GLOW

This has kind of been an exciting week for me in terms of food adventures. I'm trying not to go too deep into the water, just inching a little bit further out on the diving board (on my bum, though, mind you), and relishing the view. I believe that it is thanks to the tips I'm getting from reading The Body Ecology Diet, and my bravely plugging through the varying symptom flare-ups I get upon (slowly) introducing  cultured vegetables into my daily routine. (See previous post.) My digestive system seems to be getting stronger, and being able to enjoy a mug of this beautiful soup seems to be a result. On Friday, my husband and our friends were able to reap the benefits as well, as I quickly brainstormed and cooked this soup up for us to enjoy for dinner. (Butternut squash is not typically something that my body can handle.) Can you tell by the blurry picture how excited I was to sit down and eat it? Our dinner was completed by some salad greens and my salmon cakes topped with homemade mint & basil avocado mayo. Both recipes utilize the smoked sea salt that I am currently having a giveaway for. Go here now, as there is only one more day to enter!

4 CUPS PEELED, CUBED AND ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

3 CUPS WATER

JUICE OF 1/2- 1 LIME (according to your taste)

2 TBS COCONUT OIL

1 1/2 TSP CUMIN

3/4 TSP CORIANDER

1/2 TSP MEXICAN SMOKED SEA SALT

1/4 TSP CARDAMOM

1/4 TSP ALLSPICE

1/8 TSP ASAFOETIDA POWDER

FRESH CILANTRO TO TASTE

PUT ROASTED SQUASH AND WATER INTO A BLENDER AND PUREE. POUR INTO A SOUP POT AND HEAT ON STOVE, ADDING LIME AND SPICES FIRST, AND THEN COCONUT OIL. COOK UNTIL HEATED AND COCONUT OIL IS FULLY MIXED AND MELTED. ADD CILANTRO RIGHT BEFORE SERVING.

I've been making my way through The Body Ecology Diet book, trying to fill in the gaps in my diet and lifestyle changes in order to better facilitate my healing. If you are unfamiliar with the title, it is one of the most referenced texts on internal bacterial overgrowth, it's effects on health, and the necessary dietary changes to heal and keep it in check. Much of the information in the book I have already read in my various internet haunts over the past couple of years, but it is giving me some important information that I haven't previously considered, such as proper food combining and the importance of consuming fermented vegetables. If you have been following my blog closely, you may recall that fermented foods of any kind have been on my Absolutely Avoid list, because every time I have tried to introduce them into my diet, I immediately get a fits of brain fog, light-headedness, and often increased inflammation in my body. Sooo...I quickly abandoned said attempts and opted for playing it safe. The new year, however, has brought a persistent impatience with stasis into my life, and I feel that I've made enough headway in my healing that I can afford to take some risks. Maybe. I hope. Eh...we'll see.

So, here I am on week two of ingesting a wee bit of fermented something or other almost every day, in addition to the super probiotics that I've been taking 2-3 times a day for the past year. While I do feel a bit of the brain fog and fatigue, as well as a mild but persisting nausea, I'm hoping that this will improve in time and is simply a bit of the Herxheimer effect. Why do I feel hopeful this time around? I've made a few other exceptions in my diet in the past week that normally would throw me pretty off, but seemed to have little effect on me. Por exemplo: On Friday, I made some cashew-based custards, and included 6 wee blueberries in mine. Taken with stride. Later in the day I made a homemade butternut squash soup (recipe soon!), and ate a fair amount of the leftovers the following day. Pushing it, for sure, but I seemed to be okay. It does seem equally possible that because I feel off from the fermented veggies, the reactions my body is having from these exceptions aren't feeling as acute, but for now, I'm trying not to analyze it too much. My trial shall continue, and dear friends, you will benefit.

The two jars that I cultured this month turned out to be absolutely delicious, and I have utilized the vegetables, herbs and juices in a variety of ways that I am excited to share with you in installments.  (Wraps, marinades, dressings, and chips!) Both of them are uniquely flavored, but both have an intoxicating smoky flavor thanks to the applewood smoked sea salt that I used. (Only two more days to enter to win some here!) I will absolutely be making these again. Be sure, also, to check out Kim's selection of fermented cuisine here. I used her tutorials as guides.

2 SMALL PARSNIPS

1/2 CUP WARM WATER

1 1/2 TSP OF FENNEL SEED

2/3 TSP MEYER LEMON ZEST (or combo of orange and lemon zest)

2 LARGE STEMS OF TARRAGON

1 SMALL SPRIG OF ROSEMARY 

CLEAN THE PARSNIPS, AND USE A VEGETABLE PEELER TO SHAVE RIBBONS OF PARSNIP OFF UNTIL YOU CAN'T PEEL ANY MORE. IN A CLEAN, STERILIZED JAR, LAYER FIRST THE SEEDS, THEN ALTERNATE TARRAGON AND PARSNIPS, AND TOP WITH THE ROSEMARY. PACK ALL INGREDIENTS VERY TIGHTLY. IN A SMALL BOWL OR CUP, MIX WATER, SALT AND ZEST. MIX UNTIL SALT FAIRLY DISSOLVED AND THE ZEST IS HYDRATED (IF DRIED). POUR INTO THE JAR, AND DO YOUR BEST TO SUBMERGE ALL HERBS AND VEGETABLES. SCREW ON THE TOP OF THE JAR VERY TIGHTLY. PLACE IN A WARM AREA AND ALLOW TO SIT, 3-7 DAYS DEPENDING ON THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ROOM AND HOW STRONGLY FERMENTED YOU WANT IT TO BE. (I KEPT MINE ON A SHELF ATOP THE RADIATOR.) REFRIGERATE WHEN DONE.

1 CUP WARM WATER

1 SKINNY BURDOCK ROOT

1 SMALL LOTUS ROOT

1 LEMONGRASS STALK

3-4 STALKS OF BASIL LEAVES

2 TBS PERILLA/SHISO SEEDS

1 1/2 TBS CORIANDER SEEDS

1/2 TBS APPLEWOOD SMOKED SEA SALT

1/2 TBS PLAIN SEA SALT

CLEAN THE ROOTS AND SHAVE THEIR SKINS OFF WITH A VEGETABLE PEELER. RINSE PEELER AND THEN PEEL THE FLESH OF THE BURDOCK ROOT WITH IT UNTIL YOU CAN'T PEEL ANY MORE. THINLY SLICE THE LOTUS ROOT INTO DISCS. SLICE THE LEMONGRASS, HOWEVER SUITS YOUR FANCY. I DID BOTH VERTICAL CUTS AND SMALL CIRCLES. IN A CLEAN, STERILIZED JAR, LAYER FIRST THE SEEDS, THEN THE BASIL, THEN BURDOCK, LEMONGRASS ACCORDING TO HOW IT WAS CUT/WILL FIT, THEN STACK THE LOTUS ROOT ABOVE. PACK CONTENTS IN TIGHTLY. IN A SMALL BOWL OR CUP, MIX THE WARM WATER AND SALT, AND THEN POUR INTO THE JAR. TAKE CARE TO KEEP CONTENTS SUBMERGED. SCREW ON JAR TOP VERY TIGHTLY. PLACE IN A WARM AREA AND ALLOW TO SIT, 3-7 DAYS DEPENDING ON THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ROOM AND HOW STRONGLY FERMENTED YOU WANT IT TO BE. (I KEPT MINE ON A SHELF ATOP THE RADIATOR.) REFRIGERATE WHEN DONE.

Chickpea crisps with a hazelnut, basil & spring green pesto, roasted vegetables and salad greens. My mind is transitioning into Spring fare...

I've been craving this dish for seven years. That's right. I remember a misty day in Maryland when my dad and I drove to a small town on the coast, and stopped to have lunch in a little cafe nestled in the first floor of a white Victorian home. The town felt deserted, perhaps it was the off-season, or just a rainy weekday, but I can picture us sitting on the enclosed porch overlooking the quaint main street, and I can see myself perusing the menu and selecting for the first time in my life, "Crab cakes please." This was probably one of my first experiences with out-of-the-ordinary, phenomenal food.  (I'd never lived in a coastal area with abundant fresh seafood, so crab cakes were new to me.) The flavor was perfect...savory, melt-in-your-mouth perfect. I never ate another seafood cake half as good...until last week. I purchased a container of pre-cooked Wild Alaskan Salmon from Trader Joe's last week (so cheap!) that tasted a bit too much like the plastic container it came in. Yuck. I decided that instead of wasting it, I needed to come up with a recipe that would camouflage that unpleasant flavor without masking the tasty flavor of the fish. Thus, the Salmon Cake was born. (Does anyone else cringe at that phrase? Why can I say "Crab Cake" without blinking, but immediately think of sweet pink confections flavored with fish when I say "Salmon Cake"?) This is definitely one of the best things I've ever made, and it's such a simple formula. Really quick to prepare and cook, and full of all kinds of healthy protein and omega fatty acids to keep my nervous system happy. I'm already looking forward to cooking more of these up tomorrow with tonight's leftover salmon.

1 CUP PRE-COOKED SALMON

1/2 CUP LOOSELY PACKED FRESH BASIL

1/2 CUP ROASTED PISTACHIOS

1/2 CUP PUMPKIN SEEDS

1/4 CUP CHICKPEA FLOUR

1/2 TBS FLAXMEAL

1/2 TSP APPLEWOOD SMOKED SEA SALT (any smoked sea salt would surely suffice)

JUICE OF 1/2 A LEMON

1/4 CUP WATER

GRAPESEED OIL FOR FRYING

PUT NUTS, SEEDS, FLOUR, FLAXMEAL AND SALT IN FOOD PROCESSOR AND GRIND TO A MEAL. (MINE WAS A MIXTURE OF FINE AND SEMI-COARSE.) SHRED THE SALMON IF NOT ALREADY AND MIX WITH THE DRY INGREDIENTS ALONG WITH THE BASIL. ADD WATER AND LEMON, AND SHAPE INTO PATTIES.  HEAT A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF GRAPESEED OIL IN A PAN ON MEDIUM TO MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT. WHEN OIL IS HOT, PLACE THE PATTIES IN THE PAN AND FRY UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN ON EACH SIDE. 

Vegan Broccoli Gratin. Definitely consumed the whole casserole dish single-handedly. I should be ashamed, but, you know, it was that good.

Let me first say that this may be one of the most unappetizing-looking photographs I'll ever share with you, but let's face it-- does a plate of dirty diner fare like this ever really look good? On a recent trip with family down south, we stopped on a Sunday at a Virginia diner famed for its Southern fare, and though I tried to distract myself from my grumbling tummy and empty plate by admiring the impressive hats of the church-goers surrounding me, my eyes kept being drawn to the plates next to me piled with fried chicken, biscuits & gravy, and I found myself thinking, "Why do I want that so badly?" When, a few weeks later, a friend advertised online that she was eating chicken fried steak with biscuits & gravy for dinner, and the same thought resurfaced in my brain, I decided that I needed to make it happen. And hot damn, did I make it happen. There were exaggerated (but sincere) looks of amazement on my face, tap dancing in place, and even a bit of (manageable) heartburn for the genuine Southern comfort food experience. What a perfect winter meal! The chicken tastes remarkably buttery, and the rustic flavor of the biscuits, albeit not a very traditional choice, pairs really well with the savory gravy. I may play around with the biscuits a bit more in the future to see if I can satisfy another, "Why do I want this so badly?" craving for KFC biscuits. This meal is easily made vegan by using tofu instead of chicken, if you are one of the lucky souls who can indulge in soy, or you could try breading thick-cut vegetables like zucchini, summer squash or eggplant.

1 15.3 OZ CAN CHESTNUT PUREE

1 CUP WATER (OR VEGETABLE OR MEAT STOCK IF YOU CAN TOLERATE IT)

1 1/4 TSP TOASTED SESAME OIL

1/2 TSP MEXICAN SMOKED SEA SALT (OR SMOKED SEA SALT OF YOUR CHOICE)

2 PINCHES OF ASAFOETIDA POWDER

PUT CHESTNUT PUREE IN FOOD PROCESSOR OR BLENDER AND PROCESS, ADDING LIQUID SLOWLY AS IT BLENDS. ADD REST OF THE INGREDIENTS*, MIX UNTIL SMOOTH, AND HEAT ON STOVE TOP.

1 1/2 CUPS BUCKWHEAT FLOUR

1/2 CUP TEFF FLOUR

1/2 CUP TAPIOCA FLOUR

1 TSP SEA SALT

1 TSP BAKING POWDER

-

1/4 CUP FLAX MEAL

2/3 TSP BAKING SODA

1/4 CUP OLIVE OIL

2 TSP FRESH LEMON JUICE

1 CUP WARM WATER

PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES. MIX FIRST FIVE INGREDIENTS IN A LARGE MIXING BOWL. IN SMALLER BOWL, MIX FLAX MEAL AND BAKING SODA, ADD WARM WATER, LEMON JUICE AND OLIVE OIL, MIX THOROUGHLY, AND ALLOW TO SIT FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES. POUR WET MIXTURE INTO THE DRY, KNEAD UNTIL ALL CRUMBS ARE MIXED INTO THE DOUGH. LINE A BAKING SHEET WITH PARCHMENT PAPER, FLATTEN OUT DOUGH TO ABOUT 3/4 INCH HIGH, AND USE A CUP OR COOKIE CUTTER TO CUT OUT ROUNDS ABOUT 2 1/2-3 INCHES WIDE. BAKE 8-10 MINUTES. 

4 TBS FLAXMEAL

1/2 CUP WARM WATER

-

6 TBS (3/8 CUP) GROUND RAW CASHEWS

2 TBS TAPIOCA FLOUR

2 TBS TEFF FLOUR

1/2 TSP SEA SALT

2 PINCHES OF ASAFOETIDA POWDER

-

2 LARGE CHICKEN BREASTS (OR EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF TOFU OR VEGGIES), CUT INTO STRIPS

-

GRAPESEED OIL FOR FRYING

IN A SMALL BOWL, MIX FLAXMEAL AND WATER UNTIL THE MIXTURE GELS. IN A LARGER BOWL, MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS. HEAT SKILLET ON STOVE, AND POUR ENOUGH GRAPESEED OIL IN THE PAN TO FRY, ALMOST A 1/4 INCH DEEP. COAT EACH STRIP IN FLAXMEAL MIXTURE, AND THEN COAT WITH DRY MIX THOROUGHLY. WHEN OIL IS HEATED, DROP THE STRIPS INTO THE OIL AND FRY, TURNING WHEN ONE SIDE IS BROWNED.

POUR GRAVY OVER THE CHICKEN AND BISCUITS, AND ENJOY.

I'm going to try to start a tradition of posting these this year. No recipe necessarily, just food that I love to eat. Hopefully it will, besides make you drool, give you some ideas of what to eat on a restricted diet. This week is a combination of some recipes I have posted previously. Oh dear, I would love to eat this every day.

Faux omelette made with garbanzo/fava bean flour, lemon thyme, lavender and rosemary. Served with mixed field greens and macadamia nut cream. Swoon...

BACKYARD FIREWORKS AT MIDNIGHT, FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF NEW YEAR'S MAGIC BEFORE HURRYING INSIDE FOR WARMTH

I hope all of you survived the holiday season, and have found yourselves entering the new year with renewed energy and hope for 2011. I'm a big fan of ushering in the new year with proper ceremony, which for me involves doing something out of the ordinary, something that joyfully represents a shift in energy and perspective. This year that entailed a trip to the country, to enjoy the company of some of my favorite people, who also happen to be some of my favorite artists. I felt so blessed to be in their company, and even more blessed that our wonderful host, Courtney, after studying my previously posted list of food restrictions, actually came up with wonderful dishes that I could eat to supplement the food that I brought with me from Boston. This was a first for me, and it was such a healing experience to be able to partake in everything on the table. I truly couldn't ask for a better way to enter into a new year. My only regret is that I didn't get better photographs of the tasty fare! (With the sun going down by 4:30 pm, winter in New England is not kind to food photographers.) Not pictured is my root vegetable lasagna, my pesto chickpea flatbread, and most regrettably, the amazing lavender lemonade that Courtney made for me which was, in my mind, far superior to the alcohol that I was passing on.

This chickpea spread is dense, creamy and versatile, working as a dip, spread, and in my mind, even a faux-egg salad sandwich substitute. (It could surely be tweaked to satisfy that craving more appropriately, but the hint is there, and it's gratifying.) We spread it on Kim's Pumpkinseed Teff Bread, which I made for the evening, and in the days following, I used the leftover spread to make sandwiches with avocado and spinach, and used the rest as a generous dollop on top of a grilled breast of chicken with a spinach arugala salad, which was phenomenal. Try it and tell me what you think!

1 15 OZ CAN CHICKPEAS/GARBANZO BEANS

1/4 CUP TAHINI

1    TBS TOASTED SESAME OIL

1/2 TSP SEA SALT

1/4 TSP NUTMEG

1/8 TSP ALLSPICE

JUICE OF HALF A LEMON

LOTS 'O' FRESH DILL (I USED A FEW TBS, FOR SURE, BUT ADD TO YOUR OWN TASTE)

DRAIN CAN OF GARBANZO BEANS*, PUT BEANS IN FOOD PROCESSOR WITH REMAINING INGREDIENTS AND PUREE, ADDING MORE DILL AS DESIRED.

When I was younger, I was known to eat a bowl of cereal for every meal. That wasn't all I'd eat, but it was kind of an obligatory supplement to each meal. Remarkably, I seem to have graduated now to this meal, which I'm happy to say is a great deal more nutritious, though it is still admittedly ridiculous to eat it for every meal. It's hard to avoid sometimes, though, because it seems, at least for now, to be the perfect protein and calorie boost for me. It is one of the few dishes that actually give me a feeling of regeneration afterward. The vitamins and minerals packed into it are the reason, I'm sure. (Look here and here.) I enjoy this dish because I can wing it each time, and adjust the ingredients according to how much pain I'm in. If my arms aren't feeling up to prepping vegetables, I'll grab some frozen brussel sprouts out of the freezer, and either microwave, steam or saute them, but if time and nerves allow, I'll chop up some fresh sprouts instead. I am such a fan of brussel sprouts, and can completely understand why the French use their name, "petit chou", as a term of endearment. In my opinion, the only way to screw them up is to steam them until they're tasteless and soggy, or to pile unnecessary and uncomplimentary toppings and sauces on them. When sunflower seeds are toasted this way, they have a smoky flavor and scent that makes an excellent substitute for bacon bits. I love it when the simplest ingredients can satisfy cravings for old comfort foods like that. If you want to really help yourself out, toast and grind a bunch of seeds at once so that you can keep the meal on hand to sprinkle on veggies and salads whenever the mood strikes you. Here's what I use:

BRUSSEL SPROUTS (FRESH OR FROZEN)

RAW SUNFLOWER SEEDS

SEA SALT

OPTIONAL:

FENNEL SEED AND/OR GROUND FENNEL

FRESH BASIL

SQUEEZE OF LEMON

COOK BRUSSEL SPROUTS AS DESIRED (SAUTE, STEAM, OR IF FROZEN, MICROWAVE COVERED WITH WATER.) TOAST SUNFLOWER SEEDS IN PAN, AND GRIND IN FOOD PROCESSOR OR COFFEE GRINDER AS DESIRED*. IF USING FENNEL SEED, GRIND WITH SUNFLOWER SEEDS. MIX TOGETHER, SEASON WITH SALT, BASIL & LEMON.

*You can also reverse this. Grind them first, then toast the powder in the pan.

This is one of those recipes where it's really difficult for me to not gush with expletives when describing it. But I really want to keep it family-friendly here, so I guess I'll just go with understatement and say that I'm pretty excited about it. I've really enjoyed experimenting with root vegetables this year. I unfortunately have to avoid most of the sweet or overly starchy ones, but I've been able to tolerate fairly regular doses of various turnips, rutabaga and celery root, and have really enjoyed their flavor and versatility. It occurred to me that if sliced thinly enough, and paired with a variation of my seed cheeses, I could make a pretty killer lasagna, using the sliced root veggies in place of noodles. A few months ago I tried it, making little individual-sized lasagnas that were tasty and cute, but I had a feeling if tweaked, it could be topped.  This past week one of the farms at the market had small rutabagas about 2 or so inches wide, which I'd never seen, so I horded a number of them with this recipe in mind. Well, yesterday, after brainstorming for a week, magic happened. Eyes rolling back in my head, dancing in place, (and yes) shouting expletives kind of magic. What impresses me the most about this dish is how convincingly it stands as a lasagna. The only ingredient that this has in common with a traditional lasagna is basil, but my mouth wouldn't know it. The faux ricotta ends up also seeming as a stand-in for the texture of ground meat, which was a bonus that I wasn't expecting. I'd also like to vouch for the beauty of this dish, as my photographs don't nearly do it justice. Prepping it was almost as good as eating it, as every step was a feast for the eyes.  If you're unfamiliar with these fair vegetables, I highly recommend using this as your introduction.  Here's hoping that it makes your mouth and belly as happy as mine!

YOU'LL NEED:

FOOD PROCESSOR WITH SLICING DISC & "S" BLADE

9 INCH ROUND GLASS CASSEROLE DISH

2 CUPS SLICED RUTABAGA* (about 5 small rutabagas)

1 CUP SLICED CELERY ROOT (1 small-medium root for me)

1 CUP SLICED SCARLET TURNIP (visually impacting, but any turnip should do)

1 CUP LOOSELY PACKED FRESH BASIL 

1/4 CUP LOOSELY PACKED FRESH TARRAGON

ABOUT 8 LEAVES OF SWISS CHARD (I used a lovely red-veined one)

1 LAYER OF A FENNEL BULB

"RICOTTA"

1 CUP RAW PUMPKIN SEEDS/PEPITAS

1/2 CUP RAW SUNFLOWER SEEDS

1 TSP FENNEL SEEDS

1 TSP APPLEWOOD SMOKED SEA SALT (regular sea salt works, but you will lose the more authentic lasagna flavor, so try to use some sort of smoked salt)

1/2 TSP FENNEL POWDER

3/4 CUP + 1/4 CUP TEMPT UNSWEETENED ORIGINAL HEMPMILK** or other dairy-free milk

2 TBS OLIVE OIL 

JUICE OF 1 LEMON

PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

TOP OFF ENDS OF RUTABAGAS AND PEEL SKINS OFF, SLICE OFF ROUGH SKINS & KNOTS OF CELERY ROOT, AND WASH TURNIPS AND SET ASIDE. IF USING FOOD PROCESSOR, HALVE VEGETABLES IF NEEDED TO FIT IN THE CHUTE. SLICE THINLY WITH FOOD PROCESSOR, MANDOLIN, OR BY HAND AND SET ASIDE. IN FOOD PROCESSOR FITTED WITH AN "S" BLADE, PROCESS PUMPKIN, SUNFLOWER AND FENNEL SEEDS UNTIL GROUND. MIX WITH FENNEL POWDER & SEA SALT, THEN ADD HEMPMILK, OLIVE OIL AND LEMON, SET ASIDE. WASH HERBS AND CHARD, DE-STEM CHARD, AND USING A VEGETABLE PEELER SHAVE THE FENNEL FROM TOP TO BOTTOM INTO THIN STRIPS, SET ALL ASIDE. TAKE YOUR CASSEROLE DISH AND COAT WITH SOME OLIVE OIL. NOW FOR YOUR LAYERS, FROM BOTTOM TO TOP:

ALMOST DONE WITH THE SECOND LAYER

1. "RICOTTA"

2. ROOT VEGETABLE

3. "RICOTTA"

4. BASIL LEAVES, WHOLE

5. SPRINKLED TARRAGON & FENNEL BULB

6. CHARD LEAVES

7. ROOT VEGETABLE

8. REPEAT 3-7

BEFORE ENTERING THE OVEN

TOP WITH REMAINING FENNEL BULB, AND DRIZZLE WITH A BIT OF OLIVE OIL. POUR 1/4 CUP HEMPMILK OVER THE DISH. PLACE PARTIALLY COVERED IN PREHEATED OVEN, AND COOK FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES OR UNTIL BROWNED ON BOTTOM. SERVE BY SLICING WEDGES WITH A KNIFE, AND REMOVING WITH A FLEXIBLE SPATULA.

*If you're curious about the rutabaga, be sure to check out Kim's informative post, which includes some amazing recipes, here.

**I wouldn't normally endorse a specific product, but this is the only alternative milk I've found that doesn't include any sweeteners, soy, or rice product. Plus, it's pretty tasty. 

GIMME

With so many restrictions to my diet, it's easy to end up eating a lot of the same food source, all of the time. After discovering that I was highly sensitive to peanuts, walnuts, pecans and almonds, and finding that I really couldn't acquire the taste for brazil nuts, cashews became my go-to protein snack. This was a fine solution until my body decided to reject them to an extent as well, a consequence of my eating a couple pounds of them a week for a series of months. Last year around this time, I spied some chestnuts at the farmer's market, and decided to give them a go. Unfortunately, my first bag became covered in white mold within 24 hours, so I returned next week for another try, but discovered after roasting them that they were rotten on the inside. Chestnuts aren't the cheapest treat, so I gave up for the season.

Today, I had better luck. I only grabbed a few this time, and roasted them soon after I was home. Mine roasted until the flesh was soft, and the texture and flavor really reminded me of a sweeter, denser potato. Since my body doesn't tolerate potatoes very well, I thought I'd try making myself a quick mock version of a dish I often crave: home fries. Delicious! They came out quite crispy on the edges, which is how I prefer my home-fries; perhaps if the chestnuts were steamed rather than roasted, they might come out a bit more tender? If I experiment with that method, I will let you know. Enjoy!

POTATO-FREE HOME FRIES

ROASTED CHESTNUTS (I followed the instructions here)
OLIVE OIL
FRESH HERBS OF YOUR CHOICE (I used rosemary and thyme)
SEA SALT TO TASTE

OPTIONAL: GARLIC, SHALLOTS OR ONIONS (No allium for me!)

HEAT A FRYING PAN (I used a non-stick one, I'm sure cast iron would be wonderful!), AND ADD A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF OLIVE OIL TO COAT THE PAN. QUARTER THE CHESTNUTS, AND ADD THEM TO THE PAN WITH THE HERBS AND SEA SALT. COVER, AND OCCASIONALLY STIR TO TOAST EVENLY. COOK TO DESIRED CRISPINESS.