Thai-ish Red Curry Paste

Posted on August 27, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

Sometimes I choose my menus, sometimes they choose me.  I meant to make red curry paste with my lovely Thai red peppers (shown here while still green!) but kept putting it off.  Then I happened upon galangal at Wegman’s, and it was a done deal.  Ginger is good in a pinch, but galangal is the real deal, and it’s hard to come by around here.

The recipe is an amalgamation of a bunch of recipes, with more than a few twists to accommodate my inherent desire for maximum taste with minimum work.  I didn’t want to bother seeding peppers, so I made up for it by adding in a mild pepper.  I used garlic scapes (frozen from my garden a few months ago) in the recipe because I couldn’t find shallots that looked good and was out of garlic.

The taste was quite delightful, and we had a lovely dish with coconut milk, the paste, of course, and stir fried veggies.  This recipe makes a lot of paste, so I’ve got a bunch in my freezer in ice cube trays to last me much of the winter!

I saw Kalyn’s Entry for “Grow your own” and I knew I had to participate. Especially since our host, Andrea of Andrea’s recipes is actually a neighbor of sorts. I love my garden, and always welcome the chance to show off my goodies. And besides, doesn’t it just taste better if you grow it? So the lemongrass, Thai peppers, garlic scapes and mild peppers are from my very own garden.

20 fresh red Thai peppers (2-3 inch long)
1 heaping Tablespoon of coriander seeds, toasted
2 big fresh lemongrass stalks, 1 or 2 outer leaves discarded
1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
4 teaspoons galangal
8 fresh or frozen Kaffir lime leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro roots or stems
1 mild or small bell pepper
1/2 cup garlic scapes
5 serrano peppers
2 anchovies* (more traditional is fish sauce or shrimp paste, but due to allergies, those don’t work for me) OR vegan fish sauce OR extra salt and a little soy sauce
1/3 cup of water, or as much as it takes to run the blender.

Toast the coriander seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes.  Put all ingredients in a Vitamix and blend for 2 minutes or until smooth.

If you don’t have a vitamix, regretfully, there’s a lot of chopping, pounding, and grinding in your future.  Pretty much you have to chop everything finely, then toss into a food processor.

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Menu Plan Monday August 25th

Posted on August 24, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

This is huge for me.  I loathed eggplant as a kid.  My family loved it, and as any of you who have kids (or have been a kid) know, the more someone pushes you to eat something, the more you detest it.   Eggplant and okra were the only veggies that I refused to eat because of taste.  However, our fine host for MPM this week, Fresh Ginger, has chosen eggplant as the ingredient of the week.  I felt like this was a good opportunity to reevaluate my (lack of) relationship with eggplant.  I’ll keep you posted.

BTW, I’m also giving away some fun stuff (Larabars, Salba, cookies, etc)

Monday:
Out for a belated celebration of DH’s 30th B-day.  Here’s a picture of his birthday chocolate cashew mini-tart (gluten free, of course).  He’s eating it as I type and hasn’t paused yet.  I assume that means it’s good. 😎

Tuesday:
Millet-thyme crusted turkey cutlets (didn’t get to them last week!)
roasted eggplant with thyme

Weds:
Vegan
Tomato soup with caramelized onions and cashew cream (will post later this week for this edition of GAHIGF), focusing on seasonal veggies

Thursday:
Grillin’
Salmon and roasted marinated peppers

Friday:
East indian
Beef curry, papadams and caramelized cabbage with chaat masala

Baked good of the week:

Caramel-y quinoa cookies
Rosemary cake (maybe)

From my garden:

Peppers!
tomatoes
basil
ground cherries
thyme
oregano
rosemary

From the market:

cabbage
eggplant
arugula
onions
more tomatoes

Posted in menu plan | 3 Comments

Bliss Dip

Posted on August 23, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

I was at my meditation class, trying to empty my mind, but all I could think of was Cashew Macadamia butter. If you’ve had it, you’ll understand why. Cashew macadamia butter is one of the most indulgently blissful things on the planet. So I promised myself I’d whip this together when I got home so that I could get back to concentrating on…well, not concentrating on anything.

This dip is fabulous to eat by the spoonful, as a frosting, on fruit, a sandwich, whatever! It’s a bit like a blond nutella.  I added a bit of agave because my banana was just barely ripe and I was impatient. If you’ve got a ripe banana, it’s probably not necessary.

This is my submission to the PB Boy’s Great Peanut Butter Exhibition #4–No Bake. You’ll notice that there’s no PB involved, since I am allergic, but “cousin” nut butters are allowed. I bet PB would work, though.

1/2 cup roasted Cashew Macadamia butter
1 ripe banana
2 Tablespoons agave, or to taste
1 Tablespoon cacao nibs

Either combine all ingredients thoroughly by hand, or do it the lazy way. Put the first 3 in a food processor, and let it do all the work.  Then add in cocoa nibs and enjoy!

 

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GF and allergen friendly treats giveaway

Posted on August 23, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

I love Larabars. They’re simple, delicious, wholesome and yummy. So when a box of new flavors of Larabars showed up on my doorstep, I was delighted, then frustrated. The good news: they look luscious. The bad news: my body doesn’t seem to like dates anymore. But that’s actually good news for you! I’m giving away these new Larabars to a lucky reader.  There are 3 of each:

  • PB cookie
  • Chocolate cherry
  • Chocolate hazelnut
  • Coconut cream pie

They are, of course, gluten, dairy, egg, corn, soy and sugar free, and vegan to boot. Also included: a bottle of Salba (one of my favorite things to bake with!)  I recently won a recipe contest they hosted and got a case of the big bottles (at the rate I’m going, that’ll keep me a good 4 or 5 years), so I’m happy to share.  I need to post the recipe soon, too.  There are also  2 bags of GF/CF cookies.

Leave me a comment, and I’ll find some random way to pick a winner by Sept 15th.  Because of shipping costs, I’m limiting entrants to US and Canada.

This seemed like a good way to celebrate my new web “home”!  I’ve moved to www.gfgoodness.com and now have RSS or email feeds set up.  The irony of having a “GF and healthy” website where I’m posting decadent chocolate hazelnut cakes didn’t escape me.  Granted, I still do my very best to use whole foods, natural sweeteners, and more wholesome versions of everything.

Yum.

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Tamarind Spiced Cauliflower

Posted on August 20, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

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!





							

	
			

									
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Menu Plan Monday, August 18th


			

				Posted on August 17, 2008 by Cheryl Harris			


					

				


Really, I’m in awe of my garden.  It starts so small and by August I have a jungle overrunning the bounds of the garden plot!  I still am learning about proper care, and much of the bounty is due to the nice rainy summer we’ve had.  At this point, I’m growing tomatoes, peppers, artichokes, watermelon, ground cherries, celery and a gob of herbs and a few berries. But isn’t it just lovely to see something go from a seed to something luscious you can eat?


DH is heading out of town part of the week, which frees me to play a bit more.  I go through periods where I need more protein, and others where it doesn’t seem to matter. Lately, I’ve felt great when eating vegan, so I’m leaning that way when possible while balancing family harmony and time.


This week’s menu swap is hosted by Mary Francis of GF Cooking School.  Thanks for hosting!


Monday:

Vegan:

 My favorite arugala salad (I will probably post the recipe sooner or later!)

 Oven roasted tomatoes

 


Tuesday:

Vegan

 Kalyn’s Summertime the Tomato salad (minus the tuna)

 


Wednesday:

Quick and easy

 Millet crusted turkey cutlets with thyme, steamed artichokes in a lemony sauce


Thursday:

 Freezer diving (vegan):

 African Inspired Almond Collard stew

 


Friday:

Grillin’

 Buffalo burgers with marinated peppers from my garden!

 


Saturday:

Vegan/batch cooking

 Tomato soup with caramelized onions


Baked good:  this month’s Daring Baker challenge
and I also just finished making

 David Lebovitz’ Chocolate Idiot cake with Valrona shavings (GF, but NOT dairy or egg free…birthday cake for a friend)


I’m also working on GF, vegan, yeast free, sugar free hamburger buns/rolls. They’re getting better, but are not ready for prime time yet…




Garden harvest:


From my garden:

 Red and green peppers

 ground cherries

 tomatoes

 thyme

 rosemary

 oregano

 


From the market:


plums

 peaches

 apples

 arugala

 corn (for DH)





							

	
			

									
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Adopt a GF Blogger Roundup-July


			

				Posted on August 16, 2008 by Cheryl Harris			


					

				
I’ve taken time out of my grueling Olympic-watching schedule to pull the round up together.  It’s been fun, and thanks for participating!  Several new GF bloggers have joined in, like Anna and Hannah. Welcome!


On to the adoptees:


Mary Francis hopped in early with Egg Rolls (gluten free, of course), courtesy of Kate at Gluten Free Gobsmacked.  Even though she improvised, due to accidentally doubling the liquids, they came out perfectly.  You had me at flaky dough!


Hannah, of Hannah’s Harvest, is treating her pregant sweet tooth to yummy Oatmeal Date Chocolate Cookies from Mrs. Gf’s Blog.  The picture has me drooling!







Anna, with her new blog Gluten Free Anna, made Mary Frances’ GF Pizza. Despite having to make a last minute run for more cheese, her pizza turned out beautifully.




I adopted Ricki, of Diet, Dessert and Dogs, and went for a double header adoption and adaption.  I adopted her Spicy Cauliflower soup (yum!!!) and adapted her Maple Cookies (even yummier!). Both got rave reviews.  I even made the soup twice, due to a camera glitch.








 











Kimberly of Living Free, made Sally’s Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.  She loved the fact that they were so easy and they disappeared quickly at her house!


Last, but certainly not least, Thomas adapted Lauren of Celiac Teen, because he’s inspired by her outlook and fashion sense!  He made her zucchini bread.  He made it dairy free, too.  Doesn’t it look lovely?




So that’s all for this month!  Check in with Seamaiden from Book of Yum for next month’s adoption details, and I hope you had as much fun as I did!


							

	
			

									
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Ground Cherries


			

				Posted on August 14, 2008 by Cheryl Harris			


					

				


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.


							

	
			

									
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Menu Un-Plan Monday and a GF News roundup


			

				Posted on August 10, 2008 by Cheryl Harris			


					

				


Cat says: Lizard watching is better than the Olympics.  To each his own…


This week is hosted by Wheatstate Celiac and the food is tofu.  Since I’m allergic, it’s not on the menu.


I have an un-plan for this week.  I’ve had more and more stomach discomfort for the past week, and no matter what I ate, my stomach would hurt or I’d get nauseous.  This happens on and off, usually with stress, and generally it goes away after a few weeks.  And yes, I’ve done the conventional doc and alternative medicine route.  Then I had one of those light bulb moments.  Why, exactly, am I continuing to eat when it causes discomfort?  So I fasted for most of day, and now am having blended veggies, coconut water and broth and I must say, my GI tract is much, much happier.  I can’t believe that in the last 4 or 5 years that never occurred to me before!  I do make a point of eating mindfully, but usually, I feel that *of course* I have to eat. But now I’m leaving it up to my body for the next few days.  I am feeling better and so I will probably start more typical food soon, but I’m making a point to plan NOT to plan. It feels really liberating to not have to follow any rules about making something because it’s dinnertime. Fortunately, DH is out of town, so I’m free to eat as strangely as I please.  😆  It’s not in any way a long term solution, but it’s nice to find another way of approaching the situation.


But since DH is away, I hope I’ll be making some of the things that he’s not really a fan of in his absence:


    

  • Broccoli raab with sauteed garlic and pine nuts 
    • 

  • Seared tuna steak with caramelized onions 
    • 



I’ll also be doing a remake of Ricki’s Spicy Cauliflower soup for Adopt a GF blogger, since my camera ate the last round of pictures.  At least someone in this house currently has a healthy appetite!  😎


So instead of a real meal plan, feast on a roundup of GF news.  As a dietitian and someone who is GF, I’m always immersed in the GF world of events.


News: 


There’s new research by Dr. Fasano on where and how gluten causes damage in the intestines of people with Celiac Disease.  Here’s an article summarizing the findings.


There’s also an interview from one of the top Celiac docs on the differences between CD and Gluten intolerance 


The rules, they are a changin’


In the past, traveling abroad poses some challenges, since many countries follow guidelines known as the Codex Alimentarius, which defines under 200ppm as gluten free (most experts in this country recommend under 20 ppm).  However, it’s been reported that they’ve decided to lower their limit to 20 ppm.


Canada has become more proactive as well, and has announced new proposed regulations that all gluten sources must be labeled.


Speaking of the new limit, the official ruling on what can, and can’t, be labeled GF in the US is due out in August, 2008, so stay tuned!  However, unlike Canada and abroad, in the US the new ruling is ONLY voluntary.  Essentially, if a company wants to label something as GF, they must comply with the rules, but most of our food supply will still not be required to have gluten information on the label.


Local Events:


The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NCFA) is hosting a special Celiac Awareness Night on Saturday, August 16th for a game against the Colorado Rockies.


Products, etc.


Triumph Dining is giving away their dining cards.  But it gets even better!  If enough people take them up on it, they’ll donate to a Celiac related charity.


Good news for multi-allergic chocolate lovers!  Enjoy life has new gluten/dairy/soy/nut free chocolate bars that will be at Whole Foods in August. There’s even a crispy rice bar!


Heartland’s finest has closed!  If you are a fan of their pasta or Cereos, you’ll have to act quickly to stock up.  Allergygrocer has some in stock, and you may be able to find in other places, too.


Recipe and info round-up:


We’re seeing GF recipes in the mainstream more and more!  Emeril had a recent episode, with recipes that are gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free!  The included a brownie, wraps and more.


And, of course, Adopt a GF blogger for July is coming to a close, so please send me your pictures and links.


							

	
			

									
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Minty Chicken


			

				Posted on August 10, 2008 by Cheryl Harris			


					

				
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!


							

	
			

									
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