Perfect Chia Seed Pudding

Cooking class is in session with Chef Pamela Salzman of The Chalkboard Mag and Kitchen Matters as she shows us how to use chia seeds to make a delicious breakfast of snack: chia seed pudding! Rich in nutrition and fun to use – chia seeds are the hottest thing in health food trends.  See this post here for exact recipe.

Grain-free Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe and VIDEO

You’re either going to love me or hate me for this post.  Why?  Because this grain-free chocolate cake which just so happens to have zucchini in it is AMAZING.  You will love how rich and chocolaty it is,  how moist and tender.  You will be utterly amazed that this cake has no flour of any kind and that there is zucchini in it.  Zucchini!   It is sweetened with maple syrup and that’s all.  After your first bite, you might exclaim, “Three cheers for Pamela!”

All the ingredients -- one bowl

Orrrrrrr, you will find this cake, which is more like a cross between a brownie and cake, completely irresistible and TOO amazing.  You will walk by it on the countertop and find the uncontrollable need to even out all the edges until you are left with a mere crumb.  But you’ll convince yourself it’s healthful!  It contains almond butter and zucchini.  Zucchini!  And you will not be able to stop eating it.  The next time you make it you will freeze most of it so that you are not tempted by its chocolaty goodness and inhale three-fourths of it before the kids get home.  But you cannot stop dreaming about this cake so you find out it even taste good FROZEN because there is no waiting when it comes to this cake.  And after you eat all of the frozen cake, you might exclaim, “I curse the day I met Pamela!  Darn this chocolate amazingness!”

Batter

 

Grain-free Chocolate Zucchini Cake | Pamela Salzman

And that’s what I’m talking about.

Even Mr. Picky himself went crazy for this cake.  I actually came clean and told him there was zucchini in here and he didn’t care!!  If you are nut-free, don’t sweat.  Substitute sunflower butter in an equal amount and it will work perfectly.  Sunflower butter does have a slightly nuttier flavor, almost like peanut butter.  But I when I made the cake with sunflower butter for some nut-free people, they couldn’t detect it.  Make it.  Devour it. Love it.  Share it.  Tell me all about it.

Grain-free Chocolate Zucchini Cake | Pamela Salzman

Grain-free Chocolate Zucchini Cake | Pamela Salzman

5.0 from 23 reviews
Save Print
Grain-free Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe and VIDEO
Author: 
Serves: makes 1 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch cake
 
Ingredients
  • coconut oil or butter for greasing pan
  • 1 cup creamy, unsweetened, unsalted almond butter, raw or roasted, or sunflower butter for a nut-free cake
  • ⅓ cup pure Grade A maple syrup or raw honey
  • ¼ cup raw cacao or cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine ground sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups of shredded zucchini, about 2 small
  • 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch pan. If you want to remove the cake from the pan in one piece, line it with unbleached parchment paper as well.
  2. In a large bowl combine the almond butter, maple syrup, cacao powder, salt, coffee powder, egg, vanilla, and baking soda until smooth.
  3. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.
  4. Pour into prepared pan and bake until just set and a toothpick comes out clean or with dry crumbs. Do not overbake. A 9 x 9 pan will take 35-45 minutes. An 8 x 8 pan will take 40-50 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
Notes
Notes: You can also add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter.

Italian Fried Rice Recipe and * VIDEO *


I ate an excessive amount of pasta growing up.  My mom prepared it about three times per week and then we usually had it also on Sundays when we went to spend the day with my mom’s family or my dad’s.  Pasta was part of our heritage, not just an easy dinner and not eaten plain with butter the way I know many kids prefer it.  (Coincidentally, my father is visiting this week and on Day 2 he was already asking for a plate of spaghetti!)

Italian Fried Rice made with brown rice and seasonal veggies | Pamela Salzman

Ironically I don’t make pasta much for my family, and not because we don’t like it.  We do!  And it’s not because pasta is a processed food, because it is and I try to limit those.  But, I don’t eat much pasta because I can’t stop myself from overeating it!  Did you know 1 serving of pasta is 1/2 cup?  Basically, I try to keep my carbohydrates to 2 servings per meal to avoid blood sugar spikes and to attempt to maintain a healthful weight.  Unfortunately, overeating pasta for me is very, very easy.  I think I can consume 4 cups of pasta no problem.  I know I can make a dish with mostly veggies and some pasta, but I always end up eating seconds.  And thirds.

Whole grains like farro, barley and brown rice I don’t overeat as easily.  A few years ago I ate a fried rice dish at Ammo in LA that was a game changer.  I always assumed fried rice to be Asian-inspired, but this one wasn’t.  And it’s not fried, by the way.  Just sautéed. It just had lots of seasonal market vegetables and brown rice all sautéed in olive oil.  It made me think about all the possibilities for fried rice and I have enjoyed making versions of that dish since then.  My favorite combination I came up with is this one here, which has an Itailian twist.  I am crazy for it because it makes me feel like I’m eating all the yummy flavors I would put in pasta and it feels more satisfying because the brown rice has so much more fiber than pasta.

But just like regular fried rice, this is a great way to use up bits of leftover veggies or any kind of grain, for that matter.  And it is super quick (as in minutes) to throw together.  I probably eat a version of this recipe for lunch more than anything else if I am working at home.  Now that I think about it, I am going to make this for my parents this week!

Italian Fried Rice with brown rice and veggies | pamela salzman

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Save Print
Italian Fried Rice
Author: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined, cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • a pinch of chili flakes (optional)
  • ½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 or 2 cups of shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps wiped clean with a damp paper towel and sliced thinly
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • a few leaves of fresh basil, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 cups baby leafy greens like chard, kale and spinach or 6 stalks of kale, stemmed and leaves chopped or more
  • 3-4 cups COOKED short grain brown rice
  • chicken stock, vegetable stock or water, if necessary
  • optional accompaniment ideas: grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino cheese, poached or fried egg, toasted, chopped nuts, hot sauce
Instructions
  1. Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and when warm, add the garlic and chili flakes. Sauté until the garlic is just starting to turn golden on the edges, about 30-60 seconds.
  2. Add the cherry tomatoes, asparagus, mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté until the tomatoes just start to lose their shape and the asparagus and mushrooms are tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the fresh basil and sauté until wilted.
  3. Add the cooked rice, the greens and another pinch of salt and pepper and sauté until the rice is warmed through and the greens are wilted. If the rice and vegetables are sticking to the pan, add a splash of water or stock. Serve immediately with or without suggested accompaniments.
Notes
Cooked quinoa, millet or lentils can be subbed for the rice.  You can also use part grain/part chickpeas. Or omit the tomatoes and basil and use different quick-cooking vegetables like thinly sliced fennel, diced zucchini, shredded carrots, blanched cauliflower florets, peas, scallions.  And use different ingredients to add in later, such as cooked beets, sliced oranges, avocado, olives and so on.  There are unlimited combinations!

 

 

How to Cook Whole Artichokes VIDEO

 

 

Watch this video to see how easy it is to prepare artichokes.  The tomato-basil salad is optional,  but very tasty and a lot more healthful than a traditional mayonnaise-based dipping sauce!  I am excited to share more videos soon!

whole steamed artichokes with tomato-basil salad

Asparagus and Spinach Salad with Quinoa Video

 

A little side note:  when we shot this video, we used 1 cup pre-rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water.  The recipe link above calls for 1 cup quinoa and 1 3/4 cups of water because that is how I make it at home and I rinse my quinoa in a fine mesh sieve.  Hope that makes sense!

Save Print
Asparagus and Spinach Salad with Quinoa
Author: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • Kosher salt for salting water
  • 1 bunch medium asparagus spears, about 1 pound, woody ends trimmed
  • 3 golden medium-large golden beets, tops removed and reserved for another use; roasted, peeled and cubed, about 1 ½ cups
  • 2 cups baby spinach leaves
  • Mint Vinaigrette:
  • ¼ cup diced red onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ cup fresh mint leaves
  • 3 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon raw honey
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • ½ cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Rinse the quinoa with cold water in a fine mesh sieve. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add 1 ¾ cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and lower to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until all water has been absorbed. Allow to sit off the heat, covered for an additional 10 minutes.
  2. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and submerge the asparagus for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge the asparagus in the ice water bath until cooled. Remove from the water, pat dry and cut into 1-inch pieces.
  3. Prepare the vinaigrette: in a blender or a food processor, combine the onions, garlic, mint, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Turn the motor on and add the olive oil in a slow steady stream.
  4. Place the spinach leaves in a large salad bowl. Add the quinoa, beets and asparagus to the spinach. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning.
Notes
Feta and walnuts are both fantastic in this salad.

 

Creamy, Dairy-free Asparagus Soup Recipe and Video

Creamy, Dairy-Free Asparagus Soup | Pamela Salzman
Creamy, Dairy-Free Asparagus Soup | Pamela Salzman
Photography by Morgan Pansing

I remember growing up in New York and feeling gipped when Spring rolled around.  Why?  Because 90% of the time it was still cold!   My parents told me that last Saturday it was snowing.  Brrrrrr!  Sort of doesn’t really match the image I used to have of spring — lying under a flowering tree, daffodils and tulips under a sunny sky.  I’d rather hunker down with a bowl of hot soup wearing a beanie and not a bonnet.

woody ends in a pot for asparagus stock

But nature is giving us some new foods to enjoy, to help us detoxify all the stuff weighing us down from winter.  I’ve been making mostly thick and hearty meal-in-a-bowl soups like lentil or mushroom-barley.  But I saw gorgeous green local asparagus at the farmer’s market the other day and jumped for joy.  And then I made asparagus soup!  Since the season is so short, I will prepare it at least once a week until I see the words “from Mexico” and then it’s adios asparagus!

a little lemon peel gives the soup a really nice bright flavor

ingredients

Believe it or not, asparagus is a total powerhouse vegetable.  It is rich in antioxidants which protect against free radical damage. Asparagus also contains high amounts of histones, folic acid, and nucleic acid, which boost the immune system.  It contains high levels of the amino acid asparagine, which serves as a natural diuretic, and increased urination not only releases fluid but helps rid the body of excess salts. This is especially beneficial for people who suffer from edema (an accumulation of fluids in the body’s tissues) and those who have high blood pressure or other heart-related diseases.  And it is a particularly rich source of glutathione, a detoxifying compound that helps break down carcinogens and other harmful compounds. This is why eating asparagus may help protect against and fight certain forms of cancer, such as bone, breast, colon, larynx and lung cancers.

looks weird, but after you puree it, it tastes delicious!

This creamy soup is so lovely and EASY.  Easy enough to make tonight on a moment’s notice and special enough to serve for your holiday luncheon or dinner.  Guess what?  Passover is next Monday night and Easter is in less than two weeks.  Time to get those menus in order!  This soup is perfect and of course, it gets its creaminess not from dairy, but from one of my favorite non-dairy tricks, oats!  Crazy, right?  You cook rolled oats with the asparagus and puree everything to a thick and silky creaminess which tastes nothing of oats and only fresh asparagus!  If you need this soup to be Passover-friendly, you can substitute 1 pound of Yukon Gold potatoes for the oats.

puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender

I have made this soup with all vegetable broth and it was terrific.  I tried it will all chicken stock and I thought it was a little too chicken-y.  My favorite way is with half chicken stock and half asparagus stock — amazing!  What’s asparagus stock?  You take the woody ends from the bottom of the asparagus spears and simmer them in water until you have a lovely, delicately-flavored asparagus broth.  This would also be awesome for a vegetarian asparagus risotto!  (Easy-to-follow instructions are at the bottom of the recipe.)  Happy Spring!

Creamy, Dairy-Free Asparagus Soup | Pamela Salzman

Creamy, Dairy-Free Asparagus Soup | Pamela Salzman

4.9 from 8 reviews
Save Print
Creamy, Dairy-free Asparagus Soup
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoon unrefined olive oil, unsalted butter or unrefined coconut oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats (check label for gluten-free)
  • 2 bunches of asparagus, about 2 pounds, woody ends trimmed* and stalks cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
  • 2 cups water (or asparagus stock – see note at bottom of recipe)
  • 1 large piece of lemon peel, about 2 inches
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt (more if you use unsalted stock)
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until tender and translucent, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring soup to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cover pot and cook for 10 -15 minutes until asparagus is very tender.
  4. Turn off heat and remove the lemon peel. Or for a more assertive lemon flavor, blend the peel or half the peel with the soup. Puree the soup until smooth, either directly in the pot with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender (keep the lid open a crack.)Ideas for garnishes: steamed asparagus tips, garlic croutons, shaved Pecorino-Romano cheese or chopped chives.
Notes
*Save the ends for vegetable stock (recipe here) or boil the ends in 3 cups of water for 20-30 minutes for an asparagus stock. This should yield approximately 2 cups of asparagus stock, but measure anyway.

 

 

 

Creamy, Dairy-Free Asparagus Soup | Pamela Salzman