Tag Archives: recipes

Contrary Claire’s Chocolate Cookies

I call claire my contrary baker. Why you ask? Because when I ask her to do something MY way, She tells me why she does it HER way, and continues on, doing it HER way. Example: cookies. I like small cookies, she likes big cookies. As it turns out, lots of folks like big cookies. Claire won a prize last year at the Good Food Pie Contest, so I cut her a little slack. (Shoulda been my prize)

I’ve had a request for her chocolate white chocolate chip cookies so I’m going to share it. Even though it’s not MY recipe. (this one’s for Keith)

Contrary Claire’s Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup of butter

2 cups of white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups of flour

3/4 cup of good quality cocoa

1 tsp salt

2 cups white chocolate chips

Method: Preheat oven to 350*. Cream butter with sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and incorporate. Fold in the dry ingredients. Mix till it looks like cookie dough. Make big cookies and leave room so they can spread about the cookie sheet. Bake for about 11 minutes or until perfectly done.

Good Luck.

I Made Body Cream

4 Comments

2 parts melted coconut oil 1 part EVOO

I have sensitive skin. From an early age I preferred my lotions straight up starting with baby oil and Vaseline. I progressed to spray on Pam in my high school years (I loved the aerosol application) and then graduated into a life long relationship with olive oil. During my pregnancy I was a big fan of the cocoa butter stick which I would melt during bathing. A few years ago I was led to coconut oil. It’s great in the the hottest of summers because it melts, but as a rule it’s a solid block of saturated fat. And guess who loves it? Dr Mercola of course. He mentioned it was good for callouses so I’ve been using it on my hooves for a while with soft results. The problem is it eventually grows a fuzzy black mold from cross contamination which grosses me out, but just a little. I rinse the mold off and proceed. Then I got to thinking… emulsify.

This is the result of 2 parts melted coconut oil emulsified with 1 part extra virgin olive oil. I imagine with the addition of some coconut milk Kaya Toast would be the obvious direction. It”ll keep you soft. And it takes away the dry skin itch, very soothing and smells good too. It’s a nice spreadable consistency.

Six Jars I'm storing in the freezer

I overheated it in the Vita mixer so I threw it in the freezer then thawed it the next day. There was a foam on top and I whisked it in, and I think it helped the texture. It melts really fast once it’s on you, but not nearly as messy as straight coconut oil. I recommend storing in small containers to avoid the fuzzy black mold. OH – and you can cook with it!

From your Front Porch to the Plate – Stuff it!

Add a comment

What to do with that sweetie pie? Here are two recipes to recycle your decorative pumpkins into your dinner plans. The best pumpkins for stuffing are either the sugar pumpkin or the sweetie pie pumpkin. Any pumpkin will do, but these two varieties were bred for sweet meats and a future in pie.

These stuffings can be filled into any hard squash. My particular favorites being the delicata and the kabocha. Here’s a picture of a stuffed fairy tale pumpkin.

Be forewarned they are LARGE and make enough for a small army, or at least 14 folks, where as the petite sugar or sweetie pie pumpkin is good for 4-6 guests

This is an excellent recipe for improvisation, and can easily be vegan, vegetarian or omnivorous (add some bacon or pancetta)

Savory Stuffed Sweetie Pie Pumpkin

Prepare your pumpkin like you’re making a Jack o’ Lantern. Cut the top wide, making more of a bowl than a lantern with the squash.

Preheat the oven to 400*.

Make the stuffing.

Stuffing Ingredients

A rough-cut mirepoix of onions, celery, carrots shallots and garlic – cooked.

Enough breadcrumbs, plain or flavored

(I love cornbread – olive bread is fun too – but not gluten free – turns to rubber inside the squash)

Sage, thyme, California bay, rosemary from your garden, your neighbors garden, or your neighborhood. Forage! Any combination is delicious

Butter or olive oil

Salt and pepper

Grated gruyere cheese, local Chevre or your family favorite

2 to 4 cups of cream, milk, vegetable stock, chicken stock – any combination will do

Optional: an egg or two, nuts and berries ( or bacon)

Method: Oil or butter the cavity of the squash and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix together the mirepoix, breadcrumbs, cheeses, herbs nuts and berries. I like to add whole cranberries and walnuts. I also like sliced almonds and dates. Toss together, taste and season with salt and pepper.

Chop your herbs and add no less than a teaspoon, no more than a tablespoon. Start sparingly; the flavors will bloom while cooking.

Tuck the stuffing into the prepared cavity. Don’t pack it in. Pile it in nicely with little to no pressing depending on the density of your dressing.

Pour the liquid of choice ( stock or cream) over the dressing till it pools at the top.

Place the pumpkin on a cookie sheet. Place the top of the pumpkin next to the pumpkin.

Bake the pumpkin at 400* till the filling bubbles (anywhere from ½ hour to 45 minutes depending on the size). Check the lid, when it’s soft remove it from the oven.

Reduce heat to 325 and continue cooking till pumpkin is soft. You should be able to stick a pick right through the flesh and into the center of the pumpkin. I use a skewer.

When the pumpkin is soft through and through, it’s ready!

Allow it to repose for a ½ hour before serving. The best presentation is when it’s sliced like a cake, and served in wedges. Alternatively, it can be scooped out.

Pumpkin Pudding

These little darlings make good eats and beautiful place settings. (That’s what we call stacking in Permaculture) You can find this delicious dessert in high end Thai restaurants through out Los Angeles during our autumnal season ( still 70 and sunny!)

Recipe for Coconut Custard Pumpkins

Prepare a steamer.

Slice the top off and remove the seeds scraping a nice size cavity into 4 little pumpkins. Set aside.

Mix: 5 eggs, 1/3 cup of white sugar, pinch of salt and 1 cup of canned coconut cream. Pour into the pumpkins and steam for 20 to 30 minutes or until pudding is set, and the flesh is soft.

Slice or serve whole as dessert. For added bling, bake pomegranate seeds into the custard. Add after the top has set if you want them to bake into the top.

Really Delicious Sesame Salmon

2 Comments

For my friend Michael with the World Wide Mind

Ingredients

Soy, sugar or honey, ginger, garlic, cornstarch, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, sesame oil and wild caught salmon.

Recipe for the Sauce: Make a nice teriyaki by combining 2 parts Soy Sauce to 1 part sugar or honey. Throw in some grated ginger and garlic - I like alot but it’s up to you. simmer on a low heat till flavors are blended - about 15 minutes or longer. Make a slurry by combining a bit of cornstarch in a little water till the cornstarch dissolve. Whisk it into the teriyaki. Adjust the sauce with a little splash of lemon or rice vinegar if it needs a little tart. Feel free to strain out the ginger and garlic, or leave it in – chef’s prerogative.

Then – stand at the stove and brown a generous portion of sesame seeds on a medium flame in a saute pan. Once you can smell them all toasty, pour in enough sesame oil to bind it all together, add equal parts of the teriyaki (the leftover sauce will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator). That’s the sauce.

For the fish: preheat oven to 450. Cut your salmon into portions. coat the tops (inside, not the skin side) sear in a hot pan on the tops only, place on a baking sheet, top with a generous portion of the sesame sauce and bake till flaky. (internal temp 120 to 140) Alternatively, it can be finished in the pan, but the oven baking makes for a nicer finish.

fresh salmon talking to the baby

Serve with rice and seared vegetables. There is a delicious version of this sauce called SOY VAY if you’re feeling lazy ( but mine’s better).