Moussaka (grain-free, dairy-free!)

Uhhhhmm...hi :)

So, clearly I've not posted in a while. Basically, I just kept putting it off and putting it off and whoa, before I knew it, it'd been months since I posted. Relocating from Florida to California meant forming a whole new routine. I worked back in my rituals for training, taking care of my pups, and so forth, but in doing so I kind of fell out of the habit of blogging. But, it's important to me; I love it and I miss it and it's long overdue that I get back to posting. I found a boxing gym, resumed powerlifting and did a meet, accidentally got addicted to CrossFit oops, found a better way to spend my morning commute, and I'm still eschewing grains in favor of meat and veggies. I'm loving the mountains, the weather, the farmers markets, the ridiculously low-priced artichokes and avocados, the incredible array of ethnic cuisines, and generally enjoying California. So I'm still doin' me, still cooking, still training hard. I just need to share it with you guys :) (As an aside, if you're still reading I'd love it if you leave a message in the comments just so I know that you folks are still out there...)

But enough about me. It's recipe time!

Every time I go to a Greek restaurant, I see moussaka on the menu and I want to order it. Anything with roasted eggplant is a huge win for me. I love it when it gets all brown on the outside and creamy on the inside...top it with cinnamon-kissed lamb and it's Erica-heaven. Problem is, it's normally topped with a bechamel sauce which includes lots of dairy and flour and sometimes breadcrumbs. However, I found inspiration for a solution in, of all things, a pasta recipe on a vegan dessert blog. An "alfredo" sauce based on almond milk, thickened with pureed cauliflower instead of flour? Sounds promising. I also added some eggs for body which worked incredibly well.

This recipe is kind of time-consuming, but it's easy to make, and as a bonus the leftovers taste even better the next day.

MOUSSAKA
Serves about 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large or 2 medium globe eggplants (2-3 lbs)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or other milk of choice (I think lite coconut milk would work well)
• 1.5 cups frozen cauliflower
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3 eggs
• 2 lbs ground lamb (can substitute ground beef, turkey, or a combination...I often use half ground lamb, half ground turkey since lamb is so pricey)
• 1 medium onion, diced (about a cup)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 Tbs minced fresh parsley, divided
• 1 28 oz can tomato puree
• Olive oil for cooking
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Slice the eggplant into 1/2" thick rounds. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the oven to cool, but keep the oven at 400.
2. While the eggplant is roasting, make the meat sauce. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until it is just starting to turn translucent. Add the meat and garlic, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Brown until no pink remains and juices are clear. Drain the grease (I use a turkey baster for this). Add the cinnamon, allspice, oregano, lemon juice, vinegar, tomato puree, and half of the parsley. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered on low until the sauce has thickened with no watery puree, at least 10 minutes but preferably 20-30. Set aside.
3. Next, make the bechamel sauce. Bring the cauliflower, almond milk, garlic powder, and a generous pinch of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Once it's boiling, cover and simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with the eggs. I used an immersion blender; first I blended the cauliflower smooth, then blended in the eggs one at a time, working quickly to ensure that the eggs don't poach in the sauce. It will look like a gross foamy mess at this point, but fear not!
4. Brush a 13"x9" pan with olive oil. Layer the eggplant slices on the bottom, slightly overlapping. Spread the meat mixture evenly over the eggplant. Slowly pour the bechamel sauce evenly over the top, pouring carefully to ensure that it doesn't disturb the meat layer and instead stays on top. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or until the top is browned in spots. Sprinkle the top with the remaining parsley, cut into squares, and serve.

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Posted in: beef,pork/lamb

Green bean tapas

I like this recipe because Green bean bundles are wrapped in serrano ham (or proscuitto), crisped in a pan, then dressed simply with sherry vinegar (or balsamic) plus a little cracked pepper. That's really about it!

Don't bother dropping lots of money on top-quality ham. Since you're going to cook it, it would be a waste to shell out a bunch of cash. This is probably not an issue if you live in Spain. When I went to Spain, I discovered that you can buy jamon serrano pretty much anywhere. I mean, you can walk into any gas station and get jamon serrano plus a jar of tasty olives. About half the pictures of my Spain trip are of ham. Look!

This one was in some random bar. Just a regular bar, but they have ham hanging off of every surface.

Ham on a stick!

Ham

HAM

OH MY GOD I WANT TO MOVE TO SPAIN SO MUCH

Err...I digress.


GREEN BEAN TAPAS
Servings variable; 20 beans + 1 slice of ham = 2 bundles

INGREDIENTS

• About 10 oz green beans (I used a bag of pre-prepped mixed green and yellow beans from Trader Joe's)
• Package of serrano ham or prosciutto
• Olive oil
• Sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Coarse salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-cook your green beans. Mine came in a microwaveable bag so I just nuked them according to the directions. Alternately, blanch them in boiling salted water until just tender.
2. Cut each slice of ham in half lengthwise. Roll up about ten beans in each ham slice half. You may use more or less beans depending on their thickness.
3. Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook the bundles for 1-2 minutes on each side, until ham starts to crisp.
4. Drizzle the beans with vinegar and top with salt and pepper

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Posted in: appetizer/snack,side dish

Jicama "oatmeal"

Jicama "oatmeal"...brown color is because I added LOTS of cinnamon!

While you certainly won't fool anyone into believing that this is real oatmeal, this is a nice way to have the experience of digging into a hot creamy bowl on a cold morning. It's like cauliflower "rice" or zucchini "noodles" in that regard: it doesn't really duplicate the grain-based food itself, rather, it's a way of preparing veggies in a comforting, familiar way.

I was inspired by this recipe for cauliflower "oats", but I wanted to find a way of nixing the sweetener. Cauliflower is relatively sweet on it's own but has a sulfurous sort of flavor that I think you'd need to mask aggressively. So, I turned to jicama. The flavor reminds me a bit of apples so I went with an apple-cinnamon flavor for this recipe. It took me many, many tries to get this right. If I cooked it on the stove top, the jicama really wanted to stay crunchy unless I simmered it for a very long time. Thus, it seemed more practical to cook it in the slow cooker overnight so that it's ready in the morning.

I used my mini slow cooker; I have not yet tested it with a large model. If you use a big crock pot, let me know how it works. Typically, you want your slow cooker to be at least 2/3 full to prevent overcooking (source), so with a larger model you may need to reduce the cooking time. I'm not sure though! You'll have to try it :) Though with this recipe, I had more trouble with undercooking than overcooking.

This fits the Whole9 meal template precisely: A plate full of veggies, two eggs as a protein source, a bit of fat from the splash of coconut milk and ground seeds, and a bit of fruit. Most of the "fauxtmeal" recipes out there are based on lots of nuts and mashed banana with no veggies at all, so I wanted to provide a Whole30-friendly alternative. That being said, while flax is technically approved, the Whole9 team advises that you only consume it occasionally. So if you find yourself eating this very often I'd probably experiment with other nuts instead. Ground hazelnuts, macadamias, or perhaps coconut flour would be worth a shot, though I've not tested them myself. The other note I'd give to those doing Whole30 is to not go too crazy with toppings. In particular I would not load this up with nut butters, dried fruit, and so forth. Otherwise this is a great and very filling breakfast choice! ETA 1/13/13: I asked the Whole9 time for an "official" verdict on this recipe. It is indeed Whole30 approved, but they recommend some extra protein. You could either add something on the side like a piece of blueberry breakfast sausage, or try stirring an extra egg into the "oatmeal". I haven't tried it myself but I see no reason why three eggs wouldn't work. Additionally, it's a good idea to rotate this breakfast with other more colorful veggies.

JICAMA "OATMEAL"
Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz peeled jicama, cut into chunks 
• 1/3 cup light coconut milk*
• 2/3 cup water
• Pinch salt
• 1" piece of vanilla bean or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbs ground golden flax seeds (other nuts or seeds may work, but I haven't tried them personally. I would recommend trying walnuts if you avoid flax.)
• 2 Tbs unsweetened applesauce or a fourth of a fresh apple**
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp apple pie spice

*Trader Joe's brand is just water and coconut milk, with no gums or sulfites. Alternately you can mix 3 Tbs full-fat coconut milk with 2 Tbs water.

**I like Granny Smith apples or Granny Smith applesauce, but you can use any variety you like. If you use fresh grated apple, just core the apple wedge and grate the flesh only, discarding the skin.

DIRECTIONS

1. "Rice" your jicama. I did this by putting it in a blender, covering it with cold water, then pulsing until it was in rice-sized pieces. I recommend pulsing and keeping an eye on it to ensure you don't over-process. Then I drained the jicama well in a sieve. You will have about a cup.
2. Put the jicama in a crock pot with the salt, water, and coconut milk. If using vanilla bean, cut it in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, then put the seeds along with the pod in with the jicama. Cover the slow cooker tightly, and if yours has a steam vent, plug it up with a chopstick. Cook on high for at least overnight, but ideally for 12-24 hours. If you cook for fewer then 12 hours it will still have a bit of a crunch.
3. Before you go to bed, you can combine the ground flax or walnuts with the cinnamon and apple pie spice to have it ready in the morning.
4. When you are ready to eat, remove and discard the pod from the vanilla bean. Beat the eggs with the applesauce or apples and, if using, vanilla extract. Stir it into the crock pot rapidly. Continue stirring until the mixture is thickened and the eggs are no longer runny. Turn off the heat, stir in the ground nuts/seeds and spices, then serve with the toppings of your choice.

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Posted in: breakfast

Beef Stroganoff (grain free, dairy free!)

Beef stroganoff over sauteed cabbage

I got a really great deal on a whole beef tenderloin, the catch being of course that I had to butcher it myself. I got a whole bunch of steaks, but was also left with a large flat tip that looked like it would lend itself nicely to slicing and sauteeing. If you don't want to spend the money on tenderloin or the time on butchering a whole one, you could certainly substitute sirloin or another tender cut.

This recipe is adapted from one in Cook's Illustrated. I used my dairy-free coconut "sour cream" in place of the dairy in this recipe. You can see a step-by-step tutorial for making it if you scroll down on this page. The gravy is thickened with just a touch of arrowroot or tapioca. I did add a splash of vermouth but you could easily substitute white wine vinegar if you are doing Whole30 or similar.

BEEF STROGANOFF
Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

• About a pound of sliced beef tenderloin or sirloin
• 8 oz crimini or white button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed, and mushrooms quartered
• Half an onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1.5 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp arrowroot or tapioca flour
• 2 Tbs vermouth or white wine, or 1 Tbs white wine vinegar mixed with 1 Tbs water
• 1 recipe dairy-free sour cream as per the tutorial on this page
• Fat of choice for sauteeing (I used ghee)
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Saute the beef in your fat of choice until nicely browned. Set aside, season with salt and pepper, and cover. Meanwhile, microwave the mushrooms on high for 5 minutes to eliminate some of the liquid before sauteeing.
2. Add a bit of extra fat to the pan and saute the onion and mushrooms until the onion is soft and translucent and the mushrooms are browned. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and mustard and saute for about 30 seconds longer.
3. Add the wine (or diluted vinegar) and beef broth. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. 
4. Sprinkle the arrowroot or tapioca over the top of the sauce, then mix it in. Add the beef plus any accumulated juices and simmer for a minute to meld flavors. Turn off the heat and swirl in 1/4 cup of the dairy-free "sour cream" (you will have some extra left over for topping). Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
5. Serve with an extra blob of sour cream over sauteed cabbage, cauliflower "rice", or another veggie to soak up the gravy. Garnish with minced parsley and/or paprika if desired.

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Posted in: beef

Cocoa caramelized onions, plus 10 ways to enjoy chocolate on Whole30!

Cocoa caramelized onions with grainy mustard on chicken andouille, along with some lacinato kale and a fried egg.

Apparently, whether or not to give unsweetened cocoa the Whole30 seal of approval was a subject of debate. You can read a detailed discussion of the pros and cons here, or you can read an elegant summation in this comment. It seems that the final verdict is that cocoa is fine as a spice, but not if it is used to duplicate chocolate desserts, even if said sweets are made using Whole30 compliant ingredients like fruit. Personally, I am crazy about chocolate, and I love learning to enjoy it as an ingredient that adds richness and depth to entrees instead of relegating it to dessert. Given that a lot of folks are doing a January Whole30 to ring in the new year, I present you with a new recipe, along with...

10 Ways to Enjoy Chocolate on a Whole30

1. Cocoa caramelized onions (pictured above)
   I love the natural vegetal sweetness of caramelized onions. They take a while to cook, so sometimes I'll make a big batch on a Sunday to have around and add to eggs, meat, and other dishes. They marry perfectly with cocoa powder. You can serve these on a spicy sausage like I did, or they'd be great on steak, pork chops, burgers...pretty much anything!
   
   Directions: Just halve an onion pole to pole and thinly slice both halves. Heat a bit of coconut oil or ghee in a skillet on medium heat and add your onion. Sprinkle it with salt, cook until onions begin to soften, then turn down the heat to medium-low and cook until dark brown and sticky. When done, turn the heat to high, deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of water, then add a teaspoon of dark cocoa powder. Stir well and serve!
2. Slow cooker chicken mole
   
   Make a big batch of shredded chicken meat, then keep it around to eat on taco salads, with Mexican "rice", or in fiesta bowls. 
3. Chocolate Chili from The Clothes Make the Girl
   
   I've made this recipe dozens of times, and it never disappoints. Instead of simmering on the stove top, I put it in the crock pot on low, and just start with less liquid.
4. Cocoa toasted cauliflower, also from The Clothes Make the Girl
   
5. Brewed chocolate
   
   I found this when I was looking to cut back on my caffeine consumption but still wanted a hot coffee-esque drink. Brewed chocolate is to hot cocoa as wine is to grape juice. It's cacao nibs and husks brewed in a French press for a complex chocolatey flavor. It is NOT sweet, thick, and creamy like Swiss Miss, it's much more subtle. It's especially nice with a bit of coconut creamer. I've had Crio Bru but you can also buy it from Choffy or Chocolate Alchemy.
6. Cocoa chili rubbed scallops with chocolate citrus vinaigrette
   
   If I made this as a meal instead of an appetizer, I'd probably just serve them over a salad instead of making endive boats.
7. Cacao nib crusted steak
   
8. Mixed green salad with whole citrus and cacao nib vinaigrette
   
9. Seared pork tenderloin with cocoa spice rub
   
10. Cocoa-infused sweet potatoes from PaleOMG
    
    If, like me, you don't really do sweet potatoes, I'm sure you could substitute some kind of orange squash.
11. This is #11 because it is too close to a dessert to be Whole30 approved, but it is a nice "sensible indulgence" to have after the fact: frozen bananas pureed with cocoa for chocolate banana "soft serve"!

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Posted in: side dish

Chocolate cakes with sea salt and olive oil (grain/dairy/sugar free)

I don't post too many treat recipes on this site. When I do, it's generally because I get an idea that gets stuck in my head that I just have to try. I was inspired by this recipe; I love salted chocolate and olive oil seems like an interesting twist, particularly to eat after a Mediterranean-inspired meal. I love the fudgy texture of chocolate cake made with almond flour; in fact, it was my staple chocolate cake even before going grain-free. I used olive oil in place of butter, Truvia with unsweetened chocolate, and topped it with a dairy-free ganache. I also drizzled some additional olive oil on the warm ganache and sprinkled the top with fleur de sel.

If the idea of olive oil with chocolate grosses you out (though I assure you it was delicious!), you can certainly choose a different fat. Ghee, coconut oil, butter, or macadamia oil would all work well. Or, make a batch of bacon salt, reserving the bacon grease. Then bake the cakes with bacon grease and sprinkle the bacon salt on top, perhaps adding a tablespoon of espresso or Kahlua to the cake batter.

I thought the cakes tasted even better the next day after they had chilled, though I thought the ganache was better when it was warm and freshly-made. The ganache is easy enough that you can make it at the last minute, even when serving company. I do not recommend Truvia or erythritol for the ganache, as it can become gritty as it cools. I used stevia extract, though you could use powdered xylitol or just use regular sweetened chocolate.

CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH SEA SALT AND OLIVE OIL
Makes about 4 individual cakes or one 8"-9" cake

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

• 1 bar (about 4 oz) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 5 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 Tbs Grand Marnier or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Sweetener of choice to equal 1/2 cup sugar (I used Truvia). If you use any granular sweetener, powder it in a blender or spice grinder first.
• 1/2 cup (56 grams) almond flour
• 3 large eggs, separated
• Fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

For the ganache:

• 1 bar (about 4 oz) unsweetened chocolate + stevia extract to equal 1/2 cup sugar, OR use 4 oz semisweet chocolate
• 1 mini 5.5 oz can Thai Kitchen coconut milk (or 1/3 cup coconut milk), stirred
• 1 Tbs coconut oil or ghee

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 4 ramekins or one 8"-9" springform pan. Measure out all your ingredients and have them ready to go!
2. Melt the chocolate. I used the microwave, initially for 1 minute on high, then I stir and microwave on medium at 30 second intervals until smooth. Stir in the olive oil and Grand Marnier or vanilla. Stir in the sweetener and almond flour, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Set aside.
3. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Vigorously stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the rest. Make sure it is thoroughly combined but take care to not deflate the whites.
4. Pour the batter into the cake pan or divide among ramekins. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. This should be about 45 minutes for a single cake or about 15-25 minutes for individual cakes (check on them after 15 minutes). 
5. For the ganache, chop up the chocolate. Bring the coconut to a boil on the stovetop or by microwaving for 1-2 minutes. Pour the hot coconut milk over the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth and melted. Stir in the coconut oil or ghee and the sweetener, if using. 
6. To serve, slice a thin layer off the top of the cake(s) to form a flat surface, then invert. Pour some of the ganache over the top and either spread it with the back of a spoon or rotate the cake around to distribute it. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and sprinkle with sea salt.

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Posted in: dessert

Spanish frittata with caramelized onions

Seems that I'm back up and running :) I am all moved in to a new house with a new kitchen that has tons of natural light for great food photography! So here is my first recipe from my new location.

I love the simplicity of tortilla espanola. Just eggs and potatoes cooked in olive oil and served in chunks or wedges. When I went to Spain, I loved that you could go to pretty much any restaurant at any time and know that you could get a glass of red wine and a hunk of omelette. This is the version that I make at home. Instead of potatoes, I use caramelized onions. I got the idea from Nacho Rubio's primal blueprint recipe contest entry. His version is still potato-based, but I think it's just as good (maybe even better!) if you leave them out. 

You can eat this for breakfast or a light dinner, but my favorite way to serve it is to cut it into cubes, stick a few with toothpicks, and serve it chilled tapas-style.

SPANISH FRITTATA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS
Serves about 2 as a light meal or several as tapas

INGREDIENTS

• 4-6 eggs (I used 4 large duck eggs, use 5-6 for chicken eggs)
• 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a bit of olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just barely starting to brown. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until sticky and thoroughly caramelized.
2. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with a generous amount of salt and pepper. When they are done cooking, add the onions to the beaten egg mixture and combine thoroughly. 
3. Add some more olive oil to a nonstick or cast iron pan. Pour in the egg mixture, ensuring that the onions are distributed evenly. Cover and cook over medium-low until the bottom is lightly browned. You can use a silicone spatula to check underneath.
4. If using a cast iron skillet, finish by running it under the broiler. With a nonstick pan, transfer it to a plate, then invert it back onto the skillet to cook the other side.
5. Serve chilled or at room temperature cut into chunks or wedges.
6. OPTIONAL: Since the onions are so sweet, I like to get some contrast by sprinkling the top with coarse salt. I used truffle salt since I had some, fleur de sel would be lovely but regular Kosher or sea salt is fine too!

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Posted in: appetizer/snack,eggs