Sunday, July 31, 2011

Meatless Monday - Indian Style Veggie Burgers with Cilantro Chutney


A couple of nights ago we had veggie burgers for dinner with a new twist.  I wanted to play off the spice blend of this recipe. Indian cilantro/coconut chutney is such a fresh and spicy way to top them off and give them more of an Indian flavor.  A cooling raita-style sauce would temper that heat.

I’ve had this particular Raw Cilantro Lime Chutney bookmarked just waiting for the right meal to try it with. I used a small cayenne pepper from the garden instead of the large jalapeño called for in the recipe. It seems I can never follow any recipe (even my own) to the letter but I came very close time – halving it and skipping the zest because I had bottled organic lime juice on hand.  It really was great and just the right amount for our meal.  

One grated cucumber in one cup of plain yogurt made for a simple raita-style sauce that we used along with the chutney.

The buns were made from Pamela’s Gluten Free Bread Mix and I made them very large and flat so they would be almost like a pita. I’ve got to say, though, these veggie burgers are great without a bun.  Just pile on the toppings and enjoy.

The kale in our garden is growing by leaps and bounds even in this oppressive heat wave so kale chips rounded out the menu tonight.  I think this simple but great recipe has been done on just about every blog lately but here’s a good one and one with a nice name. =D  Salt was my only seasoning this batch. 

Indian Style Veggie Burgers
Makes 10 – 12 depending on size.
Bake at 425.

1 cup red lentils, washed and drained
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
Dash cayenne powder – or more to taste

In a medium pot cover lentils with 2 1/2 cups of water, add spices and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer until cooked – about 25 minutes.  Make sure the pot just simmers and doesn't boil over – turmeric is a bear to scrub off white cook tops. =D   

Add ½ cup coconut, finely grated and let cool until a few minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl add:

3 cups cooked, cool basmati rice
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely grated

Add lentil/coconut mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.

On parchment lined baking sheets shape 10 – 12 veggie burgers.  Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes until lightly browned, remove from oven and carefully flip over.  Bake another 15 - 20 minutes.  They will crumble easily if not picked up with a spatula.

These veggie burgers were the biggest hit with my family and I’m sure I’ll be making again.  One funny thing at dinner, our dog Elle, who does not beg at the table, came up to me and kept staring at me with her big brown eyes.  She wanted the kale chips.  She went absolutely nuts when I dropped one her way.  Who would have guessed?

You've still got time to enter the contest.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Our Feingold Anniversary and a Giveaway!


In 2005 our youngest son suffered from debilitating migraines, a constant allergy nose and eczema that itched terribly.  After numerous visits to our pediatrician and tests that included allergy panels and even an mri I noticed that there was a connection to food coloring and his headaches, then yellow 5 and migraines.

The Feingold Association came to our rescue.  They provided information and a foodlist of researched products free of artificial dyes, flavors and related preservatives.  Armed with the foodlist I was able to shop safely. In the member's support board I found a group of dedicated parents who were so helpful and supportive. We were able to pinpoint what items he was intolerant to using a simple elimination diet.  No more migraines, no runny noses and no eczema!

I renew our membership each year and happily volunteer my time to this great organization. When I renewed this month I purchased a copy of Jane Hersey's booklet Healthier Food for Busy People.  It's a simple, straightforward list of 20 food rules and explanations to follow to make better choices for your family. I'll even through in a copy of Michael Pollan's Food Rules because I think they compliment each other.

If you'd like it, leave me a comment below. We'll draw a winner next week and drop it in the mail.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Fiesta Chicken & Rice Salad

Gratefully shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays!

Like a lot of the country we've been experiencing record heat. And while it is a few degrees cooler today it is still sticky hot.  Making dinner didn't sound too appealing tonight and I didn't want to turn on the oven. Something cool and refreshing but also flavorful and hearty was my goal. I found this recipe in an old file and knew this would be just the thing. I originally made it up for Marc's high school graduation party a few years ago. The beauty of a salad like this is you can put whatever you like in it and change proportions to suit yourself. Leave out the grilled chicken for a vegetarian salad if you prefer. I'm making enough for leftovers so I can avoid the kitchen later this week when we get back to 100 degrees.


The dressing is an adaptation of the Mexican Salad Dressing from Nourishing Traditions Cookbook by Sally Fallon.  She suggests using it on a green salad but I love it with this combination.  Just pour it all in a jar and set it aside while you prepare the salad.

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4  apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 - 4 drops stevia liquid - I like Sweet Leaf
dash of garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teas0oon cayenne
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large serving bowl add:

Several cups cooled basmati rice (or brown rice)
About 8 grilled chicken breast tenderloins, thinly sliced
One chopped organic orange and red peppers
One small chopped Vidalia onions
One bag of Trader Joe's fire roasted frozen corn
One can of black beans, rinsed well
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Pour dressing over everything and stir lightly to mix.  


Add salt and pepper to taste and serve warm or chill for later. I love this as is but you can top it with salsa, guacamole, crumbled cojita cheese or even serve it on salad greens.




Enjoy!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Gluten Free Potato Rolls



This roll uses potato starch rather than the tapioca starch I so often use. A couple of friends have commented that tapioca starch seems to cause digestive issues for them and I wanted to find an alternative. For us, it’s an easy, gluten free, grain free ingredient I can buy inexpensively and easily at my local Asian markets. When I realized I had a bag of potato starch in the pantry I decided to experiment this morning. Potato starch is usually just a shelf away from the tapioca starch at my markets and is just about the same price.

Potato starch has a powdery, fine consistency out of the bags similar to the tapioca starch.  The dough texture was a bit dryer than the tapioca dough and therefore a little easier to roll into balls without sticking to my hands.  I used a mild whole milk mozzarella finely shredded and no seasonings so there was no overt cheesy taste (not that that is ever a bad thing) and my sample was delicious alone and with butter.  The texture is really light and airy – almost like a drop biscuit.  I’m looking forward to trying them with blackberry jam in the morning if there are any left after dinner.

Gluten Free Potato Rolls
Makes 13
Bake at 375 until golden – about 15 minutes in my oven.

Mix together until well incorporated:

2 cups potato starch
2 cups finely shredded whole milk mozzarella
3 eggs
½ cup oil (I used grapeseed but any mild oil or melted butter will work)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

Roll into balls about the size of a golf ball and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake until golden.

Enjoy!

Quick Update Edit:  A few rolls did make it to the morning.  Joe sliced at toasted his for mini breakfast sandwiches.  Mine were heated and slathered with butter and blackberry jam which was great with green tea.   We all agreed they were very much like biscuits and it's nice to have a quick and easy recipe again.  

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

France Gluten Free?? Oui, Oui!!




We had a wonderful trip to France earlier this month and I’m finally catching up on life enough to get a few thoughts down. Our trip of a week included spending time with my husband’s family in their homes and a couple of nights in a Paris hotel. We had one day of air travel on either side. Because our gluten intolerance started well after our last trip to France it was new to all the family but everyone made our stay welcoming, wonderful and safe.

As we planned our trip I did a lot of research and found so many bits of different and sometimes conflicting information.  A few blogs popped up that gave me a lot of hope (such as this one).  Chris took a look at some of the sites that were in French only. It turned out that with a little advance planning and packing a few key items the trip was a snap. 

When Chris told me he reserved gluten free meals for us I got online to check things out.  I read of consistent mistakes with our airline at the airport our flight to Paris originated.   So I packed some homemade bars, cheese rolls and plenty of healthy snacks to get us through.  The dinner turned out to be a little better than anticipated and we were able to have the entree but at breakfast only the banana worked for us.  The cereal not only had gluten but the preservatives we avoid, as well.  Since we had plenty to supplement our two meals with we were fine.  

After arriving in Paris we gathered up our luggage and got into our rental car and finally got to my mother in law’s new home. After we settled in a bit we walked with Suzie two minutes away to her neighborhood Carrefour market to get some groceries for lunch and dinner.  We had literally just walked into the store and saw a “sans gluten” sign straight ahead.  There were a few types of gluten free sandwich bread and pizza crusts right there and more to choose from elsewhere in the store. Many items were the Carrefour brand.  Because my mother in law shops each day after breakfast going to Carrefour became a treasure hunt for me every morning.  Gluten free croissants, Madeleines, chocolate cake and cookies were just some of our finds. It was wonderful.

Back at Suzie’s home Chris’ sister Carolyn and her daughter Emmanuelle arrived to say hello. Carolyn offered to take the dinner groceries to her house and cook for us.  Since Carolyn worked as a chef several years ago in Italy this was a real treat.  Champagne and appetizers around their table in their beautiful back yard with their wonderfully shaggy and sweet dog was a great way to unwind. 

Seeing Chris sit with his mom catching up and smiling ear to ear made my day. Perfectly prepared steaks, tiny buttery potatoes and salad with the ever present cheese to finish - even without the baguettes – made for a perfect dinner.



On Sunday Chris’ brother and his wife invited us to bring his mom down to their home for lunch. We drove through one wheat field after another and beautiful old towns all the way there.  I was so relieved they weren't harvesting at the time!  The fields were gorgeous to look at but I wouldn't have wanted to breathe any of it in. 



Lunch was so fantastic and the only things off limit were the tabouli salad, Steve’s homemade apricot tarts and the baguettes. We took some newly discovered Carrefour croissants along for our bread.  Grilled brochettes and beautiful salads were a perfect lunch and amazing French cheese followed the meal.  Their backyard was a picture perfect setting and the warm, sunny afternoon couldn’t have been better.

Watching the cousins get to know each other and have fun despite a huge language barrier and catching up ourselves kept us busy all afternoon.  Steve and Corletta invited us to stay for dinner and we enjoyed grilled fish, more gorgeous salads and more cheese. The creamy, magnificent French cheese was my favorite part of every family meal during our visit.   




Monday we did our usual Carrefour trip and found an armload of goodies.  We then toured the castle at Chantilly with Chris’ mom and sister. 

Going over old family photo albums was the best way to spend time with Suzie that afternoon.   All our meals were at home that day – simple, wonderful and enjoyed with family.





On Tuesday we left for a couple of nights in Paris.  Between Chris’ mom and sister’s homes (where Joe was sleeping) there was a wonderful small health food store called La Vie Claire that Chris had found on line.  We popped in for a snack as we drove to Paris.  Joe had a blue corn chip fix and we all tried the local Kombucha.  Very different than anything here – especially my homemade brew.  My biggest find, though, were all natural gluten free gummy worms to take home to Marc who I missed so much.

We arrived at our gorgeous hotel early so we dropped off our car and our bags and walked around the city.  It was too late for lunch and too early for dinner so we stopped into Haagen Daz for some chocolate ice cream.  As we walked and ate our ice cream we spied the Palais de la decouverte (pardon the lack of French punctuation) a beautiful math and science museum.  Joe was excited to go in and check out the exhibits. It was a beautiful old building with gorgeous exhibits.  We were fortunate enough to see a laser in action and Chris translated Joe’s questions and the operator’s answers for us.  Sitting with a coffee overlooking the vast museum felt wonderful after a few hour of walking in the stifling heat.

Later that night we ate at the Café du Trocadero with a view of the beautiful Eiffel Tower from our table. Chris had asked the staff about gluten free dining before walking in and they assured us they could accommodate us. Many bloggers recommended steak and pomme frites – or fries – as a generally safe gluten free meal.  We ordered the steak and pomme frites sans gluten and they plated it with baked tomatoes with breadcrumbs.  When Chris let the waiter know he pleasantly took our plates and returned with clean, fresh plates and new steaks and fries.  It was really fast and delicious.  We walked off our dinner with a walk to the Eiffel Tower


The next morning we snacked on some breakfast bars (as we did all previous mornings) and took off for Notre Dame.  The very long walk along the river was fascinating and colorful.  We were fortunate the weather had cooled considerably.  The beauty and history juxtaposed with the street vendors and con men (and women) made for some interesting conversation.  We toured the massive cathedral and marveled at all the architecture, sculptures and carvings. When we went around the corner to take the bell tower tour the line wrapped around the building so we decided to take a break for lunch and come back. 

The Breizh Café was our destination.  I’d read about the gluten free buckwheat crepes you can find in France and heard that the Breizh Café was one of the best to try in Paris.  Chris had also read about it in his research and had mapped out our walk. We enjoyed sight seeing and window shopping all the way there.  At one intersection there was an older man playing La Vie en Rose on his accordion for a little ambiance and Joe had to throw a few coins in his box. 




When we got to the Breizh Café there were a couple of parties already waiting in the tiny restaurant – at 2:00 p.m.  While we waited we watched the chef turn out crepe after crepe so quickly and with such precision.  It was just fascinating.  Our waiter assured us we would be fine eating gluten free although they do make some crepes that have wheat in them.  


It had been decades since I’d had a crepe and I’d never had anything quite like the spinach, zucchini, tomato and cheese filled crepe I ordered.  It was amazing and the guys loved their ham and cheese crepes, too.  We shared a dessert crepe and loved it just as much – it was so simple – just a crepe, ice cream and honey and just delicious.  Full and happy we wandered back to the bell tower line, climbed the stone steps and enjoyed such a perfect view of Paris




The Louvre was our next destination so we started walking there. The guys humored me with this visit – clearly not their favorite part of the day – yet we had a great time checking things out.  

After literally hours on our feet and miles of walking we took a tuk tuk – a small open “cab” through wild traffic back to the Café du Trocadero for dinner.   

We had pretty much a repeat of the night before.  Chris carefully ordered gluten free meals and the plates arrived with bread crumbs again.  Once again they graciously exchanged our plates with fresh plates and wonderful meals.  

As we ate the sun started to set and Eiffel Tower started to sparkle with lights.  It was a perfect moment for our last night in Paris.


Thursday morning we left the hotel and went back to Suzie’s.  She gave us a tour of a nearby town Senlis that afternoon, a small and ancient city with beautiful stone walls and homes and the tiniest little streets barely wide enough for one car to navigate. There we saw another Notre Dame – not as large as in Paris but still magnificent. 

Friday was our last day in France and Carolyn had arranged for us to have lunch at Le Theatre Saint-Vincent in Jouy le Moutier. Chef Christophe is a friend of Carolyn’s family and told her he could easily provide gluten free meals.  The only problem here was making a choice – knowing he could make anything on the menu gluten free I felt like a kid in a candy store!  The scallop and salad appetizer was to die for – literally the best scallops I’ve ever had.  The grilled tuna with port sauce was served with ratatouille.  Amazing. Locally made dark chocolate ice cream with a kumquat was our dessert. It was truly one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Enjoying it with Suzie and Carolyn made it so special.




That afternoon we made our last trip to Carrefour and I stocked up on gluten free goodies for the flight home and to share at home with Marc.

The flight home was much better as there were no gluten products at all.  There was a soy yogurt on both meal trays that appeared to contain vanillin, and since we avoid both soy and vanillin so we passed on those. We were happy to have supplemental snacks on the trip home to round things out.

One important detail is the fact we take Houston’s TriEnza digestive enzymes with all of our meals and have for years.  We never eat out without them as they contain a gluten enzyme which I feel protects us from cross contamination.  It is not an excuse to be careless but an insurance policy for me.

Overall our trip was easy, delicious and safe.  France sans gluten is indeed possible and enjoyable