Quinoa Pudding and a Walk on the Beach

I have talked about my love for arroz con leche many times in this blog. It is one of the desserts I make the most and the one that my friends always request when they come over for dinner. "Arroz con leche with two galletas please", says our friend G. Galletas Marias that is.

Lately I have been experimenting with different grains, mainly because of health reasons. Each one of my pregnancies has taken a bit of a toll on my body and I believe nourishment and food is one of the main ways to bring it back to balance. So a couple of weeks ago, I decided to make a different version of my favorite dessert by incorporating quinoa into it.



The weather has been gorgeous and last Friday, after we dropped J. off at school, we went down to the Juno Beach pier for an early morning walk. It was windy, the sea was rough and it was a pleasure to watch the surfers ride the waves. We even spotted a swimmer in that crazy ocean and there was even a "danger: sharks" note on the blackboard.

M. loves falling asleep in her front carrier while she watches everything around her.



We skipped breakfast that morning so we could have a small picnic at the beach. I made a small batch of quinoa pudding the night before, packed some strawberries and some pistachio and millet tea cakes that I had put away in the freezer. No walk on the beach is complete without snacks right? The wind was too harsh and it spoiled our picnic plan a bit. Instead we ended up sitting at the tables in the parking lot... but we enjoyed it anyway.



Quinoa Pudding with Macerated Strawberries and Pistachios

I like mine a little bit more liquid. If you like a drier version, omit the heavy cream

makes about 4 8 oz servings

3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream (optional)
1 vanilla bean
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup quinoa

1 cup strawberries, diced
1 Tbs sugar

chopped pistachios

Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse it with cold water for a few seconds.

Combine the milk, cream, sugar, salt and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the quinoa and stir. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 30 minutes stirring every few minutes. If skin starts to form on top of the milk, just stir it back in. The milk will reduce and thicken. Ladle into bowls or jars.

Place cut strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle them with sugar. Toss them and let them sit at room temperature for about an hour until juices start to come out.

Top the puddings with the strawberries and chopped pistachios.

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Green Heirloom Tomato and Celeriac Soup

You might be wondering why in the world I am blogging about heirloom tomatoes in the middle of winter. While most of you are covered in snow and wearing layer upon layer of clothing, it is tomato season here in Florida. Yes, and it is beautiful. It is the season of tomatoes, strawberries, zucchini, peppers... all the things that most of you enjoy during the summer we have them now.



On Sundays, we get up early, get a quick bite to eat and we load up the kids in the car to go to our local farmers market. It is what we used to do on Sundays when we were kids and I love having that tradition with my own family now.

The last couple of weeks, the tomatoes at one of my favorites farm stands have been beautiful and we have been eating them in salads about every single day. I just like to slice them and toss them in a little bit of olive oil, sea salt and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice or a drizzle of balsamic. So sweet and buttery. Yes, buttery tomatoes. Do you know what I mean? Such a soft and creamy texture.



Everyday, when J. comes home from school, he requests the same thing. Soup and sandwich. He is a boy with habits and his soup and sandwich lunch is one of them. So everyday, I try to come up with new ways to incorporate vegetables in his soup. He does not like raw tomatoes, but he loves his tomato soup. Go figure.

Last week, I made this green heirloom tomato and celery root soup for him and he loved it. The green tomatoes can be a bit acidic so they are balanced out with the sweetness of the carrot and a pinch of sugar. The celery root along with the potato makes this soup creamy as well. I loved the cherry tomato confit and the fried celeriac on top. All finished with some celery salt. Loved it.



Green Heirloom Tomato and Celeriac Soup

2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 leek, washed and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 medium green tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and diced
1 medium celery root, peeled and diced
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
1 Tbs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch of sugar
2 cups chicken stock (just enough to cover the vegetables)

Garnish
cherry tomato confit
celery root fried in olive oil
celery salt
fresh thyme

To blanch the tomatoes, bring water to a boil. Score the end of the tomatoes with a paring knife. Submerge the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 15 seconds. Strain the water and shock them in ice. The skin will peel right off.

In a medium pot, saute the leek, garlic and carrots in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the diced tomato, celery root, potato, salt, pepper, thyme. Saute for a minute and add the chicken stock, enough to cover the vegetables. Cook for about 20 minutes until all vegetables are tender.

Puree the soup and adjust the salt, pepper and sugar as needed. Depending on the acidity of the tomatoes, the seasoning will vary.

Garnish with cherry tomato confit, celery root fries, celery salt and fresh thyme leaves.

Cherry Tomato Confit

1 pint of cherry tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
fresh thyme
Olive oil

Cut the tops off. Score the bottom of the tomato. Blanch them in boiling water for about 10 seconds and immediately shock them in ice. Peel the skin.

Cut the tomatoes in half and place them cut side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper and fresh thyme on top.

Bake at 225F for about 2-2 1/2 hours until half way dry. Store them in a jar covered with olive oil.

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Chocolate, Banana and Teff Cupcakes and A Blog Anniversary

Two years ago, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, I made a batch of lemon bars and I thought "why don't I start a blog to keep a journal of all my recipes?" and so I did. I barely knew anything about blogs or how they worked. I went to Blogger and follow the instructions one by one and that's how Cannelle Et Vanille was born.



In these two years, life, the blog, my career... they have all changed dramatically. I would have never guessed in a million years that this is where it would all lead me to. I love that about life, the surprises around the corner.

The blog has connected me to so many new people that share my passion and continue to inspire me everyday. I love the collaborations and brainstorming that happens even through this virtual world. It is amazing. So this post is dedicated to all of you who read Cannelle Et Vanille day in and day out. It wouldn't have been possible without you.



Now, can I tell you how good these cupcakes are? And can I tell you that they are gluten free and that it took three batches to perfect them? But so worth it. Very moist, chocolaty and full of great nutrients.

I first heard of Teff a few years ago when I used to visit a gluten free bakery in Colorado Springs called "Outside The Bread Box". They have an amazing bread made out of Teff that seriously, I would have never been able to tell that it was gluten free if I hadn't read the label. Teff is an ancient grain from Ethiopia that is rich in iron, calcium and protein. It has a distinct rich flavor and dark color that I think goes great with chocolate.

"Do you want to help amatxu mash these bananas?", I asked J. Once again, he brought out his step stool, got the masher and started mashing those ripe bananas away. Because, did you know that children are 95% more likely to eat those foods they have prepared themselves? I love that. But again, not like I would have had to force him to eat these.

Chocolate, Banana and Teff Cupcakes

Makes 1 loaf and 12 cupcakes

3 eggs
200 grams natural cane sugar
300 grams ripe bananas, mashed
175 grams light olive oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
100 grams teff flour
50 grams sweet rice flour
50 grams hazelnut meal
15 grams cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
100 grams chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, banana puree, oil and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together the teff, sweet rice flour, hazelnut meal, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until all combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Divide the batter between the loaf pan and cupcake molds. Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes for the loaf pan and 20 minutes for the cupcakes.

For the icing, I used my basic buttercream recipe and added cocoa powder to it.

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Potato, Parsnip and Watercress Tortilla

I was looking through some of my blog archives a few days ago and I realized how things have changed around here. From complex petits gateaux to an array of laminated doughs, this blog started as a way to keep alive my passion for the art of pastry, the technique and precision. However, with small babies in our lives and all the time that involves, this blog has transformed into a recollection of the simple meals and desserts we eat in our everyday lives. It might be just a phase, but I'm really enjoying it too.



Where I grew up, tortilla de patatas is a staple. It is the snack we eat on Sunday mornings at pintxo bars, it is the bocadillo we take on school trips, it is part of all birthday parties... it is everything to us. Simple as can be, but such an emblem of our gastronomic culture.

A friend just told me yesterday something that stuck with me. When someone you love comes over for dinner, you make them a tortilla de patata because it takes time and love to make it. When someone that means nothing to you comes over for dinner, you buy the most expensive fish and just stick it in the oven. I love that.



Everyday I get many emails of readers asking me questions about macarons and how to perfect their technique, but a close second are the emails I receive asking me about how to make a good Spanish tortilla. Making a decent tortilla is not difficult, but making a great one is a different story. How can a recipe that only contains potato, onion and eggs be so difficult to master? The answer is the oil and what you do with that oil.

It is all about a good quality extra virgen olive oil, how much of it and how that oil is heated. It is very important that the oil is not too hot so the potatoes end up poaching rather than frying. It is almost like making fondant potatoes.

This is a slight variation to the traditional recipe with the addition of parsnips and watercress. Try this recipe and let me know what you think. You won't be disappointed.



Potato, Parsnip and Watercress Spanish Tortilla

makes 1 8" tortilla

1/2 cup extra virgen olive oil
1/2 medium onion, medium dice
2 medium russet potatoes, medium dice
1 medium parsnip, medium dice
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of watercress, roughly chopped

In an 8" non stick skillet, heat the olive oil in medium heat. Add the onions and sweat them for about 2 minutes. Add the diced potatoes and parsnip and the 1 tsp of salt. Keep the heat in medium for about 2 minutes and then lower it lo medium low for about another 15 minutes. The point here is that the potatoes must poach in the olive oil not really fry. We don't want crispy potatoes inside the tortilla. Towards the end, I even take a fork and gently mash them a bit so the olive oil gets inside the potato as well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and the 1/2 tsp of salt. Add the watercress. Drain the potatoes and parnsips slightly and add them to the eggs. It's ok if they are hot and the eggs scramble a bit.

Remove most of the oil from the pan. Leave about 1 tsp of oil. Turn the heat back to medium. Add the egg mixture and using a wooden spoon, stir the center so the egg starts to cook. When the center starts to scramble, let it be and don't stir anymore. Tuck in the edges nicely with the spatula and cook for about 2 minutes.

Flip the tortilla with the help of a plate and finish cooking the other side. Some people like the center a bit runny, others all the way cooked. Personally, I like it when some of the egg still a bit runny but not too much.

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A Food Photography Workshop With Penny De Los Santos

I am excited beyond words to announce that one of my favorite food photographers in the world, Penny De Los Santos will be coming to South Florida to teach a hands on food photography workshop.

Penny and I have never met in person, but I have followed her work through the pages of Saveur magazine and other publications. It was when I saw her photos of Basque sheep ranchers in Idaho when I decided to contact her and let her know how much I admired her work. I was surprised and flattered that she knew of my blog and from that moment on, we have stayed in touch through blogging and Twitter.



There is something so real about how Penny photographs food and people. Her organic and non fussy style resonates with me. Her client list is impressive. National Geographic, Saveur Magazine, Martha Stewart, Newsweek, Time, Latina and many more.

Her photographs always tell a story, a bit like a documentary. Just take a look at this man's face. This photo says so much. I am completely in love with it.



A few weeks ago, when I learned about her workshops, I realized I had to bring her to South Florida. What a treat and luxury is that! I quickly got one of my old culinary school instructors involved and we were able to have Lincoln Culinary Institute (formerly Florida Culinary Institute) to sponsor it.

The workshop will be held at the culinary school in West Palm Beach on Monday, February 22nd from 12:30pm until 4:30pm. Please visit here to register and for details or email me at aran@arangoyoaga.com.

If you want to get a better idea of how the workshop works and Penny's approach to photography, you can read Matt's review about Penny's workshop in Seattle on his blog.

If you are in the South Florida area, this is an opportunity you shouldn't miss. I hope to see you there!


All photos courtesy and copyright of Penny De Los Santos

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