Fig gelato recipe

I'm not generally a fan of fruit-flavored ice cream because it usually has a fake, chemically taste to me (unless we're talking about fresh peach ice cream from Dickey Farms).  But gelato is another matter.  I've had my fair share of gelato (while backpacking through Europe in college, I lived off of bread, cheese, peanut butter, and gelato for 10 weeks), and I always prefer the fruit flavors.  My favorites are apple (I remember a particularly good version in a gelateria in Rome) and kiwi (strangely, the first thing that comes to mind is a train station in Vienna).  I don't recall ever having fig gelato, but I was excited to find this recipe.  I don't know that it lives up to the best gelato I've had in Italy, but it's definitely the best I've ever made.  I might reduce the lime juice by half next time (it was good, but hid the fig flavor a little bit), but otherwise it was fantastic.  I'm submitting this dish to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is organized by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once.  I'm hosting this week, so make sure to send me your entries by Sunday (check the rules for details).

Fig gelato (adapted from About.com)
(Printable version)

1 lb fresh figs, stems removed (you can peel them if you want, but I didn't)
juice of 1 lime (next time I'll only use half)
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp honey

Combine the figs and lime juice in a blender and blend until smooth.  Then add milk and honey and blend briefly, just until combined.  Freeze in an ice cream maker, according to manufacturer's directions.  Serves 3-4.

Georgia food adventures

You're probably tired of hearing me talk about all of the wonderful food I've been enjoying since the move.  Too bad, because I have to share more.  One of my favorite luxuries of living near Atlanta is being able to make occasional trips to the Dekalb Farmers Market.  I remember stumbling into this place while I was in college and being completely blown away.  The name is misleading because it's not your typical farmers' market, it's more of a store... but unlike any store I've ever seen. It does have tons of produce, some local, some not so much (at least everything is very clearly identified).  But my favorite two sections are the grains and spices.  They buy everything in bulk and then package it themselves, so their spices are incredibly cheap (some less than 10% of what you would pay in a typical store).  And they have every grain I've ever heard of (including sorghum, not that I have any desire to buy any).  The meat, seafood, and cheese sections are amazing, too, but I'm usually too cold to stay long once I get to those sections (I'm pretty sure they keep the store at around 50 degrees, and I can never remember to bring extra clothes).  Every time I go to this place, I leave with a huge smile on my face.  Not only is it a fun shopping experience, but it's so cheap (but incredible quality) that I always feel like I've won something.

Unfortunately they don't let you take photos in the store (I can't figure out why), but here's what I got:

Notice the plethora of grains (in the tall, stacked containers and the bags in front) and spices (the short containers).  I tried to control myself because I went two days before I left for Toronto, so I couldn't buy many perishable foods.

My favorite part about the produce section is that I've never heard of about a quarter of the items they sell.  It's the perfect place to find strange ingredients for recipes, but I'm also excited about trying something new each time I go.  This time I didn't go too crazy, but I decided that I needed to finally eat a dragon fruit.  The descriptive sign above them went into detail about their laxative effects, so I was a bit hesitant about eating it the night before my trip, but I was brave and suffered no consequences.  I really enjoyed it, and was excited to see some at the opening reception at my conference a mere two days later.

My favorite part of my new food adventure has been enjoying all of the fruits and veggies from my grandma's garden.  I have an amazing family (and am completely spoiled), and my mom and great aunt and uncle pick food specifically for me whenever Mom will be making a stop by my place on her way home from Grandmother's house.  It might not be that exciting for those of you with great gardens, but it's wonderful when you're stuck in an apartment with no place to grow anything.  Here's what Mom brought last weekend:

(okra, butter beans, millions of tomatoes, and butternut squash)

(a mess of green beans)

(figs galore)

Plus I have more blueberries, but I forgot to take a photo.  How can you be sad when your dining room table is filled with amazing produce?  I going to experiment with drying some of the figs in my oven this weekend - does anybody have any tips?

And to top it all off, I had the experience of my life the other day.  Every year my grandparents would take a field trip to Dickey Farms in Musella, GA.  After hearing tons about this place, I convinced one of my friends that we should venture out there, and now I completely understand why they love Dickey Farms.  It's not a huge operation, but I was mesmerized by the washing/sorting/packing machines.  If you go in the middle of the day, you will find dozens of retired people sitting on the porch in rockers eating peach ice cream.  And if you go out back, little old ladies are frantically piling the "reject" peaches into 1/2 bushel boxes.  While we were there, a church van pulled up with tons of excited ladies, and I can only imagine the pies and cobblers that they made when they got home.  We happily joined in to fill our box for only $5.  Yes, you read that right.  Five dollars.  And we had well over 30 pounds of peaches in our box.  The entire process was fun - I was trying to catch the peaches as they flew off the conveyor belt (but felt like Lucy in the chocolate factory).  Many of the "rejects" had a soft spot, but plenty were fine - just too ripe to ship to stores.  We split the box, but I was still exhausted after freezing my half.  A big part of me wants to go back next week, but I'm not sure what I would do with more peaches.

Somehow between shelling beans and going to the peach farm, I've been able to get a lot of work done in preparation for my fall classes, but that's less fun to talk about :).  Have any of you had an exciting food adventure recently?

Blueberry and fig smoothie recipe

I've been in Georgia for about 2 weeks now, and I finally feel settled. The movers delivered my stuff yesterday (I found out the hard way that sleeping on an air mattress for that long is NOT pleasant), and before that I barely did any cooking. I had a pot, pan, cutting board, and knife with me, but I couldn't get inspired to cook something that I would have to eat off of a paper plate with plastic utensils. I did make spaghetti and a couple of decent stir-fries, but nothing was worth writing about. But now that my kitchen cabinets are full and I've rested from yesterday's marathon unpacking session, I finally feel ready to cook again.

While I was still recovering today, I decided to make a smoothie. I was drinking smoothies almost every day before I left Michigan, and I'm very excited to be reunited with my blender. It was also perfect timing because today I got blueberries and figs from my grandmother's garden. I don't typically think of blueberries and figs as a good match, and I was planning to make a blueberry and peach smoothie, but I decided to give my body a brief break from peaches (I've been eating about 5 a day) and try this weird combo. To my surprise, I really liked the flavor. It was more subtle than the smoothies I usually make (I might try adding more fruit, especially blueberries, next time), but was incredibly good. I usually use yogurt in my smoothies, but I didn't have any and substituted milk. One of the primary reasons I love smoothies is that you can practically throw anything into a blender and it turns out great, and this was the perfect example.

Blueberry and fig smoothie
(Printable version)

1/2 cup milk or plain yogurt
1/2 cup blueberries
4 large figs, stems removed
2 handfuls of ice

Add all ingredients to the blender, and blend on high until the ice is all pulverized. Serves 1-2.

Two gluten-free granola bar recipes

In addition to the fig, pecan, and flax crackers I made for my Mother's Day care package, I also sent two kinds of granola bars.  I found two recipes that sounded fantastic and couldn't decide between them, so I went overboard as usual.  Luckily granola bars fare well in the freezer, so none of them went to waste.  Both have relatively little refined sugar and are gluten-free, and I thought both were delicious.  Unfortunately the cocoa and orange variety (on the bottom in the picture, if you can actually tell them apart) had too much liquid and didn't stay together very well at all (I pieced one together for the picture).  I loved the combination of chocolate and orange, though, and I think the problem could be remedied simply by reducing the amount of orange juice.  The fig, raisin, and walnut ones were fabulous, too, and these held together well.  So, here are both recipes.  I recommend going overboard and trying both.  What do you have to lose?

Cocoa and orange granola bars (adapted from Anja's Food 4 Thought)
(Printable version)

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
zest of one orange
3/4 cup dried fruit (I used half apricots and half currants)
1 1/4 cup orange juice (I would start with 3/4 cup and add more if necessary)
2 Tbsp honey

Combine oats, walnuts, salt, cinnamon, cocoa powder, zest, and dried fruit in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, stir together orange juice and honey.  Pour the orange juice mixture into the dry ingredients and stir well.  Let this sit for 15 min, and then add more orange juice if the mixture isn't sticking together.  Spread this out on a parchment-lined baking sheet so that it's about 1/2" thick, and bake at 350 for 25 min.  Then let cool and cut into bars.  Wrap individually and freeze for long-term storage.  Makes 20 bars.


Fig, raisin, and walnut granola bars (adapted from Simply Sugar & Gluten-free)
(Printable version)

2 cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp flax meal
6 Tbsp teff flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/3 cup agave nectar or honey
2 eggs, beaten
water if necessary

Combine oats, flax meal, teff flour, walnuts, figs, raisins, cinnamon, and ginger in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, stir together agave nectar and eggs.  Pour the agave mixture into the dry ingredients and stir well.  If you need to moisten the mixture so that everything sticks together, add water a tablespoon at a time.  Spread the mixture out on a parchment-lined baking sheet so that it's about 1/2" thick, and bake at 350 for about 20 min.  Then let cool and cut into bars.  Wrap individually and freeze for long-term storage.  Makes 20 bars.

Fig, pecan, and flax crackers recipe

Since I've started packing up my apartment, I've become even more sensitive to the fact that nobody wants more junk to sit around.  So for Mother's Day, I wanted to give Mom something useful.  Between work and taking care of my grandmother, she has been excessively busy lately, so I decided to make her a care package of sorts, with healthy snacks that would keep her going at work and on her weekend trips.  It was also a present for me because it gave me an excuse to try new recipes (thanks, Mom!).  These crackers sounded perfect for Mom, so I gave 'em a shot.  They recipe made more than I expected, though, and I ended up taking some to a cookout with friends.  Between my friends and my parents, I've heard a lot of good things about these crackers.  I loved them, too, and had to package them up before I scarfed them all down.  And best of all, these crackers are the easiest ones I've ever made.  They're thick, and don't require the use of a rolling pin (I'm still not very skilled with my rolling pin).  In fact, their appearance is more similar to a cookie than a cracker, and they do have a hint of sweetness from the figs and brown sugar.  Sweet cracker?  Savory cookie?  Call them whatever you want, but I highly suggest making them.

Fig, pecan, and flax crackers (adapted from life as a h4)
(Printable version)

1/3 cup flax seeds (whole ones, not ground)
1/4 cup almond or flax meal
1 1/2 cups gluten-free baking mix (or white or whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried figs, chopped
1/2 cup milk (or more, if necessary)

Combine flax seeds, almond or flax meal, baking mix, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the mixture until the butter is in tiny pieces and well distributed throughout the flour/flax/etc.  Add the pecans, figs, and milk to the bowl, and stir until everything is mixed well.  If you're having trouble incorporating all of the flour into the dough, add milk a tablespoon at a time (I added about 1/4 cup more).  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 min.  Then divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece into a log with a 2" diameter.  Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 1/4" slices and place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper (some of my crackers fell apart as I was slicing the logs, but I pieced them back together and it worked fine).  Then bake the crackers at 325 for 20-30 min, until they are golden brown.  Let them cool before serving or storing.  Makes about 30 crackers.

Rhubarb and strawberry compote recipe

My favorite farmers' market opened last weekend, and I'm so happy to have plans every Saturday morning again.  I'm trying to enjoy the spring offerings and not think about the fact that I'll move before the market really gets going.  Last week I picked up rhubarb on a whim.  The challenge with rhubarb is that most recipes call for tons of sugar to cancel out its sour nature.  However, I really enjoy rhubarb's sourness, and I also try to avoid much added sugar.  So, I decided to cook the rhubarb into a compote with strawberries (for some natural sweetness) and then added small amounts of honey until I was satisfied with the flavor.  Luckily my strawberries were very sweet and in the end I didn't have to add much honey at all.  I've added this compote to yogurt and oatmeal for breakfast, and I've also eaten in by itself as a dessert because it's just that good.  I just finished the last of it and I'm kicking myself for not getting more rhubarb at the market this morning.  I'm submitting this dish to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is organized by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once, and hosted by Lynne from Cafe Lynnylu this week.

Rhubarb and strawberry compote
(Printable version)

5 large stalks of rhubarb, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 lb strawberries, tops removed and halved
1 Tbsp honey or agave nectar (to your taste)

Put the rhubarb and strawberries in a large saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.  When the fruit has broken down significantly (after about 20 min), add honey or agave until it's sweet enough for you.  Continue to cook for 10-20 more min.  Makes about 2 cups.

Tequila lime chicken recipe from my Adopt-a-Blogger adoptee

I've been wanting to try this recipe for months now, but weird food allergies, several trips, and finishing my dissertation kept me out of the kitchen.  It was worth the wait, though.  This is a recipe from my Adopt-a-Blogger adoptee, Anne at My Cooking Myself.  Anne recently moved her blog to blogger, so even if you've been to her blog before, go visit again because it's looking great!

I changed a few things about the recipe (I didn't use a jalapeno because I didn't have one, and baked the chicken instead of grilling it), but the flavors were fantastic.  This was also some of the juiciest chicken I've ever had.  I don't typically eat a lot of plain meat (not incorporated into a dish with other things), but I'm glad I made an exception for this recipe.  Thanks, Anne!

Tequila lime chicken (adapted from My Cooking Myself, originally from Ina Garten)

(Printable version)

1/4 cup gold tequila (I used one of those tiny bottles)

juice of 2 oranges

juice of 3 limes

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2-3 chicken breasts (I used bone-in and removed the skin, but anything will work)

Combine the first seven ingredients in a large bowl, and then add chicken.  Cover and refrigerate for 8-24 hours, turning once if chicken isn't completely covered.  Remove chicken from marinade and place in a small baking dish.  Cover dish with foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Then remove foil and continue to bake until chicken is done (I used huge pieces of chicken and it took another 20 min).  Serves 4.

Dried fruit, nut, and coconut truffles recipe

I've alluded to the fact that I've moving and some of you have inquired about my new destination, and I can finally announce that I'll be heading back to Georgia this summer.  I'm incredibly excited for many reasons: 1) I'll be very close to almost all of my family and a lot of my friends, 2) I have a job doing exactly what I want to do, 3) I won't have to put up with winter anymore, and 4) I'll be very close to Atlanta (one of my favorite cities).  It's been a grueling few months of applications, interviews, and decisions (though it was nice to be in the position to have to make decisions), and I wanted to do a backflip when I called to accept the job this week.  Then I realized that I don't know how to do a backflip and would most certainly end up in the hospital if I tried.  So instead, I started cooking.  You see, for the past month and a half, I've been gone for about half of every week.  Academic interviews are a lot of fun (and I've eaten some of the most amazing food I've ever had), but they're tiring and take up an insane amount of time.  I've missed my sanity, but also my kitchen.

So, it was time to try something fun.  What's more fun than truffles?  I had never made truffles before, but a recipe in this month's cookbook of the month caught my eye.  These truffles are very different from what you normally find - they do have a subtle chocolate flavor (from cocoa powder), but mainly consist of dried fruits, including dates, and nuts.  I started cooking with dates about the time I started the blog - I bought several books about cooking with natural sweeteners, and of course dates are perfect for that.  I have now become hooked.  My only problem with dates is that I hate chopping them, but I finally learned that the process is simplified if you cut them up with kitchen shears (just make sure to clean the blades before the date goop becomes too hard).  Luckily, you don't even have to worry about chopping them in this recipe.  I really enjoyed these - they're sweet, but the coconut provides the perfect contrast so that they're not cloyingly sweet.  They're still slightly gooey, but harden up the longer that you refrigerate them.  They were the perfect fun treat to celebrate my eventual return to the south :).  I'm submitting these truffles to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is organized by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once, and hosted by Anna from Anna's Cool Finds this week.

Dried fruit, nut, and coconut truffles (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health)
(Printable version)

1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pecans
1 cup dates
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries (look for ones sweetened with apple juice)
1 cup water
2 tsp orange zest
2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 - 1 cup shredded coconut

Toast pecans and walnuts over medium heat in a dry skillet, stirring frequently.  When they become fragrant (about 5-7 min), set them aside and let cool.  Then pour them into your food processor and pulse until they become the consistency of a nut meal (don't overdo it).  Pour this into a mixing bowl and set aside.

Combine dates, apricots, cranberries, and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 min.  Reserve the water off of the fruit and add the softened fruit to the food processor.  Pulse until it becomes a paste, adding back some of the cooking water if necessary.

Add the fruit paste, zests, lemon juice, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and honey to the mixing bowl and stir well to combine.  Spread out 1/2 cup coconut (you may need more later) on a small plate, and take a small piece of the mixture (about 1 Tbsp) at a time, and roll it in coconut.  Place each truffle onto a parchment lined baking sheet (they're extremely sticky at this point, so keep them in a single layer).  Once you have rolled out all of the truffles, refrigerate for at least an hour, and store them in the refrigerator if you have leftovers (they keep for a few weeks).  Makes about 3 dozen.

Gluten-free apple and rice bran muffins recipe

I haven't baked in months, but for some reason the excitement of being back in my kitchen motivated me to do some baking.  It probably had something to do with the fact that I received the brand new Moosewood cookbook, Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health, for Christmas.  It has lots of great recipes, including baked goods that feature whole grains and very little sugar (and some are already gluten-free!).  I'm really excited about a lot of the recipes in the book, so it's going to be January's cookbook of the month.

These muffins have large chunks of apples interspersed in the bran base.  I really liked the large pieces of apple, and the muffins were delicious.  I had to modify this recipe to eliminate the gluten, but it turned out very well.  They were dense, but reminded me of the whole wheat muffins that I made back in the day.  Honestly, I think I prefer a dense muffin.  I'm submitting this to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is organized by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once, who is also hosting this week.

Gluten-free apple and rice bran muffins (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health)
(Printable version)

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp honey
1 large apple (I used a pink lady), chopped
3/4 cup chopped dates
1 cup rice bran (or oat bran)
1/2 cup gluten-free baking mix (or wheat flour, if you can eat gluten)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
2 Tbsp flax meal
1/2 cup water (if needed)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Combine the eggs, yogurt, vanilla, and honey in a large bowl.  Stir in the apple, dates, and rice bran.  In a separate small bowl, combine the baking mix, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, oats, and flax meal.  Stir this into the large bowl and combine well.  If the batter is extremely thick, add water as needed (it should still be thick, not runny).  Place muffin liners in a muffin tin, or lightly oil tin, and evenly divide batter between the cups (the cups will be about 2/3 full).  Sprinkle walnuts on top, if desired.  Bake at 375 for about 20 min, until a knife inserted in the center of one of the middle muffins comes out clean.  Let cool before storing.  Makes 12 muffins.

Wild rice, pecan, and cranberry salad recipe

I now present my favorite dish that I made for Thanksgiving #1.  The best part of this salad is that it's good warm, room temp, or cold, so you can make it whenever you feel like it.  I started cooking my rice about the time the turkey went in the oven, then prepared the rest whenever I had a few minutes to spare.  I loved the combination of rices, pecans, and cranberries, and the dressing was subtle enough to let the other flavors shine through.  Quality nuts do make a big difference - I used ones from the new crop of south Georgia pecans that my mom picked up a few weeks ago.  I love them so much that I put pecans in just about everything I made for both Thanksgivings (and quite a few sneaked into my mouth during preparation).

Wild rice, pecan, and cranberry salad (adapted from Simply Recipes)
(Printable version)

2 cups brown and wild rice mix (I used Lundberg Wild Blend)
4 cups water (or more, depending on rice directions or if you're using a lot of wild rice)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp butter or oil
1 cup dried cranberries (I prefer the ones sweetened only with fruit juice)
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
zest of 1 orange
salt and pepper to taste

Combine rice, water, salt, and butter in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 50 min.  Remove pan from heat and let sit an additional 10 min (or more, if you're not ready to assemble the salad).  Stir rice, cranberries, pecans, and green onions together.  In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, honey, and orange zest, and season with salt and pepper.  Toss this dressing with the rice mixture.  Serves 8.

Crunchy broccoli and apple salad recipe

It's been a while since I posted anything, and it feels as if I've neglected my child (please don't tell on me).  I've had a lot to share from the cookbook of the month and my two Thanksgivings, but between hours of cooking, sporadic internet at my parents' house, and having to say goodbye to my dog and best friend, it just never happened.  Hopefully I can catch up over the next few weeks before I return to the land of no internet.  It seems appropriate to dedicate this post to Rascal.  One of her more unique traits was her undying love for vegetables and fruit.  If she heard the rustling of a bag of spinach, she came running no matter where she was in the house.  A few of her other favorites were carrots and broccoli, and her Christmas and birthday presents were usually some combination of these vegetables (she was never that into toys, and couldn't have most dog treats).  In more recent years, she would anxiously watch while you ate an apple, knowing that she would get to enjoy the core.

While I was chopping the broccoli and apples for this salad, all I could think about was Rascal.  I wanted to "accidentally" drop a few pieces, but she wasn't there to eat them.  Hopefully she's now enjoying all of the fruit and vegetables that she can imagine.  Even though my opinion might be biased because of my associations, this salad was good, and probably would have been even better if I had used almond butter.  I liked the crunch from the broccoli, apples, and pecans, but it wasn't nearly as good the next day after the dressing had soaked into everything.  I still enjoyed it because it reminded me of her.

Crunchy broccoli and apple salad (adapted from 101 Cookbooks)
(Printable version)

1 Tbsp olive oil
4 shallots, sliced thinly
2 large heads of broccoli, cut into small florets
1/3 cup almond or other nut butter (I used peanut)
1 garlic clove, minced
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp honey or agave nectar
3 Tbsp hot water
salt and pepper to taste
2 large apples (I used one granny smith and one pink lady), diced
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans

Heat oil over medium-low heat in a medium skillet.  Add shallots and saute until very tender and brown (about 15 min).  Then set them aside and let cool.  While shallots are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add broccoli florets, let the water return to a boil, and drain broccoli after about 15 seconds.  In a small bowl, whisk together the almond butter, garlic, lemon juice, honey, and water, and season with salt and pepper.  Toss this dressing with the broccoli, shallots, apples, and pecans.  Serves 8.

Cranberry chutney recipe

I've never been a big fan of cranberry sauce, especially if it still has indentations from rings in the side of the aluminum can.  No thank you.  But, I found myself with 2/3 of a bag of fresh cranberries, so I thought about doing something with them for the Pre-giving feast.  (Don't ask what happened to the other third of the bag.  It was a catastrophe.)  As luck would have it, I turned on the Food Network while I was working out on Saturday morning, and the Neelys were making this fabulous looking chutney that didn't involve 4 cups of sugar. 

Despite my trepidation for all things cranberry-based (especially considering the recent failure), I really liked this.  It retained much of the tartness from the cranberries, but had just enough balance from the other fruit and honey to prevent my face from puckering up.  To celebrate my first successful dish using fresh cranberries, I'm submitting this to Weekend Herb Blogging.  Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once organizes this event, and Winnie from Healthy Green Kitchen is hosting this week.

I heard many good comments from my taste-testers, and we tried to figure out what you're really supposed to do with chutney.  We mostly ate it by itself, but also decided that it would be good on yogurt.  What's your favorite way to eat chutney?

Cranberry chutney (adapted from The Neelys)
(Printable version)

1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup diced onion
2 granny smith apples, diced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 cups cranberries
juice of 2 limes
juice of 4 small oranges (about 1/3 cup)
3 Tbsp honey

Melt the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Then saute onion, apples, and thyme until tender.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 20 min.  Serve hot or let cool.  Makes about 4 cups.

Red cabbage and apple salad recipe

When I was planning my pre-Thanksgiving feast, I decided to include a salad so that I could prepare it in advance and save oven space for other dishes.  The last red cabbage salad that I made turned out fabulously, so I decided to give this one a shot.  This brings up an interesting question: last time I made it, I called it purple cabbage... what's your preference - red or purple?

No matter what you call it, the salad was good.  It had a nice crunch, and a great mix of flavors.  Next time I'll use a little bit less onion, but I've been finding raw onion very strong lately (my eyes watered for several hours after cutting Vidalia onions the other day... what's wrong with me?).  I doubled the recipe, and realized that I would have two identical bowls of salad.  I was already trying out tons of recipes, so I thought I might as well try a different dressing on each bowl.  Because I can no longer eat my favorite wheat berry salad, I decided to use a similar version of its dressing.  I preferred this sweet one (#2), but others liked the dilly one better, so I guess you can't go wrong.  I've provided the smaller version of the recipe, so pick a dressing, or put it into smaller bowls and try both.

Red cabbage and apple salad (adapted from Dani Spies, and 2nd dressing inspired by Eating Well)
(Printable version)

1/2 head red (purple?) cabbage, shredded finely
1 red apple (I recommend gala, fuji, or pink lady), diced
1 granny smith apple, diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly (next time I'll use about half of this, or maybe none at all)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup toasted pecans

Dressing #1
1 Tbsp dried dill
juice of 2 lemons
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing #2
juice of 4 small oranges (about 1/3 cup)
3 Tbsp strawberry balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp walnut oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl (if making well in advance, it's best to add the pecans until serving).  Choose a dressing and mix those ingredients together in a small bowl.  Toss with salad, and ideally refrigerate overnight.  Serves 6-8.

Gluten-free blueberry pancakes recipe

Apparently pancakes have become an official birthday food.  After going four years without making pancakes (as far as I can remember), I whipped up some teff pancakes for Dad's birthday in August.  They were amazing.  Even my parents, who aren't normally pancake lovers, raved over them.  So when I wanted to make myself breakfast for my birthday yesterday, pancakes popped back into my head.  It was tempting to make the teff ones again, but I also wanted to try something new.

I decided to try a recipe with yogurt, and was very happy with the way that they turned out.  These were lighter than the teff version and more similar to "classic pancakes."  I don't know that they were better, though (please don't make me choose!).  I'm not sure why I don't make pancakes more often because they really don't take any time at all.  Anybody have a birthday coming up that I need to celebrate?


Gluten-free blueberry pancakes (adapted from Kath Eats Real Food)
(Printable version)

1 egg, beaten
1 cup yogurt
1/3 cup milk
1/2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup gluten-free baking mix
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Combine egg, yogurt, milk, honey, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine baking mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.  Heat a small amount of butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add 1/4 cup batter to the pan for each pancake (I fit 3 into the skillet at a time).  Spread the batter out with the back of a spoon if necessary, and sprinkle with blueberries.  Cook each pancake until lots of bubbles start rising to the top, and then flip it over and cook until it's nicely browned on the bottom.  Continue with remaining batter.  Makes 9 medium pancakes (serves 3).

Quinoa, pineapple, edamame, and cashew stir fry recipe

After my adventures in applesauce making, my freezer filled up quickly.  In an attempt to prevent being attacked by falling freezer bags and containers every time I open the freezer door, I started clearing a few things out.  I had apparently forgotten about a bag of edamame that was hanging out in the back.  I love the stuff, but I never think to cook with it.  After a quick search through recipes that I bookmarked a while back, I came across a recipe at The Reluctant Vegetarian for a quinoa and pineapple stir fry with edamame.  It sounded amazing, so I went for it.

I enjoyed this after I made it, but LOVED it the next day.  It was good cold or hot.  I loved the mixture of different textures, and it wasn't overly fruity (I sometimes have an issue mixing fruit with savory dishes).  Two peppers made it fairly hot, but it was a great way to clean out my sinuses.  I recommend using only one (or use milder peppers) if you're not a fan of spice.


Quinoa, pineapple, edamame, and cashew stir fry (adapted from The Reluctant Vegetarian and originally adapted from Veganomicon)
(Printable version)

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 tsp soy sauce (wheat-free tamari for a gluten-free version)
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 Tbsp peanut oil
2 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 small red peppers (I rehydrated two dried Asian peppers - not sure what kind), sliced thinly
1/2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup cooked edamame (I cooked and then shelled about 2/3 of a 1 lb. package)
1/2 cup fresh basil, minced
2 Tbsp fresh mint, minced
2 cups chopped pineapple
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or wheat-free tamari)
1/4 cup veggie stock
1 Tbsp sherry
lime wedges (optional)

Combine the quinoa, water, pineapple juice, and 1/2 tsp soy sauce in a medium saucepan.  Bring this to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed (about 15 min).  Then fluff the quinoa with a fork and let cool.  If there's time, let it refrigerate for a while before you continue.

Make sure that everything is chopped and ready to go before you continue.  First, toast the cashews in a large dry saute pan over medium heat, shaking frequently, until they're light brown and fragrant (about 5 min).  Then set them aside and add oil to the pan (keeping it over medium heat).  Add the garlic and green onions, and cook for a minute until they're fragrant.  Then stir in peppers and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the bell pepper and edamame and continue to cook until the pepper is tender, about 4 min.  Then add the basil and mint, stir for a minute, and toss in the pineapple and quinoa.  In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, stock, and sherry, and then stir this into the pan.  Let everything continue to cook for 10-15 more min, stirring occasionally.  Garnish with lime wedges.  Serves 4-5

Crock pot applesauce recipe

Last week I decided that I needed to plan something fun during the weekend so that I would be able to keep myself motivated.  I don't know that most people would think that apple picking is the ultimate reward for working yourself to death, but I'm not your typical person.  This is my last fall in Michigan, and I have to take advantage of one of the best parts of living in this state.  I found an apple picking buddy, too, so apparently I'm not the only "different" one :).

I took the parents picking in August, but there weren't many varieties available that early in the season.  This time they had gala (pictured above), empire, courtland, and jonathan varieties, and I came home with a mix of all of them (and quite a few in my stomach).  Before we even arrived at the orchard, I knew that I wanted to make applesauce. 

Applesauce isn't very difficult to make on the stove, but I love the crock pot method because it allows me to throw the apples in the crock, go for a run, eat dinner, work on applications, and then have an amazing dessert ready at the end of the evening.  A few weeks ago I had some applesauce at Zingerman's, and it was fantastic.  By pure coincidence, this tasted almost exactly the same.  I guess that's what happens when you rely solely on the unadulterated apple flavors.  This is so simple, yet perfect.  I prefer leaving the peel on, too, because it gives the sauce a fabulous color and provides a little bit of texture.  I enjoyed it warm, but it's also good cold.  You could throw cinnamon or honey in if you want, but I'm having trouble adding anything else because it's so good by itself.  I'm already planning to make more of this to freeze, and I also want to make more with different varieties as they come into season.  Hmmm... I wonder how many times I can go picking this year.  I'm submitting this dish to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is organized by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once, and is hosted by Graziana from Erbe in cucina this week.

Crock pot applesauce (adapted from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook" by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann)
(Printable version)

20 small to medium apples (ideally use a variety), cored and quartered
juice of half lemon

Toss apples in lemon juice in a large crock pot (I used a 5 1/2 qt one).  Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.  Mash apples with a potato masher or ricer and try not to eat the entire crock of applesauce.  Makes about 6 cups.

Cantaloupe sorbet recipe

I've been obsessed with local cantaloupe this year, except that the farmers argue that it's not cantaloupe, but muskmelon.  Mom was skeptical that they are different, and apparently she's right.  I've also heard them called rockmelons at the market, which is an Australian term for cantaloupe.  Who knew that our market had so many international influences?  Whatever you call them, they're delicious and don't even compare to what is available in grocery stores.  Last week I scored a great deal on several melons that had small soft spots.  I saved one of them for this special treat.

This sorbet was amazing and incredibly sweet.  In fact, if using great melons, it's probably best to skip the honey all together and rely on the natural sugar from the fruit.  The taste is fabulous, it's a very refreshing treat, and it's almost too easy to make.  So easy, in fact, that I managed to have a huge kitchen fiasco.  As I was putting my blender jar on the counter, it slipped out of my hand and dropped on the counter, and the bottom ring broke.  The food processor worked fine for this, but I was momentarily upset that I was going to have to replace my ancient blender that I inherited from my parents.  Luckily the crisis has been averted, as the replacement that I ordered arrived yesterday and actually fits!  Perhaps I need to test it with more sorbet??

Cantaloupe sorbet (adapted from Dawn's Recipes)
(Printable version)

1 cantaloupe (or whatever you want to call it), cut into chunks
juice of one lime
2 Tbsp honey

Combine ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.  Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

Gluten-free granola bars recipe

For months, I had a stash of some sort of protein or granola bars in my freezer, but after discovering my gluten intolerance, it took me a while to make ones that I can eat.  It's definitely not hard to adapt granola bar recipes to avoid gluten because they usually don't involve much flour, so substitutions don't have a drastic effect on the results.  I don't know what took me so long to make these, but I'm glad that I have now replenished my stock.  This time I decided to give Ellie Krieger's recipe another shot.  To be honest, I didn't want to make my standby recipe because it would involve opening a new jar of peanut butter.  There's an unopened jar waiting in my pantry, but I don't trust myself right now.  Lately I've had an extreme weakness for all things nut-related (I blame it all on running, and I hope it will go away after my race at the end of the month).  So in an effort to avoid eating half of the jar in one sitting (and making myself extremely sick), I decided to go for my second favorite recipe.

I really like these and they're extremely filling, especially with the protein powder.  My bars look somewhat small, but that's all I need to keep me going.  In my opinion, they have the perfect amount of sweetness - they're sweet, but not overly so.  These also have a perfect granola bar consistency, and I think I'm enjoying these even more than I did last time, but that might be because I haven't had a granola bar in several months.  I especially appreciate that this recipe is so simple, although I'm somewhat shocked that the dates and apricots haven't ruined my cheap food processor blade yet.  Granola bars are one of my favorite mid-morning or post-workout snacks, and I'm not sure how I lived for several months without them.

Gluten-free granola bars (adapted from Ellie Krieger)
(Printable version)

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup gluten-free baking mix (or your favorite baking mix or gluten-free flour)
1/4 cup flax meal
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried dates
1/2 cup whey protein powder (or powdered milk)
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs

Put all ingredients except for the honey and eggs in food processor and pulse until well blended and finely chopped. Add honey and eggs and pulse until well mixed. Pour into an 11x7" pan that's been lined with lightly-oiled wax paper. Bake at 350 for about 20 min, until browned. Let cool and cut into bars.  Makes 20 small bars.

I package mine individually and then freeze them.  If I want to take one with me somewhere, I'll pull it out of the freezer in the morning and it's thawed in a couple of hours.  If I want one immediately, I throw it in the microwave for about 15 seconds.  Somehow they stay extremely fresh!

Peach frozen yogurt recipe

Needing to use yogurt is never a bad thing.  In this case, I knew that I wanted to get more use out of my ice cream maker before I pack it away and crawl under several layers of blankets for the winter.  I contemplated making frozen yogurt with some of the fruit already in my freezer, but in the end I decided on the peaches calling out to me from my counter. 

I love the simplicity of this frozen yogurt.  The peach flavor is strong, and provides almost all of the sweetness.  This isn't your extra creamy, cloyingly sweet ice cream, but it's light, refreshing, and delicious.  I imagine that the recipe would work well with other fruits, too, and I might even crank up my heat this winter to enjoy this on occasion.

Peach frozen yogurt
(Printable version)

2 cups peach slices (I left the skin on)
juice of 1/2 lime
3 cups plain yogurt
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Toss peach slices with lime juice, spread them out on a baking sheet, and freeze for at least several hours (or use already frozen fruit).  Combine peaches with remaining ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions.  Makes about 1 quart.

Fig preserves giveaway and a roasted figs recipe

I don't think that my parents realized that they were going to be in the business of hauling food back and forth between Florida/Georgia and Michigan when they decided to drive up to visit me.  They arrived with 3 dozen eggs from my mom's boss and hundreds of tomatoes, a giant watermelon, 6 butternut squash, and a ton of figs from my grandparents' garden.  On the way back, they were loaded down with apples and peaches, Michigan wine, and all of the gluten-filled products that were still sitting around my kitchen.

We were in somewhat of a hurry to eat the figs, because we knew that they needed to be consumed before we headed off to Toronto.  While I can sit and eat dozens of figs, I thought it would be fun to do something a little bit more interesting.  I didn't want to interfere with their amazing flavor, so I decided that a simple roast with honey would be a nice solution.

Roasted figs with honey
(Printable version)

20 fresh figs, ends trimmed and cut in half
2 Tbsp honey

Place fig halves in a medium baking dish and drizzle with honey.  Bake at 350 until figs are soft, but haven't completely fallen apart (about 40 min).  Serves 3.

These were delicious because they retained their amazing fig taste, while taking on a slightly caramelized flavor.  Mom, Dad, and I gobbled these up in no time, and I bet that we would have eaten more.  Oh, how I long to have access to a fresh figs on a regular basis...

And on to the giveaway...

My parents also brought a jar of fig preserves that my grandpa made from this year's harvest.  He makes wonderful preserves and, as a small way of saying thanks to all of my faithful readers, I would love to share them with someone.  So, just leave me a comment telling me about your favorite way to eat figs by Wednesday, September 9th, and I'll draw a random number on Thursday to select a winner.  Make sure to leave me your email address if I can't access it through your blog profile.  Unfortunately I can only afford to ship to them within the United States.  I wish I could share a jar with all of you!!