Heart of Cooking

Autumn Veggie Paella

Saffron Crocus

This time of year, I have a lot of fun using winter squash in new and different ways. This week I was craving a vegetable paella because one of my favorite spices is saffron.  I find this spice incredibly flavorful and also amazing because it is “derived from the dried stigma of the flower of the saffron crocus” and “it takes 4000 flowers to create 1 ounce!”   I also wanted to use my butternut squash so I decided to create the dish above, Autumn Veggie Paella.  (recipe below)

persimmons

Also, this week’s fall fruit is Persimmon. I picked this fruit because it is not only in season, it is also such a beautiful and tasty food.  However, you have to be careful when you eat them!

There are two main varieties (that I am aware of) and the one with a pointy bottom needs to be super ripe (almost squishy) before you eat it, otherwise it makes your mouth fuzzy.  The other one (shaped like a pumpkin in the picture to the left) doesn’t need to be really ripe, but do taste better if pretty soft.

I was intrigued by Ali’s Plum Upside Down Cake at Whole Life Nutrition. But I didn’t have any plums, so I decided to use my one ripe persimmon and apples to make the top of my cake.  Also, her cake called for applesauce, which I also didn’t have.  But I did have cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving so I used this instead.  Also, I was out of agave, so I used honey.

To tell you the truth, I’ve had an “upside down” kind of week, between sleep deprivation and my 11 month old getting his first molers.  But this cake turned out great and has helped me remain sane among the chaos and “upside-downess”!  I hope you enjoy it too if you make it.

Persimmon Apple Upside-Down Cake

This week’s dairy-free and gluten-free menu planner:

Monday: Autumn Veggie Paella
Tuesday: Beef or Turkey Tacos and “Cashew Cheese”
Wednesday: Chicken with Cilantro Peanut Sauce
Thursday: Nut Crusted Tilapia
Friday: Oven “Fried” Rosemary Chicken

Salads and Sides:
Roasted Fall Veggies
Quinoa Pilaf
Persimmon Avocado Salad with Poppy seed dressing
Potato Patties with apple

And for dessert:
Gluten-Free Persimmon Apple Upside Down Cake

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Turkey Sandwich with Arugula-Walnut Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes

By this time, you are probably in the midst of shopping for or planning your Thanksgiving dinner.  If you are still looking for ideas, you may want to check out Elana’s Pantry. She recently posted her Thanksgiving spread and it looks delicious.

However, have you thought about how you could use your Thanksgiving leftovers to create new, yummy dinners for your family? If you would like to add some variety to your post-Thanksgiving dinners, here are some ideas.

We all think of turkey sandwiches and turkey soup when trying to figure out ways to use up the turkey meat.  But if you are looking for some fresh and creative ideas, I’ve created this week’s menu planner just for you.  Not only are these recipes very quick and easy to make, they utilize what you already have in the fridge in order to make a delicious and new meal.

This week’s after-Thanksgiving menu includes:

Thai Style Turkey Sandwich

Entrees:

• Turkey Sandwiches with Arugula-Walnut Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes
• Inspiration Turkey Soup
• Thai Style Turkey Sandwiches with Cilantro and Lime
• Spiced Kuri Squash with Turkey
• Turkey Sandwiches with Charmoula Mayo and Caramelized Onions (recipe below)

Side dishes:

• Rosemary Potato Bread
• Winter Squash Soup
• Cranberry Sweet Potato Bread
• Pomegranate Almond Salad
• Lemony Green Beans

Of course, if you don’t want to do sandwiches, you can also put GF pasta with the pesto and tomatoes, eat the Thai salad by itself and smother the turkey (or chicken) with the onions and mayo.  It would all be delicious.

Or, if you’re a vegetarian, this week’s menu can be used with fish, grilled portobello mushrooms or your choice of beans.

Also, if you didn’t host this year’s dinner and don’t have leftover turkey, you can buy chicken breasts and bake them for the sandwiches and soup.

You can check out the recipes for the “Kuri Squash with Turkey” and the “Rosemary Potato Bread” by clicking on the menu items above.  I am also including the recipe for “Turkey Sandwiches with Charmoula Mayo and Carmelized Onions” below.

Turkey Sandwich with Charmoula Mayo and Caramelized Onions

Find more great holiday recipes at Just the Right Spice

Turkey Sandwiches with Charmoula Mayo and Caramelized Onions
Servings:  Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 large sweet onions, slivered lengthwise

salt and pepper to taste

8 slices of cooked turkey (white or dark meat) You can also use baked chicken slices.

8 slices of gluten-free bread or Rosemary Potato Bread

Charmoula Mayo:

1/2 cup each of loosely packed cilantro and parsley

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

2-3 dashes of cayenne

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1 cup soy-free mayo or 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Steps:

1. Start by heating the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat.  When hot, add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown, for about 30 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. While the onions are cooking, make the charmoula mayo.  Put all of the charmoula mayo ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.  You can replace the mayo with olive oil if you don’t want to use mayo.
3. Make the sandwiches by layering the turkey meat, charmoula mayo and caramelized onions.  Enjoy!
4. Vegetarian?  Try grilling or sauteing Portobello mushrooms in place of the turkey for the sandwich.

   If you try any of these recipes, I would love to hear about it in the comments.  Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!

Rosemary Potato Bread, photo by Sarah Schatz

For years I avoided delving into the process of creating gluten-free baked goods because it simply seemed too daunting to me. At the time, I didn’t know of any good gluten-free baking books and part of me believed that gluten-free really wasn’t going to taste that great, so why try?  I got by with gluten-free frozen breads but I always felt like I was eating to to fill my stomach, instead of actually enjoying what I was eating.

This usually led me down the path of “eating wheat or spelt in moderation” which always came back to kick me in the bud.  I have now learned that for me, I have to stick to my gluten-free diet completely, otherwise I slowly start to go overboard with my consumption of glutenous products.

But one thing that truly helped me with this transition was the discovery of “good” gluten-free baking.  It truly opened my eyes (and taste buds) to what gluten-free baked goods can taste like with the right combination of gluten-free ingredients.

And to be quite honest with you, once I got over the “withdrawal hump,” I actually didn’t crave them as much.  This may happen to you, too.  I also don’t miss regular bread because the gluten-free alternatives can be so good.

I will add one more note here about gluten-free baking.  It takes patience.  Patience with yourself to keep trying, even after you bake something that doesn’t turn out well.  To me, learning to bake gluten-free was like performing experiments where I often felt like I was chemistry class!

If you are new to this as I once was, it can be overwhelming to look at a list of gluten-free ingredients and know where to even start. It can seem overwhelming to even think about where to buy them, how much it is going to cost and what to do with them once you have them! If this is you, I am writing this post for you.

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Lately it’s been feeling a lot like winter – wintry flurries the past few days, off and on.  Nothing is sticking yet for very long, but it makes me want to stay inside and nurse a cup of hot cocoa.

But forget Swiss Miss. Here is a recipe that is healthy for you and will bring you back to those childhood snow days when you had hot cocoa.

It’s main ingredient is raw milk. But if you can’t drink milk, even raw milk, just substitute with your favorite non-dairy milk.  Almond, rice, hemp would all work great.

Sorry, no picture.  Everytime I think to take a picture, the mug is already half gone.  Mmmmm.

Hot Raw Cacao Warmer
Servings:  1

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups raw milk, or your favorite non-dairy milk like almond, rice or hemp

1 Tbsp. raw cacao powder

1 Tbsp. maple syrup or agave nectar

Steps:

1. Put the milk, raw cacao, and maple syrup in a small saucepan and heat on low-med heat.  With a whisk, stir the milk until the raw cacao blends into the milk.  If using raw milk, take care not to let it reach over 110 degrees.  You can test it with your finger as you stir to see when it has reached a warm but not scalding temperature.
2. That’s it.  Pour into your mug and enjoy the warm cocoa that tastes just like hot cocoa without the side affects!

This recipe is based on The Raw Milk Warmer in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.  Her’s is slightly different because she adds nutritional yeast, vanilla extract and chocolate syrup.  I like mine a bit simpler but you can play around with these ingredients as well.

enjoy!

Root Veggie Ragout, photo by Sarah Schatz

If you’re looking for something new for this holiday season, here is something very yummy you can make that is also healthy for you!  It is also dairy-free, gluten/wheat-free, soy-free, egg-free and sugar-free, but full of taste!  It is semi-sweet, smooth and has a hint of parsnip. My husband, Dave, and I created it together.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 carrots, peeled and sliced

4 parsnips, peeled and sliced

1 small sweet potato, peeled and sliced

2 cups organic, gluten-free chicken broth (Imagine is gluten-free)

1/2 can of coconut milk

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

dash of nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1-2 tsp agave or maple syrup

Find more great holiday recipes at Just the Right Spice for the Recipe Roundup

Steps:

1. In a medium saucepan, steam the carrots, parsnips and sweet potato in a steamer basket and about 2 inched of water.  Steam for about 10-15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.
2. Transfer cooked veggies to a blender.  (You can also use a blending wand right in the saucepan without the steamer basket.)  Add the chicken stock and coconut milk and blend until smooth.  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until thoroughly mixed.  It should be thick but you can add more stock if you want it more soupy.
3. Serve and enjoy!

It seems like a paradox, I know.  Chocolate, healthy? Everything we have been taught about health and nutrition seems to be challenged with this statement.

But keep reading and you will find that chocolate can be one the healthiest and yummiest things you can eat.

Brand matters!

First of all, I am not talking about your regular Hershey’s bar. I know all too well what happens when I eat regular chocolate like this.  My heart races, I get a headache, and I might be grouchy and irritable.  Basically, not worth it, especially since Hershey’s is a far cry from what I consider truly delicious chocolate.

What I am talking about is raw, pure, unprocessed cacao, or raw chocolate.  In its natural, unadulterated form, “it is the highest antioxidant food on the planet, higher than any other fruit or vegetable.” Because it is so high in antioxidants, it naturally combats the free-radicals in our bodies which cause illness and disease.  The following is a brief list of conditions raw cacao can help with:

• diabetes
• heart disease or edema
• asthma – decreases frequency and severity of attacks
• cough/lung problems (in a study it was 1/3 more effective than codeine syrup!)
• weight loss – by decreasing sugar/dessert cravings and satisfying the appetite
• vision/ocular/eye health  (high antioxidants improve eye health overall)
• gum disease – extremely beneficial for oral hygiene
• seasonal allergies
• depression
• lowers blood sugar levels
• lowers blood pressure
• lowers “bad” cholesterol

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If you are looking for a sneak preview of what is to come this fall and winter of 2008-09, the following is a list of entrees and sides I am planning on including in the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner. Everything on the list is made gluten/dairy/soy-free.  There will also be a vegetarian/seafood option for each dish if it has poultry or red meat in it.

Vegetarian and Seafood:
Seafood Coconut Soup
Autumn Vegetable Paella
Potato Crusted Mahi Mahi
Tangine of Moroccan Veggies and Chickpeas
Cuban Black Bean Soup
Mahi Mahi with Cashews
Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
Sweet potato black bean tacos
Nutty Vegetable Rice Pasta
Cashew “Alfredo” Gnonchi or Linguini
Salmon with Almond Lemon Stuffing
Lentils with Spinach and Sweet Potatoes

Chicken or Turkey:
Moroccan Chicken Kabobs
Orange Sesame Turkey Cutlets
Oven Fried Chicken
Turkey Mushroom Patties
Spiced Chicken with Kuri Squash
Spicy Chicken Tomatillo Soup
Turkey and Dressing
Chicken Pot Pie
Lemony Rosemary Ginger Chicken
Chicken with Peanut Sauce
Chicken Cornbread Pie
Turkey Sandwiches with Arugula-Walnut pesto
Vegetable Spaghetti and Meatballs
Serrano-Lime Chicken Fajitas
Chicken breasts with Parsnips, Leeks and thyme

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I bought this beautiful squash over a month ago at the Common Market in Frederick, MD, not knowing how delicious it would be. I was also simply enjoying looking at it because it is so beautiful.  It is called a Kuri Squash and it dark orange and round like a pumpkin but a little pointier on top.  Inside are large seeds which you can toast if you wish like pumpkin seeds.

Delicious Organics describes it this way:

“Also known as a Baby Hubbard, since it closely resembles the hubbard in shape. This (is) known as the Sweet Potato Squash with it’s orange to yellow colored flesh. It has a delicate flavor, some say akin to chestnuts, and is smooth and creamy. Nice in savory or sweet dishes. Also known as the Japanese Squash, Orange Hokkaid,o or Uchiki Kuri squash. Can be prepared like any other hard squash or try something new:

Lamb Stew with Kuri Squash and Almonds

Kuri Quinoa Bake

Lilac Ridge Farm’s Kuri Bake

Red Kuri Soup with Spiced Pepitas

Spiced Kuri Squash and Chicken stew, recipe and photo by Sarah Schatz

When I was thinking about how to prepare my Kuri squash, I decided to go sweet and spicy with cumin seeds, mustard seeds, garam masala, cinnamon and other wonderful spices.  I had some chicken defrosted so I started imagining a chicken stew with orange chunks of sweet kuri squash.  What came out ended up being a delight to my senses, I cannot help but share it here, especially since it’s the season of winter squashes. Here is my recipe:

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Take a minute and think about our beautiful natural world and how everything tends to follow a kind of order; where trees change according to seasons, the sun rises and sets at a specific but changing time each day, and the birds know that winter is coming and begin to migrate south.  All of these things define many moments in our lives and give a resting place to know that at least something in life is following a specific timing.

Our lives in the city and as humans usually aren’t this simple.  Add in raising a child or two and expect any kind of time table you have to fall of your map.  Things simply don’t get done at the time you may have expected or wanted them to.  And if they do, it may appear to be a miracle of your day.

When it comes to cooking though, timing is a huge part of how a dish is going to turn out.  And although I believe there is definitely room for error or even personal taste, timing is simply one of those rules you don’t want to mess with too much.

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I want to take a few moments and diverge away from the topic of food and talk a little bit about how this website came about.  There are in fact a handful of miracles that made the creation of this site possible.

The first one is named Dawud Miracle.  And I have to say that his name describes what he does in his relationships with people.  Meeting him for the first time this past summer on the phone, I immediately felt as if I was simply talking to an old friend, catching up on the latest of our lives, and sharing what it’s like to be a parent and a business owner.

That first conversation with him re-sparked an idea I had started a year before during my pregnancy.  He not only encouraged me to follow this direction again and create a menu planning service, but also made it clear that it should be for people who struggle with food allergies.  It only made sense because this is where I have spent most of my time with food and cooking.

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