Gluten Free Healthy Food

Before I had a child, I never would have believed someone if they told me that I would give up eating all of my favorite things in order to breastfeed my child. But, lo and behold, once Baby Yum joined us, I found out that there was no choice about the matter at all. My heart told me that restricting my diet even more than a typical gluten-free diet was the right thing to do, if it meant that I could nurture my child. Strangely enough, it wasn’t the dairy or the eggs I found myself missing the most- but the most basic staple of my pre-baby life- rice. Going rice-free has been the hardest thing I ever did. And no, an elimination diet this extreme isn’t necessary for most allergy-baby moms, but it seemed to help us, and I’m happy to say that I feel every day this bond with Baby Yum was worth the sacrifice. As you can see from a very recent picture the DH took of me with Baby Yum, I’m loving being a (relatively) new Mommy. And, on the food front, I’m also happy to say that I’ve found quinoa to be a wonderful substitute for rice, whether I’ve used it for satisfying wild sushi cravings or, most recently, in a wonderfully simple and tasty Chinese-style fried rice. This is a recipe the DH and I enjoyed recently, and I hope all you gluten-free Moms (and daughters, and sons!) enjoy it as well on this holiday.

All my best,
Sea
(Sorry I’ve been so busy lately, but those pesky PhD qualifying exams have kept me offline and with my nose pressed in a book… And when I’m not studying, my baby needs snuggles! I know you’ll understand, and you can count on more regular posts again after this hurdle is (hopefully) passed.)

Quinoa Fried Rice Main Course  Alternative Grains  Chinese

Ingredients 3 cups Cooked Quinoa, chilled 2-3 tbsp. neutral oil (canola or peanut if you can have it) 1/4 onion, diced 2 carrots, peeled and diced 1/2 cup green peas Small bundle of broccoli florets, cut into small bite sized pieces 1 inch knob of ginger, peeled. Grate 1/4 of it and slice the rest thinly, dicing 1/2 of those slices White part of one scallion, halved Sauce: 2 tbsp. Coconut Aminos or other soy-free sauce 2 tbsp. vegetable broth 1 to 2 tbsp. dry sherry 1 tbsp. agave nectar 1/4 knob of ginger, grated (from above) 2 scallions- mince the white part and discard the leftover 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. chili garlic sauce pinch szechuan salt (if you have it) pinch white pepper pinch black pepper Directions Whisk together sauce ingredients and prep your veggies. Heat wok on high. Add 2 tbsp of oil and heat until you see white smoke. Add slices of ginger and halved scallion. Let them turn brown and then remove from pan since they’ve flavored the oil. Toss in diced ginger (reserving a little) and quickly add your onion, carrots, and peas and stir fry until they soften slightly. Then add your broccoli. Toss a few times until broccoli has lost its bite… then pour on most of the sauce, reserving a little. Let sauce and veggies simmer for a minute or so and then remove from heat. Put veggies in a dish and reserve. Heat wok again and add a little oil. If you like you can do half of the quinoa at a time… you’ll have better flavor. Add your little bit of reserved diced ginger and then toss half of your quinoa into the wok. Spread it around the wok and let it brown, and then stir it up. Brown a little more and then add half of your sauteed veggies and sauce, mixing in. Add a little leftover sauce and heat thoroughly. Remove to a pretty serving dish and repeat. Enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Contents of my brain, Please do not replicate without permission. Recipe ID:  1501 Added:  May 5, 2010 Last Modified:  May 8, 2010

Husband says, “These have an interesting texture.” … WOT! WOT’S WRONG? He says, “They’re really good.” … H’okay, then! I’m not into cooked sweet things much these days (RAW FOODIE ALERT!), but my husband tells me these are blog-worthy.

Orgran gluten-free plain flour mix results in a texture that is somewhere between most gluten-free things & wheat flour things… thus interesting! The peanut oil gives these biscuits a pleasant roasted taste, too… Obviously these biscuits are not part of a weight-loss programme, but they can be used as part of a tasty vegan snacking programme.

& I used agave to sweeten instead of processed sugar, hooray. You could also use maple syrup if you are from a certain part of the world where that stuff is abundant & cheap…!

Makes: HEAPS.
Gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free.

Dry ingredients:
2 cups gluten-free plain flour mix (eg. Orgran)
½ cup muesli (I used our homemade mix of buckwheat, nuts, puffed grains, seeds, etc)
½ cup chunky almond meal (or very finely chopped almonds) (leftovers from making raw treats!)
1 cup dark choc chips or other semisweet vegan choc chips… or cacao nibs!
¼ cup shredded coconut
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda

Wet ingredients:
½ cup peanut oil
½ cup (dark) agave nectar
¼ cup water
3 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof/parchment paper.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, stirring together with a wire whisk.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add all wet ingredients, and stir together.
4. Take roughly 1 tablespoon blobs of mix, roll into a ball & flatten into cookie shape on the paper. Smooth edges on the cookies to prevent crumbling (but only if crumbs bother you! I think crumbs are a great part of the cookie experience, ha).
5. Bake on the centre shelf of your oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
6. Store in an airtight container in the fridge (or they freeze ok, too).

Notes:
If peanut oil is too scary-fat for you – but it smells so good baking, oh boy, & makes a nice, brown coloured cookie rarer to gluten-free baking – use coconut oil instead (which would go well with the shredded coconut!), or an unscented oil like sunflower.

When Diane of the Whole Gang suggested that this month we have an Oscar theme for our Gluten-free Progressive Dinner, I was both excited and perplexed. I’ve never held an Oscar themed dinner party. What could I make? Searching online, it seems that people hosting Oscar parties usually either go for a movie-theme (10 varieties of popcorn, anyone?) or prepare food inspired by one or more movies up for nomination. Popcorn didn’t inspire me, but I thought it might be fun to prepare a menu inspired by one of the nominated movies. Julie & Juliamight be the most obvious choice, and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Hello, a movie about a food blogger and a woman who learned to cook in Paris- what could be better? I couldn’t remember much inspiring vegetarian fare, though, and the whole thing seemed a little too obvious. I briefly considered The Blind Side as I love making gluten-free Southern-inspired vegetarian fare. But, of this year’s nominees, Avatarwas the one that really stood out to me. I loved its imaginative depiction of an alien society, its beautiful visuals, its interesting commentary on the exploitation of native peoples, and illustration of the anthropologist’s problem of “going native.” What could be more fun than creating a menu of other-worldly food? This vegetarian Avatar-inspired meal begins with an appetizer of spicy and lovely lotus root chips. If you prefer, you can try my healthierbaked lotus root chip recipe. It continues with a hearty and peppery dish inspired by bruschetta but gone alien with a bird-seed millet grit base (appropriate for a people that fly on winged bird-dragons) topped with honey or agave sweetened caramelized balsamic eggplant and fresh arugula greens in a vinaigrette. The meal ends on a naturally sweet note with fried smashed plantain chips lightly spiced with exotic cinnamon and sugar. We enjoyed our meal thoroughly, and it would be perfect for an Avatar inspired Oscar Viewing party (or an Avatar viewing party).

This post is an entry in the Gluten-free Progressive Dinner Event Series.
Join us the week of February 22-26th for Award Winning Food for you to make for your Oscar Watching Party or anytime you want rave reviews.

Monday February 22- Shirley from gluten free easily sharing Veronica’s Pumpkin Soup

Tuesday February 23- SEA from Book of Yum with appetizers inspired from the movie Avatar

Wednesday February 24- Karen from Cook4Seasons and Diane from The WH.O.L.E. Gang using inspiration from Julie and Julia

Thursday February 25- Alison from Sure Foods Living

Friday February 26- Ellen from I Am Gluten Free

Looking for more Oscar Viewing Menus?
Epicurious Oscar Viewing Party Menu ‘09
Yahoo Oscar Menu Ideas ‘10 (love the “blue” theme for the Avatar menu!)

Fried Lotus Root Chip Recipe Snacks  Vegetables  Asian

Ingredients 1 lotus root bulb (renkon in Japanese) canola or other oil for frying salt smoked paprika if you want it spicy Directions Peel your lotus root and slice as thinly as you can manage. A mandolin works very well for this. If it will be a while before you fry, you can put the slices in water with a little vinegar added. Before frying, drain and dry the slices thoroughly. A salad spinner works well. Be careful of any splattering while frying. Prepare a wire rack with a pan underneath for excess oil to drip off while the chips cool. When ready to fry, put at least one inch of canola oil in a deep, tall pan. I often use a soup pan. Heat the oil to 365F and carefully drop in a few dry lotus root chips. Use a metal strainer with a long handle or chopsticks to turn them. When they are golden brown, remove them to the wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with salt and smoked paprika if you like. Continue frying in small batches. Serve and enjoy! *If the lotus chips are not done enough in the center you can fry them twice- first to a light golden brown, then let cool slightly, and then fry once more to a full golden brown. Season after the last frying. Notes You can buy lotus root at Asian Markets, especially Japanese or Korean markets. Check your lotus root carefully. It should not have any mold. Try to avoid any dark spots. The ideal lotus root will have crisp flesh, smooth, unblemished skin, and will still have its “knot” that attaches to another bulb. The knot should not have any mold, and ideally will look clean and fresh.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  The contents of my brain. Do not replicate without my permission. Thanks! Recipe ID:  1489 Added:  February 23, 2010 Last Modified:  February 23, 2010

Millet Polenta Croquettes with Honey Balsamic Eggplant topping recipe Main Course

Ingredients 1/2 cup Millet Grits (Bob’s Red Mill) 1 1/2 cup water 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. olive oil Your favorite herbal blend (I like the Provencal blends by Penzeys) 1 large Eggplant Marinade: 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar or more to taste 1/2 tsp honey or agave your favorite herbal seasoning blend Handful of arugula or other favorite sturdy salad green or herb such as basil Your favorite balsamic vinaigrette or homemade: 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. honey or agave salt pepper (adjust proportions to suit your palate) Directions Bring water and salt to a boil and add your grits, lowering heat and covering. Let cook on low for 10-15 minutes. Take off heat, cool for 15 minutes, and then remove to a small square shaped container like tupperware. cool in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 375F. Meanwhile, prepare your eggplant. Slice or cut into 1/2 inch thick cubes, depending on your preference. Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and seasoning blend in a small bowl. Whisk ingredients together. You can either baste your eggplant cubes with your marinade or dip your slices in the marinade. If you run out of marinade (depending on the size of your eggplant) just make more! Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and place your eggplant slices or cubes in a single layer on the sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until eggplant has gotten soft and slightly caramelized. If you are making slices, turn over and bake another 10 minutes. The cubes may not need to be turned and baked more. While eggplant is baking, remove your firm, cooled millet grits from the container. They should keep their shape. Carefully slice into rectangles about the size you would expect from bruschetta. Sprinkle with your seasoning herb and a touch of salt, if not included in the blend. Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan on medium. Place your millet “polenta” rectangles in the oil and fry until golden brown. Turn over and brown the other side. Remove to a serving plate. If you like, you can caramelize some onions to top the dish with. Slice an onion and sautee in a little olive oil on low-med heat until it gets golden brown. Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Now, assemble the dish. Top the millet croquettes with arugula and caramelized onions (optional). Drizzle a little dressing on top and add your roasted eggplant. Add some sprigs of arugula for garnish and serve. Enjoy! *For a variation, you can add a little pasta sauce to the top of the eggplant while it is in its final roasting phase. Notes You can also layer the dish Croquettes, eggplant, arugula, but I decided I liked it better as written here. It’s up to you. :)

Rating:  8 Original Source:  The contents of my brain. Do not replicate without my permission. Thanks! Recipe ID:  1488 Added:  February 22, 2010 Last Modified:  February 23, 2010

Fried Plantain Chip Recipe Dessert  Snacks  Vegetables  Mexican

Ingredients 1 slightly green plantain canola oil salt sugar cinnamon Equipment *Tortilla press 1 quart sized freezer bag Directions Prepare your tortilla press by lining it with a freezer bag with the sides cut out. Slice plantain at an angle to get a long, oval slice. If the plantain is too green to easily remove the skin, carefully cut the skin off of each slice. Prepare a wire rack above a wide, long pan for draining. Preheat your canola oil (or other oil with a high smoke point) in a narrow, deep pan like a soup pan. Heat to 365F and you are ready to fry! Place in the freezer bag lining your tortilla press and press down on the handle to create a large, flat “chip”. Gently peel off your “chip” and carefully drop in the oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove chip from oil with a wire strainer and place on wire rack to cool. Season with a tiny smidgen of salt, and generous sprinkles of sugar and cinnamon. Continue frying until all chips are done. You can place the rack (if oven safe) in an oven on 200F to keep warm if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Rating:  8 Original Source:  The contents of my brain. Do not replicate without my permission. Thanks! Recipe ID:  1490 Added:  February 23, 2010 Last Modified:  February 23, 2010

Morning sleep-in.

Broccoli monster!

Yummy fresh stuffs from the local farmer’s market.

Consumin’ brain food in the car!

One of these fuzzies is not like the other… (Mao!)

Happy faces! Fuji kitty & baby smiles-a-lot.

HAIRCUTS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS. That’s where we were off to. CHOP CHOP. Haven’t finished my hair update yet, though. Haircut was only stage 1! More later… unless I destroy my hair & have to hide away for a few months. ;P

David cooked a pesto pizza.

Chopstick vs Grassblade: FIGHT!… Well, if you want to be entertained in a mall food court, you have to be creative.

Fruity thief enjoys her spoils. (Ali managed to pick up some fruit while we were shopping without us noticing! We went back & paid 40 cents for this plum. Shopguy was very amused.)

Raw pizza base in the dehydrator for tonight’s dinner.

David wanted me to show you his “salty chocolate balls.” K THX. He made them this morning from raw cacao, hazelnuts, coconut, figs, & stuff… Moving on.

Today is the first day it hasn’t rained or been grey in a while (what are you doing, weather? !!). This is the green & blue view from our lounge room. Hi, Pacific Ocean! SHINY.

This tasty salad is full of B-vitamins! Serve as a side salad, or just chow through the whole lot for a big, tasty hit of minerals & iodine – which is important for breastfeeding mamas. YUMMY. Apologies for the blurry picture. iPhones are slackers.

Serves 4

22g / ¾oz dried wakame (whole, cut, whatevs! 22g was half the packet)
1 cup carrot, shredded (or spiralised or julienne, if you like)
2 shallots, finely sliced
3 tbsp coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
3 tbsp mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine vinegar)
2-3 tbsp soy sauce (salt to your taste; use Japanese soy, not light)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 banana/Hungarian chilli pepper, finely sliced (medium chilli)
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
½ tsp garlic, de-veined & minced
2 tbsp sesame seeds (toasted or untoasted, as you like)

1. Soak the dried wakame in warm water for around 5 minutes. Drain, rinse, then squeeze out the excess water. If using whole or large pieces of wakame, cut into ½ inch wide strips or squares (your preferred texture).
2. Stir together mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli, ginger, garlic to make the dressing.
3. Combine wakame, carrot, shallots, & coriander in a bowl. Pour on dressing & toss until mixed well. Top with sesame seeds.

Notes
+ If you can’t find mirin, 3 tbsp Chinese rice wine vinegar (unsweetened, unseasoned) plus a teaspoon of sugar (dissolve) or agave should suffice. I’m not sure how it would go with raw apple cider vinegar – let me know if you try it!
+ I was out of sesame seeds when I made this on the weekend & took the photo, so used sunflower seeds instead. It wasn’t too bad!
+ I’m thinking it might be nice with some cucumber half-rounds added to it… I’ll try that next time!
+ Little cubes of tofu would make a tasty addition, too.

As you may know, we’ve been struggling with allergies at my house these days- it turns out that our darling Baby Yum has a very sensitive tummy and so I’ve had to go on a rather extreme elimination diet in order to breastfeed her. The good news is that she is doing much better (yay probiotics!)- and the other good news is that while I had to turn my diet upside down, I’m starting to come up with some recipes that rock, limited ingredients or no. This recipe is amazing because it doesn’t contain any of the top allergens (no dairy, soy, eggs, nuts, animal products, potatoes, corn etc) and yet still has fantastic texture and flavor. As I was bemoaning the loss of Ener-g foods egg replacer (which contains a corn derivative AND potato, both of which I’m currently avoiding), it occurred to me that the french crepe/flatbread recipe socca doesn’t contain any eggs at all, and still tastes lovely. It is based in high protein chickpea flour but I thought, what if I used another high protein flour like amaranth, which is one of my current staples? And so, a lovely recipe was born. Obviously I wasn’t going to be able to top it with hummus (no sesame at the moment, sigh) but I raided my admittedly limited fridge and came up with an easy veggie saute that tasted surprisingly savory and delicious. I’ve made this recipe many times since its first inception, and it comes out beautifully every time.

For those of you new to amaranth, you can find gluten-free certified flour through Bob’s Red Mill, sold on Amazon or directly through the company. Amaranth is a traditional food plant in Africa, and only now beginning to be cultivated for use in the United States. It has a long and interesting history with the Aztecs and with the native people of Mexico. “To this day, amaranth grains are toasted much like popcorn and mixed with honey, molasses or chocolate to make a treat called alegría.” (Recipe for Alegría using whole grain amaranth )

Most interestingly for our purposes, Amaranth contains “large amounts of protein and essential amino acids, such as lysine . . . [and is] reported to have a 30% higher protein value than cereals, such as rice, wheat flour, oats, and rye.” That sounds good to me, especially since Baby Yum is currently sensitive to so many of my vegetarian protein staples. Further, “Amaranth and quinoa are called pseudograins because of their flavor and cooking similarities to grains. These are dicot plant seeds, and both contain exceptionally complete protein for plant sources. Besides protein, amaranth grain provides a good source of dietary fiber and dietary minerals such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and especially manganese.” (Source: Wikipedia) Nutritional value aside, this recipe is worth trying based on flavor alone. I think you’ll agree that in this case, a simple whole grain (or whole pseudograin) recipe is amazingly tasty- and easy, too!

Gluten Free Amaranth Flatbread Crepe Recipe Bread  Main Course  Alternative Grains  European

Ingredients 1/2 cup GF amaranth flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill) 1/2 cup water 1/8 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. olive oil Generous sprinkle of dried rosemary olive oil for oiling cast iron pan cast iron or other oven safe skillet *Makes two crepes- double for larger recipe Allergen-free filling: 1 thinly sliced apple 2 carrots, cut into horizontal thin pieces similar in size to the apple (cut like a very wide matchstick) 1/2 or 1 zucchini, cut into tiny cubes(optional) olive oil to taste salt pepper Directions Whisk together flour, water, salt, and olive oil in a medium bowl. Set on counter and leave for 30 minutes, whisking as needed. Meanwhile preheat oven to 450F and place seasoned cast iron pan in oven, heating. Add rosemary after batter has set. Brush pan with small amount of olive oil and let cool slightly. Pour half of your batter into the pan and swirl to make a round crepe in the pan. Place in oven and let bake for at least 8 minutes or until it starts to brown and lift off the edge of the pan. Take out of oven and carefully peel off flatbread and turn over, letting it brown for a minute or so on the other side if you like it crispy. While you are making your second flatbread, heat a small amount of olive oil in a nonstick or second cast iron pan and saute apples and carrots until apple starts to brown. Season generously and turn. Add a little more olive oil and heat in the center of pan. Sprinkle oil lightly with salt and add zucchini cubes, sauteeing until lightly browned, turning as needed. When done to your desired texture, remove from pan. Fill or top flatbread with your sauteed veggies and enjoy!

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Inspired by garbanzo bean chickpea recipe, but my own creation. Please do not replicate without permission. Recipe ID:  1470 Added:  December 1, 2009 Last Modified:  December 9, 2009

One of my favorite breads has to be cornbread. Something about that faintly sweet, almost nutty corn flavor says homey comfort food to me. When I first went dairy and soy free to breast feed my daughter, I was happy to find that I could still have Pamela’s gluten-free cornbread mix. I had always heard about people making cornbread stuffing for winter holidays, but had never made any myself. I was inspired by the season to make this delicious, easy, and completely vegetarian cornbread stuffing. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Gluten-free Dairy-free Soy-Free Vegetarian Cornbread Dressing Recipe Main Course  Corn  American

Ingredients Your favorite gluten-free cornbread recipe (if vegan, recipe will be vegan -dairy and egg free-) OR 1 pkg. Pamela’s Cornbread and Muffin Mix* (not suitable for someone with serious allergy to soy or milk as it is produced on the same lines. However, it does not contain soy or milk ingredients) 1/4 cup sugar 8 tbsp. olive oil 2 eggs 1 cup water 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 large onion, minced 2 large carrots or 3 small to medium carrots, diced 1/2 corn from fresh cob Or 1/2 cup frozen corn 3 tbsp. fresh assorted herbs, diced (I used rosemary, lemon thyme, and chives) 1 tsp. or more smoked paprika or chipotle pepper Dried Italian seasoning to taste 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh diced fresh basil 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes salt and pepper to taste 1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable stock (from GF bullion is fine) 1/4 cup pecans salt and sugar to sprinkle Directions Make cornbread the day before you plan to make your stuffing according to directions for sweet cornbread but using my ingredients. Or, make a few hours beforehand. Cool on rack and cut into cubes. I cut 1 inch cubes and think smaller ones might be better- like 1/2 inch cubes. Dry cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer in 250F oven, turning after 20 or 30 minutes and continuing to bake another 30 minutes or until satisfactorily dry. Preheat oven to 375 Place pecans on a cookie sheet and sprinkle them with salt and sugar. Place in oven and remove when they start to brown and release their fragrance. (10 minutes or so) Heat olive oil in cast iron pan and add onion. As it starts to get translucent add diced carrots. When they start to lose their “bite” and get slightly softened, add your corn, fresh herbs (not including basil), paprika and Italian seasonings, combining thoroughly. As soon as corn is done, put your dried cornbread cubes in a bowl and pour the sauteed veggies and herbs on top of them. Mix gently, and add your fresh basil, nutritional yeast and salt and pepper. Fold in and then moisten with vegetable stock until it is moist but not soggy. Return to your cast iron pan and bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 5-10 minutes if you want a tasty toasty crust. Top with pecans and serve.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  inspired by various recipes online, but my original creation. Please do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Thanks! Recipe ID:  1455 Added:  September 14, 2009 Last Modified:  September 14, 2009

Saturday: American Breakfast
Fried Potatoes and Onions, Slow Simmered Greens

Sunday: Japanese
Japanese vegetable rolls and onigiri

Monday: Vegan
Quinoa salad

Tuesday: Vegan
White Sweet Potato home fries, kidney bean patties

Wednesday: Irish
Vegetarian Shepard’s Pie

Thursday: Chinese
Vegetable Fried Rice

Friday: Vegan
Buckwheat Risotto

Saturday: Vegan
Mashed Smoky Sweet Potatoes, Veggie Soup

Soy-free Calcium Rich Bok Choy Stir Fry Recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  Chinese

Ingredients Medium sized bowl full of baby bok choy salt 1 tbsp. your favorite oil 1 large knob ginger, peeled Sauce: 1 cup your favorite GF allergen-free broth (I use veg bullion) salt to taste (my broth is low-sodium so i use 1/2 tsp. or more) 1 tbsp. honey or agave nectar (for vegan) 1 tbsp. brown rice vinegar 1 tbsp. potato starch (or corn starch, to preference) Directions Rinse bok choy and slice in half horizonally, rinsing again. Soak in water if needed- dirt can really get into the leaves! Cut one slice of peeled ginger and reserve. Use a microplane or grater to grate small shreds of ginger. Place half in a medium sized bowl and reserve the rest. Add your sauce ingredients into the medium bowl with the grated ginger, starting with the broth, salt, sweetener and vinegar. At the end, whisk in your potato or corn starch so it completely dissolves. Heat your wok to high and add your oil. When a whisk of white smoke rises off the oil, add the slice of ginger, and then the salt. Brown the ginger on both sides and then remove the ginger slice from the oil. Add the reserved grated ginger and toss your baby bok choy into the wok. Move the bok choy around the pan with your cooking chopsticks. When it looks close to done, with the leaves wilting but stalk still tender crisp, make a well in the center and pour in your sauce. Let it begin to thicken, folding the bok choy in. When done to taste, remove from pan and enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  The contents of my brain, do not replicate anywhere without permission. Recipe ID:  1467 Added:  October 22, 2009 Last Modified:  October 22, 2009

This week the Gluten-Free Menu Swap is hosted by Celiacs in the house with a theme of squash. I’ve included a plan for a tasty, low-carb spaghetti squash “pasta” dish in my lineup. I just love the mild taste and texture of spaghetti Squash. What’s your favorite way to prepare it? I’d love some new ideas! Below is my menu, but don’t forget to check out more menus at Org Junkie.
Monday: Italian
Spaghetti Squash “pasta” with eggplant tomato caponata

Tuesday: Chinese
White Jasmine rice with Veggie stir fry

Wednesday: Indian
Aloo Jeera (Potato with Cumin), Spiced Okra Recipe, Chard Chips

Thursday: Vegan
Brown Rice Pot Pie with Kidney Beans

Friday: Vegan
Mashed Smoky Sweet Potatoes, Veggie Soup

Saturday: Chinese
White Fried Rice and Veggie Stir Fry

Sunday: American Breakfast
Fried Potatoes and Onions, Slow Simmered Greens

This week I thought I would share a seasonal recipe for apricot glazed Brussels Sprout that is perfect for Thanksgiving or other Fall celebrations. I happened to have some apricot jam, which is odd as I have never liked apricots all that much, and some brussels sprouts begging to be used. Somehow it occurred to me that brussel sprouts might be nice glazed in apricot jam… and you know what? They were quite delightful! I took heart and inspiration from the blog Veggie Venture’s experiment with apricot glazed brussels sprouts, but I always roast brussels sprouts whenever I can rather than boil them. I have By the Bay to thank for that- and her savory Roasted Brussel Sprout Recipe is a favorite in our house. If you haven’t had brussel sprouts lately (or ever)- why not try one of these tasty recipes?

Apricot Glazed Roasted Brussel Sprout recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  American

Ingredients 1 lb- 1 1/2 lb. brussels sprout olive oil dried dill to taste salt pepper 1/2 cup apricot jam (i use a no-sugar variety) 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice lemon zest, if desired Directions Clean sprouts and shake off water, or fold in a towel. Cut in half, horizontally, and place in medium to large bowl, drizzling with olive oil. Season with dill, salt, and pepper and place flat on cookie sheet. I think that it is easiest if you put them all one way, either flat, cut side face down or round exterior face down. Place in 425 F oven and bake for 15 minutes and then check. If one side is nicely browned, turn over. Otherwise, put back in oven for another 10-15 minutes or until browned on one side. (This will depend on size of the brussel sprout) When this one side is brown, turn the sprouts over and bake for 5-10 minutes or until done to your preference. I like them more done than my DH- My favorite part is the crispy, paper-like exterior. yum! He likes them lightly browned but not papery. To each their own. While sprouts finish browning, put your jam, lemon juice, and zest in a heavy bottomed, small soup pot. Bring to a simmer and let it come to a liquid like texture. Then turn off the stove and reserve glaze. When brussel sprouts are done, put in a pretty, medium sized serving bowl and drizzle generously with glaze, stirring if necessary. Serve and enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Contents of my brain, inspired by many recipes online. Please do not replicate without my written permission. Thanks! Recipe ID:  1466 Added:  October 18, 2009 Last Modified:  October 18, 2009