Cinnamon Chicken

a few weeks ago i asked my husband what he wanted for dinner and he commented that he really liked this "cinnamon chicken dish" called "arna chicken" from a greek diner he used to go to. i searched the web but found no such greek dish. so-- i decided to make my own up based on a loose description. it ended up tasting really great, and went along with things that i have been reading recently on the health benefits of cinnamon. these include (but are not limited to): lowering LDL, regulating blood sugar, a natural preservative, reducing cancer cells, and improving cognition and memory.

anyways, here is my recipe... i tried hard to write it down so i could recreate it later, but we know how that goes. my recommendation if you want to make it is to use your cooking intuition :)

Cinnamon Chicken

1 lb chicken breast (2 large pieces), cut into 1 inch strips
1 small yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 tbsp Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil (or your favorite oil)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cinnamon sticks (i broke mine in halves)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp tahini
2 dried red chiles broken up (or less if you don't want it as spicy)
3/4 cup broth (veggie or chicken)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 can-1 can rinsed chickpeas
1/4 cup pine nuts
4 medjool dates, chopped
chopped cilantro
sea salt to taste (approximately 1/2 tbsp)


-heat oil in skillet, then add chopped or sliced onions. allow to soften and turn slightly golden
-add garlic and stir for a minute or so, careful not to burn garlic
-add sliced chicken, and add salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and cinnamon sticks to the chicken while it is cooking
-when chicken has almost cooked through, add broth, chickpeas, pine nuts, tahini, and chiles.
-let simmer for about five minutes on medium heat, then lower the heat and add chopped dates. -simmer another ten minutes or so, and add more broth if the water runs low.
-garnish (generously) with cilantro and serve

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spring has sprung

i've really missed our organics delivery the past couple weeks, and was so delighted to see it yesterday... it's sad to see the winter veggies start to go, but i'm looking forward to all of the berries and summer fruit as well. here is the box that arrived yesterday:

getting these deliveries has been great for so many reasons. one has been that no longer do i have to go to the annoying grocery store with super long lines (that will remain nameless), but it allows me to branch out and come up with recipes for veggies that i would not necessarily buy spontaneously. for instance the last box we had included yellow beets. who buys yellow beets!? but we really enjoyed them.

speaking of spring, i've made this twice already in the past week--- avacado salad. i was going to make "salad shirazi" a persian salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, but i had a bag of avocados from costco in the fridge as well, so i added those in and was extremely delighted! :)

here is what i used:

2 ripe chilled avacados, chopped into chunks
1/4 english cucumber (the really long kind)
1 firm and ripe tomato (or grape tomatoes will do as well)
1/2 large yellow onion
salt to taste
pepper to taste
approximately 2 tbsp lime juice

combine all ingredients and let stand a bit in the fridge if you can wait... i don't usually :)

simple enough, but so fresh and tasty!!

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gritssssss

i've had a love of grits since i was little, but i think i took a 10 year hiatus from eating them, mostly because i usually don't like breakfast food. anyways, trader joe's began carrying a new herbed olive oil that i think really provides a great accompaniment to grits. of course you can make your own oilve oil blend, but their's has so many wonderful things inside that at this point i'm too lazy to make! :)

my grits recipe is quite simple:

for a single serving

3 tbsp grits (not the instant kind!)
1 cups water
1/8-1/4 tsp salt (depending on your taste)
dash of fresh ground pepper
approximately 1 tbsp herb olive oil

boil water with salt and pepper
add grits to water and turn heat to low
simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally to stop lumps from forming
pour into bowl, and immediately add olive oil and stir in.

*note, i've also tried adding nutritional yeast to grits and have been very pleased with the taste (as long as it's not too much!) Pin It Now!

gluten free travels

i was a bit nervous about going on our recent trips to israel and switzerland and eating gluten free...
but thankfully, i requested the gluten-free meals on all three airlines we flew, and what do you know, they were much better than my dear husband's tasteless and transfatty meals! :)

i didn't take any pictures of them, but for instance, i got an organic sugar free french coconut macaroon which tasted incredible instead of a dry pepperidge farm cookie, a fresh fruit salad with blueberries, pineapple, and other fruit instead of an orange and yellow cabbage substance, and more :)

israeli food on the whole was not too difficult to manage, although all of my old favorites that i used to enjoy eating there i can no longer eat, like toasts (grilled sandwiches) and hot chocolate cake. but on the upside, hot salads are still fantastic, and falafel and shawarma are served on plates now as well.

i'm going to try to remake this drink and post the recipe at some point... there are different variations at each cafe or restaurant you go to in israel, but the main idea is mint and lemonade with crushed ice-- "limonana"

this was my last meal in israel where i really pigged out: :)

in switzerland they weren't too appreciative of the gluten-free lifestyle, and definitely not the dairy-free, but i did walk by a store window in zurich and saw a whole display of gluten-free food for sale. all in all, a positive experience food-wise, and i only got sick once in the two weeks! (which is not too bad) :)

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introducing...

my newest obsession:

the AeroGrow AeroGarden!

after a lot of deliberation, i finally decided to invest some birthday money into the purchase of a lovely AeroGarden . i always get sick of throwing out herbs that go bad, so this product really appealed to me. anyways, it's been fun so far watching it grow. here are some pictures of the process:






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Kofta Patties

it's been a while! i've had a few recipes saved up to share, but the last month or so has been busy with trying new recipes, changing old ones, and being sick and eating lots of soup :)

here's one i've been meaning to share for a while. i adapted a recipe from a hare krishna vegetarian cookbook - The Higher Taste. i've made it before mostly sticking to the recipe, but the last time i made it i didn't have the cauliflower and cabbage that it called for, so i subbed sweet potatoes and zucchini for the two. who would have guessed, but it worked out well. if you want you can always just use two cups each of the grated cabbage and grated cauliflower, but i kind of like mine more :) i've also made changes to the sauce and added a few other things. the sauce really comes out nice and rich, and i've used both fresh and canned tomatoes and been happy with the results.


Kofta Patties in Tomato Sauce

Sauce:

3 lbs tomatoes, blended in food processor
1/4 cup olive oil (or you can use Ghee if you want)
1/2 tsp Hing or 1-2 cloves crushed garlic depending on your taste (i use both)
1 large carrot, chopped into small pieces
2 Tbsp sweet basil, chopped
2 tsp salt
1 tsp turbinado sugar or agave nectar
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves


1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add the hing or garlic and fry it for approximately 30 seconds. add the carrots and saute for an additional minute. Stir in the blended tomatoes and other seasonings. Raise the heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.


Kofta:

2 cups boiled and mashed sweet potatoes
2 cups grated zucchini
1 1/2 cups garbanzo flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp hing or 1 clove crushed garlic
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp corriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
pinch of cayenne


1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Spray a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with olive oil. Make approximately 20 patties by rolling into balls then mashing them down. Place them on the cookie sheet so that they are not touching. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until they develop a bit of a crust. Turn them around halfway through cooking.
*note- original recipe calls for kufta balls that you deep fry. I'm not into frying anymore, but that's another way you can eat them as well.


Pasta:

1 box of penne pasta of your choice

1. Boil pasta while Kufta are in the oven
2. Drain pasta, top with sauce, then the kufta patties, and enjoy!

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pancakes again??

so i wanted to post this recipe before i forgot all the ingredients... i bought some Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour recently, but hadn't used it yet. it's really nice to have someone else mix all the different flours for you :) i like his combo of Garbanzo Bean Flour, Potato Starch, Tapioca Flour, White Sorghum Flour, and Fava Bean Flour. tasty for even the non GF eaters out there.

anyways, i have no pictures to share, but everyone knows what a pancake looks like, right? :) we just happened to eat these up too fast and didn't have time to take any... next time. these were some of the best pancakes i've eaten and they were light and fluffy and simple. i just kind of made these up this morning because i was... well... hungry. i added some dairy-free chocolate chips but of course you can leave them out. i ate them plain, the hubby used lots of maple syrup.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 cup Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (i like almond breeze)
1 large egg
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp agave nectar
1/8 cup mini dairy-free chocolate chips (i used Enjoy Life Foods)

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl.
Beat the egg in another bowl. Add the olive oil, milk, and agave to the egg and mix well.
Heat your pan or griddle with a little olive oil.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until moistened. Add Chocolate chips.
When pan is hot, pour batter into pan (i used a 1/3 cup that was less than full to scoop it out). My pan makes about 3 at a time and they cook fairly fast, so watch when you need to flip them.

I made 9 pancakes with this recipe, and was happy with the amount because i'm not a big fan of leftover pancakes. Of course you can double it if you want more or bigger pancakes.

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hummus platter and pancakes (not together)

it's been a while, but i've been saving a few recipes to post. but before i post a recipe, i just wanted to say how much i enjoyed Trader Joe's Gluten-Free, Dairy Free Pancakes. I made them last weekend for breakfast with a blackberry sauce that i threw together. Very tasty :)


for the sauce i simmered the blackberries, some agave nectar, and some arrowroot starch and then poured over the pancakes.

the other recipe i wanted to share is a rather simple one but one of our very favorites. i know everyone has a hummus recipe they love, but this one has proved to be our favorite and we make it about every week :) it's based on The New Best Recipe cookbook's one, but adjusted to our tastes.

Hummus:

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 medium garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
pine nuts

Process all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth (about 40 seconds). Mix in some pine nuts to taste (we use a lot). If you can wait, transfer to a dish, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to let the flavors settle and chill. Enjoy!

to make a meal out of it, i add spinach on top that i cooked quickly with salt and pepper (can do it in the microwave if you please) as well as grilled chicken. for the chicken:

i coated chicken breasts in olive oil, then sprinkled cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt, pepper, lemon pepper, and cayenne pepper onto both sides. i have a great grill that i use for chicken all the time (Cuisinart GR-2 Griddler Express Contact Grill). i threw them on there for a few minutes and then cut it up into pieces. layered the chicken on the hummus (you can sprinkle some paprika and olive oil on top of the hummus as well), then the spinach, and a few more pine nuts for garnish, and voila! a simple, but very tasty meal.

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Gluten Free Blueberry Pie (gf, dairy free, soy free)

i decided to experiment with a favorite of ours... blueberry pie. i love The New Best Recipe cookbook and have made their pie before, so i just decided to try it with another crust and to use agave instead of sugar...

so for a crust i used bette hagman's vinegar pie crust recipe and decided to experiment with coconut oil instead of butter. i'm still on the fence in terms of the results, but i'll post it anyways. my coconut oil goes between solid and liquid state often, so i decided to put it into the fridge to become the consistency of softened butter or shortening, so at least that went well. the finished result had a slight coconut flavor that was a little surprising, but i think i would still use it again... just less. or maybe a combo with another oil or something. i'm just not into the processed oils so i'm kind of out of luck... willing to take suggestions if anyone else has found something that worked! all in all though, it was a great crust, nice and flaky with a good consistency.

*update: You can also use my Apple Pie Crust which I love!




Blueberry Pie

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Sugar Free

Pie Crust:

1 cup white rice flour
¾ cup tapioca flour
¾ cup cornstarch
1 rounded tsp. xanthan gum
¾ tsp. salt
1 tbsp agave nectar or honey
¾ cup Organic Coconut Oil or Spectrum Naturals Organic All Vegetable Shortening
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. vinegar
3 Tbsp. ice water

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cornstarch, xanthan gum, salt, and sugar. Blend in the coconut oil.

Blend together the beaten egg, vinegar, and cold water. Stir into the flour mixture until the pastry holds together and forms a ball. I found it needed a good amount of kneading in order to make it a good consistency for rolling.

Form two balls and place in a bowl; cover and refrigerate for ten minutes or so until cool if it has gotten too sticky. If you refrigerate it too long it becomes really hard.

Remove and roll one ball at a time between two sheets of plastic wrap that have been dusted with sweet rice flour.

To place in pie tin: Remove top sheet, and using the other for ease of handling, invert the dough and gently place it in the pan. Shape into curves before removing the second piece of plastic wrap.


Blueberry Pie Filling:
6 cups fresh blueberries (i used mostly fresh, but added some frozen as well)
3/4 cup Coconut Palm Sugar, honey, or maple syrup
2 tsp juice and 1 tsp grated zest from lemon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 tbsp tapioca or arrowroot starch
1 egg white, lightly beaten (for top of crust)

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees
2. Toss the berries, agave, lemon juice, zest, spices, and potato starch and let sit for 15 minutes.
3. Spoon berries into pie shell (first dough is already in there)
4. Place second dough over filling and trip edges. Tuck rim of dough underneath itself so that the edge is flush with the pan. Press with tines of a fork or flute the edge
5. Cut four slits in the dough tops
6. Brush top of crust with egg white
7. Lower temperature of the oven to 425 degrees
8. Bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes
9. Rotate the pie and reduce temperature to 375 degrees
10. Continue to bake until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, around 30-35 minutes longer.
11. Transfer to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours.




This is being entered into the Friday Foodie Fix at The Whole Gang
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Apple Pancakes

i began making apple pancakes when i switched from white flour to whole wheat and decided that it was time to stop eating dairy, as i've been lactose intolerant since i was six. anyways, i bought the Vegan Handbook which is a fairly good cookbook at a booksale, and have made a good number of their recipes (and changed them around to my liking ;))

i've played with the recipe a lot since i first started making them, so here is my final (for now) gluten free version, but even that can be changed around a lot and i give alternatives. today was my first time using a GF blend to make them and i was really happy with the way they turned out, but feel free to leave any suggestions for other flour combos or additions!




APPLE PANCAKES

(makes 10 pancakes)


1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour **
1/2 Cup Sorghum Flour
1/2 Cup Tapioca Flour
1/2 tsp Xantham Gum
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBSP Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
Dash Nutmeg
2 TBSP Organic Apple Sauce ***
3/4 Cup unsweetened almond milk (or soy milk or milk of your choice)
1 tsp Vanilla
2 green apples, cored and grated****


Mix the first eight ingredients together (dry ones).

Mix the Apple Sauce or juice of your choice (see note below) with the milk and vanilla.

Add wet ingredients to dry, then add the grated apples and stir gently until well blended.

Heat skillet/pan with oil of your choice (i've used earth balance, olive oil, or butter here)

For each pancake use about 3 TBSP of batter and flatten out some in pan.

Cook about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

To keep pancakes warm until serving, place on a platter covered with foil in a 200 degree oven to keep warm.

I usually eat these as is, but my husband likes them covered with maple syrup. They're also good with apple butter or apple sauce.

Enjoy!

** If you are non-GF, just take out the first 4 ingredients and use 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

*** I used unsweetened organic apple sauce today because i didn't have any juice, but the original recipe calls for 2 TBSP apple juice concentrate, thawed. I have never actually used that, but instead, have used about 1/3 cup mango juice, guava juice, or papaya juice (brazilian gourmet).

****prepare the apples to your liking-- i have grated them or chopped them finely or a combo of both

***** If you like them sweeter, you can add a TBSP or 2 of agave nectar or maple syrup in the batter

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