Best-Ever Chocolate Quinoa Cake {gluten-free}

http://makingthymeforhealth.com/2013/12/04/best-ever-chocolate-quinoa-cake-gluten-free/

 "Thanks for being that way" - Charity

Drinking choco coconut milk above my space.

"She is my landlord and she has lowered the rent. She points to her chest and says,

“If you lived here,

you’d be home by now.”"

Too many zucchinis.

Using your peeler, thinly peel a zucchini into a bowl. When you’ve peeled all that you can, slice the nub and add it to the bowl. Squeeze half a lemon over it. Add a good pinch of salt, a handful of chopped parsley, a teaspoon or 2 of top-notch olive oil and 1-2 oz feta. 

That’s it.

Doing it.

Shakshuka [Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce]

Adapted from Saveur

Serves 4 to 6

1/4 cup olive oil

5 Anaheim chiles or 3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (I was nervous and only used 2 Anaheims; I would go for 3 or 4 next time for a more moderate but still gentle kick)

1 small yellow onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, crushed then sliced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained

Kosher salt, to taste

6 eggs

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Warm pitas, for serving

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt.

Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce’s surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve with pitas, for dipping.

Juice.

 Add enough color variety to your juices. A green juice may give you a different benefit than a red juice. Let’s take a look at the Power Juicer color wheel to see exactly what colors you should be juicing and why.

Red: Red produce contain lycopene and other important nutrients. They help promote heart health, help memory function, lower you risk of some cancers and help boost immunity. All that just from making sure there’s some red in your juice.

Examples: tomato, watermelon, pink grapefruit, strawberry, red grapes, beets

Orange/Yellow: The brightly colored produce contain carotenoids which help promote hearth health and eye health (think carrots!). It also helps build immunity, promotes healthy mucous membrane and lower your risk of some cancer.

Examples: sweet potato, pear, orange, lemon, butternut squash, pumpkin

Green: You’ve heard that leafy greens are among the most nutritious things you can consumer. Well here’s why. They contain chlorophyll, lutein and indoles. What they do is help lower your risk of breast, prostate, lung and other cancers; promote eye health; help build strong bones and teeth; boost immunity; and lower the risk of birth defects.

Examples: spinach, kale, kiwi, artichoke, cucumber, green grapes, lettuce, peas

Blue/Purple: Blue and purple produce contain anthocyanins. They help promote heart health and memory function, lowers your risk of some cancers, boosts immunity, and have antioxidant power.

Examples: blackberry, blueberry, eggplant, plum, raisins

White: If you want to help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, the anthoxanthins in white produce can help. They also help reduce the risk of stomach cancer and heart disease.

Examples: banana, garlic, jicama, mushroom, onion, parsnip, ginger
http://blog.powerjuicer.com/

Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew With Couscous

Adapted from RealSimple.com
http://smithratliff.com

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 28 oz. can whole San Marzano tomatoes

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed

1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into small florets

1 5 oz. package baby spinach, chopped

1 c. couscous

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Add the cumin, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.

3. Add the tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you add them, and their liquid, chickpeas, cauliflower, and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Fold in the spinach and cook until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a large bowl. Add 1 c. of hot tap water, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve with the stew.

1.2.3 Qiézi (eggplant in Mandarin)

Eggplant Fries with a Drizzle of Honey: Best when hot and crispy!

Eggplant Fries from The Hungry Mouse 3/4 cup flour 2 tsps garlic powder 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp fresh parsley, minced 1 tbsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp black pepper, fresh ground oil for frying 3 baby eggplants or 2 medium eggplants salt for seasoning honey In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, dried oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper until thoroughly mixed. In a heavy-bottom medium saucepan, heat at least two inches of oil to about 350F. Peel the eggplants and slice into 3/4-inch thick fingers. Toss the eggplant slices a few at a time in the seasoned flour until well coated. When the oil is ready, drop a few sticks of eggplant into the oil – they should begin sizzling immediately. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan or have the oil temperature drop too much. When they begin to brown (about a minute) flip them over and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Remove the eggplant fries from the oil and let drain on a cooling rack. Serve hot with a shake of salt and a drizzle of honey. A great snacking appetizer for 4 people.

My little $.59 RAMEN world is about to change!

I have a food crush on RAMEN. TOP RAMEN that is! I use to make it after my day spent day dreaming @ school as a kid. That or a can of spaghetti-Os dipped with a corn chip!  Those $.59 bags of dehydrated fried noodles which I’d stir an MSG-laden seasoning packet gave me the ultimate comfort food, and something I knew how to make! Now that I just had my birthday and I am a self declared adult in my head, finally.  I deiced "I am in SF there has got to be good RAMEN around that is not packaged". As I searched online I found the following places applaused by locals and a recipe to try at home. I am excited to try the RAMEN joints.

Katana-Ya  , Izakaya Sozai , Oyaji  , and Halu   Coffee Bar in Potrero Hill. Hapa Ramen will  be at the Thursday Farmers Market at the Ferry Building.

Or, I can make it myself:

For the noodles:

5 eggs (255 grams)
4 cups flour (606 grams)
4 T water (62 grams)

Mix the eggs, flour, and water together in a standing mixer with a dough hook attachment until the dough is smooth and shiny. Let it rest. Roll it out using a pasta machine and cut the noodles on the #4 setting.

For the dashi: 

12 quarts water
70 grams konbu
100 grams bonito flakes
170 grams niboshi

Steep for 2.5 hours. Strain. Add 8.5 grams dried shiitake. Simmer for 30 minutes and remove. Add 8.5 lbs of chicken (2 whole chickens). Simmer on low for 90 minutes, then remove chicken. Strip the meat from the bones; reserve the bones for the stock and the meat for another use. Add 10 lbs of pork necks and 1 beef femur. Add water to cover, approximately 12–14 quarts.

Once at a simmer, add stripped chicken bones. Remove beef bone. Cook for 30 hours, replenishing water as needed. During the final seven hours, add in two onions and four carrots. At the end of 30 hours, strain the stock and add mirin, sake, and soy.

For the pork:

Cook sous-vide at 80°C for 8 hours.

Slice the pork, sauté some chard, and cook the noodles to your liking. Layer into a deep bowl and add a few ladles of broth. Garnish with a soft-boiled egg and a sheet of nori.

link: Eggplant Caponatina from Beretta in SF.

Serves 4 - 6

4 medium-size Japanese eggplants

1 stalk celery

½ basket cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon capers

2 tablespooons chopped Sicilian green olives

1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1. Peel eggplant leaving some stripes, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Season with salt. Let them sit for 12 hours, and then dry pat them with a towel. Fry (preferrably deep-fry) the eggplant, remove, and let cool.

2. Cut celery into 1/3-inch cubes, and blanch for 2 minutes in boiling salted water. Strain and cool under running water. Strain again.

3. Toss eggplant, celery, tomato, basil, capers, green olives, pine nuts, and white balsamic vinegar. Season to taste and serve.

Agua Fresca

The Goods:

-6-8 lbs. seedless watermelon, cut into 2-inch pieces

-2 c. cold water, divided

-1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

-1 Tbsp. agave nectar or honey (more or less to taste)

-Ice cubes

-Lime slices and mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Watermelon & Tomato Salad with Feta

recipe from Amy Cotler of the Locavore Way (fabulous blog and book of the same title)

The Goods:

-2 1/2c. 3/4 to 1-inch cubes of heirloom tomatoes

-1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt

-20 mint leaves, approx.

-1 small scallion, green and white, sliced

-1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice or 1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

-1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

-4 c. 3/4 to 1-inch cubes of watermelon, seeded

-1/3 c. crumbled feta

The Deal:

-Place a colander over a bowl. Add the tomatoes and toss with the salt. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

-Stack and tightly curl the mint leaves then slice thinly. Add to a small bowl along with the scallion, lemon juice, and olive oil.

-Toss the tomatoes with the watermelon. Then add and toss in the scallion-mint dressing. Pour off any excess liquid. Taste, adding additional slat if you like, remembering that the feta is already salty.

-Pile the salad on a platter or individual plates, sprinkled with feta cheese.

Lavender Lemonade

* 2 cups sugar

* 5 sprigs lavender (stems and buds), plus additional for garnish
* 2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 10 lemons)
* 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 4 limes)

Directions: In a large saucepan, bring one gallon of water and the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat; add 7 lavender sprigs and lemon and lime juices. Cool to room temperature, strain, and chill. Serve on ice, with additional lavender for garnish.