raspberry mini-donuts with pistachio and grey sea salt caramel

A gluten-free indulgence, these miniature sized cake donuts use grey sea salt caramel from CCmade, a small batch artisanal caramel company based in Berkeley, California.  I was introduced to this sugary heaven through Hatchery, a subscription service that sends you a monthly "tasting box" with interesting and delicious artisan made food products.   

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RASPBERRY MINI-DONUTS WITH PISTACHIO AND CARAMEL  // serves 12

by brunchpants

prep time: 20 minutes // cook time: 15 minutes // TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 1/4 cup gluten-free flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. xantham gum
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas ( about three small ) 
• 3/4 cup frozen raspberries
• coconut oil spray
• CCmade grey sea salt caramel
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachio

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a small food processor, pulse the pistachio's until they are evenly broken into smaller pieces.  Make sure to not over process or the nuts will be too powdery. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl whisk together gluten-free flour, almond flour baking powder, baking soda, xantham gum, salt and cinnamon.

4. In a separate large mixing bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to whip together butter and coconut sugar until cream and fluffy.

5. Mix in eggs one at a time into the butter mixture, until well combined.

6. Add mashed bananas and raspberries to the butter mixture, mixing until well combined. 

7. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until well blended.

8. Pour the batter into a gallon-size, freezer bag.

9. Snip of a small corner of the freezer bag, creating a piping bag that will help you easily squeeze the batter into a donut pan. 

10. Generously spray your donut pan with coconut oil.

11. Fill each donut 3/4 of the way to the top.

12. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

13. Allow the donuts to cool slightly before you add the topping.

14. While the donuts are cooling, add the caramel to a small pot and gently heat on low until the caramel becomes soft and liquid.  If you would like your topping to be more liquid, you can add a small amount of milk and stir to get the consistency you want. 

15. Generously pour the caramel sauce in a circular motion over the top of the donuts, allowing the sauce to drip down the sides.

16. Sprinkle the pistachio topping while the caramel is still warm.

NOTES:

• I used a 3" donut pan, however any size will work as long as you adjust the cooking time accordingly.

• Store the donuts in an airtight container.

how to make apple roses

Apples and peanut butter have always been one of my favorite go-to snacks.  This Valentine's day, I wanted to create a dessert that was healthy and also had a romantic edge to it.  These apple roses are very easy to make and look beautiful on a table.  

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APPLE ROSES  // serves 2

by brunchpants

prep time: 15 minutes // assembly: 15 minutes // TOTAL TIME: 30 min

TOOLS & INGREDIENTS:

• 5 small apples
• 1/2 lemon
• 2 - 4 tbsp. peanut butter ( cashew and almond butter also work ) 
• mandoline or ceramic slicer
• bowl for soaking apple "petals"
• 2 small shallow glass bowls

METHOD:

1. Fill a small glass bowl with cold water and squeeze 1/2 lemon into it and set aside. 

2. Place 1 - 2 tbsp. of peanut butter in a small shallow dish, filling it only 2/3 of the way up.

3. Using your finger, make three indents in a triangle pattern in the peanut butter, to allow easier placement of the apple rose.

4. Thinly slice the apples with the mandoline to make the "petals", making sure you slice both halves of the apple evenly to get full circle slices.

5. Soak the petals in the water and lemon juice bowl.

6. Remove the petals and dry them on a paper towel to remove excess water.

7. To start the rose, use one of the smaller apple slices, roll the bottom sides towards each other and hold it with your thumb and index finger.

8. Add the outside "petals" one at a time, staggering the placement clockwise, holding the base of the rose together with your fingers. 

9. Once you have finished the first apple rose, gently place it into one of the indents in the peanut butter, pushing the base down so the petals stay in place. ( Note, the first apple rose will expand slightly until there are more apple roses to hold it in place ) 

10. repeat steps 7 - 9 to create more apple roses, using three roses per bowl.

NOTES:

• The apple "petals" are soaked in water and lemon juice so the apple slices do not turn brown.
• Use firm, fresh apples for the best results.
• Slide in extra apple "petals" to create a more finished and polished look.
• Some of your petals will crack, which are easy to slide out at the end. 

ceviche recipe

Ceviche is a traditional dish served in restaurants all over Peru. There are hundreds of variations of this signature recipe.  Personally, I am more of a purist and prefer the simpler versions using the five basic ingredients of: fish, salt, lime, chili peppers and onions.  

This recipe is from the Lima Gourmet Company, a great food tour and cooking class that was one of the highlights of my recent trip to Lima. 

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CEVICHE  // serves 4

by Lima Gourmet Company

prep time: 15 minutes // cook time: 15 minutes // TOTAL TIME: 30 min

INGREDIENTS: CEVICHE

• 800 g. white fish ( about 1.75 lbs. of sole, sea bass or flounder )
• 300 g. red onion - julienne ( finely sliced )
• 2 aji limo peppers - if you can't find this, substitute with habanero peppers
• 12 limes
• 500 ml. of "tiger's milk"
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
• salt to taste
• ice cubes

INGREDIENTS: TIGER'S MILK

• 500 ml of lime juice
• 500 ml of water
• 200 g. fish stock
• 25 g. rocoto chili ( deveined and seeds removed ) 
• 25 g. aji amarillo ( deveined and seeds removed ) 
• 25 g. aji limo ( deveined and seeds removed ) - if you can't find this, substitute with habanero peppers
• 50 g. celery
• 10 g. ginger
• 30 g. red onion
• 50 g. salt
• 10 g. white pepper

METHOD:

1. Soak the chopped onions in cold water with ice.
2. Cut the fish into medium-sized cubes, and place in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the onions, lime juice and season with salt.
4. Tiger's Milk: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and let marinade for 5 minutes.  Blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and strain through a sieve. 
5. Add the "tiger's milk" gradually until desired taste is obtained. 
6. Let the fish marinade for 10 minutes in the fridge before serving to allow the fish to "cook."
7. Garnish with cilantro.

NOTES:

• Serve this dish with slices of cooked sweet potatoes and corn on the side which is the traditional accompaniments. 
• Only use the freshest, semi firm, white-fleshed sea water fish like sole, flounder or sea bass.  Don't use oily fish like tuna or mackerel. 
• Use fresh limes and don't squeeze all the juice out of them to avoid bitterness. 
• Make sure to cut your fish evenly so it cooks evenly. 

vegan fruit crumble recipe

I LOVE fruit bordering on the obsessive side. During the winter months, I like making crumbles using what I can find at the farmers market, which is usually apples and pears.

I recently started experimenting with making dairy free crumbles.  This recipe is vegan and uses gluten free oats. I added strawberries, to give this recipe a hint of summer and used a medium size, stoneware casserole dish from american bakeware that cooked this recipe perfectly. 

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VEGAN STRAWBERRY, APPLE & PEAR CRUMBLE  // serves 8 - 10

by brunchpants

prep time: 30 minutes // cook time: 35 - 40 minutes // TOTAL TIME: 1.25 hours

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING:

• 4 ripe peeled pears
• 4 peeled apples ( gala or fuji preferably  )
• 1 cup whole strawberries 
• 3 tbsp. almond meal
• 1 tsp. cinnamon 
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/3 cup maple syrup 

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOPPING:

• 1 1/4 cup of almond meal
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 10 large juicy ( or soaked ) dates 
• pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp. coconut oil
• 2 cups of gluten free "old fashion" oats
• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds
• 1 cup of sliced strawberries ( set aside for decor on top )  

METHOD: FILLING

1. Preheat the oven to 350' F.

2. After peeling the apples and pears, cut them into quarters, remove the core and seeds, and slice lengthwise to create even slices.

3. Core and slice the strawberries.

4. Mix everything together and put into a 9" baking dish and set aside.

METHOD: TOPPING

1. With the exception of the strawberries, pulse all of the ingredients ( using only half of the oats at first )  in a food processor to evenly blend.  You want everything to be mixed well but not pureed. 

2. Once everything is well blended, add in the second half of the oats and pulse only a few times, so you keep large pieces of oats in the mixture. 

3. Add the topping to the filling mixture, patting it down so it is evenly distributed. 

4. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until bubbling and browning on top. 

5. While the crumble is cooling, add the sliced strawberries to the top in a pattern of your choice. 

NOTES:

• You can refrigerate the crumble after you put the topping on and bake it before you want to serve.

ratatouille recipe

My dad used to make ratatouille from his collection of French cookbooks when I was growing up.  The aroma from the kitchen of making this recipe is almost as comforting as the food for me. I particularly love making Ratatouille in the colder months and use the leftovers for breakfast dishes. I have tried a few different ratatouille recipes in the past, however my Dad's adaptation uses anchovy paste which puts the end result in a class of its own. 

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RATATOUILLE  // serves 8-10

by brunchpant's dad Marcel

prep time: 30 minutes // cook time: 25 - 30 minutes plus 2 hours for reducing sauce // TOTAL TIME: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 tbsp. anchovy paste

• 1 large yellow onion - cut into "Rondelle" ( large circles )

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• eggplant - 1 kilo ( about 2.2 lbs. ) preferably the longer Italian variety, cut into 1.5 inch pieces or rounds ( depending on the size of zuchinni you are using ) 

• zucchini - 1 kilo ( about 2.2 lbs. ) - cut into round pieces

• 3 - 16oz canned organic peeled tomatoes - roughly chopped

• 1 red pepper - sliced into strips, lengthwise, about 1 cm thick

• 1 yellow pepper - sliced into strips, lengthwise, about 1 cm thick

• 1 green pepper - sliced into strips, lengthwise, about 1 cm thick

• 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme and/or optional herbes de provence

• 3 bay leaves

• 4 whole cloves

• 1/4 tsp. clove powder

• salt and pepper to taste

• handful fresh basil leaves - roughly chopped ( save a small amount for garnish )

• handful fresh flat leaf parsley - roughly chopped ( save a small amount for garnish )

DIRECTIONS:

1. Use a medium size stock pot and over medium heat, start by "perfuming" the olive oil with Anchovy Paste" ( in french called huile d'olive parfumée ). Be sure not to overheat the olive oil.

2. Add the onions, cut into “Rondelle” ( big circles ) and sauté them until translucent.

3. Add the chopped garlic and stir for a few minutes until fragrant.

4. Add the eggplant first so it soaks up some of the olive oil and continually stir for about 1 minute.

5. Add the peppers and zucchini in alternating layers, stacking them on top of each other.

6. Pour in the tomatoes with the juice, covering all of the vegetables.  ( note - If you need more liquid to cover the vegetables, add a little no-sodium chicken stock or water ) 

7. Add the remaining herbs and spices - thyme, cloves, clove powder, bay leaves, basil and parsley and lightly stir to cover all the ingredients in liquid.

8. Cover and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes.  Use a knife to pierce through the zucchini and eggplant to test, if it slides in easily, you know it is finished. 

9. Strain out the vegetables and set aside, saving the liquid to reduce. ( cover with foil and set aside in the oven if you want to serve this dish hot, otherwise leave uncovered )

10. Reduce the sauce by boiling over medium-high heat. You want the sauce to reduce to a glaze-like consistency.  The time this will take depends on the type of pot you are using, but expect at least 1.5 hours.  Stir frequently to avoid burning.

11. Once sauce is reduced to a glaze, pour over the strained vegetables and garnish with leftover basil, parsley and thyme.

NOTES:

• You can serve this dish hot or at room temperature.  

• glaze the dish with the reduced vegetable sauce right before you serve and sprinkle with some of the leftover basil and parsley.

• do not use the long Chinese zucchini for this recipe as it doesn't have the right flavor.