Matcha Mochi (GF)

Makes 24 cupcakes

1 (1 lb.) box mochiko
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder

3 tsp. Grade A matcha from Earth & Water Tea Lounge (Original recipe called fr 1 1/2 tsp)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk ( I used almond milk)
3/4 cup oil (I had grape seed oil so thats what I used)

I had anko (adzuki bean) paste made up ahead of time and I put a spoonful in the center of some of the cupcakes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and oil. Add dry ingredients and stir until incorporated. Spoon batter in a muffin pan lined with baking cups and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

How to Make Thai Iced Tea From Scratch

2 cups water
3 tablespoons Assam tea leaves, or strong black tea*
4 green cardamom pods
3-4 cloves
1 star anise
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon star anise powder (I powdered 2 star anise in the mortar and pestle)
1-2 tablespoons sugar or 1 tsp. stevia
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (for restaurant-style)
3-4 tablespoons evaporated milk (for restaurant-style), or 1/2 cup whole milk (for healthy version)


* 3 Tb of tea for five minutes yielded a bitter brew.  Next time I'd like to experiment with less leaves at 195 degrees for 4 minutes to avoid the bitter taste 

Restaurant-style Thai Iced Tea:
In a medium-sized pot, bring water to a boil. In the meantime, add tea leaves, cardamom pods, cloves and star anise into a tea bag. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, turn off heat and add bag. Gently stir and make sure bag is fully submerged.

After 4 minutes, remove bag, add in star anise powder, vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk. Stir until dissolved and cool down to room temperature. Once ready to serve, fill 3/4 of a large glass with ice, then top with tea, leaving room for evaporated milk. Stir in the evaporated milk and serve.

Healthier version of Thai Iced Tea:
When tea has finished steeping, only add 1 tbsp. of sugar and omit sweetened condensed milk. Mix in Stevia until dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. When serving over ice, add whole milk or half & half instead of evaporated.

Sweet Potato, carmalized onions, mushroom and Kale Pizza

I loved this pizza.  I used Muir Glen Pizza sauce- Brandy told me it's the best and I agree.

Ingredients

• Your favorite 14-inch pizza dough
• 1 large sweet potato, thinly sliced, about 1/4 inch thick
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1/2-1 package of mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste, for seasoning potato slices and onion
• 1 1/2 cups chopped kale
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon garlic olive oil (or regular olive oil)
• Salt and pepper to taste, for seasoning the pizza dough
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (more if you want more spice)
• 1 1/2 cups parmesan, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sweet potato slices, red onion slices, and mushroom slices in a bowl and toss with 1/2-1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a large baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft and tender. Make sure you turn them once during the 20 minutes so they cook evenly. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the pizza dough.
2. Turn the oven to 475 degrees F. If you have a pizza stone, place the pizza stone in the oven to get hot for at least 30 minutes. In a small bowl, toss the kale with balsamic vinegar. (I didn't do this, instead, I drizzled Annie's balsamic dressing around the perimeter of the pizza after I put on all the toppings- this was a GREAT idea)
3. Roll/spin/stretch the pizza dough to about 14-inch diameter and place the dough on a pizza peel or pan that has been generously coated with corn meal. (I always use ready made pizza.  I like the frozen deep dish corn meal crusts at the local natural foods store) Lightly brush the dough with 1 tablespoon of garlic olive oil. Sprinkle the dough with salt and freshly ground black pepper, fresh rosemary, and pepper flakes.
4. Top the pizza dough with sweet potato slices, kale, red onion slices, and cheese(s).
5. Place the pizza in the oven-directly on the pizza stone, if using one, or on whatever pan you are using. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until pizza crust is golden and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing. Slice and serve warm, topping with additional freshly ground pepper and pepper flakes if desired.

Almond Flour Banana Bread

12 generous servings

This recipe came out very well!  The almond meal creates a slightly crunchy texture but it's very pleasant. I'll make this again!

3 cups almond flour*
1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
3 large eggs
2 large very ripe bananas
1/2 cup coconut sugar
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil or butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional- seems unnecessary since there is a nice almond texture already)

*The second time I made this I used 1/2 cup white flour and 2 1/2 cups almond flour- I liked the texture much better as the bread held together better

Pre-heat oven to 350 F; grease a 1.5 quart loaf pan.

Whisk together the almond flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or another large mixing bowl if you’re using a hand mixer), mix the eggs, bananas, sugar, coconut oil (or butter) and vanilla on medium speed until well blended. Mix in the almond flour mixture in three additions on low speed, mixing well and scraping down the sides after each addition. Stir in the walnuts.

Pour the batter in the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Place on a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out the loaf. Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Nutrition (per serving): 277 calories, 21g total fat, 46.5mg cholesterol, 227.6mg sodium, 296.5mg potassium, 14.7g carbohydrates, 3.9g fiber, 8.8g sugar, 2.6g protein.

Cold Soba Salad

Ingredients

Noodle Salad

8 oz of soba noodles (1 package)
1 bunch of scallions
4 carrots
bunch of cilantro
handful of chopped peanuts for garnish

Peanut Sauce

1/4 of a cup of crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup of rice vinegar
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
2-4 teaspoons of garlic chile sauce ( sriracha or sambal )

Method
In a large pot bring salted water to a boil and add noodles. Cook to recommended time. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce and hot sauce. Whisk till smooth. Finely chop scallions and place aside. I used a peeler to make shavings of carrot. You could also grate the carrot or finely chop.

When soba noodles are finished drain and rinse with cold water. Add to the peanut sauce and toss until coated. Add the scallions, carrots and some finely chopped cilantro. Mix well, eat right away or allow to chill for a few hours. If thick after refrigeration you can add a touch of water to loosen the sauce. When serving add some additional peanuts on top. I also made a little mixture of a spoon full of hot sauce and soy sauce. Finish the pasta with a little spoon full for an added bite.




Soba Noodle salad #2:


Dressing:
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 Tbs raw apple cider vinegar
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs. peanut oil 
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. tamari 
1 tsp. sambal oelek (fresh chili paste) optional


Combine in a jar and shake vigorously


I cooked soba noodles according to the package.  I rinsed them under cold water.


I combined this with carrots and peas which I blanched.


I soaked some wakame.


I combined everything and poured the dressing on top.


I added sliced cucumber, sesame seed, some fresh mint and roasted cashews.


It turned out very well- it would also be good to mix in some vegannaise into the dressing. 

warm golden beets with greens and almonds

1 bunch beets, both tops and roots
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup toasted almond slivers

Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan or cake tin with a big square of foil, large enough to complete enclose the beet roots. Lightly rinse the beet roots to remove any really clumpy dirt and pat them dry. Place them in the foil square and lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Fold up the foil and crease to seal. Bake the beets for 60 minutes or until they can be just pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, chop the beet greens into bite-size ribbons. Discard the stalks between the roots and where the leaves start, but chop the leaf ribs along with the leaves.


Meanwhile, chop the beet greens into bite-size ribbons. Discard the stalks between the roots and where the leaves start, but chop the leaf ribs along with the leaves. Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of dirt and grit. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook on low for about 5 minutes or until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the chopped leaves and stir to coat with the garlic. Cook on medium-low for about 10 minutes or until the leaves are soft and tender. Remove from the heat.

When the beets are cool, rub them with a paper towel to remove the skin. Then chop into bitesized pieces and toss with the cooked greens, goat cheese, and almonds. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold. (This also makes an excellent pressed sandwich filling, especially with some extra goat cheese.)

SQUASHED POTATOES

Serves 4

1 pound fingerling (preferably) or baby white potatoes (I used yukon)

Salt

4 plump garlic cloves

Olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Coarse sea salt

Either 2 teaspoons roughly ground coriander seeds or 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary



Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Generously salt the water.

Place the pan over high heat, bring to a boil and cook at an active simmer until the potatoes are tender.

Drain and let cool enough to handle.

Peel the potatoes (you can skip this step if you find it too tedious). Using a meat pounder or the base of a small heavy saute pan, press down on the potatoes to flatten them, one at a time, until 1/4-inch thick. (You may need a spatula to lift them in one piece from your work surface; lay them on a baking sheet.) Flatten the garlic cloves also, leaving the skins on.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Coat the base of the pan with a thick layer of olive oil. Add just enough squashed potatoes to fill the base of the pan. Tuck the garlic cloves in between the potatoes. Adjust the heat between medium and medium-low so the potatoes brown slowly. Let them sizzle away until nut brown, 5 to 8 minutes, then flip and brown the other side. (The garlic may cook more quickly, so keep an eye on it. Brown it on both sides, then transfer it to a serving platter.) When the potatoes are browned, transfer to the serving platter, and season with freshly ground black pepper, a little sea salt, and either the roughly ground coriander or rosemary. Repeat with the remaining potatoes

*Variation:  I heated some oil, added minced garlic and a bunch of different herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary), fresh cracked pepper and salt.  Then I added diced tomates and a little bit of tonkatsu sauce (a thick version of Worcestershire sauce) and sauteed that a bit before adding the squashed potatoes.  Then I put the skillet in the pan since it was already heated up to 425 degrees (i had just roasted some beets).  This dish came out very well.  (I also added some lemon-mint pesto and grated parmesan on top)