Cassoulet-Style Chicken and Sausage Recipe

cassoulet-style chicken and white beans | pamela salzman

Did you notice a French theme happening on the blog?  As soon as I remembered the French onion soup recipe I taught a few years ago, it also occurred to me that I had never posted this chicken and white beans recipe which I developed for a teaching trip in Southwest France many years ago.  Cassoulet is an incredible, hearty French dish (actually it refers to the recipe as well as the vessel it’s cooked in) with duck confit and sausages and chicken and white beans all stewy and luscious together.  It also requires tons of time, like at least a full day +.  And I’m not saying it’s not worth it, but it’s not realistic for me or most of the universe to spend that much time on dinner.

cassoulet-style chicken and white beans | pamela salzman

So I came up with a version that can be made quickety quick on a weeknight and although it doesn’t have the richness and depth of a traditional cassoulet (which coincidentally was posted in the New York Times this week by Sam Sifton — check it out here), this one is also lighter and more in line with how I like to eat, i.e. not feeling super weighed down like I need a 3-hour nap after I eating, which is what I did after I ate real cassoulet in France.

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Five friday favorites 09.18.15

TGIF except when the weekend forecast calls for …more hot weather!  🙁  Let’s play the game called “You Know There’s Still a Heatwave When…” and then we fill in the blanks.  I’ll start!  When….your coconut oil looks like water all the time.  When…you take three showers a day.  When…your dog starts hogging the spot in front of the fan.  When…you start looking into cooking instructor positions in North Dakota.  When …you stop wearing eye makeup, because what’s the point???!!!  Ok, I’m done.

If you weren’t in my classes this week, here’s what we chatted about (besides the weather):

 

Large Stainless Pancake Spatula

wide stainless spatula |pamela salzman

Pancakes are eaten for breakfast around here a lot!  They are my son’s favorite breakfast food and I make them at least once a week, if not twice.  In order to make perfect pancakes, I need the right spatula to flip them.  I love this one from Williams-Sonoma.  First of all, I don’t use any plastic utensils when I am cooking.  Heat and plastic are a BAD combo (plastics leach.)   So stainless is the way to go.  This spatula is also the perfect width for pancakes, i.e. wide, which is actually really important—too narrow and the pancake could fall over the sides, and too wide you will knock into the other pancakes. This has lasted me for MANY years and I love how thin the stainless steel head is and the angle makes it extremely easy for flipping.  Even though I use this spatula most often for pancake, I also use it for flipping burgers on the grill and French toast or crepes as well. Do note that this is ideal for using with a large space, such as a griddle, grill or large skillet or sauté pan. You will have some trouble using this with a small or medium sized pan!

Chiquilin Smoked Paprika

chiquilin smoked paprika | pamela salzman

I keep my meat consumption to a minimum, so I am always trying to come up with ways to emulate the smoky, rich and savory flavor that meat often gives us, specially when grilled. One of my secret weapons is smoked paprika. This spice is so versatile and I have used it in everything from lentils to paella to shitake “bacon” (I’ll post this another time.)  It always gives these vegetarian dishes a more hearty, smoky and satisfying flavor.

Something that I am always telling my students is that not all spices are created equal. You should smell your spices and compare between brands to find the perfect chili powder, curry or oregano that you love, for example.  The same goes for smoked paprika.  I found this one by Chiquilin on Amazon years ago and have used nothing else since.  It has the perfect depth of smokiness and has so much flavor compared to some of the other smoked paprikas I have used such as Spicely Organics.  Plus, it is very affordable (just around $5) and comes in this cute little tin that makes it look a little more gourmet and chic.  It is available on Amazon with free Prime shipping; the only other place I have seen it sold is in gourmet food shops such as The Cheese Store in Beverly Hills and Surfas in Culver City for the LA folks.  Keep in mind that “smoked” does not mean “hot”- which is great because you can still control the amount of heat you want in your dish but still get that rich smoky flavor.

 

Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour | pamela salzman

We are all well aware at this point that white flour is not one of the most nutritious things we can put into our bodies.  It is pro-inflammatory, high glycemic, processed, and reacts in our bodies similar to sugar. When I began trying to eliminate white flour from a lot of recipes, it was hard to use whole wheat flour for things like breads, cakes and cookies because the results were so heavy and coarse.  I could deal, but my family was not having it.  Who wants to eat a coarse cookie??

After experimenting with a few different flours I came across whole wheat pastry flour.  Whole wheat pastry flour is just flour that is made from a different type of wheat berry than regular whole wheat flour. The word “pastry” really means nothing other than to differentiate the two.  When I began substituting this whole wheat pastry flour for white flour, I was thrilled with the results and no one could really tell a difference between it and the white flour, in most recipes.  Fast forward to today, when I use whole wheat pastry flour almost exclusively in place of white flour or all-purpose flour, and get great result almost every time.  My favorite is Bob’s Red Mill organic whole wheat pastry flour.  I have been using this brand for about 8 years and get perfect results every time.   Even whole wheat pastry flour is a higher glycemic food, but at least this one has 4 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein per serving, which I think is pretty respectable!  If you have a favorite recipe—be it pancakes, cookies, quick breads, etc—try subbing this flour 1:1 and I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.  The only times I do not have as much success with this flour is with pastry (pie crust), white birthday cakes and breads like challah.  Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour is available at my local Whole Foods, and vitacost.com seems to be the best online source!

 

If You Care Muffin Liners

If You Care unbleached muffin liners | pamela salzman

I’ve mentioned it on my site and in my classes before that we should make the switch to using unbleached parchment paper over aluminum foil and bleached parchment paper.  It’s such an easy swap to make in your kitchen to eliminate some of the chemicals that may leach into your food from heating non-stick baking pans, untreated aluminum pans, foil and bleached parchment paper.  If you are already using parchment paper to line your baking sheets or baking dishes, you should also be using unbleached muffin tin liners as well.  This time of year is perfect for making batches of muffins and freezing them to be available for lunch boxes or a quick after school snack or breakfast over the next few months. I love these unbleached muffin tin liners by If You Care.  Not only are they unbleached but they are lined with silicone and they never stick to muffins—ever.  The remove cleanly every time, plus I love the natural look of the brown paper, which makes them perfect for gifts. They come in a large size, which fits a standard 12-muffin cup pan, and also are available in mini as well. They are available on Thrive Market for a great price, as well as Amazon, and they sell them at my local Whole Foods.

 

Seasonal Produce: Pink Lady Apples

Pink Lady Apples | pamela salzman

Nothing says fall to me like seeing all the fresh new crops of  local apples in the markets.  Before you know it, apples will be overflowing in the produce section of your grocery store with Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, Braeburn and more.  Apples are one of the most versatile fruits.  They are so good in baked goods—I have used them in pancakes, quick breads, roasted in salads, to make applesauce and all kinds of desserts.  But above all, nothing beats a crisp, juicy raw apple, and for that I always choose my favorite: the Pink Lady. Pink lady apples, also called Cripps Pink sometimes, are so crunchy, slightly tart yet perfectly sweet, juicy and delicious. This is a perfect apple to slice up and place on a cheese board, smother with your favorite nut butter, or peel and bake into your favorite dessert.

An apple a day just might keep the doctor away, especially if it’s a Pink Lady!  A recent scientific study conducted at the University of Western Australia, found that the Pink Lady variety had the highest level of antioxidant flavonoids.  How exciting is that?!  My favorite apple is also the most healthful!  Flavonoids are a general term for several different classes of plant-based, water soluble nutritional compounds. They have been studied primarily for their ability to scavenge free radicals within your body that can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease and hasten the visible signs of aging like wrinkles.

Essentially, a diet high in antioxidant flavonoids is believed to help prevent and even repair cellular damage and inflammation within your body. This can lead to a lower chance of developing cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, dementia, certain cancers and many other health issues.  Scientific studies on these individual antioxidants, don’t really paint the whole picture.  It’s almost certain that rather than one or two individual compounds being responsible for the health benefits of apples, it’s the sum total of all the nutrients they contain working together that make them such a potent disease preventing and anti-aging fruit.

So apples are really good for you, but you need to eat the skin!  Recent research has shown that most of the phytonutrients in apples are located in and just under the skin.  Even more reason to always look for organic.  Pink Lady apples will be back in season any minute.  When choosing pink lady apples look for ones that are firm with no soft spots or bruises, and a rich red/pink color.  Store pink lady apples on your countertop for a few weeks and in the refrigerator for longer storage.   Here are some of my favorite apple recipes from my site, as well as a few others from around the web where I think pink lady apples would be delish!

Roasted Delicata Squash and Apple Salad 

Unsweetened Slow Cooker Applesauce

Apple Dipped Pancakes

Grain-free Cinnamon Apple Cake

Heirloom Apple Salad from 101 Cookbooks

Apple Mosaic Tart with Salted Caramel from Smitten Kitchen

Beet, Apple, Quinoa and Sprout Salad from Green Kitchen Stories

Kale, Apple and Pancetta Salad from Once Upon a Chef

Have a healthy weekend!

 

Fiesta salad with salsa vinaigrette recipe

Whenever I plan the amount of food I make in my classes, I always make sure I have tons of whatever salad I am teaching.  96% of my students are women and women loooooove salad.  And so do I.  I could eat salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  First course, side dish or main course.  I love lots of color, texture and juiciness.  And I love playing around with what’s in season.

toasted pepitas | pamela salzman

One of my pet peeves is a salad of lettuce, tomato and cucumber all year round.  People, this is so boring and completely out of synch with the seasons, unless it is summer.  Get some red cabbage in there or some microgreens, herbs or radishes.  Or something creamy like avocado, feta or peaches.  Crunchy like nuts, seeds or jicama.  There are infinite possibilities for salads and every meal is more complete and more delicious with a salad in it.

cutting an avocado | pamela salzman

If you are planning a Mexican or Tex-Mex meal for Cinco de Mayo or otherwise, this salad is perfecto.  It is super simple as it is written, but I will offer you a dozen ways you can make it more interesting and I’m sure you can come up with a dozen more.  The best part of this salad is the dressing, which uses salsa or pico de gallo as the base.   Chances are, if you are having a Mexican-inspired meal, you very likely have salsa on hand.  And this is a great recipe to make the day after your Mexican meal when you likely have leftover salsa on hand.  Speaking of dressing, I love this salsa vinaigrette not only only a salad, but on top of grilled fish, chicken or steak, too.  Or on a big platter of grilled veggies.

salsa vinaigrette | pamela salzman

In these photos, I used fire-roasted corn, but if you can’t find it or corn isn’t in season yet, use pinto beans.  Shredded chicken or steak is amazing in here, as are cucumbers, grilled red onions or zucchini, cubes of Monterey Jack cheese or tortilla strips.  If you want to add all these, go ahead and make lots more dressing.  The dressing stays fresh in the refrigerator as long as the salsa is fresh.  The pico de gallo in the pictures is made fresh at my Whole Foods, but it only stays good for about 4 or 5 days.

One of the best things about a salad as part of your meal is that you can usually prep the whole thing in advance and just assemble at the last minute.  This salad is no exception.  Greens can be washed and dried two days ahead.  Vinaigrette can be made 2 days ahead. Radishes can be sliced the day before.  This really is the perfect salad for your fiesta!

 

Fiesta Salad with Salsa Vinaigrette

Pamela
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 6 as a side dish (double to serve as a main dish)

Ingredients
  

  • Vinaigrette:
  • ½ cup fresh pico de gallo pulse it in the food processor if it’s too chunky
  • 3 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ - ¾ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2-3 teaspoons raw honey
  • a couple pinches of chili powder
  • 2 ears of corn shucked or 1 ½ cups thawed frozen fire-roasted corn or cooked pinto beans
  • 8 cups chopped lettuce like Romaine or Butter lettuce
  • 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
  • 1-2 ripe avocados sliced or cubed
  • 1/3 cup pepitas toasted and drizzled with ¼ teaspoon olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt OR sub a handful of tortilla strips instead of the pepitas

Instructions
 

  • To make the vinaigrette, whisk all the dressing ingredients in a bowl until combined. Set aside.
  • Preheat a grill to medium. Grill corn directly on the grill, turning occasionally until lightly charred on all sides. Remove from the grill and place on a cutting board. Cut the kernels off the cob.
  • Place the lettuce, corn kernels, radishes, avocados and pepitas in a salad bowl. Dip a piece of lettuce into the dressing and taste for seasoning. Drizzle salad with enough dressing to coat lightly and combine gently.

Notes

You can substitute finely shredded cabbage for some of the lettuce, add shredded Jack cheese or crumbled Cotija cheese, shredded chicken, steak or chunks of grilled salmon or shrimp.  Also, different salsas have different acidity levels, so taste the dressing before adding to the salad and season accordingly.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Five friday favorites 04.17.15

I have some old and new favorites to share this week.  And in between Friday Favorites, I am posting some amazing Mexican recipes to get you ready for Cinco de Mayo.  After which comes Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, school graduations, and Father’s Day — all in the next two months!  Lots to celebrate and lots to plan!

 

Jem Raw Organics Sprouted Nut Butters

Jem Raw Organic nut butters | pamela salzman

I know you already have a dozen nut butters that you love.  I personally have 2 dozen that I love!  But Jem Raw Organics has just stolen my heart for the time being with their out-of-this-world, creamy, delicious, perfectly sweet nut butter.  Jem Raw Organics has a line of sprouted (yes, sprouted, which means more digestible) organic, raw nut butters.  There are 4 delicious flavors to choose from, each inspired by a different superfood.  Does it get any better than that??  I actually bought all 4 and I heard they are introducing a cashew butter soon!  The unanimous favorite in our house is the Cinnamon Maca Almond Butter, but the Superberry Maqui Camu Almond Butter, Hazelnut Cacao, and Coconut Cardamom Almond Butter are also incredible.   I actually love putting the Coconut Cardmom flavor on my smoothie bowl because the coconut in the nut butter firms up when it comes into contact with cold and it becomes like Magic Shell!  Yesterday, I topped my oatmeal with the Superberry flavor and my son was eating a piece of toast with the Cinnamon Maca.  We are all hooked!

Unfortunately, they are expensive.  But, I’m never going to spend 72+ hours soaking, sprouting, and grinding almonds.  Are you?  I buy the 16 ounce size (which is the largest) from ThriveMarket.com which has the best price I have found at $23.95.  (It’s $29.99 on Jem’s website.)  I have seen the 6-ounce size at Whole Foods and other markets, and you can always order on amazon.  And then you’ll want to hide them in your pantry in the way back so no one will no they’re there and you won’t have to share. 😉

 

Beyond Yoga Salt and Pepper Stretch Capri Leggings

Beyond Yoga salt and pepper stretch pants

Due to aforementioned obsession with Jem nut butters, I need to exercise.  Often.  My workout clothing of choice is usually a stretch yoga pant and cami.  Tops are easy, but not all pants are created equal.  So when I find a pair of pants that fits me perfectly, is beyond comfortable and looks cute too, I’ll take them in every color, please!  These Salt and Pepper Stretch Leggings made by Beyond Yoga are my new faves.  I have them in Seaglass-White (that’s me on the left) t’d I just ordered another pair in Black-White (that’s a model on the right.)  As soon as the other out-of-stock colors come back in, I will probably order them, too.  They are ridiculously soft, fit like a glove, have the perfect amount of compression and stretch, and are super flattering since the waistband comes above my muffin top and holds my midsection all in.  I cannot deal with yoga pants that hit below the muffin top!!  Cannot.  These are the perfect yoga pants for me!  I bought mine on the Beyond Yoga website.

Microplane Graters

microplanes

I am not a useless-kitchen-gadget person.  I only possess tools which will actually make cooking easier and more fun.  And I especially like tools that do more than one thing.  So if I highlight an appliance or item on my site, it’s because I love it and can’t live without it.  Microplane graters are one of my absolute favorite kitchen tools.  There are many different styles/levels of coarseness.  I have the rasp grater which is perfect for zesting citrus and nutmeg (not that I ever grate fresh nutmeg if I’m being honest) and the coarse grater which I use for grating Parmesan cheese, chocolate, ginger and garlic.  I have had my Microplanes (Microplane is an actual brand name/company) for at least 10 years and they are still in great condition and the teeth are still razor-sharp.  I also love that they take up very little space in the drawer.  Word of advice — do clean your Microplanes immediately after using, otherwise the stuff you grated will dry up and get stuck in all the teeth and will not be fun to clean.  They are dishwasher safe, but I always wash them by hand.

Microplanes are not expensive and will run around $11 for the rasp and more for the large box grater.  I have seen Microplanes in Whole Foods, Bed Bath and Beyond, Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma and on amazon.com, which has the best price.

 

Seasonal Produce: Sweet Peas

peas

When I think of spring produce,e one of the first things that comes to mind is peas.  There are many varieties of peas, but I’d like to highlight green English peas this week since fresh ones have recently hit the farmers markets for a brief appearance.  English peas, also known as shell peas and garden peas, grow in a pod and need to be shelled before consuming (as opposed to Sugar Snaps and Snow peas where you eat the whole thing.)  So if you buy them fresh, there is some work involved.  I actually think shelling peas is a very zen activity, if you have time naturally.  I love the idea of sitting in a rocking chair on a wraparound porch shelling peas and listening to birds chirp.  I don’t have a wraparound porch or a rocking chair and I don’t really have the time to sit around shelling peas, but I love the idea of it!

When English peas are very fresh, they are so tender and sweet.  If they have been off the vine for a while, they can get a little starchy.  Luckily, frozen peas are easy to find and a great option if fresh is not available.

Peas are very rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese and also contain fair amounts of  iron, folate, vitamin B1, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, and copper. Peas are also high in fiber.  But what surprises many people is how much protein a cup of peas contains — 9 grams!!  Not surprisingly , I’seen pea protein powders gain in popularity lately.

A weird fact about green peas is that they contain an anti-fertility compound called m-xylohydroquinone, so it is recommended that pregnant women avoid them.

Here are some great recipes for English peas:

Three Pea Saute with or without Turkey Bacon

Minted Pea Dip

White Bean Salad with Peas and Mint from Not Without Salt

Peas with Leeks and Tarragon by Ashley Neese

Risotto with Peas, Marjoram and Asiago by Martha Stewart

Cold Pea and Basil Soup by Gwyneth Paltrow via Saveur

Superfood Spotlight:  Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

Are you thinking “how is raw apple cider vinegar a superfood?”  I realize vinegar might not be bursting with the same antioxidant levels as acai, but raw (emphasis on raw) apple cider vinegar is teeming with health benefits.  I use Bragg’s Raw Apple Cider Vinegar which contains what is called “the mother.”  The mother is a cloudy mass of naturally occurring pectin and proteins that form during fermentation. Filtered and pasteurized vinegars will not contain the mother and therefore lack the enzymes and other nutritional properties in raw ACV that have such a positive effect on the digestive process.  Raw apple cider vinegar contains minerals and trace elements, LDL cholesterol lowering pectin, acetic acid (which can help burn fat), anti-viral malic acid, live enzymes, amino acids and many other beneficial nutrients.  And it’s really cheap!

Vinegar is not just for salad dressings, although you can find my favorite everyday vinaigrette here.  I also drink it with water.  To improve digestion, take a tablespoon of ACV in a big glass of room temperature or warm water around 15 minutes before a meal to stimulate digestive juices for better breakdown of your food. In addition, raw apple cider vinegar can help:

  • heartburn, intestinal problems and constipation
  • increase the good bacteria in the gut and prevent candida
  • strengthen the immune system
  • detoxify and cleanse the liver
  • lower blood pressure
  • minimize bad breath
  • balance the skin’s pH levels, resulting in glowing skin!

It is important to dilute the vinegar though, and not just drink it straight.  Yikes!  If you think it’s too sour, just use more water.  Don’t add sugar or honey to the water, because that defeats the purpose!

 

The perfect spring salad recipe

the perfect spring salad | pamela salzman

I just had to squeeze in this last recipe before Easter (and Passover) in the hopes that some of you are still looking for inspiration!  I taught this salad all last month in my classes and it was THE salad I seemed to make all the time last year when I had people over for dinner in the spring.  Spring is the operative word here since there is no mistaking in what season this salad lives.   I mean just look at it!  It is everything spring should be  — bursting with lightness, color and a breath of fresh air!  And full of veggies that come into being in the spring.  Plus it’s beautiful and it will go perfectly with whatever you’re making.  Leg of lamb, perfect.  Baked ham?  Perfect.  Roast chicken or fish.  Perfect.

cut watermelon radishes crosswise

The key with this salad is the balance of textures and colors.  You want to keep everything somewhat delicate which is why I love Bibb or Butter lettuces.  I found this beautiful red-leaf butter lettuce at my farmers market and used it for every class.  But then you need to do your best to slice all the hard and crunchy stuff as thinly as you can, again to keep things light.  I used my food processor to thinly slice the cabbage, carrots and radishes.  If you have a 2mm or 1 mm slicing disc for your Cuisinart, I would use that.  My new Breville has an adjustable slicing disc, so I turned it to just under 1 mm.  I especially like bitter vegetables like radishes to be on the thin side.  If you don’t have a food processor and your mandolin scares you (I don’t blame you), then just get out your sharpest knife and do your best.  You can even do matchsticks for the radishes and grated carrots.

try to find heirloom carrots

 

Trader Joe's Organic Microgreens

See if you can find beautiful heirloom carrots in purple or yellow and watermelon radishes like the ones here which are so dramatic!  I was able to find such carrots at my farmers market as well as Trader Joe’s.  My Whole Foods has had these radishes for the last three weeks.  Stunning!  They will make you look so good.  Your family and friends will be so impressed with whatever dish is graced with sliced watermelon radishes!  Truth be told however, my favorite component of this salad is the fresh chives.  Light, grassy with a very mild onion flavor, chives are like the most delicate green onions.  I just love them in this salad and others, too.  You know how much I enjoy shallots in my salad dressings, but I don’t add them here because the shallots offer enough of that flavor.  Even if you don’t make this recipe, consider adding chopped fresh chives to your next salad.  I know you won’t be disappointed!

the perfect spring salad | pamela salzman

You can do so much with this salad including adding feta, mint leaves, walnuts, avocado, oranges or kumquats.  There’s plenty of dressing for you to add in any of these.  Speaking of dressing, since there’s nothing in this one that can spoil, feel free to make this well in advance.  I’m sure it would do just fine in the fridge for 2 weeks.  It will firm up though because of the olive oil, so remember to pull it out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before you wish to serve it.

the perfect spring salad | pamela salzman

I hope you have a beautiful holiday, shared with the ones you love!  xoxo

the perfect spring salad | pamela salzman

the perfect spring salad | pamela salzman

the perfect spring salad | pamela salzman

The Perfect Spring Salad

Pamela
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 6 -8

Ingredients
  

  • For the salad:
  • 1 large or 2 small heads butter lettuce washed, spun dry and leaves torn into bite size pieces (about 16 cups)
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
  • 4 radishes sliced as thin as possible
  • 2 carrots preferably purple, scrubbed clean and julienned or sliced super thin
  • ½ 1.75 ounce box micro greens
  • 1 bunch fresh chives chopped
  • For the dressing: this will provide slightly more than you need, but will allow for a few add-ins
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar preferably raw
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 6-8 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil (depending on strength of vinegar)
  • 1 teaspoon raw honey
  • Other additions/substitutions: a few kumquats sliced crosswise chopped sugar snap peas, thinly sliced fennel, avocado, feta cheese, edible flowers, walnuts, mint leaves, flaky sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Place the butter lettuce in a large bowl and layer the remaining ingredients on top.
  • Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl or screw top jar and whisk or shake to combine.
  • Drizzle just enough dressing to coat lightly and toss together.  Finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea, if desired.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Coconut-Almond Tart with Strawberries Recipe

When I was a little girl, I loved any holiday where candy was involved.  I was crazy about sugar and my mother didn’t allow many sweet treats in the house, so I really looked forward to those “special occasions.”  Lucky for me, my auntie was all too happy to satisfy my sweet tooth whenever possible.  She was and still is an unbelievable baker as well as a top customer at her local chocolate shop.  You name the holiday, she had the matching sweets, especially on Easter, which was like sugar-on-steroids.  There were small little foil-wrapped bunnies for our baskets, large chocolate boxed bunnies, jelly beans in every color of the rainbow, chocolate eggs and the best one of all — a ginormous chocolate-covered coconut egg.  Imagine a moist, dense, sliceable orb of sweetened coconut covered in milk chocolate — I was obsessed with this confection!  Believe me, I’m not trying to tempt you here.  It was so sickenly sweet, I am sure if I had a bite of it today, I would be nauseous.  Definitely not worth it!

I’m no longer obsessed with that coconut egg (or candy, for that matter.)   But since then, I’ve always associated Easter with coconut, which is funny because it’s really a season-less food.  And in the last decade since I’ve been on the health food path, coconut has found it’s way to me in many forms, none of which is sweetened with sugar nor coated with chocolate-flavored sugar.  Today I rely on unrefined coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut water and unsweetened shredded coconut and my body is much happier with me.  So when I was coming up with a new Easter dessert a few years ago, coconut immediately came to mind.  But since I also celebrate Passover with my husband’s family, I wanted something I could serve on that holiday, too, so no grains or flours allowed.  Lastly, I wanted a delicious dessert that wouldn’t make me feel sick after I ate a slice.  And this is what it really boils down to for me.  I rarely eat sweets and when I do, I’m not looking for dessert to take care of my nutritional needs.   So whereas it’s nice in theory to know I may be getting a few extra minerals from unrefined sweeteners and unprocessed ingredients, I just want a tasty treat that doesn’t make me feel like hell afterwards.  Like this coconut tart!

 

This tart is so delicious and light, but it also happens to be gluten-free, vegan (if you use coconut oil), Passover-friendly, and adaptable to the fruits of the season.  I love making this tart with strawberries now since they are absolutely everywhere and super luscious.  But I’m sure you can picture this like a traditional fruit tart with raspberries, blueberries, kiwis, ripe peaches and/or apricots.  If you don’t like coconut (seriously?), you probably won’t love this, but you can always swap your favorite (hopefully not too toxic) crust for this one.  The coconut custard is very subtle and not overly sweet, so do give it a chance.  For those of you looking to get a jump-start on your holiday baking (I love the way you think), you can definitely make both the crust and the pastry cream 2-3 days in advance and keep both covered in the refrigerator.  You can even wash, dry, and slice your strawberries the day before and keep them covered in the fridge, if it makes your life easier.  It’s best to wait until the day you serve it to spread the cream on top of the crust to avoid it becoming soggy.  Leftovers (what leftovers?) should be kept refrigerated otherwise you’ll run into the same soggy crust issue.  For my other two favorite go-to Easter and Passover desserts, check out my Lemon Ice Torte, which I’ve been making since 1991 (gasp!) and Coconut Macaroons.  With desserts like these, you won’t be tempted by your kids’ Easter baskets!

Coconut-Almond Tart with Strawberries

Pamela
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Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil or unsalted butter plus additional for greasing pan
  • ¼ cup 100% pure maple syrup preferably Grade A
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup almond meal or almond flour
  • 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ vanilla bean halved lengthwise
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ½ cup coconut milk not light
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup preferably Grade A
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 2 ½ Tablespoons non-GMO cornstarch such as Bob’s Red Mill or Rapunzel
  • 1/3 cup cold water
  • 1 dry pint strawberries sliced

Instructions
 

  • Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat a 9 ½ -inch tart pan with removable bottom with butter or coconut oil. Whisk together coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla until well blended. In a mixing bowl, combine almond meal, coconut and salt. Add wet mixture to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. It will be quite sticky. Press into bottom and up sides of pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Make the filling: Scrape vanilla seeds into a small saucepan, and add pod. Stir in the almond milk, coconut milk, maple syrup and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard vanilla pod.
  • In a small bowl, combine the cold water and cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Pour into the coconut milk mixture and simmer, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened like pastry cream. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer cream to the refrigerator and chill.
  • Just before serving, pour custard into crust and spread evenly. Arrange berries decoratively on top and serve immediately. Best kept refrigerated.
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