Paleo Banana Pudding…Pie

After my last post defaming pecan pie, I am a little reluctant to give my opinion on another popular american dessert for fear of alienating any other fervent readers of Southern Hospitality.  I had no idea there would be so many pecan pie advocates who would be displeased with my assessment of that particular culinary atrocity but perhaps there is a lesson to be learned here?

Although I am not a fan of pecan pie, I absolutely adore banana pudding. This simple dessert was always a favorite of mine growing up. My grandmother would whip up some homemade vanilla pudding and layer it between slices of bananas and that ever-popular cookie from the late-sixties, Nilla wafers. This sweet and affordable dessert was perfect on a hot summer day and was easy enough to make for us even in the middle of the week. My grandmother would only enjoy her banana pudding on the first day, while the cookies were still crisp but I preferred my pudding day two, once they had become saturated and softened by the vanilla pudding.

In my own home, I have tried to eat as “cleanly” as possible for quite some time. It’s taken years but we have all but eliminated processed and prepared foods from our pantry and refrigerator. Consequently, we don’t keep boxes of Nilla wafers in our home as my grandmother always did, so my consumption of banana pudding has waned pretty drastically over the years. As I’ve mentioned previously, my attempts at creating “healthy” versions of some of my favorite foods has backfired on me more than once so I haven’t had the urge to make a batch of what would likely be hemp, spelt “faux-Nilla” wavers. Fortunately, I similarly adore banana cream pie, so opt for that when a craving arises. Even still, there’s the matter of sugar and white flour in pie that we’re all trying to eat less of these days. Womp womp.

Never fear my fellow banana pudding dessert lovers, there is an absolutely fantastic and healthful banana pudding pie recipe that will satiate those cravings! Upon the recommendation of a friend, I borrowed Paleo Comfort Foods from my local library. This book, written by Julie and Charles Mayfield, is full of fantastic and delicious homestyle cooking. I’ve made several recipes from this book and all have been delicious!

I combined two recipes from Paleo Comfort Foods to form one delicious and satisfying dessert that is gluten-free, sugar-free and dairy free (if you so choose). My personal feeling on Paleo-style desserts is that they are often heavy on coconut products like coconut flour, oil, milk and butter and have a tendency to have an over-powering coconut flavor, which is off-putting for some. Although this pie does call for coconut products, I am happy to report that it is certifiably bananatastic with not a lick of coconut undertones. Here are the recipes I followed:

NUTTY PIE CRUST

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped

pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup coconut oil (melted) or butter (softened)

2 tablespoons honey (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

JULES’ BANANA PUDDING

1 can coconut milk

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon coconut butter

3 REALLY ripe bananas

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

A note on coconut oil. If you aren’t a fan of coconut flavor, or even if you are and you are just looking for a neutral oil to cook with, I would suggest buying a jar of organic “Ultra Clean Supreme Expeller Pressed” coconut oil from Wilderness Family Naturals. This oil is expeller pressed mechanically without using solvents (as many oil processors use) and the coconut flavor is neutralized using a hot water/steam method. There is absolutely no coconut flavor but the integrity of this oil is still intact. It’s perfect for baking (in lieu of shortening) and great for frying, sauteing or eating by the spoonful, if that’s what you’re in to.

The first thing you need to do is make your crust. FYI, this crust is delicious and would be the perfect base for many other pies, particularly the fruit variety. The pecans add a slight sweetness, which is nice for this dessert, but you can use just about any kind of nut you’d like in this pastry.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and roughly chop 1/2 cup of pecans. You can either do this in a food processor by pulsing the blade a few times or just use a good old-fashioned knife and cutting board.

Add the chopped pecans, almond flour and salt to a large bowl. Mix in the butter (or coconut oil), vanilla extract and honey, if desired. I chose to use butter in mine because butter is delicious. I don’t need to explain myself any further. Stir wet and dry ingredients together until completely combined. The mixture will be sticky and pliable, like so:

Using your fingers, press the dough into a 9.5-inch pie pan. I think mine was a little smaller, but it worked out just fine. A larger pan will yield a thinner crust and a smaller pan will give you a crust that’s a little thicker. The key is to try to get the dough evenly distributed. If your hands get too sticky, you can run them under a little water and work with slightly dampened hands.

Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove and set on a baking rack to cool while you make the delicious banana pie innards, also known as the filling.

The key to this pie – and this is very important – is that you should use the ripest bananas you can get. The bananas to be used will be far beyond what I consider edible, but their sugar content will be highest at this point. Since there’s no sugar added to the filling, you need to make sure these bananas as sweet as possible. You can leave a bunch of bananas on the counter for a week, ask your grocer for the “extra” ripe ones they usually have in the back or you can hack-ripen the bananas by putting the in a paper bag with a tomato or an apple. Just make sure they look like these guys:

Now that the banana business is out of the way, you can make the pudding. You’ll see, there’s absolutely no reason you should ever make a box mix of pudding after giving this recipe a try. Sure, it take a little more time to do, but it’s not difficult and the proof is in the… you know.

In a large pot over medium heat, whisk together coconut milk, egg yolks and vanilla. Just watch the heat, you don’t want to curdle the liquid and end up with coconut scrambled eggs.

Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken. If you can draw a line on the back of the spoon and the pudding doesn’t run back together, it’s thick enough. Remove from the heat.

In a separate small frying pan, heat the coconut oil and coconut butter over medium heat. Add the bananas, slightly smashed, along with the cinnamon. Cook until the bananas are slightly caramelized and browned.

Put the cooked banana mixture and the custard base in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.  Then pour the pudding into your cooled pie crust and decorate with sliced bananas. I used two bananas to decorate my pie. Make sure to cover the pie with a layer of plastic wrap soon after filling and decorating to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate that baby and share this pie with people you love.

I had planned on making some coconut whipped cream to accompany this pie but got lazy. I still think that would be a nice addition to this dessert. My first impression of the pie is how much it reminded me of my grandmother’s banana pudding, despite all of the obvious differences in ingredients. I was also pleasantly surprised with the texture, which held up to slicing, and the flavor, which was incredibly and perfectly sweet despite not having any added sugar or sweeteners. The crust was buttery and crunchy like a healthy version of a graham cracker crust. But what surprised me most was that the crust stayed crisp for the full four days it took us to eat up this pie. I almost regret this crispness since there was no comparable soggy-Nilla wafer experience.

There’s a note from the authors that this would be really tasty served frozen and I tend to agree with that. If you really wanted to go off the deep end, you could also add some chocolate in the mix.

I took the liberty of marrying the crust recipe with the pudding recipe and I stand by that decision but even without a crust, this pudding is really impressive. I think it would be hard to find a more delicious, rich and satisfying gluten- and sugar-free dessert… made with whole foods. This is definitely one I’m planning on making again, and soon!

Sure, this isn’t quite banana pudding and it’s not quite banana cream pie but it’s damn fine, as Agent Cooper would say. And since this isn’t an overhaul of any specific American dessert, I feel confident that I am safe from the wrath of any Paula Deen devotees out there.

Here’s hoping you give these recipes a try!

Five Nut Caramel Tart – Who Needs Pecan Pie?

I’m from the South and in many ways, heartily appreciate the food culture from that part of the country. Collard greens, black-eyed peas, fried chicken, fried okra, fried green tomatoes…okay, fried everything. But, the one Southern comfort food I cannot handle is pecan pie. Whether you call it “PEE-can” or “pe-CON” pie, this sticky, overly sweetened confection is one of the worst desserts to have come from the South, in my opinion.

Most pecan pies are little more than a pastry filled with corn syrup, table sugar, eggs, vanilla and pecans. These beautiful nuts, already sweet and delicious on their own, are drowned in a pool of corn syrup, completely masking any discernible nut flavor. You are left with a crunchy, chewy mass, lacking any semblance of flavor complexity. If this diabetes-inducing treat isn’t sweet enough for you, never fear! Thanks to Pinterest, you can find countless incarnations of this dessert that utilize candy bars, chocolate, bourbon and so much more. Sick.

Given my obvious disgust for pecan pie, I was surprised to find that a recipe for a Five Nut Caramel Tart would pique any interest. Although pecans are not one of the five nuts required for this recipe, there are some obvious similarities between this tart and the classic pecan pie. You have pastry and you have nuts, but in lieu of a bed of corn syrup, the nuts are coated in a delicious homemade caramel sauce and sprinkled with coarse sea salt. Crunchy, chewy, salty and sweet but not a lick of Karo Syrup. Now that’s a dessert I can get excited about.

This recipe is from the book, The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Weekends. I adore The Splendid Table public radio program hosted by Lynn Rossetto Kasper and have enjoyed many recipes from this franchise. This particular cookbook is dedicated to weekend cooking, an endeavor which requires more time but one that can result in fantastic meals. The recipes in this cookbook may take a little more time and a little more skill but do seem very promising. Since my good friend Kim requested that I attempt to make a pastry as one of my 100 First Tastes this year, this Five Nut Caramel Tart is dedicated to her!

As I’ve said before, baking is a science! I usually take some liberties with other recipes but since this is baking, I followed the instructions and recipe ingredients accurately. Here is the recipe:

 PASTRY

1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick (4 ounces) cold, unsalted butter (plus more for buttering the pan)

2 large egg yolks

1 1/2 tablespoons ice water

FILLING

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed)

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup toasted salted cashews

2/3 cup toasted salted macadamia nuts

1/2 cup whole blanched almonds

1/3 cup salted, shelled pistachios

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

For this recipe, you’ll need a tart pan or some other comparable pan with a false bottom. The recipe did call for an eleven-inch diameter pan but I only own a nine-inch tart pan, so that’s what I used. This recipe also comes together best if you have a food processor to make the pastry, but you can totally do that by hand if you prefer to.

The first thing you’ll need to do is make the pastry. In all the years I’ve been baking, I’ve never made this kind of pastry before so I was very excited to give this a try. I typically make a standard pie crust but this pastry is more like a shortbread, buttery and a little crumbly rather than flaky.

Measure out your flour using the “dip and level” method. Simply dip the measuring cup into your flour to pull out a heaping pile. Use the back of a butter knife to level off the flour by sweeping off the excess with the straight edge. This fills the measuring container without packing the flour down. No sifting required for this recipe. Hooray!

Add the flour, sugar and salt to your food processor and give it a quick pulse to blend the dry ingredients. Next add the stick of cold butter (cut into pieces) into the food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Separate egg yolks from the egg whites. The recipe actually called for one and a half egg yolks but I have no clue how I would do that accurately so I just used two full egg yolks. Save the egg whites for another use and add the cold water to your egg yolks.

Add the yolk and water mixture to the food processor and pulse until the dough begins to form. At the half way point, the dough will look like cheese curds or cooked cauliflower. Keep going until you have a large dough ball rolling around the container.

The finished dough will look like this. Take care not to over-blend the dough. You don’t want to handle it too much.

Gather the dough and flatten it into a disc. Wrap in plastic and let rest in the fridge for at least half an hour. While the dough is resting, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place the rack in the center of your oven.

Butter your tart pan. Make sure to get the sides too! There may be some dripping, so bake the tart on a lined sheet pan.

Remove the dough from the fridge and let rest for a few minutes to soften. Press the dough out evenly with your hands to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. I’m certain my crust wasn’t even and was definitely thicker than 1/8 of an inch. It didn’t seem like an issue to me. Just do your best, this recipe is pretty forgiving! Press dough up the sides of the pan and trim of excess with a knife.

Once your crust is all situated, you’ll need to refrigerate the pastry AGAIN. This can stay in the fridge for a minimum of thirty minutes or overnight. While that’s cooling down, get out your pie weights.

What’s that you say? You don’t own any pie weights? You have no clue what a pie weight is? Not a problem! I keep a jar of dry beans around to use as weights when making a pre-bake crust or pastry. Any dry bean will do and these are much, much cheaper than getting a set of pie weights, which are nothing more than a metal string of pearls to help keep your pastry from sliding down.

Remove your cooled pastry from the refrigerator, gently line with parchment paper and fill to the rim with your baking beans or pie weights. Bake for ten minutes.

After ten minutes, remove the beans and paper. Bake for an additional ten minutes or longer until the tart shell is golden brown. Cool completely on a rack.

While that’s cooling, make your filling and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine butter, sugars and honey. Cook over low heat until the sugars completely dissolve.

Once dissolved, raise the heat and whisk until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for one minute, or until large bubbles form.

Next, stir in the nut mixture and the cream. Turn off heat and combine thoroughly.

Immediately pour the filling into the tart shell and bake for about 20 minutes or until the filling bubbles. Remove the tart and cool on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Once the tart has begun to cool, you can remove the side of the pan to expose the crust.

The final step? Slice this baby up with a sharp knife and enjoy with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk.

This recipe serves eight to ten people and will hold for about four days but is absolutely the best the first day it’s baked. You can keep it in the fridge but remove it a few minutes earlier than you’d like to cut it up so the caramel can come to room temperature.

This tart is really impressive. It took quite some time to put together but only because there was a lot of downtime with the pastry prep and resting. There’s nothing very technical about this recipe and the dough was super easy to work with. Even with no pastry or baking experience, this recipe is easy to tackle.

Although I wouldn’t mess with the pastry recipe, I would say you could change the nut combination if you have a preference or distaste for certain nuts. Dan liked the macadamia nuts the best but I thought the almonds and cashews stole the show. We both thought that the pine nuts weren’t very noticeable and would leave those out next time because those things are super pricey!

The toasted nuts provide distinct textural experiences and flavors. The crust is buttery and slightly crumbly. The caramel sauce is SO good with just the right amount of sweetness. Furthermore, this thing looks seriously professional. This tart is what a pecan pie should be, highlighting the flavors of these nuts rather than submerging them in a sea of corn syrup. It reminds me of a highly elevated Payday candy bar, with fancy nuts instead of peanuts.

It’s true, I’ve probably alienated some people with my complete abhorrence of pecan pie, but before you write me off altogether, maybe give this recipe a try? See how delicious a nut-based dessert can taste.  I’m as health conscious as the next person but sometimes a girl (or guy) just needs a really naughty dessert. When you get a craving like that, don’t waste your time on a store-bought treat or a corn-syrup laden disaster like the classic pecan pie. Instead, why not try your hand at a Five Nut Caramel Tart and see what a decadent dessert can really taste like?

You won’t be sorry.

Spring Equinox Inspiration – Homemade Salad Dressings!

As a Florida native, the first day of Spring, or any change of season for that matter, was hardly discernible. Most days were sunny and hot, or sunny and slightly less hot. Now that I live in a state that experiences noticeable changes in the seasons, today, the first day of Spring is truly an exciting prospect!

Where there were once piles of snow, daffodils and other bulbous perennials are blossoming. The familiar whir of lawn mowers has returned to the neighborhood, admittedly, something I didn’t miss much. However, the most exciting prospect of Spring for me is the impending arrival of young, tender lettuces. I have been a slave to winter squash, cooking greens and lots of onions and garlic for the last three months and am giddy at the thought of some locally grown spring lettuces.

Hey, I know not everyone is nearly as enthusiastic about salad greens as I am, so in an attempt to spur on some pro-lettuce sentiment, I want to share some salad dressing recipes I recently made. Salads can range from the dull to the overly complex but if you want to get in your daily serving of raw veggies, a salad is a great option. There are a ton of creative approaches to making a satisfying salad but if you are in a hurry, or aren’t much of a salad eater, the best approach is to serve your greens with a delicious dressing.

It’s probably been years since I have bought pre-made salad dressing from the grocery store. We tend to whip up a quick vinaigrette for our salads which typically consists of olive oil, whatever kind of acid we feel like (balsamic, red wine, apple cider, kombucha, lemon juice, etc.) and some seasonings. Now, I really enjoy these homemade dressings but swapping out red wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar isn’t much of a stretch and doesn’t offer much variation in flavor. It’s easy to get burnt out on salads when it feels like you’re eating the same thing over and over again.

So, for a little salad inspiration, I hit up The Complete Book of Raw Food. Sure, there are some fantastic vegan raw food recipes in this book that aren’t salad, but the truth is there is a full chapter, 37 pages, dedicated solely to salads and dressings. The odds were in my favor for finding some interesting ways to dress a salad. I found four recipes from this book and went to my old standby, Nourishing Traditions, for a fifth non-raw/vegan salad dressing recipe. Here are the dressings I made:

• Premier French Dressing
• Sweet Basil Oil Salad Dressing
• Green Onion Dressing
• Creamy Cumin Salad Dressing
• Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

The only special equipment you’ll need to make these dressings is a blender or a food processor! A blender makes really quick work of these dressings and the high-speed blade helps to emulsify the oils which in turn, gives you a really thick dressing, which is very satisfying.

Although four out of five recipes that I made came from a raw food cookbook, some of the recipes call for honey – which is not vegan or soy sauce (tamari) – which is typically not raw. This cookbook was published in 2004, possibly before the current raw food standards were in place. No matter what your eating habits are, I guarantee one of these easy and delicious salad dressings will be right for you!

Premier French Dressing – The Complete Book of Raw Food

This dressing, created by Nomi Shannon, was the simplest to make and was one of my favorites. It’s the closest to the quick vinaigrettes I usually make and is furthest from the last French dressing I ate, which is fine with me. This dressing doesn’t call for any special equipment and you can whip it up in a bowl with a fork just before you sit down to eat. I doubled the recipe, to serve two. Here’s the modified recipe I used:

8 tablespoons flax seed oil

juice of 1 to 2 lemons

1 teaspoon grade B maple syrup

3 teaspoons soy sauce, tamari, coconut aminos or a pinch of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl with a fork and pour over your salad. This salad dressing is one size fits all. It will be delicious with any salad you put together. I used this one in a green salad with roasted sweet potatoes, shallots, massaged kale and pumpkin seeds. Yummy!

Sweet Basil Oil Salad Dressing – The Complete Book of Raw Food

This dressing was Dan’s favorite. It’s so light and very tropical tasting. It reminded me of a delicious pesto in dressing form. If you are a fan of Thai food, this is a great base for an Asian-style salad. This recipe was created by Natt Amsden and yields three cups of dressing. Here’s the modified recipe I used:

1 cup coconut water

1/2 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

1 cup fresh organic basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

juice of 2 lemons (or more to taste)

1/8 cup nama shoyu, soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos

pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup organic medjool dates, pits removed

Put everything into the blender and mix until liquified. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference. You can substitute the basil for mint, dill, cilantro or tarragon for a different flavor variation. This dressing is very thin because of the coconut water and lemon juice so won’t cling to you salad as much as a typical dressing would.

I used this dressing as a base for an Asian-style salad I came up with. Chop up bell peppers, red onions, carrots and cucumbers. Mince basil, cilantro and mint and add to the chopped veggies. Season with pepper, crushed red pepper, lime juice, sesame seeds, fish sauce (optional) and toasted sesame oil to taste. Let marinate and serve on a bed of green lettuce. Top with toasted cashew nuts. I also broiled some wild caught salmon to go with this salad. This one reminded me of a fresh roll, in salad form. Super tasty!

Green Onion Dressing – The Complete Book of Raw Food

This dressing is another great one for the spring season, since it uses green onions as the base of the dressing. This dressing is a fairly thick and robust dressing and yields about three cups. It was created by Jalissa Letendre. Here’s the modified recipe I used:

1 bunch of green onions

1 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup raw apple cider vinegar

1/8 cup raw honey (or use alternative sweetener of your choice)

1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Put all of the ingredients into the blender and mix until creamy. I roughly chopped the onions up but used the whole plant, including the white root ends. If you aren’t a fan of slightly sweet dressings, I would omit the honey. I used this dressing in the green salad with roasted sweet potatoes, shallots, massaged kale and pumpkin seeds. Before I prepared the rest of that green salad, I massaged some minced kale with this onion dressing and added it to the other ingredients. Using two salad dressings in that salad make for a really complex and interesting meal. Massaging the kale with this dressing also helped to tenderize it and make it easier to digest!

Creamy Cumin Salad Dressing – The Complete Book of Raw Food

This dressing took the longest to make and really reminds me more of a dip than a dressing. It is super thick and creamy, uses only whole ingredients and is 100% vegan. The thickening agent in this dressing is soaked sunflower seeds! This dressing was created by Elaina Lova and serves six to eight people. Here’s the recipe I used:

3/4 cup raw organic sunflower seeds, soaked in water for 2 hours

3 cloves garlic

1 cup cilantro

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 lemons, juiced

1/8 cup flax, hemp or olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1 cup water

After soaking your sunflower seeds, drain and rinse. Add all ingredients to your blender and process thoroughly. This dressing is thick and will thicken even more in your refrigerator, you can add more water until you reach your desired consistency.

The suggested serving is over a green salad, which would be great, but my suggestion is to make a Tex-Mex salad with tomatoes, beans, corn, the works. Even better, this would be a great addition to a seven-layer dip (since it’s so thick) or even a great taco dipping sauce. The cilantro and cumin really stand out in this tasty dressing.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette – Nourishing Traditions

Alright, alright I just can’t stay away from my favorite go-to cookbook, Nourishing Traditions. The thing is, this book always has what I’m looking for. I had a block of Roquefort cheese in my fridge for a month now and really needed to come up with some use for it. Instead of a traditional creamy blue cheese dressing, I wanted to give a vinaigrette a try. This recipe yields 2 cups of dressing. I combined a few recipes to create this modified blue cheese dressing:

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, pressed

5 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 anchovy fillets

1 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons expeller pressed flax seed oil

4 to 8 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

Blend mustard, garlic, anchovies and vinegar in a food processor. While continuously running, add oils in a stream until oil is well mixed and emulsified. The dressing base will be very thick if you used a food processor. You can also do this by hand, if you are fast! Once emulsified, stir in crumbled blue cheese with a fork.

I made a healthy version of a steakhouse salad. You know the kind. While Dan broiled a grass-fed ribeye in the oven, I prepared a salad of spinach, mixed greens, red onion and (healthfully) candied pecans. I sliced the beef up thinly and tossed everything in the blue cheese vinaigrette. It was REALLY good.

I stored all of these dressings in mason-type jars with tight-fitting lids. Most will last for two weeks, some longer. Having a fridge full of dressings makes is great because most of the work is already done. If I’m not feeling creative, I can just rinse off some greens and toss with the dressing of my choice.

Many of these dressings would make fantastic marinades too once you’ve had your fill of salad. The Premier French Dressing and Sweet Basil Oil Salad Dressing are both great options for second round cooking.

Hopefully I have inspired a few of you to think outside the box when it comes to salads. I may not subscribe to, “Clothes makes the man” but I definitely can get behind, “the dressing makes the salad”.

Happy Vernal Equinox!

Cooking with Beer – Pork Saison Dumplings

Beer, it’s not just for drinking anymore. Beer is a uniter of people, a gastronomical statement and a damn fine ingredient in the kitchen. I, like many people I know, am a lover of beer. Although my parent’s generation loyally consumed uninspired, yet tasty pints of Hamm’s or Blatz beer, my generation has a veritable universe of beers to choose from. America’s love of beer, particularly the craft and imported varieties, has grown to impressive heights and shows no sign of stopping.

If you are new to the world of beer, and I mean good beer, it can be a little overwhelming to try new varieties. It’s hard to know where to start, let alone how each beer variety differs. Fortunately, good beer is easy to come by these days and with hardly any effort, you can learn how to choose the beer for you. Which for me, is every kind.

One great way to try out some new beers is to find recipes that call for beer as an ingredient. Most beer-based recipes call for less than a full bottle of beer, so you can use a little in your meal and enjoy the rest of the bottle while you’re cooking. Now that’s motivation to get in the kitchen.

Dan and I have been subscribing to BeerAdvocate magazine for a year or so. Not only is this publication a great way to keep up with the ever-growing beer culture but there’s also a great cooking column in each issue.

We recently purchased a quarter pasture raised hog from our local organic farm and have an enormous amount of pork products to plow through this year. Now, when it comes to chops, ham and bacon, I need no instruction or inspiration. But when faced with seven pounds of ground pork, I need a little assistance. Fortunately, Dan and I remembered that there were some pork dumpling recipes in an issue of BeerAdvocate. After some time thumbing through our hefty pile of beer literature, we found the one we were looking for in Issue #63 – Pork Kimchi Saison Dumplings. The original recipe called for ground chicken or turkey but we swapped that out for the ground pork. Here’s the modified recipe.

1 pound pasture-raised ground pork

4 tablespoons Saison – we used Crooked Stave Saison Vieille Artisanal

1 teaspoon tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder, or corn starch

10 tablespoons spicy kimchi, finely chopped

6 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

45 gyoza or wonton wrappers

We also made a delicious Stout Soy Dipping Sauce to accompany our dumplings. Here’s the recipe we used.

1/4 cup tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos

3 tablespoons Stout – we used The Lost Abbeys Serpent’s Stout

1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

3 scallions, finely chopped

Here’s the thing about making dumplings at home. They take FOREVER, this is not a quick meal. The night we made these dumplings (we did make two batches, about 100 individual dumplings), we didn’t eat until 9:00pm. That was just poor planning on our part but seriously, these are a lot of work. The saving grace is that there is absolutely NO comparison to dumplings you can buy at the store or in a restaurant. These little pork morsels are infinitely better, and besides, you get to drink all of the extra beer from the recipe while you work! Not a bad trade-off.

The first step is to get all of the ingredients out and prepped. It’s helpful to chop, grate and mince everything in advance so you can just throw everything into the bowl at once.

The recipe we followed gave a specific order of operations but I didn’t think that was necessary. These take long enough, no need to drag this out by adding extra steps to the process. Get all of your ingredients (except for the wrappers) into a bowl and mix thoroughly.

I find it helpful to do a little taste test of the stuffing before you commit to making the dumplings. Fry up a little in a pan and see if you need to adjust the flavor. I added extra cilantro and kimchi to the stuffing after the taste test. Once the flavor is where you want it to be, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before making the dumplings.

While the pork is hanging out in the fridge, you can make the dipping sauce! It’s as simple as measuring out the ingredients and mixing them thoroughly in a small bowl. Again, give it a taste and adjust accordingly for spiciness, sweetness and saltiness. You can store this in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat. It will last several days refrigerated, so you can make it in advance.

Now to make the dumplings. This, admittedly, can be a little tricky but once you’ve made a few, you’ll be good to go. We opted for the half moon dumpling fold, which is the easiest and fastest. There are many different ways to fold dumplings and plenty of information about this online if you want to get more creative.

The first step is to make an egg wash, which will be the glue to keep these suckers together. Just mix together one egg, one egg yolk and one tablespoon or water, beer or milk. Keep this in a bowl near your work area. Place one wrapper on your work surface. With your finger, lightly coat the edges with your egg.

Next, take about a teaspoon of filling and place it in the center of your wrapper. I like to use two spoons for this process – one to measure and one to help get the filling centered.

Fold the wrapper in half. Occasionally, these will crack or tear if you overfill the dumpling. Don’t worry, just keep on going!

Pick up your dumpling and seal all of the edges. The goal is to get as much air as possible out of the dumpling and make sure that there are no gaps along the edge. We made several that were definitely not folded properly but fortunately these guys are very forgiving, particularly because we used the steaming method to cook them, rather than the frying method.

Place your finished dumpling on a wax paper lined baking sheet and repeat these steps until you’ve run out of filling or wrappers. Make sure that the dumplings don’t touch each other as they have a tendency to stick together. You can add a second layer of dumplings to the tray if you separate the levels with a piece of wax paper.

Now to cook these up! I used a medium pot and an old vegetable steamer that sits on the bottom just above the water. This method worked really well. Lightly coat the steamer with a little oil to prevent sticking and bring the water to a boil to create the steam. I was able to get between six to eight dumplings on the steamer each batch. Just make sure the dumplings aren’t touching each other. Cover with a lid and steam for about eight minutes.

 The dumplings will shrivel up around the filling when you remove the lid. Make sure to cut one open every once in a while to make sure the filling is completely cooked. You’ll also need to add additional water to the pot a few times to keep the steam going. I put the finished dumplings into an oiled baking dish and kept them in a 150 degree oven until we were ready to eat.

We cooked up about half of the dumplings and froze the rest of them to cook up another time. When you’re ready to eat, serve with the dipping sauce and if you have any extra, some of that delicious beer!

These dumplings are addictive. Chewy, spicy, salty and oh so tasty. Sure, they took forever to make but I got to try out two new beers and have a freezer full of dumplings for another time. It definitely helps to make a large batch of these and freeze half, so you can enjoy a quick meal some other time. I would add a few minutes on to your steaming time for frozen dumplings.

The stout dipping sauce really steals the show, in my opinion, and would be a great accompaniment to any kind of dumpling. If you don’t want to take the time to compile you’re own dumplings (even though I hope you will give it a try sometime) just whip together a batch of this dipping sauce and serve alongside some pre made dumplings.

If you want to save some time and increase the flavor of the filling, I would suggest making it a day in advance. You can even add a little more beer to the mix to intensify the flavor a bit. I think the addition of shredded carrots or cooked shiitake mushrooms to the filling would be really tasty too.

The lesson with these Pork Saison Dumplings? Don’t just drink your beer, cook with it too! Be creative and adventurous. And… if the recipe sucks, you can drown your sorrows in some tasty beer.

Eat Your Heart Out LARA – Homemade Energy Bars

You know that feeling you get when you see something so simple, so ingenious and it’s making someone a ton of money? When you say to yourself, “I can totally do that” and then you come back to reality, where laziness and apathy override any attempts at creativity and you say to yourself, “nah, I can just buy that.” 

I feel that way about most energy bars, particularly the ones sold at natural food stores. Those two ounce whole food bars are utter gold mines and I always feel resentful that I am paying for a few ingredients blended up, extruded out and beautifully packaged when I could totally make these at home and save a chunk of change. For years, I have been saying this about my favorite whole food snack, the Larabar.

The good folks at Larabar definitely know what they’re doing. Although their product line has expanded over the years, the simplest bar they make is their flagship line which boasts that each flavor has no more than nine ingredients and are little more than unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. There are nearly 20 flavors to choose from, all of which are delicious configurations of these three ingredients – nuts, fruits and spices.

I have been convincing myself that I should make an attempt at homemade Larabars (or something close to them) for a long time but I always talk myself out of it, citing how long it would take and how many ingredients it would require. But a funny thing happened last night. Rather than making a batch of Paleo Bacon Brownies (which I do hope to get on sooner rather than later) Dan suggested that we make something out of the dates and coconut overloading our pantry. In a moment of weakness, I finally succumbed to the homemade energy bar.

I haven’t come across any recipes in my own cookbook collection for something close to an energy bar, so I did a quick internet search for “date paleo bar” and had over 2 million hits. Sheesh. Although not always the best approach to internet queries, I went with the first page on the list and it was perfect!  Thanks, Turtlewoman, for creating this great recipe. I modified it slightly, here’s the recipe we used:

1/3 cup raw cacao (or you can use regular cocoa powder)

1 1/2 cups raw, pitted Medjool dates

1/3 cup raw ground flax seed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup raw almonds (soaked and dehydrated work too)

1/2 cup raw walnuts (soaked and dehydrated work too)

1/2 cup raw coconut shavings

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons raw, expeller pressed coconut oil

1/8 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

The original recipe called for dried fruit, such as Goji berries, cranberries or cherries but I swapped those out for coconut. I was going more for a chocolate coconut energy bar kind of a thing.

For this recipe, I used my food processor and also used the dry grain container on my Vitamix to grind the flax seeds into flax meal.

Flax seeds are interesting. If you eat them whole, you will barely get any nutritional benefit. The ol’, they went right through me routine. If you buy pre-packaged flax seed meal and expose it to air or light, it will become rancid and again, you will not benefit very much from that. My solution is to buy whole flax seeds and grind them up just before you use them. Even a tiny food processor will grind these fickle little seeds up for you. If you’re going to eat flax seeds, you might as well make it worth your while.

Steps one through three! Put the pitted dates into your food processor fitted with the s-blade attachment. If they are a little hard, I would add a tablespoon of warm water. Blend until a thick paste forms. Add chocolate, ground flax seeds, vanilla, cinnamon, coconut oil and salt. Pulse to blend thoroughly. Finally add the nuts and coconut. Pulse mixture until the nuts and coconut are to the size you desire. It should look something like this:

Pour mixture onto a wax paper lined pan. Press mixture down with a wooden spoon or spatula until you have a rectangle shape about 1/2 inch thick. Another option is to just ditch this “bar” shape and roll out little spheres. I created little lines with a knife so I could cut equal sized bars. Once the loaf is the size and shape you are looking for, transfer to the fridge or freezer to cool until firm.

Once firm, you can remove and slice up your energy bars. This made about 6 bars, weighing in about 2.5 ounces each. Store in an airtight container in your fridge. Keep each layer separated by a layer of wax paper to prevent sticking.

Boom! Energy Bars. These things are AMAZING and seriously taste just like the real deal, even better! This is closest to the Chocolate Coconut Chew bar but tastes so much better with the addition of a little sea salt to the mix. Since these also have flax seed meal, coconut and coconut oil, there are a lot of really good fats in these homemade energy bars. Not to mention cinnamon which helps promote circulation and raw cacao which has a little caffeine boost. I am a jerk for not attempting these sooner.

These whole food energy bars are also raw, vegan, gluten-free, paleo and bottom line.. super tasty! They do have a base of dates, so there’s a fair amount of sugar in these suckers but at least you get plenty of dietary fiber along for the ride. This recipe is a great basic guideline for tons of other flavor combinations. Let your imagination run wild!

I can’t believe how long I’ve been putting this off. This was REALLY easy, and I don’t mean like making Shrimp Stock-easy. This is like 10 ingredients, 10 minutes, really rewarding snack-easy.

Listen to yourself this time, you can totally do this!

Two Ingredient Homemade Almond Butter

Yes, it can be done! Learn how to make almond butter at home and save TONS of money.

For years, I have been buying organic, raw almond butter and spending an absolute fortune doing so. The “raw” organic almond butter can go for $18.00 (and higher) for a 16 ounce jar. Even the conventional, roasted almond butter can range from $9.00 to $15.00 a jar! For a pantry staple that should consist of nothing more than nuts, and possibly salt, it’s crazy expensive.

What’s worse is that in many jars of almond butter, there are some weird and unnecessary ingredients like sugar (in its many forms), canola oil, palm fruit oil and soy protein. This just baffles the mind. Suckers, like me, who have been buying “raw” almond butter likely think that it’s the healthiest kind of almond butter. What’s more natural than raw, organic almonds? Well, unless you are buying this so-called raw almond butter from Italy, Spain or directly from the farm, you’ll be surprised to know that the raw almonds used have been pasteurized through steam heat (that doesn’t sound raw) or propylene oxide (WTF).

Since 2007, it is illegal to sell and manufacture truly raw almonds in North America with a few exceptions. Even if you don’t care about raw almond politics (and I’m sure not many people do), it should upset you that food manufactures are allowed to market their almond butter as raw even when the almonds originate from the good ol’ US of A. Plus, getting duped into spending twice as much for this pseudo-raw almond butter just ticks me off.

Fortunately, I no longer have to be a slave to store-bought almond butter and neither do you! Even my friends who buy conventional almond butter can save money (and impress their friends) by making it at home! Once again, my favorite cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, came to the rescue. I used the Nourishing Traditions nut butter recipe as a guide but wanted even fewer ingredients in my homemade almond butter.

Molly Chester, a fellow Traditional Foods lover, has a great blog post on how to make homemade soaked almond butter on her blog Organic Spark. This recipe is so simple, and requires only a few ingredients and a food processor. I slightly modified her original recipe to include only almonds and salt. For 2 cups of the tastiest almond butter you’ve ever had you’ll need the following:

1 pound (soaked and dehydrated) almonds

sea salt to taste

First thing’s first, find the best almonds you can! There are many great truly raw almond purveyors online. You can buy directly from almond farmers in California or importers from Italy or Spain. Generally, if you buy five pounds or more, you’ll get a price break. If you aren’t worried about sourcing raw almonds, my suggestion would be to go to your local bulk food store or co-op and get dry roasted almonds, either organic or conventionally grown.

My preference when eating nuts and seeds is to soak and dehydrate them. Many proponents of the raw food movement also see the benefit of soaking, sprouting and dehydrating (in some instances) nuts and seeds. Soaking almonds, and other nuts and seeds helps to break down the enzyme inhibitors and allows for easier digestion, and more nutrient absorption. If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of traditional soaking practices, take a quick look here. Even if you don’t plan on making a habit of soaking and dehydrating nuts and seeds, I’d encourage you to give it a try once so you can taste the difference. Walnuts and almonds have the most drastic flavor improvement through this method. Sweeter and far less bitter!

Here’s a how-to gallery on soaking and dehydrating raw almonds. If you are starting with dry-roasted almonds or prefer not to soak the almonds before processing, you can move on to the next step.

Add one pound of raw almonds to a large bowl.

Cover the almonds with filtered water.

Add a tablespoon of sea salt.

Stir. Cover with a cloth and let soak at least seven hours or overnight on your counter.

Rinse your almonds and dehydrate at 118 degrees until dry, up to twenty four hours or more. You can also put in a warm oven (at the lowest setting) for twelve to twenty four hours. Make sure your almonds are COMPLETELY dried and cool before processing. The crunchier the almond, the better your almond butter will turn out.

Now that you have some soaked and dehydrated almonds to work with, the rest is a breeze! The following steps are the same whether you use soaked and dehydrated nuts or dry roasted nuts.

Put the S-blade on your food processor.

I suggest making this in two batches. Put half of the cooled almonds in the food processor.

This image is with the full one pound of almonds. I wouldn’t recommend doing that. The almonds should actually come about half way up the center blade shaft.

After a few seconds, your almonds will look like this.

After about two minutes, you’ll have something that looks like this.

A few minutes later, the almonds will begin to form a paste. You can add salt at this stage and scrape down the sides.

Around four or five minutes, you’ll have a ball of almond butter rolling around the food processor. Once the ball “falls apart” you will be left with perfectly blended almond butter.

Here’s the final product! Put in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator.

Boom, almond butter bitches! This stuff is so good and incredibly good for you, particularly if you opt for the soaking method. If you find that your almond butter is too dry (remember to wait at least 5 minutes to see if it’ll come together first), then you can add a healthy fat like unrefined coconut oil to the food processor to help get things moving. Any additional ingredients will change the flavor slightly, so keep that in mind. Adding coconut oil will also make the almond butter much harder in the refrigerator. The almond butter should last a few months in the fridge but it’ll be gone well before then.

You can use this recipe as a guideline for any other nut butter your heart desires. The same is true for the soaking method. (Cashews are the exception to the rule, don’t soak those babies too long or you’ll get some gelatinous, light grey sludge.) Get creative and try out homemade walnut butter, cashew butter or even homemade peanut butter. Why not?

Save some money, impress your friends and get ready to become an almond butter addict. Be warned though, once you start making your own, there’s no turning back!

One final note… how did I write an entire blog post without one nut pun or middle school caliber joke? I must be getting rusty.

K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) Vanilla Ice Cream

In a world where avant garde ice cream flavors rule, the lowly vanilla variety has certainly fallen by the wayside. I am not immune to the siren song of bacon, red bean, caviar or avocado ice cream flavors and honestly, can’t remember a time when I have ever ordered vanilla ice cream. I’m a sucker for anything on a menu that sounds a little off-beat and interesting so regularly go for the kookiest or – true to my so-called hippy ways – the most local/sustainable item on the menu. Most recently, I was served vanilla ice cream in the form of the ever-popular “boozy” ice cream shake. My vanilla ice cream was accompanied by vodka, ginger beer, milk and lime juice. It was delicious.

But there is something to be said about simplicity and when it comes to ice cream, vanilla is as simple as it gets. And, since what was old  is now new -I’m looking at you handlebar mustaches- perhaps it is time for a vanilla revival?

I have a handful of cookbooks in my collection with recipes for ice cream but decided to go with my old standby, Nourishing Traditions. I went with this recipe for three reasons.

1. This recipe called for the least amount of ingredients and in the spirit of keeping things simple, seemed like the best option.
2. This particular recipe didn’t require any cooking and I could use the raw-unpasteurized  milk and cream I had on hand.
3. I actually had all of the ingredients that were called for and didn’t have to run to the grocery store. The perfect storm.

As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t always follow recipes exactly as they are given. In this case, I took a little artistic license. Here’s the modified recipe I used:

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup maple syrup (grade B preferably)

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds removed

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

The original recipe called for 3 cups of heavy cream but the cream I got from my local dairy was SERIOUSLY thick so I decided to thin it out a little with 1 cup of whole milk. The recipe also called for 1 tablespoon of arrowroot (a natural thickener) but since I hit the jackpot on my cream, I left that out. Finally, the original recipe recommended using 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. I think would be fine but I just got a really good deal on whole vanilla beans so decided to use that instead. My recommendation, use what you have on hand but make sure you have really good ingredients!

Here’s a quick PSA on raw milk and eggs. I live in a part of the country where I am able to access raw dairy through a cow share program. My dairy is grass-fed, organic, free-roaming and cared for by two veterinarians and a group of knowledgable ranch hands. Although my family feels comfortable consuming raw-unpasteurized dairy and have for several years, this is a personal choice and one that I don’t expect everyone to agree with. I encourage everyone to research this subject and come to your own conclusion. There is great information here if you’d like to know more about raw milk. Since this recipe also calls for raw egg yolks, I would recommend sourcing your eggs locally (where you can see where your chickens are living and what they’re eating)  or opt for pasture-raised organic eggs from your grocery store. I have a great local farm that I source my eggs from but when I run out, Vital Farms eggs are a good alternative. End PSA!

Now that we have all of the vanilla ice cream politics squared away, let me show you how incredibly easy it is to make this at home. I didn’t even use any special equipment, just a few ingredients and my freezer. That’s right, I have a juicer, a dehydrator and a drawer full of all of this stuff…

… but don’t own an ice cream maker. Not to worry, you actually don’t need to own an ice cream maker to make your own at home. You do, however have to have a little more patience, for what it’s worth.

Pre-measure your ingredients, grab a large bowl, a whisk and a sharp knife. I’d also recommend getting two smaller bowls to separate your eggs into.

Here’s that heavy cream I was talking about. It really looks more like heavy clotted cream that the British use in their cooking. It was pretty darn hard to get out of that mason jar! If you’re using pasteurized cream, I’d recommend getting organic heavy whipping cream and use 3 cups of that plus 1 tablespoon of the arrowroot. Just skip out on the whole milk.

Add the cream to a large mixing bowl. Set that aside and get your eggs and two smaller bowls.

Gently crack your egg in half and let the whites of the egg fall into one bowl while you keep the yolk in one of the shell halves. Move the yolk from one shell to the next while letting all of the egg white drip into your bowl. Once you have all of the whites out and are left with only the yolk, drop the yolk into your other small bowl.

Working with two smaller bowls rather than the bowl with the cream is helpful just incase you have any mistakes like broken shell pieces or busted yolks. It does take some practice to get proficient at but anyone can master this! You can cook up the whites or freeze them for something delicious some other time!

Next, add the yolks, salt and milk to your cream. If you are using vanilla extract, you can add that. If you are using a whole bean, get the bean, a cutting board and a small sharp knife out.

With a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise into two pieces. Use the dull edge of your knife to scrape out all of the yummy vanilla seeds. These are tiny morsels of delight. Do not eat them out of hand… just add them to the bowl.

Finally, add your sweetener – grade B maple syrup. Despite the obvious connotation of being lower quality, grade B is your best choice when it comes to maple syrup. Grade B is less processed so has more trace minerals and is also richer in flavor. In this case, skip grade A syrup and for the love of God, don’s use any product that’s been anthropomorphized such as  Mrs. Butterworth’s. That stuff is seriously not good for you.

Once everything is in the bowl, mix it up thoroughly. If you have a hand mixer, this would be a good time to use that gadget. That’s yet another kitchen tool I don’t own. I prefer to use my guns and a sturdy whisk. Everything will blend nicely into a light yellow, frothy mixture. I would taste and see if you need to add more salt at this point. Pour the mixture into a container of your choice. I had a glass dish with a lid that just happened to fit in the one open space in my freezer. If you use a metal container, the ice cream will freeze faster. The same is true for more shallow containers.

Now for that patience thing I mentioned. You’ll need to be around to tend to your ice cream baby for the next couple of hours. Set your kitchen timer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, your ice cream will begin to crystalize around the edges. All you need to do is scrape that off and thoroughly mix up the mixture. After 30 minutes, here’s what the ice cream will look like:

After another 30 minutes, it’ll be a littler firmer and will look like this: 

Eventually, you’ll have that recognizable ice cream consistency. This could take 2 to 3 hours but I assure you, it’s worth the wait.

You want to make sure to scrape and stir up your mix every 30 minutes or so. Otherwise, you’ll be left with a gigantic milky ice cube that is far from delectable. If you go a little too long, you can put the mix in the fridge until it’s slightly softened then mix thoroughly and return to the freezer. If you go way too long, you’ll have to use this ice cream hack I found on the internet. Take chunks of your ice cream cube and blend in a food processor until softened. I’m 100% certain it’s easier just to babysit your ice cream than to attempt to blend it up.

If you DO have an ice cream maker, you can skip all of the freezer scraping and dump the mix directly into your machine! Follow the instructions outlined by your manufacturer.

This makes approximately 1 quart of the most delicious and certainly far from boring vanilla ice cream I’ve ever eaten. It’s really rich but not too sweet. Plus, all of those vanilla seeds I added makes me feel like this qualifies as the more desirable “French” vanilla ice cream everyone seems to prefer.

So I’ve never ordered vanilla ice cream out before and it looks like I never will. This stuff is so good, I’m sure nothing outside of my kitchen will compare. With only a few ingredients and strikingly little effort, I have finally learned to appreciate the glory that is vanilla ice cream. For those of you out there who doubt me, I encourage you to give this a shot. There may not be a vanilla revival but for an appreciation of something that is simple and delicious, this vanilla ice cream is a perfect start.

STOCKing Up – Shrimp Stock

Anyone who has spent a considerable amount of time in my kitchen knows that my fist love is cooking traditional foods. You’ll find Mason jars filled with freshly rendered lard by the stove, crocks of fermented vegetables bubbling away on any available counter space, soaked and dehydrated nuts in the cabinets and STOCK, lots and lots of stock in my freezer. Of all of the traditional foods I prepare and enjoy at home, bone broth or stock, is my absolute favorite thing to make. It’s not uncommon to find plastic bags full of poultry carcasses, chicken feet and marrow bones tucked away in my freezer waiting to be turned into delicious broth. To the unaccustomed – and horror of my vegan friends- my freezer contents may my unnerving, but anyone who has had a bowl of soup made by yours truly would understand why I am so in love with homemade stock.

I first learned about making stock the traditional way after picking up a copy of Nourishing Traditions (which has since become my culinary bible and obsession). This cookbook has a special place on my kitchen counter for quick reference and is the most dog-eared book I own. Despite the great use I’ve gotten out of this book over the years, there are still many recipes I have yet to attempt. I make chicken stock about once every two to three weeks, have attempted beef stock (a failure, and one that should be revisited) and even standard fish stock, but have yet to try to make shrimp stock. Since I was able to source two pounds of wild-caught whole prawns at the market the other day for a steal (less than $9.00), shrimp stock is no longer on my “to do” list but rather on my “got done” list.

Making stock at home is actually so incredibly simple, I wonder how it even became out of practice in most American homes.

5 REASONS TO GET YOUR STOCK ON

1. It’s one of the thriftiest home economics tricks that I know of since you are typically using the parts of the animal that go directly into the trash – bones, cartilage, organ meats, etc. Homemade stock is the tastiest way to stretch a dollar!
2. Bone broths are incredibly healthy and a great way to get some of the nutrients many of us are deficient in. Instead of taking vitamins and supplements for our deficiencies, why not make food our (delicious) medicine?
3. As a meat eater, it is not lost on me that I am eating an animal. I feel that utilizing as much of the animal as possible in food preparation is a great way to pay homage to the life that was taken on my behalf.
4. The ol’, “I don’t have time for cooking.” excuse is impossible to use. Stock does take a lot of time to make but not a lot of YOUR time. Once it’s on the stovetop, or in the crock pot, your job is pretty much done. If you can boil water, you can make stock.
5. No matter what brand of stock you’re buying at the store, there is absolutely no comparison to stock made at home. Once you’ve made it from scratch and taste the difference, you’ll be on the stock bandwagon with me!

Making shrimp stock was pretty darn easy and aside from the shrimp, I had all of the other ingredients at home and suspect most others would too. Here’s what the recipe called for:

shells and heads from about 2 pounds of fresh prawns or crawfish

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or cold-pressed peanut oil

1 cup dry white wine or vermouth

2 quarts cold filtered water

1/4 cup vinegar

1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, peeled

3 small pieces lemon rind

several sprigs fresh thyme, tied together

Since I’m an experienced home cook, I have been known to disregard some of the instructions and ingredients in recipes. I like to call this improvising in the kitchen and I encourage everyone to do this to some degree. Don’t have fresh herbs? Sub dry. Don’t have some ridiculously expensive aged balsamic vinegar in your pantry?  Use something you DO have. Don’t have a 3/4 teaspoon measure? Just eyeball it. You get the picture. Hey, sometimes your choices will be winners and sometimes your food will taste like shit, but either way you’ll have learned something! FYI, this trick works for cooking but not for baking. Baking is a glorified chemistry experiment. There is NO eyeballing in baking.

So for this recipe, I didn’t have fresh prawn but rather frozen, pre-cooked and used that instead. I also have no idea if the white wine I found in the back of my fridge is dry, my area of alcohol expertise is beer. I had fresh thyme a month ago but before it went bad I dehydrated it and used that instead. No worries, this is stock not rocket science.

Step one, remove the heads and shells from the flesh. Good thing it was my intention to make stock with these shrimp because two pounds of shrimp yielded 3 cups of MICROSCOPIC shrimp and nearly 7.5 cups of carcass. I froze the shrimp meat for another recipe since I didn’t need it for this recipe.

Separating the flesh from the heads and shells was the most time consuming part of this endeavor. Although I got a great deal on this shrimp, I would say next time I’d pay a little more for the convenience of only having to shell a few large ones. Since my shrimp was already cooked, it had a beautiful pink hue. If you get fresh shrimp, it will likely be a dark brown or grey color until they are cooked.

Next step, get all your other ingredients together! Pre-measuring all of your ingredients helps to make this a really quick project. I used a veggie peeler for three pieces of lemon rind but didn’t bother to use it for the carrot. I know the recipe called to peel the carrot but I just didn’t see the point in that. Improvising, y’all.

The rest is simple! Add your olive oil to the pan (again, I didn’t bother to measure that…). Toss in the shrimpy goodness and saute over medium high heat, stirring constantly. The recipe says sauteing in oil helps to remove the fishy taste. I can attest that this is not a “fishy” stock, maybe there’s something to that.

After a few minutes, or once your shrimp shells turn pink, add the wine and bring to a rapid boil.

Next add the cold water and vinegar, bring to a boil again and skim off the foam.

The foam will look like this. This step is actually really important so I wouldn’t “improvise” on this one. Just do it!

After you’ve skimmed off most of the foam, you can add the rest of the ingredients. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer the stock for several hours. Don’t worry if you can’t get all of the foam off, just try your best. Watch to make sure you’re simmering and not boiling the stock for several hours. You want to end up with roughly the same amount of liquid once your done.

After a few hours (or up to eight hours), give your stock a taste and see if it needs to go longer or if you are satisfied. Once it’s where you want it to be, strain the stock into a storage container (tossing the solids into the trash) and put it in the refrigerator until cold. Then, all you have to do is remove any of the fat that congeals on the surface before transferring the stock to the freezer for long-term storage.

And there you have it – shrimp stock. I like to freeze my stock in wide mouth mason jars or occasionally plastic reusable to-go containers with tight-fitting lids. If you freeze your stock in glass jars, make sure you only fill it to the freezer fill line or the glass will likely break and then you’ll have to throw away your stock. Also, no matter what kind of container you use, make sure the stock is completely cooled before filling and freezing.

I may be slightly biased, given my love affair with stock, but this is a winning recipe and I’m so glad I finally got around to it! I think I’ll make a bisque or some sort of delicious chowder with this stock, not sure yet. It’s a slightly sweet yet savory stock that’s more subtle than I had anticipated. It’s so tasty, even people who think they don’t like shrimp or fish stock would probably enjoy it.

Stock is amazing. With a few aromatics, some water, shrimp shells and a little time on the stove, I now have half gallon of golden goodness. Sure, this stock has more ingredients than my first recipe of 2013 but I think I should get points for doubling down on the same ingredient – shrimp. Also, like cheese, if you make stock at home you are a badass.

2 down. 98 more to go.