Vanilla Maple Almond Butter with Flax

Early mornings I often find myself on Tastespotting looking for inspiration. The beautiful photographs always work up my appetite. This past weekend a Vanilla Maple Almond Butter with Flax caught my eye. I absolutely love nut butters but it is not something I have ever experimented with in my own kitchen. Stirred into my morning oatmeal, spread over apples or toast I haven't met a nut I haven't liked.

I was amazed how easy it was to make this creamy spread. The secret lies good food processor and a little patience. The vanilla and maple in this recipe are delicate and subtle. The flax adds texture and a delicious nuttiness. I love maple syrup in the Autumn, now that it is Spring honey is the flavor I favor. So I plan to test this recipe using honey. I will keep you updated on the results!

Vanilla Maple Almond Butter with Flax

2c raw almonds
1/3c whole flax seeds
2T + 1T maple syrup (they are added in at different times)
2-3t vanilla extract . (I used the seeds from 2 vanilla beans)
1/4-1/2t salt
1/2T safflower oil

Preheat your oven to 300*

Line baking sheet with parchment [trust me!] and toss almonds + flax seeds with 2T maple syrup.

Bake for 15min, stir, then bake 15min longer.
Let cool for a few minutes and pour into your food processor.

Process, until nut butter forms, about 10min and 10-15 bowl scrapes.
Once creamy and smooth, add salt, vanilla bean paste, and 1T maple syrup.
Process again for 3-5min, until it becomes creamy again. Scrape the bowl as necessary.
If too thick, add 1/2T oil and let process another minute or two.
Store in a air tight jar.
If you want crunchy nut butter, scrape the nut butter into a medium sized bowl. Add almonds + flax seeds to your food processor and pulse a few times until small pieces are left. Stir into nut butter for some crunch!

adapted from: http://edibleperspective.com/2010/12/chocolate-or-vanilla/

Roasted Asparagus

Nothing sings spring quite like asparagus. After the long cold winters of New York I know spring is upon us when the beautiful green spears appear in the farmers market. Since the season is relatively short spring is all about asparagus! Asparagus soups, dips, salads and this very simple roasted side.

2 lbs asparagus, 1 1/2 inches of the hard ends removed

2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.

2. In a large bowl, lightly toss the asparagus with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

3. Spread the asparagus on a parchment-covered baking sheet, and roast until the spears are tender and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the asparagus.

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

Wandering around Friday's farmers market I made a stop at DiPaola's, my favorite source for turkey. I usually go for the ground meat and make burgers or meatballs but I have been inspired lately to try new things so I opted for the bone in turkey breast. I then went home slightly anxious in fear of preparing a dry turkey and did some recipe searching. I came across this herb roasted turkey from the Barefoot Contessa.
Turkey is a healthy lean protein often limited to Thanksgiving. This herb roasted turkey breast is a simple weeknight meal and the leftovers are delicious. Think of this less as a sit down turkey dinner and more as a healthy way to stock your fridge.



Ingredients:
1 whole bone- in turkey breast (6-1/2 to 7lbs)
2 TBSP good olive oil
1 TBSP minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp dried mustard
1 TBSP chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 TBSP chopped fresh sage leaves
1 TBS chopped fresh thyme leaves
1- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup dry white wine

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325

2. Place the turkey breast on a rack in a roasting pan, skin side up.

3. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture evenly all over the skin of the turkey breast. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.

4. Roast the turkey for 1-1/2 to 1- 3/4 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant- read thermometer registers at 165F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest area of the breast. Check the breast after an hour or so; if the skin is over browning, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

5. When the turkey is done, remove from the oven, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and allow the turkey to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve warm with pan juices.

Leftovers make a delicious sandwich...

Pictured: Sprouted grain english muffin with turkey, avocado, arugula, roasted cherry tomatoes, and sea salt.

Pink Breakfast Bowl

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love all things pink. My i-phone is pink. My wallet is pink. My lipstick? Pink. Half my warddrobe is pink. So it would only be fitting that I also love pink foods. I am usually very routine in the morning. I drink my latte with my Metagenics chocolate meal bar (yes I admit it I do eat some fake food). Today was different. I don't know if it was the City Bakery hot chocolate with marshmallows I had last night or the fact that spring is in the air but I woke up and wanted something fruity and refreshing. I looked in my freezer and had a bag of frozen sweet strawberries. I am also trying to incorporate new things in my diet. Cottage cheese is the latest and greatest. High in protein, low in fat and good for the waistline. Some people are turned off by the texture but I discovered that blending it up transforms the lumpy curds into a creamy treat!


Pink Breakfast Bowl:

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup frozen strawberries, cherries or blueberries
1/2 teaspoon (or more) honey or sweetener of choice
a splash of almond milk

topping suggestions:

granola, Go Lean Crunch, sliced bananas, chopped nuts, toasted coconut

Goat Cheese, Spring Greens and Sweet Potato Frittata

This frittata is one of the first things I make in the spring. Sweet potatoes, zucchini, lemony sorrel, fresh herbs and creamy goat cheese. This healthy frittata is perfect at any time of the day!

I like to make frittatas in 6 1/2 inch cast iron skillet.

Spring Frittata

serves 1-2

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 small sweet potato (4oz) diced

1 small zuchinni, cut in half moons

2 cups greens, chopped- combonation of sorrel and swiss chard

1/4 cup chopped basil or parsley

2 large eggs

1 1/2 oz goat cheese, divided

cherry tomatos (optional) halved

1/4 cup low fat milk

salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Warm the oil in a small cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet potatoes and saute for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the zucchini and saute an additional 4 minutes until softened. Add the greens and wilt. Stir in the fresh herbs and transfer to a small oiled pie plate, or if using a small cast iron skillet for 1 serving, leave in pan.

Whisk the eggs, milk and 1 oz of the cheese along with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a sprinkling of black pepper.

Pour over the vegetables and bake for 15 minutes. Add the remaining cheese and the tomatoes if using and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

This frittata is also delicous with asparagus! Add in with the zucchini.

A day with the chickens...

Growing up my parents always had gardens, kept chickens, bees and a miniature cow named Cocoa. So fresh eggs, honey, vegetables and berries are big part of my diet. My father orders his chickens from a catalog in December. A few weeks later the post office calls and my father returns home with a box full of chicks. By early spring the roosters start crowing and the hens start laying.

After a very cold and rainy week I headed to Westchester for the weekend. Winters at home are rarely spent outside the kitchen. Today was the first time I ventured outside to the coop.

My dad loves his chickens. I love the eggs. Egg recipes coming soon...

A Dosa Party

I have always had a soft spot for dosas, delicious fermented rice and lentil crepes filled with spiced vegetables and served with chutneys.

My first apartment in New York city was next door to Hampton Chutney Co. It became my go to for a healthy filling weeknight meal. The dosas at Hampton appear to be huge, almost intimdiating to eat. But they are light and crispy.

I also ate my fair share of dosas traveling around Southern India. Greasy, crispy and coconutty. Nothing like what I experienced at home.

However the paneer and peas dosa at Dosa in San Francisco won my heart.

The dosa itself is tender almost like a pancake. The cheese filling is soft and creamy with a sweet surprise from the peas. I am a sauce girl so the fun lies in the three dipping sauces; fresh coconut and tomato chutneys and sambar a flavorful lentil dipping soup. I also always order a side of mango chutney for some extra sweetness.

Back in New York I got in touch with chef Richard, my favorite instructor from the Natural Gourmet Institute. Richard specializes in ayruvedic cuisine and had cooked in ashrams throughout India. We planned a dosa party and chef Richard showed up at my apartment with his fermenting dosa batter. The next few hours we made dosas, fillings, chutneys and lassis. In addition I learned some basic Indian cooking techniques. My mother and my friend Jessica then came over to take part in our Indian feast.

Making your own dosas at home is a lot of fun! It takes some planning ahead. Once you master the basic dosa you can use your own creativity with the fillings!

This is the recipe we used to replicate the paneer and peas dosa.

Traditional Dosa:

Recipes by Richard LaMarita

Yield: 16 dosas

Ingriedents:

1 cup urad dal

3 cups long grain basmati rice

1 teaspoon fenugreek

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground

1 teaspoon salt

Procedure:

1. Rinse rice and dal throroughly. Soak speperately in water for about 4-5 hours or overnight. Rinse and soak fenugreek seeds well for 15 minutes.

2. Grind dal and fenugreek together for 10 mintues and rice separetely for atleast 15-20 minutes. Add miniumun water until it becomes a fine paste. Grinding is key to excellent dosas- grind rice and dal seperatly and then grind both together for 5 minutes. Make sure to give the food processor short breaks so that it does not over heat.

3. Set aside overnight (minimum 6 hours) for fermentation. Add salt and ground cumin seed before cooking.

4. On a hot griddle pour a ladle of he better onto the center of the pan.

5. Spread moving quickly from the inside out in a circular motion making it into a thin crepe about 6-8 inches in diameter.

6. Drizzle a little ghee or coconut oil around and on the dosa and then lower the heat

7. When it turns golden brown on one side, add dosa filling and fold dosa in half or thirds.

Panir & Peas filling:

8 Tablespoons ghee or coconut oil

1 lb. panir, soft or pressed and cut into cubes

1 onion, diced

2 " ginger

3 cloves of garlic

2 chilis, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon tumeric

3 tomatoes, diced

1/2 lb frozen peas

salt & pepper

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoons cilantro, chiffonade

Procedure:

1. Heat 3 tablespoons ghee in a non-stick pan and add paner cook until golden. Remove to paper towel and keep aside.

2. Make a paste in a blender with the onion, ginger and garlic. Add a touch of water if needed to make pasty.

3. Heat ghee in a saute pan and add the chili. Cook for a minute. Add the psate. Cook for a minute. Add the coriander, cumin and tumeric and cook out for a a few minutes. Dd the tomatoes and cook until reduced and thickened.

4. Add the peas and heat through. Add the panir with a little water. Season the mixutre with salt and pepper. Finish with garam masala and cilantro.

Dosa Guide:

Hampton Chutney

68 Prince st. (Broadway and Lafayette)

Dosa

Dosa on Valencia

995 Valencia (@ 21st)

Dosa on Fillmore

1700 Fillmore (@Post)

White Bean and Escarole Soup

This soup is a healthy and delightful way to eat beans and greens. White beans, sage and garlic slowly simmer in stock and then an abundant amount of escarole is added to the broth to wilt. I love this soup topped with chicken and sprinkled with parmesan. For vegetarians this soup is absolutely delicious made with roasted vegetable stock.

White Bean and Escarole Soup

adapted from Myra Kornfeld

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup cannellini beans, soaked

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

8 sage leaves

1 bay leaf

salt

8 cups chicken or roasted root vegetable stock, divided

freshly ground black pepper

1 head escarole, shredded ( 8 cups)

2 cups shredded cooked chicken, optional

grated parmesan cheese, optional

Procedure:

1. Place the beans, oil, garlic, bay leaf, sage and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium pot. Add 4 cups of the stock, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer partially covered for about an hour, until the beans are tender. Check from time to time to make sure there is still some stock in the pot, and add more if necessary. Sprinkle with a generous amount of black pepper. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

2. Stir in the remaining 4 cups stock, escarole, 1/4 teaspoon salt and cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 15 minutes to marry the flavors. Stir in the shredded chicken, if using. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve hot, sprinkled with parmesan.

Note:

Check out http://www.ranchogordo.com/ for an amazing source of heirloom beans. I discovered their products at the farmers market in San Francisco and have been ordering from them ever since.