Slow Cooked Rabbit in White Wine and Garlic

When I asked the vendor at the farmer's market how to prepare the rabbit, he recommended to cook it with white wine in a slow cooker. I was searching around the Internet for inspirations and came across this recipe, which is super simple and came out great. One thing I did find out is that rabbit is mostly very lean meat, and even in a slow cooker it can be a bit dry. This was easily solved by making a reduction sauce from the leftover broth and drowning the meat in it. So good...

This recipe would also work great with a whole chicken.

Source: christinecooks
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 8-10 hours
Yields: depends on the size of the rabbit, 2-4 portions

Ingredients:

• 1 whole rabbit, skinned
• 12 cloves of garlic, whole
• 6 cippolini onions, peeled and whole
• 10-12 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bays leaves, fresh if you have them
• 1 cup cooked bacon pieces
• 5-6 whole peppercorns
• sea salt pepper to taste
• 1 plus ½ cups dry white wine, divided
• 1 cup broth
• 3 tbsp. butter

Directions:

1. Place the onions, garlic and peppercorns in the bottom of a slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle with half the bacon and thyme sprigs.
3. In a skillet, sear the rabbit with the bacon fat on all sides.
4. Place the rabbit in the slow cooker on top of the onions.
5. Pour half the wine into the hot skillet and scrape the bottom, allowing it to reduce by half.
6. Pour this over the rabbit and sprinkle the remaining bacon and thyme.
7. Add the broth and rest of the wine into the slow cooker.
8. Cook on high for 4 hours, then on low for 4-6 hours.
9. It's okay to carefully turn the rabbit over once or twice.
10. When tender, remove thyme stems, and transfer rabbit to a large plate.
11. Strain the broth, and add the bacon, some garlic and onions to the plate.
12. In a sauce pan, reduce about 2 cups of the broth down to half a cup. It's ok to add some garlic - mash it up.
13. Add the butter, stir, and pour over rabbit.

Nut Butter Paleo Bread

Because sometimes you just gotta have bread. The original recipe is excellent. I'm just swapping some cashew for almonds to get a bit more protein vs carbs.

Source: elanaspantry.com
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yields: 1 small loaf

Ingredients:

• ½ cup almond butter
• ½ cup cashew butter
• 5 eggs
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp celtic sea salt

Directions:

1. Mix the wet ingredients in a blender.
2. Pulse in the dry ones.
3. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, then let cool

Cumin and Mint Marinade for Lamb

This is a recent discovery and a very rich marinade. I usually make this amount for 6-8 chops, which is about a pound.  After they're done marinading I either cook them on a BBQ or broil them on low for 10-15 minutes each side.

In this picture I use short loin chops, rather then the regular ones. Kinda like mini t-bones...

Source: myrecipes.com
Prep Time: 5 minutes, then 4 hours to marinade
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 6-8 lamb chops

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint, or substitute/mix with cilantro.
• 1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp regular balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground mustard, or substitute for dijon.
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 pound of lamb chops

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients in a small bowl
2. Cover the lamb and let sit in the fridge for 4 hours

Chopped Chicken Liver - Two Versions

Here are the two versions of chopped liver according to our family recipe. When I was young my dad used to ask me each time which version I wanted and I would pick. I have no idea why Americans hate chicken liver so much. It's delicious and very healthy!

Version 1: "Classic" Chopped Liver

Source: Family recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yields: About 12 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 yellow onions, chopped
• 4 tbsp. ghee or butter
• 2 lb. chicken livers
• 3 hard boiled eggs 
• ½ cup chicken stock (from powder is ok)
• 1 tbsp. brandy
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder

Directions:

1. Clean the livers from all the tendons. Cut them into 1" pieces or less.
2. Fry the onions and set aside, keep the butter in the pan.
3. Bring to very hot and fry the livers in the butter. Small pieces cook fast and you should be done in about 2 minutes. Careful not to dry it too much and remove once both sides turned mostly brown.
4. Process the livers, onions and eggs in a meat grinder with the finest screen.
5. Add the brandy, salt etc. and half the stock.
6. Mix into a uniform paste. Add the rest of the stock if too dry.
7. Cool in the fridge for 6 hours.

Garnish:

• Finely ground hard boiled egg white
• Cut onion into long strands, dip in milk, shake in a plastic bag with flour, deep fry until golden and dry with paper towel.

Version 2: "Rough" Chopped liver

Ingredients:

• Same as the "classic", but without the brandy and stock
• 2 scallions finely chopped
• Optional: 3 small radishes, diced

Directions:

1. Instead of processing with a meat grinder, finely chop all the ingredients with a knife.
2. Mix lightly in a bowl.

Protein Fluff Extreme

If you love ice cream but rather avoid processed sugars, this recipe will change your life! Double so if you work out because it is a great post workout meal. I usually make a very large portion. Most recipes I've seen on the Internet call for half the amounts, so just divide everything by 2 if you are going for a "normal" amount.

The most important ingredient here is the protein powder. I don't want to recommend any particular kind but it took some experimentation until I found some that work well. An ideal powder will dissolve easily and have the sweeteners that you prefer. I usually go for a powder that is naturally sweetened with stevia, not sugar and definitely not artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols. If you eat it at night (like me) and also work out then egg protein powder or casein protein powder are a good idea. They break down slower than whey protein so your body will be able to absorb them over the night.

Source: just google "protein fluff"
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 2-3 minutes
Yields: about a pint

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of your favorite frozen fruits in chunks (I like berries, mango, grapes, figs, pears, bananas...)
• 2 scoops protein power, about 50g
• ⅓ cup water, milk, or any liquid

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, put the fruits first, then powder, then water.
2. Mash thing up manually with an immersion (hand held) blender without running it. This is that the mixture won't go flying off.
3. After you mashed it up a bit, run the immersion blender for about 2 minutes. Blend more than you think. It should all be super smooth and all the feels from the fruits should be completely broken down.
4. If you are feeling extra fluffy, use the whisker attachment to fluff it out more! This has a tendency to increase volume so if you are hungry but don't want a full portion then this will make a smaller one more filling.

This recipe has changed my life. Seriously. You will know what I am talking about once you try it. If you like, please leave a comment and share your spin on this recipe!

Hummus

This recipe is a work in progress. I am still narrowing it down. Personally I don't like lemon in my hummus, but if you do just add some at the end.

Source: mevashlim.com
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3-4 hours
Yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• Garbanzo beans, 1 lbs.
• Baking soda, 1 tsp.
• Tahini, 1 cup
• Garlic, minced, 4 + 1 cloves
• Onion, diced, 1 medium
• Parsley, chopped, 2 tbsp.
• Cilantro, chopped, 2 tbsp.
• Coriander seeds, ground 1 tsp. 
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Cumin

Instructions:

1. Soak the garbanzo beans in water over night in the fridge together with the baking soda, for at least 12 hours.
2. Drain and wash the beans, place in a large pot together with the onion, parsley, cilantro, coriander seeds, 4 cloves of garlic and little salt.
3. Bring to boil and cook for about 3 hours. The garbanzo beans should be very soft and easily squashed between your fingers.
4. Turn off flames and let stand for an hour.
5. Drain the liquids, but don't throw away. Also save a cup of the cooked garbanzos.
6. Put the rest of the garbanzo together with tahini, 1 clove of garlic, cumin, olive oil (generously) and salt in a blender and process until smooth. If too thick then add some of the cooking liquids.
7. Serve hot or cold. Pour the unprocessed garbanzos on top of the plate.

Braised Goat Shoulder with Sweet Paprika

I am very fortunate to live across the street from the largest farmers market in northern California, located in San Rafael near the Marin County civic center. It is a foodie's dream: tons of local organic produce, artisan chocolates, specialty cheeses and sustainably grown meats. A good friend of mine owns a booth there and turned me on to goat shoulders - such an excellent cut! The perfect combination of meat and fat, mmmmm...
I've been looking for different ways of preparing it and came upon a recipe which is the basis for the one below. My version is slightly different and adopted to a slow cooker instead of a dutch oven.

Source: shepherdsongfarm.com
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Yields: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

• Goat shoulder (~ 2 lbs.)
• Salt, pepper, sweet paprika
• Cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 small carrots, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 cloves of garlic, chopped
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 tbsp. sherry vinegar, or white wine vinegar
• 3 cups bone broth
• 1 tbsp. ghee

Instructions:

1. 2 hours before cooking, sprinkle the goat liberally with salt, pepper, and a light (but thorough) dusting of sweet smoked paprika. Place in the fridge and bring out about 30 minutes before cooking.
2. Start the slow cooker on 'high'.
3. Heat oil in a large pan and brown the goat generously on all sides until very brown. Remove from the pan.
4. In the same oil fry the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots on medium-low for about 5 minutes.
5. Add white wine and sherry vinegar and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Add the broth and bring to boil.
7. Place the shoulder in the slow cooker and cover with the hot broth.
8. Don't be tempted to add salt! It's okay if the broth is a bit bland at this point.
9. Let cook far about 2 hours, then turn over the shoulder every hour or so. It should be very tender after a few turns, about 4-5 hours from the start.
10. Take out the shoulder and move it to a covered pan so it stays warm and moist.
11. Strain the broth and pour into a sauce pan. Bring to boil.
12. Turn the heat to 'low' and reduce the sauce until it is quite thick. It should take about 30 minutes and you should have about ½ cup left. Mix in the ghee. Add salt if necessary.
13. Cut shoulder into slices, place on a warm plate, cover with sauce and serve.

Vipassana Sunflower Soy Dressing

I was recently fortunate to visit the North California Vipassana Center again and help a bit in the kitchen. While there I made sure to get the recipe for the famous Sunflower Soy salad dressing which I've named years ago "Sunflower Crack". It's funny how so many students that undergo the retreat remember the salad dressing of all things as one of the highlights. To put in perspective: the other type of dressing they serve is a pretty yummy Italian Dressing, but the instructions in the kitchen are to prepare FOUR TIME more of the sunflower soy than the Italian because it is so popular. I've only seen one other website out there that shared the recipe, but the quantities were all wrong and it came out super salty. Here is the original and correct one:

Source: dhamma.org
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Yields: 8 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 3 cups canola oil (non-GMO)
• 1 cup cold water + 1 after blending

 Instructions:

1. Combine all (except last cup of water). 
2. Run in blender (Vitamix works best) until there are no traces of seeds, but don't over blend as it will get syrup-y.
3. Pour into container and whisk in the last cup of water.

For gluten-free option try substituting the soy sauce with tamari sauce and/or Bragg's aminos. If you're not into canola oil then go with another type of gentle flavor oil. Olive oil is probably not the most ideal for this dressing.

Raw Dairy Free Chocolate Drink

This drink is based on a product I found at the local farmer's market. I am trying to reverse-engineer it and I think got the recipe pretty close now. I won't say the name of the company because I don't want to affect their business., but they have really good raw chocolate products.

Source: Undisclosed
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Yields: 2.5 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cups filtered water
• ⅓ cup raw cashew butter
• 4 tsp raw cacao powder
• 3 tsp raw coconut sugar or your sweetener of choice
• Vanilla extract or vanilla bean
• Pinch of salt

 Instructions:

1. Use a blender to mix everything.
2. Store in the fridge. Will stay good for about a week but if you are like me it will be gone the same day.

Chicken Gizzards in Paprika Sauce

This is a dish I remember from my childhood in Israel. It's great to see how gizzards and other organ meats (offal) are regaining popularity in the U.S.

Source: ocheltov.co.il
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs. chicken gizzards, cleaned and halved.
• 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed into 2" OR a basket of small mushrooms cut in quarters
• ½ tsp. cumin powder
• ¼ tsp. turmeric powder
• ¼ cup coconut oil, or lard, or tallow.
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper

 Instructions:

1. Place gizzards in a pot, cover with water and bring to boil. Cook on low for 30 minutes, strain, move to a bowl and mix with some pepper and salt.
2. In a separate bowl mix the potatoes/mushrooms with cumin and turmeric until they are evenly covered.
3. Melt the oil in a pot, add the onions and fry until translucent. Add the gizzard and fry on low for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the paprika and immediately 3/4 cup water so it won't burn and become bitter.
5. Pour the potatoes/mushrooms over the gizzards, bring to a boil, cover the pot and cook on low for an hour.
6. In the last 5 minutes add the garlic and if necessary more salt or pepper.

Beef Tongue - Our Family's Recipe

This is our family's traditional beef tongue recipe. I'm posting it this time of year in light of the upcoming passover holiday.

Medium size beef tongue

Source: family recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2-3 hours, plus time for cooling.
Yields: about 12-18 servings, depending on the size of the tongue

Ingredients:

• 1 medium to large beef tongue (from grass fed beef preferably)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2-3 carrots, sliced
• 1 celery root, sliced
• 3 bay leaves
• 4-6 garlic cloves, sliced
• Parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

      For hot tongue also:

• 1 medium onion, diced and fried
• 1 Basket of white or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
• Chicken soup powder

Instructions:

1. Wash the tongue, place in a pressure cooker together with the first batch of ingredients and cover with water. Cook for 45 minutes or alternatively 2 hours in a regular pot.
2. Let cool for a bit. Take the warm tongue out of the liquids and put inside a plastic bag until it's not to hot to handle with hands.
3. It should now be easier to peal it. Use a knife for the parts that won't peal easily.
4. Put in the fridge to cool down completely, or even in the freezer afterwards for a few minutes.
5. Cut into thin slices. Should be easier if tongue is very cold.
6. If you prefer to serve cold - use as is along with mustard and pickles.
7. For hot tongue, spread the slices in a pan with a slight overlap.
8. Spread the fried onions and mushrooms on top, cover with liquid from cooking and sprinkle with chicken soup powder.
9. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.
10. Take out of pan with a spatula so not the break the slices. Serve hot.

Mimi Kirk's Raw Cookies

I was looking for stuff to do with almond pulp after making some almond milk and came across this wonderful recipe from youngonrawfood.com. It resembles power balls in consistency more than your standard dry cookies. Some people are hesitant about the flavor of raw deserts but everybody I gave these to agrees they're awesome, even my "raw skeptic" friends.



Source: youngonrawfood.com
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 hours
Yields: 4 cookies

Ingredients:

• Wet pulp from almond milk
• 1 banana
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 5 medjool dates, pitted
• ½ cup medium flake shredded coconut
• ½ generous cup raisins or dried cranberries or both
• 1 tablespoon agave or sweetener of choice (I've used lucuma powder). Taste batter when finished to see if it’s sweet enough for your individual taste.
• ½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• Dash of cinnamon
• ½ cup cacao nibs or chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place almond pulp, banana, coconut oil and dates in food processor.
2. Pulse chop until everything is blended in.
3. Mix in until well incorporated coconut, raisins/cranberries, agave, walnuts, and cinnamon.
4. Use a cookie scooper and place a scoop on non-stick sheet of dehydrator tray.
5. Dehydrate at 105-110 for 10 hours or more, depending on how dry you want them.I prefer a crust on the outside and a small part of the center softer. You do not have to remove the non-stick sheet.
6. You can also flatten out the cookie if desired…

These are so good warm right from the dehydrator with a cold glass of almond milk.