Amazing Fruit Crisp with Teff Flour, Maca, Almonds, Organic, Local Berries and Apples
Whether you are gluten-free, vegan, or omnivore, who can resist fruit crisp hot out of the oven? I have been baking and eating fruit crisps using teff flour for over 20 years and loving it. Here is a tasty variation, where I swapped a tablespoon of super food maca for some of the teff flour. You can do that with any flour; swap a little maca for about a tablespoon of flour. You will find yummy fruit crisp recipes in my cookbooks, Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook and Going Wild in the Kitchen. Also, you can add some almonds to the sweet maple syrup sweetened crumble on top. I also love to use extra virgin coconut oil. Local organic apples, along with fresh picked then frozen strawberries, raspberries and wild cranberries line the bottom of the baking dish before the crumble goes on top. Delish! Feel free to mix and match seasonal fruits all year round! A generous touch of organic cinnamon and organic vanilla extract “Spices this Up” and makes this a “Great Meal with Great Grains”. “Improvisational Cooking for Health and Vitality and Pleasure, too. All major themes of my cooking classes and cookbooks.
Serve it for breakfast with yogurt on top, or for enjoy as a snack or dessert with whipped cream or ice cream. Since oats are a complete protein, this is a great meal with great grains any time of day!
3 cups spelt flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup canola oil or melted extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a cookie sheet and set aside.
2. Combine the flour, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl
and set aside.
3. Place the oil, molasses, honey, and ginger in a blender. (If the
ginger is too fibrous, gather it in your hands, squeeze the juice
into the blender, and then discard the grated fibers.) Add to the
flour mixture and stir to form a moist dough.
4. Knead the dough for a minute, then shape into walnut-sized
balls. Place on the cookie sheet about 3/4-inch apart. Flatten gently with a fork.
5. Bake 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven, and cool at least
10 minutes before serving.
I have discovered the easiest way to make knishes. Use egg roll wrappers.
This recipe’s mashed potato filling is flavored with black olives,
scallions, and olive oil. Delicious!
Yield: 14 knishes
6 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 cup coarsely chopped scallions
3/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
14 egg roll wrappers
(6-inch squares)
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2.In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes with 1/2 cup of the oil, the olives, scallions, and sea salt. Adjust the season-
ings, if desired.
3.Place an egg roll wrapper diagonally on a large cutting board or plate, so it appears diamond-shaped. Place 2 tablespoons of the
potato mixture in the center. Fold the top and bottom corners over the filling to meet in the middle, then fold the right and left corners
to meet in the middle. Pick up the knish and place it in the palm of both hands as if it were a ball and gently squeeze to make it round
in shape. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
4.Arrange the knishes on an unoiled baking sheet, and brush the tops with the remaining oil. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden
brown.
5.Arrange the knishes on a platter and serve plain or with your favorite dipping sauce. Mustard Sauce with Maple Syrup and Miso (page 76 of Going Wild in the Kitchen) is recommended.
Lasagna with Chèvre, Arugula and Crimini Mushrooms
Lasagna is very versatile. In this version, chèvre stands in for the more commonly used ricotta cheese, and goat cheddar subs for mozzarella.
Other cheeses that melt well, such as goat Gouda, French petite Basque or Spanish Manchego, are good choices, too.
2.Spread 1/2cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. (You can use one of the lasagna noodles to do
the spreading.) Lay 3 of the noodles over the sauce.
3.Spread the chèvre on top of the noodles, top with another 3 noodles, and cover with mushrooms and arugula.
4.Place the last 3 noodles over the mushrooms and arugula, and press gently. Top with the remaining sauce and grated cheese.
5.Cover with foil or a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until the noodles are soft and the lasagna is hot and bubbly.
6.Remove from the oven and let sit about 10 minutes to set. Cut into squares and serve.
For a Change . . .
•Instead of crimini mushrooms and arugula, try a combination of marinated sun-dried tomatoes, fresh or roasted bell peppers, chopped radicchio, sautéed shiitake mush-
rooms, and kale.
•Replace the layer of vegetables with another layer of grated cheese.
•Vary the type of lasagna noodles; use rice, whole wheat, spelt, spinach, or artichoke soy. Even penne or macaroni pasta works well.
•For a Mexican-style version, use jalapeño jack soy cheese instead of chèvre, and salsa in place of tomato sauce.
“Have you ever found yourself in the kitchen wanting to make
something new and exciting but not knowing where to start? Are you interested in mixing things up? Look no further! Leslie
Cerier?s book, Going Wild in the Kitchen, will easily help you add
more spice to your life!”
Leslie will take you on a unique ride, introducing a variety of ingredients to make part of your culinary repertoire. In this book you’ ?ll find an informative glossary of these new
ingredients as well as helpful charts categorizing them by season and taste: wild mushrooms, herbs and spices, edible flowers, wild greens and roots, ancient grains, and sea vegetables. Other features of the book include handy guides for cooking grains, soaking beans, mixing and matching recipes, adjusting flavors, and converting measurements. And while many of these ingredients can be found at your local health
food store or farmer?s market, a resources section is available to readers looking to purchase organic ingredients online.
When you cook from this book you will find Leslie?’s recipes to be wildly entertaining to the palate and an indulgence for the senses. Going Wild offers an array of options to flavor every meal of the day! My favorite section detailed ways to turn ordinary oils and vinegars into tasty and aromatic dressings; you and your guests will undoubtedly love them! With over 150 mouth-watering vegetarian recipes that are both imaginative and simple to follow, you will find plenty of opportunities to go wild in your kitchen!
Garlicky Potato Soup with Fresh Nettles
The rich flavor of fresh spring nettles can?t be beat! This is a perfect first-course soup to rejuvenate the senses after a winter of root vegetables. Because fresh nettles have stingers, don?t forget to wear garden gloves when handling them. Fortunately, the stingers melt away when cooked in the soup.
Nettles Soup
Yield: 4-6 servings
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
10 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
8 cups water
8 cups unpeeled potatoes, cut into ¼-inch cubes
2 cups fresh nettle tops
2 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
1) Heat the oil in a 6-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and
sauté, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften and the
ingredients area fragrant. Add the water, potatoes, nettles, salt, and pepper.
2) Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer covered
for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
3) Carefully ladle some of the soup into a blender until it is half full, and pureé until
smooth. Pour the pureé into a large bowl and continue to blend the remaining soup.*
4) Return the pureed soup to the pot and simmer until heated through. Adjust the
seasonings, if desired.
5) Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve.
*If you have a immersion blender, you can pureé the cooked soup right in the pot.
