I've really been struggling with lunch ideas lately. I usually have leftovers from the night before but if we happened to finish everything, I'm left scrounging. And it usually winds up being something like a piece of fruit and a handful of walnuts or something unsubtantial. I started making gluten free vegan flatbread every week and I realized one day while I was making Ella some grilled goat cheese, that DUH!! I can eat that too! So then I was having grilled goat cheese on gluten free vegan flatbread everyday. While she's got no problem eating the same day after day, I start to get bored. Quickly. I couldn't think of anything else I could put on the flatbread -- deli meats are out. Even though there are several brands which are specifically gluten free and casein free, I noticed I was feeling headache-y and sluggish after eating them so there's got to be something in them I shouldn't be eating. PBJ is out for obvious reasons. (Oh how I miss thee, peanut butter!!) I found some tuna fish that didn't contain soy but realized I couldn't mix it with mayonnaise and who really wants to eat a dry tuna fish sandwich? Ugh. But then... then I found this recipe on nourishingmeals.com (have I mentioned how much I love this website?!?) for "mayonnaise" made from avocado. It was simple to whip together & was soo soo yummy!
The original recipe's measurements are more broad (1-3 Tbsp, etc.) but I started with the smallest suggested amounts & it came out perfectly.
Avocado Mayonnaise
1 small avocados
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp water
sea salt, to taste
The original recipe suggests using an immersion blender but I don't have one. Yet. **Hubby, if you're reading this, Valentines Day is coming and I'd LOVE an immersion blender!! Nothing says "I love you" like a finely blended cup of avocado mayonnaise!** So place all ingredients into a bowl or large mug and blend with an immersion blender. Or if you're like me and don't have one, you can also use a blender or food processor.
Then comes the best part... making the tuna salad! The original recipe calls for salmon and I tried that first but I liked it better with tuna. It also called for celery (can't have it), capers (didn't have any on hand) and garlic (mehh just wasn't feelin' it).
canned tuna
avocado mayonnaise
grated carrot
parsley
sea salt, to taste
Throw in a bowl & mix. Slap it on the bread and VOILA... LUNCH!
I served it for dinner one night last week too and Hubby was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I could see the hesitation on his face as he sat down at the table. He paced around the kitchen for a few minutes first, probably psyching himself up and simultaneously trying to decide if he could grab the fruity pebbles and pour himself a bowl without me noticing. But once he finally bit into it, he ate the whole thing and said "Mmmm" (which I took to mean "WOW! This is the best tuna sandwich I've ever had!!") **Thank you, Hubby, for being so brave**
Showing posts with label egg free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label egg free. Show all posts
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Gluten Free Quinoa Meatloaf
I've modified this recipe to work for us. I took out the egg, changed up the spices a bit & took out the onions, 'cuz Hubby's tummy seems to do better when I leave them out. The original recipe includes ingredients for a yummy sounding sauce but it includes things I can't have so I just 86'd the sauce in the interest of keeping it simple. Hubby puts ketchup on it but Ella and I like it just fine with no sauce.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Quinoa
1 cup water (you can also use vegetable stock, if you prefer)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 lb ground turkey
2 tsp minced garlic (two cloves)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil
Directions
Place quinoa, water (or broth) and vinegar in medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer until water is absorbed (15ish minutes). Set aside and allow cooked quinoa to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large bowl, combine ground turkey, apple sauce, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley and basil and cooled quinoa. With hands, mix thoroughly. Place mixture evenly in a glass baking dish and bake for 45-50 minutes. (The original recipe says 1 1/2 hrs but I have never seen it take nearly this long -- keep an eye on it & when the top starts to brown, it's ready.)
Ingredients
1/2 cup Quinoa
1 cup water (you can also use vegetable stock, if you prefer)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 lb ground turkey
2 tsp minced garlic (two cloves)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil
Directions
Place quinoa, water (or broth) and vinegar in medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer until water is absorbed (15ish minutes). Set aside and allow cooked quinoa to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large bowl, combine ground turkey, apple sauce, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley and basil and cooled quinoa. With hands, mix thoroughly. Place mixture evenly in a glass baking dish and bake for 45-50 minutes. (The original recipe says 1 1/2 hrs but I have never seen it take nearly this long -- keep an eye on it & when the top starts to brown, it's ready.)
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Day of Culinary Adventure Part 2 - Pork Roast and Harvest Salad
I think Hubby was starting to experience some cabin fever. He suggested we go out to dinner, but eating out still tends to be frustrating and I'd already defrosted a pork roast so I convinced him to stay in, instead.
I wanted to do something a little different than my usual plain boring roast. I poured through dozens of recipes that called for things like pineapple, white wine, cornstarch or barbeque sauce and finally stumbled across this one from startcooking.com. It was simple and sounded really yummy and walked this still very novice cook through prepping & roasting a pork roast step-by-step.
Herb Rubbed Pork Roast
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1 Tbsp of oregano
1 Tbsp of EVOO
3 pounds of boneless pork
Put the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Measure one Tbsp of EVOO in a small dish.
Add salt, pepper, dried oregano to the oil. Mix this spice rub together and rub it all over the pork roast.
Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up, and put the roast in the 450 degree preheated oven.
Roast for 10 minutes, then RE-SET THE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 250 DEGREES.
Continue cooking for about 50-80 minutes or until the meat registers 150 degrees on a meat thermometer.
Remove the roast from the oven and set on a cutting board. Cover the meat with tin foil and let it rest for about 15 minutes before slicing it.
*******
I served this with mashed sweet potatoes and Harvest Salad.
This salad has quickly become one of my favorite things to eat lately. I keep a container of the spiced pumpkin seeds in the cupboard & a little jar of the salad dressing in the fridge for quick lunches or quick sides for dinner.
Harvest Salad With Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
mixed greens
maple vinaigrette (recipe follows)
chevre (goat cheese)
dried cranberries
Bartlett pears, chopped in one inch pieces
spiced pumpkin seeds (recipe follows)
Toss mixed greens with maple vinaigrette. Arrange on plates.
Garnish greens with crumbled chevre, dried cherries, pear pieces, and pumpkin seeds.
Maple Vinaigrette
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp apple cider
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp EVOO
pinch of salt and pepper
Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
4 Tbsp organic evaporated cane juice (or regular sugar)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups raw, shelled pumpkin seeds (the green ones)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp butter spread
1 tsp EVOO
In a medium bowl, combine evaporated cane juice, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and salt. Set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, toast pumpkin seeds over medium heat until they become slightly fragrant and begin to puff up and pop. Remove seeds from heat, and return skillet to the stove.
Over medium heat, mix sugar and buttery spread and cook until sugar carmelizes. Add pumpkin seeds back into pan and stir until seeds begin to stick together and the caramel gets stringy. I've not had very good luck getting the dairy-free, soy-free buttery spread to cooperate in this manner, so I just use a tsp of EVOO. Stir into the pumpkin seeds then mix in the spice blend. It probably doesn't hold the spice on quite as well as the carmel would but I sprinkle some of the spice blend onto my salad & pretend that it's stuck on the seeds. I promise, it's just as good!
I wanted to do something a little different than my usual plain boring roast. I poured through dozens of recipes that called for things like pineapple, white wine, cornstarch or barbeque sauce and finally stumbled across this one from startcooking.com. It was simple and sounded really yummy and walked this still very novice cook through prepping & roasting a pork roast step-by-step.
Herb Rubbed Pork Roast
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1 Tbsp of oregano
1 Tbsp of EVOO
3 pounds of boneless pork
Put the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Measure one Tbsp of EVOO in a small dish.
Add salt, pepper, dried oregano to the oil. Mix this spice rub together and rub it all over the pork roast.
Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up, and put the roast in the 450 degree preheated oven.
Roast for 10 minutes, then RE-SET THE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 250 DEGREES.
Continue cooking for about 50-80 minutes or until the meat registers 150 degrees on a meat thermometer.
Remove the roast from the oven and set on a cutting board. Cover the meat with tin foil and let it rest for about 15 minutes before slicing it.
*******
I served this with mashed sweet potatoes and Harvest Salad.
This salad has quickly become one of my favorite things to eat lately. I keep a container of the spiced pumpkin seeds in the cupboard & a little jar of the salad dressing in the fridge for quick lunches or quick sides for dinner.
Harvest Salad With Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
mixed greens
maple vinaigrette (recipe follows)
chevre (goat cheese)
dried cranberries
Bartlett pears, chopped in one inch pieces
spiced pumpkin seeds (recipe follows)
Toss mixed greens with maple vinaigrette. Arrange on plates.
Garnish greens with crumbled chevre, dried cherries, pear pieces, and pumpkin seeds.
Maple Vinaigrette
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp apple cider
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp EVOO
pinch of salt and pepper
Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
4 Tbsp organic evaporated cane juice (or regular sugar)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups raw, shelled pumpkin seeds (the green ones)
1 tsp EVOO
In a medium bowl, combine evaporated cane juice, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and salt. Set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, toast pumpkin seeds over medium heat until they become slightly fragrant and begin to puff up and pop. Remove seeds from heat, and return skillet to the stove.
A Day of Culinary Adventure Part 1 - Soup and BREAD!
We were predicted to get hit with two feet of snow overnight and awoke to only 5-6 inches. It was enough to keep us home from a Christmas party in Eastern Massachusetts, where they had gotten closer to a foot so I decided to create that snowed-in feeling "since we had no place to go". I cranked up the Christmas music and got busy in the kitchen as soon as Ella went down for her nap. Within a few minutes, our home smelled amazing! First up, was Soothing Red Lentil Soup from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen.
Soothing Red Lentil Soup
If you would like, you could freeze portions of this soup before adding the greens. When you are ready to use it, heat it up in a small pot and add a handful of greens. This will keep the soup fresh-tasting and bright.
3 Tbsp EVOO
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed (or more)
1 to 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp mild curry powder
2 cups red lentils
8 cups water
3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
4 cups thinly sliced spinach
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp sea salt
Heat the EVOO in a large stockpot. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and curry powder and saute a minute or so more.
Add the red lentils and water and get them cooking then peel and slice the carrots and add them to the pot, cover, and simmer for about an hour total (start time after adding liquid and lentils).
Turn off heat, add greens, lemon, and salt. Stir it all together and let it rest for about five minutes for the greens to soften.
*******
Then, came the most exciting new recipe that I've encountered so far. A gluten free, yeast free, vegan BREAD that actually could hold up for a sandwich (or get dunked in my soup, which was really what I was looking forward to today). This whole grain fleatbread, again from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen was exactly what I'd been looking for. It was very easy to make, baked in about 22 minutes and most importantly, was absolutely DELICIOUS! I was practically squealing with excitement as I sliced into it and confirmed that it would, in fact, hold a sandwich. It was very similar to Cosi's flatbread which I miss terribly. And actually just now, as I googled Cosi's to grab their web address, I realized that I could probably make a flatbread pizza if I really wanted to! **Note to self: must try this!** Anyways, without further adieu...
Gluten-Free Whole Grain Flatbread
1 cup sorghum flour
½ cup teff flour
⅓ cup tapioca flour
⅓ cup arrowroot powder
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup warm water
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Course salt or dried rosemary for sprinkling on top
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 9 x 13-inch pan with about 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt.
In a smaller separate bowl whisk together the warm water, olive oil, honey, and vinegar. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together vigorously until thickened and smooth.
Spoon batter into oiled pan. Oil your hands and gently press and move the dough to the edges of the pan (dough will be sticky). Make sure it is evenly spread. Put more oil on your hands if needed. Prick the dough with a fork about a dozen times (this is optional, if you don't do it you will have a few more air bubbles in the bread). Sprinkle on rosemary and/or course salt.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and then cut into squares and serve.
*******
I had one very happy belly this afternoon!
Soothing Red Lentil Soup
If you would like, you could freeze portions of this soup before adding the greens. When you are ready to use it, heat it up in a small pot and add a handful of greens. This will keep the soup fresh-tasting and bright.
3 Tbsp EVOO
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed (or more)
1 to 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp mild curry powder
2 cups red lentils
8 cups water
3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
4 cups thinly sliced spinach
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp sea salt
Heat the EVOO in a large stockpot. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and curry powder and saute a minute or so more.
Add the red lentils and water and get them cooking then peel and slice the carrots and add them to the pot, cover, and simmer for about an hour total (start time after adding liquid and lentils).
Turn off heat, add greens, lemon, and salt. Stir it all together and let it rest for about five minutes for the greens to soften.
*******
Then, came the most exciting new recipe that I've encountered so far. A gluten free, yeast free, vegan BREAD that actually could hold up for a sandwich (or get dunked in my soup, which was really what I was looking forward to today). This whole grain fleatbread, again from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen was exactly what I'd been looking for. It was very easy to make, baked in about 22 minutes and most importantly, was absolutely DELICIOUS! I was practically squealing with excitement as I sliced into it and confirmed that it would, in fact, hold a sandwich. It was very similar to Cosi's flatbread which I miss terribly. And actually just now, as I googled Cosi's to grab their web address, I realized that I could probably make a flatbread pizza if I really wanted to! **Note to self: must try this!** Anyways, without further adieu...
Gluten-Free Whole Grain Flatbread
1 cup sorghum flour
½ cup teff flour
⅓ cup tapioca flour
⅓ cup arrowroot powder
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup warm water
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Course salt or dried rosemary for sprinkling on top
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 9 x 13-inch pan with about 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt.
In a smaller separate bowl whisk together the warm water, olive oil, honey, and vinegar. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together vigorously until thickened and smooth.
Spoon batter into oiled pan. Oil your hands and gently press and move the dough to the edges of the pan (dough will be sticky). Make sure it is evenly spread. Put more oil on your hands if needed. Prick the dough with a fork about a dozen times (this is optional, if you don't do it you will have a few more air bubbles in the bread). Sprinkle on rosemary and/or course salt.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and then cut into squares and serve.
*******
I had one very happy belly this afternoon!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Banana Bread!
Yesterday was Halloween & we dressed our little ladybug up and went trick-or-treating at the grandparents' houses. My mom treated us to some homemade allergen free banana bread that tasted EXACTLY like the banana bread she'd made for us before all this allergy nonsense. It was so moist and delicious -- even Hubby enjoyed it! It's been WEEKS since I've eaten bread and it was so so good, I could not stop eating it and Ella went crazy over it!
"Banana Bread for Ella"
adapted from a recipe in Ella's Great Grandmother's “Joy of Cooking”
Makes one loaf – bake 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until toothpick is clean
Sift together in bowl and set aside: (for best results, sift flour prior to measuring)
2 cups sifted Bob’s Red Mill All purpose baking flour (G.W.D. free)
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
Food processor – cream till light: (for best results, add mixed egg replacer after combining the banana, sugar, oil mixture)
2 ripe bananas
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup canola or olive oil
1 ½ tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer, mixed with 2 Tbsp warm water
Add the mashed banana mixture to the dry ingredients alternately with:
3 Tbsp orange juice
Tips:
Oil & flour the bread pan before adding the batter to prevent sticking.
Sift the flour before measuring, really makes a difference in the amount you use!
Thanks again, Mom!!
"Banana Bread for Ella"
adapted from a recipe in Ella's Great Grandmother's “Joy of Cooking”
Makes one loaf – bake 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until toothpick is clean
Sift together in bowl and set aside: (for best results, sift flour prior to measuring)
2 cups sifted Bob’s Red Mill All purpose baking flour (G.W.D. free)
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
Food processor – cream till light: (for best results, add mixed egg replacer after combining the banana, sugar, oil mixture)
2 ripe bananas
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup canola or olive oil
1 ½ tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer, mixed with 2 Tbsp warm water
Add the mashed banana mixture to the dry ingredients alternately with:
3 Tbsp orange juice
Tips:
Oil & flour the bread pan before adding the batter to prevent sticking.
Sift the flour before measuring, really makes a difference in the amount you use!
Thanks again, Mom!!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
My new favorite website & last night's dinner
I found this website a few night's ago and it has been the answer to my prayers! After you register (for FREE), you check off your sensitivities/allergies on a lengthy list of common allergens and from that point on, the site will point out possible hidden allergens and will highlight which recipes are completely safe for you. It is so easy to navigate and there are literally hundreds of recipes to choose from. It is safe to say that Cooking Allergy Free is my new obsession.
Last night's dinner was inspired by my new favorite website. We had gluten & egg free crispy tilapia, quinoa pilaf and wilted spinach with a little garlic, salt & EVOO. This marked my first ever attempt at cooking fish at home. See? This new way of eating has been good for me! I've moved out of my chicken 4-5 nights/week comfort zone and have fully embraced this new adventure in the kitchen.
The recipe calls for 1/2 buckwheat flour, 1/2 quinoa flour but our local health food store did not carry the buckwheat flour so I just used all quinoa flour and it still came out very yummy. Technically, you could probably use any type of flours but the only ones I had on hand were tapioca, quinoa and arrowroot so I just stuck to the quinoa. The store manager is ordering some buckwheat flour for me so next time I'll try the mixture of the two.
Gluten Free & Egg Free Crispy Tilapia
Ingredients
4 tilapia fillets
salt, pepper, paprika (you may season with any other spice as well)
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
3 Tbsp luke warm water
1/2 cup buckwheat flour (I didn't use)
1/2 cup quinoa flour (I used a whole cup but totally didn't need that much & wound up throwing a lot of it away)
3 Tbsp EVOO
Directions
1. Thoroughly mix water and ground flaxseed and set aside to thicken for a few minutes. (This is your egg substitute.)
2. Combine the flours on a large flat dish.
3. Rinse fish and towel dry.
4. In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat.
5. Baste both sides of the fillets in the flaxseed mixture. Don't worry if it doesn't spread well, just get the fillets slimy. Then generously cover both sides of the fillets in the flour mixture.
6. Season the fillets with salt, pepper, paprika and whatever other spices you want to throw on.
7. Place the fillets in heated pan and cook on both sides 3-5 minutes. Be cautious when flipping over as the fillets are very tender and may break. (Times will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets.)
I would post the recipe for the quinoa pilaf, but I didn't love it and Hubby announced that he was "not a fan of whatever that was" so I obviously need to play around with that one a bit. For him, I think it was more of a texture issue over flavor. He's a pretty picky eater so I was expecting some hesitation on his part. I know we're all still adjusting to the changes and I'm confident that one day soon, he'll eat quinoa (knowingly) with a smile on his face. Even if he has to fake it.
Last night's dinner was inspired by my new favorite website. We had gluten & egg free crispy tilapia, quinoa pilaf and wilted spinach with a little garlic, salt & EVOO. This marked my first ever attempt at cooking fish at home. See? This new way of eating has been good for me! I've moved out of my chicken 4-5 nights/week comfort zone and have fully embraced this new adventure in the kitchen.
The recipe calls for 1/2 buckwheat flour, 1/2 quinoa flour but our local health food store did not carry the buckwheat flour so I just used all quinoa flour and it still came out very yummy. Technically, you could probably use any type of flours but the only ones I had on hand were tapioca, quinoa and arrowroot so I just stuck to the quinoa. The store manager is ordering some buckwheat flour for me so next time I'll try the mixture of the two.
Gluten Free & Egg Free Crispy Tilapia
Ingredients
4 tilapia fillets
salt, pepper, paprika (you may season with any other spice as well)
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
3 Tbsp luke warm water
1/2 cup buckwheat flour (I didn't use)
1/2 cup quinoa flour (I used a whole cup but totally didn't need that much & wound up throwing a lot of it away)
3 Tbsp EVOO
Directions
1. Thoroughly mix water and ground flaxseed and set aside to thicken for a few minutes. (This is your egg substitute.)
2. Combine the flours on a large flat dish.
3. Rinse fish and towel dry.
4. In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat.
5. Baste both sides of the fillets in the flaxseed mixture. Don't worry if it doesn't spread well, just get the fillets slimy. Then generously cover both sides of the fillets in the flour mixture.
6. Season the fillets with salt, pepper, paprika and whatever other spices you want to throw on.
7. Place the fillets in heated pan and cook on both sides 3-5 minutes. Be cautious when flipping over as the fillets are very tender and may break. (Times will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets.)
I would post the recipe for the quinoa pilaf, but I didn't love it and Hubby announced that he was "not a fan of whatever that was" so I obviously need to play around with that one a bit. For him, I think it was more of a texture issue over flavor. He's a pretty picky eater so I was expecting some hesitation on his part. I know we're all still adjusting to the changes and I'm confident that one day soon, he'll eat quinoa (knowingly) with a smile on his face. Even if he has to fake it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
