Paleo Pizza Dough

2 cups blanched almond flour

½ cup arrow root flour

2 tps baking powder

1 tps salt

1 tps pepper

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp dried basil

Now you can get creative with the spices, I like a little curry powder and smoked chili pepper

¼ cup melted butter or olive oil (it calls for melted coconut oil, but it is way too sweet for me and who wants a pizza that has a sweet coconut flavor?)

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 F (or 165 C).  In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix until a dough forms. Place the dough between two pieces of parchment and roll out or flatten  to a consistent thickness of ¼ inch (6mm) making it into a rectangle or circle (Kelani prefers round pizzas). Bake the dough for 20 minutes until it becomes firm.

When the dough is finished put your sauce on it- careful not to make the dough soggy. Once your pizza set with all of your ingredients, cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Paleo "hamburger" buns

when my family came to visit, they stocked me up on almond flour and arrowroot flour. I like the buns, and kids seem to really like them. They are much easier to make than the ones with yeast. My brother in law says that you can grind your own almonds to make the flour.

3 cups blanched almond flour

1 cup hot water

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

¼ arrowroot flour
3 eggs separated

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Some other spices you would like to use-garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, etc.

Preheat oven to 375 F (180 C). In a large bowl combine 2 cups of the almond flour, hot water, and vinegar. Fold the ingredients together using a wooden spoon. Add the baking powder, salt, pepper and the other spice. Fold all together.

Whisk the egg yolks and add them to the dough. Add the remaining almond flour and the arrowroot flour and stir.

Whip the egg whites until stiff, carefully fold them into the dough. Drop ¼ cup of the batter onto parchment sheet lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

Boston Cream Pie

From Saveur, October 2012

The cake:

12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (6 ounces or 170 grams)

1 ½ cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

2/3 cup buttermilk (I add 2 tbsp lemon juice to milk)

Heat oven to 350 F or 170 C. Grease and flour a 9” (23 cm) round cake pan. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each. Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, in three batches (begin and end with the flour mixture), beat until just combined. Pour into the pan and bake about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in to the middle comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, then take out of pan onto wire rack and cool completely.

The filling:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

½ tsp salt

6 egg yolks

1 ½ cups milk

4 tbsp butter(2 ounces or 50 grams) cubed and chilled

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 4-qt saucepan; add yolks and whisk until smooth. Stir in milk, and place pan over medium heat; cook stirring constantly until it thickens (about 10 minutes). Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter one cube at a time, whisking until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the pudding to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill until firmed, at least 2 hours.

The glaze:

4 ounces 60% bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces.

½ cup heavy cream

Place chocolate in a bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over high heat, pour hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute. Slowly stir chocolate and cream until smooth and shiny. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Cut the cake horizontally into two layers (use a serrated knife). Spread the chilled pudding over the bottom layer, cover with the top and pour the chocolate glaze over the top. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Roasted Curried Pumpkin Soup

1 kg pumpkin, after being cleaned and peeled, cut into medium chunks

3 carrots, cut into medium pieces too

2-3 medium red onions peeled and each cut into 6 pieces (I used red and brown)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper, Turkish roasted is good

6 cloves garlic, sliced

1 leek, sliced

2-3 small chilies, coarsely chopped

3 teaspoons curry, I like the Madras stuff

2 liters of boiled (hot) water

2 tablespoons tomato paste, I used the whole little box

Pre-heat oven to 180 C or 375 F.

Mix pumpkin, carrots, and onions with the olive oil and cumin. Roast in the oven for 45-60 minutes until tender and cooked through.

Place a large bottomed pot over medium heat. Add about 3 tablespoons olive oil and fry the garlic and chili for about 5 minutes, add the curry powder and fry for about 45 seconds.  Add the cooked vegetables and stir. Add the hot water and tomato paste and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Once cooked, puree with the blender, you may need to add salt and pepper.

Serve with a dollop of yogurt [if you must], coriander leaves, nuts, squeeze of lemon…I served with a little salsa and cashew.

Grilled Turmeric and Lemongrass Chicken Wings

From Bon Appétit, July 2012

4 servings Cooking the wings slowly over medium-low coals and turning them often makes for crisp results; the skin will brown while the meat cooks through. Be sure to begin 1 day ahead; the chicken needs to marinate overnight for the flavors to infuse.

1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

3 shallots, chopped

3 garlic cloves

2 lemongrass stalks (bottom third only, tough outer layers removed), finely chopped

2 jalapeños, stemmed

1 -1” piece ginger, peeled, chopped

2Tbsp. fresh lime juice

2tbsp. Tamarind juice concentrate (not paste or pulp) or 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1tbsp. fish sauce

2tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. turmeric

3 lb. whole chicken wings

Combine coconut milk, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, jalapeños, ginger, lime juice, tamarind juice, fish sauce, kosher salt, turmeric, and 1 cup water in a blender. Purée mixture until a smooth marinade forms.

Place chicken wings in a large baking dish. Pour marinade over; turn wings to coat evenly. Cover chicken and chill overnight.

Remove chicken from marinade shaking any excess marinade back into dish. Transfer chicken to a large platter. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Transfer marinade to a large sauce-pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until marinade thickens, 10-15 minutes. Pour half of marinade into a small bowl; set aside for basting chicken while it grills. Keep remaining marinade in saucepan; cover and keep warm until ready to serve the chicken.

Build a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Oil grill grates to prevent sticking. Grill chicken wings, turning every 5 minutes and basting occasionally with marinade in small bowl, until fat is rendered and skin is nicely charred in spots, 30-35 minutes. (The key here is to turn the wings often so the skin doesn’t burn.)

Continue cooking chicken without basting (so it will get crisp) until wings are cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.

Transfer chicken to a large platter and let it rest for 5 minutes. Squeeze lime wedges over wings. Transfer marinade in saucepan to a small bowl.

Serve warm marinade alongside chicken as a dipping sauce.

Lime and Blackberry Meringue Pie

From Bon Appétit magazine, August 2011

LIME CURD

1 cup fresh lime juice

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

¾ cup sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ tsp. unflavored gelatin

¾ cup chilled heavy cream

BLACKBERRY COMPOTE

1 cup fruity red wine, such as Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon

½ cup sugar

3 cups blackberries (about 1 1/2 pints)

1 Blind-Baked Pie Crust in a 9” deep-dish glass or metal pie pan (see Master Pie Crust recipe)

MERANGUE

3 large egg whites, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp. corn syrup

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup blackberries (about ½ pint)

LIME CURD set a strainer over a medium bowl; set aside. Stir lime juice, eggs, egg yolks, and sugar together in another medium bowl. Set bowl over a large saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk until mixture has thickened, the whisk leaves a path when lifted from curd, and an instant-read thermometer registers 175° (80 C), about 15 minutes. Add butter to curd, one Tbsp. at a time, whisking to blend between additions. Strain curd into prepared bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.

DO AHEAD: can be made 2 days ahead. Refrigerate curd. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl; let stand until gelatin is soft, about 10 minutes. Using an electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add gelatin mixture; continue beating cream until just before firm peaks form. Fold whipped cream into lime curd. Cover; chill.

BLACKBERRY COMPOTE   bring red wine sugar, and ½ cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced to ½ cup, 20-25 minutes. Let cool. Add 3 cups berries; fold gently to coat. Spread compote in an even layer over baked crust. Spoon lime curd over berries smooth top, and chill for 1 hour.

MERINGUE if toasting meringue in oven, preheat oven to 450°(200 C). Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat whites in mixer until soft peaks form. Set aside. Stir sugar, corn syrup, and ¼ cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, until thermometer registers 238°(soft ball stage, 115 C), 6-8 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Meanwhile, beat whites in mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in salt. Slowly pour hot sugar syrup down side of bowl into whites and beat until meringue is firm and glossy. Continue beating until cool, about 4 minutes. Spoon meringue over lime curd, leaving a 1” plain border, and sculpt decoratively. Tuck 1 cup berries in and around meringue.

Bake pie until meringue is toasted in spots, 3-5 minutes. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Pie can be made 3 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

Worcestershire Sauce

(MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS)

 Saveur magazine, January/February 2009

 

2 cups distilled white vinegar

½ cup molasses

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup tamarind concentrate

3 tbsp. yellow mustard seeds

3 tbsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. whole black peppercorns

1 tsp. whole cloves

½ tsp. curry powder

5 cardamom pods, smashed

4 chiles de àrbol, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1- 1” (2.54 cm) stick cinnamon

1 anchovy chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 ½ piece ginger, peeled and crushed

½ cup sugar

Combine all ingredients except the sugar in a 2-qt. saucepan (above right, top and middle); boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook sugar in a skillet over medium-high heat until it becomes dark amber and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Add caramelized sugar to vinegar mixture and whisk to combine; cook sauce for 5 minutes; transfer sauce to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate, covered, for 3 weeks; strain to remove solids (above right, bottom); return to jar. Refrigerate for up to 8 months.