Eat your Greens - Collard Green Rolls

You maybe one of those practicing an alternative lifestyle, gathering together in small pasty-faced groups, bantering about the difference between your buckwheat and teff, discussing your gut flora and waxing poetic about the passages between your chomper to dropper. Good for you - you're Gluten Free! Fondue Voodoo is a proud supporter of the gluten free lifestyle, mainly because of social pressures.  In support of Gluten-Free Pride enjoy this gluten free recipe, 

Needs: 
bunch of large leaf collard greens
large pan for steaming greens
Pre-cooked quinoa 

Pre wrap - layered up and ready to roll 

For the stuffing 
1 cup pre-cooked quinoa
1 green onion - thin sliced
1/2 c red pepper - chopped up very tiny weeny (culinary term)
1/4 c shredded carrot
1/4 c almond slices/chopped
1/4 c crumbled feta
1 TBSP oliver oil
splash of flavoured vinegar or lemon juice
splash of hot sauce 
assorted spices, basil, oregano, cilantro, chives, parsley 
any other additive of your choice is welcome, just be sure the texture will hold it's shape
-olives        -crumbled feta      -pickled veggies      -boiled egg
-fennel        -tomatoes, sundried or fresh

...you get the idea, it's not rocket science here it's just lunch.

In a large pan bring an inch of water to a low simmer. Meanwhile wash the collard greens and remove the stem, starting halfway up leaf ensuring to allow the leave to remain intact  at the half way point to the tip. 

Gently lay a single leaf in the boiling water for a couple of minutes until it's just barely cooked, remove carefully with tongs, removed as much water from the leaf as possible.

Lay the leaf flat with the tip facing you, cross the cut part of the leaf over itself closing up the the cut out you created when removing the stem. 

Collard Green Wraps with Quinoa - like a boss

Next, form a compacted cigar shape with the quinoa mix that will fit well inside the widest part of the leaf. Place the cigar at the tip end, roll the tip up and over the quinoa and begin rolling, while folding the edges in, this insures the quinoa won't wall out the ends. 

Voila! Marvel at your vibrant green little beauty, cut in half to show off your awesome culinary skills. 

Perfect Pressure Cooked Quinoa

Quinoa featured in Collard Green Wraps - Recipe Coming Soon

Quinoa - chewy grains of seedy goodness, you know it and like it. It's as though millions of people have gotten together and collectively dumped gluten. "Hi Gluten, it's over. No, it's me, not you. You make me fat, and feel bad about myself and I've found someone new...oh and I want my records back".

Having tried every cooking technique out there, I've finally come to think this method makes a consistent el dante quinoa, but your gonna need to get yourself a pressure cooker.

What you will need:

• 1 cup whole grain quinoa
• 1.25 cup water

Rinse the quinoa well in a fine mesh strainer with cold water and drain. Put into the pressure cooker and dry fry on medium heat stirring often. Cook the quinoa until it is brown and you hear the kernels popping - about 5-7 min.

Next pour the water overtop the quinoa and close pressure cooker lid. Turn heat to high and allow pressure cooker to hit high pressure. Cook at high pressure for 1 minute. Allow to release using the natural release method (set aside and allow pressure to come down naturally).

Once pressure has been fully released open lid and gently stir to fluff the quinoa. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. 

Duck à l'Orange Crème Brûlée

Thanks little guy

Guest post from Jar Head:

One of the pleasures of being out on Mayne Island is picking up fresh local ingredients directly from the farms. This past weekend we came across fresh local duck eggs, something that we have not previously used. Once we cracked one open and saw the huge size of the yolk relative to the white we immediately realized that these were made for custards.



Combined with the fact that we just recently acquired a pressure cooker - which we heard makes great custards - we were set to go.

Ingredients and Equipment

What you will need:

• 1 cup cream
• 3 duck yolks (4 if using chicken)
• 2.5 TBSP white sugar
• 2 TBSP raw sugar (for caramelizing)
• 1 vanilla pod, split and seeded
• zest of one orange
• pressure cooker 
• trivet
• ramekins
• tinfoil
• torch 

Add the creme, vanilla and orange zest to a heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Once the milk begins to boil and froth remove from heat and set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.

Once the creme mixture is at room temperature prepare your pressure cooker. You want your ramekins to be above the water - I raised the steamer that came with mine by arranging 4 empty ramekins on the bottom of the pot with my steamer sitting on top. Add water to just below the steamer.

Ready to Cook

In a mixing bowl add the white sugar and the egg yolks and whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the yolk mixture to the cream mixture and incorporate. Strain the mixture through a mesh sieve into your ramekins and cover tightly with the tinfoil. Place the ramekins onto the steamer insert, cover and lock. Turn heat to high and once at low pressure turn down heat and maintain at low pressure for 8 minutes. Once the time has elapsed remove from heat and allow pressure to come down naturally.

Topped with fresh berries...mmm

Remove the ramekins and check to see if they have set - they should be jiggly in the middle but not liquid. If they are not set return to the pressure cooker and repeat at low pressure for an additional few minutes depending on how loose they were.

Once cooked allow to cool 30 minutes and then place in fridge for 3-4 hours. 

Before serving remove from fridge, cover the top with the raw sugar and torch to caramelize. Serve with fresh berries and mint leaves.