It’s that I’m exerting my canine free will and deliberately grabbing that stick. Oh, and about helping you out with those dust bunnies under the bed? You know, I might consider it, but couldn’t you at least sweeten the deal some peanut butter or a biscuit on the other end?”
So I began to play with the original, and came up with this.
[My preferred way to eat the pie, in its naked glory.]
The tart is, indeed, very rich and sour-creamy. I opted to use Celine’s recently-posted graham-like crust (which I discovered the other day while I was dusting the office), and the combination of slightly crumbly, slightly shortbready crust with the velvety smooth filling is a perfect marriage of textures and flavors. The HH declared the dessert reminiscent of pumpkin pie, but I thought it was more like a lightly spiced cheesecake. Either way, it didn’t last long; I’ll definitely be making this again in the fall.
Another Winner, and Another Giveaway!
Dr. Winnie has announced the winner of her Sweet Freedom giveaway–go see if you won!
And a fellow holistic nutritionist in Toronto, Laurie, has generously decided to give away a copy of Sweet Freedomas well! Check the contest details here.
Sour Cream Raisin Tart (or Pie)
A lovely dessert for any celebration, any season of the year. I preferred the tart on its own, but the HH loved this with a big dollop of whipped cream.
1 recipe vegan sour cream (or use 1-1/2 cups or 360 ml. or your favorite sour cream)–I used this recipe
1 cup (180 g) Sucanat (or, if you prefer a cream-colored filling, use organic sugar)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) light spelt flour
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) nutmeg
1-1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) cinnamon
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 cup (140 g) raisins
1 unbaked 9 inch (22.5 cm) pie shell (I used this recipe, with coconut oil instead of margarine)
Preheat oven to 350F (180 C). Line a 9 inch (22.5 cm) pie plate or tart pan with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray (I used a tart pan with a removable bottom). If making the crust from scratch, place the unbaked pie crust in the pan and bake for 15 minutes, until the crust begins to dry on top. Remove from oven.
Meanwhile, make the filling: place the sour cream, Sucanat, flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk to combine well. Allow to sit at least 5 minutes, then whisk again, ensuring that the Sucanat has dissolved. (Alternately, you can blend the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor until smooth). Stir in the raisins.
Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top. Bake in preheated oven 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through, until the top of the filling appears dry and the edges begin to puff up. (The filling should barely jiggle when you shake the pan.) Allow to cool to room temperature in the pan, then refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours. Slice and top with whipped cream, if desired. Makes 8-10 servings. Will keep, covered in the refrigerator, up to 4 days.
I had intended a lovely post today, in honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving long weekend to the south of us. But time constraints (read: massive, unwieldly pile of essays and assignments to mark) have prevented me from following through. So I’ll just have to wait till the next batch of holidays in December to post about some new, frost-and-snow inspired, treats.
Instead, I thought I’d pull together a few recipes from previous posts that are suitably festive for a holiday table, or the breakfast table the following day (I’ve also got a few detox recipes on the blog–I’ll let you seek those out yourselves, as required). Most of these are fairly quick to make as well, as long as you’ve got the ingredients on hand.
Hope everyone enjoys some togetherness with friends and family, great food, and a bit of time to relax and play.
See you after the holiday!
“Mum, will Elsie be able to play again after the holiday? I mean, it’s just so boring with her out of commission. . . ”
Appetizers/Spreads/Hors D’Oeuvres
