I've entered my busy season. Every year there is an overlap in which I must teach my current classes and prep for next year's classes all at the same time, which results in an absurd amount of books being read. I keep waiting for enough time to add several recipes, but have finally realized such a thing is not going to happen any time soon. So I'm going to start adding one or two recipes in little snatches of time. Today I have a couple seafood dishes.
Early on in our food journey, Rebekah and I became really hungry for tuna casserole. Since I couldn't have tuna, mushroom soup, noodles, breadcrumbs or butter, this left us with peas. Not exactly what we were after. So the hunt began. Realizing that the actual state of tuna is not in the shape of a short, squat can, packed in soybean products, we went in search of the real thing. We discovered fresh tuna steaks. They were amazing. We then played with a sauce, culminating in the use of homemade mayo (Iceream & Other Basics... post), and ended up with a tuna casserole better than anything we'd ever had before. Afterwards, when reveling in the wonder of it, I told Rebekah, "Eating this, I can almost pretend like I'm normal," to which she immediately quipped, "Can you pretend like it only took 10 minutes too?" Ah, well, at least it tasted amazing.
Tuna Casserole
1. Sear two tuna steaks over med-high heat (I use a cast iron skillet). Salt & pepper, and cook till barely done (still pink inside). FYI: Sushi-quality steaks from a meat counter are infinitely better than the cheaper kind in a package on the grocery shelf. Break them into small pieces
2. Cook a package of gluten-free penne pasta (I like Tinkyada best) and run hot water over a package of frozen peas till they're thawed. (Freshlike is the only brand I've found without salt on them)
3. Make a batch of homemade mayo (Icecream & other basics... post) and thin it with a little rice milk if you want it less mayonais-ee. Either way, make sure you mix in enough to make it creamy.
4. Mix everything together and crumble several handfuls of natural, sea-salt potato chips on top.
5. Bake in a 350-degree oven briefly till hot and chips are toasted.
Beware! After eating this, you will never be able to go back to canned tuna. We eventually found a natural brand that I could have and substituted it. This was a shockingly disappointing experience, and we were never again tempted to shortcut the searing of fresh tuna.
Seafood Pasta
1. Roast a red pepper (cut in half & scoop out, broil till skin is blackened; cover with a towel & let steam.)
1. Season 1 large salmon fillet with olive oil, lemon basil, sea salt & fresh ground pepper (or sub with drizzled fresh lemon juice & sweet basil). Sear over high heat, leaving the inside rare. Break into bite-size pieces.
2. Steam any other seafood you would like: crab, scallops, shrimp, etc.
3. Saute 2-3 sliced carrots, 2-3 green onions, and 3-4 handfuls of spinach, with sea salt & fresh ground pepper. Add the diced, roasted red pepper.
5. Stir everything into a batch of gf pasta (I like Tinkyada penne, or chinese rice noodles).
Fried Fish
Not too gourmet, but amazingly good when your diet is so limited. Buy whatever kind of fish you like (catfish, blue gills, etc.) and bread it in plenty of gf flour mix. Salt & pepper it generously then fry in plenty of oil. The trick to frying fish is to use a non-stick pan (I know they're poison- I don't use them often), and turn the fish several times letting them get really crispy and golden brown. Mmmm.... we really love these. They're great with oven-crispy potatoes and cole slaw...
Oven-Crispy Postatoes
Wash some smaller potatoes and cut them in half long-ways. Coat them in olive oil and sprinkle both sides with coarse salt. Bake in a hot oven (375-400?) till browned and crispy.
Cole Slaw
Mix a package of pre-cut slaw veggies with some home made mayo. Salt & pepper it, sprinkle with a little sugar to taste, and throw in some raisons.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Ethnic Entrees
The cuisine of other cultures tends to be much more food allergy-friendly than good old American food. We are very dependent on wheat and processed food, more so than many other countries. So ethnic cooking is a great source for recipes. Remember that all cream/milk products can be substituted quite nicely with your own cashew cream (Icecream... post). I'll post just a few of my favorites today.
Meatball Tagine
A wonderful authentic Moroccan recipe from my friend Debbie who lived in Morocco for a couple years. This requires a pressure cooker, which replaces the traditional "Tagine" baking dish. If you don't have one, I assume you could cook it in the oven and make it work. Cook till the meatballs are done.
Saute 1 lg. onion and 2-3 cloves garlic in a little oil (in the pressure cooker if you're using it)
Add:
1/4-1/2 t. pepper
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. paprika
1/8 t. saffron (don't skip this amazing, but expensive season; it will NOT be the same without it)
a handful of fresh parsley (I actually use a generous sprinkling of my own dried basil most of the time)
Stir the seasons in and simmer a few seconds. Then add the following and simmer a few minutes:
2 tomatoes, grated (peel & all)
1/2 c. beef stock
Add:
2 lb of little beef meatballs
3-4 c. of green beans
2 c. additional beef stock
Seal up the pressure cooker and once it begins to steam, cook for 35 minutes. Serve over Jasmine rice.
Lettuce Wraps
These were created by my daughter, Rebekah. She patterned them after the lettuce wraps at P.F. Changs and they're great!
Cut chicken breasts into little pieces (about finger-tip size, using kitchen scissors)
Marinate them in: (we just liberally sprinkle this stuff and it always turns out good)
tamari sauce
chinese 5 spice powder
a little bit of cumin (just a little)
drizzle some raw honey (or regular honey... or brown sugar?...)
a clove or two of minced garlic
After they've marinated a few hours or overnight, saute the chicken and sauce till chicken is done.
Wrap them in lettuce leaves and enjoy!
Beef Curry
2 lb round steak cut into thin beef strips
Mix the beef strips with 3-4 T. curry powder and 1 t. salt; rub it in. (I actually use more curry powder, but I like a strong curry flavor). Let the beef sit a little.
Saute 2 diced onions, then add the meet and 3 c. water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
DON'T skip this part. It's what makes curry wonderful. Serve the beef curry over rice and sprinkle with toppings:
diced tomatoes
shredded carrots
diced mango/pineapple/papaya
raisons
cashews/peanuts
coconut
Mom's Chicken Curry
This is not my mom, but Deanna's mom, Janelle Moore. Thanks for a great recipe!
Boil a chicken till tender; debone and chop into bite-size pieces
Saute 2 med onions, diced, and 2-3 crushed garlic cloves
Add:
3-4 T. curry powder
1 t. each: dry mustard, crushed/ground coriander seeds, grated fresh ginger root
3 T. gluten-free flour
salt to tast
Slowly add broth and cook till thick (whatever amount needed to make a gravy consistency)
Simmer 30-45 minutes. Serve over rice with the toppings listed above.
Layered Salsa Supper
Eating Hispanic food without using wheat, corn or dairy is a challenge, but this satisfies the craving. Credit goes to my sister, Twyla, who is a great cook. Layer the following items over rice:
Chicken: Stir-fry diced chicken breasts seasoned with a little cumin, salt & ground oregano, or cook whole in a crockpot and shred afterwards.
Black Beans: Mash and re-fry some cooked black bean or pintoes. Season as desired with onion, salt, jalapenos, etc.
Red Salsa Stir together: blended tomatoes, minced garlic, salt/cumin/ground oregano/cilantro to taste. Add some green onion, if desired.
Salsa Verde Mix together: peeled and blended tomatillos, avacado, salt/garlic/cilantro to taste
Homemade Rice Tortilla Chips - (purchase from Enjoy Life, or make your own). Drizzle with oil & salt, then broil on each side till browned (watch carefully!) Break into chip sizes.
Guacamole Mashed avacado seasoned with fresh lemon juice, coarse sea salt, cilantro or spicey basil, opt. smoked paprika
Other optional toppings: sauted onions rings, green onions, avacoda slices, diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro
Teriyaki Stir Fry
Stir-Fry:
Shredded cabbage, 5-6 diced carrots, bok choy, or any combination of veggies you like and diced chicken breasts. Season with :
raw suger (or other sweetener)
balsamic vinegar
coarse sea salt
tamari
a pinch of red pepper flakes
Turkish Chicken with Honey
2 lb chicken pieces
Place in a single layer of a baking dish and rub into the skin:
salt & pepper
1//4 t. saffron threads, roughly crushed
Add to the chicken then cover:
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 t. grated ginger root
drizzled olive oil
Bake for 10 min. at 475, then reduce to 350 and cook till chicken is done. Check in about an hour (can take up to 2 hours depending on the size of your chicken pieces). While the chicken is baking, dry roast 1/2 c. almonds (sliced or whole) & 2 T. sesame seeds in a low-heat pan on the stove, stirring till browned. After baking, remove the chicken to a clean baking dish. Boil the left-over sauce for 10 minutes then stir in:
3 T. honey
1 t. cinnamon
Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with roasted almonds & sesame seeds. Serve with rice.
Chicken Paprika
Ok, I confess that I have no idea if this is even remotely related to anything Hungarian, but it's good!
Put boneless chicken pieces into a baking dish or electric skillet. Cover completely with almond milk (1 c. almonds, 4 c. water, 2 t. sugar, couple pinches of salt - blended together). Pour as much almond milk over it as your pan will hold. It makes a great sauce and everyone will fight over it. Sprinkle with: thai basil, lots of smoked paprika & slivered/sliced almonds. Bake/cook till chicken is done. Serve with rice (surprise!)
Thai Beef
Cut 2 lb round steak into thin strips (kitchen scissors work great) and slice a couple onions. Put both of these in a large pan on the stove and cover with water. Season generously with Thai season (online or ethnic grocery stores) and Thai basil. Simmer till beef is done and.... serve over rice!!
Meatball Tagine
A wonderful authentic Moroccan recipe from my friend Debbie who lived in Morocco for a couple years. This requires a pressure cooker, which replaces the traditional "Tagine" baking dish. If you don't have one, I assume you could cook it in the oven and make it work. Cook till the meatballs are done.
Saute 1 lg. onion and 2-3 cloves garlic in a little oil (in the pressure cooker if you're using it)
Add:
1/4-1/2 t. pepper
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. paprika
1/8 t. saffron (don't skip this amazing, but expensive season; it will NOT be the same without it)
a handful of fresh parsley (I actually use a generous sprinkling of my own dried basil most of the time)
Stir the seasons in and simmer a few seconds. Then add the following and simmer a few minutes:
2 tomatoes, grated (peel & all)
1/2 c. beef stock
Add:
2 lb of little beef meatballs
3-4 c. of green beans
2 c. additional beef stock
Seal up the pressure cooker and once it begins to steam, cook for 35 minutes. Serve over Jasmine rice.
Lettuce Wraps
These were created by my daughter, Rebekah. She patterned them after the lettuce wraps at P.F. Changs and they're great!
Cut chicken breasts into little pieces (about finger-tip size, using kitchen scissors)
Marinate them in: (we just liberally sprinkle this stuff and it always turns out good)
tamari sauce
chinese 5 spice powder
a little bit of cumin (just a little)
drizzle some raw honey (or regular honey... or brown sugar?...)
a clove or two of minced garlic
After they've marinated a few hours or overnight, saute the chicken and sauce till chicken is done.
Wrap them in lettuce leaves and enjoy!
Beef Curry
2 lb round steak cut into thin beef strips
Mix the beef strips with 3-4 T. curry powder and 1 t. salt; rub it in. (I actually use more curry powder, but I like a strong curry flavor). Let the beef sit a little.
Saute 2 diced onions, then add the meet and 3 c. water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
DON'T skip this part. It's what makes curry wonderful. Serve the beef curry over rice and sprinkle with toppings:
diced tomatoes
shredded carrots
diced mango/pineapple/papaya
raisons
cashews/peanuts
coconut
Mom's Chicken Curry
This is not my mom, but Deanna's mom, Janelle Moore. Thanks for a great recipe!
Boil a chicken till tender; debone and chop into bite-size pieces
Saute 2 med onions, diced, and 2-3 crushed garlic cloves
Add:
3-4 T. curry powder
1 t. each: dry mustard, crushed/ground coriander seeds, grated fresh ginger root
3 T. gluten-free flour
salt to tast
Slowly add broth and cook till thick (whatever amount needed to make a gravy consistency)
Simmer 30-45 minutes. Serve over rice with the toppings listed above.
Layered Salsa Supper
Eating Hispanic food without using wheat, corn or dairy is a challenge, but this satisfies the craving. Credit goes to my sister, Twyla, who is a great cook. Layer the following items over rice:
Chicken: Stir-fry diced chicken breasts seasoned with a little cumin, salt & ground oregano, or cook whole in a crockpot and shred afterwards.
Black Beans: Mash and re-fry some cooked black bean or pintoes. Season as desired with onion, salt, jalapenos, etc.
Red Salsa Stir together: blended tomatoes, minced garlic, salt/cumin/ground oregano/cilantro to taste. Add some green onion, if desired.
Salsa Verde Mix together: peeled and blended tomatillos, avacado, salt/garlic/cilantro to taste
Homemade Rice Tortilla Chips - (purchase from Enjoy Life, or make your own). Drizzle with oil & salt, then broil on each side till browned (watch carefully!) Break into chip sizes.
Guacamole Mashed avacado seasoned with fresh lemon juice, coarse sea salt, cilantro or spicey basil, opt. smoked paprika
Other optional toppings: sauted onions rings, green onions, avacoda slices, diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro
Teriyaki Stir Fry
Stir-Fry:
Shredded cabbage, 5-6 diced carrots, bok choy, or any combination of veggies you like and diced chicken breasts. Season with :
raw suger (or other sweetener)
balsamic vinegar
coarse sea salt
tamari
a pinch of red pepper flakes
Turkish Chicken with Honey
2 lb chicken pieces
Place in a single layer of a baking dish and rub into the skin:
salt & pepper
1//4 t. saffron threads, roughly crushed
Add to the chicken then cover:
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 t. grated ginger root
drizzled olive oil
Bake for 10 min. at 475, then reduce to 350 and cook till chicken is done. Check in about an hour (can take up to 2 hours depending on the size of your chicken pieces). While the chicken is baking, dry roast 1/2 c. almonds (sliced or whole) & 2 T. sesame seeds in a low-heat pan on the stove, stirring till browned. After baking, remove the chicken to a clean baking dish. Boil the left-over sauce for 10 minutes then stir in:
3 T. honey
1 t. cinnamon
Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with roasted almonds & sesame seeds. Serve with rice.
Chicken Paprika
Ok, I confess that I have no idea if this is even remotely related to anything Hungarian, but it's good!
Put boneless chicken pieces into a baking dish or electric skillet. Cover completely with almond milk (1 c. almonds, 4 c. water, 2 t. sugar, couple pinches of salt - blended together). Pour as much almond milk over it as your pan will hold. It makes a great sauce and everyone will fight over it. Sprinkle with: thai basil, lots of smoked paprika & slivered/sliced almonds. Bake/cook till chicken is done. Serve with rice (surprise!)
Thai Beef
Cut 2 lb round steak into thin strips (kitchen scissors work great) and slice a couple onions. Put both of these in a large pan on the stove and cover with water. Season generously with Thai season (online or ethnic grocery stores) and Thai basil. Simmer till beef is done and.... serve over rice!!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Breakfast
I've been asked to talk about what I eat for breakfast. I must confess, sometimes I just decide it's not worth the bother. But other times I'm not so lazy. I am blessed with the ability to eat eggs so that is always an option. Good eggs- from happy chickens who aren't fed antibiotics and other terrible things. One of my favorite ways to eat eggs is in a quiche. Rebekah created a cheese-less quiche which we all love. It's a bit of a pain to make, but if you're of a mind to trouble yourself, it makes a great breakfast for several days. We have two versions of this; one is more "breakfasty" than the other because it includes breakfast sausage, but the other is great too.
I also eat hot cereal. Brown rice can be ground up into a coarse flour if you have a way to grind it. My Blend-tec works great for this. Then it can be cooked into a hot cereal. If not, Bob's Red Mill has a brown rice cereal and a gluten free cereal (although the gf cereal contains corn so I can't use it anymore). I have several variations of this cereal.
I also eat quick breads or muffins, as well as Namaste waffles on special occasions. Sprinkling lots of chocolate chips into the waffles makes a great snack/desert for later. I like my olive oil-sea salt toast shared in the Sick Food post. I used to eat oats raw (or whatever you call them when they're in flakes and not cooked). If you're not allergic to oats, you can buy gf oats now and this would be a great option. Mix the flakes with nuts and raisons or other dried fruit and pour milk over them (any kind of rice or nut milk works). This makes a great "cold cereal". Quinoa flakes, which look like oats, might work too, but I haven't actually tried them.
The only kind of processed cereal I've found which I can eat is Perky's Nutty Rice or Nutty Flax. It's vaguely similar to a grape nut type texture. There are also natural brands of rice crispies that are gluten and corn-free; EnvironKids has a chocolate rice crispies, and Enjoy Life has a granola that's corn/gf (it's not the greatest tasting in my opinion, however). I'm not overly fond of Rice Crispies or Perky's, but they're not bad once in a while when loaded up with nuts, seeds, fruit, etc. I've just about decided that it's time for me to start a cereal company. Lots of companies make gluten free cereals. No one makes gf cereal that's also corn and oat free. Surely there's a way to make a "flake" cereal that meets this criterion.
Rice pudding can also be a nice option. Otherwise, these are about all the options I can think of. This area of my food-life still needs some work. But keep in mind... virtually any left-over can be breakfast as well. There's no law that says "breakfast" foods must be eaten at breakfast!
Breakfast Quiche
Mix a batch of breakfast sausage to begin with. Work the seasonings into the meat:
1 lb ground turkey
1/4-1/2 t. each: coriander, sage, marjoram
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
Brown the meat, then throw a couple big handfuls of baby spinach on top and stir till it wilts. Set aside. Peel 4-6 good-sized potatoes, shred and lightly fry them. Season with salt & pepper to taste and then press them into an oiled baking dish, going up the sides to form a "crust". Whisk 6-8 eggs and then pour them over the sausage-spinach mix. Pour the whole thing over the potato crust and bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes till browned & done. We all LOVE this stuff!
Chicken Quiche
Saute onions, peppers, finely chopped broccoli, then add diced chicken pieces and saute till done. Season with salt, pepper, basil, or whatever you like. When done, cool a bit while you peel, shred and fry the potatoes as instructed above. Follow instructions above for adding eggs, pouring over the potato crust and baking.
Cooked Rice Cereal
3 c. water & 1/2 t. salt - bring to a boil
1 c. coarsely ground rice or rice cereal - whisk into the water and simmer 5-8 minutes. Lots of possibilities for what to do with this. Below are a couple to get you started.
Cocoa: Add 2 T. sugar & 2 T. cocoa. Voila! Cocoa wheats without the wheat :0)
Cranberry-Maple: Sprinkle walnuts and dried cranberries over the hot rice cereal then drizzle with pure maple syrup on top. Flood the whole thing with rice or nut milk.
Strawberry/Blueberry: Either kind of berry with raw sugar, cinnamon and sliced almonds.
Millet Breakfast Cereal
1 c. millet - dry toast it in a pan for more flavor. Mix with 3 c. water and a pinch of salt. Boil, then simmer, covered for about 30 minutes till the water is absorbed. I'm guessing this could be done in a rice cooker, but I haven't tried it. Mix in any combination of fruit, nuts, and other goodies.
Muffins:
I wouldn't call the muffins below the worlds most delicious, but they might be the easiest and cheapest allergen-friendly ones. The plain rice flour option keeps the cost down and they're super quick. Namaste Muffin Mix is also a great option if you want a little more sophisticated muffins; make according to directions. In addition to these, any muffin recipe will work with Namaste Perfect Flour Blend subbed for the flour.
Easy Muffins (makes 1 dozen)
1 c. milk substitute
1 egg
1 c. rice flour or flour mix
2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder (or 1 t. cream of tarter & 1/2 t. baking soda)
2 t. oil
1/2 t. flavoring: pumpkin pie spice / almond extract / coconut ext./ cinnamon / vanilla
Raspberry: Add enough fresh raspberries that the batter is thick with berries. Frozen berries don't work well with this because they make the muffins soggy. Other berries can be used but we think raspberries are by far the best.
Chocolate Chip: Same as the berries. Add the chips till the batter is thick with them. The chips make the muffins much better, and they make a nice snack/desert-type food as well.
Banana Bread (from the Namaste mixes)
2 c. Perfect Flour Blend
1 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
1/2 c. canola oil
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 brown sugar packed or heaping
2 large eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 325 for 65-75 minutes, or till toothpick comes out clean.
Zucchini Bread
1/2 c. raisons & 1/4 c. water; boil a mintue then drain, reserving the liquid
Sift together:
1 1/2 c. perfect flour blend (Namaste)
1 slightly rounded t. of baking soda
1/4 t. cream of tarter
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
Mix:
1 beaten egg & 1 c. shredded zucchini.
Mix separately:
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/3 c. oil
1 c. sugar
Add the sugar and egg mixtures along with half the flour. Beat well then add the raisons, water, and:
1/2 c. walnuts
1/4 t. fine lemon peel, along with the remaining flour. Mix well and pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 55-60 min. Let cool 10 minutes then remove.
Cranberry Nut Bread
We always make this around the holidays, but it also makes a nice breakfast food:
Sift together dry ingredients together then add wet ones:
2 1/2 c. perfect flour blend
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
3 1/2 t. baking powder (or 1 1/2 slightly rounded t. cream of tarter & 3/4 slightly rounded t. soda)
1/4 c. oil
1/3 c. rice or nut milk
2 eggs
Mix well then add 1 c. chopped walnuts & 1 c. cranberries, chopped into halves. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.
Apple-Rice Pudding
Combine:
4 c. cooked rice
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
2/3 c. honey
1 c. raisons
4-6 apples, chopped
6 T. oil (virgin coconut, canola- or butter if you can have it)
Bake in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish for 30 minutes. (You might try subbing rice or nut milk for the oil if you don't like using oil. I've not tried it though.)
I also eat hot cereal. Brown rice can be ground up into a coarse flour if you have a way to grind it. My Blend-tec works great for this. Then it can be cooked into a hot cereal. If not, Bob's Red Mill has a brown rice cereal and a gluten free cereal (although the gf cereal contains corn so I can't use it anymore). I have several variations of this cereal.
I also eat quick breads or muffins, as well as Namaste waffles on special occasions. Sprinkling lots of chocolate chips into the waffles makes a great snack/desert for later. I like my olive oil-sea salt toast shared in the Sick Food post. I used to eat oats raw (or whatever you call them when they're in flakes and not cooked). If you're not allergic to oats, you can buy gf oats now and this would be a great option. Mix the flakes with nuts and raisons or other dried fruit and pour milk over them (any kind of rice or nut milk works). This makes a great "cold cereal". Quinoa flakes, which look like oats, might work too, but I haven't actually tried them.
The only kind of processed cereal I've found which I can eat is Perky's Nutty Rice or Nutty Flax. It's vaguely similar to a grape nut type texture. There are also natural brands of rice crispies that are gluten and corn-free; EnvironKids has a chocolate rice crispies, and Enjoy Life has a granola that's corn/gf (it's not the greatest tasting in my opinion, however). I'm not overly fond of Rice Crispies or Perky's, but they're not bad once in a while when loaded up with nuts, seeds, fruit, etc. I've just about decided that it's time for me to start a cereal company. Lots of companies make gluten free cereals. No one makes gf cereal that's also corn and oat free. Surely there's a way to make a "flake" cereal that meets this criterion.
Rice pudding can also be a nice option. Otherwise, these are about all the options I can think of. This area of my food-life still needs some work. But keep in mind... virtually any left-over can be breakfast as well. There's no law that says "breakfast" foods must be eaten at breakfast!
Breakfast Quiche
Mix a batch of breakfast sausage to begin with. Work the seasonings into the meat:
1 lb ground turkey
1/4-1/2 t. each: coriander, sage, marjoram
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
Brown the meat, then throw a couple big handfuls of baby spinach on top and stir till it wilts. Set aside. Peel 4-6 good-sized potatoes, shred and lightly fry them. Season with salt & pepper to taste and then press them into an oiled baking dish, going up the sides to form a "crust". Whisk 6-8 eggs and then pour them over the sausage-spinach mix. Pour the whole thing over the potato crust and bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes till browned & done. We all LOVE this stuff!
Chicken Quiche
Saute onions, peppers, finely chopped broccoli, then add diced chicken pieces and saute till done. Season with salt, pepper, basil, or whatever you like. When done, cool a bit while you peel, shred and fry the potatoes as instructed above. Follow instructions above for adding eggs, pouring over the potato crust and baking.
Cooked Rice Cereal
3 c. water & 1/2 t. salt - bring to a boil
1 c. coarsely ground rice or rice cereal - whisk into the water and simmer 5-8 minutes. Lots of possibilities for what to do with this. Below are a couple to get you started.
Cocoa: Add 2 T. sugar & 2 T. cocoa. Voila! Cocoa wheats without the wheat :0)
Cranberry-Maple: Sprinkle walnuts and dried cranberries over the hot rice cereal then drizzle with pure maple syrup on top. Flood the whole thing with rice or nut milk.
Strawberry/Blueberry: Either kind of berry with raw sugar, cinnamon and sliced almonds.
Millet Breakfast Cereal
1 c. millet - dry toast it in a pan for more flavor. Mix with 3 c. water and a pinch of salt. Boil, then simmer, covered for about 30 minutes till the water is absorbed. I'm guessing this could be done in a rice cooker, but I haven't tried it. Mix in any combination of fruit, nuts, and other goodies.
Muffins:
I wouldn't call the muffins below the worlds most delicious, but they might be the easiest and cheapest allergen-friendly ones. The plain rice flour option keeps the cost down and they're super quick. Namaste Muffin Mix is also a great option if you want a little more sophisticated muffins; make according to directions. In addition to these, any muffin recipe will work with Namaste Perfect Flour Blend subbed for the flour.
Easy Muffins (makes 1 dozen)
1 c. milk substitute
1 egg
1 c. rice flour or flour mix
2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder (or 1 t. cream of tarter & 1/2 t. baking soda)
2 t. oil
1/2 t. flavoring: pumpkin pie spice / almond extract / coconut ext./ cinnamon / vanilla
Raspberry: Add enough fresh raspberries that the batter is thick with berries. Frozen berries don't work well with this because they make the muffins soggy. Other berries can be used but we think raspberries are by far the best.
Chocolate Chip: Same as the berries. Add the chips till the batter is thick with them. The chips make the muffins much better, and they make a nice snack/desert-type food as well.
Banana Bread (from the Namaste mixes)
2 c. Perfect Flour Blend
1 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
1/2 c. canola oil
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 brown sugar packed or heaping
2 large eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 325 for 65-75 minutes, or till toothpick comes out clean.
Zucchini Bread
1/2 c. raisons & 1/4 c. water; boil a mintue then drain, reserving the liquid
Sift together:
1 1/2 c. perfect flour blend (Namaste)
1 slightly rounded t. of baking soda
1/4 t. cream of tarter
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
Mix:
1 beaten egg & 1 c. shredded zucchini.
Mix separately:
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/3 c. oil
1 c. sugar
Add the sugar and egg mixtures along with half the flour. Beat well then add the raisons, water, and:
1/2 c. walnuts
1/4 t. fine lemon peel, along with the remaining flour. Mix well and pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 55-60 min. Let cool 10 minutes then remove.
Cranberry Nut Bread
We always make this around the holidays, but it also makes a nice breakfast food:
Sift together dry ingredients together then add wet ones:
2 1/2 c. perfect flour blend
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
3 1/2 t. baking powder (or 1 1/2 slightly rounded t. cream of tarter & 3/4 slightly rounded t. soda)
1/4 c. oil
1/3 c. rice or nut milk
2 eggs
Mix well then add 1 c. chopped walnuts & 1 c. cranberries, chopped into halves. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.
Apple-Rice Pudding
Combine:
4 c. cooked rice
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
2/3 c. honey
1 c. raisons
4-6 apples, chopped
6 T. oil (virgin coconut, canola- or butter if you can have it)
Bake in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish for 30 minutes. (You might try subbing rice or nut milk for the oil if you don't like using oil. I've not tried it though.)
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Desserts
The hardest part about multiple food allergies is not the diet. It's the isolation. At times the isolation can be overwhelming. Food is the hub around which all social experiences revolve. It bonds people together. A great deal of social conversation is in response to the food. The psychological impact of eating from your own little rubbermaid dish, while everyone else is discussing the delicious German chocoloate cake, can really take a toll on you over time. And the impact is compounded by the fact that most Americans, the dieting-est people in the history of the world, see "diet " as a voluntary fling with low carbs or weight-watchers, ignored or eliminated at will. A far cry from "I didn't choose this, and not only do I never cheat, but I live in mortal fear of making an error and getting deathly sick." My recurring dream is not that I'm enjoying the foods I miss; it's that I've accidentally eaten something and am panicked over what will happen. It's a solitary entrapment from which there is no escape. Sometimes it's helpful to know, just for a moment, that you are not alone. There are others out there who deal with this loneliness. For indeed, misery does love company. And next time you're going to a party, consider some of the recipes below.
Things to note in the following recipes:
Butter/Margarine/Shortening Subs
I substitute unrefined coconut oil for butter/margarine in most recipes. The best source I've found is Tropical Traditions. Be sure to wait for a half-off sale. If you're not allergic to dairy, the coconut oil can be converted back. Canola oil can be used for some recipes, but the flavor of coconut oil is better. In recipes calling for shortening, I use palm shortening, also available through Tropical Traditions.
Flour Subs
Gluten free flours always need to be "mixed". No one flour will substitue adequately. I use Namaste's Perfect Flour Blend, which has the xanthan gum already mixed in and is corn-free (all others you buy are not corn-free). It can be purchased online through Amazon. If you don't want to use this mix, you'll need to buy another one or possibly mix your own. Below is a good mix.
A Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 c. tapioca starch;
1 c. potato starch (or cornstarch if you can eat corn)
2/3 c. garfava or light bean flour
1/3 c. sorghum flour.
Xanthan Gum
Be sure to add xanthan or guar gum to the recipe if you mix your own flour (it helps replace what gluten does). Use about 1/4 t. per cup flour for cakes, 1/4-1/2 t. per cup flour for quick breads and cookies & 1-2 t. per cup flour for kneading products. Guar gum can also be used, which is corn free, but I personally don't like it.
Baking Powder
Baking powder has cornstarch, so my recipes use cream of tarter and baking soda instead. If you're not allergic to corn and want to use baking powder, you can convert back by using slightly more baking powder than the combination of both tarter and soda. The exact conversion is 1 t. tarter + 1/2 t. soda = 2 t. baking powder. The missing 1/2 t. is the cornstarch which is simply left out. So for every 1 1/2 t. of soda and tarter combined, add an extra 1/4 t. of baking powder.
Blondies
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/2 c. loosely packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs
1 t. cream of tarter
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. perfect flour blend (Namaste)
Opt: 1 c. chopped walnuts (which make them really good)
Opt: 1/2 - 1 c. chocolate chips
Cream the oil and sugar together; add vanilla & eggs; blend well. Mix in the flour. Add optional ingredients. Bake in a greased 9 x 5 pan at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Chocolate Almond Cake
(My friend Sue found this recipe from Helen Nash's Kosher Kitchen; it's really good!)
1 c. coconut oil
1 1/2 t. potato starch
1 heaping cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life & GFS chocolate chips are both gluten, dairy and corn free)
6 large eggs, separated at room temp
1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 T. cocoa powder
1 t. each: grated lemon & orange zest
1/4 t. vanilla
9 ou. ground almonds (or almond meal)
Powdered sugar (corn-free from a health food store, or finely ground regular sugar)
1 T. sliced almonds for garnish
Heat oven to 300. Grease a springform pan. Line with parchment paper, and grease the parchment. Dust the pan with potato starch. Melt the choc chips (double boiler or microwave) and set aside to cool. Cream the coconut oil, then gradually add sugar till mixture is pale and bubbles appear, about 10 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Lower the heat and mix in the cooled chocolate and orange juice. Mix in the potato starch, ground almonds & zests. In a clean bowl mix the egg whites on high till stiff. Fold half of the whites into the chocolate mixture. Repeat with another quarter of the whites, then reverse the process pouring the mixture over the remaining whites. Gradually fold together. Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester comes out slightly sticky; about an hour. Cool completely and refrigerate overnight. Garnish with powdered sugar and almond slices.
Peanutbutter Cups (My daughter, Rebekah, made these for me at Christmas and they're amazing- especially after years of no Reese's.)
1 pkg (12 oz.) chocolate chips, divided
1 c. peanut butter
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. powdered sugar
miniature muffin papers, trimmed to half their height
Place half the chips in the microwave and melt for 2 minutes, stirring after each minute. Spoon into muffin papers and fill half way. With a spoon spread the chocolate up the sides till evenly coated. Cool in the frig till firm. In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sugar and salt. Divide into the chocolate cups. Melt the remaining chocolate chips and spoon over peanut butter; spread to the edges of the cups.
Pumpkin Pie
I've yet to find a recipe I like for pie crust so I usually just opt for a crumb crust. Pull out those sweet crumbs you've been saving (any stale baked good, crumbled and frozen for "graham cracker crumbs" later on) and mix 1 1/2 - 2 c. crumbs with enough oil to make a graham cracker crust consistency. Press into a pie pan. Almond or macadamia oil is great, but melted coconut or canola also works.
Combine:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. each: ginger, nutmeg, cloves
Add gradually and mix well:
1 2/3 c. cashew cream (recipe in Icecream & Other Basics... post)
Pour into the pie crust and bake the pie at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake 40 minutes or till knife comes out clean.
Chocolate Fudge (another "Bonnie" recipe)
Warm together:
1/2 scant cup coconut cream (also available from Tropical Traditions)
Add enough water to make a "drizzle consistency" (about 1/3 c.) & 2/3 c. sugar (or to taste)
Add & blend:
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 c. melted chocolate chips
1/2 t. vanilla
Opt: nuts
Pour in a wax paper-lined silicone pan. Refreigerate till firm and cut into squares.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Combine & stir on low till sugar is disolved:
1/2 c. coconut oil
1 c. rice syrup
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa powder
Add & mix well:
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
4 eggs
Add 1 c. pecans (walnut also work)
Bake at 325 for 55 minutes
Ginger Snaps
Beat together:
3/4 c. palm shortening
1/4 c. molasses
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 T. rice or cider vinegar
Add & beat:
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon & cloves
1/2 t. cloves
1 1/4 t. cream of tarter
1/4 heaping t. baking soda
Add 1/2 c. at a time, beating after each:
2 1/2 c. Namaste perfect flour blend
Chill dough. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into cookie shapes. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.
Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp
Mix and put in a greased baking dish:
3 lb rhubarb (several stalks) ; cut into small pieces, stringing as you go
2 lb strawberries, chopped
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. gluten-free flour mix (Namaste or other; or mix your own)
1 t. cinnamon
Mix and sprinkle over:
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. flour mix
1/2 c. almond meal
3/4 c. finely chopped pecan or walnuts
enough oil to make a "crumble"
Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes, till rhubarb is tender.
Blueberry Crisp (frozen berries are fine)
4-6 c. blueberries, sweetened to taste (i.e. dump on some sugar and stir, taste, repeat process as needed)
Topping:
1 c. ground almonds
2/3 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. sweet rice flour
1 c. quinoa flakes (or gf oats if you're not allergic)
1/2 c. oil
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Layer Bars
2-3 c. sweet crumbs mixed with enough oil to make a crumbly consisitency; press into a baking pan
Layer:
pecan pieces
chocolate chips
coconut
Blend about 1-1 1/2 c. coconut cream with water to make a "drizzling consistency"
Sweeten the coconut cream mix to taste (you're replacing sweetened condensed milk)
Drizzle it over the layered ingredients.
Bake at 350 till lightly browned.
The World's Easiest Peanutbutter Cookies (from my friend, Hannah)
1 c. peanutbutter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
Roll dough into balls and bake 8-10 minutes at 350.
Opt: add chocolate chips
Things to note in the following recipes:
Butter/Margarine/Shortening Subs
I substitute unrefined coconut oil for butter/margarine in most recipes. The best source I've found is Tropical Traditions. Be sure to wait for a half-off sale. If you're not allergic to dairy, the coconut oil can be converted back. Canola oil can be used for some recipes, but the flavor of coconut oil is better. In recipes calling for shortening, I use palm shortening, also available through Tropical Traditions.
Flour Subs
Gluten free flours always need to be "mixed". No one flour will substitue adequately. I use Namaste's Perfect Flour Blend, which has the xanthan gum already mixed in and is corn-free (all others you buy are not corn-free). It can be purchased online through Amazon. If you don't want to use this mix, you'll need to buy another one or possibly mix your own. Below is a good mix.
A Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 c. tapioca starch;
1 c. potato starch (or cornstarch if you can eat corn)
2/3 c. garfava or light bean flour
1/3 c. sorghum flour.
Xanthan Gum
Be sure to add xanthan or guar gum to the recipe if you mix your own flour (it helps replace what gluten does). Use about 1/4 t. per cup flour for cakes, 1/4-1/2 t. per cup flour for quick breads and cookies & 1-2 t. per cup flour for kneading products. Guar gum can also be used, which is corn free, but I personally don't like it.
Baking Powder
Baking powder has cornstarch, so my recipes use cream of tarter and baking soda instead. If you're not allergic to corn and want to use baking powder, you can convert back by using slightly more baking powder than the combination of both tarter and soda. The exact conversion is 1 t. tarter + 1/2 t. soda = 2 t. baking powder. The missing 1/2 t. is the cornstarch which is simply left out. So for every 1 1/2 t. of soda and tarter combined, add an extra 1/4 t. of baking powder.
Blondies
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/2 c. loosely packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs
1 t. cream of tarter
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. perfect flour blend (Namaste)
Opt: 1 c. chopped walnuts (which make them really good)
Opt: 1/2 - 1 c. chocolate chips
Cream the oil and sugar together; add vanilla & eggs; blend well. Mix in the flour. Add optional ingredients. Bake in a greased 9 x 5 pan at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Chocolate Almond Cake
(My friend Sue found this recipe from Helen Nash's Kosher Kitchen; it's really good!)
1 c. coconut oil
1 1/2 t. potato starch
1 heaping cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life & GFS chocolate chips are both gluten, dairy and corn free)
6 large eggs, separated at room temp
1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 T. cocoa powder
1 t. each: grated lemon & orange zest
1/4 t. vanilla
9 ou. ground almonds (or almond meal)
Powdered sugar (corn-free from a health food store, or finely ground regular sugar)
1 T. sliced almonds for garnish
Heat oven to 300. Grease a springform pan. Line with parchment paper, and grease the parchment. Dust the pan with potato starch. Melt the choc chips (double boiler or microwave) and set aside to cool. Cream the coconut oil, then gradually add sugar till mixture is pale and bubbles appear, about 10 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Lower the heat and mix in the cooled chocolate and orange juice. Mix in the potato starch, ground almonds & zests. In a clean bowl mix the egg whites on high till stiff. Fold half of the whites into the chocolate mixture. Repeat with another quarter of the whites, then reverse the process pouring the mixture over the remaining whites. Gradually fold together. Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester comes out slightly sticky; about an hour. Cool completely and refrigerate overnight. Garnish with powdered sugar and almond slices.
Peanutbutter Cups (My daughter, Rebekah, made these for me at Christmas and they're amazing- especially after years of no Reese's.)
1 pkg (12 oz.) chocolate chips, divided
1 c. peanut butter
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. powdered sugar
miniature muffin papers, trimmed to half their height
Place half the chips in the microwave and melt for 2 minutes, stirring after each minute. Spoon into muffin papers and fill half way. With a spoon spread the chocolate up the sides till evenly coated. Cool in the frig till firm. In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sugar and salt. Divide into the chocolate cups. Melt the remaining chocolate chips and spoon over peanut butter; spread to the edges of the cups.
Pumpkin Pie
I've yet to find a recipe I like for pie crust so I usually just opt for a crumb crust. Pull out those sweet crumbs you've been saving (any stale baked good, crumbled and frozen for "graham cracker crumbs" later on) and mix 1 1/2 - 2 c. crumbs with enough oil to make a graham cracker crust consistency. Press into a pie pan. Almond or macadamia oil is great, but melted coconut or canola also works.
Combine:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. each: ginger, nutmeg, cloves
Add gradually and mix well:
1 2/3 c. cashew cream (recipe in Icecream & Other Basics... post)
Pour into the pie crust and bake the pie at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake 40 minutes or till knife comes out clean.
Chocolate Fudge (another "Bonnie" recipe)
Warm together:
1/2 scant cup coconut cream (also available from Tropical Traditions)
Add enough water to make a "drizzle consistency" (about 1/3 c.) & 2/3 c. sugar (or to taste)
Add & blend:
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 c. melted chocolate chips
1/2 t. vanilla
Opt: nuts
Pour in a wax paper-lined silicone pan. Refreigerate till firm and cut into squares.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Combine & stir on low till sugar is disolved:
1/2 c. coconut oil
1 c. rice syrup
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa powder
Add & mix well:
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
4 eggs
Add 1 c. pecans (walnut also work)
Bake at 325 for 55 minutes
Ginger Snaps
Beat together:
3/4 c. palm shortening
1/4 c. molasses
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 T. rice or cider vinegar
Add & beat:
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon & cloves
1/2 t. cloves
1 1/4 t. cream of tarter
1/4 heaping t. baking soda
Add 1/2 c. at a time, beating after each:
2 1/2 c. Namaste perfect flour blend
Chill dough. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into cookie shapes. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.
Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp
Mix and put in a greased baking dish:
3 lb rhubarb (several stalks) ; cut into small pieces, stringing as you go
2 lb strawberries, chopped
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. gluten-free flour mix (Namaste or other; or mix your own)
1 t. cinnamon
Mix and sprinkle over:
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. flour mix
1/2 c. almond meal
3/4 c. finely chopped pecan or walnuts
enough oil to make a "crumble"
Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes, till rhubarb is tender.
Blueberry Crisp (frozen berries are fine)
4-6 c. blueberries, sweetened to taste (i.e. dump on some sugar and stir, taste, repeat process as needed)
Topping:
1 c. ground almonds
2/3 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. sweet rice flour
1 c. quinoa flakes (or gf oats if you're not allergic)
1/2 c. oil
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Layer Bars
2-3 c. sweet crumbs mixed with enough oil to make a crumbly consisitency; press into a baking pan
Layer:
pecan pieces
chocolate chips
coconut
Blend about 1-1 1/2 c. coconut cream with water to make a "drizzling consistency"
Sweeten the coconut cream mix to taste (you're replacing sweetened condensed milk)
Drizzle it over the layered ingredients.
Bake at 350 till lightly browned.
The World's Easiest Peanutbutter Cookies (from my friend, Hannah)
1 c. peanutbutter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
Roll dough into balls and bake 8-10 minutes at 350.
Opt: add chocolate chips
Friday, February 25, 2011
Easy Entrees
Another appliance I cannot live without is my Wok. A stainless steel wok. I use it nearly every meal, certainly everyday and it's not a very expensive item. I do not wash my wok (or cast iron pans) with soap because it ruins the seasoning. I wash it in very hot water, then rub oil into it with a paper tower. It makes a nice nonstick surface. I always heat the pan up before I put food in it, so I suppose that helps sterilize it.
Pasta Primavera
In an olive oil-drizzled wok, stir-fry whatever veggies you like. Yesterday when I made this I sauted red onion, garlic, red pepper, a few garlic cloves, zucchini and carrots. Throw in some good salt and fresh pepper, basil & tarragon (or whatever you like). If you want some meat in this start with some diced chicken breasts/onion/garlic first, then add the rest of the veggies one or two at a time. Stir all of this into some Tinkyada brown rice penne pasta (or whichever kind you prefer) and drizzle a little more olive oil in. Taste to see if it needs more seasoning. Sometimes I add my homemade vinaigrette (...Basics post) when I want it more zingy. I added orange slices on the side and dinner was served!
Chicken-Garlic Pasta (inspired by my friend Bonnie)
Staute some onion, several cloves minced/sliced garlic and some diced chicken breasts in the wok with olive oil (s & p). After chicken is cooked, add several handfuls of fresh spinach and stir till spinach is wilted down. Stir into pasta and drizzle with more olive oil; salt if needed. Top with pine nuts.
Spanish Stew
I use my enamel-coated cast iron pan for this and it melds the flavors together beautifully, but probably any good baking dish would work. Chop a variety of veggies into chunks. Today I used: 1 red onion, 1 red pepper, 4 sliced carrots, 3 diced yellow squash (little ones), four sliced garlic cloves, 4 diced roma tomatoes and a couple handfuls of snipped green beans. Generously salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with brown sugar, pour in 1/4 c. sherry, and stir it all together. Add a couple sprigs of rosemary on top. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. After you pull it out of the oven, remove the rosemary sprigs and add one can of garbanzo beans. Stir altogether and serve with croutons (recipe below).
Croutons
Cut stale bread into cubes (or pull them out of your frig if you've frozen some) and put them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Bake at 400 until they're brown and crispy. Check often, they burn quickly!
Tip of the Day: Don't throw away anything. Food is way too expensive in both time and money to waste. ALL baking crumbs of any kind are pure gold. Religiously freeze them once they start getting stale. Stale bread outsides can be cut into cubes and frozen for croutons. The inside part of the bread crumbled and frozen for use as breading. All desert baked goods (cookies, brownies, cakes) should be crumbled or blended into crumbs and frozen with a "sweet crumb" label. These replace graham crackers for pie crusts and crisp toppings. It doesn't matter what they were baked as originally, they'll be good. Stale bread can also be cubed and dried for dressing, but beware. You practically have to dry it into pottery if you don't want it to become glop instead of dressing. Gluten free bread disintegrates if it's not really hard before you mix and bake it.
Honey Mustard Chicken (Which actually has no honey because I like brown sugar better, but it sounds nicer :0) Skin chicken thighs and place in a baking dish. Squirt mustard (be careful, buy it at a health food store without junk or white vinegar which is corn) on each piece of chicken and spread it around with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then a thick coating of bread crumbs. Press the bread crumbs lightly into the mustard-sugar. Sprinkle (lots of sprinkling in this recipe) with salt, pepper, and sweet basil (I actually use Thai basil which is heavenly, but if you don't grow it yourself, you probably won't find it). Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil. Serve with Jasmine rice. I also like roasted sweet potatoes (The Roasted Vegetable post) and stir fried broccoli (below) with it.
Stir-Fried Broccoli
Cut the broccoli into little pieces. Add it to a hot, olive oil-drizzled wok. Sprinkle a fair amount of water on since broccoli needs a little moisture to cook. Add some celtic sea salt (or regular).
Seasoned Baked Chicken
This is similar to the roasted chickens in the grocery store (which all have corn ingredients). Put chicken pieces in a baking dish. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and turmeric (turmeric gives it a very distinctive taste; sometimes I leave it out if I want a milder flavor). Bake at 350 or 400 till it is browned and tender, about 45 minutes.
Pasta Primavera
In an olive oil-drizzled wok, stir-fry whatever veggies you like. Yesterday when I made this I sauted red onion, garlic, red pepper, a few garlic cloves, zucchini and carrots. Throw in some good salt and fresh pepper, basil & tarragon (or whatever you like). If you want some meat in this start with some diced chicken breasts/onion/garlic first, then add the rest of the veggies one or two at a time. Stir all of this into some Tinkyada brown rice penne pasta (or whichever kind you prefer) and drizzle a little more olive oil in. Taste to see if it needs more seasoning. Sometimes I add my homemade vinaigrette (...Basics post) when I want it more zingy. I added orange slices on the side and dinner was served!
Chicken-Garlic Pasta (inspired by my friend Bonnie)
Staute some onion, several cloves minced/sliced garlic and some diced chicken breasts in the wok with olive oil (s & p). After chicken is cooked, add several handfuls of fresh spinach and stir till spinach is wilted down. Stir into pasta and drizzle with more olive oil; salt if needed. Top with pine nuts.
Spanish Stew
I use my enamel-coated cast iron pan for this and it melds the flavors together beautifully, but probably any good baking dish would work. Chop a variety of veggies into chunks. Today I used: 1 red onion, 1 red pepper, 4 sliced carrots, 3 diced yellow squash (little ones), four sliced garlic cloves, 4 diced roma tomatoes and a couple handfuls of snipped green beans. Generously salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with brown sugar, pour in 1/4 c. sherry, and stir it all together. Add a couple sprigs of rosemary on top. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. After you pull it out of the oven, remove the rosemary sprigs and add one can of garbanzo beans. Stir altogether and serve with croutons (recipe below).
Croutons
Cut stale bread into cubes (or pull them out of your frig if you've frozen some) and put them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Bake at 400 until they're brown and crispy. Check often, they burn quickly!
Tip of the Day: Don't throw away anything. Food is way too expensive in both time and money to waste. ALL baking crumbs of any kind are pure gold. Religiously freeze them once they start getting stale. Stale bread outsides can be cut into cubes and frozen for croutons. The inside part of the bread crumbled and frozen for use as breading. All desert baked goods (cookies, brownies, cakes) should be crumbled or blended into crumbs and frozen with a "sweet crumb" label. These replace graham crackers for pie crusts and crisp toppings. It doesn't matter what they were baked as originally, they'll be good. Stale bread can also be cubed and dried for dressing, but beware. You practically have to dry it into pottery if you don't want it to become glop instead of dressing. Gluten free bread disintegrates if it's not really hard before you mix and bake it.
Honey Mustard Chicken (Which actually has no honey because I like brown sugar better, but it sounds nicer :0) Skin chicken thighs and place in a baking dish. Squirt mustard (be careful, buy it at a health food store without junk or white vinegar which is corn) on each piece of chicken and spread it around with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then a thick coating of bread crumbs. Press the bread crumbs lightly into the mustard-sugar. Sprinkle (lots of sprinkling in this recipe) with salt, pepper, and sweet basil (I actually use Thai basil which is heavenly, but if you don't grow it yourself, you probably won't find it). Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil. Serve with Jasmine rice. I also like roasted sweet potatoes (The Roasted Vegetable post) and stir fried broccoli (below) with it.
Stir-Fried Broccoli
Cut the broccoli into little pieces. Add it to a hot, olive oil-drizzled wok. Sprinkle a fair amount of water on since broccoli needs a little moisture to cook. Add some celtic sea salt (or regular).
Seasoned Baked Chicken
This is similar to the roasted chickens in the grocery store (which all have corn ingredients). Put chicken pieces in a baking dish. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and turmeric (turmeric gives it a very distinctive taste; sometimes I leave it out if I want a milder flavor). Bake at 350 or 400 till it is browned and tender, about 45 minutes.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Roasted Vegetable
Something magical happens when you roast vegetables. The ordinary becomes exquisite. I can hardly believe that for 40 years of my life, cooking vegetables consisted of little more than boiling and buttering. How easily life becomes an auto-pilot experience with beauty lost. We can grumble about more snow or glide through the breathtaking beauty on cross-country skis. I recommend skiing. One of my favorite sayings from Why the Chinese Don't Count Calories is "The vegetables are the dishes." According to the author who lived in China for years and learned the art of cooking in an ordinary Chinese kitchen, this is a common saying. It roughly amounts to reversing the idea of meat as the main entree and veggies a lame side dish. The vegetables become the main dish, receiving the primary attention. I know this will sound weird, but I now find a ridiculous amount of pleasure when filling my grocery cart with all kinds of fresh veggies. I walk through the store imagining the good things I'm going to make. I'm not sure that could have happened without unloading the toxic chemical dump I'd collected in my body for the previous 40 years. I'm absolutely convinced that those things completely pervert the taste buds. But that's honestly what happens now. I just love vegetables. I love to stir-fry them and I love to roast them. So today I'm dedicating this space to the roasted vegetable. First, however, I must mention the "Nicer Dicer." It is one of those frivolous kitchen gadgets which I have become very attached to. It dices things in seconds (thus the name) and comes in really handy when you're forever chopping veggies into little pieces. I use it all the time and it can be bought on line if you're interested. The recipes below are just a start. You can pretty much roast anything. Enjoy!
Roasted Roots
Dice carrots, potatoes (I'm partial to yukon gold) & parsnips.
Mix them altogether on a baking sheet and generously drizzle olive oil over them.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and snipped chives (I snip all herbs with kitchen scissors).
Roast them at 425 until they are golden brown. Check them frequently.
Roasted Green Beans
Snip the ends off of fresh green beans, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Roast at 425 till a little krinkley and browned. I eat these as finger food.
It's also good to add goodies such as red onion, garlic, red pepper etc.
Roasted Cauliflower
I did not care much about cauliflower till I roasted it. Same drill. Chop, oil, salt & roast.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Credit for this recipe goes to my friend Bonnie. These have become a favorite at our house. Scrub sweet potatoes and thinly slice them. Spread out as close to one layer as possible on a couple baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with brown sugar and bake at 350 till browned. Turn and brown on the other side.
Roasted Red Pepper
Cut out the insides. Put cut side down on the baking sheet and roast at 425 till blackened. Take it out a let sit for awhile with a towel over it to steam. Take the peels off and add to anything. They're wonderful.
Roasted Garlic
Take an entire bulb of garlic and cut all the tips off so that the garlic cloves are exposed but it doesn't fall apart. Drizzle the exposed cloves with olive oil (beginning to sound familiar) and cover. I have this cool little pottery garlic roaster, but covering any kind of baking dish/sheet with foil will work. Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes. Once it cools squeeze the roasted garlic out of the papery shells. It is great as a spread, dip, or added to other cooking.
Roasted Roots
Dice carrots, potatoes (I'm partial to yukon gold) & parsnips.
Mix them altogether on a baking sheet and generously drizzle olive oil over them.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and snipped chives (I snip all herbs with kitchen scissors).
Roast them at 425 until they are golden brown. Check them frequently.
Roasted Green Beans
Snip the ends off of fresh green beans, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Roast at 425 till a little krinkley and browned. I eat these as finger food.
It's also good to add goodies such as red onion, garlic, red pepper etc.
Roasted Cauliflower
I did not care much about cauliflower till I roasted it. Same drill. Chop, oil, salt & roast.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Credit for this recipe goes to my friend Bonnie. These have become a favorite at our house. Scrub sweet potatoes and thinly slice them. Spread out as close to one layer as possible on a couple baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with brown sugar and bake at 350 till browned. Turn and brown on the other side.
Roasted Red Pepper
Cut out the insides. Put cut side down on the baking sheet and roast at 425 till blackened. Take it out a let sit for awhile with a towel over it to steam. Take the peels off and add to anything. They're wonderful.
Roasted Garlic
Take an entire bulb of garlic and cut all the tips off so that the garlic cloves are exposed but it doesn't fall apart. Drizzle the exposed cloves with olive oil (beginning to sound familiar) and cover. I have this cool little pottery garlic roaster, but covering any kind of baking dish/sheet with foil will work. Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes. Once it cools squeeze the roasted garlic out of the papery shells. It is great as a spread, dip, or added to other cooking.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sick Food
I'm sitting at home today engaging in my "ward off sickness routine." If you're very sensitive to corn, virtually all pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter drugs are off limits. I only take them if the ailment is more scary than my corn reaction, which isn't very often. I didn't even use a prescription after sinus surgery last year. Not because I'm so pain tolerant, but because I'm not. The idea of a corn reaction on top of surgery recovery was to awful too contemplate. When battling infections or viruses, however, I do have a secret wonder "drug". One that isn't too popular when I share it, but I'm telling you it's amazing. And that would be the humble garlic clove. Not processed into a convenient little capsule, though. I've never found those to be overly effective. Even minced up and swallowed, success is iffy. The real secret was found in a historical account I read years ago, thought to have originated from the middle ages, in which the speaker said that whenever they were starting to get sick they sucked on a raw garlic clove. They claimed it usually took care of the problem within a day or so. So I tried it. Yes, I was desperate. But I'm telling you, it has come through for me over and over again. I put the peeled garlic clove in one cheek, barely scrape off a little piece of it with my teeth every so often, and keep switching the clove from one cheek to the middle of my mouth, to the other cheek. You can't help but switch it around because otherwise your mouth will burn up. After awhile you have to take a break, and then start the process over once your mouth calms down. I do this off and on for a day or two. I know it sounds awful, but I think it's actually worse for the people you live with :0).
Garlic is amazing. I've read about the science of it before and will convey what I read in very brief, unscientific terms. There are various compounds in the garlic which have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Some of these are released when you chop it; some survive even through the cooking process. So whether you eat it raw in other foods or cook it, you're getting good things out of it. But there's one other amazing compound I read about a year or so ago which explained why a raw clove in the mouth works so well. This particular potent compound is released upon cutting, but only lasts for a few seconds. It is very powerful, however, in those few seconds. Thus it would only be active in a body that cut the clove inside and housed it during those few active seconds. Voila! The reason this method works like no other.
So if you're getting a virus or battling an infection, the garlic clove is your best friend. I really don't mind this process too much anymore, probably mostly because I'm so thankful to have something to take when I'm sick. It's works especially well for respiratory issues and sinus infections. For ear infections I crush up garlic in olive oil and drizzle it into my ear, pulling the earlobe and massaging it down into the ear. Nausea and vomiting usually preclude garlic sucking so making a 40 clove chicken soup has to suffice. (No, I'm not a doctor, and no I can't give medical advice... blah, blah blah.... I'm just saying it works for me!)
So that's my corn allergen tip for the day. Other allergies are not such a problem with meds. But it does work well, regardless, and doesn't add to the toxic load in your body.
Chicken Soup
Either cook a chicken in water with salt, pepper, and whatever herbs you like (I usually use parsley, basil and rosemary- my dear friend recommends thyme), along with lots of garlic cloves (you may not have the nerve to use 40, but any amount will help), then debone it and cook a little longer with optional veggies (little carrot/celery pieces?). Or keep it plain.
or
Put pre-made broth (your own frozen broth, organic broth from a health food store) in a pan with diced chicken breast pieces and all the veggies. Simmer for a good while till chicken and veggies are done and it smells good. Have a bowl of rice or rice noodles on the side. You don't ever want to add these to the whole pan of soup because in a very short amount of time the rice products will absorb too much liquid and turn the entire thing to glop. Having experienced this more than once, we now avidly avoid the glopping factor.
Jello
Sprinkle 2 T. unflavored gelatin over 6 T. water. Boil 2 c. pure organic fruit juice (beware of citric & ascorbic acid), and add 1/4-1/2 c. sugar or honey, depending on how sweet your juice is. Mix until thoroughly dissolved, then put in the frig until firm. Since you can't use ice cubes this takes a little longer so plan accordingly.
The rice tortilla chips posted last time make good sick crackers. Lundberg Honey Nut (no nuts) Rice Cakes, and Food for Life Gluten Free English Muffins, are also good sick foods.
Hopefully you won't need any of this stuff, but if so, I hope it helps!
Garlic is amazing. I've read about the science of it before and will convey what I read in very brief, unscientific terms. There are various compounds in the garlic which have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Some of these are released when you chop it; some survive even through the cooking process. So whether you eat it raw in other foods or cook it, you're getting good things out of it. But there's one other amazing compound I read about a year or so ago which explained why a raw clove in the mouth works so well. This particular potent compound is released upon cutting, but only lasts for a few seconds. It is very powerful, however, in those few seconds. Thus it would only be active in a body that cut the clove inside and housed it during those few active seconds. Voila! The reason this method works like no other.
So if you're getting a virus or battling an infection, the garlic clove is your best friend. I really don't mind this process too much anymore, probably mostly because I'm so thankful to have something to take when I'm sick. It's works especially well for respiratory issues and sinus infections. For ear infections I crush up garlic in olive oil and drizzle it into my ear, pulling the earlobe and massaging it down into the ear. Nausea and vomiting usually preclude garlic sucking so making a 40 clove chicken soup has to suffice. (No, I'm not a doctor, and no I can't give medical advice... blah, blah blah.... I'm just saying it works for me!)
So that's my corn allergen tip for the day. Other allergies are not such a problem with meds. But it does work well, regardless, and doesn't add to the toxic load in your body.
Chicken Soup
Either cook a chicken in water with salt, pepper, and whatever herbs you like (I usually use parsley, basil and rosemary- my dear friend recommends thyme), along with lots of garlic cloves (you may not have the nerve to use 40, but any amount will help), then debone it and cook a little longer with optional veggies (little carrot/celery pieces?). Or keep it plain.
or
Put pre-made broth (your own frozen broth, organic broth from a health food store) in a pan with diced chicken breast pieces and all the veggies. Simmer for a good while till chicken and veggies are done and it smells good. Have a bowl of rice or rice noodles on the side. You don't ever want to add these to the whole pan of soup because in a very short amount of time the rice products will absorb too much liquid and turn the entire thing to glop. Having experienced this more than once, we now avidly avoid the glopping factor.
Jello
Sprinkle 2 T. unflavored gelatin over 6 T. water. Boil 2 c. pure organic fruit juice (beware of citric & ascorbic acid), and add 1/4-1/2 c. sugar or honey, depending on how sweet your juice is. Mix until thoroughly dissolved, then put in the frig until firm. Since you can't use ice cubes this takes a little longer so plan accordingly.
The rice tortilla chips posted last time make good sick crackers. Lundberg Honey Nut (no nuts) Rice Cakes, and Food for Life Gluten Free English Muffins, are also good sick foods.
Hopefully you won't need any of this stuff, but if so, I hope it helps!
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