It’s been too long since my last post. I apologize; it’s been a busy few days. Part of that busyness has been positive – I received my new baby last Wednesday (A Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi), so I have been trying to learn my way around it. So far, I’m amazed. Amazed at how easy it is to take a halfway decent photo. My little Olympus Stylus 710 was so limited. I put up with it for a long, long while. It was time, and I finally was able to upgrade, so I did. I couldn’t be happier.
I fully intended on posting this on Saturday or Sunday, but that’s where the not-so-positive part of my busyness comes in. Unfortunately, my laptop took a fierce dive onto the floor, and my hard drive is toast. My loving techie of a husband is working on it, trying to retrieve data off of the hard drive, and replacing it with another one in the meantime. But I was dead in the water this past weekend. Also dead was the recipe for my taco seasoning – it was on that hard drive. I’ve recreated it today, however, to share it with you here. Unfortunately, my not-so-smart self managed to not back up hundreds of photos on that hard drive. I’m learning my lesson – I promise!
Anyway, on to the reason for this post! Brittany wanted to make lunch this time around, and nachos were one of the first things in mind. I was up for nachos – this has to be one of the easiest “Kids in the Kitchen” dishes to date! We were eating within 15-20 minutes of our start time. That’s my idea of a nice, easy lunch!
Brittany liked these – hers were simply topped with taco meat, shredded cheddar, and pickled jalapenos. “Just like I eat at school,” she said. (The school lunches have either improved since I was in school, or her tastes are skewed…I can’t remember a nacho plate, or if there was one, I’m sure it wasn’t appetizing enough to actually eat.) Regardless, these nachos boast real cheddar, lean hormone-free ground beef, and taco seasoning without gluten, preservatives, or sugar. I would consider that a step up from the school lunch. I topped mine with a mix of cheddar and pepper jack, black beans, tomatoes, and cilantro to add some interest. Nothing fancy, but it was a pretty tasty lunch indeed!
Homemade Taco Seasoning
2 T chile powder (such as ancho or cascabel)
2 T ground cumin
1 T onion powder
1 T garlic powder
1 T paprika
1 T fine sea salt
Mix together, store in an airtight container in a cool place. Use 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning to season 1 pound of ground beef.
To season ground beef: Brown 1 pound ground beef in a skillet at medium-high heat, crumbling with a spatula or wooden spoon. Halfway through the browning process, season with 2 tablespoons taco seasoning and mix throughout. Continue to brown until no longer pink. Drain if necessary.
One last thing:
Since the earthquake in Haiti, Lauren at Celiac Teen has been working hard to gather recipes from contributing food bloggers all over the world in an effort to help. She has diligently put these recipes together in an e-book, available for purchase on her blog. All donations received for the e-book will be sent to the Canadian Red Cross (Lauren is Canadian) for purposes of helping victims of the Haiti earthquake. The e-book has many wonderful recipes, and many of them are gluten-free or easily gluten-free adaptable. Read more about how to obtain this e-book and contribute here.
You might think, judging by my last two posts, that I have been chowing down on nothing but sweets. Not so – not lately, anyway. Truth be told, I made both of those desserts – the Nanaimo bars and the banana pudding – weeks ago. (Besides, the Daring Bakers challenge made me do it!) Lately, I have been working on healthier, cleaner eating – for a variety of reasons. First, to see if I can alleviate some lingering symptoms that I’d hoped would disappear after going gluten-free, but haven’t. Secondly, to restore balance. As I become more in tune with my body, I realize that those sugary treats, while delicious, can be the death of me sometimes. At night, they call me from the kitchen, begging me to indulge in their sweet delights. So if/when I fall into their trap, I have to take a bit of time to step back and show the sugar who’s boss. For the past week, I’ve been following a clean detox diet. No, not starving myself with only lemon water to sustain me. (Don’t worry, Mom!) Just eating very simply and lightly, incorporating a lot of raw produce (hello, green smoothies!), and removing a lot of potential “trigger” foods from my diet temporarily to observe how my body reacts. So far, so good. The hardest part was cutting out the caffeine, honestly. I don’t drink a great deal, but boy, those 2 cups of coffee in the morning were badly missed for the first few days!
Anyway, this dish is likely the most complex recipe I’ve made in the past week, just because of the myriad of spices, but don’t let that deter you. Once you throw everything together to simmer, it’s a pretty simple dish. (After all, beans and rice is just about as humble as it gets.) You could use a variety of beans for this recipe (although you might have to alter soaking and cooking times), but I like adzuki beans because they cook up relatively quickly and are very easy to digest. They’re slightly sweet, (and so are often used in sweet treats in Asian cuisine) which pairs well with the garam masala and cayenne. And of course, this dish packs a good amount of fiber and protein. It just also happens to be vegan and gluten, dairy, and corn-free. Most of all, for a chilly, dreary winter day, this is a comforting dish that won’t weigh you down.
A quick word about kombu. Kombu is a variety of dried seaweed often used to make dashi, and can be found in the Asian section of groceries or at a specialty store, or online. What I love about kombu is that when simmered with beans, it improves their digestibility and lessens the (ahem) side effects. It also works as a flavor enhancer, adding a bit of umami to the dish. If you haven’t had the chance to cook with it, give it a try. Same with this twist on the good ‘ol standby – beans and rice. You might be pleasantly surprised on how delicious healthy can taste!
Masala-Spiced Adzuki Beans and Brown Rice
1 t garam masala
1 t cumin seeds
1/8 t cayenne
2 T olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1 inch piece of ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ t fresh turmeric, minced (can substitute dried)
2 c butternut squash, cubed
1 c adzuki beans, soaked for 2 hours, drained and rinsed
1 piece kombu
3 c water
Salt to taste
¼ c cilantro, chopped
1 c brown rice, rinsed and steamed
Place garam masala, cumin seeds, and cayenne in dry skillet and toast over medium heat until fragrant. (Be careful not to burn!) Remove and crush/grind with a mortar and pestle.
Add olive oil to a large saucepan or dutch oven and bring to medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add toasted spices, ginger and garlic and sauté for another minute. Add squash, beans, kombu, and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, and cook for 1 hour or until beans are tender. Season with salt generously to taste. Serve with brown rice and garnished with cilantro.
Serves 3-4.
Remember those wonderful gluten-free graham crackers I mentioned the other day? They were so good, so perfectly crisp and just lightly sweet. As if by magic, I just knew what I would do with the rest of them. It was high time I made banana pudding.
For those of you that are not from the Southern portion of the United States, banana pudding may not seem like a big deal. But for those of us that are from the South, banana pudding speaks to our hearts. Banana pudding is something your mom, your grandmother, or your aunt always made. (Or in my case, growing up with parents that were not from the South – it was something other people’s grandmother’s and Babe’s Chicken Dinner House made.) Creamy, with those Nabisco Nilla Wafers and bananas, often topped with whipped cream or meringue, this is the comfort dessert. I’ve had countless variations of banana pudding before my gluten-free days, but the ones made with real pudding (not the stuff from a box) were always the best. And yet, for some strange reason, I’d never tried to make it myself. It was time to change all of that.
Now, I wonder why it took me so long to make it. Pudding is easy. It takes just a few minutes of standing over a saucepan, stirring, and then into the fridge it goes. The graham crackers were a perfect compliment – with their almost molasses-y flavor and a light, crispy texture, they blended beautifully with the rich, creamy feel of the pudding. It was truly comforting and decadent at the same time. The worst part? My husband is not really a sweets person. Guess who had to eat the pudding? (me) So I warn you, make this when you have people to eat it. Save yourself from the temptation!
Banana Pudding with Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
2 T sweet rice flour
½ c agave nectar
2 eggs
2 c milk
2 T butter
1 t vanilla extract
3 bananas, sliced
7-8 gluten-free graham crackers, broken into 2-inch pieces (save some for crumbling on top) – you could also substitute any gluten-free cookie you like
In a medium saucepan, add rice flour, agave nectar, and eggs, and whisk together. Pour in milk slowly, whisking, until milk is incorporated. Turn heat on medium-low and cook for 10 minutes or so, whisking, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Add butter and vanilla extract and remove from heat.
Layer an 8X8 inch glass dish (or similarly-sized dish) with graham crackers, and then a layer of bananas. Spoon some pudding over to cover. Add another layer of crackers and bananas and repeat. Top with a few remaining slices of banana and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4-5 hours or up to overnight.
When ready to serve, crumble graham crackers and top pudding with crumbs.
Serves 4-6.
I was so excited to find out that Lauren of Celiac Teen was hosting this month’s Daring Bakers Challenge. Lauren always amazes me with her skills in the kitchen – I was just barely understanding the concept of cooking at her age! And to have a Daring Bakers challenge that I didn’t have to convert to gluten-free? Well, that made things a million times easier!
I’d never heard of Nanaimo Bars before this challenge. But now that I’m in the loop, I’m definitely making these again, with one requirement: that there other people are around to eat them all for me. These babies were SO good. But they were also SO bad, calling me from the fridge at all hours, begging me to have just one more. And I caved, too many times. With a graham cracker-almond-coconut-chocolate layer, a creamy vanilla layer, and another chocolate layer, who could resist?
I followed Lauren’s recipe rather closely, only substituting 1% milk for whole milk in the graham crackers. (I just don’t usually stock whole milk.) Those crackers were better than any gluten-containing ones I’d ever had - I munched on a few, and even used some for banana pudding (recipe to come soon!). And for the purpose of making graham cracker crumbs for these bars, they were excellent. I think that in the future, I’d love to try to make these with a mint filling in the middle layer. But honestly, they were amazing just as is.
Gluten-Free Graham Crackers, adapted from 101 Cookbooks
1 c sweet rice flour
3/4 c tapioca starch/flour
1/2 c sorghum flour
1 c dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 t baking soda
3/4 t kosher salt
7 T unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 c honey
5 T milk
2 T vanilla extract
In a bowl of a food processor, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal and you can no longer see chunks of butter.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be soft and sticky.
Turn the dough onto a a surface well-dusted with rice flour. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. (I did this on top of some plastic wrap) Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well-chilled, 2 hours or overnight.
Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto a work surface and roll the doughinto a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour is necessary. Cut into 4X4 inch squares. Repeat with remaining dough and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Adjust the rachs in the oven to the upper and lower thirds and preheat to 350 degrees. Prick the wafers with a toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows. (I forgot to do this, but they still came out fine.) Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Cool completely.
To make crumbs – place wafers in a food processor and pulse until crumbs, or place in a large ziploc bag, force all the air out and smash with a rolling pin.
Nanaimo Bars, adapted from City of Nanaimo
Bottom Layer
1/2 c unsalted butter
1/4 c sugar
5 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/4 c gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c almonds, finely chopped
1 c shredded coconut
Middle Layer
1/2 c unsalted butter
2 T plus 2 t heavy cream
2 T vanilla custard power (such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted – I did this.)
2 c powdered sugar
Top Layer
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 T unsalted butter
For the bottom layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar, and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts, and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8X8 inch pan.
For the middle layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and powdered sugar together well. Beat until light in color. Spread over bottom layer.
For the top layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. (Cool to room temperature. If you don’t, your top layer will swirl in with the middle layer.) Spread over middle layer and chill.until firm. Cut into squares.
Makes about 16 squares.
Are you still following through on that New Year’s resolution? You know the one you made, promising yourself that you’ll eat healthier (More fiber? More veggies? Less meat?) in 2010? If it has been a bit of a struggle, or even if you’re still on board, but you’re sick and tired of the lettuce-based salads, smoothies, and the like, check out quinoa.
Quinoa is a tiny seed that acts like a grain. But it’s more than just another grain. Quinoa is packed with healthy fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals. It’s nutty in flavor, and will fill you up, leaving you satisfied. It’s gluten-free, so for those of us that have to stay away from gluten, this seed makes a perfect stand-in for recipes that call for bulgur or couscous. I personally love it – it cooks up in 15 minutes, and absorbs flavors and dressings without getting mushy, making it perfect for a salad such as this.
What’s wonderful about this salad? You can throw in pretty much anything you want. Really. I stood in my kitchen last night, deciding what easy-to-make, easy-on-the-tummy meal I wanted to throw together. This salad literally originated from leftovers and pantry staples. Substitutions are simple – I can imagine dried cranberries in place of the currants and raisins, almonds or pine nuts in place of the walnuts, or fresh spinach, kale, or chard in place of the frozen spinach used here. Really, it’s all about you, and choosing a mixture of ingredients that will satisfy, and keep you on that road to eating healthier.
Quinoa Salad with Spinach, Raisins, and Walnuts
1 T olive oil
2 T minced red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c quinoa, rinsed (rinsing is to remove the bitterness from the seeds)
1 ½ T golden raisins
1 ½ T dried currants
1 2/3 c water
1 c frozen chopped spinach, thawed
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
¼ c toasted chopped walnuts
2 T chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 T good quality extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
3 oz feta or goat cheese
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil to medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add the quinoa and continue to sauté for another minute or so. Add the raisins, currants and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook until water is nearly absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach and cover again and let cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, walnuts, and parsley. Season generously to taste. Drizzle olive oil over and stir in. Serve chilled or at room temperature, topped with a bit of feta.
Serves 4.
I have a confession to make. It might come as a surprise to some of you. After all, there are many flashier, sexier, and more impressive foods out there in the world.
You ready?
Here goes.
I love cabbage.
I really do. Many times, I forget that I love it, casting it aside for more colorful, fancier, more elegant vegetables. But when cabbage and I reunite, it’s like reconnecting with a long lost friend. There’s no small talk. There’s no false airs, and there’s no subtext. It’s just cabbage and me. And besides. Cabbage goes great with butter. How could you go wrong?
Of course, today’s recipe does not use butter. (I know what you’re thinking – Why are you teasing me? You mention butter, and now you’re withholding?) Honestly, you won’t miss it. This vegetarian (vegan if you omit the cheese) soup packs such flavor, such comfort, that it needs no buttery adornment. I love the somewhat-generous helping of Parmesan on top, but that’s it. This soup is happy just being its simple self, filling my belly.
Want to know another secret? Okay, this one’s not such a secret. This soup is cheap. Really cheap. Cabbage usually sells for 50 cents a pound (sometimes 33 cents a pound!) at the grocery. A bit more if you go organic, but still…it’s one of the cheapest vegetables out there. Same goes for potatoes, carrots, and onions. I opted for a can of white beans out of convenience, but if you really want to be economical, buy dried. I used homemade stock, so it was essentially “free”, but stock (or buillion) can be purchased for little. Even with premium Parmesan, this whole meal can be made for under $5. (It cost about $3 for me.) Take that, KFC Family Meal Challenge!
Now, to the giveaway! I am excited about this giveaway, honestly. The Where Delicious Meets Nutritious cookbook is a treat. I already use agave nectar in some recipes, but I was excited to learn more. I love to bake, and have been wanting to learn to bake using agave. The Xagave nectar is really great for baking – and this book pointed me in the right direction (with their delectable recipes!). I can’t wait to continue baking from it – and I hope the winner enjoys it as much as I have.
And the winner is… Kristen of Flexy Fare! If that’s you, please contact me with your mailing info. Congratulations!
Simple Cabbage Soup, adapted from 101 Cookbooks
1 T olive oil
1 medium Yukon Gold potato (or other white potato), skin on, diced
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 t fresh thyme leaves, chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
1 15-0z can white beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, such as navy)
1/2 medium cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Place a large, heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and swirl around to heat. Once oil is shimmering, add potatoes. Cover and cook until they are a bit tender, and starting to brown a bit, about 5 minutes, stirring a few times during cooking. Stir in the onions and carrots and cook for another minute, and add in the garlic. Cook for an additional minute, and add the stock and the beans. Bring the stock to a simmer and stir in the cabbage. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until cabbage starts to become soft. Taste and add seasoning as needed. (This will vary depending on what kind of stock you used.) Serve with a good amount of Parmesan sprinkled on top.
Serves 4-6.
This morning, my husband and I were awakened at 7 AM. The kids were awake already. For a Saturday, that’s pretty early. You see, Matt was excited about making breakfast this morning. We had agreed on starting at 9 AM, but by the noise eminating from the living room, he was obviously ready to go well before then. Breakfast tacos (Or taquitos, as they’re called in our house – why? I have no idea.) are Matt’s favorite breakfast treat, and I often make them on weekends. These babies trump any other imagined breakfast food, including donuts, coffee cakes, pancakes – I bet they’d even win over ice cream. When we modified Kids in the Kitchen to include breakfast, it was immediately Matt’s dream to make them.
Of course, the version of breakfast tacos enjoyed at our house are not authentic Mexican by any stretch. A straightforward mix of scrambled eggs, cheddar, and spicy pork sausage, wrapped in a tortilla (corn for me, but the kids prefer flour) – there’s nothing pretentious or complicated about this meal. But when you’re feeding hungry teenagers first thing in the morning while still trying to clear the cobwebs from your head, complicated is not what you need.
So after a mandatory cup of coffee (for me, not Matt), we started. In the pan went some slices of bacon, and Matt set to grating cheddar. (The hardest part of preparation – he groaned about the task!) After the bacon was removed from the pan, things came together fairly quickly. We browned sausage and drained it, and scrambled the eggs along with the cheddar and sausage. Once the eggs were cooked through, we filled tortillas with the egg-cheese-sausage mixture and rolled them up. The kids could opt to slide a piece of bacon inside, or sprinkle it with Tabasco. I opted for a bit of cilantro. And just like always, there were no leftovers.
You can always change up the ingredients in breakfast tacos to your liking. I would love a vegetarian version – black beans, chopped tomato, and jalapenos, or another favorite – nopalitos con huevos. The beauty of a recipe like this is that there really is not a recipe – it’s so versatile and forgiving that you can throw in any combination of ingredients. My favorite kind of recipe!
Breakfast Tacos/Taquitos
8 oz pork sausage
12 eggs
1/4 c milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese
12 tortillas, warmed (I lightly toasted corn tortillas in a cast iron skillet)
Pan-fried bacon, for serving
Tabasco hot sauce, for serving
Cilantro leaves, for serving
Heat a large skillet to medium heat. If making bacon, go ahead and fry it now and set aside to drain on paper towels. Add the sausage into the pan and crumble with spatula. Brown sausage crumbles until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and set on paper towels to drain. Scramble the eggs along with the milk; season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to medium-low and pour in the eggs. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add in the cheddar and sausage crumbles, and continue to cook, stirring fairly often, for about 6-8 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.
Fill tortillas with about 3-4 tablespoons of the egg mixture and fold over or roll up. Serve with bacon, Tabasco, and cilantro.
Serves 5-6.
Don’t Forget! There is still time to win some free Xagave nectar and the Where Delicious Meets Nutritious cookbook! Check it out here!
Also, check out Chocolate Covered Katie, she’s giving away a Vita-Mix!
This month’s Daring Cooks challenge was chosen by Cuppy of Cuppylicious. As a huge fan of Thai-inspired flavors, I was excited about this challenge. I’ve made satay before (using chicken thighs), but it was years ago. When this challenge was announced, I wondered to myself why it had been so long since satay made it on the menu. After all, marinated meat on a stick? Who can say no to that? (okay, well maybe vegetarians would, but Cuppy was generous enough to suggest tofu or veggie satay as an alternative.) Needless to say, we let our carnivorous nature take over on this occasion.
I opted to use a pork tenderloin for this dish. I don’t use pork nearly often enough. It’s relatively inexpensive, and the tenderloins are, well, tender, making for a quick weeknight meal option. In fact, I did just that – prepared the pork marinade one weeknight, and we enjoyed pork satay the following weeknight for dinner. It comes together fairly quickly. I did “cheat” and use the broiler instead of the grill. My excuse? It was about 20 degrees outside that evening and quite windy. For a Texan, that’s way too cold to stand out in front of the grill! The broiler did a mighty fine job, though, and we didn’t miss the grill one bit.
The verdict? Tasty enough for a party! Again, meat on a stick always goes over well, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a flavorful marinade and delightful dipping sauces! If I were to make this again, I might put slightly less cumin in my marinade (my ground cumin is pretty potent), but otherwise, it was wonderful! A big thanks to Cuppy for sharing this recipe – it’s definitely going to become a repeat in our household!
Pork Satay with Peanut and Pepper Dipping Sauce, adapted from 1000 Recipes by Martha Day
For the pork:
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 T ginger, chopped
2 T lemon juice
1 T gluten-free soy sauce
1 t ground coriander
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground turmeric
2 T vegetable oil
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into strips (about 1 inch wide, 4-5 inches long)
Combine first nine ingredients in food processor, and pulse until well-chopped and combined. Place marinade and pork tenderloin pieces in a large ziploc bag, tossing pork to ensure each piece is coated. Place in refrigerator and marinate overnight.
Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes in water before using. Preheat grill or broiler. Place pork on skewers. Broil or grill until meat just begins to char, about 6-8 minutes. Flip and grill or broil other side until cooked through, another 6 minutes or so. Serve with dipping sauces.
For the peanut sauce:
3/4 c coconut milk
4 T peanut butter
1 T lemon juice
1 T gluten-free soy sauce
1/2 t fish sauce
1 t agave nectar
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground coriander
1/2 t crushed red pepper
Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add soy sauce and lemon, mix well. Place a small saucepan over low heat. Add coconut milk, peanut butter, and soy sauce mixture. Mix well, and warm for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Serve warm with pork.
For the pepper sauce:
4 T gluten-free soy sauce
1 T lemon juice
1 t agave nectar
1/2 t crushed red pepper
Mix well. Serve chilled or at room temperature with pork.
Don’t forget! If you haven’t entered yet for a chance to win some Xagave nectar and the Where Delicious Meets Nutritious cookbook, there’s still time! Check out the giveaway here!
A healthy, vegetarian/vegan, mouth-watering meal that’s easy to make? Not only easy to make, but speedy - so speedy, in fact, that it takes less time to make (from start to sitting down, slurping noodles) than it takes to heat up the oven and bake a frozen pizza? Do I have your attention yet? Because yes, it’s possible. Meet my favorite throw-together dish – Jap Chae.
What is Jap Chae? Well, I didn’t know for the longest time. Jaden over at Steamy Kitchen introduced me to Jap Chae. (say it with me: chop-chay.) Also spelled Jab Chae or Chap Chae, this is a Korean dish comprised traditionally of sweet potato (cellophane) noodles, mushrooms, spinach, carrots, and onions. I don’t have an extensive knowledge of Korean food, honestly. I do know, however, that my limited exposure has taught me to love Korean food! What makes this dish unique, in my opinion, are the noodles. If you happen to have an Asian grocery nearby, I encourage you to visit. Check out the noodles. Yes, it might be overwhelming – there are a LOT of noodles. For this particular dish, seek out some slightly gray-brown noodles called “glass noodles” or “cellophane noodles.” (They’re gluten-free, of course.) If you read the ingredients on the package, it’ll likely just read: sweet potato starch, water (and maybe salt). That’s it. Sounds simple enough, right? These noodles don’t taste anything like sweet potatoes – but their texture is addictive. They’re super-springy, light, and I love they way they absorb the sweet soy-sesame sauce in the jap chae. They never get soggy, either, making this dish perfect for leftovers!
I did take some liberties with the recipe (if you read this blog regularly, you’ll know this is nothing new). I added snow peas and red bell pepper (they were in the fridge), and I subbed agave nectar for the sugar. And as always, I used gluten-free soy sauce instead of regular soy. Other than that, I pretty much stuck to the recipe. (Oh – I did add a squirt of Sriracha to my bowl. Not authentic, I know, but I can’t resist a little heat with my salty-sweet-umami dishes!) This little throw-together dish is heaven in my book. The shitake mushrooms provide a huge burst of umami flavor, and I cannot resist sesame – sesame can cause me to swoon! And as I mentioned before, the noodles, with their springy texture, are such a joy to eat. It doesn’t hurt to know that this is a healthy, veggie-packed meal, either!
By the way, I’m not kidding about the speediness thing. The other day, my husband wanted a frozen pizza (Totino’s, so it doesn’t even take that long in the oven!), and I decided to make this dish (John’s not much for mushrooms, spinach, or Asian cuisine). He turned the oven on to preheat at the same time I was gathering ingredients. My jap chae was finished, in a bowl, and I had just started to dig in when the timer went off, telling him that his pizza was ready. Speedy dish indeed!
Jap Chae, adapted from Steamy Kitchen
1/2 lb dried Korean sweet potato noodles or mung bean thread
2 1/2 t sesame oil, divided
1 T canola oil
3/4 c thinly sliced onions
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks (I use my handy-dandy julienne peeler for this task)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger
2 stalks green onions, cut into 1 inch lengths
1/2 c dried shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced and rehydrated in warm water
1/2 c snow peas
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 lb spinach leaves, washed well and drained
2 T gluten-free soy sauce
1 T agave nectar
1 T sesame seeds
Fill a large pot with water and boil. When water is boiling, add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse with cool water. Drain again and toss with 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Cut noodles into shorter pieces (I took Jaden’s advice and used kitchen shears for this task), about 8 inches in length. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix soy sauce and agave nectar together. Add canola oil in a wok or large saute pan on high heat. Swirl to coat pan. When oil is hot but not smoking, fry onions and carrots until softened, about 1 minute. Add garlic, green onions, and mushrooms, and cook for 30 seconds. Then add snow peas, bell pepper, spinach, soy sauce mixture, and the noodles. Fry for 2-3 minutes or until spinach is wilted and snow peas are a bit tender. Turn off heat, toss with sesame seeds and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil.
Serves 3-4. Or 2-3, if feeding hungry people. Wonderful eaten hot or cold.
Don’t Forget!!! You still have time to enter for a chance to win some free Xagave agave nectar and a cookbook, Where Delicious Meets Nutritious! Visit my post here to learn more about it!
Yes, you read that right! Gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies. Once I had decided to make these, my heart warmed at the thought. Oatmeal raisin cookies were among my favorites as a kid. My mother loved to make cookies, and I fondly remember helping her, always stirring the dough in her big stainless steel bowl with her well-worn wooden spoon. (And yes, sampling the raw dough along the way…shhh, don’t tell anyone!) I haven’t had oatmeal raisin cookies since going gluten-free. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve had them in years. It was time.
But these cookies aren’t just ordinary oatmeal raisin cookies gone gluten-free. They’re even more than that. They’re also rich in whole grains – meaning lots of good-for-you fiber and protein – and they are sugar-free. Instead of sugar, agave nectar sweetens these babies. You see, the other day I was contacted by Xagave and asked if I would like to give their product a try. I like using agave nectar in recipes, and have been looking for more ways to incorporate it, so I figured, why not? They promptly sent me a bottle of Xagave nectar, along with a copy of their recipe book, Where Delicious Meets Nutritious. The box arrived shortly after Christmas – and as I always do when I receive new books, I immediately opened it to sift through the recipes.
This book has a load of wonderful recipes, both sweet and savory. It also discusses the benefits of using agave nectar, but what I found most helpful are some of the tricks/hints for baking with agave nectar they shared. This will save me countless hours of failed recipes! You do have to account for the fact that the recipes were engineered in an altitude higher than 3500 feet above sea level (for me, this means I must bake longer and at higher temps), but I adapted without issue.
Anyway, back to the cookies. I came across an oatmeal cookie recipe in the Where Delicious Meets Nutritious cookbook. Score! I would have to convert it to gluten-free, so I opted to substitute buckwheat and coconut flour for the whole wheat flour called for in the recipe. My gluten-free oats were rolled oats and not instant, as the recipe stated, but no matter – I’ve seen other oatmeal cookie recipes call for rolled oats, so I figured these would be just fine.
Let me tell you, after a long hiatus from oatmeal raisin cookies, these are more than fine. They were scrumptious. They were soft and pillowy when still warm (Yes, I couldn’t wait to have one!), but became chewy as they cooled - the way a good oatmeal cookie should. The cinnamon and vanilla softly flavor these cookies, and they put a smile on my face the way only the memories of a childhood cookie can.
The best part? These cookies are healthy enough that you actually could eat one for breakfast. (I’ll let you in on a little secret – for these past few days, that’s exactly what I’ve done, alongside my green smoothie, of course!) Without all that sugar and refined flour, these cookies don’t cause a sugar high – or crash – after eating them. A definite bonus for me!
Okay, well, I said in the paragraph above that the option to have these for breakfast was the best part. That’s not entirely true. What’s the best BEST part? Xagave has generously allowed me to give one of my lucky readers the same gift they sent to me – a bottle of Xagave nectar, plus the Where Delicious Meets Nutritious cookbook. (This is when you exclaim “Hooray!”) In order to be entered in the giveaway, please leave me a comment below, letting me know what you would most like to make using agave nectar. The giveaway will be open until January 20, 2010. At that time, I’ll choose one random commenter using Random.org. Please make sure to leave your email address in your comments, so I can contact you if you win.
Would you like to increase your chances to win?
Then in addition to leaving me the first comment, you can:
1. Tweet about this giveaway, and leave me an additional comment telling me you did so.
2. Mention this giveaway on your blog, and leave me a comment (and a link) telling me you did so.
3. Subscribe to my blog via email or reader, and leave me a comment telling me you did so. Or if you already subscribe, leave me a comment letting me know that, too.
This means you have the ability to enter 4 times. Sound good to you? I am curious as to what types of recipes you mention in your comments! I’m always looking for different sources of inspiration.
And now, just in case you thought I forgot, here is the recipe for gluten-free, sugar-free oatmeal raisin cookies.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, adapted from Delicious Meets Nutritious
1 c butter, softened
1 1/4 c agave nectar (I used Xagave)
2 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1 c coconut flour
1 c buckwheat flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 t sea salt
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
3 c gluten-free rolled oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
1 c raisins
In a medium bowl, cream together butter, Xagave, eggs, and vanilla. (I opted to use a whisk to ensure everything was blended.) Combine flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in another bowl. Stir dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats and raisins. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet and flatten each cookie. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 2 dozen.
