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.