Leftovers: Chicken tacos

The other night, I "roasted" chicken in the slow cooker for dinner (supper?). The next night, I shredded the leftover meat, tossed it with Trader Joe's Green Salsa, warmed a can of TJs black beans (BPA-free can!), and whipped up a side of hold-the-mayo slaw with red cabbage, carrots, and cilantro, and served it with all the fixings (grated cheese, plain yogurt, salsa). Such an easy, quick, and delicious meal. I took a photo of the slaw on the side, but I ate it on the taco. Yum!

Hold-the-mayo Slaw (serves 4)*

1/2 red cabbage, sliced thinly

2 small carrots, grated

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

Juice of one small lime

Splash of apple cider vinegar

Black pepper, to taste

Mix veggies and cilantro in a bowl. Add as much cilantro as you like (we love it around here, so I always add extra). Drizzle olive oil over mixture, add lime juice, vinegar, and freshly ground black pepper. Toss and serve. 

If you don't like cilantro, dill or other fresh herbs can be used in it's place. If you prefer a creamy slaw, add a couple of tablespoons of organic yogurt.

The salad can be made a day before and left to marinate in the fridge. I ate leftover slaw today with the "super cow" beef stew I set up this morning in the slow cooker to cook while we were off getting a Christmas tree. 

*Disclaimer: I don't measure when I cook, so everything is a guesstimate.

Cheesy beefy mac

I needed to go to the store after work and pick up some groceries. Instead, I scoured the pantry and 'fridge and threw together this "everything but the kitchen sink" dinner.

Ingredients:
• One bag of rice elbow macaroni
• Half a bag frozen, chopped onions
• One pound of grass-fed ground beef (hidden in the back of the freezer, behind the frozen onions)
• Homemade cheese, with Italian spices and pepper-crusted (grass-fed, organic milk)
• Fresly grated Parmesan
• One cup of spaghetti sauce (Newman's Own Sockerooni)

Sauté beef and onions. Cook noodles until al dente. Splash and smear oil into casserole dish so nothing sticks. Drain meat/onions, add to casserole dish. Drain pasta, add to casserole dish, stir. Stir in crumbled cheese, sauce, top with Parmesan, put in pre-heated oven (350°) until heated all the way through and cheese melts.

Sure, I probably needed to make a bechamel to add to the mix, but this was improv. You don't think I would plan a meal like this on a hot, humid, summer night, do you?

Serve with green salad, have leftovers for lunch. And dinner. And maybe lunch again. Yum.

Chickpeas in Jalfrezi simmer sauce

Posted this yesterday while cooking dinner. Whole thing was made in the time it to cook the rice, which is perfect for those of us just who work long days and need a healthy dinner FAST. The Seeds of Change simmer sauce is organic and so delicious; I can't wait to go back and try more flavors. Garbanzo beans are full of soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar. They have a nice amount of protein when served with brown rice and a decent amount of molybdenum, a trace mineral that helps your body process nasty sulfites that are found in processed foods and wine. Garbanzo beans, or chick peas, are also a good source non-animal source of iron.

So tired and hungry when I got home from work. Reached into pantry and grabbed brown rice, a can of garbanzo beans, a jar of Seeds of Change simmer sauce, an onion. In the fridge I found some organic mushrooms and fresh baby spinach. Prepared one cup of brown rice. While rice cooked, chopped 1/2 onion, sliced mushrooms, and sauteed them in large pan with olive oil. Rinsed can of beans, added to pan with several handfuls of spinach. Simmered some more. Added jalfrezi curry sauce (with red peppers and coconut).

So, now all of that is simmering while the rice finishes cooking. Smells amazing and looks like I'll even have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Okay, just tasted it and dang, that's good stuff.


Quick, easy, healthy. Thank you. Time to eat. Good night.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Slow cookerama

I'm trying to plan ahead and make lunch/dinner for the upcoming week. Working long days doesn't leave much energy to come home and prepare a healthy meal and, although it is very affordable, the cafeteria at work doesn't offer much when it comes to gluten-free.

I checked in with one of my favorite blogs, crockpot365.blogspot.com, and learned how to cook up some beans in my slow cooker. I took half a bag of dried pinto and half a bag of black beans, rinsed them in a colander, drained them, then poured them into the slow cooker. I then added one large, crushed clove of garlic and covered the beans with filtered water (plus two inches, as instructed). I added the garlic because I remember my mom telling me that garlic reduces the gas from the beans. I crushed it because crushing, chopping, or mincing actually activates the properties of the garlic. They soaked overnight, this morning I rinsed them and returned them to the slow cooker to cook on low for about 6 hours. I had a small helping for lunch, with some salsa, grated cheese and cilantro. Will need to make some rice tonight so I can have bean and rice bowls for lunch this week.

When the beans were almost done, I referred to crockpot365 for a chicken and dumplings recipe. The best (and only) chicken and dumplings I've ever had were at Tad's in Troutdale, Oregon. Those dumplings were so huge...they were painfully delicious. Literally. Glutaginous balls of death. I will be using Bob's Red Mill gluten-free biscuit mix, so my version should be a bit more intestine friendly.

My favorite part of using a slow cooker is throwing frozen ingredients into the crock, no thawing necessary, step away, and let it do it's thing. I inherited another, larger slow cooker (I actually think this one is an official crockpot), so I took it off the shelf, grabbed some open packages of frozen peas and green beans, chopped an onion, and added boneless chicken breasts all into the crock. Covered with two cans of gluten-free, organic cream of chicken soup, turned the slow cooker on high and in four hours will drop in globs of gluten-free biscuit dough. One more hour of cooking and, fingers crossed, I hope to have a scrumptious, stick-to-your-ribs dinner of comfort food! Perfect for a snowy, 4° winter day (and lunch this week!).

(I just added some rosemary to the crockpot, along with the biscuit dough. Felt like it was missing something. Almost done, picture to come!)

Migas

Hard to believe I've been blogging here since July 2007 and have yet to post anything about one of my favorite quick breakfast recipes. I first had migas in Santa Fe. Don't remember the name of the restaurant, but they truly were delicious. But where I had them doesn't really matter because they are so easy to make, you, too, can enjoy the yumminess of this Tex-Mex breakfast delight. I mostly love this recipe because it's perfect for using up those stale chips that are sitting in the cupboard. It's great the day after a party, perfect for New Year's Day.

The ingredients are simple: olive oil, salsa, eggs, corn tortilla chips, grated cheese and cilantro for garnish.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan, not too hot as you don't want it to smoke. Add in a cup or so of salsa per person. Let the salsa cook long enough to burn off the excess liquid.
Scramble 3 eggs per person then add crumbled tortilla chips to the egg batter. Pour into frying pan and stir while cooking egg/salsa mixture.
Serve immediately, garnished with grated cheese and cilantro.

Gluten-free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and if you're anything like me you've already planned your holiday menu, ordered your turkey, and getting super crafty with the place settings. Last year I made a wheat-free dinner, using spelt breadcrumbs from New Seasons for stuffing and a gluten-free pumpkin cheesecake that was the hit of the night. It's so good, well, even my friend who doesn't like pumpkin pie raved about the cheesecake. This recipe isn't my own original, I found it on allrecipes.com, just used Trader Joe's Gluten-free Ginger Snaps instead of regular. Easy peasy.

For those of you in the Portland area who are looking for a more traditional gluten-free pumpkin pie, go to New Cascadia Bakery on SE 6th and Market. Their pumpkin tart is absolutely delish, with a flaky I-can't-believe-it's-not-gluten-laden crust. Not sure if you can special order pies for Thanksgiving, but give them a call and ask. Don't forget to pick up some crusty bread for gf stuffing!

GF Pumpkin Marbled Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F°

* 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies - Trader Joe’s Gluten-free
* 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
* 1/3 cup butter, melted

* 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 3/4 cup white sugar, divided
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup canned pumpkin
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan, going up the sides about 1". Bake 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set it aside to cool.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture. Blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.

3. Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

4. Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool before removing pan rim. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Allrecipes.com/Recipe/Marbled-Pumpkin-Cheesecake/
New Cascadia Bakery

Ginger Snap Pear Tartin

There are pears galore in my backyard. Still picking them daily and letting them ripe off the tree, collecting untarnished fruit from the ground before the chickens dig in. Like apples, pears are members of the rose family and are a great source of Vitamin C (maybe this is why they are in season at the beginning of Fall—cold and flu season!) They are also full of fiber, which can lower cholesterol, protect against some cancers, and support good colon health. I've been enjoying pears with slices of cheese and in salads, but I've really wanted to make a quick and easy dessert with these fabulous Fall fruit.

Last Sunday I made a lovely gluten-y pear tartin for a friend. I drizzled it with a concoction of sliced almonds, sugar, butter, and sweetened condensed milk that was positively decadent. I'm now inspired to try this g-f version, rehashing my fav crust (from the Thanksgiving g-f cheesecake recipe):

Crushed gluten-free ginger snaps, pecans, butter, mix well and press into tart pan. Peel and slice pears, drizzle with lemon juice, cinnamon, dash of sweetener of choice (sugar/maple syrup/honey), arrange on crust in pan. Bake at 325-350° for...long enough to not burn the crust or pears. Melt butter and sugar in saucepan, stir in sweetened condensed milk. Add nuts (let's add pecans to match the crust), keep stirring, then drizzle on baked tart.

Okay, that's a rough draft. Sounds yum, right? Will work on the final version with guesstimated measurements and get back to you.

What's your favorite way to enjoy pears?

Classic Summertime Gazpacho

Gazpacho is super easy, all it takes is some veggies and a blender, so no heating up the kitchen with a hot stove. August is the best month for finding super ripe tomatoes, another reason gazpacho is the perfect summertime meal. The original recipe calls for bits of bread to be added to the soup, I have stopped using it as I try to maintain my wheat-free lifestyle, although I'm sure a nice gluten-free loaf from New Cascadia Traditional Bakery would do quite nicely. Experiment with different types of tomatoes; I sometimes use red peppers instead of green to intensify the color of the soup.

Classic Gazpacho
3 medium tomatoes, skins removed and cut into wedges
2 green peppers, seeded and sliced
1/2 cucumber
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP tomato paste
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
4 cups water

Add all ingredients except 3 cups of water to blender. Blend, slowly adding the rest of the water. If you like thicker soup use less water or add pieces of Italian bread to the mixture and blend some more.

Serve chilled. Garnish with diced cucumber, green pepper, tomato, and bread.

Gluten-free Roman (okay, Italian) Holiday

Image via Wikipedia

No, I'm not headed to my dream vacay to Italy (not yet, at least), but I do have a patient who is. Because she has an autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (the most common cause of hypothyroidism), I have advised her to stay off of gluten. She reports she feels so much better on the gf diet, but is concerned about an upcoming trip to Italy. Gluten-free in Italy? Impossibile!

Apparently not so impossible. I just did a search on The Google and found quite a few sites on staying gluten-free in Italy. Here are just some of the links I plan to share with her (and you, too!):

Gluten-free Italy Celiac Chicks - The Hip & Healthy Gluten-free Guide
Three Simple Words "Lo sono celiaco" The Original Gluten-free Girl
Celiac Travel Guide has resources including gf restaurant cards in 43 languages. Senza glutine!
A Gluten Free Guide's archive to travel in Italy
Associazione Italiana Celiachia (who knew celiac could sound so sexy?) Click on the little flag for the pages in English.
Gluten-free Travel Site Reviews by fellow gluten-free travellers
Not available in stores, books for the gluten-free traveller.

Wheat-Free Crumble 2.0

When looking at my blog traffic, I noticed the Google search that most often brings readers to Holistica Naturopathic is "wheat-free crumble." I posted a recipe way back in 2007 for a wheat-free dessert, and that's my most popular blog entry! I have no clue if anyone is making this crumble, but there are folks all over the globe checking out the recipe.

In the spirit of the holiday weekend, I've decided to repost the recipe (for my new readers who may not be reading the old posts). I did make one with agave, but don't recall the proportions. I'm thinking coconut oil would work well instead of butter, again I don't know the replacement equivalent*, so if you experiment, let me know!

Yummy Wheat-free Berry Crumble

Preheat oven to 325.

Filling (you can use whatever fruit is local and in season!)
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
2 nectarines (or peaches), peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP gluten-free flour
big squeeze of lime juice

Mix filling ingredients gently. Set aside.

Crumble
1c gluten free flour
1/2 c uncooked oatmeal (rolled, not steel cut)
1/2 c packed dark brown sugar (can substitute maple syrup or honey, but I don't know the proportions)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
8 TBSP butter, chilled & cut in small pieces (can use coconut oil* or any other non-dairy derived margarine)
1/2-1c chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts or pecans) - OPTIONAL

Mix 1st four crumble ingredients, using hands & pastry cutter to incorporate butter. Add chopped nuts, unless you are allergic, of course.

Pour filling into oiled (or buttered) gratin dish. Spread crumble on top. Bake in 325 oven for 30-40 minutes, or until crumble is toasted and berries are hot! Use a baking sheet under the gratin dish while baking, as the berry mixture can bubble over and mess up your oven.

Serve warm. Can top with your favorite ice cream, creme fraiche, or for the lactose intolerant, soy ice cream, rice dream or my personal favorite...Larry & Luna's Coconut Bliss! (Email them requesting their product at a Whole Foods or other natural grocery near you!!!!)

Pumpkin Pancakes

Eating wheat- or gluten-free doesn't have to be a challenge. There are plenty of products available, at local and national grocery stores, to help make the transition in your kitchen. Ideally, the breads, cakes, and pastas in the diet get replaced with whole (gluten-free) grains, and fresh fruit and veggies, but how does one satisfy that comfort-food craving? Normally wouldn't recommend baking using mixes but I find gluten-free mixes help my busy patients "make the change."

My usual winter breakfast is oatmeal with walnuts, berries, and ground flax, but this snowy, Portland morning I woke up thinking "pancakes." Fortunately, I had a package of Trader Joe's Gluten-free Pancake and Waffle mix and some leftover pumpkin...pumpkin pancakes! I recommend the Trader Joe's mix to my gluten-free patients because it doesn't have soy or corn and many of them also avoid those two common allergens.

Make your own substitutions as needed. I used milk and butter, but the original recipe calls for water and oil.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes (or Waffles)
Preheat pan or griddle.

1 package Trader Joe's Gluten-free Pancake and Waffle Mix
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
(can instead use equivalent amount of premixed pumpkin spice)
Using a fork, combine dry ingredients in large bowl.

1/2 can pumpkin (half a 15oz can)
2 Tbsp melted butter or oil
2 eggs
Mix together in small bowl. Add to dry ingredients and blend well.

Slowly add in
1 - 1 1/4 cup milk (or dairy-free substitute or water)
to ingredients, until good consistency (less liquid for waffles or thicker pancakes).

Prevent sticking to pan by using oil or butter. Pour batter onto pan, you decide on the pancake size! Flip pancakes when the bottoms are golden brown.

I sprinkled pecans onto the batter before I flipped the pancakes. Pecans can also be folded into the entire mix, if desired.

Serve with your favorite pancake topping – maple syrup, honey, butter, jam...enjoy!

Gluten-free Pumpkin Scones

Although it's hard for me to admit (okay, not so hard), I am a huge fan of Starbucks pumpkin scones, but this whole 'avoid wheat' thing has put a kabosh on indulging. Until now. This morning, waking up to a dusting of snow outside, I was inspired to bake. I grabbed a box of Gluten-Free Pantry Muffin & Scone mix from my shelf, then Googled "pumpkin scones" and found this recipe. I merged the recipe from the mix box with the Googled one (based on what I have in the kitchen) and now the almost finished product is cooling on my stove!

Gluten-free Pumpkin Scones
Preheat oven to 375°

Bag of Muffin & Scone Mix (I used Gluten-Free Pantry)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
(1/4 tsp ginger - I omitted because I don't have any)
1 stick, cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Using pastry knife or fork, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly, without any big chunks of butter.
Combine 1/2 can of pumpkin, 1 egg, and 3 Tbsp of buttermilk in a small bowl, then fold into well mixed dry ingredients.
Form into a ball, gently roll out on floured surface into a 1" thick rectangle. Cut into triangles, then transfer onto greased baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes, until slightly brown.

Cinnamon spice glaze
1 c + 1 tsp powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
dashes of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove (sorry, didn't measure but I did use mostly cinnamon)
Brush onto cooled scones.

Since starting this post, I have eaten two—didn't even wait for the icing to harden! These pumpkin scones are much less dense than their Starbucks inspiration (which actually is a good thing) and they are a wonderful, sweet treat on this blustery, winter day.

The BEST gluten-free cookies

This past Thursday, a student on my shift brought some homemade gluten-free, chocolate chip cookies that were quite possibly the best I have tasted. I have found the problem with gluten-free baking is the product comes out too crumbly, they aren't chewy and moist. The following recipe uses nut butter and coconut flour, which helps hold the cookie together and keep its chewy goodness intact.

Anna's Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 eggs
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c coconut flour
1/2 c gluten-free flour (she recommended Bob's Red Mill)
1 c nut butter (cashew, almond, etc)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

Combine above ingredients and mix well.
Stir in 10 oz chocolate chips and enough oil or water for a 'good consistency,' around 1/2 cup.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350° until just golden. Do NOT overcook!
Cool 2 minutes, then remove from baking sheet with metal spatula, placing on cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe courtesy of Anna Boyd.

Oven-fried chicken

This blog is turning into the Gluten-Free Food Network, I swear.

This is what I made for dinner tonight. Gillian's Italian Bread crumbs rock, they are made from rice (and what I use to top my baked mac & cheese). Haven't eaten dinner yet, but the chicken looks and smells gooooood! Made a side of roasted potatoes, broccoli, onions & garlic. Next time I'll make some mashed potatoes, I think. Mmm, potatoes...

Also found this awesome looking G-F bread online. They don't deliver, but are available on the east coast, but not as far south as Virginia (not yet). Here's the link. The bread looks so yum and crusty!

1 cup buttermilk (or 1c milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar)
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Frank's Hot Sauce
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 teaspoon crushed garlic)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

8-10 chicken pieces (breasts, thighs and drumsticks) with skin and bones
1 cup Gillian's Gluten-free Italian Breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup millet flour
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons melted butter mixed with 2 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk buttermilk, oil, hot pepper sauce, mustard, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl to blend well. Add onion, then chicken and turn to coat. Cover; chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day, turning chicken occasionally.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place racks on a large rimmed baking sheet or two. Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan, flour, paprika and cayenne in large baking dish to blend. Remove chicken from marinade, drip excess off and dredge chicken in bread crumb mixture, coating both sides. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on racks on baking sheets. Let stand 30 minutes or until room temperature.

Drizzle butter/oil mixture over chicken. Bake until crisp, golden and cooked through, about 40-50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

UPDATE:
To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute a milk alternative to make the marinade, or just use an oil and vinegar based recipe. Also, delete the parmesan cheese from the bread crumbs.

Wheat-free crumble

Inspired by the visit of my lovely gluten-free friend, BB, I have decided to return to one of my past loves...baking. During the visit, we made a batch of gluten-free, decadent chocolate cupcakes (I changed the recipe to make them red velvet!), but were disappointed at the high sugar content in the mix (18 grams). I suddenly was on a mission to find alternative and delish desserts that could accommodate as many food sensitivities as possible.

My love of food was one of the motivations for me to study naturopathic medicine. Originally I was looking into attending The Natural Gourmet School in New York City (as well as studying nutrition at Marymount College in Tarrytown). There is even a distant dream of opening a bakery (gluten-free treats!), floating around in the back of my head.

The following recipe is still in the works, as I'd like to create a sugar-free version (using maple syrup or agave), but it's so good, I had to share. Since it uses oatmeal, it is not entirely gluten-free (perhaps I will experiment with oat bran, instead), but it is wheat-free. I am using Bob's Red Mill all-purpose baking flour (which is not included in the anti-inflammatory diet because it uses potato flour), but in the next few months I will research different blends of g-f flours an share the results with you all.

If any of you try the recipe making special dietary substitutions of your own (subbing soy for butter; agave, maple syrup or honey for brown sugar, etc.), please let me know the proportions and how it turned out!

Yummy Wheat-free Berry Crumble

Preheat oven to 325.

Filling
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
2 nectarines (or peaches), peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP gluten-free flour
big squeeze of lime juice

Mix filling ingredients gently. Set aside.

Crumble
1c gluten free flour
1/2 c uncooked oatmeal
1/2 c packed dark brown sugar (can substitute maple syrup or honey, but I don't know proportions)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
8 TBSP butter, chilled & cut in small pieces (can use soy or other non-dairy derived margarine)
1/2-1c chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts or pecans) - OPTIONAL

Mix 1st four crumble ingredients, using hands & pastry cutter to then incorporate butter. Add chopped nuts, unless you are allergic, of course.

Pour filling into gratin dish. Spread crumble on top. Bake in 325 oven for 30-40 minutes, or until crumble is toasted and berries are hot! Use a baking sheet under the gratin dish while baking, as the berry mixture can bubble over and mess up your boyfriend's oven.

Serve warm. Can top with your favorite ice cream, creme fraiche, or for the lactose intolerant, soy ice cream, rice dream or my personal favorite...Larry & Luna's Coconut Bliss! (Email them requesting their product at a Whole Foods or other natural grocery near you!!!!)