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Posts Tagged ‘gluten-free’

I ordered these at a restaurant the other night. They were amazing! The original recipe has shrimp, so I substituted avocado. Still delicious!

Spicy Thai Lettuce Wraps

2-6 lettuce leaves (iceberg [big] or butter [small])

1/2 cup cabbage shreds, lightly packed

1/8 onion, chopped [small]

bunch of cilantro, chopped

bunch of mint (about 5 leaves), chopped

1/2 mango, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 avocado, sliced

2 tbs ponzu *make sure it’s vegan friendly, some sauces can contain fish!*

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp chili oil

1 tbs sweet chili sauce

1/2 tsp lime juice

Note: if you can’t find ponzu, just use soy sauce and add 1 1/2 tsp of lime juice instead!

Gently pull off 2-6 lettuce leaves and rinse with cold water. Set aside to dry. Add cabbage and onion in a small bowl.

Scoop the mango out of the skin using a spoon. Cut into small pieces and add to the onions and cabbage.

Chop up the mint and cilantro. Add to the mango bowl. Combine the ponzu, sesame oil, chili oil, sweet chili sauce, and lime in a small sauce bowl. Mix well with a fork then pour over the mango mix. Stir it together and add some sesame seeds.

Gently scoop the mango mix into the lettuce. Add avocado slices. Wrap up and dip in sweet chili sauce. Yum!

These were listed as an appetizer, but they make a great lunch. I had some rice with tofu on the side. The butter lettuce would be better for appetizers because the leaves are smaller.

In other news, yesterday was Canada day. My in-laws strung up a Canadian flag (beach towel), which was incredibly sweet and much appreciated! We had a fun day in the pool followed by a delicious BBQ (tofu dogs!)

On Friday night I went out with my husband’s friends for dinner (where I learned of these delicious lettuce wraps). They keep snakes. Lots and lots of snakes. I got to hold a few of them! I love the way their skin feels, it’s so neat!

My husband was too scared to try holding one. He said they have snake cooties. Chicken!

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I’ve been MIA nursing my poor sweet cat back to health. Apparently the kitten bit her mouth and cut her tongue. Poor thing. Of course it took a panicked vet visit (yes, I am a the crazy cat lady), my husband’s logic, and seeing the cut on her tongue before I realized that the world is not ending! I can cook once again!

Garbanzo Bean “Meatballs”

1 can (15oz) Garbanzo Beans

2 tbs unsweetened applesauce

1/2 tsp each: curry powder, cayenne pepper, cilantro (less if you don’t like spice, more if you love it!)

Sauce

1 medium tomato

2 squirts lemon juice (about 2 tsp)

3 mint leaves

3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp each:  curry powder, cilantro, cayenne pepper, sweet paprika (same rules as above!)

1/4 cup soy milk

1 tsp flour (eliminate for a gluten free meal!)

Start by blending the sauce ingredients together (except for the flour and soy milk) in a food processor. Set the sauce aside. Boil the Garbanzo Beans for about 3 minutes, just to soften them up! Then add spices and applesauce and mash it up!

It makes me sad that I am using dried cilantro (shudder)

Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large frying pan and set the element to medium heat. Gently form the bean mash into small balls (make sure it has cooled a bit so you don’t burn yourself!) Place them gently into the oiled frying pan. Cook them until they turn golden brown on the outside. To turn them, slide them to the side of the frying pan and “roll” them over. They are a bit delicate until you’ve cooked them.

Don’t fret if they lose their shape a bit (see above!). Just gently pat them into a ball shape before adding them to the sauce. Again, be careful not to burn yourself.

Add the sauce to a medium or small saucepan and set the element to medium-high heat. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil and add the milk and flour (optional!) The flour just makes the sauce a bit thicker, so you can skip it if you like. Once it thickens (or boils if you are not using flour), place the “meatballs” into the sauce and gently jiggle the saucepan until the sauce covers them. Cook for about 1 minute. If you cook them too long they will turn into mush (it’s still good). Serve with rice!

When you first place the meatballs in your mouth, it seems hearty and thick. But once you chew, it tastes light and fresh (lemon & mint) with a punch of heat (cayenne, curry powder).

A hearty meal with a summery zing!

enjoy x

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*I am in no way an expert on Gluten-Free eating, so please forgive me if I stupidly include something that contains gluten in this recipe. I googled each ingredient, but I am paranoid.*

My Vegan Veggie Pizza   got a bit of attention yesterday, much to my surprise. I was sure only my parents, husband (begrudgingly),friend Sonia (who I freely admit is on bed rest and thus has limited entertainment), and a few (very appreciated!) Word Press users actually looked at my blog [I love you guys].

So when I got an e-mail last night from Daiya Foods with a link to their Facebook page I was excited, to say the least. Thank you, Daiya, for putting up with my cheese-fan-girl-giddiness. As I read through the comments on my Pizza, I noticed that many of Daiya’s fans wanted a gluten-free option. Gluten free? Not only gluten free, but inexpensive as well. Hmmm..

Of course, I’m having fun pretending I have a new Pizza fan club and what better way to spend my day than giving the fans what they want! [Yes, Daiya, I know they are really your fans!] So, please use this recipe with caution, especially if you are an experienced gluten-free chef. I tried to make something inexpensive, yummy, and gluten-free. I was slightly limited by the selection at the grocery store, but I think it turned out well. I will post an honest review at the bottom. Suggestions are welcome!

Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza Dough

2 tbs Active Dry Yeast (do not use Brewer’s yeast!)

3/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup white cane sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

3 tbs Earth Balance butter stick, softened (it’s gluten free I checked!)

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 cup white rice flour

1 1/4 cup brown rice flour

3/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup hot water

2 tbs unsweetened organic applesauce

I used the same method as my other pizza dough except I started by mixing the rice flours, tapioca flour, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Next add the yeast, sugar, salt, oregano, and warm water in a separate large mixing bowl. Allow the yeast to rise for about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of the flour mixture and the Earth Balance butter stick. Use a dough hook (if using a Kitchen Aid mixer) and set to stir for 2 minutes. Add the hot water and applesauce, then slowly add the remaining flour mix. It won’t cling to the dough hook, but the consistency reminds me of cookie dough. Cookie dough seemed like a good enough measure so I chose to believe it was ready. I let it rise for 30 minutes in a warm place. It didn’t rise very much, but it seemed appropriate somehow. Place the dough on a rice floured counter and shape into a ball. Or a shark.

Restrain yourself and flatten the dough on a” greased” pizza pan. Like so:

Add sauce (minus the ketchup unless you have a gluten-free one!), toppings, and Daiya (1/4 cup Mozzarella Shreds + 1/4 cup Cheddar shreds)! Bake for 25-30 minutes at 425 F.

Initially, I was scared this would fall apart. It is pretty delicate, so you can’t slap it on a paper towel and shove it in your mouth (not that anyone I know would actually do such a thing). It is more of eat gently-on-a-serviette kind of pizza.

I also worried about the texture.When I tasted the dough it seemed really grainy, but once it finished cooking it was surprisingly fluffy. The only other issue I had was that a tiny layer of dough just under the sauce was a little bit sticky due to the moisture from the sauce.

Cost

I paid $17.35 for all ingredients except for my yeast (I bought a 2lb bag on amazon.com for $9.99, so the cost was negligible).  I still have most of the Daiya cheese, rice flour and tapioca, which were the most expensive items. I also have some of my veggie toppings left, but not much. Total cost (generously assuming I used 30%) for one pizza is…

$5.02 – eat that, Dominos!

All-in-all, I think I win this round, gluten-free pizza dough!

My husband and I are going out tonight so I’m off to get ready. I’m paranoid that he is going to stage a “cheese”-tervention. I swear I will start posting something new soon. Bribe you all with cookies, perhaps?

enjoy x

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