Apple Tart with Teff-Walnut Crust

I love teff. What I discovered about the teff peanut butter cookies we made earlier in the week is that teff is so loaded with protein and iron and other mighty vitamins that it is impossible to have a sweet binge on things made with it. This is coming from a person who can easily sit down with a plate of cookies, mind you. Two teff cookies, three tops, and one is totally satisfied, thinking, maybe I'll read some difficult poetry instead of lying on the couch to stare at the ceiling fan in a carb and sugar coma.

So this crust is similarly exhilarating, and crumbly... holds together a little bit better after the whole pie has been baked and has had some time to cool in the refrigerator, but tastes deep and rich-- without overwhelming the fruit.

Filling:

5-6 apples, peeled and sliced (I used honeycrisp)

2-3 T Earth Balance

1 T cinnamon

Crust:
1 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c sunflower oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 cup teff flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Crust:
Mix ingredients in Vita Mix blender (dry attachment) on lowest setting until consistency resembled coarse meal. Press mixture into bottom of lightly oiled 9-inch tart pan.
Bake 12 minutes, or until crust becomes a smidge darker.

Filling:
In a large bowl, toss apple slices with cinnamon. Heap the apple mixture into the tart pan. It creates quite a mound, but they cook down considerably. Dot the pie with Earth Balance. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

**Even better with almonds instead of walnuts and pears instead of apples!

Cranberry Sauce

Super easy, quick and delicious.

8 oz. fresh cranberries
3/4 c orange juice
1/4 c sugar

Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on medium-high for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced – stirring occasionally. You’ll hear the cranberries popping – don’t worry, that’s what you want them to do. Remove from heat and serve.

Happy Gluten-free Thanksgiving

This year we were able to dictate a Thanksgiving menu all our own because we put ourselves under family quarantine. Our colds didn't stop us from putting on a feast for the three of us, however, and with zero pressure about timing and entertaining of guests, J and I, well, mostly J, whipped up a spread that was entirely gluten-free, healthy, and vegan-- except for the turkey and the goat cheese.

J roasted a 10 pound bird (and I discovered that I have converted to the dark side... dark meat, that is). He also made mashed potatoes with Earth Balance butter and soy milk; a yummy stuffing made of corn meal, onions, celery and herbs; a salad of roasted beets with goat cheese and olive oil and balsamic vin. And in the interest of using all of the bird, J made a gravy comprised of all the ugly bits which, though I'm not a gravy fan, was deeply flavorful and yum.

I contributed a roasted butternut squash drizzled with date syrup, roasted brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, and an apple tart with a teff-walnut crust.

While we kept our nation's promise to overeat this evening, the meal didn't leave either of us feeling "logi," a term we use to mean leaden, bloated and immobile.

Of course, we regret not spending the day with either of our families. The only other time we were not at his family's table for Thanksgiving, or mine, was one year we lived out East and couldn't afford to fly back. Now that we're all in the same state it seemed unlikely that would ever happen again, but the prospect of hauling a congested toddler all over town we we weren't feeling up to snuff ourselves had us call it off early in the week. I'm sure our family members are thankful we weren't around them sharing our germs! And J is thankful he was able to eat everything on the table.

Cheers!

Teff Peanut Butter Cookies

Having never baked with teff before, I made these cookies strictly by the book, or, by the package, as it were. The Bob's Red Mill bag of whole grain teff flour featured this recipe for cookies, and, since dairy and gluten free J was itching for something sweet today, and since I am always itching for something sweet, I thought wed give em a try. I was skeptical to say the least. No egg and no sugar? Also, I expected a somewhat sour taste like the teff-infused injera bread I've had at Ethiopian restaurants. Well, the sourness is no doubt the yeast or starter for the injera, because teff by itself, while hearty and dense, is delicious. I almost added some chocolate chips to this-- for insurance purposes-- but J refused. I'm glad he did because they baked up yummily without it. Though I am tempted to experiment now... teff brownies, anyone? The one thing is that they are crumbly, so once one starts to handle a teff cookie, one better devour it quickly!

1 1/2 c teff flour
1/2 t sea salt
1/ c maple syrup
1/2/ c sunflower oil
1 t vanilla
1 c peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350. Set aside an ungreased cookie sheet. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Set aside. In a food processor blend syrup, oil , vanilla, and peanut butter. Add the wet ingredients tot he dry ingredients. Blend well. Shape dough into walnut sized balls. Place on cookie sheet and flatten gently with the tines of a fork. Bake about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Yields 24 cookies.

Buckwheat Pancakes

Here's a real stick-to-your ribs breakfast that's energizing at the same time. We enjoyed these cakes with syrup but they would be good with a berry coulis as well. The buckwheat is a thirsty grain, so the whole cup of soy milk here is needed for a good consistency to the batter. The buckwheat is also so robust tasting that I don't miss the milkfat flavor that regular pancakes have when I make them with soy milk.

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup soy milk
• 2 Tbsp melted Earth Balance
  

Mix dry ingredients together; add egg, soy milk and Earth Balance, beating well after each addition. Drop batter onto preheated griddle surface and cook until brown on both sides.

Wild Rice with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Almonds

I should mention that we are embarking on an experiment in gluten and dairy free eating. I've experimented on myself before, at the recommendation of my acupuncturist, but this time there are more imperative health issues for J that deem it so. I'm pleased for a new cooking challenge. What's in: fresh fruits and veggies; soy products; poultry and fish (in limited amounts); all other grains in the non-glutinous family (quinoa, rice, etc.)
What's out: dairy and dairy derivatives (casein, whey, etc.); wheat and all gluten lurkers; red meat (not that I ate it anyway, and J only ate it once in a while, but I think he's calling a moratorium on red meat now as well);
Not sure: oats? corn?
So we'll be mostly vegetarian, sometimes vegan, and increasingly inventive when it comes to breadiness from here on out.

Day 1's dinner involved rotisserie chicken (cheating already, I know... not home-cooked), roasted root veggies and this yummy wild rice dish. Tasted very autumnal as well.

1 cup wild rice, washed and drained
1/2 cup almonds, toasted in a dry pan
1/2 cup red onions, slivered
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Fill a large pot pot with generously salted water. Add the wild rice and boil, uncovered for 55 minutes or so. You will know the rice is done when many of the grains are cracked open and tender, revealing the lighter inside.

Remove from the heat and drain off the water. Stir in the nuts, red onions, and dried cranberries.

(Can also use pine nuts instead of almonds.)

Roasted Roots

For the past couple of years I've snapped up this bag of root vegetables from Harmony Valley Farms whenever I see it at Whole Foods. Something about this (relatively) local, organic grower makes the most delicate and savory little carrots and turnips. The bag also includes parsnips, rutabegas, celeriac, and, on ocassion, sunchokes. Beautifully colorful varieties of carrots and turnips, too, not the old wan standbys. If we lived in Madison, I'd be hopping on their CSA membership. Unfortunately they don't seem to deliver to Chicago. Another reason to love them, this tasty marinade for roasting they included on the package. This beats my plain old olive oil rub down any day.

2 T olive oil
2 T maple syrup
2 T tamari (wheat free)
1 bag of "soup mix" root vegetables, chopped into 3/4" pieces
2 t dried thyme

In a medium bowl, combine oil, maple syrup, tamari and thyme. Toss root vegetables in oil mixture and spread evenly in a roasting pan. Roast at 450 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

(Could also use ginger instead of thyme.)