Author: chefalice
I call this “farmer’s cheese” because it is made using the same type of process as traditional dairy-based farmer’s cheese, except that I use almond milk instead of cow’s milk. I heat the milk and add an acidifying agent (in this case I’ve used vinegar), which separates the curds from the whey, and then I further strain it to form a block of cheese. This cheese can be air-dried or not, depending on your preference. You can add herbs or other flavor additions to suit your palate. I love minced fresh basil or thyme in my cheese, but you can…
Full of flaxseeds and enhanced by hazelnut flour, this excellent bread has a mild taste that works well with nearly any kind of sandwich filling. It also toasts up nicely and makes excellent croutons. We recommend using an electric mixer for this one, as the final texture is better if the batter is whipped at high speed to aerate it. By the way, if you use golden flaxseed meal instead of brown flaxseed meal, the loaf will have a more golden color, in which case you should feel free to call it Golden Bread! Either way, it is equally delicious…
When consumed in moderation, a cup of flavonoid-rich hot chocolate made with dark, unprocessed cocoa is a nutritious breakfast drink. Chocolate and cocoa contain compounds called flavonols, which act as antioxidants and counteract some of the cellular damage that can lead to chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. The antioxidants in cocoa powder have been shown in some studies to lower blood pressure and improve blood flow, which is important for cardiovascular health. Dutch cocoa has been treated with alkali, to produce a darker, richer taste. Unfortunately, this process drastically reduces flavonol content. Using unprocessed cocoa powder in…
Supersonic granola was one of our earliest creations, hailing from the days when we sold our goodies at the farmers’ market under a 10- × 10-foot canopy. Back in those days we had a customer named Richard, who was crazy about this granola. He even had us regularly deliver it to his office (our only delivery customer at the time, he had me pedalling across Toronto to get there!). Homemade granola is exceedingly simple to make; use this recipe as a guide to making your own concoctions, if you like. If you’re feeling inspired, swap out the seeds for your…
This is a fantastic way to make fruit butter in any blender (though a high-speed machine will give you the smoothest consistency). Don’t be put off by the straining. It only takes a few minutes and is totally worth it. In this recipe, resist the temptation to tweak the ingredients. The strained butter is quite mild and not too sweet. It’s fabulous with ice cream, spread on baked goods, or straight out of the jar (or strainer) with a spoon, which is my preference. The pungency of the ginger winds up mostly in the juice after straining; don’t miss using…
This is a salad completely made with the harvest of the fall. It is so flavorful that I think it can go head-to-head with any summer salad. I first made it for a charity benefit at the Center for discovery, which works with special needs children and adults in a country farm setting. It was a sit-down dinner for 275, and I had the farm as my supermarket. Instead of aisles, there were lush rows of vegetables and orchards to stroll. This was the shortest farm-to-table commute that any vegetable could take. Don’t be put off by the number of…
Colourful and tempting, this refreshing breakfast is a perfect start to the day when you feel like something light.
How to make pho without fish sauce? I pondered the question for a while. Salty, sweet, tangy, and sour all needed to be replicated, along with umami, that earthy depth of flavor. I settled on a combination of lime juice and lemon juice (tangy and sour), the Japanese rice wine mirin (sweet and salty), sugar (sweet), salt (salty, of course), and then ginger, garlic, and Chinese five-spice powder for that depth of flavor. Delicious! The fresh herbs bring it all together. Serve with extra chiles or chile sauce on the side if you like it really hot (which I do).