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Top ten gifts for the cook in your life
We all know that one person who lives in the kitchen and loves creating food. In my house, that person is me! These gift ideas are all under $50, and are all products I own and use (or something very similar) or have personally added to my own Christmas list! Some of these are even stocking-sized.
1. This gift is for the practical cook who follows recipes on a phone or tablet. This tablet holder keeps devices out of foods way. I use a similar one and it keeps my spills and splatters off of my phone.
2. Every cook needs better control on oil use! This Oil spritzer not only functions well but is a pretty addition to the countertop. I have a very similar one and it’s a game changer. Pro tip: if you use cast iron, one spritz from this is exactly enough to season a skillet.
3. Meat thermometer — We use these when grilling and also to check a roast chicken without having to slice it open (ruining the crispy skin!). This is a must have.
4. For the avid pie baker, a French rolling pin is a must. Regular pins bend at the handles when rolling a particularly cold crust, plus, this one is so stylish and stows away easier.
5. It just isn’t soup season without an elegant Enameled Dutch oven. This white one looks crisp and fresh while it evenly cooks your soups, stews, and pot roasts. This one is an oven-to-table classic you’ll keep forever.
6. Every home cook must have a copy of Marcella Hazan’s “The Essentials of Italian Cooking”. This book teaches all the essentials, from pasta to sauce to gelato. This is one of my recipes inspired by this book.
7. This Le Creuset Pepper Mill is beautiful enough to display and functional enough to use for everything. You’ll forego grocery store grinders in favor of bulk peppercorns forever. And if you have any other pieces by Le Creuset, there’s a color to match.
8. A Pastry cutter and biscuit cutter set is a small luxury but a worthwhile one nonetheless. My mother sent me this one when she saw a video of me cutting biscuits with my vintage glassware. It quickly became a staple for crusts, biscuits and cookies. You can even use it to poach or fry a perfect egg.
9. A good chef knife is really the main thing you need in the kitchen. This one (I have a similar one that is out of stock) is surprisingly sharp and heavy for the low price. If you’re not ready to invest in a set of pricier cutlery, this one is a great choice.
10. An immersion blender always seemed like an unnecessary gadget to me, until I finally got one. This is an indispensable tool in our kitchen as it prevents me from having to put hot soup in a stand blender. I also use it for salad dressings, the whisk attachment for cakes and puddings —you name it, this high performer can do it.
Have any suggestions that need to be added to the list! Let me know by emailing me at sarah@modernhippiekitchen.com. These are affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you purchase while browsing. I only post items I have personal knowledge of and think will help my readers in their cooking journeys!
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Watermelon radish salad with golden beets and creamy lemon vinaigrette
This is only the second time I’ve had watermelon radishes, and I don’t know why I don’t keep them in stock! I ran across this one at Whole Foods along with the golden beet (which I had not only never tried but never heard of). When I sliced these two veggies open and tasted them I knew they would go together well. The beet, which looks a little bit like a sweet potato when you peel it, still has the earthy beet flavor but is less severe. It’s still sweet, though, and reminiscent of carrots and parsnips. The radish is sweeter than your usual radish, though still sharp. Both have a satisfying crunch and are really set off when paired with some greens and this creamy sweet lemon dressing.
For the salad (for two):
- About two cups finely chopped kale (or greens of your choice)
- 1/2 a watermelon radish, sliced into circles and the. Int’l halves (they are large, so save the other half for another recipe or just to snack on)
- 1/2 a golden beet, chopped (same as above, they’re pretty big so you may not want the whole thing unless you are serving a crowd)
- A few thin slices of red onion
Toss all of the ingredients in a bowl, then coat with about 1/3 of the dressing below. Save the rest of the dressing in the refrigerator, it will keep at least two weeks.
For the vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons paleo Mayo (I use Sir Kensington’s)
- 3 tablespoons (or a bit more, to taste) local, raw honey. I use this kind.
- Crushed pepper, to taste
Mix all of the items in a 16 oz jar. It will be just about half full. Use an immersion blender (I have a neat little attachment just for this. This one is similar) to blend until creamy and a little frothy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you could blend this in a regular blender or just shake vigorously with the jar lid on.
I also added a little bit of goat cheese crumbles to this, but that is optional!
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The top five cooking toy gifts to get kids for Christmas
My kids love “helping” me cook. They love — even more— stealing my cooking utensils and “cooking” things in the back yard with mud and leaves. These cooking toys are good enough to keep them out of my stash and make them happy on Christmas morning! These are affiliate links, which only means I get a small commission if you click the link and purchase. Happy shopping!
1. This is pretty much the gold standard, budget “all the things” kitchen set. There are 40 pieces, and they are pretty cool! The utensils look real and the pressure cooker is a nice addition.
2. This set of kids safety knives is something they can actually use in the kitchen. And at ten bucks it’s a steal of a stocking stuffer. Remember these really cut, so safety rules still apply.
3. This simple chef apron and hat set is appropriate for girls or boys and can be used for play or real baking.
4. This set of wooden baking tools looks just like the real thing and will complement any play kitchen nicely.
5. Every kid cook needs their own cookbook! This one from America’s Test Kitchen fits the bill. With nearly 7,000 five-star reviews, it’s definitely been kid-tested.
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Tuscan peasant soup made gluten-free
My sister in law got me a copy of Marcella Hazan’s “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking” for my birthday, and I’ve spent the last week reading it cover to cover. It’s an amazing cookbook, especially if you are a cookbook fangirl like I am. One recipe stuck out to me last week — the Tuscan Peasant Soup With Cabbage and Beans, or, Aquacotta. It’s the perfect anti-thanksgiving meal for when you’re tired of those leftovers and the perfect cold-weather stew. It also happens that I had mountains of the main ingredient—Savoy cabbage— in the garden just ready to harvest, along with a few other items that were ready to be picked and used. I altered this recipe pretty heavily as I didn’t have some of the ingredients available, I didn’t have three hours to simmer, and I wanted to make it gluten free (Marcella’s version is poured over a layer of bread). I also wanted to add some meat to make it a little more hearty. It turned out to be one of our favorite meals and a rare highlight of 2020. Even my husband said it’s “a real winner,” which is high praise from him!
Here is my version of this classic dish:
Ingredients (roughly six servings):
- One onion, chopped roughly
- 1/4 c. Avocado oil
- Sea salt, to taste
- Several cups finely chopped kale
- Four to five cups finely chopped cabbage (the more the better)
- One large can of Italian whole, peeled tomatoes, diced and with the juice
- About a cup of chicken bone broth (enough to cover the veggies)
- One lb Italian-style turkey sausage
- About a half cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
- One can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- Eggs, as many as the people you are serving. The original recipe called for six, I used two because I was only serving two people and keeping the rest for leftovers.
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- About a half cup of chopped fresh basil
- Other herbs, to taste (I chopped some fresh parsley and oregano for garnish)
- Other veggies, to taste (I added a handful of snap peas that were ready to be harvested from the garden)
In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, sauté the onion in the oil until it starts to wilt. Add the turkey sausage and break it up into tiny pieces. Add some salt, then the kale and cabbage. Stir until wilted, then add the tomatoes and the basil. Simmer for an hour on low, covered.
At the end of the simmering hour, in another saucepan, bring the lemon juice along with an inch to two inches of water to a boil. Add the eggs (poach them) when it comes to a boil. Let them poach for about 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the beans to the veggie mixture. Stir and correct for salt. Add some cracked pepper, to taste. Sprinkle about half the cheese on top of this, and leave simmering on low.
When the eggs are poached and still runny, scoop them from the sauce pan in a slotted spoon and place them on top of the vegetable and sausage dish. Add the rest of the cheese, and let them simmer another minute or so. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs (parsley and oregano worked well).
Serve each person a helping with an egg on top, preferably with a good glass of red wine.
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Gluten-free empanadas
Empanadas have always been a favorite of mine, because what’s not to like about what is basically meat and pie crust? I decided to give these a shot and they are now a staple. They pair well with a soup and are great on their own as a light dinner! And the kids will eat them, which is winning around here. This makes 8-10 empanadas.
Recipe:
Any gluten-free pie crust recipe. This one is my favorite.
For the filling:
- One pound grass fed ground beef
- One onion
- About a cup of goat’s milk cheddar (or cheese of choice)
- 1 tsp. Chili powder
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tsp. pimenton or smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. white pepper
- Handful of cilantro, chopped
- 1 egg, whisked
Sauté the onion, chopped, in the avocado oil until soft, about three to five minutes. Add the beef, separating it into tiny pieces. I love this tool for this task. Add the spices and cilantro and simmer on low, covered, about 15 minutes or until the meat is fully cooked.
While the meat is simmering, roll out your pie crust. Cut into circles, about six inches in diameter. Once the meat is done, add spoonfuls to the center of the crust circles, leaving about two inches around the edges. Add a spoonful of the cheese on top. Fold into a half moon shape and seal shut by pinching around the edges. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush the whisked egg onto the tops with a pastry brush. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown. Enjoy with salsa of your choice!
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“Breakfast for dinner” gluten-free egg casserole with lamb
This dish is something that has evolved in my house over the years. It’s our “kitchen sink” dish — the dish you make when you need to use up some potatoes or the last couple of eggs, or if there is leftover taco meat in the fridge. A friend of ours used to make a Puerto Rican dish called Piñon, and this iteration is about 10 recipes removed from that one — though it still tastes similar. This version has a bit of Moroccan flavor thanks to the ras el hanout spice mix I found on a Whole Foods trip this weekend, and a bit of luxurious holiday flavor since I used ground lamb and sweet potatoes. This dish is gluten free, and could be converted easily to paleo if you omit the cheese.
Not the most photogenic dish, but delicious. Recipe:
- Three to four large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into the thinnest rounds you can make
- One onion, finely diced
- Three large cloves of garlic, finely diced
- One pound of ground lamb
- One 12 oz can of diced or stewed tomatoes
- One 7 oz can of peeled and diced green chilis
- One tablespoon ras el hanout
- 1 tsp pimenton
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- One 8 oz package of shredded goats milk cheddar (sub regular white cheddar if you can’t find it, but the mild goats milk flavor really does make a difference)
- One 5 oz package of goat cheese crumbles
- 6 eggs lightly whisked with a pinch of sea salt
Prep a 13×9 inch Pyrex baking dish with some cooking spray. Place one layer of the peeled and sliced sweet potatoes on the bottom of the dish.
Sauté the onion and garlic together in a skillet. Add the lamb and break up into small pieces. This tool is amazing for that. Just before the meat is completely cooked, after about five minutes of sautéing, add the spices. Add the tomatoes, and turn down to a simmer. Taste it and add spices if necessary. Allow to simmer on low for up to 20 minutes.
Once it’s cooked, add about half of the meat mixture in a layer on top of the first layer of potatoes. Then add a handful of the goats milk cheddar, spread evenly. Add another layer of the sweet potatoes, another layer of the meat mixture (this will be all of it), another layer of cheese. Then finally, the last layer of sweet potatoes on top. Take the bowl of salted, whisked eggs and pour over the casserole. Add the remaining cheese and the crumbles on top.
Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, until the cheese is slightly browned. When you remove it, all of the egg will be cooked but it will need to sit and rest for at least 5 to ten minutes before serving.
Enjoy! I served this with some Brussels sprouts cooked with bacon, and it paired well.
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Fast cabbage slaw with tarragon dressing
This one came from a need to use a head of cabbage I’d picked from the garden for this recipe. I’d only used a couple of leaves and wanted to do something with the rest before it became forgotten in my crisper. I also had some fresh snap peas harvested this morning, so I decided to put them together. This ended up being tart, spicy, sweet and crunchy with the added depth of the tarragon’s light licorice flavor.
Recipe:
For the slaw:
- One small head of cabbage (if store bought, use half or less), chopped into bite size or smaller chunks
- About a cup of fresh snap peas or green beans, ends snapped off and cut into thirds
- 10-12 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in halves
- 1/2 a red onion, diced
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3-4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 3-4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- Cracked pepper, to taste
- A light dusting of cayenne pepper
Combine all of the vegetables and toss in a medium sized bowl. I love this bowl for everything.
Combine all of the dressing items and whisk. add the dressing to the slaw and toss. Enjoy on its own or as a side dish.
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Healthy chocolate protein shakes
This one is a kid favorite. And a hot tip, the leftovers can be combined with some baileys for Mom for after they go to bed.
Recipe:
Two tablespoons good cocoa powder, a half scoop of grassfed whey, about three cups ice, one cup coconut milk (the kind in a carton, not the can), a good squeeze of raw local honey (to taste). Blend! You may need a bit more milk. These makes three 8 oz servings or four 6 oz servings, with a little extra depending on how powerful your blender is. I also let them add a couple of marshmallows on top.
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The absolute best Saturday night meal: Salmon tostadas
This meal has been a favorite in our family for years. You can use whatever fish you like or have on hand to sub for the salmon, and if you want to make it paleo just omit the beans and cheese and have it in a lettuce or cabbage cub. The sauce makes it feel a little fancy, but make no mistake —this is a quick and easy dish that feels festive (something we all need while staying at home more during this pandemic). This probably goes without saying, but these tostadas pair well with margaritas.
Recipe (makes six to eight tostadas):
- Six to eight tostada shells (if you are grain free, try these instead)
- One can of organic refried beans
- Four 4oz salmon filets (or fish of your choice)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 cup of your cheese preference, to taste (my favorite on this is crumbled goat cheese)
- About 3/4 cup chopped red onion
- Cilantro, chopped, to taste
For the sauce:
- Two tablespoons of a good, paleo mayonnaise.
- One to two tablespoons of the sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo (save the peppers for another recipe!)
- Two tablespoons lime juice
- One tablespoon white wine vinegar.
Spread the fish out on a tray and sprinkle each evenly with the spices and salt. We cooked ours on the Blackstone Griddle for about ten minutes in butter (we love this kind), flipping once, but if you don’t have a grill or griddle these can be cooked for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees in a standard oven. Heat up the refried beans in a small pan with about three tablespoons of water. Place tostadas on a baking sheet and spread each evenly with the beans. Shred the fillets and place liberal amounts of it on top of the refried beans. Top with cheese (optional), onions and cilantro. Place the pan in the oven, set to broil, for about three minutes or until the cheese is melted.
In a small bowl, mix the mayo, chipotle sauce, lime juice and vinegar. Spoon the sauce on top of the tostadas to taste.
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Cranberry Custard Pie
I have a little trick at the holidays. I am sensitive to gluten and dairy, which is easy to avoid on main dishes like turkey. But for dessert it’s a little more dicey, so I always bring one of my own. I’ve had this recipe rolling around in my head for awhile and finally decided to try it out. It’s gluten free and has all of the holiday flavors you want. I didn’t re-invent the wheel on the crust–I use this recipe. (Note this crust does have butter but can be subbed with a non-dairy dupe!)
For the custard:
- 1 can of organic coconut milk, or for thicker custard, 2 cans refrigerated, just skimming off the cream.
- 4 egg yolks (save the whites for a merengue or omelette later!)
- 2 tablespoons gelatin (grass fed if you can find it!)
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup raw, local honey
For the cranberries:
- 1 bag or about 3.5 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup raw, local honey
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
First, boil the cup of water in a small sauce pan. When it comes to a boil, drop in the cranberries. When they start to make that beautiful “pop” sound, add the honey, vanilla and spices.
Give it a stir and let it simmer on low for about ten minutes, or until it has the consistency of a slightly drippy cranberry sauce. Before it cools, strain the juice into a bowl, and let it sit.
Put the tablespoon of gelatin in a small bowl with about 3 tablespoons of water to let it bloom. In another sauce pan, add the coconut milk and egg yolks and begin to whisk over high heat. When a little bit of foam begins to form, add the honey and turn the heat to medium-low. You don’t want to bring this to an actual boil. Add the gelatin and arrowroot powder and whisk vigorously. When it seems just about to boil, turn off the heat.
You should have a bowl of strained cranberry sauce by now. Whisk it into the custard mix.
Let that mixture sit to cool while you prepare the pie crust, linked above. I like this crust, because unlike some other gluten free crusts it rolls and handles just like regular flour.
I separated my crust into two pie pans, but you could make one larger one. It sets up quicker if you make two smaller pies. Once you’ve lined your pans with the crust, pour the custard mix in. Place the pie(s) into the oven and bake at 350 for ten minutes. Let the pies cool for about 20 minutes, or until room temp.
Gently drop small spoonfulls of the cranberries onto the pie, so there will be cranberry in each bite.
Last but not least, roll out the last bit of dough and cut it into simple leaf shapes, dropping them onto the top of the pie in a circle. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly, at least two hours before slicing.
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