Gluten-Free Raspberry Coconut-Almond Bars

Gluten-free almond raspberry bars with coconut are sweet temptation.

Let's be honest. I am here today to tempt you. To coax you. To seduce you with a vegan holiday dessert worthy of the calories. In full transparency, I am admitting up front these are not fat-free. Or sugar-free. These aren't diet food. They're not proper for breakfast (unless you serve them with Champagne). And you won't be able to sigh ever-so-wistfully at parties and mention, off hand, how hard it is to eat gluten-free during the holidays. Because, Darling Reader, you'll score zero sympathy points once people sink their teeth into the luscious raspberry jam filling nestled between buttery toasted coconut-almond crunch topping and tender hazelnut cookie crust. Nope. In fact, these decadent raspberry coconut-almond bars should come with a warning:  

Be careful who you share these with.

Because they are sure to fall madly in love with you.


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Pasta Fazoolander - So Good You'll Want to Take Off Your Underwear Without Removing Your Pants!

I realize that if you haven't seen the movie Zoolander, the title of this pasta e fagioli, aka pasta fazool, makes absolutely no sense. But, having recently seen someone perform the famous underwear extraction scene from the movie (see bonus video below), I just couldn't help myself.

So, is this hearty winter soup really so good you'd spontaneously attempt to remove your underwear without taking off your pants? Well, possibly, but you'd really have to love soup. Really love soup.

Regardless of whether you go Zoolander or not, no one will deny this is a super simple, very fast, and quite nutritional recipe. The addition of cheese tortellini in place of significantly less interesting macaroni, makes for an extra satisfying bowl of food.

As I say in the video, this is an answer to all the people who claim not having enough time to cook after a long day at work. This entire recipe, start to finish, takes about 30 minutes. And, if your excuse is you don't cook at all, well, this is a heck of a recipe to start with! It also happens to be the kind of dish you really want to be savoring on one of these chilly winter days. Enjoy!




Pasta Fazoolander (pasta e fagioli, pasta fazool) Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1-2 anchovy fillet
1 quart chicken, or vegetable broth
1 cup dry tortelinni
1 (15-oz) can white beans, drained
2 cups packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
red pepper flakes
parmesan cheese

Bonus Borderline-Inappropriate Zoolander Impersonation Video
The reason Zoolander was on the brain was this performance by Aubrey Huff at the San Francisco Giants' World Series parade. He went full Zoolander to remove his red "Rally Thong," the good luck charm he actually wore during the season (true story).

Food-Proofing Your iPad

I assume those of you fortunate enough to own an iPad take your tablet into the kitchen to follow along with recipes, and if you do, it's not a matter of if, but when, you spill something all over it. Well, here's a very simple solution from Wired.com using a ziplock bag and business card holder. Enjoy!

Next Up: Pasta Fazoolander

This rustic winter soup was supposed to be posted today, but I was sidetracked by some very good news (which you will hear about on Tuesday...hint: tuna). I hope to have it up tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Caldo Verde Recipe

Caldo Verde is one of the best known dishes in Portugal. It's a great choice on a cold day or if you're feeling a little "under the weather." Caldo Verde is an extremely therapeutic mixture containing garlic, onions, chicken broth, and a lot of vitamin-packed and anti-oxidant rich kale.

Recommended Equipment:
Dutch Oven or large soup pot

Ingredients:
1/2 pound chorizo or linguica sausage, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1 tspn + 1 pinchsea salt
1 1/2 tspn pepper
2 tspn vinegar
4 cloves garlic
5 1/2 cups chicken broth (1 32oz. box)
1 bunch of kale or collard greens
5 medium red-skin potatoes, quatered

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in pot over medium heat.
2. Add the sausage and stir until it is lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
3. Remove sausage from pot and set it aside in a paper-towel lined bowl.
4. Pour all but about a table spoon of the remaining oil from the sausage into another bowl and save for later.
5. Add the onions to the pot over medium heat along with a pinch of sea salt and stir frequently until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes).
6. Add garlic and cook for about a minute.
7. Add chicken broth and potatoes and increase heat to medium high.
8. Put cover on pot and cook for about 7 minutes so that potatoes are soft.
9. Mash about half of the potatoes against the bottom or sides of the pot and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
10. Cut out and discard the tough center stems of the kale or collard greens. Dice up the leaves and add them to the pot along with the sausage.
11. Stir and simmer for 5 more minutes.
12. Add 1 teaspoons of sea salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, and 2 teaspoons of vinegar to the pot and stir.
    
13. Pour Caldo Verde into bowls and drizzle a little of the reserved oil from the sausage into the bowl before serving.

Related Articles / Posts:
Benefits of eating soup

Portugal [ print this recipe ]

Crispy Crusty Potato Pancakes Always a Reason to Celebrate

There's nothing like the soul-warming goodness of a freshly fried potato pancake, and thanks to Hanukkah, you can't visit a food website right now without seeing a gorgeous-looking potato latke recipe.

I'm very proud of my own cherished version, so I decided to rerun this video from last February. We garnished this with smoked salmon, but truth be told, my favorite way to enjoy them is topped with applesauce and sour cream.

I hope you enjoy seeing this potato pancake recipe again, and if you’re seeing it for the first time, I really hope you give it a try. A happy Hanukkah to all those celebrating, and as always, enjoy!

Potato Pancakes – Squeeze and Be Squeezed



Click here for the original post and ingredient amounts.

Ah, oh, ah? Beef Au Jus

I do not speak French. This is not something I'm proud of, as I could have, and should have, picked it up by now. With that said, the mispronunciation of French culinary terms is one of my great guilty pleasures.

I know it's "oh" jus, and not "ahhh" jus, but that's how I grew up saying it, and I don't have any plans to start saying it right at this advanced age. Besides, the proper pronunciation sounds like you are surprised you're getting a sauce, and my way sounds like you are happy about it.

This is the most minimalist method for doing a quick au jus for your prime rib of beef. In a restaurant that specializes in prime rib, they have the benefit of massive amounts of bones and scraps to make a reduced, rich jus without having to thicken it.

At home however, we need to cheat a little bit. You can do this without the flour step, but I think most people prefer this beefy dipping sauce to have a little body to it. Not thick like gravy, but just a little something to help it adhere to the meat. By the way, that thin film of beef fat floating on the surface is fully intentional, as you are about to hear. Enjoy!




Beef Au Jus Ingredients:
1/4 cup beef fat, plus pan drippings from a cooked prime rib or other roast beef
1 1/2 tablespoon white flour
2 cups rich beef broth
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
*makes about 1 1/2 cups depending on how much you reduce