Roasted Carrots, Garlic and Sausage with Dill {A Guest Post}

Welcome to Off The Counter a guest post from Debra Szidon of Cocoon Home Design. Her lifestyle blog features dishes that are literally prepared, cooked and often times served off her kitchen counter.   

The recipe she’s sharing with Kumquat is a one-pan wonder that’s perfect to feed six/eight people or served as a staple over several days for a family of four/five.  

Roasted carrots, garlic and sausage topped with fresh dill: this dish is ideal for an Indian summer meal. Take a look at how quick and easy this tasty combination comes together.  

Ingredients

1 can of garbanzo beans, 1 bunch of carrots, 2-3 garlic cloves, 1.5-2 lbs of sausage (chicken or pork with garlic), dill, 1/2 cup chicken broth, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Instructions

    •    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    •    Add chopped carrots, rinsed garbanzo beans and sliced garlic to an ovenproof pan.

    •    Lightly drizzle with olive oil and salt.

    •    Add the chicken broth (you may add a little more if you prefer it juicier).

    •    Place sausages on top and pierce each one with a fork.

    •    Cover and bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    •    After the time is up, take the pan out, slice the sausages and mix them with the carrots, beans and garlic.

    •    Remove the cover and finish cooking for another 15 minutes.

    •    Finely chop the dill and add a generous amount on top of the pan when you’re ready to serve.

Enjoy!

 

A p.s. from Debra:  I love this recipe since it's so easy to prepare, but if you prefer dried beans just remember the time it takes to soak.  Just one more thing/suggestion, I often serve the dish on top of a bed of sautéed spinach with a baguette or gluten free bread on the side...

Thank you Gretchen for inviting me to your blog!

Debra

Recipe Redux: Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing

it has been thrilling, exciting and exhausting working on this cookbook. so many successful and delicious recipes are coming together. i couldn't be more grateful for all of the help and encouragement i've received in the past few weeks. one day at a time...

but i am also eager to take a little breather and return my thoughts to this here blog. and what better reason than for another recipe redux!?

this month's theme is dressings and spreads...

now, i love a good vinaigrette... a tangy and smooth concoction of olive oil and balsamic or champagne vinegar, with some mustard, salt and pepper. easy, quick and delicious. but sometimes, there's no substitute for good old ranch.

to me, a garden salad screams for ranch dressing. (and lots of pepper.) its creamy and herb-y white-ness, coating the juicy tomatoes and cool cucumbers and crunchy green leaves... perfection. but the fact that many ranch dressings are laced with the excitotoxin, MSG, makes me angry. especially when that's what many parents use to get their kiddos to eat their raw veggies. why, oh, why does an easy dressing already so loaded with delightful and flavorful ingredients need a harmful chemical to enhance its flavor?

so throw out those bottles and flavor packets of nasty ranch (or at least grab a bottle off the grocery shelf that claims no MSG) and mix up your own. it's really so easy, so full of fresh flavors and nothing you wouldn't want to feed your kids (or yourself).

i also decided to throw together a version for those who have tummies that are not friends with buttermilk. this one is completely dairy-free! (if buttermilk is more your style, sub it in for the rice milk and omit the vinegar.)

Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing

1/2     cup original rice milk

1 1/2  teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 1/4  cups mayonnaise

1/4     cup chopped parsley

1        tablespoon chopped chives

1/2     teaspoon dried dill

1        clove garlic, minced

2        tablespoons minced shallots

1/4     teaspoon pepper

1/8     teaspoon salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl or measuring cup. Store in refrigerator.

Yield: 2 cups.

PRINT THIS RECIPE

be sure to check out all of the other redux posts this month...

carlene of carlene's figments made roasted eggplant pepper schmeer 

deanna of teaspoon of spice made sicilian relish

cherie of grain crazy made fry sauce

dr. barb of nutrition budgeteer made jalapeno ranch dressing

elizabeth of don't (white) sugar coat it made spicy tahini dressing 

kara of peach, love, and food made edamame hummus

kat of eating the week made citrus sesame avocado dressing

emma of the scoop on nutrition made kitchen garden salsa verde

emma of the hearty heart made go-go-goji dressing

lida of healthful sense made sweet peanut sauce and dressing

regan of the professional palate made ponzu sauce

danielle of food confidence rd made your new favorite vinaigrette

stephanie of give them something better made creamy garlic feta dressing

nicole of whole health rd made mapple salad dressing

 kristen of swanky dietitian made italian vinaigrette artichoke dressing

ann of eat to nourish, energize & flourish made thai basil peanut pesto

kristina of love and zest made spiced pumpkin dip

meg of meg's food reality made sweet potato hummus

everyday tastiness made pistachio butter

alysa of inspired rd made roasted garlic hummus

ea of spicy rd made creamy triple pepper and kale dip

liz & janice of meal makeover moms' kitchen made garden-fresh tomato & avocade salsa

jessica of nutritioulicious mde butternut squash cream cheese spread 
diane welland of eat well eat clean made honey fig jam

Flourless Chocolate Mini-Cakes with Praline Sauce

"blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." matthew 5:4

we will never forget.

Flourless Chocolate Mini-Cakes with Praline Sauce

1/3       cup chopped pecans

3          large eggs

1 1/4      cups sugar

2          tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (i used dark cocoa)

4          ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

3          tablespoons warm water

Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 425`.

2. Pulse pecans in a small food processor or blender just until pecans form a paste (about 1 minute), scraping down sides, if necessary. Set aside.

3. Separate eggs into yolks and whites. Combine yolks, sugar and cocoa in a large bowl. Melt chocolate in the microwave for 45 seconds on HIGH, stirring every 15 seconds. Set aside.

4. Beat egg whites in a large bowl on HIGH speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

5. Add pecan paste and chocolate to egg yolk/sugar mixture. Stir until smooth. Gently fold in half of beaten egg whites; fold in remaining half of egg whites. Spoon mixture evenly into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

6. Bake at 425` for 10 minutes or until almost set, but soft in the center. Place on a rack and cool 10 minutes. Invert onto dessert plates and serve with praline sauce.
Yield: 12 mini-cakes

Praline Sauce

1         cup brown sugar

1/2      cup evaporated milk

1         tablespoon butter

1/2      cup chopped pecans

1/2      teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil 1 minute or until sugar dissolves and mixture thicken slightly. Remove from heat; stir in pecans and vanilla. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: about 1 cup.

PRINT THIS RECIPE

adapted from a recipe i developed for this cooking light book

 

Gluten-Free Ratio Rally: Donut Peach Cider Doughnuts

once again the gluten-free ratio rally has expanded my horizons... never before have i made doughnuts. so i couldn't wait to take on the month's challenge. doughnuts, really!? awesome.

who can turn down a deliciously fried dough, drizzled or dipped in a sugar-y glaze? i know i can't. in my high school days our sunday school class always had glazed doughnuts and orange juice (cause why not wash down that sugar with some sugar, right?!). each sunday i would eat up to six of those suckers... luckily, i've cut back significantly due to wisdom, will-power, slowed metabolism and a gluten-free diet.

clearly though, i'm not the only one with a mild addiction to doughnuts. it's amazing to see the list of doughnuts from around the world. fritters, cake doughnuts, yeast doughnuts, crullers, bear claws, filled doughnuts... i can almost smell them just thinking about it.

though peach season is approaching it's end, the orchard on the mountain is filled with donut peaches and cider. while apple cider doughnuts are popular, i couldn't resist making donut peach cider doughnuts. not only are they delicious, but that's kind of fun to say.

these doughnuts fall into the cake doughnut category. it's also a dough that needs to be shaped for frying, as opposed to poured into a doughnut pan for baking. the ratio for this type of doughnut is:
4 parts flour : 1 part egg : 1 part liquid : .5 part fat
 
i learned a little tip from tara and deb about frying doughnuts... crisco. yes, i know. some of you fellow dietitians should look away now. frying the dough in crisco instead of an oil keeps the doughnut from soaking up the fat like a sponge and leading to an especially greasy and oily doughnut upon cooling. though my love for doughnuts is clear, it's probably true that i won't be making them frequently. but when i do, i'll use crisco. go big or go home. (and at least crisco has no trans fats. there's that.)

Donut Peach Cider Doughnuts

1/2      cup donut peach cider

4         teaspoons ground golden flaxmeal

8         teaspoons very hot water      

230     grams (about 1 3/4 cups) kumquat all-purpose flour

70       grams (about 1/3 cup) sugar

1         teaspoon baking powder

1/        teaspoon baking soda

1/2      teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4      teaspoon salt

dash    nutmeg

2         tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

1         large egg

1/4      cup buttermilk

Crisco

1          cup powdered sugar

2          teaspoons donut peach cider

OR

1/2       cup sugar

1          tablespoon ground cinnamon

1. Boil donut peach cider in a small saucepan until concentrated down to 2 tablespoons.

2. Combine golden flaxmeal and hot water in a small bowl; stir until mixture is thickened.

3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or with fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine egg, buttermilk, 2 tablespoons concentrated cider and flax slurry; stir with a wire whisk. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until combined. Pour mixture out onto counter and knead until dough comes together.

4. Roll dough out to 1/2-inch thickness onto a lightly floured piece of parchment; freeze 20 minutes. Cut doughnuts with a doughnut cutter (or a 3-inch round and a 1-inch doughnut hole); chill 20 minutes.

5. Add Crisco to a heavy-duty saucepan to measure 3-inches up the side when melted. Heat to 370`, measuring with a candy thermometer. Fry doughnuts, in batches, for 3-4 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.

6. Combine powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons donut peach cider. Glaze doughnuts with mixture. and/or Combine sugar and cinnamon; roll doughnuts in cinnamon sugar mixture. (while they were both delicious, the vote was for the cider glazed version.)

Yield: 3-4 doughnuts and 4-5 doughnut holes

PRINT THIS RECIPE

this unbelievably delicious donut peach cider is from the orchard near my home. the peach flavor really comes through and it's such a fun departure from apple ciders. feel free to use apple cider as a replacement for the peach version in the recipe above, but the good news is you can order this donut peach cider from the carter mountain orchard online store. at the time i posted this it was not yet up, but they have told me they plan to have it on the site very soon. if it isn't, you are also able to email them and ask specifically to buy some. it's really amazing... and they didn't even pay me to say that.

meg at gluten-free boulangerie was our host this month. and as usual, there are many more of these delightful doughnuts to drool over... check them out...

charissa of zest bakery made sweet potato/pumpkin fritters 

jenn of jenn cuisine made mini raspberry doughnut cakes 

lisa of gluten free canteen made apple butter maple syrup donuts 

brooke of b & the boy made apricot fritters

meg of gluten-free boulangerie made old-fashioned raised doughnuts & cake doughnuts

rachel of the crispy cook made chocolate doughnuts with chocolate glaze

caneel at mama me gluten free made thai fried bananas

jean of gf doctor recipes made cinnamon apple fritters

silvana of silvana's kitchen made vanilla-glazed chocolate chip doughnuts 

mary fran of frannycakes made raspberries & cream doughnuts

claire of gluten freedom made chocolate coconut & cinnamon glazed vanilla cake donuts

 jeanette of jeanette's healthy living made pumpkin spiced donuts

mrs. r of honey from flint rocks made jelly doughnuts

caleigh of gluten free[k] made beetroot fritters

tr of no one likes crumbley cookies made sweet pepper and pancetta fritters

pete and kelli of no gluten, no problem made jelly donut holes

britt of GF in the city made blueberry fritters

shauna of gluten-free girl made glazed yeast doughnuts

tara of a baking life made brioche doughnuts 

irvin at eat the love made roses and pearls vanilla bean donuts