"Virginia lingers another moment beside the dead bird in its circle of roses. It could be a kind of a hat. It could be the missing link between millinery and death. She, Virginia, a bird-sized Virginia, lets herself metamorphose from an angular, difficult woman into an ornament on a hat; a foolish uncaring thing." -excerpt from 'The Hours' by Michael Cunningham.
I enjoyed this book and the movie based on the book. I am not sure why an ornament on a hat is a foolish uncaring thing. I do prefer hats with little ornamentation, maybe because they don't seem serious or a lot of the time, it is unnecessary. There is also the image this brings to mind, all those hats we have seen with dead birds on them. Food for thought.
There is nothing foolish or uncaring about this buckwheat crepe recipe. They can be stuffed with savory or sweet fillings or eaten alone with butter and maple syrup.
Buckwheat crepes
makes 12-13 9" crepes
1/2 cup Zazu & Violets' all-purpose gluten free flour mix
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. sugar
1 cup soy milk
2 large eggs
1 tbs. butter, melted and cooled a bit
1/2 - 1 cup water
2 tbs. clarified butter for cooking the crepes
In an 8 cup measuring pitcher, mix together the flours, ground flax seed, xanthan gum and sugar. Lightly beat the eggs in the soy milk and add the melted butter. Pour into the flour mix and whisk until it is smooth. Add enough water to thin it to a little thicker than heavy cream. The thinner the batter, the thinner the crepe. You will get the feel of how thick or thin you want them. Let it rest for 2 hours, refrigerate if you want to keep it longer. You can even make the batter the night before. Check the thickness again and whisk in more water if needed.
I use a 9" french crepe pan that my friend lugged back from Paris for me. It is well seasoned and also perfect for frying an over-easy egg. Heat the pan to medium high and brush the entire surface with some clarified butter. Holding the pan in one hand and the batter pitcher in the other, pour about a 5" circle of batter and immediately start swirling the pan to spread the batter all over the surface of the pan. Set the pan back on the heat. When the edges curl and brown a bit, about 2-3 minutes, loosen the crepe gently with a cake spatula. Then, I use a wide pancake spatula to flip the crepe, cook for another 2 minutes until the crepe is browned on the second side. Slide onto a plate and continue making and stacking the crepes.
They can be filled with anything from chicken salad to sauteed bananas. Just re-heat them in the crepe pan with a little butter and fill. The leftover crepes can be stored in the fridge stacked, or layered and rolled in wax paper. Today we had a filling of cottage cheese and ricotta sweetened with blueberry compote, then topped with fresh melon and maple syrup. Yummy!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
A New Hat and GF Toad in the Hole
"Now you go home and buy yourself a new hat." All Through the Night (1942)
Well that doesn't make sense, unless she lived in a hat shop. It just shows how men were so apt to placate the women in their lives with a new hat. This movie, All Through the Night, stars Humphrey Bogart as 'Gloves Donohue'. He is speaking to his mother. Ironically he drops everything if she has a "feeling" about anything, but once she arrives he wants to send her home. Lured by a new hat. Now if he said, "now you go home and make some Toad in the Hole.", at least it makes sense. Yes, there is such a thing and I have a yummy gluten-free version.
Toad in the hole is a bit of sausage cooked inside an egg soufflé. It is a great lunch with a green salad, or a hearty item for Sunday Brunch.
Toad in the Hole
Makes 6 souffles
2 mild sausages
6 oz. brown English Ale
1/2 cup Zazu & Violets' gluten free flour mix
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
3 oz. whole milk
olive oil
fresh thyme
Sauté the sausages in a little oil until browned all over. Pour in 3 oz. of the Ale, cover and cook for 20 more minutes, turning in the sauce until it is reduced and thickened. Remove sausages and when cooled, cut into thirds.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Mix together the flour, xanthan gum and salt. Stir in the eggs then slowly whisk in the remaining 3 oz. of the Ale and the milk. Place a little olive oil in the bottom of 6 molds in a muffin tin. Put the tin into the hot oven for 5 minutes until the oil is smoking hot. Remove the tin carefully, use a brush to paint the sides of the molds with some of the hot oil and divide the batter evenly among the 6 molds. Push a piece of sausage in the center of each and sprinkle with some fresh thyme. Bake for 15 minutes, no peeking, until the the batter puffs and looks golden. Serve immediately.
These are irresistible right out of the oven, but they also re-heat well, the souffle will settle a little. The English Brown Ale lends a nice nutty flavor to the dish and it is in keeping with its origin. Cheers!
To see the latest collection from Zazu & Violets, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Well that doesn't make sense, unless she lived in a hat shop. It just shows how men were so apt to placate the women in their lives with a new hat. This movie, All Through the Night, stars Humphrey Bogart as 'Gloves Donohue'. He is speaking to his mother. Ironically he drops everything if she has a "feeling" about anything, but once she arrives he wants to send her home. Lured by a new hat. Now if he said, "now you go home and make some Toad in the Hole.", at least it makes sense. Yes, there is such a thing and I have a yummy gluten-free version.
Toad in the hole is a bit of sausage cooked inside an egg soufflé. It is a great lunch with a green salad, or a hearty item for Sunday Brunch.
Toad in the Hole
Makes 6 souffles
2 mild sausages
6 oz. brown English Ale
1/2 cup Zazu & Violets' gluten free flour mix
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
3 oz. whole milk
olive oil
fresh thyme
Sauté the sausages in a little oil until browned all over. Pour in 3 oz. of the Ale, cover and cook for 20 more minutes, turning in the sauce until it is reduced and thickened. Remove sausages and when cooled, cut into thirds.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Mix together the flour, xanthan gum and salt. Stir in the eggs then slowly whisk in the remaining 3 oz. of the Ale and the milk. Place a little olive oil in the bottom of 6 molds in a muffin tin. Put the tin into the hot oven for 5 minutes until the oil is smoking hot. Remove the tin carefully, use a brush to paint the sides of the molds with some of the hot oil and divide the batter evenly among the 6 molds. Push a piece of sausage in the center of each and sprinkle with some fresh thyme. Bake for 15 minutes, no peeking, until the the batter puffs and looks golden. Serve immediately.
These are irresistible right out of the oven, but they also re-heat well, the souffle will settle a little. The English Brown Ale lends a nice nutty flavor to the dish and it is in keeping with its origin. Cheers!
To see the latest collection from Zazu & Violets, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Conflict and GF Mini Madeleines
"What do you think of these flowers for my hair? Everyone is wearing them."
"Too big." Conflict (1945)
A movie with Humphrey Bogart that I had not only ever seen, but hadn't heard of. And a psychological thriller as well as a good look at the style of the mid 1940's. The 1940's was the decade of hair adornment like millinery flowers and small hats embellished with flowers. And as Humphrey said to his wife, some of the flowers were just too big.
Sometimes Madeleines, as in the cookies, are too big. I recently had a gift certificate to a very nice kitchen store and after purchasing a Waring bar blender, I had just enough left for a Madeleine pan. The choices were either for a very big cookie or a mini size. Nothing in the middle. So I chose the mini. Get the non-stick. The original recipe was from Julia Child's The Way to Cook, which I then adapted to a gluten-free version. It took one batch to get it right. I then had a pedestal stand full of these charming shell cookies. Lightly lemon flavored, each mini Madeleine is a perfect two bites for afternoon tea.
Mini Madeleines
makes about 60 mini Madeleines
2 large eggs, lightly beaten in a 2 cup measure
2/3 cup sugar, if using raw cane sugar, grind it first
1 cup Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
5 ounces unsalted butter
pinch of salt
zest of one small lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
Measure 1/4 cup of the eggs into a mixing bowl. Beat in the sugar, flour and xanthan gum. When it is thoroughly blended, let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile melt the butter in a saucepan, bring to a boil and let it brown a little. Cool it down by putting the pan in an ice bath. After the egg mixture has rested, blend the cooled but still liquid butter and the rest of the eggs into the batter along with the zest, lemon juice and salt.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly coat the shells of the Madeleine pan with soft butter. Fill the shells with a generous 1/2 tsp. of batter, patting it into the shell mold. The batter should fill the mold and be level with the pan. Smooth the top with clean fingers. The batter is not sticky and to avoid any air pockets, bang the pan on your work surface before putting it into the oven. Bake in the top third of the oven for 7-8 minutes. They are done when the tops have risen in a little hump and the edges are just golden. Don't over bake! and make sure the oven doesn't go above 375. Turn out onto a cooling rack.
My pan holds 20 cookies and this recipe filled it 3 times. They are pretty cute and sweet!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
"Too big." Conflict (1945)
A movie with Humphrey Bogart that I had not only ever seen, but hadn't heard of. And a psychological thriller as well as a good look at the style of the mid 1940's. The 1940's was the decade of hair adornment like millinery flowers and small hats embellished with flowers. And as Humphrey said to his wife, some of the flowers were just too big.
Sometimes Madeleines, as in the cookies, are too big. I recently had a gift certificate to a very nice kitchen store and after purchasing a Waring bar blender, I had just enough left for a Madeleine pan. The choices were either for a very big cookie or a mini size. Nothing in the middle. So I chose the mini. Get the non-stick. The original recipe was from Julia Child's The Way to Cook, which I then adapted to a gluten-free version. It took one batch to get it right. I then had a pedestal stand full of these charming shell cookies. Lightly lemon flavored, each mini Madeleine is a perfect two bites for afternoon tea.
Mini Madeleines
makes about 60 mini Madeleines
2 large eggs, lightly beaten in a 2 cup measure
2/3 cup sugar, if using raw cane sugar, grind it first
1 cup Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
5 ounces unsalted butter
pinch of salt
zest of one small lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
Measure 1/4 cup of the eggs into a mixing bowl. Beat in the sugar, flour and xanthan gum. When it is thoroughly blended, let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile melt the butter in a saucepan, bring to a boil and let it brown a little. Cool it down by putting the pan in an ice bath. After the egg mixture has rested, blend the cooled but still liquid butter and the rest of the eggs into the batter along with the zest, lemon juice and salt.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly coat the shells of the Madeleine pan with soft butter. Fill the shells with a generous 1/2 tsp. of batter, patting it into the shell mold. The batter should fill the mold and be level with the pan. Smooth the top with clean fingers. The batter is not sticky and to avoid any air pockets, bang the pan on your work surface before putting it into the oven. Bake in the top third of the oven for 7-8 minutes. They are done when the tops have risen in a little hump and the edges are just golden. Don't over bake! and make sure the oven doesn't go above 375. Turn out onto a cooling rack.
My pan holds 20 cookies and this recipe filled it 3 times. They are pretty cute and sweet!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Gluten Free Claufoutis and Annie Oakley
"Wearin' a new rig, huh? Sure looks pretty!" -Annie Oakley (1935)
Barbara Stanwyck is awfully cute as Annie Oakley in this movie from 1935 about Buffalo Bill and his Wild West show. Annie comes from a poor country family and becomes an excellent rifle woman as a result of shooting birds and animals to help feed her family. In fact, such a good shot that she takes the title away from the best rifle man in the country and becomes the star of a Wild West show.
After her success, she buys herself a new hat, referred to as a 'new rig' by Toby Walker, the man whose title she takes. But even though she beats him at his own game, he can't resist a pretty woman in a new hat!
I can't resist the easy, light as air dessert, Claufoutis. It can be made with any stone fruit in season, my favorite is made with organic peaches from a local farm. It is important to use organic peaches because commercially raised fruit can have traces of up to 64 chemicals on the skin that are used while raising the fruit. Same with apricots, plums or cherries. All are excellent in Claufoutis.
Peach Claufoutis
Serves 4 people
1 lb. organic peaches, halved and pitted
zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
3 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1/3 cup cream + 1/2 cup for whipping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a baking dish and arrange the peaches cut side down. Sprinkle over the lemon zest, juice and the 1/3 cup sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the fruit is tender. Butter another baking dish and arrange the peaches cut side down. Save the accumulated juices in a small saucepan.
Turn the oven up to 375 degrees.
Beat the egg yolks with the 3 tbs. of sugar until light and pale yellow. Add the flour and 1/3 cup cream. Beat the whites until soft peaks form. Add a little of the whites to the yolk mixture to lighten it, then carefully fold in the rest of the beaten whites. Pour over the prepared fruit, leaving the top of the fruit exposed. Bake for 20 minutes until it is puffed up and golden brown. Reduce the fruit juices in the saucepan to a syrup Whip the remaining 1/2 cup of cream with the reduced fruit syrup and serve with the warm claufoutis. It is also delicious cold from the fridge for breakfast if there happens to be some left-over.
It is a perfect summer dessert...or breakfast!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Barbara Stanwyck is awfully cute as Annie Oakley in this movie from 1935 about Buffalo Bill and his Wild West show. Annie comes from a poor country family and becomes an excellent rifle woman as a result of shooting birds and animals to help feed her family. In fact, such a good shot that she takes the title away from the best rifle man in the country and becomes the star of a Wild West show.
After her success, she buys herself a new hat, referred to as a 'new rig' by Toby Walker, the man whose title she takes. But even though she beats him at his own game, he can't resist a pretty woman in a new hat!
I can't resist the easy, light as air dessert, Claufoutis. It can be made with any stone fruit in season, my favorite is made with organic peaches from a local farm. It is important to use organic peaches because commercially raised fruit can have traces of up to 64 chemicals on the skin that are used while raising the fruit. Same with apricots, plums or cherries. All are excellent in Claufoutis.
Peach Claufoutis
Serves 4 people
1 lb. organic peaches, halved and pitted
zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
3 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1/3 cup cream + 1/2 cup for whipping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a baking dish and arrange the peaches cut side down. Sprinkle over the lemon zest, juice and the 1/3 cup sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the fruit is tender. Butter another baking dish and arrange the peaches cut side down. Save the accumulated juices in a small saucepan.
Turn the oven up to 375 degrees.
Beat the egg yolks with the 3 tbs. of sugar until light and pale yellow. Add the flour and 1/3 cup cream. Beat the whites until soft peaks form. Add a little of the whites to the yolk mixture to lighten it, then carefully fold in the rest of the beaten whites. Pour over the prepared fruit, leaving the top of the fruit exposed. Bake for 20 minutes until it is puffed up and golden brown. Reduce the fruit juices in the saucepan to a syrup Whip the remaining 1/2 cup of cream with the reduced fruit syrup and serve with the warm claufoutis. It is also delicious cold from the fridge for breakfast if there happens to be some left-over.
It is a perfect summer dessert...or breakfast!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
One's Own Hat and GF Upside Down Cake
"One can only comb one's hair to one's own satisfaction. It's like putting on one's own hat." The Golden Arrow (1936) with Bette Davis and George Brent
A Bette Davis movie I had never seen. Of course she was very young, it was 1936. She plays a drug-store cashier who is hired by a cosmetics firm to masquerade as an heiress for a publicity stunt. Obviously, her clothes and hats were a feast for the eyes. She meets and marries George Brent, who is a reluctant participant in the ways of the rich. This line was uttered by his valet when he mockingly asked if he wanted him to also comb his hair after helping him dress. It is the same with one's own hat. A hat always looks better if you put it on yourself in front of a mirror. Only you know yourself well enough to set the tilt of your own hat. Or comb your own hair.
I like this recipe for upside-down cake because you can make it your own. The arrangement of dried fruit offers endless possibilities. The first time I tried it I used a small individual tart pan and peach halves. They were tasty little with a dense sweet crust. Next, I baked it in a 10" insulated cake pan. It was a very different kind of crust, more delicate due to the type of cake pan. Both ways were delicious. Pick your favorite dried fruits and let your artistic side take over. I used dried pears for a flower petal design and dried peaches for the flower center. Turns out my son-in-law's favorite dried fruit is pear, so he was very happy.
Pear and Peach Upside Down Cake
8 dried pear halves, cut in half lengthwise
3 dried peach halves, 1 whole, 2 cut into quarters
1/2 cup simple syrup (heat 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar)
5 tbs. softened butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
2 1/4 cups Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
The day before to reconstitute the dried fruit, simmer the fruit pieces in the simple syrup for 20 minutes. Let cool and leave the fruit to marinate overnight at room temperature.
Generously butter a 10" cake pan, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan, place in the pan and butter the paper. Arrange the fruit in a decorative pattern. Set aside while you make the batter.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow. Mix in the beaten egg. Sift together all the dry ingredients, this is important, the baking powder must be well incorporated. With the mixer on a medium speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/3 of the buttermilk, alternating until you end with the buttermilk. The batter should be very thick but still spreadable. Carefully spread the batter evenly over the fruit in the pan. Bake for about 50 minutes. A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean and the crust should be a rich golden brown. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack until it pulls away from the sides. Invert onto a pretty cake stand and let cool completely. We served it with whipped cream sweetened with the simple syrup from the soaked fruits.
In the words of my little friend, Alea, who was visiting and eating cake, "This is delicious!"
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
A Bette Davis movie I had never seen. Of course she was very young, it was 1936. She plays a drug-store cashier who is hired by a cosmetics firm to masquerade as an heiress for a publicity stunt. Obviously, her clothes and hats were a feast for the eyes. She meets and marries George Brent, who is a reluctant participant in the ways of the rich. This line was uttered by his valet when he mockingly asked if he wanted him to also comb his hair after helping him dress. It is the same with one's own hat. A hat always looks better if you put it on yourself in front of a mirror. Only you know yourself well enough to set the tilt of your own hat. Or comb your own hair.
I like this recipe for upside-down cake because you can make it your own. The arrangement of dried fruit offers endless possibilities. The first time I tried it I used a small individual tart pan and peach halves. They were tasty little with a dense sweet crust. Next, I baked it in a 10" insulated cake pan. It was a very different kind of crust, more delicate due to the type of cake pan. Both ways were delicious. Pick your favorite dried fruits and let your artistic side take over. I used dried pears for a flower petal design and dried peaches for the flower center. Turns out my son-in-law's favorite dried fruit is pear, so he was very happy.
Pear and Peach Upside Down Cake
8 dried pear halves, cut in half lengthwise
3 dried peach halves, 1 whole, 2 cut into quarters
1/2 cup simple syrup (heat 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar)
5 tbs. softened butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
2 1/4 cups Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
The day before to reconstitute the dried fruit, simmer the fruit pieces in the simple syrup for 20 minutes. Let cool and leave the fruit to marinate overnight at room temperature.
Generously butter a 10" cake pan, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan, place in the pan and butter the paper. Arrange the fruit in a decorative pattern. Set aside while you make the batter.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow. Mix in the beaten egg. Sift together all the dry ingredients, this is important, the baking powder must be well incorporated. With the mixer on a medium speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/3 of the buttermilk, alternating until you end with the buttermilk. The batter should be very thick but still spreadable. Carefully spread the batter evenly over the fruit in the pan. Bake for about 50 minutes. A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean and the crust should be a rich golden brown. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack until it pulls away from the sides. Invert onto a pretty cake stand and let cool completely. We served it with whipped cream sweetened with the simple syrup from the soaked fruits.
In the words of my little friend, Alea, who was visiting and eating cake, "This is delicious!"
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Mini Banana, Chocolate Muffins and Murder
"I am constantly surprised that women's hats don't promote more murders!" Charles Laughton in "Witness for the Prosecution" (1957)
This is not a very complimentary statement about women's hats. This movie was made in the later part of the 1950's when women's hats were verging on the ridiculous. Everything had been tried as a hat, even lampshades! Hats didn't look very much like hats causing the end of proper hat wearing. Next came big hair and any hat had to be constructed to fit over hairdos like the beehive.
While these mini, gluten free muffins will probably not incite murder, there may be some strong feelings when presented warm from the oven. They are crunchy on the outside and creamy in the middle.
Mini Banana and Chocolate Muffins
makes 36 mini muffins
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar (I use a raw cane sugar and grind it fine in a spice grinder)
2 large eggs at room temperature
3 tbs. buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
2 ripe mashed bananas
1 oz. good quality chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp, salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, beat in the eggs, buttermilk, bananas, honey and chopped chocolate. Sift together the rest of the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients by thirds to the butter mixture, stir until well combined. It should resemble a moist cookie dough. Line mini muffin tins with mini muffin papers. Using a 1 oz. cookie scoop, put a scoop of dough in each cup.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes reversing the pans mid-way. The tops should be evenly browned, a bit more than golden. Remove from the pans to a cooling rack. When eaten warm right out of the oven the tops are deliciously crunchy. They also keep well arranged on a cake pedestal and covered with cling film.
Try cutting the tops off, add a dollop of cream cheese, then replace the top. Yummy snack with tea...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
This is not a very complimentary statement about women's hats. This movie was made in the later part of the 1950's when women's hats were verging on the ridiculous. Everything had been tried as a hat, even lampshades! Hats didn't look very much like hats causing the end of proper hat wearing. Next came big hair and any hat had to be constructed to fit over hairdos like the beehive.
While these mini, gluten free muffins will probably not incite murder, there may be some strong feelings when presented warm from the oven. They are crunchy on the outside and creamy in the middle.
Mini Banana and Chocolate Muffins
makes 36 mini muffins
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar (I use a raw cane sugar and grind it fine in a spice grinder)
2 large eggs at room temperature
3 tbs. buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
2 ripe mashed bananas
1 oz. good quality chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp, salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, beat in the eggs, buttermilk, bananas, honey and chopped chocolate. Sift together the rest of the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients by thirds to the butter mixture, stir until well combined. It should resemble a moist cookie dough. Line mini muffin tins with mini muffin papers. Using a 1 oz. cookie scoop, put a scoop of dough in each cup.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes reversing the pans mid-way. The tops should be evenly browned, a bit more than golden. Remove from the pans to a cooling rack. When eaten warm right out of the oven the tops are deliciously crunchy. They also keep well arranged on a cake pedestal and covered with cling film.
Try cutting the tops off, add a dollop of cream cheese, then replace the top. Yummy snack with tea...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Up at the Villa and Gluten Free Tacos
"Give a plain woman a hat and a pretty woman a book. Isn't that the idea?"- Up at the Villa, W. Somerset Maugham,(1941 novella)
The assumption here, made in 1941 is that a pretty woman doesn't think much and a plain woman can be made more attractive by wearing a hat. I am glad times have changed. Women can be smart AND attractive. We can all read books and wear hats. And run our own businesses, have careers and raise families. Just takes some juggling. Not always easy. That is why I like tacos. They are easy and the family loves them.
I got some organic pasilla peppers at the farmer's market.One of my favorite vendors grows all kinds of ingredients for Mexican food. Usually these peppers are only available from Mexico. I like to stuff them with a goat cheese mixture, top them with Monterey Jack cheese and bake them. They are a delicious side dish for skirt steak and tomatillo sauce. Because I had also gotten little corn tortillas, I made tacos with the baked peppers. They were very tasty vegetarian tacos.
You can prepare the fillings ahead of time for tacos, then it is just assembly, which is great after a long day.
Baked Pasilla Peppers
Serves 4 people
2 pasilla peppers
4 oz. goat cheese
2 tbs. chopped cilantro
zest and juice of 1 small lemon
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
12 small corn tortillas
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise so you have the biggest pockets for stuffing. I cut right through the stem and leave it attached. Carefully clean out the seeds and membranes. Place in a baking dish cut side down and drizzle with olive oil. Cover the dish with foil and roast for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn the peppers over, recover with the foil and roast for another 15 minutes. Let cool.
While the peppers are roasting, combine the goat cheese, cilantro, lemon zest and juice and the tablespoon of olive oil. Spread 1/4 of the mixture in the bottom of each pepper. Top each pepper with 1/4 cup of the grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned. They can be served as a side dish or saved and re-heated when it is time for tacos. One pepper will fill 3 small taco shells.
To make the tacos; fry the tortillas on both sides in a little butter until they are cooked but still soft. Fill with slices of the cheese-stuffed pepper, sliced avocado, tomatillo sauce and a dollop of yogurt mixed with some tomatillo sauce. Finish with baby lettuces or micro-greens.
Tomatillo Sauce
2 tbs.olive oil
1 1b. tomatillos, halved or quartered
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbs. sugar
zest and juice of 1 lime
Cook the tomatillos with a little salt in the olive oil for about 10 minutes until they change color and look like pulp. The color will go from vivid green to olive green. Process in a blender or small processor until the skins are chopped up, don't overdo it, you want to see the seeds. Return to the pan on a low heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook the sauce for a few minutes until it thickens a little, taste for seasoning. If too tart add a little more sugar, it might need more salt and you should taste just a hint of the cumin. Done, set aside, use it for tacos, sauce for steak or chicken, or in baked beans. I make a batch of this sauce every week when tomatillos are in season.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
The assumption here, made in 1941 is that a pretty woman doesn't think much and a plain woman can be made more attractive by wearing a hat. I am glad times have changed. Women can be smart AND attractive. We can all read books and wear hats. And run our own businesses, have careers and raise families. Just takes some juggling. Not always easy. That is why I like tacos. They are easy and the family loves them.
I got some organic pasilla peppers at the farmer's market.One of my favorite vendors grows all kinds of ingredients for Mexican food. Usually these peppers are only available from Mexico. I like to stuff them with a goat cheese mixture, top them with Monterey Jack cheese and bake them. They are a delicious side dish for skirt steak and tomatillo sauce. Because I had also gotten little corn tortillas, I made tacos with the baked peppers. They were very tasty vegetarian tacos.
You can prepare the fillings ahead of time for tacos, then it is just assembly, which is great after a long day.
Baked Pasilla Peppers
Serves 4 people
2 pasilla peppers
4 oz. goat cheese
2 tbs. chopped cilantro
zest and juice of 1 small lemon
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
12 small corn tortillas
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise so you have the biggest pockets for stuffing. I cut right through the stem and leave it attached. Carefully clean out the seeds and membranes. Place in a baking dish cut side down and drizzle with olive oil. Cover the dish with foil and roast for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn the peppers over, recover with the foil and roast for another 15 minutes. Let cool.
While the peppers are roasting, combine the goat cheese, cilantro, lemon zest and juice and the tablespoon of olive oil. Spread 1/4 of the mixture in the bottom of each pepper. Top each pepper with 1/4 cup of the grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned. They can be served as a side dish or saved and re-heated when it is time for tacos. One pepper will fill 3 small taco shells.
To make the tacos; fry the tortillas on both sides in a little butter until they are cooked but still soft. Fill with slices of the cheese-stuffed pepper, sliced avocado, tomatillo sauce and a dollop of yogurt mixed with some tomatillo sauce. Finish with baby lettuces or micro-greens.
Tomatillo Sauce
2 tbs.olive oil
1 1b. tomatillos, halved or quartered
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbs. sugar
zest and juice of 1 lime
Cook the tomatillos with a little salt in the olive oil for about 10 minutes until they change color and look like pulp. The color will go from vivid green to olive green. Process in a blender or small processor until the skins are chopped up, don't overdo it, you want to see the seeds. Return to the pan on a low heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook the sauce for a few minutes until it thickens a little, taste for seasoning. If too tart add a little more sugar, it might need more salt and you should taste just a hint of the cumin. Done, set aside, use it for tacos, sauce for steak or chicken, or in baked beans. I make a batch of this sauce every week when tomatillos are in season.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
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