Category Archives: Forking Recipes

Interesting twists on everyday things as well as the unusual

Lemon Verbena Water Ice Recipe

 

Lemon Verbena Water Ice

I got these beautiful locally grown Pink Lemons and Lemon Verbena from the Farmers Market so I thought of Lemon Verbena Water Ice since it’s already heating up in sunny Phoenix Arizona. It’s easy to make and comes out delicious, light and refreshing.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

1 bunch of lemon verbena – chop very fine about 1/2 a teaspoon and leave the rest whole

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice plus all of the zest from the lemon grated ( I used 4 bigger and very juicy lemons)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup water

Directions

Bring the water and sugar to a boil with the lemon verbena (minus the 1/2 teaspoon of chopped)

Reduce to simmer and let it go about five minutes.

Turn off heat and let it sit till just warm.

Remove verbena branches and throw away the branches.

Pour sugar water in a freezable container. Add the lemon juice, zest, and 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped lemon verbena.

Set in freezer. Fluff about six or seven hours latter with a spoon. Over the course of the next fourteen hours you need to fluff the ice mixture up about three more times. I thought the texture becomes most perfect on day two after one day of sitting.

Lemon Verbena Water Ice

Enjoy! It’s really delicious! It’s the most refreshing water ice I ever tried!

The Forking Truth

Reduced Fat Potato Green Pepper & Eggplant with Black Garlic Recipe

 

Reduced Fat Potato Green Pepper & Eggplant

This Chinese INSPIRED recipe is based on a Chinese Recipe vegetable recipe where all the vegetables are fried separately and then combined quickly in a stir fry. I tried this similar dish at Miu’s Cuisine that used to be in business in Tempe AZ. On Miu’s menu the dish was named #102 Triple Delicacy. All these years latter I keep remembering how delicious the combination of potatoes, eggplants and green bell peppers are. I do fry eggplants sometimes but I know that eggplants can absorb a great amount of oil so I opted to roast all the vegetables till I got them brown like fried. I then made the sauce and tossed them all together. The potatoes and bell pepper brown up very easy but the eggplant is a lot of work and would have been easier and much quicker to just fry. If you have a few hours you might want to give this recipe a try. After I whipped up this dish my husband ran into the kitchen and said the house smells like a Chinese Restaurant. What I came up with isn’t  Miu’s but it’s not oily  and does taste great!

Ingredients for about 4 servings

2 medium sized eggplants (I used regular eggplants) – peeled and cut into stir fry size pieces.

1 1/2 cups water

2 green bell peppers – core and stem removed – rough cut to bite size pieces

3 potatoes (I used 3 very large red potatoes) sliced about 1/4 in. thick big pieces cut in half

fresh ground sea salt ( a light sprinkle)

fresh ground black pepper ( a light sprinkle)

neutral non stick spray I used canola

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil

1 inch ginger – grated

4 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1 teaspoon asian chili sauce

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon corn starch

1 1/2 cups water

2 Tablespoons black vinegar

2 heads black garlic – peeled – cloves chopped.

1/2 cup scallions – chopped

Directions

set oven to 400 degrees F

Spray baking sheets with non stick spray.

The sheet with eggplant needs to be covered and water needs to be added to the pan about 1/2 way up the eggplant. This pan needs to be cooked covered for about an hour before it’s browned.

Put the eggplant, green pepper and potato sheet pans in the middle and lower racks of oven.

Check oven in 30 minutes. Green peppers are either done or close to done. Potatoes might need to be turned over to brown on other side for at least 15 minutes or so.

Take the potatoes and green peppers out when they look like this and give them a light hit of salt and pepper.

After an hour remove the cover on the eggplant and it should have brown water in the pan. The water is bitter and you need to dispose.

Now place the eggplant on the top rack and get it to brown slightly.

Flip them over and brown the other side.

Cover the vegetables and leave in a 200 degree oven till needed.

With a large fry pan on medium heat. In a small bowl combine 1 1/2 cups water and the corn starch. Mix well and put to the side. To the fry pan add the sesame oil. Once hot add ginger and garlic. then add chili sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, black vinegar now mix the cornstarch water and add to pan stirring. The sauce should thicken slightly and smell very aromatic. Turn down heat to low and add black garlic. Stir well leave on low heat a few minutes. Stir in the the vegetables. Add scallions and serve.

Reduced Fat Potato Green Pepper & Eggplant with Black Garlic

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

Forking Delicious Hatch Chile Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

 

Forking Delicious Hatch Chile Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese is pretty easy to prepare. I do some things different so I have a nice cheese sauce that doesn’t break. Some of the secrets to not breaking the sauce is to cook over medium – low heat most of the time. But it’s more about the ingredients. Most of the fat in the recipe should come from the cheese. You also have to use half or more mild cheese and slightly less than half xtra sharp cheese. This recipe contains delicious fired roasted Hatch Chile for a delicious kick! Don’t you dare use canned Hatch Chile……… because it will not taste similar. If you are in the Phoenix Area I do know that Fry’s and Walmart do sell frozen Hatch Chile. I haven’t tried them but they are recommended over canned.  I do note that you have to wing the amount of * Hatch Chile you add to the sauce because your peppers may not have the same heat and flavor as mine and your love of Hatch Chile may differ. I’m using these fire roasted Hatch Chile Peppers after they’ve been in my freezer since the fall and I think they are much more mellow now but still delicious. I note that when you make this kind of macaroni and cheese you add ONLY ABOUT HALF of the macaroni that you think you need because the pasta will drink up the sauce and the next day this will be very dry. I suggest to serve half a day latter or the next day after.

Ingredients for about 8 servings

2 cups cooked macaroni****** (or more) 2 cups is prefect if you are serving this latter or the next day because the pasta absorbs the liquid. Boil more if you are serving right away. – ( boil pasta for three minutes less than box suggest in salted water add the one Tablespoon of butter to the hot macaroni so it doesn’t stick)

1 1/2 cup xtra sharp aged cheddar cheese – shredded – packed really tight

1 1/2 cup Colby jack cheese  – shredded – packed really tight

4 oz fontina cheese – shredded

2 Tablespoons sweet butter – one Tablespoon for pasta so it doesn’t stick and the other for the cheese sauce

1/3 cup nonfat dry milk

1/3 cup flour

1 cup cold water

2 Tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce (Frank’s Red Hot is preferred)

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 lb *hatch chile peppers – fire roasted, seeds, stem and most of skin removed – chopped (* amount of hatch chile may differ depending on heat and your love for hatch chile)

2 tablespoons of i’itoi;s onions – green parts – chopped fine or you can substitute scallions – the i’itoi’s have a slightly shallot taste to them but are similar to scallions.

Directions

In a small mixing bowl combine dry milk and flour. Add water and mix well till the mixture is lump free.

In your sauce pot on medium high heat add the remaining one tablespoon butter and let it melt. After the butter is melted whip in the contents of the small bowl. Mix well and bring it to  bubble, let it bubble a little and then add the cheeses and TURN DOWN the heat to medium low. Stir and add in the hot sauce, paprika, cayenne and white pepper.

By this time turn the heat down again to low.

Now you add the hatch chile to your liking. I used around a pound that were very hot when I froze them. So you might want to start with a cup of chopped hatch and then taste and see what you think and add maybe a half cup more at a time till you think you have the hatch chile taste you like.

Shut the heat off and add the scallion or i’itoi’s onions and lastly add the macaroni. I prefer to let the macaroni set and to reheat latter.

Forking Delicious Hatch Chile Macaroni and Cheese

Comes out Forking Delicious! I didn’t get to eat much of this one. My husband kept running back for more and was bummed when it was gone.

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

Chopped Beet, Apple and Chestnut Salad with Green Garlic Vinaigrette Recipe

 

Chopped Beet, Apple and Chestnut Salad with Green Garlic Vinaigrette

I picked up some really nice beets from the farmer’s market and I roasted them this time like the way you do carrots…but with the stems and part of the leaves on. (I used the bigger parts of the leaves for salads). A little water in the pan covered in a 350 degree F oven for about an hour.  I saw on a cooking show that the beets keep more flavor in if you leave the tops on when you cook them. I also heard that beets keep in more flavor when you roast them. These beets did come out very flavorful and very earthy. I read that Chestnuts pair with earthy flavors like mushrooms so I thought why isn’t anyone pairing beets with chestnuts?  I found out that beets do indeed pair very well with chestnuts…so I decided to make some sort of salad of the two together. I made a green garlic vinaigrette…(light on the e.v.o.o…..because that’s how I roll) and added other ingredients that I thought went together. The salad looked prettier on a dish or in bigger pieces more layered but I thought it was best tasting as a chopped salad so that’s how I prepared it.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

1 bunch green garlic – (washed cut in half and chopped. Place in water to remove dirt. Repeat as many times as necessary. Remove with a mesh ladle and put to the side)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (or more if desired)

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 bunch  beets (don’t use golden unless you boil them soft)

1 apple – chopped

1/2 oz fresh basil – chopped

7 oz vacuumed packed chestnuts (hard ingredient that’s only fresh one week a year here) – chopped (not too small)

1/4 sweet onion – chopped

3/4 oz fresh sage

2 oz sweet butter

2 Tablespoons canola oil

2 oz sharp hard Italian Cheese – shaved

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash your beets (yellow beets are not recommended for roasting because they oxidize from roasting and need to be boiled)  really well and if they are very large cut them in half. You can leave the leaves on if your not putting them in a salad. Place beets in pan with about a half inch of water and cover the pan. Roast till fork tender. (about an hour)

Allow to cool. When cool enough to handle peel beets and cut in desired shape. (something bite size)

In a large bowl combine the beets, basil, chestnuts and onion and put to the side.

In a small fry pan on medium heat add butter and 2 Tablespoons canola oil. When hot add the sage leaves. They crisp up fast. Remove leaves and place on paper towel to drain. Put to the side when done.

Add the apple to the flavored oil and quickly sauté the apple just for less than a minute just to pick up a little flavor. remove the apple pieces with a slotted or mesh spoon and add to the big bowl with beets.

Use the oil and add green garlic till soft about four minutes.

When the green garlic is cooler or just warm blend together the green garlic, sea salt, dijon, 1/4 cup olive oil, white vinegar, white pepper till smooth.

Add desired amount of dressing to portion of beet salad you are having and finish with sharp cheese and crisp sage leaves.

Chopped Beet, Apple and Chestnut Salad with Green Garlic Vinaigrette

I thought of a better presentation. I should have presented on a flat plate and just made rows of everything. It taste delicious the way I made it in photo. You will be pleasantly surprised. Something different and original to do with beets.

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

 

Kabocha Squash and Chestnut Gnocchi Recipe

 

Kabocha Squash and Chestnut Gnocchi with Fried Sage and Browned Butter

These Kabocha Squash and Chestnut Gnocchi and Forking Delicious…….The Kabocha Squash is so sweet and chestnut- like tasting that they are meant to go together. So I combined some chestnut flour into the squash gnocchi and had some chestnuts cooking in the browning butter and the flavor really is off the charts great. I MUST ADMIT that this recipe is not recommended for people who are beginners at gnocchi making because these are harder to make than regular potato or cheese gnocchi. The squash doesn’t work as well with the flour and you might have trouble if your squash is too watery for this recipe to come out right. My squash was too hard for me to cut so I pierced it all over with a knife. Threw it on a pan with maybe 1/3rd of an inch of water at 400 degrees F. Covered the squash checked it at 45 minutes and it was still rock hard. It was a big kabocha. Checked every 15 minutes and it was “knife tender” not fork tender. At 90 minutes I got a knife tender kabocha.

The Squash should be cooked like this dry and not too moist or you have to make something else with it.

Ingredients for about 4 servings

1 cup mashed kabocha squash.

1 XL egg – slightly beaten

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 oz chestnut flour

3/4 cup ap  flour ( only up to 3/4 cup should start with 1/2 cup do a tester and work up if necessary )*

2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

pinch nutmeg

pinch white pepper

1 Tablespoon kosher or sea salt – for boiling the gnocchi

4 oz sweet butter ( for sauce )

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ( for sauce )

5 oz chestnuts – roasted, peeled ( for sauce )

one bunch sage leaves – cleaned  ( to flavor butter and to top gnocchi with )

4 heaping Tablespoons ricotta cheese -preferably home made ( to finish plate of gnocchi )

Directions

In a large bowl with a for mix together the squash, egg and chestnut flour and let it sit on a counter for about thirty minutes.

While the squash mixture is sitting prepare the sauce.

In a sauce pan add the butter and olive oil. Once melted turn to medium high. let it go a few minutes and then add the chestnuts on one half of the pan . You can break them down a little with a spoon here if you want too.  Place the sage leaves on the other half of the pan. When sage leaves are crisp remove and let drain on a towel. When the chestnuts are lightly browned remove them. Let the butter go till it looks a little lighter than caramel. Take off heat and leave to the side.

Put on a sauce pot to medium boil with a tablespoon of water. Tie some kitchen string to a handle. The string cuts the gnocchi like so. But be careful not to catch the string on fire.

In the squash mixture bowl you need to add the remaining ingredients of balsamic, *flour (read note at flour ingredients), 1 teaspoon sea salt, nutmeg, white pepper and brown sugar. Mix well.

Snip disposable pastry bag, fold and fill like picture.

Twist end.

Apply pressure and cut gnocchi off with string.

Gnocchi will float in about a minute. Let them cook about a minute after floating.

Scoop them out with a slotted spoon into a dish and top with a little bit of the butter from the pan and shake the dish so the gnocchi get buttered. Don’t worry about pasta water getting mixed in because you want that! It’s better that way.

Refill pastry bag and repeat.

Add the chestnuts. Top with sage and a dab of ricotta.

Kabocha Squash and Chestnut Gnocchi

Forking Delicious!

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

Lidia Bastianich’s Rice & Zucchini Crostata Recipe

 

Rice and Zucchini Crostata

Rice and Zucchini Crostata

I watched Lidia Bastianich on her TV Show on PBS Cooking with Lidia making this incredible sounding Crostata. It is a bit of work. Lidia recommends to make your own ricotta cheese and I’m totally understand that so that’s ok for me. The taste is not the same if you purchase the cheese. It doesn’t compare. You also need a lot of zucchini and a lot of scallions. Lidia recommends to make the dough with a food processor. I find the recipe is very good and you can make the dough by hand like I did……Also a  baking stone is also recommended to get the bottom of the crust brown. The only issue I had with the recipe is that it doesn’t contain pepper. In my mind the recipe should have some pepper in it but I didn’t want to change the recipe so I finely chopped 4 Calabrian Chili Peppers in to the mix and they gave a nice little mild bit of heat in the finish. The recipe makes a generous amount of filling so you can do a little tester in an oven with a small amount of filling and taste it and then decide if you want to add a little bit of pepper or not. This recipe is considered an Appetizer or Hors D’ Oeuvres ……..?…..but I think it can be a breakfast, lunch or light dinner  (If you don’t cut it too large). I didn’t try it yet but Lidia wrote that leftovers freeze well.

Ingredients to make about 15 servings

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup cold water – plus more if needed

1 pound small zucchini (I needed three)

1/2 cup arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano rice

2 cups ricotta – preferably fresh drained over night

1 cup grated Grans Padano

2 bunched scallions finely chopped – (about two cups)(bunches by me are not big enough to make a cup)

3 large eggs slightly beaten

2 cups milk

2 teaspoons kosher salt

butter for baking pan – (I used non-stick spray)

Directions

If your making your own ricotta do that first…It will take about an hour plus. (basically 1 gallon milk, between 1 pint- 1 quart heavy cream 1 scant Tablespoon salt bring SLOWLY to rolling boil on medium heat. This will take at least an hour. Let it rolling boil a few minutes and add about fresh squeezed lemon juice SLOWLY until you see curds from about three medium sized lemons (you might not need all the juice if the lemons are very juicy but usually I need 3 lemons. You should see it curds now.

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Let it cook just a few minutes and you can drain quickly with a mesh strainer. Your cheese will be ready as soon as it cools slightly. You will have more than double the cheese you need. Leftover cheese freezes very well.

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Now make dough. If you have a food processor pour the flour, 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 olive oil and 1/3 cup cold water and pulse. Pulse and you should have a smooth dough but if it’s pebbly you might need a little more water. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest at least a 1/2 hour.

For the filling.- In a large bowl shred the zucchini on the course holes. Toss in the rice.and let it sit together 30-60 minutes. Then fold in the ricotta, grated cheese, eggs – beaten, milk and salt and mix well.

Add your baking stone to the oven on a middle rack and set the temperature to 375 degrees F.

On a floured surface roll out the dough till it’s about 4 inches larger than your pan. (if you can).

Butter your pan.

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Roll the dough around the rolling pin so you can roll the dough off into the pan.

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Place the dough in the pan the best you can and then add filling and fold the ends over the filling.

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You might want to turn the crostata half way during cooking for even browning. In 45-60 minutes the Crostata should be done. (In my oven it took an hour to be done)

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Let it rest and cool down a little before you put in the refrigerator. You are suppose to serve this slightly warm or at room temperature.

Rice and Zucchini Crostata

Rice and Zucchini Crostata

It’s delicious and very rich. I recommend to cut in small pieces. It’s a crowd pleaser!

Thanks to Chef Lidia for a great recipe!

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

Delicious Pickled Jalapeños Recipe

 

Delicious Pickled Jalapeños

I got a bunch of Jalapeños that are HOT so I thought I’d pickle some of them. These Pickled Jalapeños are so delicious you can easily made lots of foods delicious with them easily. I do recommend to wear gloves because when you handle so many jalapeños because you will injure yourself. Your hands will burn the next day too so wear gloves. The recipe is pretty easy and you don’t really have to do the canning process because with all the vinegar it will stay fresh for several months or do the canning process if you prefer. I found out later that these Pickled Jalapeños make some VERY DELICIOUS Guacamole….It’s one of my new tricks! The other is that these Delicious Pickled Jalapeños help to make a really awesome chicken salad. I didn’t write down exactly how I made it but the chicken salad was made of pulled chicken, a good amount of the pickled jalapeños, dijon mustard, celery, green onions and a little water that emulsified with the dijon. I stuffed the chicken salad into mini bell peppers and it was Forking Great!

Ingredients for about 20 servings

1 lb jalapeños – cleaned, stems and cores removed and cut into rings

2 cups white vinegar

2 cups rice wine vinegar

2 cups water

4 Tablespoons kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 sweet onion – cut in thin slices

6 cloves garlic – smashed

1 Tablespoon black peppercorns

1 Tablespoon coriander seeds

2 bay leaves

1 carrot – peeled and sliced very thin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

Set the Jalapeños carrots and onions in a large bowl and set to the side.

Get your large sauce pot on medium high heat with remaining ingredients and bring to a boil till sugar dissolves.

Reduce to simmer and let it go about ten minutes.

Place vegetables in containers. Add liquid. Place lids on when it’s cool.

Pickled Jalapeños

These were once jalapeños that were to hot to eat and now they are a yummy kinder heat that’s layered in flavor and delicious.

I found they add something super special to home made guacamole and they also are great in chicken salad and MORE!

Guacamole made with the Delicious Pickled Peppers

The Forking Truth

Forking Tasty Sous Vide and Browned 1/2 Turkey Breast Recipe

 

Forking Tasty Sous Vide and Browned 1/2 Turkey Breast

I had a half Turkey Breast in my freezer that was already brined. To me Turkey Breast are best prepared in a Sous Vide or in the pan. Here we do both because I left the skin on. It’s incredibly easy to prepare delicious moist, tender, white meat turkey this way. The half Turkey breast goes in a Sous Vide Bag with some spices and fresh garlic and frozen garlic confit (garlic that has been roasted with olive oil and then whipped). Seal the bag and put in the Sous Vide at 140 degrees F for four-five hours. Rinse the spices off with cool water, blot dry and apply rub. Brown in a medium high pan for about three minutes a side.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

1/2 turkey breast from a medium size turkey that was brined.

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

2 juniper berries – ground

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 bay leaf

pinch cinnamon

smaller pinch ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

pinch hot crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon coriander

1 1/2 teaspoon mustard

pinch white pepper

6 garlic cloves – smashed

2 oz FROZEN garlic confit

2 teaspoons black pepper (for rub)

1 teaspoon coriander (for rub)

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (for rub)

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic (for rub)

1/4 teaspoon granulated onion (for rub)

1/2 teaspoon (the Sous Vide Seasoning Mixture) (for rub)

1/4 teaspoon course sea salt (for rub)

2 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

Set the Sous Vide with water and set to 140 degrees F.

In a small mixing bowl combine kosher salt, brown sugar, juniper, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ginger, paprika, coriander, mustard, white pepper. Mix well.

Place the turkey breast in the Sous Vide Bag. Add one Tablespoon of the Sous Vide Spice mixture to the top of the breast and add one Tablespoon Sous Vide Spice mixture to the other side of turkey breast. Add the smashed garlic and the frozen garlic confit. Seal bag and then place in Sous Vide Machine for five hours.

After  5 hours run the bag under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Remove the turkey from bag and rinse off the garlic cloves and spices.

Blot dry with paper towels.

Apply the rub mixture.

Put a large fry pan on medium high heat with the vegetable oil.

Fry turkey about three minutes on bottom, top and sides.

Forking Tasty Sous Vide and Browned 1/2 Turkey Breast

It wasn’t what I was going for but It came out really delicious…it was too good not to write down so here it is!

It’s moist ,tender and juicy with exotic flavors.

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

Delicious Kabocha Squash Pie with a Coconut Crust Recipe

 

Delicious Kabocha Squash Pie with a Coconut Crust

Kabocha Squash is one of the healthiest, most delicious low calorie foods out there. It creamy and sort of sweet and it kind of taste like sweet potatoes mixed with chestnuts. I’ve been thinking about baking a pie out of Kabocha Squash for a long time now and finely came up with a recipe. I didn’t want it to come out just like pumpkin pie so I thought coconut would go really well so I made a tender coconut crust and instead of milk for the custard I used coconut milk and it’s seasoned it’s own way. This is a very unique and delicious pie that you won’t get to taste unless you make it.

Ingredients for about 8 servings

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoons cold water

2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

non stick spray

2/3 cup kobocha squash –  roasted. pierced squash all over with knife till “knife” tender.  Seeds, membrane, stem removed then meat scooped out  (my large kobocha went into a 400 degree F oven covered with maybe 1/4 in. water I checked at 45 minutes and every 15 minutes till knife tender) – mashed well or pureed

2 1/2 Tablespoons sweet butter – room temperature

1/2 cup and 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

3 XL eggs – slightly beaten

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I used Vietnamese Cinnamon)

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

pinch white ground pepper

pinch sea salt

Directions

Turn oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup flour, coconut flour, olive oil, water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 Tablespoons sugar and mix well. Mixture should look like wet crumbly sand.

Spray pie plate with non stick spray. (I think my pie plate is 11 inches)

Dump crust mixture on to pie plate.

Pat mixture into pie crust shape.

Peirce crust all over with a FORK.

Set oven to 300 degrees F.

Place in over for about 10 -12 minutes. Till crust looks sort of cooked.

Set crust to the side. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect because it gets covered with filling.

In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients ONE AT A TIME in order till done.

Pour into pie shell.

Place in oven for about 35 minutes. (I note timing may differ due to different size pans and different ovens) The filling might puff up a bit but will fall and be flat.

Kabocha Squash Pie with Coconut Crust

Chill and serve at room temperature for best taste and texture.

It came out pretty darn great. I think this is what a Kabocha Squash Pie should taste like. The filling is custardy unique and delicious…. You can taste the Kabocha Squash laced with Coconut. The crust is tender and coconut flavored.

If you are a fan of Kabocha Squash and Coconut you will enjoy this pie. My husband doesn’t enjoy coconut ever and even he thinks this pie is delicious.

The Forking Truth

Chicken, Liver and Rice Meatballs Recipe for Dogs

 

“What are you making me….It smells Forking Delicious!”

For a special occasion or if your dog is very sick like my 15 3/4 year old is…You need to serve special foods that your dog enjoys to keep him eating. My dog LOVES Liver but liver is too rich to feed in meal amounts. I added rice and ground chicken to stretch out the taste of liver. I recommend only leave what your dog will eat in the refrigerator for up to two days and keep the rest of the balls frozen. Serving size will differ depending on size of dog. My dog weighs 60 pounds and he eats 6 balls a day (with other foods) without any issues. He loves this recipe. It’s one of his favorites.

Ingredients that makes about 48 balls

1 lb chicken livers (my package was slightly under)

4 Tablespoons either chicken fat or unsalted butter (2T for liver and 2T for rice)

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups dry white rice

1 lb ground chicken

3 XL eggs lightly beaten

a few cracks fresh ground sea salt

a few cracks fresh ground black pepper

about 8 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F

Spread out the chicken livers on a baking sheet and split the two tablespoons of butter or chicken fat into about 8 pieces and place over livers.

Place in oven and cook 30 minutes. When you pull the livers out hit them with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper.

While the livers are cooking you can prepare the rice.

Put 4 cups of chicken stock in a pot with 2 Tablespoons of either butter or chicken fat and bring to boil.

Add rice, then cover and reduce to simmer for twenty minutes. Take off heat and fluff rice.

By now the livers will be done. Get a potato masher and mash them like potatoes on the pan with juices and all.

Chicken livers will cool fast but wait till the rice is just warm and then combine the rice with the mashed livers. Then add beaten eggs and then mix in ground chicken.

The mixture will be soft so you need to use a meatball scoop.

Sprinkle olive oil on your sheet pans. I use a paper towel and make sure the whole surface has a light coating of oil.

Scoop out the balls.

Mine were done in 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

“Oh Fork that smells so good….I hate waiting for them to cook….I want them now!”

The dog is waiting by my feet for the Chicken, Liver and Rice Meatballs.

Chicken, Liver and Rice Meatballs for Dogs Recipe

People can eat these balls too but they only taste like chicken liver with a better texture.

The Forking Truth