Cured Wild Salmon (Lox)

1 lb boneless, skinless wild salmon 

1 cup brown sugar 

1.5 cups sea salt 

1/2 cup fresh dill

Black pepper

Pat salmon dry with a paper towel. Combine sugar, salt, and dill. Season generously with black pepper. Spread the mixture evenly over the salmon, pressing it into the flesh. Wrap salmon tightly in plastic wrap and place in a large flat dish. Add another large flat dish on top of the salmon. Refrigerate for 4 days.

Unwrap the salmon and rinse off under cold,running water. Pat dry. Rub olive oil over the top. Slice diagonally into thin slices.

Open-Faced Ham, Egg, and Avocado Sandwich

Yields: 4

4 thick slices of your favorite artisan bread, toasted

4 poached eggs

4 thick slices ham or Canadian bacon

2 large ripened avocados

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Toast bread and assemble your open faced sandwich while the bread is still warm. Season lightly with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top and garnish with your favorite fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

Perfect Poached Eggs:

4 large very fresh eggs

Break eggs into a bowl. Heat about 2" of water in a deep sided skillet on medium heat. When bubbles cover the bottom of the pan and sides, gently pour eggs into the water. Lower the heat to the lowest setting so the water does not boil. Leave the eggs to cook uninterrupted for 4 to 5 minutes. You will know that the egg is cooked when the whites are set and the yolks begin to thicken. Remove from the water, set on a paper towel, and gently dry. Place atop other sandwich ingredients as seen in the picture and garnish however you see fit.

Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns

Buns: 

3 1/2 cups gluten free Almond Blend All Purpose Flour

 2 teaspoons guar gum

 1/2 cup coconut sugar 

1 1/2 cups raisins

 1/2 cup dried mixed fruit (optional) 

1 tablespoon instant yeast 

1 tablespoon cinnamon 

1 tablespoon nutmeg 

1 teaspoon all spice 

2 large oranges (zest only) 

1 1/2 cups full cream milk 

2 large room temperature eggs 

1 cup melted salted grass fed butter 

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Add yeast to warm milk. Set aside for 5 minutes or until it's frothy. Combine all the dry ingredients, including raisins, dried mixed fruit (optional) and orange zest. Set aside. Whisk eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until creamy and add yeast and milk mixture. Add wet ingredients to the dry (add more flour if mixture is too wet or add more milk is mixture is too dry).

Add large scoopfuls of the dough to a greased square or round pan (enough for 18 large rolls). Dip a spatula in cold water to smooth the top of the buns. Brush with egg wash.

Egg Wash: 

1 large room temperature egg 

1 tablespoon cold water

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cross Paste: 

1/2 cup flour 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 

1/4 tsp GF baking powder 

1/4 cup milk

Combine flour and baking powder. Rub in butter. Stir in enough milk to make a thick batter that can be piped. Add to piping bag. Pipe thin crosses onto the buns (refer to picture). Set buns in a warm, draft free place to double in size (about 1 1/2 hours or more depending on where you live).

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped.

Glaze: 

1 cup orange marmalade

Glaze hot buns with orange marmalade.

Gluten Free Lemon Banana Doughnut Holes

French Toast with Candied Bacon, Fresh Fruit, and Maple Syrup

4 thick slices of multigrain artisan bread

2 large room temperature eggs

1 cup Greek yogurt

4 strips smoked bacon, cut into small bits

Pure Maple Syrup

2 ripe bananas, remove skin, cut diagonally

4 large strawberries, slice

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Powdered sugar (optional)

Heat a large flat skillet on medium to high heat. When hot, add chopped bacon with a tablespoon of pure maple syrup. Saute until the bacon is caramelized and crispy (about 3 to 4 minutes). Remove from the skillet. Set aside. Add a knob of pure salted butter to the hot skillet. Whisk eggs and yogurt in a large bowl and dip bread making sure to get a thick coating. Put in the hot skillet immediately. Cook for one minute on the first side, flip over for another minute on the second side or until crispy and golden brown. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Cut a piece of french toast diagonally and arrange on a serving plate (refer to picture). Add banana slices, followed by strawberry slices and bacon bits. Drizzle pure maple syrup over the top. Serve warm with powdered sugar sprinkled on top (optional).

Egg Chorizo Aged Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich

6 thick slices of bread of your choice

1 cup chorizo

4 large eggs

3 large slices aged cheddar cheese

1 small white onion, finely chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Whisk eggs to combine. In a large pan, add one tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, add onions and chorizo to cook (about 4 minutes). Add eggs. Saute until cooked (about 1 to 2 minutes). Season with sea salt and black pepper.

On a flat surface line three slices of bread. Add cheese to the bottom, followed by chorizo and egg scramble. Add the remainder of the bread to the top. Press down firmly.

Add sandwiches to a hot skillet. Turn over frequently until toasted and cheese melted.

Serve immediately.

Oatmeal Apricot Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-free)

Yield:30

If you are not gluten intolerant, use may use 1 3/4 cup all purpose unbleached white flour instead

1 3/4 cups gluten-free biscuit and baking flour blend (I use Bob's Red Mill)

1 cup oatmeal of your choice

8 tablespoons or 1 stick of salted butter, room temperature

1 cup sucanat or brown sugar

1 large room temperature egg

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, beating well to combine and vanilla. Turn mixer off and use a spoon to mix in the dry ingredients including chocolate chips and apricots.

Drop teaspoonfuls of the cookie dough into the palm of your hand and roll into a perfect ball. Arrange in a single layer on a lined cookie sheet.

Put cookie sheet in the middle rack and bake for 15 minutes.

Gluten Free Fruit and Nut Energy Bars

Yield:30 bars

1 cup ground flax seeds 

1 cup hemp seeds 

1 cup chia seeds 

2 cups apple cinnamon quick cooking oats 

1 cup chopped dried apricots 

1 cup dried cranberries 

1 cup sliced almonds 

1 chopped dried apples 

1 cup milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips 

1 cup crunchy salted peanut butter 

1 cup pure maple syrup or honey 

2 tablespoons orange zest 

Sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 F

Melt peanut butter and maple syrup or honey. Stir into the dry ingredients to combine.

Pour into a non-stick 16 by 12 inch cookie sheet pan. Use a rolling pin to spread the mixture into a even layer. Grind sea salt over the top. Bake for 30 minutes. Leave to cool completely before cutting.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cereal Bars: Nutrition Information Isn't What It Seems

www.huffingtonpost.com - August 22nd, 2012

Which?, the U.K. consumer advocacy organization, just released a report in which they explored the healthfulness of cereal bars. You know the ones -- meal and snack bars from popular cereal brands that are meant to be healthy, and often include whole grains, nuts and dried fruit.

But as the research team found, many of these bars were full of sugar, fat and calories. In fact, one bar -- the Nutri-grain Elevenses Raisin Bake -- had 18 grams of sugar, which is almost four teaspoons, or about the same as a small can of Coca-Cola.

"People often choose cereal bars in the belief they're healthier than chocolate or biscuits, but our research shows this can be a myth," Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said in a statement.

The researchers looked at 30 different best-selling bars, choosing ones that were meant to appear healthiest. They found surprisingly that 16 of those bars had at least 30 percent sugar and had calorie counts akin to cookies. Perhaps most shocking, a third of the bars were high in saturated fat.

Though the study was based in the U.K. market, there are several lessons that apply to American bars too. So what should you be aware of? 

Read More

Mini Chorizo French Toast

4 slices of sourdough bread, chopped (I used 2 GF whole flax hamburger buns)  

1 cup ground/mince chorizo

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 small white onion, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F

Whisk eggs and milk to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Add chorizo, onions, cilantro, and bread.

Pour into a prepared 12 cup muffin pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until crispy and cooked

Serve hot.

Cluten Free Corn Fritters

3 cups non gmo corn kernels

2 large eggs, room temperature

4 tablespoons gluten free flour blend

2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill

1 teaspoon baking powder

Sea salt and black pepper

Coconut oil (for frying)

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, stir well to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper. In a large skillet, add one cup of oil to the pan on medium heat. When hot, drop teaspoonfuls to the pan. Don't flatten it, leave it in a heap and don't mess with it until the first side is ready to flip (about 3 minutes). Flip over for a further three minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Season with fresh black pepper and sea salt.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar/icing sugar. Serve with pure maple syrup on the side.

Gluten and Sugar-Free Almond Strawberry Pancakes

1 cup all purpose GF flour
1 tablespoon stevia
1 teaspoon GF baking powder
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup almond milk
2 large eggs (room temperature)
2 tablespoons orange zest
6 fresh strawberries, chopped
Blend all the ingredients together (except strawberries and sliced almonds) until smooth.

Heat a lightly buttered griddle or frying pan over medium heat. When griddle or pan is hot, pour a 1/4 cup of the batter into the griddle and scatter strawberries and almonds on top. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface (about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes). Flip over and cook a further 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter and strawberries.

Serve with maple syrup (warm).

Peach Smoothie Cocktail

This refreshing smoothie is ideal to kick start any gathering.

2 cups fresh orange juice 

1 cup peach greek yogurt 

2 cups frozen sliced peaches

6 oz Peach Schnapps (optional) 

2 oz vodka (optional) 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Serve on tall cocktail glasses with fresh peach slices (refer to picture).

Bison Vegetable Hash

1 lb ground Bison

4 large red potatoes, skin remove (optional), dice into bite size pieces

3 large carrots, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 head of broccoli, cut into florets

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 large white onion, chop into bite size pieces

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

In a large deep sided skillet on medium heat, add 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Add onion when oil is hot and saute until soft. Add garlic, carrots, and potatoes. Continue sauteing the vegetables until crispy and brown (about 10 to 15 minutes). Add tomatoes and broccoli, saute a further 5 minutes. Season with sea salt and back pepper. Keep warm.

In a large frying pan on high heat, add three tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add bison and quick fry until brown and crispy (about 5 to 10 minutes). Season with sea salt and black pepper. Add to the vegetables. Stir to combine. Drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil over the Hash. Enjoy hot with fresh bread.

Pumpkin Muffins (gluten-free)

2 cups gluten-free biscuit and baking mix (I used Bob's Red Mill)

1 cup milk
1 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Pre heat oven to 400 F.

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.

Line a 12 cup muffin pan. Fill 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes or until a stick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Drizzle warm maple syrup over the top before serving (optional).

Spiced Apple Cranberry Pancakes

1 1/4 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup apple (remove skin, cored, and chopped finely)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup full cream milk
1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon pumpkin spice

1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

In a mixing bowl, combine apples, pumpkin spice, and sugar. Blend the rest of the ingredients together until smooth. Fold in apples and cranberries.

Heat a lightly buttered griddle or frying pan over medium heat. When griddle or pan is hot, pour a 1/4 cup of the batter into the griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface (about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes). Flip over and cook a further 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Serve with maple syrup (warm).

Breakfast Quesadillas

8 whole wheat tortillas (10")

4 large eggs, scrambled

2 cups freshly grated mozzarella

1 cup roasted sweet peppers/capsicum

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

Pre heat oven to 400 F.

In a baking sheet, toss peppers in olive oil to fully coat. Season with salt and black pepper. Roast for 20 -30 minutes or until soft and caramelized.

Heat a large flat skillet on medium heat.

Place 4 tortillas on a working surface. Divide roasted capsicum/peppers and scrambled eggs evenly among them. Sprinkle 1/2 a cup of fresh mozzarella on top of each quesadilla. Season with salt and black pepper and top with the rest of the tortillas.

Add to the hot skillet, press down with a heavy weight until the first side is toasted and mozzarella cheese has melted (about 2 minutes). Repeat with the other side.

Serve hot with fresh salsa.

Apple Donut Holes with Raspberry Lemon Dipping Sauce

Donut Holes:

2 cups all purpose unbleached flour 

1 large green apple, remove skin, cored, and grated 

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup milk 

2 eggs, room temperature 

Pinch of salt 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon nutmeg

 2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 cup sugar 

1 tablespoon cinnamon 

4 cups ghee or oil of choice (for frying)

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Set aside.

Whisk milk and eggs together. In a large mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients and apples. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Fold to form a batter. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat until it's hot. Drop teaspoonfuls of the batter into hot ghee (about 6 at a time). Fry until golden on all sides turning frequently (about 5 minutes). 

Remove donuts from the ghee with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels. Repeat process until all the batter is used up. When donuts are cool enough to handle but still warm, toss them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to fully coat.

Raspberry Lemon Dipping Sauce:

1 cup fresh raspberries 

1 cup sugar 

1 tablespoon lemon zest 

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Bring all the ingredients to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens.

Baked Sweet Potato Kale Frittata

8 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup full cream ricotta cheese

1 cup gruyere cheese, grated

2 cups kale, chopped

2 cups sweet potato, cut into bite size pieces

1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour

3 tablespoons butter

Salt and black pepper

Melt butter in a deep sided skillet over medium-low heat. Add sweet potatoes and fry until cooked through, turning often (about 10-15 minutes). Toss in kale during the last five minutes of cooking. Season with salt and black pepper.

Whisk eggs, stir in ricotta, heavy cream, and half a cup of gruyere cheese. Sprinkle on the flour and stir into the egg mixture. Season with salt and black pepper.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange vegetables into a 12" tart pan and pour the egg mixture over.  Sprinkle with half a cup of gruyere cheese on top. Bake the frittata until it is set and browned (about 40 to 50 minutes).

Marmalade Cream Cheese Muffins (gluten-free)

2 cups baking and biscuit mix (gluten-free)

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange zest

2/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 eggs, room temperature

3 tablespoons orange marmalade

12 1 inch cubes cream cheese, cold

2 tablespoons orange marmalade (glaze)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Whisk all the wet ingredients to fully combine. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and fold to combine. 

Scoop into a lined 12 cup muffin pan 3/4 full. Insert cream cheese cube into the center. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins are baked and golden color. Remove from oven and glaze with orange marmalade.