"anna's gf organic crackers" - my new business

Apparently, my friends this I should drop what I'm doing and go into the cracker and olive tapenade business. I was pretty flattered, so I thought i should share more crackers and different olive dip recipes with you..

These are the same crackers as these Hanukkah ones, but I didn't roll the dough out as thin, and they turned out so much better! They are also super small.. I decided to go OCD with the smallest heart shaped cookie cutter I own. They had the perfect crunch and just the right amount of air inside.

The new olive tapenade is just like the last one with the addition of roasted red bell peppers and capers. I doubled this recipe, because I had a lot of people over to play an intense game of Cranium.. and I knew we would need the extra olive brain power.

Here's the base:
1 can of black olives, no juice.
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil (or EVOO as the cool kids say)
some fresh oregano
3 cloves of garlic

There are so many different things you can add to this!
Here's a list to get your creativity flowing..
-capers and roasted red pepper
-anchovies and kalamata olives
-rosemary, thyme, and lemon zest
-artichoke hearts, basil capers, and orange zest
-avocado, seeded tomato, and cilantro

Basically, you can't go wrong. Let me know what you add.. and we can go into the business together :)

a paleo's dinner plate (and paper writing procrastination)

I'm not sure if I was hungry, or if I just didn't want to write my final paper.. (it's finals week for those of you who aren't in school..) I'm guessing both.

Dinner tonight:
Steamed broccoli, green beans, and kale with chicken (leftover from the stock) & topped with a sweet and sour sauce. Yes... A store bought sauce (it's finals week!).. but all the ingredients were kosher.


It's the next day.. I'm editing this post to include my paper, because I wrote it on the subject of chicken soup. Yes! I finished it. It was my final art history assignment, and the project was to prepare a PBS documentary on American visual culture.. The main part of the assignment was to include 5 items from at least three different generations of time, for the documentary to follow. If you feel like reading a 9 page paper, click here... ha. I accidentally wrote "cluck here" ... I should have left it because it was such an awesome typo. Speaking of typos.. don't mind the few in the paper. I just found them, but have already turned it in :( oops.

sally fallon's chicken stock

This chicken stock is the concentrated and even more nourishing version of the other broth I have posted. This is Sally Fallon's chicken stock, which probably means - it's my great great great grandmother's chicken stock too. I've only added my commentary.

Ready for the best tasting soup of your life?
1 chicken (whole is best..)
gizzards from 1 chicken (optional)
2 chicken feet (you can find these at an Asian market.. because Asians know better)
4 quarts filtered water
2 tbsp vinegar
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
1 bunch parsley

Cut the chicken into pieces, even cut the wings and neck into pieces. Place the chicken in a stock pot with all the ingredients except the parsley. Let stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour.. Then bring to a boil. Remove scum that rises to the top, then reduce heat and simmer for 6 to 24 hours. The long you cook, the richer the flavor.
10 mintues before you finish add the parsley. This is an easy step to forget - but it adds important mineral ions to the broth. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon, let it cool, and keep the meat for tomorrow's soup, chicken salad, enchilada, sandwich, or curry.
Strain the stock into a big bowl and reserve in the fridge until the fat collects and congeals on top. Then you can easily remove the fat and store the stock in the fridge or freezer.
Good job!

confession. (1)

Flourless chocolate cake and vanilla bean ice cream at our local fancy restaurant.
Sometimes.. it's just worth the pain.

hanukkah crackers and olive dip

I took a break from the Hunt + Gather diet tonight to make these crackers.. I'm thinking I'll be adding some more grains back in my diet.. slowly. These crackers should be made all the time.. not just for Hanukkah. Same with the dip. YUM.

Crackers:
1 cup GF all purpose flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp almond milk - you can use water if you don't have nut milk.
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Mix the flours, then add the milk and vinegar and mix until just combined. Let it sit for 20 minutes or so..

Oven! 350.
then, add:
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 heaping tsp salt

Fold the new ingredients into the dough until thoroughly incorporated.. Then roll it out. I used parchment paper because I don't have a nice counter top. And cut into the shapes you desire..
Place the raw biscuits on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven for 20 minutes.

Now for the Olive Dip:
1 can of black olives, san the juice.
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil (or EVOO as the cool kids say)
some fresh oregano
3 cloves of garlic

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor or blender, then serve topped with smoked paprika. (surprise)

This appetizer is so easy, impressive, delicious.. oh.. and pretty darn good for you.

Enjoy :)

i miss jam + toast

So - I made some crackers.. with a variation of the bread used for the breakfast of the hypoallergenic gods.

It's actually the exact same recipe, but I was running low on almond flour, so I used 1/2 a cup of that plus 1/4 cup of hazelnut meal. And I left the oil out.. so they'd be more cracker-like. I rolled the dough a little flatter than last time, and baked them at 350 for 20 minutes. These held together much better than last time, and I think it's because they were more like thick crackers than biscuit bread.

A minute after they came out of the oven, I indulged myself by eating half of them with St Dalfour's Red Raspberry & Pomegranate fruit spread. mmmm.. The recipe makes about 14 crackers.

1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup hazelnut meal
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 coconut flour
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp almond milk - you can use water if you don't have nut milk.
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Mix the flours, then add the milk and vinegar and mix until just combined. Let it sit for 20 minutes or so..

Oven! 350.
then, add:
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 heaping tsp salt

Fold the new ingredients into the dough until thoroughly incorporated.. Then roll it out. I used parchment paper because I don't have a nice counter top. And cut into the shapes you desire..
Place the raw biscuits on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

a beet soup story - and a delicious afternoon.

I was going to make a different soup today.. until I went to the farmer's market and bought these beets.. I remembered a recipe I read from Deborah Madison's Kitchens Cookbooks (and changed it of course). These beets were so beautiful.. and the soup was described by my lunch guests as "earthy-sweet," "soul-quenching," "homemade," and "ephemeral," with a "tropical-evergreen splash."
I especially like that this recipe uses the entire beet - the roots, stems, and leaves. There are two steps to this dish.. Making the stock, then the soup - but overall, it's pretty simple. I did it.

Ingredients for stock:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup leek greens and roots, well washed
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
3 bay leaves
pinch of dried thyme, or a fresh sprig
few pinches of dried oregano, or a fresh branch
3 cloves garlic, smashed
stems from 1 bunch of red beets
handful of lentils
1 tsp sea salt
6 cups filtered water

Ingredients for soup:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 small leeks (I just used one big one), sliced into rounds
1 onion, finely diced
2 smallish carrots, thinly sliced
6 small beets (or one bunch from the farmer's market), peeled and cut into wedges a scant 1/2 inch wide
3 small bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano
pinch of ground allspice or anise seeds (I used the anise..)
a couple more garlic cloves, minced
sea salt and ground pepper
1 tbsp honey

Ingredients for topping:
beet greens, chopped
1 lemon, quartered
Once you've collected all your ingredients, and you'll probably already have most of them.. All I needed to buy were the beets.. and I was out of yellow onions, so I needed those anyway... you can begin.

I think I'll just paraphrase/quote Deborah Madison.. (it's on page 185 of her book Vegetable Soups)

"1. To make the stock, heat the oil in a pot, add leek greens and roots, onion, carrot, celery, herbs, and garlic. Give everything a stir and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables take on a little color. Add the rest of the stock ingredients including the salt and water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat simmering gently for no longer than 30 minutes (it will go from red to brown at this point). As you peel the beets, be sure to add the peels, along with any other vegetable trimmings along the way."

"2. While the stock is cooling, heat the oil in a wide soup pot. Add the soup vegetables, bay leaves, oregano, anise, and garlic. Stir to coat then cook over medium heat for 12-15 minutes. Add a pinch more salt, the honey, and then strain the stock directly into the soup pot. Simmer partially covered until the beets are tender but not mushy, 20-25 minutes, Taste for salt and season with pepper."

"3. Cook the beet greens in a little water with a pinch of salt until tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain. Ladle the soup into bowls and add a clump of greens to each. Serve with lemon on the side..."

(Ingredients I took out were a can of organic diced tomatoes, sour cream, butter, & brown sugar - encase you wanted to know what you were missing)

coconut chicken soup

I promise not to take recipes straight out of other cookbooks too often.. but when I find one that fits all of my requirements, it's too exciting not to make it.. then tell you about it. Especially when it's as "simple" and yummy as this one.

I've probably had my fair share of publicity today in my local newspaper.. but I thought I'd share it here too.. because I'm a rock star. Marcia Vanderlip wrote this story about my food life and there are some great photos (like this one of kale chips) by Gerik Parmele too - much cooler than the ones I take for this blog.


So - back to the usual talk - this coconut chicken soup started 2 days ago - when I bought a chicken. I had to wait 24 hours for it to thaw in the fridge, then I went ahead and made a 15 hour chicken broth Sally Fallon would be proud of. I made chicken broth according to her recipe this time, on page 124. Oh - get this book (Nourishing Traditions) by the way.. Sally's the foodie's new Julia.

SO! After basically another 24 hours of making chicken broth, I finally got down to making her coconut chicken soup (pg 198) - which serves 4.

1 quart chicken stock
1 1/2 cups whole coconut milk
1/4 tsp dried chile flakes
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt to taste several
green onions, chopped very fine
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped very fine as well.

Bring stock to a boil, skim any foam that rises to the top and add the coconut milk, chile flakes, ginger, and lemon juice. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, ladle into bowls, then garnish with green onions and cilantro. Enjoy!