Sunday, January 26, 2014

Chile Rellenos

Chiles Rellenos


Ingredients:

4 poblano peppers (peeled seeded and slit)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup queso fresco
Lard (frying)
toothpicks
3 large eggs (separated cold)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons flour

Instructions:

Roast your chilies over an open flame until blistered and blacked on all sides. 

Place in a zip-lock bag or bowl covered in plastic wrap to steam.
Once softened, use a paper towel to remove the black skins, and then slit on one side. Remove the ribs and seeds from the inside.
Stuff chilies with cheese and hold together with toothpicks.

In a bowl, add your cold egg whites, with a high speed mixer (or a whisk and your husband) beat egg whites to stiff foamy peaks are formed.



In a separate bowl combine the egg yolks with two tablespoons flour and salt and mix well. Then bled the yolks into the egg whites and mix until combined.



Dip quickly into batter and when completely covered lay in hot lard.


Baste tops with hot oil and fry on each side until golden brown.



Let cool on papertowels.

Using the same pot, add your sauce and cover till it boils. When the sauce starts to boil reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.



Serve rellanos with sauce, queso fresco and sour cream, if desired. 

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara with Shrimp



Ingredients:

1/2 pound large defined peeled shrimp 
1 small spaghetti squash
1/2 cup of peas
2 eggs - 1 whole, 1 yolk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 stick of butter, melted
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Pinch of cayenne
2 slices of bacon, cooked, grease reserved
1 large clove of garlic, minced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 and cut your spaghetti squash in half. Place cut side up on a baking sheet for 45-60 minutes until fork tender.

In the meantime, cook your bacon, keeping the grease in the pan. Sautée your shrimp in the bacon grease until lightly pink, not cooked all the way through. Reserve. 

Adding your minced garlic and cook until soft and fragrant. Cut the heat.

Warm your frozen peas in water over low heat until warmed through. Strain.

Add cooked shrimp, peas and crumbled bacon to cooled pan containing garlic.

Take a blender and add in egg and egg yolk, the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt and pepper, then start blending on low, while slowly drizzling in the melted butter. When complete, pour mixture into a bowl and stir in the grated cheese.

When spaghetti squash is done it will be fork tender. 

Taking a fork, scoop out the inside into long "noodles". Warm pan and add in the spaghetti squash. Once everything has warmed up again, cut the heat and sir in the egg/cheese mixture.

Serve with more grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Pumpkin Pie with Grain-Free Graham Cracker Crust

Pumpkin Pie with grain-free graham cracker crust
Makes: 1 pie plus extra graham crackers


Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup golden flaxseed meal
6 Tbsp coconut sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla



Instructions:
Preheat oven to 250 F.
In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, flaxseed meal, brown "sugar" (or coconut sugar), cinnamon, cream of tarter, and salt.



Add the coconut oil and mix to combine.Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combine and the dough comes together.




Repeat with the other half of the dough, using a separate cookie sheet.
Bake for 40 minutes and increase the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 2-5 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Add in 1 egg yolk and 4 tablespoons of melted butter to a bowl, stirring to combine. 

  

Tear two pieces of parchment paper the size of a cookie sheet.
Lay one piece of parchment onto the counter an place half the dough on the parchment.

Top with another piece of parchment and roll the dough out into an even layer (about 1/4" thick).

Using a pizza cutter, score the dough to make cracker shapes. Using the dull end of skewer poke 11-12 evenly spaced holes into each cracker. Transfer the parchment paper to a cookie sheet.

Repeat with the other half of the dough, using a separate cookie sheet.
Bake for 40 minutes and increase the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 2-5 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.


Recipe from: Grain Free Graham Crackers
Net Carb Count*: 5.87 g net carbs (for 1/4 cup serving)--makes about 4 cups
Total Carb Count: 7.99 g total carbs (for 1/4 cup serving)


Pumpkin Pie Crust:

Take half of your graham crackers and pulse until a fine crumb. 

 

Then take 1 cup of pecan halves and pulse until a fine crumb.

 

Press into a pie pan, coming up the sides of the pan.




Pumpkin Pie Filling

Ingredients:

1 28 oz can of organic pumpkin
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon 

Position one rack in the bottom of an oven and another rack in the middle and preheat to 350°F. 

On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the pecans on the middle rack until fragrant and lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Pour onto a plate to cool, then finely grind in a food processor; take care not to overprocess them. 
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg yolk and flaky sea salt. Add the ground pecans and the 1 1/4 cups flour and stir, working the dry ingredients into the butter mixture by smearing it against the sides of the bowl, until the dough comes together in large, shaggy clumps. 
On a lightly floured work surface, press the dough into a mound and knead until it just comes together. Press the dough into a flat disk, then transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Use the bottom of a metal measuring cup dipped in flour to smooth and even out the dough. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork, then freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes. 
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt and process until smooth. Add the pumpkin purée, buttermilk and whole eggs and process until combined. 
Place the frozen pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the filling into the shell and bake on the middle oven rack for 30 minutes. Remove the pie from the baking sheet and transfer directly to the lower oven rack. Bake until the center jiggles only slightly when the pie is tapped, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack. 


To serve, cut into wedges and top with whipped cream. Serves 8.