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 Gluten Free cookies After reading and (may be) testing my winter soups some of you may be ready for something sweet and delicious, just to start well the week end! I am with you!
What about some cookies, healthy, delicious and quick to make?
A few months ago I decided to switch from store-bought basic food to homemade food. For the past weeks I have made almost everything we eat in our home from scratch and I decided to really focus onto homemade food from: cookies, pastas, pizza, baguettes (my husband is our bread master- he religiously make them every day!), ice cream and even to ricotta cheese!
If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you saw some of them already!
So for the next week you will see on my blog a new serie of posts based on Cooking from scratch. And yes I can assure you all can do it.
This quest for healthy food and cooking has been reinforced through a Blog and certainly a beautiful person: Nathalie Ruffat Westling. She lives in France and her blog is a fantastic journey unto healthy, delicious and a simple living. Visit her blog and your day will be different. She has the knowledge to find the best ingredients, herbs, olive oil…..If I am a novice in term of cooking from scratch Nathalie is the Queen of a unique and healthy cooking full of flavors from her secret Luberon Colline/ hill or from around the world. She totally inspires you. She is also a talented photographer and I am very excited that soon you will read an Interview I did with Nathalie in my blog.
Meanwhile I encourage you to bookmark her fantastic Blog :
les Cuisines de Garance
Since I know many cookies recipes that are quick and that need only few ingredients why bother buying some cookies made with preservatives, artificial colors…???
Here is a delicious and simple for crunchy and heallthy chocolaty cookies that you can make too!
 close-up gluten free chocolate cookies Chocolate Almond and Chia seeds Cookies
1/4 cup organic butter melted
1/4 cup Organic All Vegetable shortening softened
1/4 cup Almond flour or meal
2 Tbsp Semolina flour
2 Tbsp Rice flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped Dark chocolate
chia seeds
Pre-heat oven 350 F.
Use a baking sheet lightly floured.
In a large bowl mix all flours,baking powder, chocolate and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl mix well the butter and shortening. Add this mixture to the flour mixture.
Mix well all ingredients.
With a spoon make balls sprinkle chia seeds on them and place them on the baking sheet.
Cook for 5 minutes. Then open the oven and with a large spoon flat the balls.
Cook another 15 minutes until cookies are golden.
Let them cool for 10 minutes ( if you can wait until this)
Enjoy!
 Cookies in the garden
 Asian Soup Today January 23, 2012 at midnight will start the first day of the Chinese New Year.
This is one of the most important Chinese Holidays, it lasts for 15 days, each year is associated with one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, and this year is the Year of the Dragon! (I am Dragon ! Yay!)
It is celebrated in China and around the world by millions of ethnic Chinese.
Since I have been in “Soup mood” for the last days…?? weeks?
I decided to share with you this easy, tasty and exotic soup. Perfect as a comfort food.
Can make a perfect vegetarian or vegan soup!
I discovered Gyoza at Trader Joe’s. They are frozen containing no preservatives or artificial flavors and are delicious. I always have a few bags in my freezer. You can use them in soup or fry them and serve with soy sauce. They can be steamed, boiled or fried.
It’s said that gyoza originated in China and was introduced to Japan and they are one of the major foods eaten during the Chinese New Year.
This recipe is dedicated to my Tee-Pee Sisters a group of lovely, elegant, bright, loving and wonderful ladies living all over the States who share a passion for beautiful things, decoration, home and a delicious life!
To you my sisters Happy Chinese New Year to all of you!
 Happy Chinese New Year ! Chinese Dumpling soup Chinese Dumpling Soup
Serves : 4
1 bag frozen TJ’s Gyoza ( pork, chicken,shrimp or vegetable)
½ onion diced
½ cup chopped leek
½ cup frozen spinach
1 ½ Tbsp Miso paste
1 garlic clove minced
Fresh ginger 2 inches
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups water
In a pot soup sauté onion, leeks, ginger and garlic for 7 minutes in olive oil. Add water and mix all ingredients cook on high heat until boiling. Add Miso paste, Gyoza and spinach. Stir well and simmer for 5-10 minutes until gyoza are tender. Discard the ginger piece.If the soup is too thick you can add some water.
Serve immediately.
Gong Xi Fa Ca!
 Gyoza
 Jujube soup Two years ago thanks to Eva and Ron (my favorite vendors-farmers at Temecula Farmer’s Market – Tretowan Organic Farm, Rainbow, CA) I discovered Jujube fruits for the first time. When I found out about this amazing super-food I posted a post about these fruits in order for my readers to know about it here Jujube fruit Superfood
Actually there is at least 33 reasons to add Jujube Fruits into your daily diet because I am sure you have something you may want to improve for having a better health:
1. Combats cellular damage from free radicals
2. Eases sore throats
3. Nourishes the blood
4. Aids in digestion
5. Supports liver and spleen function
6. Detoxifies the body
7. Calms the mind
8. Moderates nervousness
9. Helps to overcome fatigue and weakness
10. Speeds recovery from illness
11. Inhibits gastrointestinal infections
12. Soothes the stomach
13. Provides energy
14. Enhances metabolism
15. Supports cardiovascular health
16. Strengthens blood vessels
17. Provides relief from the heat
18. Boosts Libido
19. Destroys parasites in the intestinal tract
20. Supports heart, lung and kidney health
21. Enhances the immune system
22. Slows the effects of premature aging
23. Induces apoptosis in skin cancer cells
24. Impedes tumor growth
25. Assists weight loss
26. Counters affects of poison
27. Remedies boils and sores
28. Relieves bronchitis
29. Reduces fevers
30. Acts as a diuretic
31. Helps in extracting energy from food
32. Alleviates allergies
33. Facilitates sleep
So as like me you like to snack on these little fruits ( the dried ones) , you may want to know what to do with them.
You can make tea :
Jujube tea Recipe
and a Jujube Soup
 Celine's Jujube healthy soup This soup is made with superfoods like: jujube fruits, cilantro and shiitakes…
Do you know that Cilantro is known to be rich in phytonutrients and flavonoids. The seeds of cilantro have been found to control blood sugar, lower bad (LDL) cholesterol, and fight inflammation. It also fights infections. Cilantro can provide a natural chelation treatment thereby flushing the body of toxins including heavy metals and impurities. It is also very healthy for the digestive system, soothing the digestive tract and relieving acidity. The dietary fiber in cilantro aids regularization of digestive functions. Due to its high antioxidant content, cilantro reduces inflammation, LDL cholesterol, and high blood sugar. It is known to have great antibiotic properties and is effective against salmonella infections ( Source: theLongestlife.com).
Do you know Shiitake Mushooms : Inhibit tumor growth / Boost the Immune System/ Lower your cholesterol levels
Shiitake mushrooms are so popular in Asian cultures that they’re sold by streetcar vendors, just as we in North America sell hotdogs .
Scientists are discovering what natural healers have known for ages.
Mushrooms are not only important sources of nutrients but also stimulate the immune system.
Researchers say that they possibly can help fight cancer and high cholesterol, but perhaps even AIDS.
It does, however, supply good amounts of key nutrients, like the B-vitamins.
Long esteemed in Japan for their reputed tumor-shrinking abilities, shiitake mushrooms have been attracting global attention because of the cancer-fighting compound that they contain. ( source www.natures-health-foods.com).
A Korean friend even told me that in Chicken Noodles soup her grandmother use to add dried dried jujube fruits in the soup
Celine’s Jujube Soup
1/2 onion diced
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 ginger piece peeled ( 1 inch)
3 small organic sweet potatoes or organic carrots, peeled and cut in small pieces
7-8 Jujube fruits pitted and sliced
5 shiitake muchrooms
3-4 ozCooked Pork or chicken cut in small chunk (leftover) ( substitute pan seared organic firm tofu/ leftover)
7 cups water
2 Tbsp natural miso paste
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves
1 garlic clove
In a large soup pot saute the onion until soft. Add the weet potatoes or carrots if using, garlic, ginger and mushrooms
Add the water, miso paste mix well. Add chicken or pork meat and the jujube fruit. Put on high heat until boiling.
Cook until vegetables are soft.
Serve immediately!
Enjoy and be healthy!
* Jujube fruits from Tretowan Organic Farm Rainbow CA at several Southern California Farmers market.
 Red Lentils SOUP  red lentils sweet potatoes soup I have been making this soup for years. I kept the original recipe in my notebook unforunately, I do not know the source, it was back when I was living in NYC. But if you know me you know that I never follow a recipe. I am very adventurous when cooking and I make a lot of substitutions. So this is my version of a wonderful red lentils soup. Perfect for my vegan or vegetarian friends! And the good news is that everyone likes this soup, children love it too! This type of legume does not need to be soaked, actually this soup is cooked in 30 minutes!
 homemadde buttermilk biscuits  homemade buttermilk biscuits For the perfect comfort food and supper I serve it with homemade Biscuits!
Red Lentils Soup
1/2 onion diced
2 Tbsp Olive oil
3 small organic sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in small pieces
1 small organic zuchini, peeled and cut in small pieces
1 1/2 cup Red lentils well rinsed ( and carefully checked discard any small stones you may find in the lentils)
2 Tbsp Thai Yellow Cury sauce
1/2 cup organic tomato sauce
2 frozen garlic cubes or 2 garlic cloves peeled
salt
pepper
7 cups of water
Coconut cream optional
In a large soup pot saute the onion until soft. Add the weet potatoes and zuchini.
Add lentils. Mix well all vegetables add salt and pepper.
Add the water and garlic. Put on high heat until boiling. Add the cury sauce, tomato sauce and simmer until the lentils and all vegetables are soft.
Mix in a blender.
Add coconut cream if desired
Buttermilk Biscuits
Recipe by Maria Helm Sinskkey
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted organic butter cut into cubes
1 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, powder, and salt. Mix the butter over the four mixture and stir until the dough comes together.
Turn the dough outo a lighly floured work surface, gather it in a balla and knead lightly until uniform. do not overwok it.
Use a glass and cut out rounds. Place each biscuits on the baking sheet spacing them 2 nches apart.
Bake the biscuits until golden about 12 minutes. serve warm.
Cut in half and spread butter inside! Delicieux!
 biscuits and soup
 jerusalem artichokes or sunflower chokes I discovered Sunflower chokes recently and I fall in love with this vegetable root right away.
Sun chokes (called also Jersualem artichoke or sunflower chokes) look like ginger roots and have a sweet, nutty flavor, similar to water chestnuts. This is a very versatile food. It can be used both raw and cooked and make a delicious soup, puree, gratin or dip.
Sunchokes contain potassium, vitamin C, phosphorus and are a great source of iron.
 sunflowe chokes -almond dip For lunch yesterday I made some dip with them, topped on toasted garlic naan bread it was a delish!
Sun chokes and Almond Dip
1 lb Package sunflower chokes or Jerusalem atichokes or sunchokes, peeled and cut in small pieces
1/3 cup almond flour
3/4 whole milk ( vegetable milk can be used)
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
In a saucepan saute the sunchokes in olive oil for 10 minutes, stiring it.Add the almond flour and stir again. Add milk, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chokes are tender and soft.
Place in a blender and blend until smooth.
Delicious on toasted garlic Naan Indian bread!
Bon Appettit
 dip
 Epiphany King Cake with dried persimons  gateau des Rois brioche style In France we celebrate Epiphany day with a cake called Galette des Rois, kings cake. Usually the first Sunday of January on Epiphany day family and friends gather together to eat this cake. In the North of France we eat the Pithiviers cake ( Puff pasty filled with frangipane – mixture of almond meal, eggs, sugar- and in the South of France we eat couronne des rois a torus-shaped brioche with candied fruits.
Kids love this tradition since they can “tirer les Rois” (tirer les rois) a lucky charm or trinket called feve in French is hidden in the cake before baking. The person when eating the cake than find the “feve” becomes the king for the day ( and can wear a golden paper crown) and can chose his queen.
The tradition is for the youngest person to place themselves under the table and name the recipient of the share which is indicated by the person in charge of the service.
Formerly, one divided the cake in as many shares as guests, plus one. The latter, called “the share of God,” “share of the Virgin Mary,” or “share of the poor” was intended for the first poor person to arrive at the home. ( souce: wikipedia)
You can find the Galette des Rois in every patisserie-boulangerie in France for the entire month of January. But since my kids love the Pithivier-frangipane one I make this cake few times all year round!
I was born in Paris but raised in the South of France. This is how I discovered both galettes.
When we were visiting my parents’ family in Pais for the Holidays Season usually there was one Sunday when we were eating the Pithiviers gateau des rois. This one has always been my mother’s favorite. But since I lived in the South of France I am still attracted to the brioche style one: couronne des rois
This year I decided to make both. I used
Mercotte recipe. I candied my oranges in syrup and I cumbled some and add them to the batter. The sugar is from Ikea.
Do not hesitate to visit her blog ( in French Sorry). She is one one of my favorite French food and cooking blogger. Every pastry creations she makes is an art. Her blog is a wonderful tutorial when you want to make something amazing and delicious. She is a perfectionist and a real artist. I love her sense of humor and of coure she is passionate about he creations/ cooking/ baking, which is wonderful. She is the author of a myriad of French cookbooks and she is the queen of the French Parisian Macarons.
 galette des Rois  King Cake from France  king cake slice For the Epiphany cake # 2 I used Elra’s recipe. This time my US readers will love this blog in English. Elra is another talented and passionate woman who create amazing dishes and desserts. Please visit her blog!
My own touch I add dried persimons from Tretowan Organic Farm, ainbow CA.
elra baking
 Pithiviers French King cake  Epiphany French king cake  king cake slice  FILLING PUFF PASTRY  FEVE trinket Conclusion?
Both cake were amazing, full of flavors, different texture and so much fun to make!
Merci Mercotte and Elra!
 Superfood winter salad After indulging in too much food and too many drinks, light meal and whole food are what your body is craving for. Even if this year our holidays were based on simple food (except just a little Foie Gras— Merci Isabelle and Jerome your homemade Foie Gras from the Gers was a pure delight, the best we ever had — a big detox-cleansing was not in need but I wanted to start the new year with an healthy style of life based on more meditation, yoga, whole food easy to digest, to prepare and that can povide more energy.
After this morning Meditation and Yoga ( yes we are only January 4 I am still hoping I can stick to this new routine) I had green tea and decided to eat something different from my usual breakfast. I though “Gluten-free” breakfast! Something new to me! Love my bread and croissants!
In no time, I was able to make a delicious salad. This salad is composed of layers of different ingredients. I discovered this salad’s technique in my favorite French cooking magazine : Elle a Table
Instead of mixing all ingredients with vinaigrette as usual, why not taking extra time to display the salad to make the salad looks pretty.
 feta,mache, pomegranate, radishes, quinoa, peas and cocumber salad Superfood Salad
Adapted from Leon’s Leon Original Superfood Salad Recipe
2 Tbsp Organic white quinoa, cooked
1 Cup Mache salad ( Trader Joe’s salad section)
1/2 cup frozen peas, cooked
1/2 cucumber diced
2 radishes thinly sliced
1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
vinaigrette :
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp Olive oil
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove
1 piece fresh ginger ( 1 inch)
On a plate place the quinoa, top with cucumber, peas, Mache salad, radishes, feta and pomegranate seeds.
Place all vinaigrette in a blender and mi well. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
 supefood salad  superfood winter salad
 My Glogg
BONNE ANNEE 2012 QUE CELLE-CI SOIT
DOUCE ET HEUREUSE!
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012
Click here for the recipe: Sweddish Glogg recipe with a twist (I used Mission Figs ( instead of raisins) and clementines )
 Santa treats & Edible Gifts Celine"s Cuisine I am so lucky. I learned all my cooking by watching my mom. And lately while I was working on my cookbook I realized how my cooking is connected to my childhood. My mother has been cooking only and exclusively from scratch. She is a self-taught, she learned how to can tomatoes, French beans. She knows how to make the best jams, the best pastry dough: Pate brisee, pate feuilletee… The best couscous, Pot au feu, tarte au poireaux, tarte aux pommes, emince de veau, beignets de moules, beignets, chocolat chaud, palets de dame, foie gras, confit de porc.…
 santa treats & edible gifts 2-days workshop celine's cuisine The list is huge. She knows how to cook and make anything. She is just talented.
As far as I can remember every Christmas she was making her own holiday treats and goodies…we never saw her making them ( she was making them when we were at school) and tada usually after lunch she was entering the living room with a plate full of : Chocolate truffles, fruits deguises, pates de coings..
I love Marzipan but when I saw the price for just a little package at the supermarket and how it was coming so dry so quickly I decided to make my own for my fruits deguises ( fruits with costumes)
This Marzipan recipe has been adapted from Mercotte ,
Edda shows 4 different techniques.
These blogs are in French.
Homemade Marzipan
- 1 ¼ cup almond flour ( Baron’s Marketplace or Sprouts marketplace)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp water
- 2 tsp honey
Sift sugar .
In a bowl mix sugar with almond. Mix well add little by little water until you have a thicker consticency. Add honey.
Mix all ingredients make a ball wrap in plastic or foil paper.
Refrigerate
Fruits deguises
- Walnuts walves
- Pecan walves
- Dried prunes
- Dates
Make little balls as the same size of the dried fuit or nuts that you are using.
For dates, prunes take out the stone and fill with marzipan.
For pecans and walnuts, make a ball and sandwich it gently with nuts.
 homemade chai tea mix in jar On the last day of the workshop each participant was making his own Marta Stewart box filled with goodies we made.
From scratch we made also a wonderful Chai tea mix in jars ( only hot water, milk and sugar needed to be added).
Spices and tea were from Old Town Spice Merchants in Temecula, Ca
It was a wonderful workshop. I met lovely and fun ladies and they loved my French accent!
Pour mes amis francais!
Je suis chanceuse. J’ai appris la cuisine en regardant ma mère. Et dernièrement alors que je travaillais sur mon livre de recettes, j’ai réalisé combien ma cuisine est reliée à mon enfance. Ma mère a toujours cuisinait uniquement et exclusivement à partir de reels ingredients pas d’une boite. Elle est une autodidacte elle a appris à faire des conserves de tomates, haricots verts. Elle sait comment faire les meilleures confitures, les pates Brisee, Pate feuilletée … Le meilleur couscous, pot au feu, tarte au poireaux, tarte aux pommes, émincé de veau, beignets de moules, beignets, chocolat chaud, palets de dame, foie gras, confit de porc ….La liste est énorme. Elle sait tout cuisiner. Elle est tres talentueuse.
Pour autant que je peux me rappeler à chaque Noël, elle faisait ses propres migniardises de Noel… Mais nous ne ne voyion jamais quand elle les faisait (elle devait les faire quand nous étions à l’école) et tada généralement après déjeuner, elle entrait dans la salle de séjour avec une assiette pleine de: Truffes au chocolat, des fruits déguisés, pâtés Coings de .. comme c’etait beau et delicieux!
J’aime la pate d ‘amande, mais quand j’ai vu le prix pour juste un petit paquet au supermarché et comment elle devenait seche si rapidement, j’ai décidé de la faire moi meme.
Cette recette a été adaptée de Mercotte et
Edda qui offre 4 techniques différentes.
Ces blogs sont en français.
Pate d’amande
1 ¼ tasse d’amandes farine
¼ tasse de sucre en poudre
1 c. à thé d’eau
2 c. à thé de miel
Tamiser le sucre.
Dans un bol, mélanger le sucre avec les amandes.Mélangez bien ajoutez peu à peu d’eau jusqu’à ce que vous avez un épais consticency. Ajouter le miel.
Mélanger tous les ingrédients faire une boule et envelopper dans du papier plastique ou aluminium.
Réfrigérer
Fruits déguisés
Noix
pacanes
Pruneaux
Dates
Faire des petites boules de la taille même de la fuit secs ou de noix que vous utilisez.
Pour les dates, les pruneaux sortir le noyau et remplir de pâte d’amande.
Pour les noix de pécan et noix, faire une boule et presser délicatement les noix avec la pate d amande au milieu,
Le dernier jour de l’atelier chaque paticipant faisat sa propre boite Marta Stewart boîte et emplissait des migniardises faites. Nous avons fait également un melange de the Chai merveilleux dans des mini bocaux (que l’eau chaude, le lait et le sucre nécessaire à ajouter)
Les épices et le thé étaient du marchand d’épices de la vieille ville à Temecula
Ce fut un merveilleux atelier. J’ai rencontré de charmantes personnes qui ils ont aimé mon accent français!
 RODRIGO PENA/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER One thing that I learned as a cooking instructor is that people love to cook but they are just do not aware of it they think they can’t cook. When they join my classes they can duplicate the dish/ meal we made during the class in their own kitchen. Most of them share with me their stories or pictures.
 RODRIGO PENA/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER" Monday I conducted an hand-on cooking class with 27 students in Murrieta Middle School. All kids had a lot of fun and all said they will do it again at home. Some of them even never chopped an apple before the class. It was something new for them!
 RODRIGO PENA/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER In 45 minutes they chopped the apples, mix it with orange juice, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon (the filling). Then in a another bowl they mixed the flour, oat, brown sugar salt (the topping). At the end the dish was perfect and delicious!
The kids, the staff event the reporters and journalists tasted and loved it. One of the photographer told me he would make it on Christmas day for breakfast
!
 RODRIGO PENA/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER This is the first in a series of events the district will hold since joining SHAPE California, a network of over 90 school districts working together to improve the health and academic success of California children through nutrition education.
And I am so happy and proud to be involved in this movement thanks to Marina Musante PE instructor and Jill Lancaster School district Nutrition Director. Two wonderful, active and passionate women.
 RODRIGO PENA/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER You can read the article here:
Middle Students learn treats can be healthful
Students video taped this event : http://vimeo.com/33626382 .
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