Hashimotos and Food- On managing my brand new auto-immune disorder

Hey folks-
So a little detour from the usual recipes, but this all relates to food.

As you may or may not know, I have been on a terribly restricted diet for the past few months while I wait for my young son to outgrow his colic and allow his digestive system to develop. Though the list of forbidden food is much longer, the key features of this diet are the total absence of wheat, diary, corn and soy. As you may guess, this is pretty limiting. Anyone out there with allergies or other dietary limitations knows what I am talking about and has my deepest sympathies.

So I have been telling myself is that this diet is only for a small time and ultimately I will again be able to eat whatever I want.

If ever there was a set up.......

It turns out I have Hashimotos Thyroiditis. This is an auto-immune disease where your body sends out antibodies to attack your thyroid. This is not good. Symptoms/complications include weight gain, hair loss, depression, sleep disorders, infertility and suppressed immunity. Thus far I have been lucky enough to remain asymptomatic, but I do not have the option of ignoring this disease. Lucky for me, unlike AIDS or other auto-immune diseases, this is one that can be managed with minimal medication if I am very careful about- you guessed it- what I eat.

A friend of mine recently sent me an article discussing the relationship between diet, chronic inflammation and depression. Diet directly contributes to chronic inflammation and the key problem foods are wheat, diary, corn and soy. Environmental toxins also play a part in this, but diet also contributes to our ability to cope with these toxins. Chronic inflammation has a whole host of bad things associated with it, among them are cancer, heart disease, depression and, you guessed again, hashimotos.

In short, there are not a lot of croissants in my future. On the upside, nothing but my baby screaming for hours would have possessed me to give up cheese. On the downside, it looks like the list of forbidden food is more of a lifestyle necessity for me now.

I occasionally get very depressed thinking about the disaster that is currently our society's food system/environment/health picture. Even worse, it would now seem I am a victim of this dysfunction. Though I am also coming to the conclusion that ultimately this toxic system will collapse, if for no other reason than that it kills everyone who participates. But I don't want to be one of the casualties.

SO- my life and diet are shifting to accommodate these changes and with it, the focus of my food blogging. The criteria is no longer just delicious, organic and local, it has now come to include sustainable on a very personal level. This is food that will keep me and you alive and well in the midst of more vulnerability than humanity has likely coped with before. This is food as a big and victorious fuck you to our destructive system of agriculture, food processing and health care. My revolution will not be televised, it will be served one meal at a time.

Kent and Odette's Oatsotto

Yeah, none of the tags are going to work for this.....
What is Oatsotto you ask?

Oatsotto is the delicious oat based savory herbed grain accompaniment that I enjoyed for dinner last night. Think of it as risotto, but without the arsenic. That's right folks, arsenic. Read the linked article, or don't, but take it easy on the rice until there is more info.

ANYHOW- My wonderful brother and I made oatsotto for dinner last night, and it was amazing.
I'm sorry there isn't a picture, but oatsotto deserves a better photographer than I to make it look as good as it tastes.

Steel cut oats are good for many reasons (more fiber, texture, oatyness, and minerals), but most importantly because they have enough texture not to turn into the dreaded oatmeal glop from many of our youths. The texture and neutral flavor is what makes oats ideal for savory or sweet dishes.

If your not sold on the novelty yet, imagine the comforting carbohydrate warmth of risotto with a little more nubbles, rich chicken stock and savory rosemary permeating every bite. Sprinkled with a little pecorino or nesting a poached egg, this is a super satisfying one dish meal you can do pretty much anything with. Yay!

You will need:
1 Cup Organic Steel cut oats
3(ish) Cups warm chicken stock
1-2 Tbs Fresh chopped rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Any veggies you might like: onions, mushrooms, carrots, peas or zucchini are all good options. One word of warning: DO NOT be tempted to add garlic, it tastes terrible with oats.

To make:
First, saute any veggies you will be adding and set them aside. In a medium (4-6 cup) saucepan mix the oats with one cup stock and half the rosemary, bring to a simmer and stir regularly. As the liquid evaporates, add more stock, continuing to stir and simmer until your oats reach the texture of risotto and are tender to the tooth. Stir in your veggies and remaining rosemary to taste along with a generous pinch of salt. Serve with plenty of salt and pepper along with your toppings of choice. My brother like poached eggs, my husband likes bacon.
SUPER YUM
xoxo

Vegan Chocolate Fudge or Frosting

I have a confession to make. I found a recipe for chocolate buttercream frosting, doctored it so I could eat it, and have been eating it by the spoonful ever since.

My only justification is that I can't eat any of the other goodies I would normally indulge in.
Oh, and it tastes AMAZING!

So here you have it, my recipe for chocolate buttercream frosting, which contains neither butter nor cream. I keep it in the fridge and eat it like fudge, in cubes or by the spoonful. It has a very mild coconut element to it, but I really don't like coconut so I have worked to minimize or complement the flavor as much as possible. Obviously it isn't that strong or I wouldn't be making myself sick on it.

This recepie makes 6oz of frosting.

You will need:

4oz RAW Coconut oil, room temperature (Make sure it is raw, this is very important to the flavor, as toasted coconut oil has a much stronger flavor and cannot be subdued.)
2Tbs Full fat unsweetened coconut milk, room temperature
1/3 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4- 1 Cup powdered sugar
1 1/5 Tbs Vanilla (use the real stuff, its sooooooo worth it)
1/4 Tsp Smoked Salt (normal salt will do, but doesn't smooth out the coconut as well)

To make:
Coconut oil gets soft/liquidy at about 70 degrees, so you want to be sure it is warm enough to have the consistency of soft butter, but not be liquefied. Put it in a bowl and whip it with a fork or whisk. I prefer fork, you lose less.
Measure the cocoa powder and powdered sugar into a sieve, and sift into the bowl with the coconut oil. Incorporate it with your fork or whisk. It will be pasty and dry, but don't lose hope.
Once the oil and powder have been blended, add the coconut milk and vanilla, and blend vigorously until smooth. If you would like stiffer frosting/fudge, add more sugar. Once you have the desired consistency (creamy, delicious and irresistible), add your salt and blend in. More salt can be added to taste, but don't get carried away; there is no way to undo too much but to make more frosting.
Use immediately for frosting, or smooth in pan lined with parchment paper to make fudge. Place in fridge and cut when stiff. I like mine with a little extra smoked salt sprinkled on, but maybe that's a Seattle thing.

Super YUM.
xoxo

Coconut Oats with Apricots (and galactagogues!!)

One of the perks (?) of lactation is that you are pretty much always eating.
The question is, are you eating things that are good for making milk and nurishing mom and baby? My Naturopath says eat an avocado and/or coconut milk EVERY DAY. You'd be amazed how fast that gets old. Whats the point of guac without chips or garlic?? The trick is finding how to work things in.

Which brings us to my breakfast most mornings, steel cut oats made with coconut milk and finished (in this case) with fresh apricots and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Coconut milk gets a lovely floral sweet flavor when cooked, and loses a lot of its tropical coconut flavor (which I don't really appreciate anyway). The fats in coconut milk are incredibly good for moms and babies, helping to build hormone supplies, add body mass and promote breast health.
Who knew??
Meanwhile oats are terribly good for you and are on the list of galatagogue foods which bring up milk supply. The maple syrup adds a mineral note that keeps the whole thing from becoming too rich or sweet.

You will need:
1/3 Cup steel cut oats. Get the real thing, don't use instant or rolled, it will be gross.
1/2 Can unsweetened organic full fat coconut milk. (About 6.5 oz.)
1/4 Cup water
Fresh fruit and syrup to taste.

Combine the coconut milk, water and oats in a sauce pan and put on medium low heat to simmer. Allow to cook gently for about 30-45 minutes while you take a shower, get dressed, feed and change the baby, and do anything else you might need to accomplish so you can eat breakfast in peace for a few minutes. Stir it when you remember, but I usually only get there once or twice. Add more water if you prefer your oats more tender. It's done when (surprisingly) it has cooked down to the consistancy of oatmeal.

Put in bowl, add fruit and syrup. Super YUM.

xoxo

Marriage, Baby and now Colic. Oh, and the besy soy free teriyaki you've ever had.

That's right folks- got hitched and had a baby who arrived 7 weeks ago. Instead of food, you get a baby pic this time!

Roo (the baby) is amazing, and everything I could have wanted. But we are both pretty sad about food, which is what got me posting again. Him, because his little belly is all twisted in colicky knots, and me because I am now in the elimination diet to end all elimination diets.
What do you eat in the U.S. when you cannot have:
Wheat
Diary (except eggs and butter THANK GOD)
Corn
Soy (soy lecithin is in everything!)
Onions
Garlic
Peppers
Legumes
Chocolate
And probably shouldn't eat nuts.
 ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? I cried in frustration over breakfast this morning.

But I am trying to see this as a challenge to my culinary genius instead of limiting me to never eating out for the next however long. Thus I present you with the victory for the weekend, my soy/garlic/MSG free teriyaki sauce that tastes as good as anything I've ever had in Seattle. And Seattle knows their teriyaki.

You will need:
1/2 Cup amino acids like Braggs, or in my case Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos
1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Sesame Oil
3-6 shakes Ume Plum Vinegar
Splash (in my case several) Rice wine vinegar
Large knob of fresh Ginger, grated.

Combine all of this in a jar or  container with a lid, and shake vigorously. Taste test to see if you want more vinegar or sugar. Cook your teriyaki veggies or meat about half way, then throw 2/3 of the sauce you just made into the pan, turn up the heat and allow to bubble down until syrupy. Should take less than 5 min.

Super YUM
xoxox

Immigrant Onion Soup

Its my version of French Onion Soup- and though it does have wine in it, as any respectable French soup should, I am sure the chefs at the Cordon Bleu would not appreciate my attempt to hijack such a prestigious soup tradition. And I'm Irish.

This is a robust onion soup that veers closer to a stew. Warm and savory to a point that borders on medicinal, it is the only way to survive the cold evenings of November here is the Northwest. Instead of the classic bread and cheese on top- which is also incredibly tasty, I serve mine in a bowl with mashed potatoes and carrots. It fills out the meal and can make it vegan friendly if you like.

This recipe serves 4. Keep in mind that it takes about 2 hours to prepare. It's totally worth it.


You Will Need:
5 Large onions, cut in half and sliced
1 Clove garlic, grated or minced.
1Tbs Sugar
3 cups beef or vegetable stock.
2ish Cups extra hot water
Splash white wine
Tbs Butter
Pinch each of Rosemary, Ginger, Smoked Paprika, Sage. This is one recipe where dry herbs consistently work better.
Salt (Maybe, depending on our stock)

For the Potatoes:
6 Yukon Gold or other Yellow Potato
2 Large Carrots
2+ Tbs Butter
Scant 1/4 Cup Cream
OR
Vegan Potato melding fat of your choice.
Salt

To Make:
Place all the sliced onions in a big soup pot with the butter and sugar. Let them cook down over medium high heat, regularly stirring and being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot very thoroughly. You want to do this until its really, really brown. Keep stirring, more often as things get browner. It is done when it reaches a dark mahogany  or coffee color. Add your beef or veggie stock, white wine, herbs and garlic. Let simmer while the flavors get to know each other and you cook your potatoes and carrots.

Quarter your potatoes into chunks, place in a pot and cover with water. Add salt and bring to a boil. while you wait for it to boil clean and chop your carrots into large chunks. When the potatoes are just beginning to get tender add the carrots in and allow both to cook to mashable consistency. Drain, return to pot and mash. Add your diary or vegan fat of choice and salt/pepper to taste.

Check your soup, adding water or seasonings as needed- I often add a dash of Cayenne just at the end.
Settle a good spoonful of potatoes into a bowl and ladle soup on top, Salt and pepper to taste.
SUPER YUM

Greens and Fennel Gratin

So I just Googled Greens Gratin and there are roughly a million recipes out there. But mine has fennel, and its the best, so you should try it anyway.
I actually owe the basis of this recipe to the Winter 2009 edition of Edible Seattle and the stunning recipe for Greens Gratin with Sausage they have in there. You should make that one too.

Imagine everything that is lovely about a gratin: rich, creamy, cheese laden and comforting, plus more flavor and better for you than potatoes alone. That's Greens Gratin with Fennel. I make this year round and everyone demands the recipe.

Greens Gratin with Fennel and Maybe Sausage

You Will Need:
1 Bunch each of  Dino Kale, Collard Greens, Kale and Chard. Cleaned, de-stemmed and chopped large. You will have way more than you think you can possibly eat, but they cook down.
1 Fennel Bulb, trimmed and sliced
1 Italian Sausage if your into that
Olive Oil
Butter
1 Cup Chicken Stock (OR if you prefer no stock, add a splash of Soy sauce and a pinch of curry powder to your greens once steamed. Trust me, its amazing.)
1/2 Onion, chopped
1 1/2 to 2 cups grated cheese. Swiss and Cheddar or Jack make a great combo
1/2 to 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Egg
1-2 Tbs Flour
1-2 Tsp Italian Herb seasoning blend. Or a few sprigs each of fresh Thyme, Rosemary and Oregano are even better.

To Make:
Preheat oven to 350 and then get a big pot with a lid. Seriously, the biggest pot you own. Heat to medium-high and add a generous bit of butter and the onions and fennel. Stir while cooking for a minute or so until the onions begin to go clear. Add the sausage if your into that, and cook until done, letting it brown on the bottom of the pot. Remove from pot and set the onions, fennel and sausage aside in a bowl. Return the pot to  heat and add a drizzle of Olive Oil to the pot when its hot. Add greens to the pot until its about half full, stirring as they cook. Add a few Tbs of the chicken stock and cover. You can use water if you prefer no stock. Repeat, adding greens and stock/water until they are all cooked down. Don't go crazy with the stock because you will want too cook off the excess liquid at the end. Once the greens are tender remove the lid and turn up the heat, stirring consistently until the extra liquid is gone. Now is the time to add the soy sauce/curry powder if you have not used stock. Sift in the flour and stir to coat the leaves, then stir in the herbs, onion, fennel and sausage. Stir in grated cheese.

Remove from pot and pile greens etc. onto a buttered pie plate. Whisk your egg and cream together and then drizzle evenly onto the greens and add some pepper to the top. Bake until lightly browned and bubbly, usually 30 minutes.

Super YUM.
xoxo

Spring Greens! What should I do with them.....?

While sharing dinner with my girlfriends the other night, we came to the question of what to do with the ENORMOUS quantities of spring greens that are now beginning to grace the Farmers Market and CSA boxes on doorsteps. I decided a few greens focused posts were in order, so here you have them, my bread and butter of greens cookery.

Braised Greens for Any Meal

You Will Need:
1 Bunch cooking greens. Kale, Chard, Dino Kale, Broccoli Raab, Collard Greens, Spinach or Broccoli Leaves are all delicious on their own or mixed together. Keep in mind that Chard and Spinach cook faster than the rest, so they are best cooked alone or added later.
Olive Oil
1/2 Lemon
A few dashes of Cumin
Salt
A few Tbs water

To Make:
Clean and chop greens into large chunks, dispose of stems. Heat a large skillet or pot with a lid to medium high. Drizzle pot with olive oil right before adding greens. Add your greens and a few Tbs water, then cover. If they aren't making a racket, its not hot enough. Cover for 30 seconds and then stir before covering again. Add more water if they dry out before they are cooked through. Cook to desired tenderness, between 1 and 3 minutes. I like mine toothy, so 1 minute is usually enough for me. Greens a pretty forgiving though, as long as they stay bright green and don't turn brown, you haven't over cooked them. Turn heat up to cook of any excess water, then down to low. Add either the juice of 1/2 lemon, a few dashes of cumin and salt to taste. I like mine best a little on the salty side. Stir to incorporate and serve immediately.

These greens are also tasty seasoned with Balsamic vinegar and salt or with sauteed garlic and lemon.

Fresh Baked Pumpkin (Kabocha) Pie

If you are a squash enthusiast like myself, then you already know that Kabocha is the squash of squashes.

If you are a novice squash admirer, let me extol the Wonders of Kabocha.

1. Its BEAUTIFUL. Dark or brilliant orange outside, deep gold inside. It also turns a very pretty purple when it molds....

2. Its freakin' TASTY! Full, round, slightly nutty flavor with delectable squashy sweetness, it tastes good in everything.

3. It has PERFECT TEXTURE. Somewhere between buttery and silky smooth and very fine, this is a squash made for cheesecakes, custards and pies. The pies are less inclined to crack too, for reasons which remain mysterious to me.

Now that you too have learned the glory of Kabocha, here is how to make it into a pie. I cant lie, I didn't know how much squash I would need, so my pie is actually a Kabocha/Acorn Squash pie. I like using the two for variety, and I think the Acorn Squash may haven given the pie a lift because the Kabocha is so fine. But I don't know. Feel free to experiment with different squashes, they are pretty forgiving creatures.

This recipe takes about 4 hours, but a lot of that is wait time and can be also used to clean your house, bond with your cat, watch movies or cook the rest of Thanksgiving dinner that you forgot to do last night.
This will make 1 Pie.

You will need:

For The Crust:
1 Stick cold butter (8 Tbs)
1 Cup Flour, with extra set aside
1 Tsp Sugar
Dash Salt
6-8 Tbs Very Cold Water
A food Processor, ideally. If not, a pastry cutter will do.

For the Pie
1 Medium Kabocha Squash, 1 Small Acorn Squash,  
together equaling 2 Cups Cooked Squash
3 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Poudre Duce
OR
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1/4Tsp Cloves
Dash/Shaving of Nutmeg

To Make:

First the Pie Crust. Add the flour, salt and sugar to your food processor or big mixing bowl. Chop your stick of butter into tablespoon sized chunks. Add to flour mixture. If using a food processor, blitz until the consistency of wet sand or fine gravel. If using a bowl, take to it with your pastry cutter until the consistency of fine gravel.  Pour into or keep mixture in mixing bowl. Add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, gently folding it into the mixture with a spatula each time. My philosophy about pie crust is that you are encouraging the butter and flour molecules to sit next to each other but not actually mix. So you must be very gentle with it.

The crust will hopefully be mostly doughy by this time. Gently form it into a ball and place in a plastic bag or saran wrap, wrapping it up and patting it into an air tight little disk-wad. Place in the fridge to relax for 1 hour minimum (you can also make this up to 3 days in advance).

While your pie crust is relaxing, you bake your squash. Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. Chop off the stem and split your squash(es) in half. Do not peel or remove the seeds. Place face down in a cooking pan with a little water (approximately 1/3 cup). Bake this way for 40 minutes to an hour. Test for tenderness by periodically piercing with a fork, and be sure to always keep a little water in there. For a richer caramelized squashy flavor, feel free to bake longer at a lower temperature. It is done when easily pierced with a fork and very tender.

When your squash is baked, remove it from the oven a let it cool a bit. Once cool enough to touch, or whenever you get back to it, scoop out the seeds and discard. Scoop the rest of the squash into a mixing bowl and discard the rind as well. With your beaters on medium, blend the squash until it reaches a smooth-ish uniform texture.

You will probably have more than you need. Set Two Cups aside for the pie, and put the rest in the freezer for later use, ideally in two cup packages. You now have the makings of squash pies, breads and scones for the rest of the year. Yay!

If it hasn't been at least an hour by now, your a faster cook than I. Take your pie crust out of the fridge and  place on a cool floured surface. Dust flour on the top, and gently roll out into a circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Wrap it around your floured rolling pin or fold gently into quarters and place it into a pie dish. Unfold, press gently in, trim the excess and make your favorite pattern to decorate the edges. A fork pressed down along the edge works well for when I'm uninspired. Place back in the fridge until you need it.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar and spices together. Add your two cups baked squash and mix well. Gradually add the heavy cream and blend well. Pour mixture into pie crust, place on a baking sheet and carefully slide into your oven.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, before reducing the heat to 350 and baking for 40 to 50 minutes. It is done when a knife comes out mostly clean, or only the middle jiggles a little bit when the pie plate is shaken. Cool for 2 hours.
Eat with family/neighbors/friends, and loads of whipped cream.

xoxo

Breakfast Risotto with Cranberries (Rice Pudding Jen-style)

SOOOO YUMMMMMMYYY!

I call this Risotto because instead of the eggs and milk combination generally used to thicken rice pudding, I have used Arborio rice which thickens on its own as you cook it. Not only are eggs no longer needed, but now the recipe can also be made Vegan if you so chose. Yay!

I add cranberries to make it festive-and because they were all I could find in my cabinet. Raisins work just as well. And don't turn it a delicate pink, but I kind of like the color options.

You Will Need:

2 1/2 Cups Whole Milk or Rice/Soy Milk (be sure your Soy is Organic and non-GMO)
Do not use Low Fat anything, it won't thicken properly.
1/3 Cup Arborio Rice
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Ginger
Handful Dried Cranberries (Or substitute chopped dates, figs, pears, apricots, apples or raisins)
Dash Salt
1/3 Cup Water

To Make:

Combine the milk, rice and dash salt in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to prevent the rice from sticking. Once it has reached a boil, turn heat down and allow to simmer until rice is tender, usually 20-25 minutes. Be sure to stir consistently, I have learned from experience that nothing smells worse than burnt milk.

As it cooks, the mixture will thicken. If it starts to become dry or too stiff, feel free to add up to 1/3 cup of water, a little bit at a time.

When the rice is tender, add the sugar, spices and dried fruit. Take off heat and stir thoroughly. Feel free to heat a little longer if still too thin.

Dish into bowls, eat with shameless abandon!

xoxo

Roasted Fall Veggies with Sage Butter

It is a annual fall ritual. I can feel it coming for a few weeks: first I see the sweet potatoes and fennel are in. Then the apples and squash. Finally, when the Kabocha squash start coming in, I know its time to begin roasting things!

In the long, gray wetness that is a Seattle winter, nothing makes me as happy as warm and slightly caramelized roasted things. I will roast just about anything to see if its tasty, but I usually end up with a mix like this due to over-zealous market shopping the week before. The best bit is that it is terribly easy to make and almost impossible to mess up. I do not give exact measurements on this one because eyeballing it always seems to work.

This particular blend of flavors was taught to me by my friend Rosanna, who lived in Italy for some time and brought home excellent cooking skills.

You can use almost any combination of roasting veggies here, just make sure they all lean towards the sweet, not savory. This dish is no place for an onion.

You will need:

Some combination of the following. Always be sure to have an apple, and roughly equal amounts of all veggies.
Kabocha, Delicata, Acron or Carnival squash.
Sweet potato or Kumara
Parsnip
Fennel 
Tart apple (Smokehouse, Braeburn, Granny Smith)
Carrot
Beet (will make all things pink)

Cinnamon
Ginger
Salt
Lemon or orange juice
Sage (fresh or dried)
Butter

To Make:

Heat over to 375 degrees. While it warms, chop your veggies and apple into large chunks. If your squash is very fresh you don't need to skin it, but you can if you prefer. Chop roughly equal amounts of everything. Place them all in a large bowl, and sprinkle with cinnamon, ginger and salt to taste. Sprinkle on citrus juice, just enough to moisten. Stir it all together to evenly distribute spices. Eat a piece of apple as a taste test. If it tastes good now, you are set. If not, tinker as necessary. Don't get over-zealous with the citrus.

Butter a large baking dish with a lid. Tip all veggies into the baking dish, cover and bake until tender, usually 45 minutes to a little over and hour. When done they should pierce easily with a fork and be separating from their skins a little bit. I like mine very done, so if your into tender-crisp, begin checking at 30 min.

Remove from over and set aside for a bit to cool. Put enough butter to lightly dress your veggies in a dish with a small amount of crumbled or chopped sage. Melt butter until it begins to separate and sage is infused. Dish up your veggies and sprinkle with sage butter to taste. MMMMMMMmmmmmm!

I ate the other half for dinner....

xoxo

Heirloom Tomato Ragu with Thyme and Truffle Butter

This savory sweet ragu has a surprising blend of robust flavors that balance each other very well. The end result us something unanticipated and delicate. Served over grilled eggplant slabs, my imaginary french grandmother used to make this in place of the more traditional Ratatouille.

 

Truffle butter is not essential, but does improve the dish. This all started because I have said truffle butter in my fridge, but for such a coveted ingredient and flavor, I really have no idea what to do with it. While subtle here, it gets along nicely with the thyme and brings out the sweetness of tomatoes and butter.

Had I been planning this better, I would have had buttered french bread and a dry Rose` to go with it.

C'est la vie.

You will need:

3 Tbs. Butter 

1 Medium Eggplant, slicked thickly (1/2 inch) and salted.

2-4 Yellow/Red Heirloom tomatoes, chopped large.

1/2  of a Medium Onion, chopped.

2-4 cloves garlic, depending on size and preference. Chopped fine.

1 Small clove garlic to grate.

6-8 Stems Fresh Thyme

1Tsp Black Truffle Butter

1/8 Tsp Ground Cumin

Salt 

To Make:

Melt butter over medium heat and add onions and chopped garlic. Be sure to set that one small clove aside for later. When onions are translucent, add 4-6 Thyme sprigs and saute for a moment before adding tomatoes. Saute over medium heat until tomatoes begin to cook down and sauce begins to form. 

Add cumin and salt to taste. Be gentle with the cumin, you won't need much. Cook gently for 3-5 minutes depending on how juicy your tomatoes are. When you like the sauce consistency, lower the heat and stir in Truffle butter. 

Once butter is melted in, do a taste test. I like my garlic a little bit hot. If you do not, cook a bit more and then take of heat.  If you DO like more bite, grate in your last little clove of garlic, raise heat for a moment while stirring it all together, then take off heat, set aside and cover.

If you have salted your eggplant and left it to its own devices, it should be dewy and ready to go. Rinse off and pat dry. Heat a pan to medium high, add oil of choice and pan sear the eggplant until just tender. It usually starts to look dark and a little translucent. Don't futz with it much, or it will fall apart.

Remove your Thyme twigs from the tomato sauce and serve spooned over the eggplant. Sprinkle with extra fresh thyme leaves just before serving.

xoxo

Curry Scallops with Coconut Cumin Risotto

The curry sets off the sweetness in the scallops, and the slightly crisp veggies in the risotto add a nice textural crunch. This is my homage to all the lovely Thai food here in Seattle. Serves two very happy people.

A warning for those with tender sinuses- searing your curry scallops will make you sneeze.

You will need:
6-8 Large, preferably Sashimi grade, Scallops. You can substitute Cod or Ling Cod if you like.
1/2 Cup risotto rice
3/4  (ish) 13oz can of Coconut milk.
1/2 chopped onion
3 larger cloves of garlic, grated or minced
Handful french green beans, trimmed and chopped large
A small yellow squash, chopped large
2-3 Tsp dry ground Ginger
2 Tsp fresh Madras curry powder
1 Tsp or cube bullion dissolved in 2 cups water.
1/2 Tsp dry Lemongrass
1/4 Tsp Cumin
Pinch (6 threads) Saffron
1 Lime
Olive oil

To Make:
First we make the Risotto. Keep your scallops in the fridge as this takes about 20-30 minutes.

  Heat a large heavy bottomed pot over medium till very warm. Drizzle in enough oil that you will be sure of your onions and garlic not sticking. Add onions to the oil. While they cook, grate TWO cloves of garlic over them. Set the third aside for later. Cook gently till the onions are translucent, being sure to stir regularly so the garlic doesn't stick or burn. Add your risotto rice and a little more oil to the pot, stir and cook for a minute.

Pour in 1/4 cup of bullion water into rice and add Saffron, 1 Tsp Ginger, 1/4 tsp Cumin, 1/4 tsp of your lemongrass to the pot. Stir. Allow to cook until there isn't much water, then add 1/4 more bullion. This time also add 1/4 cup coconut milk. Keep adding water and coconut milk, stirring and cooking off until rice is tender and slightly saucy. It should be like a rice pudding. Stir in beans and squash, remove from heat and cover. Set aside.

Take the scallops and rinse them in cool running water. Blot dry. Very dry. Don't squish them, just dry them thoroughly.

In a low, shallow bowl, grate your last clove of garlic. Add the Madras curry power, and the remaining Ginger and Lemongrass along with a splash of oil. Stir it all together with a fork.

This next bit needs to be done quickly, and then your food will be ready, so make sure your table is set, and everything else is ready to go.

Taste test your risotto-add salt, ginger or cumin to taste. Cover and set aside.

Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed pan until very hot. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil to the pan. Take your scallops and press each side firmly into the curry sauce to give it a nice coating.  Place your scallop in the hot pan and don't touch it. Quickly repeat with remaining scallops. Tilt pan to be sure each scallop has oil under it.

If your terribly quick, give your scallops a bit before flipping. If your like me, the first scallops in the pan will be ready to flip by the time you have finished laying the last scallop down. The edge against the pan should be browning and the sides beginning to opaque. Lift a corner of one for a test-it should be brown and caramelized looking. If it is, flip 'em and begin to dish up your risotto. By the time your plate is ready, your scallops should be also. Place on top of risotto and garnish with a large, juicy lime wedge. The cooking is more or less the same with fish-though the fish will be more forgiving than the scallops.

Ta-Da! Dinner to impress all your friends. Tastes best with a clean white wine and terribly ripe figs for dessert.
xoxo

The Best Tomato Sauce You Will Ever Eat

Seriously, it is.  And its vegan if your into that.

I can't even take full credit for this either. My mom used to make this as a rough pizza sauce when I was younger and we would use the leftovers on pasta. As an adult, I missed it desperately one night, but being a DIY kinda gal, and stubborn ( "We don't need no steeenkin' cookbooks!"), I made up this recipe instead of just asking for it. Sorry mom. It is more geared towards pasta now, but it's amazing either way.

And I know there's no picture, I'm sorry. We had guests over and ate it all. I promise to put one up when next I cook this.
This recipe feeds 4.

You Will Need:
2-6 hours (its worth it, but see tip below if your pressed)
6-12 Ripe tomatos, depending on size. When in doubt, add more tomatos, they cook down a lot.
1/2 Onion
4-8 Cloves Garlic
4-8 Leaves fresh Basil, quartered
2-4 Sprigs fresh Rosemary
2 Sprigs fresh Thyme
6 Sundried Tomatos
1/3 Cup Olive oil

To Make: 
Heat oven to 300 degrees. It doesn't need to preheat, but its nice if you remember.

Quarter and de-stem all tomatos. Toss in large oven proof dish. Coarsely chop onions, garlic and sundried tomatos and add to dish. Add olive oil and place herbs on top.

Bake for 3-6 hours, stirring every half hour or so. If it looks dry, add more olive oil.

When cooked down to a dark red, brown edged rough sauce that you can no longer resist, you know its ready.
Be sure to remove Rosemary and Thyme twigs before serving. This tastes amazing with a really fresh, fruity Parm.


Tip for those a little short on time:
Use less tomatos and add a 3/4 jar of pre-made marinara sauce. Cook at 350 degrees instead, and it should only take 1.5ish hours.

xoxo

Plum and Blueberry Crisp- For Two

And with pictures!

I finally remembered to take a photo BEFORE we ate the food.

This is a perfect late summer, early fall desert- or in my case breakfast. It takes about an hour and can be made while eating dinner or while half asleep. You can use any fruit you would normally put in a pie, and probably some you wouldn't.

As a very casual, very flexible dish, all measurements are very general, and you can tinker as you wish. It always comes out good.

A word of warning on baking plums in a crisp or pie: When hot, they will taste more tart. Be sure to serve with ice cream to balance. When cold they will be sweeter, so don't go crazy with the sugar.
This always tastes wonderful with either black tea or sparkling wine. If your like me, on any given morning you can try both.

You will need:
2 Medium, ripe plums.
A handful of frozen or fresh blueberries
2ish Tbs sugar
Splash vanilla
Generous dash cinnamon

Topping:
1-2 Tbs butter. Vegans can use olive oil, but use mild and be cautious.
Handful rolled oats. Don't use instant.
2ish Tbs flour-whole grain gives it a nice texture and nutty flavor
1ish Tbs sugar

To Make:
Preheat oven to 350.

De-stone and cut plums into bite size chunks. Thinner slices, faster cooking, but I'm usually too lazy. In a bowl mix fruit, berries, sugar and spices. This crisp tends to be a little juicy-that's what I like about it. If you want a thicker sauce, I'd add 1/2-3/4 tsp cornstarch to mix. Spoon onto small ramekin or baking dish.

In new bowl, melt butter. add dry goods and mix. It should be about the texture of dry cookie dough. If its not, add more butter. Should taste rich, but not terribly sweet. Press onto top of fruit. There should be a good sized amount and reach the sides, otherwise it sinks.

Place on baking pan to catch the drips, and bake for 30-60 Minutes depending on how preheated you got your oven.  As long as the top doesn't burn, its hard to over cook it.

xoxo

Peach Bread Pudding

For rainy summer days in Seattle. This pudding lights me up inside when its gray and miserable out- and even though its pouring, the peaches from the other side of the mountains are amaaaaaazing in August.

Best if accompanied by a hot back tea.


You will need:

1 cup whole or 2% milk. Don't use skim.
1 Egg
1/4 cup sugar
Half a small stale baguette, or a quarter of a large stale baguette. Chopped into large chunks.
1 Peach so ripe you can smell its lovelieness
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ginger,
1/4 tsp Vanilla
Small pinch of salt
Butter

To make:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a small oven-friendly baking dish, and put bread chunks in it. In a separate bowl, beat together milk, sugar, egg, and spices. Pour over bread. There should be a fair ammount of extra liquid for the bread to absorb. If there's not, add more milk up to 1/4 cup.  If still dry you must have a very large baguette and you should mix up more of the egg/milk/sugar batter.

Cut peach in half, remove put, and chop one half into large chunks. Sprinkle these on top of the bread and milk. I eat the other half of the peach, but you are certainly welcome to throw it in. Sprinkle a little brown sugar on top of it all, if you have some.

Cover and bake for 35-45 min. Done when inflated and fork comes out cleanish.

Eat with a friend, your cat or someone equally comforting on a gray day.
xoxo

Green Beans with Cumin and Ginger

I invented this dish one day in an attempt to get a small child to eat some green beans. Instead he refused them and I found out how amazing the skinny little guys are. If your new to green beans or just looking for something else to season them with, give this a shot.

Green Beans with Cumin and Ginger- Serves 2

1/2 lb fresh thin Green Beans, rinsed and trimmed

8-10 Cherry Tomatos, halved. Get yellow and red varieties for extra pretty.

1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground Cumin, depending on taste

1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground Ginger

1/8 tsp ground Chipotle

2-3 Tbs Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Place your skillet or pan over medium high heat to come up to temperature. Chop your green beans into 2 inch lengths. Once skillet is hot, add 1-2 tbs olive oil. If you cook on cast iron, you will need all of it, if you cook on teflon, take it easy. When oil is hot, add your green beans, cooking for a minute or two.
Add tomatos and spices, and turn heat to medium. Be sure not to let spices burn to bottom of the pan. It happens quickly and easily, and there is no worse smell than burnt cumin. Add more oil if you need to.

When beans are nicely seared and tender crisp, scoop into bowl and eat with bread and butter.

xoxo

Heirloom Eggplant Sandwiches

     To me, summertime is when I can lay out piles of veggies, meat, cheese and some fresh bread on the table and call it dinner. Maybe some condiment like Hummus or Tzatziki if I'm feeling up to it. The point is something tasty, satisfying and easy to prepare.

These oh-so-satisfying sandwiches were the by product of one such dinner. I had grilled some eggplant steaks and made some Tzatziki for dinner, and the only logical conclusion was to stuff it in a pita and groan with delight.

I use heirloom eggplants because they are pretty, and their skin tends to be more delicate so you don't need to peel them. They also run smaller, so its easy to find one that fits your quantity needs. Check your local Farmers Market June through August.

For Sandwiches You Will Need:

Pita bread, 1 whole round per person. A round makes two sandwiches.


1-2 Large, very sweet tomato. Romas and orange-red Heirlooms recommended. Sliced.

1  .5lb  Heirloom Eggplant per person. This translates to one small eggplant for one person, a medium eggplant for two people etc.

Salt

Olive Oil

Tzatziki (Recipe to follow)


First you must prepare your eggplant. Chop off the top and then slice it in 1/4 inch slabs from top to bottom. I discard the end pieces that are all peel and no meat. Place slabs in a bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.

While the salt dries out your eggplant, place a griddle or skillet over med-high heat. Its hot enough when you sprinkle water on and it sizzles and pops.

Rinse your eggplant and pat dry.

Add 2 tsp. Olive oil to your hot skillet. Place eggplant slabs on skillet right away. Now don't touch it for at least 1 minute. If you do, the eggplant will not brown properly and will fall apart. Really, don't touch it. I almost always find this impossible to do.

After 1 minute, pry up a corner of an eggplant piece to see if it has browned. Should be a nice dark caramel color, or even slightly singed on the edges. If it is brown, flip it over and cook the other side. If it sticks, leave it for 30 more seconds. Remember, don't mess with it. After another minute or so on other side,and they should begin to look a bit translucent. Add a dash of salt and a drizzle of olive oil if they look dry, and place eggplant on a plate; or straight into a pita if your one of those cooks who's really on top of things. I like to warm my pitas up in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees.

Add slices of tomato, liberal amounts of Tzatziki and a dash of Cayenne. Eat while the eggplant is still warm.

To Make Tzatziki:
I wish I could say I had some really cool Greek grandmother who taught me to make this when I was still crawling, but alas, such is not the case. I invented the recipe after getting sick of buying the stuff at Trader Joes. And yes, mine is better. Grating the Garlic I learned from my friend Neha.

1 Medium to large cucumber, peeled. Ish. If your into that sort of thing.

1/3 cup plain, full fat yogurt

1/2 lemon

2 Cloves garlic

1 tsp dry Dill

Salt

Dash or two of Cayenne
 

Quarter and de-seed your cucumber. Thinly slice quarters. Place in bowl. Peel garlic cloves and finely chop, or easier: grate them over the cucumber. Don't be tempted to go crazy with the garlic, its pretty hot when raw. Warning, this is a dish your honey must share with you, or they will never kiss you again.

Squeeze lemon half over the garlic and cucumbers. Always be sure to add the lemon first so that the yogurt does not curdle. Add dill and yogurt. Mix together. I add the yogurt in a spoon at a time so it doesn't get too soupy, but the end result should be decidedly saucy. Add more yogurt if this is not the case.

Add salt, cayenne and more dill to taste. Slather on anything remotely Mediterranean.

xoxo