Broccoli Slaw

This broccoli slaw is definitely one of my most requested recipes.  Friends and family are always surprised at how much they like it, expecting a food containing raw broccoli to be a chore to eat, rather than one of their favorite parts of the meal.

Broccoli slaw is in heavy rotation at our house, especially in the summer, when I would rather not have the oven heating up the house so that we can have roasted veggies for dinner. And it's always a winner to bring to cookouts, potlucks, or on camping trips.

Broccoli Slaw (adapted from the Smitten Kitchen recipe)
Makes about six cups

2-3 broccoli crowns (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup thinly sliced or finely chopped almonds, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped

1/3 cup buttermilk, well-shaken (You can also use this method, if you don't have buttermilk on hand. And if you're dairy free, I would use coconut milk or a homemade nut milk instead, mixed with a teaspoon of cider vinegar or lemon juice.)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon (raw and unfiltered) cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
black pepper


Chop the broccoli into large chunks, slicing each of the chunks into thin slices. In a large bowl, toss the sliced broccoli with the almonds, cranberries, and green onions. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, mayo, vinegar, sugar and salt until smooth. If you tolerate black pepper, you can also add in a pinch of that into the dressing. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture, stirring until the broccoli is evenly coated with the dressing. Serve immediately, or keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza with White Sauce

I told you I'd be back soon. And with a killer pizza recipe to boot. So get excited, because this dish is tried and true. Actually, I've made it so many times, I have no idea how it hasn't been on the blog yet. But this is hands down my favorite way to eat starch-less pizza and has become a real staple at our house.

{riced}

{squeezed out}

{pre-baked crust}

Ingredients:
for the crust-
1/2 large head of cauliflower (if your cauli. is on the smaller side, use 3/4)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
2-3 ounces of cheese, shredded (I usually do a mix of mozzarella and parmesan)
salt and pepper, a few pinches of dried oregano and basil
for the white sauce-
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy (or light) cream
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced (depends on how garlicky you like your pizza-this is always an argument at our house)
salt and pepper
top it off-
3-4 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly or shredded (I use low-moisture cheese, because nobody likes soggy pizza)
1 ounce of parmesan, grated from the block
your choice of toppings: a handful of olives, mushrooms, sliced onions, fresh tomatoes, etc. the sky is the limit, really!

Directions:
for the crust-
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. To "rice" the cauliflower, either grate it with a box grater or pulse it in a food processor until it resembles grains of rice. Put the riced cauliflower in a large microwave safe bowl and microwave uncovered until softened, about 6-8 minutes, stirring at least once. Cool slightly.
2. Pour the cauliflower onto a kitchen towel and wring out the excess water from the cauliflower (I wear latex gloves to do this because the cauliflower is hot!). Put the wrung-out cauliflower back into a large bowl and add in the eggs, cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Stir until combined. Spread out the "dough" for the crust onto your lined baking sheet. Try and make it as thin as possible without any holes poking through.
3. Bake about 30 minutes, or until golden/light brown. The darker it gets, the crispier your pizza's crust will be-but keep in mind that you'll be putting it under the broiler later, so you don't want it to turn out burned when you're melting the cheese. (Sometimes I'll flip the crust over and bake it for another 5 minutes, just to make sure that it's thoroughly cooked.) Let cool for 10-15 minutes before you load it up with toppings.
for the white sauce-
4. While the crust bakes, you can prepare your sauce and get your toppings ready. Whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Keep it in the fridge until you're ready to put your pizza together.
assemble it-
5. Preheat the broiler. Once your crust is golden and has cooled a bit, spread your white sauce evenly over the top, going almost to the edge. Spread the mozzarella across the sauce, then fill in the gaps with your parmesan. Lay out your choice of toppings across the cheese. (And sprinkle some dried oregano on top, if you want that pizzeria feel.) Broil 5-6 minutes, or until cheese is melty and golden in spots. Be careful to watch your pizza closely, because it'll burn quickly under the broiler. Let cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving. If you'd like, you can add some chopped fresh basil and oregano before serving as well.

*And for a recipe for tomato sauce and a variation on the white sauce, check out my first post on starch free pizza here.

Major Sale at Cortalito

Hello all!

I know I have been thoroughly neglectful to this blog lately, but what can I say? Day jobs and side jobs and life in general gets in the way. I have so many recipes to share with you! And eventually, I'll get there.

I'm stopping by today to let you know about a major sale I'm having in my Etsy shop, Cortalito. I'm trying to clear out most of my products so that I can have a sort of shop renaissance, recreating my vision of Cortalito. I'd love your help!

Just use the coupon code REN2013 during check out to get 25% off your order (there is a minimum purchase of $10). Follow any of the links on your right to head over to Cortalito and see the merch.

Have a great day!
Kara

Summer Salad with Nectarines & Fresh Mozzarella

This salad is perfect for those hot and sticky summer days when you'd just rather not have to turn on your oven. Especially when you have delicious locally grown nectarines at your disposal. And at first glance it may seem fancy, but it couldn't be simpler to make. This is a very relaxed recipe; I don't usually use exact measurements when putting together salads, especially in the summer time when the weather is lovely and I'd rather be doing other things besides cooking indoors. So just throw it together and enjoy!

Summer Salad with Nectarines & Fresh Mozzarella

Ingredients:

a couple of handfuls of arugula or baby spinach (I used arugula here, but the taste can be a bit strong for some)

a nectarine or peach, sliced thinly

fresh mozzarella, torn into pices

a couple of sprigs of fresh herbs (I used sweet spearmint and basil here), minced

a green onion, thinly sliced

balsamic vinegar and olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions: 

Make a bed out of the arugula (or whatever type of lettuce you please, really). Layer on top of it the peach slices, mozzarella, green onions and herbs. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. So easy and fast!

{Can you spot my cooking partner in this photo? And my polka dot pants?}

Pollo Borracho and Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Pollo borracho (Cuban style drunken chicken) is one of my favorite party dishes. It's easy to make a day ahead of time, and just re-heat on the stove or in the oven. And! It's great as leftovers days later. Oh, and it's pretty much impossible to mess up, so it turns out delicious every time.

Cilantro lime cauliflower rice has been making the rounds on food blogs and pinterest, so of course I decided to put my own spin on it and give you the recipe here. The flavors go perfectly with pollo borracho, and it's so easy and tasty that you won't even miss your white rice. If you change around the spices, you can serve it in place of white rice in any meal.
 

{browning the chicken}

{letting it simmer}

Pollo Borracho (Drunken Chicken, Cuban style)
Ingredients:
one 4- to 5-pound frying chicken, cut into serving pieces and skin removed (you can also buy pre-cut breasts or thighs, that's what I usually do)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
 1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, thickly sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup large green Spanish olives (with the pimientos), drained and roughly chopped
Directions:
1.) Wash the chicken pieces, pat dry with paper towels, and season with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano.
2.) In a dutch oven (or large oven-proof skillet big enough to hold the chicken pieces without crowding), heat the olive oil over medium heat until fragrant, and brown the chicken pieces well on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and onions, and cook, stirring, until tender, 6-8 minutes, adding more oil if necessary.
3.) Add the bay leaf, wines, and olives and stir to incorporate. Return the chicken to the pan, cover, and cook over low heat until tender, about 45-60 minutes. If you prefer, you can place the covered skillet in a 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes instead. Remove the bay leaf and serve with cauliflower rice.

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients:
1/2 large head of cauliflower
1/2 yellow/white onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
zest of one large lime
juice from 1/2 a lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
a dash of cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1.) Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor or grate it, so that it resembles grains of rice.
2.) Heat a large pan to medium heat and add olive oil, onion, and garlic. Cook until just translucent, then add riced cauliflower.
3.) Cover the pan and let steam for 6-7 minutes, or until cauliflower is softened and gently cooked through.
4.) Remove cover and cook off any excess liquid.
5.) Add in lime zest, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then transfer to a serving dish. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the rice and serve.

{you can also shred the chicken & mix it in with the rice: delish!}

Washington DC Metro Autoimmune Walk

Hi All!

My husband & I are going to be participating in the Autoimmune Walk for the DC area on June 22, in order to raise money for research into prevention and cures for autoimmune disorders. I know that many of you who read and use this blog suffer from autoimmune disorders, so I felt I should share this information here. 

The main page for the Autoimmune Walk can be found here. There are walks planned in Michigan, Kentucky, Georgia, New York and in the DC metro area.

We're walking to raise money for the Autoimmune Diseases Association, the only non-profit dedicated to research for autoimmune disorders. They support special diets (like the starch free diet!) as an option for treatment of these disorders, instead of only pushing pharmaceutical treatment options.

If you'd like to donate and support our team (we're called Team Peppy), you can visit our team page right here. And if you live in the DC area, you should come out and walk with us!

If you'd like more information about the AARDA, check out their website.

Thanks everyone! 
Kara

Savory Leek and Arugla Tart

Let's put your almond flour crust making skills to good use, now in a savory dish! This recipe has recently become one of my favorite go-to recipes for dinner when I'm running out of food in the fridge and needing to go the grocery store.  Although I use leeks and arugula for the tart here, this recipe works well for a number of different fillings. If you only have onions and spinach on hand, that would be just as delicious. You can also change the herbs and spices depending on your taste and what you have on hand at home. This tart would also be perfect for serving at a brunch. It's loosely adapted from this recipe.

 
Crust:

2 1/2 cups almond flour/almond meal

1/4 parmesan, finely shredded (not pre-grated, they put corn starch in that stuff!)

1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 ounces (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

1/8 cup ice water 

Filling:  
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

4 leeks (white part), thoroughly cleaned and coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander 

5 large eggs 

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 

a handful of cilantro, chopped 

2 1/2 oz arugula  

To make crust:  

1.) Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine cold butter, almond flour, parmesan, salt, pepper and water, and knead into a firm dough. The dough should be crumbly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

2.) Roll out dough between 2 sheets of parchment, then invert into your greased tart pan. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of your pan. (If you have a 10-inch springform tart pan, that would work best. Since I don't, I use a regular ceramic tart pan. I just end up with a little extra filling that I bake in a small dish.) 

3.) Bake at 300 for about 30 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the filling.

To make filling:  

1.) Melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add in leeks and spices and then cover and cook until leeks are tender, stirring every so often. Remove from heat and transfer leeks to a bowl to cool. 

2.) In a separate bowl combine eggs, cream, milk, both cheeses and whisk to combine. Mix in cooled leeks, cilantro, and arugula into mixture.

3.) Pour filling into crust and bake at 375 degrees. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until filling starts to puff, gold spots appear and center is set. Remove from oven and transfer to rack and cool slightly. Serve warm.