Gluten Free Goodness

My in-laws came to visit, leaving me with an overabundance of bananas. Later that day, a friend gave me a jar of orange blossom honey, with the theory that since I bake so much, surely I’d use it. Well, I rarely bake with honey, most of it goes to DH’s tea. But honey has such a lovely flavor, and as I eyed the bananas and honey sitting side by side, I thought, bring on the banana bread!

This is a particularly dessert-y banana bread, and sweeter than many of my baked goods. It’s quite different of my very favorite banana creations, my Nana Skillet bread, which has a much more mellow flavor. I was actually surprised at how it came out because there was a pretty modest amount of sweetener, but a little honey goes a long way! Especially if you’re using super ripe bananas, the chocolate chips are totally optional. As impossible as it sounds, I think I put in too many! Next time I’d likely leave them out all together or only use 1/4 a cup (I used 1/2 cup). Like all of my creations, this is delightfully gluten, dairy, egg, soy and corn free, and can easily be vegan by using agave and cane sugar free by eliminating the chips or using cacao nibs. It’ll thrill your honey for sure. Both loaves and the cake were devoured and enjoyed by gluten eaters and non gluten eaters alike.

I favor mini cakes and loaves in general because they’re so darn cute, and I can also gift them to different people. Rather than doing a big loaf, I used 2 mini loaf pans and a mini bundt (2 mini loaves and 2 mini muffins would also have worked quite well). I assume a standard loaf pan would work, too.

I used the GF flours I had on hand. I used almond meal because I wanted to use healthy fats from real food, like the flax and almond, rather than butter or oils. I’m sure any mix of whole grain gf flours would work, and would suspect wheat flour would work, too.

And just so you’re forewarned, the honey turns the bread a deep yummy brown. Don’t be afraid, though, it didn’t burn.

1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup teff flour
1 rounded tablespoon mesquite flour(optional, or add carob or more almond meal instead)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of fine sea salt
2 overripe bananas
1 rounded tablespoon ground flax
1/3 cup sparkling water
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Line pans with parchment for ease of serving and cleanup. Stir flax into the sparkling water and set aside for a few minutes. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Mash the banana until you’ve got mush. Combine it with the honey, add the flax mix and stir thoroughly. Briefly combine dry ingredients and honey mixture and add in chopped nuts, mix until just combined.

Put into preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 350, then cover with foil and turn down to 325. A mini bundt was done in 30 total, but the small loaves took close to an hour.

This is my submission for Weekly Herb Blogging. It may sound like this wouldn’t fit, because Kalyn’s rules for WHB state unusual fruits or veggies, and bananas are certainly run of the mill! But did you know that bananas are technically herbs, and not fruit? Well, they’re really the fruit of an herb, so that should count.

Our host is Gretchen from Canela & Comino, who has quite a range of global dishes in her recipe section. I must say, I spent far too long looking through the archive!

I got a kick out of the “mood lighting” for the picture of my cauliflower. Of course, I meant to do that! (yeah, right.) Taking pictures is still quite new for me. I’m so in awe of many of you whose photos look like a work of art!

If you’ve read my blog, you know that I have a thing for cauliflower, and that I enjoy trying different things. I saw tamarind pods in the neighborhood Latino grocery store a while ago, and I’ve
been strategizing ways to use it. Somehow I thought they were really sour. I was quite surprised that the tamarind pulp reminded me of dates, and has sweet taste! Tamarinds are actually fruit, which was news to me

This was a very experimental dish, and I didn’t know quite what to expect. The taste is unique and I did enjoy it, though I was quite surprised when I looked up the Glycemic load. Oh well, turmeric root is a good anti inflammatory food, so hopefully it balances. But it is a nice change and both DH and I enjoyed the dish.

I used Thai peppers from my garden, and I was surprised at how mild they were. I don’t know if I just have a mild plant this year. I would probably toss in a few more peppers next time! I didn’t count the number of tamarind pods, and the sizes are so different that it’s hard to give an exact amount.

1 1/2 cups boiling water, divided
enough tamarind pods to fit in 1 cup of water and still stay covered

1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 Tablespoon oil
2-3 Thai red peppers with seeds, chopped
2 teaspoons ground tumeric root
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Florets from 1 large head of cauliflower
pinch of salt

Put tamarind pods in boiling water (as many as will fit in 1 cup water). Let sit for 2-3 hours. Smoosh with a fork and press solids through a strainer (add additional 1/2 cup of hot water to help with the process).

Heat mustard seeds over medium heat for a minute and add oil and chopped Thai pepper. Add in the cauliflower florets and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add spices and salt, mix well to coat.

Simmer, partially covered for 15 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook gently until cauliflower is tender. If there is too much liquid, just turn it up to a rapid boil at the end. Adjust seasonings, serve and enjoy! We had this with papadams and garam masala baked chilcken.

This exploration is my weekly submission to Weekend Herb Blogging. I know tamarinds are familiar territory to many, but to me, it’s totally new! WHB was founded by Kalyn as a fun way to learn more about new foods and enjoy herbs. Our host this week is Srivalli from Cooking 4 all seasons.  She has a bunch of recipes listed that I plan to try soon!

Just a tidbit of news, since it’s making my day: Karina, the GF Goddess is posting low glycemic (low carb) recipes. As a nutritionist who is very into low glycemic foods, and someone who loves to eat, I’m delighted.  Wait, you’re not gluten free?  No worries, good food has no boundaries!  So check out her luscious blog, you’ll be glad you did.

Now on to other tasty topics: ground cherries.  I was reading a seed catalog, which isn’t as boring as it sounds. Hey, I was on a plane and didn’t have much else to do! The description was intriguing: they “have a flavor reminiscent of pineapple”.  How could I resist?  I’d never heard of them before, but hey, that’s never stopped me in the past!

Lo and behold, they’re totally delicious, and probably the happiest member of my garden.  They’re a relative of tomato, but are much sweeter, like a typical fruit.  Like tomatillos, they have a papery peel, which you remove to get the fruit.   Unlike tomatoes,  they grow close to the ground, and they are super low maintenece (i.e. all I do is pick ‘em and they’re happy)

As far as preparation, usually I don’t really do much with them aside from peeling and popping them into my mouth.  I’ve used them in salsa, and in salads as a colorful addition.  I found recipes to make a jam with them, but adding sugar to them seems totally unnecessary.  Besides, I end up eating them so quickly I’d have a hard time getting enough!

I wanted to make sure I was following the WHB rules and give a recipe, so I tried dehydrating a few with a tray of apricots I was drying.  They’re interesting and not as sweet as I expected.  They’re a bit like raisins, but don’t have as full of a flavor.  However, if by some quirk of fate, you’re allergic to grapes (like me), they might make a decent substitute.

As a totally unexpected bonus, they also make an excellent cat toy.  I co-habitate with a large, lazy feline, and he went nuts for one that I dropped on the floor.  Apparently, it makes a great puck.  But the next morning I discovered they’d somehow maneuvered a bunch out of the bowl they were in so the guys would have more toys.  Gotta love it.

This is my entry into Weekend Herb Blogging, as originated by Kalyn’s Kitchen.  This week’s happy hostess is Marija from Palachinka, a fellow Daring Baker who has some seriously drool-worthy pictures on her site.

Mint was the food of the week for Menu Plan Monday, and so I figured it was a good excuse to make this.  This dish is in our standard rotation, sometimes done with chicken pieces and sometimes with chicken breast, and it’s always delicious and easy.  I use chocolate mint from my garden, which doesn’t even taste remotely like chocolate.  False advertising!  The stevia leaves give a subtle sweetness, but don’t worry, they’re not super sweet like powdered stevia.

Mint tends to be a potent tummy soother, and is a good source of fiber. It’s even got a neat story from Greek mythology about its origins. And, of course, if you grow it, you know that it’s very plentiful and a perennial, so I’m always looking for ways to keep up with my plant.

I enjoy this dish because it’s low carb, quick, easy, and using mint is a nice way to add a little variety. The chicken is yummy on a bed of lettuce with cucumbers and tomatoes, and I also like it with apple. We grilled a few ears of corn to go with it as well. And, of course, what I like most is that DH grills it and I can be lazy. For winter months, we just bake it in the oven.

1.5 cups of mint leaves, loosely packed
6 large stevia leaves
several good squeezes of lemon, or a pinch of unbuffered vitamin C powder
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves
1/4 cup oil
2-3 tablespoons water

Either put everything in the blender or chop the mint leaves and combine. Marinate chicken for 2-3 hours (I tend to do all day for chicken pieces). Drain marinade, grill and enjoy!

This is my weekly “Weekend Herb Blogging” submission, founded by Kalyn’s Kitchen. Our host this week is Divya of Dil Se, a yummy blog chock full of East Indian dishes. I’ve bookmarked it and plan to try some!

I made sorrel soup for the first time last year, and told my husband. He started laughing, and said, squirrel soup? Um…not even close!.

Sorrel has a nice tart taste to it, and is supposed to be lovely with fish. Next time! It can be hard to come by, and I was happy to find it at the market.

I know I saw a recipe last year, but don’t remember where, so I decided to just wing it. I left some of the lettuce and veggies un-pureed because I like the texture and hint of crunch, but that’s a a matter of personal preference.

Last time, I thickened with a potato, but those are off limits, so I used a little coconut flour. I’m sure more walnuts or another root veggie like parsnips would work, too.

2 Tablespoons oil
1 cup diced onions
2 big romaine hearts, chopped (divided)
3 cups veg or chicken broth
4 cups or so sorrel
2 Tablespoons coconut flour, or potato flour (NOT starch)
1/2 cup walnuts, soaked overnight if you think of it!
sea salt
fresh mint
white pepper

Saute the onions for 5-6 min until soft with a pinch of salt. Add in 1 1/2 of the romaine hearts and saute a few minutes more. Add broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add sorrel and simmer 5 minutes more. Reserve 1 cup or so of cooked veggies and puree the rest with the (drained) walnuts. Add back reserved veggies and add in the last 1/2 chopped romaine heart. Add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with fresh chopped mint.

Enjoy!

This is my weekly offering for Weekend Herb Blogging, the brainchild of Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. This week’s kind host is Sounding my Barbaric Gulp

~from Cheryl’s kitchen ©2008. Please do not replicate without crediting/permission.

I planned to make a simple peaches and cream ice cream as a fun raw recipe for July Go Ahead, Honey, It’s GF “UNCOOKING” edition, but the fates had something more interesting in mind.

It was a bit of a comedy of errors. My first two recipe attempts–banana macadamia candies– were okay, but underwhelming, and time was running out. So I decided to go for one more attempt, peach ice cream, and as usual, I figured I could could wing it. I used young coconuts for a creamy texture, and blended in a few peaches, but you could barely taste them. Coconut milk is wonderfully creamy, but it takes a strong flavor, like chocolate, mint, berries, etc. to mask it. So I hastily ran out to the Farmer’s market, and pureed some more peaches. You could taste the peach, but still it wasn’t prominent.

Hmmm. So I had a vat of yummy, peach goop, and I needed inspiration. Pecans? Extracts? And then I realized, of course! Crystallized ginger.

The ginger and peach pairing worked really well, with the sweetness balancing the sharpness of the ginger. I would make vanilla ice cream again, and have chunks of peaches, but I wouldn’t do peaches by themselves again. I would try it with pineapple or banana in the future, and will certainly tinker with this recipe again!

You live, you learn. May all my “mistakes” be this yummy!

Makes a batch for a 4 quart ice cream maker

“meat” of 2 young coconuts
4 cups of water (I assume you can sub 2 cans of coconut milk for the coconut and water)
2 tablespoons of raw cashew butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
7 peaches
1 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
vanilla or almond extract, if desired

Puree all ingredients, except ginger, in batches. Stir together in a big bowl. Chill for 1 hour. Add in ginger chunks, and put in ice cream maker and follow instructions.

~from Cheryl’s kitchen ©2008

I’m sneaking under the wire here to share one of my simple cooking favorites. Weekend Herb Blogging rules are changing so that we use exotic veggies and expand our horizons…and cauliflower doesn’t fit the bill!

Cauliflower has a bum rap, no way around it. Some people don’t like it raw or boiled, and so they assume that they don’t like it at all. But roasting gives a totally different dimension to the flavor, and there are so many great spices you can add. I thought I first read about roasted cauliflower with paprika in Joy of Cooking, but I looked back and it’s not there, so I have no idea where I first got the thought, but there are so many other flavors that work as well (or better, I think). I didn’t even offer it to my DH for a while, and then I got him to eat a piece. And gradually over months, he’s stealing all my cauliflower! I’ve had more success getting him to be a cauli-convert than I have with any other veggie.

So you can’t really go wrong as long as you roast. You can do high heat for a shorter time and stir more often, or lower heat, and get busy doing other things. I’ve tried it as low as 350, which takes a long time, and I’ve seen recipes as high as 450. However, the higher temperature you use, the bigger issue of development of acrylamide, a chemical which is cancer causing in high doses. I usually opt for lower and slower because I always have a ton to do and hey, I’m a nutritionist. What do you expect??

You can really get creative for spices, from cumin seeds, to panch phoron, to rosemary, to chili powder, to lemon and dill. Just use sea salt, the texture does matter here.

It’s hard to give an exact recipe, as caulis come in all sizes, and it depends on how much of the stems you use and all of that.

1 cauliflower, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1-3 Tablespoons of oil
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
1 bulb (not clove) of garlic
pepper, to taste

Cumin: add 1.5 teaspoons whole seeds
Panch phoron add 1.5 teaspoons whole seeds and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
Rosemary: add 3 Tablespoons or so fresh rosemary needles or 1 Tablespoon dried
Chili:Add 1 T chili powder
Lemon dill: squeeze juice of one lemon and add 3 Tablespoons fresh dill or 1 T dried. Omit garlic.

Preheat oven to 375-400*. Remove the biggest garlic bulbs from the garlic ‘paper’ but leave the small ones. Chop cauliflower and toss with salt and seasonings. Spread out on a cookie sheet LINED with parchment (you’ll be glad you did.)

Roast until nicely browned around the edges, stirring every 15-20 minutes.

Rediscover cauliflower…isn’t it good?!

*see discussion above

This is my entry to Weekend Herb Blogging, a fabulous way to celebrate the herbs and produce of teh season, and our hostess is Simona from Briciole.

My hardneck garlics had scapes a few weeks ago, and now the soft necks are doing their thing. So it’s the perfect time for garden pesto. The scapes and tops are much milder but still have the garlicky zing that I love.

I’ve used both hazelnuts and brazil nuts depending on my mood, and I must say they’re both yummy. I leave the nuts a little chunky, but you can blend, depending on taste. I like it thick. Not A thick sauce does it give flavor, but it keeps the fish from drying out. You use the pesto on pasta, on quinoa, on veggies, or pesto any thick fish. We used halibut, and the leftover sauce went on broccoli, carrots, and (in the interests of honesty) straight into my mouth.

And, of course, you can eliminate the water and do more oil for a more traditional pesto.  But with water it has a fresher taste about it, you’re not missing out at all on the flavor, and of course, it’s a bit kinder to your waistline, too.

1 cup garlic scapes or tops, pushed down
1 3/4 cups fresh parsley, packed down
2/3 cup brazil nuts or hazelnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
squeeze of lemon (optional)
handful of chopped Kalamatas (optional)
sea salt and pepper

Using a food processor, grind nuts very coarsely. Toast at 300 until starting to brown, about 10-15 minutes. Blend parsley, garlic scapes and olive oil, scraping down the sides as needed. Add water (or broth) and other seasonings if desired. Add in nuts and pulse until it is the desired consistency.

Marvelous on veggies, fish, or anything that needs a little jazzing..

This is my submission for weekend herb blogging, which is hosted by none other than the lovely Kalyn herself from Kayln’s Kitchen!  She is also the originator of WHB, and I’m quite grateful, because it encourages me to post about by garden babies.

I’m a pretty free spirited gardener. So when I plant things, (like onions for example) I don’t label them because I can tell the difference between carrots and onions, right? I also (apparently) tend to forget what I planted from season to season. So when these big plants came up, I thought, great! Garlic. I’ve never seen them so big. Awesome!

Then I went groping around, and realized there was no bulb. I know, where are my manners. And then I thought, oh no! A bed of leeks. I don’t even like leeks that much! And then when I pulled them up, there was a bulb, and they looked just like spring onions at the Farmer’s Market. Here’s a pic.

It’s important to me to find something exciting to do with everything from my garden. And so I tried them creamed, and the results were a little boring. Then I figured, I really can’t go wrong roasting, I think the only veggie I haven’t ever roasted is rhubarb.

And so I did. The results were good, not great. Yet when I cut them open, bulbs looked strangely like garlic…because they were. Hard and soft neck garlic really don’t look much alike, and that really threw me All I have to say is that vampires ran at my approach for a few days.

But I did have spring onions, too, and I roasted them on the second round. They are absolutely, plate-lickingly, sugary sweet and delicious when roasted. Next year, I think I’ll only be planting spring onions.

So the moral of the story is that spring onions are, indeed, yummy when roasted, and time spent labeling is probably a good idea. I figured I’d share these pearls of knowledge with Weekend Herb Blogging, the brainchild of Kalyn’s Kitchen. Our kind host this week is
Joanna, of Joanna’s Food.

Oh…and if you’re a garden lover, please check out my “Cute Fruit” round-up. for what’s growing this week.
Roasted Spring Onions

6-8 spring onions
2-3 tablespoons oil
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Line a rimmed cookie sheet or 9X13 pan with parchment paper. Trim the spring onions, leaving 4 or 5 inches of the green parts if desired. Coat onions with oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 350, turning every 15 minutes or so, until well browned and oozing yummy juices.

Very simple, but very yum.
Enjoy!

It was one of those moments. We were already hungry, and I was hoping to toss some sauce with veggies or pasta and call it dinner…then, the moment of panic creativity.  What do you mean we’re out of tomato sauce?  So it was about getting a full flavored sauce in a short amount of time.

I have more oregano that I know what to do with, and it’s taking over my herb bed, as you can see. Oregano is something I tend to use as one of the supporting players rather than a main flavor. Generally my sauces are heavy on basil, so this was a deviation from standard operating procedure.

I’d like to use oregano more, because it’s quite good for you! It’s antinflammatory, antibacterial, a good source of antioxidants, and has a lot of fiber, too.

And the result? A bold, chunky, satisfying sauce that came together in maybe 20 minutes. DH had the sauce on pasta, we had turkey cutlets poached in the sauce, I had some with steamed broccoli and handful of pine nuts, which was a perfect lunch.  Not bad for minimal effort.

I love Eden brand tomatoes because the ingredients are…organic tomatoes. I didn’t even miss the citric acid, additives and other fillers. Works for me! I used crushed and diced because I wanted a hearty, chunky sauce. If you don’t, adjust accordingly!

You could also use any mild onion or shallots in place of the spring onions, but I currently have an overabundance of spring onions and need ways to use them up.

2 spring onions, (green parts discarded) chopped
1 small garlic bulb, minced (or 3/4 a big bulb)
1 sprig rosemary
1/2 cup of broth or white wine
28 oz of crushed tomatoes
14 oz of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of loosely packed oregano
1/2 cup of Kalamata* olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1-2 Tablespoons agave nectar or sugar, or a pinch of stevia
Basil to sprinkle on top
Salt and pepper to taste
Parm cheese and/or pinenuts, optional but tasty

* for my vinegar avoiding comrades, Trader Joe’s sells vinegar free Kalamatas, or use a brine cured olive for a different, but yummy, flavor.

Brown the spring onions with a pinch of salt and a little oil over med-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, stirring for a minute until golden. Add rosemary leaves from stem. Add broth and deglaze. Allow to reduce for a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes to let flavors meld.

Enjoy!

This is my entry to this week’s edition of Weekend Herb Blogging. WHB is brainchild of Kalyn’s Kitchen. Our kind host this week is Maninas of Maninas: Food Matters. This is my first time visiting her site, and she has some lovely looking East Indian dishes.