Thai Red Curry Paste

I used this recipe to make a red curry chicken over rice but you could also use it as a substitute for hot sauce. We use lots of Sriracha in our house and now Julia will have her own spicy topping…so excited for her! This made enough for me to keep one small glass Tupperware in the refrigerator and freeze three. I was able to find all of the ingredients at my local Whole Foods. If you don’t have a Whole Foods, you can also find them at an Asian supermarket.

 

Ingredients:

2 stalks fresh lemongrass

1-2 red chillies (if you can’t find these, use 1/2 red pepper, 1/2 jalapeno)

3 large cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons fresh ginger

1/4 cup crushed tomatoes

handful of fresh cilantro

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

juice of one lime

1/4 cup safe coconut milk if you have it. I don’t so I used fresh coconut water

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

Combine all ingredients in food processor on high. If too spicy, add more tomatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

Pop-tarts

You can tell that it’s back to school time around here by my recent posts. I’m trying to give my kids variety and kid friendly foods within the confines of this allergy. Sometimes, that can be a bit challenging. This was really just a re-working of a previous post for Strawberry Gallette, https://nocornforme.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/strawberry-galette.

 

I made the dough the night before and left it overnight to chill. I used a 10 oz. bag of frozen organic strawberries, about a tablespoon of sugar and a dash of water. I left it to simmer stirring occasionally until it boiled down to a thick jam like consistency (about 15 minutes). I let that cool overnight too. In the morning, I rolled out the dough on a well floured cutting board, cut it into rectangles,  egg washed each side of the pastry, filled with the strawberry filling (about 2 tablespoons), put the rectangles together, egg washed the top, closed them with a fork and made holes with the fork on the top, sprinkled with sugar and baked at 400 for about 20 minutes until browned. So fun!!

 

Apple pie chips

I call these apple pie chips because they are so sweet. My kids love them and they are the perfect snack for the lunchbox. They are really easy to make but do need every bit of the two hours listed to bake them. Save making these treats for a day that you’re at home. If you store them in an airtight container, they’ll last quite awhile.

 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 large organic apples

Thinly slice the apples cutting across the top, cut out the seeds and discard along with both ends.  Place in bowl and toss with sugar and cinnamon. Arrange in a single layer on lined baking sheet. Bake at 250 for 1 1/2-2 hours turning every 30 minutes. 

Roasted Almonds

The first day of school is tomorrow! I’m going to spend the day making lunch box snacks, muffins, cookies etc….so exciting! Julia doesn’t do well with most nuts but she’s fine with the whole almonds. This is a simple way to spice them up and make an easy & fun, lunchbox snack.

 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon chile powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups whole almonds

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (optional)

Combine ingredients and toss to coat. Place on baking sheet lined with foil and bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Let cool and serve. 

Cronuts

I was listening a talk radio show this summer and they started talking about the Cronut. It’s a cross between a croissant and a donut and it’s all the rage at Dominique Ansel’s Bakery in Soho. New Yorkers are waiting hours to get them! They are so in vogue they are only selling them two at a time like the “Soup Natzi” from Seinfeld. It’s hilarious! I had to know how to make them. I found a few copycat recipes and have modified them to be corn free and less time consuming. The original recipe calls for the dough to be rolled out and refrigerated for 30 minutes 4-5 times. I just make the dough, integrate the butter and leave overnight. The deep frying is quick in the morning and the cronut is fresh. I think I’ll make them today for the first day of school tomorrow!

 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup warm milk

2 packets of yeast (1 tablespoon)

1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 1/2  cups flour (divided)

1 cup butter

1 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)

 

I cheat and melt my butter in the microwave first, then I mix in 1/2 cup of flour and put it back into the refrigerator to cool. Meanwhile, I mix the yeast and milk and let it sit while I mix together the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and 3 cups of flour. Then I add in the milk and yeast and mix well until dough is formed. On a well floured cutting board, I roll out the dough into a rectangle. Then, the dough is folded in 3, wrapped in plastic wrap and is refrigerated for 30 minutes. Then,take the dough out, roll it out again, add the butter to the middle, and re-refrigerate for 30 minutes. Finally, the dough is rolled out again and refrigerated overnight.

In the morning, I add enough oil (I used light olive oil) to fill the pot about 2 inches. I heated the oil on medium high for about 5 minutes it should reach 350 degrees but I just eyeball it. I roll out the dough again to be about 1/2 inch think. I pop out the cronuts using a wine glass and then used my finger to make a whole in the middle. I fried for about 1 minute per side using a wooden spoon to flip they will be golden brown. Julia added sugar to the tops while they were cooling on a paper towel. They aren’t the healthiest breakfast for sure but they are delicious!