The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) opened The Restaurant at CIA Copia in Napa California, and Gratitude Gourmet experienced a great Dinner this week! The Restaurant Concept offers Tapas/Dim Sum Style Dining with a variety of options to choose from. I chose a glass of Luna wine and these vegetarian options, and asked the Chef if a special vegetarian option could be prepared and he prepared 2 special delicious dishes: Roasted Cauliflower with pine nuts and raisins, and Mushroom Tartine with woods, trumpet, and chanterelle! . Three Spreads, rosemary flatbread with Harissa Hummus, Eggplant, mint and cucumber yogurt . Romaine hearts, Meyer lemon goddess . Roasted Califlower with pine nuts and raisins . Charred Carrots, cumin yogurt . Mushroom Tartine . Woods trumpet and chanterelle . Creme Fraiche Ice Cream ** As a Tip sit at the Bar watching the Chefs work their Magic! Cheers!! Beth Dooley's IN WINTER'S KITCHEN: Growing Roots and Breaking Bread in the Northern Heartland demonstrates that a locally sourced winter diet is more than a possibility: it can be healthy, community-based, economically just, delicious, and can provide essential food solutions for the whole country. Below are two vegetarian recipes from the Book: Applesauce and Cranberry Sauce. Enjoy and Happy Holidays! Applesauce Recipe MAKES ABOUT 1 QUA R T To vary the sauce, add a cinnamon stick and a little freshly grated nutmeg. 2 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped 1⁄2 cup apple cider 1 to 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, to taste Put the apples and cider into a large saucepan and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the apples are very tender and the sauce is thick, about twenty minutes. Cool a little and sweeten to taste with the honey or syrup. APPLES SAVORY APPLESAUCE VARIATION: Omit the honey or syrup and add 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or a sprig of fresh rosemary. APPLE BUTTER: Continue cooking the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot, until very thick and caramel colored. Depending on the quantity of sauce in the pot, this may take anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour. Cranberry Sauce MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS Do not add the sweetener until after the berries have popped open, as it will make them tough. This sauce keeps beautifully in a covered container in the refrigerator. Add a chopped apple or pear for variety. 3 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and sorted 1⁄2 cup apple cider or orange juice 1⁄2 cup sugar, honey, or maple syrup, to taste In a medium saucepan, bring the cranberries and cider or juice to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the berries have popped open, about three to five minutes. Stir in sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste—about half a cup should be plenty. Constantin Bisanz, a health enthusiast, avid athlete and Austrian entrepreneur Constantin Bisanz founded ALOHA in January 2014 with a mission to help others live healthier, happier lives. Products are: Non GMO, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Vegan and have NOTHING artificial Check out Aloha's Recipe for Vegan No-Churn Pumpkin Ice Cream Serves Four to Six Ingredients 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 serving ALOHA Vanilla Protein 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/4 cup agave, honey, or stevia - adjust to desired sweetness 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup cream from the top of a can of coconut milk (full fat is best) Optional topping: ALOHA Superfood Chocolate Preparation Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend well. Place the mixture in your freezer for at least an hour. Scoop and enjoy! It will last about a month if stored in your freezer. Photo Credit: Erin McCulloch A Survey of 2,056 U.S. adults ages 18 and older conducted by Harris Poll reveals that Americans overwhelmingly chose Chocolate Chip as their favorite homemade holiday cookie (31 percent). Finlandia Imported Butter is made with non-GMO ingredients according to European standards and contains no artificial ingredients or added hormones. Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies This recipe makes a smaller batch than a traditional chocolate cookie recipe. It can be doubled with no problems. Makes about 16 cookies. INGREDIENTS
By Nicole Gaffney (ColeyCooks.com) The Liver is the seat of our overall health and wellness and the health of nearly every organ is intimately connected with our liver. A healthy liver is essential to a fully functioning body, but our modern sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits can truly damage the liver--and damage our health overall. A silent health crisis is impacting one-third of the American population---nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Because its symptoms often don't manifest until the liver is seriously compromised, many people are not aware that they are at risk. Did you know that if you have fatty liver disease, you are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke), and potentially several devastating conditions such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer? Did you know that fat is as dangerous as alcohol to the liver? Award-winning dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick and hepatologist Dr. Ibrahim Hanouneh have teamed up for a life-changing program that will help you achieve optimal health. Skinny Liver's four-week program shares the steps you can take to get your liver health back on track, with everything from exercise to healthy eating and other lifestyle changes--along with delicious liver-friendly recipes. Written by two experts in the field and based on the latest research, Skinny Liver is an authoritative, easy-to-follow guide to health and wellness, not just for your most essential organ, but for your whole body. Okane, the Japanese izakaya in SoMa recently received the Bib Gourmand from Michelin. The sister and neighbor of the Michelin-starred Omakase, Okane has become a very popular destination for stellar yet casual Japanese cuisine. As a Vegetarian you can also find a wide variety of options. Vegetable Ippin includes: . Stewed Hijiki Seaweed (carrot, shitake, lotus root) . Spinach with Sesame Mousse . Cucumber and Daikon Salad - served with shiokombu dressing . Bok Choy with Sesame Mousse . Fried Lotus Root Chips wasabi mayo . Grilled Shitake Mushroom served with ponzu sauce ***** this is absolutely delicious!!! . Agedashi Tofu (momiji oroshi, chive, tentsuyu served in a clay pot Check out the latest pics from our Gratitude Gourmet visit to Okane for a Sake Social. Cheers! Purple Heart Wine is a cause-based brand started by C. Mondavi & Family, in collaboration with winemakers David Grega and Ray Coursen, a Vietnam veteran. Each year, the brand makes a generous donation to the Purple Heart Foundation, an organization that supports veterans in need of employment, medical assistance and so much more when they return home. The 2014 wine is an exceptional blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. It boasts aromas of mulberries, plums and blackberries with hints of black licorice and a long velvety mouthfeel. Your loved ones will truly enjoy this luxurious red blend and you will have peace of mind knowing you gave something to a veteran. Epicurious, one of the most trusted voices in food, announced the launch of a new collection of custom designed wines – Epicurious Wine - for people who love to cook, use great ingredients, and want to make sure their wine works just as well in their wine glass as it does in their pan sauce. Carefully blended in Sonoma, CA by award-winning winemaker Linda Trotta and Epicurious staff, the signature varietals include a robust Cabernet Sauvignon as well as a delicate Chardonnay. In conjunction with the wine’s development and release, Epicurious whipped up custom recipes featuring these new wines, food & wine pairings, and more. Cheers! Check out this Recipe for Red Wine Braised Cabbage and Onions! Cheers and Enjoy! YIELD Makes 8 to 10 servings ACTIVE TIME 1 hr TOTAL TIME 2 3/4 hr INGREDIENTS
Looking for delicious dessert options for the holidays? Why not go beyond the traditional pies, cookies and cakes, and offer noosa yoghurt! noosa yoghurt, a unique combination of sweet and tarte taste plus a thick, velvety texture has warm and festive flavors including: Pumpkin, Vanilla and Mexican Chocolate – all of which are great dessert alternatives. Enjoy! Who wouldn’t love a personalized cutting board to use and display in their kitchen?!! You choose the name/message and Stamp Out http://stampoutonline.com/ will customize a cutting board just for you or that special someone on your list! Made with natural wood and no two boards look alike. Use the flat side for cutting and the engraved side for display. $22-$50. See more at: http://www.stampoutonline.com/collections/cutting-boards Cru is a great new Redwood City, California wine bar, retail merchant and café created by Donato Scotti, the chef/owner of Donato Enoteca (Redwood City) and Desco (Oakland). For this new venture, Scotti has teamed up with Certified Sommelier and partner Eric Lecours and General Manager Jesus Ernesto Mendoza who previously worked with Charlie Trotter in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Artisan wines are available by the glass, bottle, case and for shipment is offered along with a European style café menu that includes Roman style pizza by the slice, croissants, snacks and specialty coffee from Gianni Frasi of Giamaica Caffè in Verona specifically imported for Cru. Check out the daily Aperitivi & Happy Hour from 3:00 to 6 p.m. The 50-seat dining room has a comfortable "rustic and modern" décor, a custom built metal structure over the bar reminiscent of train tracks; reclaimed redwood table tops, and wine display cabinets, and a 1961 Faema espresso machine. Gratitude Gourmet visited Cru this week for dinner and enjoyed all the following selections. Pictures are Below. Champagne: . Duval-Leroy Brut Reserve Snacks: . Boquerones . Spanish White Anchovies Pizza Al Taglio: . Romana tomato anchovies pantelleria . Verdure roasted vegetables basil and ricotta Red Wine . 2013 Turley California Zinfandel Old Vines . 2013 Melville Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir Estate . 2014 Hourglass Napa Valley Red HG III . Cabernet Merlot Petit Syrah California . 2014 Feraud Brunel Rasteau grenache France Cheese Plate included assorted cheeses including: . Parmigiano Reggiano 36 months . Manchego 12 months Dessert . Bread Pudding Marsala and creme anglaise - so DELICIOUS!!! It’s a cookbook unlike any other -- part memoir, part recipe book, LEO TOLSTOY: A VEGETARIAN’S TALE. Exploring the mid-life conversion to vegetarianism of one of the world’s most famous authors invites readers to step back in time and dine on the family recipes of Tolstoy, the author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina as well as one of the world’s most preeminent vegetarians, is now available in e-book and in print, just in time for holiday gift-giving. More than 100 years after his death, Leo Tolstoy’s novels continue to captivate readers with their fresh and modern attitude towards personal and national morals and ethics. Tolstoy’s personal life was a constant pursuit of respect and kindness towards both humans and animals. To that end, he eventually adopted a vegetarian lifestyle, feeling that it was wrong to ask animals to sacrifice their lives for the sake of his dinner. However, he still insisted that his household find ways to prepare delicious and satisfying meals without using meat. Tolstoy’s wife Sophia Andreevna collaborated with her kitchen staff to create recipes that would satisfy Tolstoy and their family and friends. Eventually, Stepan Andreevich Bers, Sophia’s brother, collected and published her recipes in a private “Cookery Book” as a gift to her. LEO TOLSTOY: A VEGETARIAN’S TALE features Sophia’s original recipes updated for modern cooks as well as personal anecdotes and delightful illustrations of Tolstoy’s life. Those who purchase the E-Book version will find it equipped with hyperlinks, which will take readers to passages in Tolstoy’s books where those dishes are referenced. This is a book that will appeal to fans of Tolstoy and Russian literature as well as those who follow or wish to explore a vegetarian lifestyle. Looking for some new holiday treats? Savannah Bee has combined crystallized Wildflower honey and organic Peruvian cocoa powder to make a unique holiday treat – Whipped Chocolate Honey! When combined, these two ingredients provide a sweet, silky spread that’s great for holiday cookies, warm biscuits, or a topping for waffles or cakes. Stoneridge Orchards offers an array of all-natural Montmorency Cherries, Blueberries and Strawberries, dipped in delicious chocolate for a sweet, fruity treat. Each can be served on its own, or incorporated into an easy dessert platter when entertaining. Check out the Chocolate Cherry Decandence Recipe here. Enjoy! You must check out the Organic Spices from Just Spices. You have lots of spice blends to choose from including crushed Tellicherry Pepper and Guacamole Seasoning! Enjoy! The Perfect Diabetes Comfort Food Collection (American DiabetesAssociation/October 2016) by Robyn Webb includes some great vegetarian Lasagna Recipes including a No Noodle Zucchini Lasagna. Recipe is below and of course you can customize to make it vegan-friendly! Enjoy! NO NOODLE ZUCCHINI LASAGNA Serves: 18 | Serving size: 2 × 3-inch square Prep time: 45 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour 25 minutes Zucchini lasagna was the very first lasagna I ever made. Originally, I prepared it with noodles, but now I realize that long strips of zucchini stand in for the noodles beautifully. MARINARA SAUCE 2 tablespoons olive oil 5 garlic cloves, minced 1 (28-ounce) can good-quality canned tomatoes, preferably packed in its own juice, drained, liquid reserved 5 fresh basil leaves with stems, sliced or whole 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground red chili flakes (optional) 3 large zucchini FILLING 16 ounces firm lite tofu 1/2 cup minced parsley Juice of 1/2 lemon 2 teaspoons lemon zest 1 garlic clove, minced 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 1 egg, beaten 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper TOPPING 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese 1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 2. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet with a lid over low heat (do not use a deep pot, as you want the water to quickly evaporate and the sauce to become thick). Cook the garlic for about 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Meanwhile, add the drained tomatoes to a deep bowl. Crush the tomatoes with your hands, until coarse. Add the tomatoes and basil to the skillet and simmer, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes until thick. Add some of the reserved liquid from the can of tomatoes if the sauce is too thick. 4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. As the sauce simmers, slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick slices with a knife or mandolin. Arrange the zucchini on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the zucchini lightly with salt. Bake the zucchini for about 10–12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove the zucchini from the oven. Gently roll up the zucchini slices in a towel to get rid of the excess moisture, or just use paper toweling and blot very well. Be careful to keep the slices intact. Add in the salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (if using) to the tomato sauce. 5. In a food processor or blender, process the tofu, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic until smooth. Add to a large bowl and mix in the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg, salt, and pepper. 6. Pour about 1/3 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9 × 12 baking pan. Add a layer of zucchini slices, overlapping them slightly. Add 1/3 of the filling mixture over the zucchini, spreading evenly with a spatula. Add about 1/3 of the remaining marinara sauce over the tofu cheese filling. Repeat the layering process until all ingredients are used up, finishing with marinara sauce. Sprinkle the top of the lasagna with the Parmesan or Romano cheese. 7. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove the lasagna from the oven, let stand at room temperature for 10–15 minutes so lasagna can settle and it will be easier to cut. Cut into squares. CALORIES 80 CALORIES FROM FAT 35 TOTAL FAT 4.0 g SATURATED FAT 1.6 g TRANS FAT 0.0 g CHOLESTEROL 20 mg SODIUM 240 mg POTASSIUM 260 mg TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE 5 g DIETARY FIBER 1 g SUGARS 3 g PROTEIN 6 g PHOSPHORUS 115 mg EXCHANGES/CHOICES: 1 Nonstarchy Vegetable; 1 Protein, medium fat BLUEBERRIES Serves: 1 | Serving size: 1/3 cup 1/3 cup of blueberries 1. Serve blueberries alongside lasagna and protein. EXCHANGES / CHOICES 1/2 Fruit Calories 25; Calories from Fat 0; Total Fat 0.0 g; Saturated Fat 0.0 g; Trans Fat 0.0 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 0 mg; Potassium 35 mg; Total Carbohydrate 7 g; Dietary Fiber 1 g; Sugars 5 g; Protein 0 g; Phosphorus 5 mg ©2016 by Robyn Webb. Reprinted with permission from The American Diabetes Association. Photography: Renée Comet. The Perfect Diabetes Comfort Food Collection is available at ShopDiabetes.org, in bookstores nationwide, or by calling 1-800-232-6733. Per Adweek: "A slew of brands—including Kellogg's, Allstate and Warby Parker—have pulled their Brietbart ad buys because of hate speech concerns in the past week. Last week, ad-tech company AppNexus also shut down Breitbart's access to its advertising marketplace after an audit revealed that "there were enough articles and headlines that cross the line, either coded or overt language." Here's a Target Cartwheel Kelloggs Cereal Coupon for 30% off. Buy lots of cereal and Donate to a Food Bank. |