ARUGULA BREAKFAST SALAD WITH TOASTED PISTACHIO, RADISH & SOFT EGGS

January 5, 2017 sassy kitchen

Happy New Year! I’ve been spending my mornings trying to reboot from what is always a busy, food-and-drink-filled holiday season. This recipe is one I eat most mornings, when I’m busy and in need quick & clean sustenance. It is technically a salad, but I find it to be more of a quick assemblage of ingredients I already have on hand. No matter how simple, it never fails to be exactly one I need - no more and no less - for mornings when you need something lasting, but have little brain space for meal-making.

Arugula Breakfast Salad with Toasted Pistachio, Radish & Soft Eggs (serves 2) Gluten-free, DAIRY-FREE

This recipe gives you the foundation for pretty much any breakfast salad. Feel free to use whatever green you have on hand - kale, tiny gem lettuces, rainbow chard, spinach, etc. For the toppings, I always include an egg or two, something with crunch (I like a fresh crunch - radish, cucumber , fresh herbs - and a nut or seed) and whatever else you have on hand. This is the perfect way to use leftover grains or veggies that aren’t enough for a whole meal, but need to be used somehow. If you don’t stray from dairy, a shaved parmesan or pecorino would be amazing on this and as always, avocado makes everything better.

2-4 large eggs
3 large handfuls wild arugula
2-3 radishes or 1 small watermelon radish, sliced in matchsticks
1 small handful toasted pistachios, roughly chopped
Leftover quinoa or any other grain, about 1/3 cup or a couple spoonfuls
1 small lemon
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
Flaky sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper

Fill a saucepan with water (enough to cover a couple eggs) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and slowly submerge eggs, one at a time. (*I use 1-2 eggs per serving, depending on how hungry I am). Cook at a roiling boil for exactly 6 1/2 minutes (less, if you like a softer egg, and more, if you like it harder). In the meantime, prepare an ice bath.

In a medium serving bowl, add arugula, radishes, toasted pistachios and leftover quinoa (or whatever else you have on hand). Squeeze the juice of about one lemon over top and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss everything together until well combined. Season with flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Once eggs are done cooking, add to ice bath for a couple minutes. Then, shell the eggs and halve them overtop the salad. Divide into bowls and serve immediately.

STICKY DATE CAKE WITH SALTED TOFFEE SAUCE

December 22, 2016 sassy kitchen

I can't believe it's already Christmas and this year is coming to a close. I'm spending time in rainy California with family, tons of christmas cookies and holiday music. This sticky date cake will be a beloved new addition to our usual Christmas morning cinnamon rolls (gf, of course), hot chocolate and quiche. These cakes couldn't be more festive if they tried, and I hope they bring some much needed cheer to your holiday gatherings.

STICKY DATE CAKE WITH SALTED TOFFEE SAUCE (Gluten-free) Makes 10 mini bundts

Date Cake:

1 1/2 cup chopped medjool dates
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquified
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 mandarins, zested + 2 tablespoons juice
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup arrowroot or tapioca flour
1/3 cup coconut or brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon sea salt

Salted Toffee Sauce (Adapted from Nigella)

3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon maple syrup
3/4 stick butter, cubed
2/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a mini bundt pan with coconut oil and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add chopped dates, baking soda and boiling water. Let mixture sit for about 10 minutes to soften.

Once dates have soften, using a masher or fork, mash the mixture until dates have broken down and sauce is thick, smooth-ish paste. Then, stir in coconut oil, vanilla, maple, and mandarin juice + zest.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together almond, oat, and arrowroot flour with sugar, spices and salt. Then, mix flour mixture into wet ingredients, a little at a time, until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Stir until well combined, then evenly divide among mini bundt cakes (filling until 3/4 full). Bake for 15-17 minutes or until edges are firm and cake bounces ever-so-slightly back. Set aside to fully cool in the pan before trying to remove.

To make toffee sauce: Put sugar, maple, and butter in a saucepan and slowly bring to a boil. Once sugar and butter have dissolved, let simmer/bubble for 3-4 minutes, then whisk in the heavy cream (carefully, it will bubble up). Mix in sea salt. Then, cook mixture over medium heat until thick, glossy and golden brown. Remove from heat. Store in a clean mason jar.

To serve: Top date cakes with warm toffee sauce. Serve immediately! Also, would be great with a dollop of creme fraiche or ice cream ;)

SAVORY TOMATO & PARMESAN CRUMBLE

December 9, 2016 sassy kitchen

It’s just beginning to feel real Wintry here in NYC. It happens that way each year, where one day, it just gets cold and we begin to hunker down for the Winter ahead. We roast squash and make soup and need to wear socks to bed. It’s a new season and we learn how to submit to it.

In terms of cooking, the warmer and heartier the better. I’ve been making soups like crazy and roasting a whole kabocha squash each week. Some people feel daunted by the produce limitations, but I’ve learned some things over the years to help inspire cold-weather cooking. Besides beans, lentils, etc, I always have preserved tomatoes on hand: canned, chopped, fire-roasted or whatever you like. It’s the simplest thing to keep around that can make cold, Winter nights a little better. I use them in soups, make a quick tomato sauce, a savory braise - the options are endless. We may not have fresh tomatoes, but we wouldn’t want to eat them this time of year anyway. It’s time for baking, braising, roasting - all the warm things in life.

Savory Tomato & Parmesan Crumble (Gluten-free) Serves 8

-This recipe, at its base, is a simple crumble. I used romesco and cannellinni beans, but you could use any veggies or herbs you have on hand and need to get rid of! A few notes, too: you can use all cornmeal instead of cornmeal/corn flour to keep it simple.

FILLING:

26 oz. Pomi Chopped Tomatoes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 teaspoon tamari
2 teaspoons sumac
2 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 small romanesco, chopped into about 1 inch pieces
1 (15 oz.) can of cannellinni beans, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot, diced
1/3 cup basil, sliced thin or chiffonade
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs marjoram

TOPPING:

1 1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup corn flour
1/2 cup grated parmesan
5 sprigs thyme leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk chopped tomatoes together with cornstarch, lemon juice + zest, tamarin, sumac, salt and red pepper flakes. Then, stir in romesco, beans, garlic, shallot and herbs until well combined. Add to 9x9 or similar sized baking dish and set aside.

In another mixing bowl, stir together oats, almond meal, cornmeal and flour, parmesan, thyme and salt. Mix until well combined, then add chilled butter cubes, Using your hands, work together dough - breaking down butter - until mixture looks and feels like oatmeal cookie dough. Add olive oil, and mix in well with your hands, making sure to get all the flour bits at the bottom.

Add crumble evenly over top tomato filling. Bake for exactly 30 minutes or until tomato is bubbling up around the sides and topping is golden browned. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.