Nutty Gypsy Scones

I decided to post scones again. I reworked my recipe a little.  Scones are my favorite travel food.  Since I have been traveling a lot lately it was a good thing to rework.  As I stated on my first post of scones, I like them dry and not very sweet.  I just don't bake very much because I like to keep sugar out of my diet as much as possible. If you like more sugar just add it. Sometimes I will spread a little homemade jelly on the scone for added sweetness.  My first recipe was called Door County Scones because of the addition of cherries.  This time I changed the flours and just added walnuts.

Nutty Gypsy Scones

1 cup gluten free multi-purpose flour (King Arthur)
1 cup whole grain millet flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup Blonde Coconut Palm Sugar (Sweet Tree)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthum gum
5 Tbsp Organic Coconut Oil
1/2 cup hemp milk
1/4 cup cultured coconut milk (So Delicious)
Ener G egg replacer for 1 egg mixed according to box
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400.
Place flours, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and xanthum gum in bowl of stand mixer. Add coconut oil and blend until resembles a coarse meal. Add nuts.  Whisk hemp, coconut milk, Ener G and vanilla in separate bowl. Take bowl of dry ingredients from mixer and make a well in center - add milk mixture to well of dry ingredients. Stir just until dough forms. Place on floured surface and gently knead until it comes together.  Pat into a round shape about 7".  Cut into wedges with a knife.  Transfer wedges to baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

I have tried these with many different flours over time. If you can use dairy try butter instead of coconut oil, milk instead of hemp milk, and sour cream instead of cultured coconut milk. An egg can be used instead of Ener G replacer. It all works.

Best of all it is grab and go food for those of you who enjoy the gypsy life as I do.

Carrots

HAPPY EASTER

In honor of that childish side of Easter... the Bunny I decided to feature Bunny food. Carrots of course.  We all know it is the food of choice for the Easter Bunny...Right?  Maybe I have been fed a web of lies but I must believe.

Such a colorful vegetable.  Liking juicing as I do the carrot is often my choice. Who knew me and the Easter Bunny enjoying the Elixir of the Bunny Gods.

Steam, boil, eat raw, juiced whatever your mind can create.  Here are two I recently had.

Carrot Salad

Peel and shred raw carrots.  Add chopped fresh dill and chopped scallions.  Mix olive oil and lemon for dressing.  I used basil olive oil.

Carrot Dip

Similar to hummus just done with carrots.
I used six large peeled and boiled carrots. Place in food processor and add spices.  I did 3 Tbsp of olive oil.
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar. 1 Tbsp sweet paprika. 1 tsp cumin. 1/2 tsp cayenne. 1 garlic clove and a little salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth.

So in honor of the Easter Bunny and keeping in touch with our childish nature make some bunny food and have fun.  P.S. Don't forget to eat the chocolate bunnies!!!!

Quinoa w/Orange

Quinoa.  What a wonderful grain. I know we all eat our fair share of it when we eat gluten free.  It is a grain everyone should try because it is a complete protein.  I have tried it many different ways some hot some cold. I like to mix it up with the different colors - red, black and white. This time I added oranges and orange juice.

It can become difficult to keep some of these grains interesting because we use them so often. Just keep trying different things and you will eventually come up with a combination that surprises you.  Here is how I did this one.

Quinoa w/Orange

1 cup quinoa rinsed and cook in 2 cups of water - cool
1 cup celery chopped
1 cup orange bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup red onion chopped fine
6 cherry tomatoes sliced
1 orange peeled and cut into pieces
Handful of chopped parsley
1/2 tsp smoked Spanish Paprika, optional
Blend fresh squeezed orange juice with olive oil.  I used Moroccan olive oil. I did one part orange juice to 2 parts olive oil

Mix the quinoa and all the vegetables and fruit.  Then stir in the orange juice and olive oil blend to your taste.

Try it my way or as usual create your own.

Spring Chicken Salad

Let's go lively into spring with color.  Our taste buds and eyes are canvassing for excitement.  Spring....that time of year we start thinking about asparagus, flowers, color and everything new.  I already have been eating that spring vegetable we love, asparagus. I am waiting for our annual hunt and gather for it.  Actually, I don't really hunt and gather, I just drop my husband off in his favorite field and pick him up when the bag is full.

Today it is a chicken salad.  We found this great smoked chicken at a local store that makes their own.  So I thought some kind of chicken salad would be great.  Then I started thinking about roasted bell peppers.  I had this gorgeous tomato which tastes like the ones you get in summer from your garden and magically a salad is created.

Roasted red bell pepper sauce

1 red bell pepper, blackened on an open flame or grill then placed in a brown bag for 10 minutes
1/4 cup chicken stock gluten free
1 tsp sunny Paris (Pensheys Spices)shallots, chives,green peppercorn,basil,tarragon,chervil,bay leaf and dill weed
Or any spice you like
Dash of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Take bell pepper from bag and clean off black char, take off stem and seeds and rough chop.  Put in food processor with stock and spices and blend until smooth.  Adjust thickness with more or less stock.

For the salad I combined lettuce, tomato, smoked chicken and a dab of brown rice.  Topped it all off with the roasted pepper sauce.

Create your own spring treat.  Spring the time for a re-awakening of our zest for food and life....just like the spring chickens.

Grains

From left to right.  Green lentils, red quinoa, millet, buckwheat, orange lentils, purple sticky rice, red rice and brown rice.

Whole beautiful colored grains.  I just went to my pantry and pulled this variety out.  This wasn't even all of them - I forgot the wild rice, black quinoa and white quinoa.  With all these choices why is anyone eating white potatoes and white rice. Everywhere you turn there is something discussing whole grains.  Get them in your diet your body will appreciate it.

I made purple sticky rice also called black thai rice.  Try this one. Often it is cooked as a dessert rice. I had it once that way in a Thai restaurant.  I just cook it in water and add seasonings. I like it because it is a sticky rice.  Just 2 cups of water or broth to 1 cup of rice. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer covered for 30-40 minutes.  Do not stir.  Turn off heat and let sit 10 minutes. Fluff and serve.  Some people use a rice cooker, I never have yet.




With all the beautiful colored food choices who needs white food.

O'Chard

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

If you're enough lucky to be Irish....You're lucky enough.

I had such a hard time deciding what to post today.  I am married to an Irish laddie.  Michael is his name.  The O' kind of  Irish.  He likes corned beef and cabbage.  That is what we have for this day.  I am not posting that because it is so basic you really don't need a recipe.  I am doing something green instead.  Swiss Chard.

We are counting the hours to the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade.  This year Michael's Godchild is in the parade in her high school band.  She is on the bus right now with eyes and mouth wide open.  I remember that feeling when I first went to New York.  Have fun Courtney!

Now for the green of the day.  More of you are venturing into this healthy, richly textured and colorful leafy food.  I have some version everyday.  You can eat them raw, cooked in stock for a long period of time or just steam them.  Try baked kale for something interesting.

This recipe originates from Spain, that wonderful region of the world you can smell just thinking about it.  What an exciting place to visit.  All that great Serrano ham just hanging around in all the taverns and restaurants.  A place to go visit more than once, just like New York City.

I typically have ingredients like this around.  This is quick and easy .  You could do it with other greens, but try it for the first time with the chard.  Eat it as a main dish or use as a side dish.

Sauteed Chard

2 large bunches of Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (1/4 inch thick) slice Serrano or other dry cured ham, diced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins, soaked in hot water to soften, about 1 hour, drained

Cook chard in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes.  Drain and press out water. You could cook it longer if you like it that way.

Heat olive oil in skillet over med high heat.  Add Serrano and saute a minute or two.   Add the pine nuts then the chard and raisins.  Stir.  Cook to desired texture.  Serve hot.

Try this next time you are looking to make something with greens.

When Irish eyes are smiling,
'Tis like a morn in spring.
With a lilt of Irish Laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
~Author Unknown

Fish Tacos

Tacos, tacos, tacos.  How much do we LOVE tacos.  I like beef, pork, chicken and of course fish tacos.  Let's talk fish tacos.  I did some research on the origin.

Some say it originated in Ensenada, Mexico.  I had my first fish taco there - oh the memories.  When we lived in San Diego we went to Ensenada often.  They say Rubio's Fish Taco started in 1983 and got the recipe from Ensenada.   When we lived in San Diego Rubio's Fish Taco is where we ate ours.  That was in the 80's.  How exciting is food when you can connect it to your life that way.  We make history and connections with our food everyday.  Just think - what you eat today will be tomorrows memories.  EAT SOMETHING WORTH REMEMBERING!

Since I have been making fish tacos for so long and so many ways, I thought it was a good subject.  I have used many varieties of fish.  When I do the grilled type I like Tuna or any firm ocean fish.  Otherwise just use regional fish.  Here in the Bayfield area and other parts of Wisconsin whitefish is popular.  Another Wisconsin favorite is perch.  When I can't find any fresh fish I have used frozen cod.  My pictures here feature two different fish varieties from two different taco meals.

Where ever you live, there must be a fish you can use.  Try the fish taco - you might like it. 

Fish Tacos

Any fish - grilled or Sauteed crispy.
For a thick batter use white rice flour with cumin and chili powder, salt and pepper and enough club soda to make a batter consistency then fry in oil until crispy.   Or lightly dust with white rice flour and saute.
Soft corn tortillas
Cabbage shredded
Cilantro chopped
White onions chopped
Fresh Limes
Salsa or hot sauce or both

Cook your fish whatever style you like.  Mix the cabbage, cilantro and onions together.  Heat the corn tortillas.

The way I assemble is salsa on tortilla then the fish then the cabbage mixture.  Add salsa and hot sauce and fresh lime juice.  If you can use dairy a blend of sour cream and salsa is nice. I always serve with guacamole and pico de gallo. Plenty of recipes for both of those find one you like.

Fish tacos - eat them often and you will find your favorite way.  Enjoy.