Category Archives: McKenzie Makes

This week we’ve got both Easter and Passover for a one two punch of religious celebrations and I wanted to make something that could be made and served at either event since I now partake in both!

I am a little unfamiliar with what you can and cannot eat during Passover but knew almond flour was good to go after an exhaustive search of desserts that were both gluten-free and kosher for the holiday. A search that provided me with this great recipe from the beautiful and delightfully British Roost Blog.

I had planned on bringing this to an Easter brunch but our plans changed…. so I made it anyways and gave slices out to the doorman, super and porters of my building, my boyfriend, his co-workers and myself!

Happy Passover and Hoppy Easter

Ingredients:

*Cake

• 6 cups Almond Flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup ghee (clarified butter)
• 3/4 cups honey
• 2 tsp pure almond extract
• 1 pint fresh raspberries

*Glaze

• 1 cup coconut butter
• 1 TBS honey

To Make:

*Cake

• Pre-heat oven to 350 and grease a 9 inch bundt pan
• combine dry ingredients in a bowl and in a separate bowl whisk wet ingredients
• add dry bowl to wet and whisk until a smooth batter is formed
• gently fold in raspberries and pour into greased pan
• bake for 30 minutes and then place a sheet of tin foil over pan to prevent cake from getting too brown (almond flour browns easily)
• cook for another 30 minutes or until a toothpick/knife comes out clean when inserted into middle
• remove and let cool in pan for 45 minutes
• flip cake onto a cake stand or a plate and drizzle with glaze

*Glaze

• combine honey and coconut butter into a bowl
• place into oven until coconut butter softens to pourable consistency
• drizzle over cooled cake and serve
• enjoy!

I’m back!!! I took a much-needed one week blogging break to fully devote myself to my long-awaited return to Manhattan after living for three years in Brooklyn! And let me tell you…last week my eating habits were all over the place…..moving kinda does that to you or at least it did to me. I was not only too tired from the entire process to cook but I also had no clue where my pots and pans were since the moving company packed everything for us!

But Thursday came and I found my arsenal of kitchen items to make this dish that I’ve had on my mind for weeks. The recipe is from theKitchn  and even though I made some slight changes the concept is pretty much still the same.

After nearly a week of take-out and restaurant meals…this healthy meatless meal was just what I needed to get my new apartment organized and ready to go! Enjoy today and celebrate Meatless Monday!

Ingredients:

• 4 Sweet Potatoes or 6 small Yams
• 1 15 oz can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 6 cups mixed kale, trimmed and sliced
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 TBL olive oil
• 1 shallot, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper

To Make:

• Pre-heat oven to 350, wash outside of  sweet potatoes or yams, prick them in a fork a few times and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil
• Roast until soft all the way through (About 45 minutes)
• 20 minutes before sweet potatoes/yams are done heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over low-medium heat, add shallots and garlic and cook until softened (about 4-5 minutes)
• Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute
• Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Add the kale, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the kale is soft
• Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper
• Remove the sweet potatoes/yams from the oven and let cool
• Remove the kale and bean mixture from the heat and let cool for two minutes
• Slice each sweet potato and push the ends up so the middle meat raises up
• Spoon the bean and kale mixture into the center
• Enjoy!

A few days post-cleanse and I am still going strong. I’m still on cloud nine from my results and know that there will be slip-ups (I mean, I’m only human) but I’m gonna do everything I possibly can to maintain and remember this feeling right now

What’s so different about Isagenix (the cleanse) is that you CAN eat! And the recipe below is one that I consumed while on the program. All credit should be given to my friend and Isagenix mentor Jess who gave me the recipe (thanks Jess!).

You do need a special kitchen tool to properly execute this dish (a mandoline) but I would strongly suggest purchasing one for uniform slicing and various kitchen needs (plus you can impress you friends with your “knife” skills). I used one in culinary school all the time and only managed to cut myself once…although it did require a few stitches (4).

Anyways, this gluten-free, vegetarian friendly dish can be made for one or ten. I served with my quick and simple tomato sauce (quick recipe below) and placed a few thin slices of parmigian cheese on top for a light and quick (it takes 5 minutes to make) meal!

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup simple tomato sauce (I whip up a quick sauce by sweating minced garlic in a pan with olive oil, then add tomato puree, dried oregano and cook for 30 minutes or until thick then season with salt and pepper)
• thin slices of parmigian cheese (I shave off with a vegetable peeler)

To Make:

• using a mandoline slicer, shred zucchini with the julienne blades
• in small saucepan heat tomato sauce over medium heat and keep warm until zucchini is ready
• heat olive oil over medium heat in large pan
• add zucchini, salt and pepper and saute until softened and bright green (2-3 minutes)
• remove from heat, drain and place in desired serving vessel (I prefer a bowl)
• spoon tomato sauce over and top with thin slices of parmigian cheese
• enjoy!

The past few days in Switzerland really did a number on me. Being in a country known for its cheese, beer and chocolate made for quite the overindulgence on my part. I chowed down on raclette, fondue, cured meats, sausages, rosti, and chocolates and drank almost a bottle of wine each night after long days of skiing.

It kind goes without saying then that I have to right my wrongs. So today I embark on an eleven day journey…… a cleanse of sorts recommended by a dear friend who had great results and helped to put her body back on track. It’s called Isagenix and it’s not a juice cleanse or a fasting… more of a cleansing and fat burning system that helps achieve and maintain real results over the long-term by increasing metabolism, building lean muscle, reducing cravings for unhealthy food and ridding the body of impurities while increasing energy levels.

But before I started this thing today I had to go out with a bang and so I made these tasty gluten-free peanut butter cookies to enjoy before this began!

Made with only four ingredients, these are super easy to make and even easier to enjoy

*Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar

To Make:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 and line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper
• Mix all ingredients together until combined (using a stand mixer works best)
• Drop 1 TBL of dough onto baking sheet and with a fork flatten the top by creating a criss-cross pattern on each cookie
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown
• Remove from oven, let cool for three minutes and then transfer to cooling racks
• Enjoy!

I say “stroganoff” because this dish is in the stroganoff style i.e. the classic Russian dish of sauteed pieces of beef served in a sauce of sour cream. But I turn stroganoff on its head with this one and made it with gluten-free fusilli pasta, greek yogurt, mushrooms and kale!

You can go wild and substitute any green or mushroom or pasta you fancy but one thing is for certain…. this dish is delicious!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 TBS Olive Oil
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups mushrooms (portobello or cremini-cleaned and stemmedand cut into 1/2 inch strips)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 TBS potato starch or rice flour
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 TBS tomato paste
• 1 bunch chopped kale, ribs removed, and roughly chopped
• 3 cups gluten-free fusilli
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• salt and pepper

To Make:

• heat oil in large skillet over medium heat
• add onions and saute for 4 minutes or until they soften
• boil water and cook pasta (desired on package)
• while pasta is cooking, add garlic and mushrooms to onions and season with smoked paprika, salt and pepper
• saute for 3 minutes or until mushrooms are soft and dark in color
• dust mushrooms with rice flour or potato starch and toss to combine
• add stock and tomato paste and stir to dissolve
• add kale and simmer for 5-10 minutes
• once pasta is al dente, drain and add to mushroom mix
• stir mushroom mix and pasta together and add greek yogurt
• stir, taste and season if needed
• enjoy!

*I like a LOT of cheese on my chili*

I am all about full disclosure so I have to let you know that this recipe is a re-post from May 2010. I’ve been making chili for years and this one continues to be my favorite. With Super Bowl a few days away….bring this to the party along with a toppings bar (cheeses, hot sauce, onions, sour cream, etc) and they’ll be talking about your delicious contribution for years!

Ingredients:

*This makes enough for 8 people

• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 1 cup chopped onion (I prefer red onions)
• 1 cup chopped green pepper (seeded)
• 4 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 (16 0z) can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 (15.5 oz) can chili beans
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and chopped)
• 2 tbl chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• For garnish- sour cream, cheddar cheese (grated) and sliced green onion

To Make:

• Brown turkey in a skillet over medium heat (brown until meat is no longer pink), drain and set aside
• Saute green peppers and onions till soft, drain and set aside
• In large pot, add remaining ingredients (tomatoes, beans, spices, turkey, onion and pepper mixture) and bring to a boil
• Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes (stirring occasionally)
• Adjust seasoning if needed and ladle into bowls
• Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, sliced spring onions and sour cream
• Enjoy!