Chocolate Raspberry Hamentashen

These delicious, crisp chocolate cookies are gluten and dairy free. Filled with homemade chia-raspberry jam, they're a decadent, but low-sugar, pick me up any time of day.

I've mentioned before how my parents, particularly my mom, grew up in a neighbourhood full of Jewish families and as such became good friends with many of the kids. As I was growing up, not only did I accompany my folks to Hanukkah parties almost every year, but I was able to learn about many Jewish holidays and customs at my school and through my friends as well. Obviously, Hanukkah was always the "favourite" celebration of the winter - even more so than Christmas, since at school we were allowed to play with dreidels (complete with chocolate gelt) and eat latkes in class as a "cultural" lesson. Other holidays such as Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Purim and Passover, on the other hand, were mentioned but never really elaborated on. It was only when I started taking world religion classes in highschool that I began to recognize their differences and appreciate what my friends were observing.

While not a traditional Passover treat, hamentashen (or if you prefer, hamantaschen) have a cultural symbolism that is significant for both this holiday and Purim, when it's commonly served.Both holidays celebrate the triumph of the Jewish people over evil - with Purim, it's in the form of Haman, who was planning to kill all the Jews in the Achaemenid Persian Empire, and it is from him that the shape and name of these cookies comes from. With Passover, it is the Egyptian Pharaoh who was defeated by the plagues, and subsequently freed the Jewish nation from slavery, and while that holiday has it's own set of culinary traditions and practices, I thought these cookies would be appropriate as well.

The whole reason I even decided to make this recipe (mostly "winging it" off one I found on Tori Avey) was because I was searching for a dairy free, gluten free cookie to bring to one of my acquaintances, who's son must avoid both foods. The original recipe wasn't gluten free, but looked fairly simple to swap in a mix of flour for - especially since I was only making a half recipe. In place of the starch I usually add to my gluten free flour mixes, I used cocoa powder. Along with the delicate nuttiness of the teff and the shot of coffee I used to help form the dough, the flavour was outstanding - no butter needed! To fill the little triangles I whipped up a raspberry jam with thawed frozen berries, a few tablespoons of chia seed and a tablespoon or so of honey. The leftover jam became the next morning's Toast Topper!

Shared with #FreeFromFridays

Nam Prik Num

This roasted chile salsa is packed with flavour that comes through the flames. Traditionally made with fish sauce, this vegetarian version uses “fish mint”, an herb with a remarkably fishy flavour.

If you're a fan of "real" Thai food, you know the chefs like to pack a punch of flavour with each and every dish. While some sort of "heating" element is almost always present, the undeniable focus is on balancing the palate with notes of sour, sweet, salty, bitter, and spicy. Since my mom's trip to Thailand many years ago, she's often commented that the restaurants, curry pastes and general recipes available to us in Canada are nothing like the meals she enjoyed. We've been searching for a remedy to this ever since.

While I can't promise this will be the answer for everyone craving Thai, we discovered that for us the secret is (literally) in the sauce. Dipping sauces for everything abound, and add that punch of balance to a skewed main dish. This one, adapted from The Chile Pepper Bible: From Sweet to Fiery & Everything in Between, is a Northern Thai specialty that utilizes roasted peppers, garlic, tomatoes and herbs along with a squeeze of lime and, traditionally, fish sauce or shrimp paste. To keep things vegetarian (and improve shelf life), I turned to fish mint, the undeniably fishy-flavoured herb occasionally found in Asian dishes. It added the needed flavour without any "off" fermented notes and was handy since I had it in my garden!

If you want to serve this spicy, sour, pungent dipper the traditional northern Thai way, place a few spoonfuls in individual dishes alongside roasted or sauteed vegetables, pork cracklings, fried chicken skin and/or sticky rice. I personally like it just with plain ol sticky rice!

Pressure Canned Homegrown Tomato Sauce #SundaySupper

With the arrival of April comes the start of my vegetable garden plans for the year. With such a short "outdoor" growing season, seeds for things like my famous heirloom tomatoes have to begin life in my indoor greenhouse - and, fingers crossed, they will survive the move outdoors and produce bushels of deliciousness by August.

Now, the "seed" heirlooms don't always proliferate the way "conventional" tomatoes do, and I do give myself some backup protection by purchasing heirloom seedlings at my local nursery. However, then you have years like last year, which started off at a lead-shelled snail's pace before taking off full throttle at the end of the Summer. What we couldn't consume (which was a fair amount, given the buckets of tomatoes we were pulling in from both my heirloom and my mom's conventional gardens) went into freezer bags and got packed into our deep freezer for later processing. I knew I wanted to make sauce with them, I just never got around to it by the holidays.

When Christmas rolled around, I was surprised with a giant pressure canner under the tree - I couldn't wait to play! The canner opens up the world of low-acid food preservation to me, and allowed me to try preserving my classic marinara - which I hadn't attempted before with a waterbath because it doesn't call for acidifying the mixture. I know I could have just added some citric acid to the batch before, but the flavours are so perfectly suspended that any added tartness would skew the overall impression of the medley. This way, it's canned up relatively quickly and is safe without acidity - and for a first go with any sort of pressure-cooking appliance it was a relatively fool proof "baby step" into that world. At any rate, my jars will help (partially) bridge the gap until I can get the Summer sun on my shoulders and my shovel in the ground!

This #SundaySupper is celebrating tomatoes. April is National Florida Tomato Month, and the state is the second largest tomato producer in the country. Fresh tomatoes are high in vitamin C and vitamin A, are fat-free and low in sodium, while providing 10% of your daily potassium needs.When you cook down good quality fresh tomatoes like I did, you also get a huge boost of lycopene, which is made more available with heating. All this and a killer flavour? Yes please!

Chicken Recipes

• Caprese Chicken with Bacon by Family Around The Table
• Cheesy Caprese Pesto Chicken and Quinoa Casserole by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Easy Balsamic Chicken with Tomatoes by Life Tastes Good
• Grilled Chicken and Pasta with Grated Tomato Sauce by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

 

 Main Courses

• Bronzed Tomato Spinach Cheddar Panini by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Ground Beef Curry by Wholistic Woman
• Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry by Sunday Supper Movement
• One Pan Pork Chop Dinner with Tomatoes by Simple and Savory
• Tuna and Tomato Bento by Ninja Baker

 

Pizza, Pies, and Pastas

• Angel Hair Pomodoro by Healing Tomato
• Heirloom Tomato Tart by Authentically Candace
• Pressure Canned Homegrown Tomato Sauce by What Smells So Good?
• Savory Tomato Pie with Pre-Made Crust by The Foodie Affair
• Three Cheese Tomato Basil Pie by Jersey Girl Cooks
• Tomato and Caramelized Onions Galette by Brunch-n-Bites
• Tuscan Pasta with White Beans and Tomatoes by A Mind “Full” Mom

 

Side Dishes

• Bacon Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms by Crazed Mom
• Bloody Mary Mix by Our Good Life
• Bruschetta di Pomodoro by The Freshman Cook
• Caprese Garlic Bread with Arugula Pesto by The Crumby Cupcake
• Slow Roasted Tomatoes by Caroline’s Cooking
• Tomato Cauliflower Rice by Family Foodie
• Tomato Tulips for a Veggie Platter by Sew You Think You Can Cook

 

Snacks

• Cheesy Thumbprint Cookies with Green Tomato Strawberry Jalapeno Jam by Soulfully Made
• How to Make Homemade Salsa by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• IPA (India Pale Ale) Green Tomato Pickles by Gourmet Everyday
• Italian Nachos by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Marinated Cherry Tomatoes with Cottage Cheese by Cricket’s Confections
• Tomatoes Stuffed with Apple-Walnut Salad Filling by Asian In America
• Tropical Fruit Salsa by Pies and Plots

 

Soups and Salads

• 10 Minute Greek Inspired Couscous Salad by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Burrata Caprese Salad with Balsamic Pearls by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cherry Tomato and Preserved Lemon Salad by Shockingly Delicious
• Cupboard Tomato Mozzarella Salad by Food Lust People Love
• Fresh Tomato and Couscous Salad by Basic N Delicious
• Fried Green Tomato BLT Salad by Palatable Pastime
• Rustic Dill Tomato Soup by Hot Eats and Cool Reads
• Summer Tomato and Bread Soup by Monica’s Table
• Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Pimento Grilled Cheese by Bottom Left of the Mitten

 
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Green Tomato Mincemeat (ver. 2016)

I know what you're thinking -  "umm, it's barely Spring out there, nothing much is growing and certainly not tomatoes". Or (if you live in warmer climates) perhaps it's more "mincemeat pie filling? Christmas is 9 months away!" Well, either way, this recipe is not a typical one for this time of year, and truth be told I actually made it last July. However, I was cleaning out our freezer the other day and came across a container left over from the holidays, and a taste made me realize that I should, after all, post it - even though I already have two green tomato mincemeat recipes on this blog (not to mention a few others).

The difference with this one is not so much that it has the unripe fruit in it, or even the addition of zucchini. Rather, the flavour of this batch comes more from the mixture of two types of alcohol (spiced rum and butterscotch schnapps) and a glug of date molasses, which adds fruity sweetness without any of the bitterness from "regular" or blackstrap cane molasses. I bulked up my mixture with a few handfuls of fruit and nut trail mix, which kept a bit of crunch even after two hours in the pot and six months in the freezer.

Of course, originally when I made it I had mincemeat tarts in mind, which I baked for my dad and grandma last Christmas. However, the remaining mincemeat (except for the aforementioned container that sparked this post) found its way into two loaves of fruitcake (soused with a little more rum, of course). The little container? Well, that went onto my mom's morning toast and was even scooped out of a bowl. Good stuff, this is!

Tiny Batch Blood Orange Marmalade #SundaySupper (Toast Topper #77)

When I make jam, jelly or marmalade "off season", it's usually purely for my mom and I to enjoy. Nobody else here eats the stuff, which means that standard-sized batches of preserves require either heating up the waterbath canner or scaling things way back. My choice is usually an easy one - being a lover of variety, eating any Toast Topper, no matter how delicious, for months on end is sheer drudgery to me. For jam and jelly, I rely on flexible-batch pectins to keep things set, but with marmalade it's even easier!

With the last two blood oranges in a bag that I had purchased last week, a spoonful of ginger and a hint of vanilla, I set about making a teeny tiny batch of a marmalade seen on Food in Jars, which is made ridiculously simplistic by using an overnight soak, rather than a nitpicky slice and dice method, to extract the pectin. While the overnight time frame is a pain if you don't plan ahead, a batch is a great accompaniment to Sunday brunch and even works wonders on grilled meats like chicken.

This #SundaySupper, our gang is creating Citrus Recipes That Will Make You Smile. At the end of a less-than-friendly week, I'm looking forward to lifting my spirits!

Breakfasts

• Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Rolls by Caroline's Cooking
• Creamy Vanilla-Orange Overnight Oats by A Little Fish in the Kitchen
• Key Lime Muffins with Key Lime Glaze by Family Around The Table
• Lemon Donut Holes by The Bitter Side of Sweet
• Lemon Poppy Seed Quick Bread by Pies and Plots
• Lemon Ricotta Pancakes by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
• Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Muffins by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins by Jersey Girl Cooks
• Tiny Batch Blood Orange Marmalade by What Smells So Good?

Main Dishes

• 10 Minute Lemon Pasta With Crispy Basil by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Asian Lemon Chicken by Brunch-n-Bites
• Calamansi Shrimp on Couscous by Asian In America
• Citrus Marinated Chicken Thighs by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Citrus-Glazed Scallops with Chunky Avocado Salsa by The Weekend Gourmet
• Lemon Lime Shrimp Cocktail w/a Citrus Yogurt Dipping Sauce by The Freshman Cook
• Lemon Ricotta Spaghetti with Peas by Cricket's Confections
• Meyer Lemon Chicken Piccata by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• One Pan Parmesan Lemon Chicken and Asparagus by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Orange Beef by Palatable Pastime
• Easy Instant Pot Orange Chicken by A Mind “Full” Mom
• Skillet Roasted Lemon Chicken by My Savory Spoon
• Slow Cooked Orange Chicken Breasts by Simple and Savory
• Thai Lime Basil Chicken Stir Fry by Wholistic Woman

Desserts

• Banana Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Clementine Pistachio Pomegranate Upside Down Cake by Sunday Supper Movement
• Easy Japanese Lemon Yuzu Bars by The Ninja Baker
• Key Lime Chiffon Pie by Food Done Light
• Lemon & Blueberry Skillet Cake by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Lemon Key Lime Layer Snack Cakes by Crazed Mom
• Meyer Lemon Creme Brulee by Soulfully Made
• Pink Grapefruit Meringue Tart by Baking Sense
• Sittin’ On a Sandbar Key Lime Pie by Gourmet Everyday
• Starbucks Lemon Loaf Recipe by Life Tastes Good
• The Best Lemon Bars Recipe by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Triple Citrus Macaroon Mascarpone Tart by The Crumby Cupcake
• Triple Lemon Poke Cake by Shaken Together

 

Beverages

• Homemade Grapefruit Soda by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Pineapple Orange Smoothie by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
• Ruby Red Mimosa by Our Good Life
• Simple Meyer Lemon Margaritas by My Life Cookbook
• Watermelon Limeade by From the Bookshelf

 
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.