Posts Tagged ‘soy free’

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Spiced Forbidden Rice Pudding

Thursday, December 4th, 2008

A rice pudding fit for an empress…

As the story goes, forbidden rice was reserved for the emperor. I’m not sure I can blame him for not wanting to share! If you taste it, you’ll understand. It’s gloriously, indulgently purple, and got a distinctive chew and taste to it.

I’ve made this pudding for years, but rarely, because it took hours to get good and soft. Then it occurred to me that I could just soak it overnight, and get the same consistency in much less time.

Coconut is what makes this a totally indulgent, creamy treat. There’s a lot of debate about coconut, the saturated fat and health, and you can find people on both sides of the issue. If you’re counting calories, you can do it with almond hazelnut nut milk and drizzle with coconut milk at the end, and it tastes almost as good. I’m somewhat tempted to try it with chai tea instead of water and see how that goes.

Also, remember to count the cardamom pods when you put them in so that it’s easier to remove them afterwards! Cardamom gives delightful flavor, but not so much when you bite into it. Trust me.

2 cups coconut milk, hazelnut or almond milk, divided
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup of Chinese black rice (AKA forbidden rice)
1/4-1/3 cup agave nectar (or palm sugar)
8-10 cardamom pods
1 stick cinnamon
chopped crystallized ginger for garnish

Soak 1 cup of rice overnight. Rinse and drain (don’t worry about getting all the water out). Add 1 1/2 cups of water , 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, the agave, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Keep at a low simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 min or so. When it’s a delightfully soft mush, you’re good to go.

Remove spices and serve, drizzling each portion with a tablespoon or so of coconut milk and chopped ginger. Enjoy with a side of mango, pineapple, raspberries, or sorbet.

If you have leftovers, give me a ring! Or freeze it, it does freeze well..

This is my submission to “Go Ahead, Honey, it’s GF”. November’s edition is about foods from childhood, and our lovely host is Noosh of For the love of food. Rice pudding reminds me of my grandpa, although it was nothing like this. However, this pudding is like a big hug to me, and so it seems to fit the theme.

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Posted in dessert | 12 Comments »

Pom Chicken

Sunday, November 30th, 2008

Pomegranates are pretty much perfect.  Heck, they’re a lot of effort to peel, but it makes me appreciate them even more!  They’re very high in antioxidants and vitamin C, and wonderfully delicious.

The only downside to poms is the amount of mess they make and the amount they stain…everything.  We have pomegranate stains on the walls, the floor, some of my sweaters.  You get the idea! Regretfully, DH does not see this as art.  I’m still working on convincing him.

Since I can’t eat citrus, pomegranates are a great way to get a tangy taste.  I used fresh pomegranates, but you can also just use pom juice for this recipe.  I used to juice using a food mill, but realized that a (well sealed) ziplock bag and a rolling pin was easier.  And if you enjoy having poms in the warmer months, the seeds freeze really well!

1 onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons of oil
pinch of salt
2-3 chicken breasts, diced
2/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped or well mashed with a rolling pin
1 tablespoon agave or to taste
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 cup pom kernels, reserved

1 1/2 cups pom juice (about 3 poms, with 1/4 cup reserved and not juiced)

1 cup broth

Simmer the juice and broth gently until it is reduced by half. In skillet, saute onions until translucent and set aside. Brown the chicken in the same pan. Add sauteed onions to the chicken, along with reduced juice mixture, spices and walnuts.

Adjust spices as necessary, serve with broccoli and a starch of your choice.

This is my weekly submission to Weekend Herb Blogging, originated by Kalyn’s Kitchen, and now hosted by Haalo of Cook almost anything at least once

Our host this month is Scott of Real Epicurean.

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Posted in recipe, weekend herb blogging | 6 Comments »

Harvest apple crisp

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to share one my Apple Crisp recipe. It’s always been one of my favorite things to make because they’re so quick, easy and yummy. Crisps are a holiday tradition in my family. It’s very easy to make them gluten free, but I also wanted to make one that was sugar free, because I (and many people I work with!!) feel better when avoiding sugar. It took a few tries to come up with a recipe I’m delighted with.

When I can find them, I love the extra dimension quince adds to the flavor. This peculiar looking fruit is a real treat. The smell is heavenly. I often leave one for a day or two in my car! They are a pain to cut and peel, but the flavor is lovely when cooked slowly. They take a longer time to cook than apples, but if they’re shredded, they cook down easily. If you have a Latino market nearby, these babies are known as “membrillo”

4 apples, pears or a combination, peeled and thinly sliced
1 quince, finely shredded (or 5 apples)
½ cup cranberries
½ cup dried cherries, raisins or cranberries)
¼ cup agave nectar
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot starch

1 ¼ cups almond meal or almond flour, OR 1 ¼ C sorghum flour (increase oil to ½ cup)
¼ cup quinoa flakes or oats
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of cloves (or replace the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves with1 tsp apple pie spice)
½ teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
finely grated zest of an orange (optional)
¼ cup agave nectar
1/3 cup oil

Peel and slice apples thinly, and mix with cranberries, dried fruit, and agave. Mix spices and flour in a separate bowl, then combine with the apples. Pour into a greased 8X8 pan.

Mix dry ingredients thoroughly, then add in wet ingredients until the texture is crumbly. Scatter the topping over the fruit mixture. Put in the oven at 325 and bake for 30 minutes. Cover with foil and bake until the juices get all bubbly (generally, 40 minutes total).

Serve and enjoy!

As an added bonus, both the apple mixture and the topping can be made a day or two ahead and stored in sealed containers in the refrigerator.

If you are on a no amylose diet, use cornstarch, almond meal or flour, and quinoa flakes.

This seasonal treat is my submission to Weekend Herb Blogging, as originated by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen, though Haalo of Cook (almost) Everything at least once is our new WHB master. Siri of Siri’s Corner is this week’s fabulous host. Check out her site for a great range of global recipes!

~from Cheryl’s kitchen ©2008

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Posted in baked goods, dessert, recipe | 9 Comments »

Pear Skillet Bread

Sunday, November 16th, 2008

Sometimes I get something in my head and I’m not letting it go until I get what I want! This recipe is a perfect example. I love my Nana Skillet Bread, but bananas don’t agree with me…and I can’t have grains. But I believed I could make it work with pears and was absolutely determined! Darn thing wasn’t going to get the best of me. Most of the “failed” batches were delicious, but they were a pile of crumbs, so I was always “forced” to eat them. Quite a hardship! I generally make things in season, and started working on this at the beginning of pear season, and didn’t figure out how to make it work until a week ago. I have a stash of frozen pears, and methinks this is where they’re headed.

It’s not quite a bread, and not quite a cake. It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch or a snack, and it’s quite healthy, too! If you don’t have a skillet, you can do it in an 9 inch round, but the crust won’t brown as nicely. Lining the skillet with parchment is essential if you’re using a skillet, or it will totally get stuck. Salba or chia is a must, and flax won’t work. You’ll get a pile of crumbs. Tasty crumbs. Trust me. For more info on Salba, I have a two articles here. If you don’t have mesquite, add more almond flour instead, and add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and more spices.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup quinoa flour
¼ cup mesquite flour
1Tablespoons +1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup pecans or walnuts (optional)
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
pinch of salt

Wet:
1 1/4 cups very ripe pears
1 tablespoon ground chia (Salba) seeds
2/3 cup agave (a little less)
3T oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon maple extract
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Line the bottom of a 10 inch cast iron skillet with parchment paper, then grease the paper and sides of the pan. Preheat oven to 350 and put skillet in the hot oven 10 minutes before adding the batter.

Thoroughly mix dry ingredients together. Dump wet ingredients in a blender. Let it roll until well blended. In my vitamix, that takes less than a minute. I would assume an ordinary blender would take a few minutes. Add wet to dry mix until well everything is combined, then stir in the nuts.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until top turns a beautiful golden brown. Almond flour browns a lot so don’t be surprised if it’s darker than you expect. Cool on a drying rack 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Top with sauteed apples if desired.

Yum.

~from Cheryl’s kitchen ©2008

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Posted in baked goods, bread, recipe | 5 Comments »

Red Pepper Soup

Saturday, November 8th, 2008

I love red peppers. And yellow peppers. And orange peppers. I guess I really mean all sweet peppers! Raw, roasted, sauteed…you really can’t go wrong. I eat a ridiculous quantity of roasted peppers in the summer and fall months. As it gets colder, I turn more toward red pepper soup and sauce.

This is one of those “un-recipe” recipes. Every time I’ve done it it’s been great, and each time is slightly different, depending on what I have on hand and my mood. You can use different nuts. I like brazil nuts and almonds, too. When I have some, I add in a clove or two of roasted garlic, and it works well. I try to put aside some of my herb-y roasted peppers (if I can manage not to eat them all!!), but canned marinated peppers work, too.

The soup is creamy and satisfying and best of all it’s quick and easy to make!

1 cup roasted peppers
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup broth
a squirt or two of agave
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder (if your peppers are not already marinated or seasoned)
pinch of sea salt
black pepper, to taste
pinch cayenne
sprig of thyme

Put everything except thyme in a blender and blend until smooth (this may take a while!). You’ll have a great soup ready in just a few minutes. Warm over gentle heat, sprinkle with fresh thyme and enjoy.

This is my weekly submission to Weekend Herb Blogging, which has passed from Kalyn’s Kitchen to Haalo ofCook Almost Anything At least Once (words to live by!) This week’s hostess is Wiffy of Noob Cook

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Posted in recipe, side dish, soup, vegetables, weekend herb blogging | 13 Comments »

Pecan Pie: A flash from the past II

Friday, October 31st, 2008

Growing up, pecan pie was my favorite food.  When I eventually found my way into the kitchen, it was no surprise that perfecting pecan pie was my first project.  To me, they’re so perfect that it’s impossible to describe the decadent, golden, melting, perfection.  *drool* When I was a grad student in California and my boyfriend (now husband) was in New York, I mailed him (what else?) a pecan pie for our first anniversary.  BTW, they do ship well!

Life changes as it always does, and most of the ingredients are now off-limits for me.   I adapt most things, but some things are too perfect to mess with.  I love to bake, and to feed the people I care about.  And when the pie comes out of the oven, I take a whiff,and it takes me way back to all of the pecan pies I’ve shared with family and friends over the years. It’s an instant time capsule.

I must admit, I make fewer pecan pies than I used to.  When I heard about the Better Batter pie contest, I figured it was time to send this recipe out into the world for wider enjoyment.  Even better, the recipe is super simple! You can use your favorite GF crust, and I’ve included my GF crust recipe of choice below. I do it in the food processor to keep it simple. It literally takes less than 10 minutes, and your friends will be so impressed!

THE Pecan pie: a step by step guide to utter lusciousness

3 eggs
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla (regular works, too)
1 1/4 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup bittersweet or semisweet chips

Preheat the oven to 350

1. Lightly beat the eggs.

2. Melt butter in a glass (microwave safe) measuring cup. This can be done by microwaving for 30 seconds or on the stovetop. Swirl butter around cup and add to the beaten eggs.

3. Add 1 1/4 cups corn syrup to the measuring cup. The leftover butter will help it slide right out!

4. Add in sugars and extract, mix well to combine.

5. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.


6. Pour into prepared fresh or frozen pie crust.

7. Use pie shields or make the out of aluminum foil. Essentially, you just want to crimp the foil around the exposed crust.

8. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover pie loosely with foil. Bake for a total of 60 minutes or until the
top springs back slightly when gently nudged. If your crust doesn’t brown enough, remove the covers.

9. Serve and accept complements!  It will serve about 10, however, when my husband is around that number is greatly reduced.

Crust:

1 1/4  cups Better Batter flour
1 Tablespoon sweet rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted cold butter
4-5 tablespoons of cold water, milk or orange juice


Put flours and salt into the food processor. Cut the butter into cubes and add in. Pulse in short bursts until the mix has a sandy consistency with a few chunks the size of lentils.

Move the mixture to a bowl and stir in the liquid a tablespoon at a time, just until the dough forms a cohesive ball. Put the ball between two pieces of wax or parchment paper and roll out as flat as you can.

Peel off the top layer of paper and flip the dough over onto a pie plate. Press down into place and arrange the crust so it looks pretty. The dough is easy to work with and you can patch it easily if it rips.

Best of all, this dough keeps well in the refrigerator or freezer.

This is my submission to the Better Batter Pie Contest.  I heard about Better Batter a few years ago on the Sillly Yaks list from Naomi.  I was intrigued by all of the rave reviews!  I do like playing with whole grain flours for much of my baking, but this works really well for my old pre-GF recipes that I don’t have the time or patience to reinvent.   It does work amazingly well as an easy 1:1 flour substitute.


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Posted in baked goods, contest, dessert, recipe | 7 Comments »

Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Our fabulous host for this months’ Daring Baker challenge is Rosa of Rosa’s Yummy Yums. Our recipe this month is pizza! I was quite excited. I hadn’t had pizza in a LONG time, maybe 4 years or so, so I figured I was due. I was also determined to do a way that would work for me, and also a way that was semi-faithful to the recipe we were given. I’ve been SO busy lately, since we hosted a big pumpkin carving party last weekend, that this almost didn’t happen. My head GF taster was busy, and it seemed silly to cook a GF pizza for my glutenous DH. But I discovered that another friend has gone GF and was craving pizza, so the dishes are still in the sink as I type away, and this is just under the wire.

The great news is that the pizza challenge (as written) was quite successful! DH and Natalie pretty much inhaled the first one, and the second one vanished as well. Both gave glowing reviews, and DH is picky, so I know I can trust him. I even changed the flours to make it amylose free so I can share it with people that I work with, so I was very glad. It was very simple to make. Since I no longer have a baking stone, I opted to use the back of a cast iron skillet. It’s not the most graceful way to get the job done, but especially if you give it time to heat up, it does help the crust get nice and crispy. You could even pick up a piece and eat it like pizza!

My Cheryl-friendly pizza wasn’t so successful. I made a few attempts at a grain free, vegan and yeast free pizza for me. One was a socca pizza (YUM!) but it got overly soggy. I did, however, eagerly devour every crumb. The other was a vegan/grain free/yeast free foccacia-ish bread I was working on. It looked beautiful, and tasted awful. I finally realized I’d forgotten the lemon juice and the baking soda taste was quite prominent. Whoops! I will surely experiment with both in the future, though.

I did a half batch and used it for 2 pizzas instead of 3 as we were advised. The flour combo I used was 1/2 cup almond, 1/2 cup corn flour, 1/4 cup chestnut, 1/4 cup amaranth flour, 1/4 cup quinoa flour, and 1/2 cup corn starch.
I added herbs and minced onion to the crust, but aside from that, I followed the instructions as given.

What a nice treat to do something different! To see more, lovely pizza creations, check out my fellow Daring Bakers.

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Posted in baked goods, daring bakers, main meal | 14 Comments »

Pumpkin seed brittle–A flash from the past

Sunday, October 26th, 2008

Every year, we host a pumpkin carving party. And every year I hunt down recipes and plan and scheme. The last few years have been more challenging, and I do my best to make sure that everyone has something, except gluten, of course. So everything is GF, but some are dairy, soy, egg, corn, grain, sugar free and vegan. And of course, there are a few things that avoid all of those so I can eat, too! But this year someone has a nut allergy and someone who avoids chocolate. Ah, a wrinkle in the matrix. I use a LOT of nuts to compensate for…let’s see, everything else. So it was time to get creative, and revamp a recipe from way back that is now top 8 free. I’d never heard otf pumpkin seed brittle, but it sounded like fun, and a lot of people enjoyed it.

I spent so many years mastering different recipes that are now hugely different than the way I eat. However, I still do make them from time to time and feel like I should pass on the accumulated knowledge! So this is the first of two “Flash from the Past” posts, and then we’ll be back to our normally healthy-ish endeavors.

Making nut (or seed) brittle is fun once you figure out the secret. I have absolutely no patience for sitting there wetting a pastry brush and stirring. But you can just put it in the microwave and poof! All done. But if it goes too long, you have burnt goop, so it’s important to be vigilant for the last minute or so, and once the mix is done, you have a very small window of opportunity. That’s also why I don’t have a picture of the perfect color you’re looking for. I didn’t have enough hands!

Pumpkin seeds AKA pepitas are a great, seasonal treat! Despite the fact that this is a complete sugar bomb, pumpkin seeds themselves are quite healthy. They’re good sources of magnesium, manganese and phosphorus, and portable sources of fiber rich protein.

This recipe does not work when doubled. Trust me on that one!

1 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup water

1/3-1/2 cup roasted and salted hulled pumpkin seeds
splash of vanilla extract, optional

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and then grease well with oil.
Place sugar and water in a medium sized glass microwave safe bowl. Put on high for 5 1/2 minutes. It often ranges between 5 and 6. Start peeking at 5 minutes. You should be able to tell without stopping it. The key is looking for a medium amber color. Too light and you have sugar crystals in your brittle, too dark and it’s burnt.

Remove from microwave with gloves, toss in seeds and extract, stir and quickly pour out on to the prepared cookie sheet. Let it sit until dry, break into pieces and peel off paper.

This ode to pumpkin seeds is my weekly submission to Weekend Herb blogging, the “baby” of Kalyn’s Kitchen. Our host this week is Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska. She’s got a great picture of her garden up, so check it out!

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Posted in dessert, recipe | 8 Comments »

Pesto time!

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

As always, I leave things to the last minute, and this is pretty much the last hurrah for my basil.   I’m just lucky that the weather has cooperated and that my basil is still around!  I love pesto, and it’s just so easy to do.  It’s even better because the basil and garlic are from my garden (the garlic was harvested and roasted months ago).

And, as an added bonus, pesto is part of my sneaky agenda to add vegan meals to the menu without DH noticing.  Pesto is so hearty and filling, especially with a great protein like quinoa, and I think it somehow escaped his attention.  Whenever he notices, he feels the need to compensate by eating a big bowl of ice cream…which entirely defeats the purpose.  He says it’s not intentional, but I don’t buy it.  We had a deal when we married.  I wasn’t moving to Rochester, and he wasn’t going vegetarian.  So far, we’re living in Virginia, and still have a mixed diet.  But that doesn’t stop me from trying to push the envelope.  Ah, the things we do for love…

But onto the pesto!

I make a bunch at a time and freeze it so I can enjoy in the winter. I tend to make a pretty dry paste to freeze, and then just thin out with more olive oil as needed when I’m ready to use it. And there are so many ways to use it! Stir it into quinoa, as above, or use it as a pizza topping. Use it as a dip, pesto your fish….you’re only limited by your imagination!

You may also notice that there’s no cheese in this recipe, since I’m allergic to dairy. You can certainly add in some parm, but between the pine nuts and walnuts, there’s a delightful creaminess and I never miss it.

3 cups packed fresh basil, washed at the last minute
4 cloves roasted garlic (optional)
1 clove raw garlic
1/2 cup olive oil*
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts and walnuts
Big pinch sea salt
good squirt of lemon
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives (optional)

*more as needed or desired

Toast pine nuts and walnuts over medium heat in a dry skillet, shaking to prevent burning. Set aside.
Process basil, garlic and oil until smooth-ish. Add in salt, nuts and lemon and pulse. I like to leave chunks, but that’s a matter of personal taste!

Since I’ve been missing the “Grow your own” deadlines for a while, I’m reversing the trend and submitting early! The host for this round is Andrea, of Andrea’s Kitchen, who also was the founder of this event.

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Posted in main meal, recipe, weekend herb blogging | 9 Comments »

Parchment Tilapia, lazy style

Saturday, October 4th, 2008

The criteria for a good weeknight recipe are: yummy, easy, quick, and main meal and veggie all in one.  This tilapia is all of the above!  I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for a long time.  It’s an old standby, perfect for when I’m not going to be home and I can just put everything together quickly and have DH pop it in the oven.  It also makes good use of the lemongrass from my garden, and is perfect for green peppers that just are too harsh tasting to have raw.  I freeze some of the long lemongrass stalks to make this recipe in the winter months.

Lemongrass is used as an herb, but it’s actually a grass. Usually, it’s not eaten and just added for flavor, but if you have tiny pieces in a dish, it’s certainly edible. It’s commonly used in Thai and other East Asian dishes. If you have a cat and intend to grow lemongrass, beware. Not only will they devour the whole darn plant, but then they will regift you with the lemongrass, pre-chewed. Do not ask how I know this.

From a nutritional perspective, tilapia is a wonderful source of omega 3 fatty acids, and garlic and ginger are both fabulous anti-inflammatory herbs.  They also freeze really well, and I chop them when I have the time, and then thaw mini cubes of chopped ginger and garlic when needed.

I used to make fish wrapped in foil, and it takes a heck of a long time to wrap them individually in tilapia and then re-wrap in foil.  There’s a simple solution, though: make one big foil envelope, and save the trouble!

4 tilapia fillets
5 bell peppers, sliced in rounds
2 Thai peppers, minced
1 inch of fresh ginger, minced
6-7 cloves of garlic, minced

2-3 chopped green onions
4-foot long green outer leaves of lemongrass, finely minced (I’m sure you can use dried, but I never have)
2 Tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, OR a splash of soy sauce
1.5 tablespoons maple syrup, or 3-4 Tablespoons fruit juice, or a pinch of stevia
sesame seeds (optional)

Line a 9X13 pan with foil, and then also line with parchment paper, if desired.  Put tilapia in the dish.  Combine ginger, garlic, chopped lemongrass, salt, oil and sweetener, stir to combine.  Pour over fish, sprinkle peppers on top.  Cover pan tightly with a second piece of foil and crimp the edges.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until done. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, serve and enjoy.

I’m serving up this tilapia as an ode to lemongrass for this week’s edition of Weekend Herb Blogging, the brainchild of Kalyn’s Kitchen. Our hostess this week is Valentina of Trembom, English Version

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Posted in main meal | 10 Comments »

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