Raised from Scratch

growing up outside the box: alternatives to processed food and television

Roasted Beet & Fennel Lasagna December 31, 2013

Filed under: Gluten Free,Lunch/Dinner,Pasta — annalope @ 1:11 am
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Suitable for rock stars and 4-year old beet lovers alike. Okay, technically it was only taste tested by one rock star and one 4-year old… but Amanda F*ing Palmer and Ella F*ing Gaines are both badass, trustworthy ladies, and both heartily approved. I thought of naming this post something like “my house as a one star restaurant” or “a Rock Star is better than a Michelin” or something equally cheesy, but decided the cheese is definitely best left on the plate.

Amanda Palmer's 4 year old fan

orange beet macro

Roasted Beet & Fennel Lasagna with Cashew-Chard Pesto

4 large or 6 small beets

2 small fennel bulbs

Lasagna noodles

1 + cup cashews

4 garlic cloves

1 bunch swiss chard

1-2 cups fresh spinach

Olive oil, sea salt, pepper

6 oz goat cheese

8 oz mozzarella

Peel beets, slice ¼ – ½”  thick, coat with olive oil and salt on a sheet pan. Roast beets at 350 for about 20 minutes, flipping once.

Slice fennel ½” thick to yield about 2 cups. Lightly coat with olive oil and salt and roast on separate sheet pan 15 minutes or until soft, flipping occasionally.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles (GF Tinkyada pasta works fine).

Toast cashews, then transfer to a food processor with 4 garlic cloves, pulse until finely chopped. Add swiss chard and spinach, pulse until finely processed. Add olive oil until pesto looks fairly moist. Add 6 oz goat cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

Shred 8 oz mozzarella.

Assembly:

Coat lasagna pan with a little olive oil

Noodles

Beets and Fennel

Pesto (it’s thick, just drop teaspoons of pesto on beets)

Mozzarella and black pepper

Repeat!

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cheese is fully melted and beginning to brown around edges.

Thumbs up for beet lasagna

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Quinoa Cashew Dinner Salad April 9, 2013

Filed under: Gluten Free,Lunch/Dinner,Salads,Vegan — annalope @ 10:46 am
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quinoa cashew salad

Sometimes my 3 year old is adamant that she does not like eating whole nuts, but cashews are the exception. I guess it’s because they are a fairly soft nut, easier to chew, and have a mild, sweet flavor. We liked snacking on these salted cashews so much (even though I nearly burned them because we were busy building a fort in the kitchen) that I had a hard time reserving any of them for dinner. If you don’t have millet you can use a full cup of quinoa, which is easier to find in stores these days. Did you know quinoa is the only grain that qualifies as a complete protein? Awesome stuff, easy to prepare and cooks a heck of a lot faster than brown rice.

 Quinoa Cashew Salad

Quinoa:

1 ½ cups water

½ t. sea salt

1 t. fresh thyme or ½ t. dried thyme

¾ cup quinoa, rinsed

¼ cup millet, rinsed

Use a sieve to rinse quinoa and millet in warm running water for about 60 seconds. Place in pot with 1 ½ cups water, salt and thyme, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 15-20 minutes until fluffy.

Cashews:

1 t. earth balance (can substitute coconut or olive oil)

Pinch of salt

½ cup raw cashews

In a medium stock pot or large saute pan, toast 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently, then remove from pan.

Squash:

1 T. olive oil

½ butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 large fuji apple, peeled, cored, cut into 12pieces and halved crosswise

¾ cup water

3 cups fresh spinach, rinsed, dried and roughly chopped

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Dressing – whisk together:

2 t. apple cider vinegar

2 T. olive oil

1 T. molasses

Heat oil in the same pot used for cashews, cook squash 4 minutes, then add apple and water, cook 15 minutes until soft. Stir in spinach, cooked quinoa, and dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Plate and top with toasted cashews.

kitchen fort

toasted cashews

 

Beet Burgers with Millet and Salba Seeds February 9, 2013

Filed under: Gluten Free,Lunch/Dinner — annalope @ 9:50 am
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Ellla eating beet burger

 Beet Burgers with Millet and Salba Seeds

based on recipe at Greenkitcenstories.com

½ cup millet, rinsed in hot water

1 cup water

¼ t. salt

Pinch fennel seeds, crushed

1 ½ large beets, peeled and grated

½ large zucchini, grated

1 large carrot, grated

½ red onion, very thinly sliced

3 eggs

1 salba egg (3 T. water combined with 1 T. salba/chia seeds and allowed to sit 10 minutes)

1 t. kosher salt

¼ – ½ t. black pepper

Olive oil for pan

Combine rinsed millet, water, fennel and salt in saucepan with tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes or until fluffy. Meanwhile prepare salba/chia “egg” by mixing the water and seeds in a small glass and allowing to it to sit and congeal for 10 minutes.

Combine vegetables (I used a mandoline to grate quickly) with all remaining ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Add cooked millet.

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Cook one test patty to see if salt/spices need to be adjusted, then cook 3 or 4 at a time, re-coating the pan with oil as needed. Cook about 3 minutes on each side.

Wonderful served on bread or pita with goat or cream cheese. We all loved these — Ella ate six of these patties for dinner!

 

Fall Vegetable Linguine November 20, 2012

Filed under: Gluten Free,Lunch/Dinner,Pasta — annalope @ 10:15 am
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 Fall Vegetable Linguine

1 pkg (16 oz) gluten-free brown rice pasta (or whole wheat if you prefer)

*reserve 1/4 cup pasta water after cooking

2 cups butternut squash, peeled, cubed

1 T. olive oil

1/2 t. salt

4 T. butter, divided

3 cups brussel sprouts, washed, trimmed and halved

1/2 t. dried thyme

1/4 t. dried rosemary

¼ t. garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

1 cup shredded asiago or parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375°. Peel and cube butternut squash and toss with 1 T. olive oil and ½ t. coarse salt. Roast cubed butternut squash at 375°F for 25 minutes or until tender, stirring once after 15 minutes.

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water when draining.

Wash the brussel sprouts, trim the stem and halve sprouts lengthwise. Heat 2 T. butter in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sprouts and herbs and a generous sprinkle of coarse salt; sauté for 5 minutes. Add reserved pasta water, cover pan and cook additional 2-3 minutes until sprouts are tender. Remove from heat.

Combine cooked pasta, squash and brussel sprouts. Drizzle with lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste; plate and top with toasted walnuts and shredded asiago.

 

Crispy Olive Oil Potato Wedges and The Great Caper October 17, 2012

Filed under: Gluten Free,Lunch/Dinner,Salads,Vegan — annalope @ 11:14 pm
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Crispy Olive Oil Potato Wedges

Inspired by Oh She Glows crispy baked fries, the small amount of cornstarch gives these little potatoes such an awesome crispy texture. Definitely a method worth trying next time you’re in the mood for fries.

6-8 new potatoes

½ t. coarse salt

¼ t. Penzey’s Bavarian spice blend

¼ t. dried thyme

2 t. cornstarch

1 T. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°. Wash and dry potatoes (peeling is optional). Halve or quarter potatoes. In a sealable container mix salt, spices and cornstarch together. Add potatoes, seal and shake to evenly distribute spices and coat potatoes. Add 1 T. olive oil to container and shake again. Place on a baking sheet spaced 1” apart and bake 15 minutes, then use a spatula to turn, bake additional 10 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.

Serves 3-4

Caper Vinaigrette

The Caper, which is simply a pickled flower bud, is great in any Mediterranean dish, and easy to find in practically every grocery store. Jazz up your next salad with this tasty dressing. I think it’s perfect on a simple salad of greens with tomatoes and feta.

4 T. olive oil

1 green onion, chopped (optional)

1 ½ T. stone ground mustard

1 ½ T. red or white wine vinegar

2-3 T. capers

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

If you want to use green onion, heat it along with the olive oil in a small saucepan for 2 minutes, until the onions become soft, then remove from heat, add mustard and vinegar and whisk well to combine. Stir in capers and season to taste.

If you’ve opted not to use the green onions, just grab a small bowl and vigorously whisk olive oil, mustard and vinegar together to combine. Stir in capers and season to taste.

Makes enough for 8 salads

 

Quinoa Waldorf Salad October 12, 2012

Filed under: Gluten Free,Lunch/Dinner,Salads,Vegan — annalope @ 12:27 am
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A perfect fall dish – great for potlucks and picnics as it tastes best at room temperature. I’ve brought this to multiple get-togethers and the recipe is always requested. With all the fruit and fresh greens, this salad is refreshing and a great way to celebrate the season. If you haven’t tried quinoa before (pronounced keen-wah), I highly recommend it. Quinoa is the only grain (okay, technically a seed, but cooked and eaten like a grain) in the world that is a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids, so it’s wonderful for vegetarian diets. The tiny quinoa pearls have a ring around them, which will unfurl as it cooks and the seeds will become translucent. Many brands sell pre-rinsed quinoa, but rinsing in cold water at home prior to cooking ensures any bitterness from the seeds’ natural protective resin is washed away.

This recipe is easily modified. The most recent version I made, and the one pictured, I used regular raisins instead of golden, omitted the dried cranberries and celery, and used extra apples because I was bringing it to a potluck celebrating Johnny Appleseed Day. I hope you’ll try it next time you’re in the mood for a fall salad!

Quinoa Waldorf Salad

2 cups water

½ t. sea salt

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained

1 large apple or 2 small apples (pink lady, gala or fuji are great), unpeeled, cut into ½” cubes

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced (optional)

2 scallions, thinly sliced

½ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup golden raisins

2 T. walnuts, chopped (optional)

2 T. seasoned rice vinegar

4 T. fresh orange juice

¼ t. ground ginger

2 cups fresh baby arugula, washed and dried

½ t. fresh black pepper + additional salt to taste

Using a sieve, rinse quinoa under cold water for about 30 seconds, briefly allow to drain. In a saucepan bring water and salt to a boil, add quinoa, cover and reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes until water is adsorbed and quinoa fluffs easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, chop apple, celery and scallions and place in a large serving bowl along with cranberries, raisins and walnuts. In a small measuring glass whisk together rice vinegar, orange juice and ground ginger. Once quinoa has cooked and the water has all been absorbed, add it to the apple mixture and toss to combine. Pour orange vinegar dressing over salad, stirring. Gently fold in arugula to coat the greens but not tear them.

Serve with additional walnuts if desired.

 

Purple Cabbage Pasta with Swiss Chard August 31, 2012

Filed under: Gluten Free,Lunch/Dinner — annalope @ 4:57 am
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Even toddlers like eating soft purple cabbage! It’s super sweet when caramelized with red onion, and slippery fun for playful fingers that make their way into the bowl. Read all about cabbage’s amazing health benefits and cancer fighting compounds here.

Purple Cabbage Pasta with Swiss Chard

2 T. olive oil

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

6 large garlic cloves, minced

1 medium head cabbage, thinly sliced (4-6 cups)

16 oz pasta (Tinkyada brand recommended for gluten-free pasta)

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed, leaves washed and roughly chopped

1 t. apple cider vinegar (optional)

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add the sliced onions, cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until tender and glistening, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, cook 3 minutes longer, uncovered, stirring periodically. Add the cabbage, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large pot, cook pasta in salted water according to package directions (when cooking the gluten-free pasta I notice it never takes as long as the package instructions indicate…check frequently to prevent mushy noodles). Drain pasta, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid. Allow pasta to sit in colander covered with a lid or plate while returning reserved cooking liquid to empty pot in which to cook the greens. Over medium-high heat boil swiss chard 3-4 minutes until greens are tender and tasty (too short and they will taste bitter, too long and they loose their flavor). Drain swiss chard, add 1 t. apple cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Return drained pasta to cooking pot.

Add the cabbage-onion mixture to the pasta in the pot and season with salt and pepper. Mix in swiss chard or serve on top of pasta after plating. Serve sprinkled with toasted walnuts.

Recipe adapted from Color Me Vegan cookbook by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, which I adore and am so happy no one else has requested from the library, enabling me to renew it over and over again until I can buy it.

 

The Toddler Sushi Roll August 20, 2012

Filed under: Dairy free,Gluten Free,Healthy Snacks,Lunch/Dinner,Vegan — annalope @ 5:20 am
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I could eat sushi every day of my life…but since I can’t afford sushi bars or exposing my body to so much mercury on a regular basis, I’m getting creative making sushi rolls at home. This tofu teriyaki roll is perfect for snacks, play dates, and picnics because it doesn’t require dipping in additional soy sauce – the tofu is already marinated so the roll is adequately salty on its own. A helpful hint for feeding sushi to toddlers: don’t slice the rolls, just leave it whole or cut the roll in half and give it to them burrito style. It’s hard to fit a full piece of sushi in a young child’s mouth, and we all know biting it in half just results in the other half spilling on our laps or the floor, but giving them a full roll allows them to bite off only as much as they can chew. Happier bellies, cleaner floors.

Tofu Teriyaki Sushi Rolls

Ingredients:
1 package marinated tofu (recipe below)
6 sheets Nori seaweed paper
2 cups cooked and cooled short grain brown rice
3 large carrots, sliced into 1/4″ strips and steamed (leave raw if you/your child like them crunchy)
2 avocados, sliced

To assemble:
Place 1 nori sheet on a dry counter or cutting board and spread with a thin layer of cooled brown rice, leaving at least 1/2″ border at the top free of rice so you can seal your sushi roll. Make a horizontal line across the rice with the tofu, carrots and avocado, then tightly roll, and seal the roll by dipping your finger in cool water and running along the seaweed section without rice, then roll completely and allow to sit a couple minutes before slicing. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Sorry, if I’ve done a bad job explaining how to roll sushi, there are plenty of tutorials with photos and videos online 🙂

*You want to use tofu which has been frozen (left sealed in package) and then thawed for maximum absorption of marinade

Teriyaki Marinade:
1 package extra-firm tofu, frozen and thawed
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup tamari soy sauce
2 T. granulated sugar
1 T. toasted sesame oil

To prepare tofu —
Gently squeeze the thawed tofu over a sink to remove excess moisture and cut into large, long strips, suitable for sushi making. In a saucepan, combine the stock, tamari, sugar and sesame oil. Bring to a boil, add the tofu, and cook 5-6 minutes over low heat. Turn off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
— Teriyaki Recipe from “Color Me Vegan” cookbook by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

 

Spinach-Basil Pesto Gluten Free Pasta August 17, 2012

Filed under: Gluten Free,Lunch/Dinner,Pasta,Vegan — annalope @ 9:01 pm
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Spinach-Basil Pesto
Used on Gluten-free brown rice pasta with feta cheese for picture. Omit cheese, or use dairy-free cheese for a vegan dish.

*I haven’t tried every GF pasta available in the market, but I must say I’m loyal to the Tinkyada brand

Pesto:
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
one or two pinches of sea salt

Blend all pesto ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Pour onto cooked, drained pasta, in cooking pot, and warm for 2-3 minutes (I do this so the garlic doesn’t have as much of a bite for the kids…don’t bother if your family likes the taste of raw garlic). Pour pasta into serving bowl and top with feta cheese.

 

Pumpkin Kale Quiche October 13, 2011

Filed under: Breakfast,Eggs,Lunch/Dinner — annalope @ 5:15 am
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My daughter is a big fan of eggs, so when I told her we were having quiche for dinner and she gave me a serious, disapproving look and shook her head no, I knew she still wasn’t clear on exactly what a quiche is made of. “Egg Pizza!” I exclaimed, and immediately encountered an excited face with big eyes and some of my favorite words to hear: “Ella help.” She always says “help” with such anticipation and hopeful uncertainty, really drawing out the word as she enunciates every letter and places her face, eyebrows raised, squarely in front of yours where she can lock eyes with you so there’s no mistaking how committed she is to her request. Then she runs looking for a big chair to pull up to the counter, and I make sure to hide any extra eggs I don’t want her cracking. Destruction – creation – destruction – creation…this task was designed for a toddler.

Pumpkin Kale Quiche

Note: I use a large quiche pan for this dish (not a standard pie pan). If you don’t have one, or a suitably sized dish (who says quiche has to be round?) you’ll want to use 2 pie pans and make 50% more crust.

For Crust:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

½ cup white whole wheat flour

½ t. salt

4 T. coconut oil

6 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

¼ cup iced water

Combine flours and salt in medium bowl. Cut in coconut oil and butter until pieces are no larger than pea sized. Add water and mix very gently, kneading only a couple times to form a ball. Flatten slightly into a disc, place on plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while assembling other ingredients.

For Quiche:

5 cups roughly chopped kale

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)

10 eggs

½ cup half and half

½ t. sage

1/8 t. black pepper

½ t. salt, divided

In large sauté pan, combine kale with 2-3 T. water, cover and cook over medium heat until kale has steamed (3-5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add ¼ t. salt to kale, place in bowl; shred cheese into same bowl. In large measuring glass or 1 qt. bowl combine pumpkin puree, eggs, half and half, sage, pepper and remaining ¼ t. salt. Cover and keep egg mixture cold while crust prebakes.

Preheat oven to 350°. Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to cover quiche pan and gently press into pan. Poke the bottom of your crust several times with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes.

Place kale onto prebaked crust, top with cheese, then cover with egg mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until egg mixture is set.