Smokey Salted Caramel Pecan Cups

These are ridiculously delicious. Great for when you're craving just about anything. They're easy to make, but take a long time, so it's something fun to do on a lazy afternoon. The first time I made these, I did it with 100% dark chocolate.

9 oz dark chocolate. I used 100% mixed with 65%

1 cup coconut sugar
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
pinch chipotle powder
1 cup chopped pecans

Optional:
Coarse Sea salt
Cinnamon
Chipotle

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and stir together.

In a heavy sauce pan, stir together coconut sugar, coconut milk, and sea salt. Turn heat on low, add smoked paprika, cinnamon and chipotle. Let boil for about 20 minutes, keep heat on low so it doesn't boil over and stir occasionally. When it is reduced and thickens, remove from heat and place in glass bowl. Stir in pecans and let cool.

Line a muffin tin with parchment cupcake liners. Spoon meltedchocolate into cups, coating the bottom. You only want to use enough to line the bottom with about 1/8 of an inch and save the rest of the chocolate for later. put in freezer for about 30 minutes or an hour in the fridge, or until chocolate hardens.

Remove cups from freezer and spoon the pecans caramel mixture into them. Spoon the rest of the melted chocolate over them and sprinkle the tops with coarse sea salt and a slight dusting of cinnamon and chipotle. Put back in freezer or refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove cups from muffin tin and enjoy. Keep refrigerated.

Liverwurst Nori Rolls

This might be my strangest recipe yet. Even stranger than Bacon Crusted Pumpkin Pie. When I was a kid I loved liverwurst sandwiches. Is that weird? If you're looking for a way to enjoy the health benefits of liver, but you don't like the odd texture, this recipe is for you. If you need a good sauerkraut recipe, checkout this one from Balanced Bites. I usually just make mine with cabbage and salt, but if you can't imagine eating liverwurst without rye bread, you can add rye seeds to your kraut.

2 Nori sheets
3 oz of liverwurst (I get mine from U.S. Wellness Meats)
1/2 cup sauerkraut
1/2 an avocado
Spicy mustard (to dip the rolls in)

You'll also need a small bowl with water and a rolling mat. In my Sardine Nori Roll recipe, there are step by step instructions on how to roll sushi. Or you can check out this link.

Sardine Nori Rolls

Do you want to enjoy the health benefits of sardines, but don't want to just eat them right out of a can? Here's a fun way to enjoy them with colorful avocado and pro-biotic carrots. You can use regular shredded carrots of you don't have fermented ones.

2 Nori sheets
1 4 oz can of Sardines
1/2 cup shredded fermented carrots
1/2 an avocado

You'll also need a small bowl with a little water and a rolling mat.


Place Nori sheet on rolling mat.

Add carrots

Then Sardines

Then add avocado

Roll.

When you get to the last half inch of the roll, dip your fingers in the water bowl and moisten the top of the nori sheet. This will make it stick.

With a sharp slice rolls. The nori sheets I buy have perforated lines to guide here to cut. If your nori doesn't have those, cut them about an inch in length. Serve cold. I like to drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil on mine.

Cauliflower Skordalia (Greek Style Potato Dip)

Skordalia is a Greek potato dip, usually served cold, but you can eat it warm if you prefer. This is a low-carb version.

1 head of cauliflower
2 tsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Juice from 1 lemon

Steam cauliflower until fork tender. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Garlic can be lightly sauteed in olive oil, or added raw. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil. If you used raw garlic, you might want to prepare this ahead of time to let the garlic mellow.

Banana Fudgesicles

It's freakin hot out. 115 degrees. It's a good thing I had these babies in the freezer. Dairy free, no added sugar, fruit sweetened and a good source of potassium, so it does double duty on a hot day!

I got this awesome stainless steel popsicle set from amazon. Some of the reviewers complain the the pops look phallic. It's a popsicle, you lick and suck it. What do you expect it to look like. It will not turn your son gay or make your daughter a porn star. Get over it and don't sexualize your food or your children. If you're concerned about plastic and want what's best for your family, no matter what it's shaped like, this pop mold is for you. I originally bought it to make deodorant sticks, but room temperature in the summer in Arizona is 80 degrees and the melting point of coconut oil is 76 degrees. You do the math. Needless to say, I keep my deodorant goo in a small mason jar. There will be a recipe for that eventually.


1 can full fat coconut milk
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup cocoa (or cacao) powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Pour into Popsicle molds and freeze. 

Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

For the sausage:

1 lb ground pork
1/2 Tbsp fennel seeds, toasted
1 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.

For the zucchini:

6-8 small zucchinis

Cut the tops off the zucchini, then cut them in half, lengthwise, and scoop out seeds. Stuff with sausage. Bake at 350 for 45 mins - 1 hour.

Baconated Bananas

You're Welcome.

Ingredients:
Bananas
Bacon
Nut butter
Dark Chocolate (optional)

No exact measurements here. Slice banana into 1" chunks, then slice chunks lengthwise. Spread nut butter on the banana chunks. If you're using chocolate, break a square into small bits and place chocolate on the nut butter on the banana. Match up your banana halves and wrap in bacon. Fry in pan until bacon is crispy and chocolate is melted. Enjoy.

Beef Jerky

Some like it hot, some like it hot.

Food doesn't get any more awesome than this. Beef jerky is a convenient, portable snack and what makes it better than other convenient portable snacks it that it's made of delicious red meat. And you can make your own paleo kits! I make mine with dried beet and sweet potato chips. Taste the rainbow.  My recipe is a bit spicy so if you don't like it hot, cut back on the cayenne.

2 lbs Flank Steak
1/3 cup Worcestershire
1/3 cup Coconut aminos
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic
2 Tbsp Chipotle Tobasco
1 Tbsp Chili 9000
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp chipotle powder

Slice steak into strips 1/2 inch thick. Combine all ingredients in a ziplock bag and mix up well. Marinate for 12-24 hours. Place strips on food dehydrator trays and dry at 155 degrees for 24 hours. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Garlic and Herb Sweetpotato Fries

I just got beef and lamb tallow from US Wellness Meats. They have pretty awesome customer service. I asked them to ship my order Wednesday because I was going to be out of town and was returning Thursday evening. I was afraid that my meat would thaw on my door step in the 90 degree AZ heat. They shipped it Wednesday, My meat was still frozen when I got home. The quality is pretty awesome too. Sometimes grassfed meat can sometimes bee pretty tough and gamey. Their meat is tender and flavorful.

I asked Nikos if he wanted his sweetpotatoes fried in beef tallow or lamb tallow. He chose lamb.

2-3 Sweetpotatoes
1/4 cup fat (coconut oil or tallow for high heat cooking).
3 cloves garlic
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt, pepper, thyme, oregano to taste

Cut potatoes into thick fries. Add some salt. Heat pan with fat. I did it in 2 batches so I used half the oil with each batch. cook the potatoes until brown, turning to get all sides. when potatoes are almost done, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds-1 minute. Remove potatoes from pan, and put in serving bowl.  Add salt, pepper, thyme, oregano and squeeze lemon over fries and toss.

Calf Liver Pate

I can't believe I actually made this. Who eats liver anymore? When I was a kid I really liked liverwurst. Then I realized what it was made of. How offal.

I adapted this recipe from the Simply Recipes recipe linked from Cave Girl Eats. I changed the recipe for several reasons. I only had 1/2 lb of liver, I only had ground beef dethawed and I wanted a greasy hamburger for dinner last night so I used 4 oz for my burger and threw the rest in the pate. I also added fennel and thyme because I like to add those to everything. I added mushrooms too.

3/4 lbs ground beef (I used 85%)
1/2 lbs calf liver
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion
5 oz brown mushrooms
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground fennel
1 pinch ground cloves
Enough bacon to line the baking dish

Preheat oven 350 degrees

In a food processor, puree vinegar, garlic, mushrooms, and onion together. Add spices and liver and puree all together. You can put the beef in the food processor if you have room, or combine it in a separate bowl using an egg beater.

Line a baking dish with bacon. (I didn't use parchment, but it might be a good idea.) pour liver-meat mixture into dish and then top with more bacon. Bake for about an hour. Then turn on broiler and crisp the bacon on top for a couple of minutes.

Spinach Scallion Pancakes

My friend called me the other day and asked me about coconut milk. He wanted to know if he could have it with cereal. He said he was allergic to cow's milk so he switched to almond milk and now he's allergic to that. Just now I got an email from him saying he's going to have to try rice milk because he's allergic to the coconut milk. I replied, "Maybe you're allergic to cereal".

For those of us who don't eat grains, it's difficult to obtain that full ethnic cuisine experience. I was never really a big bread eater, except when it came to things like naan, injera, pizza and pita bread. So when I made gyros, I needed something flat to eat it with. I couldn't really wrap the gyro in these pancakes, but perhaps with a little work, one day I'll have something reasonable.

3 eggs
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 16oz bag frozen spinach, thawed
2 bunches scallions
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
olive oil

Beat eggs. add all other ingredients and beat together. Heat a pan with olive oil. Scoop out batter to desired size. cook for about 3-5 minutes and flip, cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Savory Bacon Crusted Pumpkin Pie

My friend Nikos can't understand why I stopped drinking beer. Sometimes I can't understand it either. As a child, I would take sips of my father's beer from time to time. I liked the head (snicker). My father never drank crap beer so into my teen years, my palette was already too refined for the standard mass produced crap beers which were SOP at keg parties. I didn't drink much until I was 18 and could go to bars. Er, I mean 21, of course. Living in NYC, my go to was Brooklyn Lager. What awesome flavor. When I met Brooklyn Brewery's Brew Master, Garrett Oliver, at the Great American Beer Festival back in 08, it was like I just met a rock star. Seriously I was star struck. It takes alot to do that to me. I've never gotten weak kneed from meeting a celebrity before, not even Dr. Ruth. (ok, maybe a little. Never mind, Liz did have to help me walk a few steps after our Dr. Ruth encounter.) I quit my career in archaeology to work as a cellarer in a microbrewery, that is how important beer was to me. I would plan vacations around breweries and beer fests. When I was on the road, I would go out of the way to find a local brew pub. Beer was my passion, my love; it was in my blood.

And I gave it up for my health. Perhaps it was foreshadowing when I was working at Dogfish Head Alehouse in Falls Church and there was a guest in the restaurant who was celebrating with friends. He didn't want a appetizer plate. He didn't eat anything the whole time he was there. He had a few glasses of red wine y nada mas. He had Celiac Disease. (he couldn't eat the food because everything on the menu was marinated or battered in it beer.) I had heard of it, I even suspected I had it when did my brief stint as a vegetarian and realized that despite the cool freakin' name, Seitan did not agree with me. The guy told me he used to be really into micro brews and was a real beer connoisseur. It made me sad. I actually thought that I would rather die of some horrible disease than give up beer.

But back to Nikos and his bewilderment over my grain-free diet. He asked me what I was going to do over the holidays (work, of course.) But seriously, turkey and vegetables are all I need. Plus, the drumstick doesn't touch the stuffing and it's the best part of the bird! The moment of inspiration came when Nikos asked about pumpkin pie. I said you can eat the filling with out the crust. He said, "are you going to put a sardine on top?" It was at that moment that I realized that bacon, being pliable and having a propensity to crisp when cooked would make a perfect pie crust. He said he would try it. If it weren't for the 2 glasses of wine I just had, I would bring a slice to him at work. Wouldn't I be everyone's best friend ever if I showed up on my night off with bacon-crusted pumpkin awesomeness. That would be better than the oatmeal cookies I used to bake.

Ingredients:
1 12 oz pack of bacon
2 cups fresh pumpkin puree or 1 can
3 eggs
1/4 cup walnut butter (or any nut butter or cheese if you choose to eat it, or leave it out completely, whatever)
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp anise seed

If you're using fresh pumpkin, you want to drain off as much excess liquid as possible. I measure the 2 cups into a colander and then drained the liquid, so it was less than 2 cups drained.

Line pie plate with bacon. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and drain off excess bacon grease. You can dump this is you live in fear of saturated animal fat, or you can save it to season your cast iron.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add all the other ingredients. beat together then put in pie crust. Place extra slabs of bacon in a lattice on top of pumpkin. Bake at 400 for approximately 45 minutes, then broil for 5-10 or until bacon on top is crispy. let cool, drain extra bacon grease and enjoy.

This was the longest blog I will ever write. I blame the wine.

Smoked Tomato Aioli

With Almond Crusted Asparagus Fries

Today, I ordered a food processor. I had thinking about it for weeks, trying to decide what brand to get and how big I should get it. The one I ended up buying is probably way bigger than I could ever need, but it had great reviews and I can order lots of extra attachments.

And it's a good thing I finally did this because I burnt out the motor on my immersion blender trying to make this recipe. I was being overly cautious about drizzling the olive oil and I realized it was taking way longer than it should and the blender was getting really hot. I had slightly less than 1/4 cup of olive oil left when it died. I quickly grabbed a whisk and mixed up the beaker. I can always use that olive oil later when I make asparagus fries.

This recipe was inspired by a restaurant in Fredrick, MD called Isabella's. They serve panko crusted fried asparagus with smoked tomato aioli. When I lived in Virginia, I would go there often with my friends Danielle and Kevin. We order these every time we go there.

1 large egg
1 cup smoked tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp chipotle powder (depending on how spicy you like it. You could also use Chipotle Tabasco)
juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup olive oil

Puree first 7 ingredients in food processor or immersion blender. When smooth and not at all lumpy, slowly drizzle in the olive oil blending continuously. If you're using an immersion blender, don't take too long like I did.

Chili Cilantro Aioli

A word of caution before you get started: beware of splattering peppers in your eyes. If you use an immersion blender, you may want to wear goggles. Leaning over right above the blending beaker = bad idea. I'm telling you this because . . . well, guess. Yes, it happened to me. Fortunately, it was only a hatch chili (1000 to 2500 Scoville) and it was just a drop. I wouldn't do this with habeneros. Mostly because the mere act of cutting them burns my lungs. If you don't have a Hatch chili due to the fact that they're only available in late summer and you don't live in the Southwest, you can substitute a Cubanelle, a banana pepper, maybe half of a pablano. The hatch I used was about 3.5 inches long. As I mentioned the Scoville above, hatches are not very hot at all. If you prefer to make this hotter, use a couple of jalapenos or add some cayenne or chipotle powder or Tabasco Sauce.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup cilantro mas o menos (half a bunch)
1 hatch chili, roasted
Juice from 2 limes
salt, pepper, cumin, chipotle powder to taste
1 cup olive oil

I used an immersion blender to make it easier. blend first 6 ingredients to a smooth liquid. Slowly, I mean very, very slowly drizzle the olive oil. I might have done this too slowly because I had to switch hands half way through. It should take about 5 minutes. You need to blend as you drizzle. I had my blender speed set to 2. My blender started to get hot and it warmed the emulsion so at first I was afraid that it seized, but it didn't. (I'm going to use this next time I make hollandaise). After some time in the fridge the consistency became more mayo-like.

This is great on seafood or veggies. Makes a great dip. Keep refrigerated and serve cold. Should be good for about a week or so.

Smoked Almonds with Thyme and Sea Salt

Wooden cutting board give these nuts a "rustic" look.

My name is Kat and I have a Marcona Almond addiction. They are not your standard almond. They're more round than, um, almond shaped. They are usually blanched, but the ones I get at Trader Joe's still have skin on them. They are fried in olive oil and covered in sea salt. If you have a salty-oily food addiction, these may be your downfall.

I couldn't find any last time I was in Trader Joe's. Probably better off that way. I've been known to eat an entire 6 oz bag at once. When I got home, I knew I had a bag of raw almonds waiting to be roasted. Almonds are one of those foods that I can eat cooked, but not raw. I bought those raw almonds with every intention of smoking them.

Za'atar is a Middle Eastern seasoning blend made from thyme, sumac, sesame seads, salt and sometimes other herbs (marjoram, oregano). The first time I had it was at a Lebanese Restaurant in Arlington, VA that served olive oil with za'atar to dip their fresh baked pita bread in. I was never one to over indulge on bread, but when it's fresh baked and I can drench it in seasoned olive oil it's a little hard to resist. Now that I don't eat bread, I need to find other things to drench in seasoned olive oil.

I didn't put sesame seeds in this because the almonds already have the nutty flavor, being that they are nuts. Sumac is widely used as a seasoning in the Middle East. Yes, it is from the same genus as poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac, but the sumac berries used for seasoning are from a different species of plant, one that does not cause irritation. Don't worry, you won't get hives on your tongue. Sumac has a slightly bitter flavor and as we know, acidic flavors are good for bringing salty flavors to life.

Ingredients:
1 lb raw almonds
1/4 cup olive oil (If you don't want them dripping with oil, use 2 tbsp.
2 tbsp thyme
2 tsp sea salt (or less, these came out pretty salty)
1 tsp (or more) sumac (optional)

Hickory wood smoking chips. Or any wood, really.

Combine all ingredients and smoke for 1 1/2 hours. Rather than spreading the almonds out on a sheet, I put them in an aluminum loaf pan to save space and periodically shook them up. If you don't have a smoker, grill indirectly and don't forget the smoking chips.

Cilantro Pablano Pesto

I usually make my pestos raw, but I had a pablano that needed roasting. I almost used pistachios for this one but went with pine nuts instead. I think next time I'll use pistachios.

1/4 fresh cilantro (half a bunch)
1 Pablano Pepper (roasted)
2 oz raw pine nuts (you can sub walnuts, pistachios, etc)
Juice of 1or 2 limes
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic

Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor and blend into thick paste. Tastes better the next day after garlic mellows.

Great for omelets, zucchini pasta, seafood, chicken, use as a spread, mix with yogurt or mayo for a dip. So many possibilities.

Guacamole

I make guacamole for almost every party I go to. When I lived on the East Coast, got tons of compliments. People would tell me it was the best guac they ever had. Then I moved to Arizona where everyone has at least one Mexican Grandmother. I don't get as much love for it out here. So, I'm letting you guys in on my secret guac recipe because no one makes guacamole like Abuela. It's still pretty damn good.

Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados
Juice from 1 lime
2-3 cloves of garlic, pressed, smashed or minced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato, finely cubed
1 tsp - 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro finely chopped
Salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika or chipotle powder (optional) to taste


Cut 2 of the avocados in half. Do the fancy ninja trick to remove the pits and scoop out into a bowl. Add juice from half of the lime, garlic and salt and mash with a potato masher. You could also put the first 4 ingredients in a food processor and then transfer to a bowl.

Next add the onions and jalapenos and the rest of the spices and mix or mash together.

Add the 3rd avocado, employing the same ninja knife trick to remove the pit. Mash slightly. I like to leave some chunks. Then add the tomato and mix.

Smoked Pistachios with Chili Seasoning

Sometimes I make something that tastes so good I don't want to stop eating it. My Fra Diavolo Sauce almost became Fra Diavolo Soup. I am nuts for these pistachios. I probably shouldn't have made them so delicious. Too late. I just ate half the container.

Ingredients:
8 oz raw pistachios, shelled
2 Tbsp Olive oil (you might want to use less. I happen to like olive oil covered fingers.)
1 Tbsp Chili Seasoning blend (I used Penzey's Chili 9000. It has cocoa in it!)
1-2 tsp sea salt (if your chili seasoning is salt free)

Hickory smoking chips.

I had the smoker at about 250 and smoked them for about an hour. If you don't have a smoker, cook indirectly on a charcoal grill and don't forget the smoking chips. I put them in a loaf pan and periodically shook it up, rather than spread out on a sheet of foil.

Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Olive Tapenade

I made this as a side for Lamburgers.

Fire roasting tomatoes seems self explanatory. Cut tomatoes in half, place on grill skin side down. For this recipe, I would normally use Roma tomatoes. This time I used heirloom because that's what I had. I don't drain the seeds before roasting. That viscous liquid that the seeds are surrounded by hold alot of the nutrients. But if you do want to drain the seeds, you can ferment them and plant them in your garden. I might do that with some of these organic heirlooms tomatoes I got the other day.

I love olives. They have such an umami quality, makes me want to say, "Oooh, mommy!" Tapenade is a great way to get that flavor. I do not use anchovies in my recipe so it's vegan.

Tapenade:
1/4 cup green olives
1/4 cup black olives
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp capers
Tbsp olive oil
Salt, pepper

Put ingredients in mini-processor and pulse until finely chopped. You can make the tapenade ahead and refrigerate. It will mellow the garlic if you do.

Once tomatoes are roasted (30 mins, mas o menos) top with tapenade and enjoy!

Grilled Nectarine Salsa

I topped this lovely salad with salmon and topped the lovely salmon with salsa.

This is going to sound crazy:  I can't eat raw apples. When I do, my mouth starts to itch. I have this problem with peaches, nectarines, plums, almonds, hazelnuts, eggplant, pears, cherries (to a lesser extent) and who knows what else. Here comes the crazy part, I can eat all of those things cooked, just not raw. Apple sauce, peach cobbler, roasted almonds, don't effect me at all. With apples, I have the worst reaction. I can't even chop raw apples because it makes my hands red and itchy.

I have a condition called Oral Allergy Syndrome. It's not uncommon, but people who suffer from it get insane looks when they talk about it, so they don't often talk about it. I've met 5 other people with the same problem. They've all been accused of being crazy. We aren't all allergic to the same fruits and vegetables. I know one man who can't eat lettuce. LETTUCE! The most nutritionally void green vegetable known to man. Can you imagine being that guy, "No thanks, I'm allergic to salad."

Needless to say, I will never become a raw foodist.

We're coming to that time of the year again. The time of year when the orchards are bountiful and their fruit is cheap. But in Arizona, it's still to hot to be doing any sort of crazy baking activities, especially when you have an electric stove and the heat lingers. My electric bill is high enough. So I find ways to take advantage of cheap produce while not agitating my auto-immune system nor raising my electric bills.

3 Nectarines (you can use peaches, but I didn't because they're fuzzy - no I don't have weird food texture hang-ups)
2 hatch chilies (also in season and cheap!)
Juice from1 lime
1/2 pint of grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 red onion
Cumin, garlic powder, chipotle powder, ginger, salt, pepper to taste

Grill nectarines, chilies, onions. Put the tomatoes on skewers and grill those too. (I smoked the tomatoes with cherry wood chips.) When they're done cooking, chop them all up and mix with lime juice.