Battered Fish (gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free)

I like baked fish, sautéed fish, and even fried fish although how many of us who are gluten-free often get to eat fried fish! This makes a very crunchy on the outside, flakey and moist on the inside. I find that spending a little more and buying the fresh fish produces a much tastier meal than using frozen fish which, I think, gets soggy when thawed out and cooked.

My husband, however, is convinced that the only way to eat fish is fried so I developed this recipe primarily for him. And he’ll eat more of this than probably anything else I make for him, other than desserts. For a normal family, this will serve 4; for my husband, this is 2 servings!

In a gallon freezer bag, mix:

1/2 cup gluten-free flour (Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 or your favorite all purpose works fine)
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, or other herbs to your taste (this always makes me remember Emeril telling his audience, “I don’t know where you buy your flour, but mine comes unseasoned”). I generally use about a teaspoon of each except less of the ground pepper.

Cut into serving sized pieces, trying to keep thicker and thinner pieces separated (TIP: so if you have a “normal” piece of haddock, one end is probably thinner than the other and one side is probably thicker than the other so you want to make sure the thicker pieces are cut together so that the fish will cook evenly).

1 pound of fresh haddock, sole, or other white fish, cut into serving size pieces

Add fish pieces to the freezer bag, close, and shake fish until covered in flour.

Mix in a shallow bowl:

1/2 cup gluten- free flour
1/4 cup cassava flour (this adds a lot of crunch to the batter)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc., to your taste
1/2 cup club soda, you may need more to get the batter to the proper consistency.

Whisk until blended. The batter should be the consistency of pancake batter, thin but not too runny.

Add oil to a 10-12 inch fry pan (or you can use an electric skillet where you can more easily control the temperature); oil should be 1 inch deep in the pan at a minimum. I always use a combination of avocado and olive oil.

Remove each piece of fish from the flour mixture and dip into the batter. When the oil is hot (350-375 degrees), add the thicker pieces first being sure to place them in the oil closest to you first and then ending with the piece of fish away from you. Cook on each side until golden brown (thicker pieces will take 3-5 minutes per side while the thinner pieces will only take 2-3 minutes per side). Remove to a paper towel to drain excess oil; salt and serve.

Fried Green Tomatoes (gluten-free, egg-free, vegan)

I’ve been focused on fresh fruits and vegetables the last few weeks and here’s yet another one! Although our favorite tomato is a nice juicy red or yellow (or orange) ripe tomato, our second favorite is fried green tomatoes. They are just so high in fat and calories that we only let ourselves indulge in them once during the summer (well maybe two or three times depending on how many green tomatoes we have). I’ve found, over the years, that you really don’t need to deep fry them, pan frying them works just fine and reduces the amount of oil. Using gluten-free flour also works fine.

In a large fry pan, heat olive oil (it really is the best one for us all to eat, helps reduce our cholesterol and triglycerides). You want the oil to be at least 1/2 inch deep in the pan. Heat over medium heat so that it doesn’t burn.

Put in a large plastic freezer bag,

1/2 cup gluten-free flour mix, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Shake vigorously to mix. The amounts and types of seasonings for the flour can vary depending on your tastes.

Wash and slice

3-4 medium size green tomatoes (or 2 large)

You should end up with about 5 slices per tomato or a total of 15-18 slices which, at least in this family, feeds 2 people.

Add half the tomato slices to the flour mix, close the bag, and shake to cover the tomato slices. Drop a bit of flour in the oil and if it sizzles, the oil is ready. Add the slices and brown on each side approximately 5 minutes or until browned. Remove to a platter covered with paper towels and salt. Repeat until all the slices are fried. Try not to stack the slices on the platter since they will then steam and get soggy. You can place them in the over on a low heat (200 degree) to stay warm if needed if you are using a small fry pan. I use my large 14 inch pan and can fry them all in 2 batches. They will stay very hot on the inside for 10-15 minutes without the oven.

I haven’t tried using my air fryer for these; maybe next year!

Smoothies

I am a creature of habit and one habit I’ve had for a number of years now is my breakfast smoothie. Rarely do I eat anything other than my smoothie for breakfast. I like to make them thick and creamy — almost like a soft-serve ice cream. I never imagined that this would be a satisfying breakfast but it sure fills me up and gets my day going. Here are some of my favorites.

TIP: To really mix it up, double the recipe and put it in an ice cream freezer. Eats more like “ice cream”, very satisfying. I make 4 cups at a time, freeze in 1 cup containers and eat these as a dessert after lunch or supper.

TIP: When making the fruit purees, they don’t have to be perfectly smooth because you’ll be adding them into a blender to make your smoothie and that will complete the puree process. Also, if making the purees with the skin included, be sure you use only organic fruit since you won’t be peeling them and the pesticides are usually found in the skin.

Another TIP: Be sure to mark your containers so you don’t get one out expecting a certain fruit and then find you’ve made an entirely different flavor! Been there done that.

TIP: Change up the flavor of your smoothies by alternating cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ground cloves, etc., depending on your taste. Use one or several spices. You can also alternate the flavor of your protein powders for entirely different tasting smoothies. I usually use the vanilla flavors but chocolate goes very well with the strawberry and wonderful with prune.

TIP: I usually find these are sweet enough for my taste but add a little stevia, agave or coconut nectar, date syrup or honey if you want them sweeter.

TIP: I also add a scoop of marine collagen for my skin and nails. It doesn’t change the taste however it does affect the texture making it slightly smoother or creamier.

Put in a blender:

1 cup non-dairy milk of choice
1-2 scoops of protein powder
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground flax seed (the golden work best since you don’t get the discoloration)
1/2 to 1 cup of frozen fruit (see suggestions below)

Strawberry

Add 6 ounces of frozen strawberries

Start blending on the lowest setting and as the smoothie starts to come together, increase speed. If you find you’ve added too many strawberries (often happens to me!), add milk until you get the correct consistency.

I sometimes like to add some frozen acai, 1/2 a frozen banana or 3-5 pieces of frozen mango. Be sure to adjust the strawberries to account for the other fruit so that you still have 6 ounces of fruit.

2. Fig or Prune

This is one of the creamiest smoothies I’ve found and is also my favorite. It involves some planning since you have to prepare the figs ahead of time but its well worth the trouble.

First, in a saucepan:

10-12 fresh ripe figs (1 pound), washed and stems removed
2 tablespoons of water

24 ounces of dried figs or prunes
1/2 cup of water

Cover the saucepan and cook over a low heat until the figs or prunes are soft. Be sure to stir if you’re using the dried figs to be sure all of them become rehydrated. Cool and then using a potato masher, mash the figs (or you can put them in your food processor and pulse for a few seconds). Place in 1 cup containers (don’t fill completely but leave a little room for expansion), freeze and use as above. Will make 2-3 cups of puree depending on the size of your figs.

3. Pear and Blackberry

Depending on how much you hate seeds, you can either use whole frozen blackberries or cook 2 cups of blackberries in a saucepan with a little water and then put the mixture through a sieve to get rid of the seeds (TIP: I freeze this, when cooled, in an ice cube tray and after it freezes, I put the cubes into a freezer bag).

The pears are much easier. Just quarter and core your pears (my favorites are the Asian or Korean pears but any pear will work), and then pulse in your food processor. Place in 1 cup containers and freeze. Usually, I’ve found that 1 pear will make roughly 1 cup of puree, depending on the size of the pear. Also, I don’t worry about peeling them since the processing will take care of the peel.

This is case, I like to add the 1 cup of pureed pear and then 4-6 whole blackberries or 2-4 of the frozen blackberry ice cubes.

4. Plum, Peach or Apricot

One of the easiest to prepare, just wash and make sure you remove any stems from the fruit, half to remove the pit and pulse in your food processor. Put into 1 cup containers and freeze. Depending on the size, 2 plums will make roughly 1 cup of plum puree, same for apricots, but 1 1/2 peach will make you roughly 1 cup of peach puree. I like to add some raspberry coulis to the peach smoothie.

If you prefer, you can cook the diced plums, peaches or apricots in a little water; this will make the skins more palatable while keeping the fiber contained in the skins. It only takes 5-10 minutes to cook them and you can spice them up at the same time.

5. Pumpkin or Sweet Potato

1 cup of canned or prepared pumpkin or sweet potato
6-8 ice cubes
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon of stevia, 1 tablespoon of agave or coconut nectar, or honey

6. Carob and Cherry

Use a 1/2-3/4 cup of frozen pitted cherries. I add 1 tablespoon of carob powder (you could use cocoa) along with 1 tablespoon of date syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Yummy!

Tomato Vegetable “Stoup” (vegan, dairy- free, gluten-free)

This time of year with all the fresh vegetables, this is one of my go to dishes. My husband and I love this soup/stew. Its one that is easy to customize to your taste since its basically whatever vegetables you have on hand. Instead of using canned diced tomatoes, I peeled and chopped some of my husband’s fresh off-the-vine tomatoes sitting on my counter top. Best of all, its delicious whether you serve it hot or cold. Add some croutons for crunch (made with gluten-free bread of course!). In the winter, this soup is a great vehicle for cooked chicken. Feel free to play with it and make it your own by adding the vegetables your family likes the best. But keep the carrots since they add that sweetness that takes care of the acidity in the tomatoes (the parsnips help with that as well). Makes 8-12 servings.

Peel as needed and dice into like size pieces:

1 medium onion (I used a red onion)
6-8 stocks of celery
1 medium purple top turnip (or a regular one if you like them but the purple top have a milder flavor)
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium zucchini squash
2 small parsnips
2 baby bok choy (you could use regular chopped cabbage instead of the bok choy and then add some kale or spinach for the greens of the bok choy)
1/2 pound mushrooms (I like to mix them up so I used half baby bella and half porcini)
1 cup chopped or grated carrots
1 cup green peas
1 cup green beans

Add 4 cups (1 quart) of vegetable stock to a large stock pot (if you want, you could add 4 cups of chicken stock). Be sure to use stock and not broth for that “cooked all day” flavor. Add the onion, celery, turnip, squashes, bok choy and mushrooms and cook covered over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Add:

1 cup diced tomatoes
1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes (I find the Muir Glen organic canned tomatoes taste less metallic than regular canned tomatoes)
1 12 ounce can of your favorite beans (I love the cannellini beans or great northern)

Cook over low heat for another 10-15 minutes until tomatoes and beans are heated through.

Easy French Onion Soup (dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan)

Such and easy soup to make and so silky, rich and sweet. If you like French Onion soup but you’ve always thought it was too hard to make for yourself, this is the recipe for you. Makes 2 servings.

You’ll need:

1 large or 2 medium onions (I used a Vidalia but you can use any onion you like)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon gluten-free flour such as Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 blend
2-3 cups vegetable (or mushroom) stock (or if you can use it, use beef stock but I find the vegetable stock makes a very rich soup)
2 slices of gluten-free bread (I love the DeLong’s millet bread)
2 slices of dairy-free mozzarella or provolone cheese

First, cut onion in half and then cut across into slices. If you want, you can then cut these slices in half. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a 4 quart pot (you want as much space on the bottom as possible while having room to add the stock later. Stir the onions every few minutes to be sure that they don’t burn. You want to caramelize them which takes about 20 minutes and you will probably want to reduce the heat when they begin to brown. This is the longest, hardest part of the cooking process.

Once the onions are caramelized, add the flour and stir to make sure it is absorbed by the oil. Over low heat, let the flour cook out for a couple of minutes. Its okay if it sticks a little to the bottom of the pan since adding the stock will deglaze the pan. Add 2 cups of stock and stir until it starts to boil. If the soup is too thick (you want it silky but not as thick as gravy), add more stock to thin. Reduce heat as low as it will go and cover pot. Let cook 10 minutes.

According to every recipe I’ve seen on making French Onion soup, it tastes best if you chill it overnight and let the flavors melt together. But its so good I won’t blame you if you put it hot into two oven-proof bowls and eat it the same day!

Using a large biscuit cutter if you have one or just a knife, cut the bread so that each slice will fit into one of the bowls. In a fry pan large enough for both slices, heat the 1 tablespoon oil and when hot, add the bread rounds and grill on both sides. Place on top of the soup and then put a slice of cheese on top of the bread rounds. Broil (or microwave) until the cheese melts. If you broil it, you’ll get that great crust on the cheese like in a restaurant. Enjoy!

Quick Celery Root and Leek Soup (dairy-free, gluten-free)

This is a quick and easy soup that tastes wonderful; creamy and rich even without dairy or thickening. Provides 2 large bowls or 4 smaller ones if you’re using it as an appetizer.

You’ll need:

2 good sized leeks, white and green parts only, cut in half and washed then sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves depending on how much you like garlic
1/2 teaspoon of your favorite herb mixture
1 medium celery root, peeled and diced (like potatoes, the smaller you dice the root, the quicker it will cook)
3 cups of light vegetable broth (or if you prefer chicken stock or broth)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sized pot, heat oil and add the leeks and lightly salt them; cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic (you don’t need to slice it, just peel it) as well as the herbs. Add the stock or broth along with the diced celery root, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until celery root is tender. Blend in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth.

Tuna Lettuce Wraps

Want a quick and easy yet tasty lunch? This takes only minutes, is very filling and delicious. Serves 2.

Mix:

1 can of tuna
1/4 cup of chopped celery
1/4 cup cooked peas
2 tablespoons (or enough for your taste, don’t make it too dry) of your favorite vinaigrette or vegan mayonnaise

Spoon mixture onto large lettuce leaves (I used red butter lettuce). You’ll need 6 to 8 leaves depending on how hungry you are and how big a spoonful you place on each lettuce leaf and how many toppings you want to add.

You can top each lettuce leaf with a number of things to give them some crunch and/or added flavor such as:

Grated carrot
Grated radish
Grated jicama*
Sliced tomato
Sliced avocado

*If you aren’t familiar with jicama, its also called Mexican yam bean or Mexican turnip. Its a white, fibrous root that has a high water content and is very crunchy like an apple. Jicama is an anti-inflammatory that can help people who suffer from disorders such as IBS, leaky gut syndrome, and ulcers. Its also very delicious.

Carrot Cake (dairy, gluten, egg, and refined sugar free)

My husband’s favorite cake is carrot cake, so moist and flavorful. One of my favorites as well since it has so little sweetener because of the sweetness of the carrots. This recipe allows you to add some granulated fructose, stevia, or chopped dates in place of the sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Lightly grease a large 12-cup bundt pan.

In a large bowl, combine:

2 cups finely grated carrots (one 12 ounce bag of baby carrots)
1/4 cup fructose or chopped dates (or 2 teaspoons of stevia)
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon xantham gum
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup oil or 1/4 cup applesauce (or pear sauce)

Mix well to combine. Add:

1 3/4 cups Bobs 1 for 1 gluten-free flour
1/2 cup Bobs Sweet Sorghum flour
1/4 cup potato flour
1/4 cup coconut flakes (optional)
1/4 cup raisins, cranberries, currents, etc. (optional)
1/4 cup ground walnuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, hemp hulls, etc. (optional)

Mix while adding 1 1/2 cup club soda. If the batter is too thick, add more club soda until batter is the consistency of thick mashed potatoes.

Bake 60-75 minutes depending on how hot your oven runs. Cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes before turning out of the pan. Cool completely before frosting.

Frost with plain cream cheese frosting:

1 8-ounce package of non-dairy cream cheese
1-3 tablespoons of agave nectar, depending on how sweet your family likes frosting (you can also use honey or coconut nectar)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix using a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.

Easy Maple Walnut Cake (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free)

If your family likes a gooey, nutty, sweet dessert, but you don’t have a lot of time to make desserts and they’re hungry for a sweet right now, this one is a great one to try. My husband loved it with the sugar-free vanilla ice cream on top but I’m sure a non-dairy frozen dessert would work just as well. Very easy and quick to make. It took me less than ten minutes to get it in the oven. Should be served hot. Serves 4-6 depending on portion size. Doubles well if you need more servings.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Liberally grease a 5×8″ baking pan. If you don’t have a 5×8″ baking pan, you could make individual cakes in a muffin tin.

Heat in a small saucepan until it boils:

1/2 cup maple syrup (I used my husband’s Maple Grove Sugar-Free syrup)

Mix in a medium sized bowl:

1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1for1)
1/8 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/8 to 1/4 cup of sweetener such as granulated fructose (or you could use stevia but of course not as much, probably 1 tablespoon would be more than enough since this is just to add a little sweetness to the cake); or agave or coconut nectar but then decrease the amount of milk to adjust for the liquid sweetener.
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup non-dairy milk of choice

Mix well and then add:

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon softened margarine of choice
1/4 cup non-dairy milk of choice or enough to make it the consistence of soft mashed potatoes

Mix well until margarine is well combined. Pour the hot syrup into the bottom of the baking dish and pour the mixture (or spoon if easier but be sure to cover as much of the syrup as possible). Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. If you’re using the muffin pan, check them after 10 minutes.

Place on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes; loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and then turn out onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the top liberally with chopped or ground walnuts. If you want it nut free, use hemp hulls, sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead of the walnuts. Serve with some non-dairy frozen dessert, whipped topping, or sugar-free ice cream.

Easy Curried Chicken with Sweet Potatoes (dairy free)

I’m a real lover of curry. My mother grew up in Jamaica and introduced us to English curry very early on (Jamaica was still a British territory when she lived there). That’s made quite differently from the Indian and Asian curries I’ve now come to love. Here’s a quick, easy recipe that serves two but can easily be doubled, etc.

You’ll need:

1/2 to 1 pound diced chicken, depending on your appetite
1 medium or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small to medium onion (I used red but it doesn’t matter), diced
2 garlic cloves diced
1 cup diced celery
1-3 teaspoons Madras curry powder [if you want a mild curry flavor, use 1 teaspoon; for a full flavored, slightly hot curry, add 3 teaspoons]; if you use the pre-bottled stuff from the grocery store, you’ll need to add more because those are very bland. Some Whole Foods stores, and probably now some grocery stores, have it in bins where you can purchase the amounts you want.
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken stock or, if you can use it coconut milk

Heat a medium to large skillet over high heat and add the oil when hot. When the oil gets hot, turn the heat down to medium, add the curry powder and toast until very fragrant but be careful not to burn it, this should take less than a minute. Add the diced chicken, onion, garlic and celery. Cover and cook until veggies are soft and chicken is cooked, approximately 5 minutes. Add the sweet potato and chicken stock, cover and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 7-10 , minutes. At this point, you have several choices. You can remove the cover and let the liquid boil off OR you can add 1/2 tablespoon of corn starch or gluten free flour (all purpose works fine) that you’ve dissolved in 1/4 cup of stock or milk. That will thicken the sauce.

Plate and garnish with chopped scallions, dried cranberries or raisins along with a quarter of lime. Curry loves citrus and sweet things so feel free to add cranberries, raisins or coconut, along with nuts (the oilier nuts work best here rather than almonds or macadamias; my mother always added walnuts) for a crunch or put them on the side so they can be added to taste.