CUMIN ROASTED CARROTS

Appetizers don't have to be fried and starchy (though I am a fan of a good french fry), start your next party with an extra serving of veggies. Carrots are perfect finger food.

INGREDIENTS

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• 6 slim Carrots, with greens attached
• 3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Orange Zest

GET BUSY

1. Heat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bisect the carrots from green to tip (without going through the top root). Then turn the carrot 90* and repeat, making four squiddy legs to the vegetable. Place them in a roasting tray.
3. Drizzle oil over the carrots, then sprinkle salt and cumin. Toss to distribute spice.
4. Roast the carrots for 18-22 minutes, until just barely fork tender and slightly browned at the narrow tip.
5. Remove the carrots from the oven and sprinkle orange zest over them. Plate the vegetables and serve.

BEETS AND CHORIZO

Beets are always paired with blue cheese, which is lovely but needed a kick in bum for this dinner party. Cheese provides fat and acid which pair well with beets, so I opted to trade them for chorizo. Spicy, fatty, crisp, they make the perfect accompaniment to luscious beets.

INGREDIENTS

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• 3 medium Beets
• 2-3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 small Chorizo (the hard, cured kind, not raw meat)
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt to taste

GET BUSY

1. Heat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Peel and quarter your beets. Place in a roasting tray and drizzle with oil.
3. Roast the beets for 75-90 minutes, until they're fork tender.
4. While the beets are roasting, slice the chorizo into small discs and throw them in a large sauté pan. Cook the chorizo over a medium-low flame, rendering out the fat, for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly, until crispy. Scoop the crisped meat out of the rendered fat (save the fat for another recipe).
5. Remove the beets from the oven, allow them 10 minutes to cool, then slice them into filets.
6. Toss the beets and chorizo together in a bowl with salt and balsamic vinegar. Plate and serve.

APPLE COBBLER

Screw pie, I want cobbler. Cobbler is easy (I’m never one to turn down an easy date). I cook the apples in a skillet a bit with sugar and spices before pouring them into a baking dish, it speeds up their time in the oven. And for the crust? Whip out your food processor and dump in the ingredients for this biscuit dough. It comes together in a few minutes and is easy to scatter on top of the tender apples.

INGREDIENTS

    Apple Filling

• 6 Green Apples, peeled and sliced thinly
• Juice of one Lemon
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup Coconut Oil
• 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg

   Biscuit Topping

• ¾ cup Brown Rice Flour
• ¾ cup Millet Flour
• ¼ cup Tapioca Flour
• ¼ cup Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Xanthan Gum
• 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
• 4 tablespoons Shortening
• ¾ cup Milk (a non-dairy alternative will work)

GET BUSY

1) In a medium saucepan, combine the apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, coconut oil, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat until the  liquid is syrupy and the apples are soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes.

2) While the apples are cooking, heat your oven to 450 degrees.

3) In a food processor add the brown rice flour, millet flour, tapioca flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt and shortening. Pulse until it is the texture of sand.

4) With the food processor running, pour the milk in slowly. Pulse the dough until it forms a loose ball.

5) When the apples are ready, pour them into an 8×8 baking dish.

6) Sprinkle the dough over the apples, roughly, it doesn’t need to be even.

7) Put the dish in your oven for 13-15 minutes, or until the dough is lightly browned.

8) Remove from the oven, let cool for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy!