Panna Cotta με Γάλα Καρύδας, Βανίλια και Μέλι - Coconut Milk Panna cotta with Vanilla and Honey

(For English scroll down)

Ένα όμορφο πρωί πΔ (προ Δημοψηφίσματος, γιατί αυτή η αν μη τι άλλο αμφιλεγόμενης ορθότητας, συνταγματικότητας και στο κάτω-κάτω λογικότητας, πράξη έχει σημαδέψει τη ζωή μας όσο λίγα πράγματα τα τελευταία χρόνια και θα συνεχίσει να αποτελεί σημείο αναφοράς για πολλά ακόμα και για τις δύο πλευρές) μου χτύπησε την πόρτα ο ταχυδρόμος, η οποία ήταν γυναίκα οπότε για να είναι και politically correct επρέπε να γράψω η ταχυδρόμος  αλλά ποιός το αλλάζει τώρα... και μου παρέδωσε ένα κουτάκι, το οποίο η αλήθεια είναι είχα ξεχάσει ότι θα ερχόταν... 

Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons - Μπισκότα Καρύδας

Συνταγή στα Ελληνικά προς το τέλος της σελίδας

Coconut Macaroons! Why, oh why, did I wait so long before I baked them? 

I am inexcusable! 

They are now officially my favourite cookies. It was a very close race, with the Chocolate with White Chocolate Chips Cookies coming a very close and proud second but in end coconut took down chocolate with a bang.

I hope you haven't forgotten that I set myself the challenge to bake and photograph all 125 cookies in Roben Ryberg's The Ultimate Gluten-Free Cookie Book.

Vegan and Gluten Free Apple and Raisin Muffins - Μαφινς με Μηλο και Σταφιδες Χωρις Γλουτενη

And just like that, Easter is over and there are 4 more months until we move to Athens. I thought that I would never say it, but I feel happy we are going back after 8 years away from home. And even though Athens is not where my actual home is - born and bred in Grevena - I am now determined to make it. 

Athens is vast. 4.5 million people vast. Most of the time it feels like a jungle and I am saying this having lived in London for a good 8 years. You need time to adjust and a sanctuary to recuperate and fight off the craziness of the streets. Mine is going to be close to the sea. I've decided. There's only one small problem...I haven't found it yet.  We didn't have much time to look for an apartment - too much eating and drinking and meeting with friends and relatives got in the way of arranging viewings with estate agents - but I've made up my mind. Yes, this time we are going South. Close to the sea. 

Chocolate Covered Almond & Coconut Cookies

You would think that my first post after such a long absence would be a tiny bit grander than chocolate cookies but let me tell you being away from my kitchen for as long as I have, has taken a toll on me as well as... my kitchen! 

Since I left for Athens, back in November, George has been using our kitchen to cook his meals. He is hardly a Master Chef but he can cook more or less your basic pasta, rice and meat dishes. In hindsight this was both a blessing and a curse... for me, that is, because for him it is definitely a blessing. I mean how many married men with full time jobs do you know who are comfortable enough in the kitchen to  be able to ask you over Skype "where do you keep the crock-pot because I'm in a mood for a pot roast this weekend" and don't end up in the ER with 3rd degree burns or food poisoning!!! So yes, I was able to leave him - almost guilt free - to his own devises, but now that I am back I have to work really hard to "reclaim" my kitchen from Chef George's "Reign of Change" !!

Everything and I mean everything has been completely rearranged, moved around and messed up. Ooops, sorry, I wanted to write mixed up but I cannot hide the truth! It has taken me 3 full days to clean and put everything back in order! But I am not complaining. Far from it! I am grateful that he has managed so well on his own for such a long time.  

My eagerness to get back to baking and blogging was such that the moment my kitchen started to resemble its old self I  wanted to bake something to celebrate my return home! I wanted something simple and these easy to make/ easier to eat chocolate bites fit the bill perfectly! They are gluten and dairy free but they hide it so well they got everyone who tried them fooled. I was really pleased with them and I think they are the perfect recipe for my humble comeback!

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Chocolate Covered Almond & Coconut Cookies
Adapted from "Paleo Indulgencies" by Tammy Credicot
Servings: 50 cookies
Ingredients
150 gr almond flour
50 gr coconut flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
25 gr cocoa powder
120 ml maple syrup
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
60 ml coconut oil
200 gr dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Combine almond, coconut and arrowroot flours with the cocoa powder in a large bowl. Add the maple syrup, the egg and the vanilla extract and blend well. You can use a hand mixer to do this. Pour the coconut oil slowly in and bit until everything is combined.

Place the mixture into a large piece of plastic wrap and shape it like a log with a 5cm diameter. Wrap it very tightly and put it in the freezer for about 2 - 3 hours.

Before you remove the log from the freezer make sure that you have preheated your oven to 180C/350F degrees.

Now you have to slice the log to about 0.5cm thick slices. This is not very hard as long as the log is frozen so it has to be done quite fast. If you feel that the log is getting warm put back in the freezer for 20 minutes. Place the slices on baking sheets that you have lined with parchment paper and bake them for 12 - 14 minutes until the centres are firm and the edges start to brown a bit. When they are baked remove them from the baking sheets and let them cool completely on wire racks.

Melt the chocolate either in the microwave oven or by placing the pieces in a heatproof bowl that is sitting on top of pot of simmering water. Make sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl that contains the chocolate. Chocolate is very sensitive and the heat might burn it!. Stir smoothly until the chocolate melts completely then stir in the vanilla extract.

Remove the bowl from the heat  and then dip the cool cookies into the melted chocolate. You can use two forks to do this and you can scrap off any excess along the edge of the bowl. Lay the chocolate coated cookies on the parchment lined baking sheets and put them in the fridge until the chocolate sets. This can take from 30 minutes to 1 hour or more. When the chocolate is hard enough you can take them out of the fridge and enjoy them!

I am sharing this recipe with the following Link Parties check them out!!!

Time to Sparkle

Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays

Olives...both ways

Oh My God it is Saturday already. Another week has gone by so quickly!
What a week it has been!
I learned (in theory off course)  the hows, whys and what-nots of red and white vinification - in normal speak this means the process of turning fruity, sweet grape juice into wine.

I tasted (and spited) about 10 wines from Alsace, Champagne, Bourgundy and Greece.

Photo by C.Tsatsaris

I attempted my first décantage, an experience that I will always remember not only because it happened on 12/12/12 but also because I spilled most of the wine on the burning candle that produced a lovely sizzle and a lots of laughs from my fellow sommeliers-to-be! 

After such a busy week I completely forgot to go to the market for the required ingredients for yesterday's French Fridays with Dorie recipe, Chicken, Apples and Cream a la Normande . Don't despair! You can find out how my fellow Doristas prepared it here - it sounds really yummy and I will definitely cook it sometime in the future.

For now you have to settle with what I am going to offer you today.
Two lovely recipes featuring two great products of my country, olives and olive oil. They are not the elaborate food creations you expect to find on the internet around this season. They won't fill  up your festive tables but believe me simplicity sometimes is much appreciated especially when you are up to your head with baking pies and roasting hams and turkeys and pheasants and you just need a simple, tasty nibble to keep your guests occupied while your run back and forth topping up glasses and setting more plates on the table. Both recipes can be made well in advance and stored in the fridge until they are needed!!!

The first recipe was featured a couple of weeks ago on French Fridays with Dorie.... Herded Olives Marinated in Thyme, Rosemary and Orange Peel. I made them and let them stay and macerate in their glass jar for a few weeks so that they could be infused by the aromas of the marinated olive oil even more.

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Olives Marinated in Thyme, Rosemary and Orange Peel
Adapted from Around my French Table by Dorie Greenspan 
Ingredients
Olives, green or black as plain as possible
Fresh rosemary springs, leaves removed and chopped
Fresh thyme springs, leaves removed and chopped
Coriander seeds
Black peppercorns
Green peppercorns
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (maybe a bit more to top up the jar with the olives)
Garlic cloves, green part removed and filleted
Bay leaves
Orange zest
Procedure
Toast the spices (black and green peppercorns, coriander) in a hot pan long enough to release their aromas. Put them into a small bowl  remove the pan from the heat and wait a bit for it to cool down. Gently warm up the Extra Virgin Olive Oil. When I say warm it I mean warm it not burn it. Put the pan in very low heat and be patient - the result is definitely going to reward you as the herbs and spices you are going to add in will be able to release their flavours and aromas without being shocked from the heat of the oil. When the oil is thus warmed, add all the remaining ingredients (rosemary, thyme, the toasted spices, bay leaves, garlic, orange zest) and heat them through for no more that two minutes - we don't want to sauté them!!

Put the olives in a clean glass jar (sterilised if possible) and pour in the warmed oil and herb mixture. Mix everything around. You have to let the jar stand until the olives and the oil inside reach room temperature before you refrigerate it. I kept mine in the fridge for about a week before I was tempted to taste my creation. I was  taken aback by the intensity of the aromas of the herb infused olive oil and the taste it gave to the olives. I went ahead and made enough to fill an even bigger jar and I now use to oil to flavour my salads and roast fish or chicken!

The next recipe I am going to share with you is sinfully delicious and seriously addictive!

I cannot say for sure if it is a pesto, a spread or a dip! I would call it a bit of everything because you can easily spread it on a piece of toasted bread and enjoy it with a glass of fresh white wine or toss it in a plateful of warm pasta with a few shaves of Parmesan on top and be transported to a sunny terrace by the sea forgetting that your driveway is buried under 50 cm of snow!

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Fresh Peppermint, Walnut and Olive Pesto - Dip

Adapted from a recipe by an award winning Greek Chef Christoforos Peskias publiced in Βιβλιοθήκη Γεύσης της Καθημερινής - Σπιτικές Κονσέρβες
Yield: about 2 cups
Ingredients
2 - 3 cups (tightly packed) leaves of fresh peppermint, washed and thoroughly dried
2 -3 garlic cloves, peeled, green part removed
200 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
100 gr walnuts, chopped
200 gr Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
Procedure
Blend the mint leaves with the garlic and olive oil until they form a smooth green paste. Add the chopped walnuts and blend again for 4 - 5 seconds, you want the walnuts to get even more chopped but not really mashed up so that their presence could add a bit of bite to the whole mixture.
Empty the contents of the blender into a large enough bowl and add the chopped Kalamata olives. Mix them all together and you are ready to serve!

Chocolate Berry Pudding - Σοκολατένια Πουτίγκα με Φρούτα του Δάσους Χωρίς Ζάχαρη

(Συνταγή στα Ελληνικά στο τέλος της σελίδας)

A few days ago, I discovered a blog named Chocolate Log Blog, a quite appropriate name, I think, since it is all about chocolate. Hundreds of cakes, biscuits, tarts, puddings all containing some form of chocolate. Choclette together with Chele from Chocolate Teapot run a very interesting monthly cooking event called We Should Cocoa.  I was intrigued by the idea of making a chocolate dessert every month, without any restrictions, save one, the use of a special ingredient picked by Choclette every month and so I decided to give it a try...

I recently bought Sarah Wilson's "I Quit Sugar Cookbook" and I have already made a few really nice fructose free recipes, so I scanned through it and came up with some very interesting cocoa recipes. I chose to make the Choc Berry Mud because my freezer is full of frozen strawberries, blueberries and blackcurrants, a perfect fit for the We Should Cocoa challenge since this month's special ingredient is blackcurrants. The "mud" (as Sarah calls it) came together instantly by blending all the ingredients. It is an easy, fuss free and refreshing dessert for every season.

Chocolate Berry Pudding

Adapted from "I Quit Sugar Cookbook" by Sarah Wilson

Serves 2 - 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackcurrants)
• 1 large soft avocado, cleaned, peeled and de-seeded
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 1 cup almond milk (or less if you want the consistency to be thicker)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder
• 1 teaspoon stevia

Instructions

1. Blend all the ingredients in a blender. Pour into bawls and serve immediately.

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Σοκολατένια Πουτίγκα με Μούρα Χωρίς Ζάχαρη

Από το βιβλίο "I Quit Sugar Cookbook" της Sarah Wilson

Για 2 - 4 άτομα

Υλικά

• 1 φλιτζάνι κατεψυγμένα φρούτα του δάσους
• 1 μεγάλο ώριμο αβοκάντο, καθαρισμένο χωρίς το κουκούτσι
• 1/4 φλιτζανιού κακάο
• 1 φλιτζάνι γάλα αμυγδάλου (ή λιγότερο αν το θέλετε πιο πικτό)
• 1 κουταλάκι του γλυκού σκόνη βανίλια
• 1 κουταλάκι του γλυκού στέβια

Εκτέλεση

1. Βάζουμε όλα τα υλικά σε ένα μπλέντερ και αναμειγνύουμε. 
2. Σερβίρουμε αμέσως. 

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French Fridays with Dorie - Blueberry Marscapone Roulade

From the 10 basic ingredients required for today's recipe I could use "guilt free" {see millions of food intolerances in previous post}only...one. The blueberries! So I kept the blueberries, but made two versions of the rest.

Let me explain...{make a cup of tea and eat a slice of your roulade, it's going to take some time}

Turkey, Asparagus and Rosemary Pasta / Ζυμαρικά με Γαλοπούλα Σπαράγγια και Δεντρολίβανο

Συνταγή στα Ελληνικά στα μέσα της σελίδας!

Ah...Istria...The land of wild asparagus, Malvazija, truffles and North European tourists in huge caravans...

I adore the first!

I am head over heals in love with the second.

Unfortunately allergic to the third and...

trying to avoid the forth like the devil - especially between June and August. 

Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding

I've been such a sport! One week without sugar!

I decided to give myself and my hubby a treat today. This Chocolate Pudding is simply divine! It's free from everything: sugar, gluten, eggs, lactose. But full of taste. It's a gift to sensitive and intolerant stomachs. I don't want to oversell it so here is the recipe...

Sugar Free Vegan Chocolate Pudding

Adapted from Whole Living July/August 2011

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 ripe avocados 
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons coconut cream
1 pinch pure stevia (or according to taste)
1 tablespoon glucose syrup (optional)

Instructions

• Purée avocados, cocoa powder, vanilla in a food processor until smooth. 
• Add the coconut cream and stevia and continue to blend. Test for sweetness. If you think that the pudding needs a little bit more texture you can add 1 tablespoon of glucose syrup.
• Spoon into four bowls and enjoy!