Rosemary Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

After Hannukah, I had extra potatoes. With a newborn keeping me busy (and starving!), I was searching for a simple and delicious recipe that would use up my potatoes. Hasselback potatoes look fancy but are surprisingly easy to make. These crispy potatoes are tasty and their appearance will impress your guests.

http://www.feastingathome.com/2014/10/rosemary-garlic-hasselback-potatoes.html

Favourite Spice Mix

I discovered this recipe years ago as I was searching for something to hide the taste of fish. It does the trick. Now, I keep this spice mix on hand and use it to perk up potatoes, tofu and vegetables. I prefer to leave out the white pepper and use extra black pepper instead. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/blackened-tilapia-with-secret-hobo-spices/

Horseradish

Making and eating homemade horseradish is an experience. If you like the kind you buy in a jar, you will LOVE the real thing.  It will burn the nose hairs you didn't even know you had! Open a window and wear goggles. This stuff is strong.

This isn't an exact recipe but it's hard to mess it up:

1. Peel horseradish with a sharp knife. Most vegetable peelers don't work that well. 
2. Dice into small cubes and place into a food processor.
3. Add cold water, just enough to cover to cover the blades. Add a few ice cubes. 
4. Blend until you've reached desired consistency. 
5. For each cup of grated horseradish, you will want to add 2-3 TB of white vinegar and 1/2 ts of salt. If you don't like it too hot, add the vinegar right away. Wait 3 minutes or so to add the vinegar if you want it stronger. Depending on the desired consistency, you might want to strain it.

Gluten-free breadcrumbs

I keep ruining perfectly good recipes with bad, store-bought gluten-free breadcrumbs. It's worth the effort to make your own. Use your favourite gluten-free bread and follow these guidelines.  I like to season them with extra garlic and onion powder and salt.

Gluten-Free Potato Latkes (pancakes)

Potato latkes are part of the Hanukkah tradition but can be enjoyed all year round. This recipe is considered a "rich man's latke" since there is no flour to stretch the batter. The taste and texture of these latkes are much better if you grate the potatoes by hand rather than in a food processor. The disadvantage is that they fall apart more easily. Either way, I much prefer this recipe to the classic flour-based latkes. 

Pumpkin Spice Bread

This post has been sitting in "drafts" since last fall.  Oops.

Who has an overwhelming amount of puréed pumpkin sitting in their freezer? We do!! I didn't have the heart to discard our uncarved pumpkins this year so we roasted, pureed and froze them in one-cup portions*.

Aware of my post-Halloween situation, my aunt kindly sent me this recipe from Jody at Urban Frum Eats. As the author puts it, "It is not super-exciting but subtly sweet, paired with a morning mug of coffee or an after dinner tea, this pumpkin loaf is truly a slice of fall".  It won't win any baking awards, but it is worth sharing because it is delightful, moist, easy to make and my toddler gave it the thumbs up. Oh, and it is helping to make more room in my freezer for foods other than pumpkin...

Ingredients

• 1½ c all-purpose gluten-free flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ c maple syrup
• ¼ c maple flakes or organic cane sugar
• 1 c pumpkin purée (canned or made fresh* and stored)
• ½ c olive oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¼ c water
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Optional: 1/2 ts cloves, chopped walnuts or chocolate/carob chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan. I prefer a mini loaf pan. 
2. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin, syrup, sugar, oil, eggs, water and spices together.
4. Quickly combine wet and dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts, chocolate chips if using.
5. Pour mixture into the loaf pan. Bake about 60 minutes or until knife / toothpick comes out clean.

*Pumpkin purée: cut pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds in the middle and lie face down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft (about an hour.) When it has cooled, scoop out the flesh and gently puree in a blender or food processor. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place 1-cup portions on the tray. Place in the freezer until it is frozen then place pumpkins in a freezer bag.

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy French Onions (vegan and gluten free)

In a previous life, I made green bean casseroles with store-bought cream of mushroom soup, canned fried onions and other delicious yet not-so-healthy ingredients. This recipe is a superb alternative, especially for those who don't love eating green vegetables :)

Ingredients 

CASSEROLE

• 1 1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk, warmed
• 1-2 T. vegan butter or coconut oil (olive oil works too)
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped (we added few extra green onions too)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 3/4 t. dried thyme
• 1/2 t. dried oregano
• 1/2 t. salt
• black pepper to taste 
• 2 TB nutritional yeast 
• 1 T. arrowroot or tapioca starch
• 1/4 c. cold water
• 16 oz. fresh green beans

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Steam the green beans for about 3-4 minutes, just until bright green and slightly tender. Warm your milk.
3. Heat the oil or butter in a skillet. Saute the onions for a few minutes until soft. Add the mushrooms, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper, and cook until most of the water has evaporated (about 5-7 minutes). Add in the garlic and cook for another minute. 
4. In a separate bowl, mix the cold water with the arrowroot/tapioca. Pour this mix into the warm milk and whisk until thickened. Pour the milk mix into the mushroom mix and heat everything for about 1 minute. Add nutritional yeast. Season to taste. 
5. Pour everything into an oiled 8 x 8 baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove, and top with the french fried onions (recipe below).

FRENCH FRIED ONIONS

 I suggest you double this recipe. These onions are delicious! 

• 2 large shallots or onions of choice, sliced into rings
• 2 t. olive oil
• salt

optional, highly recommended: several TB of sorghum flour seasoned with onion powder, garlic powder and salt.

1. Preheat the oven to 380 degrees. 
2. With oil, saute the rings for about 5 minutes.
3. If coating with flour (yum!), place onions in a bowl and lightly coat onions with seasoned sorghum flour (garlic and onion powder, salt). 
4. Place onions onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle them with salt, and bake the rings for about 15-20 minutes, but watch them closely or they will burn! They will crisp more as they cool too.