Browsing Tag

snack

Arugula Sundried Tomato Tostadas

August 29, 2017
Arugula Sundried Tomato Tostada Recipe | FakeFoodFree.com

A lot of things stick with me from our time living in Brazil. Much of it is related to food.

As simple as it is, probably the most prominent of these is rucula e tomate seco. I think the first time we had it was on a pizza, then I found it as a sandwich. 

Arugula and sundried tomatoes aren’t uncommon in the States, of course. I had just never had the two together, and it’s a rather brilliant combination. The peppery arugula and the sweet tomatoes go so well together. 

It’s the sandwich that I think of most. Sandwiches were hard to get used to in Brazil. At that point, we were trained to want subs. Big sandwiches, loaded with ingredients.

And a sandwich always has a side, right? Chips, fries, at least a pickle. I can still remember one of my husband’s coworkers who frequented Brazil saying something similar to, how weird is it that you don’t get anything with sandwiches here?

I was glad we weren’t the only ones that had noticed. 

These days, after being back in the U.S. for nearly 10 years, I’d trade my side without question if someone could make me my favorite rucula e tomate seco sandwich like I had at our small sandwich shop there. 

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Balsamic Pearl Onions

September 10, 2016
Balsamic Pearl Onions Recipe | Delicious as a snack and perfect as a cocktail garnish | Fake Food Free

I was browsing the Whole Foods salad bar the other day when I came across balsamic marinated Cipollini onions. Balsamic and onions are two of my favorite things so I dropped one in my to-go box. One bite and I wish I had taken 3 (or 10) more. 

These onions are not new, and neither is the idea to glaze them in a balsamic-based sauce, but this was most certainly a new thing to me. Sweet and tangy, I just can’t get enough of them.

Given that I could snack on these all day, I decided to try my own version with pearl onions. 

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Simple Cilantro Jicama Salad

August 11, 2016
Simple Cilantro Jicama Salad Recipe | Fake Food Free

I buy jicama once in a blue moon. I have no idea why. Every time I get it into my kitchen, I marvel at the crunchy texture and its snackability. (Technically not a word, but it should be, don’t you think?)

So in honor of not completely going all fall on you with recipes, I picked one up last week to show that I still have a little light and refreshing summer left in me. I thought I’d show you what I do with it. It’s also known as the simplest salad ever. 

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Almond Coconut Spread

June 3, 2015

Almond Coconut Spread | Fake Food Free | An almond butter spread with coconut oil. A great way to use leftover almond meal from making almond milk!Before you read on, you should know that I had no intention of posting this on the blog. It all began while experimenting with ways to use the nut meal that was leftover from making almond milk. 

While I was sprinkling it over salads and stirring it into yogurt, I thought, it must have enough life left in it to blend into something spreadable. 

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Spiced Honey Nut and Seed Snack Mix

December 5, 2014

This easy nut and seed snack mix can be made ahead of time for your next party. Serve it during cocktail hour or make it a special addition to the dessert table. 

Spiced Honey Nut and Seed Snack Mix | Fake Food Free  

I had my fair share of store-bought, flavored nuts before I realized just how easy they are to make at home. A little of your favorite sweetener, some butter or coconut oil and a few spices, plus some relatively low maintenance time in the oven, and you have a holiday gift for friends or a party snack. 

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Chickpea and Quinoa Griddle Cakes with Spinach and Feta

November 7, 2014

These chickpea and quinoa griddle cakes are made with chickpea and quinoa flours. Spiced with curry powder, they are topped with sautéed spinach and feta cheese. 

 Chickpea and Quinoa Griddle Cakes with Spinach and Feta | Fake Food Free

I’ve been experimenting with socca a lot over the past year. In case you are unfamiliar (like I was just a year ago), socca is a snack made with chickpea flour and water. To me, it’s a cross between a tortilla and a crepe.

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Savory Profiteroles with Asparagus and Goat Cheese Recipe

April 16, 2014

Back in early March we vacationed in Antigua. It was our second trip there and I highly recommend it — gorgeous island, friendly people and outstanding food and drink. I did a post on the food highlights from our last trip, but this time I brought back some ideas to recreate in my own kitchen.

We’re no strangers to digging into the local foods, but often the resorts where we stay come up with some delicious things as well. I spotted these profiteroles on the menu our first night and I was bound and determined to try them before the trip was over.

Not only did I want to try them, I knew as soon as I spotted them (and I’m pretty sure I said it out loud to my husband) – that’s what I’m making with the goat cheese!

Right before we left for the trip, I received a package overflowing with products from Redwood Hill Farm in Sebastopol, Calif. A Certified Humane goat dairy, Redwood Hill Farm is a small family farm that has been producing goat milk products since 1968.

My generous package contained — Chèvre (including roasted chile chèvre!), Bucheret, Camellia (camembert), raw milk feta, goat milk yogurt in flavors like apricot mango and mango orange pineapple kefir. I also received some lactose-free products from their sister company, Green Valley Organics – yogurt, kefir and sour cream.

The kefirs have made a delicious addition to breakfast and those aged goat cheeses have been a true treat for the cheese plates my husband and I like to snack on over the weekend. But let’s talk about this chèvre.

First of all, I have not seen it in re-sealable packaging like this, and I love it! Usually I’m dealing with the log wrapped in messy plastic that is a pain to store in the fridge. This makes it so much easier to keep the fridge stocked.

Unlike the other treats that have been a joy to eat and drink as they are, I wanted to make some with the chèvre. When I saw those profiteroles on our trip, I knew that was it. I had the goat cheese and we were coming into asparagus season. Perfect.

These profiteroles are the answer to the traditional finger sandwich. I would take this light, puffed pastry filled with goat cheese over a roll with ham salad any day. They are also easy to make. I know puffy baked things can be intimidating, but even with my past baking challenges, I can make profiteroles without fail. They are not at all as complicated as they seem. Promise.

Redwood Hill Farm chèvre is ideal for this recipe because it has a creamy, almost whipped texture. It blends well with the steamed asparagus. Speaking of the asparagus, be sure to steam it until it is almost mushy and then chop it before adding it to the food processor. This will ensure the asparagus purees and blends into the goat cheese so you have a smooth filling.

Savory Profiteroles with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

Makes: 12 profiteroles

Ingredients:

Profiteroles
1 cup water
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ tsp salt
1 cup white whole wheat flour
4 eggs

Filling
6 stalks asparagus, steamed and chopped
8 oz. chèvre
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Prep:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Add the water, butter and salt to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

As soon as it comes to a rolling boil, stir in the flour and reduce the heat. Continue to stir vigorously until a smooth dough is formed. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the eggs. Stir quickly until they are completely mixed in and the mixture returns to a soft dough.

Use a tablespoon to scoop and drop the dough onto the baking sheet to make 12 large profiteroles. You can also use a pastry bag to pipe the dough onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until they are puffed and golden brown. Let cool completely.

To make the filling, combine the asparagus and chèvre in a small food processor. Pulse until combined into a smooth green spread. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chives, salt and pepper.

Use a serrated knife to cut open each profiterole like a bun. Spread an even amount of the goat cheese filling inside each profiterole and serve.

Disclosure:  The products mentioned in this post were provided by Redwood Hill Farm. I was not required to post about them and received no compensation for doing so.

 

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out. 

Spicy Spiked Bacon Guacamole

September 16, 2013
Spicy Spiked Bacon Guacamole | Fake Food Free  

I was well into adulthood before I realized that guacamole wasn’t a neon green paste served in a little plastic cup alongside Mexican fast food in the U.S. Fortunately, when friends were in disbelief of my dislike of guac, they took the opportunity to explain the potential of the real, non-processed version. From that point forward, bite by bite, I started trying more and making my own.

Now, I like it chunky, loaded with avocado, onion, jalapeno and cilantro, and I make it every chance I get. With California avocados, that chance comes around much more often than it used to. So this isn’t just a celebration of guacamole, it’s a celebration of living in a placing that is brimming with amazing avocados.

And since we are celebrating, we should make a toast to the drink that goes best with guacamole – tequila! I lived in Kentucky for 10 years, so when it comes to bourbon, I’m pretty educated. We also travel to the Caribbean so I’ve learned a fair share about rum, too.

But tequila? Tequila I have a lot to learn about.

That’s why I was thrilled when Casa Noble sent me some samples to help celebrate this food holiday. I received Casa Noble’s Reposado Tequila which is aged 364 days in French White Oak Barrels. It has won both Gold and Silver in the San Francisco World Spirit competition as well as other numerous awards. (They also make several other award-winning varieties. You can check out those, and their tequila-making process on the Casa Noble website.) 

Spicy Spiked Bacon Guacamole | Fake Food Free

And did I mention how cool their bottles are? Yes, I get sucked in by creative packaging. Especially if it looks good sitting on top of our bar.

After taking a sip, I knew I had lived a sheltered life in terms of tequila. I couldn’t believe how smooth it was; none of that harsh burn that you get from so many tequilas.

There are great tequila cocktail ideas on the company’s website, but to celebrate this day I decided to use the tequila in my guacamole. If you’ve not done this before, it is time to start spiking those avocados. And I know that traditional guac is made with lemon juice, but we are working with tequila here so I dressed it up with lot of lime and salt!

Spicy Spiked Bacon Guacamole

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 ounces pastured bacon ends, chopped and cooked crispy
1 small tomato, diced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped pickled jalapeno
3 avocados
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of ½ lime
2 tsp Casa Noble tequila
½ tsp sea salt

Prep

Stir together the bacon, tomato, onion, cilantro, garlic and jalapeno in a medium bowl. 

Add the avocado, lime zest, lime juice and tequila. Mash and stir the ingredients together until the avocados reach your desired consistency. (You can also use a mortar and pestle or a food processor.)

Stir in the sea salt and serve.

 
Spicy Spiked Bacon Guacamole | Fake Food Free

Disclosure: Casa Noble tequila was sent to me for celebrating National Guacamole Day. I was not required to post about it and I received no compensation for doing so. Thoughts are my own and it is really great tequila!

Spicy Pickled Long Beans Recipe

September 11, 2013
 
Spicy Pickled Long Beans Recipe | FakeFoodFree.com 
 

I see them on every menu. On the appetizer page for restaurants that proudly serve housemade specialties. On the snack menus of every pub that serves craft beer. And as a half-price small plate at happy hour.

Pickled vegetables.

In case you missed it, they are all the rage. I have to say that I’m fully embracing the trend. I absolutely love pickled foods.

I finally tried pickled ginger a few weeks ago because I had a great cookbook to review. But experimenting with other pickled veggies is something I just couldn’t seem to get around to.

I’d buy a head of cauliflower or some carrots and I’d think — I should try pickling those. It happened over and over again and each time I’d end up using the vegetables for something else.

It wasn’t until I picked up a pound of long beans from the Farmer’s Market that I finally found my motivation to get pickling.

I associate long beans with Asian food (as I think most others do, too). More specifically, I associate them with Thai food because the first time I ever used them was in the green papaya salad we made while taking a cooking class in Chiang Mai.

I’m not that big of a fan of green beans, and since long beans are similar, I haven’t branched out to buy any since that class.

But as you know, I’ve been jumping in head first with buying new and different ingredients in the East Bay. So after seeing piles and piles of them on tables at the market for the outrageous price of $1 per pound, I grabbed some.

That was sarcasm, by the way. There are few vegetables that are not worth $1 per pound to me. You wave a sign saying that over produce and I’ll buy just about anything.

So after the long beans sat in the fridge for a few days a familiar thought popped in my head — I should pickle those. This time I followed through.

I am so glad I did. They turned out so well! We finished an entire jar the second I opened them! Knowing the season is quickly coming to an end, I bought 3 pounds last Friday to make a few more jars to enjoy later in the year.

 
Recipe for Spicy Pickled Long Beans

I used a modified version of Marisa McClellan’s (Food in Jars) recipe that was featured on Serious Eats. She recommends water bath processing the beans to soften their slightly tough exterior. The texture was perfect and I love that this makes them more shelf stable as well.

I modified the recipe by using ginger and a Thai chile as seasoning. The Thai chile was what made them. They were spicy and tangy at the same time. I knew I would want smaller pieces of the bean so I went ahead and cut them into small pieces before I packed them.

We’ve eaten them straight out of the jar and I’ve also been chopping them up to eat over Asian noodle dishes. It’s going to take some serious self-control not to finish all the jars in a few weeks!

Pickled Long Beans Recipe

Spicy Pickled Long Beans

Modified from Pickled Chinese Long Beans by Marisa McClellan

Makes: 2 pint jars

1 lb. Chinese long beans (green or purple), cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, peeled
4, ¼ to ½  inch pieces fresh ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 Thai chiles
2 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons pickling salt

Pack the long beans into each of two sterilized pint jars. Add two cloves of garlic, two pieces of ginger, and ½ teaspoon of peppercorns to each jar. Cut a slit in the side of each of the chiles and place one in each jar.

Bring the vinegar, water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Pour half of the hot brine into each of the jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean, damp towel. Seal with a new lid and a band. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Remove from the water bath and set jars on a cooling rack. After one hour, check to make sure the jars have sealed. Let rest for 12 hours before labeling and storing. Let sit for at least 2 weeks before eating.

 

 

If you need help with safe canning practices, please check out the resources from National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia.

Whole Wheat Banana Snack Cake with Chocolate Guinness Frosting Recipe

April 8, 2013

When presented with an open beer (minus the ¼ cup you used in a recipe), most people would drink it. It’s a logical solution and one I’ve implemented myself numerous times.  But when I made the Guinness Braised Kale with potatoes and poached egg for St. Patrick’s Day, I found myself debating whether to drink half  a beer or make a cake.

I chose cake.
 

This isn’t your super sweet, rich, decadent dessert cake, which is why I decided to add snack cake to the name. It’s filling with the fresh flavor of banana, and the frosting will curb any craving for chocolate. Maybe even a hankering for dark beer. If you don’t mind a splash of booze and hearty whole grains for breakfast or as a snack, then I suggest you forgo finishing off your next pint, too.

 

Whole Wheat Banana Snack Cake with Chocolate Guinness Frosting

Makes: 9 servings

Ingredients

¾ cup mascavo (muscovado) sugar
¼ cup olive oil*
2 eggs
1 overripe banana, mashed
1 tbsp Guinness beer
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
 
Frosting
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp Guinness beer
 
Prep

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×8 inch square pan.

Add the sugar, oil and egg to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium for about 1 minute. Add in the banana and mix on medium to medium-high 1 minute more. Mix in the 1 tablespoon of Guinness.
 
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
 
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool.
 
To prepare the frosting, add the butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of the mixer fitted with the whisk or paddle attachment. Beat together the butter and powder sugar on medium and then medium-high until combined, and almost smooth, about 1 minute. Add the cocoa and 1 tablespoon of the Guinness. Mix on medium-high until the frosting is smooth, about 90 seconds. Mix in the additional 1 tablespoon of Guinness, based on your desired consistency for the frosting. The full 2 tablespoons was perfect for me.
 
Frost the cooled cake, cut into 9 pieces and serve. 
 
*Be sure to use regular olive oil with this recipe because it has a more mild flavor. Virgin olive oils may add too much of an olive-like taste. 
 
 
 
Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out. 
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