Gluten-Free French Toast!

PREPARE YOUR PALATE!

Mmm ... mmm ... mm! Let me start by saying I made two pieces; one piece was too busy getting into my belly to wait for photos. This french toast is that good! Super easy too. [Remember: I don't measure, so amounts are estimated.] Let's do this ...

Pre-heat skillet or griddle with smidge of olive oil on medium heat. [Olive oil and syrup won't appear in the "ingredients," since they're not in the actual french toast mixture, but I use both.]

INGREDIENTS
Gluten-free bread (I use Ezekiel bread)
1/4 c. rice milk (could use almond milk)
1 egg or egg white (eggs are gluten-free, but use egg replacement if vegan)
1 tsp. sugar or xylitol (I've used a tiny sprinkle of stevia instead)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (maybe a sprinkle or two more)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
Mix all the hacky together until blended well. Make sure mixture is in a wide enough bowl so the bread won't bend or break. Dip both sides of a slice of bread into the mixture, place in pan and listen to that sizzle. Cook about 1 minute on each side, flipping when golden on the bottom. Try not to drool while it finishes cooking.

Once it's done, top with butter, vegan butter, or just 100% pure maple syrup and dig in! Let me know how yours turns out! Blessings and good eatin'.

KALE RICE

Release your held breath, America. The wait is over! Below is the legendary recipe for kale rice. As you may know, I don’t typically measure when I cook (they say the best cooks wing it like that!), so you may need to tweak it at home for your taste buds. Without further ado ...

Rice
1 ½ cup brown rice
2 ½ - 3 cups water

About 1 hour ahead of time, cook rice in rice steamer or in a pan on the stovetop. When it’s done, stir to fluff, and set aside.

 

2 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
½ bag kale (prewashed saves times)
Shredded carrots
Black beans
Cranberries
Pumpkin seeds (can use chopped almonds or sunflower seeds)
Spices: I don’t measure, so sprinkle first item the most and so on … Cumin, dill, garlic powder, curry, little ginger, little turmeric, tiny pinch of salt.

Lime (or lime juice) – not added while on stove

Heat a large pan or wok with olive oil. Once heated, saute onion about 2 minutes. Pour in up to half the bag of kale and carefully stir ‘til it wilts down a bit. Add spices, pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Stir. Add black beans and stir carefully. Add cooked rice and stir. You may need to add another dose of seasoning (taste to see). Add shredded carrots and stir. Turn off heat.

Put a serving of kale rice in a bowl and squeeze juice from 1/3 of a lime over the top. Enjoy!

This makes a HUGE batch, enough for a few days, but it gets tastier and tastier each time. Can eat cold or reheat … don’t forget the lime after each heating. I try not to cook it with the lime already added … tastes fresher doing it after it has been heated. Blessings!

 

 

Gluten-Free Pancakes

I try to eat healthy ... very healthy. But, being human, I do occasionally get a jones for pancakes. And when it comes to pancakes, I am a connoisseur. They must be fluffy, light, visually appealing, and not gushy. I like to be able to peel them, meaning rake up the top layer with my fork and eat it before enjoying the fluffy bottom. Crispy edges are pretty awesome too. So, a few years ago, my husband and I ate at IHOP sometime around Christmas. They had added gingerbread pancakes to their holiday menu. OMg, those things rocked! Since then I have been trying to replicate a gluten-free version. An edible gluten-free version. It happened earlier this year.

 

Before my discovery, my experience with gluten-free pancakes didn't excite me. We non-glutenites typically settle for flat, tasteless cakes if we’re even able to find establishments offering such fare. Most times, we just go for the grits or gamble with regular pancakes and suffer the consequences later. Pancakes are comfort food, they're childhood memories, they're home & family. It's tough to just give them up. But, now, there's no need! I’ve stumbled upon a recipe for the tastiest, fluffiest gluten-free pancakes I’ve ever eaten. The trick is in the preparation. Follow directions and let me know how yours come out.

DRY Ingredients

1½ c. flour (a sorghum flour & tapioca flour blend is great, spelt or brown rice flour works too)

2 tsp. sugar (or stevia or xylitol)

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. flax meal

[For “gingerbread” pancakes: Add sprinkles of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger (clove and allspice optional) to taste.]

WET Ingredients

¾ c. plain yogurt (can use plain rice or almond milk, but yogurt makes them yummy)
1 egg
1 T. canola oil (can use olive oil)
¼ tsp. lemon juice
A little hot water

IMPORTANT: Mix DRY ingredients and WET ingredients in separate bowls. While stirring, add dry ingredients to wet. Mix well. Batter should be thick. Add a little hot water to activate baking powder and thin out batter to pancake consistency. Set batter aside for up to 8 minutes while pan or griddle is heating up. Make sure pan is hot before cooking. Then, cook pancakes as usual. Serve with maple syrup, jam, peanut butter or your favorite topping.

Asparagus Rice

Some of my best food inventions are happy accidents that result when I want something quick and easy. My husband and I are opening a restaurant and had spent three weeks cleaning, painting, tiling, degreasing, and God only knows what else to get the place ready. We still have some weeks to go before opening, but last night, after about eight hours of working there, we dragged our sore selves home. I had some leftover steamed rice with split peas in the fridge, so that mixture, in all its unseasoned glory, awaited me for dinner. I’d also forgotten about the asparagus I had bought several days before. Mmm … asparagus. I actually had some the night before, but this second time I would add the rice.

I took out a sauté pan and heated it with a little water and olive oil. Once it was hot, I chucked in chopped onions, the asparagus (chopped), and about a minute later some chopped garlic, stirring. I spiced it up, as I do, grabbing a flurry of turmeric, curry powder, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, ginger, cumin, sprinkle of nutritional yeast, a crumble of seaweed (nori or kombu is great), dill or cilantro, and a pinch of salt. A handful of sesame seeds joined the party for a nice stir. Near the end (this dish doesn’t take long, asparagus cooks quickly), I added the pre-cooked rice & peas and my surprise ingredient … a heaping dollop of pumpkin! WHAT?!! Yes, stick with me here. Pumpkin adds this weird, awesome flavor profile. Stir for just a minute or two until heated. Sometimes I step off the strict vegan wagon and sprinkle in two or three crumbles of feta cheese (that’s probably close to 1 tablespoon). Really different and crazy good!

Ok, and here’s the interesting part—as I said, we came home exhausted and sore from all the restaurant prep work. Plus, I have rarely been a great sleeper, especially with issues weighing on my mind like starting a new business. So, after the asparagus meal two nights ago, I slept the most restful, recuperative sleep I’d had in months! Then, after last night’s asparagus with rice, another great sleep. A connection? You be the judge. I’ve sort of given the instructions first this time, so I’ll do my best to estimate the measurements of the items. Oy! The hard part!

INGREDIENTS
¾ cup brown rice
¼ cup green split peas
1½ cups water
Half a stalk of asparagus (cleaned, chopped … chop off hard bottoms)
1 lg. onion, chopped
4 cloves, garlic, chopped
Olive oil and water for sautéing
Spices listed above (try some others of your own too!)
Handful of sesame seeds (can use chopped almonds or walnuts)
1 big scoop of 100% pumpkin (from a can)
2-3 chunks feta cheese (optional)

Steam the rice and peas in the water about 1 hour before making this dish (usually takes 50-55 minutes to steam properly). You’ll be using about 1/3 of this rice mixture; save the rest for later. Follow the directions above and experiment. Hope you like this one. It’s weird, in a good way.

"Mulatto" Hummus

This is not a recipe post because I already posted my recipe for Black Bean Hummus. This is, simply, an addendum to that post. I call it "Mulatto" Hummus since I mix black beans and white beans (sometimes called cannellini beans). That is the only difference; I also double the other ingredients since I use double the beans. The mixed beans have such a nice, rich flavor that I'm spoiled and need to make a monster-big batch every time now. Yummy for me! Try it and give your taste buds a ride. Blessings!

Curry Lust

Curry is one of those spices/sauces ... you either LOVE it or truly dislike it. I'm a nut for the stuff. Could eat it every day! So, here's a quick curry stir fry that is delicious and open, meaning you can add or swop out numerous ingredients for any of your favorites. Feel free to experiment. Many of the best dishes began as kitchen accidents. Also remember, my measurements are not exact. If you want more garlic, go for it!

Curry Stir Fry

1 medium onion, chopped
3 T. olive oil
1/3 cup bok choy, sliced
1/3 cup celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
small piece chopped ginger
1/3 cup broccoli florets
Dollop of soy butter
1/3 cup soy milk
Dash of red curry, 2 dashes yellow curry, small dash of cinnamon
2-3 sprays of liquid aminos
3-4 dashes each of Italian seasoning, turmeric, coriander, cilantro, and garlic powder
2 tsp. cumin
Handful of broccoli slaw, pumpkin seeds, and raw spinach
Salt to taste (very light)

Saute onion in olive oil until clear. Add bok choy, celery, garlic, ginger, and broccoli. Stir. Add soy butter, stir. Add soy milk, red curry, yellow curry, cinnamon, liquid aminos, and all other seasonings. Add broccoli slaw, pumpkin seeds, and spinach. Stir. Add just a shake or two of salt, if needed. Enjoy!

Quick & Easy!

This is a double-header blog. Yes, that means TWO recipes! And this time there’s a theme: Quick & Easy. My regular recipes tend to involve loads of ingredients, especially spices. I do get the grabsies in the kitchen, snatching up any nearby seasonings to see what they do to my dishes. But not everyone desires to grab & shake, grab & measure, grab & pinch with so many different spices to achieve deliciousness. If that describes you, my black bean corn salad and down-n-dilly pasta fill the bill. Each contain only 6-8 ingredients (even less if you don’t count “pinch of sea salt”).

[Note: I usually cook for one, so my serving sizes are smallish. Double the pasta recipe if you have a guest, but you might want to test it on yourself first.]

Black Bean Corn Salad
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup frozen corn (don’t thaw)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Juice from 2-3 limes
Pinch of sea salt

Add all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Stir gently so that beans don’t get smushed. Cover and refrigerate so flavors blend and corn defrosts but stays firm. You can add chopped red peppers for a pop of prettier color. Serve cold. It’s so good and great at a summer party.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Down-n-Dilly Pasta
Rice fettuccini (may use wheat-based pasta, any variety)
2-3 T. olive oil
1 T. dill powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of feta cheese (about 1-2 tsp.)
Sprinkle of dry-roasted sunflower seeds
Optional: 1 spritz liquid aminos

Boil one fistful of pasta (broken in half) ‘til al dente and drain. Return noodles to pot over low heat, add oil, stir. Mix in spices, seeds, and feta. Remove from heat and serve. Quick and tasty!

Experiment by substituting a sprinkle of wheat-free tamari for the aminos, if you’re using them. Vegans can remove the feta and try a pinch of nutritional yeast (or go without it).

Enjoy and Veg Appetit!