Thai Fresh Green Curry (Vegan)

Yesterday I was standing in my kitchen at 5pm, with four hungry children underfoot, wondering what to make for dinner. I made the usual rounds to the pantry, fridge, and garden. Something spicy, green, and with noodles was brewing in my mind. A green curry sauce, over noodles, with tempeh, broccoli, spinach and zucchini. Hmm, and how about roasted cashews too.

Every now and then I make a simple Thai Green Curry Sauce. Yesterday evening I took note of the ingredient amounts to be able to share it with you.

If you are one who feels intimidated by cooking Thai food then this recipe is perfect to begin with. The sauce is so flavorful while being very easy and quick to prepare. You'll probably find yourself making this over and over again.

Once the sauce is made, you can do quite a bit with it. Last night I served it over Thai rice noodles, sauteed tempeh, broccoli, spinach, and zucchini. I garnished the dish with freshly roasted cashews. (I sauteed the tempeh in a separate pan and kept half of the dish sans soy for those in our house who do not eat it).

Fresh Thai Green Curry Sauce

This delicious Thai style sauce can be made in about 20 minutes from start to finish. I didn't have any jalapeno peppers on hand and so used crushed red chili flakes this time. It tasted just as good as usual! Saute the veggies over medium-high heat for a few minutes (starting with the veggies that take the longest to cook) and then add a little water and cover to finish the cooking by steaming. You can then pour the sauce over your stir-fry.

2 handfuls fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)

2 small shallots

4 cloves garlic

1 to 2 jalapeno peppers or green Thai chili peppers, seeded (or 1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red chili flakes)

1-inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled

1/2 teaspoon lime zest

1 to 2 teaspoons agave nectar or coconut sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

1 can full fat coconut milk

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a small pot and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, uncovered. Use the ideas below to create a meal. Enjoy!! :)

Here are a few more ideas for using the sauce:

• Quickly saute a variety of fresh veggies and then pour the sauce over them and simmer until cooked but still crisp.
• Sauté chunks of fish, such as halibut, and spinach. Serve the sauce over the fish and spinach on a bed of rice or quinoa.
• Simmer a fillet of salmon (skin removed) in the sauce.
• Sauté cubed tofu, onions, zucchini, carrots, snow peas and then add to the simmering sauce.
• Serve over bean thread noodles, rice, or quinoa.
• Sauté chunks of chicken breast and your favorite veggies then add the sauce and simmer until cooked. Garnish with thinly sliced basil leaves.

If you have any other ideas please share, thanks! :)

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Spiced Teff Cookie Bars (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Soy-Free)

This recipe was inspired by an email I received from a fellow gluten-free blogger and mother of a toddler. Her son is allergic to wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, oats, and nuts. She had great success in baking my Rhubarb Muffins and other recipes, and was wondering if I had any cookie recipes that fit her son's allergy criteria and that also excluded seeds. Hmm, seeds too? No flax, no sunflower, no nothing? Now, I do have a handful of these types of cookie recipes which will be appearing in my next book, but what about something new? An idea for a richly spiced teff cookie bar was inspired!

I experimented with my idea two different ways while my twin toddlers were sleeping this afternoon. My four-year old daughter helped to measure all of the ingredients. It especially excites her to measure the spices and level them off with her finger!

These cookie bars are rich, moist, with a full-bodied spice flavor. My toddlers thoroughly enjoyed them!

Though I have not tested this, I believe these bars could be made with sprouted brown rice or sorghum flour in place of the teff. The teff does lend a discernible crunch which may turn some folks off, though die-hard teff lovers will surely be satiated with this recipe.

I have a number of gluten-free, vegan teff recipes available on this blog for those newcomers just stopping by for the first time. Enjoy!

Dilled Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad

Today I offer you a recipe in spirit of sunny days and lighter fare (although it has been a bit chilly here). Adzuki beans and rice are very easy to digest while giving you clean-burning energy to get you through fun-filled summer days. I made this for dinner tonight, though I am looking forward to the leftovers for lunches.

I made a large pot of both brown jasmine rice and adzuki beans for dinner last night so it was very easy to throw dinner together tonight. I used fresh carrots which we bought at the market on Saturday, while the green onions, butterhead lettuce, and fresh dill came from our garden.

Melissa at Gluten Free for Good just did a great post which included the health benefits of dill. And while you are there be sure to check out her coconut beet ice cream, it looks fabulous!

For a refresher on how to cook beans please refer to this post. But remember, adzuki beans are considered "small beans" and do not require any soaking.

To cook a pot of Brown Jasmine Rice:

Place 2 cups of rice into a 2-quart pot, add just a tad under 4 cups of water and a large pinch of sea salt. Cover pot, place over high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the rice is boiling turn heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let stand about 10 to 20 minutes before serving. Be sure to let your rice cool to room temp before making this salad.


Dilled Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad

Serve this grain and bean salad over fresh lettuce leaves, or place a spoonful of salad in each leaf and eat "wrap style." Try adding diced cucumbers, red bell peppers, or any other vegetable you desire to this recipe. Garnish each serving with toasted sunflower seeds. Salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

4 cups cooked long grain brown rice
3 cups cooked adzuki beans
4 large carrots, diced
4 green onions, sliced into rounds
small handful of fresh dill, finely chopped
butterhead lettuce
toasted sunflower seeds

Dressing:
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 to 3 teaspoons raw honey
1 teaspoon Herbamare
1 large garlic clove, crushed

Place all ingredients for the salad into a large bowl. Set aside.

To make the dressing, place all ingredients into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. I actually add all ingredients to the jar and use my immersion blender to combine the ingredients.

Pour dressing over salad and toss together. Serve over lettuce leaves and garnish with tosated sunflower seeds and avocado slices if desired.

Elimination Diet Modification: If you have introduced lemon juice and are okay with it then replace the vinegar with equal amount of lemon juice in Phase 3.

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Carrot Raisin Buckwheat Muffins (gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, vegan)

Instead of reinventing the wheel, I thought I would share with you today a recipe from my cookbook (The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook). Some of you may have made these already, but for those who have not, the photos will probably inspire you to give them a try!

These muffins do not require any xanthan gum. I know this is a strange-sounding food ingredient, but it is necessary for the most part in gluten-free baking. The xanthan gum helps to hold baked goods together and give them elasticity. It also helps to retain moisture and increase mouth-feel. For those of you who are unfamiliar with xanthan gum, here is a great definition from www.wisegeek.com:

"Xanthan gum derives its name from the strain of bacteria used during the fermentation process, Xanthomonas campestris. Xanthomonas campestris is the same bacteria responsible for causing black rot to form on broccoli, cauliflower and other leafy vegetables. The bacteria form a slimy substance which acts as a natural stabilizer or thickener. The United States Department of Agriculture ran a number of experiments involving bacteria and various sugars to develop a new thickening agent similar to corn starch or guar gum. When Xanthomonas campestris was combined with corn sugar, the result was a colorless slime called xanthan gum."

I have found that most recipes which use buckwheat as the primary flour do not require xanthan gum and actually turn out better without it. Buckwheat flour forms a stringy goo when mixed with a liquid and the end product holds together surprisingly well.

Some people react to xanthan gum, while others would rather avoid it. It can cause digestive upset, especially for those who have weak digestion or bacterial imbalances in the gut. 

And now, the Carrot Buckwheat Muffin recipe from my cookbook. I didn't add raisins to these this time, my girls decided that they don't care for raisins in baked goods anymore. They happily scarfed down (along with their twin brothers and a friend) the entire batch of muffins in one day! I guess that is a testimony in itself!

Homemade Chipotle Barbecue Sauce (soy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free)

Just in time for summer BBQs comes an easy recipe for homemade barbecue sauce! It is sweet and tangy with a nice kick from the chipotle chili powder.

I don't shop around much for barbecue sauce and therefore am not on the up-and-up with ingredients and allergens commonly found in sauces. I have no doubt though that many BBQ sauces contain soy sauce and therefore wheat, many recipes probably contain large amounts of cane sugar, and some contain other types of processed ingredients that most of us would like to avoid.

Here I use a combination of organic strained tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and olive oil. Along with a bit of onions, garlic, and chipotle, this sauce is mighty tasty and very easy to make!

Use this sauce to marinate chicken, fish, tofu, or tempeh (if you tolerate soy). It can also be used to top cooked beans or whole grains (this is how Tom uses it). If you have any ideas on how you like to use BBQ sauce then let us know. Enjoy! :)

Raw Mediterranean Kale Salad

Hope you are all enjoying this lovely weekend! We deep cleaned our house this morning. It really needed it. Now we are off to a family picnic in the park since the sun has decided to finally peek out.

Yesterday evening I made this salad along with our Sunny Sunflower Seed Burger recipe (in my Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook), Herbed Oven Roasted Potatoes, and a loaf of freshly baked gluten-free french bread. It was a delicious summer meal!