TURKEY SALAD [EGG, NUT, GLUTEN, AND DAIRY FREE]

One of my favorite restaurants has an amazing chicken salad I crave from time to time. This is my
homemade dairy, soy, and egg-free attempt to satisfy a craving and use up a turkey I had tucked away in the freezer around Thanksgiving.

[THE RECIPE]

1 c. water
1/2 c. hemp seeds
1/4 c. olive or caper juice [optional]
3 T. dijon mustard
2 T. raw honey
1 lemon, juiced [about 2 T. lemon juice]
1 - 2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. sweet paprika

1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 - 1 c. loosely packed fresh dill leaves, stems removed, to taste
1/4 c. loosely packed fresh chives, finely chopped
breasts of one turkey or two chickens [organic, pasture raised, local if possible], roasted* or cooked and shredded

In a high-speed blender, combine water, hemp seeds, olive or caper juice, dijon mustard, honey, lemon, garlic, salt, paprika, onion powder, turmeric powder, smoked paprika, pepper, and oil. Blend on high until very smooth and creamy. Taste and add salt or pepper as needed. Set aside.

1/2 - 1 c. thinly sliced radishes
1/2 - 1 c. thinly sliced celery

Fill a medium bowl 3/4 of the way full with water and ice. Set aside. Bring water to boil in a medium stainless steel pot. Add radishes and celery and blanch for 1 minute in boiling water. Remove vegetables and place in ice water. Let cool for a couple minutes and then strain.

In a large glass bowl, combine cooked and shredded turkey or chicken and blanched vegetables. Slowly add prepared dressing a 1/2 cup or so at a time until the meat and vegetables are thoroughly covered. Serve warm as sandwich, on a bed of greens, or on a bed of kale rubbed with a little olive oil to soften or refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with raw sauerkraut, olives or capers, toasted nuts or seeds, avocado, pickles, etc.

*[ROASTED TURKEY]

1 lemon, washed and cut into wedges
1 large handful each of fresh dill and chives
1 - 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 - 2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 - 1 tsp. freshly ground peppercorns

Thaw turkey in refrigerator. This may take a few days so plan ahead. Prior to baking, remove bag of giblets from inside of turkey. Place the bird in a large glass baking dish and rub whole turkey with a little olive oil, paprika [sweet and smoked], sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Stuff inside cavity of the bird with the lemon wedges and fresh herbs

Fill baking dish with 2 - 4 cups of water or enough to have about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the dish..

Cover entire dish with tinfoil and roast at 325 degrees F for 2 - 3 hours or until the inner temperature [thermometer in thigh] reaches 165 - 170 degrees. Uncover for last 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to cool enough to slice.

SOCCA WRAPS / TORTILLAS

Being of Dutch heritage puts me in a unique class of people - mainly people who don't like to spend money. Ever. We especially dislike forking over the green stuff on things we know could easily be made at home [like the braided T-Shirt rug I currently have flagged on my computer to make, you know, in my spare time].

Now don't get me wrong, there are some days I relish convenience [dream about it in fact], but more often than not I carry around with me a grudge against "the man" [whoever "he" is]. No offense "man", but I know I can do most things better than you.

Like wraps.

I can make wraps.

Right?

After a little of this, a bit of that, some of those, and testing and modifying by a great friend [thanks Kim!] - a recipe is born.

Flavor - check. Nutritious - check. Allergen free - check. Easy - check.

These wraps are soft, super simple with a short ingredients list, and delicious. You can customize the thickness and soft or crunchiness to your liking by simply by pouring more or less batter into the pan and cooking shorter or longer.

[WHAT THE WHAT IS SOCCA?]

Socca is a term for a thin pancake or crepe originally made using garbanzo bean flour, water, and oil; cooked in an open oven; and seasoned with salt, pepper, and [generally fresh] rosemary. Of course it originated in Italy. All good things come from Italy. But, contrary to most popular Italian fare, it's naturally gluten-free.

There are a lot of different spins on socca bread. Do a Google search and you will find, well, a lot. You will find classic, spicy, sweet, you name it [disclaimer: I have not tried all of the recipes provided in this sentence but they sure looked good!].

So, take this recipe and run with it. Make it your own and give yourself the freedom to play with ingredients a bit. This is one recipe that is pretty difficult to really mess up.

And while you're at it, why not celebrate this first day of spring with one of my favorite spring meals: a socca wrap topped with baby greens, some shredded carrots, a few sprouts, a small handful of nuts or seeds, avocado if you're so inclined, and hummus.

Enjoy!

[THE RECIPE]
Recipe inspired by Affairs Of Living - Socca

1 c. gluten-free oat flour, freshly ground if possible
1 c. buckwheat groat or lentil flour, freshly ground if possible
2 1/4 c. pure water
1 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt
2 tsp. ground rosemary or herb[s] of choice
   [If you have fresh use it! Simply use 1 - 2 T. of finely chopped fresh.]
1 tsp. cumin [optional]
4 T. extra virgin olive oil

Combine flours, water, and vinegar in a glass bowl, mixing well. Let stand for 20 - 60 minutes depending on how much time you have available. Mixture should bubble a little. Pour 2 T. of the olive oil in a cast iron skillet. If you want small wraps [or tortillas] choose a smaller size. If you prefer larger wraps, use your largest skillet. Place skillet under broiler set to high. The goal is to get the oil and pan very hot but not smoking. Keep a close eye on this.

While the pan is in the broiler, add herbs / spices, salt, and 2 T. of olive oil to the flour batter. Add water if necessary to get a pretty pour-able batter.

When the skillet is hot, pour about a 1/2 - 3/4 c. of batter into the pan and quickly spread with a spoon to fill the bottom of the skillet. Use less batter if you want thinner wraps or are using a smaller pan.

Cook under the broiler until the edge and / or top begins to brown and batter is cooked through. Flip and repeat. Remove wrap and place on a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.