Flax & Almond Bread (Paleo & Gluten Free)

 I recently made a Paleo feast for 8 good friends. This bread is like an energy and fiber packed bread that is lovely alone, with dips and it keeps in the refrigerator for a little over a week.  Instead of flours, this "bread" is made with flax meal and almond meal. The finer the grind, the better the bread will taste. I grind my flax seeds in a mini mill. In addition, flax seeds need to be ground for us to get their full nutritional benefits, so always be sure to cook with flax meal as opposed to flax seeds. It's an extremely easy recipe and can definitely be jazzed up with pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top, or walnuts folded into the batter. I've also though this would taste nice with crushed dried herbs. Let me know if you come up with any good ideas! I served this bread warm with a paleo lemon walnut parsley pesto.

Flax & Almond Bread

Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups flax meal
2/3 cup almond flour
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
1. Turn on some nice tunes - Natalie Merchant recommended
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil a loaf pan.
3. In a bowl mix the flax meal, almond flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda.
4. In a separate bowl vigorously whisk the eggs. This is where your love goes into the bread baking
5. Add the olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper to the eggs.
6. Add the dry mixture to the eggs mixture and mix.
7. Put mixture in the loaf pan. It will not be as wet or fluid as most bread batters, you will need to use a spatula to get the batter into the pan. If it is too dry, you can add a little more olive oil. 
8. Bake for 30 minutes.

Bacon + Vacation = Bacation

My friend currently lives on a gorgeous piece of land in the country side of Petaluma. I had a mini vacation last Saturday at his place, that included bacon, I'll call it a 'Bacation' (bacon + vacation).  Admittedly, I've been slow to jump on the bacon band wagon, it's no secret that my experience with bacon is minimal. Growing up, I pretty much never had it. I may have tried it once or twice by the time I was 18, but we never had it at home and I never ordered it at restaurants or tried it at friend's homes. Fast forward to my 2nd week of work in the 'real world', the guys on the sales team ordered the "Bacon Explosion" from the Midtown restaurant, Blue Smoke.  Here's a pic of some coworkers having the first take of the bacon explosion.

This is what it looks like...

 While I like to think that I will try anything, I actually didn't try this as smelling it was like smelling a heart attack. I stood by and watched with my caffein free green tea as these guys ate 4 inch slices of the bacon explosion with a side of fries. I'd later find out that some of them a hard time sleeping due to heart tremors! So this wasn't much of a seller on bacon for me to say the least....but, I digress. This past Saturday was the first official "Bacon Saturday" and this is what a love affair with bacon looks like:

It starts with a bike ride in the country side of Petaluma to the soundtrack in my head of the Beatles, "Blackbird".

 Maybe you will pass an old, deserted house...This is the Milton Octagon House from 1856. Interestingly, this is the 2nd Octagon shaped building I've seen, with the first being Castle del Monte in Puglia. I looked into it and turns out the Milton House has "Italianate" architecture!

9 miles later, a couple of rolling hills and a couple of stops to look into deserted buildings, I'm back at La  Country Chateu de Sean. My friend's bacon was from Joel Salatin's farm in Virginia. Joel once described his pigs as having "a great life - and one bad day." Check out this interview with Joel on how to eat animals and respect them too. (Joel Salatin will be speaking live at the Mountain View Performing Arts Center on Monday, March 5th thanks to POST.) Back to the bacon...  which was sizzling in a cast iron skillet. No butter or oil is added to the skillet - the bacon completely produces its own oils and flavors to prevent any burning.

The bacon only requires a couple of minutes per side. The smell is divine. Place the cooked bacon on a paper towel. Sample some as you finish cooking the rest. Eat slowly to truly appreciate the range of flavors. Salt & Fat - two elements our bodies could be craving, especially if you regularly stick to a healthy diet. 

Cooked bacon aside, crack two pasture-raised, hand gathered eggs into the bacon grease.  Fry two slices of multigrain bread in the bacon grease. In case you're not following we now have two bacon-grease-fried eggs and bacon-grease-fried bread. Add a mild, smooth mango-tomato salsa, a hot sauce to the mix. This plate is heaven. If I were to die today, I'd want for this to be my last meal...minus the mayo (not necessary and no added flavor).

Bacon Algebra (What kids usually learn at age 10, I learned at 24!)

(Bacon + bacon-grease fried egg ) / bacon-grease fried bread = Bacon Party in Your Mouth.

But it's not over here - what do you do with left over bacon grease? You add it to almonds in a Vita-mix and make bacon-grease almond butter...

Smeared on apple slices or with dates, this is a pretty incredible snack. Because we could not grind the almonds, the texture was not quite as creamy and a little bit dry however still DELICIOUS. Next time I'd love to make a pie crust with this or use it as a crust for chicken or an apple crumble..

Just for laughs

Celadon's Carolina Deviled Eggs

 

Last month my roommate, Celadon, loves deviled eggs and after tasting the ones she made, I can understand why they are so addictive. I have been meaning to write this post however I haven't had a chance to ask her about the secrets to making these eggs. Celadon has been making deviled eggs since she was a kid growing up in Georgia, making them into little sailboats with a tooth pick and torn piece of lettuce as the sail. While she doesn't follow a specific recipe she was able to estimate her measurements so you can make these too! She used a zip lock bag to pipe the filling into the eggs so each egg looks perfectly even and elegant. These delicious deviled eggs were completely finished before we even started dinner!

Celadon's Carolina Deviled Eggs
(Makes 24 deviled eggs)

Ingredients:
12 hard boiled eggs
4 ounces mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper to taste
Cayenne powder

Directions:

1. Carefully peel the hard boiled eggs and cut them in half. Gently scoop all the yolk into a bowl. Mix well with the mayonnaise, Dijon, and salt and pepper. Put mixture into a ziplock back, cut a small hole, and squeeze mixture into the egg shells. Sprinkle them with cayenne powder. Enjoy!

Breakfast Pizza

Definitely one of the most fun things to do is make variations of pizza. Just a couple days ago, my friend and I wanted to make some pizzas and I didn't have any dough and Trader Joe's just felt too far away so we went to our local pizza shop to ask if we could buy some of their fresh dough. The first place we went, Muzzarella, said no but I was determined so I made us walk a little further until we came to the pizza shop, Apizza, a newbie to the hood. The guy was happy to give us a huge beautiful round of their fresh dough and a twenty minute conversation about his pizza place in Stanton Island and his Sicilian pies and a coupon for 4 free slices! After making pizzas with this dough from Apizza, I definitely notice the difference in good dough. I love using Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough but this dough, pictured below, tasted ten times better. I'm sure it was probably more salt or butter but the dough was chewy ad just straight but tasty. Here is a picture of the dough as it was give to us:

I should mention that it was a Sunday morning and while I do like pizza at any time of the day, I wanted something a little more breakfast-like. Basically my thought process was breakfast = eggs, pizza + eggs = breakfast pizza. My algebra has become really quite simple since high school. This pizza definitely will be repeated and is one of my favorites! It tasted fresh and simple and the egg added a delicious additional flavor and texture. I used two eggs for the top only because it was just my friend and I otherwise use as many eggs as you have people. Also, usually I will grate the cheese for the pizza, but this time I peeled it into long strips, or shavings and I prefer much better for this type of pizza. I will definitely be making this pizza again and changing nothing! Hmmm......okay, maybe I would add a little more za'tar. With a glass of orange juice, this is the best Sunday breakfast pizza!

                          

Breakfast Pizza

(Makes one pie the size of a baking sheet)

Ingredients:

Dough
1/2 cup tomato garlic marinara
1 cup whole canned tomatoes
Parmesan shavings
Mozzarella shavings
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons za'tar
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Roll out dough to the size of the sheet.
2. Sprinkle flour on the sheet and carefully place the rolled out dough on the sheet. Drizzle it with olive oil and using a fork, poke holes all over the dough. Bake for approximately 5 minutes.
3. Spread the marinara sauce all over the dough, using more if necessary. Next place the whole tomatoes evenly over the dough. Follow with the parmesan and mozzarella shavings until most the pizza is covered. Finally, sprinkle the za'tar evenly across the cheese, using more if you want.
4. Bake the pizza for 8-9 minutes.
5. Just before pizza is ready, so at about 6 minutes, fry the eggs. Remove pizza from the oven when the cheese is melted and place the fried eggs on each half of the pizza. Sprinkle the parsley evenly over the pizza. Serve and enjoy!

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust

I came home from work and was really craving the good'ol comfort of the broccoli cheddar combination. I have some frozen pie shells so I was thinking I could easily whip together a quiche. Then I found this recipe on Closet Cooking and when I told my roommate, Celadon, about the brown rice idea she got so excited that I had to make it! While the effort involved at first seemed too much for a week night, it ended up being really easy. I changed the recipe to include more cheddar - yes, I was in that cheesey sort of mood. Also, I used the Trader Joe's brand Brown Rice Medley which is a lovely combination with black barley and daikon radish seeds. Surprisingly, this quiche is suppossedly one of the Taste Tester's favorites. Surprising for two reasons: 1. it is vegetarian and 2. it's not spicy, although he did dress the quiche with Sriracha accordingly. The brown rice crust makes this quiche loads more filling and healthy. I had some for lunch the following day and the Taste Tester polished it off for dinner the following night.

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche with Brown Rice Crust
Adapted from Closet Cooking

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup chedder cheese, grated
1 egg, (I used fake eggs for all the eggs)
4 eggs
1 cup soy milk
2 cups broccoli, cut into bite size pieces and blanched
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped white onion
A pinch nutmeg

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix the rice, cheese and egg in a bowl. Press the mixture into a pie pan. Bake for 5 minutes.
2. Mix in the eggs, milk, broccoli, cheddar, onion, nutmeg in a bowl. Feel free to sprinkle with salt and pepper for taste. Pour this into the rice crust. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until it is set in the center. Let it cool for a bit before you dive in - enjoy!

Southwestern Breakfast Scramble

This breakfast scramble is healthy, tasty and so easy to make. We enjoyed it with a bit of pita bread and a small side cabbage salad. It tasted great the following day too! You're probably wondering what makes this egg scramble Southwestern - really it's just the use of red and green bell peppers, onion and dried chili pepper flakes. I would love to make this again and wrap it up in flour tortillas to make breakfast burritos, or add in some beef. This is also a great dish to throw in any left-overs of cooked meat and vegetables or left over rice dishes as the flavors easily compliment. My favorite utensil for making scrambled eggs is a good silicone spatula that is not slotted. I find these easy to use for cooking and serving.

Ingredients:
6 eggs (whisked), I used fake eggs
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
1 large tomato, chopped
Broccoli florets
1 cup white corn kernels
1 cup sliced and cubed tofu
2/3 cup sliced black olives
Garlic powder
Ground pepper
Dried chili pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and sautee the onions and red and green bell peppers until the onions are translucent.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs with the garlic powder, ground pepper and dried chili flakes. Add egg mixture to the onions and peppers and start to scramble. Once the egg begins to gain texture, add in all the other vegetables and continue to scramble. You may want to add additional dried chili pepper flakes or more garlic powder if you desire. Serve  and enjoy!

Celadon's Bacon and Gruyere Quiche with Spinach and Onion

"It must be the smell of bacon."  That's what my roommate, Celadon, said when I exclaimed how happy I suddenly felt after a kind of stressful day. Before even opening the door to our apartment, I could smell something wonderful. Celadon made a very scrumptious and very comforting quiche that quickly disappeared. Adapted from Emeril Lagasse's Quiche Lorraine, Celadon's quiche was wonderfully rich and filling and the perfect meal for...well...breakfast, lunch and dinner! And let's be honest, bacon makes us happy.

Celadon's Bacon and Gruyere Quiche with Spinach and Onion
(Makes one pie)

Ingredients:
1 pie crust
3 eggs
1 cup half and half
1 cup gruyere, grated
1/4 white onion, chopped into small pieces
6 strips of bacon
1/2 cup spinach
Salt, pepper and cayenne for taste

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and bake the pie crust for 8-10 min
2. Cook bacon all the way through until crispy.
3. Saute the onions and the spinach until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes
4. Whisk the eggs and half and half together and add some salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Add in the onions and spinach to the egg mixture.
5. Crumble the bacon at bottom of pie crust, pour the egg mixture on top. Cook the quiche for 30-35 minutes until it is set but still a little bubbly. Enjoy!!!

Veggie and Chicken Sausage Quiche with a Potato Crust

Wow. I have never made quiche before and quite frankly I didn't even like quiche until this weekend. Quiche is so versatile and there really is an endless amount of possible mix-ins. I can't wait to continue experimenting with quiche! I adapted this one from a recipe I found on For The Love of Cooking and I absolutely love the idea of a potato crust! Not only is it much more healthy than traditional quiche crusts, but it adds a whole new delicious flavor and texture! This is the perfect dish to make for brunch; it's filling, tasty and looks incredible! Quiche is usually high in cholesterol because of the eggs, cheese, and traditional crust, however this recipe is pretty much cholesterol free and very delicious! With a little bit of spicy hot sauce and ketchup, this is the perfect pick-me-up brunch meal!

Veggie and Chicken Sausage Quiche with a Potato Crust

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 large Yukon Gold potato sliced very thinly

Olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, chopped into small pieces

1 heaping cup of sliced mushrooms

1 large tomato diced

1 cup of frozen peas

1 heaping cup of fresh spinach diced

2 chicken sausage links, halved and cut into slices (I use Trader Joe's spinach, fontina and roasted garlic chicken sausages)

Heaping 1/4 cup feta cheese (I use Trader Joe's non-fat)

7 eggs (I use fake eggs, 1 3/4 cups fake eggs which equals 7 eggs)

1/4 milk

Dried chili flakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and coat a pie dish with cooking spray and layer the thin slices of potato all over the bottom and edges of the pan. You will need to overlap the potato slices to make sure the pan is completely covered. Spray the potatoes with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pan in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and saute the onions for a few minutes, and then add the mushrooms for a few minutes. Lastly, add the spinach, chicken sausage and peas for a couple minutes until all the flavors are combined evenly. Remove from heat

3. Put the tomatoes and half of the feta cheese on top of the potato crust, then add the veggie and chicken sausage mixture.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture on top of the veggies and sprinkle the left over feta cheese and dried chili flakes.

5. Place in the oven for 35-45 minutes until a tester comes out clean. After removing it from the oven let it cool for a few minutes; slice and enjoy!