lactose free – Page 27

minty snow cake

Published on December 23, 2013December 23, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach23 Comments

at the risk of sounding anti-climatic
my experience with christmas has historically been
lackluster
there is just something
very undramatical
about my childhood of christmases
until about 10 years old
we never had a tree
and when we did start
i wasn’t allowed to decorate it
what with my lack of artistic spacing
and ornamental picking ability
along with my stepmother’s ~~anal~~
Type-A desire for
uniformity and beauty
tree decorating is a skill i never learned
in fact,
i am so bad that the one
time i attempted to decorate a tree
as an adult
my then boyfriend took all the shit down
and redecorated the ~~fucking~~ thing
hashtag Eff Off Xmas

it should not be surprising to know
then
that we don’t have a tree
nor do we have any other decorations up
with the exception
of a few wedding slash thank you slash holiday
card obligations
the days have been business as usual
but there’s been cake
a minty snow cake to be exact

so, from us,
ones who don’t celebrate christmas
wishing you & yours
a delightful week
have cake,
be merry

Minty Snow Cake
adapted from cook’s illustrated, but published on epicurious, cus i refuse to pay a membership fee to the former site

*note: i ended up doubling the recipe, i was hoping the layers would rise enough to slice in half but they didn’t. my end result was three layers, the fourth layer is being consumed separate. the recipe i post will be single.
my adaption is lactose-free, and for one of the layers i used liquid egg whites which made the cake batter watery-er and it didn’t rise as much as the layers with actual egg whites. the taste is the same though.
also, cook’s illustrated is legendary with their method on time, ingredients, blah blah blah. ain’t nobody got time for that. mix accordingly to common sense, bake based on how you know your oven, not on how far your pans can be from the wall and from each other. i’m just saying. hashtag this is me being ornery and eye rolling at CI.

2 1/4 cups (9oz) cake flour, plus more for dusting the pans
1 cup whole milk or in my case, lactose free half&half, at room temperature, i use organic valley
6 (3/4 cup) large egg whites, at room temperature, or Abbotsford Farm 100% liquid egg whites
2 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups (12 1/4oz) granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt
12 TBL vegan butter, softened but still cool, i use earth balance vegan buttery sticks

preheat oven to 350F & prepare 2 8″ round pans

in the mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. cream with the butter. it’ll look like sugar cookie batter. scrape down the bowl.

in a pouring vessel, best is a glass measuring cup, add in the half&half with the egg whites, along with the extracts. mix until blended.

pour half the liquid into the batter, mixing until well incorporated. scrape the sides of the bowl often. add remaining liquid and repeat mixing and scraping. pour batter into the prepared pans.

bake for 27 – 30 minutes, until the cake pulls from the sides of the pan smidge, it’ll be a pretty golden on top and a toothpick will come out clean. cool on rack.

i used a typical buttercream recipe, of vegan butter + powdered sugar + a few splashes of peppermint extract.

i used these methods & inspiration for attiring the cake.

for more pretty cakes.

black bean lasagna

Published on December 16, 2013December 13, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach11 Comments

right now
the chill seeps
past the usual barriers,
finding passage through
cracks & crevices
every year
i wonder aloud
why we don’t live
in the tropics
or at the very least,
winter in Australia

it’s a daunting task
to shake slumber off
when burrowing beneath the
corduroy comforter
is far more appealing
it’s also tempting to
fall into the soup rut
what’s not to like?
they’re warming,
usually quick & nutritious
but truthfully:
repetitive

what to do?
sleep like the bears
surfacing when the world is green anew?
flying south is out
december has already made her presence
known
what with the frost
the shiver inducing gusts of wind
the rain,
the bloody freezing rain,
it feels like i’m going to be cold forever

so i made this lasagna
because we’re going to incorporate more beans in our diet
because i can’t be bothered to cook every night
because it was easy
because it kept me in the kitchen,
warmed by the stove, oven and crock pot
and it fed us all week,
either for dinner or lunch
and damn if it didn’t warm us through

today’s post is a loose nod towards write alm‘s december promt-a-day.

black bean lasagna
adapted from trisha yearwood

*note: i was in 7th grade when trisha yearwood’s song She’s In Love With The Boy came out and dang if i didn’t sing that song all summer long. prior to cutting cable i saw this recipe on her show and it intrigued me. my proportions, seasonings and techniques are different from hers, so use her recipe if you want exact measurements.

1 jar of tomato sauce, i used our csa jarred tomatoes
8oz can of whole tomatoes squished/cut up
3 generous tablespoons of homemade tomato paste
1/2 large onion, chopped
a few garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, skinned and diced
1 cup of dried black beans, soaked over night, then cooked on low in the crockpot for 5 hours
olive oil
salt/pepper to taste
1 package lasagna noodles, cooked according to package instructions
tofu ricotta, recipe below

Tofu Ricotta
1 container of firm organic tofu, excess water squeezed out
1/4 cup – 1/2 cup of raw cashews, eyeball it, i didn’t measure it
1/4 cup – 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, eyeball it, i didn’t measure it
healthy sprinkle of italian seasoning
salt/pepper to taste

in a food processor, whizz all the ingredients together. the mixture won’t be silky smooth, but it won’t be chunky either. set aside, in fridge until ready to assemble the dish.

in a large pot, boil up some water. cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions.

in a large sauce pan or skillet, heat up some olive oil, saute the onions, garlic and carrots. season with salt/pepper. allow the mixture to brown up a bit, it’s at your discretion. add in the tomato sauce and paste. again, season with salt/pepper. add in the prepared black beans, allow to simmer on low while you complete the noodle boiling.

preheat oven to 350F.

to assemble, in a casserole dish, spoon out some of the tomato sauce first. layer noodles, then add the tofu ricotta, spreading it as best as you can, top with tomato sauce. repeat until all the noodles are done, making sure the final top layer is the tomato sauce.

bake in oven for about 45 minutes – an hour, if the top gets too browned/dry, put foil wrap on it.
allow to sit for 15 minutes before digging in.
will keep, covered, in fridge for a week.

birthday | peppermint chocolate chip ice cream

Published on December 12, 2013February 14, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach24 Comments

today
yes,
today
of all days
i will indulge
in all manner of the word

i’m such a liar
i’ve been indulging all week
every year around this time
i reflect on all that has happened
in the last 365 days
and
in the last 36 29 36 years

exactly one year ago today
i was so incredibly humbled
when i thought about the grace
i’d been given
i am still awed by it
there is no adequate way for me to express how
grateful i am
so i won’t
to expand on that particular post,
35 random things i’ve done this year,
in no particular order

|| got engaged
|| looked for scarlett and avery, but to no avail
|| had the best bo kho, in Nashville of all places. dined there everyday we were there
|| went to my first honky tonk
|| saw the pacific ocean with my beloved
|| read this book
|| picked 22lbs of blueberries
|| catered my very first, and technically only, party
|| planted an illegal rooftop garden. well, dw did. i helped. by watching.
|| finally watched the entire West Wing series, josh lyman is kinda beast
|| witnessed Thunder from Down Under
|| i ran just 2 races. (will rectify in the coming new year)
|| saw Jim Gaffigan, yes, he did talk about hot pockets
|| attended dw’s high school reunion. what.a.trip.
|| we climbed a wall
|| visited a local organic animal farm, i may have informed dw that i wanted to own a pet pig AND chicken
|| compared atl’s aquarium to baltimore’s; we win
|| for 5 whole days i had long lashes
|| practiced twerking, failed
|| painted a picture
|| after 8 years of it, apparently illegally, ~~lost~~ gave up cable
|| saw matt nathanson twice, in one week. hashtag groupie
|| chopped my hair off, like, most of it
|| approved for lasik eye surgery. eek!
|| attended a football game, whereby i went through a whole spectrum of emotions in a span of 2 minutes
|| walked to indiana
|| swam in the bay
|| purchased THREE wedding dresses
|| started using the public library in earnest, using dw’s library card. it’s a long story
|| broke up with Parenthood
|| began a torrid affair with candy crush and ruzzle
|| decided on a new celebrity crush
|| went to a book signing by Tyrese Gibson and Rev. Run. Tyrese is hot in person, Rev. Run not so much
|| received my new social security card with my new name on it. boom.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, lactose free
mashup/inspired by Sprouted Kitchen and David Lebovitz’s Ready for Dessert

*note: i discovered Organic Valley’s LACTOSE FREE half&half and omg. my coffee has never tasted so good. dairy ice cream can now be re-introduced into my life. i’ve made this particular dessert a few times using coconut milk (from the can) and so delicious’s coconut creamer, using various different techniques and always with great results.

Pumpkin Challah Chips

Published on December 9, 2013December 9, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach14 Comments

here’s the truth about disappointments:
they’re bullshit
and like most things in life,
they’re prevalent
i won’t tell you
how often i’ve been disappointed
by things, by people
because,
like i said,
it’s all bullshit
i will tell you that it all factors
down to perspective
and the adequate handling of it
some would call it avoidance
others would call it compartmentalization
i call it getting on with it

the fact is,
not everything i make in the kitchen
comes out golden
i make plenty of garbage
sometimes inedible
if i’m lucky i can revamp the dish
and salvage it somehow

over thanksgiving i baked a pumpkin challah
it came out tough,
a bit too dense for my liking
the french toast we ended making with it
came out just ok
we had more than half leftover
there had to be something
that could be done to
adequately handle it
and so,
i got on with it
sliced it up real thin
threw it in the oven
and challah chips were born
i included hummus in the pictures
because,
trust me,
just a smattering of
bread crumbs do not make
pretty pictures

i used this pumpkin challah recipe
for hummus, it’s your very typical concoction of chickpeans/garbonzo beans + tahini + lemon juice + salt & pepper + olive oil in the food processor

cauliflower + pumpkin gnocchi

Published on November 25, 2013November 24, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach17 Comments

thanksgiving,
for someone like me,
who has a naturally inclined
ungrateful heart,
was a holiday that passed like
any other day
to be sure,
i acknowledge that we get
those 2 days off
48 hours that i spend in the kitchen,
yes,
because i spend my life
with a man who loves food
regardless of the day
the month
or holiday

i am not so presumptuous
to think that this dish should
be on your thanksgiving menu,
instead,
should you find yourself
with too much leftover pumpkin puree,
or any kind of squash,
after your celebration
make this
it’s warming
it’s filling
it’s easy

here’s to wishing you and yours
a delightful thanksgiving season
may the grace of this time
be ever present

cauliflower + pumpkin gnocchi (with cilantro walnut pesto)
recipe adapted from reclaiming provincial and purple house cafe
makes 4 servings

1 cup of pumpkin puree, i use the farmer’s market brand
1/3 cup grated hard cheese, like Parmesan or Grana Padano
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (you may need more, you may need less)
1 egg
2 tsp ground coriander seeds

to make the gnocchi, mix the pumpkin puree with the cheese, egg and ground coriander seeds. with a dough whisk (or a fork, or your hands), mix in flour, 1/4 cup at a time until dough comings together, pulls from the sides of bowl. on the counter kneed the dough until it’s smooth and not tacky.

divide dough int 4, roll out into thin ropes. cut into little pieces. i used this method.

cook the gnocchi in salted boiling water and then saute in olive oil. you’ll know when it’s done when the gnocchi rises up in the water.

roast up the cauliflower however you like it. i kept it simple: cut the cauliflower into little florets, put on cookie sheet and throw in preheated 350F oven for about 20-30 minutes. no seasoning

for the cilantro walnut pesto:

olive oil – about 1/2 cup
1-2 cloves of garlic
bunch cilantro
handful of toasted walnuts

heat up the olive oil with the garlic in a sauce pan, watch it carefully, don’t let the garlic burn.
in a food processor add the cilantro, with stems, with the walnuts and olive oil & garlic. process until desired consistency. season with salt & pepper. if the mixture is too thick, like a paste, add a bit of water to loosen.

serve all this together in one glorious Pile.