A Calculated Whisk

Smoky Sweet Potato Latkes + Paleo Planet Giveaway

November 7, 2016 By Becky 87 Comments

Sweet, smoky, and crisp, these sweet potato latkes are really hard to beat, especially topped with cashew sour cream and applesauce.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the release of my cookbook Paleo Planet, I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes from the book–smoky sweet potato latkes–plus a giant giveaway package. If you’re interested in winning a signed copy of the book, a box of grass-fed meat from ButcherBox, and paleo-friendly baking supplies from Rodelle, scroll down to the end of the post to enter. If you already have the book, you can give away the signed copy as a gift and keep the rest of the prizes for yourself.

(If you do have the book and especially if you’ve cooked from it, would you consider leaving a candid review on Amazon? They’re so helpful to me and to potential readers. Thank you so much!)

Paleo Planet is a collection of gluten-free, grain-free recipes inspired by cuisines from all around the world, including over 125 recipes (and over 80 that are Whole30 compliant–get the full list here!). All of the recipes are dairy free with the exception of ghee, which can be swapped out if you’re avoiding it.

The book includes a full chapter of sauces, spice blends, and pantry staples you can make at home, from za’atar to spiced ghee to almond milk, to ensure your paleo meals are extra delicious, along with three chapters of main dishes (poultry, beef, pork, & lamb, and seafood). These include paleo versions of well-known favorites like moussaka, pad see ew, and chiles rellenos plus dishes that may be new to you, like kaddo bourani, an irresistible Afghan pumpkin dish, and ají de gallina, a Peruvian chicken dish cooked with ají amarillo chile paste. The cookbook also includes a chapter for appetizers, soups, salads, and snacks, a chapter of vegetable sides, and of course a dessert chapter.

I’m so excited to be partnering with ButcherBox and Rodelle to bring you a prize package full of wholesome ingredients that you can use to make recipes from Paleo Planet as well as anything else you’re whipping up this season. Rodelle is providing their high-quality vanilla beans, vanilla extract, and baking cocoa, which can be used in a myriad of desserts from the book, from Black Forest Cake to Millionaire’s Shortbread to Mexican Brownies.

ButcherBox is providing a box of their 100% grass-fed meat, conveniently packaged in individual servings and shipped straight to your door on dry ice. Their meat is my go-to for all the carnivorous recipes in my book, from Milanesa to Australian Burgers to Honey Chipotle Short Ribs.

Deep Dish Paleo Tamale Pie

October 31, 2016 By Becky 4 Comments

This paleo tamale pie combines a beef chili base made with peppers, tomatoes, and squash with a fluffy, grain-free “cornbread” topping.

Have you heard of tamale pie? It’s a casserole that’s loosely based on the ingredients for tamales, except they’re layered in a dish or skillet instead of wrapped in corn husks. Think a really delicious beef chili with a layer of cornbread baked right on top.

I didn’t grow up eating tamale pie, but apparently a lot of people did–a Bon Appétit article caught my eye recently with the headline: “Cornbread Tamale Pie Is the Greatest Recipe of All Time.” The author made a great case for why this dish is one of the best foods ever, and I was left with a distinct hankering to create a paleo tamale pie of my own.

For the filling, I packed in as much delicious produce as humanly possible: diced scallions, garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers, butternut squash, and cilantro. No, butternut squash is not a traditional ingredient in tamale pie, but I had half of one in the fridge just begging to be thrown in. I ended up loving the subtle sweetness the squash added. Conventional tamale pies often have corn kernels in the filling, so the butternut makes up for that by lending sweet pops of flavor without the addition of grains.

When you make this, you may find yourself tempted, like I was, to just eat the chili base on its own and to forget about the faux cornbread topping. I actually spooned myself out a little bowl of filling to eat while the tamale pie baked, and I suggest you do the same: I don’t want you to miss out on the fluffy topping, but the chili is great in its own right, so why not sneak in a little mid-cookup snack?

Grain-free Chocolate Cake with Mocha Buttercream

October 28, 2016 By Becky 8 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This grain-free chocolate cake with mocha buttercream is super decadent and perfect for the coffee-drinking chocolate lover in your life.

It’s Friday, and I brought cake! Grain-free chocolate cake with mocha buttercream, to be exact. It’s my favorite paleo chocolate cake base (from the Black Forest Cake recipe in Paleo Planet) with a classic, very non-paleo mocha buttercream frosting. The cake layers are rich and tender, and the mocha buttercream hits you mainly with chocolate, but has just enough of a coffee kick sneaking up from behind to keep things interesting. The chocolate-covered coffee beans on top provide a welcome crunch and yet another layer of chocolate and coffee flavor.

I made this cake a couple of weekends ago for my future mother-in-law’s birthday. She grew up in Brazil, which grows a huge portion of the world’s coffee and cacao, and is a big fan of both. This cake was a hit with her and with the rest of the family. It’s so rich that we got a full 20 slices out of it.

Butternut Squash and Potato Soup

October 25, 2016 By Becky 14 Comments

This comforting butternut squash and potato soup is ideal for a cool fall evening. The scallions, pomegranate, and bacon on top make it colorful and extra tasty.

My fiancé doesn’t like winter squash, pumpkin, or anything with cooked apples in it, which as you can imagine makes fall a lot less fun. This year I’ve been on a mission to sneak as much of these things into him as possible, all the while making sure he thinks whatever he’s eating is really delicious. I believe I’m making progress, because several of my recent attempts haven’t been subtle at all and have still gone over really well.

First I hid some apple in this stuffed squash with sausage, and he gobbled it up. He did not even realize there was any apple until I mentioned it (after he was done eating two helpings, of course).

Next I got a little bolder and offered him these baked pumpkin custards with maple mascarpone whipped cream. Those were a hit, too!

A Year of CSA Boxes + Farm Share FAQs

October 22, 2016 By Becky 26 Comments

It’s been just over a year since we moved from Boston down to Chattanooga and I signed up to be part of the CSA (community supported agriculture) program at Big Sycamore Farm. It’s one of the best choices I’ve ever made! I’ve been able to cook with and eat so much amazing local produce over the past year, and having a curated box has pushed me out of my cooking comfort zone and made me come up with some creative recipes I never would have thought of otherwise. Also, since the spring I’ve been doing a work share, which means that instead of paying for my box I go up to the farm about once a week and spend the morning working for my box. As someone who’s new to town and doesn’t have a ton of friends yet, I’ve loved having the chance to hang with the family that owns the farm and get a bit of fresh air and exercise while learning about farming. I get a lot of questions about my CSA, so I wanted to dedicate a post to explaining it and sharing the photos of the bountiful boxes I’ve received over the past year. (You may have already seen some of them on Instagram, but here they are all in one place. All of these are iPhone photos, so I apologize if they’re not totally sharp!)

What is a CSA?

CSA stands for community supported agriculture and is also often called a farm share. Basically you pay (usually a lump sum up front) for a share of the farm’s produce over the course of a season. Each week you get a bag or box with a selection of vegetables and/or fruits (some farms also offer CSAs that include eggs or meat). Part of the idea of a CSA is that you and the farmers share in the potential risks of growing food: if weather or other events lead to a bad season, you may not get quite as much or quite as wide a selection in your box. CSA members help farmers plan and pay for their crops since they know at the beginning of the season that they have a guaranteed demand for a certain amount of produce each week. Some CSAs require you to pick up your box at the farm, some bring boxes to various pickup locations, such as local farmers markets, and some may even offer delivery. When I do my work share I pick up my box at the farm, and otherwise I pick it up at my neighborhood farmers market. Find a CSA near you over on the Local Harvest site.

What is a work share?

A work share means that you actually go to the farm and help out in exchange for your box. Don’t worry if you’re too busy–most farms do not require that members do a work share, so you can simply pay for your CSA. When I first started doing a work share I was worried about the time commitment. Since my farm is flexible, they allowed me to pay half price for the CSA and work a shorter amount of time: just 8 mornings in exchange for about 6 months of produce. The fall season is shorter, so I’m doing a full work share: it’s one morning of work in exchange for each weekly box.

What kind of work do you do at the farm?

I help out with whatever’s going on that day, which has included weeding, planting seeds, transplanting seedlings, harvesting and washing produce, watering plants, clearing out beds, and feeding animals. It’s all been really fun and some days it’s physically exhausting, but it’s always rewarding and eye-opening. If you decide to do a work share, I recommend you bring/wear these things: lots of water and snacks, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray, and boots or old sneakers.

As a bonus, doing a work share at my farm means you get a little extra in your box each week and you also get more choice. Big Sycamore farm lets its work share members pick out 6-8 vegetables they want each week to put together their box. If there’s a ton of one particular vegetable or herb they sometimes throw that in on top of the regular amount of produce.

Paleo Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

October 17, 2016 By Becky 8 Comments

It’s been a busy couple of weeks over here, but I wanted to make sure I popped in to let you know about these pumpkin swirl brownies, which I shared as a guest post over on Empowered Sustenance. They’re paleo, nut free, and super fudgy–perfect for Halloween or anytime.

You can get the recipe right here! Hope you have a great week, and I’ll be back soon with another new recipe.

Grain-free Cranberry Galette

October 10, 2016 By Becky 10 Comments

Why not end Thanksgiving dinner with a nut-free, grain-free cranberry galette? The cassava flour pie crust is so flaky and buttery, no one will guess it’s gluten free.

My obsession with cassava flour pie crust is still going strong. It all started with this gluten-free quiche lorraine with leeks, and I stayed in the savory realm with this heirloom tomato galette. Now it’s finally time for something on the sweet side: this grain-free cranberry galette with creme fraiche. Cassava flour is remarkably similar to wheat flour in how it behaves in crusts, so making this dough is a lot like making regular pie dough. Don’t worry, though, it’s really easy–it comes together in just a few minutes in the food processor.

Cranberries are often mixed with other fruits in desserts, or only make it to the table in the form of cranberry sauce. I wanted to create a treat that would highlight cranberries on their own in all their ruby-hued glory. Here their tartness is tempered with honey and a sprinkling of raw sugar, and a bit of creme fraiche adds richness and depth to the filling. I like to serve this with even more creme fraiche on top, but it’s also fabulous with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Five-Ingredient Instant Pot Carnitas

October 5, 2016 By Becky 22 Comments

These easy five-ingredient Instant Pot carnitas are tender and juicy, with a great citrusy flavor. They are wonderful over rice, in tacos, in lettuce wraps, with an egg on top, or just plain!

These slow-cooker carnitas lettuce wraps are one of my favorite dinners, and ever since getting an Instant Pot, I’ve been working on converting the carnitas recipe so it can be made more quickly. It’s not necessarily weeknight quick because it takes about an hour and a half to make, but that’s a lot less than the 8-10 hour slow-cooking time. This is perfect for whipping up on a weekend afternoon to have a stockpile of delicious meat for the days ahead.

To make this recipe extra easy, I’ve streamlined the ingredients list. You only need five things (not counting salt, pepper, and water). Also, this recipe is made start to finish in the Instant Pot, without any broiling at the end or any other dirty pans.

Carnitas are traditionally made on the stovetop like this, where they cook low and slow, often with spices and citrus juices. Eventually, all of the juices cook off, and the carnitas begin to caramelize and crisp up a little in the dry pan.

When I make carnitas in my crockpot, I have to discard most of the juices and broil the carnitas after slow cooking to crisp them up and get that characteristic carnitas texture. With the Instant Pot’s sauté feature, though, I can cook off all of the liquid pretty quickly without using more than one pot. That means Instant Pot carnitas are just as easy as the original stovetop version, but much quicker.

Baked Pumpkin Custards with Maple Mascarpone Whipped Cream

October 1, 2016 By Becky 30 Comments

This post is sponsored by Cost Plus World Market.

These gluten-free baked pumpkin custards with maple mascarpone take just ten minutes to prepare, and are the perfect way to end a fall dinner.

Fall is finally here, and it’s no longer taboo to eat pumpkin spice everything! The first thing I like to whip up when the weather turns is these baked pumpkin custards with maple mascarpone whipped cream. The pumpkin custards are scrumptious, perfectly spiced, and super smooth—like pumpkin pie without the tedious process of making a crust. And the maple mascarpone whipped cream is rich and lightly sweetened, with just enough maple flavor in each bite to remind you that you’re eating something autumnal.

These custards are perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or any special fall occasion, especially when baked in these adorable ceramic pumpkin bakers. To make this treat extra fun, I like to pick up a few different toppings to add even more texture and flavor and let each person mix and match to their heart’s content. Here I used crumbled gluten-free gingersnap cookies (leave them out if you’re avoiding rice flour), crystallized ginger chips, and pumpkin pie almonds, but any seasonal candy or cookie is a great bet. Shaved dark chocolate or chopped pecans would be delicious, too!

Slow-Cooker Balsamic Short Ribs with Parsnip Puree

September 23, 2016 By Becky 9 Comments

These tender slow-cooker balsamic short ribs are so comforting, with great flavor from the balsamic vinegar and rosemary. Serve them over parsnip puree with a simple vegetable side, like seared radicchio or quickly sautéed kale.

Who’s ready for part four of my ongoing love letter to short ribs? If you missed them, check out parts one, two, and three (plus the honey chipotle short ribs in Paleo Planet!). I love short ribs because they’re meltingly tender, full of meaty flavor, and really hard to mess up. They’re super easy to make in the slow cooker, and they go well with a wide variety of flavor profiles.

In this simple recipe, short ribs are cooked low and slow with plenty of balsamic vinegar and fresh rosemary for the perfect fall comfort food with an Italian bent.

To round out the meal, I like to serve these slow-cooker balsamic short ribs with an extra creamy (but cream-free!) parsnip puree. Parsnips are such a fun cold weather vegetable and they taste great as a puree–the flavor is beguiling and almost has hints of coconut to it.

This parsnip puree is pretty much heaven with some cooking juices from the short ribs spooned on top. If you’re looking for more on parsnips and reasons to love them, check out my parsnip and pumpkin soup post.

Picadillo with Plantains from Well Fed Weeknights

September 19, 2016 By Becky 10 Comments

This Cuban picadillo with plantains is a quick and tasty Whole30 meal that covers all the flavor bases: sweet, savory, tangy, spicy, and creamy.

Big news! The third book in Melissa Joulwan’s best-selling Well Fed series is almost here, and in my opinion, it’s the best one yet. Well Fed Weeknights is packed full of creative and delicious dinner recipes that can all be made in 45 minutes or less.

I’ve been a fan of Mel’s scrumptious recipes ever since I first made her carnitas years ago, so I was super excited when I got my hands on a preview copy of the book. Since I love Cuban food and especially adore plantains, this picadillo with plantains called out to me right away.

Picadillo is sort of like a hash made with ground beef and various other additions depending on the country each version hails from. This Cuban one starts off with onion, garlic, and a fragrant mix of spices starring cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, and is finished off with chunks of green plantain, sweet raisins, and green olives.

The picadillo is then served with lime slices, scallions, cilantro, and–if you’re me and you like to try out food trends but usually do so several months late–avocado roses. The result is a dish that’s satisfying and interesting in the best way, with sweet pops of raisin, sour olives, perfectly spiced meat, chewy plantains, and creamy avocado coming together to make quite a flavor party.

Stuffed Squash with Sausage and Apple

September 12, 2016 By Becky 22 Comments

Stuffed squash with sausage and apple is the ultimate Whole30 comfort food for fall. You can make this with delicata, acorn, or any winter squash!

I’ve been making this dish since last fall, when I never managed to make it early enough to have decent light left for a photo shoot. It quickly became one of my very favorite meals. This stuffed squash with sausage and apple is beautiful, filling, delicious, and nutritious.

The sweet squash is the perfect backdrop for savory sausage, onions, and mushrooms in a creamy cashew-based sauce, studded with little bits of apple for an extra layer of sweetness. And since these squash boats include a good dose of protein and veggies, I never feel the need to serve a side with them.

I first made these stuffed squash with sausage when I wasn’t doing a Whole30, so I stirred in sour cream and topped them with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. However, the Whole30 version is shockingly similar.

Once the cashew sour cream is stirred into the sausage mixture, it tastes just as creamy as the lactose-laden version. And a little nutritional yeast gets stirred in to add a bit of cheesy flavor. I replaced the parmesan on top with chopped fresh basil, which tastes great and looks even prettier. Basically, Whole30 or not, you can’t go wrong with this dish.

« Previous Page
1
…
8
9
10
11
12
…
34
Next Page »