Guest Post

Hello everyone!  I just wanted to do a quick post to add the link for my guest post.  A couple of months ago I won the "Quickies Challenge" hosted by Denise at http://quickiesonthedinnertable.yolasite.com/ and Lazaro at Lazaro Cooks for my Avocado Fudge Brownies with Feta Cheesecake Swirl.

The prizes were a copy of Denise's beautiful cookbook; Quickies Morning Noon and Night and a guest post on Lazaro's blog.  If you don't follow Lazaro's blog already, please check it out.  He is a prolific writer, fabulous and creative cook and he features amazing guest blogs each week.  While you are there, go ahead and check out my guest post and recipe for Vegan Goetta and Scrambled Tofu.

Check it out if you have a moment!

Frittering Away The Time

Sundays are always our day to sleep a little later and have a "sit down" breakfast.  My husband dearly loves breakfast and nothing makes him happier than one that involves something sweet and or fried!  This past Sunday I was in a quandry about what to make.  I've made Palacinke (Serbian Crepe's) till they are coming out my ears because everyone always requests them when them come to visit.

Waffles are nice but I did that too not long ago...vegan waffles none the less because we all know my issues with eggs by now!  As is usually the case with me, I open the fridge or the pantry and stand there stupified waiting for inspiration to hit me up the side of the head like a brick.  It did just that over a carton of ricotta cheese and some organic fuji apples. 

This culinary epiphany resulted in some Apple Fritters in a cinnamon-spiced batter that are pan fried in coconut oil and topped with Maple Ricotta Cream and more cinnamon.  To say that they were a hit would be putting it mildly.  Hmm...I should have probably gone in for the kill on that new vaccum cleaner I've been drooling over while he was all hopped up on that carbohydrate endorphin rush.  There's always NEXT Sunday and if I fried a little BACON to go with it...I could probably get Prada handbag!

Where was I?  Oh yes...frittering away the time gabbing about vaccum cleaners and breakfast!  This is actually a pretty simple recipe.  I opted to keep the batter undersweetened because the maple ricotta cream (and extra syrup on top) provide more than enough sweetness.  Don't over cook the fritters or the apples will be soggy inside and make your batter fall off...other than that or burning them...you can't really mess up! I prefer frying mine in cast iron because I grew up in Tennessee and that's what everybody used but you can use any vessel you choose.

Apple Fritters with Maple Ricotta Cream

• 3 large cage free organic eggs
• pinch of kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar ( I use Florida's Naturals)
• 1 tablespoon melted extra virgin organic coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose double fiber flour or spelt flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup organic 2% milk (non-dairy milk will work also)
• 5-6 organic fuji apples halved, cored and then sliced 1/4" thick
• additional flour for dredging apples
• 1 cup organic Ricotta Cheese ( you may not be able to find this part skim)
• 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup plus more for drizzling
• extra cinnamon to sprinkle on top

1. In a large bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until foamy.  Beat in salt, sugar and coconut oil; set aside.
2. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon.  Add the dry indgredients to the egg mixture all at once.  Stir to combine.
3. Begin by adding 1/4 cup milk.  If batter is still to thick you may add more.  Batter should be thick enough to cling to apple slices; slightly thicker than pancake batter.
4. Preheat cast iron skillet and add 1/4 cup melted coconut oil.  Dredge apple slices in plain flour and then dip into batter.  The flour will help the batter cling to the apples.  Once dipped, quickly transfer to hot oil.  Fry over medium heat until golden brown on first side, carefully turn and cook 2-3 minutes more on second side.  Drain on paper towels.
5. Prepare Maple Ricotta Cream by combining ricotta and 2 tablespoons maple syrup in a small bowl.  Use to top fritters.  Add extra warmed maple syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon.

6 apples = 6 normal people or one husband!

I must admit...they do look rather tasty!

(c) copyright Jill Anderson

The Homegrown Gourmet

Sundae Breakfast

Sometimes I just get up and stumble to the fride..grab a cold english muffin and a cup of coffee (low octane decaf for me) and I'm good till about 10:30 or so when I have my midmorning snack.  I am such a lazy breakfast person!  I guess its somewhat of an improvement since for most of my life I've never eaten breakfast at all. 

I think I just get bored.  I'm allergic to dairy and INSANELY allergic to eggs.  Oh...just the though of one of those little chicken embryo bombs turns my stomach inside out!  Don't get me wrong...I like eggs...especially a nice quiche or a frittata.  What I don't like is the next 4-6 hours I will spend doubled over in pain and itching frantically until my body finally gets that stuff digested! 
I have a suspician I may have developed a gluten allergy as well because about half an hour after eating that cold english muffin...my face looks like I fell asleep in a tanning bed and my stomach hurts.  For the most part I can pass on dairy with the exception of two things...Greek style yogurt and Feta Cheese!  Yogurt is a bit different than other dairy products though in that it actually HELPS lactose intollerance.  Yogurt's bacteria colony breaks down the cellular walls of the lactose (milk sugar).  Lactose is the stuff that sits in your stomach and ferments if you are lactose intolerant.  That's why a lot of people experience bloating after eating dairy.  Lactase is the enzyme you should be producing that will break the lactose down into it's easily digestable simple sugars (glucose and galactose).  Yogurt has something called beta-galactosidase which actually "pre-digests" (for lack of a better term) some of that lactose that your body can't process thus alleviating lactose intolerance symptoms.  Of course if you go hog wild and drink a gallon of milk, eat half a gallon of ice cream and 4 lbs of cheese....ain't no yogurt in the world gonna help that!  You probably SHOULD suffer for being a glutton! 

As for the eggs...to my knowledge there's nothing you can do about that except avoid them like the plague!  At least I have to.  Sometime in the near future, I'll write a post on replacing eggs in baking.  You wouldn't believe some of the stuff I've used...haha!  Some of them have worked...others have been wretched failures. 

So that brings us back round to breakfast.  I wish I wasn't so lazy about eating in the morning but honestly...something really light and small seems to be all my stomach can cope with until about 10:30.  Fruit by itself doesn't do it for me either.  Oh and heaven forbid I eat a waffle with syrup (even a vegan waffle with no eggs or dairy)!  That carb/sugar overload first thing in the morning makes me sicker than a dog!  It just gets old trying to think of something to eat every morning. 

I've found that a mixture of carbs from fruit and protein from a good, plain greek yogurt (we are NOT talking Dannon fruit on the bottom here.....bleccch), a VERY small amount of either agave or maple syrup...I'm talking a teaspoon or less...and a sprinkling of something crunchy like granola or nuts/seeds makes a pretty tasty and satisfying breakfast that doesn't disagree with my temperamental digestive system.  Although...that gluten thing...I may have to look into that and skip on the granola. 

This morning I did my favorite greek style yogurt...FAGE (pronounced fa-yeah), mixed with a packet of stevia and a teaspoon of cinnamon (excellent natural blood sugar stabelizer by the way) and then layered with crispy chunks of gala apple.  I topped it with a sprinkling of my homemade granola and a few extra dried blueberries and finished it with a drizzle of maple syurp (about half a teaspoon) and an extra dusting of cinnamon. That was at 7:30 am and it's 10:22 now.  I lasted pretty good...just starting to think about having a lil sump'n sump'n to hold me over till lunch. 

I know...you COULD just stir the sweetener and cinnamon into the carton of yogurt and eat the apple on the side with a handful of granola but it's just not the same.  I try to make every meal look like spa food....no matter how simple it is.  It's that whole deprivation mindset.  "Gee...that omlette sure looks good...wish I could have that...it's not fair...all I get is this damned yogurt and an apple."  It's all in how you look at it.  A common theme you'll see in my dishes is that they LOOK pretty...they are on nice dishes, in stemware, in fancy bowls, on cool bamboo boards...whatever.   They just need to look special.  Try it...you'll see for yourself that it really does make a difference!

Pretty huh? 

I've served the Breakfast Sundaes in pale pink Depression Glass dessert cups.

Have a look at my lunch from yesterday:

A bed of fresh organic baby spinach holds english cucumber boats filled with a tomato, red onion and fresh mint reslish.  I sprinkled on some raw young asparagus tips and two slices crumbled organic turkey bacon.  I made a simple yogurt ranch with Fage, lemon juice, garlic powder, black pepper and fresh herbs.

a little closer look...this was so simple that its not really even a recipe but it was totally delicious and made me feel like I was eating a fancy spa lunch!

(c)copyright Jill Anderson

The Homegrown Gourmet