Tasty Thursday: End of Summer Watermelon Salad

We've been blessed with a gorgeous yellow watermelon from our CSA share several times now.  First one went to my Dad's birthday celebration where it got rave reviews from all ages and provided some adorable photo ops with a baby who was having a ball feeding it to himself.  Last week's melon was left for my daughter to share with some company she had while we were out of town for the weekend, however she ended up not using it.  So when I picked up my share this week I knew I still had the one in my fridge and with there being little space for another one I chose the smallest one I could find and set out to make something with the older melon ASAP when I arrived home.  This is what came of it:

Into your nice, large salad bowl place the following ingredients then toss to mix:

Half a lovely organic yellow watermelon, cubed (reserve rind for pickling if desired)
Two cups organic home-sprouted mung beans
Two organic carrots, shredded
One small organic onion, chopped
A handful of organic cilantro, chopped
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste (optional)

I added balsamic to this, however one of the folks in my house doesn't have  a taste for vinegar lately so we dressed the salad individually once plated.  I served it over a bed of organic spring mix greens.

What are you waiting for?  Go cut that watermelon you have sitting in your fridge from this week's CSA share and enjoy!

Tasty Thursday: Vegan Mommy Chef's Sweet Potato Kale Frittata

I have to say that this recipe is a WINNER!  Not only did I find it delicious but my omnivore spouse finished up about half of the frittata, going back for seconds and thirds while delivering lots of compliments.  When an omni gorges on something that is made with a substitute for eggs when they are the major ingredient in a recipe it sure is a good feeling.

You can find Vegan Mommy Chef's recipe here and my version below.

Now I will mention that I do not own a food processor so this was a little more work to make than I like to put into a recipe but it was worth every bit of the effort.  I plan to make it again this week.

Ingredients:

'Egg' base:
1 1/2 cups Burmese tofu (I'll share this recipe tomorrow)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup Trader Joe's ground almond
1/4 cup tapoica starch
2 TB coconut oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pink sea salt
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 TB whole grain mustard
1 TB chia seeds
water as needed for blending (I ended up using 1/2 cup)




Vegetable filling:
1 tsp coconut oil
1 red torpedo onion from our CSA share, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, skin removed then cut into small cubes
6 leaves lacinato kale from our CSA shrare, stems removed and leaves cut into 1" bits
2 TB worcestershire sauce substitute (I'll share this one tomorrow too)
1 tsp local honey

First, I melted the coconut oil in a cast iron pan, then added the cubed sweet potato, stirred for a minute or two then added the onion.  I allowed it to cook for a few minutes, then turned it off because I had to answer a telephone call and was afraid I'd get distracted and let it burn.  It sat covered for about five minutes.  When I came back I added the kale, sauce sub and honey to the pan.  It cooked for about eight minutes, then I removed the lid, stirred it and let it sit covered with the burner off for a few minutes while I finished blending the egg sub items and greased my ceramic quiche dish with coconut oil.

While I was cooking the veggies I  ran the egg sub ingredients through the chopper attachment of my stick blender to break them down as far as I could, then transferred to the regular blender to liquefy.  This was a pain in the butt, however in the end it was all worth it.  I really should purchase a food processor.  Do you have a food processor you like?  If you do, I'd love to hear about it in the comments.  But I digress. 

Once the egg sub is blended, add it to the veggies in the pan.  Mix well, then scrape into quiche dish, distributing evenly.  Bake 35 minutes (or as long as needed) in a 350F oven then enjoy this delicious frittata!

Tasty Thursday: Sauerkraut!

I love, love, love fermented food and am expanding my horizons and beginning to make it myself.  This is my second batch of sauerkraut, curing in a gallon canning jar on the counter.  I wish I'd researched sooner because now that I have discovered how insanely easy it is to make I'll never purchase it again. 

The ingredients are 2lbs. cabbage to one tablespoon sea salt.  That's it!  You can of course adjust to whatever quantity of cabbage you have to work with.   I used beautiful heirloom conical heads from our organic farm share and decided to add a little dehydrated organic dill to this batch.  We are all crazy for dill in this house so I think we'll like it.  Next batch I'm going to experiment with adding some finely shredded carrot.

Remove the tough outer leaves and reserve, then simply slice the cabbage into thin strips, place it in a large bowl and add the salt.  Knead and massage the cabbage with your hands, working the salt into it.  The mixture will become very wet and the cabbage will begin to shrink as it releases its fluids.  Once it is nice and mixed, transfer to a jar or crock by the handful, tamping it down with your fist every now and then.  Push it down enough so that the fluid rises to cover the shredded cabbage.  When you have added all of the cabbage to the vessel and tamped it down firmly cover with the leaves.  This is important because the leaves will help keep the shredded cabbage fully submerged and prevent mold growth.  In order to keep the mixture firmly held down place a water-filled jar or zipper bag on top of the hard outer leaves.

Tamp down daily.  I began tasting the first batch at five days out.  My family began eating it at seven days out so I placed it in the fridge at that time.  I can't say how long it lasts because around here it was consumed in a week.

Have you ever made sauerkraut?  Did you add anything besides salt and cabbage to it?  I'd love to hear your ideas and experiences.

Tasty Thursday: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free Purslane Frittata

Yes, that's a knife in it.  I was so excited to try it I was already cutting myself a slice when I realized I needed to take a photo to post here.  Oops.

Inspired by Eco Lesbo Vego's recipe, I created a delicious frittata.  On the gastric-sleeve side what I am learning from my experiments with chickpea flour is that it is a slider food and does not fill me up.  I'm finding that fact a little frustrating since it is good for me protein-wise.  This frittata was quite tasty and very easy to make.

First, use your choice of item to grease a favorite pie plate.  I used a ceramic pie plate and coconut oil. Next add the veggies, then the egg substitute and bake.

Veggies:
Fill your pie plate with the veggies of your choice.  I used a bunch of chopped purslane and two scallions, sliced thin.  I sprinkled a bit of Trader Joe's almond meal on the top of the veggies for a little more protein before pouring the liquid mixture over them.

Vegan egg substitute:
3TB nutritional yeast
1tsp Herbamare
1 cup chickpea flour
1.5 cups water
1 tsp granulated garlic
Mix ingredients together in a bowl until smooth, then pour over veggies in pie plate.

Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until done to your liking.  I found the center a little moist but it resolved after I let it sit for a few minutes.

Really tasty.  I plan to try this with lots of other veggies.

Waste Not Want Not Wednesday: Pickled Watermelon Rind

So we got this gorgeous little organic watermelon from our farm share and I thought it was a shame to throw away so much rind.  I've never done anything with watermelon rind before but I really wanted to find a way to use this organic food rather than discard it so we gave this recipe from Eco Lesbo Vego a try.  Being only eleven weeks out from surgery I'm not planning to eat more than a taste but I know the rest of the family will enjoy it. 

Here are the ingredients I went with:
half the rind of a small, round, organic watermelon cut into 1" chunks, white only, skin completely removed and discarded
1 cup water
1 cup Bragg's apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup organic sugar

Simply combine vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved.  Add rind, stir, then turn off heat and leave mixture to cool.  Once at room temperature transfer rind and liquid to jars.  This quantity yielded two pint and a half jars.  (Did you spot my scoby photobombers in the picture above?)

This is not a recipe meant for canning and must be stored in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Tasty Thursday: Penniless Parenting's Swiss Chard with Spicy Peanut Sauce

I love Penny's recipes.  She's not afraid to use something 'past prime' so I was very happy to find this recipe on her blog for the once-beautiful bunch of chard that was now a week old in my fridge and beginning to wilt.  I modified her original recipe very little which was also a very happy surprise.  I usually have to modify out so many things that I find it hard to achieve the same level of spice as in the original recipe when I have to modify out a bunch of different peppers.  It was nice that the only peppers in this spicy dish were a 'sprinkle of pepper flakes'.  The spice in this yummy meal comes from garlic and ginger, both of which we use often in our home.  I encourage you to enjoy this very tasty and easy to make dish.

1-2 Tbsp. oil (I used some olive oil, realized I didn't have enough and added some coconut oil.  Don't cringe, it tastes great.  Next time I'll use all coconut oil.)
1 onion, sliced thin (I used a large Vidalia)
2 organic farm carrots, sliced thin
1 bunch organic farm swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and sliced
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp. peanut butter (I used  organic smooth but in the future I'm going to use crunchy.  I think the little bits of nuts would be a great addition but I'm not cleared to eat nuts yet.)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce (I used coconut aminos because we recently learned that soy is my daughter's migraine trigger)
1 Tbsp. honey or sugar (I used a teaspoon of local honey)
1 tsp. garlic powder (I used a tablespoon of dried shaved garlic)
1 tsp. ginger powder (I used organic purchased from my local HFS' bulk jar)
1 tsp. salt (I used sea salt)

Cook onion and carrot in oil until onion is translucent, stirring as needed.  Add chard stems, continue to stir as needed for about four minutes until stems are softening.  Add chard leaves, cook another four minutes in the same manner.  Add all other ingredients, stir well to mix, cook until peanut butter and honey are melted and all items are well blended and veggies are coated.

I ate the three tablespoons of food my sleeve can hold without any other accompaniments and served this to my family over a bed of rice and lentils.  It got good reviews all around.  I plan to try this sauce on other vegetable combinations very, very soon!

Tasty Thursday: 86 Lemons' Vegan Carrot Cake and Zucchini Bread Oatmeal

Carrot Cake Zucchini Bread Oatmeal, what could be nicer to wake up to on a Saturday morning?  This was my first foray into eating oatmeal post-sleeve, despite having been told quite a few times that it was an option.  Oatmeal, prior to surgery, was giving me stomach bubbles and pushing my blood sugar up and it's a grain, why eat a grain post-surgery?  But it looked so good and I planned to boost the protein so I gave it a try.  I measured four tablespoons into my bowl, added a little extra 5X protein almond milk and a couple of drops more vanilla stevia then mixed a half scoop of unflavored protein powder into it.  I was able to eat two and a half tablespoons.  It filled me up but didn't give me the uncomfortable feeling I sometimes get.  Three hours later I took a little spoonful of it for a snack and did get that uncomfortable feeling so I know it was still in my stomach.  It kept me pretty much full from 7am until 1pm when I had a low blood sugar and needed to have something to bring my number up.  I think that a two and a half tablespoon serving that keeps me full for hours and hours, even if it is a grain is ok now and then and will plan to make this recipe again.  Here is how I modified from 86 Lemons' recipe.

I did not oil my crockpot.  There was a little bit crisped on the top edge on one side but I mixed things up before serving anyway and it mixed right in.  I'll note that I made a double batch, not realizing how much the steel cut oats would puff up.  Even feeding three of us full portions we have some left over.  I plan to freeze two and a half tablespoon servings and hopefully they'll do ok defrosted and popped in the microwave.

1 cup organic steel cut oats
3 cups 5X protein almond milk
2 small farm carrots, grated
1 small farm zucchini, grated
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of ground clove
1 teaspoon cinnamon
splash of Grade B maple syrup
2 droppersful vanilla stevia

We like vanilla and I would have wanted to use the optional vanilla extract but at 9pm last night when I put it together I discovered my choices were whole vanilla beans, vanilla sugar or vanilla stevia.  It was too late to get to Trader Joe's to get alcohol-free vanilla so I made do with what I had, reduced the maple syrup and subbed the vanilla stevia.  Next time I plan to use vanilla extract and maple syrup.  I used no nuts because I'm not at the stage where I can have whole nuts yet and I didn't think adding nut butter would work for this.  If you try it with nut butter won't you please share your results with me?

I cooked this on low overnight and we were very happy to wake up to it.

Tasty Thursday: My Version of GF/Vegan Cholent

Reading about Cholent on one of the blogs I follow, Frugal and Kosher, got me curious about a vegan version.  I found a recipe to get started with, then modified it with what I had on hand in the kitchen.

I put the following into the crockpot:

4 cups water
2 cups TJ's hearty vegetable broth
9 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. caraway seed
1 tsp. applewood smoked salt
4 twists on the pepper mill
2 bay leaves
2 cups red lentils
1/2 lb. bag of matchstick carrots
3 large organic russet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 jar TJ's pizza sauce
1/2 can black beans

The black beans were leftover from last night's meal.  I had planned to add another can of red kidney beans but the crock pot is so full I'm thinking if it needs something more I will toss more beans in at the end.

While this is cooking we tossed a batch of these molasses cornbread muffins into the oven to serve with the soup.  The batter filled my Lodge cornbread pan, mini muffin pan and small loaf pans.   I use blackstrap molasses so we get a little extra iron from that plus the benefit of cooking them in the cast iron pans.  The sub for whole wheat flour was my favorite, most convenient GF blend, Bob's Red Mill.

Tasty Thursday: GF, Vegan Scallion Pancakes

Just had these delicious gluten-free, vegan scallion pancakes.  The only changes I made from her recipe was that we had no sesame oil so I used white truffle oil and the flour blend was Bob's Red Mill.  They're delicious!

Tasty Thursday: Sweet Red Lentils and Rice

Another easy crockpot recipe.  I got my inspiration here.

Into my crockpot I tossed:

2 1/2 cups red lentils (1lb. bag)
4 cups liquid (I used 1/2 cup orange juice, the rest water.  Would have used a whole cup OJ if I'd had it.)
1 tsp. powdered ginger, organic
1 heaping teaspoon dried local garlic flakes
4 Tbsp. local honey
A good shot of Bragg's Liquid Aminos
2/3 cup rice, uncooked

Turned the pot on Low and let it sit for four hours.  If I hadn't been sleeping I might have taste tested it and turned it off a little earlier.  The rice started to get a little gummy, but overall I'd rather have that than crunchy, undercooked rice.

It came out quite tasty!  Hubby added a little margarine to his, which made me want to try that too, but I prefer it just straight out of the crockpot.  Each of us had two bowls and there is some left for folks to take to work for lunch if they'd like.

Enjoy!

Schar $1 Coupon!

While I generally hate any offer that requires Facebook, this one I really can't resist and I hope you can benefit from it and pass it on too. A Schar coupon? When did I ever seen one before? Never! So I gritted my teeth and liked it on Facebook. Happy to say I got my $1 coupon.

Tasty Thursday: Onion Rings

Now that the Spring holidays have come and gone we have a blast buying up all the Passover Kosher stuff. It's such a luxury to find anything that is vegan and gluten-free on clearance, that we pick up some shelf stable treats even if they're not the healthiest things. It's just once a year, right? These onion rings were really quite tasty. And I got a huge kick out of the bag. Why? Take a look:

Onion flavored onion rings. Who would have thought? ;)

Tasty Thursday: Chilled Salt-roasted Beets with Skordalia

I had this amazing dish at Kouzzina by Cat Cora at Disney's Boardwalk last week. It is vegan and gluten free as it appears on the menu - what a thrill as I don't often get to order something straight from the menu without the chef modifying it in some way. It was delicious! The beets did not taste like soil as so often can be the case. The garlic was tangy but not overwhelming. The dill in the olive oil drizzled on the plate was so fresh you could smell it even with all the garlic. Well worth the mere $5.99 price for this appetizer!

Tasty Thursday: Gluten-Free Vegan spoonbread

This recipe was adapted from one I googled when I had the whim to make cornbread. The consistency is more of a spoonbread, fluffy and moist, so although it wasn't what I was looking for at the time it is something I enjoyed and will make again.

Set oven for 425F.

Bring 6 Tb water to a boil in a small pan. Add 2 Tb flaxseed. I used the flax with added blueberry from Trader Joe's. That added a color element to the finished product but didn't add any taste. I'd kind of been hoping for a hint of blueberry. If color is important to you, you'll want to try something else.

Lower heat, continue to cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, about three minutes. Set aside.




Mix together:
1 C gf flour mix I used Bob's Red Mill mixed with a little Soyquick; it was what was on hand.
1 C cornmeal
1/4 C sugar
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp finely ground sea salt



To dry mixture add:
Thickened flax
1 C non dairy milk I used almond, our preferred milk.
1/4 cup oil I used corn, again because it was what was on hand.
3/4 to 1 C frozen corn kernels




Coat cast iron pan with vegetable spray, turn batter into pan, cook for about 25 minutes then set out to cool.



The texture is a little grittier than I personally care for but the consistency is perfect for spoonbread. So nice and tasty with a little Earth Balance. Next time out I'm going to add some onions.

Tasty Thursday: The Magical Loaf Studio

Choose from the vegan ingredients you have on hand, check the boxes, click submit and you've got dinner under control courtesy of The Magical Loaf Studio!

Tasty Thursday: Risottoria

If you're in NYC and looking for something vegetarian, gluten-free or both, Risottoria is worth a look. But don't bring a large group without calling! There is limited seating.

At Risottoria you can choose from tasty salads, piping hot risotto and crispy pizzas, both gluten-free and regular. You'll even be brought gluten-free breadsticks to start off your meal.

One caveat - the pizza dough contains gelatin so if you're not an eater of animal products you're out of luck on the pizza and the breadsticks. I found that a huge disappointment when I first visited, having gone there expecting to have myself some gluten-free pizza. I'd tried emailing for information beforehand, but didn't get a response in time. I'd suggest if you're looking for info before visiting that you call or email at least a few days in advance to give them time to respond.

Take out and gluten-free products you can prepare at home are available.

Despite the pizza being out of the running for vegetarians this place is still very much worth a visit.



Risottoria
Open 7 days / Noon - 11pm
270 Bleecker, Between 6th & 7th

212.924.6664

Tasty Thursday: My Opinion of Spectrum Naturals Spread

I bought this for the first time today. I'm sorry to say I'm not impressed with the flavor. It has an artificial taste to me. It also has a texture that seems more gelatinous than margarine should be, in my opinion. I won't get the chance to cook with it as I'm out of town and just have a fridge & microwave here. Have you cooked with it? What did you think?

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Gets a big star of approval from us. They did spread out quite a bit on the sheet, but I'll take a thin, chewy, good tasting cookie over a thick crumbly one any day. As much as I hate that this mix comes from a conglomerate, upon my first sampling I do love it!

As always, we make them differently than the directions since we need a vegan version. Have you made them according to directions? What did you think?

Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix

Yes, that title does include the words Betty Crocker. It is amazing how far celiac has come in the last ten years, isn't it? We gluten free folks are starting to hit the mainstream.

We ordered the yellow cake mix from Amazon on a six month subscription. My adult daughter prepared it, subbing applesauce for the butter and eggs to make it vegan. She added some chocolate chips to the mix. We found the batter is so thin they just sank to the bottom of the cake.

It was nice out of the oven, but even better out of the refrigerator. Should you experiment with this new mix I'd love to hear how it turns out for you!

Update: Version 2, made with honey, vanilla & applesauce is spongier. Chocolate chips stayed on the top instead of sinking to the bottom.

A Delicious, Gluten-Free, Hassle-Free Breakfast...

...entirely from Trader Joe's.

When I was first diagnosed, what an expense and hassle it was to eat. Now, nearly ten years later it is so much easier. This morning's breakfast was a delicious one that was quick and easy to make.

Toast 2 TJ's GF waffles.

Spread with TJ's Cashew/Macadamia Butter

Spoon on TJ's Apple Sauce (the Chunky Apples & Cinnamon would make it even more delicious)

Sprinkle with TJ's Walnut Halves and Pieces

Pour on TJ's Grade B Maple Syrup if desired.

Dig in!