gluten-free – Page 41

Tuna Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and Zoodles

April 26, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

I happen to love Jamie Oliver’s recipes – and am a big fan of his efforts to bring attention to what children are eating in school. He has one of my all-time favorite pasta recipes (a lovely confection involving homemade noodles, mascarpone & caramelized peppers) that my mind still wanders to when it conjures up a noodle craving. Some day, I’ll tackle a paleo-fied version! I also love how he thinks about ingredients and writes recipes – his site is one of my go-to sources when I’m feeling underwhelmed by the forces of inspiration.

This recipe is based on one of his – it’s paleo-fied and uses more budget-friendly canned tuna (sacrilege!) in place of fresh, though I imagine this dish would be even better with the fresh.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30

Tuna Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and Zoodles

Based on The Best Tuna Meatballs In A Delicious Tomato Sauce (Le Migliori Polpette Di Tonno) by Jamie Oliver

Sauce

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. dried oregano
15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes with chiles
Kosher salt & black pepper
Possibly some vinegar
Water

Meatballs

1 can water-packed tuna, drained
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ounce salted almonds
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. fresh herbs – I used basil, though parsley was what I really wanted (and didn’t have)
1 egg
1 tsp. black pepper

Zoodles

1 large zucchini

Dice the onion and garlic and add to a medium pan over medium/medium-high heat, along with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Sautee the veggies until beginning to brown at the edges, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add the oregano, tomatoes, salt, pepper and half a can of water and bring to a boil. Hard simmer/low boil 15 minutes, or until the water reduces out. Taste for salt/acid and add vinegar if needed.

While the sauce is working, knock out the meatballs. First, chop your almonds fine – or blitz them in a food processor – or bash them in a mortar – or in a baggie – just get them into tiny pieces. Chiffonade the basil. Combine all meatball ingredients in a small-ish bowl and work with your fingers until combined.

In a large pan over medium heat, bring 2 Tbsp. olive oil up to almost-shimmering. Add the meatballs as you form them into ping pong sized balls. You should get 6-7 meatballs of this size. If you want to serve more than 1 hungry person, consider doubling the meatball recipe.

Fry the meatballs until browned, jiggling the pan around every few minutes to hit all sides.

Make zoodles in the fashion you prefer while the meatballs are cooking. I used my bff the spiralizer and they came together in about a minute. If you like cooked zoodles, throw into the pan during the last minute or two of cooking – I happen to like them raw, so added mine directly to the bowl.

Serve the zoodles topped with the meatballs and sauce – makes enough to serve 2 (zoodles and tomato sauce) – I ate all the meatballs myself and was happy with dinner. I imagine you could stretch the meatballs to feed two. This dish would be killer with the macadamia nut ricotta I made recently, too.

Black Salt & Whiskey Chocolate Pot De Creme

April 19, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Yum. Y-U-M. This dessert is a show stopper. It tastes crazy decadent, is easy to make, and it’s dairy free. The dessert trifecta.

Gluten-free and easily adapted to be paleo (just omit the whiskey and use all plain dark chocolate)

Black Salt & Whiskey Chocolate Pot De Creme
Based on Nom Nom Paleo’s Mexican Chocolate Pots De Creme

Pudding

2 cans full-fat coconut milk
4 large egg yolks
12-14 ounces dark chocolate (I used a combo of caramel black salt 70% dark chocolate & plain 85% dark chocolate)
1-2 shots of your favorite liquor (optional if strict paleo) – I used 2 shots of Honey Jack
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Black salt (or any nice flaky salt) for garnishing

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 can coconut cream, refrigerated for a few hours to solidify
2-4 tsp. Grade B maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Finely chop your chocolate and place into a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add your coconut milk and egg yolks. Whisking/stirring constantly, cook until the mixture thickens and forms a smooth custard that coats the back of a spoon (20-25 minutes). Yes, I’m aware that constant mixing/whisking is a pain in the ass. It’s worth it. You need to watch your custard Like A Hawk to make sure it doesn’t overcook. Steaming is good/simmering is bad. You don’t want cooked eggs here.

When the custard is ready, take off the heat and pour into the chocolate bowl through a fine mesh sieve. The sieve will catch any lumpy bits of undesirably cooked custard and will result in a smoother finished texture. You want a smooth finished texture, right? Don’t cut corners here.

Now walk away. For Five Minutes. Don’t stir the chocolate custard, don’t look at it – don’t sniff it – don’t touch it – just walk away. Torture, I know, but do it.

After your five minutes in non-stirring purgatory are up, gently stir the custard into the now-melted chocolate with a spatula. Gently! If you stir too fast, you’ll end up with grainy chocolate. Once your chocolate is fully incorporated, add your whiskey and vanilla extract and stir again to combine. Divide the mixture into your serving vessels – I used eight 8-ounce mason jars and filled them about 3/4 of the way.

Refrigerate 4 hours to a day to set up. Now would be a good time to put the coconut cream into the fridge so it solidifies.

When you’re ready to serve, make the whipped “cream”.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), carefully spoon out the solidified coconut cream, leaving the coconut water behind. If you couldn’t find coconut cream and grabbed coconut milk instead, no worries – this trick works perfectly fine with a can of full fat coconut milk; you just won’t have as much yield.

Add 2 tsp. maple syrup and 2 tsp. vanilla extract and whip however you want (a stand mixer is awesome here) until stiff peaks form. This won’t take nearly as long as it would had you used dairy cream. Taste. If it’s still a little coconutty, add 2 more tsp. maple syrup and maybe a pinch of salt.

Spoon over the pot de cremes to serve. Sprinkle with black salt to garnish.

Serves 8+

Sweet Potato Galette with Pan Seared Pork Chops and Apple Whiskey Compote

April 12, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

For this meal, I wanted something winter-y (pork and apples) and pretty (sweet potato galette). It was a good one.

Gluten-free, paleo-ish

Sweet Potato Galette with Pan Seared Pork Chops and Apple Whiskey Compote

Sweet Potato Galette

2 large sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp. ghee
Sprinkle parmesan (optional if strict paleo)
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Brush some ghee over the bottom and up the sides of a large oven-safe pan. Peel and slice your sweet potatoes thin (I used a mandoline). Place a layer of potatoes – fanned out like cards – in the pan (I started in the middle and worked my way out, making sure to overlap a bit) and hit with a sprinkle of salt and few cracks of black pepper. Make another layer and hit with the cheese (if using). Stack another layer and brush with ghee. Continue layering until out of potatoes.

Cover the whole pretty shebang with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until browned. Take out of the oven and let cool.

When cool, place a large plate (larger than the pan) over the pan and flip quickly. Your galette – if you used a sufficiently nonstick pan – should flip onto your plate. If you’re lucky, this will be in one piece. If you’re me and weren’t careful while doing your layers and let some cheese snake its way to the bottom, yours will come out in pieces. It’s still good, even if it isn’t pretty.

Serves 4

Apple Whiskey Compote

While your potatoes are baking, make a sauce.
1 shallot
2 tsp. ghee
1 apple (I used Fuji)
1 tot Honey Jack (or your favorite brown alcohol)
1/4 cup water
Sprinkle salt
Sprinkle cinnamon
Sprinkle nutmeg

Peel your apple and chop into half-inch pieces. Dice the shallot.

In a small pan over medium-low heat, sautee the shallots in ghee until beginning to soften. Add the apple and honey jack and let cook 1-2 minutes. Add the water, salt and spices and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened and most of the water evaporates.

Whiz with a blender if you want a smooth sauce.

Serves 4

Pan Seared Pork Chops

1 pork chop per person (I used inch-thick boneless butterflied chops)
Salt & pepper
1 Tbsp. coconut oil

Heat a large pan over medium high. Add the coconut oil and bring up to almost smoking. While that is working, pat your chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place in the pan and sautee 3 minutes per side, or until your desired doneness has been reached.

Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Serves however many you need to serve

Roasted Carrot Strings with Meyer Lemon Cream & Basil

April 6, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Zoodles (carroodles?) are fun. I’m still loving the spiralizer I finally broke down and purchased and although the waste ratio is a little high on thin carrots, I’m still behind whipping a pound of carrots into strings for dinner. Kind of exhausting after an intense arm workout, but worth it.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, vegan, vegetarian

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Roasted Carrot Strings with Meyer Lemon Cream & Basil

Adapted from Meyer Lemon Roasted Carrot Strings with Lemon Garlic Sauce from Running to the Kitchen

1 pound carrots
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon (or 1 lemon + a squirt orange)
Kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup basil leaves

Meyer Lemon Cream

1/4 cup coconut cream (you can either buy a can of coconut cream or put a full-fat can of coconut milk into the fridge for a few hours so the cream rises and solidifies a bit)
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon (or 1 lemon + a squirt orange)
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
Kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While your oven is heating, spiralize your carrots into strings (or use a julienne peeler or cut into very thin strips).

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil with the juice of 1 lemon, a big sprinkle salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Whisk to combine. When the carrot strings are done, add to the bowl and toss to combine.

Cover a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with ghee or coconut oil. Spread the carrots evenly on the baking sheet and pop into the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing every so often to promote crispness.

While the carrots are working, make your cream. Mince the garlic and chiffonade the basil. In a small bowl, mix the coconut cream, juice of 1 lemon, apple cider vinegar, a big pinch salt, few cracks black pepper and chipotle powder. Taste for zinginess and salt. Add more acid or salt if needed.

When the carrots are finished, remove from the oven and serve with the lemon cream. Sprinkle basil over to garnish.

Serves 2 for dinner.

Macadamia Nut Ricotta Dessert Snacks – 2 Ways

March 29, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Even though these two variations on a theme are kind of like incomplete thoughts, I thought they warranted a blog post because they are both so good. I happily munched on both for an afternoon snack – and they would have both been great bulked up by, say, a sliced apple.

Or maybe with some sort of baked good in a dessert?

For either dessert snack, scale up as appropriate. I had 1/4 cup left to play with, so ended up making two amuse sizes.

However you slice it, delicious stuff.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, and Whole30-compliant (basil lime version only)

Macadamia Nut Ricotta

2 cups raw macadamia nuts
Big pinch Kosher salt
1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice (juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon)
1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Blend the macadamia nuts, salt, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice & half a cup of water until smooth, adding more water if necessary to hit the right consistency. Taste for acidity and salt, adding more lemon juice or salt as needed.

This recipe seems to be everywhere on the Internet. I was finally spurred on to action by Nom Nom Paleo’s Food For Humans book – but have seen it 999 other places.

Macadamia Nut Ricotta with Lime and Basil

2 Tbsp. macadamia ricotta

Zest of half a lime

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

1 basil leaf, chiffonade

Combine the ricotta, lime juice and lime zest. Top with basil and more zest. Serve … on a spoon? I ate this one plain happily.

Macadamia Nut Ricotta with Orange and Honey

2 Tbsp. macadamia ricotta

2 tsp. orange juice (I used tangelo)

Zest of 1/4 an orange (or tangelo, which is what I used)

1/2 tsp. honey

Orange segments to serve

Honey to drizzle

Combine the ricotta, juice, zest and honey. Top with more zest and a drizzle of honey. Serve with orange segments.

Thai-style Ground Beef with Zoodles & Peppers

March 22, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Mmmm…. Thai. I’ve been missing the tart/sweet flavors of Thai food in my life lately, and this meal was just the correction for that loss. This sauce is kickin – and could definitely be used on a salad if you have leftovers, or as a dipping sauce for some lettuce wraps. Yum.

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole 30 compliant

Thai-style Ground Beef with Zoodles & Peppers

1 lb. ground beef
1 large zucchini
2 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
1/2 onion
1 red pepper
2 medium carrots
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
Cilantro (optional for you poor souls with the ‘this crap tastes like soap’ gene)

Sauce

1/2 cup canned coconut milk
2 Tbsp. almond (or other nut) butter
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. Red Boat fish sauce
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
2 tsp. sriracha (or other hot sauce – if you use the Whole30 sriracha from Nom Nom Paleo, this dish is even W30-compliant)
4 Tbsp. lime juice

In a large pan over medium-high heat, brown your ground beef until crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined bowl.

While that is working, mince your garlic and ginger and thinly slice the onion. When the pan is free, add the coconut oil and sautee the ginger, garlic and onion until softened (stirring frequently to avoid burning).

Add the pepper, which you’ve cut into thin strips. Sautee until beginning to soften, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add the carrots, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the meat. Sautee until the carrots are softened and everything is starting to brown.

While this is working, make your sauce. Whisk the coconut milk and almond butter together over medium heat to combine, making sure to beat all the lumps out. Cut the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Turn the heat back on for a minute or two to thicken a bit and whisk to combine. Let sit while you zoodle.

I happen to like my zoodles raw, so I made them at this point. If you prefer yours cooked, add with the carrots.

Don’t forget to chop your cilantro, if using.

To serve: toss the beef mixture with the sauce and either spoon over the zoodles or throw the zoodles in and toss. Sprinkle with cilantro before hitting the table.

Makes enough to serve 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch

Crunchy Kale & Cabbage Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

March 15, 2014December 29, 2014Recipes4 Comments

Yeah, yeah, yeah – another salad. I’m on a homemade salad kick lately, and inspiration seems to be striking hardest during lunch. So: salads. This particular rendition combines my favorite salad green – kale – with sweet peppers, crunchy cabbage and a nice kicky, fatty dressing for something that is both healthy feeling and hearty enough to carry you through the afternoon.

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole 30 compliant

Crunchy Kale & Cabbage Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

5 ounces or so chopped kale (I used half a bag of the organic chopped kale from Trader Joe’s)
1 medium carrot
1 orange pepper
1.5 – 2 cups shredded cabbage (red would be fantastic here, but all they had at the store was regular green – which was also tasty)

Dressing

2 Tbsp. tahini
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (Bragg’s ftw)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
3 big pinches citrus salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 clove garlic
2-3 Tbsp. water

Julienne your pepper & carrot (I used a mandoline), chop your kale if needed, shred your cabbage and mince the garlic. Combine the veggies in a large bowl and all dressing ingredients in a shaker or bowl. Whisk or shake the dressing ingredients to combine, adding more water if needed to reach a pourable consistency.

I like to massage my dressing into my greens when I’m having a hearty green like this.

Optional add-ins: roast chicken, hard boiled eggs, sliced scallions, some sort of nut. I had chicken the first day for lunch and eggs the second. Scallions would have been great here, and nuts may or may not have added anything worthwhile to the party.

Makes 2 big lunch salads

French-Ish Chicken with Leeks, Parsnips and Preserved Lemon

March 8, 2014December 29, 2014Recipes1 Comment

I wanted something warm, comforting and French-ish for dinner that incorporated the root veggies I had chilling in the crisper and the jar of homemade preserved lemon I had yet to remember to crack. This dish ticked all those boxes and made a great weeknight winter meal.

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole 30 compliant

French-Ish Chicken with Leeks, Parsnips and Preserved Lemon

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 leeks (light green and white parts only)
1 pound parsnips
16 ounces chicken stock (I used Imagine organic stock because it didn’t have any added crap)
A bunch of thyme (I used 3 sprig bundles)
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1/4 to 1/2 of a preserved lemon (I used 1/4, but the lemon taste could stand to be more pronounced)
2 tsp. ghee
Salt & pepper

Wash your leeks and cut into think coins. Add to a large pan with 2 tsp. ghee and sautee over medium-low until beginning to soften, hitting with a sprinkle of salt and a few cracks of black pepper as you go.

While the leeks are softening, chop your parsnips into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. When the leeks are good to go, add the parsnips to the pan and toss. Sautee, stirring every few minutes, while you prep the chicken.

Partially de-fat the chicken and cut into inch or so chunks. Nestle into the pan among the veggies when done. Hit with more salt and pepper and add the chicken stock.

Add the thyme and carraway and let simmer, stirring every so often, 15 – 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the parsnips are softened. During the last 5 minutes or so, mince the preserved lemon and add. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch

Kale Pesto & Chicken Sweet Potato Noodle “Pasta”

March 1, 2014December 29, 2014Recipes1 Comment

I finally broke down and bought a spiral slicer. I got the GEFU Spirelli and after making this dish two ways – once with my speed peeler and once with the spiralizer, I’ve got to say I’m digging the spiralizer. It feels a lot less dangerous in my hands, and while there is some waste – it’s pretty much on-par with the speed peel method (at least for me – I’m kind of a sharp object hazard).

This dish is satisfying on many levels – the pesto is great, the noodles (when spiralized carefully) can just about be twirled, and the chicken lends a great fattiness to the dish that really brings it all together. A knockout weeknight meal.

These sweet potato noodles can also be used a thousand different ways – I see them becoming a staple in this household; maybe yours, too. Serve with bacon, garlic & sauteed spinach; with a bright popped tomato sauce; alongside mini-meatballs; carbonara-style; with briny olives and creamy goat cheese; with sliced steak and chimichurri … and that’s just off the top of my head.

Paleo, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Whole30

Kale Pesto & Chicken Sweet Potato Noodle “Pasta”

Adapted from Gourmande In the Kitchen’s Sweet Potato Noodles with Kale Pesto

1 longer than it is fat sweet potato per person
2-3 chicken thighs per person (I prefer boneless/skinless)
2 big hands chopped kale (I used half a 10 ounce bag of Trader Joe’s organic cut kale)
Handful parsley
Big hand full almonds
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Big pinch red pepper flakes
Pinch kosher salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Red Boat fish sauce
Coconut or olive oil for cooking
Salt & pepper
Extra Virgin olive oil to serve
Pecorino Romano or Parmesan to serve (completely optional)

First, put a large pot of salted water on to boil. When the water is boiling, add your kale and blanch 2 minutes. Drain and let sit in the drainer while you prep everything else.

Next, get your chicken working. If you’re using boneless/skinless, chop into roughly bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Put into a large pan with 1-2 Tbsp. coconut or olive oil. Sautee over medium to medium-high heat until cooked through. Set aside when done.

While the chicken is cooking away, prep your sweet potatoes. Wash and peel and either shave with your vegetable peeler into ribbons or use a spiralizer for long curly strands. Set aside until the chicken is finished. When the chicken is done, add the sweet potato noodles to the leftover fat in the pan – adding a little more coconut or olive oil if needed (you want 2-3 Tbsp. here). Sautee 3-5 minutes, or until the noodles are softened and just beginning to brown.

On to the pesto. Toast your almonds in a dry pan and add to the bowl of a food processor when done, along with the garlic, parsley, drained kale, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, fish sauce and salt. Blitz to combine, adding the oil in a steady drizzle as you go. If the mixture is too dry, add a Tablespoon or so water.

To serve, add the chicken and some pesto (2-3 Tbsp. per person) to the sweet potato pan and toss (gently!) to combine. Serve sprinkled with a nice stout cheese if you eat cheese (Pecorino Romano and Parmesan make good serving buddies) and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 2 if you use 2 potatoes & 6 small chicken thighs – with enough pesto leftover for 3-4 more servings. Could easily serve 4-6 with enough sweet potato noodles & chicken.

Quick Lunch Salad – Confetti Broccoli Slaw with Chicken

February 22, 2014February 22, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Sorry about the hiatus, guys. If you couldn’t tell already from my Picture of the Day posts – we’ve moved! This past week has been full of not-cooking as my new kitchen has slowly taken shape. I’m finally back in business – and not a minute too soon. This lunch was the first thing I actually made in the new place, and it came together quick. Just the ticket for a healthy and vegetable-packed lunch.

Those of you that have been reading for awhile might recognize my favorite salad ingredient, broccoli slaw. I think I have an obsession issue with the stuff. I hate soggy lettuce with a passion, and home made salads always seem to disappoint – unless I use broccoli slaw. Then all is well with the world. I can’t get enough.

Quick Lunch Salad – Confetti Broccoli Slaw with Chicken

1 bag broccoli slaw (I use the organic broccoli slaw from Trader Joe’s in a 10 ounce bag. Dole also makes a good one)
2 baby endive, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 big handfuls pepitas, toasted
Leftover roast or grilled chicken – or what I had on hand, a chicken patty (1 portion per person) – Omit if you want a vegan or vegetarian salad

Dressing

3 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
3 big pinches citrus salt
3 tsp. apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg)
2 tsp. mustard (I went for grainy here, but only had smooth Dusseldorf style)
1 clove garlic, minced

Chop your veggies and add to a big bowl. In a small bowl or mason jar, combine the dressing ingredients & shake/whisk. Combine the dressing with the salad and toss.

Makes 2 huge lunch salads, or 3-4 more reasonable servings

Alternate seasonings: For lunch the next day, I decided to go a more curry route and added half a chopped apple and curry chicken to the salad mix plus 1 tsp. curry powder and 1 tsp. cumin powder to the dressing. Yum.

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