I know everyone is probably going to be super busy tonight, so I thought I'd share a recipe that is quick, easy and you probably already have all the ingredients on hand in your pantry!
Over at the Gluten Free Recipe Swap Yahoo Group (I told you that group is wonderful!), Natalie from Creating from Scratch shared this Black Bean Salsa recipe. It sounded super good and I had all the ingredients on hand, so I whipped up a batch. My oh my. Talk about YUMMY! It was so quick, easy, healthy and delish! The only tweaking I did was to add an entire bunch of cilantro (just because I love it so much) and added 2 avocados instead of just 1 (again, because I love it so). Also, be warned, this recipe makes A LOT. Probably fine for a family of 4 or so, but for just Hubby and I, it was a lot. So, I ate it for lunch for a couple of days ... by itself ... with just chips ... yeah, I'm a muncher ... I mean, that's how good and filling it is! Natalie says that she also serves it with chicken or rice to make a meal out of it.
Actually, it's been a few weeks since I made it last ... I think another batch is in order! :D
So, I've told you about her cake, yeast-tolerant people rave about her bread, and now, Carries done it again! Ginger Lemon Girl's Clam Chowder is a total winner! It's quick (only takes me about 30 total - prep and cook!), it's filling and it's yummy and I can even make it dairy free! :D
When Carrie posted her newest creation over at the Gluten Free Recipe Swap Yahoo Group, I SO wanted to try it. First let me say that my Hubby LOVES clam chowder, so I have attempted to make two different versions in the past ... both with horrible results - bad flavor, too thin, etc. I was scared to try making it again and dairy free, but I reminded myself that I've been making so many other things that I wasn't sure about that came out just fine.
When I told Hubby what I was going to be making it for dinner that night, he kinda smirked (I'm sure remembered those other yucky batches) and asked, "What's the back up dish?" When I told him that I had faith in *this* recipe because it was was from Carrie, the girl who developed "The" chocolate cake, he said, "Oh, it'll probably be good, then." I only changed 2 things: the recipe called for 6-10 oz of clams, but the cans I found were 6.5 oz and Hubby and I like a lot of clams in there, so I used 2 cans - so 13 oz. Then, for the 1 cup of cream, I used coconut cream (not milk). I thought it was great. Hubby thought it had a bit too much of a coconut flavor (remember that he doesn't like coconuts at all), but that didn't stop him from eating an entire bowl of it! Seriously! I was shocked. He said the first few bites were very coconuty, but after that, it was fine.
The following week, I made it again, this time with hemp milk instead of the coconut cream to see what the difference would be. I think it was definitely less rich with the hemp milk, which I expected, but also less creamy , which sort of surprised me because I think hemp milk is pretty darn creamy. And, the chowder needed a bit more cornstarch to thicken it up, but then, I like my chowder pretty thick. Anyway, Hubby liked that the second batch didn't have a coconuty flavor and said he prefered the hemp milk version over the coconut cream one, and of course, I prefered the coconut cream one! Maybe next time I'll try a hybrid of the coconut cream and the hemp milk. It's all in the tinkering, I guess.
You should absolutely give this recipe a try, and when you do, be sure to leave Carrie a comment - tell her Clara sent you! :D
Uh oh ... okay, maybe I should stop using that whole "Best Ever" thing ... hahaha.
"The Best GDSYWP-free Bread. Ever." that I wrote about before now has a new contender. Gluten Free in the Country's Buckwheat Applesauce Bread.
This bread is not only tasty, but has a wonderful texture. I think the winning ingredient is the addition of gelatin. Now why didn't I think of that? It adds a nice "spring" to the bread that is usually found with yeast. I have tried this bread three times now - twice as-is, and once with sorghum flour in place of the buckwheat (just for a different flavor because I didn't like the buckwheat taste with peanut butter ... ick!). Both times, the loaf came out beautifully. Next time, I think I will try millet instead of buckwheat for yet another flavor.
If you try it, please let me and Debbie over at Gluten Free in the Country know what you think! :D
Seriously. EVERYONE loves This Everyday Chocolate Cake from Ginger Lemon Girl.
It is super moist, rich and lovely. It's not too hard to whip together, and doesn't have any real exotic ingredients. I make mine with hemp milk, grapeseed oil and eat it with no frosting, sometimes adding in chocolate chips, and it's awesome.
I've given it to like 6 non-allergen people who all loved it. Hubby likes it so much that he requested that I make it for an office party he had to bring a dessert to a while back. Yup, he requested a GDSYWP-free cake, he didn't buy one, he didn't request I make a "normal" cake, nope, he wanted this one! That should proved just how good it is! Give it a try today, you won't regret it! :D
These are the chocolate chips that I LIVE by. I won't use anything else. Why not? Well, who else has "gluten, dairy and soy free" labeled right there on the front of the package? hhhmmm, who else?
Yup. No one. Except Enjoy Life! I trust the brand and they're delicious! What more could you ask for?
Try them in this recipe, in place of the raisins. You won't be disappointed! :D
I haven't posted a recipe in a while, huh? Well, now's as good of a time as any!
I'm not sure where I got this recipe. Maybe Weight Watchers? I don't know ... but, if it's your recipe, leave me a comment and I will promptly give you credit!
Easy Light Cassoulet
Serves 6-8 people and is a one dish meal
Ingredients:
2-1/4 cup parsnips, thinly sliced (can also use potatoes or carrots)
1-1/2 cup celery diced, including tops
1 cup onion diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
8 oz lean ground meat (I use turkey)
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup red wine or port (can replace with stock)
28oz can peeled Italian-style tomatoes
19oz can Cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 tbsp Herbes de Provence or Italian herbs
3/4 cup GF bread crumbs (can just skip this)
Directions:
Saute' parsnips, celery and onions with olive oil and salt on medium heat until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the meat and continue to saute' until the meatis well browned and the onions are translucent.
Deglaze the pan with red wine being sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the chicken stock and tomatoes.
If the tomatoes are whole, break them into small pieces using a spoon or spatula.
Add the beans and herbs and slowly bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by 2/3.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Transfer mixture to a large casserole (you can skip this step if you started with a dutch/french oven instead of a sautee pan) and top with bread crumbs, if using.
Bake for 35-50 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly and the bread crumbs are a deep golden brown.
I've come to realize that there are a lot of misunderstandings about curry and thought I'd take a quick moment to explain a little bit of what I know.
I have found that when people think of Curry, most people usually think of one of two things: SPICY hot or the flavor of curry powder. However, neither is always true.
Think of Curry as we Americans think of the dish Chili - there is a spice chili powder, but not every chili dish recipe contains chili powder, and not every dish of Chili is the same - everyone has their own recipe and no two are exactly alike. Some use tomatoes, some don't, some have kidney beans, others pinto or black, some are spicy, some are sweet ... you get the idea.
So, like the dish Chili, the dish Curry doesn't have to contain the ingredient known as curry powder and there is a HUGE variety of types. First of all, there are many different countries that make their curries - Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal and Pakistan - just to name a few. Each of those countries have their own ways of preparing curries, what they're served with (rice, cous cous, wheat) and what goes into them - which vegetables, meat, etc. Indian curries are different from Thai curries, which are different from African curries, etc. Furthermore, within a country, there can be several different types of curries. For example, in Thailand, there three main types: green, yellow and red, but there are several different types even within that! How do they get so many different kinds? Well, like I said, the dish Curry does not have to contain the spice curry. The dish Curry can contain many different spices - cinnamon, ginger, garlic, nutmeg, cardamom, tamarind, red pepper, bell peppers, etc and can be made with water, goats milk, cows milk, coconut milk, etc. Some are very spicy, some are more sweet, some are bland. Some have vegetables, some have nuts, some have meat ... you get the idea.
Anyway, so now you know there are a bajillon diffierent curries. Even if you think you don't like curry - I'd say give it a shot. Try one of a different color or a type from a different country. You'd be surprised at the vast differences.
So, today my focus will be on my two favorite types of Curry, the ones I grew up on and know the most about. Obviosuly, having a Thai mother, they are both Thai Curries, Masaman and Panang.
Masaman is usually the curry that I give to people who say they don't like curry or to people who have never tried it. Masaman is a mild, sweet yellow curry. The ingredients for the paste include cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom and tamarind. You could buy all the ingredients separately and mix them up to make your own paste, but in the interest of saving time and room in my spice cabinet, I simply buy this paste. Then, to make it, all you have to do is mix the paste with coconut milk. I always use this one. What's nice about this is you can totally adjust it to your tastes - start with the amount of coconut milk and water that the can instructs, then taste a tiny bit of it. Should it be too spicy, just add more coconut milk. And, if you're worried about all the saturated fat in coconut milk, you could even add in cows milk, rice milk, almond, hemp, etc here, but be care not to add too much other milk as it will then throw off the flavor. In the end, you still want to taste all the masaman spices with a sweet, rich creamy finish from the coconut milk. Anyway, once the milk and paste have combined to your liking, and has come to a boil, you add your other ingredients. Traditionally, it is made with beef or chicken, potatoes, onions and peanuts, but you can really throw in whatever you like and have on hand. I usually throw in some carrots just to get in some veggies. Oh, and if you're using chicken, I would go with dark meats - thighs or even whole drumsticks - because the simmering tends to dry out breasts and other white meat. Anyway, once you dump in all that, just let it simmer until all your veggies/meat are done, then serve it over rice (particuarily jasmine rice)! Yum Yum.
Panang is made another sweeter, milder curry (milder than most, but usually spicier than masaman), from the red type. It is flavored with dried chillies, galangal, lemongrass, coriander, cumin, garlic and shallots. I use this one. It's made pretty much the same way as I listed for masaman, except traditionally, it's filled with just meat (usually beef) - no veggies. So, just the meat and curry over rice.
Anyway, I hope that I've helped you understand curry a bit more, and hopefully encouraged you to give a new type a try! :D
Bakery On Main makes 5 different flavors of gluten free granola. I can only have 1 though, the Nutty Cranberry Maple Granola, because all the other flavors have walnuts in them. If you try the other flavors, be sure to leave a comment for other people who might be reading this that can have walnuts and let them know how it tastes! Oh, be careful when you go to find/purchase these, Bakery On Main also make non-gluten free (or glutenful!) granolas. Make sure your buying the right one. Both have the same type of packaging, but ours has a nice, big "Gluten Free" on the front, right under their name.
So, my thoughts on this product? This is a GREAT on-the-go snack. I usually just eat it by the handfuls, by itself, on the run. Or, sometimes, I eat it for breakfast and throw some in my yogurt. I could probably eat it as a cereal, too, and just throw it and some milk in a bowl, but I haven't tried that yet. The only thing I'm not crazy about is that I'm not much of a cranberry person, as I find that they are too tangy for me. I do make myself eat some since I know they're good for me, but I do pick out some and throw them away. If only they would come out with another flavor without the cranberrys and without walnuts (Bakery On Main, are you listening?) :D
