Tapas Espanolas

Mmm Tapas! What are tapas, you may ask? Well. Let me tell you a little story.

Once upon a time, I spent a summer abroad in Granada, Spain. I stayed with a Senora who made the most delicious crepes; walked two miles a day in dizzying heat, skinnydipped in Nerja, hiked los Cachorros, tasted chocolate croissants from every pasteleria in town, watched the sun rise over the Alhambra from club Camborio, tried late-nite shawarma post-Chupiteria 69, learned the difference between "de puta madre" and "puta madre," and of course, went for tapas (or, "tapateando").

Tapas are snacks sold at bars in Spain, and usually of the deliciously greasy bar food variety. One of the highlights of Granada was that at most bars, with your first drink you got a free tapa. To go "tapateando" takes advantage of this-- we'd go out for tapas instead of dinner, bar-hopping from place to place, ordering a drink at each one and getting the free tapa that comes with it. The fun part, of course, is that one generally ends up getting drunk before getting full in the process.  (Did I mention I first got really sick after returning from Spain that summer? Wonder why.)

Some notable tapas that I encountered in my journeys:

Tortilla - the Spanish tortilla is a thick, dense omelet with potatoes and onions mixed in
Croquetes - Fried blobs filled with mystery ingredients! (cheese? meat? who knows!)
Berenjena Frita con Miel de Cana - fried eggplant with sugarcane molasses

Espinacas con Garbanzos - sauteed spinach with garbanzo beans; I think I first encountered this in Sevilla last year, and it was a nice "healthier" alternative at the time.

and, on the other hand, I once received little bread slices topped with an inch of may, sprinkled with bacon bits. TAPA FRACASO! (= tapa fail!)

 And, what to drink with said tapas? My personal favorite was the Shandy- beer mixed with lemon soda. If the place didn't have Shandys, then tinto de verano (red wine mixed with lemon soda) was the way to go-- or, a good old sangria. (Or there was that one bar that had their specialty "orgasmo" mystery drink...)

But alas, the days of Shandys and shawarma and guitar-clapping, sangria-sharing are over.
But that doesn't mean I can't make my own healthy tapas!

Here are the (only slightly gringo-ified) diet-acceptable versions of three of my favorite tapas:
(and sorry for inexact (/nonexistant) measurements 0:)

Espinacas sin Garbanzos  (make it "con" garbanzos by throwing some in- I was lazy!)

Spinach!
Paprika!
Salt, white pepper!


Tortilla Espanola -- here, the idea is that you want enough egg to nearly fill whatever pan you're using. This time I made a tortilla-for-one and used a little baby 6-inch(?) "one-egg" pan:

2 eggs
1/4 - 1/2 boiled potato, thinly sliced -- officially these slices would be fried first with some chopped white onions -- or use leftover french fries. (I used leftover baked home-fries)
dash of onion powder (or chopped, sauteed white onion)
salt
white pepper
little dump of Spanish olive oil (/EVOO)

Mix all ingredients in a measuring cup. Heat pan with a dash of olive oil. Pour in mixture and cook until set. (To be honest, I haven't mastered the art of cooking a perfect tortilla... mine has ended up a bit mishapen!) Cook until set and slice into wedges.

Berenjena Frita con Miel de Agave
eggplant, sliced into ~1cm rounds
almond meal / flaxseed meal
salt, pepper, coconut sugar
agave


Slice eggplant; coat each slice in almond meal (or just sprinkle it on top). Arrange slices on a cookie sheet. Spray with olive oil cooking spray, sprinkle on salt and pepper to season, and optional coconut sugar, if desired. To serve, drizzle agave nectar on top.

Meet the Pizzelle

Pizzelle sandwich!

Meet the Pizzelle- traditional Italian waffle cookies. They can be crisp or chewy, sweet or savory, and are typically made with flour, eggs, sugar, and butter/oil.

Carob pizelle ice cream roll.

Dessert pizzelle with strawberry purree and shipped kream.

I had never heard of pizzelle before- and then I found a pizelle maked at a yardsale for 5 dollars! I couldn't resist. These will now be a staple of my regular repertoire, because they made a thin wafer perfect for sandwiches OR dessert toppings. They're just as easy to make as waffles, but provide a lower-carb alternative, since they're thinner and smaller. I did a little research, and whipped up the following all-purpose recipe:

PIZZELLE:

1 egg
1 tbs extra light olive oil
1 tbs millet flour
1 tbs garbanzo bean flour
1 tbs all-purpose gluten free flour
2 tbs brown rice flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
10 drops liquid stevia
1 tbs almond milk
1 tbs ghee

Mix all ingredients together. Consistency should be thicker than waffle batter, but thinner than cookie dough. Place a heaping teaspoon of batter onto each pizzelle circle on hot pizzelle maker, close lid, and bake for ~5-10 seconds for soft, flexible pizelle, or ~30-45 seconds for crispy pizelle. I like soft better for ice cream sandwiches, but crispy better for sandwiches or dessert toppings.





CAROB PIZELLE:

see above, but substitute 1-2 tsp flour for 1-2 tsp carob powder
(Yes, it's my first Carob Month carob recipe!)

What I used them for--

 

Sandwiches with rice cheese, pizza sauce, and spinach

Dessert with strawberry purree, soyatoo whipped cream, and raspberries

Ice cream sandwiches, taco-style (with carob pizzelle and mint carob chip Rice Dream)

Awesome, a whole new food item!

Carob Month

The new Sweet and Savory Challenge is up at Diet Dessert and Dogs, and this month the magic ingredient is Carob.

My recipes will be following soon, but for now I would just like to present my thoughts and feelings on this special ingredient, and share my favorite Carob-based products.

Carob trees in Albufeira, Portugal.

Carob is most commonly found in powdered form, and is frequently touted as a healthy cocoa- alternative. Free of chocolate's caffeine and theobromine, carob certainly does present healthful benefits that chocolate lacks. Carob contains three times more calcium, three times LESS calories, and seventeen times less fat!

Carob is a bean, which grows in pods on a tree or shrub. These trees grow wild in the Mediterranean, which, in my most- exciting world travels, I encountered wild in the Algarve of Portugal. When I was there, it was mid-March, and the beans weren't quite ripe on the trees. Even though I couldn't try any fresh, I was determined to sample some local carob cuisine. I had heard that little carob cakes were common to the area, and asked every single bakery that I encountered if they carried any.

There was one problem though-- I didn't speak Portuguese, and the bakers didn't speak Spanish, or English. And the word for "carob" in Portuguese is... nothing like "carob" in English. But of course I couldn't remember what it was. With a combination of Spanglish and hand gestures, "Es como chocolate... a powder, like chocolate... se crece en los arobles aqui... grows in bean pods...???" No use.


Another feature of Portugal: restaurant "advertisers" linger in populated areas outside of their joints to lure in customers. To nab the most tourists, most of these gems of salesmen seemed to be multilingual. After a bad experience being lured into a restaurant that served the grossest fish ever plus charged a euro for each slice of bread eaten plus a euro for each tiny packet of butter/cream/cheese/anchovy condiments used or opened, I figured the restauranteers owed me one.


So, we chatted one up, and then slipped in "HEY what's the Portuguese word for Carob?" --"Carob, what's Carob?" ... and, the usual half-coherent description ensued- but at least this time it could be in all English. After asking at least three other people, our restaurant guy finally found an old bearded man who got it-- and gave us the magic word.  ALFARROBAS!

Alfarrobas!? No wonder I didn't associate that with "carob!" Not only did said bearded an give us the word, but he also supplied directions to the only bakery in town that he claimed carried them. So, off we went, on a 20 minute walk uphill to the magic bakery!!

And there it was. And, full of little carob-fig treats that were... well, really pretty anticlimactic, overly sweet, and not too wonderful. But, I had fulfilled my Portuguese carob fantasy. (#WINNING :) )


SO: The moral of this story  (or long-winded tangent)  is that I will be whipping up some much-yummier Portuguese confections, using the wonderful carob. Be prepared, it's going to be GREAT. As in, I already translated purely authentic Portuguese recipes, which I will be posting complete with vocab lists.

But that is all to come.

In the meantime, I would like to share my top three Carob picks for store bought items. For anyone who can't eat chocolate, these will truly be a lifesaver to hold over your cravings. This is a count-down, so BE SURE to scroll all the way down to #1-- it's probably one of the awesomest products I've eaten ever, and truly a rare find.

#3: Sunspire Vegan Carob Chips

Upsides: Readily available, vegan, and look just like chocolate chips-- thus great for a baking substitute. Also come in un-vegan form (labeled "unsweetened carob chips), which are less sweet, but much more creamy, with a better texture.

Downsides: They really don't melt, and thus are... in reality not so great for baking substitutes. Not as good as the real deal (chocolate chips) but certainly better than nothing at all. When you eat mouthful after mounthful of these straight (have I ever done that? never... --hey, I was stressed out in a dorm room with nothing but Carob to ease the pain!) they taste rather rubbery-- or, it feels like your mouth is kind of coated in tar. Okay what am I talking about, no one in their right mind should do that anyway.

The verdict is that the consistency in baking and excessive eating is not great, but the overall look, feel, and taste is satisfactory.

---> * * * / 5 rating

~~~~~

#2: Rice Dream Mint Carob Chip Ice Cream

This is Carob at its best. A subtly sweet flavor, and soft, melty consistency makes this chips (or chunks, rather)-- dare I say it? Even better than chocolate chips in ice cream. I find that chocolate chips often freeze too hard in ice cream, and thus become little rocks that are barely tastable and a pain to chew. (Funfact: when I was little I called chips in ice cream "Poes" and always spit them out.) But carob poes? Pretty darn good.

What is lacking in this product lies in the ice cream department. Rice dream just never has tasted all that great to me, and although the mint flavor is a step up from the vanilla (which has nothing else to hide it's slight off-flavor), it still just has something... funny about it. Come on, Rice Dream, step it up and bake your stuff taste betterrrrr! Because you know the season of ice cream craving is only just beginning.....

Overall rating?
---> *** / 5

~~~~~

And the Grand Winner!
#1: Goldie's Carob Bars

This is by far the best Carob treat I have ever tasted in my life. Subtly sweet, creamy in the mouth, this is equivalent to a gourmet chocolate bar. I have sampled the Rice Crunch flavor (just like a Crunch Bar, only not sickeningly sweet!) and Plain (also delicious, but slightly less exciting), and after checking their website, nearly jumped out of my seat when I learned they also come in Mint, Orange Zest, and Hazelnut Praline! Oh my goodness, I must get my hands on these.

The only problem: these are elusive, too! I have encountered them in only one location: Whole Earth Center in Princeton, NJ. The company website? Equally archaic, with no sales information, and just a link to "Contact Us." These bars are for sale on Amazon, but for $36.42 for a box of 12 bars, they're no steal.

When I visit Princeton, (17 hours, 15 minutes 'til Reunions!) I purchase two treats for my ride home:
        1. Rice Cream Mint Chocolate Frozen Pie
        2. A Goldie's Carob Bar.
And I eat them in that order on the way home... all of them. And it is AWESOME!! (bi-winning.)

Overall Rating?
---> ****** / 5 stars. Yes, they're just that great.

Also: please, please, let me know if you find these bars elsewhere! Particularly... in the Northern VA area! <3



~~~~~~~~~~

In summary: Carob is great.

Let's face it, though-- when you need a chocolate fix, you just need the real deal. Without that caffeine and theobromine, that serotonin boost is just lacking with carob. The taste is different, the caffeine-high is lacking, but replacing chocolate with carob can benefit your body, and, even taste-wise, is a respectable substitute. (Remember: seventeen times less fat!!)


Sunspire's website sums it up best:

" Carob is a tree-grown fruit with its own natural sugars that impart subtle sweetness and a mellow taste. According to renowned vegetarian chef, Mollie Katzen, carob has its own flavor characteristics. Referring to it as alternative to chocolate sets up an unrealistic taste expectation instead of enjoying carob for the uniquely sweet treat that it is. "

But, enjoying Carob for Carob itself, in all its Carob-y glory? Spectacular.


More information on Carob and health? Check out http://www.gilead.net/health/carob.html !

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 ... and Happy Pi Day- also belated. I've had a lot going on (see bottom of post), so sorry for not getting these up on time!

Leprechaun Pudding with Gold-Chocolate Crumbles!

 

Creme de Menthe Pie

Irish Soda Bread!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Lepruchaun Pudding with Gold-Chocolate Crumbles

 Pudding:

1 banana
1 generous handful spinach
2 tsp vanilla   ---->  puree in magic bullet until smooth


2 tbs walnuts
2 tbs raisins
1 tbs cocoa powder
dash of salt   ----> pulse in magic bullet until it clumps
 
Pour pudding into a bowl and top with chocolate crumbles. It tastes light and sweet-- you can't taste the spinach at all, but it adds a healthy punch (which also makes this recipe very breakfast-eligible!)


~~~~~~~~~~~


2. Creme de Menth Pie (aka Grasshopper Pie)

So, making this didn't end up going as smoothly as I had hoped.

I was going off of this recipe from pure2raw, but ended up adding WAY too much guar gum..... which turned my filling into rubber. So, whatever you do, do NOT add two tablespoons of guar gum to two avocados and expect edible pie filling. Seriously-- it almost broke my Bullet!

That being said, I worked for about two hours trying to salvage the filling, and I finally got it to a delicious flavor and "acceptable" consistency-- still all but too rubbery for me to really be satisfied. Nevertheless, all three of my taste testers stated it tasted just like the "real" version that my mom made.

So, since I was in "salvage mode" as I threw together ingredients, I didnt' record much. If you're interested in making this pie, I recommend going from the pure2raw version, with the possible modification of adding lemon juice to the avocado layer (helps reduce browning, too!) The color of the pie did start out avodaco-green, but slowly began to brown after some fridge-time.


Crust: (delicious!):

1/4 c walnuts
1/4 c coconut powder/flakes
1/4 c raisins
1 date, chopped
2 tbs cocoa powder
1 tbs vanilla      ----> pulse in Bullet until powdery/clumping, then press into bottom of 6 inch pie pan


Garnish layer: (yummy but not minty) -- this is the dark green layer on top and bottom

1 banana
1/4 c yacon powder (kinda gross)
stevia/agave to sweeten
vanilla (will darken color)
little bit of spinach, purreed/juiced, to green it up 
almond milk to thin to desired consistency     ---> puree it all until smooth


Main filling layer:

2 avocados
1/2 tbs guar gum? start low and add more! (2 tbs = rubber, fyi)
2 tsp peppermint oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
almond milk to thin if guar gum over-rubberizes
agave to sweeten
   ... aaaand a pinch of Irish luck that it works easily!      ----> puree in Vitamix/Bullet/whip together by hand


White whipped meringue layer:

1.5 tbs coconut oil, softened (I used the non-coconut-y kind)
1.5 tbs ghee, softened
1/2 c erythritol, powdered
if needed, almond milk to thin to desired consistency    ----> blend in Bullet until creamy and smooth

Assembly: On top of crust, spread half of Garnish layer, then freeze to harden. Next, pour in all of Main filling layer, freeze again. Cover with the rest of garnish layer or white layer to prevent browning; alternately, use both to decorate. Perfect taste is definitely attainable, even if consistency may be a bit more challenging!


 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


3. Irish soda bread!    

        
Now THIS is an epic win. Epic, I tell you-- EPIC! Way better than my mom's breadmaker Irish soda bread (probs cuz I made mine sweeter!), and definitely the best ACD bread I've ever made. It's almost like a coffee cake, but still bread-y enough to be eaten with dinner (Irish stew, which we had yesterday!)


THE RECIPE:

2 cups gluten-free flour blend:
         1/2 c oat flour
         1/2 c brown rice flour
         1 cup mix of: garbanzo flour, amaranth flour, all-purpose GF blend
1.5 tablespoons agave (or to taste)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt                     
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg                              ----> stir together dry ingredients
2 tablespoons coconut oil            
2 tbs ghee                                    ---->cut, then pinch fats into dry ingredients to obtain a sandy texture
½ cup raisins                                ----> fluff into the mixture
¾ cups buttermilk:                        ----> add to dry ingredients to form dough
          1.5 tbs apple cider vinegar
          scant 3/4 c almond milk ----> let mixture sit 10 mins

(Batter should taste delicious (almost cookie-like) on its own too!)

Preheat oven to 400. Add extra flour until dough is kneadable, then knead a few times on waxed paper sprinkled with (oat/rice) flour. Shape into a 6-inch loaf on a greased cookie sheet and slice an 'X' on top with a knife. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes. Yum!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



So, I said I've had a lot going on-- most recently, one of our two cats passed away two days ago, after 19 years of being our faithful friend. (This dampened our St. Patty's festivities- hence the late posts!)

Misty and I playing volleyball.

When I was five years old, my sister and I each adopted a kitten. My sister picked a lively black and white kitty, which she named Misty Moonmew Oreo. I picked a friendly orange tabby, who I dubbed Starry Crystalmew Peanut. Misty and Starry were our best companions, and grew up beside us for the greater portions of both of our lives.

Coming up upon their twentieth birthdays (July 13), both cats have been slowing down, but still happy and enjoying life. Misty began fairing a little worse, and she had a noticeable lump on one side of her abdomen. She was active and spunky up until the afternoon of March 16, at which point she laid down on her special chair cushion- and never did get up. She faded for a few hours, occasionally appearing to have minor seizures or spasms of her arms and legs. We stayed with her right up until the end, and are thankful that she did not suffer long. She was cremated today at a special pet facility, and at this point we plan to keep her ashes in a cat-shaped urn, in the home that she loved so well.

Her temporary coffin with candle and flowers.

Misty was lively and smart, and always was the first one to the door to greet company. She had flair: loved to eat cooked broccoli, raw tomatoes, strawberries, grapes-- we called her a 'little human.' She was fascinated by running water in the shower, and thus was also our resident 'hydrologist.'  On her black face she had a white diamond marking on her nose, and a little white beauty-mark dot.

As my sister put it, "We're not kids anymore- Misty's dead!" and indeed, it is a whole new concept to be without one family member. I'm thankful for the time that we had with her and for her companionship throughout the years. RIP Misty!


~~~~~~~~~~~

Switching gears to a happier tone: I returned from my week-long trip to Carnival in Trinidad on Sunday. It was AWESOME, and my month or raw-dieting sure paid off while I was strutting my stuff in my skimpy costume! Here are some shots from the fun:

Drinking coconut water straight from the coconut!!!!

Chrysocolla girls of the group (guess who I am...)

Summarizes the scene through town- for two days straight!

 Climbing.........                                                                                     for...........

                                                                 COCONUTS!!!

(even though they were unipe/inedible!)

--> all in all, SUPERfun trip! A million thanks to my Trini girl for giving me the best vaycay ever!


~~~~~~~~~

Sesame Tofu

OMG chinese food!!!! Also, my entry for the SOS Kitchen Challenge: October! Also, first in my series of Food Around the World! (just wait, it will be great...)

Seriously, this is pretty much restaurant-worthy sesame tofu.

The Recipe:

Use extra-firm tofu: either buy a brick and drain, blot between paper towels, and chop into bite-sized cubes, or if you can find it- use the pre-cubed variety.

Lightly bread tofu cubes in potato starch (/flour of your choice). I did this by dropping tofu into a ziplock bag with a few teaspoons of flour, and tossing until breaded.

"Fry" tofu by sauteing it with sesame oil on a frying pan until lightly toasted. (Or, deep fry in sesame oil if you dare!) Also, be careful if you throw a ton of the cubelets on a small pan-- the breading will make them stick together! So keep stirring/chopping them apart.

The sauce:

1.5 tbs agave nectar
3 tbs bragg's liquid aminos
2 tps powdered ginger
~1-2 cloves garlic (I used a dash of garlic paste instead)
4 tsp red chili powder (I used a dash of red pepper hot paste)
2 tbs sesame oil
1/2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1.2 tsp potato starch (optional-- I tried to thicken it a bit, but it didn't do much!)

Pour sauce over tofu, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Eat, and finally satisfy that chinese food craving-- minus the sugar, MSG, and other unhealthy mystery ingredients!

Happy National Waffle Day!!!

That's right, it's August 24! Time to celebrate those delicious squares of goodness. Today marks the anniversary that the U.S. patent was issued for the first waffle iron.

Oh, the waffle. In the bread-free world in which I roam, the waffle is a beacon of starchy hope. In addition to providing a "normal" breakfast food, it is a versatile substrate for infinite taste creations.

So many different sauces can be spread upon it.
So many different flours can make up its base.

Use it as bread for a sandwich! Use it as crust for a pizza! Use it as a "cone" for a sundae!
Best of all, waffle batter is a 3-minute miracle, as it is super fast to whip up, and slight variations never seem to harm the final product.

With a waffle in your stomach, the world is just a better place!

And thus I present, my hearty breakfast-of-choice, the UNIVERSAL CINNI-TEFF WAFFLE!!!!!

THE RECIPE:  (makes 4 belgian waffles- 4x5 square-size)

1 egg
~1 tbs extra light olive oil
~1/2 c  almond milk / rice milk / etc
1 tsp vanilla extract (sugar & alcohol free)
~ 2/3 cup teff flour
~ 1/3 cup cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 dash salt

Mix ingredients in a 2-cup measuring cup. First, beat together egg and oil. Next, add milk to make the total liquid level in the cup be a little more than 1c (this is the only step that I actually measure!). Add 1 tsp vanilla, and mix.

Add dry ingredients: Dump in ~1/2c teff, and add as much cinnamon as desired- I recommend lots! Add baking soda and baking powder, and stir mixture into batter. Continue adding more teff until batter is the consistency of very thick pancake batter.

Pour into pre-heated, ready-to-go waffle iron (waffle iron is hot-to-go, h-o-t-t-o-g-o !!!). These will rise much less than regular glutenous waffles, so it's okay to make the iron pretty full.

Enjoy your delicious little waffle!! Butter with coconut oil, and top as desired.
If you need inspiration, see the following:

1. 
Cinni-teff waffle with rhubarb sauce, blueberries, and vanilla coconut-dream ice cream, shown at the top of the page.

--> (WHITE PEACH RASPBERRY) RHUBARB SAUCE:
rhubarb
white peach
a few raspberries
dash salt
stevia to taste, if desired

---> throw everything into a pot with a small amount of water in the bottom. Simmer until all fruits are very mushy. Mush them, then simmer on low heat for a long time, until concoction has been reduced down to spreadable consistency.

White peaches provide enough sweetness that stevia may not be necessary, depending on how tangy you like your rhubarb sauce! Additional flavorings like cinnamon and nutmeg can be added as desired too.



2.
The French Gopher!

Yeah, that's right.

It's a GOPHER!!!!

Orr, a gaufre.

Coming to you from the lovely land of France!


On the streets of Paris, there are vendors selling this genuine Parisian delicacy. Smeared with nutella and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream: THAT is a true French Gopher.

(okay I call them gophers because (a) it's funny, and (b) i can't pronounce french.)

Anyway, recreate this masterpeice with cinni-teff waffle + almond butter + vanilla ice kream on top. MmmMmm.

I think the best combo is using Trader Joe's Roasted Creamy almond butter. Buuut some days I feel like the hearty TJ's almond butter with flax seeds, and other days I prefer the milder TJ's Raw almond butter. And I have to admit, I rarely put ice cream on top. (!)

I must say, though, that the nuttiness of this concoction really is a perfect complement to the Teff. I think it is a much better combination than some of the fruity variations that I have tried.


3.  
FLOUR VARIATIONS

You can use the same recipe as cinni-teff, substituting the cinni and the teff for nearly any GF flour, and still obtain delicious results. Three that I have tried are:

Coconut flour! Now add some fruit...

-Garbanzo bean flour waffle.  I add rosemary, extra salt, and use extra virgin olive oil instead of extra light. Makes a great lunch waffle, or a sandwich substrate! (though may be a bit dry- be careful!)

- Coconut flour waffle. Be careful- coconut flour's high fiber content makes it necessary to slightly alter the proportions here- otherwise your waffle will crumble and/or stick to the iron. As a guideline, use twice the egg and half the flour. This waffle is great with fruit on top! (or that rhubarb sauce...) It will have a nice flaky consistency, too.

- Millet + Garbanzo Combo waffle. Not gonna lie, I got this idea from my popover batter- and it turned out great! I used ordinary (cinni-teff) proportions, though it probably could have used a bit more oil. Taste was mild and pleasant- would be perfect to use as a sandwich bread.


4. 
WAFFLES FROM OUTER SPACE

Because some waffles are just too cool to have been born on earth.

First, there is the Green Giant Waffle (or, Little Green Sprout Waffle, if you prefer). To assemble, YOU WILL NEED:
1 waffle
some spinach
some sprouts
some avocado
and/or anything green you can find
also maybe some cheese.

DIRECTIONS: 1. cook waffle. 2. butter it if you want. 3. PUT EVERYTHING ELSE ON TOP. 4. eat.
It's good, I promise. And all that green stuff really justifies you eating yet another waffle.


Second, there is the amazing SUPER SURPRISE PIZZA WAFFLE!!!!

Mmmm, yeah, that's right, it's pizza and waffle AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!!

And, there's a surprise. What is the surprise, you ask?????
THERE IS CHEESE IN THE WAFFLE BATTERRRR!!!!!!!!!

Ooey, gooey, (soy) cheesey goodness!

 Yes, I added a bunch of shredded mozzarella rice cheese to my millet-garbanzo waffle batter.

Although I had pictured gooey strings of cheese dripping from the innards of the belgian squares, the cheese really just added a nice flavor. But, stay tuned for updates as I experiment a bit further.

Anyway, this was a most-delicious waffle form, and easily constructed by spreading pizza sauce on the freshly-cooked waff, and sprinkling a handful of rice cheese on top. Yummo!


~~~~~~

As this National Waffle Day winds to a close, I sincerely hope that you have gotten the chance to eat at least one sweet waffle in this 24 hours. I was lucky enough to eat THREE! (two 1/2 cinni-teffs at breakfast, and one pizza-waffle plus one garb-millet for dinner)

I also would like to thank National Waffle day for bringing my family together for a waffle-filled dinner this evening. As I wished everyone a Happy  N.W.D. about a million times during the day, my mom was well-aware of the importance of the date. Thus, when stumped for something fast to make her and my dad for dinner, she whipped up her own waffles with a buckwheat mix... plus some eggs and turkey bacon!

So, for the first time in a long time, my parents and I sat around the table happily munching our waffs. And, when my sister came over hours later, the first thing she said was "Happy Waffle Day!!!" --and grabbed a leftover waff from the plate left out on the table.

What a wonderful day!! What a wonderful waffle!! What a wonderful world!!!!
Ilovewaffles.

Letter from 'Ome: The Butte Pasty

Brought to you from Butte, MT!

(half eaten because I couldn't resist taking a bite before taking a photo!)



Pasties are delicious. They're all the fun and convenience of hot pockets without the disgust and indigestion! Plus, they've got their own historical and cultural significance!


From the Butte Heritage Cookbook:

"Old-timers claim the pasty arrived in Butte, Montana along with the first housewives who followed their husbands into the mining camp. Long favored in the copper miner's lunch bucket, the pastry-wrapped meal was an ideal way for "Cousin Jeannie" to provide a hearty meal for the hard working "Cousin Jack." As the miner unwrapped his lunch, he would refer to the pasty as a "letter from 'ome." Its popularity spread quickly throughout the camp, and today the pasty is as much a part of Butte as the Berkeley Pit."

Image from www.bozemannet.com

Above:  Butte, Montana-- clearly celebrating the deliciousness of their pasties! And, the fact that I'm presenting you with a (relatively) ACD friendly version. Yippee!



Traditional recipes were made with beef, potatoes, and onion. As I don't eat red meat, I swapped that ingredient for chicken. This recipe is still high in carbs for the ACD, so use in moderation... or just fill with your favorite veggies!




THE RECIPE:


filling:

Boneless chicken thighs, chopped
White onions, chopped
Potatoes, diced

crust:

1.5 cups garbanzo bean flour
1.5 cups millet flour
3/4 cup extra light olive oil
1.5 tsp potato starch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (a few pinches)

1. Chop filling ingredients and combine in a bowl.

2.  Combine dry crust ingredients. Add oil, and just barely mix (so that dough forms small beads). Chill in fridge before rolling out.





Roll a lump of dough between two floured sheets of waxed paper, until a bit less than 1/4 inch thick.












Next, place a lump of filling on one half of the dough circle, leaving space around the perimeter.




(this filling is actually too centered)

Fold dough over filling to form the pocket. Use the waxed paper under the dough to assist in the folding process.


Seal the two dough layers together around the perimeter of the pasty.


Use a toothpick or knife to poke steam holes on top of the pasty. For authentic pasty labeling, poke your initial into the top to let it be known that this is YOUR treat!


Preheat oven to 350 (??? TBD), and bake for ~45 minutes, or until golden brown, or edges are just beginning to brown. Remove and enjoy!

Pasties can be eaten hot or cold, with a fork or picked up sandwich-style.

Generally I find that hot-out of the oven, it's easier to go the fork route.

The cold leftover pasty to many is actually more delicious than the fresh version! Plus, its cold-ness makes it easier to pick up and bite, which is always fun.

Yummo!