Category Archives: Gluten free
Gluten Free Pasta Bake
I wanted to experiment with gluten free pasta. I actually went shopping for lasagna noodles but couldn’t find the gluten free variety. The store had run out of them, due to their popularity. I instead bought some penne and planned on layering my dish like a lasagna using penne instead lasagna noodles. It turned out delicious!!
- ½ pound gluten free penne (lasagna sheets will be great as well)
Cook 2 minutes short of package instructions. Drain and keep aside making sure
pasta doesn’t stick together.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 yellow squash, chopped
- 2 small zucchini, chopped
- 1 yellow pepper, chopped
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- Salt
Heat a wide saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the squash, zucchini and pepper. Saute on medium heat until the vegetables are golden brown (careful not to overcook them). Add the tomato sauce and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Check for seasonings and keep aside.
Ricotta Filling
- 1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup basil
- ½ cup parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
Place the garlic, basil and parsley in a food processor and process till chopped well. Place the ricotta in a medium bowl. Transfer the chopped herbs, salt and egg to the ricotta cheese. Mix well.
Layer like a lasagna starting with the vegetable mixture (divide into 3 parts). Top with half the pasta. Place half of the ricotta filling. Repeat the layering. Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
Grainless Granola
If you are gluten free or just want to cut back on grains, etc, this is a delicious granola to have on hand all the time. I was buying a really delicious one from Whole Foods but it was expensive and so I thought why not make it at home!! I am not gluten free but I like to cut back on grains, etc where ever I can… so my usual lunch of yogurt and fruit is delicious with a handful of crunchy, yummy granola!
- 1 cup raw sliced almonds
- 2 cups raw walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup raw pistachios, chopped
- ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and keep aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add all the ingredients to a glass measuring cup and microwave for a minute. Mix well and add to the nuts. Transfer the ingredients to a large lined cookie sheet. Spread and bake for 20 minutes.
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
Take the granola out and add the pumpkin seeds, mix well and return to the oven and bake for another 5 to 6 minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!
Gochujang Tofu Stir Fry
We love, love Korean cuisine- this one is a play on the Korean flavors…
4 tablespoons Gochujang
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Mirin
1 teaspoon salt
Mix the ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.
1 18 ounces firm tofu package, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup peanut oil
Transfer the tofu into a medium bowl, add the corn starch and salt. Mix well till all cubes are coated properly. Heat a frying pan with the peanut oil and brown the tofu on medium heat till all sides are golden brown. Drain on some paper towel and keep aside. Save the peanut oil for stir frying the veggies.
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cups Cremini or any mushroom of choice, slices
1 large red bell pepper, sliced
4 cups Chinese broccoli, or bok choy or spinach
3 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
Heat a wok like pan with 2 tablespoons of the saved peanut oil. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the greens and let them wilt and add the browned tofu and the gochujang sauce. Mix well and bring to a boil. Check for seasonings. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with jasmine rice.
Paneer and Peas Korma
- ½ pound paneer, cut into small squares and soaked in warm water
- 2 tablespoons fresh cashews, soaked in ¼ cup warm water for 20 minutes
- 2 tablespoons cream
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Transfer the drained cashews, cream, onion, tomato, ginger and garlic to a blender. Add some water if necessary and blend till a smooth paste is formed. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ inch cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- 1-2 cups water
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon kauri methi (dried fenugreek)
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the bay leave and cinnamon stick and sauté for 20 seconds. Add the cashew paste and sauté on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper, turmeric, salt and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the drained paneer and peas and bring back to a boil and simmer half covered with a lid for 10 minutes. Add the kasuri methi and cilantro. Check for seasonings and serve warm.
Indian Fish Curry
This recipe is inspired by a bengali fish curry. It doesn’t have any tomatoes or yogurt as a base for the gravy. It is mostly flavored with spices including mustard seeds and onion seeds- which is one of my favorite combinations. It is quite simple and quick to make…
- 2 pounds fish fillets, (any white fish will do)
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons salt
Marinate the fish fillets with the lemon juice, turmeric and salt.
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons kalonji (onion seeds)
- 2 tablespoons garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons ginger, grated
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped fine
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups water, fish or chicken broth
- Salt
Heat a non stick pan with the 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Saute the fish pieces briefly on high heat. Keep aside. Add the leftover oil from the non-stick pan to a saucepan and add the remaining coconut oil. Heat the pan and add the mustard and onion seeds on medium heat. Saute for a minute. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions, coriander powder and bay leaf. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the liquid and salt and bring to a boil. Add the fish pieces and simmer for a few minutes till the fish is cooked through but not over done. Check for seasonings and serve with rice.
Easy Citrus Chicken
Here is another yummy, healthy chicken dish. This particular one has Latin flavors. I started with marinating the chicken- I do think it is the key to amazing flavor every time. I marinated the chicken in orange juice, lime juice, agave, smoked paprika and garlic. I later made a sauce out of the left over marinade- always a good idea! To thicken the sauce, I dredged the chicken pieces in a bit of flavor before cooking. The dish came together in no time at all and it was delicious.
I served the healthy chicken breasts with citrus broccoli and some sweet potato oven fries.
- 3 to 4 chicken breast filets, boneless, skinless and pounded thin (about ½ inch)
Marinade
- 1 cup orange juice
- Juice of one lime
- 1 to 2 tablespoons agave
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
Add the orange juice, lime juice, agave, salt, paprika and garlic in a small bowl and mix well. Add the marinade and chicken to a zip lock bag and marinate for 3 to 4 hours in the fridge.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Take the chicken filets out of the marinade and dredge in flour and salt (save the marinade for later). Brown the chicken on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Take the filets out and add the marinade into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Add the chicken filets and cook on a medium flame until chicken is done (time will vary according the chicken thickness). Serve hot with pan sauce on top of the chicken.
Moroccan Vegetable Tagine
Great healthy way to start off the new year!
Spice Mix
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a cast iron skillet on a medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till the seeds become aromatic. Take off the heat and grind smooth in a coffee grinder. Take out in a small bowl and add the turmeric and cayenne pepper. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon harissa
- 3 to 4 medium yellow potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 medium turnips, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt
- 1 cup green olives, sliced
- ½ cup dried apricots, sliced
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried mint, crushed
Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, harissa and the spice mix. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, turnips, carrots, chickpeas, chicken stock and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes. Take the lid off and check to see if the root vegetables are tender. Mash some potatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to slightly thicken the liquid. Add the olives and apricots. Turn the heat up to cook off some of the excess liquid to get the desired consistency- it should be like a thick soup. Add the almonds, cilantro, parsley and dried mint. Check for seasonings and serve with couscous.