I’ve recently found that tomatoes and tomato-based sauces bother my stomach so I’ve been searching for alternatives, especially since my favorite foods are ribs and wings. Here’s one that’s very tasty and easy to make. I used a jar of dill pickle mustard that I had in my cupboard and wow, that a great taste! Only takes a couple of minutes to mix and can be frozen if you don’t use it all. I made a batch of chicken wings with it.
In a small bowl (about 2 cups) combine:
1/2 cup mustard – any mustard will work – I’ve used the dill pickle mustard as well as my usual stone ground and both made very delicious sauce
1/4 cup honey (date sugar, coconut or agave nectar, maple or date syrup would also work)
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/4 cup white vinegar (rice or apple cider vinegar would also work)
1 small can green chilis (about a 4-ounce size; I used mild but feel free to use a hotter variety if your family likes them)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Brush on ribs or wings or serve on the side once the meat is cooked. Makes about 1 3/4 cups of sauce.If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a regular blender.
I brushed the sauce on the wings before baking them for 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
I’m constantly looking for new ways to serve vegetables so when I came across this recipe for Yachae Jeon (Korean vegetable pancakes), I had to try it and see if it would work gluten-free. I used to eat something like these at a local Vietnamese restaurant except they called them scallion pancakes. Quite easy and quick to make with a food processor and oh so tasty especially with the dipping sauce.
First, into the bowl of food processor:
1 small to medium zucchini (about 6-7 inches long), cut into chunks
6 ounces of sliced mushrooms
1 small sweet potato (I used 2 very small purple sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into chunks
1 medium carrot, chunked (I used about 3/4 of a cup of shredded carrot)
1 jalapeno pepper (Optional), seeded and chunked
1 bunch scallions (roots removed), cleaned and cut into chunks
It may require several batches in the food processor. Process the vegetables until they are small pieces so they’ll cook quickly in the pancake.* You should have about 4-5 cups.** Next, in a large mixing bowl combine:
1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/4 cup arrowroot
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Stir to combine before adding:
1 1/2 cups water (room temperature)
Whisk to combine before stirring in the finely chopped vegetables. Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes before cooking. In a 10-12″ skillet, heat over medium heat:
1 teaspoon olive oil (or spray with cooking spray)
Using a 1/2 cup measure, scoop out pancake mixture and place in skillet, using a spoon (or the back of the measuring cup), to flatten into a round disk about 6″ in diameter. Cook over medium low heat until bubbles appear, just like a regular pancake (in my case, it was really bubble holes in the pancake that I saw). Flip and cook 3-4 minutes on the other side before increasing the heat to medium high to brown the pancake on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Place on a cooling rack in the oven to keep warm while cooking the remainder of the pancakes. Serve hot with the following dipping sauce.Makes 6-8 pancakes.
DIPPING SAUCE
Combine in a small bowl:
2 tablespoons soy sauce substitute
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon date syrup (or agave syrup or honey)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1/8 teaspoon garlic chili sauce (or your hot sauce of choice) (Optional)
*If you don’t want to use a food processor simply cut all the vegetables into thin strips like shredded carrots you buy in the supermarket or grate them on a box grater.
**These are just my suggested vegetables. Feel free to use whatever vegetables your family might like but the scallions really are the only ones required. I thought about adding a few garlic cloves as well as a crunchy vegetable like jicama or water chestnuts as well.
I gave you a recipe for barbeque sauce when I made the Barbeque Beans side dish a while ago (see recipe under side dishes). That one included some oil so here’s an oil free, spicy recipe that I just love and I hope you will too. I’m making some pork Ribbletts tomorrow and since my usual Organicville Barbeque Sauce isn’t available at my local store at the moment, I decided to try making my own. I’ll pass on the recipe for the ribbletts tomorrow.
In a small saucepan combine:
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup honey (maple or date syrup, coconut or agave nectar)
1/4 cup white vinegar (or apple cider)
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili sauce (in the Asian section of your market just be sure to purchase one without any sugar) (Optional)
1/2 teaspoon sriracha (Optional)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Stir or whisk together and taste. Just remember that all these flavors will be accentuated as the sauce reduces. Heat over medium heat until it just starts to bubble then reduce to low and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until thickened. Add additional salt, etc., if needed per your taste.Makes about 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups of sauce.
Millet is my newest favorite grain. It’s so simple to cook and it takes on other flavors so easily just as rice does. But unlike most rice dishes, millet is lower in simple carbs and higher in complex carbs so a great alternative to those watching their blood sugar levels. Here’s a really easy recipe that incorporates some of the great Italian flavors we all enjoy – sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, onion and garlic. This is definitely NOT a low-fat side dish! I used vegetable stock rather than a meat stock because most vegetable stocks have a nice mushroom flavor which adds umami to the dish. Be sure to use sun-dried tomatoes in oil because some of that oil will be used in cooking the dish.
First, cook per package directions (except using stock instead of water):
1/2 cup millet
in 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
Generally, this means toasting the whole millet in a little oil and then adding it to the boiling stock, covering and cooking on low heat for 30-40 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the millet is soft. I like to take it off the heat at this point, leave the cover for a few minutes and then fluff the millet with a fork.
In the same skillet, heat until shimmering:
2 tablespoon olive oil (from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes)
Add and cook until tender, over medium heat:
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup shredded carrots* (optional)
When the onion is translucent, add:
1/2 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 teaspoon cumin (or turmeric)
2 teaspoons Italian herb mix (or dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, and basil)
Mix thoroughly so that the onion mixture is covered with the herbs. Continue cooking until the tomatoes and garlic are heated through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cooked millet. If the millet is cold, continue to cook over medium low heat for 3-4 minutes to reheat the millet. Serves 4.
*I like a lot of vegetables in my grains so I added a cup of shredded carrots with the onions.
If you’re looking for something different as a side dish, here’s a tasty way to go. If you haven’t tried millet, or just used it for breakfast, this gives you a great introduction to using it as a savory side dish. Per usual, the recipe is very adjustable – carrot is one way to go but parsnips, butternut squash, or even pea puree would work just as well depending on your family’s tastes. It’s fairly quick, about 30 minutes to prepare, and quite an easy, straightforward recipe. Enjoy something different!
First, in a 12″ skillet over medium heat dry toast:
1 cup whole millet
While the millet is toasting, in a 4-quart saucepan, over medium high heat, bring to a boil:
2 cups stock (I used vegetable stock but use any type you like, or even water, works)
Once millet is toasted (about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally), add it to the boiling stock. Stir to combine, cover and reduce heat to medium low or low, and cook through, about 20 minutes, until water is evaporated and the millet is softened.
While the millet cooks, in a double boiler, steam:
3/4 cup carrots (I used the pre-sliced but any kind will work)
Steam until soft and then blend, using a hand-held immersion blender with:
Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black ground pepper)
In the bowl of a food processor, or using a hand grater, grate:
6-8 baby carrots
You should have about 1/3 to 1/2 cup. Once the millet is cooked, stir in these grated carrots and cover again. Let sit for 2-3 minutes. Once the cooked carrots are pureed (you could also use a food processor or stand blender), add to the millet mixture, stirring to combine.
Finish with some avocado oil, vegan butter or margarine; or a squeeze of lemon and/or 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind. Garnish with some cilantro, green onions or chopped carrot top if desired. Serves 8.
My husband loved these pickles. It was the only way I could get him to eat cucumbers so I made them often. It’s a quick and easy thing to do. The longest part of the process is peeling the cucumbers so feel free if the peels don’t bother you to leave them on. And it’s so variable – by simply changing the type of vinegar and herbs/spices used, the taste changes completely. I’ll give you some variations at the end of the basic recipe.
In a 3-cup bowl combine:
1/2 to 1 cup water, depending on how strong you want the pickle
1 cup vinegar (I use a blend of white and rice – a strong and a mild vinegar)
2 teaspoons date sugar
1/4 teaspoon alum (keeps the cucumbers crunchy)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Add:
6 mini cucumbers, sliced
That’s the basic recipe and they are very good just this way. I like to change it up though so think about adding the following, remembering that spices are always better once they’re a little roasted.
Variations:
1/2 teaspoon of: mustard seed, cumin seed, celery seed, coriander seed or just one of these
2 bay leaves
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced or several scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon of: fresh dill weed or 1 teaspoon of dried dill weed
1 tablespoon of: fresh tarragon or fresh rosemary or fresh thyme or fresh basil or parsley
Using all white vinegar makes for a very pungent pickle where you may want to increase the date sugar or even use a couple of tablespoons of honey or agave nectar
Using all rice vinegar will make a very mild pickle where the date sugar can be totally eliminated
As I said at the top, changing the vinegar, and there are plenty of them out there these days, will totally change the taste of these pickles so use the vinegars your family likes best
Salisbury steak is basically a hamburger with mushroom gravy. Since I don’t eat beef, I had to change it to ground turkey but since I also wanted to make one last meatloaf before it got too hot, I used a meatloaf mixture to make the “steaks”. If you only need a couple of servings of Salisbury steak, use 1/4 or half the mixture for this dish and bake the remainder in the oven as a meatloaf. Feel free to use whatever ground meat you like, or even pieces of tofu would work. I basically used the recipe I published several weeks ago for turkey burgers with zucchini because they stayed so moist and were so delicious.
In the food processor combine:
1 large onion, cut into quarters
1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then into chunks
1/2 cup carrots
Pulse until shredded. In a large bowl combine the vegetable mixture with:
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground pork OR
1 pound mild/sweet Italian sausage (pork or turkey)
Add to the mixture:
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika (smoked or sweet)
3 teaspoons ground coriander
3 teaspoons garlic powder or granules
3 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 cup non-dairy Parmesan cheese (Optional)
Mix to combine (I used my hands, much easier than a spoon!). Using a 1/2 cup measure, scoop out the mixture and form each 1/2 cup into a burger shape (should make 10-12). In a 12″ skillet heat over medium high heat:
2 tablespoons olive oil
Add the burgers and saute them until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side depending on the thickness, firm to the touch when cooked). Probably have at least 2 batches, perhaps 3 depending on the size. As they are cooked, remove to a plate. Add to the pan:
12 ounces of sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
Cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes over medium heat, stirring often. When the mushrooms are cooked add:
2 tablespoons gluten-free, all-purpose flour
Stir or whisk in so the flour absorbs all the oil. Cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes and then add:
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (or bone broth)
1/2 cup dairy-free milk (anything but soy), unsweetened
Salt and pepper to taste
If you are cooking all the mixture as Salisbury steak, you may need to increase the oil, flour, and liquid to make additional gravy.Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the patties back into the sauce to reheat before serving. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta.
I know, more brown food! Just can’t seem to stay away from it. But it really was so delicious!
This recipe is quite involved and takes some time but it’s not a difficult dish to make. And to be sure, every minute spent on this is well worth the effort! The herbs and spices used amp up the flavor profile and adding some freshly grated lemon zest and lemon juice at the end takes it over the edge! Rather than adding the lemon juice at the end, some sliced lemons on the side would also work.
First, peel, cut in half and then thinly slice:
2-3 medium-sized sweet onions
If you don’t have sweet onions, add 1 teaspoon date sugar when you cook them. Let them sit while heating a medium-sized Dutch oven over medium heat with:
2 tablespoons olive oil
When the oil is shimmering add:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or boneless, skinless chicken breasts
that are seasoned with:
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
If using skin-on, bone-in thighs, cook skin side down. Loosely arrange chicken in pan (may take more than one batch). Brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes.Remove to a plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons oil from the pan before addingthe onion slices.Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently until well caramelized (browned). If not using sweet onions, here’s where to add the:
1 teaspoon date sugar
It can take 25-30 minutes to caramelize the onions because they need to cook slowly so that they don’t burn, we want them browned – caramelized, not burned. Once the onions are ready, add to the pot:
6 ounces sliced mushrooms (Optional, peas would also work)
2 cups chicken stock or bone broth
the browned chicken pieces and any juices on the plate
If using skin-on thighs, be sure the browned side is up. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add to the pot:
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice*
1/3 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries but raisins or dried cherries would also work)
Stir in the rice and fruit, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for another 30 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked. Most of the liquid should be gone from the pot so be careful not to burn the dish. Remove the chicken from the pot, moving the pot off the heat and re-cover so that it stays hot. Remove skin if using skin-on chicken and let sit for 8-10 minutes before slicing the meat (and removing the bones if using bone-in chicken). Add the chicken back into the pot along with:
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon juice
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley (Optional)
Stir to combine. Reheat until the chicken is heated through and serve. Serves 4-6.
*I used pre-cooked brown rice in my dish so I cooked the chicken 30 minutes before adding the frozen rice and then cooked it only an additional 10 minutes.
Since I don’t care for cilantro and don’t think much of parsley either, I sprinkled some green onions on top of my dish.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a moister, tenderer turkey burger! These are very quick and easy with a food processor and more than worth the little effort they take to make. I just wonder why everything I make has to be so brown! Feel free to change up the herbs and spices as well as the vegetables to fit your family’s taste buds. I’m thinking next time perhaps I’ll use some garam masala instead of the smoked paprika. Makes 4 burgers.
First, put in the bowl of a food processor:
1/2 large onion (or 1 small onion), chunked
1/4-1/3 cup carrot pieces (I used shredded carrots)
Mix to combine, I used my hand. Don’t overmix or your burgers will get tough when cooked.Form into 4, 1/2 inch thick patties, they will be soft. Cook in a 10-12″ skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat 5-8 minutes per side until cooked through. Serve with your favorite condiments on your favorite gluten-free buns. I happen to love avocado with my burgers as seen in the photo.
I cooked a pork roast last night and had about half of it left so what to do with it? Tacos are so easy to make and tasty to eat, it was a no-brainer. Whether you make soft tacos like I did or prefer the hard ones, this filling is delicious and so easy to make with a food processor.
First, in a 12″ skillet, over medium heat, add:
1 tablespoon olive oil
Heat till it’s simmering and add:
1 small onion, diced
1 small, sweet pepper (any color), diced
1 teaspoon chili powder (Optional) – I’m not crazy about chili powder so I used sriracha instead
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Stir to combine and cook until the onions are translucent and the peppers soften. Add:
3 cups shredded pork (pulse in a food processor for a few seconds until it’s the consistency you want – be sure to cut into chunks before pulsing!)*
1/2 to 2/3 cup salsa (or plain tomato sauce) – enough to moisten the meat
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or granules
Stir to combine and heat over low heat for 2-3 minutes until pork is heated through. Makes 8-10 tacos.** Top with refried beans, sliced avocado, cheese, lettuce, salsa, etc., whatever your family likes.
*Don’t have a food processor? Heat the leftover pork roast in a 325 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes and then using two forks, shred the meat.
**There are now a number of tortilla brands available that are gluten free including corn, quinoa, cassaba, cauliflower, etc. I just love the quinoa tortillas. Be sure, if using soft tortillas, to heat them under moist paper towels in the microwave for about 30 seconds before filling.
cookingwithoutallergens 