Deep Dish Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

I’ve been working on pizza crust, but I haven’t been able to get a nice yeasty dough that I can roll out that I like. The first attempt was as hard as a bathroom tile, although it tasted pretty good. Then I had the brainstorm that although I didn’t have a fresh dough recipe yet, I could make a deep dish pizza using the my Gluten-free Pie Crust recipe. So I did. And it was pretty good. For this recipe you’ll also need to make cashew cheese and Italian sausage a few days ahead. You’ll note that we do have an Italian sausage recipe already. However, I came up with it before the corn allergy, so if you have a corn allergy, substitute the canola for another safe-for-you oil. I used the basic cashew cheese from Miyoko Schinner’s Artisan Vegan Cheese but I used my home brewed kombucha instead of rejuvelac to culture it.

Deep Dish Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

Name: Basic Cashew Cheese (Adapted from Miyoko Schinner's Artisan Vegan Cheese)
Prep time: 8 h
Cook time: 5 min
Yield: 2-3 cups
Ingredients: 2 cups raw cashews, (soaked in water to cover overnight and drained); 1/2 to 3/4 cups kombucha; 1 pinch salt

Cashew Cheese:

You’ll use about half of the batch for the pizza. If you don’t want leftovers, divide the recipe in half.

2 cups of raw cashews, soaked in water to cover overnight and drained
1/2 cup to 3/4 cups of kombucha
pinch of salt

Put the cashews and salt in the blender. Turn on the blender and add enough kombucha through the opening in the blender lid to process the cashews. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.

Empty the mixture into a glass bowl or container, cover it, and let it rest at room temperature for 8 to 36 hours, depending on your desired level of sharpness. It’ll thicken up as it cultures. I did 36 hours the first time and it was too sharp. Eight hours was too sweet, so taste it as it cultures to gauge your preference. Once it’s ready, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Pizza:

1/2 of a batch of the Italian Sausage in our Hot Italian Sausage Burgers with Peppers and Onions recipe (remember, use safe oil)
1 batch of our Gluten-free Pie Crust
2 cups of safe-for-you whole tomatoes, drained (I use my home canned tomatoes), or a safe-for-you marinara sauce
1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning mix (or a bit of oregano, basil, marjoram, sage, rosemary, and thyme to add up to 1 Tablespoon)
1/2 of a batch of the cashew cheese as made above
a medium onion, peeled and diced
a can of black olives, drained and sliced (I do okay with Pearls Olives, but your mileage may vary, use what’s safe for you. I use the whole olives for less chance of cross contamination.)
a bit of safe-for-you oil for greasing the cast iron skillet

Preheat your oven to 450°F. Grease your 12 inch cast iron skillet with your oil.

Roll out the dough and place in your skillet. I had trouble rolling out my dough and was impatient, so I added it to the skillet in patchwork bits, pressing the pieces together.

Once you’ve got your crust in, add the tomatoes or sauce and spread them over the surface of the crust.

Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the tomatoes or sauce. Add tablespoons of the cashew cheese over the surface at regular intervals. You’re aiming for something that looks like this. Sprinkle your onions and olives over the top of the pizza. Break off pieces of your sausage about the size of a grape and arrange them on the pizza.

Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/maryzahc/public_html/adultfoodallergies.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-ultimate-recipe/helpers/models/recipe.php on line 254

Basic Cashew Cheese (Adapted from Miyoko Schinner’s Artisan Vegan Cheese)

A ricotta like cashew cheese.

CourseIngredient/Staple

Servings	Prep Time
2-3 cups	8 hours

Cook Time	Passive Time
5 minutes	8-36 hours

Servings	Prep Time
2-3 cups	8 hours

Cook Time	Passive Time
5 minutes	8-36 hours

Basic Cashew Cheese (Adapted from Miyoko Schinner’s Artisan Vegan Cheese)

A ricotta like cashew cheese.

CourseIngredient/Staple

Servings	Prep Time
2-3 cups	8 hours

Cook Time	Passive Time
5 minutes	8-36 hours

Servings	Prep Time
2-3 cups	8 hours

Cook Time	Passive Time
5 minutes	8-36 hours

Ingredients

2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water to cover overnight and drained
1/2 to 3/4 cups kombucha
1 pinch salt

Servings: cups

Instructions

Put the cashews and salt in the blender. Turn on the blender and add enough kombucha through the opening in the blender lid to process the cashews. Blend until smooth and creamy, scrapping down the sides as needed.
Empty the mixture into a glass bowl or container, cover it, and let rest at room temperature for 8 to 36 hours, depending on your desired level of sharpness. It’ll thicken as it cultures. Once it’s done, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Share this Recipe

Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/maryzahc/public_html/adultfoodallergies.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-ultimate-recipe/helpers/models/recipe.php on line 254

Deep Dish Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

CourseMain Dish

Servings	Prep Time
6 pieces	30 minutes (not counting ingredient prep)

Cook Time

45 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
6 pieces	30 minutes (not counting ingredient prep)

Cook Time

45 minutes

Deep Dish Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

CourseMain Dish

Servings	Prep Time
6 pieces	30 minutes (not counting ingredient prep)

Cook Time

45 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
6 pieces	30 minutes (not counting ingredient prep)

Cook Time

45 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 batch Italian Sausage in our Hot Italian Sausage Burgers with Peppers and Onions recipe (remember, use safe oil) http://adultfoodallergies.com/hot-italian-sausage-burgers-with-peppers-and-onions/
1 batch Gluten-free Pie Crust http://adultfoodallergies.com/gluten-free-pie-crust-vegan-option/
2 cups whole canned tomatoes or marinara sauce use what is safe for you
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning Mix or a bit of oregano, basil, marjoram, sage, rosemary, and thyme to add up to 1 Tablespoon
1/2 batch Basic Cashew Cheese (Adapted from Miyoko Schinner’s Artisan Vegan Cheese) http://adultfoodallergies.com/recipe/basic-cashew-cheese-adapted-from-miyoko-schinners-artisan-vegan-cheese/
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 can black olives, drained and sliced
1 tsp olive or other safe-for-you oil

Servings: pieces

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450°F. Grease your 12 inch cast iron skillet with your oil.
Roll out the dough and place in your skillet. If you can’t roll it out smoothly, you can do it in patchwork bits, pressing the pieces together.
Once you’ve got your crust in, add the tomatoes or sauce and spread them over the surface of the crust. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the tomatoes or sauce. Add tablespoons of the cashew cheese over the surface at regular intervals. Sprinkle your onions and olives over the top of the pizza. Break off pieces of your sausage about the size of a grape and arrange them on the pizza.
Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 45 minutes

Share this Recipe

Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

March 21, 2016

Spring Garlic Sauce with Roasted Potatoes

Roasted potatoes with spring garlic sauce

When we were working on our editorial calendar, Denise said she was working on ham steaks, which you saw last week. We thought that ham seemed like a traditional Easter dish, so maybe we should also consider a side dish for it. I LOVE side dishes. The first thing that came to mind was scalloped potatoes, as that goes with ham. Actually, it’s what my mother used to make with leftover ham.

But I realized that I hated ham and scalloped potatoes! Until my 30s, I didn’t like ham at all. And I know it’s surprising, but scalloped potatoes are my least favorite preparation of potatoes. I tried to figure out why. I’m not opposed to creamy sauces, and potatoes are my favorite food by far, but I realized that the texture of the potatoes just isn’t to my liking. So I fixed it.

I fixed it by cooking the potatoes separately from the sauce. This dish is made of perfectly roasted potatoes, crisp on the outside, fluffy inside, topped with a creamy sauce made from cashews and white beans flavored with rich roasted garlic and fresh, green scallion tops. It’s a light spring green sauce that goes well with the roasted potatoes but is also good on other vegetables, chicken, and maybe even pasta (I didn’t try that, but I think it would work as a basis for a spring vegetable pasta sauce).

Spring Garlic Sauce with Roasted Potatoes

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/maryzahc/public_html/adultfoodallergies.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-ultimate-recipe/helpers/models/recipe.php on line 254

Spring Garlic Sauce with Roasted Potatoes

This is a substitute for scalloped potatoes — roasted potatoes are fluffy inside, and are covered with a creamy garlic sauce made of cashews and white beans.

Servings	Prep Time
2 servings	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
40 minutes	35 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
2 servings	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
40 minutes	35 minutes

Spring Garlic Sauce with Roasted Potatoes

This is a substitute for scalloped potatoes — roasted potatoes are fluffy inside, and are covered with a creamy garlic sauce made of cashews and white beans.

Servings	Prep Time
2 servings	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
40 minutes	35 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
2 servings	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
40 minutes	35 minutes

Ingredients

Roasted Potatoes

3 cups raw potatoes, cubed (2-4 potatoes, depending on size)
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2-1 teaspoon kosher salt

Spring Garlic Sauce

1/2 cup white beans
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked 8 hours or overnight
2 cloves roasted garlic (taste and add more if you want more. Garlic varies greatly in intensity.)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water (you may need more — see the recipe itself)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice or mild vinegar
1 bunch scallions, green tops only (4-6 scallions in a bunch, depending on size)

Servings: servings

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450F.
Scrub potatoes. Peel if desired. Cut into approximately 1/2-inch cubes. Toss with olive oil and salt — start with 1 tablespoon, and add more if needed. You don’t want to waste oil, but you do want everything decently coated to help the potatoes brown. Throw them into the oven and set a timer for 20 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, make the sauce. Throw all the ingredients except the scallions into a blender or food processor and pulse. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, only if needed! You want this sauce to be thick. When the sauce is mostly smooth, add the scallion tops and blend until smooth.
Toss the hot potatoes with sauce to coat. Yes, this is different than the photos — I was aiming for “artistic arrangement of food,” though it didn’t really work.

Recipe Notes

You do need to roast garlic for this recipe. You could do this at the same time as the potatoes, but you will have to wait for it to cool off to get out the cloves, so this will take longer than estimated. I always roast extra garlic and keep it on hand in the freezer.

Share this Recipe

Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

February 29, 2016

Chicken Fried Steak with White Pepper Gravy

My mother made cube steak sometimes when we were kids, but wasn’t one for sauces, so I wasn’t introduced to white pepper gravy until I began ordering it at diners. I liked nothing better than going to a greasy spoon diner after a night out with friends if we’d been imbibing, or as a recovery measure the morning after when I was in college and law school. I love diner food, and was disappointed in the lack of good diners in New Hampshire when I moved here. Now that the food allergy apocalypse has hit, even the mediocre diners here are off limits. But this recipe takes care of those diner food cravings for me.

Chicken Fried Steak with White Pepper Gravy

Chicken Fried Steak Ingredients:

1-2 cube steaks
1/4 cup of sorghum flour
1/4 cup of garbanzo bean flour
1 Tablespoon of Montreal Steak Seasoning (see recipe in link, I have to use homemade)
2 Tablespoons of aquafaba (you’ll need 4 Tablespoons if you make 2 cube steaks)
2-3 Tablespoons of bacon fat, lard, or other safe for you cooking oil.

White Pepper Gravy Ingredients:

Drippings from frying Chicken Fried Steak
1/4 cup of sorghum flour
1 cup of cashew milk or other safe for you non-dairy milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup of water depending on how thick you like your gravy
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper (you may want to add more or less to taste)
1/4 teaspoon of salt ( you may want to add more or less to taste)

Chicken Fried Steak Instructions:

Place 1/4 cup of sorghum flour, 1/4 cup of garbanzo bean flour, and the Montreal Steak Seasoning in a large shallow dish that will allow you to coat the cube steak easily.

Mix the sorghum flour, garbanzo bean flour and Montreal Steak Seasoning together until they are well combined. Place the aquafaba in another large shallow dish that will allow you to coat the cube steak easily.

Place your bacon fat, lard, or safe oil in a skillet, and place the skillet on a burner over medium heat.

While your fat/oil heats, take your cube steak and coat it in the aquafaba.

Then dredge the cube steak in the flour mixture.

Cube steak after first dredge in flour mixture

Place the cube steak in the aquafaba again and recoat it, and then re-dredge the cube steak in the flour mixture.

Cube steak after second dredge in flour mixture

Once your fat/oil is hot, place the steak in the skillet.

Cook for 3-5 minutes each side (depending on how hot your burner is), making sure the internal temperature reaches 160ºF, and until the coating is a lovely golden brown.

White Pepper Gravy Instructions:

Remove the skillet that you cooked the Chicken Fried Steak from the heat and to allow it to cool down a bit.

Mix 1/4 cup of sorghum flour with cashew milk, 1/4 cup of the water (you can add more later if the gravy’s too thick), black pepper and salt, together in a mixing bowl, until well combined.

Place the skillet back on the burner with the drippings from cooking the Chicken Fried Steak still in it. Pour the flour and cashew milk mixture over the drippings, while whisking constantly over low heat, until the gravy thickens.

Add more water if the gravy is too thick, whisking to incorporate the water, and add more salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Spoon over your Chicken Fried Steak and enjoy!

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/maryzahc/public_html/adultfoodallergies.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-ultimate-recipe/helpers/models/recipe.php on line 254

Chicken Fried Steak with White Pepper Gravy

A great dish for when you miss diner food.

CourseMain Dish

Servings	Prep Time
1-2 people	10 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
1-2 people	10 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Chicken Fried Steak with White Pepper Gravy

A great dish for when you miss diner food.

CourseMain Dish

Servings	Prep Time
1-2 people	10 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
1-2 people	10 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Fried Steak Ingredients

1-2 cube steaks
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
1 tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning (see recipe on our blog)
2 tbsp aquafaba
2-3 tbsp bacon fat, lard, or safe for you oil

White Pepper Gravy

Drippings from frying Chicken Fried Steak
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1 cup cashew milk or other dairy free milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Servings: people

Instructions

Chicken Fried Steak

For Chicken Fried Steak, place 1/4 cup of sorghum flour, 1/4 cup of garbanzo bean flour, and the Montreal Steak Seasoning in a large shallow dish that will allow you to coat the cube steak easily. Mix the sorghum flour, garbanzo bean flour and Montreal Steak Seasoning together until they are well combined. Place the aquafaba in another large shallow dish that will allow you to coat the cube steak easily.
Place your bacon fat, lard, or safe oil in a skillet, and place the skillet on a burner over medium heat. While your fat/oil heats, take your cube steak and coat it in the aquafaba. Then dredge the cube steak in the flour mixture. Place the cube steak in the aquafaba again and recoat it, and then re-dredge the cube steak in the flour mixture. Once your fat/oil is hot, place the steak in the skillet. Cook for 3-5 minutes each side (depending on how hot your burner is), making sure the internal temperature reaches 160ºF, and until the coating is a lovely golden brown.

White Pepper Gravy

Remove the skillet that you cooked the Chicken Fried Steak from the heat and to allow it to cool down a bit. Mix 1/4 cup of sorghum flour with cashew milk, 1/4 cup of the water (you can add more later if the gravy’s too thick), black pepper and salt, together in a mixing bowl, until well combined. Place the skillet back on the burner with the drippings from cooking the Chicken Fried Steak still in it. Pour the flour and cashew milk mixture over the drippings, while whisking constantly over low heat, until the gravy thickens. Add more water if the gravy is too thick, whisking to incorporate the water, and add more salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Spoon over your Chicken Fried Steak and enjoy!

Share this Recipe

Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

January 25, 2016

DIY Creme de Cacao Liqueur

So the 15 food allergy thing, two of which are wheat and corn, ends up cutting out a whole lot of alcoholic beverages out of my diet. It’s looking like I may have another possible allergy (or three) on the horizon that may make my safe vodka no longer safe, so I was poking around at trying to find a potential safe rum, and I got one to trial. At the same time, I’ve been missing stuff like Baileys Irish Cream and Godiva Chocolate Liqueur because it’s the holidays. Since I bought the rum to trial, I thought rum would be a better choice than vodka to make an attempt at a creamy liqueur, as it would give it additional flavor. I chose to do the chocolate first, because chocolate.

I used Rhum Barbancourt Reserve Spéciale which is supposed to be made from 100% pure sugar cane juice. We’ll see how I do with it, corn-wise. I also used Pacori Organic Cacao Powder for the cocoa powder. I do okay with it, but trial with caution. Because I don’t have any safe commercial non-dairy milks, I used homemade cashew milk. (Soak a cup of cashew pieces overnight, drain, and then put them in a blender with 3 cups of water, voilà!) Feel free to use whatever non-dairy milk is safe for you. Or if you can use dairy, I think a whole milk or a light cream would be great.

It’s awesome on the rocks, it’s great in coffee, and it’s pretty easy to make. I bought a silicone ice cube tray that makes solid ice shot glasses, but it’s actually pretty hard to drink that way, although it’s a cool picture.

DIY Creme de Cacao Liqueur on the rocks in a solid ice shot glass — DIY Creme de Cacao Liqueur in a solid ice shot glass

Enjoy!

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/maryzahc/public_html/adultfoodallergies.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-ultimate-recipe/helpers/models/recipe.php on line 254

DIY Creme de Cacao Liqueur

A yummy drink to have on hand for the holidays!

CourseDrinks

Servings	Prep Time
1 quart	5 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
5 minutes	2-3 days

Servings	Prep Time
1 quart	5 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
5 minutes	2-3 days

DIY Creme de Cacao Liqueur

A yummy drink to have on hand for the holidays!

CourseDrinks

Servings	Prep Time
1 quart	5 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
5 minutes	2-3 days

Servings	Prep Time
1 quart	5 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
5 minutes	2-3 days

Ingredients

2 cups water divided
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of cacao powder (I do okay with Pacari Organic Cacao Powder)
3/4 cup vodka or rum in a safe for you variety
1/2 cup of cashew milk or other dairy free milk (I use homemade cashew milk)

Servings: quart

Instructions

In a small sauce pan, boil 1 cup of water with the sugar until the sugar is complete dissolved. Remove the sauce pan from the burner, and add the cacao powder. Stir to dissolve the cacao powder, and add the remaining 1 cup of water.
Let the cacao mixture cool. Once cool, add the cashew milk and vodka or rum to the cacao mixture and stir. Pour into a mason jar or a bottle using a funnel, and place it in the refrigerator, letting it steep for two to three days before use. Be sure to shake it to mix well before using and store it in the refridgerator.

Share this Recipe

Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

December 28, 2015

Mediterranean Fried Rice

On a recent trip that took us through Scranton, PA, I had an awesome dish that the menu called “Lebanese Fried Rice.” It was brown rice, chickpeas, walnuts, and some vegetables, and it was a perfect lunch. I loved it, and thought that it would make a simple, hearty side dish for the blog, though I thought I’d alter it a bit for my own tastes.

So here’s my take on that dish. It would be a great side dish with any protein or with a salad. The original salad had red bell peppers in it, but I’m not a big fan of them, so I left them out here. This dish does contain walnuts. You could leave them out, but it is a major flavor component and the dish would be a bit bland without.

Mediterranean Fried Rice

1 cup walnut pieces
1 bunch of scallions, sliced finely, green and whites separated
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 can or 16 oz. cooked chickpeas
3 cups cooked and cooled brown rice (I use brown jasmine rice for almost everything)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
2 cups chopped spinach

In a skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts. Don’t leave them — I burn so many nuts this way. Wait until they become fragrant, and then remove them from the heat. Reserve to the side.

Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the white parts of the scallions to the skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes. Then add the chickpeas, stirring well.

Finally, add the rice. Stir well and add another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil — you want a light coat of olive oil over the whole dish.

Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the rice is heated through. Add the rest of the scallions* and the spinach, along with the salt. Stir well, and cook until the spinach is wilted.

Serve topped with the walnuts.

*If you like a stronger onion flavor, reserve half the green bits to add raw, when serving.

November 9, 2015

Curried Apple Bisque

As some of you know, I bought a house in January with a lot of fruit trees. So now I have a lot of apples. I may very well drown in them. Besides the massive amounts of canning I’ve been doing, I thought I’d looking into using them in a savory dish too. And since I needed to use my DIY Curry Powder in something, I figured why not shoot two birds with one stone. After looking at a few different recipes I decided I wanted less of a soup feel and more of a bisque feel, so I decided to use the homemade cashew milk I had in the freezer. If you have a safe commercial dairy replacement product, feel free to use it (I don’t) or if you can have coconut milk (I can’t) that might also work well. Free feel to make it work for you.

Curried Apple Bisque

I medium onion, finely diced
2 Tablespoons of olive oil (or other safe for you oil)
1 teaspoon of curry powder (I used my DIY Curry Powder)
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of salt
a dash or two of cayenne pepper (depending on your spice needs)
a dash of ground cloves
3 1/2 cups of peeled, cored, and sliced McIntosh apples (about 3-4 apples)
2 cups of vegetable stock (I used my home canned version of our Roasted Vegetable Stock)
1 1/2 cups of homemade cashew milk or other replacement dairy product (for cashew milk, I use this recipe, except I leave everything out except the cashews and water)
a bit of cinnamon to garnish if you wish

Peel, core and slice your apples. I have this lovely apple peeler, corer, and slicer, that makes it really easy to do, but a knife works fine too.

In a small saucepan, saute the onion in the olive oil, until tender and it starts to look translucent.

Once the onions are sauteed, add the curry powder, cinnamon, salt, cayenne pepper, and ground clove to the onions. Mix the spices in well and cook for a minute or so. It’s going to smell amazing.

Add the apples and the vegetable stock to the broth.

Apples and vegetable stock added to the onion and spice mixture

Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer. Simmer until the apples are tender and soft.

Add your cashew milk and either place the bisque into a blender and puree, or use a stick blender to puree the apples in the pot. I used a stick blender. If you used a blender, return the pureed mixture to the pot. In either case, once you’ve blended the apples, bring the bisque back to a simmer and then serve.

You can garnish with a shake of cinnamon if you like.

Enjoy!

September 7, 2015

White Bean Pizza Hummus

Being allergic to foods that are staples of the Standard American Diet can mean that road trips are, well, a little sad. But not going on a road trip would be more sad. So thinking about road trips like setting out for the western frontier (or, in this case, Vermont, which is to the west) means that with a plan and a cooler (and a hotel chosen partly for the microwaves and mini-fridges in each room), means “yay! Road trip!” I admit that I really miss finding awesome, off-beat restaurants in new cities. Now, if I plan to eat out, I check ahead and carefully read menus. That’s hard to do when you don’t know where you’ll be for lunch. So, again, the cooler and the meal plan.

Hummus is a great road trip food. I’m a little bored of chickpea hummus, the standard, and I had time (and a plan) to make my own. I was going to make a black bean hummus I’d forgotten about — but in planning the grand meal plan, I forgot to see if I had black beans in the house. Oops.

I did have cannellini beans. And I have not yet killed my fresh herbs on the deck — I have chocolate mint, thyme, and oregano, and my neighbor is growing basil. Oregano and basil made me think of pizza, so I went that direction. Instead of tahini, I’ve used cashews, as I thought their more neutral flavor would be good with this combination. I think tahini would likely be okay (and make it nut-free), so if you make it that way, let us know in the comments how it turned out.

White Bean Pizza Hummus

1/4 cup raw cashew pieces (yes, you can use whole. The pieces are usually cheaper, though.)
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic (more, up to 1 teaspoon, if you want a prominent garlic flavor. Roasted garlic would also be excellent here, but I’m currently out.)
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (Save the liquid!)
5 large fresh basil leaves, rinsed
about 1 Tablespoon of fresh oregano leaves, rinsed
pinch of fennel seeds, crushed
2 Tablespoons good quality olive oil, plus more to drizzle on top

In a food processor fitted with the S-blade, add the cashews and puree. They will not quite turn into nut butter (you’d need a little oil), but let them go until they are almost there.

Add the garlic and tomato paste and pulse it in.

Add the beans and puree the mix.

Add the basil, oregano, fennel seed, and olive oil and run until everything is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Transfer to a serving bowl or storage container and drizzle olive oil over the top — just a bit will help keep the hummus from drying out. Unlike in the photos, swirl it around so that it coats the top — I just wanted better photos, so I didn’t do that until I was done.

Serve with crackers, chips, or veggies of your choice.

August 17, 2015

Crispy Cereal Bars (gluten-free, vegan, contains tree nuts)

THIS IS NOT HEALTH FOOD.

I know that most of you know that granola bars have an unearned reputation as magically healthy. Like most things, they have some benefits, some downsides, and it all depends on a) what goes in them and b) how you define “healthy.” I’m not focused on healthy here, though, so if that’s why you want a granola bar, move on. It also has tree nuts and almonds, so apologies to the nut allergic people out there.

What I wanted was something like the granola bars of my later childhood — something that’s basically a candy bar, but with a certain crunch and an airy mouthfeel — plus, dipped in chocolate. Just because. I’m not going to try to explain random cravings; I just cook them. We occasionally had these instead of cookies in our packed lunches, and for some reason, they remind me of this time of year — summer isn’t here, but you know it’s coming.

I started this recipe off to use up a box of Environkidz Chocolate Koala Crisp. (Link informational, not affiliate). I am not a big cereal eater, but I go through phases where I like to eat it as a snack — this wasn’t the right texture or size for that, so it had been sitting on my shelf for a bit. But it was perfect for the main filler in this snack bar — it’s crunchy, airy, and just a bit chocolatey. Any crunchy cereal in small bits will work, so whatever is safe for you, buy that. I would consider using the Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal, (again, not an affiliate link) as that’s what I generally buy when I want actual cold cereal. But I’ve only made this with Koala Crisp, as I wanted to use that up, and I’d consider buying it again to make these bars.

To the cereal, I added a bunch of trail mix staples — coconut, almonds, and dried cherries. (Note: dried cranberries or raisins work better, as they are smaller and don’t mess up the overall texture. But I just like dried cherries better.) As an adult, I wanted a little more variety of taste and texture than the kiddy granola bar I remember (but still with chocolate on). Make a sticky sauce (this is messy, I know. Sorry. It works.) and then add chocolate. Ka-blam. Childhood snack. Maybe healthier, maybe not, but it’s safe for me.

Crispy Cereal Bars -- first without chocolate, then with, then sliced — Crispy Cereal Bars — first without chocolate, then with, then sliced

Cereal Snack Bars

NOTE: dried shredded coconut appears on the ingredients list TWICE. This is not a mistake. I just find it less confusing to list it twice than tell you you need x amount, divided. This is not the sweetened coconut flakes — you could try that, but I think it would be too sweet. This is just pure dried/dessicated shredded coconut, which is wonderful.

1 cup crispy cereal
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup smallish dried fruit (I used cherries)
1/4 cup thinly-sliced almonds (could also use chopped, but not whole — they won’t blend in)
3 dates, pitted (about 50g)
2 Tablespoons shredded coconut
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
4 Tablespoons brown rice syrup
1 cup chocolate chips (brand that’s safe for you)

Prepare an 8×8 inch baking pan by cutting a sheet of parchment that will fit in it. Don’t worry about being exact — just make sure you have enough to cover the bottom and sides when it’s filled.

Mix the dry ingredients (cereal, coconut, dried fruit, almonds) in a bowl.

In a food processor, add the dates, 2T shredded coconut, coconut oil (this can be solid, it’s fine), and brown rice syrup. They are in that order because you can use the same tablespoon if you do them in this order (the coconut oil will help the brown rice syrup not stick). Pulse it until the dates are chopped up well, then just blend. You will likely need to scrape the sides a few times, as this is really sticky. I’d suggest a silicone spatula, if you have one, and be careful not to cut it on the blades (I’ve lost a few this way).

Add the wet ingredients to the dry. It will take a little work to get this out of the food processor. Again, the silicone spatula is the least sticky thing I’ve tried. Using the spatula, mix the wet and dry ingredients. Mostly, this is like kneading bread — bring up a scoop of the dry ingredients and sort of press them into the mass stuck into your sticky goo from the food processor. I am assuming that if you keep working at it, this will eventually incorporate everything. I’ve never managed to do that — I just grease up my hands with a bit of coconut oil and mix with my hands after a bit. It works fine.

When you have a mostly solid mass of sticky bar ingredients, dump it into your prepared pan and press it down. I don’t worry too much about making it exactly fill the corners — the rustic edges make it look handmade! But always feel free to be more precise than I am.

Put this in the fridge to set, maybe 15 minutes or so.

Melt the chocolate. The microwave is easiest (20 second intervals, stirring), but I don’t own one, so I use my double boiler. Originally I had planned to dip each bar in the chocolate, but I realized that the easiest way would be to pour a layer of chocolate onto the whole pan, let it set, and then cut the bars. So do this — it is WAY less messy than dipping and it wastes less chocolate.

Let the chocolate set, then cut into bars. These keep best in an airtight container in the fridge.

Enjoy!

May 25, 2015

Tag: WARNING – TREE NUTS

Deep Dish Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

Chicken Fried Steak with White Pepper Gravy

Mediterranean Fried Rice

Curried Apple Bisque

White Bean Pizza Hummus

Cereal Snack Bars