Blueberry cake, gluten free

I came across a beautiful photo of a blueberry pie, and it made me yearn for something like that, for my self.

Since we practice Paleo, our foods are gluten free, refined sugar free, dairy free (and other stuff as well).

I based the cake on this wonderful chocolate cake, but changed and modified the ingredients for my beloved, blue themed, blueberry cake. I call it cake, since it doesn’t really look like a pie…

decorated cake, dotted with blues.

What’s really nice about this cake, is you can mix all the ingredients in your food processor, and voilà – you only mess up one bowl. Aha!

you’ll need:

• 9″ round pie dish, greased (with coconut butter). So what if it’s not a pie, eh?
• 11 pitted dates (why 11? that’s what I had) ;
• 1 banana ;
• 3 eggs ;
• 1/2 cup coconut butter ;
• 2 tsp vanilla extract ;
• 1/2 cup coconut flour ;
• 1/2 cup almond flour ;
• 1 tsp baking soda, aluminum free ;
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt ;
• 1/2 cup water ;
• 1 cup blueberries + handful of blueberries .

how to:

Heat oven to 350°f.

Place the dates and banana in the food processor, pulse the machine until combined.

Add the wet ingredients: eggs, vanilla extract, coconut butter, and water. Pulse again, until combined.

Add the dry ingredients: coconut flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt. You guessed it: pulse until combined.

Transfer about 1/2 the “dough” (more like wet dough) onto the pie dish. Try to even it, so it covers nicely the bottom of the dish.

Just like a pie- time to add the filling. Spread the 1 cup of blueberries on top of the batter in the pie dish. If you like the strong texture and taste of blueberries, by all means, add more. Lots more. Remember though, more blueberries, means the bottom of your cake will be more moist.

bottom half of the blueberry cake

Now add the remaining wet dough on top of the blueberries. Use a spatula to even out the batter, smooth and nice.

Decorate with the remaining blueberries.

Bake the pie for 45-50 minutes, or until golden-brown on top (depends on your oven).

Be proud, smile, eat, and share.

fresh

Note: don’t expect a very sweet cake. We like it that way.

Check out my gluten free chocolate cake, and gluten free carrot cake.

Gluten free, dairy free, carrot cake

gluten free, dairy free, carrot cake

It’s been over a few months that I have been living Paleo style. Although the transition for me is not that hard (tossing away breads, pasta, cakes, etc. are, in fact, a piece of cake. It’s the yogurts that I miss), I can’t force it on my kids.

In order to minimize, what I believe, is one of the most harmful “foods” that can go in my kids’ bodies, aka gluten, I try and make snacks, cakes, and munchies that are gluten free for them. These are not a major portion of their diet, but “that little something” when they need something sweet, when they have friends over, or when I have friends over

Experimenting before with gluten free chocolate cake that turned out awesome, I went ahead and concocted this carrot cake, after a regular recipe that I had, but of course, modified it. Once again, the star ingredient is the chickpea flour, that I discovered in the Indian store.

chickpea flour, also called Besan flour, or Gram flour, from the Indian store.

So if you’re looking for a gluten free cake, for any bunch of reasons (hey, Passover is coming up, so it’s kosher, too), give it a try.

you’ll need:

• greased 9″ round cake pan. I used the spring-form one.  A square pan will also do.
• 1.5 cups chickpea flour;
• half cup sugar;
• 1 Tbsp baking powder, aluminum free;
• pinch of salt (yap, salt);
• 2 tsp cinnamon powder;
• 2 tsp good quality vanilla extract;
• 3 heaped Tbsp coconut oil, in a small glass;
• 1 cup water;
• 2 cups grated carrots;
• 1 egg;
• good quality chocolate chips, optional.

love the colors

how-to:

Heat oven to 350°f.

Throw the chickpea flour in a bowl. Since this flour tends to have clusters, try to crush them with a tablespoon. Add the rest of the dry ingredients (not the chocolate chips), and mix well.

Add the grated carrots in the dry mixture, and mix so the carrots are covered well with the flour all over, and you see these cute orangy little chunks.

carrot chunks, cuties

Insert the glass with the coconut oil into the micro, run it for 20 seconds, mix the oil with a spoon until it’s melted. If not melted, insert for another 10 seconds. This should be enough. Add the coconut oil to the mixture, along with the water, and vanilla extract, and whisk slowly together, until smooth and all the flour dissolved. Now add the egg, and once again, whisk slowly together.

It’s not snow. It’s coconut oil in a cool blue glass, waiting to be melted

Pour the whole mixture onto the greased pan. Now is the time to add some chocolate chips if you want, right on top.

The whole thing goes on vacation in the oven, for 50-60 minutes. As with chickpea flour, don’t expect a high rise. Good things come in small packages.

notes:

• Grated carrots? I just throw them in the food processor. Life should be easy.
• I try to use coconut oil for almost all of my bakings/fryings, for two main reasons: (1) I stay away from bad industrial seed oils (corn, cottonseed, soybean, safflower, sunflower, canola, etc.) and use only, what I consider, good fat, for the reasons mentioned in the link about the gluten (above), and (2) coconut oil is not vulnerable to the oxidative damage that occurs with high-heat cooking using other fats.
• If you’d rather keep out of refined sugar, use Raw honey, or, soak a few dates in hot water for 30 minutes, and  throw them with the carrots in the food processor and don’t use any other sweetener. Feel free to adjust sweeteners according to your sweet tasting buds (most cake recipes call for 1.5 cups of sugar, but we don’t like it that sweet);
• when adding the water, you may notice that you need a bit more than 1 cup. you want to have a smooth fluidish batter.
• I mentioned 50-60 minutes in the oven, as every oven is different. Check after 50 minutes to see that the cake is dry on top, and golden.
• If you want to get fancy, real fancy, sprinkle some powdered sugar on top, once the cake has cooled down.

fancy carrot cake

gluten free, dairy free, cookies, OR, what to do with the almond milk’s left-over pulp

Paleo almond cookie and mini muffin.

For quite some time, I’ve been reading about the Paleo diet. Finally, as a token to the endless tradition of making resolutions on New Year’s Eve, I have joined the crowds, and made a resolution of my own. I have decided to try out this diet, for at least a month.

Paleo is not just a diet, but a way of life. As a holistic view, one should eat right, exercise daily, and sleep well (and… keep un-stressed). Sounds logical, no?

The very basic nutritional diet rules rely on the right proteins, fats, carbs and veggies. Nothing new here, right?

Well, as Paleo goes (or primal, caveman, stone-age diet), one should NOT consume refined sugar, refined salt, dairy, legumes, gluten, and processed oils. More or less.

Oy!! Then what have we left to eat??

Grass-fed meats, wild caught fish, eggs, fruits and vegetables. More or less.

Read the basics here.

Left to brighten my coffee with only almond milk (and I must confess, I’m slowly getting off coffee as well), I needed that something comforting to chew on, next to my coffee.

It didn’t take long for the aha moment to arrive.

As I make my own almond milk (easy peasy, see previous post), I’m left with all that almond pulp, which leads to… almond cookies.

for 25-30 cookies, you’ll need:

• almond-date left-over pulp from 3 cups of almonds (that were used for the almond milk);
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut;
• 1/4 cup natural cocoa powder (try not to use the dutch processed one);
• 1/3 cup raw sesame seeds. Some seeds, sesame among them, may be considered Paleo, yet they contain high amount of omega 6 fatty acids (compared with its low omega 3 content), which is not so good. Rule of moderation! I find 1/3 cup for 25 cookies to be OK. You can definitely play around with the quantity. Take some off, add more coconut…
• 2 Tbs raw honey, or pure maple syrup, or any combination. Those sweeteners are sugary and processed, and honey is fructose, so they are not ideal per-Se, but in this case I go for moderation again, thinking these 2 Tbs are divided among 25-30 cookies. You may want to try Stevia or dextrose. Lemme’ know if you did, and the outcome.
• 3 eggs
• optional : dates.

how-to:

heat oven to 350°f, and grease baking paper (in the pans) with coconut oil.

combine all ingredients in a bowl (excluding the optional dates).

Almond milk pulp

drop a spoon full of dough onto baking sheet, and then press it down slightly with the back of the spoon. keep them around 1 inch apart.

don’t move girls

another option is to fill a greased mini-muffin pan with the dough.

finally, you can add small chopped pieces of a date by pressing them onto the cookies or mini-muffins.

into the oven they go for 25-30 minutes, depending on your oven, until the cookies are beginning to tan. Let cookies cool outside the oven for 10 minutes.

mini muffins in pink

now, I (and you) can enjoy one (or two) cookies with our coffee.

Place: The big apple

I had the opportunity to spend some time in NYC with my hubby. Alone. Sans kids. So in no particular order, and certainly without any pretension, here are a few gems we ran into, worth checking out.

Grand Central Terminal

Thousands of people pass by and through the train terminal everyday without knowing or appreciating it’s history, architecture and small secrets that hide in different nooks and crannies of this magnificent complex. The terminal, at it’s location, was officially opened on February 1913, thus celebrating 100 years this year.

Up until the end of 2012, free tours were offered in Grand Central, but beginning in 2013, you could either take a guided tour offered by MAS (The Municipal Art Society of New York), or get an Audio tour, or a smartphone app. I strongly suggest the MAS tours, even if it’s not free anymore. You connect with other people, and you get to ask the tour guide questions. It’s worth it.

Not only will one find great food, market, and grandeur sights of the architecture and fun facts about it’s history, but will also celebrate Grand Central’s Centennial with lots of events throughout the year.

While in the neighborhood, if you want to sip good coffee and enjoy a cozy, shabby chic atmosphere, allow yourself to enjoy in Piccolo Cafe on 238 Madison Ave, a short walk from Grand Central.

The Museum at Eldridge Street

Thanks to my friend Laurel, who told me about this place. Smack in the middle of Chinatown, rises a beautiful architectural façade, magnificent and proud, of a synagogue from 1887.  Yet the outside is just a hint to the gorgeous interiors, depicting beautiful stained glass windows, brass fixtures, and intricate carved wood, among other things.

Eldridge Street Synagogue was New York’s first congregation built by Eastern European Jews. It now serves both as a museum, with tours offered every hour, and a synagogue.

If you arrived here, you must have made your way through Chinatown. No need to describe Chinatown, right? Just remember to walk around and open your eyes in the less crowded streets of Chinatown. It’s always interesting.

The Tenement Museum

Staying in the area of the Lower East Side, I would recommend the Tenement Museum, that follows the history and lives of immigrants who came to America, beginning in the 19th century, and who worked their way to immerse and become Americans. The museum has a visitor center and an interesting shop, yet the guided tours in the restored apartments of past residents as well as tours of the neighborhood are most impressive.

After all that walking, a nice lunch would be in Cocoron Soba, for a tasty Japanese Soba dish. 61 Delancey St (between Allen St & Eldridge St).

The High Line

On the western side of Manhattan, high above, lies a unique park. Built on an historic freight rail line elevated above the streets of Manhattan, a fun walk is guaranteed: green public space, little corners, cool views, and public arts at display. The High Line runs between Gansevoort Street and West 34th Street, mostly between 10th and 11th Ave.

you can hop on, and get off, at several location along the park, back to street level.

If you’re hungry, you can climb down on 23rd or 20th street, and head 1 block to Le Grainne Cafe on 183 9 Ave. and 21st street. We had a very good brunch, and felt a bit french with the crêpes and Salade Nicoise. Yumm yumm

Food adventure – in Queens

Again, what would I do without good friends? This time, my friend Naomi, a foodie, knowledgeable, and a fun person, took us under her wings, and revealed the delicious corners of Queens. Well, it may not be in Manhattan, but one train ride (the 7 line) will take you all the way to the very last stop- Main Street, Flushing, and that’s where we started. Flushing, around the train station, is also known as the Queens’ Chinatown. This one is a little different- culinary diversity from other places in Asia, not just Chinese. Spotted, were Malaysian, Korean, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, and of course- Chinese. You’ll find stretched noodles made from scratch, lots of dim-sum joints, neat bakeries,  and different street food-carts, each looks and smells more appetizing than the other. It’s a real treat to just wonder around, especially with friends, and take bites from many different vendors.

click on the photo, for a short clip

By the time we left Flushing, with bellies full of dumplings, pastries, soup, little chunks of lamb on skewers, and even a black sesame panna cotta (Iris Tea & Bakery), all from different places around Main Street, we didn’t think we had any more space for further tastings. Yet, we were already here, so we hopped back on the 7 Line, and back to the street in Jackson Heights. We found ourselves in the middle of Mexico and Central America, with restaurants serving Colombian,  Peruvian, Ecuadorian, Cuban, Argentinian, and of course- Mexican cuisine. Also, lots of shops and ethnic grocery stores. We just had to taste the Alfajores at Buenos Aires Bakery .

As one goes further towards 74th Street, the scenery changes into Pakistani, Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan eateries, food carts, and grocery stores. We ended our day on the R train, back to Manhattan, with a momo dumpling in our mouths. Irresistible. Delicious.

Soft and Sweet inside, Silly outside, and starts with “S”?

Hanukkah, the holiday of lights, or the holiday of oil, is approaching quickly.

As the story goes, when the Maccabees (very angry Jewish rebels) returned to the destroyed Temple (destroyed by the Syrian-Greeks), they had only one day’s worth of oil to light the Menorah and purify the Temple, but surprise surprise- the oil lasted for full eight days.

Ever since that story, Jews are bound to show happiness for that amazing miracle by eating oily foods. In fact, the essence of most of the Jewish holidays is known to be: “they fought us, we fought back, yalla, let’s eat!”

So let us look at the bright side, and instead of remembering that deep fried food is, emmm, not so good for us, let’s commemorate the extraordinary event of the oil and light, and move on to fluffy, fun filled side of

**** drum-roll please****

pile of goodness

Sufganiyot

As I needed to write a post about Sufganiyot for one of my customers, I have decided to make them. Yet, as opposed to the traditional Sufganiyot made from yeast, and take a whole day to plan and prepare, I made those little cuties, sweet and soft dumplings, that do not leave us feeling bloated, but rather light. Did I mention they look silly? In a positive way, of course.

maverick, nonconformist looking sufganiyot

you’ll need:

• 2.5 cups of flour
• 1.3 cups yogurt
• 3 spoons sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange rind (optional)
• oil (I wasn’t kidding, there’s deep frying involved)
• confectioners’ sugar

ingredients for sufganiyot

how-to:

1. In a deep frying pan, start heating at least 2 inches of oil to medium heat*. Meanwhile:
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. mix.
3. pour all wet ingredients into the mixed flour, and whisk slowly together, until smooth and all the flour dissolved.
4. Working in batches of 5 or 6, slip dollops of doughnuts into hot oil (365°F, 185°C) using 2 tablespoons. Don’t make the doughnuts too big, and let them get their own happy, free shape. They’re not supposed to be perfectly round. Fry, turning once, about 1.5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remember to be careful, as the oil is very hot.
5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts to paper towels to drain.
6. When the sufganiyot are cool, sprinkle the confectioners’ sugar on top. Take a good look. Enjoy. Bite.

mix, whisk, dunk in oil

* I recommend using a wide pot to make it easier to maneuver sufganiyot in and out of the hot oil. Also, don’t heat oil too quickly, let it take it’s time. You can test the temperature with the end of a wooden spoon. If it bubbles vigorously, you have reached the desired temperature.

almond milk

I am so proud of myself, that I needed to brag. I just never knew that making an almond milk could be so easy.

sweet almond milk, homemade

Lately I have been trying to find new kinds of “milk” besides cow’s milk, as the latter felt too heavy.

The almond milk  that’s found in the stores isn’t just almonds, but has other additives. So, in my search, I found a great site, full of  explanations about the different milks (cow, soy, nut) and a recipe for homemade almond milk. Guess what? It worked, and it’s so EZ, Not to mention- white and sweet.

I made mine with less dates- thus less sweet, and didn’t use cheesecloth or a “nut milk bag”, but a regular strainer/sieve.

without further ado, turn to choosing raw.

Cheers !

quinoa salad- easy to make, pretty to look at, yummy to taste

This quinoa salad is not only pretty on your dinner table, all festive and fancy, but it is also yummy,promises a fiesta right in your mouth. Quinoa had been called, for a good reason, the vegetable caviar.

I found this recipe a long time ago in a magazine, and used it lots and lots.

colorful fresh quinoa salad

you’ll need:

• 2-3 spoons of coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 handful parsley, thinly chopped (if your taste buds are out for cilantro, go for it)
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 5-6 scallions (green onions), sliced width-wise
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries
• fresh lemon juice (at least 2 lemons)
• salt
• olive oil for seasoning

how- to:

1. rinse the quinoa under cold water and strain.
2. heat olive oil in a medium pot and add the quinoa. stir a minute, and add the water. stir again, cover pot with lid, and bring to a boil.
3. when water is boiling, lower heat to minimum, cook for 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed in the quinoa seeds. take off the lid, and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. move pot from heat source, and stir quinoa with a fork, to air the seeds and separate them (they tend to stick together).
5. in a salad bowl, mix together the quinoa, parsley, mint, scallions, and cranberries.
6. roast walnuts on a skillet or frying pan, on medium heat,  for 2-3 minutes, make sure not to burn them. after cooled a bit, add to the salad bowl. this whole step can be done while preparing the quinoa, just so you know….
7. season salad with lemon (lots), salt, and olive oil.

bon appetite !