Cooking | thesofiamagazine

Persimmon Matcha Crumble with Ginger Molasses

by Laurie Richardone | Dec 29, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Women

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups almond flour

2 tbsp. arrowroot

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1 1/2 sticks of butter (3/4 cup) room temperature

1 tbs. matcha powder

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. psyllium husk, or xanthan gum

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup fuyu persimmon puree, 2-3 ripe persimmons

3 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup cashew milk, or other milk

1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, optional

Ginger Molasses

1 tbs. molasses

1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, smashed into a paste, or powder

Blend together.

Drizzle around persimmon crumble before serving.

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter or oil inside of muffin trays. Dust with flour.

Whisk flours, baking powder, match powder, salt, psyllium husk in a medium bowl.

Set aside

Whisk milk and 1 cup of persimmon puree in a small bowl. Set aside.

For puree: peel and slice 2 ripe persimmons. Pulse slices in a small processor, or mash by hand. Save some slices of persimmon for garnish.

Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the sugar and 3/4 cup butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. About 4 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down the sides with a spatula. Add vanilla and almond extract.

Reduce your speed to low and add dry ingredients in 3 additions. Alternate the persimmon & milk mixture with the dry mixture. Add dry ingredients last.

Beat until just combined. Fold in the hazelnuts if using.

Scrape the batter into prepared muffin trays, 3/4 full.

Bake the muffins, rotating half way through, until golden brown and a tester inserted comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool in pan for 20 minutes.

Carefully remove muffins from the pan and transfer to the plate of choice. Make a crumble with the muffins across the plate. Serve with the ginger molasses.

Sprinkle some matcha powder around the plate.

Buon Appetito

For scheduled Cooking Classes in Asheville, Visit: LaurieRichardone.com

Planting New Roots

by Laurie Richardone | Dec 29, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Food, Health, Women

“My roots were first Planted in the Borough of Brooklyn, in a tight knit Italian family. It was a household that revolved around food.”

Throughout the diverse paths my walk of life have taken, there has always been a thread that tied me to the kitchen. Food is a sacred practice inherited from all my ancestors. My roots.

However, my calling as a teacher of seasonal cooking, and wellness coach took root later in life. It came when I had all the necessary tools to step into the role of educator, chef, and coach.

We never know where life will take us, which is both exhilarating and unsettling. Planting new roots in whatever direction the heart leads us requires nurturing, passion, and patience. As I have
experienced, not all things take hold, nor are they meant to. One must trust in the process.

Do something because you want to, not because you are expecting a payoff.

I hold the belief that the universe will give it back to you, bearing all the fruits of your labor. The roots of education can be bitter, but the fruit is sweet.

My vocation as a teacher of seasonal cooking unfolded naturally, at just the right time. Now, I get to guide my clients in creating healthy delicious food that suits their needs and lifestyle.

Furthermore, we now have an understanding that food is about much more than deliciousness.

For example: getting the majority of ingredients at your local farmers market, which in turn promotes connection and support, giving strength to our tribe.

What better way to connect than with food, and an extra portion of love.

Even so, It’s not just about breaking bread together, but making bread together, and sharing our stories,
our roots, and laying down some new ones.

What better place than around the table.

To your good health…

A seasonal healthy treat for the table ~ If you are a curious cook, join me on my Podcast

~ A taste for All Seasons ~

It is a cooking, cultural, and inspirational way for us to explore the world of food. And… as always, l will share a seasonal recipe, cooking tips, and kitchen essentials that will make your life easier in the kitchen.

You can now listen to all the shows, @ laurierichardone.com/podcast or on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast.

We talk to local farmers, where you can learn how to cook your way through the seasons. This Podcast is in conjunction with WPVM FM 103.7 in Asheville, NC.

Laurie Richardone is a seasonal gluten free chef and certified health coach.

To work with Laurie, visit LaurieRichardone.com

Grain-Free Gingersnap Cookies

by Laurie Richardone | Nov 29, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Food, Recipes

Makes 24 Festive Cookies

1 ¾ cup almond flour

½ cup arrowroot, or tapioca flour

6 tbs. coconut oil, soft room temp.

½ cup coconut sugar, extra if rolling cookie dough in sugar.

3 tbs. black molasses

1 egg, room temp.

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp fresh ground ginger, or powder

½ tsp. ground cloves

2 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. sea salt

Fresh rosemary for garnish, optional

Preheat the oven 350.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat coconut oil, coconut sugar, and molasses, until smooth.

Beat in the egg and vanilla, mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients, along with all the spices, and sea salt. Slowly, stir the flour into the wet ingredients, until you have a thick cookie dough. Chill for 30 minutes, so you can roll dough into small balls.

If rolling in sugar, in a shallow bowl, dip the ball into the sugar, and place on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Place 2’’ apart. Bake for 11-14 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges.

Let cool completely on the rack, before removing from the baking sheet.

Place on a serving tray, and place bunches of fresh rosemary around the dish.

Bon Appetito

For scheduled Cooking Classes in Asheville, Visit: LaurieRichardone.com

A Taste for All Seasons

by Laurie Richardone | Nov 29, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Holidays

Collectively all over the globe we start to ponder the holiday season.

Should you have a moment in this hectic time, to look back a few centuries, several of the customs we’ve come to associate with Christmas actually evolved from pagan traditions celebrating the winter solstice. The Pagan origins come from the idea of bringing the evergreen into the house to represent fertility and new life in the darkness of winter. It borrows from the pagan holiday called Yule, which Europeans observed during the winter solstice as a way of ringing in the new year and the promise of its crops.

What a beautiful acknowledgment it is to commemorate the abundance nature brings, then with the harvest of the season to our table.

Whether you celebrate the winter solstice, or the birth of Christ, it is a time of re-rebirth gratitude, and celebration; What better way to salute this auspicious time than with the gift of food. There is something alluring about the universality of a language and an entire culture that comes from the belly rather than the brain.

In this very literal way Christmas is about food…

As families come together to exchange gifts, and gather around the table, the holidays are also a perfect time to celebrate good tidings and the many blessings of the past year.

Let the stream of culinary adventures flow, with the pure love of cooking, and giving, however humble or grand. Bake some cookies, wrap them in parchment paper, tied with twine, and a twig of rosemary or pin. For this will surely bring a smile of joy.

To Your Good Health

A Holiday Healthy Indulgence ~ Grain-Free Gingersnap Cookies

If you are a curious cook, join me on my Podcast ~ A taste for All Seasons ~

It is a cooking, cultural, and inspirational way for us to explore the world of food. And… as always, l will share a seasonal recipe, cooking tips, and kitchen essentials that will make your life easier in the kitchen.

You can now listen to all the shows, @ laurierichardone.com/podcast or on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast.

We talk to local farmers, where you can learn how to cook your way through the seasons. This Podcast is in conjunction with WPVM FM 103.7 in Asheville, NC.

Laurie Richardone is a seasonal gluten free chef and certified health coach.

To work with Laurie, visit LaurieRichardone.com

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

by Laurie Richardone | Oct 28, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Recipes, Women

Serves 6

2 large butternut squash

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. sea salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 sprigs thyme tucked into squash when roasting

1/2 cup carrots, small chop

1/2 cup celery, small chop

1/2 cup onions, small chop

2 garlic cloves, smashed

2 tbsp.raw honey

6 cups vegetable stock, or Pacific organic vegetable stock

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, optional

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/8 tsp.freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1 granny smith apple, cut into small cubes

A squeeze of fresh lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Squash can be roasted a day ahead, to cut down on cook time.

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut both ends of the squash off. Cut squash in half and scoop out and discard seeds. Brush each half inside with about 1 tsp. of the oil. Sprinkle the cavities with salt and pepper and tuck a sprig of thyme into each. Place cut-side-down on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 45 minutes.

Remove and let cool, then scoop out and reserve the flesh.

Put the remaining oil in a stockpot over low-medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onions and cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes. Add the cooked squash, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper and cook gently for 3 minutes. Stir in the honey and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and discard the thyme. Transfer the soup to a blender, in batches, and puree. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.

Let the soup cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Stores up to 4 days.

Gently reheat the soup until just hot. If it is too thick, add more stock, or water. Heat a skillet over high heat. If using, when the pan is hot, add the butter. Rotate the skillet over the heat as necessary to brown the butter evenly. As soon as the butter is a hazelnut brown, pour it into the pot of soup, and stir.

To Finish, ladle the soup into six serving bowls. Top each with a dollop of yogurt, cubes of granny smith apple, and toasted walnuts. Grate nutmeg on top, with a drizzle of fresh lemon.

For scheduled Cooking Classes in Asheville, Visit: LaurieRichardone.com

Honeycrisp Apple Cakes

by Laurie Richardone | Sep 27, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Recipes

8 servings
For the cakes

3/4 cup raw cane sugar, coconut sugar, or monk fruit

3/4 cup organic unsalted butter

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk, or nut milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups almond meal flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

Cake ~ Preheat oven to 350

Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time and beat until fully blended. Add milk and vanilla and mix until just combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and beat until creamy. Do not over mix.

Spread into a greased 9’’x13″ cake pan. The batter will be thick.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Let cool completely on the rack before icing.

If making small cakes, cut out rounds with a 2″ cookie cutter. Shortcakes can be made a day Ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature ahead.

Sliced Apples

2 honey crisp apples, sliced

1 tbsp. unsalted butter, or coconut oil

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Heat a non-stick pan. Add butter or coconut oil. Then add sliced apples. Saute until browned around the edges. Toss with
cinnamon and lemon juice.

Coconut Cream

1 can unsweetened COLD coconut milk, solid parts only.

1-2 tbsp. maple syrup, or confectioners sugar, preferably organic.

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, or paste

Whipping Coconut Creme –

Add cold solid parts only of the coconut milk to a bowl with a whipping attachment. Add
maple syrup, or confectioners sugar and vanilla. Whip on high speed, until fluffy.

Assembly: Top with coconut cream, and apples. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Optional.

Buon Appetito

For scheduled Cooking Classes in Asheville, Visit: LaurieRichardone.com