Creamy Rice Polenta

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I have been corn-free for about 2 1/2 yrs now and it’s challenging for a couple of reasons.  The first and probably most obvious is that corn is in EVERYTHING!  Well, everything processed, that is.  Which is also the very best thing that comes out of being corn (gluten and soy) free…you end up having to eat real, whole foods.  Corn is an ingredient in many processed foods because it is used as a filler, it is cheap and versitle it has become a no-brainer for the food industry.  Avoiding corn then means cooking from scratch…in turn, forcing you to eat better every day.  The second reason corn-free is difficult for me is that I actually love the taste!  I miss grilled corn the most, but I’ve also always loved polenta.  Last year I realized that I can use cream of rice (basically whole grain rice coarsely ground), add savory flavors and have a very similar taste, texture and flavor to corn polenta.

I used this recipe with Spring Ragu, but you can serve it next to broiled salmon, grilled shirmp, even poached eggs.

Here’s the recipe:

Creamy Rice Polenta

1 cup rice cereal

2 1/2 cups water

sea salt to taste

1 tablespoon ghee (olive oil or organic butter)

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Procedure:

Add rice cereal and water to a saucepan and place over medium high heat.  (Note: instructions on the package for rice cereal will read a 3:1 ration water:rice, but this makes a thicker consistency closer to that of polenta.)  Add butter and salt.

Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and whisk continuously until the rice thickens.  This should only take a few minutes.  Do not walk away from the saucepan at this point because the rice couls stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.

When the rice has thickened and all the water is absorbed, turn off the heat and whisk in the cheese and parsley.  Whisk until fully incorporated and serve warm.

Ricotta Stuffed Figs

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As many of my recipes are, this light summer snack was drummed up while waiting on line at my local organic produce store.  Fresh figs are not in season for long, but when they are, I just can’t resist.  They are the perfect size when you’re in the mood to munch but don’t want to commit to a huge piece of fruit.  Light, sweet and tender, figs completely on their own are the complete package.  But, once in a while, it’s fun to dress them up and show them off…kind of like taking your boyfriend to meet all your girlfriends. :)

In this recipe I whipped fresh ricotta cheese with a touch of sweetness, spice and salt to create a billowing bed for a crunchy or minty fresh topping.

Here’s the recipe:

Ricotta Stuffed Figs

6 fresh figs

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon local honey

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Dash of fresh grated nutmeg

Large grain sea salt to taste

1-2 sprigs mint

1 tablespoon sliced raw almonds

Procedure:

Slice figs in half from top to bottom and place face up on a serving dish.

Chop mint and zest lemon, set aside.

In a small bowl, combine honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, nutmeg and sea salt to taste.  Whisk until well combined.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture over the halved figs and top with sliced almonds or mint…or if you’re really feeling crazy, a combination of both.

Use leftover ricotta (if you have any) for breakfast with a bowl full of fresh berries or smear on toast for a quick snack.

 

 

Spring Pea Soup

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In the springtime when you can buy peas fresh in their pods, pea soup becomes absolute perfection.  Cracking open the crisp pods and spilling the plump peas into a bowl is a mesmerizing task perfect for alleviating stress after a long day…or keeping the kids busy while you kick your feet up for a few minutes!  For this recipe, I shelled enough pods to yield about 5 1/2 cups of fresh peas.  That equates to quite a few handfuls at the farmers market!  

I kept this recipe fairly simple because I wanted to accentuate the fresh vibrancy of this vegetable in season.  If you try to do too many things sometimes it creates an unnecessary distraction to the star ingredient.  Keep it simple for your time, budget and taste.

Here’s the recipe:

Spring Pea Soup

1 tablespoon organic butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

sea salt to taste

2 cups organic vegetable stock

2 cups filtered water

5-6 cups fresh shelled peas

1/2 cup fresh mint

Topping:

2/3 cup part skim organic ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons milk (almond, soy, organic cows or rice)

2 teaspoons agave nectar

large grain sea salt to taste

Procedure:

To start, warm a small stock pot over medium heat.  Melt butter and oil in the pan, once warm add onion and garlic.  Saute for 8-10 minutes until soft, aromatic and translucent.  Stir occasionally to prevent browning.  Season with sea salt to taste.

Add vegetable stock and water, cooking an additional 10-15 minutes.

While the soup cooks, whisk topping ingredients together in a separate bowl and set aside.

Finally, add the fresh peas and cook 4-5 minutes.

Remove stock pot from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.  Toss with fresh mint and serve with a dollop of ricotta mixture in each bowl.

*Serving suggestion:

Top with Arugula Lemon Salad.

Arugula Lemon Salad

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This SIMPLE salad is perfect for topping Spring Pea Soup or using as a side to just about any meal.  It is cool, refreshing and easy enough to make in your sleep.

The recipe…

Arugula Lemon Salad

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

sea salt to taste

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cups baby arugula

Procedure:

Whisk lemon zest, juice, salt and olive oil in the bottom of a large bowl until well combined. Add arugula (washed and dried), tossing until fully coated.

Serving suggestions:

Top with…goat cheese, feta cheese, grilled shrimp, grilled spicy chicken, fresh figs, toasted walnuts or any delightful thing you can think of!

 

 

Brazilian Pao De Queijo (cheese puffs)

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I’ve become (admittedly) obsessed with these little indulgent Brazilian treats so I figured it was about time I share it with the rest of you.

It all started when my boyfriend (that dude over there) popped into a little cafe in NYC to buy us tea and coffee when he saw a gorgeous basket full of delicate cheese puffs labeled Pao De Queijo, “gluten-free.”  When he returned with them, still warm and fresh out of the oven in a little recycled paper pouch, I was in love.  It was the kind of moment where you think – that’s it, all this hard work at eating well is out the window with this one luxurious bite.  I’m eating them for the rest of my life until I’m incapable of eating anymore.

They have a thin, slightly firm exterior and a completely gooey, doughy, warm and cheesy center – so you bite through the crunchy crust and it sort of collapses as the salty, buttery cheesy center hits your tongue…and you’re lost to Pao De Queijo forever. Heaven.

Now I just need to learn how to pronounce it.

Clearly I wasn’t satisfied with only getting my fix at this one little (adorable) cafe in NY, so at my parents house in CT, we made a fresh batch of 24 puffy cheesy balls that everyone devoured in probably less than a minute.  Gluten-free reins supreme at my family’s house so when I walk in with a new recipe, especially bread-like, we tend to go a little nuts.

Here’s the recipe:

KO Pao De Queijo

3 cups tapioca flour (cassava root)

2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2/3 cup almond milk

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoon organic butter

2 large whole eggs

3/4 cup grated pecorino cheese

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Proceedure:

To start, place flour, salt and baking powder in a mixer and blend just until combined.  Set aside.

Next, place a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Warm almond milk, olive oil and butter until melted and warmed through.

Slowly pour hot milk mixture into the flour mixture and beat for 8 minutes, or until the dough is thick and sticky.

 

Stop blending to add eggs, mix just unitl combined.

Then add both cheeses, mix again (about 1 minute).

Refrigerate mixture for 2 hours.

 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

[To make my life easier, I used a mini-muffin tin instead of rolling each ball out into golf-ball sized bites...you can do that or use my method] Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the dough into greased mini muffin tins.

Place in the 400 degree oven on the middle rack and bake for 20-23 minutes. The cheese puffs should be golden and firm on the outside and they will look like they lifted straight up out of the tins…see!