Menu Plan Monday Dec 15th

Posted on December 14, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

I love this week’s theme: nuts and seeds! Honestly, I eat a jinormous quantity of both and can’t imagine life without them. Nutritious, full of fiber, portable, easy…very few days go by without me eating nuts! And almost all of my recipes have them, because I’m such a big fan. So a big thanks to In My Box for hosting this week’s menu plan.

This week is much like week’s past–trying to balance all of the holiday excitement with the need for sleep! I’ve decided to do much less baking this year and I’m very glad. However, I’m still making rugelach, a chocolate orange cake, the Daring baker challenge (I almost hyperventilated when I read it), chocolate covered pomegranate seeds, peppermint meringues and fruit and nut bars. I guess I’m not taking it that easy.

Many of the nights we’ll be out, so I have little time to cook and so meals will be pretty simple:

Monday:
Nightshade skillet meal with broccoli

Tuesday:
Beef curry or beef in a Thai coconut sauce

Weds:
Roasted Tomato soup with caramelized onion (from my freezer) and an avocado

Thursday:
Leftovers

Friday:
Baked salmon and asparagus

To celebrate our weekly theme, I’ll be making a gingerbread out of almond flour…mmmm…..

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Mini Menu Plan and Holiday Tips

Posted on December 7, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

Genghis and Houdini have the right idea, and I’m motivated to take a nap along with them.

It has been one of those weeks.  One of those months?  You get the idea.  I’ve put together a gob of good holiday info, including a newsletter with holiday hints, cookie recipes from last year’s GF cookie exchange and a list of naturally GF desserts.

However, more has been happening on my computer than in my kitchen.  I did post a recipe for Spiced Forbidden Black Rice pudding, which totally rocks (IMHO), but aside from that, not much happening!

This upcoming week will likely be more of the same, but I am working on perfecting artisanal style GF/dairy free/grain free rolls.  I love the smell…and once they’re perfect, or as close as I can get ’em, you’ll here more.

Manda, our lovely host for this week, has selected “bitter” as our weekly flavor.  She gets points for creativity! I’ve got that covered pretty easily.  I actually love eating baking chocolate.  Plain.  That’s about as bitter as it gets, and hopefully will throw in a chicken dish with rosemary and olives, too.

Monday:

Curried Turkey with roasted cauliflower

Tuesday:
Quinoa TBD

Wednesday:
Chicken mole in a crockpot…we’ll see how that goes.

Thursday:
Steak and peppers

Friday:
Lazy day Tilapia with steamed peppers

Baked good:
Rolls
Almond spice cookies

Posted in cat pictures, menu plan | 10 Comments

Spiced Forbidden Rice Pudding

Posted on December 4, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

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 preferred sweetener: sugar or maple for low FODMAP, or 10 vanilla stevia drops
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 sweetener, 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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Menu plan Monday Dec 1st

Posted on November 30, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

I have been a bit of a slacker in the kitchen lately. I wasn’t feeling well, but hopefully I’ll be easing my way back into the kitchen this week. I can’t believe that it’s December already, and I feel spoiled that I was able to spent a few hours out in my garden this weekend cleaning things up!

My camera is broken. Believe it or not, that’s what happens when you drop them. Actually, please believe it, you don’t really need to try it and see for yourself. It still kind of works, but just sort of. When you turn the camera off, it takes a picture, which is how I got the picture above. Somehow borrowing my husband’s is a bit that’s a bit of a hard sell–for some reason, he doesn’t want me to drop his, too. Hopefully Hanukkah Harry will bring me a new camera, preferably an inexpensive one that bounces. =)

This week’s food is persimmons. I used to eat them a lot as a child, but haven’t had any in years, so I certainly appreciate Sarah’s pick. Regretfully, the one I have doesn’t look so great, but it was the best I could find, so fingers crossed!

Monday:
Vegan
Garlick-y quinoa with broccoli

Tuesday:
Quick and easy:
Trout with almonds and roasted peppers

Wednesday:
Pom Chicken with broccoli

Thursday:
Leftovers

Friday:
Beef in a coconut curry sauce
Roasted cauliflower and papadams

Tasty treats:
hazelnut/agave caramels

Posted in menu plan | 8 Comments

Pom Chicken

Posted on November 30, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

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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Thanksgiving…

Posted on November 28, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

I’m a little late for Thanksgiving, but it’s always a good time to give thanks.

I have so much to be thankful for this year:

~a wonderful husband

~ two beautiful cats

~our very own house, complete with a garden

~an abundance of food to keep me full and cooking projects to keep me entertained

~promise for a joyous future

~dear friends whom are near and far, and e-buddies, too 😎

~a fabulous job (two, actually)

~ a heart full of hope.

I was struck by the picture above, taken by the multi talented Sally because my first thought was that any second, the sun would shine through the clouds, and that’s a great metaphor for life.  Sally’s having a contest and giving away one of her amazing photos, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

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Harvest apple crisp

Posted on November 23, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

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 ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground 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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Menu plan Monday Nov 17th

Posted on November 17, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

The leaves here are incredible, and the weather is alternating between unseasonably warm and windy and chilly. I always feel like I want to get outside and savor the last drops of warmth and sunshine before they slip away. I’m such a warm weather and sunshine person that it’s a challenge to see the fall slip away! Especially when it means saying goodbye to my garden.

But it’s also a good time to get in the kitchen and cook up a bunch of soups and stews. I haven’t done that much yet, but I’m sure I will. This week’s veg, Swede (AKA rutabega) is a good one for soups and stews, but is out of my diet for at least the next 4 months. So it won’t be in my meal plan, but do check out Lilac Kitchen for recipes and inspiration. The one in the picture above is from a food art mini project that a wonderful friend shot for me for my nutrition practice.

Monday:
Pom Chicken (recipe to follow) with steamed broccoli

Tuesday:
Parchment tilapia with peppers and ginger spiced kale chips

Weds:
Quinoa TBD

Thursday
Turkey leftovers (defrosted) and celery in a chestnut sauce

Friday:
Steak and peppers

Baked goods:
Cornbread (for stuffing).
Sugar free meringues
Both are gifts for others…I may make something fun for me, too.

From the garden:
Raspberries-they’re so cute, I have to make mittens for them to keep them from freezing
herbs
Celery

From the Farmer’s market
Kale
Onions
Cauliflower
Apples

Posted in menu plan | 9 Comments

Pear Skillet Bread

Posted on November 16, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

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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Menu Plan Monday November 10th

Posted on November 9, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

This week’s fruit is one of my absolute favorites: Pomegranate! I had one for the first time in my twenties and I was totally hooked. I’m a spring and summer kind of gal, and not a big winter fan. Pomegranates give me something to look forward to in the winter months, and when they disappear from the market, spring is around the corner so it’s all good.

Generally, I have pomegranates just as is, but I also sometimes cook down the juice with some agave to make pomegranate molasses. I plan to make a pomegranate/walnut/chicken dish that I made last year. I don’t remember the details, but figure I’ll wing it. And I can’t wait to see what everyone else decides to do with this fabulous fruit!

Last week was a good one in my kitchen. My pear skillet bread/cake turned out most deliciously (I’ll post later this week, I think) and I also made Ricki’s GF macaroons, which are from her upcoming cookbook. I did my last batch of campaign cooking, with a quinoa/black bean salad. I posted a recipe for Red Pepper Soup, which is great on a chilly day–although I have to say, we’ve had very few of those so far.

Here’s a plate of love for my sweetie (masquerading as fruit, but don’t be fooled)

I ate Brussels sprouts for the first time last week. I liked them, my tummy didn’t. They were interesting, though, and I’m glad I gave it a shot!
Monday:
Chicken breasts poached in a pomegranate sauce with walnuts
Broccoli/carrots

Tuesday:
Vegan
Southwestern Quinoa Salad with avocado

Wednesday:
Parchment Tilapia, Lazy Style with red peppers. Can you believe they still have some at the Farmer’s Market? I can’t believe they’re not frozen!

Thursday:
Roast chicken with a Chinese 5 spice rub and broccoli with sauteed garlic

Friday:
Turkey cutlets with artichoke in a lemony sauce

Treats of the week:
I plan to make pumpkin pie for a friend’s birthday
Caramel-y almond cookies

From my garden:

Raspberries
Garlic shoots
Thyme
Oregano
Carrots/carrot tops

From the market:
Cauliflower
garlic
kale
apples
pears
peppers

And what about everyone else?

Ginger of Fresh Ginger has a great week planned!

Pom Cosmos sound like a great way to get antioxidants. Her brussel sprout plants didn’t really sprout, but I give her credit for trying! and I totally hear her comment on getting behind on posts, it’s so easy to do when there’s always so much that comes up.

Sea of Book of yum has a great international week of munchies planned. I especially want to hear more about her Spinach Chickpea Curry! She recently posted a recipe for acorn muffins that have me intrigued. Maybe I’ll go out and steal from all the neighborhood squirrels.

Manda’s having a hard time with tummy pain, but has still pulled together a great menu with quinoa-pom-pistachio salad and banana ketchup (not together!!!). Feel better, Manda!

Angela has a big week and GF cooking classes, so let’s wish her best of luck! She also has a GF Free-zer event going on Friday, and I’ll have to check back in to see what yummy things she has in store for us.

Kim is feeling much better after her surgery and getting back into the swing of things with a great menu and she’s even looking forward to making some make and freeze ahead items for Christmas baking.

Sarah joins us with her ode to soup since she just had her wisdom teeth out. Ouch!

Posted in menu plan | 16 Comments