Tessa: I just discovered this great new website called I am gluten free . Webmaster Ellen discovered that she was celiac a few years ago and has thrown herself into re-creating gluten free versions of yummy and delicious treats she used to previously enjoy. I just tried her blueberry muffins and they were truly fantastic. I didn’t make the streusel topping but thought they were absolutely yummy as did Dave. Next I’ll be trying her GF chocolate chip cookies. I’ll let you all know how that goes!
Category Archives: Recipes
Gluten Free Corn Chapatis
Tessa: When I stopped eating wheat there some things I really missed and as a lover of Indian food chapatis were one of them. But you know the old saying when one door closes blah blah blah. Well, it’s true. The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amrita Sondhi has a recipe for spelt chapatis and corn chapatis. I can’t eat spelt either so you’ll have to buy the book to get that one but I will share the corn one with you!
1 cup ground corn flour
1/2 tspn salt
1 tbsp ghee (or olive oil)
1 tbsp plain yogurt
1/2 cup corn meal (cooked)
1/2 cup cold water (you might need more)
In a large bowl, combine corn flour, salt, ghee and yogurt then mix. Add cooked cornmeal and mix again. Add water 1 tbsp. at a time and knead with your hands to form a dough. If too moist add more corn flour. If too dry add more water one tablespoon at a time. Divide dough into 6 evenly-sized balls. Rub hands with a little olive oil and on a lightly floured surface, shape balls into a 5 inch flat circles.
In a dry heavy bottomed non-stick frying pan on medium high heat, cook each chapati for 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Set aside in ovenproof dish. Repeat with remaining dough. If pan gets too hot reduce the heat. Experiment to determine optimal heat. Separate chapatis with wax paper and brush with ghee if you have to keep them warm in the oven before serving! Rip into them any time you’re ready! (Her vegetable curry is very nice you could try it with that!)
Black Bean Soup
I’ve been making this black bean soup for years and Dave and I both love it. It’s super easy to make and takes almost no time.
6 cloves garlic [roughly chopped]
1 large yellow onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 large carrots
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs. Mexican chili powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 cans black beans [19 fl ounces or 540 ml]
1 can diced tomatoes [28 ounces 796 ml]
1 litre of organic veggie stock
4 green onions [finely chopped]
sour cream
Chop the garlic and the onions and saute in a large pot over medium high heat until translucent. Add chili powder and cinnamon, salt and pepper. Then add the carrots and cook two or three minutes. Strain the beans and rinse under water and add them to the pot and stir around a bit. Then add the can of tomatoes and the veggie stock. Simmer on medium heat for about half an hour to forty minutes. If the soup is too thick add a little bit of water or bouillon to it. Once the soup is done allow it to cool. Then blend the soup either in a food processor or a blender until smooth. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with green onion. In truth Dave and I are never that consersative with this soup and we eat it with nacho chips and if we’re feeling super decadent some grated old cheddar cheese. YUMMMMM. You can also freeze leftovers which is nice. Now go wild!
Gluten Free Flour Mix and Pastry Recipe
Tessa: After years and years of suffering horrible stomach pain, bloating, the runs, chronic fatigue and massive stomach aches, I finally figured out that I can’t eat gluten. It was a long rocky road getting there and truthfully I wish that I had figured this out at the beginning of my life rather than the middle of it. The good thing about it is that I was so desperately unhealthy by the time I figured it out that when I was finally able to put two and two together, ie. the impact that this would have on my life as an avid cook and eater, I was too sick to care and extremely grateful to be out of pain. Continue reading
Filed under Desserts and Cakes, Recipes
CURRIED CHICK PEA WITH TOMATOES, GINGER AND CILANTRO
I got this great soup recipe from Gayle at skating. She is my new soup sensei.
Ingredients:
8 c. vegetable stock
2 T. vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 bay leaves
8 garlic cloves
2 T. minced ginger
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded
1 red pepper
6 ripe tomatoes
1 t. each, cumin seed, coriander seed, paprika, garam masala
1/4 t. cracked pepper
1/8 t. turmeric
3 c. canned chick peas
1/4 c. prepared mango chutney
1/2 can coconut milk
1/2 bunch cilantro, minced
*1* Heat the oil in a coup pot and add onion, 1 tsp salt and bay leaves.
Saute until the onions are soft and golden. Meanwhile, place the garlic,
ginger, jalapenos, pepper and tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until
the vegetables form a rough puree. Set aside.
*2* Next, grind the cumin and corianer seeds. Add these and all remaining
spices to the
sauteed onions and continue cooking and stirring for 5
minutes. Add the vegetable puree and another teaspoon of salt and simmer
until small blobs of oil pool on the surface. Add the chick peas and stock
and bring to a simmer. Cook several minutes, then add the chutney and
coconut milk. Using a potato masher, gently mash the chick peas against the
bottom of the pot to beak them up slightly and thicken the soup. Simmer and
season to taste with salt and cracked pepper. Add chopped cilantro just
before serving.
Serves 8
Wheatless Apple Spice Cake
Tessa: My sister Mia brought this light, tasty, wheat-free, apple spice cake for dessert recently. The great thing about this cake is that it’s sooooo delicious even wheat-eating civilians can’t tell that it’s been made from spelt flour. But for those who want to prepare it with wheat, simply substitute the spelt with equal qty wheat. I also thought that the cake was brought over specifically for ME ME ME but I found I had to beat people away from the spelt cake and re-direct them to the wheaty pie which she also generously brought over.
Filed under Desserts and Cakes, Recipes
Delicious chocolate wheatless cake!
Tessa: For those of you planning the last big indulgence before the “get fit” New Year’s Resolution kicks in January 1st, be sure to squeeze this Nigella recipe in under the wire. When Dave heard me offer to make Christmas Eve dessert he looked horrified. I don’t blame him really because I have something of a haphazard baking style that usually results in disaster. Somehow this doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm and I’m happy to report that this yummy Chocolate Cloud Cake turned out quite nicely. Also, for all of you who can’t eat wheat this is a perfect dessert that tastes surprisingly like chocolate brownies.
Here goes:
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs; 2 whole, 4 separated
3/4 cup superfine sugar
2 tbsp Cointreau (optional) but I say use the booze
grated zest of 1 orange (optional)
9 inch springform pan
Cream Topping:
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp Cointreau (optional but as above)
1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa for sprinkling
How to make this luscious beast:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line baking pan with parchment or grease.
Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or a microwave and then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate. Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 1/3 of the sugar, then gently add the chocolate mixture, the Cointreau and orange zest.
In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the remaining sugar and whisk until the whites are holding their shape but are not to stiff. Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of egg whites, and then fold in the rest of the whites. Pour into the the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool the cake in its pan and don’t be surprised when the cake sinks into the middle. Whip the cream with the Cointreau. I cheated and added a little bit of sugar because well, I like my whipping cream to be sweet. Pile the whipped the cream on top, sprinkle with cocoa and enjoy.
Thanks Nigella!
Filed under Desserts and Cakes, Recipes
The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook: Healing, Healthy Recipes for Life
Tessa:
For anyone interested in
a) good food b) good food with an exotic, world cuisine (pre-dominantly Indian) slant c) vegetarian recipes d) a variety of mainly wheat-free recipes, e) dead curious to find out what your dosha is, don’t be put off by this book’s title.
Ayurveda is based on the principles of a 5,000 year old Indian healing tradition that believes that spiritual and physical well-being are the key to good health and longevity. For those interested in learning more about ayurveda the book offers a brief but good overview, including a dosha questionnaire which allows one to determine how to balance your personal constitution through diet.
For the rest of us who are just interested in yummy food The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook, won’t disappoint. The recipes are simple and easy to prepare, starting with breakfast, salads, soups, entrees through to breads, grains and desserts. The soup section is particularly good with recipes for Acorn Squash Soup, Carrot Ginger Soup, Spiced Pumpkin Soup, Spinach Vegetable Soup and Warming Cauliflower, Broccoli & Miso Soup.
Entrees include dishes such as Lata’s Green Masala with Paneer, Indian Fusion Ratatouille, Soft & Spicy Eggplant Curry. For breads and grains there are all kinds of great recipes for those great unwashed… the wheat intolerant. Carrie’s Spelt Oatmeal Bread, Corn Chapatis and Spelt Chapatis and Ugali ( a staple of Kenya made of corn flour).
I could go on but you get the idea. If this kind of food is your thing than The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook might just be the cookbook for you!
Filed under Asian - Curries, Book Reviews, Recipes
The World’s Most Dangerous Rumballs!
Tessa: Every November my friend Diane and I make our highly prized, secret rumball recipe together. We double the recipe which means that we put exactly one 26 ounce bottle of rum into our rumballs. One year at a tree decorating party someone asked what the recipe was. I very nicely said that the recipe was top secret and couldn’t be given out. The next year the same question came up and I once again declined to give out the recipe explaining that it was top secret. People seemed genuinely perturbed by this and suddenly the mood turned ugly as people tried to squeeze the secret out of me. I held firm for the next four years not only refusing to give out the recipe but also refusing to give away my rumballs. Now I’ve decided to do a bit of a scrooge reversal and not only have I started to share the dangerous rumballs again but also share the recipe. So here is the recipe with a small warning that these rumballs could cause some trouble! Continue reading
Filed under Desserts and Cakes, Recipes
Condofire 