it's not that often anymore, but every once in a while, a client orders a dessert other than a cake. we recently catered for a party that had a gluten free hostess, so i was really challenged to create some desserts that were just as delicious and even more beautiful than their gluten full friends. 

tweaking the classic shortbread crust on this tart was surprisingly easy. and in my opinion, the addition of almond flavor really stepped things up a notch. not only is the tart delicious, because your not baking the filling, you can really set the berries in any style you like. you can throw them in at random or build a really beautiful pattern. the world is your oyster. 

blueberry lemon tart + gluten free almond crust
serves: 8-10
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
bake time: 20 minutes
total time: 45 minutes
ingredients: 2 cups almond flour. .25 cup sugar. .25 tsp kosher salt. 4 tbs butter, cubed, plus 1 tsp to butter the tart pan. .5 tsp vanilla extract. 1 egg. 2 cups greek yogurt. 1 cup lemon curd. 1 cup blueberries. baby mint leaves as desired. rectangular or 8-9 inch round tart pan. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in a food processor or in a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla extract and the egg. 

pulse (or mix) until the mixture forms a rough ball. 

lightly butter the base and edges of your tart pan and dump your dough into the tart pan. 

using your fingers, gently press the dough to cover the bottom of the pan and up the edges. 

prick the base of your dough with a fork a generously and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges begin to lightly brown. remove the shell from the oven and allow it to cool slightly.

while the shell is cooling, combine the lemon curd and greek yogurt. 

stir till it is completely combined. 

pour the lemon yogurt filling into the tart shell. 

add in your blueberries and any mint you like in your desired pattern. 

serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to serve. can be made a day or two in advance. 

xo, a

blueberry lemon tart + gluten free almond crust
serves: 8-10
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
bake time: 20 minutes
total time: 45 minutes
ingredients: 2 cups almond flour. .25 cup sugar. .25 tsp kosher salt. 4 tbs butter, cubed, plus 1 tsp to butter the tart pan. .5 tsp vanilla extract. 1 egg. 2 cups greek yogurt. 1 cup lemon curd. 1 cup blueberries. baby mint leaves as desired. rectangular or 8-9 inch round tart pan.
start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in a food processor or in a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla extract and the egg. pulse (or mix) until the mixture forms a rough ball. lightly butter the base and edges of your tart pan and dump your dough into the tart pan. using your fingers, gently press the dough to cover the bottom of the pan and up the edges. prick the base of your dough with a fork a generously and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges begin to lightly brown. remove the shell from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. while the shell is cooling, combine the lemon curd and greek yogurt. stir till it is completely combined. pour the lemon yogurt filling into the tart shell. add in your blueberries and any mint you like in your desired pattern. serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to serve. can be made a day or two in advance. 

wes has been working at the VERY high end nobu restaurant that recently opened by our house for about five months now. and while their food is absolutely delicious, it is WAY too pricey for either of us to be eating there on the reg. so we have taken to recreating their signature dishes at home. 

since the restaurant is the new hotspot in town, many people have been asking me before they go if i think it is "worth" the somewhat hefty price tag. and the answer is YES. and here is one of my main reasons why. they do even the SIMPLEST things BETTER than anyone else. the dishes i've had there have been heads above other versions of the same japanese dishes i've had at many other places. and my favorite of all? the currently menu trendy shishito peppers. i feel like everywhere i eat these days has shishitos on the menu and the nobu version just crushes all the others. 

so these nobu style shishito peppers have become a reoccurring dish in our house. now nothing is quite as good as the real thing (because food always taste better when someone else made it for you) but they are pretty damn close. 

nobu style shishito peppers
serves: 4
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 8 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 8 oz shishito peppers, washed and dried. 2 tbs sweet miso paste (recommend white miso). 1 tsp lemon juice + lemon wedges for serving. couple pinches kosher salt. 1 tsp sesame seeds. grill trey or large heavy pan. 

start by blistering your shishito peppers. with either a grill trey over the open flame on your stove, or in a hot, large pan, cook the shishitos over high heat till the outsides blister. flipping once or twice. about 5-7 minutes. remove the shishitos from the heat when they have blistered. 

while they are cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the miso paste with the lemon juice. use a little more juice from a wedge if need be to make the miso paste more like a sauce. 

when the shishitos are blistered, toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice and miso. 

season with the kosher salt. top with sesame seeds and lemon garnish and serve. 

xo, a 

nobu style shishito peppers
serves: 4
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 8 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 8 oz shishito peppers, washed and dried. 2 tbs sweet miso paste (recommend white miso). 1 tsp lemon juice + lemon wedges for serving. couple pinches kosher salt. 1 tsp sesame seeds. grill trey or large heavy pan.
start by blistering your shishito peppers. with either a grill trey over the open flame on your stove, or in a hot, large pan, cook the shishitos over high heat till the outsides blister. flipping once or twice. about 5-7 minutes. remove the shishitos from the heat when they have blistered. while they are cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the miso paste with the lemon juice. use a little more juice from a wedge if need be to make the miso paste more like a sauce. when the shishitos are blistered, toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice and miso. season with the kosher salt. top with sesame seeds and lemon garnish and serve.