Cauliflower Rice?

Want to know how to lower your carb intake while still enjoying delicious Asian fare? Eat it with cauliflower rice! I was so thankful to find this blog when I decided to go gluten free. I did not want this change to cause me to revert to more processed foods. So, finding a low carb, gluten free whole food blog was awesome! I love making homemade Chinese. I would rather eat my own than buy it anywhere! I really thought I had already posted my stir-fry recipe, but I can't find it anywhere on my blog, so I guess not! Here it is! Feel free to exchange veggies for the tastes of your family, although I have found that they will eat these when in this dish, even if they won't any other time. (Oh, and my hubby prefers the cauliflower rice to regular rice :)

Stir-Fry and Cauliflower Rice

1 onion, diced (most for stir fry, about 1/3 for "rice")
4 garlic cloves, crushed and diced (2 for stir fry, 2 for "rice")
1 bag frozen broccoli or fresh
2 zucchini cut into strips
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 pepper, sliced
1 c carrots, sliced (will need a small amount chopped in small pieces for "rice")
handful of raw cashews
1/2 c frozen peas (reserve for "rice")
1 head cauliflower, shredded (I used my cheese grater, this will be the "rice")
2 eggs (for "rice")
coconut oil (use expeller pressed or shortening to not have coconut flavor)
olive oil (if making shrimp)
water
soy sauce (make sure it is non-GMO or use Bragg's Amino Acids)
teriyaki sauce

Meat of your choice
- If using chicken, cut into strips and marinate in mixture of 1/2 c water, 1/8 c soy sauce, 1/8 c teriyaki sauce and 1 T arowroot powder.
- If using shrimp, place on skewers and marinate in mixture of olive oil, soy and teriyaki sauces and crushed garlic and then grill.

Place about 1 T oil in large fry pan or wok. Add garlic and onion and sautee. If using chicken, drain, add and cook until mostly done. Push chicken to the edges of the pan and add cashews and veggies (if using frozen broccoli, I will usually add that later since it doesn't take as long to cook.) Once veggies are almost done, I will add the same amount of mixture that I marinated the chicken with. You will learn to tweak this each time you make it, sometimes I will add more soy sauce or teriyaki as it cooks (aw shucks, you'll need to take a few tastes as you cook to make sure it is just right :) Once I add the sauce, I'll usually turn down the heat and let it hang out while I work on the rice.

Place about 1 T coconut oil in large fry pan (I use one that goes over 2 burners). Sautee garlic, carrots and onion, then add eggs and fry. May need to add more oil, then add cauliflower and sautee, then add peas when almost done. Also add small amount of soy sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Cauliflower Rice

Fried Rice

Fried Chicken (and my new favorite oil!)

I have a daughter who loves fried chicken. I, of course, don't want to even think about how bad it is when bought and eaten from a restaurant, so I decided to make some for her :)  I used Bobby Flay's recipe as a base but had to alter it to work for me. After much research, I realized that I should not be frying foods in organic EVOO anymore, as it does break down and create free radicals (which can lead to cancer) at high heats. So, I turned to something that has been in my cupboard for a while (but mostly for use in baking these muffins), coconut oil. If using coconut oil, you need to make sure it is extra virgin (will maintain a coconut flavor) or expeller pressed (will not have coconut flavor), or coconut shortening (what I have been using for my frying- no coconut flavor). Coconut oil can be heated to a high temperature without breaking down, is a solid at room temperature, can be heated, cooled and reheated without destroying its integrity, and has health benefits. For more info on coconut oil, see this post from one of my favorite blogs or the Tropical Traditions site, where I typically buy my oil (incidentally this is also the site where I purchased my delish Thanksgiving turkey).

In order to eat this recipe now, I would have to exchange a different flour since I am now eating gluten free. Cornmeal would probably work well. I made it with all organic drums (since that is what Giant had this week) and the lone drum above was all that was left! It was a hit with the family :)

Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
4 cups whole milk, with the juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and ground pepper
chile powder
1 tablespoons Tiger sauce
10 chicken drums
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
Coconut oil

Whisk together cups of milk mixture, salt, chile powder, Tiger sauce and pepper in large glass baking dish. Add chicken, turn to coat and refrigerate 4+ hours.

Pour 1 cup milk mixture in bowl or small baking dish. Mix together flour, garlic, onion, and paprika (may also add more chile powder if desired). Put one cup of flour mixture in one dish, and the rest in another dish. Drain chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Heat oil (I used a medium sized pot and had it about half full of oil).

Dredge chicken in small flour dish, then in milk, then in second flour dish. Set on wax paper until all pieces are finished. Preheat oven to 350.

You will know the oil is ready when you drop in a little of the flour mixture and it fries quickly. You may need to turn down the oil temperature for subsequent batches as the temperature will keep increasing. Place 2-3 drums in pot at a time, fry about 5-10 minutes, turning if necessary. Once they "look done", place on oven-safe cooling rack that is on a cookie sheet. Place in oven to keep crispy, drain, and continue cooking. Repeat until finished.

I found that I could not save and reuse this oil because of all the little flour pieces left in it, although I suppose I could have strained it using unbleached cheescloth. I have made french fries with this oil and was able to save it for another time, but found that the shrimp I made in it had a distinct french fry flavor :P

Granola

Well, right before going gluten-free, I had made up a large batch of crunchy granola. So in efforts to not let it go to waste (and you can be sure I'll make this again with gluten-free oats :), I decided to have it be the kick-off item for a fundraiser for a local Autism Walk. (In fact I'm thinking this is a great way for me to use up most of my flours!) This is a recipe I have been meaning to add. It is based on the ingredient list from the Big Sky Bread Granola that is on the bulk bin at Sonnewald and also on this recipe. I love to eat it as a cereal or in yogurt. You can bake and break into chunks to eat as a snack as well. It keeps for weeks in an airtight container. Feel free to mix and match your favorite nuts and seeds! As always, try to use organic as much as possible.

Granola
6 c oats (old fashioned, not quick cooking)
1 to 1 1/2 c raw almonds
3/4 c olive oil (add more for bars)
2/3 c honey
1/4 c sesame seeds
1/2 c pumpkin seeds
1/4 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c sucanat (This is a coarse sugar that is brown and large crystals. I get it in bulk at Sonnewald. I do think the flavor will be different if  you use regular sugar, but brown sugar would create a similar flavor.)
1 T vanilla
salt (I don't measure, just a couple turns of the grinder)

Mix all together and lay on parchment lined cookie sheet. If making bars I usually press the mixture doewn into the pan. Bake at 300 for 30 minutes. Stir if wanting loose granola or turn sheet if going for bars. Bake another 30 min. or so. Sometimes I will turn off the oven and let it sit. Allow to cool in pan, they will firm up while cooling. Break into chunks and store in airtight container.

Hearts of Palm Dip

When my husband and I got married, the faculty of the school where I teach put together a cookbook with ingredients for us as a present. When I first looked through the recipes, there was one that stood out as very strange to me. When I found the corresponding ingredient, it was "hearts of palm" trees. How in the world does a palm tree taste? I have to say I was at a bit of a loss and just forgot about every trying the recipe. At least until I was cleaning out expired cans one day a few years ago and found the palm, tossed it, and then thought again, I wonder what that would taste like? This recipe was given to us by Charlotte Krill, and in her memory I write this post. This has become one of my favorite dips (right next to crab dip, which I'll post sometime soon). My only alteration to the original was to change out the green onions for spinach. The result is something much like the spinach and artichoke appetizer you can get at popular restaurants, although much healthier when you make on your own. (and bonus, it is extremely low carb and gluten-free!) If you want to, you can make it with a can of artichoke hearts instead, but we have decided that we like the palm best. Since I just recently started eating gluten-free, I found these crackers to eat it with- so delish! They are not organic, however there are no GMO in them. As always, try to use as many organic ingredients as possible (I used a lot of Organic Valley for the dairy products)!

Hearts of Palm Dip

1 can hearts of palm or artichoke (chopped)
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 c mayo
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1/4 c sour cream
handful of fresh or frozen spinach, chopped or ripped into small pieces

Combine all ingredients. Spray small baking dish and add dip. Bake at 350 25-30 minutes. This recipe doubles well for parties. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Dinner

What a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner! I was hosting at my house for the first time, and my sister April was home for this holiday which hadn't happened in many years. I was so excited! Here's the menu (and I am super thankful for the family members' contributions!):

Organic Pastured Turkey from Tropical Traditions- I was thrilled to order this online. It arrived in good time and still frozen. To bake, I just rubbed ghee between the skin and the meat along with a mix of salt, pepper, parsley, onion and garlic. I stuffed the bird with an apple, onion and garlic and poured some water in the pan and baked at 325 for almost 3 hours. I made this the day before, picked the meat and let it hang out in the fridge with some of the juice on it. It reheated beautifully and saved me from all that mess on the actual holiday. Also, it takes MUCH longer to pick a turkey than a chicken. Just sayin'.

Gravy- Made with broth from the turkey.

Stuffing and baked corn- Made by my mom so we only had to heat up the stuffing in the oven and the corn kept nicely in a crock pot.

Mashed potatoes- Made by my sister, Angela, and brought in a crock pot for easy reheating.

Steamed fresh green beans- Made by my sister, April. I never thought green beans could taste so good!

Cranberry relish- Made by my mom with apples and pineapple and fresh cranberries!

Sweet potato casserole- I was super excited to get this recipe from my friend, Danette. She made it for a potluck at work and I was hooked! I made the sweet potatoes the day before and then just added the topping and baked on Thanksgiving. For some reason my topping didn't quite brown all the way round like hers, but it still tasted great! I will definitely be making this again. It was even good cold!
This is my recipe based off hers:

8 c mashed sweet potatoes (I just wash them, cut them in half and boil until soft. The skins then pop right off and they mash easily with a fork.)
3/4 c sucanat
1 1/2 c milk
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
3/4 c soft butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all of the ingredients together and place in greased 9 x 13 glass pan.

Topping:
1 c brown sugar
1 c flour
3 c pecans, chopped
1/2 c soft butter
dash of cinnamon

Mix all of the topping ingredients together and coat sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes if using hot potatoes, it will take almost an hour if the potatoes were cold first.

Dinner rolls- This is a variation of my (well, technically my mom's) Cottage Herb Rolls recipe. I will make them this way every time now, though, as they turned out the best ever, did not even need to be heated up at all, they were great cold, and went way too fast! I did double this recipe (and I'm glad I did!).

1 pk yeast
1/2 c warm water (I used water as hot as it would get from the tap)
1 1/2 c organic whole wheat bread flour
1 c organic all purpose flour
1 T sucanat
1 c homemade yogurt
1 egg
Small amount of olive oil
Melted butter (Earth Balance)

Dissolve the yeast and sucanat in water and set aside as you prep other ingredients. Turn on oven to 200 degrees. Once it is done heating, turn off.
In large bowl mix flour, yogurt and egg. Add yeast/water mixture. If consistency seems a little dry, add a small amount of olive oil. Knead on floured surface until smooth (about 5 minutes). Place in bowl sprayed with nonstick spray, set in dough and cover with tea towel dampened with hot water and set in oven 30-40 minutes. (Best if you can wait an hour, though.)

Punch down the dough and knead lightly. I use an Auntie Annie's pretzel dough cutter to cut small amounts of dough off. I form into a long oval and fold it over when I place it in a glass baking dish. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until starting to lightly brown on top.Brush with some melted butter.

Pumpkin pie- Made by April. Delish!

Pumpkin roll and cheese cake from Christina's Desserts and Coffee

We also had fun with a post-dinner craft. Here's how my two nephews' turkeys turned out: 

Shrimp and Broccoli Alfredo

This alfredo sauce recipe is based on the one from Heavenly Homemakers, although I have found some substitutes if you don't have cream :)

Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
One pint of cream or half and half or whole milk (2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring the butter, cream, garlic and cream cheese to a boil.  Turn down the heat, simmer and stir for about two minutes.  Add the grated cheese and stir until melted.  Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes until it becomes “thick and saucy”, stirring occasionally. Quite often I can't wait this long and we eat it after only a few minutes of simmering. Sometimes my sauce is a little lumpy, but that doesn't bother me :) This sauce does freeze extremely well and would be easy to make a double batch and save half. Just thaw in fridge first and reheat slowly. The butter may initially separate out, but that's ok.

Shrimp and Broccoli:
thawed and peeled shrimp (about 10 per person)
1 garlic clove, chopped
frozen broccoli
olive oil

Heat a small amount of olive oil in skillet. Add shrimp and broccoli, saute until shrimp is pink and broccoli is heated though.

Make linguini noodles. My favorites are organic sprouted noodles you can buy at Central Market. Layer noodles, shrimp and broccoli. Enjoy!

Zucchini Parmesan

My wonderful friend Melinda makes amazing zucchini Parmesan, but for some reason it did not turn out the last time I made it (years ago), so I hadn't tried it again. Then this summer she made it when we were over and I knew I had to make it, but of course the night I planned on it I didn't have enough time to make it the same way. So, here is my short cut version, which finally turned out yummy :)

Ingredients:

Spaghetti sauce (heat on stove while other items are cooking)

Spaghetti noodles (start water boiling so the noodles can cook while you are making the zucchini)

1-2 zucchini, sliced
1 c flour (in own bowl)
2 eggs (in own bowl)
1.5 cups bread crumbs mixed with garlic, onion powder, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper in own bowl
olive oil for pan frying

Heat spaghetti sauce on low. Start water for spaghetti, cook spaghetti and drain. Heat oil in skillet. Dip zucchini slices in flour, then egg, then bread crumb mixture. Fry on each side. Set on paper towels to drain.

Place noodles on plate, layer sauce and zucchini. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy! Leftover zucchini crisps up nicely in the oven when baked at 350 for a few minutes.