Friday, April 29, 2011

Thai Stir Fried Wide Rice Noodles, "Pad Si-iew"

Thai and noodles used in the same sentence and I am there. I know I have been on a Thai food kick lately. I can't help it. Yum..
This recipe is time consuming. Perfect for me to do on an afternoon.... Therapy.

Marinade
1-1.5 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tapioca starch
1 tablespoon rice cooking wine
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped shallots

Marinade 1.5 cup ounces of thinly-sliced Chicken in the marinade for about an hour.
Ingredients
Marinated meat (above)
1 TB canola oil
16 ounces wide rice noodles
2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
2 cups broccoli florets
2 Tablespoons agave
2 eggs beaten
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
Thai peppers (to sprinkle on top for those in the family that like spice)


Soak the noodles in warm water for 30 minutes then rinse in cold water. Add noodles to a pot of boiling water and boil for 1 minute, then rinse in cold water again. Transfer to mixing bowl, separate the noodles and toss thoroughly with sweet soy sauce (soy, agave). Set aside.

Heat the wok and a little oil to stir fry the marinated meat until it just begins to cook.
Add the noodles, cook quickly then add broccoli and stir again. Push the noodles and broccoli to the sides of the wok to open up the middle, then add beaten eggs. Spread the eggs a little cook for a moment. Just before the eggs set, fold all the noodles and broccoli together and stir well with remaining ingredients.

Transfer to serving plate. Sprinkle with Thai peppers.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Gluten Free Falafel

I just love Falafel. I love their taste, texture, and the healthy nature of them. I never miss the meat. It is the one thing I can feed my family that is vegetarian and they don't complain. It is very healthy and filling. I have made it several different ways. But So far this recipe is my favorite. Here is what you need:

•1½ cup dried chickpeas or canned (dried is better, but if you are in a time crunch canned will be up to par).
•1 large onion, chopped
•3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
•1½ teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•6 cloves of garlic
•1½ teaspoon cumin
•1½ teaspoon baking powder
•8 Tablespoons Better Batter Gluten Free flour (or regular all purpose flour if you are not gluten free)
•Olive oil for pan frying
•Gluten Free pita, or you can serve in corn tortillas. I prefer Gluten Free Pita. You can also use udi's gluten free tortillas. I made my own gluten free pita bread.
• Cucumber and Tomatoes or your favorite veggies.

Instructions

1.Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.



2.Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic, and cumin.
 Process until blended but not pureed.

3.Sprinkle in the baking powder, and flour, and pulse. You want to add enough flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.

4.Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts. I find it easier to roll them in the gluten free flour and form them.


5.Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat; Cook falafels until nice and golden on all sides, about 15 minutes total.

6.Serve in pita breads, cucumber, tomato and drizzle with drizzle sauce (recipe below)

Drizzle Sauce:


1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl and chill until ready to use.

Gluten-Free Pita Bread

One of my favorite things to do, is dip pita bread into hummus, or have a pita sandwhich. Gluten-Free Pita is not easy to find. As in I can't find it, or when I do find it, it is like $8 for one tiny package. Crazy. Whatever will I do? I love my falafel!  So here is a recipe to make your own.

Gluten-Free Pita Bread
1 package yeast or quick-rising yeast
½ cup warm water
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 cups Better Batter Gluten Free All Purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons salt
1 cup lukewarm water
1 egg

1. Dissolve yeast in ½ cup warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes until water is frothy.

2. Combine flours and salt in large bowl using a Kitchen Aid or other heavy-duty mixer. Pour in yeast mixture and egg  and mix on medium speed using paddle attachment.


3. Slowly add ½ to 1 cup warm water and mix on medium for 2 minutes. Add enough water so that dough is soft and tacky, not liquid.

4.Oil your baking sheet or baking stones with a little olive oil.

5. Pinch off 10 to 12 small pieces of dough and place pieces on oiled bake sheet and roll out. I use saran wrap over the top to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin. Roll as thin as you can and then let rise for 1 hour before baking.


6. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

7. Bake for 6 minutes until bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for additional 5 minutes.

8. Remove each pita from baking sheet with a spatula and gently push down each puff. Bake additional dough until all pitas are made. Serve immediately or place in storage bags.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Easter Menu

I love holiday's because they give me extra incentive to cook. This year, Easter falls on Randy's birthday. April 24th. So I am cooking for both occasions. After listening to everyone's wishes. Here is the menu I settled on, and it will be served through the whole day, not all at once:

Eggs Benedict
sweet and spicy bacon wrapped Chicken Bits
Latkes
Potato Salad
Deviled Eggs
7 layer dip
salsa
Roasted Asparagus
Cheesecake (Randy's birthday cake of choice)
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip cookies

All of it is gluten-free and tastes wonderful.

We started our day off going to church to remember this is the day Jesus rose again. Then we came home and my daughter helped me in the kitchen, preparing the "make at the last minute" items. I made several of the items yesterday, namely the cheesecake. We are spending the rest of the day playing games and relaxing.
Happy Easter!!!

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Gluten-Free Cheesecake

My sister has always made the very best cheesecake. My husband is a major cheesecake lover. His birthday falls on Easter this year. So I am making him a cheesecake for his birthday "cake". My sister gave me her recipe years ago. Now I use gluten free graham cracker crumbs instead. Tastes just as good. The main thing to remember with cheesecake is you really need to make it the day before. It needs to chill for at least 6 hours before you serve it, and it is best if chilled even longer.

Crust:
1 package gluten free graham cracker crust (you can use normal if not gluten free)

3 TBS melted butter
2TBSP sugar in the raw

Stir together and press into a pie or cheesecake pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Set aside to cool.

Cake batter:
turn oven down to 300 degrees.
19oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs

Beat all ingredients together. Pour into prepared crust.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour.
Chill in fridge for at least 6 hours before serving.
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Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

I am getting ready for Easter. I plan on doing mostly egg dishes, but I wanted something for all the meat eaters. I found this recipe on Paula Dean's site. I like that it has both sweet and savory ingredients.

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan. Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
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Roasted Asparagus

Roasted Asparagus goes so well with Eggs Benedict, and it is really simple to make. We like ours al dente. So if you like yours well done (a.k.a. mushy) then just increase the cook time.

Ingredients
2 bunches asparagus
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated or shaved Parmesan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Trim the woody ends from the asparagus, usually about 1 1/2 inches. Spread the spears in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and roll to coat thoroughly.

Roast the asparagus until lightly tender, about 6 to 8 minutes, giving the pan a good shake about halfway through to turn the asparagus. Arrange the roasted asparagus on a serving platter and top with some Parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Eggs Benedict

Happy Easter everyone! What is everyone eating today to celebrate? I am doing Easter Brunch for my Family. One of our favorite Breakfast/Brunch Meals... Eggs Benedict. It is actually easy to make if you have all of the ingredients. You just have to do it in steps.

Step one: Toasted English Muffins (for gluten-free Udi's makes a great gluten free english muffin)
Step two: Poached Eggs, recipe follows
Step three: Hollandaise Sauce, recipe follows
Sthep four: 8 slices Canadian bacon

Poached Eggs:
4 quarts water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 large eggs

Put 4 (6-ounce) custard cups in a 6-quart deep, straight-sided saute pan. Add 4 quarts of water or enough to cover the cups by at least 1/4-inch. Add the vinegar and salt to the water and put the pan over high heat. Heat just until the water begins to boil and the cups clatter against the bottom of the pan, 20 to 25 minutes.

Adjust the heat to maintain a water temperature of 205 degrees F outside the cups. Break the eggs, 1 at a time, into another custard cup or ladle. Pour the eggs slowly into each of the cups, timing them about 10 seconds apart. Cook for 5 minutes each.


Hollandaise Sauce:
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne, divided
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice strained, divided
8 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Whisk together the egg yolks, water, salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne in a 2 quart saucier for 1 minute.

Put the saucier over low heat and whisk vigorously, moving the pan on and off the heat every 10 to 15 seconds, bringing the mixture to 140 to 145 degrees F, on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 3 minutes. Add 1 piece of butter at a time, every 30 seconds, while continually whisking and moving the saucier on and off the heat. Maintain temperature around 120 to 130 degrees F throughout the remainder of the cooking process. Once half of the butter, or 8 pieces, have been added, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Add the remaining 8 pieces of butter, 1 at a time, every 30 seconds, while continuing to move the saucier on and off the heat and maintaining 120 to 130 degrees F. After the last piece of butter has been added, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and the sugar and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes.
Move immediately to a short, wide-mouthed thermos to hold for up to 2 hours. Reheat over low heat for 45 seconds.


To build Eggs Benedict:

Put Canadian bacon in 10-inch saute pan set over medium heat. Cook, flipping frequently, until heated through and beginning to turn lightly brown around the edges, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the bacon in the pan to keep warm until serving.

For each serving, put 2 small dollops of hollandaise on a plate and set 1/2 an English muffin on top of each dollop. Put a small amount of Canadian bacon on top of each half and top with 1 warm poached egg and drizzle with hollandaise. Repeat with remaining ingredients and serve immediately.



Here is a pic of me and my daughter Taylor in the kitchen on Easter.

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

French Fries

So what do you all plan to cook for Easter this year? My husband's birthday falls on Easter, so we are doing a quiet meal at home after church. I plan on making eggs benedict with savory latkes. I will probably make deviled eggs out of the hard boiled color died eggs, along with some potato salad. Any way... on to tonight. I am making fish and chips for dinner. When it comes to fish, I stay strictly with Rick Moonen. His recipe for green tartar sauce is the best, and the man really knows his fish. I went to the farmers market and found some beautiful farm raised, fresh caught sea bass. Yum. Making fried fish is so easy. I use better batter seasoned flour with grated parmesan cheese as the crust. As far as the fries....I am known for making sliced potatoes, roasted. But tonight I am actually making the real deal. They are actually easy to make. Here is how I prepared mine:

4 russet potatoes, rinsed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch thick sticks
1 1/2 cups canola oil
Salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
Rinse potatoes under hot tap water and drain well. Dry the potatoes between several sheets of paper towels.


In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add the oil and heat to 375 degrees F. Add the potatoes and fry until golden brown and crisp.
 Drain the fries on a baking sheet lined with a paper grocery bag or paper towels and sprinkle with salt, to taste. Keep the fries warm in oven until ready to serve.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Monkey Cups

Spring Break is over. =(
We had a lot of fun. My Sister and her family came for a visit from Seattle. We went to the beach, Sailed to Catalina, Swam, laid out by the pool... and then it all came to an end when I got really sick. Just a bad bad cold. I spent 3 full days in bed. I am on the mend. Thank the Lord! I thought I was going to have to go in to the doctor, and I hate going in to the doctor!

While my Sister was here I did a lot of cooking. Just didn't blog. No time to blog when Family is here. So it is time for a new post!
My poor daughter is coming down with my cold now. I know she will be starving. I was so hungry the entire time. What is it about a cold that makes you so hungry? I don't get it. I probably gained 5 lbs just from laying around in bed and eating crap. So I am going to make her some made from scratch "comfort" that is gluten free so that she won't fall into the same rut.

It is going to be a rough couple days. She accidentally had some Gluten on Saturday. What does that mean for us? It affects her both physically and mentally. She will break out, she will have mood swings, she will get tummy pains and headaches. It always amazes me now that I know ... how she coped all those years while I served her gluten filled food over and over. Poor baby. I am hoping these will cheer her up.
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Monkey Buns

For the dough:
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/2 cup warm water
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup sour cream
3 tbsp sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups better batter gluten free all-purpose flour (if you use your own gluten free flour, add 1 tsp xanthan gum, if not gluten free, sub your own flour here)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Cinnamon-sugar coating:
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Vanilla glaze:
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a large mixing bowl, sprinkled the yeast over the water and let it stand until bubbly, 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, sour cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla.

2. Beat in 2 cups of the flour, the salt, and the baking soda until combined.

3. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour and continue mixing until a smooth, soft dough forms.

4. This is where Gluten-Free and regular are different. If you are making regular gluten rolls you would have to knead and then let it rise in a warm place. But you have to shape the dough first with gluten free, because it really only rises once. 
5. Spray organic cooking spray in a 12-cup muffin pan.

6. In a small bowl, blend the sugar and cinnamon for the coating. Place the melted butter in a small dish and set aside.

7. Roll into1/2 inch "dots"

8. To make a bun, dip six of the "dots" in melted butter, then roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Arrange balls in the bottom of a muffin cup. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Loosely cover the buns with plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place until they’re puffy and double in size, about 1 hour 




Preheat oven to 350F.

9. Bake them on the center rack until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes. Now tilt the pan and gently tap it on the counter to release the buns. If needed, you can use a knife to release them from the pan. Place the muffins on the wire rack.

10. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the glaze and stir until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, you can thin it out by adding 1 tsp water at a time. Brush each bun with the glaze. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

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