The Book of Betty

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oatmeal1“Rainy Days and Mondays” always make me think of warm couches, fires and cookies… So, I drug out my ancient, well, circa 1972, “Betty Crocker Cooky Book” for inspiration.  Turning those well thumbed pages, finding the dog eared treasures, with pictures (and greasy finger prints to match) unearthed a flood of warm memories.  Oatmeal seemed just the thing to make this rainy Monday perfect.  Feeling delightfully lazy, I figured bar cookies were the best thing to create…

Gluten Free Oat Bars with Maple Buttercream

Cream together:

1 C softened unsalted butter

1/2 C white sugar

1/2 C packed light brown sugar

Add:

2 eggs  Continue beating until creamy and smooth

Add:

1 C Redmills 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour

1 C Gluten Free Rolled Oats

1 tsp Real Vanilla

1 tsp Kosher Salt

When well mixed, add:

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

Just make sure these are mixed in thoroughly.  Don’t over mix at this point.

Spread the soft dough across a lipped baking sheet that you have greased with either butter or a light coating of Olive Oil pan spray. Place into a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 12-14 minutes, or until the top browns and the cookies begin feeling firm.  Remember, these will continue to cook in the hot pan after you take them out of the oven.  Of course, if you want your cookies crisp, you are welcome to cook them a bit more.  It’s up to you!  When they are done, place on a rack to cool.

The buttercream is super easy:

1 1/2 C powdered sugar

1/4 C softened butter

1/2 C Real maple syrup

Toss this all into the mixer and whip until smooth and creamy.  Spread over the cooled cookies.  When the buttercream is set, cut the cookies into whatever shape and size that makes you smile.  Enjoy your Monday!

Thanks for visiting Fearless Feast!  Chef Celinda

 

Mi Masa Su Masa

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masa fish n plantains
So many gluten free flour blends are heavy with rice flour.  These tend to magnify my waistline…  A perusal of my pantry turned up a lovely bag of masa harina; corn that has been soaked in lime, then ground into a flour.  This made a spectacular light coating for the long-line rockfish I picked up at Town & Country’s Central Market in Shoreline today.

Cut your fish into serving size pieces, salt each side and dust lightly with the masa.  Brown on each side in hot olive oil.  Top with a mixture of fresh mango and minced jalapeno.  Pop into a preheated 400 degree oven.  You want to cook rockfish fully.  It will be flaky, white throughout and no longer opaque.

To complete my theme I served the delicate fish with Abenaki’s Corn Polenta.  I picked up this beautiful multi-hued polenta from the people that grow the corn, grind it with utmost care and then sell it at the Eugene, Oregon farmer’s market a few weeks ago.  This is some of the best polenta I have encountered, to date. I cooked it with fresh stock and a squeeze of lime to bring out the lovely corn flavor. Check out their website www.lonesomewhistlefarm.com

For some fun texture I made my own version of tostones; double fried green plantain.  Simply score the plantain down each side, snip the ends and pop into the microwave until soft and the skin is dark brown/black.  One large plantain took about three and a half minutes in my microwave.  Once the fruit is soft, let it cool just enough to handle and remove the skin.  Cut into 12-14 rounds.  The recipes I’ve seen call for all manner of methods to ‘smash’ the rounds, but being a chef with ‘cast-iron’ hands (who needs fingerprints, anyway!) I placed them between two pieces of wax paper and smooshed them fairly flat with the heel of my hand.  You could use a glass, a plate, a pan, whatever is handy.  Now fry them on one side in olive oil in a cast iron pan.  Turn them over in the oil and place the pan into your 400 degree oven with the fish, until they are done.  I made mine fairly crisp, but do them how ever you prefer.  They can even be cooked extra crisp and served with a dip for a fun appetizer.

Some zucchini sauteed with World Spice’s Caribbean Curry and a bit of fresh minced cilantro to finish!  It was VERY quiet around the dinner table at my house!
Enjoy!!  Chef Celinda

Goddess of Green Things

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asparaguswithlemon
Want to be a Goddess?  Read on!  Fresh, vibrant vegetables are trickling into our markets.  It just takes an understanding of flavors and a deft touch while cooking these glorious examples of Spring bounty to bring your dinner guest to rapturous delight.

Little could be simpler to prepare then the beautiful asparagus pictured above.

1 bunch of asparagus, washed and bottoms snapped off
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut in thin slices
Sliced of fresh Meyer or regular lemon
Fleur de sel

Arrange the asparagus in a baking dish.  Place the slices of butter across the middle of the stalks.  Layer the slices of lemon on top of the butter.  Sprinkle all with fleur de sel and pop into a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.  Keep on eye on the asparagus.  Once the color starts to brighten, test for tenderness.  As soon as it reaches the level you prefer, remove from the oven.  It’s ready to serve.

The dish pictured shows the pretty asparagus served with fresh Rockfish seasoned with tarragon and minced orange zest on top of quinoa studded with roasted pine nuts, scallion and julienne morsels of dried mandarin orange.  Once the asparagus was happily balanced across the fish, I poured the resulting butter over the whole.

Gluten Free, as always!!  Enjoy!  Chef Celinda

March Madness

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Caribbeansuccatash
The sun is occasinoally popping out in startling glory, yet despite calendar exclamations of the changing season, my Spring Fever or March Madness is creating a longing for moist garden soil running through my fingers, outdoor expeditions and, above all, Warmth!

To keep the depression at bay, brought on by malingering Winter evidence, I cook food from warm climates.  Tonight my home smells of the Caribbean!  Lime, coconut, allspice, nutmeg, such lovely acquaintances…

To accompany a pork roast rubbed with lime zest and those warm friends, I created a “Caribbean Succotash”.  I am using that term loosely, since there were no lima beans involved, but it seemed like the perfect name for this dish.

1 each yam and sweet potato, peeled and cut into small dice
1/2 Yellow Onion, minced
Organic Virgin Coconut oil
1 small Jalapeno, seeded and  minced
1/2 Cup shredded coconut
1 banana, peeled and diced
3 Tbsp World Spice’s Caribbean Curry blend
6oz Pineapple Juice
Kosher Salt

Saute the sweet potato, yam, onion and jalapeno in the coconut oil until beginning to brown a bit.  Add the curry blend and cook for two more minutes.  Turn off the heat, add the pineapple juice, banana and coconut.  Toss together.  Salt to taste and place in a 350 degree oven.  Cook until nicely browned, about 45 minutes.

Like every dish on Fearless Feast, this recipe contain no gluten nor many other allergens.

Enjoy!!  Chef Celinda

Silver for the King

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cohoPretty, wild Silver, also known as Coho, Alaskan salmon is incredible when prepared with dense, flavorful King Oyster mushrooms.
KingOyster
This variety of mushroom combines the flavor, we love, of the oyster mushroom, with a dense meatiness that adds incredible texture to your dish.  You will find them to willlingly avail themselves of the flavors you introduce in the pan.  Tonight, I chose to saute them in butter with shallot and cardamom.  When they were sufficiently softened, I deglazed with Oloroso sherry, then a touch of maple syrup, the sweetness balanced by Jerez sherry vinegar.

Coco, or Silver salmon are frequently found at a much better price in your fish market.  Being a smaller fish, you need to handle them pretty gently, when cooking.  They can dry out in a heartbeat!  Keep a close eye on them as you pan roast, poach or oven roast this wonderful fish.

For those of you seeking to keep your diet free of allergens, fresh wild salmon is an excellent choice.  Firm fish, like salmon, do not need a coating, as do more delicate fish, like sole.  This means, you can usually count on it as a Gluten Free option on restaurant menus.  Do carefully read the menu description, though.  Ask you server, to be sure it is safe.  At home, Salmon is wonderful with so many flavors, sauces, cooking styles and accompaniments.  Be creative!  Enjoy!  Chef Celinda

Simply Wild

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HuckleberrySalmonWild ‘Bruce Gore’ King Salmon and wild huckleberries; nothing tame about that combo!

When creating recipes for Northwest treats, it’s fun to pair up ingredients that inhabit the same environs.  They frequently make excellent combinations.

To make this dish, simply season fat salmon fillets and sear in olive oil.  Once evenly caramelized, move the pieces into a baking dish and finish cooking in a 400 degree oven.  Keep an eye on them!  Overcooked salmon is a crime!  When 90% done, remove from the oven and let them rest to finish cooking.

For the sauce, add minced shallot and rosemary to the remaining oil you cooked the salmon in.  When the shallot is done, add a round of tawny port and reduce.  Add huckleberries and cook to a glossy substance.  Remove from the heat and mount with unsalted butter.  Season the finished sauce, as needed.  Plate the salmon and serve with your incredible sauce.

If you are unfamiliar with huckleberries, they are in the blueberry family.  I found some in the freezer section at Central Market.  You can pick them at the end of the Summer in higher elevations.  I used to greatly enjoy doing this!  The bear ‘sign’, I was careful not to step in, made me a little nervous, but hey, sometimes great meals require some adventure to achieve!  Besides their wonderful flavor, they have five times the antioxidant of blueberries!  And, like blueberries, they are believed to help maintain mental function, as we age.  Something to keep in mind.

Like every recipe I create for Fearless Feast, this one is, of course, gluten free.  Enjoy!!  Chef Celinda

Sword Fights

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1102-swordfish-filletsA thrust, a parry, dodge and lunge!  To the victor go the spoils; realized in Blood Orange Marinated Swordfish!  I scored a couple gorgeous Swordfish steaks at Pure Food Fish, in Pike Market!PureFood3
Swordfish simply adores citrus.  An hour, bathing in a blend of blood orange juice, olive oil, salt and pepper leaves you with a remarkably flavorful and tender piece of fish.  A quick sear, followed by a short rest and this delightful fish is ready to join your favorite side dishes.  The featured picture shows roasted Spring onions, baby artichokes and saffron risotto.
Enjoy!  Chef Celinda

Dance of the Wallflower

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celeriac-root-with-tops-intactSome perfectly wonderful ingredients simply work at being ignored!  Celeriac, or also known as, Celery Root, is one of those ingredients.

Yes, it’s kinda homely.  The name doesn’t necessarily inspire creativity.  Yet, it has a great deal going for it!  Celeriac can be prepared pretty much the same way you would a potato; in fact, some diners would never notice you slipped some onto their plate in place of the weight loss inhibiting potato…

I’ve been endeavoring to work with celeriac.  It’s lovely raw, grated in a salad, or cook and then puree or mash this healthful treat.  The flavors are subtly bitter/sweet with notes of anise, celery, hazelnuts, and/or walnut.  Mashed Celeriac has a lovely fluffy texture.  The only hard part is peeling it.  Get out a nice sharp knife and just go for it.  A carrot peeler really isn’t going to touch this hunk of joy!

I decided to try using Celeriac in a braise featuring Italian herbs and wine.  Oh, my!  The battle was on!  Those beautiful, soft, luscious chunks of roasted vegetable brought out the aggressive side to those at my table… So good!  Please do try this soon!

Enjoy! Chef Celinda CelRoot2

Fishing For Sunshine

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caribbeanFishjpg
I have a large desire to find myself surrounded by jungles, sand, soft breezes and the lulling sound of Caribbean water lapping the shore… Yeah, I know, not happening, but I can fool my taste buds, for a little while, anyway…

Pretty cod, pan seared with Gluten Free flour, sits atop sweet potato, dusted with a blend of Turmeric, Allspice Berry, Indonesian Cassia, Cumin Seed, Indian Coriander Seed, Ginger Powder, Cardamom Seed, Tellicherry Black Peppercorn, Nutmeg, and Habanero, is then roasted with coconut, jalapeno and lime zest.  Fresh lime makes a side of escarole sing sultry tunes.  Cilantro lingers for a pungent reminder:  The Sun is always shining somewhere in the World!

Enjoy!  Chef Celinda

caribbean

In Search of Romance

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MoroccanPork
Morocco, a land of romance, camels, sand, and history.  A past that colors the food of it’s present with flavors hailing from France, Spain and North Africa. tagineBraised dishes are very popular in Moroccan cuisine.  They are typically prepared in an earthenware pot called a tajine or tagine which is also the name of the dish when complete.  The pot can be found painted or glazed.  The domed lid traps the rising moisture and directs it back into the food below.

The tagine is so pretty and fun, it makes me want to create!  But, if you don’t have one, don’t fret, you can obtain the same results with any good braising pot or dutch oven.

Make your braise the same way you normally would.  You are merely adding some different ingredients and spices to recreate the flavors of this exotic destination.

The pictured dish above was a quick version.  Using left over roasted pork shoulder, I put this tempting creation together in a little over an hour.  Most of that time was spent in the oven!

To create mine, saute minced onion with julienne sweet pepper and a hot chili.  Add bite sized pieces of pork, or other roasted protein, chopped pitted dates, dried apricots, raisins, pine nuts, lemon jest & juice and stock.  Now season with salt, pepper and ras al hanout.  This is a North African spice blend.  The name is Arabic for “the best of the shop”.  Each shop has their own blend and guards their recipe jealously.  You can anticipate the flavors of cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, clove, nutmeg, dry ginger, peppercorn, sweet and hot paprika, mace, alspice, fenugreek, chili pepper and dried turmeric.  Depending on where the blend hails from, it might also include ingredients like:  ash berries, chufa, grains of paradise, orris root, monk’s pepper, cubebs, dried rosebud, fennel seed or aniseed, galangal and/or long pepper.  Fun!!

A typical Moroccan tagine is served over cous cous.  For a gluten free side, try using quinoa.

Enjoy!!  Chef Celinda