Gluten-Free Rosemary Orange Corn Bread

Ginger Sweet Potato and Black Rice Pie with Gluten-Free Crust

Herby Winter Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Kuri Squash Puree with Sage and Maple Pecan Crumble

This Thanksgiving holiday season we asked one of our favorite chefs @kaciecarter, to put together a delicious four-course menu. Kacie is a Los Angeles-based chef, nutritionist, and co-founder of @honeyhi in Echo Park. Our founder Jena is one of Kacie Carter’s biggest fans. And once you make these delicious and nutritious dishes, you will be too.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Rosemary Orange Corn Bread

You will need:

A 9” cast iron pan or a square/rectangular pan for baking cornbread

INGREDIENTS

 For the cornbread:

1 Cup GF flour         

3/4 Cup Organic Yellow Cornmeal (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1.5 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick) - Minus 1 tbsp that you will add to cast iron pan

1/3 cup Orange Blossom Honey

1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar

2 Eggs

1 Cup Coconut Milk, full fat

3 Tbsp Orange Juice (juice of 1/2 orange)

Zest of 1 Orange

2 Tbsp Chopped Rosemary

1/2 tsp Orange Blossom Water

For the compound butter:

1 Stick Salted Butter, softened at room temperature

1 Orange, zested

1 Large Stick Rosemary, chopped and sizzled in butter,

1/4 tsp Orange Blossom Water

1 tsp Orange Blossom Honey

1/2 tsp Coconut Sugar 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375. Put your 9” cast iron pan inside oven to preheat as well.

Meanwhile, mix flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, baking powder together in a medium bowl.

Melt butter and honey on stovetop over medium heat. Add chopped rosemary and orange zest and allow it to “bloom” together and release all the fragrances.

Add melted butter/honey to a small bowl and whisk in coconut milk, coconut sugar, orange juice, and orange blossom water. Add eggs one by one and whisk until well incorporated.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir well with a whisk. Let batter sit for 20 minutes.

Remove cast iron from oven, drop in 1 tbsp of butter until bubbling, and pour in the cornbread batter.

Bake in oven until cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Top with the orange rosemary compound butter and enjoy!

For the compound butter:

Whisk all ingredients together well, and then put in a small ramekin and back into the refrigerator to set.

Recipe: Ginger Sweet Potato & Black Rice Pie with Gluten-Free Crust

You will need:

8-inch Pie or Tart Pan

Rolling Pin

INGREDIENTS

For the Sweet Potato Filling:

2 Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes, Medium Sized (approx 1.3 lbs once cooked)

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 Eggs

1 Cup Coconut Sugar

2 tsp Fresh Ginger, Grated

½ tsp Ceylon Cinnamon

6 Cardamom Pods, pounded in mortar and pestle (or 1/2 tsp cardamom powder)

6 Whole Cloves, pounded, or ½ tsp Ground Clove

2 tsp Fresh Nutmeg, Grated

¼ tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Cup Coconut Milk, full fat

1/3 Cup Cooked Black Rice
Maldon Sea Salt, for garnish

For the GF Crust:
2 1⁄2 cups (11.5 ounces) Cup 4 Cup gluten-free flour, plus more for workspace

1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted, good quality butter (preferably a cultured or European style butter, grass fed if possible), cut into 1⁄2-inch dice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup cold water

Mix flour, sea salt and coconut sugar together in a large bowl.
Add the cut butter chunks and toss them to coat with flour.
Press each butter square between the palms of your two hands to create a flattened disc. Work quickly so that your butter doesn’t soften too much!
Using your fingers, gently break the disks into smaller pieces and toss, coaxing the butter into pebbly pieces.
Slowly drizzle in the cold water and continue working the dough until it becomes shaggy and starts to come together.
Cut into 2 even sized balls. Wrap in saran and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

INSTRUCTIONS

First, prepare your base ingredients: The pie crust and the sweet potatoes and black rice.

1) Make pie crust according to above recipe. Note that this recipe will make TWO crusts: You can either double the filling recipe and make a second pie, or wrap the second crust in plastic wrap and freeze it until a later date. It’s great to have these on hand!

2) Preheat oven to 375. 

3) Wash sweet potatoes, wrap each one in foil and bake until super soft inside, about 40 minutes. Open foil, let cool for 10 minutes and carefully peel the skin off the potatoes leaving the soft flesh inside.

4) Meanwhile, add 1 cup of black rice to a pot with 1.5 cups of water, a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cover and let sit 30 minutes until rice is cooked.

5) In a blender, blend your coconut milk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, spices, and ginger together. Add cooked black rice and cooked sweet potatoes. Blend again until incorporated, but still leave some good flecks of black rice for texture.

6) Roll out pie crust on a floured piece of parchment paper until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Flip into pie pan (if using) and press down edges with your thumb to create a rippled crust. If using a tart pan, press into sides of the pan. ‘

7) Poke the bottom of crust with a fork and prebake in the oven for 12 minutes.

8) Remove crust from oven and let cool 10 minutes.

9) Add the sweet potato filling, using a large spoon to create a beautiful swirled texture.

10) Bake for 30 minutes until pie is set. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Garnish with maldon sea salt.

Garnish with sea salt, a big scoop of coconut whipped cream, and enjoy!

Recipe: Herby Winter Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

For the Salad:

1/2 Bunch Lacinato Kale, De-Veined and Torn, Massaged with Olive Oil and Salt

2 Cups Wild Baby Arugula

1/2 Head Radicchio, Torn

1 Head Fennel, Shaved Thin on Mandoline

Fennel Fronds from Head of Fennel

1 Small Bunch Dill, Picked

1 Small Bunch Parsley, Leaves Picked

2 Small Fuyu Persimmons, Slightly Ripe, Sliced into quarters

1 Pomegranate, Seeded

Sea Salt & Pepper to Taste

For the Pomegranate Dressing:

1 Small Shallot, cut into chunks

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

2 Tbsp Whole Grain Mustard

1/4 Cup EVOO

1/4 Cup Pomegranate Juice

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Add all salad ingredients to a large serving bowl and toss well with your hands.

To make dressing, add shallot, lemon, pomegranate juice, and a pinch of salt to a blender and let sit for 5 minutes. Then, add mustard and blend on medium until incorporated. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss salad with vinaigrette, garnish with more pomegranate seeds and a few persimmon slices on top and enjoy!

Recipe: Kuri Squash Puree with Sage and Maple Pecan Crumble

INGREDIENTS

For the Squash:

5 lbs Kuri or Kabocha Squash

Olive Oil, For Drizzling

Cinnamon and Aleppo Pepper, for Seasoning

1/4 cup Coconut Milk, Full Fat

Sea Salt

For the Maple Pecan Crumble:

1/4 tsp Ceylon Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Raw Pecans, crumbled

1 tsp Coriander Seeds

1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds

1/4 tsp Ceylon Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Sea Salt

1/8 tsp Aleppo Pepper

2 tsp Maple Syrup

2 tsp Olive Oil

6 Large Sage leaves, fried in olive oil

1 Pomegranate, seeded

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. Cut stems off kabocha squash, slice in half through the stem, and scoop out seeds. Scrape insides well to make sure no seed strands are left. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place kabocha halves, cut side up, onto baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt, and sprinkle generously with cinnamon and a pinch of aleppo pepper. Flip them cut side down, place in oven and roast until steamy and soft inside, about 35-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare your crumble:

In a small bowl, break the pecan halves into smaller sized pieces. Add spices, seeds, olive oil, and maple syrup. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or a Silpat baking sheet, if you have). Roast for 7-8 minutes, taking care they do not burn. Allow to cool and return crumble to small bowl.

In a small sauté pan, heat about 6 tbsp olive oil to medium-high heat, taking care that it doesn’t smoke; if it does, wipe the pan and start over. Oil is ready to fry when you flick water into the oil and it sizzles. Drop sage leaves into the oil and allow them to bloom; flip once. Sage is ready when the leaves stop crackling and feel crispy when you touch them with tongs, about 10-15 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel and let them dry.

In the small bowl containing the pecan crumble, add pomegranate seeds, and use your fingers to crumble the sage leaves. Add a drizzle of the leftover sage oil from frying and a bit more maple syrup to taste.

When squash is ready and totally soft to the touch, remove from oven and let cool on countertop long enough to handle. Scrape the interior flesh away from the exterior skin, and add roasted squash into a blender with the coconut milk. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and more cinnamon to taste and a little maple syrup if you like it sweeter.

To plate, pour squash purée into your plating dish and use a large spoon to create beautiful texture on top. Drizzle with olive oil, add the pecan sage crumble on top, and enjoy!