Crispy Chicken with Spring Vegetables

March 13, 2015 By Becky 2 Comments

Remember when Dorothy threw a bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the West? And the witch screamed in agony: “I’m melting! Melting! Oh, what a world!”

As I walked to the train station yesterday afternoon, I could almost hear my city’s dirty snow screaming the exact same thing. Boston is not free of snow yet, but we sure have a lot less of it.

The thaw seemed like my cue to start celebrating spring in the kitchen by making a dish with bright green veggies. For the protein I went with crispy chicken thighs, because truly crispy chicken skin is the best thing ever. Ben only likes skin-on chicken when it’s as crunchy as possible and not moist at all, so I practiced and practiced and now have my routine for chicken-crisping down pat.

Here’s how you do it: sear the chicken skin side down in a very hot skillet for a little longer than it seems like you should, and then flip it over and finish it in a 450 degree oven. While the chicken roasts, you’ll have just enough time to fry some bacon and chop your veggies. Then, while the chicken rests, the vegetables cook in the fat from the chicken infused with a bit of lemon.

Ginger Thyme Tea

November 30, 2014 By Becky 15 Comments

This caffeine-free ginger thyme tea is easy to make at home
and perfect for when you’re feeling under the weather.

I woke up Thanksgiving morning with the beginnings of a cold. Black Friday was even worse, with the irrepressible urge to nap setting in a mere three hours after I woke up. Yesterday, after getting over ten hours of sleep the night before, I spent the hours between six and eight pm dozing off on the couch with a purring cat on my stomach and a scarf wrapped around my head. I’ve gone through two pocket packs of tissues and finally had to cave and buy a full-size box.

Since I know a lot of people get sick around the holidays, I thought I’d share my favorite homemade remedy: a simple ginger thyme tea.

Balsamic Steak with Fig & Arugula Salad

August 27, 2014 By Becky Leave a Comment

Do you think beautiful food tastes better? I do.

Of course, every once in a while you come across a beautiful dish, take your first bite, and feel disappointed because it doesn’t taste nearly as good as it looks. In my experience, though, that doesn’t happen much.

More often, a food’s level of beauty and deliciousness are relatively close together, with the gorgeousness boosting the deliciousness up a notch or two (or perhaps vice versa, but I don’t really find that a food looks prettier once I’ve tried it and know that it’s tasty…we eat with our eyes first, after all). The food looks good, so it tastes even better. I think that’s how it goes with me and figs. Yes, they’re yummy, but most of all, their colors are just so pretty. When I take a bite of fig while looking at the freshly-sliced figs that are still on my plate, the beauty of those figs makes the one in my mouth taste even better.

Braised Chicken with Leeks & Scallions

May 8, 2014 By Becky 5 Comments

Coq au vin is one of my favorite classic French dishes. Chicken braised slowly in wine of any kind is almost guaranteed to be delicious, and I’ve made this coq au riesling recipe several times over the past year. It’s become my go-to dish for whenever company is coming. However, wine is not truly part of a paleo diet, and many people try to avoid all alcohol, even in cooked dishes. The question on my mind was this: can you make coq au vin without the vin? Without any wine, is braised chicken still something exceptional?

You may have guessed that my answer is a resounding yes. This recipe is proof: wine is not necessary for making delicious braised chicken. In fact, I liked this dish even more than the coq au riesling I’ve been making, and to me, the chicken and sauce still had all the flavor benefits of dishes made with copious amounts of wine. I’m eager to see if you agree, so if you try this recipe, please let me know what you think!

Want to know why this recipe is so good, even though there’s no wine in it? My theory is that it’s because of the following three reasons. First, this recipe uses Pure Indian Foods’ organic, grassfed ghee. Ghee is by far my favorite cooking fat, because it has all the delicious flavor of butter paired with the higher smoke point of oil. In fact, I think ghee tastes even better than butter, and it’s also a much healthier choice than canola or vegetable oil. If you haven’t heard me talk about the wonders of ghee, you can read more about what it is and how it’s made here.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

April 14, 2014 By Becky 53 Comments

This grain-free lemon olive oil cake is easy to whip up and is perfect for feeding a crowd. It’s my go-to paleo cake recipe!

Passover starts tonight, and if you have your big seder this evening, I realize I may be getting this dessert idea out too late. However, it never hurts to have a delicious kosher for Passover snack cake on hand for days 2-8, right?

This grain-free lemon olive oil cake would also be perfect for Easter–since I celebrate both holidays, I’m planning on making this again next weekend and dressing it up with some eggs and/or bunnies.

This cake is delicious: moist, tender, and perfectly lemony. I couldn’t taste the olive oil, but I think it adds some hard-to-pinpoint depth to the overall flavor of the cake, and it’s nice to know you’re baking with a healthy, dairy-free cooking fat.

The glaze is cashew-based, but I worked hard to make honey and lemon the prominent flavors, so I think people who don’t know cashews are the main ingredient won’t be able to figure it out.

I’ve made this lemon olive oil cake countless times for dinner parties, birthdays, and all manner of holidays, and it never fails to please. No one can tell that it’s gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and paleo friendly, and everyone is surprised to hear it’s made from extra virgin olive oil. I hope you’ll give it a try!

Chag sameach and happy Easter, if you’re celebrating one of those holidays, and happy (finally) spring if you’re not.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Name: Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons lemon juice*; 1/4 cup honey; 1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water for 1-2 hours and drained; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; Pinch of salt; 1 tablespoon lemon zest*; 2-3 tablespoons water (or more as needed); 2 1/2 cups lightly packed almond flour; 3/4 cup tapioca starch; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup honey; 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup lemon juice*; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 3 eggs; 1 tablespoon lemon zest*

Yield: 10-12 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This grain-free lemon olive oil cake is easy to whip up and is perfect for feeding a crowd. It's my go-to paleo cake recipe!

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups lightly packed almond flour
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup honey
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice*
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon zest*

For the glaze:

3 tablespoons lemon juice*
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water for 1-2 hours and drained
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest*
2-3 tablespoons water (or more as needed)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and thoroughly grease a large (12-cup capacity) bundt pan with olive oil. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
To make the cake, whisk together the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together all the wet ingredients and the lemon zest in a medium bowl or two-cup measuring cup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until well-combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and put the pan (along with the baking sheet that's underneath it--this is just for ease of transport) in the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out almost clean (a few small crumbs are okay, but no goo). Cool for about 30 minutes in the pan, then carefully run a thin knife around the inner and outer edges of the cake to loosen it. You can try to invert it onto a plate at this point if it seems loose, but it might need a little bit more cajoling. If it does, place it in the freezer for 30-40 minutes, then dip the bottom of the pan into a bowl of very hot water for about 30 seconds. Invert the cake onto a plate, and it should slide right out.
To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in your blender, or in a large bowl if you plan to use an immersion blender. Process until smooth, adding water as necessary to achieve a pourable consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake (I transferred my glaze to a ziptop bag, snipped off a corner, and drizzled it on from the bag). Slice and serve!

Notes

*I got enough juice and zest for both the cake and the glaze from two lemons, but I'd recommend having a third lemon on hand just in case.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 pieces Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 355Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 167mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 3gSugar: 25gProtein: 8g

The nutrition label provided is an estimate for informational purposes only and may not be accurate. I am not a nutritionist or medical professional.

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Lemon Mousse with Raspberry Coulis

February 16, 2014 By Becky 10 Comments

We had another snowstorm today. I was planning to cook something really appropriate for a snowed-in situation, like some sort of stew or casserole that warms you from the inside out, but then I changed my mind. I’m tired of snow food (and, obviously, snow). I am ready for spring!

When I taught elementary school, I used to read my kids the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel. In one of the stories, around this time of year, Frog’s father tells him that spring is just around the corner. Taking his father’s statement literally, Frog goes peeking around all sorts of actual corners in search of spring, to no avail. Finally, he pokes his head around the corner of his own house to find his parents planting their garden, birds chirping, and the sun peering out from behind the clouds. In February and March, I feel like Frog in that story. Spring may be just around the corner, but it’s really hard to see.

Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Shallots

January 12, 2014 By Becky 6 Comments

My mom got me a sugar pumpkin to use as a centerpiece for Thanksgiving, and it’s been cheerfully sitting on my windowsill ever since. It still looked perfectly fine to me (turns out pumpkins last 8-12 weeks), so the other day I decided to roast it. If you have a pumpkin kicking around your house, you should, too! Then you can make this soup. Roasting is much better than rotting, which is what will happen if you put off roasting your pumpkin for too long. Why waste a source of delicious food? While you’re at it, roast the seeds, too. I tossed mine with ghee and sprinkled them with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sage, and they were amazing!

If you already got rid of all your pumpkins, don’t despair. Canned pumpkin is available in stores year-round, and will work just fine in this recipe.

Pumpkin is great, but the real star of this soup is the humble shallot. When you fry shallots for a long time over low heat, they turn a wonderful shade of golden brown and develop an even richer savory flavor. After that, when you let them dry on paper towels, they crisp up. Not like potato-chip crispy, but a wonderful kind of chewy-crispy–and they’re WAY more delicious than potato chips. You may want to make extra, because with a little salt sprinkled on top, they’re pretty much better than bacon.

Pork Chops and Apple Compote + A Review of Cooking with Coconut Oil

January 5, 2014 By Becky 6 Comments

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

Pork Chops & Apple Compote (Gluten free, Paleo, Whole30)

Pork chops and apple compote go together so well, and this paleo recipe from the cookbook Cooking with Coconut Oil is a snap to make!

When I was offered a review copy of Cooking with Coconut Oil by Elizabeth Nyland of Guilty Kitchen, my answer was a resounding YES! I am a huge cookbook junkie, and especially like to read books penned by fellow food bloggers. Also, since I started eating paleo in August, I’ve loved using coconut oil in the kitchen, and was eager to learn more things I could do with it. Today I’m sharing my experience cooking & photographing three amazing recipes from the book, and the recipe for Pork Chops with Apple Compote is at the end of this post!

Cooking with Coconut Oil arrived the day before I left to spend the holidays in Tennessee with Ben’s family, so I did not get to cook with it right away. I had plenty of time to page through it, though, bookmarking recipes I wanted to try and craving almost everything pictured in the gorgeous photographs. This cookbook features a large, full-color photo of every single recipe, which I love. (Cookbooks that only show pictures of some of their recipes are a huge pet peeve of mine–I never want to make any of the un-pictured recipes!) The book also has informational sections that cover the health benefits of coconut oil, details about many of the ingredients used in the book, and ten tips for living a paleo lifestyle. Did you know that the medium-chain-triglycerides in coconut oil improve brain function and can have therapeutic effects on Alzheimer’s patients? Yeah, neither did I!

Lemon Sugar Cookies (Vegan, Nut-free)

November 30, 2013 By Becky 4 Comments

I was invited to a Hanukah party last night, and needed to bring a dessert that was nut-free and vegan. I wanted to bring a traditional Hanukah dessert, but soon realized I didn’t know of any. I guess I never really made it past the mountains of latkes at my family’s Hanukah celebrations. A quick search revealed that oily, fried foods like jelly-filled doughnuts are often eaten at Hanukah, but I wasn’t about to fry up a big pile of donuts to be eaten hours later. I also don’t really like jelly-filled desserts; I feel that jelly belongs at breakfast. Since I had dreidel and Star of David cookie cutters, I decided Hanukah sugar cookies would have to be traditional enough. I also got out my snowman and snowflake cookie cutters, since winter is almost here.

My next task was to find a great vegan cookie recipe. Since the cookies had to be nut-free, I soon realized it would be very hard to make them gluten-free as well. So, these cookies are a total gluten bomb. I promise to be back with more gluten-free eats very soon!

Almond Blueberry Pie Bars (Paleo, Gluten-free)

July 29, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

One of my favorite recipes I’ve blogged about is almond blueberry pie bars. They are amazing: a rich, buttery crust, a smooth, custardy filling studded with juicy berries, and a crumbly topping with crisp sliced almonds. When my mom and I were trying to decide what to make to bring to our cousin’s wedding, these bars came to mind. I wondered if we could make a decent paleo version.

Luckily, the answer is yes! These bars are just as delicious as the original. They’re not exactly the same–this version has a soft buttery crust, whereas the others had a crunchier crust–but you won’t find me complaining. We brought a huge platter of these to the wedding, and they disappeared fast, devoured by gluten free eaters and non-restricted eaters alike. They are even more amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream–I recommend Blue Bell if you can get it.

It was a bit of an adventure baking these bars at my aunt’s apartment, because she does not have a real oven! I was nervous about using her combination (microwave and convection) oven, so I found the manual online and read the instructions carefully. I found that the bars browned VERY quickly, but were still not done in the center, so I covered them with foil for the rest of the baking time. You may or may not have that problem in a regular oven.

This was my first time using coconut flour and maple sugar, and I think they both worked very well in these bars. The coconut flour is very fine and created a nice smooth crust in combination with the almond flour. The maple sugar is granulated, so I didn’t have to worry about adjusting the proportions of ingredients in order to use a liquid sweetener. You won’t taste any more than a very faint tinge of maple flavor, and that’s really only if you’re looking for it. Enjoy!

Ingredients (adapted from Annie’s Eats; makes 36 small but thick bars):

For the crust and topping:

1 and 1/2 cups coconut flour
1 and 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons almond flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple sugar (granulated)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of one lemon
18 tablespoons grass-fed cold butter
1 cup sliced almonds, lightly crushed

For the filling:

4 eggs
1 cup grass-fed milk or coconut milk
1 and 3/4 cup maple sugar
1/2 cup coconut flour
Juice of one lemon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9×13 pan with tinfoil and grease it lightly. To make the crust, combine the flours, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a food processor (or by hand in a large bowl). Cut the butter into cubes and pulse until the mixture is uniform. If you’re not using the food processor, it’s easiest to mix the dough with your hands. Reserve about 3/4 cup of the mixture to serve as the topping. Press the rest of it into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.

To make the topping, add the crushed sliced almonds to the reserved dough and mix until combined.

To make the filling, whisk together all ingredients except the blueberries until smooth. Gently stir in the blueberries.

When the crust is baked, let it cool for 10-15 minutes, leaving the oven on. Then, pour the filling over, sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling, and bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the middle is just set. Cool completely before cutting–it helps to put them in the refrigerator to firm up. Slice into squares or rectangles and enjoy!

Lemon Cheesecake Truffles

July 9, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

Truffles are the perfect summer dessert, especially when there’s lemon involved. You can make these without even using your stove, and since they’re kept in the fridge, they’re refreshing on a hot day. These truffles have a rich and creamy cheesecake interior with lemony undertones, a snappy chocolate shell, and crunchy, zesty lemon sugar on top. They are so rich that I feel satisfied with just one or two for dessert.

You should make these because they are much easier, cuter, and smaller than cheesecake. You can impress your friends by presenting all the delicious flavors of cheesecake in a small, round, chocolate-dipped form. And in case you’re wondering, lemon and chocolate DO go together well. It’s like orange and chocolate, but punchier and more summery. Try it. Try it today!

Ingredients (makes about 15 truffles):

For the cheesecake filling:

1 lemon
8 ounces cream cheese
Pinch of salt
1 cup powdered sugar
A few drops of vanilla

For the topping:

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the chocolate coating:

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
A few drops of vanilla

Zest the lemon. Set aside half the zest and toss it to coat with the granulated sugar to make the topping. Spread the lemon sugar out on a plate in a thin layer so it can dry out a little. You definitely don’t want to skip this part, because the crunchy, zesty sugar is going to take these truffles from delicious to ridiculous.

Place the other half of the zest in a medium bowl with the cream cheese, salt, sugar, and vanilla. Juice the lemon to obtain three tablespoons of juice, and add them to the bowl, making sure to strain out any seeds. Use a fork to cream this mixture until well combined. Cover the mixture and place it in the freezer for half an hour or so to firm up.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Use a spoon and your fingers to form rounded teaspoon-sized balls of cheesecake mixture and place them on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Don’t worry if the balls aren’t perfect, because you will have a chance to smooth them out later. Freeze the balls for at least two hours so they’re totally firm.

When your truffles are almost frozen, it’s time to melt the chocolate. Place the chopped chocolate, oil, and vanilla in a microwaveable bowl. The oil is just there to help make the chocolate coating a little bit shiny. Microwave the bowl in thirty-second intervals, stirring in between, until almost melted. Stir until the chocolate is completely smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool for a few minutes before you dip your truffles.

Line another baking sheet with parchment or wax paper so you’ll have a spot for your dipped truffles. Take the truffles out of the freezer. Working with one ball at a time, roll it quickly between your palms to round it out, then drop it in the chocolate, turning it a little to fully coat it. Use a fork to carefully fish the truffle out of the chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off, then carefully transfer the truffle to the parchment paper. Sprinkle the top of the truffle with a little lemon sugar right away. You don’t want to wait until you’ve dipped all the truffles because once the chocolate is hardened the lemon sugar won’t stick.

Once you’ve dipped all the truffles, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about half an hour so the chocolate can set. When the truffles are set, they are ready to eat. If you won’t be enjoying them right away, store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Dairy-Free Lemon Curd

June 25, 2013 By Becky 24 Comments

This dairy-free lemon curd is a lighter version of the classic. It’s still packed with irresistible sweet citrus flavor!

My dad and sister came over for dinner this weekend. It was so much fun–my sister just turned 15, and she had never been to my apartment before! I cooked them a belated birthday/father’s day celebratory dinner.

We had thai shrimp curry with vegetables and coconut milk (so good–recipe coming soon), a salad my dad brought with a delicious dressing (I’ll try to score the recipe and post it–it involves hazelnut oil!) and a berry tart with coconut cream and dairy-free lemon curd. My sister can’t eat any dairy, so I had to make lemon curd without the butter. Good news–it’s just as delicious as the original, and even more lemony.

I wanted to share the whole tart recipe with you, but the crust still needs some work. Anyone have a good dairy-free tart crust recipe? I’m going to work on getting one ready for the Fourth, because this tart happens to be very patriotic. For the topping, we just whipped up some coconut cream with powdered sugar and vanilla, then folded it in to the lemon curd.

Anyway, I couldn’t wait to share this delicious lightened-up lemon curd with you. It’s a healthier way to enjoy my favorite spread! Try it on pancakes or a dutch baby, swirl it with some greek yogurt, or pipe it inside some cupcakes.

If you’re looking for the original buttery version, it’s here.

Dairy-Free Lemon Curd

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This dairy-free lemon curd is a lighter version of the classic. It's still packed with irresistible sweet citrus flavor!

Ingredients

4-6 organic lemons
 1/2-3/4 cup sugar, to taste
Pinch of salt
 2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

Wash your lemons really well, and zest two of them. Mix the zest with the sugar in a small bowl, rubbing the mixture between your fingers to bring out the flavors of the zest (use 1/2 cup of sugar for a very puckery curd, and more if you want things a little sweeter). Set the lemon sugar aside (if you want to make extra lemon sugar, it's also delicious as a topping for muffins or cookies).
Roll the lemons firmly under the palm of your hand to prime them to release the most juice. Juice lemons until you have 3/4 cup of lemon juice. Strain out any seeds. Add the juice, lemon sugar, and salt to a saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, until all the sugar is dissolved.
Beat the eggs and egg yolk together in a medium bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly pour the warm lemon mixture into the eggs. Continue to beat for a minute or so.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla (the vanilla is optional--you won't really taste it, but it rounds out the flavor).
Let the curd cool to room temperature, then transfer to a glass jar or another airtight container. Store in the refrigerator. Lemon curd will keep, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Genius Kitchen