"Quin" ya dig it?

BS"D

I was recently at the Specialty Food Show in New York City's Javitz Center, which featured literally miles of aisles of delectable delights from around the globe. I was struck and heartened, by how many companies are responding to the allergy/food sensitive needs of the consumer. I sampled many, many sweets and treats including gluten free shortbread (Walker's....yes!), Mochi, Buffalo Wings flavored popcorn, allergy-free candy and maple water (new favorite). But the trends that stood out to me, I'll call "quinoa, kale and  corn (as in mini, as in mini popped corn--I don't understand it, but it's big right now, and gluten free)".  These three things were featured in abundance at the show in various forms, whether it was kale juice, kale chips, quinoa nutrition shakes, or quinoa flour---these items were hot, hot hot! A fourth "kah" deserves honorable mention--coconut. Whether it's coconut water (plain or flavored), coconut chips for snacking or baking, or coconut oil in everything from beauty products to brownies.

Personally, I am always on the lookout for the Holy Grail of gluten free flour, that blend which will yield an as-close-to-wheat texture and taste as I like. But, new flours keep appearing on the market just to mix things up, everything from flour made from wine dregs to hemp flour.  But when I noticed quinoa flour at several booths, I decided we have a trend for the year here. I was very excited that my most favorite spice company, Pereg, had put out their own quinoa flour in a 1 lb. bag.  Pereg is an Israeli spice company that has made inroads in the United States in the past decade with not only very high quality spices, but also, rice and quinoa pilaf mixes, legumes, and some interesting new quinoa products--namely, Quinoa Pops Cereal and Quinoa Pasta. Although quinoa looks like a grain and acts like a grain, and is often treated like a grain in the culinary realm, it's not a grain, and is closely related to the beetroot and spinach family. It's known to be high in protein, and is very popular in gluten free cooking as an alternative to couscous or bulgar (as in tabouli salad), or as a hot porridge.

The Pereg Quinoa Multi-Purpose Flour is great because it's kosher (O-U) for Passover as well as year round.  Back in the day you basically had potato starch as a gluten free option for passover baked goods, not really much to offer nutritionally, but the quinoa flour has 4 grams of protein per 1/4 cup and a whopping 3 grams of fiber! So, not only does it add nutrition, it also will help with the texture of such items as cookies and breads.  Cost wise the 1 lb. bag is $4.50 on the Pereg website, which is reasonable for gluten free flour. So if you're store doesn't yet carry the Pereg line, let them know. It's really worth looking into!

For some great recipes using quinoa and quinoa flour try the recent book Anti-Inflammatory Eating Made Easy from Michelle Babb, a Seattle based nutritionist, that presents very simple and doable guidelines to feed your family meals which help with joint pain, digestive issues and other conditions caused by inflammation in the body.

Using grains, legumes, vegetables and responsibly raised animal proteins, while avoiding the foods such as eggs, certain oils and dairy that have been shown to cause inflammation, Ms. Babb has come up with creative and delicious recipes that are good for those that are gluten free as well as egg/dairy allergy free. So for my family they worked out perfectly!

These crepes recipe is lovely filled with seasonal fresh berries (anti-oxidant powerhouses) and coconut milk yogurt, or as a savory option with sauteed veggies.  If you are allergic to cashews, substitute an equal amount of Sunbutter,  and proceed with recipe as it is written.

Sweet or Savory Quinoa Crepes
from Anti-Inflammatory Eating Made Easy by Michelle Babb, p.50

2 cups quinoa flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 3/4 cups water
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. maple syrup
Nonstick olive oil cooking spray

Sweet Filling Options:
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries (thawed if frozen)
2 1/2 cups stewed apples or pears with cinnamon
2 cups cashew cream (1 1/2 cups raw cashews blended with 1/2 cup water)
2 1/2 cups mangoes blended with coconut milk

Savory Filling Options:
2 1/2 cups sauteed onions, mushrooms, and spinach
2 cups hummus and 1 sliced avocado
2 ounces lox and 1 Tbsp. capers

Instructions:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. In a food processor or blender, grind the cashews and chia seeds until finely ground.  Add the water, almond milk, oil, lemon juice, and maple syrup and blend for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until well blended.  The batter should be the consistency of olive oil.  Add more water to thin if necessary. 

Spray a medium nonstick pan, cast-iron skillet , or crepe pan with oil.  Put 2 to 3 tablespoons of the crepe batter in the pan and swirl around until there is a thin layer across the bottom.  Cook each crepe for 1 minute per side.  Fill with the desired filling.

Yield:  6 servings

Watta-melon!

BS"D

 

Yesterday I made a great new invention in our house--"Watermelon Water".  It came about because my kid's were pestering me for a pack of Honest Kid's Fruit Punch, which I had bought for their camp trips the day before. My little trick to lighten their load is freeze a juice box or water bottle, and use that for their lunches on long trips. By the end of the day they have a cold beverage and are not schlepping around heavy ice packs. The drinks, although a natural blend of fruit juices including watermelon, are about 60 cents for 9- ounces, a bit more than 1 cup.  I wanted to save these as a special treat, and had some almost "past prime" slices of watermelon in the fridge. You know how watermelon gets after you cut it? It's a bit shiny on the surface, and the mouth feel is kind of yucky. Well apparently pureed it's perfectly fine. So I blended chunks of watermelon, ice and water and stuck it in a thermos for the kids to take to camp. 

The bonus is with my drink they're getting the whole fruit...that means fiber folks. And, for the same price as a 6-pack of the juice packs, I can get about 48 servings of watermelon water. That's 8 times as many drinks for the same price!  The best part is that my kid's decided they like my watermelon water better than the Honest Kid's Fruit Punch...o.k., Jessica Alba, I have one up on you!

There are a number of different things you can do with this recipe. First if you have too much watermelon "turning the corner" so to speak, before you can use it up, cut it in chunks, put it in a single layer in a zip top bag in the freezer, and lay flat to freeze. When ready to use, simply reduce the amount of ice in your recipe and use the frozen watermelon. You can freeze the processed watermelon juice in ice cube trays and reconstitute with some water in the blender. Or, pour watermelon water in ice pop molds or in ice cream maker for a granita like treat. Mint or another fruit, like peaches, strawberries or mangoes may be added to bump up the flavor profile.

This recipe literally takes 5 minutes or less...and is totally doable on busy weekday mornings. It uses just 3 simple ingredients to make H2whoa! I eyeball the ingredients, so add more or less of any of the ingredients to achieve a consistency that is pleasing to you.

 Watermelon Water

2 cups watermelon cubed (about a 1-inch thick half-circle slice) 

6 ice cubes

1/2 cup cold water

Put watermelon, ice and water in a blender (I have a cheapy blender...you don't need a Vitamix to make this work), and blend on high speed until smooth. Add more or less water to reach desired consistency.  Serve immediately.

Yield: Approximately 16 ounces or 2 servings.

Get Grillin'!

BS"D

 

 

Ok, so I guess I have to give me my requisite July 4th B-B-Q themed post. It seems in the world of bloggers you either have to do one of the following  types of recipe for July 4th posts: bbq, red, white and blue dessert or something with watermelon.  I choose the first option, as I have a kicking new burger recipe I developed.

To backtrack, I'm a big fan of San-J's line of Gluten Free Tamari and Asian cooking sauces. As you might know, soy sauce is one of the big "hidden" culprits of wheat. San-J makes a line of Tamari and sauces using soy instead of wheat, which they clearly label Gluten Free. I generally use their Reduced Sodium Tamari several times a week, and their Orange Sauce is a favorite stir fry sauce in our house, because it is sesame and peanut free (not all of their sauces are...check the labels). Just last night I made an amazing pepper steak in my pressure cooker with the Orange Sauce, that came out looking just like it was delivered in a Chinese take-out container!

The Mongolian Stir Fry and Marinade intrigued me, as Mongolian barbecue is something I've wanted to try since it hit the foodie scene in the United States over a decade ago.  I decided to do a fusion sort of thing and use it as a glaze for a stuffed burger I making.  The umami effect was great! It blended perfectly with the other spices I used in my burger, and kept the meat moist with a nice finish on the grill.

Overall, what I like best about San-J's gluten free sauces is that all the work is done for you in terms of blending herbs and spices necessary to achieve a great Asian sauce.  Additionally, they have a high quality, no junk or filler taste, unlike many over salty, corn syrup laden bottled sauce. 

So fire up the grill, grab a bottle of San-J sauce and have a fuss free 4th whether you're grilling chicken, burgers or veggies!

For these burgers, I used Daiya's new Cheddar Cheese Slices, which really have the taste of "regular" melted American cheese slices...definitely a guilty pleasure. In the spirit of "vive la difference" (hey this is a "French" onion burger), I decided to shake things up by grilling sliced polenta instead of a bun (just brush with olive oil on both sides and grill for several minutes until warm).

Since these burgers are "French Onion Soup" style, you're in good shape for Bastille Day as well--which is just around the corner!

French Onion Soup Stuffed Burgers

3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium white white onions, thinly sliced
1 large Bermuda onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup red wine or water
1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup San-J Mongolian Stir Fry and Marinade

6 slices non-dairy cheese (such as Daiya Cheddar Style Slices), optional
6 Gluten-Free Rolls or baguettes (we like Katz's)

Heat a large frying pan or soup pot to medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil; when it starts to shimmer add the onions, salt and pepper, stir to coat.  Saute until onions turn translucent, about eight minutes.  Reduce heat to medium and continue to saute (stirring every so often), until the onions carmalize. Add the wine or water in the last five minutes of cooking, and make sure it evaporates before taking the onions off heat.  Stir in marjoram and garlic powder in last two minutes of cooking.

Let onions cool about 10 minutes, until you can handle them easily with your hands.  You can also prepare them up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerate covered.

To prepare burgers:
 Heat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (this may also be done in a Foreman style grill or grill pan indoors).

Divide meat into 12 balls, 6 of which are the size of golf balls, and the remaining 6 somewhere between a golf and tennis ball.  Handle your meat gently, using a light touch, and trying not to compress too much.

Form the smaller balls into thing patties and set aside.  Form the larger balls into patties with about a 1/2-inch lip coming up the sides. The process is similar to making clay ashtrays ('memba them?) in kindergarten.  Make a ball, press the center in with your thumb, then expand the hole with your finger.

Fill the opening in the larger patties with 2-3 tablespoons of the onion mixture. Place the thinner patties on top and crimp the edges closed with your fingers, checking to make sure there are no holes. Reserve the remaining onions to garnish the finished burgers.  Cover burgers with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Brush burgers with Mongolian sauce and place on pre-heated grill fro 4-5 minutes per side (for a medium-rare burger, 6-8 minutes for medium to well done burgers), with the grill cover closed for the last 3-5 minutes. Baste the burgers with the remaining sauce when you flip them. If you wish to top with non-dairy cheese, place a slice on top of each burger before you close the lid. Remove burgers from grill and place on a platter "tent" with foil for five minutes before serving. Note: to "tent" meat, fold a large piece of aluminum foil in half and place over meat loosely (do not crimp closed), so it resembles a tent.


 
To serve: 
Warm buns on top shelf of grill or 275 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Place finished burgers on bun, and top with remaining carmalized onions, if desired (re-heat in microwave for 1-2 minutes, as needed or on stovetop on low heat until warmed through).