Tag Archives: dairy free

Apr22

Any Given Day or Time

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Food n Thought Peddler

And that is truly so I think! Everything is an experience we learn during our lifetime, the good, the bad, the happiest and the most ugly ones, all days come together to create a unique path that each of us follow. No life is ever alike, some we might say are easier than others, though never judge “the book by its cover”, the most ferocious battles are held inside that do not depend on how much money you have or how successful others view you. And the “richest” people in the world are the ones who feel they have enough to be happy and fulfilled on all possible levels.

To strike a balance between your inner world, your needs, wants, aspirations and the environment around you, which includes people in your life, is truly a happy place. Emotional independence is that balance where you know who you are and how exactly to lead your life without any outside influence, be it in a relationship, work front or a chance encounter, that would knock you off your feet, bring anxiety and make you question yourself, the value of your being and the validity of your choices.

So then if you have a great day, you bask in all the glory of that happiness, no matter how fleeting it may be. And if you have a less that stellar day, you gain an experience, even if only to contrast and to recognize that when the next good day comes, you should enjoy it, and not question whether you deserve it or not, or when your luck is supposed to run out. And when a black period strikes, seemingly full of lost hopes and bleak outcomes, you learn a lesson of what mistakes were made and how possibly to avoid them in the future, and what always remains including your spirit and the most important life values, who is still “in your corner” and which people are gone to follow their own road.

In the big “Bingo of Life” we never know which number comes up next and whether you lose or win at the end or on any given day. We don’t always have any control over it, sometimes we think we do, but life is so illusory, we all get surprised with how fast the “sand castles” can topple over or be blown off by the wind.

Then what does still stand when everything is disappeared or gone with the wind? The answer is always the same: YOU! Your spirit, your inner strength, your value of yourself, your faith, your dreams.

So, no matter good, bad, ugly or the most blissful, the time and circumstances will always pass, the one who stands and maintains a balance despite the mad scale swings is the one who is an ultimate winner!

What’s Cooking This Week

Not all meals are created equal, some are more elaborate than others, and other ones are made for specific occasions. Though probably nothing is better than to shake that “Bingo bag” and have something unexpected or at a “wrong time of the day”. This recipe I feel is pretty versatile, it’s really whatever you want it to be, a filling breakfast, a great addition to your lunch soup or even a savory side dish for a weekday dinner. And it won’t take a lot of your time in the kitchen too.

Sausage, Cheddar and Chives Muffins

Makes 12 muffins:

1 package/4 links of sausage, cut up (I used chicken apple sausage)

4 eggs

3/4 cup of milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I used daiya)

1 3/4 cups of flour (I used multi-blend Authentic Foods gluten free mix)

1 Tbspoon of Dijon mustard

3 Tbspoons of chopped fresh chives

2 tspoons of baking powder

1/4 tspoon of salt

1/2 tspoon of basil

In a bowl combine together flour, salt, basil and baking powder. In another bowl beat up the eggs and mix in cut up sausage with milk, mustard, chives, then add shredded cheese/daiya. Gradually combine with the flour mix.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, grease the muffin pan and fill almost to the top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or untill the tops are lightly golden, cool off completely before removing from the pan.

The muffins are slightly crusty outside but soft and very moist inside, almost impossible to have just one, so indulge, for breakfast, lunch or any other given time.

Enjoy!

Apr8

Get Your Cheer Pom Poms Out

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Food n Thought Peddler

Standard

What do we really mean when we say ” I’m there for you”?! Do we mean I’m there till the road gets tough, or do we mean till you decide to turn the wrong direction?

Then “there” becomes just a particular spot in life where WE feel you should be. And if you’re not, you’re on your own kid!

Much is talked about “unconditional love” (in a greater sense of it), very little is actually seen in real life. When you love somebody, whether romantically or not, you have that person’s best interest at heart. You show care, concern and appreciation that you have that person in your life. You listen, comfort and console when they need to vent or are seeking emotional connection. You set your needs aside and concentrate on what’s important if your loved one is ill or in a crisis. You offer what’s needed and when it’s needed.

Pretty “straightforward” and surely conventional.

But what about all the times when you’ve provided the care, listened to all the concerns, voiced your advice and offered some assistance, yet they are still not there where you want them to be, or even turning the wrong way (despite your desperate pleas and help in trying to get them back on a road)?!

What do you do then, do you turn and walk away (not looking back at the wreckage just about to happen)? Or do you stay and continue to offer the same care, concern and assistance as you did when things were going the way you wanted them? Well, it’s up to you of course, whatever it is that you can actually master. But don’t talk about love then if you decide to turn away, it doesn’t work that way, you don’t get to choose if and when, you just do!

So if you truly love somebody unconditionally, you simply get on a sidewalk and cheer. You support the person no matter what, even if you don’t agree with their actions. You support whatever big or small aspirations they set out for themselves, whether it’s a marathon or a sprint distance, if it’s hot or cold on that sidewalk, you put your best cheerleader uniform on, get the pom poms out and just cheer!

Yes, it is very possible (or even probable) that they are making a mistake, and yes, some mistakes are way more costly than other. Your job is to continue providing encouragement along the road so that they don’t feel abandoned and let your love carry them (possibly towards a speeding freight train).

If anything, you should be nearby as most likely you’d be the one helping to clear out the wreckage!

What’s Cooking This Week

In honor of “love” post, I thought it’d be nice to continue the theme and make some dessert to show my appreciation to the ones I love. As always gluten free yet completely delicious, and the heart shape adds nicely to the whole picture.

Vanilla and Strawberry Coconut “Heart” Cake

Cake (makes 4 mini heart cakes):

6 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup of almond or coconut milk

1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup of coconut flour

6 Tbspoons of honey or agave nectar

1 tspoon of vanilla

1/2 tspoon of baking powder

1/2 tspoon of orange zest

1/2 tspoon of salt

In a bowl whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla and orange zest, then add honey/agave and melted but slightly cooled off coconut oil.

In a separate bowl combine together flour, salt and baking powder. gradually mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ones.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil four mini heart cake pans and distribute the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for about 25-30 minutes.

Strawberry and vanilla frosting:

5-8 strawberries, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cup of organic Spectrum shortening

1/4 cup of seedless strawberry jam

1 tspoon of vanilla

1 + 2 cups of powdered sugar

(optional) red food coloring, pink sugar crystals, sugar pearls

Whip shortening until light and fluffy, then divide it in half. Combine one half with strawberry jam and then gradually whip in 1 cup of powdered sugar, add a couple of drops of red food coloring to make it a deeper pink color. Combine the other half with vanilla and whip in 2 cups of powdered sugar for vanilla frosting.

Once the cakes are cool, slice the top parts off to make two even layers. Spread some strawberry frosting on the bottom half and place sliced strawberries on top.

Cover with the top layer and frost the entire cake with strawberry frosting. Then use vanilla frosting to decorate each cake as desired. This barely sweet cake pairs perfectly with a combo of two “sugar rush” frostings.

A variation on strawberry cake can be this vanilla and blueberry one.

Enjoy! And share with the ones you love!

Mar1

Drunken Chicken

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Food n Thought Peddler

Standard

This past week has been kind of stressful and over-run with numerous glitches, broken schedules, attitudes and other not overly pleasant surprises. Blame it on Mercury retrograde squaring Mars in emotional Pisces combining with Full Moon (and whatever else was happening in the cosmic desert and other people’s lives), but I think I need a vacation just to decompress from the past 7-10 days.

Last Friday, I got home after especially stressful two days at work covering surgery. Let me tell you (and I hope I’m not offending any surgeons, as there are definitely many who are not only skillful doctors, but also have great professional and human attitude), but I’ve worked with far too many “cut and run” surgeons to say I HATE working in surgery. There, my very personal “Full Moon influence” moment!

My coworker who covers surgery is the most respected and revered among us all, as she is the only one who seems to handle the responsibilities with her no-nonsense attitude, perfect attention to details and caring demeanor. When she is out, all of us pray for her health or immediate return from vacation and our reprieve from her line of duty. I hope to find some kind of youth serum to offer her so she works for a long long time, and none of us are ever faced with a necessity to cover surgery permanently!

So, I got home last Friday and was met with yet another pleasantry, aka cranky teen. What’s a girl to do?! With my boots still on, I marched right into the dining room and poured myself a nice shot of Amaretto. That took the edge off!

But the pleasant evening didn’t end there. The cherry on top was the kid having an immediate allergic reaction to whatever it was in those sushi that he had 1000 times before. So the evening actually ended with a Benadryl cocktail (for the kid) and me holding my own EpiPen praying I won’t actually have to use it.

Yep, it was fun indeed!

We are now in uncharted territory, having to deal with the kid’s food allergies, which are unfortunately creeping up. I always knew he was allergic to cats and to some long-haired dogs, which was easy to control as we don’t have any pets, and if we were visiting any home with pets, he’d get a Claritin before, and would be fine for that day. A few years back, we found out he was allergic to melons, which again, was easily avoidable. We’d have found out even earlier, but the silly kid was afraid to tell us that he was having a reaction every time he had a melon. I guess, we should count our blessings that he finally did say something, before we had one of those EpiPen moments. Over the last summer, he’d undergone what we thought was a thorough testing confirming his pets and melons (but not watermelon) allergies, but clearing every else, only to have a reaction to watermelon also a few months after that. And now to whatever it was he reacted to in those sushi.

So, we’re going back to see the allergist next week to re-do the whole food panel yet again. I’ll keep you posted. And if it is shrimp, the kid would be greatly disappointed, as he loves shrimp, but I know he will adjust (to whatever the allergy is) and most definitely survive!

What’s Cooking This Week

Since the theme of the last week seemed to be running around like a chicken without a head and then chasing it all with alcohol, I figured it only made sense to combine both and actually make something comforting out of it. And when food allergies are involved, you may sometimes think that certain dishes are out of your reach, but really you don’t have to, you can adjust it all and still enjoy the foods you love.

Baked Chicken in Vodka Sauce

1 lb boneless skinless chicken (I used thighs)

32 oz can/carton of crushed tomatoes (I used Pomi)

1 1/2 cup of brussels, cut in half

1 1/2 cup of baby Bella mushrooms

1 small bell pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup of unsweetened Mimic Cream (or regular dairy cream)

1/4 cup of vodka (I used Liv potato vodka)

2 Tbspoons of fresh chopped parsley

1 tspoon of Italian seasoning blend

1 tspoon of brown sugar

salt, pepper, olive oil

Start by heating up some olive oil, saute the onion until lightly golden, then add tomato sauce and heat up on a low heat until it starts to boil. Add vodka and slowly boil until alcohol is evaporated, then stir in cream, salt, pepper, seasonings and brown sugar.

Spray a baking dish with oil spray, lay out the chicken pieces and vegetables, lightly season them with salt and pepper, pour the sauce on top and sprinkle chopped fresh herbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until brussels are soft.

Serve it over pasta for an ultimate comfort level.

I had it on a bed of kale leaves and thought it was still outstanding on its own.

Enjoy!

Feb14

Sweet Valentine

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Food n Thought Peddler

Standard

Happy Valentine’s Day! No matter if you are attached or single, savor the air full of love and joyous feelings and appreciate the relationships (be it love related or not) you have in your life. Every human connection is a gift that’s brought into your life by the Divine Order, however, long or short that may be, to enjoy each other, possibly learn from each other and continue on your own path of growth and self-development.

If you are in a relationship, take a moment to let your partner know how much they mean to you, even if not every day is all “kisses and roses”. As a matter of fact, reach out to every person in your life who is important and do the same. Love is never just intimate relationship related, love is Love, it just is!

And if you’re single this Valentine’s Day, be gentle on yourself and take it lightly, just go out and celebrate, have fun with your un-attached status. Make sure to have a princess dress and a tiara at hand and get in touch with your “inner child”. Sing it like Sophia Grace and make moves like Rosie .

What’s Cooking This Week

Valentine’s Day is inevitably associated with sweets and chocolate in particular. If you ask me though, chocolate is pretty much a daily necessity in my menu, it’s my BFF, Valium and an alcohol-chaser, it’s just one of those things that makes life much more tolerable. So it was a no-brainer what to make this Valentine’s Day. Yet I felt it didn’t have to be necessarily rich and void of nutrients. This recipe is a great “bridge” without compromising the sweet cravings for something decadent, or spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Use that time to be with your Valentine!

Chocolate Almond Torte with Strawberry Rum Sauce

(makes 3 mini heart cakes):

3 eggs

1/2 cup of plain yogurt (I used coconut yogurt by So Delicious)

1/3 cup of almond flour

2 Tbspoons of coconut flour

2 Tbspoons of cocoa

2 Tbspoons of sugar

1/4 tspoon of cinnamon

Sauce:

1 cup of chopped strawberries

2 Tbspoons of rum

2 Tbspoons of sugar

1 tspoon of lemon juice

Beat together eggs, sugar and yogurt. In a separate bowl, combine together both flours and cinnamon, add into wet ingredients and incorporate well. Oil 3 mini heart cake pans and fill each about 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Let the cakes cool off a bit before removing from pans.

While they are baking, make the sauce. Blend together strawberries and lemon juice in a blender. Transfer the mixture into a small pan, add sugar and cook on a slow heat for a few minutes until sugar is dissolved, then add rum and cook until alcohol is evaporated and all the liquids are reduced. Let the sauce to stand for a couple of minutes before serving.

Serve the cakes and sauce slightly warm to fully enjoy their soft texture and rich flavors.

Enjoy! Share with your Valentine!

Feb8

Say What???

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Food n Thought Peddler

Standard

Most days I cook “straightforward” meals that are both nutritious yet not too lengthy, some days, like weekends, are left for an extra creativity and time spent in the kitchen.

Some though are met with a big question mark, as to a 15 year-old, all meals should be “straightforward” even if their nutritious value is questionable (to his credit, he’s tried many of my offerings that were quite adventurous, he just didn’t know it, as much of it was disguised with things like bacon ).

So as I was spending my usual Saturday afternoon in the kitchen this past weekend, the kid walked in to inquire what was for dinner.

“Gnocchi”, I replied.

Which was met with a silent observance of all the ingredients laid out on the kitchen counter.

“Um, don’t you need potato for that?”, glancing again over the foods and not finding any.

“Yes, it’s in there”, but I was still registering some concern on the 15 year-old’s face who is suspicious by his teen nature and doesn’t like to be played with his food.

“OK, mama!”, sounded like a warning.

Let the games begin!

What’s Cooking This Week

On my never-ending quest to provide meals that are gluten and mostly dairy free but “you won’t even know it”, I was craving to find some gnocchi recipe that is both gluten/dairy free and possibly less starchy and more nutritious. After viewing some recipes and making some adjustments to satisfy all the requirements, I came up with this recipe. It still needs some minor future adjustments (mainly to play with flour/starches and wet ingredients proportions to hold the shape better), but it surely didn’t disappoint in taste. And, in case you’re wondering, the kid had two bowls. So, guess, who won?!

Pumpkin Gnocchi in Buttery Coriander Sauce

1 cup of cooked pumpkin

1 egg

1/2 cup of almond flour

1/2 cup of millet flour

1/3 cup of coconut flour

1/4 cup of potato starch

1/2 tspoon of salt

1/4 tspoon of cinnamon

1/4 tspoon of nutmeg

1/2 cup of white wine

1 tspoon of dried coriander

2 Tbspoons of oil spread (I used Earth Balance coconut spread), or butter

1 Tbspoon of fresh lemon juice

2 Tbspoons of pignoli nuts

1/2 Tbspoon of fresh chopped herbs (I used curly parsley)

In a bowl, mix together all the flours/starch with nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin and the egg. Gradually start adding the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until a firm ball of dough forms.

Flour a surface and cut the dough ball into four parts, then roll each part into a long log of about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut it into 1 inch pieces.

You can leave gnocchi pieces as is or make the standard lines with a fork. Transfer cut gnocchi on a sheet lined with parchment paper. If you want, you can freeze them at this point for future use, just make sure dust them with flour first.

Boil a pot with water, add salt and cook the gnocchi for about 5-7 minutes or untill they start to float at the surface. Drain and set them aside. In a mean while, make the sauce.

In a pan, melt the buttery spread, then add wine and let it cook until alcohol evaporates and the liquid is reduced. Add fresh lemon juice and spice/fresh chopped herbs, stir in pignoli nuts at the last minute. Add drained gnocchi and toss them around in the sauce untill well covered.

There were no complains from the kid about a “lack” of potato or meat ingredients in this meal .

Enjoy!

Jan30

No Whine, Only Cheese

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Food n Thought Peddler

Standard

Sometimes I can’t help it but make a little fun out of things . Especially if the obvious controversy is literary staring you in a face.

Last week I was sharing breakfast with a doctor, and as there are never-ending topics to discuss for those working in a hospital, the conversation was easily flowing with lots of laughs sprinkled throughout the interaction. I was chuckling inside for an entirely different matter.

As one of my friends says “I’m the best guest ever because I come with my own food” , the lemon pound cake made for the previous post had its appearance during this breakfast, and the presence was surely glorious as its buttery goodness had no competition next to the sad-looking ”healthy breakfast” Dunkin Donuts sandwich that was limply hanging in the doctor’s hand waiting to be put out of its deflated misery (I mean, into the garbage can, not the doctor’s mouth, but it didn’t happen unfortunately).

Naturally the conversation touched upon my “dietary restrictions” of no gluten, dairy and soy (sans the occasional organic butter or Tamari soy sauce for sushi), and, by the way, I hope to ever see the day when junk will finally be separated and restricted from the actual food.

“I’d never be able to do it”, said the doctor gingerly stuffing a mouthful of “enriched white flour”, corn syrup and modified food starch (modified into what? and why do you need to “glue” together foods like eggs, cheese and bread that are supposed to hold shape on their own? unless of course they are in fact just modified food starch) and washing it all down with gulps of sucralose-ladden beverage. Mmmmm, good stuff, Doc, if we need a refresher in a periodic table of the chemical elements!

“Need to keep the calories down”, surely he knows, he is a doctor first of all. “Of course”, I answered, putting another piece of a real caloric ”heavyweight” champion “restricted” from enriched white flour and hormone injected milk, bursting with organic eggs, natural gluten free fours, unsweetened almond milk, pasture butter, fresh blueberries and lemon.

“It’s good!”, said the mouth free from inhaling chemical vapors and finally tasting the actual food.

“Sure, Doc!”, let your body enjoy some nourishment so much needed after a long night shift at the hospital.

Even more so, take the rest of this “restricted” cake with you too!

What’s Cooking This Week

People usually ask me how does it feel to live without baked goods, cheese, ice cream and such. I generally say “I have no idea, I’d not be able to do it either!” (Cue in a mandatory blank stare here.)

The fact is, I don’t know how it’d feel to not eat bread and cheese, and why should I?! With brands like Udi’s and daiya, my taste buds are not missing anything. So definitely no whine here, just lots of cheese!

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 medium onion

1+1 Tbspoon of oil spread (or butter), I used Earth Balance coconut spread

1/2 cup of Mimic Cream, unsweetened (or regular cream)

1 cup of shredded daiya, cheddar style (or regular cheese)

1 tspoon marjoram

1/2 tspoon of dry ginger

1/2 tspoon of garlic powder

salt, pepper, chopped fresh herbs

Cut the squash in half, clean the seeds out and place each half “face down” in a baking dish with a little water on the bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the knife easily runs through, then let it cool off a bit.

While the squash is baking, chop the onion, melt 1 Tbspoon of oil spread and saute the onions until lightly golden.

Once the squash has cooled off, scoop it out into a baking dish, mix in 1 Tbspoon of oil spread, salt/pepper, spices, onions, Mimic Cream and half the shredded cheese. Top with the remaining shredded cheese. Even if you don’t have to be dairy free, I encourage you to try something new like daiya plant cheese and Mimic Cream made from cashews, you’d be surprised how similar it tastes to the “real thing”, and bursting with healthy nutrients, you won’t have any guilty feelings indulging in an extra helping.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Garnish with any chopped herbs. Have as many portions of this “restricted” and chemicals-free goodness as you wish!

Enjoy!

Jan14

Two-Way Street

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Food n Thought Peddler

Standard

Let’s say you’ve been walking on the same side of the street for many years, and there is nothing particularly wrong with your side, it’s sunny and nicely paved and is generally considered to be in “the best area of your town”. Yet, after a while, you just start wondering how it is on the other side of the street, maybe there are things happening there that are fun and a bit more relaxed, just a nice diversion from your daily “upscale” life.

And then one day you master your courage up and say “what the heck!” and decide to cross the street. You’re immediately overwhelmed with new sights and sounds, and even though you’re no longer in the familiar environment of being among “the rich and famous”, this side of the street seems new and exciting despite your natural fears of the unknown. And then you get so lucky that you suddenly bump into one of the “natives” who without any hesitation instantly becomes your tour guide, and you think that having a companion is just what you need to explore this unexpected detour. Then honoring this sudden relationship, even for a short period of this excursion, with same good intentions is just a decent way to give back to your tour guide who decided to stop to show you around and even shared the food brought for the road.

Respect, attention, mutual understanding and satisfaction are definitely “two-way street” connecting points. You get what you ask for the first time, but unless you’re willing to compromise and show similar qualities back to the person, continuing collaboration will be jeopardized, as you may find yourself standing alone on that street. And, let’s face it, if your partner is not completely satisfied with your end of the agreement, it will also affect what you’re trying to get out of this connection also.

Nice, and easy, and attentive to each other’s needs and requirements is always the best, and shortest way, to cross the street and meet the other person.

There are circumstances though when glitches are more likely to occur, especially in the very beginning of any collaboration, when you’re trying to figure out the flow and the best way this connection could possibly work. So if an “oops” moment does happen, the way out of a sticky situation is simply to acknowledge that you “F****d up” with the intent to employ some corrective actions in the future.

Unless of course you don’t care and think that the tour guides from “that part of the town” should just feel happy about a chance to provide the service to “the upscale side” person.

What’s Cooking This Week

Somehow I can’t get enough of crepes lately, I’ve been making them non-stop for the past two weeks or so. And even though crepes originally come from France, you can’t find another cross-cultural dish that settled so firmly in Russian and Ukrainian cuisines. We like them plain with sour cream or honey, we like them stuffed with cherry preserves, sweet cheese or meat and mushrooms, to simply say – we just LOVE them! But it is also a matter of preference how you want to dress them up (or down) to satisfy you the most. But if you happen to share them with someone else who has a different opinion, I see no reason why you can’t “cross the street to meet the other person”.

“Two-Way” Crepes

Crepes (makes 7 8-inch crepes):

1 cup of milk (I used unsweetened almond milk), warm

2 eggs, room temperature

6-7 Tbspoons of flour (I used gluten free Cup4Cup mix)

1 Tbspoon of sugar

1 tspoon of oil (use mild oil like canola), plus more

1/2 tspoon of baking powder

a pinch of salt

Toppings:

Nutella and strawberries

Carmelized onions and jalapeno cheese (I used Daiya)

Chopped mint leaves or chives for either garnish

Start with beating up the eggs and sugar together, add a pinch of salt and half the milk, continue beating. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and baking powder, then gradually add into the wet ingredients, you’ll generally need 6-7 Tbspoons of flour, but you may adjust it depending how thin the batter is. Add the remaining milk. Mix in oil at the very end.

Heat up a frying pan really well, don’t pour oil but rather spread a little bit either with a brush or paper towel. Using a small ladle, pour some batter in the middle of the pan (while you’re holding it off the flame) and immediately swirl it around to cover the whole surface.

Cook it on one side untill tiny bubbles appear and the edges start turning golden brown, flip the crepe using a wide spatula (it should come easily, and if not, add a bit more oil into the batter). Cook the other side less time than you cooked the first one, the crepe should easily slide off the pan. The whole process is very fast so make sure you’re paying attention as not to burn them.