Pumpkin Spice Granola

There’s nothing better than the colors and smells of the harvest. During the fall, I feel more inclined to spend time in my kitchen, cooking, and eating comforting, nutritious food. Maybe I am biased, but fall is my favorite season all around. I love the sunny days and the crisp fresh air, the colors of the leaves changing, the anticipation of the holidays, and the shift from fresh raw foods that I enjoy eating during the summer, to the warm, comforting foods of the autumn harvest.  In honor of autumn, I decided to make Pumpkin Spice Granola.  I love eating it on its own as a snack before I train capoeira, for breakfast or if i need a little pick me up in the afternoon. Honestly, its pretty addictive…..so don't say I didn't warn you!The pumpkin seeds, along with cinnamon and nutmeg are what give the granola its name.

Pumpkin Spice Granola ( vegan & gluten free )

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 cups gluten free rolled oats

• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1/4 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract, whisking until the brown sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat.
3. Mix the oats, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes and pecans in a large bowl.
   
4. Pour the liquid mixture into oat mixture and mix with a spatula until fully incorporated.
   
5. Spread granola mixture onto a parchment or silpat lined sheet tray so that it is about an inch thick.  Make sure that the edges are not thinner or else they will burn.
   
6. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the granola is golden.
7. Remove granola from the oven and let cool.  Break into pieced and toss with cranberries and raisins.
8. Store in an airtight container.

Let me know how you liked this recipe!
-Deniz
The Chef in the City

Autumn Cornmeal Pancakes ( dairy free & gluten free )

About a month ago, I was transferring my bag of cornmeal into mason jars. There was 2/3 cup that wouldn't fit in the jar and I was not going to let it go to waste, or use another mason jar for such a small amount of cornmeal.  So naturally, I decided I would make something with the cornmeal.  I forced myself to record my measurements (I am so bad at keeping track of my culinary experiments!) so that I could share the recipe.

I love the texture of these pancakes.  They get crispy on the outside, and kind of cakey on the inside.  They are really filling and satisfying.  When I made them a month ago, I made a maple apricot sauce, but I didn't feel that it was fitting for the fall.  For these, I used a bit of freshly ground nutmeg and cinnamon and then to make them more substantial, I topped them with a few sliced bananas and maple syrup. You can use this recipe as a base and come up with many variations depending on the season or your mood.  

Autumn Cornmeal Pancakes ( dairy free & gluten free )

Serves 2 slightly hungry people

• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup almond milk* (or milk of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon agave syrup (or maple syrup)
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil (in liquid state)**
• 2 eggs

* When using coconut oil that needs to be in its melted state for a recipe, if you are combining it with something cold, like milk, it is important to heat up the milk so that the coconut oil does not become solid again.  In this case, I heated up the almond milk slightly, so that it was at room temperature before adding the coconut oil.

** During the cooler months, coconut oil will be in its solid state.  If your recipe calls for it to be in its liquid state, you can heat it up in the microwave or on the stove for a few seconds.

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
2. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the almond milk, vanilla extract agave syrup, coconut oil and eggs.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix just until everything is incorporated.
4. Heat a nonstick skillet to medium-high and use your oil of choice to slightly coat the pan.
5. Using a 1/4 cup measure, place batter onto a heated skillet and when the edges start to bubble slightly, lower the flame to medium and flip the pancake over.  Cook until both sides are golden.

Enjoy!  Let me know if you try any variations of this recipe!

-Deniz

The Chef in the City

Sweet Potato Muffins (gluten free + dairy free!)

As some of you may know, I teach cooking and baking classes for children as young as 18 months to adults.  I absolutely love my job and am amazed how much I learn every day from my students.  In my baking class for children, we made sweet potato graham muffins, and they were delicious.  I have one student who cannot eat dairy, so I modified the recipe so that he could eat them.  I was inspired by this recipe to take it one step further and to make it gluten free because I know many people who have gluten intolerance.  These muffins are nutty, moist and slightly sweet.  They are a wholesome breakfast that will hold you over, or a great snack.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!


Sweet Potato Muffins (gluten free + dairy free!)

• 1 1/4 cups gluten free oat flour (I made my own in the dry vitamix but you can buy it pre-made)
• 1/2 cup gluten free oats
• 1 cup almond meal (I made my own in the dry vitamix but you can buy it pre-made)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 6 ounces non-dairy yogurt (you can use coconut yogurt, almond yogurt, soy yogurt)
• 2 pasture raised eggs
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup shredded sweet potato (1 small sweet potato)

** I have included photos below the procedure with additional comments**

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake papers; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together oat flour, oats, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar.
3. In a second large bowl, vigorously whisk together melted coconut oil and yogurt for 30 seconds. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition, finally whisking in the maple syrup.
4. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and fold together until just combined.
5. Fold in the shredded sweet potato.
6. Spoon batter evenly into muffin tins and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 25 minutes.

These are all the dry ingredients before and after I whisked them together

This is the mixture of coconut oil, yogurt, eggs and maple syrup

Here, I am adding the wet mixture to the dry mixture

After I have mixed together the wet and dry mixture, I add the shredded sweet potato

Here is the batter, ready to be scooped into the muffin tins!

This is the scoop I use, which allows me to make muffins that are uniform in size

I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as I did!
- Deniz
The Chef in the City 

Homemade Pizza - Cauliflower Crust - Fresh Mozzarella - Heirloom Tomatoes - Basil

I've been wanting to try making pizza with cauliflower crust for a while now.  This weekend when I was at the Farmer's Market, I  bought yellow cauliflower, beautiful heirloom tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella.  When I got home, I realized that I had the perfect ingredients to finally try the cauliflower crust.
I'll be honest..this recipe isn't one of my quickest ones.  But it is fairly easy.  I made it on Sunday night when I had some more time to cook than on weeknights.  The only thing that makes this recipe take more time is that after boiling the food processed cauliflower, you have to strain it and let it cool in the freezer before squeezing all the liquid out.  This process takes about 15 minutes.  However, while the cauliflower is cooling in the freezer, I prepped everything for a big salad. so it wasn't a waste of time.  I was very surprised at how filling this pizza was.  I can easily eat 4 slices of regular pizza, and I ate 3 small slices of this pizza and was satisfied!

Homemade Pizza - Cauliflower Crust - Fresh Mozzarella - Heirloom Tomatoes - Basil

Serves 2 people

• Olive oil, for greasing parchment paper
• 1 medium sized head of cauliflower
• 1/4 cup almond meal (also called almond flour)
• 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons  golden flaxseed meal (ground golden flax seeds)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 large egg

1. Place a pizza pan/stone the oven, or baking sheet if you don't have one. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a large piece of parchment paper on your counter and brush generously with olive oil.  
2. Wash and throughly dry a small head of cauliflower. Cut off the florets and pulse in your food processor for about 30 seconds, until you get powdery snow like cauliflower. I ended up with 3 cups.
   
   
   
3. Pour the cauliflower into a large sauce pot, add just enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. 
   
   
   
4. Cover, reduce the heat and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Drain the liquid, then transfer the cooked cauliflower into a freezer-safe bowl. Place in the freezer to cool for 10 minutes.
5. Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in a dish towel or double layer of cheesecloth and wring it out. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a chewy and crispy pizza crust instead of a crumbly mess. 

   

   This is how I squeezed out the
   liquid from the cauliflower

   

   I squeezed 1 cup of liquid out of the cauliflower!  

6. Put the cauliflower into a bowl. Now add the almond meal, golden flaxseed meal, sea salt, dried oregano and dried basil.  Now add your egg and mix. I used my hands, but you can use whatever you feel comfortable with.
   
   
   
7. Once mixed together, use your hands to form the dough into a crust on your oiled parchment paper. Pat it down well because you want it nice and tightly formed together. Don't make it too thick or thin either.
   
   
   
8. Carefully slide the parchment paper onto your hot pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.
9. Add however much sauce, cheese, and toppings you want. I added fresh mozzarella, sliced heirloom tomatoes, and fresh basil. 
10. Put the pizza back in the hot oven and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted,and bubbly.
    
    
    
    
    I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!
    
    -Deniz
    The Chef in the City
    
    
    

Chipotle Barbecue Shiitake Mushroom Fajitas

Shiitake Mushrooms are amazing…especially for vegetarians.  They have a meaty texture and can take on that umami (meat-like) flavor with the right seasonings.  One of my favorite shiitake recipes is Shiitake "Bacon"….I have my own recipe that I will include below in case you are interested!
Anyways back to the Fajitas….my husband loves anything with barbecue sauce, so I figured that cooking the mushrooms in a chipotle barbecue sauce would be delicious.  Add in some sautéed onions and cubanelle peppers and you have a quick and easy meal with lots of flavor.






Chipotle Barbecue Shiitake Mushroom Fajitas

My favorite chipotle barbecue sauce
when I don't have time to make my own.

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, saute sliced (along the grain of the onion)
• 2 cubanelle peppers, sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 12 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces
• 2 teaspoons tamari (or soy sauce)
• 1/3 cup of your favorite chipotle barbecue sauce (I use Deer Camp Black Bear Chipotle when I don't have time to make my own)
• Whole wheat tortillas
• 1 avocado, sliced into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 cup baby kale, or any green of your choice

** I have included photos below the procedure with additional comments**

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (only do this if you want to heat up your tortillas in the oven.)
2. Heat a large skillet over a medium high flame.  Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and when it is glistening sauté the onions until they are golden, about 5 minutes. Try to resist the urge to mix the onions.  If you let them sit in the skillet, they will get a beautiful golden color.
3. Add the peppers and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Sauté for 3-5 more minutes until the peppers are slightly tender.
4. While you are sautéing the onions and peppers, you can begin to cook the shiitake mushrooms.
5. In another large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium-high flame.  Add the mushrooms and let sit for about 30 seconds before moving around.  Mix them every minute or so until they begin to glisten.
6. Add the tamari and use the liquid to help scrape the browned bits of mushroom from bottom of the pan.  The browned bits are called the fond. 
7. Once the tamari is absorbed, add the chipotle barbecue sauce and cook until the sauce is nicely coating the mushrooms.   I like my mushrooms a little crispy so I cooked them a little longer after all the liquid was absorbed.
8. Warm your fajitas up in the oven.
9. Cut up the avocado, and squeeze some lemon or lime nice on top.  Sprinkle with some salt.
10. Assemble your fajitas!  I layered baby kale, sautéed onions and peppers, mushrooms, avocado.  I also added some hot sauce!  You could even smash the avocado and spread it on the bottom of the tortillas.  The ptions are limitless :)

A saute slice is made by slicing the onion along the grain

Saute Slices

This is what the mushrooms

 look like when they are glistening

Shiitake "Bacon" - I promised I would include this!

• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
• pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit
2. In a large bowl, gently massage mushrooms with olive oil, tamari and salt.
3. Spread the mushrooms evenly on a parchment lined sheet tray and place in the oven.
4. Check them after 20 minutes for doneness.  They should be slightly crispy.

You can use shiitake bacon to make sandwiches, to put in salads ,or just snack on cuz they're that good!

Enjoy!

-Deniz

The Chef in the CIty

Summer Squash and Zucchini Lasagna with Basil Spinach Pesto

Its nice to garnish this lasagna with some fresh basil.  I used
basil from my plant that I keep in my kitchen window!

This easy meal came together because of leftovers!
I had extra cooked lasagna noodles from my mom, basil and spinach pesto that I had made earlier in the week and diced sautéed onions leftover from sunday morning omeletes.  I had fresh mozzarella in the fridge, summer squash and zucchini from the farmer's market and a jar of sauce in my cabinet!

This lasagna is nice and light and perfect for the summer or beginning of fall because it incorporates a lot of veggies and only fresh mozzarella instead of shredded mozzarella and ricotta cheese like traditional lasagna.


Summer Squash and Zucchini Lasagna with Basil Spinach Pesto

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked (I like Bionaturae)
• 1- 16 oz jar of tomato sauce (I like Rao's Tomato Basil or Garden Vegetable because they taste like homemade sauce!)
• 1/2 cup pesto of your choice (I made a vegan Basil Spinach Pesto- you can also buy pre made pesto)
• 1 onion diced and sautéed in olive oil
• 1 large zucchini, sliced very thin using a vegetable peeler
• 1 large summer squash, sliced very thin using a vegetable peeler
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese ( you can use more if you like!)

** I have included photos below the procedure with additional comments**

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a 7"x11" glass dish, spread tomato sauce on the bottom, so that it pretty much covers the bottom of the dish.
3. Place down the lasagna noodles, cutting them to fit if necessary.
4. Spread some more tomato sauce on top of the noodles, then top with the sautéed onion.
5. Layer the slices of summer squash, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and then top with more sauce, pesto and pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese.
6. Place down more lasagna noodles and repeat the process using zucchini this time.
7. The top layer of lasagna noodles will be topped with more tomato sauce.  Make sure you get sauce in the corners because nobody likes lasagna with dry edges!
8. To break it down, your layers are like this:
• sauce
• noodles- sauce- onion- summer squash- sauce- pesto- cheese
• noodles- sauce- pesto- zucchini- cheese
• noodles- sauce
9. Cover with foil, shiny side down and bake for 40 minutes. You should be able to see the sauce bubbling inside the layers. Remove from the oven, take off the foil, and top with fresh mozzarella.  Put back in the oven and bake 10 more minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

 How to Peel the Summer Squash and Zucchini:

Peel off first layer of skin from the zucchini and summer squash

Using a peeler, make thin slices (you do not want thick slices because they will not become tender)

How to layer the Lasagna:

Spread the sauce so that it pretty much covers the bottom of the dish

Add noodles, sauce, pesto and sautéed onions

Layer the squash, overlapping slightly.  Don't forget to sprinkle with salt!

Spread some more sauce and pesto on top of the squash and then  add pieces of mozzarella.  Repeat with the layer of zucchini.

Add the last layer of noodles and spread on more sauce, paying close attention to the edges.  Make sure you get sauce in the corners because nobody likes lasagna with dry edges!


I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I did.  It really doesn't take long to prepare. The part that takes the most time is when it is baking in the oven. It is a great meal to reheat during the week, and you can even freeze leftovers!- Deniz
The Chef in the City

Crispy Polenta with Fried Cannellini, Spring Garlic, Sorrel and Feta

I went to the Farmer's Market here in Inwood last Saturday and although I had the intentions of purchasing lots of produce, I felt uninspired.  As I was about to leave with just a few items, I decided to take one last look at all the different greens.  There it was..Sorrel.  

I have never tasted or cooked with it, so I snuck a little taste and knew this would be incorporated into my next creation!

This recipe was inspired by David Lebovitz.

Crispy Polenta with Fried Cannellini, Spring Garlic, Sorrel and Feta

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil 
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon butter
1/2 ounce sorrel
3/4 cup cooked cannellini beans +3/4 teaspoon salt
2 spring garlic diced
1 teaspoon  lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon sumac
1 tablespoon fresh basil ribbons (shown below)
Feta cheese, diced, to taste
1 pack of pre-made polenta

1.  In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.  

2.  Once it is hot, add the cooked cannelini beans (that have been seasoned with salt) in a single layer (you may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your skillet.

2.  Sauté the beans but do not stir or mix them!  You want them to become golden.  After they are golden on the bottom side, flip them around and continue to cook a few more minutes until they are all golden. 

4.  Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of butter to the skillet.  Add the spring garlic, and sorrel. Cook until the greens are just wilted, about a minute. 

5.  Remove from heat. Let cool slightly before adding the basil, lemon juice, sumac, and feta.  

 6.  Serve with crispy polenta rounds.  I used trader Joe's polenta that I cut into 1/4 inch thick slices, brushed with olive oil , sprinkled with salt and baked on 400 degrees for 10 minutes!