As far as I can tell, this means Niki Club. It could also be spelled klub, klubb, kloob, etc. This is based off of my Norwegian Cloob recipe that still has me angry from all the deception. I still love the name, though, so I decided to make my own, legitimately gluten free, version. 

Ingredients:
6 Potatoes, Mashed
2 Potatoes, Grated
1 Egg, Beaten
Garbanzo Bean Flour (for rolling the dumplings in, though sorghum flour would work)
1 lb. Ground Meat (we used turkey, but sausage would be quite tasty)
Olive Oil for Frying

Directions:

• Mash and grate potatoes as the ingredients list states
• Mix mashed and grated potatoes together, then add beaten egg and mix
• Brown meat
• Heat olive oil in a pan. When you drip a drop of water in oil, it should make popping and spitting sounds. 
• Flatten out some of the potato mix in your palm (you don't want too much otherwise the grated raw potato won't cook [VE]) and add the meat to the center. Fold your hand up to make a cup. The potato should almost encompass the meat.
• Add more potato to the top to create a seal to keep the meat in. See image below. 
• Roll the potato ball in your hand to smooth it out and then roll it in the Garbanzo bean flour. 
• I would recommend making up a few of these dumplings before sticking them in oil. 
• Let it cook until it is a nice brown color, then turn the dumpling. 
• Repeat until the dumpling is cooked. 
• Place cooked dumpling on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. 

Notes:
You can use any flour for this I would imagine, but I really like the taste of garbanzo bean flour. 

If you use a different kind of meat, be sure to drain the excess grease off of it. 

If you want a delicious sauce to use with this, I love Salt Lick Sauce. The Salt Lick is a barbecue place in Austin, Texas and as someone who doesn't like bbq sauce, I love this stuff. If you don't live in Texas, don't fret. It's available on Amazon too. 

I chose not to season our dumplings because TC is trying to cut back on his salt intake. Besides, it's always easier to season after the fact than it is to fix something that has been seasoned wrong. 

I'll be honest, I have no idea how many potatoes I actually mashed. I made mashed potatoes before I made these, so instead of making a bunch of mashed potatoes, I saved some and used them for this. 

Review:
Well, this was delicious. I would 100% make this again. It was a really good option for both TC and I. I would use something else as meat next time. Bacon would be delicious, but some bison meat, ground venison, even lean ground beef would be tasty. I would give this a 4 because of the lack of seasoning. It could be an excellent stand alone food if seasoned properly. I didn't get a rating from TC on this one yet. I'll ask him tomorrow. So the total score will have to wait. Oh! the suspense!

I love the name of this. I don't even want to tell you what these are for fear of you calling them by a different name. That's not very fair though, so these are potato dumplings.

I received a copy of "The Best of 'The Farmer's Wife' Cookbook" for Christmas. "The Farmer's Wife" was a monthly magazine in Minnesota that ran between 1893 and 1939. People could write in and ask questions (about anything) and give advice. So, the book is a collection of recipes that were printed. 

This one is from February of 1928.

I tried to find a good recipe that was gluten-free and no cream or acidic things. Cloob fit the bill. Let me premise this post by saying that I was so very disappointed by the results of this recipe.... I'll tell you why later. 

I got to make this in a different kitchen. It's something I love and hate. I love trying out different appliances and utensils, but I hate it because I find out that I really need that one cast iron pan sitting on the stove at home looking sorely neglected. 

Smaller version of the recipe in the book:




Ingredients:
4 medium Potatoes, Cooked and Mashed
4 medium Potatoes, Grated 
1 Egg, Beaten
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Milk

Directions:

• Mix ingredients together
• Knead until stiff like bread
• Wet hands with water and knead ball with a small piece of pork fat in the center.
• Boil in pork or chicken broth for 1 hour. 
• Drain and serve with butter. 

Let me just tell you right now, that sounds like such a waste of broth. So, I decided to use the broth and make a soup.

My version of the recipe in the book:


Ingredients:
4 medium Potatoes, Cooked and Mashed
4 medium Potatoes, Grated 
1 Egg, Beaten
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Milk
1 lb Ground Venison
Seasonings (salt and pepper... lots of pepper). 
Turkey Stock
5ish c. Flour

("Back the truck up... did you just say 5 cups of flour? I thought you were gluten-free!" Calm down, folks. I'll cover this in the notes.)

Directions:

• Thaw stock if necessary. 
• Peel potatoes.
• Chop, boil and mash 4 potatoes.
• Grate 4 potatoes.
• Beat 1 egg.
• Mix potatoes together, add beaten egg and milk. 
• Add 4 cups of flour and mix really well.
• Put doughier potato mix onto a clean surface to knead. 
• As you knead, add more flour as necessary. When your dough is "stiff like bread", wash your hands and don't dry them.
• With wet hands, roll small (golf ball sized) balls out of the dough. 
• Wet hands as necessary. 
• Cook venison in a skillet.
• Boil the stock.
• Add dumplings and meat and boil for one hour (remember what I said about boiling on the right temperature?)
• Serve

Notes:
If you serve this straight from the stove, it will be the temperature of the sun, and it won't cool down for about 20 minutes. [VE]

Okay, okay, the flour thing. The original recipe doesn't list flour as an ingredient. This is probably because the original recipe is from 1928. After I mixed the eggs and milk in with the potatoes, I thought, "This is really liquidy. There is no way I can knead this to make a dough." We brainstormed (side note, I'm a little surprised that "brainstormed is accepted by spell check) different ways to make it thicker without using flour. Then it hit me. "Knead stiff like bread". I've made bread before. I've made scones before. I have kneaded things before. What is one thing you use when you knead? If you don't know the answer, don't be ashamed. It's flour. The flour keeps the dough from sticking to things while at the same time it dries out the dough a little bit and allows it to maintain a shape (like with scones being triangular). This is a major woe for the gluten-free community. GF flours are pretty expensive when compared to all purpose flour. I used 5 cups of APF... or more! I don't even think I have that much of any GF flour. I also do not like over using cornstarch, the grainy feeling when the cornstarch and dough get on your hands and you go to wash them makes my skin crawl. So, I originally thought this recipe was gluten free, and I was so disappointed to find out that it was so drastically on the opposite end of that spectrum. I still ate some. Side note: I feel terrible. Ugh. 

This actually took a while to make (a couple hours total), so I don't think I'll be doing it again for a while... or at least until I can find a good GF option.

The mess factor. I feel like I am still trying to get the wet, sticky potatoes off my fingers. 

Review:
This tasted delicious. The venison was really good, and the soup was rich and filling. I think it would be an excellent soup for a cold winter day. The smaller recipe I used was enough to feed four of use and not even get to the middle of the pot. It makes a lot. I think the broth would have been good with some vegetables cooked in it. All in all, I would give it a 4, though I want to give it a 1 for deception. TC gave it a 4, and our lovely hosts both gave it a 5. 

Total Score:
4.5

We had Baked Bananas: Part 2 for dessert, and I learned some new things. That post will be updated. 

Tonight we make Borscht. Tonight is also the night I cut my thumb while attempting to cut a potato and TC finishes making Borscht. 

Today was not my day for finger safety. One finger was crushed in a slamming window and my thumb is missing a rather large chunk. It took hours to stop the bleeding. Once I finally figured that action need to be taken to stop the bleeding, I put cornstarch on the wound to force a clot. It's working awesomely. 

Anyway, the borscht got made, and let me tell you, I was not looking forward to it. Ever since I was a child, I have had a fear of beets.  Not that beets are scary in and of themselves, but I was continuously warned that beets would stain. I would get in trouble if I stained something, so beets would inevitably get in trouble for eating the food my family made for dinner. I have never liked beets since. 

Ingredients:
2-3 Beets
2-3 medium Potatoes
4 tbsp Olive Oil
1 med Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Carrots, Grated
1/2 head Cabbage, shredded
1 can Kidney Beans
10 c. Water
6 c. Broth (we used Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable broth... must learn to make my own broth)
5 tbsp Ketchup
1/2 c. Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Dill, Chopped

Directions:

• Fill pot with the 10 cups of water. 
• Add beets 

Notes:
This recipe has been modified from the original Natasha's Kitchen post. The order of operations of the original post was confusing to me. I felt that I should clarify a few things. Example, I was confused about when to add particular items. Should I add the broth before the potatoes have finished? The original recipe is unclear. I said no. Wait to add the broth. 

[VE] When a recipe tells you to boil something for an extended period of time, you don't need to have the stove on high the entire time. On my stove, things still boil at a 6. Important note: We had to add about 16oz of water to compensate for the low fluid. 

Don't cut your thumb at the beginning of this recipe. You won't be able to do a lot of the tasks if you cut your thumb. That being said, today's recipe has been prepared by TC!

I know you're concerned about the amount of beet juice I got all over my counters. Well, HA! Jokes on you! TC handled the beets so the mess was contained. 

We had Baked Bananas: Part 2 for dessert. So good!

Review:
As someone who is not fond of beets, I was not looking forward to this. I also am not a fan of the vegetable broth we got (I have a really hard time with the taste of celery). That being said, this recipe is delicious. We both got second helpings. I had mine with sour cream, TC had his straight up. I wholeheartedly give this recipe a 5. TC says, "We're definitely having this again" and he gave it a 5 as well.

Total Score:
5

And now a little bonus...

Since I loved the way the previous bananas tasted, I made them again tonight. A wild success. 

Ingredients:
1 medium- large Banana
Flour or some kind of starch (we used rice flour)
1 tbsp Coconut Oil
2 tsp Honey
Cinnamon

Directions:

• Cut bananas in half, lengthwise. 

(it's important to note that I smelled them burning, but they weren't actually burnt. Just keep an eye on them)

• They weren't done as well as I wanted them to be, so I flipped them over. This step is optional. 
  
• Serve

They looked so pretty in the pan, but they didn't plate very well. 

Notes: 
We served it up with some failed coconut whipped cream. Usually, when I chill the coconut milk so that the liquid and the cream separate, the liquid and the cream actually separate. Not so this time. I don't know what happened. 
Then, when I went to filter the water out with chemistry paper which has worked so well in the past, it wouldn't filter. So, I just put the whole can in the mixer and let it whip. It won't hold a peak, but it tastes good. 

I think these would also be really good with a couple drops of lemon. 

Review:
Mess factor was the flour and the fact that I make messes all the time. It was minor this time, thank goodness. I gave TC a piece and he said, "I give it a 4. It would go well with vanilla ice cream". I told him I would make coconut whipped cream with vanilla. Once he had those two together, he gave it a 5. 

I give it a 5 without the whipped cream. The whipped cream is just a bonus for me. When we finished our bananas, we both seriously contemplated making more. Unfortunately it's 2300 and that's a little too late tonight to be baking bananas.

Total Score:
5


Update 01162014:
I decided to have TC try to make this recipe with a few differences. I had him cut the banana in the peel to see if that would be easier. 

It wasn't.

Update 01202014:
I got to be a guest cook in someone else's kitchen, It was exciting. I didn't, however, have my cast iron with me. I tried to make these in a glass casserole. They did not crisp. I don't recommend that method. I ended up frying them up in a skillet, and they were delicious, but I liked them better in the cast iron. 

The bananas from the glass casserole are on the left, you can see that the rice flour is soggy and not crisp. I decided to experiment on them and served them with a few drops of lemon juice on top. Everyone said they liked, and would like it more if they were crispy. I agree. I think the lemon makes them a little bit better. 

The bananas on the right were fried in a skillet and not served with lemon. They were still delicious. 

I'll warn you in advance, this one is a lot of work. I mean, it's easier to buy a GF crust at the store and make that. I know from experience. I made a box crust tonight, and it was easier. 

That being said, I like the cauliflower crust better because I prefer to use fresh ingredients. Don't judge me for using a box crust tonight and I won't judge you for judging me. 

Ingredients:
1 Small Head of Cauliflower
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Dried Italian Seasonings (totally up to you: basil, oregano, mix and match etc)
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 c. Shredded Parmesan
1/4 c. Shredded Mozzarella
1 Egg

Pizza Cheese and Toppings

Directions: 

• Place baking sheet in oven and preheat to 450°F
• Oil a piece of parchment paper
• Wash and dry cauliflower
• Remove stems
• Pulse in a food processor for 30 sec. or until crumbly
• Put in a bowl and cover
• Microwave for 4 minutes
• Dump cauliflower onto a cheese cloth, tea towel, or flour sack and let cool
• Wring out the liquid in the cauliflower (I got a lot of liquid left over, somewhere around a cup of liquid, it was crazy)
• Dump into a bowl and add seasonings, egg, and cheese
• Get your hands in that bowl and mix (take off any rings first [VE])
• Once it gets a nice doughy consistency, form it into a crust, you don't want it to be too thick or too thin (helpful, I know) I would say you want it to be about 1/4 of an inch or so.
• Pat it down thoroughly
• Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown (if your oven window is like mine, you will think that it is always golden brown. It's easy to tell once you open the oven.)
• Top your crust like a pizza and bake for another 5-7 minutes
• If you like your cheese to be a little browned on the top, after your baking time is done, crank your oven up to broil and wait a couple minutes (keep a close eye on it) until the cheese bubbles start to brown

Notes: 
I originally got the recipe from The Lucky Penny blog.

If you use a larger head of cauliflower, add an extra egg white. 

On the other hand, if your cauliflower head doesn't yield 3 cups, add 1 tbsp almond flour. 

We made ours without sauce to accommodate TC's low-acid adventures. We topped ours with artichoke hearts and mushrooms. 

We also do not have a food processor. We have a Ninja Blender, but it was not adequate for the job. I kept having to scrape the sides of the blender, and with the blades like that, it was a hassle. 

I am trying to move towards being off the electrical grid, so I avoid using my microwave. When I first made this, I microwaved the cauliflower, but I think I would have to steam it next time. So much effort!

Review:
The crust was good, but bland. I think if we had chose more flavorful toppings, it would have had a stronger flavor. I was amazed that the crust actually held together. It was just like a regular pizza. Also, I think with sauce, it would have been more flavorful. As it is, the artichokes saved our pizza. I would give it a 4 because of the amount of effort required. TC says, "I liked it and would like to have it again." He gives it a 5, but then again, he didn't put as much effort into the making of the crust. 

Total Score:
4.5


I actually have a picture for this one! Here is the finished product! It's not pretty or plated, but it was tasty!

I love not wasting things. When I first heard about making your own turkey stock, I thought, "That is so easy, why doesn't everybody do that?" I have never gotten a good answer. 

Ingredients:
Turkey Carcass
Whatever vegetables you like and think would add good flavor to your stock
I used:
carrots
onions
garlic
cabbage

Spices (we used 10 pepper corns, and some salt)*
Cold Water
1/4 c. Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions:

• Chop veggies coarsely. 
• Put carcass and vegetables in a large stock pot
• Cover completely with cold water
• Add ACV (apple cider vinegar), it helps bring out the delicious in the bones. 
• Bring to an almost boil, reduce heat, and simmer.
• Let simmer for 8-20 hours
• Strain liquid into jars. 
• Allow jars to cool then refrigerate overnight.
• A layer of fat should congeal on the top. Remove that and store the stock. We freeze ours (don't put too much in the jars, or the jars will break [VE])

Notes:
If you are concerned about the way your stock will look, then you should skim off the frothy impurities that occur within the first hour of simmering. I have no idea what this means, I have tried to figure it out. I think if somebody showed me I would get it. The bright side is, you don't have to skim off the stuff on the top. Everybody makes their stock different. There is a ton of information out there about how to make your stock less cloudy. I don't honestly care if my stock is cloudy. It tastes delicious, and that's what matters. 

The second time I made turkey stock, I only let it sit for 6-8 hours, and it was a very light color with very little flavor. The first time I let it go for 20+ hours and it was amazing! Third time will be the real test. 

The vegetables are not really salvageable at the end because all of the goodness has been sucked out of the veggies and infused in the stock. I would compost them or something like that. 

*Sparingly season because the stock will amplify the flavor and make things too strong or salty [VE]. If you add too much salt, there isn't much you can do about it. If you don't add enough, you can always add more later. 

Review:
Like I mentioned in the notes, the first time I made stock, it was amazing. The second time wasn't as good, but I will still use it. I love chopping fresh vegetables for something like this, so that wasn't really a chore. The waiting for it to be done was probably the hardest part. Nope, I take that back. We don't have a strainer, but we do have a chemex (coffee pot that uses chemistry paper as the filter). So, I used the chemistry paper to strain out all the big stuff. that takes forever every time. Maybe I should just break down and get a strainer. Someday...

Total Score:
5