Diana's Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Crust

Diana's Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Crust

Ingredients

• 1 cup Corn Flour
  
• 1 cup Buckwheat Flour
• 2 tblsp Tapioca Flour
  
• 1 tblsp sugar
  
• 1/4 tsp baking powder  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 6 tblsp Butter, unsalted
• 1 tblsp Smart Balance
  
• 1/2 cup cold water
  

Putting it all together

We used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flours. Sift together all of the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to mixer. Slowly mix with paddle until it is blended (cut) into the flour but visible chunks remain. Gradually add in cold water, mixing until the dough comes together. Stop mixing, form into a ball with hands, flatten into a 1-inch thick disc and wrap in clear wrap. Save and refrigerate until ready to use. You will notice that the dough is darker in color due to the buckwheat flour.

When ready to use, roll out like you would with regular pie dough. I roll the dough out between layers of plastic wrap. Then flip it onto a lightly sprayed (non-stick spray, we use Pam) pie plate; crimp the edges as desired. Fill with your strained pumpkin pie custard; bake as directed in Diana's pumpkin pie recipe. Allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!

Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!

Blog-post, photos and recipe Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Fiber, What About It? #GardenCuizine #NNM TY @serenagwolf Apple Pie Oatmeal is the best!

Fiber, What About It?

I'm testing out recipes for a National Nutrition Month cooking class. Thanks to Serena Wolf's recipe inspiration, my family woke up to slow cooker Apple Pie Oatmeal made with steel cut oats, apples and ground flax, topped with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, walnuts and pure maple syrup. Harry said it was the best oatmeal he ever ate! We sat around the breakfast table savoring the flavors of our oatmeal and the topic of fiber came up.

Dietary fiber passes through our GI tract and supports digestion; but, fiber itself isn’t digested. Why do we need it then? For many reasons. 1) Fiber helps us feel full, keeping hunger in check. 2) Fiber helps regulate sugar in our body. 3) Fiber keeps our BMs regular. 4) Fiber helps lower bad cholesterol. 5) Fiber helps prevent some diseases. 

Scientific research shows that high total dietary fiber intake is linked to a lower risk of coronary heart disease. Fiber benefits are also linked to helping breast cancer, IBS and diverticulosis.

How much Fiber do I need?  
Adults and kids need between 20 and 35 grams of fiber every day. According to the National Institute of Health, most Americans are not meeting the recommendations and average 10-15 grams of fiber per day.

Aren’t there 2 kinds of Fiber?
Yes. Soluble and Insoluble

What’s the difference? 
“What is an example of each?”

Soluble fiber attracts water like an absorbent paper towel. The more water it soaks, the moister it becomes – like a gel. Soluble fiber helps lower blood glucose and cholesterol. 

Examples of foods containing soluble fiber include: oatmeal, barley, beans, nuts, seeds and fruit and veggies such as blueberries, prunes, citrus fruits, onions, avocado, Brussels sprouts, beets, broccoli and Jerusalem artichokes. Since soluble fiber absorbs water, adequate water intake is recommended as fiber intake increases.

Insoluble fiber keeps your BMs moving, helping to prevent constipation. You’ll find it in vegetables and whole grain foods like popcorn, wheat bran, wheat germ, Fiber One, whole wheat bread and brown rice.

Fiber comes from plants - many of which provide both types of fiber. Whole, natural foods are your best sources for dietary fiber.

• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Fruits
• Legumes
• Nuts and Seeds

Related Links
Easy Ways to Boost Fiber in Your Daily Diet
Fiber in Whole Grains 
What is a Whole Grain   
¿Que es un Grano Entero?   
Top 5 Foods that can Lower LDL Cholesterol 
Photo and Blog post Copyright(C) Wind. All rights reserved.

Christmas Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti recipe #GardenCuizine

Christmas Cranberry  

Pistachio Biscotti

Red cranberries and green pistachios are the stars of these Christmas cookie jar favorites. I first saw this holiday combination dipped in white chocolate in Bon Appetit in 2003. Since then I've seen several variations online that seem to have dropped the anise seeds. I dropped the white chocolate instead. This is my take on a great holiday cookie with fruit and nuts that we always find time to make during the holidays. Enjoy!

Yields: approximately 6 dozen

Ingredients
1 pkg Craisins (or dried cherries)
3/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons whole anise seeds

4 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

12 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 large eggs (1 for egg wash)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
lemon zest from 2 lemons

1 1/4 cups shelled raw pistachios 

Putting it all together
prepare 2 cookie sheets with foil or parchment; no need to spray
preheat oven to 350 deg. F

• Roast pistachios on a baking sheet; set aside to cool.
• Place orange juice, anise seeds and Craisins in medium pot and heat to boiling. Turn off heat and let sit until cool. After cool, allow to strain in colander.
• Meanwhile, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In mixing bowl with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light.

• Crack 4 eggs into measuring cup; add vanilla.
• Add 4 eggs to butter/sugar mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition
• Slowly mix in flour mixture and lemon zest until just combined.
• Fold in nuts and dried cranberries.

• Divide dough and press and form into 4 logs directly on cookie sheets. Tip: wet hands under water and shake off excess to help prevent dough from sticking.
• Whisk remaining egg with a splash of water for egg wash. Brush logs with egg wash and bake until golden. remove from oven and cool on counter 20 minutes before peeling off foil from bottom. Move cookies to a cutting board and slice on an angle into 1/2 inch slices.

• Reduce oven temperature to 325 deg. F. Position sliced biscotti back on cookie sheets and bake again on each side for 10 minutes or until desired dryness.
• Cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

Merry Christmas!
Related Links
Pistachios, small nut - Mighty Nutrition 
Diana's Anise Biscotti

Recipe and photo Copyright (C)2013 Wind. All rights reserved.
Craisins are a registered trademark of Ocean Spray.

Happy #cats +hummingbirds! Harvesting Heirloom Tomatoes for Salsa #GardenCuizine

Today In Our Garden

South Jersey
USDA Zone 7a (formerly zone 6b)

August 17, 2012 

Clockwise from left to right:

• Who said cats and dogs can't be best friends? As you can see, Lucia (a feral cat rescued from farmland in Bridgeton, NJ) is a happy and spoiled kitty! Our cats live indoors so they don't kill the birds, go astray or get killed by cars. Lucy is best friends with Holly, our sweet and very old dog (a rescue from a neighboring town called Mt. Holly). Holly goes out, but can't make it to the garden any more and stays in more than out too. She can't walk without assistance anymore. We haven't splurged for a doggy wheelchair; I'm sure she could probably use one at this point. Lucy is never far from Holly's side.
• Our hummingbird activity continues in full force - the most ever this year! In recent news, hummingbird nectar producing plants are diminishing across their migratory route due to drought-related weather conditions. If you live along their route you could help out by hanging humming bird feeders and growing nectar producing plants.
• Cannas are still blooming around the garden border along with Lady in Red salvias (Salvia coccinea), both easy- to-grow humming bird favorites. We also have potted Hamelia patens hummingbird bush, wild trumpet vines and late blooming hostas (including Krossa Regal) and cleome that attract hummingbirds.
• Thyme is abundant, can take the heat, and is an easy plant to grow cascading out of pots 
• Lycopersicon lycopersicum 'Black Russian' heirloom tomatoes are a strange 2-toned color. At first glance, they look like Cherokee Purple heirlooms. After letting a few burst open on the vines, we learned that Russian Black must be picked while still green on the top before their rosy bottom halves get over-ripe and explode! These will be used in a batch of homemade salsa.

Happy Gardening!

Related Links
Homemade Salsa Carol's Heirloom Collection Blog

Hummingbirds.net 
Hummingbird Pollinators
Tango, the Garden Cat - a feral cat story for adults and children
Photo collage Copyright (C) 2012 Wind. All rights reserved.

White House Squash Soup #GardenCuizine @letsmove @ObamaFoodorama

Squash Soup with
French Espelette Pepper

Check out White House Chef Cristeta Commerford's seasonal recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Squash Soup With Pepitas And Greek Yogurt. Chef Commerford adds Espelette pepper powder in just the right amount for medium heat and delicious flavor. 

Learn more about nutritious Espelette peppers from France. Read my article "Warm Up Your Recipes With Espelette" coming this Friday, December 9th on Dave's Garden. The link for Chef Commerford's nutritious squash soup recipe is posted below.

Photo credit: Piments sur les façades and Piments - France - Espelette - Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64) - 2005-08-05 taken by Pinpin courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. GNU Free Documentation license. 
Related Links: Roasted Pumpkin Squash Soup with Pepitas and Greek Yogurt Obama Foodorama blog
Pepper, Pepper, and Espelette pepper. The Basque pepper. With a touch of Armagnac thrown in. FrenchFoodFreaks blog 

Homemade Ground Pepper Spices by Diana Wind, RD

What’s Cooking at the Academy of Culinary Arts: Vegetable Sushi

Garden Vegetable Sushi

This video features Chef Bruce Johns from my alma mater, with a recipe from the Academy of Culinary Arts in NJ. Chef Johns demonstrates how easy and fast it is to prepare Garden Vegetable Sushi Maki. Maki is sushi rolled in nori (seaweed) that is served cut into bite size portions. Maki sushi does not contain raw fish and can be served as a delicious, low fat, healthy appetizer or light bite.

Putting it all together
You will need:

• Nori (dried seaweed)
• Rice (preferably brown)
  
• Rice wine vinegar
• Sugar
• Garden vegetables
• Fresh herbs of your choosing
• Wasabi paste
• Pickled ginger
• Soy sauce (reduced sodium)

You will also need a sushi mat to roll the sushi, but can use clear wrap or a clean dish towel if you don't have one. Sushi mats, wasabi (horseradish paste), and nori can be found in Asian Markets, some Natural Food stores and usually in Asian sections of most supermarkets. Nori is available toasted or un-toasted, and tastes best toasted. Un-toasted nori has a slight chewy texture. To toast nori, place it on a baking sheet and briefly heat it in a 300°F (150°C) oven for approximately 5 minutes, or if you have a gas stove, hold the nori with tongs and pass it over the flame until it turns green in color.

• For best flavors, Chef Johns precooks garden vegetables over dry heat. He roasts red peppers and grills carrots, yellow squash and zucchini before incorporating them into the sushi roll.
  
• White sushi rice can be substituted with organic, short grain, brown rice.

Once you get practice with the technique, you can become quite creative, varying your selections for filling ingredients and combination's.
Favorites in our house include: Kappa maki (cucumber rolls) and California rolls (crabmeat, avocado, cucumber). Have fun!



Related Links:
SushiEncyclopedia.com: Sushi Recipes and information
Maine Coast Sea Vegetables: Toasting Nori
Academy of Culinary Arts: NJ Culinary School

Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Roasted Rosemary Potato 'Fries'

Oven Roasted Rosemary Potato 'Fries'
A Regular on our GardenCuizine home menu

Rosemary is one of our favorite garden herbs. It is easy to grow and easy to harvest. To harvest, simply take in cuttings, rinse to clean and hang in bundles to air dry. We hang ours from our pot rack in our kitchen. Then after several weeks, when it feels good and dry, the rosemary easily rubs off onto a sheet pan. Rosemary is best stored in airtight containers; we use large, wide mouth jars.

To make Rosemary Roasted Potato 'Fries' you really don't need to follow a specific recipe, but if you would like one, mine is soon to be published on Dave's Garden. In general, all you need to do is wash, dry and thickly slice your favorite baking potatoes (skin on), lengthwise. Then season and bake until golden brown.

These delicious Oven Roasted Rosemary Potato 'Fries' call for Parmesan cheese, rather than any added salt. The cheese adds a bit of calcium and great flavor, with a fraction of the sodium found in heavily salted French Fries (as long as you don't overdo it, of course). And because of oven roasting -- rather than deep frying, like typical Fries -- they are much lower in fat.

Freestyle Recipe:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)

• Sprinkle sliced potatoes with a little olive or vegetable oil and a generous serving of dried rosemary
  
• Add some grated cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano, Pecorino or Soy cheese if vegan), fresh ground black pepper, a generous amount of garlic powder*, and a pinch of ground or fresh sliced cayenne pepper (No added salt)
  
• Toss all together to evenly coat
  
• Spread the potatoes out on a baking pan
  
• Bake in preheated oven (occasionally turning) until well browned

* Garlic powder works better than fresh minced. Fresh will burn unless added near the end of cooking time.

For nutrition data, more information about the aromatic herb Rosemary (R. officinalis), and a detailed recipe for Roasted Rosemary Potato 'Fries', check out my Dave's Garden article:
'Osmarini, Rosmarinus officinalis'.

This recipe is an entry in the O food contest, hosted by Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy and Michelle of Bleeding Espresso. The contest is open annually to food Bloggers to help spread awareness of Ovarian Cancer.

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women; a woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 67.

Related Links
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance
The Cowgirl Cure Foundation
Ovations for the Cure

Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

Basil, King of Herbs

Italian Basil
King of the Herbs

BASIL (Ocimum basilicum) is derived from the Greek word meaning King, 'basileus'. There are many varieties of basil, some are excellent for culinary use, such as 'Sweet Basil' (O. basilicum). Others, like 'African Blue Basil', can be eaten too, but are most often used as ornamental plants in the yard or garden. Throughout history, basil has inspired mythology, names, and has been a pleasant flavor, sight and smell, enjoyed by gardeners and people around the world.My other favorite culinary basil's include: 'Large leaf Italian', 'Red Rubin' , and 'Sweet Genovese'. Not as preferred, but still included in our gardens are the Citrus basil's such as, Lemon and Lime cultivars of O. americanum. Both types make a zesty pesto that is especially good on fish dishes. And, as I'm writing this, I'm thinking that they would probably work well in desserts too. There are many species and hundreds of other basil varieties, which makes growing basil so interesting and fun!
Easy-to-Grow
Grow your own basil to get the most for your money. In the supermarket, herbs are usually sold in small bunches. When you grow your own you benefit by being able to freshly pick the basil at your convenience, as you need it. Basil is readily available in garden centers or is easy to grow from seed. The many varieties of green and burgundy color, aromatic plants can be grown in the garden or on the porch or deck in pots. Basil prefers good drainage, full sun and hot weather.

In addition to the flavor, adding basil will add nutrition to your meals too (like most herbs). Basil can be added to soups, salads, stews, desserts, breads, egg dishes, pizza, sauces and many foods. Basil is the main ingredient in 'pesto', which is my favorite way to preserve the basil harvest.
GardenCuizine Pesto recipe to follow

• For a Nutrition profile and more information about Basil check out my article -- 'Basil, the King of Herbs' -- published on Dave's Garden

Related Links:
Basil, the King of Herbs Article by Diana WindGardenCuizine Pomodoro Sauce
Organic Herb Gardening

Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved..

Garden Chef Video: Vegetarian Rice Rolls

Vegetarian Rice Paper Rolls
with Prawns, Ginger Soy Sauce & Lime Herb Salad
by Australian GardenChef Amanda Athis
from Cafe Belle Fleur

My dream restaurant would have an herb and vegetable garden just outside the door. There are many Chefs that have just that -- how fabulous is that? Chef Amanda Athis of Flower Power Garden Center (Glenhaven, Australia) is one of those lucky Chefs. She can walk into her garden and pick fresh herbs, lettuce, shallots and other foods. Cafe Belle Fleur, a nursery cafe, has a lake view, for people to relax and enjoy their GardenCuizine. I wish we lived closer, we would surely stop in. Maybe you can. Their address is:

Cafe Belle Fleur
609 Old Northern Road
Glenhaven 2156
(02) 9899 7783

Chef Amanda's Ingredients include:

• Fresh Garden Herbs: Coriander and Mint
• Mixed Salad Greens
• Garden Shallots
• Rice Noodles
• Kaffir Lime Leaves
• Roasted Peanuts (optional)
• Yellow and Red Capsicum
• Grated Carrot
• Organic Snow Pea Sprouts
• Lime Juice
• Sesame Oil
• Sweet Chili Sauce
• Prawns (optional)
  

Click here to visit GardeningCentral.com and view Amanda's recipe.

Also, I am writing an article about Chefs that have Gardens. Please let me know the "Gardening Chefs" you know. I'll be sure to mention them. And, if I get to it, I'll do a Nutrition Analysis for this recipe, I'm sure it would be a winner with all those wonderful fresh and organic veggies and little fat!

***

Gardening Central is Australia's online gardening community featuring articles, ideas, inspiration, facts, recipes, videos and a lot more. Check it out, it's great! Within their site you will find: GardenChef, Gardenbook (social networking for gardeners), Gardening Directory and Gardenshopper, as well as a YouTube channel, which features all of their videos (Gardenchef Recipes, Gardening Central growing/planting tips plus more).

Kitchen Herb - Chervil

Chervil

Chervil is a member of the Apiaceae family, and is a much underused kitchen herb. Culinary Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) should not be confused with wild Chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm.) which, according to the USDA Plants Database, is a noxious weed in Washington State and is prohibited in Massachusetts. Chervil is one of my favorite herbs and I grow it every year starting from seeds. It can be planted in your herb garden or grown in pots, as shown in my photo above. The blooms are white -- similar to parsley umbels -- but much smaller and sized to fit the 12-18 inch plant. When the flowers go to seed, the seeds are easy to collect and save.

Chervil reminds me of a smaller, more delicate version of parsley, only chervil has a hint of anise flavor to it. Chervil can be used alone or in combination with other herbs; and is one of the classic herbs in the French 'fines herbes' (pronounced FEEN erb or FEENZ ehrb) - a blend of: chervil, chives, parsley and tarragon.

Chervil is wonderful in compound butter blends, herbal vinegars and can be added to just about any food you can think of. Its delicate flavor is most appreciated in foods such as Fines Herbes Sauce for roast chicken or in recipes with eggs, like quiche, custards and omelets. Chervil also adds a pleasant taste to soups, seafood, potatoes and sautéed vegetables.

• This little herb will increase the nutrition profile of your GardenCuizine. Use it liberally and reap the benefits of the following per teaspoon: Dietary Fiber 0.1g, Calcium 8g, Iron .19g, Magnesium 1g, Phosphouus 3g, Potassium 28g, Vitamin C 0.3g, Folate 2g, Vitamin A 35 IU plus other nutrients
  

Calculated per teaspoon dried chervil, USDA National Nutrient Standard Reference