Italian Plum Torte

Our Italian plum tree is loaded, and while we love to eat them right off the tree, I am always looking for a sauce or chutney to put them into.
After learning that the most requested recipe from the New York Times has been a plum torte, I continued the search to find one that was gluten free. This is from the gluten free girls blog and the feedback was good, even from those who are not gluten intolerant. That is usually the sign of a winner!

Plum base:

Italian Plum Torte

2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons of flour (gluten free multi-purpose)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 Tablespoon candied ginger, finely chopped
14 Italian plums, cut in half and pitted
Preheat oven to 375F.
Mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, ground ginger and candied ginger, together. Add plums and mix well. Place plums, skin side up in an ungreased 9 inch pie pan.

Topping:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup flour (gluten free multi-purpose)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Stir in egg and mix thoroughly and sprinkle over plum base.
Drizzle butter evenly over top of crumb mixture.
Bake 30-35 minutes until top is browned.
Remove from oven, serve warm.

This also freezes well.

Fall Apple-Ginger Limeade

Fall Apple-Ginger Limeade

We have been picking apples off the tree and making squash soup with ginger and apples. Those flavors have me thinking about a fall drink, especially first thing in the morning.

1 honey crisp apple, peeled
1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup ice cubes

Place all ingredients in the blender and process.
Pour into 2 glasses and garnish with fresh apple slices.

Saute of Corn and Pepper

This vegetable side dish would be colorful with red sweet pepper or for a little more heat a jalapeno pepper. We have enjoyed fresh summer corn but frozen can be substituted.

1 Tablespoon butter

Saute of Corn and Pepper

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup sweet onion, finely diced
1/2 red sweet pepper or orange or jalapeno, finely diced
2 cups corn
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt and fresh pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon lime zest
3 Tablespoons basil, sliced

In a saute pan over medium heat, add butter and olive oil. Add onion and pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add corn, chili powder, salt and pepper and saute another 5 minutes.
Add lime zest and turn heat to low, cook another 2 minutes.
Add basil, stir and let sit another minute.
Serve.

Chocolate Orange Pudding

This is similar to a post last year called Chocolate Coconut Pie. One of my friends says their family makes it all the time and has renamed it Truffle Pie. This recipe is even easier, as their is no crust to make.

Chocolate Orange Pudding

Stephanie recently gave me a book called Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats by Allyson Kramer. The book shares my interest in gluten free cooking and Stephs vegan life style, I am really interested in trying many of the recipes and sharing some of Stephs and my favorites with you.

1 Tablespoon orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 bag (12 ounces) chocolate chips

1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk

In a heat safe bowl, mix together orange zest, vanilla extract and chocolate chips.

In a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk to a boil and pour over the chocolate chips and whisk until well blended.

Pour into 6 individual dishes and chill in the fridge until set, about 3 hours.

Note: As I was writing this I was thinking I have to try this with coffee or Kahlua, topped with a chocolate coffee bean. The book also recommends using almond extract in place of orange zest for another flavor.

Wild Mushroom Soup with Nori

Trader Joe's offers a Roasted Seaweed Snack (Nori) in little squares. It is great in strips on salad, just by itself as a snack or as a little sesame surprise in todays soup.

I often use the larger Nori as a substitute for bread and just roll up a "sandwich". 

Soup:

1 Tablespoon butter

Wild Mushroom Soup with Nori

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, finely diced

1/3 cup sweet pepper, finely diced

4 cups mushroom combo (oyster, chanterelle, enoki, and portabella)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons Tamari or soy sauce

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

4 Nori sheets cut into strips

1 green onion, finely chopped

Heat butter and olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and sweet pepper and cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, Tamari, lemon juice, salt and pepper, saute. Add stock and cook until vegetables are tender about 10-12 minutes.

Put Nori sheets in bottom of each soup bowl and add soup. Garnish with green onion.

I recently made a little appetizer shrimp cup with Nori as the base. Place the little sheets in a small muffin pan, and fill with shrimp, sliced avocado, and a dab of mayo. They are packed a little too full but you get the idea.

Shrimp Cups

 

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Cold watermelon with salty Feta cheese and fresh mint makes a refreshing summer salad and great along side any BBQ.

1 small watermelon, rind and seeds removed
1/2 small, sweet onion, finely sliced
1/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
1 Tablespoon mint, finely chopped
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon reduced Balsamic vinegar

Cut watermelon into 1 inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Add sweet onion (Walla Walla), Feta cheese, mint and pepper. Toss with reduced Balsamic. Garnish with extra mint and Feta.

Grilled Polenta with Sausage Pasta Sauce

When time is tight, this and a fresh salad, would make a quick, filling dinner.

1 tube ready made polenta

Grilled Polenta with Sausage and Pasta Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil
4 Italian sausage, hot or sweet, casings removed
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
1 jar tomato, basil pasta sauce
2 sprigs fresh basil, chiffonade
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

To make the sauce:
In a pan over medium heat, saute and crumble the sausage until cooked. Add onions and cook until browned. Add the pasta sauce and simmer until flavors are combined.

Slice polenta tube into 3/4 inch slices. Brush each side lightly with olive oil. Place on preheated grill pan and grill about 3-5 minutes on each side until crust appears.
Place polenta on a plate and top with sausage pasta sauce. Sprinkle with basil and cheese.