kale salad_nWarm Kale Salad

This is an easy to prepare dish I created at my last restaurant.  Kale is such a popular ingredient.  I toyed with a couple different concepts, finally falling in love with this preparation featuring Organic Baby Kale.  Earthbound Farms packages my favorite blends.  Look for it in the packaged salad and greens aisle of your favorite grocery store.  Like so many recipes I created for my restaurants, it is free of gluten, soy, and corn.  This lovely dish also contains no nuts, egg or dairy.  So unless you can’t eat bacon, it’s a crowd pleaser!

To prepare the salad:

Earthbound Farms Organic baby kale  note:  You can use larger kale, but must carefully remove all stem material and tear into bite sized pieces.  These older greens will have a stronger flavor, but it’s all a matter of personal preference.

Crisp bacon crumbles I really like to use apple smoked bacon!

Bacon fat, reserved from cooking the bacon

Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

Thinly sliced fresh garlic

Maple Sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place the bacon fat in a sauce pan.  note:  you can substitute olive oil for some of the bacon fat, if you have concern at consuming the bacon fat.  Be aware that the flavor for the salad is primarily from this ingredient, though.  Add approximately half as much vinegar as fat.  When these are beginning to get hot, add the garlic.  Cook quickly, remove the pan from the heat and immediately pour over the clean baby kale. Toss gently.  Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of maple sugar and s&p to taste.  If substituting olive oil for part of the fat, you will need to season it heavier to compensate.   Finish tossing and serve immediately.  This is not a dish that can be left to sit.

 

IMG_CeleryRootSo often we may have a great idea for a dinner entree, but what on earth should we serve with it???  If we could just come up with a side dish that is as outstanding as the main dish!  It needs to complement, yet have just the right level of integrity to stand up to the item it is sharing a plate with.  There’s also that whole time issue.  Do you really want to spend hours, slaving over a bunch of different dishes?

This is a fun concept I have played with at a couple of my restaurants.  It uses healthy root vegetables and has a similarity to risotto in preparation and texture.  You can use yam, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, turnips and/or celeriac (celery root).  Do keep in mind, to use numerous items from the list you are going to end up with a sizable batch!  So, invite friends over!  Invite them early and they can help cut up the vegetables, too!

The dish in the picture is featuring celeriac.  I made it to go with wine braised chicken and mushrooms.  It is free of gluten, soy, corn, egg, nut, and is dairy free if made without the butter.  Using vegetable stock, makes it vegan as well.

Fall Celeriac ‘Risotto’

1 medium yellow onion, minced

1 smallish carrot, peeled and minced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 whole celeriac, peeled and minced

2-3 fresh sage leaf, chiffonade

chicken or vegetable stock

butter, optional

Using a small amount of olive oil, saute the onion and carrot until softened.  Add the garlic and cook until is begins to soften as well.  Add the celeriac, sage and salt and pepper to taste.  In the style of risotto, add a little stock at a time, cooking over medium heat, until your vegetables are nearly done.  Taste for salt levels, adjust if needed.  To finish, add the butter and allow to simmer for a bit to absorb the last little bit of liquid.  If you accidentally put in too much liquid, drain it off and finish as above.

I kept seasoning in this dish fairly simple.  I wanted the flavor of the vegetables to be the primary with the herbs and spice of the chicken I served with  it, carrying the responsibility.  Root vegetable risottos are a clean slate to play with different spice combinations.  If you are unsure what to use, my favorite culinary book is The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg.  It’s basically a chemistry book for chefs.  It has concise lists of suggested additions to complement your other ingredients in a dish.  This book is a great tool in any creative kitchen!

Like you, I check out those easy looking packages on the store shelf in the gluten free section…  I know that every cupboard doesn’t have the array of various ingredients I keep on hand, so I decided to give one a try.

I’ve always had pretty good luck with Red Mill products, so I picked up their Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix.  Reading the ingredients, it appeared to have chocolate chips already in it, but, well… I wasn’t seeing them thru the cellophane and, let’s face it, it is pretty hard to have too many chocolate chips in chocolate chip cookies, so I picked up a bag of those, too.  I also sought out my favorite secret ingredient for the ultimate in cookie texture; cream cheese.  Let’s go make some cookies!!

IMG_Cookie

 

Chef Celinda’s Version of Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream together:

1/2 cup butter

3 ounces cream cheese

Add one egg, as written on the package, whip it in until all emulsified.

Now, add the package of dry ingredients.

Stir, just until mixed.  Add 1 cup of the additional chocolate chips.  Mix.

You should anticipate your dough looking a bit dry, as noted on the package instructions.  No worries.  It will hold together when you form the balls.

You will want to cook them at 350 degrees in a regular oven or 325 degrees in a convection.

The package said to grease your cookie sheet.  I was very skeptical of this and did a single cookie test first.  No, do not grease the sheets.  Some parchment paper on them would be excellent though.  Way easier clean up.

Using your clean hands, form walnut sized balls of dough.  Place them a couple inches apart on the tray.  Flatten a bit with your palm. The mix is not overly sweet.  If you like, these would be delightful rolled in sugar before placing them on the tray and cooking.

Follow the package instruction and bake until golden.  Remove hot cookies  immediately to a cooling wrap.  Be careful, they are a bit delicate.  Many ovens don’t have accurate thermostats, so keep an eye on your first batch, to see how long they take in your oven.  If you have hot and cold spots in your unit, be sure and carefully turn the tray half way thru.

If you are allergic to dairy, you can use another fat, instead of butter.  The cream cheese can be omitted, also, but the cookies will be more brittle.

These would be excellent with nuts, too!  I’m sure you will have numerous willing guinea pigs standing by to test whatever combo you decide to try!

 

You know when you bite into something new and the world slows down; the edges to things in your vision get a bit hazy; you need to consciously remember to breathe… Yeah, it was like that.  I’m not sure how long I can go without another opportunity to make a complete swine of myself with these glorious rings.

image. squash

Gluten Free Fried Delicata with Spiced Honey Glaze

Got your attention now, do I?  But, before we get into recipes, are you familiar with Delicata Squash?  You can find them at most grocery stores currently.  I haven’t found any at the Farmers Markets get, but I’m hoping to.  I have personally grown them in Washington state myself, so know it’s doable with our seasons.  delicata

One of the primary reasons to get excited about these little guys, besides that they taste wonderful, is that they are the only Winter Squash you do not have to peel.  Yes, the thin peels are entirely edible!  Score!  I don’t know about you, but peeling is NOT on my list of exciting and fun projects! Ha!

To make this dish, you will need to prep your squash.  One will probably be enough for two servings.  Well, at least the first time you eat them.  Wash the squash and cut off the ends.  You do remember the part about sharp knives we discussed in the last recipe?  This is especially important when cutting something like this.  They can be a bit ‘resistant’.  When you are working with something that is hard to cut, you push harder.  A dull knife will require more effort and being dull, will tend to go the path of less resistance; your finger…  Need I say more?  Once the ends are gone, now cut it in half, the short way.  Using a pairing knife/peeler/spoon/whatever works, you are going to remove the seeds and membrane from the inside.  Yeah, it’s a bit challenging, but worth it. Remember you didn’t have to peel it, too!  When complete, you will have two hollow tubes.  Now you are going to cut these into quarter inch thick rings.  You can go thinner, but it’s pretty difficult to get them consistent.  Thicker won’t have the texture, in the finished product, you are looking for.  Set these aside.

You are going to need a method to fry them.  I have a great little home deep fryer from Presto that I really like.  Way less mess then doing it on the stove.  Should you decide to purchase a fryer, the thing to look for is how much power it has.  You want the one with the most, that you can find.  An underpowered unit will not be able to keep up and your food will end up tasting greasy.  Ick!  If you are using a pan, you need something nice and stout with a heavy bottom.  It needs to be large enough, so that the rings can submerge and the oil doesn’t come over the sides.  Cast iron is always a good choice.

What kind of oil should you use?  I have had the opportunity to cook with a lot of different oils and fats in my 35 year career.  I prefer to use things without additives or excessive processing.  In honesty, my very favorite to work with is lard.  The medical studies are now starting to agree with me, finally, that these are not bad for us in moderation.  The stuff we can’t pronounce, in our food, will always be a problem, though.  If the thought of lard frightens you, try rice bran oil.  A bit spendy, but fries really well and food doesn’t soak it up, like most other oils.  This dream of a dish really cries out for lard, though.  Just sayin’…

A quick reminder regarding deep frying and gluten.  Since the oil is reusable a number of times, you absolutely must understand, that it can never have regular flour used in it, if you are planning to feed someone that can not tolerate gluten.  The gluten will stay suspended in the oil and attach itself to other things you are cooking afterwards.  Gluten that has been super heated in this way, is an immediate threat to those that are sensitive to it.  Reactions are immediate and frequently severe.
That said, keep this in mind when ordering in a restaurant.  Unless you are in a restaurant that ONLY serves gluten free dishes, the individual that is sensitive must never order deep fried food of any sort.

While the oil is heating, you can make up the honey.  You could also have it made ahead.  It will hold easily.  The more you can have prepped ahead of time, the easier it is to get the meal done without a bunch of stress.  This is the secret of why restaurant kitchens can work so effectively at getting out all those meals at the same time.

Spiced Honey Glaze

3 tablespoons clover honey, or your favorite

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1 tsp minced fresh hot pepper

dash of cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon coriander

salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mix everything together, except the cilantro, with a whip or immersion blender.  Set aside.

Grab those squash rings.  You are going to need to do a light dredge with some gluten free flour.  It’s super easy with a clean, dry plastic produce bag.  Throw the squash in the bag with about a half cup of the flour.  Twist the top to stop leaks and shake it about to coat the rings.  When you have them all coated, bop the, still closed, bag on the counter.  Excess flour will go to the bottom.

When your oil is up to temp, start frying the rings in small batches.  They are ready to take out of the oil when they are lightly brown and floating.  Place them on a paper towel lined plate.  Since these are super moist, they can get soggy pretty quick, so to compensate I like to do a double fry.  When you have completed the first round of cooking and it’s nearly time to complete the rest of the meal, drop them back into the fryer.  Mine is large enough to hold the whole batch.  Do what works with your equipment.  If the oil shows any sign of cooling rapidly, get the product out immediately and do in smaller batches when it’s hot again.

Once all the rings are ready, place in a large bowl.  Drizzle the honey over them and add the cilantro.  Toss everything together and plate.  Prepare yourself.  The lucky individuals, you are sharing these with, are going to be heaping massive quantities of adulation and praise upon you!

Wasn’t that fun?

 

IMG_AppleThe incoming Fall weather makes me want to bake.  The scent of apples and spice permeating the air is a great producer of smiles.  Here is an easy recipe that makes this possible for lots of people with pesky food allergies!  It contains no soy, wheat, gluten, corn, eggs, dairy, or tree nuts.  Have fun!

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

1/2 cup certified gluten-free rolled oats
4 tablespoons coconut milk*
3 cups sliced apples – This is an excellent excuse to visit a Farmers Market and       pick out something delightful!
Agave syrup to taste. Depends on the tartness of the apple and your palate

1 teaspoon lemon juice, fresh
1/2 cup Red Mill gluten free flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons coconut oil

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch round glass baking dish and set aside. Pay attention to what you use to grease the dish. Many sprays contain allergens!

Place the gluten-free oats in a bowl and soak them in the coconut milk for ten minutes.

Toss the apples with agave and lemon juice. Layer them in the prepared glass baking dish.

Combine the gluten-free flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon with the oats. Mix well.

Add the coconut oil in pieces. Rub the oat/flour mixture into the shortening with your fingers or two forks, creating a crumbly mix.

Top the apples with the oat mixture.  Bake on the center rack for 1 hour. Top should be golden and bubbly. Serve warm or cooled.

* Coconut milk comes in both fresh and shelf stable packaging. Read the label carefully. Some are made in facilities with soy, nuts, etc. If those enjoying this treat can not consume those items, you need to keep hunting for the right coconut milk. You may also use rice milk here. Just be very careful!