Kale Almond Wild Rice Gratin

Kale Almond Rice Gratin

Adapted from 101cookbooks.com

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups leftover/pre-cooked wild rice, room temp
• 1 1/2 cups cups finely chopped kale
• 4 ounces firm organic tofu, crumbled
• 10 black olives, chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup 1% cottage cheese
• 1 cup egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Rack in the top third. Grease a 10-inch round baking dish (or equivalent) with a bit of olive oil.
2. In a large bowl combine the rice, kale, and tofu. Now, reserving a bit of each for garnish, stir in the olives, garlic, red onion, almonds and olive oil. Now stir in the cottage cheese.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the egg whites, nutritional yeast, and salt.
4. Fold the eggs into the rice mixture and pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until the casserole is set, and the top toasty and golden.
5. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with remaining onions, olives, and nuts. Sprinkle with a bit more salt before serving - or taste and get a sense of whether you need any.

Maple Almond Blueberry Crumble

Maple Almond Blueberry Crumble

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INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup sliced, toasted almonds
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup spelt flour
• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (plus extra)
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 heaping tablespoon potato starch
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup (for preferred sweetness)

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix together molasses and maple syrup in a small bowl, drizzle over dry mixture, and combine. If too dry, add more maple syrup.
2. In a separate small bowl, combine potato starch with lemon juice, almond extract, and maple syrup. Stir until no clumps remain. Mix into berries.
3. Pour berry mixture into a medium oval pan or round pan. Crumble oat mixture over berries.
4. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Cool slightly and enjoy!

Reduced-Fat Cranberry Almond Biscotti

Reduced-Fat Cranberry Almond Biscotti

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INGREDIENTS

• 2 T light olive oil
• 2 T nonfat evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed (soaked in 1/3 cup hot water)
• 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped almonds

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together oil, milk, Splenda and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in the flax. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually stir into flax mixture. Mix in cranberries and nuts by hand.
3. Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12x2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.
4. Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
5. Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry; cool.

Caramelized Tofu

Caramelized Tofu

Recipe courtesy of 101cookbooks.com

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INGREDIENTS

• 7 - 8 ounces extra-firm tofu cut into thin 1-inch segments
• a couple pinches of fine-grain sea salt
• a couple splashes of olive or peanut oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (I used sliced almonds.)
• 3 tablespoons fine-grain natural cane sugar or brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, washed and cut into 1/8-inch wide ribbons

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the tofu strips in large hot skillet (or pot) with a bit of salt and a splash of oil. Saute until slightly golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and pecans, and cook for another minute. Stir in sugar. Cook for another couple of minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Scrape the tofu out onto a plate and set aside while you cook the brussels sprouts.
4. In the same pan (no need to wash), add a touch more oil, another pinch of salt, and dial the heat up to medium-high.
5. When the pan is nice and hot stir in the shredded brussels sprouts. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring a couple times (but not too often) until you get some golden bits, and the rest of the sprouts are bright and delicious.
6. Add tofu back and allow to warm through. Serve immediately.

DB Caramel Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

Caramel Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

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After burning my initial batch of caramel and setting the stovetop on fire, I finally nailed the caramel recipe! My advice is to use about a medium saucepan, so that there is a thinner layer of sugar water and more space between the top of the pan and the mixture. That way, the caramel forms more quickly and is less likely to boil over when you add the last cup of water.

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This cake came at a perfect time, as I needed to make a cake for a birthday. I made a simple ganache by melting a handful or two of semisweet chocolate chips with some soy milk and let the cooled chocolate ooze over the edges of the cake. That way I did not have to worry about my frosting job being quite so pretty! I also added some toasted sliced almonds for contrast and to give the cake more of a candy bar theme.

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Changes: Rather than using cream in the frosting, I used plain, unsweetened soy milk. I also used soy milk in the cake and used egg replacement rather than the 2 eggs required.

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Overall, the cake was good, but I am not a big fan of caramel or very sweet desserts, so I felt that the slightly bitter chocolate helped to balance it. I did enjoy the fat-free caramel syrup and will use it in the future when caramel sauce is required for a healthier version.