Chick Pea and Kale Curry

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Easy Writer

This is just a quick and easy tasty curry that uses chick peas, kale and green peas, along with some onions and various spices.  All of the ingredients I used are listed below, so let’s start with that:

Ingredient List:

  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 medium to large size onion, diced
  • 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2-3 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 cups cooked chick peas (see ‘Chick Pea’ note at bottom)
  • 1.5 cups peas
  • 1 Bunch of Kale
  • 1 Tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cinamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground red pepper (optional)
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 to 1 Tbsp sea salt (start with 1/2 and add more to taste)

One easy way to get started is to measure all of your spices out and set them aside in a single ramekin, or something of the like.  It’s just nice to have this ready when the time comes!

**NOTE** You don’t need to add the salt to the ramekin yet, that will go in as the last ingredient.

Okay, I used my 4 quart cook pot for this, and it was well over sized.  You could easily use a 2-3 quart size pot.  Anyway….

Set the pot on medium heat, and add the oil.  Once it reaches a warm enough temperature, drop in the onions, and allow them to saute for a few minutes; just long enough for the onions to begin to turn translucent.  Add the garlic, and allow that to cook in for a minute, and then dump in all of the spices you’ve set aside.

Let the spices cook in with the onions and garlic for a minute, and then add the vegetable broth.  At this point, you can add the remaining ingredients: chick peas, kale, green peas

Add the 1/2 Tbsp of sea salt, and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Taste it at some point, and add more salt if necessary.  The vegetable broth will make a difference on how much salt you need to add, which is why I suggest starting with 1/2 Tbsp and moving up after you’ve had a chance to taste it.

This goes well over rice, but it also goes well on its own.

For those that do not like spicy dishes, simply omit the ground red pepper.  For those that like it spicy, you can add more once the dish has had a chance to simmer.  Just remember that while the dish is hot from a temperature stand point, it is not always easy to detect just how spicy it is, so don’t get too crazy with the heat unless you’re familiar with the levels!

Chick Peas

The recipe calls for 4 cups of cooked chick peas.  There are various ways to come up with the amount you need for this recipe:

  • 2 cans of drained/rinsed chick peas; this doesn’t add up to quite 4 cups, but would be close enough without opening a 3rd can and going over
  • 2 cups dried chick peas, soaked overnight

I like my chick peas nice and tender.  My method starts with the dried chick peas in a crock pot overnight on low.  I add 1/2 Tbsp of sea salt to the water to help give the chick peas some additional flavor.  You don’t ‘need’ to add salt to it, it’s just something that I like to do.

Keep in mind that I like to go light on the sodium when I can, which is why I mentioned the extra salt at the end depending on the choice of vegetable broth.  I happen to have a low sodium vegetable broth on hand, and added the extra salt to make up for the lower sodium of the broth.

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Channa Masala (Chickpea Curry)

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Easy Writer

Chana Masala

This is a basic recipe with only a few ingredients, but many spices.  I’ve listed everything in the order in which it will be added.  For the spices, it is easier to measure them out and put them in something while you get everything else ready.  It’s up to you, but just a suggestion!

Pictures to come on my next run at this recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 medium onions, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 fresh, hot green chili pepper, minced
  • 1 Tbsp  ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 cups tomatoes, chopped small (or 1 15-ounce can of tomatoes)
  • 2/3 cup water or vegetable broth
  • 4 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • ½ Lemon (juiced)
  • ½ tsp sea salt

Directions:

Start out by heating the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until the onions start to brown, roughly 5 minutes.  Then add the garlic, ginger and pepper and allow to saute for a few more minutes.

Turn heat down to medium-low and add the spices: coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, and paprika. Cook onion mixture with spices for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices. Add the water and chickpeas. Simmer over low heat, uncovered for about 10 minutes, then stir in salt, garam masala, and lemon juice.

 

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Roasted Vegetables and Quinoa (Salad)

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Easy Writer

If you have never had quinoa, or for that matter have never heard of it, check it out on Wikipedia:  Quinoa

Basically, it’s a grain that can be used much like you would use rice.  When we started the journey to better eating, my wife found this little gem.  I don’t even remember what the first recipe was that we used it in, but it definitely came out interesting.  Since then, we have used it in many dishes.

On to the recipe!

This dish was a random find while searching for something to do with Quinoa.  It is in three parts, and I’ll list the ingredients for each section, in the order in which I think you’re better off following.  Feel free to mix it up, but I think you’ll find it’s easier to follow the tried and true method to save time.

Roasted Vegetables

  • 2 Bell Peppers, cubed (try different colors for aesthetic appeal to the dish)
  • 1 Zucchini, cubed
  • 1 Squash, cubed
  • 1 Red Onion, diced
  • 1 Fennel Bulb, diced
  • 4 Garlic cloves, whole
  • 1 Tbsp Herbs de Provence
  • 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Quinoa

  • 1 Cup Rinsed Quinoa
  • 2 Cups Veggie Stock
  • 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Dressing

  • 1 Lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Dash of Herbs de Provence

I start with the roasted veggies.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees while you’re chopping everything up.  In a large bowl, put all the veggies together, then add the herbs, oil and sea salt.  Mix it all up, and then dump it into a 9×13 cake pan (or whatever size you might have).  Once the oven is ready, put the veggies in, and let them roast for a total of 25 minutes.  I pull it out at 10 and 20 minutes to give it a good stir, making sure all the veggies are getting roasted nicely.  While the veggies are roasting….

In a 3 quart sauce pan, saute the garlic in the olive oil for the Quinoa portion.  Once the garlic has had a few minutes, add the vegetable stock, rinsed Quinoa and sea salt.  Bring it to a boil, then drop the temperature down to a simmer and let it cook for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, remove from heat and uncover, letting it sit for about 5 minutes.  Mix it up a bit to let some of the moisture steam off.  While the Quinoa is cooking….

Mix up the the dressing by taking the lemon juice and zested peel and mixing it with some extra Herbs de Provence and olive oil.  Stir it all together, and set it aside while you wait for the veggies and Quinoa to finish.

Now that it’s all done, the final step is simple.  Mix the roasted veggies and the Quinoa together in the large bowl you used to mix the veggies before roasting them.  Once you get that mixed together, add the dressing, and mix it up a  little more.

Done.  Enjoy!  This can be eaten immediately in its warm/hot state, or can be set aside and refrigerated and eaten cool.

A few notes:

  • Before this recipe, I had never noticed the fennel bulbs at the grocery store.  I was skeptical at first, but I’m willing to try anything at least once.  The bulb usually can be found with stocks coming off of the bulb.  These can be cut off and discarded in your compost bin, or fed to your chickens.  For this particular recipe, all you need is the actual bulb diced up.
  • Fennel in its raw form tastes a bit like licorice (the black one).  I’m not a fan of licorice, but once roasted, takes on a completely different flavor.  So, if you have any doubts about using something that tastes like licorice, give it a chance before you pass it over!
  • Another first for me was the Herbs de Provence.  This is a mixture of spices, and would be easy to make yourself if you want to take the time.  I haven’t had a chance to try mixing up my own, yet, but plan to do so at some point in the future.

 

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Crustless Quiche

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Easy Writer

This recipe is the first attempt at a quiche using the eggs from my chickens.  As I continue to hone this recipe, I will update it here, too.

Crustless Quiche – Gluten Free, Soy Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian (Ovo)

  • 6 to 8 eggs
  • Sauteed Veggies
  • Salt and Pepper

This is a very simple recipe.  Let me first clarify my claim for “soy free”, though.  Commercial eggs contain soy, and the eggs being used in my cooking come from my own chickens, which are fed a soy-free diet.

Many of my recipes lack in the “serving size” reference, so let me try to say with this one, in its current form, is good for 2-4 people.  The more people, though, the more you will need to supplement the meal with additional dishes.  Just saying….

Start with the veggies.  Right now, it’s open season on whatever you want to use, but here is what I used my first time out:

  • 1/2 Onion
  • 1/3 bunch Kale (de-veined and rolled up to be sliced into small pieces)
  • 1/2 Red Bell Pepper
  • Shiitake Mushrooms (a handful will do, with stems)

Dice the onion, and throw it in a skillet with a bit of oil to start the saute process.  Once the onion starts to turn translucent, then throw in the kale.  Let it cook for a few minutes, and then turn off and remove from heat.  Keep it covered, this helps to keep the moisture in.

Crack all of your eggs into a your mixing bowl.  It should be large enough to allow at least 4 cups.  Use a blender to blend the eggs up until they are mixed up and starting to froth.  Once it’s frothed up, put the mixer/blender away and mix in your sauteed veggies.

Finally, dump the mixture into your pie pan, and bake it at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  You may need to add more time, depending on the size of your pie pan.  The thicker it is, the longer it will take.  You can always throw the broiler on for 2 or 3 minutes at the end to make sure the top gets nice and cooked.

  • I cracked an egg right on the middle before I put it in the oven.  The extra time under the broiler ensured that it was cooked all the way through.  This was done mostly to appease my wife who will not touch an egg unless it is 100% cooked and dead.

This recipe could be doubled, or tripled, but at some point you would need to consider using a second pie tin.

Also, this makes for a perfect meal any time of the day: breakfast, lunch or dinner

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Hummus – A Simple Recipe With A Twist

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Easy Writer

Let’s just start by saying “Hummus is really really good.”

Okay, now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about hummus.  This is a very versatile snack.  You can have it on chips, you can have it on carrots, you can put it on your sandwhich.  You can get a spoon and eat it.  It’s yummy.  Maybe you disagree, but then, why are you still here?  That’s right, you love it, and you know it.

So, what exactly IS hummus?  I mean, it has chick peas, right?  What else does it have? 

Here’s the thing; there are so many different hummus recipes out there, you just have to find one, tweak it to your liking, and then hold on to it.  Sure, you can buy your hummus at the store, but what’s in it….really, what’s in it?  That’s right, you can put all the trust you want in to food labels, or just MAKE it yourself.  It’s really not that difficult.  Let’s start with the ingredient list, shall we?

Hummus

  • 1 Cup Uncooked Chickpeas
  • 1 Lemon (freshly juiced)
  • 1/2 Cup Tahini (don’t forget to stir it, first)
  • 3-4 Garlic Cloves – Diced or Minced
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil (the more virginy the better, so I go extra)
  • 1/2 to 1 Tbsp Sea Salt
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp Cayenne
  • 1 tsp Cumin Powder

So, here we go with disclaimers. 

  1. Firstly, the cayenne is totally optional.  I like a little bit of a zingy taste to my hummus, so I throw in the cayenne.
  2. The sea salt is more of a ‘to taste’, which is why I have it setup for 1/2 to 1 Tbsp.  Just don’t overdo it!

The dried chick peas take some prep work.  This is what I do, you’re welcome to do it your own way.  If you REALLY REALLY want to, you can just get 2 cans of chick peas, and skip right to the next steps.  I don’t use the canned chick peas, so I can’t speak for them.  I’m sure I’ll use them some day, but for now, go with the dried ones.  (Here’s a hint; a bag of dried chick peas can cost about as much as a can, but you can easily get 4-5 cans worth of beans out of a bag of dried chick peas.  You do the math.)

Rinse your chick peas in the sink, thoroughly.  You want to make sure you pick out any funky ones that don’t look at all like the others.  Soak them, overnight, for at least 8 hours.  If you forget, and let them soak for 2 days, you haven’t hurt anything (yet).  I actually start the soak period in the evening, and then put them in the crock pot the next day, and let that go on low for another night.  It sounds like a lot of work, but this all goes on while I’m sleeping!!  You basically want the chick peas to be soft enough to break down when you put them in the food processor.

I also think that letting the chick peas cool makes a difference, and keeps them from getting so dry.  Maybe that’s crazy talk, but you play with it and see what you like.  I typically slow cook them overnight, turn the crock pot off in the morning, and let it sit while I’m at work (the office, the yard…the couch; wherever).  Once they have time to cool off, you just need to rinse them, again, and then set them aside and get ready to make your hummus!

You want to juice your lemon.  Again, you can opt to buy lemon juice and keep that handy, but isn’t it more fun to juice a lemon yourself?  Besides, then you can throw the lemon peel into your compost pile, or feed it to your chickens!!  We picked up somewhat of an old fashioned juicer, and it works awesome.  It catches the seeds, and most of the pulp.  I don’t mind the pulp, but it’s just one of those things worth mentioning.

 

In your food processor, put in about 3 cups of the chick peas.  That ‘should’ be about all of them, so if you’re over/under, no big deal.  Don’t waste them!!

Add the lemon juice, the olive oil, garlic and the salt/cayenne/cumin spices.  You can also go ahead and add the tahini in at this point, or depending on how much space you have, fire up the processor and let it mix things up a bit so you have more room for the tahini.  My food processor is a bit small, so I have to do this with the size batch this recipe makes!!

Tahini is an interesting thing.  It looks like runny peanut butter, and even has a slight resemblance to the taste of peanut butter.  That is, if you’re used to eating peanut butter that has a bitter after taste.  What IS tahini?!?!  Well, good question.  It’s basically sesame seed.  That’s right, ground sesame seed.  Who knew you could get this out of those little seeds?

I’m not brand loyal, but this is what I happen to have and use.  My mom had the same when she was making hummus, and of the two choices I had, this one appealed to me more just enough to walk out of the store with this one.  I have no major complaints about it, but by all means, use whatever you want to, so long as it’s tahini.

Okay, back on track, sorry.  Mix the components together in your food processor.  Add a little bit of water to keep things moving.  Add your tahini.  Add some more water to keep things moving.  Add a little bit more water if things aren’t quite moving.

That’s right, you’re catching on.  Water is important, here.  Without it, we’ll all die, but more importantly, your hummus will be thick, and lumpy!!  There is no measurement for the water.  You’ve added all your other ingredients, so with this, you just add water ‘to texture’.  What I mean is, add water until it reaches a nice texture….one that you can appreciate.

How do you know when it’s ready?  That’s the easy, and BEST part!  You have to keep tasting it.  I use carrots, or whatever is handy.  Sometimes, I just have to use a finger, it’s whatever you have.  And don’t be afraid to add things to it.  A little more salt?  A little more water?  A little more cayenne?  Mmmm…..this could be my new favorite snack while I’m sitting in my chair at work watching paint dry.

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Curried Chana Dal

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Easy Writer

Several weeks ago (maybe longer than I want to admit) I picked up some Chana Dal at the grocery store with every intention of using it.  I just didn’t know what I was going to make with it, but I knew I wanted something with ‘dal’ in the name of it!  So, after too many weeks of procrastination (maybe I learned this from my siblings?) I finally decided that I needed to make something new; something I had never made before.

Enter: GOOGLE!!

So, to be fair, I didn’t learn ALL of my procrastination skills from my brothers, some of it was born into me.  With that comes a certain level of lazy.  Combine the two of them, and when you start filtering through all the many thousands of potential candidates for a suitable recipe, you lunge for something simple.  That’s what I went with.  A fairly simple list of ingredients, a fairly simple list of directions, and a complex array of tastes that the palate could enjoy (and maybe even be tricked into thinking the dish itself was much more complicated than it really was!).

Let’s not forget the most important part: It had to be something I could tweak to my own.  Afterall, what more would it be if I were to just copy/paste recipes from the internet here?  There’s a word for that….but let’s move on!

Curried Chana Dal

  • 1.5 cups chana dal (washed, drained and picked through)
  • 4.5 cups water (for boiling the chana dal)
  • 1 tsp Turmeric
  • 1.5 tsp ground Cumin
  • 1 tsp ground Coriander
  • 1.5 tsp Cayenne pepper
  • 2.5 Tbs butter (soy free, dairy free)
  • 1 tsp cumin seed
  • 1 Medium Onion (chopped/diced)
  • 3-4 cloves of Garlic (chopped/minced)
  • 1 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1 Tbs fresh Ginger (chopped/minced)
  • 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
  • Fresh Coriander Leaves (garnish/topper)

So, the ingredients have been grouped according to when you’re going to need them.  The first step is the longest step, but requires the least amount of work.  Soak the chana dal overnight like you would with a dried bean (meaning, put it in something and cover it with enough water that it won’t get soaked up while you’re sleeping).  It’s important to rinse through them before you leave them to soak, so you can pick out any of the ones that don’t look like they will make the cut.

Once your chana has been soaked, and you’re ready to begin, get your cook pot out.  I use a 4-5 quart pot, which left me with plenty of space.  Drain and rinse your chana, and put it in the pot, along with the 4.5 cups of water and the following spices:

  • Turmeric, Ground Cumin, Ground Coriander, Cayenne Pepper

Bring the water to a boil, and then turn it down to just above a simmer.  Let it cook the chana for about an hour.

While the chana is cooking, you can either take a break, or prepare everything else.  I like to prepare ahead, so when it’s time to focus, I have everything ready and at my disposal.

Get your onion, garlic and ginger all chopped up, and set aside.  You can keep these to the side, all together, since they will go in together (shortly).

Take that 2.5 Tbs of butter, and put it in another cook pot.  I used a 3 quart, and had plenty of space!!  Heat it up, get it melted, on about medium heat.  Once it’s melted, put the cumin seed in, and let it cook in for a minute or two.  Then add the onion/garlic/ginger and let those cook up in the butter for a few minutes.  Keep stirring it, and watch for the onions to start going transluscent (this is when you know they’re getting really good!).

Once the onion hits that point, start adding the cooked chana.  You can scoop it in directly from the pot you were boiling it in.  Keep the water, you’re going to ultimately add the entire contents of that pot to the new one.  Sorry if you like to reuse and minimize dishes!!  Get it all added in, stir it up to get everything mixed together, and then put the lid on and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

Once it has had time to simmer, and you’re getting close to ‘eating time’, add the teaspoon of Garam Masala, mix it in, and let it sit for just a few more minutes.  This is a good time to chop up your fresh coriander leaves.

Now it’s ready (I know, FINALLY, right?) to dish out.  There are many ways to do this.  You could dish it over some brown rice, or you could just dish it into a bowl and eat it with a spoon.  Just DON’T forget to put the fresh coriander on top.

I’ve tried it both with and without rice, and to be honest, I don’t know which one I like more.  So, I’ll leave that to you to try.

I’m also thinking that this can go for either a main course, or make a good addition to another dish.  I’ll be combining this with another curry dish we made this week, and taking that for lunch once or twice with all the left overs!

Did I mention this could easily feed 4-5 people, if not more?  Add in another dish, and you’ve got a small feast for a party of 2!!

Oh, and, assuming you used the dairy free, soy free butter, then you have yourself a dish that is:

  • Diary Free
  • Soy Free
  • Gluten Free
  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Healthy

Through the course of my searching for a decent/easy recipe, I found a site that seems to be pro-chana dal.  I’ll share the link, and suggest you take a look at it to get an idea of how incredibly health the chana dal is:  Click Here

If you’re looking for something healthy to add to your array of “food pantry must-have items” then you should definitely check out the link above.  Apparently, this is an awesome food for diabetics as it is extremely low on the GI charts.  I’ll leave it at that, since that is nowhere near my realm of expertise (not that any of this really is, though).

Good luck, and happy/healthy eating!

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Lentil and Chick Pea Chili

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Easy Writer

This is a lentil and chick pea chili that includes kidney beans, as well.  As with many of my recipes, this one is open for interpretation, and you’re free to add/change/remove anything in it.  Ultimately, your own taste buds will drive the end product!

Lentil and Chick Pea Curry

  • 2 cups dried lentils
  • 1 cup dried chick peas (pre-soaked overnight)
  • 1/2 cup dried kidney beans (pre-soaked overnight)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3-4 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 bell pepper, sliced/diced (your favorite color, of course)
  • 4+ garlic cloves, diced
  • 1 Tablespoon Cumin
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
  • Sea Salt to Taste (about 1 teaspoon to start)
  • Tomatos: 3-4 fresh tomatoes or 2 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
  • 5 Cups of Water

Let me start by throwing out a few tips:

  • Soak the chick peas and red kidney beans together, overnight.  Rinse before soaking, and rinse after soaking before adding to the dish
  • The chick peas and kidney beans can be canned if you don’t have time, or forget to soak them ahead of time.  Just use 1 can of each.
  • I use a crockpot, as detailed below, but you can use a regular 5-6 quart pot.

Add the lentils, chick peas and kidney beans to the crock pot, and turn it on high.  Add the 5 cups of water, and work on getting everything else ready to go.  As your ingredients are ready to go in, simply add them!  This is one of those recipes where you add everything at one time, set it and forget it.

Throw your diced vegetables from the list into the crock pot, along with the spices.  If you’re using fresh tomatoes, throw them in now, as well.  If you’re using canned tomatoes, don’t throw them in for a few hours, yet. 

Stir up all the ingredients to get them mixed nicely, and then put the lid on, and let it cook on high for the next 3-4 hours.  This will have it ready to go in about 4 hours.  If you’re not in a big hurry, you can set it on low to begin with.

I tend to get up first thing in the morning, and throw everything in the crock pot with the intention of having the chili for lunch.  Once I start dishing it out, I turn it down to low, or turn it off, depending on if I’ll be having more for dinner!

 

 

**NOTE** You can leave out the tomatoes, all together.  I tend to do this, inadvertantly, on occasion, when I get busy and don’t think about it.  It still carries that chili smell, even without the tomatoes, and still tastes delicious!

You can serve this over some brown or basmati rice, and you can even throw some fresh onion and/or cheese on top.

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No Bake Cookies

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Easy Writer

This is a recipe my mom gave to me.  She used to make these for us, growing up, and it was always one of my favorite cookies.  How delighted I was to go back and realize that they were naturally gluten free (depending on the oats), and with a few minor tweaks, I could make them dairy free, as well.  However, these cookies DO contain peanut butter, so if that’s not on your list of safe foods, then I’d just completely abandon this idea, unless you’re willing to experiment with some of the other peanut butter alternatives!

I’m typing this one in, and will come back and add some photos to it, soon!

Chocolate No Bake Cookies

  • 1 1/2 cups Sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup dairy free butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (gluten free, optional)
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 3 cups quick oats (gluten free)
  • pinch of sea salt
  • Wax Paper

Using a 2 or 3 quart sauce pan, combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and butter.  On medium high heat, let these ingredients combine until it starts to boil.  Remove the pan from the burner, and let it cool for about 1 minute.

After it’s had a chance to cool for a minute, add the vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oatmeal.  Mix it all together, trying not to let it sit for too long.  Once it looks like it has been mixed together, evenly, you’re ready for the easy part!

Using a spoon, scoop the mixture out of the pan, and drop onto the wax paper (assuming you’ve laid it out flat, of course!).  Let the cookie cool down, and it will begin to solidify.

After it has had ample time to cool, you can eat these like any other cookie.  Don’t be deceived by the gooey mess it appears to be!  These are yummy, and I have to ration them to myself (gotta watch my girlish figure, you know).

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Pancakes!! (GF/DF/SF)

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Easy Writer

Okay, so I have to admit that I’ve only been GF for the last year.  Just before realizing I needed to go GF, I had made up a giant batch of dried pancake mix.  I love pancakes, but not just any pancake.  You can’t go to IHOP and expect to get good pancakes.  Somewhere out there, someone makes good pancakes, but the problem for me, now, is that they are NOT gluten-free pancakes.

So, I tried a few different things over the course of the last year, and nothing really worked too well.  Most GF recipes leave you hanging if you’re not quite used to the dense-ness of GF foods over the commercial counterparts we’re so used to.  Pancakes, to say the least, were a disappointment, and something I was just coming to terms with having lost forever.

Enter King Arthur.  My hero.  My saviour.  Mixed just right, I can get fluffy pancakes that I can’t tell are gluten-free.  I’ve even fed these to my younger brother, one who LOVES his gluten, and he enjoyed every bite of them!

Naturally, I had to alter a few things to make this fit my dietary needs.  Afterall, we’re talking about dairy and soy in addition to the gluten allergies.  So, what do we need to consider, here?

  • You can overcome the dairy issue by using a non-dairy milk.  That’s the easy part, but you want to make sure you choose a good substitute.  I use an unsweetened almond milk in my pancakes.  If I were to switch that out with a sweetened milk, or even a non-almond type of milk (rice, for instance) it could totally change the outcome of the pancakes. 
  • Soy, you say?  But there is no soy flour in the mixture.  In fact, you can read the ingredients right on the manufacturer website, if you want.  For your conveneince, I am pasting that link for you:  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/glutenfree/
  • So, the hidden ‘soy’ would be in those pesky little eggs you bought at the grocery store, or even at the local farmers market.  That’s right, unless you went out to find soy-free eggs, you’re putting soy in anything that calls for eggs.  So, do yourself a favor, if you’re allergic to soy, and find yourself a local farmer that feeds the chickens a soy free diet!  (I’ll probably put a post up about this, in the very near future)

That being said, the easiest thing to do is follow the recipe on the box.  You can use the entire mix, or cut it in half.  I cut mine in half, and this is what I end up with:

  • 1 + 2/3 cups King Arthur Pancake Mix
  • 1 cup of almond milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 table spoons canola oil, olive oil, or coconut oil

Whisk together the almond milk, egg and oil.  Once mixed together, whisk in the pancake mix.  Don’t go too crazy on it, but get it whisked up nicely so that all of the lumps are gone. 

Let it sit for about 5 minutes.  This is a perfect time to put your flat skillet, or pancake griddle on, and let it warm up.  I don’t own a griddle, so I use the flat skillet on the stove, and set the burner on about 3.5 (mine goes up to 9), which is just under half.  You may need to play with the heat settings some, until you figure out where it needs to be.

Once the batter is ready, and the skillet is hot, pour about 1/3 cup worth of batter onto the skillet.  I can fit, comfortably, two pancakes at a time. 

Set the timer for 3 minutes, and then flip the pancakes, and cook for another 2 minutes.  This is exactly what I set mine for, and it works like a charm.

Now, I grew up in a house where we put peanut butter on our pancakes.  As this is one of the top 8 allergens, you’re welcome to leave this out.  If you’re not allergic to peanut butter, and have never tried this, consider it!  Some peanut butter, followed by some sliced bananas, and then some maple syrup.

Did I say syrup?  Did I mention that you should never ‘taint’ any halfway decent pancake with your general run of the mill sugary substitute for real maple syrup?  Your Aunt Jamima doesn’t know what syrup is, so if you’re unsure, look for the stuff that contains “100% Pure Maple Syrup” and throw out that garbage with the log cabin on the front of it!

And, in case you’re not a fan of bananas, leave those out, as well!  Just typing this up is making me hungry for more of these awesome pancakes!

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Hot Cocoa – Dairy Free

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Easy Writer

So, since my wife is lactose intollerant, and as I’ve said in other posts of mine, it’s just easy to keep the house clear of those temptations, we’re frequently trying to come up with better/healthier alternatives to some of our favorite snacks and beverages.  While this last winter wasn’t that rough on us, it still brings to mind all those evenings inside, trying to keep warm with a cup of hot cocoa.

Have you EVER read the ingredients on a package of instant hot cocoa?  It’s terrible, really it is.  Of course it has dairy in it, but most of them have hydrogenated oils in them.  Really?  REALLY?  I can’t figure this one out.  Shouldn’t hot cocoa just have chocolate and milk in it?  You know….hot chocolate milk, basically?  Well, it’s not, so I won’t touch the stuff.  Add to that the lactose-intollerant-roomate/wife, and I have a reason to find a new recipe.

This is quite simple, really.  I buy my ingredients, seperately, and then add them together when I want some hot cocoa (or, more commonly, when I’m informed that I’m in the mood for hot cocoa by the ‘other half’).

Dairy Free Hot Cocoa (2 servings / 24 ounces)

  • 3 Cups of Almond Milk (unsweetened).  
  • 3 Tablespoons Cocoa
  • 3-4 Tablespoons Sugar

You can use any non-dairy milk of your choice, really.  I use almond, and I typically have the unsweetened on hand for the shakes/smoothies that I make, so it works out well for this recipe.

In a 2-3 quart size sauce pan, bring the milk slowly up to a warm temperature.  I think it’s important to be patient, here, and not be tempted to turn the heat up too high.  You run the risk of scorching the milk on the bottom of the pan, and this will have a negative flavor-impact on your end product.

As the milk begins to warm, add in the sugar, mixing with a whisk.  Once the sugar is mixed in you can add the cocoa in, one tablespoon at a time.  This will allow you time to mix it in, and not have to fight too many lumps.  Never fear, though, the lumps will disappear after you’ve stirred it all in. 

I typically stir the cocoa until I see the steam rising from it, and I know it’s hot enough to serve.

That’s it!  Three ingredients.  Pour, or ladel, into your mug, and sip away.

Now, a few things to consider:

  1. If you use a pre-sweetened milk, avoid adding sugar until you’re able to mix in the cocoa and then sweeten to taste.
  2. Instead of sugar, there are alternative sweetners that some people will find ‘more’ healthy.  The sweetners in some of the milks might be enough for some.  If you’re going to swith out the sugar for something else, start off by adding the cocoa first, and then slowly add the sweetner until you find a ratio that suits you well.
  3. I’ve listed my recipe at 3-4 table spoons of sugar.  4 is really just on the side of almost too sweet for me, but as this is being made for someone else, 4 has been the requested amount.  If it were for just me, I might go as low as 2 table spoons.  This just means that you might have to play with the amount of sugar to get it to where you want it to be.  Don’t add too much, though, or you’ll end up just drinking sugary milk!

 

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