Carrot Patties

time for root vegetables

We have moved into full on root vegetable season and so it is time to pull out this favorite recipe of mine. They are a frequent item on my personal chef service menus.  Today it is carrot patties but any root vegetable that you can grate works beautifully. I have made them with celery root,turnips, parsnips, as well as a mix of several different vegetables including winter squashes. These are really a version of latkes which traditionally are made with potatoes. Today they have an Asian kind of flair. You can season them however you like – like Italian ? blend in some rosemary, oregano, and maybe even some parmesan cheese. Mexican ? use squash and add in some cumin and chili. Top with guacamole.

Root vegetables in general are a powerhouse of good nutrition. They are high in B vitamins. Since they grow IN the ground, they contain lots of minerals ( as well as energetics of the earth element). They are very high in fiber. This time of year, they are abundant and fairly inexpensive.

Carrots contain lots of anti oxidants, beta carotene, and Vitamin C. In the spring we enjoy eating the tiny new carrots ( the REAL baby carrots, not the designer ones in the bags in the store) and this time of year, go ahead and eat the big ones. They are perfect for this recipe.

This is one of those recipes that constantly evolves. I have blended information from several recipes over the years, combined with experience and what my current tastes and nutritional needs are. I love that about cooking. I look at recipes as guides, as a partially filled in canvas. Feel free to add your tastes to this one.

Carrot Patties

1 c. grated carrots ( or any combination of root vegetables or squash that you like)
2 T. coconut flour
2 T. dried seaweed ( I use either wakame or dulse)
1 tsp. or more of fresh grated ginger
pepper to taste
2 fresh eggs, from pasture raised chickens
1 T. melted butter or coconut oil, as well as more for frying ( a few tablespoons)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let it sit for a few minutes while frying pan/griddle heats. Coat the pan with enough oil so patties don’t stick. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto hot pan. You decide if you want them small ( if you are having this as a side dish) or larger ( for a main course). Cook a few minutes on each side.

I have served them with a simple sauce of tahini and miso ( about 3 parts tahini to 1 part miso, mix in 2 parts water) and have also enjoyed eating them plain. I think they make a fabulous breakfast!

* The photographer in me feels compelled to apologize. The carrots were indeed a deep beautiful orange color. I have yet to master the art of using my phone camera for inside pictures. This process today has definitely inspired me to replace my non working ( non phone) camera.

Coconut Flour Doughnuts

A new addition to my personal chef kitchen

A recent shopping splurge at King Arthur Flour Co. got me a doughnut baking pan. Why had I never thought of baking doughnuts before ? Could I really have a doughnut and would it be good ? I found a recipe on Comfy Belly’s site and went from there. I am happy to report the answer is YES. Gluten free baked doughnuts are delicious. What makes them gluten free is coconut flour, which is a wonderful ingredient. It is loaded with fiber and good fats.

Coconut Flour Doughnuts

• 1/2 cup of coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup of honey (or other sweetener)
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (coconut butter, coconut oil, or regular oil will work as well)

I used melted coconut oil and I added a Tablespoon of cinnamon. If you didn’t have a donut pan, you could put the batter in a piping bag or in a ziplock bag, snip off a corner and squeeze the batter out onto a baking sheet into a doughnut shape. (I did not experiment with this. If you try it, let me know how it turns out).

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. I always sift the coconut flour. Mix together the wet ingredients in another bowl and add to the dry. Mix well. This is when an electric beater comes in handy. You also could use a food processor. One of the tricky things about using coconut flour is that it gets quite lumpy in the process of mixing and requires a bit of effort. If doing it by hand, I recommend using a fork to facilitate the breaking up of the lumps.  Fill the baking pan about 2/3 full. Bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated 350º oven.

There are many options for topping as well as just leaving them plain. I melted some 70% cacao content chocolate, added a few T. of cream and frosted mine. You could make a glaze of powdered sugar and your favorite flavorings (  a bit of orange juice, maple syrup, or vanilla extract). You could glaze them with a bit of honey. Yum!

Wild Rice Salad

What was cooking for my personal chef clients this week?

I needed to do some thinking out of the box this week for my vegetarian clients and for myself. It is so easy to get in a rut, eating the same thing all the time. There are those weight loss researchers ( sorry, don’t have any links for it) who say that eating mostly the same food all the time is good for weight loss. As a chef and an adventuresome eater ( and one who has lost and gained weight many times), I agree and disagree. I need a framework of foods that are recommended for me to eat AND I need variety. If I am bored with eating brown rice and salad everyday, then I am really likely to head to the cookie aisle or the ice cream shoppe. So, searching around for some healthy  carbohydrate alternatives to grain, I remembered wild rice. It is a grass, not a grain. It is a starchy carbohydrate but is high in amino acids (the building blocks for protein) and many minerals.

So here is my riff on a recipe found on the internet at www.bunkycooks.com. The original recipe called for dried cranberries. I cannot be the only one who is just not fond of those. And why are they found in so many things ?

Wild Rice Salad for the Fall

for the dressing:

1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. hemp oil
2 T. sherry vinegar ( or a flavored vinegar like fig balsamic would be really good)
1 tsp. honey
salt and pepper to taste

for the salad:
1 c. wild rice, rinsed well
2 c. vegetable or chicken broth
2 c. water
1 tart green apple, chopped
finely chopped vegetables totalling 2 cups ( suggestions = celery, green or red onion, cooked winter squash cubes, red pepper, carrots, raw or cooked zucchini)
1/2 c. chopped nuts ( I used hazelnuts. almonds or walnuts would be good. anything you like)
a tsp. or more of chopped fresh herbs – I used rosemary and thyme

and, if you must, the ubiquitous dried cranberries. Try it without, though. The apple and the honey make it nicely sweet.

Combine the broth, water and rice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes ( covered). Taste it to test for doneness. (It doesn’t get really soft. You want the grains to split and you will see the purplish insides.) Drain and cool the rice.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a medium sized salad bowl. Add the cooled rice and the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and enjoy.

I wish I would have added parsley for a bit more green. next time.