Soaked-Quinoa Pizza Crust

This recipe is a beautiful work in progress with each subsequent trial a tastier version of the last.  My most recent installment occurred today.  This was the closest I have come to tasting "real" pizza since the last time I tasted "real" pizza.

The nice thing about this recipe is it is relatively fast.  There is no long rise time.  You do not have to deal with yeast.  It only requires a very few simple ingredients.  And, most of the cook time carries over into topping prep time.  The only potential issue with this recipe is it requires planning.  You have to soak the quinoa for about 8 hours.  I have left it soaking for 24 with a water change around 12 hours when I realized that I wasn't going to be able to make the pizza that day.  So, you can get up in the morning and start the soaking process for pizza in the evening, or you can do it the night before and be able to make pizza anytime the next day.

The process is simple.  Rinse 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh colander to remove the soapy taste. I like to do this in batches and actually rub the quinoa against the side of the colendar.  [If you forget this step, don't worry too much as you will be rinsing the quinoa later.  This initial rinse is really important if you are wanting to feed this to non-quinoa people.  The funky quinoa taste isn't particularly pleasant for those of us that like it, much less those who think they don't even want to try it.  :)] Soak the quinoa in enough water to cover it.  Place in fridge for 8+ hours.  Drain and rinse.  Place in a blender along with a Tbsp olive oil, 3-4 sun-dried tomatoes, 1-2 cloves fresh garlic, 1/4-1/2 tsp salt, and about a half teaspoon of the herbs of your choice.  I used some fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage and some dried oregano.  The herbs are to your taste, but 1/2 tsp of italian seasoning is a good starting place.  Add about 1/2 cup filtered water.  Blend until it is relatively smooth and looks like pancake batter.  You might need to add water during this process.  Meanwhile, you have a 450F oven with a 12" (or so) pan heated up in it.  Add enough coconut oil to the screaming hot pan to cover it well.  Put it back in the oven for a bit, and then pour in the pizza crust batter.  Smooth out evenly, almost to the edges.  Cook for about 12 minutes, and carefully flip it over.  I used a big metal spatula and ran it under the crust until I was sure it was free before flipping it.  Then, cook the crust for 10 more minutes.  Remove from oven, prick with a fork, and lightly top with your favorite toppings. I don't use a tomato sauce to avoid sogginess, but get the tomato flavor instead from the sun-dried tomato crust and adding a few strips of sun-dried tomato under the cheese.  Return to the oven until the toppings look like you want them to.  Let rest for a few minutes.  Cut and enjoy!


Things I still want to try with this recipe:
- Using a food processor instead of a blender
- Using cooked quinoa and slightly less water

Recipe inspiration came from Tasty Eats at Home.

Ingredients:

1 c quinoa plus enough water to cover for soaking

about 1/2 c filtered water

1/2 t salt

1-2 cloves of garlic

1/2 t Italian seasoning

3-4 sun-dried tomatoes

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp + Coconut oil to coat pan

Rinse quinoa well. Place the quinoa in a bowl and pour in enough water to cover the quinoa. Let it sit for about 8 hours to soak.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Use a large, 12-inch skillet, and place in oven to preheat.  Add coconut oil when crust is almost ready.

Drain the quinoa, rinse thoroughly, and place the quinoa in a blender. Add most of the water and the seasonings and blend. Add more water as needed, until the batter resembles a thick pancake-style batter.

Once the oven is heated to temperature, pour the batter into the skillet and quickly spread it out evenly across the bottom. Place in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the underside is well-browned and starting to crisp. Use a large spatula and carefully flip the crust. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Add toppings, avoid adding too many so pizza doesn’t get soggy. Return to oven for 5-7 minutes.

A Time without Refined Sugars

Yesterday, I enjoyed a big glass of Mug Root beer and realized it made my teeth hurt and made me feel bloated and weighted down inside. Before bed, I had a snack bowl of Frosted Flakes with icy cold almond milk.  Yum!  I don't have any complaints about that other than the fact that corn and sugar probably isn't the best snack before bed.

I have decided to start a time without refined sugars to become more aware of the sugary choices in my life.  I will use honey, agave, and maple syrup as sweeteners when needed, but will avoid coconut sugar, sucanat, and artificial sweeteners in addition to the traditional white sugars.  I typically don't consume any artificial sweeteners, except in chewing gum, which, I just realized, I won't be able to have until the end of my sugar fast.  To avoid becoming obsessive, as I am prone to do, I might give myself a free pass if I go out to eat.  For instance, sushi rice traditionally has a tiny bit of sugar in it.  If I am invited to go out for sushi, I am not necessarily going to say "no" because of this sugar fast.  I would, however, decide against ordering sorbet or some form of sugary goodness (err...badness)! I hope to go for a week, but I am definitely going to go until the weekend. Here is to a 3-7 day time of being unsweetened!

Today was the first day of going sugar free.  It was not without its challenges.  For instance, my dad brought home a lemon almond dessert looking bar that I have been looking forward to trying.  I forgot to eat it before starting the fast, so now it is going to stare at me until I decide I am done.  Then, I made a late lunch that would go perfectly with a glass of soda.  That's not allowed, either.  So, today, I am aware of at least two times when I reached for sugar at least mentally.

Here was my menu for today with a recipe post to follow.

Breakfast:
2 Cage-Free eggs scrambled in olive oil with a bit of sheep's cheese on top
1 medium organic Fuji apple
48 ounces of water (I was really thirsty this morning!)

Lunch occurred at 3pm, so I was ravenous:
Quinoa Crust Pizza topped with sun-dried tomatoes, green onion, enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, cherry peppers, and manchego, pecorino romano, and chevre cheeses.
Mixed lettuces green salad with cucumber, avocado, green onion, and pepitas.

Dinner:
Coconut water
Air-popped popcorn misted with EVOO

Tonight, I also made some granola for breakfast in the morning.  Fortunately, I made a half recipe because this stuff got a little extra crispy.  I decided it needed to cook another 5-10 minutes, so I came back 20 minutes later...  It still will be good with really cold almond milk, though!

Dairy-free, Soy-Free, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free Winter Squash Pie

Here is my promised recipe for making dairy-free, sugar-free, soy-free, gluten-free winter squash pie.  You can put it in whatever crust you desire.  The ratio for making a pie crust by weight is 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, 1 part water.  To make a single crust, 150g flours of choice, 100g fat, 50g water works well.  I use coconut oil when I make pie crust for myself.  I weigh it out in the soft state, and put it in the fridge or freezer until it's solid and chilled.  Then I put it in the food processor with the flour and pulse it 10 times.  I slowly pulse in the cold water until the dough just starts to come together.  I form it into a disc and place it in the fridge for an hour at least.  I can then roll it out. (Honestly, if the pie is for everyday occasions, I will simply press the pie crust crumbles evenly into the pie pan, then stick the pie pan in the fridge.  The crust is just as good, but not nearly as attractive.) Sometimes it needs to sit on the counter a few minutes for the fat to become soft enough to roll.  This is characteristic of coconut oil.  If you do use coconut oil, this rest time can be used to make the filling.

Winter Squash Filling

1 prepared pie crust
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice blend 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder 
1/2 cup maple syrup (grade b, preferably) 
2 cups of squash puree 
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
3 extra large eggs 
1 cup coconut milk from the can (I use the "light," which decreases the fat, but increases bake time. The full fat would make this truly decadent, though.)


Preheat the oven to 350F.  Make sure your racks are in the middle of the oven.

Whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, and cornstarch in a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the maple syrup, then add in the squash puree and vanilla.  Once that is all combined, add in the coconut milk and eggs until just combined. 

Prick a few holes into the bottom of the crust using a fork.  This prevents an air bubble from erupting up into your pie.  Add the filling to the pie crust, and bake in the 350F oven for about 50 minutes to an hour.  The center of the pie should just barely jiggle, and the rest should be set.  

You can either serve this hot, warm, or very cold out of the fridge (my favorite way). 

Thanksgiving Pie

Hubbard Squash and Blueberry Jam

I did both the normal and the abnormal, the seasonal and unseasonal, the local and the distant...

Today, I will tell you about the normal activity of cooking a winter squash in the winter since you heard all about the making of fresh preserves out of blueberries from Chile yesterday.  :)

I cooked a Hubbard Squash purchased from a pumpkin farm located about 15 minutes from my house.  After being a pretty part of our indoor fall decor and being stored in the garage for several months, it now gets to be nourishing!  I was hoping it will provide me with enough "meat" to make 3 pies with some extra squash for the freezer.  Now I realize I have practically enough squash to last through the year.

If you aren't familiar with these squash, they are a very hard, large winter squash that store very well.  They are blue-green in color, and get very huge.  I bought a medium sized one from the patch, and it weighed in the 30 pound range.  It has bright orange flesh, and sweet flavor.  For the size, it doesn't have very many seeds or pithy stuff.  I saved the seeds from my squash with the hopes of maybe growing a plant or two and then sharing the rest.  My research showed that squash seeds will last for about 5 years if stored properly, so they are a good one to save in your seed bank.

To prepare this gourd, I first washed it really well with a scrub brush in the laundry tub.  I had already brushed most of the dirt off it before storing it to avoid any premature rotting, so it was fairly clean.  Then, I took it outside, and dropped it on the sidewalk.  But instead of having dismay over my shattered pumpkin, I smiled at how easy it was to break!  Yes, my friends, dropping it was intentional.  I had read online of the various ways people cook their Hubbard squashes.  If you have a pan that it will fit in, you can cook them whole in the oven, but it will take several (several) hours.  Mine didn't fit in a pan and was so heavy, I didn't think it would be wise to try and put it in and out of the oven. So I decided to go with one of the prescribed methods that looked least likely to cause personal injury.  Some people recommend a hammer and chisel, others go for a mallet and inexpensive knife, others hatchet them: these things are tough.  Instead of attempting to use sharp implements, I dropped the gourd on our back patio.  First, though, I found a spot the snow had just melted and dried from and swept it off with a broom.  Then I lugged the squash out there and let it fall from about waist height (3 feet).  Next time, I might bend drop it from less of a height to try and get pieces of uniform size and maybe even just split it in half.  Some people put their squash in a garbage bag and then drop it to help contain the mess and keep the squash clean.  I voted against that because I would have felt compelled to wash my squash again anyway.  If I were dropping the squash on the road rather than my personal patio, I would use the garbage bag method. Either way, this method worked fine and resulted in pieces from half-an-acorn-squash-sized, to 1/3-hubbard squash sized.

I grabbed a turkey roasting pan (rated for up to 30 pounds!) and started loading up my squash pieces.  I had to make two trips.  The first load I quickly rinsed and left in the kitchen sink and then brought in the rest of the pieces, leaving them in the roasting pan while I removed the seeds and strings from the squash, thoroughly rinsed to remove any dirt, and laid them out on the counter.  I did this until I had washed all of the pieces and had them all ready to go into a pan and in the oven.

The cleaned pieces of my Hubbard.

Oh my...  This was a big squash!  I then realized I would have to cook it in two, or maybe three, batches in the oven. So, I carefully arranged and stacked my squash pieces two high in my turkey roasting pan.  I added a bit of water, covered in aluminum foil, and stuck it in the oven.  Because I stacked them two high, it took about 4 hours for the squash to be done.  The second batch was much smaller, and I did in a single layer.  It took about an hour and a half to cook and cooked more evenly.  Next time, I will be patient and cook them in single layers.

I turned all of my squash into a puree.  I scraped it out of the pieces, mashing it slightly, and then put it in my food processor.  I blended until smooth.  Then, I put the puree in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and let the water drip out of the puree.  Since I am making pie from this squash, I needed to get the extra moisture out of it.  And I repeated the process.  It took a good hour to process all the squash.  Then, I made myself sad and dumped out the squash puree water.  I should have kept the broth for cooking grains in or even as an addition to the pie crust instead of cold water, but I dumped it down the sink because I was sick and tired of dealing with squash and squash mess.  Learn from me and start early on this.  I started at one p.m. and was dealing with squash until 7pm when I needed to wrap up and go to a Bible class.  Clean up didn't occur just before midnight.  That is not the way to do things.

Coming soon will be pictures and the recipe for my winter squash pie--dairy-free, soy-free, and sugar-free!

Blueberry Jam and ...

It was a kitchen day.  I cleaned the kitchen--washing pots, pans, counters, etc.  And then I tackled my kitchen projects for the day.  Then, I cleaned the kitchen--washing pots, pans, counters, etc.


I did both the normal and the abnormal, the seasonal and unseasonal, the local and the distant...

Now, I will tell you about the abnormal activity of making fresh blueberry jam in the middle of winter from Chilean berries.  Tomorrow, you will hear all about my normal activity of ____ .  :)

I enjoy canning jellies.  I find something therapeutic about the process--sorting through berries, chopping or mashing them, cooking them with apple juice, coaxing the last bit of honey out of the jar, and then putting the product in the jars and into the water bath.  I also like the sound of the jars sealing as they sit on the counter after emerging from the hot water.

I made a magical blueberry jam.  I find blueberries magical because the outside is blue, the insides are green, but when you mash them and especially cook them, everything turns purple.  I love it.

On Tuesday, I did some grocery shopping.  We have a local store that sells produce very inexpensively and every day they run different specials on the items that just arrived.  Nearly everything you get from them needs to be used either today or tomorrow, but it comes at such a low price, the little extra prep work when you get home is worth it.  Unfortunately, they typically do not have organic fruits, but occasionally, you get lucky and the 88 cents a container strawberries or the 68 cents a pound grapes are organic!  This time, though, I was able to get pints of conventionally farmed blueberries from Chile for $1 a pint.  I brought them home with the intention of going through them that night since I could see there might have been a moldy one or two in each container, but I didn't end up going through them until today.  I ended up with a pint of icky blueberries, so my price per container (because I got 5) ended up being 4/$5, or $1.20 a piece.  Not too bad considering.  I intended to freeze any we didn't eat right away, and then had a realization.  The freezer is little.  I just added bell peppers from my Tuesday's specials run, and I anticipate to have a lot of tomorrow's post to freeze.  So, I thought, "Blueberry jam!"

I washed the berries thoroughly in a colander, and then sprayed them with a vinegar/water mixture to hopefully remove some pesticide residue.  I let them sit for about 10 minutes while I grabbed the other ingredients for making a small batch of jam. I then rinsed the vinegar off of them, shook the colander to get some of the liquid off them.  I got my large pot filled 1/2 way with water, put a round dish cloth in it to sink to the bottom, put the lid on, and turned on the heat.  To do a hot water bath, you want the water to be hot when you add the preserves, not boiling, just hot.  For my sized pot and stove, the water is heated almost perfectly by the time my preserves are done.  Like with the Cran-Cherry jam, the jars of blueberry jam need to be lightly boiled (pan covered) for 10 minutes, and then left to sit in the water for another 5 minutes before being removed and left to rest on a towel on the counter for 24 hours.  They should be sealed well before then.

I followed the recipe on the back of the Ball Low-Sugar/No-Sugar Real Fruit Pectin for blueberry jam with some sugar.  At least, I thought I did.  I ended up half a jar short.  I think I skimped on honey.  Next time, I will do half "No Sugar" and half "Low Sugar" since I don't like my jam to be too sweet.  This is what is indicated below.  My jam tastes like the filling for a blueberry jelly donut! (Now I need to buy a donut pan!) I hope yours will, too.  :).

One of three and a half.

Blueberry Jam
makes 4 pint jars

3 cups clean blueberries
2/3 cups 100% apple juice
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)
3 Tbsp pectin
1/2 cup or so of honey

In a medium sized sauce pan, combine the blueberries, apple juice, and lemon juice.  Turn the heat on to medium/medium-high.  Mash the blueberries lightly.  They will continue to break down during the cooking process.  Gradually add the pectin, stirring constantly.
Continue stirring until the mixture comes up to a boil that cannot be stirred down.  Lower the heat slightly so the pan doesn't overflow, and slowly add the honey, stirring constantly.  Bring up to a boil again for 1 minute, stir constantly.  Remove from heat and let rest while you set up your jars.
Add the jam to clean, sanitized jars leaving 1/4 inch of head space (about up to the threads).   Wipe the rims and add the lids and lightly tighten the bands.  You can now either add them to the hot bath and process at a light boil for 10 minutes and then let it stand off the heat for 5 minutes, or put the jam in the refrigerator to consume within a week or so.  If you process them, remember to let them stand on the counter for 24 hours.  After that, check the seals and store in a cool, dark place.  Enjoy!

Valentine's Craft

Tomorrow, we turn the calendar from the month of January to February.  Then, after the hubbub of Super Bowl Sunday is over, we have 11 short days to prepare for Valentine's Day!  Last year, I decided I would "take" Valentine's Day and prepare a nice, hopefully restaurant-quality, meal for Ben and I to enjoy.  This year, I told him I would do the same because it was tradition--we've done it this way for all of our Valentine's Day's together!  :).  Anyway, last year, I wandered around Hobby Lobby to find inspiration for a homemade gift for my valentine.  I found the seasonal scrapbook paper and thought "how pretty...what do I do with it?" and abandoned it to walk into the stickers and premade cards area.  I found what I was hoping to: a card-like pocket with Popsicle-stick sized tabs in it detailing "Things I love about you."  I didn't like the colors on it, and it cost way more than I thought it should, so I took it with me back to the scrapbook paper.  I picked out various sheets of lightweight paper for accents, and some heavier paper for making the pouch and "sticks."  I already have a heart-shaped hole-punch, so I knew I would be able to add detail with that.  Anyway, I left Hobby Lobby with enough materials to make two cards, and having spent about 20% of the original price.  It was nice to be able to make something even better than the original (in my opinion...I didn't photograph the original for other people's comparison) for less!  And, since it was handmade, it has added sentiment!  Guys, you could do this too.  I know this version is a little too flowery for most guys to want to make, but you could easily adjust it to your crafting comfort level. :).

Mid-point of the project.  These are my materials, though!

Materials:
2 or 3 different colored pages of card-stock style paper
As many "pretty" accent papers as you desire
Scrap paper if you want to "test" things and make templates before cutting into your expensive paper
Glue Stick
Scissors (regular and "fancy" if you want to decorate your edges)
A small, heart-shaped paper punch
Marker/Calligraphy Marker
Pen

I have one of the table-top, paper-cutting, guillotine knife things which I used because I cannot cut a straight line.  :)  If you have one of those, it might make your life a little easier.  If not, cut as straight a line as possible.

Step one: Make your pocket.  I eyeballed this.  I wanted mine to be card-sized, so it was about 4 inches wide and 6 inches tall.  Essentially, I cut the paper long-ways to be about 4" wide.  I wanted the back taller than the front so the tabs would be supported and not bend backwards, so I allowed the back to be about 1/2" taller than the front when I folded the paper.  Once you have it folded to your liking, run some glue along the inside edges, press, and let dry while you make the other stuff.

Step two: Cut your tabs/sticks to be about the height of your pocket and about 3/4 of an inch wide.  You want to be able to have enough room to write, and also fit a heart punch-out or some form of decoration on it.

Some of my basic tabs.  I used the fancy scissors on the tops of some to make them more decorative.

Step three: Add decoration to everything.  I mostly used my heart-punch and some fancy (not-really) scissor-work to cut out hearts from the paper I bought. I also decorated my pouch.  First, I grabbed a scrap piece of paper and cut it to the size I wanted for the overlay.  I then decided how I wanted to space my writing.  Then I cut out an appropriate sized piece of my pretty, basically white sheet of heart paper and wrote "Things I Love about You!"  I glued that on the front of the pouch, and then cut out pieces from my scrapbook paper to decorate around it.

A specially-decorated tab. 

Another special tab. Two heart punch-outs over-laid, one with a baby heart from the white heart paper topping it, and then a cut out of the heart punch-out with a white background. This was supposed to be the last one he read if went from right tab to left tab...but he is left handed so he read from left to right...

The pouch with decoration.

Step four: Write what you love about the person!  As a suggestion, say some general girlfriend/boyfriend or wife/husband things, but also be specific to the person or your relationship.  For instance, if he does the dishes after you make dinner, put that on a tab! If you appreciate that she packs a lunch for you even though her mornings are really busy, too, tell her!  Talk about how you feel around the person.

Step five: Sign the back of the pouch.  Fill the pouch.  Find a nice way to present it to your Valentine.  I set it on his plate for him to read through while I was putting the finishing touches on dinner.

The filled pouch.  I really liked making the tabs, so I made a little too many.  I had to put them in fan-shaped rather than in straight, but no big deal.  And, then I had to organize them properly so they would have a crescendo effect, but, if you do that, be sure to tell the recipient to start with a particular one.  Or visibly number them!

Enjoy!  And Happy Valentine's Day!

Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free Cranberry, Eggnog Muffins with a Yummy Crumb Topping

Hello, world!


I have become addicted to Pinterest, but I think I recovering.  The advantage to this addiction, though, is, I have nearly 400 total pins regarding food.  I shouldn't need to buy cookbooks!  And I have made about 10 of those recipes, so the time I have invested is totally wasted...

Anyway, I found this recipe on Farberware's Facebook page.  I saw the picture, and realized I had to find a way to make these morsels Jeannie-friendly.  I pinned it to my Dessert Recipes board.  My dad then brought home some So Delicious Coconut Milk Egg Nog for me to try at Thanksgiving.  I thought it tasted nasty--kind of like french toast batter.  Thankfully, I remembered this recipe and made them for Christmas breakfast!  Yum!  Because I am desperately trying to hold on to the feeling of Christmas, I was about to make this recipe again when I realized I should share this with you.  So, a warm thanks to Michael at Inspired by Charm for coming up with this recipe, and taking such lovely photos (which I am going to borrow.  Mine looked like the pictures [yay!], but I ate them before I remembered to take a picture...)!

Click to go to original recipe.

Spelt, Dairy-Free Cranberry Eggnog Muffins with optional Crumb Topping

makes 12 muffins

For the muffins:

1 2/3 cups plus 1 Tbsp whole grain spelt flour

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup natural evaporated cane juice (or plain ol' sugar)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg (or 1 Tbsp milled flaxseed mixed in 3 Tbsp water)

3/4 cup eggnog beverage of choice, I used the vegan So Delicious Coconut variety

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup fresh cranberries

For the Crumb Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

5 Tbsp whole grain spelt flour

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 Tbsp Earth Balance with Coconut

2 Tbsp cold coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Line muffin pans with paper liners. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, sugar, honey, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. In another bowl, combine the egg, eggnog, coconut oil, and vanilla. Add wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the washed and picked through cranberries.

Make the topping by combing the sugar, flour, and nutmeg in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add the Earth Balance and coconut oil and cut them in with a fork until the texture resembles wet sand. Or toss everything in a little food processor.  I might try that next time to get smaller crumbs.

Fill the lined muffins tins 3/4 full of batter. Then top with crumb topping.  I found I had a lot of crumb topping.  Feel free to use your own discretion on this and a use less.  My crumb topping ended up making a yummy candy seal on top.  Perhaps this what crumb topping is supposed to do.  I've never attempted allergy-friendly crumb topping before this.  :). 

 Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy hot out of the oven, or at room temperature!

Blessings, everyone!