Zuchinni Galette

Rustic Zucchini Galette

Crust
1 ¼ cups spelt flour
3 Tablespoons cornmeal
½ tsp. Himalayan pink or mineral salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (or cold ghee)
4-5 Tablespoons ice water, more or less as needed

Whisk flour, cornmeal, and salt together. Cut unslated butter or gheee into pieces and then mix with hands, kneading and adding water as needed. If you have a nutri bullet, place butter in and whip briefly, then knead in. Form into a ball, wrap, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Filling
A few small or two medium zucchini, thinly sliced about 1/8 inch. Lay out and salt, let sit to release liquid, then pat dry.
2 Tablespoons chopped red pepper
1 tsp. fennel seeds, briefly toasted until a little color changes
¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1-2 Tablespoons fresh chopped basil or 1 tsp. dried
2 tsp. lemon zest
Pinch of black pepper
Couple pinches of flaky sea salt (optional)
1 Tablespoon melted unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil for brushing crust. I like to use both together.

Method

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine cheese, fennel, dried basil, lemon zest, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  2. On a floured sheet of parchment, roll out the dough into a circle. Slide parchment and dough onto a baking sheet.
  3. Spread the cheese and herb mixture onto the dough, leaving a 2 inch border. Arrange the zucchini rounds in circles over the filling. Sprinkle with red pepper.  Fold the border up and over the edge of filling, pleating or pinching the borders as you go.
  4. Brush the crust with melted butter and/or olive oil and sprinkle a little over zucchini. You can sprinkle a little more herbs if you like over the zucchini, and a little flaky sea salt over crust.
  5. Bake in the oven for 35-40 plus minutes until crust looks golden. Let it cool a bit before slicing.

Variation: Eggplant Zucchini Galette
Great with optional pesto

For this variation, follow the same recipe as above and add eggplant and (optional) pesto to the zucchini galette, and adjust the cheese filling mixture slightly.

  1. Peel and cut a long Japanese eggplant into 1/8-inch slices on a bias. Place on paper towels and salt to release moisture, and let sit for about 20 minutes.
  2. Wipe off excess salt and pat dry. Heat a pan with a little olive oil, sprinkle a little olive oil and fresh ground pepper over the eggplant, and put the slices in the pan (pepper side up). Sauté at medium high until the bottom starts to brown a little, flip, and cook the other side until it starts to brown a little as well. Take it out and set aside.
  3. For the filling, use ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese and ¼ cup feta cheese chopped into a dice, and the rest as above recipe.
  4. When filling your galette crust, spread cheese filling, then small dollops of pesto on top and across the filling. Then layer sautéed eggplant, layer zucchini, sprinkle with red pepper, and continue as above recipe.

Golden Milk

A simple and delicious ayurvedic beverage for Vata (autumn and winter) season. It aids digestion, calms the nervous system, supports a healthy anti-inflammatory response, and helps you sleep well .

Ingredients

2 cups milk of your choice (cow’s whole milk or plant milk, I like almond.)
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. ginger powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (plus optional pinch more for topping)
twist of black pepper
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp of vanilla
2 to 3 tsp. maple syrup to taste
1- 2 tsp. ghee or coconut oil

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and heat to warm. When coconut oil or ghee has melted, place all in a blender and blend. Pour all back into saucepan until it comes to a simmer.
Use a frother if you’d like extra foaminess. Top with fresh ground nutmeg. Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins

Dry Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
(I used 1 cup Red Mill “1 to 1 Baking Flour” plus 1 & 1/2 cups Maine Grain Wheat Organic Pastry Flour)

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

 

Wet Ingredients:

2 eggs

zest of 1 lemon

3/4 cup avocado oil (or oil of your choice)

1 cup greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk of your choice

1 Tbsp maple syrup

Other ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
optional sugar for muffin tops

 

Directions:

preheat oven to 375 F

mix together wet and dry ingredients

fold in blueberries

put in muffin tin (I use a large ceramic one – makes 6 very large muffins)

Optional: Sprinkle tops with sugar

place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes plus. Check with a chopstick to make sure the middle is dry.
Mine take about 40 minutes (they are large).

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Best Gluten Free Waffles by Susan

Separate 2 eggs
lightly whisk egg yolks (for wet ingredients)

beat egg white until stiff white peaks form (set aside until time to fold them in)

Wet ingredients                                                              

1 & ½ cups almond milk (or your choice of milk)         
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar   
let rest a couple of minutes, then add:
¼ cup avocado oil
2 Tbsp. maple syrup                
1 tsp. vanilla extract               
2 egg yolks                   

Dry Ingredients
1 cup gluten free flour                        
½ cup oat flour                                                  
¼ cup almond flour                                     
¼ cup brown rice flour                               
1 tsp. cinnamon                                    
1 Tbsp. baking powder                        
½ tsp. salt 
1 Tbsp. ground flax seed
1 Tbsp. brown sugar or coconut brown sugar                                  

Mix wet and dry ingredients
Fold in egg whites

Cook in waffle iron (Belgian Style).

Top with fruit of your choice in season, maple syrup &
optional dollop of yogurt

Orange Molasses Ginger Cookies
(gluten free) OMG

Shanti is patient &  hopeful

I first made these cookies years ago for a retreat, and this revised version for our Self- Care for the Holidays cooking class, using freshly ground ginger brought back from my 2023 trip to India. (Don’t worry, you don’t have to go to India. You can use any ginger powder.) These are not crispy cookies like ginger snaps. I like crispy but my husband likes soft, so it’s a compromise. These have a slightly soft interior with a nice ginger taste, and an orange essence that pops in your first bite.  I made them instead of a cake for my ocean dipper friend Amy’s 50th birthday. It’s easier to eat a cookie on the beach in 20- degree weather!

Ingredients:
Wet
3/4 cup soft or melted coconut oil (or butter/vegan butter)
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar (or coconut/ date sugar)
2 eggs (or flax eggs)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 – 2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
zest of 1 orange
Dry
2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour (or flour of your choice)
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Plus, a bit of extra sugar set aside in a bowl to roll the cookies in or sprinkle on top before cooking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Mix all wet ingredients with electric mixer.
Mix all dry ingredients in a second bowl with a wooden spoon.

Then add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix with electric mixer.

Place bowl into refrigerator for 15 minutes or up to one hour.
Take out of the refrigerator and roll cookie batter into small balls (about an inch and a half in diameter).
Dip and roll cookie ball into a small bowl of sugar (or you can press cookie on pan with a fork and sprinkle the tops with sugar before cooking).

Bake on a cookie sheet for about 8 -10 minutes.
Take out and cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy!