More than meets the eye (mostly because my photography skills are lacking): Fennel-Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I couldn't even get a good picture of this using the wonder that is Hipstamatic - probably because by using I mean shaking my iPhone to get the next random lens-whatever combo and taking pictures from several angles until I get a photo that actually includes the desired subject (as opposed to my messy counter in the background, for instance) and is at least semi-in-focus.

Regardless of lackluster photo though, this soup is WONDERFUL, so I had to post about it so you could all make it asap. The acidity of the tomatoes and lemon juice, sweetness of the red peppers, creaminess of the coconut milk, and super flavorful combination of fennel and basil all give this soup an unexpected complexity, stepping it up from your run-of-the-mill red pepper "bisque". And I didn't even roast my own peppers. (But you can if you want. How-to is at the end of this post, from Simply Recipes.)

Fennel and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Yield: 6 servings

2 tablespoons oil or butter (I used coconut oil)
1 small bulb fennel, or half a large one (or a whole large one if you LOVE fennel), finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 teaspoon aleppo pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 15-oz jar roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped (or 4-5 red bell peppers, roasted)
1 28-oz can tomatoes, with juices (or 2 lbs fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped)
2 14.5-oz cans coconut milk (not "lite" kind)
2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
Juice from half a lemon (~2 tablespoons)

In a large soup pot, heat oil, then add fennel and 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté until just tender. Add garlic, aleppo pepper, ginger and 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes more. Add coconut milk, broth, water, red peppers, tomatoes, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender (or using an upright blender, doing 2 cups at a time), purée the soup to get as smooth a consistency as you can. Stir in basil, return pot to burner and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

How to Roast Red Peppers

From Simply Recipes

1. If you are canning for shelf storage (and not just chilling in the refrigerator), place a steaming rack at the bottom of a large (12-qt) pot, fill half way with water, bring to a boil. It takes a while to get a large pot of water to boil, so while the water is heating, proceed with the recipe.

2a. Broiler Method Position rack in oven so that the top surface of bell peppers placed in the oven will be 4-5 inches from the broiler heat element. Rub the surface of the peppers with a little olive oil (this will help them blister faster). Preheat broiler on high. Place peppers either directly on the top oven rack, with a pan to catch the drippings on a rack beneath, or place on a aluminum-foil or Silpat lined broiler pan (a cookie sheet will warp). As the surface of the peppers blister and blacken, turn them with tongs so that they will blacken on all sides.

2b. Stovetop Method If you have a gas range (or grill) you can place the peppers directly on the range top so that the flames lick the peppers. Work carefully so that as soon as one section of a pepper is blackened, you turn it to work on a fresh side. If you have an electric stove, heat a cast iron pan on high and place the peppers in the pan, allowing the peel to blister and blacken, turning so that all sides get blackened.

3. When the peppers are all well blistered and blackened, place in a non-reactive bowl and cover, or put them in a paper bag and roll the bag shut. (The steam from the hot peppers will help dislodge the skins.) Once the peppers have cooled enough to handle, work with them one by one over a plate, gently peel off the blackened skins. Cut the peppers in half and remove and discard the seed pods, stems and all seeds.

Not Just For Birds! Lemon Dill Millet Fritters

Let's talk about millet! If you're not gluten-free, into alternative grains, or just plain C-H-E-A-P, you probably haven't eaten it. You might have purchased some in a large bag however, and poured it into a big dish on your deck for the enjoyment of the birds in your neck of the woods. Because millet is bird food. BUT OH SO MUCH MORE!

Seriously, while I can't go on and on about how tasty millet is, because to me it doesn't taste like much, it has definitely become a versatile and useful ingredient in our household, mostly since I became a parent. Where once upon a time it only appeared in Sadie's Super Baby Porridge, however, now it makes its way into our granola (I just throw in a handful of raw millet to add some crunch), it's often the primary grain in our alterna-bread and vegan/GF pancake recipes, and most recently it's presented itself in veggie-burger form. And that's why we're here. Because millet makes quite a nice little patty. But I rather dislike the word patty, and even though these are delicious they're not sturdy enough to accurately be called "burgers" - I don't want to mislead anyone here - so I've settled on fritters. But, you know, the kind of fritters that don't have any eggs or flour and aren't deep fried. Healthy fritters. Made with bird food millet.

I made these earlier in the summer when there were beautiful, fragrant young leeks available and dill was growing like a weed everywhere. Depending on where you live, you could still probably get some fresh local leeks and dill (and summer squash) to make these happen, but you'd better hurry. In Minneapolis, it's gotten super cold super fast. Pumpkins and apples were taking over the whole farmer's market this morning.

You'll probably need a food processor to make the actual fritters. Some fine chopping might do the job, but I'm not sure they'd hold up with a less smooth texture. If you don't have a food processor and are still interested in this combination of ingredients, however, the cooked millet + sautéed vegetable mixture is delicious and could be served as is (i.e. not pattied, not frittered), hot or lukewarm. Beckett loved it.

Lemon-Dill Millet Fritters
Adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook
Yield: 4 servings

1 cup millet
2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon salt

3 small leeks, or 1 large one (1 lb), thinly sliced and well-rinsed
2-3 zucchini or other summer squash (1.5 lbs), finely chopped
Large handful dill (~half a grocery store bunch, or 1/2 cup loosely packed), chopped
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter), divided

Rinse millet in a fine mesh strainer before placing it in a medium pot. Cover with 2 cups water and add 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, then turn down heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter in a skillet. Add leeks, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and sauté over medium heat, stirring every couple minutes, until soft and fragrant, about 5-8 minutes. Add zucchini and lemon zest and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until soft. Remove from heat. Stir in dill and lemon juice. Wipe down the skillet but keep it out for frying the fritters. 

Put vegetable mixture into food processor and pulse a few times. Add cooked millet and pulse until just mixed - it will have the consistency of thick hummus. Form mixture into patties. Heat oil in the skillet - 1 tablespoon at a time - over medium heat and lightly sauté patties for about 3-4 minutes per side. As I mentioned before getting to the recipe, these aren't the sturdiest, so flip and remove from pan gingerly. (They will be worth the care, as they are as attractive as they are pretty when they're intact!)

I topped mine with some plain yogurt and garnished them with some more dill.

Upcoming Classes at Local D'Lish

Hello! Fall/winter classes have started at Local D'Lish! It's so fun! I'll be teaching most Thursday evenings, plus one Sunday and one Wednesday afternoon per month. Classes are for beginners who need help getting started in the kitchen, or more advanced home cooks looking for some new basics to add to their repertoire. We aren't fancy. We simply believe that good, local, seasonal food and a few basic but versatile skills are all you need to make delicious homemade meals. We also believe that food builds community! I think that's why our classes are so fun.

The classes I'll be teaching in the next few months are listed below. They are mostly vegetarian and often if they are not gluten-free and/or vegan, I will provide information on how to adapt them to suit those diets. Conversely, I always tell my class participants how fish and meat can be incorporated into our veggie-centric dishes. (Noteworthy exception: my Brunch for a Crowd class is not vegetarian or gluten-free. Like not even close. It's not an alternative or hypoallergenic brunch class. It's a class about pleasing a large group of people with wheat and eggs and mimosas.)

Fall
Sunday, Sept. 9, 1-3:30 pm: Quick Weeknight Meals
Thursday, Sept. 13, 6-8:30 pm: Brunch for a Crowd (my most fun class)
Wednesday, Sept. 19, 1-3:30 pm: Culinary Basics: Pasta Sauces 101
Thursday, Sept. 20, 6-8:30 pm: Culinary Basics: Root Vegetables (way more fun than it sounds!)
Sunday, Sept. 23, 1-3:30 pm: Quick Weeknight Meals
Sunday, Oct. 21, 1-3:30 pm: Culinary Basics: Root Vegetables
Thursday, Oct. 25, 6-8:30 pm: Autumn Salads (gluten-free and vegan)
Thursday, Nov. 1, 6-8:30 pm: Quick Weeknight Meals
Thursday, Nov. 8, 6-8:30 pm: Culinary Basics: Root Vegetables
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 1-3:30 pm: Culinary Basics: Holiday Side Dishes
Thursday, Nov. 15, 6-8:30 pm: Quick Weeknight Meals
Sunday, Nov. 18, 1-3:30 pm: Seasonal Side Dishes
Thursday, Nov. 29, 6-8:30 pm: Eating Local Through Winter

Winter
Thursday, Dec. 6, 6-8:30 pm: Quick Weeknight Meals
Wednesday, Dec. 12, 1-3:30 pm: Eating Local Through Winter
Thursday, Dec. 13, 6-8:30 pm: Winter Salads (gluten-free and vegan)
Sunday, Dec. 16, 1-3:30 pm: Quick Weeknight Meals through the Holidays
Thursday, Dec. 20, 6-8:30 pm: Culinary Basics: Holiday Side Dishes
Thursday, Jan. 3, 6-8:30 pm: Quick Weeknight Meals
Sunday, Jan. 6, 1-3:30 pm: Eating Local Through Winter
Thursday, Jan 10, 6-8:30 pm: Culinary Basics: Root Vegetables
Wednesday, Jan. 16, 1-3:30 pm: Cook for the Week (a super fun, useful class!)
Thursday, Jan. 17, 6-8:30 pm: Quick Weeknight Meals
Thursday, Jan. 24, 6-8:30 pm: Brunch for a Crowd
Thursday, Jan. 31, 6-8:30 pm: Quick Weeknight Meals
Sunday, Feb. 3, 1-3:30 pm: Quick Weeknight Meals
Thursday, Feb. 7, 6-8:30 pm: Simple Vegan Dinners
Thursday, Feb. 14, 6-8:30 pm: Brunch for a Crowd
Thursday, Feb. 21, 6-8:30 pm: Quick Weeknight Meals
Wednesday, Feb. 27, 1-3:30 pm: Cook for the Week
Thursday, Feb. 28, 6-8:30 pm: Winter Salads (gluten-free and vegan)

The whole schedule is posted on Local D'Lish's website. Come spring, I am hoping to incorporate a lot more of the gluten-free / egg-free / allergy-friendly stuff I'm learning into my classes and perhaps even offer specific classes geared towards families working through food sensitivities. I'm still learning - I'll be learning forever - but come spring I think I'll have a class or two's worth of knowledge and practice to share with people in a similar boat. I also intend to pitch class ideas to some of the food co-ops and natural foods markets in the area. I will keep you posted on that; it probably won't happen until spring, if at all. I have other ideas too and am working on being less scattered and more purposeful about making them happen... baby steps.

Here are some nice things people have said about me after taking one of my cooking classes:



(More here. I photograph these badboys because they are the best affirmation/ motivation ever! Nobody left me thank-you notes at the Family Justice Center. It would have made all the difference.)

(Oh! Note: aforementioned cinnamon rolls are from brunch class, fyi. So sign up! Cinnamon rolls included! Now you can't resist!)

Please feel free to email me with any questions about the classes: cakeandedith at gmail dot com. I take all feedback seriously - not just the compliments, so if you've attended a class and have ideas about how I can improve things, please let me know. To register for classes, sign up through Local D'Lish.

I love love LOVE teaching - almost as much as I love eating. I am committed to getting better and better at teaching all the time. And while I have already mastered the fine art of eating - not one to resist yet another advanced degree - I intend to obtain the equivalent of a Ph.D. in said art in just a few weeks. Italy, baby, YEAH!

xoxo

Carrot Cake Pancakes (Featuring My New Favorite Method of Gluten-Free Baking)

Hello!

First of all - for those of you who have ended up here because you are seeking allergy-friendly food, this post is especially for YOU! Because it's hard, isn't it? I never intended this blog to be a space for complaining about food preparation - making food for those I love (and even for those I've never met before) is one of life's truest pleasures for me. I love eating. I love helping others do things they love. The best means I've come up with so far are to feed people and, recently, to teach them how to feed themselves. A culinary student I once knew, when asked what she liked to make most, responded, "anything that's well-received." She, like me, needed a great deal of affirmation in her life and was self-aware enough to know that one of the best parts of feeding people is to have them enjoy it so much that they tell you - or show you, by going back for thirds. The gratification I feel from pleasing someone with a meal or treat is huge. Whether it's my husband, class participants, old friends, new friends, or my children - pleasure on their part means a job well done on my own, so it's a win-win. 

The complaining started when the win-wins at home were harder to come by as the following foods were eliminated from our meals:

eggs

wheat

peanuts

chickpeas

shell fish / other fish

sesame seeds

lentils

strawberries

some lunch meats

Eggs and wheat are essential to mainstream baking. Chickpeas and lentils were staples in our home before Beckett's allergies were diagnosed. Strawberries are like the world's healthiest treat (when they don't cause hives). And the other foods aren't really big losses for us, but any additional restrictions on top of the aforementioned ones were just more to work around, you know?

So. Anyway. It's taken me a while to find foods that truly make Beckett happy. I mean, he likes cheese and meat and avocado and tomatoes, which is great, but I rarely have much of an impact on their preparation - although I am a champion avocado slicer. And, while it's not all about me, and mostly I'm just grateful that we know what he can safely eat and have learned how to feed him several times a day without seeing a reaction, sometimes a mama just wants her baby to chow down on a homemade baked good! So sue me.

At a first-birthday-party we were at the other day, the carrot cake my friend made for her daughter was delicious. Super moist, just enough spice, pretty darn healthy as far as cakes go, and really pretty! The birthday girl was in HEAVEN devouring her first taste of treat, and it was really fun to watch. Beckett couldn't have any because it had flour and eggs in it, but I knew the flavors would appeal to him and promptly decided to make a pancake version for him when I got home from the party.

Guess what? They are perfect!

The method I used for the pancake batter requires a VitaMix or other high-powered blender, and was introduced to me by Kim Wilson, who has self-published several books and blogs about wholesome eating on her website, WHOLEmade. Her basic pancake recipe is here and it's great - my mom told me that my 6-year-old nephew who does not have food allergies actually preferred some frozen, reheated  ones over the mainstream delicious fluffy buttermilk pancakes she made for him! (I have used her soaked-blended grain batter approach to make her "slicing bread" (for which I cannot find the link at the moment) and this flat bread, the former seeing moderate success and the latter being absolutely amazing. (She also has a banana muffin recipe using the same approach; it sounds good but I haven't tried it.))

If you are into soaking grains and incorporating vegetables into your baked goods and using a VitaMix several times a day, you will have fun with these. If you like carrot cake or pancakes, you will like these. If you are navigating food allergies and are eager to find a good egg-free, gluten-free, dairy-free pancake recipe, you will LOVE these almost as much as your allergic child! (Although, since we're not dairy free in our house, I can't wait to make a cream cheese glaze to accompany these next time around.) 

Here are photos of the pancakes-in-progress. The recipe will elucidate any pictures that are weird and/or at odds with your current pancake-making experience.

Carrot Cake Pancakes (Gluten-Free and Vegan)

Hybrid of inspiration from this and this

Yield: about 40-50 four-inch pancakes

1 1/4 cup brown rice

3/4 cup raw buckwheat groats or millet*

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, whey, or lemon juice

--------------

1 cup chopped, cooked carrots

1 1/4 cups water (to start)

2 tablespoons ground flax seed

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

--------------

Coconut oil or butter for frying

In a large bowl or measuring cup, cover brown rice and buckwheat groats with water by about 2 inches. Add 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, whey, or lemon juice and soak for 8-24 hours. Drain the grains, rinse them in a fine sieve, and pour them into your blender. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the baking powder, and blend until smooth. Add a little more water, 1-2 tablespoons at a time if you'd like a thinner batter. Add the baking powder and blend briefly.

Heat coconut oil or butter in a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add pancake batter in 2-tablespoon increments (my batter was thin and spread considerably to make perfect 4" pancakes). Cook for a couple minutes over medium heat and once bubbles begin to form (see picture above), carefully flip and cook another minute or two.

* I think the buckwheat has a nicer, milder flavor than the millet.

These freeze BEAUTIFULLY - both taste and texture are maintained for several weeks, which I've found isn't always the case when working with gluten-free grains. I let them cool on racks and then place them in a freezer bag with aluminum foil or waxed paper in between layers. I bring them in tupperware containers to thaw at room temp when we're going to be out, or I reheat them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds if we're home. Beckett likes them either way.