Sweet Potato "Jimmy Jams"

One of my dearest friends, Emily Wozniak, was married a few weeks ago to another dear friend, Sam Haury, and I had the honor of cooking for the outrageous party of out-of-town friends at Telluride's ultimate party house, the Alta Lakes Observatory. Aside from local burgers, mixed greens with goat cheese and peaches, the biggest hit were my sweet potato cakes, later deemed Sweet Potato Jimmy Jams by the biggest fan of them all, Heidi.

Since the wedding, I have seen Heidi a few times and she demanded to know how to make these delicious delights and what better time to make comfort food then when the storm rumbles outside?


Enjoy!

SWEET POTATO JIMMY JAMS WITH LIME CILANTRO SAUCE

Makes apx 12-16 jimmy jams

THE GOODIES.

FOR YAMS

2 large yams

1 Cup Almond Meal

salt/pepper to taste

1 TBSP chili powder

ghee, high heat oil for frying

FOR LIME CILANTRO SAUCE

(makes enough to put on EVERYTHING)

1/2 Bunch Cilantro, stalks can stay

Juice of 1 lime

2 cloves garlic, skin removed

2 inch piece ginger, skin removed

1/2 C Greek Yogurt (dairy free? use 1 avocado)

1/4C+ Olive oil

 THE KNOW HOW

For jimmy jams:

1. Boil a large pot of water

2.peel and cube yams

3. cook yams until tender to the fork

4. drain, mash and let cool before handling

5. combine almond meal, salt, pepper and chili powder, spread on a tray

6. using 1/4 C measuring cup to scoop mashed yams and roll in almond meal mix

7. Heat oil in large skillet on high and when hot, place almond meal covered balls in skillet

8. Gently flatten with spatula and fry until golden, then flip (apx 3 minutes each side)

*if pan is smoking, turn to med-high

9. repeat until no more mashed yams left

then...

For sauce:

1. In processor combine cilantro, ginger, garlic, lime juice and olive oil. 

2. Blend until smooth then add avocado or yogurt. 

3. Salt and pepper to taste. Adjust for desired texture.

Add a dollop to each jimmy jam and enjoy.

*This sauce is a secret weapon. Make often, keep cold.

It was all a dream...

It has only been a quarter year since I have updated this thing. I suppose I have been off hunting, gathering and nourishing inspiration and along the way I picked up a fiancé and a sparkly diamond ring. It was all a dream...

Saying yes to spending the rest of my days cooking, exploring, laughing, and crying with the love of my life could not have happened in a more majestic place. The Alpe di Siusi, the biggest alpe is located in the Italian Dolomites and is where the surprise of my life took place.  It was all a dream...

Fast forward two months and I am still giddy retelling the story to all my loved ones, even strangers, because heck, I want everyone to know how happy and lucky in love I am.  Experiencing a life changing moment in the Dolomiti heightened my senses to the traditions, vitality and way of life the Tyrol region offers. Not only did I take indulgence to another level,  I was never without a post siesta Gelato daily. Pistachio is my finace's one and only, but mine changed almost every time. It was all a dream...

Home again, thousands of miles from the best Gelato in the world, I am in my kitchen manifesting the indulgences of my travels into the deliciously simple fare I love. Tonight's memorable remake of an Italian classic: pizza with a cauliflower crust and to top it off, a sprinkling of a young manchego sheep's milk cheese.

I was not sure I wanted to share this recipe because I am so obsessed with it now, but I realize recipes like this are exactly why I love cooking and sharing my kitchen creations  After you eat this hot pie you will probably think it's all a dream too...

MAKES ONE SMALL PIZZA (double for 2)

GOODIES.

CRUST:

1 head cauliflower, de-stemmed

1/4 C Shredded Manchego cheese

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

1/2 clove garlic

2 TBSP yellow onion

handful fresh basil

1 egg

parchment paper

pizza stone (if you are so lucky) or cookie sheet (heavy duty if possible)

TOPPINGS: (use your favorites, mine are below)

1/3 Cup pasta sauce

handful arugula

roasted red peppers, diced

pepperoncini, chopped

hot italian sausage, cooked

1/2 cup manchego/parmesan cheese, shredded

 THE KNOW HOW.

1. in the food processor, pulse the cauliflower florets until they are couscous consistency

2. Place in pan and heat on low for 5-10 minutes, to toast a bit

3. Transfer cauliflower to a clean town and let cool

4. wrap in towel and squeeze the water out until you can't get anymore out.

5. Put in bowl 

6. In the same food processor, mix onion, garlic and basil until uber chopped

7. Add to Cauliflower, throw an egg in and mix with hands. Should be slightly sticky

8. Take "dough" and place on an oiled piece of parchment paper

9. Flatten into a disc apx 1 inch thick

10. Bake on cookie sheet or pizza stone at 350 for 10-15 min until crust is golden

11. Remove and add sauce, toppings and cheese (leave arugula until ready to eat)

12. EAT & OBSESS!

Climbing Rocks & Salmon in Parchment

I would like to raise a toast to longer days! It is amazing how much more energy is left at the end of a work day to get out and about! Today was a day of climbing at an old favorite desert spot called Atomic Energy.The wind was howling and we were pumped. So pumped that we came home starving and I managed to use my hands, tired from turning a cruisy 5.8 climb into a 5.10 junk show, to create a delicious parchment package of salmon, veggie goodness.

Happy Spring everyone!

The Salmon in Parchment & the Pea Puree

For the Salmon

THE TOOLS

knife

cutting board

cookie sheet

parchment paper

THE GOODIES

2 Well sourced Salmon Fillets

1medium head broccoli, trimmed (save stem for future use)2 carrots, peeled into ribbons

6 mini sweet peppers, stemmed or 1 bell pepper, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, whole

handful of sundried tomatoes, sliced

1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced

pepper to taste

2 pieces of parchment large enough to hold ingredients and

roll up (apx. 10"x12")

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 sprigs of thyme

THE KNOW HOW: 

Preheat the oven to 400

1. Season Salmon and set skin side down on parchment

2. Top with veggies

3. Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4. Wrap and bake for 10 minutes to ensure salmon does not overcook (I made this mistake)

*cook longer if filets are bigger

5. Take out of oven and open up parchment to keep from cooking too much while you finish up Pea Puree

Pea Puree

THE TOOLS

food processor with blade attachment

rubber spatula

measuring cups

THE GOODIES

10 oz bag of frozen peas, thawed 

1/2 C  shredded parmesan (optional)

1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Salsa Verde 

1 clove garlic

THE KNOW HOW

1. Throw all ingredients in the food processor and puree until smooth

2. Spread 1/4 Cup on bottom of plate

3. Place Salmon and Veggies on top and enjoy!

PORK TINGA

THE TOOLS:

Slow Cooker

Food Processor

Spatula

Knife

Cutting Board

Can Opener

THE GOODIES:

[for the pork tinga]

1 large yellow onion, sliced into rings

2 lbs pork loin chop or pork shoulder (from a good meat source), cut into 1/2" cubes

28oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 TBSP Adobo Sauce (more if life spicy)

3-4 Chipotles in Adobo, sliced

4 Garlic Cloves

Bouquet of Cilantro for flavor

salt/pepper

THE KNOW HOW:

1. Place the sliced onions on the bottom of the slow cooker

2. Add pork cubes on top of onion

3. In food processor, blend adobos, garlic, adobo sauce, tomatoes

4. Pour on top of Pork

5. Place bouquet of cilantro on top 

6. Cook on low of 6-10 hours

7. Enjoy pork on its own or in a Coconut Flour Tortillas, Simple Slaw & Guac 

STRAWBERRY BASIL COCONUT ICE CREAM

raw

roasted

ice cream cube 

takes a bit of patience when processing

THE TOOLS:

Cookie Sheet

Cutting Board

Knife

Food Processor

Spatula

Pyrex or container with tight lid for storing ice cream

Ice Cube Trays x2

Potato Masher

THE GOODIES

2 Pints Strawberries, trimmed and sliced

1 Cup Full fat Coconut Milk

1 bunch fresh Basil (optional) 

1 tsp almond or vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

THE KNOW HOW:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees f
2. Lay strawberries on sheet tray and lay basil leaves on top
3. Bake for 25 minutes or until the berries are oozing and caramelized
4. Reserve 1/3 of strawberries for later & transfer the rest to a bowl and mash them
5. Pour in can of coconut milk and mix with tsp almond or vanilla extract and cinnamon until combined
6. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze for 2-3 hours until hard, but not solid
*shortcut if you have an ice cream maker, use it!
7. Transfer ice cream cubes to food processor and blend until smooth, ice cream consistency
8. Fold in Strawberries.
*some say this is not sweet enough, so you may add drizzle of honey on top when serving

Makes apx 2 cups and best served immedietly.

CAULIFLOWER MASHERS

You will never go back to Potatoes again!

THE TOOLS:

1 Medium Sauce Pot

Cutting Board

Knife

Food Processor

THE GOODIES:

1 Head Cauliflower, washed and trimmed, florets separated and removed from stems

3-5 cloves garlic, depending on intensity desired

salt

2 tbsp ghee

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4C veggie stock 

pepper/salt

THE KNOW HOW:

1. Fill pot 1/4 of the way with water and bring to a boil
2. Add cauliflower and garlic,  boil until cauliflower is tender (apx. 10 minutes)
3. Drain and dump into food processor and puree until smooth adding enough veggie stock to get things moving (careful as you still want these mashed potato consistency, not runny)
4. Season with nutmeg & Pepper and eat

Serves 4
Pairs well with any meat, especially Dutch Oven Chicken

LOCAL EGGY QUICHE

Slice of heaven

I dig local chicks

Sauteed B vitamins

One step closer to Quichy perfection

THE TOOLS:

10" pie pan/spring-form pan or even square pan works

2 Mixing bowls

Medium Frying Pan

Spatula

Whisk

THE GOODIES:(organic/local where possible)

[For the crust]

Coconut or Ghee to grease the pan & Fingers

2 C Almond Flour/Meal

2 eggs

2 egg whites

optional handfuls

raw sunflower seeds

chia seeds 

flax seeds

[For the filling]

12 large local eggs (Laid Back Ranch in Norwood or Indian Ridge Farm)

2 large leeks, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

8 oz jar roasted red peppers, sliced

3 handfuls Spinach

1 package nitrate free bacon (Applegate Sunday Bacon is delicious)

Pepper/salt

THE KNOW HOW:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. In mixing bowl, beat the eggs, add in almond flour and seeds until "dough" forms
3. Press the dough into a greased pan and press with fingers until dough is uniform, pushing dough from center of pan out and up the sides.
Tip: helps to use oiled hands to keep dough from sticking to fingers.
4. Poke crust with fork so bubbles do not form.
5. Bake crust for 10 minutes or until lightly golden
6. Fry the bacon over medium heat until desired crispiness, chop once cooled
7. In same pan over medium heat, saute leeks, shallots until translucent
8. Add roasted red peppers and Spinach and cook just until spinach is reduced by half
9. Evenly distribute leeks/shallots/spinach/bacon/peppers on top of baked crust
10. In mixing bowl, whisk eggs and season with a scant of salt/pepper
11. Pour eggs into pan and bake for 25-3o minutes or until center is slightly set (still a little jiggly, but not loose).
12. Allow to cool
*serve with Romesco Sauce

SIMPLE SLAW

Slaw!

THE TOOLS:

Food Processor 

Mixing Bowl

Spatula

Jar for mixing dressing

THE GOODIES:

1/2 head green cabbage & 1/2 head of purple cabbage, cut enough to fit in top of food processor

1/4 Red onion

3 medium sized carrots, peeled, tops removed and ready to shred

1 bunch of radishes, trimmed

[for the dressing]

1/4-1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar

handful of cilantro, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

pepper/salt(optional)

THE KNOW HOW:

1. Shred cabbages, radishes, carrots & onion
2. Transfer to a bowl
3. Shake all dressing ingredients in a jar until mixed to taste
4. Toss into the cabbage mix and eat alone or with Pork Tinga
*Tastes better the longer it marinates.

Serves a lot!

DUTCH OVEN CITRUS CHICKEN

When life hands you a lemon, make chicken

MISE EN PLACE

Dutch oven chicken is a sunday favorite

THE TOOLS:

5 QT Enameled cast iron Dutch Oven (I have a Lodge)

Knife

Cutting Board

THE GOODIES:

4 Chicken breast, split with skin on

1 Lemon, sliced (can use orange too)

2 TBSP minced ginger

1 yellow onion, sliced

bundle of herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage), whatever is fresh in the fridge

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 C Veggie Stock (low sodium, organic)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

THE KNOW HOW:

1. heat the dutch oven over medium heat and add drizzle of oil
2. Place Chicken breasts skin down in bottom of pan and brown (apx. 5 minutes)
3. Flip over and add lemons, ginger, garlic, onion and herbs to the top.
4. Add stock, cover and simmer for apx 1 hour or until chicken is cooked all the way through.
* this can be done in slow cooker as well and cook while you are away

Serves 4 and pairs well with Cauliflower Mashers & a ladle of the chicken jus from the dutch oven.

COCONUT FLOUR TORTILLAS

Coconut is the new corn

THE TOOLS:

Food Processor

small skillet

Spatula

Measuring Cups

THE GOODIES:

1/4C Coconut Flour

1 C egg whites

1/4C unsweetened coconut milk (almond milk works too)

1/2 tsp cumin & garlic

1/4 tsp salt & cayenne

Ghee for frying

THE KNOW HOW:

1. Blend all ingredients in the processor for 20 seconds until smooth and let sit for 10 minutes until coconut flour hydrates.

2. Heat the skillet over medium heat and add oil to coat the pan

3. Using a 1/4 C measuring cup, pour batter into skillet, tilting the pan to evenly distrubute the batter (us can also use the bottom of the measuring cup to move it around the pan) *same technique as making crepes.

4. Once easily releases from pan, flip and cook for another minute on other side.

5. Repeat with rest of batter. 

Makes apx 6-8 depending on size you come out with

Goes well with Pork Tinga 

Spring Break Kitchen

Spring Break Kitchen

First of all, a huge thank you to Josh Biard from FIT Telluride for dropping 2 hours worth of knowledge to an amazing crowd of curious locals on why kicking the grains, gluten and dairy from daily life is worth it. Thursday night's first informational seminar at the library was a blast and it could not have been done without all of the health conscious locals out there. So a big thank you to all of you who came with an open mind and an appetite.

As promised, I am posting all of the recipes from the event, Spring Break Kitchen, for all of you to nosh on at home. I will post each separately so it is easier to follow. Find the overall menu listed below with links to the recipes.

I hope they inspire you to try a month without the grains, gluten and dairy and if you have not already, join the weight loss challenge to win a pair of limited edition New Belgium Skis. (If you do not live in Telluride to weigh in, arrangements can be made for you to enter remotely).  Email me at hunt.gather.nourish for more information on the challenge.

/BREAKFAST COURSE/
Local Eggy Quiche

Seeded Almond Flour Crust

Roasted Red Peppers

Spinach

Leeks

Shallots

Bacon

Romesco

/LUNCH COURSE/
Pork Tinga

Coconut Flour Tortilla

Cabbage & Radish Slaw

Guac

/DINNER COURSE/
Dutch Oven Citrus Chicken 

Garlic Cauliflower Mashers

Chicken Jus

/DESSERT COURSE/ 
Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream

Cinnamon

Almond 

FOODIE FAFA: feast your eyes

I find heaps of inspiration in all things revolving around my dojo (the kitchen) and the camera is my witness. The only problem is there are times when I get so caught up in the creation of goodness that I forget to quantify the details. So instead of pretending I remembered the quantity of this and amount of that, I bring you a little Foodie Fafa photo sesh.

STAPLES

FAVORITE BREAKFAST 

WHERE THE INSPIRATION IS DRAWN 

 HUNTING

NOURISHING 

PB BALLS OF GOODNESS

DR. SUESS BEETS 

APRES SUNDAY SKI TOUR SALMON, SLAW  

COOKING BY COLOR

COOKING FOR A CROWD 

NUGE TESTED, JUNE APPROVED 

AVOCADO STUFFED ANYTHING 

WINDOWSILL TOMS 

APPLESAUCE 

THEM APPLES 

NO GRAIN TRAIN CAN BE GOOD

CHIMICHURRI

SUNFLOWER SEED RISOTTO!