Baked Ejjeh(Frittata Or Crust-less Quiche)

Ejjeh is a popular Lebanese dish that is similar to Latkes except that is usually made with squash and herbs or just herbs. It is fried in olive oil and serve in a pita with tomatoes or a salad. My Mom usually made them from the pulp leftover from another dish; stuffed courgettes/squash. We used to patiently wait around to steal them as they come out against Mom’s protest. In later days, to our disappointment, she started making a healthier baked version of the same dish. It comes out like a quish without the crust and the cheese or like a frittata. Mom’s recipe included fresh dill and parsley and that’s what I like to do. You can choose your own like tarragon, chives or whatever is on hand. This recipe is quick paired with a green salad dressed in a vinaigrette is perfect for lunch, packed for a picnic and even a light summer dinner. I like it in a pita with tomatoes and salt. Yummmmmy……
Ingredients: Serves 4-6
2 medium size zucchini, shredded
½ medium size yellow onion, finely diced
3 tbs. chives or scallions, freshly chopped
½ bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped
3 dill fronds, finely chopped
6 tbs. Rice flour or All Purpose flour
6 eggs , well beaten
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper ¼ tsp. chili flakes (optional)
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil for cooking
Instructions:

Heat your oven at 350 degrees. Prep all your ingredients. Beat the eggs with the salt, spices and herbs. Mix all the ingredients together. Brush a 12”x8” or equivalent roasting pan (I prefer Pyrex) with the oil making sure to paint the sides, place pan in oven until oil starts smoking. Pour mix in pan; spread evenly and bake for 30 minutes. Turn broiler on low and broil for 3 minutes until top is golden. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

Variations: You can add half a cup of crumbled feta cheese to the mix but make sure to decrease amount of salt. For an Italian taste sprinkle with parmesan cheese before you broil it. Asparagus, spinach, kale or chard; blanched an chopped would be a great substitute to zucchini.

What’s For Breakfast?

Don’t you get bored of having the same thing every day?? Most of the time when I am on the run; I am content with whole grain toast and some sort of cheese to down with my coffee…..But on days when the need slow down arises I love to have a healthier fuller meal that involves eggs. On other days I mix different grains like quinoa, rolled oats, rye and barley.
Our hens have been working hard on producing the most beautiful rich eggs you can find anywhere. We feed them organic food and whatever comes out of our kitchen (they love that the best) and whatever weeds come out from the garden.
So, the other day I wanted to try something new. I had two components, leftover grain mix from the day before and eggs. I thought a whole grain savory patty/pancake would be a good replacement to bread….
If you have all the ingredients you can omit rolled rye and barley but keep the quinoa and oat; quinoa adds texture and oat adds body and holds the pancakes.
And, here what came out………..
Multi Grain Pancake
Ingredients: Serves: 2
½ cup rolled grain mix         ½ cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water                       3 tbs. garlic or onion chives, finely chopped
1 egg                                 ¼ tsp. salt, black pepper to taste
2 tbs. olive oil

Instructions:
Place quinoa in a pot with the water and cook on medium heat until half of the water is absorbed. Add grain mix, reduce heat and cook until water is absorbed and mix binds together. Cool down. In the meantime beat the egg with chives, salt and pepper, add to grains and incorporate together. Form into six patties. Heat your oil on medium high and fry pancake about 3 minutes on each side or until it’s crisp and is not sticking to the pan.
Serve with your favorite style off eggs. Mine is fried in olive oil.

Gluten Free Orange, Coconut Bundt Cake

Gluten seems to be the most common ingredient that many people these days are allergic to. My husband being one of them , I have been experimenting with different flours and flour combinations mainly breads and pancake. Some recipes have worked and some have not. Recently when I am asked to prepare something for an event, I try to make sure that I include a gluten free dish; its a great way to get feed back and at the same time have something for everyone. This past Sunday being one of those days when I  had to provide a snack for our Satsang group. The recipe was inspired by an orange pound cake recipe I make and a cookie I had once that had a combination of orange, coconut and almonds. I have never made a cake using flour other than all-purpose flour. In the last year, trying to educate myself on how different flours and what makes them work in cake or bread; I had to take a leap of faith in creating the recipe. I used coconut flour, a recent discovery of mine, potato flour, tapioca starch and Xanthan gum for elasticity.I was lucky it worked the taste was amazing and it was very moist. What I found is that it takes longer to bake than a normal cake and it was higher than the edge of the mold but then depressed a bit after it cooled down a bit. I think I will bake it in a spring form cake pan or in two loaf pans which will bake for a lesser time. Make sure to test your cake in the last 15 minutes by inserting a tooth pick in the middle part of the cake it has to come out clean; if otherwise bake it a little longer. 

Recipe:

Ingredients:
Flour Mix:
¾ cups rice flour
¾ c. coconut flour
¾ c. tapioca flour/ starch
¾ c. potato flour/starch
Makes 3 cups add ¼ c. coconut flour add 1 ½ tsp. Xanthan gum
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 extra large or regular 5 Eggs at room temperature
Zest of 3 oranges
1 tsp. almond extract or vanilla
½ tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sour cream at room temperature
1 cup orange juice at room temperature
1 cup coconut milk at room temperature
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes for decaoration
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a Bundt cake mold. In an electric mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until well incorporated. Mix in eggs one at a time and orange zest until creamy and smooth. In another bowl mix orange juice, coconut milk and sour cream and almond extract. Sift flour, Baking Powder, Baking soda and Salt. Set aside. Add flour and sour cream mixture alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Pour into pan and smooth top.
Bake for 45-60 min. or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes clean. Leave in pan for about 10 minutes then drizzle syrup on top and cool down for about 15 minutes or until syrup is fully absorbed. Turn upside down on a platter and cool down. Decorate with unsweetened coconut flakes.
Syrup:
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup sugar
While cake is baking prepare syrup by dissolving sugar in juice over low heat.