Gluten and Dairy Free Coconut Macaroons

Gluten and Dairy Free Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
6 Tablespoons sugar or coconut palm sugar
2 large egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg whites with a fork until foamy.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well mixed.
Form into balls about one tablespoon in size or drop from a round tablespoon sized measuring spoon or cookie dough scoop. I left mine flat on the bottom and rounded on top.
Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes about 16 macaroons.

SLOW COOKER CHEATER PORK STEW

2 small onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
½ pound baby carrots
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds of pork shoulder, cut into 1.5 inch cubes or a 4 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast
1 tablespoon Sunny Paris seasoning
1 tablespoon Red Boat Fish sauce
1 small cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
1 cup Rao’s marinara sauce
1 tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley (optional)

Slice up the onions and smash the garlic cloves…
…and add them with the carrots to the slow cooker liner. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Grab some high quality pork…

…cube it (if you’re so inclined)…

…and toss with Sunny Paris seasoning and fish sauce.

Add another sprinkle of salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Pile the seasoned pork on top of the onions and carrots
…and tuck the cabbage wedges on top.

Drizzle on the marinara sauce and some more salt and pepper.

Put on the lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

When the pork and veggies are fork-tender, adjust the stew for seasoning with  balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

If you’re feeling fancy, top the stew with fresh Italian parsley.

SLOW COOKER KOREAN GRASS FED SHORT RIBS

6 pounds of bone-in English-style grass-fed short ribs
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 medium pear or Asian pear, peeled, cored, and chopped coarsely
1/2 cup coconut aminos
6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
3 scallions, roughly chopped
1 hunk of ginger, about the size of your thumb, cut into two pieces
2 teaspoons of Red Boat fish sauce
1 tablespoon coconut vinegar
1 cup organic chicken broth
Small handful of roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Here’s how top make it:

Preheat your broiler with the rack 6 inches from the heating element. Season the ribs liberally with salt and pepper…
…and lay the ribs, bone-side up on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Whenever I season raw meat, I set aside a small ramekin with salt and ground pepper that I use only for the raw stuff. Cross contamination can lead to some bad crap. Literally.
Broil the ribs for 5 minutes and then flip them over and broil for another 5 minutes.
Stack the ribs in a single layer in the slow cooker. I lay them on their side to cram them all in the pot.


Toss the pear, coconut aminos, garlic, scallions, ginger, fish sauce, and vinegar in a blender and puree until smooth.

Pour the sauce evenly over the ribs…
…and add the chicken broth to the pot.
Cover with the lid, set the slow cooker on low, and let the ribs stew for 9-11 hours.
When it’s time to serve the ribs, remove the meat from the slow cooker and place them on a serving platter.
Let the braising liquid settle for 5 minutes and then ladle off the fat if you wish. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and pour a cup of sauce over the ribs.

Sprinkle on the chopped cilantro and serve the remaining sauce on the side.
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Raw Butternut Squash Slaw

• 3 cups grated butternut squash (about 1/2 of a peeled and seeded butternut squash) (350 to 400 g)
• 3 cups shredded cabbage (200 to 250 g)
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro or parsley (60 ml)
• 1 to 2 jalapenos (or other hot pepper) seeded & finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar (30 ml)
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (1 ml)
• 1 teaspoon tamari (5 ml)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (5 ml)
• 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil (such as cold-pressed, high-oleic/high-stearic sunflower oil)  (125 ml)

Instructions:

Peel the butternut squash, take out the seeds and cut the squash into chunks. Grate the squash – a food processor is by far the easiest way to accomplish this.

Combine the grated squash, cabbage, green onions, cilantro and hot pepper in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, shallot, salt, tamari, and both of the oils.

Pour the dressing over the slaw. Mix well before serving

Gingered spaghetti squash

• 1 small spaghetti squash cut in half, deseeded
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Place squash on baking dish and add the butter, honey, ginger and seasoning. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until squash is al dente. Do not overcook the squash. Spoon out squash and check for seasoning. Keep warm for serving

Zuni Cafe's flourless chocolate cake

• Unsalted butter for coating the pan
• 3/4 pound E. Guittard Premium 61% cacao semisweet dark chocolate
• 6 tablespoons strong, brewed dark roast coffee
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large yolks
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon whipping cream

Or for a 6" pan

• 170g chocolate
• 3T coffee
• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 T honey
• 90g whipping cream

The 6" version only took about 50 minutes although that might have been a tad too long. Check at 45 next time and see how it is.

Ingredients: Butter a round 9-inch cake pan. Cut out a 9-inch parchment round and a long strip to line the bottom and the sides, and butter again. Set aside, along with a second, larger pan that will easily contain the prepared pan. Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°.

In a stainless steel bowl over hot water (the bowl should not touch the water), melt chocolate with the coffee. Stir until smooth and keep warm.

Meanwhile, combine eggs, yolks and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over hot water and stir until mixture warms to room temperature. Return the bowl to the stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed for about 15 minutes, until quadrupled in size.

In a separate bowl, whip cream until it forms soft peaks.

Fold 1/4 of the egg mixture into the warm chocolate until it becomes all one color, then pour it and the whipped cream into the rest of the egg mixture. Fold gently to combine, until everything is nearly uniform in color.

Pour into the prepared 9-inch cake pan. Place cake pan into the bigger baking pan set on the oven shelf then fill with 1-inch very hot water, best just off a boil. Bake until the cake registers 175° in the center on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 hours. Check every half hour, rotating the cake as needed. If it begins to brown on the edges, reduce the oven temperature to 325°.

Remove the cake from water bath; let sit for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto a plate and let sit another 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the cake, then carefully peel off paper. Flip the cake back over onto a serving plate so it is right-side up again. It's easiest to cut now, while just warm to the touch. Use a cheese wire or thin slicing knife that has been heated in hot water before cutting each slice then wiped dry between the cuts.

Though the cake can be served slightly warm, the texture and flavor is even better after it has been chilled through or refrigerated at least 1-2 hours. Return to room temperature before serving.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Take out of the refrigerator 2-3 hours before serving.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/food/chefssecrets/article/Zuni-Cafe-s-flourless-chocolate-cake-3813951.php

Roast Duck

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (5 pound) whole duck
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Rub salt, pepper, and paprika into the skin of the duck. Place in a roasting pan.
3. Roast duck in preheated oven for 1 hour. Spoon 1/4 cup melted butter over bird, and continue cooking for 45 more minutes. Spoon remaining 1/4 cup melted butter over duck, and cook for 15 more minutes, or until golden brown.

Coconut Flour Biscuits

Coconut Flour Biscuits Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Coconut Flour
• 5 TBSP Butter or Coconut Oil, softened but not melted
• 4 eggs
• 2 TBSP honey (optional)
• dash of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

or for a single serving

11g coconut flour

1+T ghee or coconut oil

1 egg

a squirt of honey

dash of salt

1/8 tsp baking powder

How to Make Coconut Flour Biscuits:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Put all ingredients into medium sized bowl and mix well with immersion blender or hand mixer until well incorporated
3. Using your hands, carefully form into nine small balls and mash each one down with a spoon to make it about 1/2 inch thick.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes until just starting to brown.

Zucchini Noodles or Ribbons

2 medium-sized zucchini squash, washed, dried, and trimmed at both ends
2 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Herbs of your choice

Preparation:

Using the julienne blade of a mandoline, slice zucchini lengthwise into long, thin strands; separate the strands. NOTE: If you don't have a mandoline you can either use a vegetable peeler or a knife.

Transfer zucchini strands to a colander set over a mixing bowl. Toss the zucchini strands with salt; let stand 15 minutes at room temperature. Gently squeeze zucchini to extract excess water. Transfer drained zucchini strands to a bowl and toss with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

To serve, twirl small amounts of zucchini strands with a long-tined fork and slip off onto individual serving plates. Garnish with herbs of your choice or use as a base for seafood of your choice.

Makes 2 servings.

Chinese-Style Beef, Sweet Potato, and Bok Choy Stew

• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1 piece fresh ginger (1 in. square), cut into chunks
• 1 1/4 pounds beef rib-eye steaks (about 1 1/2 steaks)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
• 3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 deep-orange sweet potato
• 12 ounces baby bok choy
• 2 green onions
•  Whirl garlic and ginger in a food processor until minced. Trim fat from steaks and cut across the grain into 1/4-in. slices, 
• discarding pockets of fat. Sprinkle meat with half of garlic mixture and all the salt.
• Heat oil in a 5- to 6-qt. pan over high heat. Brown half the beef lightly, stirring occasionally, 3 to 6 minutes. With a slotted
•  spoon, transfer meat to a plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining garlic mixture to pan and cook until softened, about 30 seconds. Stir in 
• five-spice powder, then broth and soy sauce. Peel sweet potato, halve lengthwise, and cut in 1/3-in.-thick slices. 
• Add to broth. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, trim ends from bok choy, rinse, separate leaves, and cut in wide diagonal slices. Stir bok choy into 
• stew and simmer just until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in beef and cook until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Cut onions in 3-in. slivers.
• 
  
• Ladle stew into bowls and garnish with onions.

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 6 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup finely chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, melt together coconut oil and honey. Whisk in eggs and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, sift the coconut flour and re-measure. Stir together coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until well combined. Gently fold in rhubarb and strawberries.
Line a muffin pan with 12 liners (or oil the pan very well with coconut oil). Pour 1/4 cup of batter per cup. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool, in the pan, for 5 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cauliflower Rice

• a small head of organic cauliflower, chopped coarsely
• 1 small onion, chopped finely in a food processor
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Chop the cauliflower and blend in the Cusinart until pieces are the size of rice grains. Saute the onions in melted butter and coconut oil until translucent. Add the cauliflower and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and cook covered for 5-10 minutes until "rice" is soft. Taste again and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Slow Cooked Pork With Apples and Fennel

Serves 6-8

lard
1 3-4 pound pork should roast, cut into 2″ cubes
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and eighth’ed
1 fennel bulb, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon fennel seed, freshly ground
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
kraut
creme fraiche

Melt fat in a heavy bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown pork and place in bowl of slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. (You could brown the onion and fennel first, too, if you have time.) Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Serve with kraut and dollops of creme fraiche.

Goat (or beef or lamb) Korma

Serves 4-6

3-4 tablespoons ghee
2 onions, sliced
1/2 cup crispy almonds or cashews
2 pounds goat shoulder roast, cubed (lamb or beef would be fine, too)
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam marsala powder
1/2 teaspoon mace powder
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups beef broth (or goat broth if you have it)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup yogurt

Melt 2 tablespoons of ghee in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, turn the heat down to medium, and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are medium brown. I find I need to turn down the heat slightly during the process. It pays to be patient here and really let the onions brown, but not burn. Add the nuts and continue frying until the onions are deep brown.

Remove onions and almonds from the pan and set aside to cool. Using an immersion blender, food processor or other blender, purée the onions and nuts.

Turn the heat back up to medium-high and melt another tablespoon or two of ghee. When the pan is hot again, add the cubed goat meat. Do not crowd the meat in the pan as that will steam rather than brown it. Brown the meat in batches instead. Leave the meat undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, so that it gets a good sear.

When it releases easily from the pan, it is ready to turn.

Brown on two sides, then add the coriander, garam marsala, mace, cardamom, and cayenne to the meat and warm for a minute or two, until they’re quite fragrant. Add the broth and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the bay, ginger, garlic, salt, and onion-nut mixture. Add the yogurt and stir until it is fully incorporated into the sauce. Bring to a very gentle simmer–the yogurt may curdle if the sauce boils–and cook until the meat is tender, about two hours. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

Ghee

Makes a bit less than 4 1/2 Pints

1. Start with the best unsalted butter you can find.
   
2. Put 4 lbs of butter in a heavy stainless steel saucepan and turn on medium-low heat.
3. Simmer the butter, occasionally stirring gently. It will begin to make a foam on top.
4. When parting the foam shows a clear golden liquid underneath, you can skim it off. Turn the heat down if necessary. The butter will boil gently and make a crackling sound.
5. When the crackling stops and new foam stops forming, the ghee should be a golden, clear color. It will also be mildly fragrant. That means it’s almost done!
6. Set up cheesecloth or coffee filters in a sieve and pour the ghee through it into a bowl. The filter will catch the foam and the milk solids.
7. Pour the ghee into jars. It will be clear and golden.
8. Allow it to cool. The ghee will be solid when it is cool. You can store it on the counter or in the refrigerator.

Crispy Nuts

1. Rinse the shelled nuts under cold water and put them in a bowl of cold filtered water. Use 1 tablespoon of sea salt for every 4 cups of nuts.
2. Leave them soaking in a warm place for at least 7 hours. Up to 18 hours is even better.
   
3. Drain the nuts, using a colander
   
4. Transfer the nuts to a food dehydrator, and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 24 hours. You want the nuts to be completely dry when you remove them.
   
5. Store your nuts in an air tight container, preferably in the fridge or freezer.

Note: Almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, pepitas, and pecans can all be stored in an air tight container at room temperature if you are tight on fridge/freezer space. Walnuts should always be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator due to their high levels of triple unsaturated linolenic acid, which promote rancidity. Cashews should not be soaked more than 6 hours, and should be dried in the oven at 200 degrees.

Nut Butter

Makes approx. 2 cups
1 C crispy almonds
2 c crispy walnuts
1/2 c ghee (room temp) or coconut oil (barely melted)
1 T raw honey
1t sea salt (finely ground Celtic or Himalayan)

Grind nuts and sea salt in food processor to fine powder (like flour). Add honey and coconut oil or ghee and process until smooth. Store in fridge.

Grain-free Granola

1 cup pumpkin seeds

2 cups sunflower seeds

3 (or maybe 4, I can't remember) cups dried coconut, the large flakes

1/4 cup honey (warmed, if necessary)

1/8 cup oil (something mild-tasting; I used safflower)

some salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup dried fruit pieces (I cut up apricots, apples, dates and then tossed in some raisins and cranberries too)

A bit of coconut flour (optional, but I used it to toss the cut dried fruit pieces in so they didn't stick to each other and clump up in the granola)

Mix everything but the fruit and coconut together, spread it out on a cookie sheet and bake it at 350 for at least fifteen minutes. Mix in the coconut and give it another five minutes, but keep an eye on it and stir it every few minutes as it browns quickly. Finally, toss it with the dried fruit and then pour yourself a big bowl and enjoy!

Spaghetti Carbonara with Carmelized Onions

Traditionally, carbonara doesn't contain onions, but caramelized ones add another level of flavor. Separating the eggs before adding them to the hot pasta is a method borrowed from Mario Batali that produces a creamy mouthfeel.

• 1/2 pound pancetta, bacon or guanciale, diced
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• -- Freshly ground black pepper
• -- Kosher salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the pancetta until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and put on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pan. Add the onions and a few grinds of pepper to the pan; cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until deeply caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Place spaghetti in a large bowl; add the pancetta onion mixture and toss to combine. Add the egg whites and toss to combine. Add the egg yolks and Parmesan and toss to combine, adding a few splashes of reserved pasta water to achieve a creamy texture. Season to taste with salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper and serve immediately.

Miso Beef Noodle Soup

• 10 cups water
• 2 tablespoons Penzey's beef soup base
  
• 2 tablespoons red miso paste
• 1 pound lean beef, cut into thin slices
• 2 cups thinly sliced green onions
• 1 pound udon noodles
• -- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions: Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan, reduce to a simmer and whisk in the miso paste until thoroughly combined. Add the noodles and onions and simmer until noodles are al dente, about 2 minutes. Add the beef, and cook two minutes more, or until beef is cooked through. Taste and adjust for seasoning, then divide among bowls and serve piping hot.