Tag: flowers

Posted on

Rosewater Raspberry Gluten-Free Scones

I highly recommend taking a long weekend with friends, yummy food, and outdoor walks in the sunshine; and without a computer or to do list. Like highly recommend it. I recently did just this up in NYC with some of my dearest girl friends with whom (is that proper grammar??) I studied abroad nearly 10 years ago. Damn, the years are flying by! Anyways…

 

We had a ball! Despite bopping around a bunch like an itinerant little gypsy, the weekend wasn’t stressful at all. Leaving my computer at home certainly helped, but mostly it was my lack of an agenda – something I struggle to let go of in my daily DC grind – that created space and time to do everything I needed and wanted with flexibility and a sense of ease.

 

Here are some highlights…

 

On Saturday, I went to the Union Square Famers Market (amazing) and gawked at peonies the size of my face and farm-fresh eggs that looked like the most beautiful golden nuggets I’ve ever seen. I would have stayed there the whole day if it weren’t for the sweltering heat and sweaty mess I had quickly become.

 

IMG_5245

IMG_5242

 

Sunday, was a day filled with jamm, which means “peace” in Wolof, Senegal’s native tongue. The girls and I throw that word around a lot when we’re together since Dakar was our study abroad destination and jamm was our main objective while there.

 

All day I was surrounded by these four mighty and magnificent women who inspire, nurture and love me to no end. How lucky am I? Together, we made a version of the gluten-free scones you’ll see below as well as some delicious frittatas.

 

Food is always best when made with love and enjoyed in good company. All of that was abundant and then some. We gabbed for hours while dining al fresco on a Brooklyn co-op rooftop. Heaven on earth.

 

IMG_5301

 

I rounded out the weekend spending time with one of my other very best friends from childhood, Court. Actually, let’s call her my sister. Much more appropriate for our bond. We’ve known each other since age four and no matter how long we go in between visits, it feels like we’ve never skipped a beat.

 

While waiting for her arrival at an amazing Jewish Deli somewhere in lower Manhattan, I decided to express my joy for a weekend well spent with a little urban hand-standing. What else is a yogi to do?

 

IMG_5265

 

I could regal you with all the mundane details of what made that weekend so magical in my mind, but instead I’ll simply suggest you try out these Rosewater Raspberry Scones and taste for yourself some of the love and jamm I brought back with me from NYC.

 

IMG_5305

Rosewater Raspberry Gluten-Free Scones

Makes ~16  2 1/2-3″ scones.
Ingredients:
  • 2 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Biscuit Mix
  • 1/2 cup Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
    3/4 cup 2% or Whole Milk (note: you can substitute 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1/4 cup plain coconut milk yogurt to make this vegan)
  • 10 Tbs butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/4 cup Rosewater
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup cane sugar
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
  • Optional: 2-3 Tbs Milk for basting
  • Optional: sprinkle of corse sea salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Blend with butter cubes using a pastry cutter. You can also use your finger to pinch the butter into the flour mixture if you don’t have one.
  3. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together milk, egg, rosewater, zest and sugar.
  4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in the larger of the two bowls. Knead with your hands until dough is combined. It may be a bit chunky/flaky, but that’s good for scones.
  5. Fold in raspberries until evenly distributed.
  6. Shape into small round disks, approximate 2 – 2 1/2″ in diameter. Place on a lined baking sheet 1″ apart.
  7. Baste raw biscuits with a smear of milk, then sprinkle lightly with corse sea salt.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-26 min, or until the tops turn golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Posted on

Zucchini Flower Fritters (Dairy-Free)(Gluten-Free)

With summer in full swing, farmers markets are overflowing with delicious produce and fresh cut flowers. What could be better than a farmers market find that is both food and flower? Nothing, clearly. So when I locked eyes on the beautiful and edible zucchini flowers last weekend, I knew immediately I had to have them. These vibrant orange blossoms can be eaten raw or cooked and are a favorite in Mediterranean cuisine. Into the tote they went, merrily whisked back to the MOARyoga shoebox test kitchen. Equipped with the best of nature’s bounty, I set out to prepare a fun finger-food hearty enough for a meal but still light enough on the palette for a hot summer night.

…the result…

IMG_4430

Zucchini Flower Fritters

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1/2 roasted poblano, finely chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/3 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 3 tbs nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp adobe chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • Lemon wedges (for garnish)

For the Beer Batter:

  • 1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1/3 cup chilled gluten-free beer
  • 1 egg
  • Canola or grapeseed oil for frying

IMG_4443

How to Make Them:
  1. In a medium frying pan, saute shallots in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic, red pepper, poblano and jalapeño. Saute another 3-5 min. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix cooked quinoa with nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, chili powder and garbanzo bean flour.
  3. Add cooled veggie mix to your dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add eggs (whipped up in a separate bowl first) until everything comes together.
  4. Take zucchini flowers and use your fingers to remove any stamens from the inside of the blossoms. Rinse the flowers and pat dry.
  5. Using your fingers and/or a teaspoon to work a dollop of the quinoa mixture inside the blossom. Leave enough room at the top to twist the petals together, creating a neat little package with the flowers.
  6. Chill stuffed zucchini flowers in the fridge for at least 30 min.
  7. While that’s happening, prepare your batter. Mix garbanzo bean flour, salt, oil and gluten-free beer together in one bowl. In a separate bowl whip your egg vigorously until frothy. Combine the contents of the two bowls and stir until smooth.
  8. Remove flowers from fridge. Line a tray with paper towels.
  9. Fill a deep saucepan 1/3 of the way with canola or grapeseed oil, then heat on medium-high until a drop of water makes the oil hiss and spit (stand back!).
  10. Working in batches of four, slide the flowers one-by-one into batter. Allow any excess batter to drip off, then deep-fry for 4 min (flipping once) or until golden. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer to paper towel-lined tray. Repeat until all flowers are frittered!
  11. Scatter with salt and serve with lemon wedges.
These fritters are light, gluten-free, dairy-free and delicious. Try dipping them in my Tomatillo Spicy Green Salsa for some added kick!