peach cake

This recipe comes from the September issue of Gourmet magazine though I have made a few alterations, mainly switching the butter for ghee...the original recipe called for nectarines but because I had a bowl full of fresh peaches from my neighbor I used those instead and they worked beautifully..It turned out really well and would be versatile enough to serve as a summer dessert or a delicious addition to morning or afternoon tea.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
Rounded 1/4 tsp sat
5 tbsp ancient organics ghee
3/4 cups sugar plus 1/2 tbsp sugar divided
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 nectarines or peaches pitted and cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
1/2 tsp nutmeg


Preheat oven to 350 with a rack positioned in the middle. Lightly 'ghee' a springform pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt
Beat ghee and 3/4 cups sugar with an electric mixer ( a whisk works too) until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add extracts.
At a low speed or with a delicate stroke, add flour mixture until just combined, do not over beat.
Spread batter evenly in pan, then arrange the peach or nectarine slices to your liking ( you can randomly scatter or place in a pattern.
Stir together nutmeg and remaining 1/2 tbsp sugar then sprinkle over the top.
Bake until cake is golden-brown and top is firm but tender when lightly touched ( cake will rise over the fruit), 45-50 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove side of pan and cool to warm.
It does lovely on its own but a dollop of whipped cream or fresh vanilla ice cream wouldn't hurt either.
enjoy!

Savory Fritters (wheat free)

Though we made these on a Saturday, they were so delicious we wanted start having "Fritter Fridays" and make them on a weekly basis. The batter is versatile and could be taken in so many directions, this particular incarnation is savory with purple spring onions and cilantro but we thought of everything from adding zatar and drizzling a tahini sauce on the top to adding real corn kernels and having a fresh avocado and citrus salsa as accompaniment...we will definitely be doing some more tinkering around to share with you all...

1 1/4 cups Wheat Free All Purpose Baking Flour (we prefer Bob's Red Mill see photo)
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup ghee plus more for brushing the pan
1 1/2 cups whole milk, plus additional if needed
1/4 purple spring onion (shallots will also work beautifully)
1.4 cup cilantro chopped

accompaniment: Mango Chutney

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk together yolks, ghee and milk in another bowl (the ghee might become lumpy due to the chilled milk but it will warm up again and blend as you whisk it into the dry ingredients)
Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture whisking until smooth. Add chopped onion and cilantro then let the batter stand for 5 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquids, it will thicken slightly.
If the batter is too thick to fall easily off the back of a spoon, stir in one to two extra tablespoons of milk.
Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks. With a whisk, gently fold them into the batter.
Brush the skillet, griddle or pan with ghee and heat over moderately high flame until hot but not smoking. Reduce the heat and add 2 to 4 fritters to cook at a time (the amount of batter that makes one fritter will depend on the size of your pan, I use the 1/4 cup scoop and fill it about half way). Working in batches cook the fritters until bubbles appear on the surface, the edges begin to crisp and they are golden on the underside, 45 seconds-1 minute. Then flip and wait until underside is golden and they are cooked through. Remove and keep stacked on a plate lined with paper towels. You can keep them in the oven to stay warm but they are best served right off the skillet with a dollop of mango chutney* on top.
As I stated earlier there are so many variations one could try here so be bold and experiment.
*You can of course buy mango chutney at the store but this one was made by my friend Marie and it was excellent. Chutneys are another fun thing to try making at home I will get the recipe from her and post it asap.

Curried Carrots

This is an excellent side dish especially right now as the carrots at local farmer's markets are so succulent and sweet!

1 lb carrots, any variety will work though the smaller are usually sweeter and more buttery in texture
1/4 cup ghee
1" piece of fresh ginger minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of cumin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice the carrots length wise and cut them into 4ths (you could also slice them up into 1/4" rounds, not thinner or they will dry out in the oven)
Toss them with ghee (it will be perfectly soft if you keep it at room temperature) ginger, curry powder, salt and cumin. Cover with foil and put in oven to bake. Check and stir occasionally so that all the carrots are getting equally cooked. After about 20-25 min (could be longer depending on your oven) remove foil and continue to cook until carrots are tender enough to break with a fork and starting to caramelize around the edges.
Remove from oven and serve along side fish, meat or other veggies. We had it as one component of a veggie bowl with greens that had been sauteed in ghee and rice with mung (see past post on how to make this), it was delicious!

mung dal with rice and greens

This is a healthy, easy, satisfying meal that we eat often in our house.

First, soak the mung dal in water (preferably overnight but a couple of hours is good too). Strain off the water and put them in a pot with new water, enough to cover the mung by about 1/2"
Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer covered for about 40 minutes. Stir occasionally and watch to make sure it doesn't boil over.
In the mean time prepare rice to your liking, our favorite is basmati.
Once the mung has begun to fall apart and the watered has been absorbed substantially it is done. You can adjust the consistency according to your liking, more water makes more of a stew and less makes more of a refried bean consistency. Serve the mung over the rice alongside your favorite steamed veggies (pictured here is steamed kale and cubed sweet potatoes).
Other interesting toppings that we often include are:
sliced avocados
slivered almonds
coconut flakes
nutritional yeast
soy sauce

Drizzle ghee over the top and enjoy!

easy pasta topping

this is a picture of pure delight!
wheat free ravioli filled with squash and cheese (purchased at our local farmer's market)
topped with black basil (also from farmer's market) that has been sauteed in ghee
add a little salt and pepper and you have an incredibly easy, unbelievably tasty summer meal.

herbed eggs

This is an easy thing to do when scrambling or frying eggs. After you melt the ghee in your pan, add a handful of fresh, chopped herbs (basil, cilantro, sage or rosemary are all really tasty) fry until slightly crispy then crack your eggs on top and prepare according to your liking. You can also stir in cheese for an added flavor bonus, I like parmesan or soft chevre, for an added flavor. Serve with toast and side salad, an excellent sunday brunch.
*Ghee is key in this recipe because using butter or olive oil you wouldn't really be able to crisp the herbs without burning your fat.

on bagels

ghee is also enjoyed simply on bagels or toast. add a little drizzle of honey or smear of jam and you are really talking...

Here are few more ghee facts to digest while you enjoy your morning bagel.

-While Ghee does have cholesterol, it is not oxidized cholesterol. The cholesterol in ghee is an essential molecule needed by our brain, nerves and tissues.

-When cooking most unsaturated and saturated oils, peroxides, free radicals and trans fats are formed. All are linked to serious chronic health conditions. Ghee has a more stable saturated bond (i.e it lacks the double bonds that are easily damaged by the heat of cooking) therefore, it does not form dangerous free radicals or become a trans-fat when cooking. It is the most stable of all oils to cook with.

-Ghee has short chain fatty acids that are metabolized very readily by the body.