Gluten Free

Stir Fry with Soy Curls

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

Until recently I had never heard, much less tried soy curls. But now, I’m a believer. These shelf-stable meat substitute are easy to cook, have a great texture and absorb whatever flavors you choose to use. And while we eat plenty of gluten, they also happen to be gluten free. My Stir Fry with Soy Curls is beautiful to look at, tastes great and is absolutely riffable.

A favorite niece gifted me with a book titled I Cook in Color by Asha Gomez. While this recipe doesn’t come from the cookbook, although she has many great recipes, the title resonated with me. Most of us eat with several of our senses – how something smells, looks and of course, tastes. So when I cook, I always try to keep the visuals of the dish in mind, particularly in a vegan or vegetarian recipe. How can you look at this gorgeous stir fry and not want to taste it?

Below, I will give the ingredients as I made it, but feel free to substitute vegetables and spices depending on personal taste and availability.

Because like almost all stir fry recipes cook fairly quickly, you should have everything prepped before beginning to cook. Vegetables can even be prepared the night before and refrigerated. While the soy curls require soaking before they can be cooked, it is brief. Should easily be able to have this meal on the table in under an hour – and I have no lightening knife skills. Serve it over rice or noodles for a delicious and satisfying meal.

While I love soy curls, you can, of course, substitute cubed tofu or real chicken if you wish to go those routes. I couldn’t easily find Butler Soy Curls in my grocery stores, but they are readily available online. They keep for months and are a terrific pantry staple for those of us who choose to eat less meat.

RECIPE

YIELD: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the sauce

3/4 cup vegetable or vegan “no chicken” broth

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos

1/4 cup agave, honey or maple syrup

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil (If you really like spice, you can use the “Hot” toasted sesame oil

2 to 4 teaspoons Sambal Olek or other hot sauce (how much you use depends on you tolerance of spicy food)

1 Tablespoon of Garlic Chili paste (readily available in most grocery stores)

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

For the Stir Fry

4 ounces of soy curls (1/2 a bag)

Hot tap water to cover

1 Tablespoon Better than Bouillon vegetable or non-chicken

2 Tablespoons avocado or other neutral oil

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

2 baby bok choy

About 2 to 3 cups of cauliflower or broccoli

1 large carrot, cut on the bias into pieces about an 1/8 of an inch thick

8 ounces mushroom, sliced (I used Shitake for maximum meatiness but really any mushroom you like and can find will work)

1 bell pepper, cut into large dice (I used 1/2 of a red and 1/2 of a yellow pepper for the visual effect)

4 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1 Tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger

1/2 cup roasted cashews or peanuts (with or without salt)

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Place the soy curls in a medium bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon and hot tap water to cover. Stir things around to dissolve the bouillon. Make sure that the soy curls are submerged. Let them sit in the water for about 10 minutes. Then drain the soy curls and using your hands, squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Set aside.

While the soy curls soak, prep your veggies and sauce. This can even be done ahead.

When you are ready to cook, add 1 Tablespoon of the oil to a wok or large, deep frying pan – preferably non-stick. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the drained soy curls and stir fry for about 5 to 6 minutes or until they begin to brown. Then remove the soy curls to a plate or bowl.

Add another Tablespoon of oil to the hot wok or pan. Add in all of the vegetable EXCEPT for the garlic and ginger. Start to stir fry the vegetables, tossing them through the oil. I then added about 1/4 cup of water to the pan, covered it and steamed the vegetables, stirring a few times for about 7 minutes or until the veg were just tender.

Then remove the lid and add the ginger and garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add back the soy curls and toss the mixture to evenly distribute everything. Stir the sauce mixture with a fork or whisk to loosen the cornstarch and to mix it through. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and give a stir. As soon as the sauce starts to thicken (about 30 seconds to a minute) add in the nuts and sesame seeds, if using. Now enjoy!

Chickpea Squash Tagine

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Flavorful, visually striking and nutrition-rich this Chickpea Squash Tagine is perfect for these chilly fall nights. Using pantry staples, it comes together in about an hour.

My husband and I eat very little meat these days and I pretty much save it for Shabbat and other holidays. However, this past Shabbat I just didn’t feel like going to the grocery store and nothing in my freezer excited me. I asked my husband if he minded if I made a vegan Shabbat and thankfully (as I knew he would) he responded that if I was cooking that was fine with him.

This Chickpea and Squash Tagine originated from the Rainbow Plant Life site, but with some changes of my own. I keep a well stocked pantry and had recently bought several different winter squashes, so I knew that I could make this dish without a trip to the market. Now I could have used canned or jarred chickpeas, but when I can my preference is to soak and cook my own beans. They are superior, although there are a few quality chickpea brands available and I will use them when I haven’t thought ahead or am cooking last minute.

So what is a tagine? A tagine is a clay or ceramic cooking vessel commonly used in Moroccan cuisine. It also refers to a kind of stew that you cook inside the tagine. Fear not, an actual tagine is not necessary to make this tagine or any other that you might want to try. I have never owned one and have done just fine. You can use a Dutch oven or I love my Staub All-Day Pan with Domed Glass Lid with an enameled over cast iron base. It’s a fabulous pan and I use it constantly. The pan can be pricey but look for it on sale. You won’t be sorry.

Both the tagine as cookware and the Staub pan trap the steam in the food you are cooking. With a minimal amount of liquid, the shape of the pan and lid allows the meat and/or vegetables to cook slowly and retain all of their moisture. The final dish is flavorful, with the components ending up tender and juicy.

I used Red Kuri Squash this time, but almost any winter squash will work. I admit that cutting up and peeling squash can be a bit tedious and depending on how you are cooking the squash, the skin can be left on in some cases. Many supermarkets at this time of year sell pre-chopped squash (generally butternut) in the produce section. So if you have neither the time nor the inclination, by all means, go this route. Butternut squash is ubiquitous and it’s also delicious.

Winter squash are nutrient dense and fairly low in calories. There are dozens of ways to use them in everything from soup to desserts. So if you haven’t used squash before, now is the perfect time to add this to your meals.

There are some meat tagine recipes available on my blog as well:

Chicken Tagine with Almonds and Apricots

Lamb Merguez and Chicken Tagine

Lamb Shank Tagine

Crockpot Chicken Tagine

Lamb Tagine with Chickpeas and Cilantro

Tzimmes Chicken

RECIPE

Yield: 6 to 8 generous servings with a grain (I used rice this time but couscous is classic)

INGREDIENTS

2 to 3 Tablespoons of Avocado, EVOO or another neutral oil

1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped into large dice

6 fat garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 cinnamon stick

2 cups of vegetable broth

4 cups of peeled and chopped winter squash (Butternut, Red Kiri, Kabocha, Honey Nut etc.) Try to keep the pieces about the same size as the chopped bell pepper.

4 cups of cooked chickpeas (But you can get away with using 2 (15-ounce) cans, drained)

1 (14.5-ounce) can of crushed or diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)

6 large Medjool dates, with the pits removed and coarsely chopped

5 to 6 large pitted prunes or dried apricots, halved

Spice Mix (I mostly use rounded measurements when using spices. And when you can, grind your own. It takes seconds and the difference is amazing. Also storing whole spices keeps them fresher longer.)

1 Tablespoon Ras el hanout (These days this is available in many grocery stores and online. Great with any winter squash.)

2 bay laurel leaves (dried or fresh)

1 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of ANY of the following: Aleppo Pepper, Rajasthan Chili or Cayenne

Kosher salt (I used a broth that was unsalted and added 1.5 teaspoons of Diamond kosher salt to the entire dish. You can always add salt at the end after you taste the dish.)

DIRECTIONS

Prep everything BEFORE you begin to cook. It will make your life so much easier.

In a small bowl, mix together the spices for the spice mix.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook until the onions are golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a splash of water or broth if the onions look as if they are sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add the bell pepper, garlic and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes.

Add the Spice Mix, stirring constantly for 1 minute to bloom the spices.

Now add in the remaining broth, squash, chickpeas, bay leaves, tomatoes and dried fruit. Mix everything through to evenly distribute the ingredients.

Bring the pan liquid to a boil, then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes or until the squash is tender and the aroma is intoxicating.

Serve over rice or couscous and top with some lightly toasted chopped almonds and some chopped fresh herbs and lemon zest. If you or your guests want to add a little extra heat, I suggest a little Rose Harissa.

Now dig in!

Vegetable Soup in Under an Hour

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

It’s starting to look like autumn around here. The days are already shorter and some of the trees have begun losing their leaves. So while we still have warm days, my thoughts for dinner are turning back to hot soup to go with fresh bread. This Vegetable Soup in Under an Hour is delicious, nutritious and fast to make. The recipe does not require exact measurements and you can have homemade soup on the table in under an hour.

My husband and I eat soup of all kinds throughout the year. And many are hearty enough to be a meal in itself with some good bread and occasionally a salad. This may sound strange, but when I have a pot of soup on the stove, I feel a measure of calm even in this troubled world we are experiencing. A pot of delicious soup means safety. And the act of preparing it, chopping the vegetables is a form of meditation for me.

While we eat almost all of our meals at home, I don’t always do a lot of planning ahead of time. However, I still want something healthy and delicious even if we have been out all day. So when I came across this soup on YouTube, I thought I would give it a try with a few of my own tweaks, of course. It came together quickly and my husband’s comment when he tried it was “Wow, I could die happy.” Okay, a bit of an exaggeration, but he tends towards the dramatic at times.

Vegetable Soup in Under an Hour can be doubled or tripled if you either have a bigger family or like having left-overs. There is no fancy knife-work necessary because everything will be pureed with an immersion blender. No need to weigh ingredients and you can use canned chickpeas and vegetable stock, although I prefer to make my own. There is nothing fussy here. And while the soup tastes rich and creamy, it’s actually low in calories and very healthy so enjoy it guilt-free!

There are lots of delicious soup recipes on my blog, both hot and cold. And now here is one more. Try it soon.

RECIPE

Yield: 3 to 4 generous servings

INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoons of a neutral oil (I used Avocado)

1 crown of broccoli cut into smallish florets

1 onion or 1 large leek, coarsely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

3 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1 large Bell pepper, cut into large dice

1 large stalk of celery, coarsely chopped

1 Quart of vegetable stock

200g of cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained (about 1.5 cups)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Salt to taste (It will depend on both your preference as well as whether you used a salted stock.)

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1 large Bay Leaf

1 teaspoon each: dried oregano, basil and thyme

A large handful of chopped fresh parsley or cilantro or a mix

About 100ml of full-fat coconut milk or non-dairy cream

For the Garnish

1/3 cup of cooked chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry

1 Tablespoon of neutral oil

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Either: Some chili flakes or Aleppo pepper and Sumac (I went with Aleppo pepper and Sumac)

DIRECTIONS

In a 5 quart soup pot (or larger) add the 2 Tablespoons of oil and heat until shimmering over medium high heat.

Add the onions and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes or until softened but barely beginning to brown.

Then add the carrot, celery, Bell Pepper, garlic and 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Continue cooking until the vegetables have all softened but not browned.

Mix through the chickpeas, broccoli florets, dried herbs and spices. Add the vegetable stock. It should just about cover the vegetables. If necessary, add a little water just to cover. Bring everything to a boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

While the soup is cooking away, add 1 Tablespoon of oil to a small skillet, preferably non-stick. When the oil is hot, add the chickpeas and seasoning and sauté until lightly browned. SEt this aside for the garnish.

When the soup has finished cooking, use an immersion blender to puree everything. I like a bit of texture but how smooth you make it is up to you. Then add the coconut milk or non-dairy cream along with a handful of chopped parsley or cilantro. Puree for another minute. THAT’S IT! You now have soup! Serve garnished with some of the seasoned chickpeas and a scattering of chopped fresh herbs. Don’t forget the bread.

Butternut Squash Curry

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments

My husband and I enjoy a good curry for dinner and this Butternut Squash Curry is absolutely wonderful. It’s so easy to make a delicious, satisfying and nutritious vegan meal with the right ingredients. I served this along with Basmati rice and a Smoky Eggplant Dal that I had made a few days previously. (Watch for the recipe coming soon.) Both of these dishes can be made ahead and reheated with no loss of flavor which makes them perfect to have in your fridge for those busy nights when cooking is the last thing that you want to do.

Because these dishes are spice-dependent, be sure to use only fresh spices. Whenever possible, grind your own. Whole spices last longer than pre-ground and the final product is so much better. Coffee or spice grinders are relatively inexpensive and you’d be surprised at how quickly you can create your own spice blends.

When I think of Butternut Squash, I generally think of autumn or winter. However, these days you can find many of what would otherwise be out of season fruits and vegetables. The other ingredients are all pantry staples for me. And if you enjoy South Asian and Mediterranean cuisine, you likely have many of these ingredients on hand as well.

The original recipe comes from Jamie Oliver. I enjoy his approach to food and his creativity, although his energy can be a bit exhausting at times. Nevertheless, I have taken several of his recipes, tweaked them a bit and have found them to be reliably good. Now I am not one of those food bloggers who thinks that everything is AMAZING! Nor do I think that everything has to be in order to enjoy making it and eating it. This, however, was a big hit in our house and will definitely be added to my make again revolving roster of dishes.

Butternut Squash Curry could be made with other squashes such as Red Kuri Squash or even sweet potatoes; however, depending on the squash you use, the skin may need to be removed before adding to the curry, unlike with butternut squash. This, as with most curries, should be served with rice and/or naan. You definitely want something to absorb all of that lovely sauce, as well as adding the necessary bulk to round out the meal.

The squash when roasted has a velvety texture with a natural sweetness that is the perfect foil for the spices. This curry is a winner and I hope that you will try it and let me know how it goes in the comments below.

RECIPE

Yield: About 6 servings depending on sides

INGREDIENTS

1 large butternut squash (about 1.2 kg) (Try to get squash that is relatively straight without a large bulb at the end. The bulb is hollow with seeds and you will end up with a smaller amount of squash than would be in a straighter, narrower squash.)

EVOO or Avocado oil

1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly smashed

Fresh ginger root – about 4 cm, piece, peeled and left whole

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 rounded teaspoon of coriander seeds

1.5 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves (This beautiful herb, also known as Kasuri methi, has a slight bitterness with maple syrup undertones. It can be used as a seed, fresh or dried and is prevalent in Indian cooking. Do not try to substitute it with anything else.)

Rounded teaspoon of your favorite curry powder

1 teaspoon of Rajasthani chilli powder (Mirchi) (This gives a fragrant, medium heat. I love it and use it a lot, but if you don’t wish to buy it, you could add in ground red pepper to your desired level of heat.)

300g of ripe cherry or grape tomatoes left whole

2 rings of canned pineapple in juice or its equivalent in chunks

400ml of coconut milk

400g of cooked or canned chickpeas with some of the cooking liquid

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash the skin of the squash and halve the squash lengthwise. Make sure to use a sharp knife and cut through the bulbous hollow part first to make it easier. Scoop out the seeds and that gooky stuff that sticks to the seeds. Feel free to wash, dry and roast the seeds or otherwise discard them. Cut the squash into approximately 2 cm. chunks, skin and all.

Place in a roasting pan in a single layer without crowding and drizzle with about 1.5 Tablespoons of EVOO or Avocado oil and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Roast for 40 minutes to an hour or until softened and a lovely browned golden color.

While the squash is roasting, dry fry the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, coriander and curry powder in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat, stirring until everything is lightly charred and the spices have “bloomed.”

Now add the whole tomatoes and the pineapple and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened and some have burst open and the pineapple has taken on some color. I like to gently scrape the pan with a wooden spatula to get up all of those lovely brown bits.

Remove the pan from the heat and put everything into a blender. Don’t wash the pan since you will be using it in a minute. Add the coconut milk and blitz until smooth. If the ingredients are still quite hot, place a towel over the top of the blender to prevent any possible volcanic activity. I didn’t have a problem, but I guess it can happen.

Once you have a smooth sauce, pour it back into the pan and add in the chickpeas and the liquid from the can. If you have cooked your own, add in about a cup of the liquid. Stir in the 1 teaspoon of slat and the fenugreek leaves. Bring the pan to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened a bit.

Add in the roasted squash and gently stir it through the sauce. Cook on simmer for about 30 minutes. At this point, it is ready to serve or you can place it covered in the fridge for several days to reheat when needed.

Strawberry Pecan Muffins

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

If you follow my blog, you will know that I have been making higher protein muffins that also happen to be gluten free, for the past year. I have one every day for breakfast as does my husband. These are especially great if you need to grab and go, which even as retirees, we do need to do on occasion. Most recently, I developed these Strawberry Pecan Muffins when my grocer had a bounty of beautiful strawberries at sale prices. It took a couple of tries to get them to the point where they are blogworthy, but here they are.

If for some reason you don’t like pecans, you could make these using walnuts. Strawberry Pecan Muffins should be made with fresh strawberries. As you will see from all of my protein muffins, I choose to use both natural almond flour (with the skins) and blanched almond flour (without the skins.) I find it has the best overall texture for my tastes, but you can, of course, use all of either. And while I used a small amount of mascarpone, feel free to substitute a vegan cream cheese or regular cream cheese, depending on your dietary restrictions.

All of these muffins, and the Strawberry Pecan Muffins are no exception, are very moist and full of fruit. They all freeze very well, so I only take out what we will eat over a 2-day period. This prevents spoilage and they defrost quite quickly. We also like to warm them in our microwave for 13 seconds, although your timing may vary according to your appliance. They could be warmed in an oven or just eaten as is, but I find that the warming enhances the fruit and nut flavors.

As you will see from the photos, these muffins are bursting with berries.

While not an outsized muffin, I think you will find that they are very satisfying, not overly sweet and will not lead to any sugar spikes. One muffin holds me all morning. Bake once and you have 12 breakfasts!

RECIPE

Yield: 12 regular-sized muffins

INGREDIENTS

1.75 cups, diced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup lightly pan-toasted pecans, broken into bite-sized pieces

3/4 cup fine natural almond flour

3/4 cup fine blanched almond flour

1/2 cup vanilla protein powder

2 Tablespoons peanut butter powder

Zest of 1/2 of a medium to large orange

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt

1/4 cup brown sugar (I used dark but light would work too)

1/4 cup refined coconut oil, melted

3 large eggs

2 Tablespoons mascarpone cheese or alternative at room temperature

Rounded 1/2 Tablespoon strawberry jam or roasted strawberries

Splash of pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon confectioner’s sugar, honey or agave

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Add the almond flour(s), salt, baking powder, baking soda, peanut butter powder and vanilla protein powder to a large bowl. Stir through to mix everything together.

Add in the diced strawberries and toasted pecan pieces and mix through gently, using a spatula, trying not to mash the berries.

In a small bowl, mix the jam, sugar and vanilla into the mascarpone cheese. Lightly beat the mixture with a fork or spatula to make it creamy and to add a bit of air. Set aside.

Using a medium bowl, add the brown sugar, orange zest, eggs and melted coconut oil. Whisk together until everything is incorporated. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and gently fold through using a spatula.

Fill a muffin pan with parchment muffin liners. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, put one generous scoop of the muffin mixture into each muffin cup. This should fill about half of the cup liner. Place a nice 1/2 teaspoon of the mascarpone mixture in the center of each muffin. Then using the scoop, spoon or spatula, distribute the remaining mixture over the mascarpone filling. The cups should just fill to the top of the muffin liner or slightly below.

Give a slight bang of the pan against the counter to try to get out any air pockets. Place the tin into the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes. Then without opening the oven, turn the heat down to 375 degrees F and bake for approximately 10 more minutes. Ovens vary, but the tops should be rounded and the muffins should be golden. Depending on how well you covered the filling, some may ooze out. Don’t worry about it. It will still be delicious.

Remove the pan to a cooling rack and allow them to sit in the pan for 10 more minutes. Then carefully remove the muffins still in their liners to finish cooling completely on the cooling rack. Once cooled you can freeze the muffins or place the ones you plan on eating over a two-day period in a plastic bag, stasher bag or airtight container. When ready to eat, zap the in the microwave for about 12 to 13 seconds. Now enjoy!