We have gone to many a breakfast place trying to accommodate both gluten-free and dairy-free. This is the really wonderful thing about living in Portland, Oregon. We are truly lucky to be living in a place where food allergies and preferences are paid attention to. There is a long way to go though. I'm not sure if I've talked about garbanzo bean flour on here before but a quick note now about it. It isn't something we can stand. It may be the right consistency and it may even perform in a very gluten-floury-way, but the taste is potent and not something I care for (in truth I can't stand it). It also can cause some digestive distress; much like the beans themselves do. A lot of gluten free ready-mixes contain this flour and we automatically do not buy the product when we see it on the ingredient list. It can't even be masked by chocolate. Also, I have found that rice flours can be gritty, as can using too much corn flour, or a corn flour that hasn't been ground finely enough.
Recently, Mike and I went to one of our favorite places to eat breakfast in our neighborhood. They are one of the best for accommodating dairy free, and they have also begun accommodating gluten-free. They are educated on what is and isn't gluten-free, they carry a bread there for toast and sandwiches, and they are now offering gluten-free/dairy-free pancakes. There is no sugarcoating it though; these pancakes were terrible. It was so very disappointing.
One morning I got up and looked up a standard recipe for pancakes in my cookbook bible: The New York Times Cookbook by the late great Craig Claiborne. Then I took my steadily increasing knowledge of gluten-free flours and baking and modified the hell out of the recipe.
I bring you gluten-free / dairy free pancakes that are delicious enough for those of us lucky enough to not have food allergies. Ta Da!
Corn flour - 1/2 cup
Sorghum flour - 1/4 cup
Tapioca flour - 1/4 cup
Xantham gum - 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon
Almond milk - 3/4 cup (give or take - you may need to add a little more at the end to get the right consistency)
1 egg
Pinch salt
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Melted "butter" (Earth Balance) - 3 tbsp
Baking powder - 2 teaspoon
I put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk them with a wire whisk.
I mix the wet ingredients together and then add that to the dry ingredients and use the whisk to mix it together (just until there are no dry lumps). I add extra almond milk as needed if the mixture seems too thick or dry.
Cook as you do normal pancakes.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Monday, November 8, 2010
Shrimp Gumbo
¼ cup sorghum flour
¼ cup tapioca flour
1 tblsp garbanzo bean flour
¼ tsp xanthum gum
½ cup + 1 tblsp of vegetable oil
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups fish stock
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
* cayenne pepper to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb shrimp, washed and deveined with tails removed
handful of fresh cilantro chopped
1 cup sliced scallions
Cooked rice (figure ½ to 1 cup cooked rice per person).
Should serve 4-6.
Add all of the oil to a heavy bottomed pan (I make this in a coated cast iron Dutch oven for its even heat distribution and non-stick qualities). Turn the heat to medium/medium-high and add all of the flours.
Stirring constantly stand over the pan and create a roux. Let the flour brown a bit but be very careful not to burn it. If you burn it even a little throw the entire thing out, wash the pan, and start over.
Once the flour/oil mixture is browned, add the celery, onion, and bell pepper. Stir constantly until some of the rawness is cooked out. Add the fish stock and the vegetable stock. Bring to a low boil.
Add the paprika, thyme, marjoram and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are cooked through and softened. The mixture should be slightly thick, like a bisque would be.
[This is a good stopping point if you want to make this recipe a day ahead. On the day you want to serve it simply reheat this mixture and then add the shrimp. ]
Bring the heat up to a low boil again and add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are just done (about 5 minutes).
Serve over rice and offer the chopped cilantro and chopped scallion for sprinkling on top.
* I like my gumbo a bit spicy, but not everyone does. When in doubt leave it out, and then serve some hot sauce on the side. I like good, old-fashioned Tobasco, but another favorite is Cholula hot sauce.
A note about okra:
I also like my gumbo with Okra but almost everyone I know who hasn’t spent any time in the south hates it due to the slime. To me, one of the most delicious things about gumbo is the okra. There are many ways to combat the slime. One is to simply cut the okra and then fry it in oil, making sure to turn it so that is really gets cooked on both sides. You can also dust it in corn flour and fry it that way too. I like to add it right to the gumbo, but so many people are afraid of this vegetable that you could just serve this on the side. People would add a scoop of rice and a scoop of okra to their bowl, and then ladle the shrimp gumbo on top.
¼ cup tapioca flour
1 tblsp garbanzo bean flour
¼ tsp xanthum gum
½ cup + 1 tblsp of vegetable oil
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups fish stock
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
* cayenne pepper to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb shrimp, washed and deveined with tails removed
handful of fresh cilantro chopped
1 cup sliced scallions
Cooked rice (figure ½ to 1 cup cooked rice per person).
Should serve 4-6.
Add all of the oil to a heavy bottomed pan (I make this in a coated cast iron Dutch oven for its even heat distribution and non-stick qualities). Turn the heat to medium/medium-high and add all of the flours.
Stirring constantly stand over the pan and create a roux. Let the flour brown a bit but be very careful not to burn it. If you burn it even a little throw the entire thing out, wash the pan, and start over.
Once the flour/oil mixture is browned, add the celery, onion, and bell pepper. Stir constantly until some of the rawness is cooked out. Add the fish stock and the vegetable stock. Bring to a low boil.
Add the paprika, thyme, marjoram and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are cooked through and softened. The mixture should be slightly thick, like a bisque would be.
[This is a good stopping point if you want to make this recipe a day ahead. On the day you want to serve it simply reheat this mixture and then add the shrimp. ]
Bring the heat up to a low boil again and add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are just done (about 5 minutes).
Serve over rice and offer the chopped cilantro and chopped scallion for sprinkling on top.
* I like my gumbo a bit spicy, but not everyone does. When in doubt leave it out, and then serve some hot sauce on the side. I like good, old-fashioned Tobasco, but another favorite is Cholula hot sauce.
A note about okra:
I also like my gumbo with Okra but almost everyone I know who hasn’t spent any time in the south hates it due to the slime. To me, one of the most delicious things about gumbo is the okra. There are many ways to combat the slime. One is to simply cut the okra and then fry it in oil, making sure to turn it so that is really gets cooked on both sides. You can also dust it in corn flour and fry it that way too. I like to add it right to the gumbo, but so many people are afraid of this vegetable that you could just serve this on the side. People would add a scoop of rice and a scoop of okra to their bowl, and then ladle the shrimp gumbo on top.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Ginger Green Beans
2 tblsps grated fresh ginger
1 pound of fresh green beans, washed with ends snipped and then broken into bite size pieces
1-2 tblsp olive or vegetable oil
splash of sesame oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste
---
**Optional additions…
1 cup of shitake mushrooms, chopped roughly
1/2 a medium sized onion, chopped roughly
I use a non-stick, flat bottomed “wok” pan for this recipe.
Heat the pan on high heat. Add the olive (or vegetable) oil and heat until very hot. Add the green beans and stir. The tendency here because of the high heat is to keep moving the food around as you would in a stir fry, but every so often I stop stirring and let the beans rest in the pan. That way some caramelization of the beans begins to happen, which is what you want. Once it looks like your beans are on the verge of being the consistency you like them (some prefer them more firm, and others more soft), quickly add the fresh ginger and the dollop of sesame oil. Then continuously stir until the rawness of the ginger is gone and all the beans are evenly coated with ginger. Remove the pan from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
**Regarding optional additions...
As a variation, after adding the olive (or vegetable) oil and heating it until it is very hot, first add the chopped onion and the shitake mushrooms. Stir them as instructed for the beans (i.e. stir them but let them rest every so often to allow for caramelization). Once they have just begun to caramelize, continue on with the recipe as written above.
1 pound of fresh green beans, washed with ends snipped and then broken into bite size pieces
1-2 tblsp olive or vegetable oil
splash of sesame oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste
---
**Optional additions…
1 cup of shitake mushrooms, chopped roughly
1/2 a medium sized onion, chopped roughly
I use a non-stick, flat bottomed “wok” pan for this recipe.
Heat the pan on high heat. Add the olive (or vegetable) oil and heat until very hot. Add the green beans and stir. The tendency here because of the high heat is to keep moving the food around as you would in a stir fry, but every so often I stop stirring and let the beans rest in the pan. That way some caramelization of the beans begins to happen, which is what you want. Once it looks like your beans are on the verge of being the consistency you like them (some prefer them more firm, and others more soft), quickly add the fresh ginger and the dollop of sesame oil. Then continuously stir until the rawness of the ginger is gone and all the beans are evenly coated with ginger. Remove the pan from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
**Regarding optional additions...
As a variation, after adding the olive (or vegetable) oil and heating it until it is very hot, first add the chopped onion and the shitake mushrooms. Stir them as instructed for the beans (i.e. stir them but let them rest every so often to allow for caramelization). Once they have just begun to caramelize, continue on with the recipe as written above.
Thai Inspired Sauce for Simmering or Marinating
This is an amazing little concoction that I modified from some recipe online somewhere…my apologies for not citing it but I didn’t bookmark it and I can’t locate it. I’m not even sure what the original recipe was for; I think I was just looking for something with a Thai flair.
1 healthy tblsp of dried lemongrass
1 tblsp of grated fresh ginger
1 medium sized shallot, finely diced
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed
1 handful of fresh cilantro
1 tsp of lime zest
1 tblsp of sugar
2-3 tblsps of fish sauce
pinch of salt
olive oil as needed
Throw everything in a mini prep food processor and give it a whirl until everything is finely chopped. Add olive oil as needed so that the mixture is slightly loose and the dried lemongrass is well hydrated. Done!
I think you can do a lot with this mixture. You could marinate shrimp or scallops in it for example, and then quickly broil them on skewers.
What I did though was add it to a can of coconut milk in a pan on the stove. I simmered it on medium high heat until the coconut milk was well flavored and then added a big fat piece of white fish to it and cooked it until it was just cooked through. I served it over a bed of wild and brown rice, with a side of ginger green beans (I will post this recipe next!).
1 healthy tblsp of dried lemongrass
1 tblsp of grated fresh ginger
1 medium sized shallot, finely diced
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed
1 handful of fresh cilantro
1 tsp of lime zest
1 tblsp of sugar
2-3 tblsps of fish sauce
pinch of salt
olive oil as needed
Throw everything in a mini prep food processor and give it a whirl until everything is finely chopped. Add olive oil as needed so that the mixture is slightly loose and the dried lemongrass is well hydrated. Done!
I think you can do a lot with this mixture. You could marinate shrimp or scallops in it for example, and then quickly broil them on skewers.
What I did though was add it to a can of coconut milk in a pan on the stove. I simmered it on medium high heat until the coconut milk was well flavored and then added a big fat piece of white fish to it and cooked it until it was just cooked through. I served it over a bed of wild and brown rice, with a side of ginger green beans (I will post this recipe next!).
Huevos Rancheros
4-5 fresh eggs
olive oil for sautéing
Healthy pinch of fried oregano
2 cups of crushed tomatoes
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
lime wedges (one per serving)
I use a nine-inch pan that has a cover that can go from the stove-top to the oven. If you don’t have one of these, start the recipe out in a skillet on top of the stove. When it comes time to add the eggs, first transfer the mixture either to a casserole dish that has a lid, or a 9-inch pie pan or cake pan. Once the eggs are in you will cover it tightly with the lid, or aluminum foil, for the oven part.
Pre-heat oven to 400.
Heat olive oil in a pan on top of the stove on medium/high heat. Sautee the onion and jalapeno until soft. Add the tomato paste and mix in with the onion and jalapeno just until the rawness is removed. Be very careful not to burn the tomato paste. Add the crushed tomatoes and continue stirring. Turn the heat down so that the mixture is just simmering and add the oregano. Continue to simmer until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and mix in salt and pepper to taste, the black beans, and the fresh cilantro.
Create enough “wells” in the pan to hold the eggs. One at a time, crack open an egg and drop it into one of the wells. Cover the pan tightly and pop it in the oven.
I cook my eggs for 9 minutes in the oven. This will yield very firm eggs. If you like a softer egg you can leave it in for less time.
Traditionally you would serve this over a crunchy fried tortilla. You would fry a tortilla in oil until it is crispy, then spoon out a portion of the egg/bean mixture and serve it right on top of it (with a lime wedge - fresh lime juice at the end is wonderful!). We simply serve them directly on the plate and maybe add a side of roasted potatoes. To carry the oregano flavor through I toss the washed, dried, and cut potatoes in olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried oregano and then roast them in the same 400 degree oven. You could start the roasting when you first begin cooking on top of the stove so that everything comes out at the same time.
olive oil for sautéing
Healthy pinch of fried oregano
2 cups of crushed tomatoes
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
lime wedges (one per serving)
I use a nine-inch pan that has a cover that can go from the stove-top to the oven. If you don’t have one of these, start the recipe out in a skillet on top of the stove. When it comes time to add the eggs, first transfer the mixture either to a casserole dish that has a lid, or a 9-inch pie pan or cake pan. Once the eggs are in you will cover it tightly with the lid, or aluminum foil, for the oven part.
Pre-heat oven to 400.
Heat olive oil in a pan on top of the stove on medium/high heat. Sautee the onion and jalapeno until soft. Add the tomato paste and mix in with the onion and jalapeno just until the rawness is removed. Be very careful not to burn the tomato paste. Add the crushed tomatoes and continue stirring. Turn the heat down so that the mixture is just simmering and add the oregano. Continue to simmer until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and mix in salt and pepper to taste, the black beans, and the fresh cilantro.
Create enough “wells” in the pan to hold the eggs. One at a time, crack open an egg and drop it into one of the wells. Cover the pan tightly and pop it in the oven.
I cook my eggs for 9 minutes in the oven. This will yield very firm eggs. If you like a softer egg you can leave it in for less time.
Traditionally you would serve this over a crunchy fried tortilla. You would fry a tortilla in oil until it is crispy, then spoon out a portion of the egg/bean mixture and serve it right on top of it (with a lime wedge - fresh lime juice at the end is wonderful!). We simply serve them directly on the plate and maybe add a side of roasted potatoes. To carry the oregano flavor through I toss the washed, dried, and cut potatoes in olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried oregano and then roast them in the same 400 degree oven. You could start the roasting when you first begin cooking on top of the stove so that everything comes out at the same time.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Sauteed Eggplant
Olive oil for sauteeing
1 medium sized eggplant peeled and cut into spoon-sized chunks
handful of fresh basil leaves chopped or torn
about ¼ cup of sweet inions finely diced
2 medium sized roma tomatos cut into medium sized chunks
salt and pepper to taste
After dicing the peeled eggplant work quickly to get them into a hot non-stick pan with a bit of olive in the bottom (let the oil get hot). If you don’t work quickly to get the eggplant in the pan the eggplant will begin to turn color. If you can’t work quickly you can submerge the chunks in a bowl of cold acidulated water until you are ready to use it. I prefer not doing this though. Eggplant is like a sponge and you don’t want watery eggplant. Another comment about the sponge-like quality of eggplant is how it will soak up the oil. This is why working in a nonstick pan is best with eggplant. Resist adding more oil. Once the eggplant begins to soften it will release oil back into the pan.
Resist the urge to stir the eggplant too much at first. Instead let it sit until it begins to brown. Once the browning has set in, toss in the onion and continue sautéing and stirring. When the mixture has begun to soften (don’t let it get mushy) add in the diced tomato and continue cooking until they slightly break down and are warmed through. Finally add the fresh basil and stir until wilted. Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
This is wonderful served hot over fish. It is also really great served as a dip at room temperature and can be served on top of bread (gluten free of course) bruschetta style.
You can also experiment with this recipe easily. I think it would be great with olives, capers, and/or artichoke hearts added in as well.
1 medium sized eggplant peeled and cut into spoon-sized chunks
handful of fresh basil leaves chopped or torn
about ¼ cup of sweet inions finely diced
2 medium sized roma tomatos cut into medium sized chunks
salt and pepper to taste
After dicing the peeled eggplant work quickly to get them into a hot non-stick pan with a bit of olive in the bottom (let the oil get hot). If you don’t work quickly to get the eggplant in the pan the eggplant will begin to turn color. If you can’t work quickly you can submerge the chunks in a bowl of cold acidulated water until you are ready to use it. I prefer not doing this though. Eggplant is like a sponge and you don’t want watery eggplant. Another comment about the sponge-like quality of eggplant is how it will soak up the oil. This is why working in a nonstick pan is best with eggplant. Resist adding more oil. Once the eggplant begins to soften it will release oil back into the pan.
Resist the urge to stir the eggplant too much at first. Instead let it sit until it begins to brown. Once the browning has set in, toss in the onion and continue sautéing and stirring. When the mixture has begun to soften (don’t let it get mushy) add in the diced tomato and continue cooking until they slightly break down and are warmed through. Finally add the fresh basil and stir until wilted. Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
This is wonderful served hot over fish. It is also really great served as a dip at room temperature and can be served on top of bread (gluten free of course) bruschetta style.
You can also experiment with this recipe easily. I think it would be great with olives, capers, and/or artichoke hearts added in as well.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Gap
It's been a long time since posting! I made the Enchilada Verde dish last night and didn't think to type it up, but in a weird coincidence a Facebook plea went out on the same evening I made them for a vegan enchilada recipe. So I made the effort!
Mike and I have moved and we are currently struggling with our yard. The minute we weed it seems like that clears the way for more weeds. It's been a bit of a vicious cycle that is actually making us hate the yard. I'm determined to reclaim it though, and a friend reminds me that any new garden you inherit will require three years worth of work and planning to get it the way you want. Patience, grasshopper! I did manage to clear out one bed for veggies. I planted four tomato plants: two Roma, one beefsteak, and one purple heirloom. I also planted two jalapneos, four basil plants (two green and two purple), some Walla Walla onions, and some carrots. Everything is really taking off. The tomato plants are huge and I am really excited about seeing everything thrive and do well. I used a jalapeno and some onions just last night in the enchiladas and it was really such a thrill.
I hope to throw more recipes up with more frequency. Our lives have been so busy lately - hosted a Canada Day/ Fourth of July cookout, camping/working/enjoying the Oregon Country Fair, a wonderful trip to Toronto and Warkworth Canada, much loved friends visiting from Massachusetts, friends' wedding reception coming up, a big shindig out in Washington planned, relatives visiting soon, and me heading out to Boston very soon with plans to road trip my dog, Emma, back to Portland with me. We thought that by the end of August things might slow down to normal, but I don't actually hold out hope. We have been cooking quite a bit in the midst of it all. Some dear friends loaned us a grill - the summer will be gone by the time we decide on which one to get - and we have been cooking veggies and fish on cedar planks and rolled in cedar "paper" which has been tasty and fun. I never think to throw the simple recipes up - after all the idea is not to insult the cooks out there! I think the enchilada recipe was a bit simplistic, but I hope people enjoy it nonetheless.
Happy summer everyone!
Sara
Mike and I have moved and we are currently struggling with our yard. The minute we weed it seems like that clears the way for more weeds. It's been a bit of a vicious cycle that is actually making us hate the yard. I'm determined to reclaim it though, and a friend reminds me that any new garden you inherit will require three years worth of work and planning to get it the way you want. Patience, grasshopper! I did manage to clear out one bed for veggies. I planted four tomato plants: two Roma, one beefsteak, and one purple heirloom. I also planted two jalapneos, four basil plants (two green and two purple), some Walla Walla onions, and some carrots. Everything is really taking off. The tomato plants are huge and I am really excited about seeing everything thrive and do well. I used a jalapeno and some onions just last night in the enchiladas and it was really such a thrill.
I hope to throw more recipes up with more frequency. Our lives have been so busy lately - hosted a Canada Day/ Fourth of July cookout, camping/working/enjoying the Oregon Country Fair, a wonderful trip to Toronto and Warkworth Canada, much loved friends visiting from Massachusetts, friends' wedding reception coming up, a big shindig out in Washington planned, relatives visiting soon, and me heading out to Boston very soon with plans to road trip my dog, Emma, back to Portland with me. We thought that by the end of August things might slow down to normal, but I don't actually hold out hope. We have been cooking quite a bit in the midst of it all. Some dear friends loaned us a grill - the summer will be gone by the time we decide on which one to get - and we have been cooking veggies and fish on cedar planks and rolled in cedar "paper" which has been tasty and fun. I never think to throw the simple recipes up - after all the idea is not to insult the cooks out there! I think the enchilada recipe was a bit simplistic, but I hope people enjoy it nonetheless.
Happy summer everyone!
Sara
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