Presenting... a 3 Course Meal with no grains, no dairy, no refined sugar, no eggs and gluten free (seems impossible doesn't it)

 

It seems almost impossible today to create a tasty, gourmet meal that could accommodate everyone's food allergies and sensitivities. Well, I think we may have done it. Haven't you wanted to have a dinner party and invite friends or family that have various dietary needs but didn't think it was possible? Well, we are here to tell you that it is possible to eat healthy, whole foods and still be able to have dinner parties and satisfy all of your guests. So much so that they go away with a sense that you took the time to consider their needs and made the effort to make them feel included.

We have chosen an appetizer soup, a chicken main course dish and a non-dairy ice cream for dessert (you won't be able to tell that the ice cream has no dairy and no refined sugar it is that tasty). We used locally sourced morels at our local farmers market store, Farmer Roberts, along with the chicken bone broth that we used in the mushroom soup. Whenever possible, we like to use local ingredients and we are lucky to have a place like Farmer Roberts to source them. We tried to keep it somewhat simple so that anyone with a few kitchen skills could whip this up for their friends and family. Now...make out your invitation list and get to cooking.

Morel Mushroom Soup with Crispy Fried Sage and Truffle Oil

3 cups Cremini Mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
6 Tbsp Ghee
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup Shallots, diced
1 oz dried Morel Mushrooms
4 Tbsp Fresh Herbs, chopped (Thyme, Sage, Rosemary, Flat Leaf Parsley)
1/3 cup White Wine or Dry Sherry
Salt & Pepper to Taste
600 ml Chicken Bone Broth
400 ml Beef Broth
1/2 tsp Dried Poultry Seasoning
2 Tbsp Arrowroot
4 Tbsp Cold Water
Fried Sage Leaves for Garnish


Place dried morels in a bowl and cover with hot tap water. Leave to plump for 20 minutes. Heat a Dutch Oven or heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add ghee, shallots and garlic. Saute until fragrant. Add cremini mushrooms, poultry seasoning and 2 Tbsp of the fresh herbs. Chop and add 1/4 of the morel mushrooms. Remove the remainder to add at the end. Saute until mushrooms brown and soften. Deglaze with wine or sherry. Add chicken bone broth and beef broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium low and simmer 10 mins. Remove from heat and blend with immersion blender to desired consistency. Alternately, add in batches to a blender and blend until smooth. Add back to pot and bring soup back to a simmer.
Saute reserved morels in 2 Tbsp ghee, 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, 1 tsp chopped fresh sage and 1 clove of garlic minced. Add to soup with the remaining 2 Tbsp fresh herbs. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Reduce heat to low. Make a slurry of the 2 Tbsp of arrowroot and 4 Tbsp cold water. Stir into soup. Do not boil the soup after arrowroot slurry is added. Serve in warm bowls garnished with crispy fried sage leaves and a few drops of truffle oil.

Chicken with Artichokes, Asparagus, Cauliflower and Olives in a Lemon Sauce

4 Chicken Thighs, bone in and skin on
4 Tbsp Olive Oil, Coconut Oil or Ghee
1/3 cup Arrowroot
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Herb de Provence
1/2 tsp Mustard Powder
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 small Yellow Onion, sliced
1 clove Garlic, sliced thin
1 can Artichoke Hearts, drained and cut in half
1/2 cup Green Olives, pitted
1/2 cup Asparagus, sliced in 3 pieces
1 cup Cauliflower Florets
1/2 cup White Wine
2 1/2 cups Chicken Stock
1 Lemon, 4 slices and the rest juiced


Heat Dutch oven or heavy bottom skillet over medium heat. Add oil or ghee. Place arrowroot, salt, pepper, herb de Provence, mustard powder and paprika in a bowl. Mix well to distribute spices. Dredge each chicken thigh and tap off excess. Add thighs to pan and brown until skin turns golden brown about 5-8 minutes, flip over and brown the other side for 4-6 minutes. Remove thighs to a plate. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Deglaze with wine, scraping up bits from bottom of pan. Add chicken broth and lemon juice. Place chicken thighs back in the pan. Add cauliflower, asparagus, olives and lemon slices. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until cauliflower is tender. Add artichoke hearts and simmer for 5 more minutes. If sauce is not thick enough, add an arrowroot slurry of 1 Tbsp arrowroot with 2 Tbsp cold water. Stir into sauce, it will thicken immediately.

Coconut Milk & Date Ice Cream

400 ml Coconut Milk
9 Medjool Dates
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract


Place all ingredients into container of a blender and blend on high until smooth. Alternately, add all ingredients into a tall, narrow plastic jar and blend with immersion blender until smooth. Pour into running ice cream maker and process for 20 minutes until ice cream is frozen to your desired consistency. Makes 3 small servings.

The Infamous Sous Vide Egg

 One thing you should know about me is that I love a good kitchen gadget. When a chef friend of mine told me that I had to have one of the new stick style sous vide machines that were on the market now, who was I to argue. I live in a small community where sometimes you have to acquire specialized items like this by mail order. So mail order it is. When my sous vide arrived in the mail, it was like Christmas. I couldn't wait to sous vide something...anything. With a little research on the internet of what the beginner should sous vide first, the glorious egg kept popping up.

So....eggs it is. The reason why sous vide eggs are so fantastic is that they sort of cook opposite of soft boiled eggs. The yolk sets first and then the white follows. This way you can get a creamy, custardy egg yolk with a softly set white. This makes for a lovely egg to put on pretty much anything and it serves as a sauce or dip of sorts.

 This trio of recipes starts with a simple but delicious side dish of roasted prosciutto wrapped asparagus topped with a sous vide egg broken open on top to create a luxurious sauce. It continues with a unctuous slow cooked and then seared pork belly with a sous vide egg to dip in. Then finishes off with a spectacular signature dish of seared halibut, creamy and buttery cauliflower mash topped with a sous egg and chive butter sauce. Oh, and no fancy signature dish is complete without a signature cocktail. We decided on an elegant pear and thyme mimosa. I've been told that mimosa's are a traditional pairing for gourmet egg dishes.

Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus with Sous Vide Egg

Braised, Crispy Pork Belly with Sous Vide Egg

Seared Halibut with Cauliflower Mash, Sous Vide Egg and Chive Butter Sauce

Pear and Thyme Mimosa

Sous Vide Egg

Set up Sous Vide Immersion Circulator according to directions. Set temperate to 175 F. When water reaches desired temperature, gently lower eggs, straight out of the refrigerator, into the pot with a slotted spoon. Time eggs for exactly 13 minutes. When time has expired, remove eggs to a cold water bath to stop the cooking The yolk will be creamy and luscious and the white barely set. I like this time and temperate for the sous vide eggs because the egg white sets firmer than a traditional 63 degree C egg that chefs worldwide seem to enjoy. The white is not set enough for my taste. You can play around with the time and temperate for your "perfect" sous vide egg.

Soft Boiled Eggs

For those of you that don't have a Sous Vide Circulator but would still like to try these dishes

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Lower eggs into boiling water gently and set timer for 6 1/2 minutes. When time has expired, remove eggs to a cold water bath to stop cooking. The egg yolks should be soft and creamy and the whites fully set.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus with Sous Vide Egg

10 Asparagus Spears, dry ends snapped off

5 Prosciutto slices, cut in half lengthwise

1 Sous Vide Egg

Preheat oven to 400 F. Wrap prosciutto in a spiral around the asparagus, leaving the top end exposed. Place on an baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until prosciutto is crispy. Transfer to a warm plate and top with sous vide egg. Pierce egg immediately before serving.

Braised, Crispy Pork Belly

1 lb slab of Pork Belly, no skin
1/2 cup Tamari
1 cup White Wine
4 slices Ginger
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
1 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder
1 Clove Garlic, crushed
Pinch of Chili Flakes
Water

In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, sear pork belly on all sides. Add all ingredients from tamari to chili flakes and add enough water to barely submerge the pork belly. Braise for 2 hours or until tender. Cool completely and refrigerate overnight. Slice pork belly when cold and place back in the pot on the stove and simmer on low until ready to use. When ready to use, remove from pot and pat dry. In a hot pan, sear pork belly on each side for a few seconds until crispy. Serve alongside sous vide egg for dipping.

Seared Halibut with Cauliflower Mash, Sous Vide Egg and Chive Butter Sauce

Cauliflower Mash

2 cups frozen Cauliflower Florets

2 Tbsp Ghee

Salt & White Pepper to taste

Place frozen florets in a bowl and microwave on high until very soft but not dry. Use an immersion blender or food processor to puree cauliflower until smooth. Add ghee, salt and pepper and stir. Set aside.

Seared Halibut

2, 4 oz. pieces of fresh Halibut

1Tbsp Ghee

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add ghee and oil and let ghee melt. Then add halibut, presentation side down. Sear for 2-3 mins, according to thickness. Flip and continue searing for 1 to 2 mins, basting the fish with the fat for the last minute. It is very easy to overcook fish and you should keep a close eye on the fish as it cooks to determine the perfect doneness for the thickness of your fish.

Chive Butter Sauce

1/4 cup White Wine

1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar

1/4 cup Coconut Cream (solid part on top of can of coconut milk)

1/3 cup Ghee

1 small Shallot, diced

1 clove Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Chives, chopped

Sprig of Thyme

Salt

Preheat saucepan on medium high heat. Add wine, vinegar, shallot, garlic and thyme. Reduce by half until thicker and syrupy. Lower heat to medium. Whisk in coconut cream then ghee, a little at time so that it emulsifies in the sauce. If your heat is too high, the sauce will break or curdle. Season with salt to taste. Pass sauce through a fine sieve to remove solids. Add chives.

To Assemble Dish

On a warm plate, add your cauliflower mash, drizzle around the edge with chive butter sauce. Place 4 or 5 leaves of fresh spinach on the mash, place halibut on spinach. Release egg from its shell and place gently on top of halibut. Garnish with a few pea shoots and a little drizzle of  the chive butter sauce. Break open the egg and devour with gusto.

Makes 2 Servings

Pear and Thyme Mimosa

1 ripe Pear, peeled, cored and diced

1/4 cup Water

7 Sprigs of Thyme

1 piccolo of Sparkling Wine (small bottle)

In a blender, place pear and water. Puree until smooth. Place 5 of the thyme sprigs into a glass and pour over pear puree. Place in the fridge to infuse for 30 mins or so. Place 2 Tbsp pear puree (without thyme sprigs) into two champagne flutes, carefully add champagne to top of glass a little at a time. Garnish each glass with a thyme sprig. You can also make this cocktail with half white wine and sparkling water in place of the champagne or all sparkling water for an non-alcoholic version.

Makes 2 cocktails

Asian Street Food Extravaganza

Winters living in the North are long, cold, and if you don't have a hobby, quite dull. Don't get me wrong, there are tons on fun things to do here in the winter but when the temperature dips below -20 Celsius or so, one doesn't want to spend extended periods of time out in it. One would rather curl up with a cup of tea and a cookbook.
My distraction of choice in the winter is trying out new recipes with my sister. We set aside one night a week to cook together. We've decided to choose a theme for these nights and pick three recipes to try. One recipe for each of us to cook and one to cook together. We will post our adventures here.
My sister and I like to cook, travel, shop, research alternate food lifestyle recipes and eat. We always cook gluten free and frequently cook Paleo and Whole 30 recipes. We will also be posting food from our travels and other interesting food related tidbits.
So, on to the cooking portion of this post. We've decided this weeks theme is Asian Street Food. The three recipes we have chosen to make are Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Spicy Vegetable Samosas and Chicken Satay Skewers. Now I realize that samosas aren't really Asian, but they are street food, so bear with me. We had planned a street food drink to go with our recipes but we ran out of time and had to abandon the idea....oh well, next time. On with the recipes...

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

1/2 lb Ground Pork
1/4 cup Carrot, shredded
1 oz Vermicelli Noodles, softened in boiling water and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 Shallot, finely chopped
1 clove Garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
1 Tbsp Ginger, peeled and grated
1 small Egg, beaten
salt & pepper to taste
6 Rice Paper Wrapper (8 1/2 inch round)

Preheat deep fryer to 325 degrees F. Mix all the ingredients except the rice paper wrappers in a bowl and mix well. Set aside. Lay a damp towel on your cutting board and have a bowl of warm water set close by. Lay a rice paper wrapper on the damp towel and pat with warm water on both sides until softened. The wrapper will go from stiff to really soft fast so work quickly. Put two tablespoons of filling at the end of the wrapper closest to you, leaving about 2 inches from the edge and shape into a 3 inch log. Pull up the edge over the filling and fold in the sides. Roll tightly. Place on a tray with a damp towel, not touching as they will stick together.
Fry 3 rolls at a time until the outside has crisped and remove to tray with paper towel to drain. When you have fried all of the rolls once, turn the deep fryer up to 350 degrees F. Fry all of the rolls a second time, 3 or 4 at a time, until light golden and really crispy. Remove to a tray with paper towel to drain. Let cool slightly before serving with nuoc cham dipping sauce.

Nuoc Cham-Dipping Sauce

1\4 cup Fish Sauce
3 Tbsp Lime Juice
1\4 cup Coconut Sugar
2\3 cup warm Water
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Carrot, shredded

Stir together in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Serve alongside spring rolls.

Spicy Vegetable Samosas

2 Tbsp Ghee, Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Tandoori Masala
1 Tbsp Garam Masala
1/4 tsp Hot Paprika
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Bird's Eye Red Chili, seeded and finely chopped
1tsp Garlic, minced
4Tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated
1 med Onion, chopped fine
1 med Carrot, chopped fine
1 large Russet Potato, peeled & finely diced
1 sml Sweet Red Pepper, chopped fine
1 cup Water
1 1/2 cups Frozen Green Peas
10 Rice Paper Wrappers (8 1/2 round)

Preheat your pan over medium heat. Add the oil and the first 9 ingredients, masala through ginger. Stir until fragrant. Add onion, carrot, potato and red pepper. Cook and stir until potatoes are almost tender. Add frozen peas and water, stir and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the liquid has evaporated. Remove to tray and place in refrigerator to cool.
Preheat oven to 450 F. To assemble samosas, put a damp towel on your cutting board and have a bowl of warm water close by. Lay a rice paper wrapper on the damp towel and pat with warm water on both sides until softened. It will go from stiff to really soft fast so work quickly. Put a tablespoon of filling on the edge of the rice paper in about 1\2 inch from the round edge. Fold the paper in half, then in quarters, then sixths like a pizza slice and then fold up the 1\2 inch you left at the edge and moisten with water so it will stick to itself. Lay on a baking tray that has been brushed liberally with olive oil. Brush each Samosa with more olive oil. Bake until crispy, approx. 10 minutes per side. Serve with mango chutney for dipping.

Chicken Satay Skewers

6 Chicken Thighs, cut into strips

Marinade:

1 sml Onion, minced
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 inch Fresh Ginger, grated
2 tsp Curry Powder
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Coconut Aminos or Tamari

Mix all marinade ingredients in a zip top bag, add chicken, seal and place in refrigerator for 2 hours. Preheat a grill pan on medium heat. Place skewers diagonally in pan and grill for 3-4 minutes per side. Serve with satay sauce for dipping.

Satay Sauce:

3/4 cup Coconut Milk
1/3 cup Almond Butter
2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar or Raw Honey
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
2 tsp Lime Juice
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Serve with chicken skewers for dipping.