Posts Tagged gluten free

Warm Curried Cauliflower Salad with Dried Cranberries, Cilantro, and Almonds

The other day I confessed to my husband that the blog is stressing me out. I know that I’ve neglected the blog recently, and that my posts are spotty and infrequent. I just feel so guilty about it. It sucks. But you know what else sucks? Feeling guilty about my blog. Frankly, it’s just stupid. I started this blog because I was working at a job I didn’t like and I desperately needed a creative outlet. I found so much joy in cooking and I wanted to share that joy with others. So, I cooked and I wrote and I found so much freedom in the process.

But here I am, nearly 5 years later and my life has changed drastically. I quit my job and started my own freelance marketing business. I started working for a farmer’s market. I had a baby.

In addition, blogging has changed. It’s become much more of a business. It feels much less like a community, and more like a competition. It’s become about imagery and props and styling, not about content. To be honest, I’m a little tired of it. I’ve been mulling over these thoughts for awhile, and then I read a recent post by Michelle at Hummingbird High and it really resonated with me. She spoke honestly about her thoughts on blogging, and it was refreshing to read someone speak openly and honestly about the current state of the blog world.

When I started this blog, I was working a 9-5 desk job. Blogging was strangely easier in those days, as I would come home after work and would work out the frustrations of the day in the kitchen. It was the best kind of therapy. These days, I don’t have set work hours. I’m a stay-at-home mom, sort of. I’m also a working professional, and I love my work. I’m juggling a lot. I have eight hours of childcare a week. Eight.

The reality is, I just don’t have a lot of time to devote to the blog right now and I feel I need to take a little time and reassess my priorities. I want to write and post for the right reasons, not out of stress or obligation. I started this blog because it was really good for me. It brought me a lot of joy and satisfaction. (It certainly wasn’t a source of stress!) I need to get back to that place.

Lest you panic, I’m not shutting down the blog. I promise, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still post recipes, but I’ll post when I feel it makes sense. I’ll post when I feel inspired. I’ll post when I find a little spare time. I’ll post when my kid starts napping regularly and gives me a few hours to myself. ;)

I’m still here, I just need a little reboot.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for understanding. Chances are, I’ll post more frequently now that I’ve gotten this off my chest.

I feel better already.

WARM CURRIED CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES, CILANTRO, AND ALMONDS

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

1/4 cup slivered almonds

4 green onions, sliced thinly

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1.5 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with foil or Silpat.

Trim the cauliflower into small (half inch or inch) florets.

Mix together the olive oil, spices, and minced garlic. Toss cauliflower florets with oil and spice mixture, making sure that cauliflower is well coated.

Place cauliflower on lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, flipping once, or until fork tender and browning along the edges.

Remove cauliflower from oven and allow to cool slightly. Toss with dried cranberries, almonds, cilantro, and green onions. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve warm. (Note: I squeezed a little lime juice over the top of the salad before serving and it was delicious!)

Brussels Sprout Soba Salad with Fish Sauce and Mint

I’ll just come right out and say it: This is a David Chang recipe.

Really, all I did was take his genius recipe and fiddle with it a bit. I made the sprouts and the sauce, mostly to his specifications. Then, I made some buckwheat soba noodles according to the package directions. Lastly, I tossed the soba noodles with the sprouts and sauce. It wasn’t rocket science, but it did make for a quick and tasty dinner.

Since I didn’t deviate much from the original recipe, there’s no point in posting it here. If you want to know how to make David Chang’s amazing Brussels Sprouts with Fish Sauce and Mint, just head on over to Food & Wine Magazine. However, I will leave you with a few notes on my adaptation of the recipe.

If you plan on making this Brussels sprout soba salad, here are a few notes:

*First off, this recipe translates nicely into a cold soba salad. In addition to making Chang’s sprouts, you just need to cook up a few buckwheat soba noodles (according to package directions) and toss the sauced sprouts with the noodles. I let the noodles and sprouts cool a bit, and ate the salad at room temp. However, the cold leftovers the next day were even better.

*I found Chang’s recipe to be a litttttttle too fish saucy for my tastes, so I dialed back the fish sauce just a bit and upped the lime juice. I also added thinly sliced green onions to the salad, for kicks.

*The spicy rice crispies are awesome. Don’t skip this step. Make them. Just don’t toss them in/on the salad until you’re ready to serve or they’ll get soggy.

*I didn’t have a red chile on hand, so I substituted a jalapeño from my garden. This was a great idea in theory, but that particular jalapeño was face-meltingly spicy. Thankfully, I didn’t put the whole darn pepper in the sauce (otherwise, it would have been completely inedible).

*The recipe on Food & Wine calls for ‘boiled’ Brussels sprouts, but doesn’t specify any boiling instructions. In my opinion, you really don’t want soggy/overcooked Brussels sprouts! I just blanched mine in boiling water for 2 minutes, then doused the sprouts in an ice bath. This just softens the sprouts and gets them ready for a good charring in the skillet!

And, that’s all I gotta say about this Brussels Sprout Soba Salad! It’s a spicy and simple weeknight meal, full of interesting and unique flavors. Bonus: it tastes even better the next day. Do it!

Buckwheat Zucchini Muffins

I recently received a copy of Erin Scott’s new cookbook, “Yummy Supper: 100 Fresh, Luscious & Honest Recipes from a {Gluten-Free} Omnivore“. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little hesitant about the book at first glance. For starters, I love gluten. I have no known gluten allergies or intolerances (pizza is my favorite food group!), thus, I have no need for a gluten-free cookbook. Secondly, the word “yummy” just bugs me. It conjures up images of Rachael Ray and overly perky Food Network hosts, and I just don’t like it.

So, then, when I finally opened the book, I was pleasantly surprised. The book is brimming with beautiful photographs and creative recipes. And while the book is written from a gluten-free perspective, it certainly has recipes that appeal to all types of diets.

While there were a lot of standouts in the book – such as Black Rice Pudding, Savory Custards with Wild Nettles, Mussels with Rosé, Leeks, and Mustard – but I decided to start with her simple and lovely recipe for Buckwheat Zucchini Muffins.

The recipe stood out to me, as it’s such a unique twist on a typical zucchini muffin. Made with buckwheat flour, coconut oil, honey, and molasses, these muffins pack a flavorful punch. They’re a great way to use up extra zucchini, and they are officially my new favorite summer snack.

Yummy Supper’s version of the recipe uses a combination of oat flour and buckwheat flour, and is gluten free. I didn’t have any oat flour on hand, so I substituted all purpose flour. Thus, my version of this recipe contains gluten. However, the recipe is easily adaptable depending on your dietary restrictions!

Buckwheat Zucchini Muffins

Serving Size: Makes 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients

2/3 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour (Can sub oat flour if GF)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 heaping tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 cups shredded zucchini, strained or patted dry with a towel
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts

Instructions

First, combine the honey and coconut oil in a small pot. Heat over medium-low heat until oil and honey are melted. Stir to combine and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups.
In a small bowl, mix together the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with the honey and coconut oil mixture. Whisk in molasses and vanilla. With a spatula, stir in the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the zucchini (and nuts, if using).
Pour your batter into the lined muffin cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/09/05/buckwheat-zucchini-muffins/

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Oh, vegetables. I used to love you. Then, I got pregnant and everything changed. I no longer wanted vegetables. All I wanted to eat was chocolate chip cookies and grilled cheese sandwiches.

However, a girl can’t live on chocolate chip cookies and grilled cheese alone. (I mean, technically, I could. But I shouldn’t.) I’ve had to practically force myself to eat vegetables, and it hasn’t been easy. But, just when I thought I might never like vegetables again, I happened upon this kale salad. I don’t know what it was about this particular salad, but it completely snapped me out of my anti-vegetable funk. It just tasted so good. Frankly, I couldn’t get enough of it.

This salad happens to be incredibly good for you. It’s vegan and gluten free. It contains a whole bunch of super foods – kale, quinoa, and cranberries. And, most importantly, it tastes good to this pregnant lady. (For the record, my husband also loved this kale quinoa salad. He ate two bowls of it for dinner one night, and ate the rest for lunch the next day. I’d say it was a hit.)

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Ingredients

1 bunch of black (dinosaur) kale
1-2 small carrots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dry quinoa
3 tablespoons tahini paste
1 teaspoon olive oil
Water, as needed
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
The juice of 1 lemon
1.5 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Optional garnishes: red chili flakes or avocado

Instructions

Cook quinoa according to package directions. When the quinoa is fully cooked, set aside until needed.
while the quinoa is cooking, prep the vegetables. Using a sharp knife, slice the kale into thin strips. (No need to remove the stems!) Using a vegetable peeler, peel the carrot into thin ribbons. Toss the sliced kale and carrots together, along with the dried cranberries.
To make the tahini dressing, stir together tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice. The mixture will thicken and turn a lighter shade. Begin adding water, a little at a time. Stir until the mixture is light and creamy, and the desired thickness. Stir in honey, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
Toss the kale mixture with 1.5 cups of cooked quinoa. Pour the dressing over the salad, and stir to coat. Sprinkle the sesame seeds atop the salad. Garnish with red chili flakes or avocado, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/05/06/kale-quinoa-salad-tahini-dressing/

Soba Noodle Salad with Miso Chard Pesto and Honey Roasted Carrots

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen last week, prepping and preserving in anticipation for the PDX Food Swap. Truth be told, I haven’t been spending a ton of time in the kitchen as of late. Life has been busy and chaotic and I just haven’t had a lot of time or energy for creative kitchen projects. But, the PDX Food swap was looming in the distance and I just couldn’t stomach the idea of going to the swap empty-handed.

So, I carved out some time in my week and forced myself to get into the kitchen. Over the course of a couple days, I cooked and created and canned and preserved. I made a giant mess of my kitchen, but it was totally worth it.

I felt accomplished and inspired…and strangely relaxed. Cooking has that effect on me, I suppose.

Of all the things I cooked this past week, I think this soba salad is my favorite. The chard and miso pesto is earthy and savory, dark and uniquely delicious. (Truthfully, it isn’t really a pesto at all. I just wasn’t sure what else to call it.) The savory pesto paired beautifully with the natural sweetness of the roasted carrots, and let me tell you, it made for a damn good soba noodle salad.

(Also: I begrudgingly brought a couple of jars of the chard and miso ‘pesto’ to the PDX Food Swap, but I selfishly wanted to keep it all to myself. It’s too good.)

Soba Salad with Miso Chard Pesto and Honey Roasted Carrots

Serving Size: 3 as an entree, 6 as a side

Ingredients

1 bunch swiss chard
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup red miso paste
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
freshly ground black pepper
1 package soba noodles
1 bunch rainbow carrots (or 5-6 regular carrots)
1.5 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
Green onions, ends trimmed and sliced thinly (for garnish)

Instructions

Roast the carrots (can be done ahead of time): Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and trim carrots (do not peel). If your carrots are very thin/small, you may leave them whole. If the carrots are thick, slice in half (or quarters) lengthwise. Pat the carrots dry and place in a bowl. Toss with sesame oil, honey, red chili flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Lay the carrots in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until browned and fork tender. When cooked to your liking, remove from the oven and set aside until use.
Place a large pot of salted water on the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, wash the chard and trim off the stems. Set stems aside. Roughly chop the chard leaves. When the water is boiling, add the chard leaves into the water and stir to combine. Blanch chard in the water for 2-3 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove chard and transfer to a bowl. Reserve the pot water.
Using a food processor (or blender), blend the blanched chard, garlic, miso paste, and rice vinegar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally, and blend until a smooth paste forms. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed.
Bring the pot of reserved blanching water to a boil. Cook the soba noodles in the water, according to package directions. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss the soba noodles with the chard pesto. Add a few teaspoons of the pesto at a time, until the noodles are evenly coated. (Extra pesto can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge) Taste, and season with salt, pepper, or red chili flakes as needed. Serve at room temperature and garnish with roasted carrots and sliced green onions.
Note: I adapted this recipe from Chow, and they chose to sauté the chard stems in oil before tossing them in the soba salad. I chose to go another route with the stems, and quick-pickled them in a mixture of rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. I was pretty pleased with my pickled chard stems, and thought they made a crunchy, bright, and briny addition to the salad.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/01/28/soba-noodle-salad-miso-chard-pesto-honey-roasted-carrots/

Buckwheat Soba Salad with Snow Peas and Radishes

Did you know that the word ‘soba’ is the Japanese name for ‘buckwheat’?

And did you know that buckwheat isn’t really wheat at all?

In fact, buckwheat comes from an entirely different botanical family. Buckwheat is actually in the same family as sorrel, knotweed, and rhubarb.

You learn something new everyday! I think this information is amazing. Who knew that buckwheat was related to rhubarb?! (I certainly did not!)

As for the recipe? It’s light, it’s seasonal, and it’s perfect for picnics, BBQ’s, and weeknight dinners in the backyard.

Buckwheat Soba Salad with Snow Peas and Radishes

Ingredients

1 package of buckwheat soba noodles
1 cup fresh snow peas
4 green onions, diced
6-8 radishes, sliced thinly
Sesame seeds
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1.5 tablespoons Ponzu (or lemon/lime juice)
1.5 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon agave syrup (or brown sugar)
1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar

Instructions

Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. Once cooked, rinse with cold water and chill until use.
Mix together soy sauce, ponzu (or citrus), sesame oil, agave, and rice vinegar. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed. (I personally like a lot of citrus, so I used ponzu and lime juice.)
Toss together the noodles, snow peas, sliced radishes, and green onions. Drizzle the soy dressing over the salad, and toss to coat. Be careful not over-do it on the sauce (this salad’s beauty is in it’s lightness and simplicity). Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve chilled.

http://rosemarried.co/2013/06/13/buckwheat-soba-salad-with-snow-peas-and-radishes/

Shepherd’s Pie with Potato, Parsnip, and Goat Cheese Mash

There is nothing fancy about Shepherd’s Pie. It isn’t pretty or exciting. In fact, it’s really quite unbecoming.

But darn it all, it tastes good. Shepherd’s Pie is the definition of good grub. (It is also the definition of 1950’s ‘casserole cuisine’.)

I made this Shepherd’s Pie the other night, in order to satisfy a a sudden and intense craving for wintery comfort food. It’s been quite chilly in Portland lately, and all I want to do is make soups, stews, and braises. Tis the season, I suppose. But, this particular craving for wintery comfort food was very specific. I really wanted to eat Shepherd’s Pie. To be honest, I can’t recall the last time I had a Shepherd’s Pie. I don’t think I’ve ever actually cooked one!

So I made a Shepherd’s Pie, and it was everything I hoped it would it. It was the epitome of wintery comfort food. Nich and I devoured it quickly and happily (he went back for thirds!).

The only problem with devouring it quickly? I only managed to snap one crappy iPhone photo of my rendition of Shepherd’s pie. Oh well. (Truth be told, even with a proper camera and lighting…it would still look ugly. That’s the thing about Shepherd’s pie. It’s just not a pretty dish.)

Since I don’t have a pretty photo to show for it, you’ll just have to trust me that this dish is worth making. So, if you feel yourself craving wintery comfort food, I recommend that you make this.

It’ll make you happy.

Shepherd’s Pie with Potato, Parsnip, and Goat Cheese Mash

Ingredients

1 pound (organic grass-fed) ground beef
1 small white onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of a fennel bulb, diced
1 carrot, diced
2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 small red potatoes
2 parsnips
2 tablespoons goat cheese
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced
Salt & pepper, to taste
Optional ingredient: Duck fat. I usually cook with organic, grass-fed beef which is very lean. I wanted to add a little bit of fat into the mix (as fat is delicious!) so I drizzled a teaspoon of duck fat into the beef. I understand that most of you don’t just have a pint of duck fat sitting in your fridge, hence why I’m including this as an optional step. I will say, however, that the duck fat was really quite delicious.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 305 degrees F.
Chop potatoes and parsnips into 1″ cubes. (I like to leave the skins on the potatoes and peel the parsnips). Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and allow the potatoes & parsnips to simmer until fork tender (15-20 minutes). Once cooked, drain off the water. Mash the potatoes and parsnips with the goat cheese, milk, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the stove in a large non-stick skillet. Cook the onions and garlic over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Next, add in the fennel, celery, and carrots. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the veggies are lightly browned and tender. Remove the veggies to a small bowl and set aside.
Season the ground beef with salt, pepper, red chili flakes, and dried thyme. Return the skillet to the stove and cook the ground beef over medium heat, until browned (5-10 minutes). Once the beef is cooked, stir in the tomato paste and the cooked vegetables. Stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes. (If using duck fat, pour over the mixture now.)
Pour the mixture into a square (8×8) baking pan (or individual ramekins). Spread an even layer of the mashed potato mixture atop the beef. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until potato crust is just beginning to brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

http://rosemarried.co/2012/12/07/shepherds-pie-with-potato-parsnip-mash/