Tag Archives: gluten-free

May 10, 2013 · 8:12 pm

Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower

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It’s just a typical afternoon.  5:00, and thinking about dinner.  It begins with an innocent little peek into the fridge.  I have all the ingredients for that Indian dish I like to make.  Great, let’s have that over rice.  Simple. Hmmm, rice is great, but it would be even better with that spiced rice I like to make.  Oh, I know, I know! I could make that dal recipe the mister likes so much.  I haven’t had naan in forever!  Let’s search in all my cookbooks to find a good recipe.  Darn it, I need yogurt for that.  I must have yogurt.  Now.  Wonder if it will work with soy yogurt.  Can you go to the store, dear?  The kitchen transforms from immaculate–who am I kidding– the kitchen transforms from relatively clean to spinning in chaotic fury within 30 minutes.  Two and a half hours later, dinner is served.

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I don’t know about you, but when I think Indian food, I know I’ve got my work cut out for me.  I expect to be chopping vegetables, toasting spices, making special pastes, and frying potatoes or cauliflower.  It’s usually worth the effort, but always takes way longer than anticipated.  Indian food is one of those cuisines that I crave on a regular basis.  Maybe it’s the collection of Madhur Jaffrey cookbooks on my bookshelf, or the lack of a go-to Indian place in our neighborhood, but “restaurant” usually isn’t on my radar.

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There could be a way to satisfy those Indian food hankerings without spending hours in the kitchen.  Whaaat?!?  Roasting is the tired cook’s secret weapon for busy weeknights or otherwise un-motivated evenings.  Add oil, some spices and shallots, put it in the oven, then fuhgettabowdit for a while.  The shallots will sweeten without a long saute, and take on a roasty, toasted spice flavor just by using the heat of the oven. This ain’t traditional, but it works. Just sayin’.

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You can eat it simply, over a bowl of basmati rice with a dollop of yogurt or raita, or…use it as a garnish for the curried coconut tomato soup (next post!).  And…I imagine some freshly baked garlic naan would go perfectly with the mix.  But…this is meant to be a simple meal…so don’t get carried away, now!

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Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 3-4 as a side dish, or 2-3 as a main dish

  • 1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 large shallot, very thinly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat the oven to 425˚F.  Whisk the olive oil, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne, mustard seeds, tomato paste, sugar, and salt together in the bottom of a large bowl.  Toss the cauliflower and shallot with the spice mixture until thoroughly coated.    Roast the cauliflower in the oven for 25 minutes, or until soft and golden brown in places.  Add the cilantro, squeeze the lemon to taste over top of the roasted cauliflower.  Toss to combine, and serve while hot.

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February 10, 2013 · 9:24 pm

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes (vegan)

Buckeyes

Chocolate and peanut butter fell in love on an unsuspecting day, not much different than today.  The weather was cold, but not too cold.  The sky a nondescript dusty blue.  These were the olden days, the golden days, before Reese’s were even a gleam in the eye of a lucky entrepreneur.

Peanut Butter Balls

Rolling the Peanut Butter

Chocolate and peanut butter just couldn’t get enough of each other.  They had a little fun, took a little roll in the hay, and created a love child.  Yes, that’s right, a peanut butter love child dipped in chocolate.  I hate to be the one to have told you this, but I thought you should know. This is just what happens when two foods with perfect genes fall in love.

Chocolate Chunks

Chopped Chocolate

The first time I made buckeyes, I knew they would be good.  I mean, how could you go wrong with two foods so meant for each other?  I didn’t, however, expect them to be this good.  I’m not really a sweet eater most of the time.  I’m normally a savory kind of gal, so a couple bites of most desserts usually does it for me.  I’ve never felt such a compulsion to keep going back to the fridge as I did with these buckeyes.

Undipped

I’m reminded of sneaking bites of dough while mom was occupied with pressing the Hershey’s Kiss into the middle of her peanut butter cookies.  The cookies were always good, but I always thought the dough was even better.  This peanut butter filling has the same sweetness and little hum of vanilla as the cookie dough, with a little bit of saltiness and a more concentrated peanut butter flavor.

I heart Buckeyes

Some combinations seem to have been written in the stars.  I have a chocolate peanut butter lover at home as well.  If you do too, look no further. Heart-shaped boxes filled with waxy chocolates are over-rated.  Buckeyes are where it’s at.

Lovey Buckeyes

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Adapted from The Splendid Table

Makes about 60

Although this recipe has been adapted to be dairy-free, real cream cheese and butter can be substituted.  Be sure to use emulsified peanut butter for this recipe.  The oil-on-top type won’t work as well here.  

For the centers:

  • 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, at room temperature (or real cream cheese)
  • 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 10 tablespoons vegan butter, such as Earth Balance (or real unsalted butter)
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the coating:

  • about 4 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions:

Make the centers: Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer.  Blend together at medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.  Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes, or until chilled but still pliable.

Form the peanut butter balls:  Scoop a tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture and roll it into a ball with your hands.  Place it on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.  Repeat for the rest of the peanut butter mixture.  Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.  (Leftover filling can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to a week).

Prepare the chocolate:  Bring an inch or two of water to a boil in a small/med saucepan.  Place the chocolate in a metal mixing bowl on top of the pan of boiling water.  When the chocolate begins to melt, whisk it until smooth.

Dip the buckeyes:  Spear a peanut butter ball with a toothpick, and twisting it into the chocolate, without submerging it completely.  Place it on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.  Carefully  twist the toothpick to remove, and smooth over the hole with your fingers.  Repeat with the remaining peanut butter balls.  To create hearts, use the end of an oval-handled utensil such as a spoon, to stamp the two sides of the heart.  Fill with melted chocolate using the back of a spoon,  a squeeze bottle or piping bag.

Refrigerate until the buckeyes firm up.  They can be stored in single layers separated by wax paper in an  airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

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January 21, 2013 · 9:15 pm

Commonweal’s Healing Spiced Tea

Two for Tea (1)

When I was a kid, tea was a grand event for the girls in my family.  Our favorite place was filled with victorian things: pearls and lace, fancy crystal goblets, antique silverware, among other things mauve and shiny.  We wore hats, the kind with nets and feathers.  Big and small brims, some with flowers.  Our sugar came in little cubes, which we stirred into tea poured from individual pots with tiny tarnished silver spoons. We cousins couldn’t withhold our giddiness, when, the waitress presented us with a tower of mini cucumber sandwiches and decorated truffles.  Our toothy grins beamed between daintily sipping and using words like “dahhhling”.  There was no place else we’d rather be.

Ginger Root

As an adult, I often find myself careening through the land of “shoulds”.  You know, whatever I’m doing, I really “should” be doing something else, especially if what I’m doing is relaxing or fun.  I love anything that pulls me back to the days before I cared about what I “should” be doing, and actually enjoyed what I was doing.  Food and drink-wise, something has to be either ridiculously indulgent, ridiculously healthy but just what I’m craving, or ridiculously comforting, in order to distract me enough to fully enjoy the present moment.

Sliced Ginger (1)

In a way, Commonweal’s tea shares some traits with chai, but presents itself in a different way.  Chai is the extrovert of spiced teas, with a pepper and ginger bite.  He lays everything out on the table, and will tell you everything about him upon nary an invitation.   On most days, chai calls to me, especially if it’s loud and spicy.  At nighttime, I want comfort.  Commonweal’s Healing Tea is chai’s quiet but intriguing introverted cousin.  She’s no less complex than chai, but unfolds her complexity slowly. First comes the slight ginger bite, rolling into the spices, and then a bit of almond milk, vanilla, and maple syrup, which seem to wrap around your tongue like a hug.

Whole Spices

When I finally made it for a friend one night after dinner, we both melted into the couch, very likely letting out an audible “Ahhh”.  Mugs held in both hands close to our faces, we huddled over our respective teas, as if they were little campfires to warm our hands and faces with.  We didn’t have any feathered hats, or little silver spoons, but we had time set aside to sip and chat.  Teatime was yet again a special event, and thankfully, the “shoulds” were nowhere to be seen.

Tea from the Top (1)

Commonweal’s Spiced Healing Tea

Adapted from The Cancer Fighting Kitchen By Rebecca Katz

Makes 8 cups

The name “Commonweal” reminds me of something regal, like high tea in Great Britain.  Actually, it refers to the Commonweal Cancer Program, a retreat for cancer patients and caregivers.  Katz makes this tea for attendees to sip all day long.    I like to store any extra tea, sans the maple syrup and almond milk, in mason jars in the refrigerator.  Leftovers can be stored for up to two weeks, and heated up with the milk and maple syrup.  After steeping the tea, the whole spices can be kept refrigerated and used to make a smaller batch of tea (using 6 cups water, and fresh ginger slices).  

  • 1/3 cup peeled sliced ginger, 1/4″ thick
  • 10 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cardamom pods
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 1  1/2 cups almond milk (more or less to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 to 3 cups maple syrup

Put the ginger slices and water in a medium saucepan over high heat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the coriander, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, and cloves, and simmer for 20 minutes more.  Pour the tea through a fine mesh strainer into another saucepan.  Add the almond milk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup to taste.

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January 4, 2013 · 3:02 pm

Lucky Black-Eyed Pea, Turkey Sausage and Kale Soup (with a vegan variation)

Vegan Black Eyed Pea and Kale Soup 

Welcome to the first week of the new year.  I don’t know about you, but the mister and I ate well these past couple months!  This time, I don’t mean well in the nutritional sense, I mean well in the tasty carb-laden sense.  January is the time I like to bring myself back into balance.  In these winter months, I’m usually looking for something to fill me up, warm me up, and satisfy my craving for food that comforts, without using heavier meats, carbs and creamy dairy.  That’s where knowing how to coax and prod ingredients together is key.

Dried Black Eyed Peas

Black Eyed Peas (1)

Today’s soup is the definition of slow food.  It’s meant for one of those days where you can give the ingredients time to transform–roast and caramelize, lazily simmer… It’s best to be made while you laze or work around the house, breathing in the smells, taking momentary breaks to chop or saute.  Roasted vegetable stock is a secret weapon that every full- or part-time vegetarian should have in their arsenal.  I make the stock whenever I’m looking for caramelized fullness, adding a layer of depth to soup or sauce.

vegetables

Roasted Vegetables

You can choose between two different variations of this soup: the vegan version or the turkey sausage version.  I use the turkey sausage when I’m looking for a more filling soup with an added layer of savoriness, and the vegan version when I’m just in the mood for vegetables.  Either variation will satisfy your craving for healthy comfort food during these chilly winter months.

Soup with Turkey Sausage

I hope the new year brings you everything the ingredients in this soup represent;  peas for prosperity, greens for money, and healthy ingredients married together to satisfy your belly and make your body happy!

Lucky Black Eyed Pea, Turkey Sausage and Kale Soup

Although this is slow food, be sure to read through the steps first in order to avoid making it slow-er food!  The black eyed peas will need to soak overnight (or quick soak for 2-3 hours).  While the half the vegetables are being roasted for the stock, the other half can be simmering while the beans are cooking.  

  • 1 1/2 cups dried black eyed peas, soaked overnight or quick-soaked (see note)
  • 1/2 pound ground turkey sausage (optional)
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 14.5 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes (I use Muir Glenn brand)
  • 6-8 cups roasted root vegetable stock (recipe follows)
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or 3/4 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional to taste
  • 1 bunch dino kale (aka: Lacinato), torn into 1 1/2 inch pieces (discard the thickest parts of the stem)
  • 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar, or to taste

1. Make the roasted root vegetable stock (recipe follows)

2. Drain and rinse the soaked beans (this step can be done while the broth simmers). Place them in a medium saucepan and cover with 2-inches cold water.  Bring to a boil, then cook at a simmer for about an hour to an hour and a half, until beans are tender but not mushy.  Drain and set aside.

3. For the turkey sausage version only (otherwise, skip to step two): heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large dutch oven or saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the turkey sausage to the pan, breaking it into smaller pieces with a spatula.  Cook, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through and browned.  Remove the sausage to a plate and set aside.

4. Heat the remaining oil in a large dutch oven or saucepan until shimmering.  Add the diced onion, carrot, parsnip and celery.  Saute for 8-10 minutes until the root vegetables are crisp tender and onion is softened.  Add the garlic and saute, stirring constantly, for an additional minute.  Add the tomatoes, cooked black eyed peas, cooked turkey sausage, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, thyme, bay leaves, and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.  Add 6-8 cups broth (you may need more if using turkey sausage).

5. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for an hour.

6. Add the torn kale and simmer for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until the kale is cooked but still holds its shape.

7. Add the red wine vinegar, and season to taste with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

Roasted Root Vegetable Stock

Adapted from The Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley

Makes about 6-8 cups

  • 2 pounds carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 pounds yellow onions, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 head garlic, separated into cloves (unpeeled)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 1/2 quarts cold water
  • 1 pound parsnips, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 small turnip, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 celery rib with its leaves, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 (1-inch) piece ginger root, cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds
  1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss together half the carrots, parsnips, onions, and garlic cloves with the oil, and spread them across one or two baking sheets.  Roast for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are well caramelized.
  3. In the meantime, put the remaining vegetables, along with 2 quarts of the water in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the other half of the vegetables are finished roasting.
  4. Add the roasted vegetables and an additional 6 cups water to the saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours.
  5. Strain the stock and discard the solids.

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October 31, 2012 · 7:37 pm

Fragrant Dried Herb Salts

I’m forever trying to preserve the best of what the garden offers. and can’t bear to see my frost-bitten little babes giving me sad eyes from the compost pile.  At this very moment, jars of charred tomato and habañero salsa are boiling away in the canning pot. It’s enough to drive a girl crazy trying to figure out how to preserve 30 pounds of tomatoes that all decided (“okay, go!”) that it would be a good idea to ripen all at the same time.  I just keep telling myself that future me will thank present me.  Or maybe future me will be running around like a chicken with her head cut off too.  She’ll be convinced that future-future her will be able to relax due to all the forethought and industriousness.  I just love-hate food preservation!

At this point, in the frost-bitten apocalypse that was once my flourishing garden, only a few survivors remain.  The root vegetables, the leafy greens, and the cold tolerant herbs.  Normally, I use up as many of the herbs as I can for cooking, and make a feeble attempt at drying or freezing the rest, never completely happy with the results.  On a recent Splendid Table podcast, Sally Schneider (my favorite improvisation-friendly cookbook author) described the process for making dried herb salts.

Keep in mind that at the time I decided it was a good idea to harvest massive amounts of herbs to make my own dried herb salts, all surfaces of my kitchen and dining room were covered.  Baskets…and bowls…and sheet pans of green tomatoes were taking over the house, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes-style.  I am happy to report, that even in the midst of the green-tomato maze, bunches of herbs, and photography equipment, the process for actually making the herbs was quick and simple.

No fancy equipment required–just a good knife, a cutting board, and a little time–and I literally mean little.  Whether you use the hand chopping method or the food processor method, you’ll have fragrant herb salt ready to dry within 20 minutes.  This recipe is of my favorite type–the kind that teaches a skill that can be improvised upon, and used over and over again.

My herbs dried in a couple days, spread on parchment paper over baking sheets.  I experimented with different combinations of parsley, sage, thyme, and dill… the herbs I had growing in my garden.  Once dry, the herbs retained more of their color and fragrance than most of the herb mixtures I have bought.

If you can get your hands on some herbs, I can assure you that future you will be singing praises to present you (or would it be past you?) for your efforts as he or she sprinkles some fragrant sage salt on a fried egg sandwich, or pulls a beautiful herb-roasted chicken out of the oven.  The possibilities are endless!

 Fragrant Dried Herb Salts

Adapted from Sally Schneider and the Splendid Table

This recipe can be adapted to incorporate any herbs you may have on hand.  You can find the combinations I tried, plus a few extra ideas below.  The hand chopping method is quick, but if you prefer, the food processor method also yields a good-textured herb salt.  If incorporating shallot, use the hand chopping method only, as the food processor will cause the shallot to release too much liquid.  

Ingredients:

  • Scant 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 2 cups loosely packed fresh herb leaves, such as thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, etc…
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled (optional)
  • zest from 2 lemons (optional)
  • 1 shallot, peeled and minced (optional)

Hand Chopped Method:

1. Cut the garlic cloves in half lengthwise, and remove the sprout, if there is one.  Mound the garlic on top of the salt on a cutting board.  Chop the garlic into the salt until the garlic is minced.  Mound the herbs on the cutting board and coarsely chop.  Add the herbs (and shallot and zest, if using) to the salt, and chop until it reaches the texture of very coarse sand.

2. Spread the herb salt in a thin layer on parchment paper covered baking sheets.  Set out in a well ventilated area (such as near an open window or underneath a ceiling fan) for 2-3 days, until dry.

3. Store in clean, dry jars.

Food Processor Method:

1. Cut the garlic cloves in half lengthwise, and remove the sprout, if there is one.

2. Put the garlic and 2 tablespoons of the salt into the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until the garlic is chopped medium-coarse.  Add the herbs, and pulse until the mixture has the texture of very coarse sand.

3. Transfer to a parchment paper covered baking sheet and toss with the remaining salt.

4. Set out in a well ventilated area (such as near an open window or underneath a ceiling fan) for 2-3 days, until dry.

5. Store in clean, dry jars.

Herb Combinations:

The possibilities are endless, but here are some ideas to get you started!

  • Tuscan herb salt:  Rosemary + Sage
  • Herbes de Provence salt:  thyme, savory, rosemary, marjoram, lavender and tarragon
  • Egg salad mix:  dill + minced shallot + chive + lemon zest

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