Indian Chicken Satay Skewers

This whole Indian food theme is in honor of my mom who LOVES Indian food but claims she can never make it herself. I lured my family to come up to NC to visit for the weekend for "a little wedding planning," but really it is just a scam to get them up here to be treated for once. I mean how awful could it be to beg someone who works their rear off to relax and indulge in delicious healthy [gluten and dairy free] meals? :)

Actually, I have an enormous ego and this is all about dragging my family out here to witness my passion and have fun trying their own hand at an easy and healthy gluten free lifestyle- cooking, working out, relaxing on our Co-op lawn to free jazz music.... Sounds good, I'm in! Who else?

I want to spread the blessing of being gluten free- going GF was the best thing that has happened to Jon and myself in the recent past. We get more more variety, we are healthier and eating more veggies, and best of all I can finally be creative! Now, without further ado...

Indian Chicken Skewers


2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders (tenders work best)

8-10 bamboo skewers
sea salt and pepper

Seasonings:
cayenne pepper
rosemary
garlic powder

Spiced Dipping Sauce:
1 T. hot curry powder
1 T. cumin
1 T. fresh ground pepper
2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Impale raw chicken breasts (sliced into strips) or tenders on skewers and sprinkle or rub dry spices onto chicken. Spray grill with nonstick spray and grill chicken 5-7 minutes or until juices run clear. Mix curry, olive oil, and cumin until a paste is formed; add a few drops of water to adjust the consistency if needed until the paste is "saucelike." Serve these with the dipping sauce, Spiced Pumpkin Chowder with Collards, Curry Cauliflower, and grilled artichokes for a full course Indian meal.

Crunchy N' Spicy Onion Chicken

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 egg, beaten
1 T organic coconut oil for frying

Seasonings:
2 T. dehydrated onion flakes
1 T. red pepper
sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning, low sodium
cayenne pepper
1 T. dehydrated garlic
oregano

Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray and melt coconut oil in the pan. Add chicken breast to the beaten egg and season. Mix the egg, seasoning, and chicken with a fork then add the battered breast to the pan. Cover and cook over medium to medium high heat (6 on our range) for about 4 minutes. Flip the breast and continue cooking (covered) for another 3 minutes or until juices run clear. Garnish with parsley or cilantro.

Hemp and Sprout Green Salad [Vegan]

Ah ha! My first excuse to use my pepper mill :) This is the high point to my recent depressing discovery that I may have a mild almond allergy (if you have been reading this for any amount of time then you know how much I adore almonds... sigh). Looks like some more allergy testing is in store..ergh. Anyways, I fooled myself into thinking I had slivered almonds on my salad by using dehydrated chopped garlic instead; it really has a nice crunch, which is part of what I wanted.

2 c. organic lettuce (I used red leaf)
1/2 pint or a few large handfuls sprouts
2 T. organic hemp protein powder
1 T. dehydrated chopped garlic (optional)

Seasonings:
oregano
fresh pepper
dried basil

Dressing:
1 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Toss lettuce and sprouts in a large bowl. Sprinkle over hemp powder and then top with garlic and seasonings. Mix (I just pour it on, but you can shake it together) olive oil and vinegar and pour over the salad. I had this with my hemp-inspired lunch of Seaweed and Kale Soup.

Serves: 1-2

Seaweed and Kale Soup [Vegan]

1/2 c. low sodium organic vegetable broth (vegan)
2 T. kelp (or your choice seaweed)
2 c. water
1 t. organic apple cider vinegar (optional, it gives it a nice flavor and kick)
2 T. organic hemp protein powder (optional, I use it to add the good balance of Omega 6:3 fats and protein. Hemp is vegan, gluten, and dairy free; it is also low carb.)

Seasonings:
rosemary
tarragon (optional- adds a very strong flavor and aroma, so omit it if you don't like tarragon)
sea salt and pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)

Pour vegetable broth, water, and vinegar into 2 bowls. Add spices and kelp and microwave for 3-4 minutes on high (or you can use a stove top and pot if you object to microwaves). When hot, add torn kale leaves and a scoop of hemp powder. Serve hot with a large salad like my Hemp and Sprout Green Salad.

Serves: 2

Ode to my New Pepper Grinder [I love you!!]

Thank you, thank you Abba and Momma J for my birthday present! This bamboo pepper grinder is my not-so-secret coveted love from our online gift registry (for our wedding, birthdays, etc). Since no one except my mom, Jon, and myself know the history behind this grinder, I'll fill you in on the short little saga....

First, imagine registering for your wedding as a couple and picture in your head the glorious bickering which comes along with both the bride and groom shopping. I am obviously a kitchen stuff fanatic, but I also love tools (cordless drill you're sexy too); Jon is a great companion shopper since we like the same kind of practical things.... that is until I wanted a gigantic pepper grinder.

I don't know what it is about a foot tall pepper grinder- maybe this is my one frivolous over-done obnoxious American indulgence, but I just HAD to register for a HUGE pepper grinder. I always loved them in fancy restaurants and there's just something about gripping this monster that is immensely satisfying. Jon hated the idea of registering for a huge grinder saying it was a waste- why didn't I just want a small stainless steel grinder? Well darnit, BECAUSE! Combine a huge grinder with elegant bamboo and I'm set. He even accused me on countless occasions (in an entirely too loud voice in public) of confusing the pepper grinder with some horrible Freudian urge or phallic symbol. Hey, some men love hot rods and some women love expensive jewelry- I don't care about either... just the essentials like an excessive foot-tall pepper grinder.

Of course being the frugal person I am, I refused to register for many of the grinders we saw since they were way overpriced. So we went, store to store (about 6 or 7 in all including the outlet malls) over the course of a few months to find the perfect affordable grinder. My mother about bought us one at one of the outlet malls since she insists on spoiling me... Mom, there are only so many times you can say "But we didn't get you a Master's present yet" :)

In the end, we found this bamboo beauty on Amazon for the best price and added it to our registry. Now some people may say "who cares about the price, you're not paying for it"... how misled a philosophy! My motto is "Waste not"... and that I will do- I will never miss an opportunity at any meal to satisfy my gigantic pepper grinder obsession from now on, and that's a promise!

Thank you my almost family-in-law, the Jockers, for my wonderful, wonderful gift! Momma J, you have great taste! Now you all have to visit to get some huge pepper grinder lovin' :)

Spiced Flax and Apple Pancakes

3 T. ground flax
1 T. organic virgin coconut oil for frying
1 large organic apple, chopped
1 T. organic buckwheat or brown rice flour
3/4 c. water

Spices:
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
dash cayenne & cinnamon 50-50 mix
2 cloves

Topping Options:
extra 1 T. ground flax
Smart Balance Vegan Butter
unsweetened jam
organic pear, chopped

Melt oil in a large pan and preheat to medium high heat. Grind flax in a coffee grinder and add to a large bowl with chopped apple, spices, and buckwheat (or brown rice) flour. Stir to mix together; add water slowly while stirring. The flax will absorb the water and thicken the mixture quickly. Stir until the batter is just short of runny (you can add more water to make it thinner or more flax to thicken it).

Spoon the batter into the pan and turn the heat to medium low (4 on our electric range). Cover and cook for about 4 minutes then flip pancakes with a greased spatula. Cover and cook another 3-5 minutes or until the middle of the pancakes is set. Serve hot with garnish and toppings of your choice. If you can eat flax, it is a wonderful way to start the day since it is high in the essential Omega 3 fats, protein, and is low carb (virtually all the carbs are fiber). This is filling and will keep you going without a sugar crash like many gluten free breakfast baked goods.

Orange Spice Cake [for Karina]

Okay, so I feel low for posting all these recipes which are completely off limit to Karina and others in a similar situation with additional food allergies. After hearing Jon rave about how yummy Karina's brown sugar and blueberry muffins looked, I decided to break down and use some of our natural brown sugar, some leftover fruit, and a little love and compassion to whip up... something.

Truthfully, this recipe goes along with the brown rice and eggplant bake: a frustrated and exhausted Cindalou (me) with little desire to cook and a need to use up leftovers. I hope this appeals to you Karina, and that I haven't missed an allergen! I have been racking my brain to find a thing to make, but most of our staples are things you don't necessarily use. I also hope this shuts Jon up - joking :)

2 ripe bananas, mashed
3 T. organic buckwheat flour (or white rice which we don't own)
1 orange, peeled and chopped with juice*
2 T. natural brown sugar
2-3 T. water (or unsweetened organic applesauce)
1 T. baking powder
nonstick cooking spray

Spices:
cinnamon
nutmeg

Mix flour, baking soda, brown sugar, and spices in a large bowl. Add bananas and mash (I used a potato masher). Add chopped orange with juice to the bowl; I peeled the orange then cut it up directly over the bowl with kitchen shears so the juices went directly in the mix. Add water (or applesauce) 1 T. at a time to the bowl and mix; add the rest of the water (applesauce) slowly as needed for a batter consistency that is not too runny.

Spray a cake or other baking pan with nonstick spray and pour in batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. As far as Jon is concerned, this was a mission accomplished since he devoured it (so much that he couldn't finish his actual dinner ...err).

* I really hope oranges are okay since lemons are not.... sorry if I goofed up, I'll try again later :) I have to admit it is hard not to "throw in" flax or coconut... old habits, right?

This recipe is dairy free and gluten free.

It is also egg, soy, nut, peanut, legume, chicken, turkey, mollusk, avocado, sunflower seed, stevia, lemon, pineapple, papaya, raspberry, coconut, flax seed, ginger, zucchini, red pepper, summer squash, melon, chick pea, curry, turmeric, mustard free [Karina :)]

Simple Basil and Rosemary Chicken [Low Sodium]

I was hoping this one would be a quick and easy recipe to help out Dianne at Gluten Free Journey. This is low sodium since I only used low sodium gluten free chicken broth and left out my staples of Bragg's and tamari.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. low sodium gluten free (free range organic) chicken broth*
1 T. rosemary
5-6 leaves fresh basil
1 T. oregano (optional)

Spray a large frying pan with nonstick spray and add chicken and herbs. Pour low sodium broth (or sherry) over chicken and cover. Cook at medium heat for 5-7 minutes then flip. Cook covered another 5-8 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Serve with a green salad.

*We use Pacific brand. I bet some nice dry white wine or cooking sherry would be great here, but I'm out :(

This recipe is dairy free and gluten free.

Tuna and Eggplant Burgers

Ah, another recipe in the saga of using up leftovers... as you can see, I had a LOT of leftover grilled eggplant!

2 cans tuna, drained
1/2 medium eggplant, cooked and chopped*
1 egg (or 2 T. ground flaxseed plus 1 T. water OR egg replacer)
1 large jalapeño, chopped with seeds
1 T. organic virgin coconut oil or nonstick spray, for frying.

Seasonings**:
rosemary
oregano
sea salt and pepper
crushed red pepper
cayenne pepper

Melt oil in pan over medium high heat. Drain tuna and add to a large bowl with seasonings to taste. Add chopped eggplant, jalapeño with seeds, and egg and mix. When oil is melted, spoon tuna mixture into pan as little blobs and squish with the spoon or spatula to make patties. Cook over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes then flip. Cover and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until burgers hold their form. Serve hot with a garnish of salsa or fresh chopped mango (I just eat them with hot sauce in my lunch).

* I used kitchen shears to cut up the grilled eggplant slices.
** Feel free to use whatever tastes best to you- I like things spicy so I usually add red and cayenne pepper.

Brown Rice and Eggplant Bake

This recipe just came to me as I stared, frustrated, into my fridge at leftovers. My family is coming into town this weekend (uber-excited!) so I planned menu upon menu of gluten and dairy free bliss. This cooking bonanza hinges upon using up my leftovers since I refuse to waste food (or to feed my guests leftovers :) ). See my note below for variations on this and feel free to experiment. This is just what I had staring back at me from the depths of my overstuffed refrigerator...

2 c. cooked brown rice (this would work well with cooked quinoa also I bet)
6 eggs, scrambled
1 medium eggplant, cooked and chopped**
1 T. Bragg's liquid aminos

Seasonings:
sea salt and pepper
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
rosemary
garlic powder
onion powder

Mix cooked rice, cooked eggplant pieces, Bragg's and seasonings in a large bowl. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. I baked this all in a pie plate sprayed with nonstick spray, but you can use whatever you have handy. Feel free to thrown in any leftovers- veggies, raisins, seeds- whatever appeals to you. This was just my way of using up leftovers without having the same old "blah...oh good, stir fried veggies on rice again this week :) "

** I used leftover grilled eggplant slices which I then chopped up lazily using kitchen shears.

Fruit Parfait

1/2 organic apple, chopped
1 banana, sliced
2-3 spoonfuls unsweetened organic applesauce

Parfait Base:
1/4 c. flaxseed
1 T. cinnamon
1/4 c. walnuts or mixed nuts

Optional Toppings:
sprinkle of raisins
sunflower seeds (good source of Omega 6's)

Spices:
cinnamon
nutmeg

Combine flax, nuts, and cinnamon in the Vitamix dry container and blend until smooth (about 1 minute). Spoon mixture into parfait bowls. Spoon over applesauce and sprinkle on cinnamon and nutmeg. Slice banana and chop apple, adding both to the top of the layers. If desired, throw on some sunflower seeds, raisins, and drizzle with agave nectar. You can add a spoonful or organic peanut or almond butter or top with yogurt if you want (I didn't use any dairy here).

Carrot and Coconut Soup

5 organic carrots, washed
1 can(15 oz) organic unsweetened coconut milk (or half coconut milk and half almond/rice/soy milk)

1/2 c. low sodium organic gluten free vegetable broth (optional)

Seasonings:

1 T. graham masala
fresh ginger
fresh ground pepper
sea salt

Stir-In Options:
natural raisins
chopped and steamed (or microwaved) collards or kale
sliced carrots

Garnish:
cilantro, chopped (or parsley)
coconut
Flax Crisps

Wash and dry carrots. Break or chop in half and add to Vitamix (or your blender). Add the coconut milk, vegetable broth, and spices. Blend on HIGH for 6-7 minutes or until mixture is steaming. Serve immediately with cilantro (or parsley) and flax crisps.

Flax Crisps

1/2 c. fresh ground flax seed
1 T. Bragg's liquid aminos
lemon juice
sea salt and pepper
oregano
3/4 c. water (or enough to make flax mixture into a thin paste)
1 T. organic virgin coconut oil

Melt oil in pan over medium high heat. Mix flax, Braggs, lemon juice, water, and seasonings into a runny paste. You may need to add more water to make it thinner- the flax absorbs water quickly. Once coconut oil is melted, spoon or pour the flax mixture into the pan. Fry over medium-high heat for 4 minutes per side or until golden brown; be careful to flip the crisps and not let them burn. Serve hot with soup (or salad). Get creative and try your hand at funny shapes!

Know Your Metabolic Type

Even if you're gluten free, your diet may not be quite up to par for your individual body type. I discovered this the hard way as I spent my whole life devouring carbs, carbs, carbs, dairy, and more carbs. I was never obese, but I certainly aggravated my diabetes and I carried excess weight from bloating and food reactions. As it turns out, my body is geared more towards protein and high quality fat and a complete diet makeover became necessary if I didn't want a future of insulin injection, fatigue, and overall ill health. The following is a post I put on a Celiac.com forum awhile ago to address concerns of weight gain on a GF diet:

Eating gluten free is certainly necessary for us all, but make sure you are also not missing any other allergies. I highly recommend metabolic typing- it has worked wonders for me and I realized I spent my entire life not only poisoning myself (favorite foods of mac and cheese, Alfredo pasta, Vienna sausages, etc) but also eating completely wrong for my body. A short little free test is at:

Natural health yellow pages.com

Try it out and see what you are. I am an extremely strong protein type but my fiance is a complete carb type! We have double/separate meals most of the time, but soups and flax bread-based pizza work great- you can add whatever suits your body more- veggies and grains or meats/proteins. I find it easiest to make a basic meal and add some additional flax, olive oil, hemp or other fat and protein source to my portion while giving Jon a little more veggies and complex carbs.

Chopped Veggie [Chicken] Salad

You can omit the chicken for a vegetarian/vegan option.

1 cooked chicken breast (or 2 chicken tenders), sliced

1/2 organic carrot, sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
handful chopped fresh red cabbage
handful each: fresh chopped collards & green cabbage
1 slice onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, sliced
3 stalks organic celery, chopped

Seasonings:
sea salt and pepper
oregano
italian seasoning
cilantro

Dressing:
2 T Braggs liquid aminos
1 T. San-J Low Sodium Wheat Free Tamari

Wash and pat-dry fresh veggies. Slice and/or chop veggies with the saladmaster or by hand. Add everything to a large bowl and season with sea salt and pepper and spices. Slice chicken and add on top of salad if desired. Garnish with cilantro. Serve cold with or without dressing.

Salmon: Wild Versus Farmed

Laura Dolson from About.com hit this topic right on the head. I've talked a little about the importance of ensuring that your fish is low mercury and wild caught, but her article summarizes it up well:

Farmed vs. Wild Salmon

There is somewhat of a controversy about eating wild vs. farmed salmon. The issues fall into three main categories:

Contamination: Most of the salmon available for human consumption today is farmed, but several independent studies have found concentrations of PCBs and other contaminants at levels of up to 10 times higher in farmed salmon. In Europe, there have even been situations where farmed fished tested at high levels of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. These contaminants seem to be getting to the fish through the feed, which become concentrated in the oil of the salmon.

Farmed salmon in the U.S. are regulated through the USDA and FDA, which allows much higher levels of these contaminants than are allowed than with wild salmon, which is regulated by the EPA. A common argument about this is that the EPA has reviewed the scientific literature and made new recommendations much more recently than the FDA. FDA regulations have not been updated since 1984, when people in the U.S. were eating much less salmon and other fish. More information about contaminants in farmed salmon.

Omega-3’s: Farmed fish is fattier -- much as farm animals are “fattened up," the same is true of salmon. This means that there are higher levels of omega-3 fats. But there are caveats regarding this:

1. Because of the contaminants, it is often recommended that farmed salmon be cooked in ways that reduce the fat content.
2. New feeds are being developed with less fish meal in them and more plant foods. In general, the more plant-based ingredients, the lower the level of omega-3 fats in the salmon. (Note that in the ocean, salmon are carnivores: they eat no plants at all.)
3. Even today, the percentage of omega-3 fats is lower in farmed salmon, apparently because of the soybean, wheat, etc., in the meal fed to them.

Environmental Issues: Farmed fish produce a bunch of environmental problems. Read about them at the Seafood Watch site. But there’s good news: Both wild and farmed salmon have low levels of mercury. Also, salmon is not being over-fished – especially salmon from Alaska is in good shape. More about this from Seafood Watch. Additional Note: Most canned salmon is wild.

Plum Chicken

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 fresh plums, chopped
sea salt and pepper
lemon juice

Seasonings:
oregano

Spray grill with nonstick olive oil spray. Add chicken and season; cook 3-5 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. While chicken is cooking chop plums. When chicken is finished, top with plums and a dash more of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. This goes well with salsa garnish, but it is not necessary. For an extra sweetness, you can add 1 T. unsweetened black cherry or plum jam on top of the chicken.

This seasonal chicken goes great with fresh green beans with almonds, grilled squash, and brown rice. This is a new twist on basic grilled chicken I thought up since we had a bag of plums sitting in the fridge, unsuspecting :) Feel free to interchange any seasonal fruit- really anything goes well with grilled chicken.

Green Beans with Almonds

1 lb fresh green beans
sea salt and pepper
lime juice to taste
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Steam green beans until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Promptly remove from heat and drain. Season green beans with sea salt, pepper, and lime juice. Sprinkle over slivered almonds before serving.

Sweet Potato Blintz

4 corn tortillas
1 medium sweet potato, cooked*
2 slices onion, diced
2-3 T. virgin coconut oil
1 T. cinnamon
4 eggs, scrambled
sea salt
Optional: Goat Cheese
Optional: 1 T. coconut milk
Optional: 1 T. applesauce

Melt the coconut oil in a pan and add diced onions. Saute the onions for 2 minutes or until soft. Cover tortillas with a moist paper towel and warm them in the microwave for ~ 40 seconds to soften the tortillas (otherwise they tear).

Soak the warmed tortillas in the scrambled eggs like you would French toast. In a separate container, mash the cooked sweet potato with the sauteed onions, coconut milk and cinnamon until smooth.

Layer a tiny amount of goat cheese (or your choice of cheese or no cheese at all!) down the center of the egged tortilla. Spoon in the sweet potato mixture on top of cheese but do not overfill. Fold a second tortilla the opposite way over the seam of the first tortilla (as seen in the following picture).

Fry the blintzes seam side down in coconut oil at medium heat 5-7 minutes, turning every 2 minutes so they don't burn. Serve with unsweetened organic apple sauce, a dash of cinnamon, and a drizzle of coconut milk (optional). These would be great appetizers if cut into bite sized rolls (I'll post something along these lines soon!).

*Any previously cooked sweet potato will work. The fastest method to cook the sweet potato is to wash, dry, and fork it, then wrap it in Saran wrap and microwave it for ~ 6 minutes.

Black Bean Hummus and Vinaigrette Tuna Salad Tower

2 corn tortillas
black bean hummus or garlic hummus
large handful fresh collards or kale, chopped
2-3 slices onion
vinaigrette tuna salad
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Sides:
salsa
lime wedge
cilantro (garnish)

Layer hummus on top of corn tortillas. Top with collards, onions, and tuna salad. Garnish with salsa and lime if desired. This is a great to-go lunch; I just add one extra corn tortilla on top before packing it as a lunch so nothing sticks to the container lid.

Vegan or Vegetarian Option:
Skip the tuna, add more beans or tofu. I just left off the tuna here and it is still delicious!