Love is...gluten-free, dairy free chocolate from Amore

Happy New Year everyone! The holidays for me were a little crazier than usual--my family came to visit and stay with me for Christmas in my new home in Seattle for the first time, and let's just say it took quite a bit of time, energy and more than a few trips to IKEA to make it guest-worthy in time.  Luckily, we agreed NOT to stay in and do a big meal for Christmas (so it turned ok in the end that the dining room was the least-finished room in the house). Whew!

One evening after Christmas, my mom and I were taking a nice walk after dinner, and we ran across two chocolate shops on Main Street in Bellevue (which is a neighborhood east of Seattle proper).  One was Fran's--which is local to Seattle and now famous nationwide, especially for their seasalt caramels. However, personally I feel that their product quality is not what is used to be (perhaps due to their global expansion), so was lukewarm about going in. Also, I prefer to support local retailers whenever possible, so was thrilled to pieces to find Amore Chocolates right across the street from Fran's! It is the TEENIEST shop I've ever been in in the US (there were tiny ones in Europe like this), but here was the kicker--they had a sign on the door that said "Vegan truffles--dairy free" and "Gluten-free".  How could I resist?  I practically dragged my mom into the store behind me.

Once inside, I overheard one of the employees ask, then repeated the question, to someone as to whether she had touched some products because he was working with peanuts and he didn't want cross-contamination.  Bingo--I was with my kind of people! I got even more excited, if that's possible.  We started chatting, and it turns out that that young man who was concerned about cross-contamination also had food allergies himself. Of course, we began sharing our food allergy lists, and once again, this Food Allergy Queen reigned supreme.  (Insert crowd cheers here.) He then goodnaturedly assigned himself the title of Food Allergy Court Jester. So cute!

On to the chocolates! So, it turns out that ALL the dark chocolates in the store are dairy-free and made with coconut milk instead. No cream in the chocolate, or the ganache (usually made with chocolate and cream) fillings. No butter either. Anything with a creamy texture was made with coconut milk! (See picture with bite out of it to see the texture--please ignore the bite mark.) And knowing that dipping chocolates by hand is difficult and a tempermental process in the first place, and also considering the extra challenge of the natural humidity in the Pacific Northwest, I was especially impressed by the hand-dipped chocolate texture and the intense European-style flavors of Amore Chocolates.  The owner, Brenda, was on the premises so I was able to ask her directly about how she assembled her products and the ingredients of everything.  She was tickled to help me work my way through the choices.

My favorites were the truffles, which had intense and complex flavors: Seriously Dark, Espresso and Raspberry. I also loved the Haystacks (coconut) and her new one, Potato Chip Haystacks, made with Ruffles! And the marzipan (made with almonds) ones were lovely and chewy, with just the right balance of sweetness.


A followup email confirmed that Amore uses chocolate from Guittard which is gluten-, dairy-free and peanut-free. However, they share equipment that may use dairy or almonds. They use soy lectithin, so those of you with soy allergies unfortunately need to skip these.  Also, when I asked, Brenda was not able to confirm that her sugar was vegan, and I'm guessing neither can Guittard. So I think we're safe to say they're vegetarian, but may not be 100% vegan for those who avoid all animal products.

Best of all, Amore Chocolates can be shipped across the U.S.! Since it's still winter, there's little chance that your chocolates will melt on route, but call and check if you live in a warm state and are concerned.  These are hand-dipped, and handmade, so they are labor intensive and a bit pricey. Expect to pay about what you would for Godiva chocolates...I think I purchased 12 pieces and they were $28. A special occasion treat. Try them, and let me know what you think. Be sure to tell Brenda that the Food Allergy Queen sent you, she'll love supporting our community. And you get amazing chocolates. What's not to love?

http://www.amorechocolatesonmain.com/vegan/

Two Recipes: Lentil soup; Corned Beef

Okay, here they are!  As you may know, I'm experimenting with my slow cooker.  I'm tapping into the Slow Cooker Revolution by America's Test Kitchen. The lentil soup recipe was not available online with a subscription, but a version was posted by Emily George on Happy Hollow Farm and I've tweaked it.  As usual, I've noted my changes in parentheses to offer #foodallergy substitution options. Enjoy during the cold months.

Recipe #1!

Ultimate lentil soup (with Swiss chard) from Slow Cooker Revolution

From Cook’s Illustrated: The Best Make-Ahead Recipe.
Why this recipe works:
After some preliminary testing for our slow-cooker lentil and Swiss chard stew recipe, we decided that large brown and green lentils did the best job of retaining their texture, shape, and flavor through the all-day simmer. As the lentil and Swiss chard stew recipe progressed, we realized it needed more flavorful components to boost the lentils and chard, which, admittedly, tasted pretty thin. After testing a variety of additional ingredients, we most liked the earthiness of mushrooms—in particular, meaty portobello mushrooms pumped up with dried porcini.

PREP-AHEAD TIPS: You can store the following ingredients together, with the exception of the chard leaves:
1. Cook the onion-chard stem mixture as described in step 1, then transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate; prep the chard leaves and refrigerate.
2. Prep the carrots and refrigerate.
3. Prep the portobellos and refrigerate.
4. Pick over and rinse the lentils and refrigerate.

Serves 6 to 8
Be sure to choose large green or brown lentils and avoid red lentils or lentils du Puy, both of which will overcook. Carefully sort through the lentils to remove small stones and pebbles and then rinse.
Ingredients

•    2 medium onions , minced
•    4 medium garlic cloves , minced (I used shallots)
•    2 TBS Extra-virgin olive oil (for serving, optional)
•    1TBS tomato paste (omitted this)
•    1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked, rinsed and minced
•    1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves , or 1 teaspoon dried
•    Salt
•    4 cups vegetable broth (I used half water and half white wine since most premade broth includes carrots)
•    4 cups low sodium chicken broth
•    4 oz. bacon (about 4 slices)
•    1 pound carrots , cut into 1-inch chunks  (omitted the carrots)
•    12 ounces portobello mushroom caps , gills removed, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (I used criminis, which are mini portobellos to go even more low-maintenance)
•    7 ounces brown or green lentils (1 cup), rinsed and picked over
•    2 bay leaves
•    8 oz. Swiss chard , stems and leaves separated (see illustration below); stems cut into 1/4-inch pieces and leaves chopped coarse

Instructions
1.    Microwave onions, garlic, oil, tomato paste, dried mushrooms and thyme in a bowl, stirring occassionally until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.  (Or you can do this on the stove).
2.    Stir both broths, bacon, carrots, fresh mushrooms, lentils and bay leaves into slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low until the soup is thickened and the lentils are tender, 9 to 11 hours. (Alternatively, cover and cook on high for 5 to 7 hours.)
3.    Remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the chard leaves, cover, and continue to cook on high until the leaves are wilted and tender, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add more olive oil to taste and serve.
Technique: Preparing Chard
Hold each leaf at the base of the stem over a bowl filled with water and use a sharp knife to slash the leafy portion from either side of the thick stem or hold the leaves, stacked, on a cutting board and run the knife along the sides of the stem.
Technique: Removing the Gills from Portobello Mushrooms
It is necessary to remove the black gills from the portobello mushrooms because they made the stew muddy in appearance. Using a soup spoon, scrape and discard the dark-colored gills from the underside of each mushroom.

*******

Recipe #2!  Seriously, this could not be easier!

Corned Beef and Cabbage/New England Boiled Dinner from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

1 corned beef, 3-5 lbs
1 bay leaf
1 head of garlic (I subbed with shallots)
3 dried cloves
10 peppercorns
5 allspice berries or 1-2 pinches of ground allspice
1 onion
small head of cabbage, quartered
4-6 small red potatoes
small bunch of baby turnips or 2-3 turnips, quartered
(a reader also suggested adding corn on the cob and green beans, yum!)

1. Put the corned beef in a large, heavy pot and cover with water.  (If the beef is not salted, add some salt here.)
2. Add all the spices, and the onion. Bring to a boil, skimming foam off the surface.
3. Turn to a simmer and cover (or put in a slow cooker and cover, cook on low). After 2 hours (for a small piece or 3 hours for a larger one), start testing with a thin knife if it's easy to pierce through the meat. This should be pretty loose, not like a steak!
4. If the pot is big enough, throw in the remaining vegetables in the last 30 minutes (turn to high if using the slow cooker).  If not, take out the corned beef, then boil the veggies separately.
5. Slice corned beef across the grain, serve with some veggies and broth.  Correct seasonings with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe: Texas caviar for parties

Have you heard of Texas caviar? I hadn't, until I visited my sister in Tennessee, where I discovered it's a popular item to bring to parties.  It's sort of like a bean salad, but served as a dip, and after shoveling quite a bit of it into my mouth, I could see why!  Rather than a heavy creamy dip, or guacamole, you can make this instead.  Hearty, savory, and full of fiber, it holds up well for parties.  And since there are no eggs or mayo in it, you don't need to worry about it sitting around for hours at room temperature.  These are traditionally served with Fritos  -- I like Scoops (unless you have a corn allergy, some other hearty chip will do).



Texas Caviar
Adapted from Judy Curtis, Southern Living Magazine
Makes 10 portions

2- 14 oz. cans of black eyed peas, drained (I can't find these in SoCal, so I use pinto beans instead)

2- 15 1/2 oz cans of white hominy, drained (I buy these at Smart & Final, or in Hispanic grocery stores)
(Note: hominy is corn, so if you have a corn allergy, eliminate this item...you could use garbanzos)

2 medium tomatoes, diced (I use diced red peppers, either fresh or roasted from a jar depending on my mood)
4 green onions (both green and white parts), chopped
2 cloves garlic (I omit this entirely)
1 medium-sized green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly minced
1 small can of chopped green mild chilies
1 8 oz bottle of any zesty Italian dressing (note that many companies are using soy oil in salad dressing, so check the ingredients first.  You may want to go with a packet of Good Seasons and use your own oil.)
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (optional)

Combine all ingredients, salt and pepper to taste.  I usually make this the night before so that the dressing marinates the rest of the ingredients.

I double this for big parties!  You can buy the super large sized cans of hominy and beans at Smart & Final.

Game on!

Recipe: Chinese fried rice...with #gf quinoa!

I'm publicly admitting this.  As a second-generation Chinese-American who loves all things cooking and eating, and especially chowing down on authentic ethnic dishes of all stripes, you'd think I'd be a natural at whipping up Chinese food, right?  Sadly, you would be so very very wrong.  I SUCK at cooking Chinese food.  There, I've said it.  For whatever reason, I seem to have a mental block trying to cook Chinese food.  I can't get the proportions right, or the seasonings balanced or the right ingredients to get the authentic tastes and textures right, even when I have Mom on the other side of the phone walking me through it.  (And Mom NEVER writes her recipes down, she does it all out of her head   -- which only pours gasoline on my problem.)  When I've tried to make Chinese food in the past (with authentic cookbooks in hand), they've been weak. Pale. Sunset Magazine-type imitations of what they are supposed to taste like. Sad.  Accepting this reality means that most of the time when my friends ask me for really good Chinese food, I am forced to throw them into my car and drive them to Chinatown or the San Gabriel Valley.  :)


But the other day, something came over me, and I was CRAVING fried rice.  I haven't had fried rice since 2003, when my food allergies were diagnosed and I discovered I was allergic to, um, rice.  And soy.  Both key ingredients in fried rice...hello tragedy! Fried rice is a bit of a comfort food for Asians -- it's casual, it's filling, it has lots of little tasty bits in it.  Sometimes it includes leftovers, so it can change from time to time.  Years ago, the few times I've tried to "casually" throw it together it was bleah.  An insult to my ancestors -- mostly my grandma who was a great cook! 


Anyhow, flashback to the present.  I found a soy-free fried rice recipe on foodily.com (have you tried this site yet? It aggregates recipes from all over the web into one place and you can share and comment like Facebook. Disclaimer -- the founder is a friend of mine, so I'm biased!) that looked easy enough to convert to be FAQ-friendly.  I substituted a few things that I already had in the pantry, and guess what?  It WORKED! (Cue the angel music!)  It tasted great -- authentic.  It didn't use weird, hard-to-find Chinese ingredients.  I was so happy.  Sorry for those who are egg-allergic on this one. Next time I make this I'll try to figure out an egg-free version.


A few notes: any good Chinese dish is a combination of flavors and textures, so if you delete items, be sure to replace it with something of a similar texture.  For instance, I've made this both with turkey as well as with pork, and when I took out the peas, I added back in diced green pepper. Additions suggested by the original recipe are baby corn, mushrooms, snow peas.  Don't remove the sausage though, that's a key flavor in this recipe and helps make up for the lack of soy sauce.








TIPS: 


- This is easier made in a wok if you have one, if not, use the largest frying pan you have.  You may need to make this in batches if everything doesn't fit into the frying pan.
- Use a high heat oil like grapeseed, or canola in a pinch to stir fry effectively.  Olive oil does not get hot enough, and will also add a different flavor.
- Cut and prep all the ingredients ahead of time.  Once you start heating the pan, everything will go very quickly!
- Wear an apron, there may be splatter.


Chinese fried quinoa/rice with sausage, shrimp and turkey 
Adapted from The Shun Lee cookbook
4 to 6 servings

• 2 oz of good quality gluten-free, dairy-free smoked kielbasa (pork or turkey),  cut into 1-1/2" length slivers (I used Wellshire Farms, there's also Applegate Farms)
• 3 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, washed and dried thoroughly
• 2 ounces boneless, skinless turkey or chicken breast, minced with a cleaver or heavy knife or in a food processor
• 1 large egg
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
• Vegetable oil, for passing through
• 1/3 cup peeled and minced onion
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and minced
• 3 tablespoons thawed frozen baby green peas
• 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (or if you can have rice, use white or brown!)
• Ground white pepper to taste (don't use black, it won't taste the same!) 

Prep quinoa: rinse 1 cup of quinoa well.  (If you've never used it before, it is naturally bitter, so thorough rinsing is important!)  In a saucepan, add 2 cups of water and pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil.  Once brought to boil, turn down to a medium simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes until fluffy like rice.

1. Combine the shrimp, chicken, the 1 egg, cornstarch, and the pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Mix well, and set aside.

2. Heat a large wok over high heat. Add enough oil for 1/4" inch of deep frying in the wok or frying pan, and test with a thermometer to heat it to 300°F. (A quick, unscientific way to see if it's hot enough is to stick in the handle of a wooden spoon in the middle of the pot so it's touching the bottom.  If bubbles form around it right away, it should be hot enough!) Add the shrimp and chicken, and stir gently unto they turn white, about 45 seconds. Using a wide wire-mesh strainer, transfer the shrimp and chicken to a colander to drain. Discard all but 4 tablespoons of the oil from the wok.

3. Beat the whole eggs in a small bowl, and add to the wok. Scramble the eggs until they are quite firm and not runny, about 15 seconds. Transfer to a plate. 

4. Return the shrimp and chicken to the wok, and add the onions and the scallions. Stir-fry until the scallions soften, about 15 seconds. 

5. Add the sausage and peas, and stir-fry for 15 seconds. 

6. Add the quinoa, white pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir-fry until the rice is piping hot, about 3 minutes. Return the eggs to the wok and stir-fry for a few seconds. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Serve immediately.

For reference, here's the link to the original Sausage, shrimp, chicken fried rice recipe from The Shun Lee cookbook.

Recipe: Indian cabbage with mung beans (yummier than it sounds)

Happy New Year everyone!  I am just getting back up to 100% after getting sick from an environmental allergy storm over New Year's eve.  Sometimes high levels of gunky stuff in the air (pollen, grass, pollutants, mold) overpowers my sinuses and if I'm not careful I can get pneumonia.  (After a few days indoors hanging out with my new BFF the neti pot, I'm much better.)  As I'm trying to build up my stamina again, I felt like having something comforting and healthy, but new to my repertoire.  Enter this Indian cabbage recipe.  A lot of news in the food world lately has been about trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our diet for both health and environmental reasons, and I agree -- Meatless Mondays, Bittman's "less meatarian", or full vegan options are all great steps.  Whatever works for you works!  But rather than re-engineer foods to be meatless, I prefer to find recipes that are designed to be veggie to begin with.  That way, to my thinking at least, it doesn't feel like it's missing anything!  There are many vegetarians in the Indian culture, it makes sense that they've adjusted their cuisine so it's just right.  :)

Luckily for me I have a copy of Neelam Batra's The Indian Vegetarian cookbook, which I purchased after I was fortunate enough to take one of her cooking classes.  She has simplified traditional Indian food for American cooks, and everything I've made out of it has been terrific.  Most of the time, her recipes turn out way tastier than I imagined (and you have to imagine -- no pictures!).  This recipe was not only one-pot easy and delicious, with balanced flavors, low fat and high fiber, it used things I already had in my fridge and pantry.  Bonus!

BTW, I'm not advocating that everyone needs to become a full vegetarian unless you choose to.  Adding in more vegetarian recipes is a good idea, AND I believe in listening to your body and crafting your diet for your individual needs.  A few hours after eating this, I had a burger.  :)

Here it is, with my subs noted.

Cabbage with Yellow Mung Beans (Bund gobi aur peeli mung dal)
from Neelam Batra's The Indian Vegetarian

Makes 8 servings

3 Tbs vegetable oil (I used grapeseed for its mild flavor)
2 Tbs peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp finely chopped garlic (I used shallots)
1 cup finely chopped scallion greens (I used the whole scallions)
5 jalapeno peppers, skin punctured to prevent bursting (I skipped this because in this state they would have killed me)
1 cup of cleaned, loosely packed finely chopped cilantro, including soft stems
1 Tbs ground coriander (which is cilantro btw, did you know?)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 cup finely chopped fresh tomato (I used a red pepper since I'm allergic to tomatoes)
1 medium-sized head of green cabbage (about 1.5 lbs.), finely shredded
1/2 cup dried yellow mung beans (I used white lentils), picked over and washed
freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 Tbs chopped cilantro for garnish

Note: this may need add'l water or broth, so have it handy

1. Heat the oil in a large wok or saucepan over moderately high heat and cook ginger and garlic, stirring until golden, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Add scallion greens, jalapeno peppers and cilantro for 1-2 minutes.
3. Stir in spices: coriander, cumin, turmeric and salt and let them heat through to bring out the flavor.
4. Add tomato (peppers for me), cabbage and mung beans.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until cabbage wilts, 3-4 minutes.
5. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the dal is tender about 25-30 minutes.  Note: since I took out the tomato, there was not enough liquid for the lentils to cook, so I added a combination of water and broth over the cooking time so that it didn't dry out and burn!
6. Transfer to a serving dish, season with salt and black pepper to taste, garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy.

Recipe: Pecan pie (gluten, dairy and soy-free)

I finally made the pecan pie I didn't make at Thanksgiving (one month and several inches to my waistline ago).  It was satisfying and delicious, I'll work on an egg-free version for next time.  If anyone tries it with Ener-G egg replacer, let me know if it works by posting on my Facebook page.  The eggs are used for a custardy-type filling, so don't know if the powder will do the same.

Kentucky Pecan pie
From Rita Shiang

1 8" gluten-free pie crust, unbaked (I used the Bob's recipe here)

3/4 c. white corn syrup
3/4 c. dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/3 c. melted butter (or substitute of your choice, I used Earth Balance margarine)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract (gluten-free!)
3 slightly beaten eggs
1 c. roughly chopped pecans.  (Set aside add'l pecan halves for decoration if you like.)

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together the syrup, sugar, butter, salt and vanilla. Add in beaten eggs.
Add in chopped pecans -- at this point you can either mix pecans in the batter, or pour the batter into the shell and sprinkle pecans on top.  I like mixing them in.
Decorate with pecan halves if you like, but this is strictly optional.  (BTW, if the pecan halves sit on top of the pie they're likely to burn like mine did, so cut out a loose circle of foil to protect them but let the crust brown!)

Bake for 45 minutes or until pie is set.  Serve warm or cold.

FAQ Beef Stroganoff Recipe

FAQ Beef Stroganoff Recipe: Adapted from Simply Recipes:

I have to be honest.  A Hamburger Helper commercial made me crave this, so I adapted a recipe I found on Foodily.com.  :)



6 Tbsp butter (I used Earth Balance margarine, soy free version)
1 lb. top sirloin or tenderloin, cut thin into 1" by 2-1/2" strips (I used ground beef for a fast version!)
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1/2 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/5 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp dry tarragon
1 cup of sour cream (I used So Delicious coconut yogurt, plain) at room temperature
1 lb. gluten free pasta (I used Ancient Grains Quinoa and Corn shells)

Cook pasta according to instructions.  While boiling, make the stroganoff.

METHOD

 

1 Melt 3 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Increase the heat to high/med-high and add the strips of beef. You want to cook the beef quickly, browning on each side, so the temp needs to be high enough to brown the beef, but not so high as to burn the butter. You may need to work in batches. While cooking the beef, sprinkle with some salt and pepper. When both sides are browned, remove the beef to a bowl and set aside.

2 In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook the shallots for a minute or two, allowing them to soak up any meat drippings. Remove the shallots to the same bowl as the meat and set aside.

 

3 In the same pan, melt another 3 Tbsp of butter. Increase heat to medium high and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes. While cooking, sprinkle the nutmeg and the tarragon on the mushrooms.

4 Reduce the heat to low and add the sour cream to the mushrooms. You may want to add a tablespoon or two of water to thin the sauce (or not). Mix in the sour cream thoroughly. Do not let it come to a simmer or boil or the sour cream will curdle. Stir in the beef and shallots. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately over egg noodles, fettucine, potatoes, or rice. (Potatoes, rice, and gluten-free pasta are gluten-free options.)

Yield: Serves 4.

Recipe: something new -- lamb burgers!

Yes!  I said LAMB burgers, not hamburgers, which if you think about it are not really made from ham.  Hamburgers by most counts originated in Germany from...Hamburg.  But I digress!  Many months after I moved away from the neighborhood, I finally had the chance to return to the Santa Monica Farmer's market, which used to be a weekly staple for me.  One of the things I always appreciate when going there is that not only do local farmers bring their best fruits and veggies, but local meat producers show up also.  So you can get locally-raised, grassfed beef, or fruit-fed lamb, or organic pork without all the byproducts, fillers and hormones of commercially-raised meat.  They're better for you, and reduces the carbon footprint -- and you get a tasty, healthier end result! It's the whole point of the locavore movement.

Sadly, the realities of economics makes these products expensive since they're literally done on a small scale.  It currently prohibits them from becoming a bigger movement, but I encourage everyone try to support these small ranchers whenever you can, and when your budget allows -- by doing so, you will help support the producers, and make it more accessible to all down the line.  This time, I bought one pound of organic ground lamb on Saturday for $14.  While much pricier than ground beef, it made four burgers, and still cost less than it would have in a health food-type restaurant.  Also, I could control the ingredients for my particular food allergies, and got a delicious alternative to beef, pork and turkey, which are my usual mammalian/avian proteins.  The salsa was mellow and complemented the lamb nicely, I had to sub mango for the oranges, and upped the vinegar a bit to compensate for the lack of citrus.  This would make a nice alternatives to regular burgers if you had company too -- seems fancy!  And the flavors are a bit more sophisticated that just using ketchup and mustard.

Anyhow, if you get the chance to make these lamb burgers, please do!  These spices will probably work with beef, but they really are designed to complement the slightly more aggressive taste of lamb.  It might work with buffalo too.  Which is also offered at the market.  Here's the recipe.  Enjoy!

Moroccan-Spiced Lamb Burgers with Beet, Red Onion and Orange Salsa

He may be executive chef at London's luxe Conservatory at The Lanesborough, but Paul Gayler knows a thing or two about American cuisine, too. In The Gourmet Burger, he rethinks the barbecue classic using premium and international ingredients. Here, he adds mildly spicy North African flavors.

Yield: Makes 4

Salsa
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
2 beets, boiled, peeled, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1 large orange, peel and pith cut away, flesh cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped pitted green Greek olives

Burgers
1 large shallot, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño chile, seeded, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 3/4 pounds ground lamb

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 large cracked-wheat hamburger buns, split horizontally
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced Bibb lettuce
Mayonnaise

For salsa:

Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Mix in next 4 ingredients. Season salsa to taste with salt and pepper.

Do ahead: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

For burgers:

Stir shallot, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, salt, black pepper, paprika, and cumin in large bowl to blend. Add lamb and mix gently to combine. Shape mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Arrange on small baking sheet.

Do ahead: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill buns, cut side down, until golden, about 2 minutes; transfer to work surface. Place lettuce and large spoonful of salsa on each bun bottom. Grill burgers until slightly charred and cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Place 1 burger on each bun. Top each with mayonnaise and bun top. Serve with remaining salsa.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Moroccan-Spiced-Lamb-Burgers-with-Beet-Red-Onion-and-Orange-Salsa-235346#ixzz1WMf2p9K5

Quick cilantro pesto recipe

I was stuck with a rather large bunch of cilantro and ran out of ideas of what to do with it (after knocking out two batches of guacamole).  Then I remembered having a delicious cilantro pesto on pasta, and found this recipe on Epicurious.com. It's for a composed salad with roasted beets, etc. but I pounced on the pesto section of the recipe, which turned out great!  Tasty, bright, good depth of flavor, refreshing and best of all, EASY and fast because it's made in a blender or food processor!

This has no cheese, but because of the pine nuts still has a rich taste without it.  And the mint punches it up a bit so it's not too heavy.  I tried it out on grilled tilapia, then a lambchop, next I'll thin it and use it as a pasta sauce. Perfect for warmer weather when you want lighter flavors. 

I'm going to revisit this and try to find a #nutfree alternative for the nut-allergic peeps in the house soon!  Recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, peanut-free, egg-free.  Can be made citrus-free. 

From Epicurious.com:

Cilantro Pesto:

• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 bunch fresh chives, coarsely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/4 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeño chile
• 1 small garlic clove, peeled (I used shallots instead)
• 1 teaspoon (scant) coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I used white balsamic vinegar instead)
•  

Puree first 9 ingredients in blender until smooth. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reblend before continuing.) Whisk in lime juice.

Recipe: Mmmm...Millet Crispy treats!

I know, I know, the name "millet treats" doesn't roll off the tongue quite like Rice Krispies (R) treats, but I was trying to get you all pumped up anyway.   :)

I met with some friends to watch the "Lost" finale last weekend, and I wanted to test drive a new snack...something savory that wasn't deep fried or super fatty but still irresistable and munchable.  On "Top Chef Masters" last week, Chef Susan Feniger (her LA restaurants include Border Grill, Ciudad, and the newest one, Street) made a dish which included savory crispy puffed millet balls, and they looked so tasty I was inspired to make them! (Since I have a rice allergy,  I'm always on the lookout for good alternatives to rice, and puffed millet could do the trick nicely.  Millet is a gluten-free ancient grain going back almost 10,000 years and is still a staple food in many countries in the world including India and China.)  I looked up the recipe online (thank you Oprah!), and found that they were made with Indian spices in addition to the traditional marshmallows and was even further intrigued.

I had to substitute a few of the spices since I didn't have some of them, but the puffs were easy to make, and jackpot!...they were DEE-lish -- a very adult version of Rice Krispie squares: sweet, spicy, chewy.  (Note: if you're not a fan of Indian spices, you won't like these.) Because they use whole seeds, the flavors are bold, yet not overpowering.  These are light, chewy and addicting.  Chef Susan serves them as an appetizer at Street, but they would make a nice savory snack anytime...I'm going on a road trip next month, I may make a batch to take them along.

Here's the Spicy Millet Puff recipe from Susan Feniger.  Try them out and let me know what you think!

Millet Puffs
Recipe created by Susan Feniger
Oprah.com

Servings: Makes 36 small balls (about 6 servings)

Ingredients:

Millet Puffs

• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (I used Earth Balance soy-free margarine)
• 2 cups marshmallows
• 3 cups puffed millet cereal
• 1 Tbsp. whole cumin seed
• 1 tsp. whole fennel seed
• 1 tsp. black mustard seed
• 1/4 tsp. Reshampati chili powder (Note: I used Ancho chili powder)
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup dried currants (I used dried cranberries)
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. chopped curry leaf (I used a pinch of curry powder)

Directions

Note: Arrowhead Mills makes millet puffs, but you can also substitute other unsweetened puffed cereals, like Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs. Dried cherries, cranberries, or raisins can be used instead of currants. All of the spices are available at Amazon.com.

Place the butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven; heat over medium heat until frothy.

Add the marshmallows and start to melt them, stirring with a rubber spatula so that they don't stick or burn (you can lower the heat if you need to). When the marshmallows are halfway melted, add all the remaining ingredients except the millet and stir well, so spices start to toast and are fully mixed with the marshmallow.

Add the millet, turn off heat, and stir until all of the millet is mixed and evenly coated in the spiced marshmallow mix.

Move the pan to a heat-proof surface, and immediately start rolling into small balls, about the size of a cherry; if your hands are slightly damp with cold water, the mixture will be easier to work with. Place the balls on a plate, uncovered, until they dry out slightly, about 1 hour. Store in an airtight container up to three days.

PLAIN CRISPY TREATS RECIPE:
I had extra marshmallows, so also tweaked the original Rice Krispie treat recipe and made a puffed millet version.  Because the millet isn't presweetened like the Rice Krispies cereal, the proportion of marshmallow to cereal needed to be adjusted to be 1:1.  Melt 1/4 cup of dairy-free margarine with 4 cups of marshmallows.  When melted, add 4 cups of puffed millet, stir until mixed, scoop into an oiled pan and press lightly.  Cut while warm!

Recipe: My favorite savory hamburger

I'm sure you're thinking to yourself, why in the world do we need yet ANOTHER burger recipe?  Because, people, even though it's a classic, there are always those out there looking to take it to the next level.  Here in LA, there are always chefs who are trying to become THE best burger in LA for either culinary ego or public relations reasons.  Lucky us!  My current favorite is the Umami burger.  Umami is a Japanese word meaning savory.  Generally, scientists note that the palate can detail four distinct tastes: salty, sweet, sour and bitter.  Umami burger tries to deliver a fifth taste: savory.

Unfortunately the restaurant serves it with cheese and a bun with a sweetish taste, so I came up with an Food Allergy Queen version of their burger reminiscent of that combination of flavors.  Luckily for us, a burger (without the bun) is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, nut-free and peanut-free. Yum!

The ingredients are simple, but it's really more about timing and technique than anything else -- beef loses its flavor the longer it's cooked.  The best pan for cooking burgers (when you can't grill outside on an open flame) in my opinion is cast iron...MUCH better than stainless steel.   You can heat it to become really hot, and it sears beautifully.  It even adds iron to the food you're cooking.  Even better, use a cast iron grill pan to add grilled flavor in the house!  (There's one listed on my Amazon favorites on my home page -- it's one of my secret weapons for easy and great cooking.  A plain chicken breast is never the same when made in this baby!)

Also, be sure not to cheat and use a leaner cut of ground beef.  The burger needs to cook in some fat to be juicy, and much of it will drain off after cooking.  

The FAQ Savory Burger
Makes four burgers

1 lb. ground beef, (85%, 15% fat)
1 Tablespoon finely diced onion, or 1 tsp. dried chopped onion, rehydrated
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground oregano
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Condiments: grilled onions and a sweet pickle or relish

1. Heat the cast iron pan over medium heat for 10 minutes until hot.  If using another type of frypan, the important thing is to get it hot throughout before adding the meat, but it won't take as long as 10 minutes :).
2. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly.
3. With medium firmness using your hands, form into four patties, flattened to the size of your palm.  (If you pack it together too tightly or it's too tall, then the burger will be tougher since it takes longer to cook.)
4. Cook for four minutes each side, (to 135 degrees for medium rare), then remove from heat.
5. Let the burgers sit for a minute or two to allow the juices to come back into the meat.
6. Serve with grilled onions and your favorite sweet pickle, chutney or other sweet relish.  (I pile them on way higher than in the picture, but it didn't photograph as well so I took them off.)
7. Obviously if you can have bread, serve on a bun!  :)

Recipe: Pickled daikon and red radishes with ginger

I found some nice daikon radishes at the farmers market yesterday, and found this easy-peasy recipe on Epicurious for making a light pickle.  Crunchy, fresh-tasting and pretty, it would be great with bbq!  BTW, a few Epicurious reviewers noted that these pickles can be smelly when you first open the container, but don't let that deter you from making these!

Pickled Daikon and Red Radishes with Ginger
Gourmet | November 2007 by Lillian Chou

Crisp disks of two kinds of radishes taste clean and sweet in this Japanese- and Korean-influenced pickle. Yield: Makes about 3 cups 1 1/2 pounds daikon radish, peeled 1 bunch red radishes (about 10), trimmed and each cut lengthwise into 6 wedges 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned) (NOTE: I used white balsamic vinegar instead, you could also use white wine or champagne vinegar) 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon very thin matchsticks of peeled ginger Halve daikon lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with radishes and kosher salt. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Drain in a colander (do not rinse) and return to bowl. Add vinegar, sugar, and ginger, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Transfer to an airtight container and chill, covered, shaking once or twice, at least 12 hours more (to allow flavors to develop). Cooks' note: Pickled radishes can be chilled up to 3 weeks.

Product Review: Daiya vegan cheese. Do not be afraid!

I LOVE real cheese.  Grilled cheese sandwiches are a gift from the universe...a brie and butter sandwich I once had in Paris almost made me cry, it was so good. Tragically, I discovered my dairy allergy only a few months after a friend shared her mad skills from her job at the Beverly Hills Cheese store (the Disneyland of cheeses for Southern California).  I'll admit upfront, I've been suspicious of soy cheese, rice cheese, almond cheese, nut cheese, cheese food, cheese replacements and raw or vegan cheese (I'm starting to sound like Monty Python so I'll stop) ever since they came into existence. All the reviews I've ever read, including personal opinions from my veggie friends, confirmed that they were pretty lame excuses for cheese, and lovingly warned me off them. So I didn't bother. A particularly vivid bad food memory on the same subject happened years ago when I sat next to my coworker (a healthy marathon runner) during lunch.  She enthusiastically bit into a slice of soy cheese only to cringe, freeze, then bolt to the kitchen to huck it out of her mouth. It was SO bad (how bad was it?) that when she returned she madly began scraping her tongue off with a napkin to get the taste out of her mouth. It left an impression.

Since then, I made a heartfelt vow of "no cheese unless it's real".  And have been perfectly fine with that.

Last year, I was working on a recipe that needed some cheese love, so I tippy-toed out of my self-made box to make an enthusiastically-described vegan "cheese spread" using nutritional yeast (a standard cheese replacement in much vegan cookery).  Nutritional yeast comes in bright orange dehydrated flakes, and is described as having a "cheese-like" taste.  I made the sauce, tasted it, then made an unattractive "gack" sound.  It was bitter, smelly, and just plain nasty so into the trash it went. Ugh.  Back into my non-cheese cave, disappointed yet again.

Then I heard from my allergy pal Alisa at GoDairyFree.com last summer that there was Daiya vegan cheese, which was made from tapioca starch.  Hm. Tapioca has a gelatinous texture and a mild taste, so I thought it might actually work.  It was delicious! Pre-shredded, Daiya looks, smells and tastes like real mild dairy cheese.  At that time it was only available online, and because it required overnight shipping/refrigeration it was PRICEY.  It was not available in retail stores yet, so I was waiting for their distribution to improve before posting about it, and now that day is here!  Click here Where to enjoy Daiya in the US and Canada!  By the way, they don't have retail packaging yet, at least at my Whole Foods they don't, WF is repackaging it in generic, non-descript store containers.  Daiya should be near the refrigerated soy and other alternative cheeses.

Daiya vegan cheese is based on tapioca starch and arrowroot, and is FREE of common allergens such as  "Soy, Casein, Lactose, Gluten, Egg, Wheat, Barley, Corn, Whey, Rice, and Nuts".  Here's the official ingredient list:

Purified water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, natural flavors (derived from plants), xanthan gum, sunflower lecithin, vegan enzymes (no animal rennet or animal enzymes), vegan bacterial cultures, citric acid (for flavor), annatto.

It tastes great!  It melts!  It broils! It doesn't have a weird aftertaste!  There are two varieties: cheddar and Italian blend which is like mozzarella -- they're both mild in flavor so those of you who love strong, stinky cheeses are out of luck, but these will do for most general cheese uses.  My days now have cheese omelets and nachos in them, la!  Daiya is also selling their product to the food industry, so there are pizza restaurants using Daiya, and some manufacturers like Amy's Kitchen are making gluten-free dairy-free pizza and mac and cheese with it. Cool.

I decided to see how it performed beyond just as a topping, so whipped up a cheese sauce and used it as a dip for turkey strips and on top of steamed cauliflower.  This cheese sauce can be thinned and also be used to make mac and cheese, folks!  This recipe is based on the classic bechamel, or French white sauce.  I used tapioca starch instead of flour used in the traditional recipe.  Try to use the best butter substitute you can here, it will impact the flavor.  Have everything measured out and ready before you start, as this only takes a few minutes to make!




Thick Cheese Sauce
Makes approx 1-1/4 cup

1 Tablespoon best-quality butter substitute of your choice (margarine, Earth Balance, coconut oil,  a buttery French or Spanish olive oil, canola oil)
2-1/2 Tablespoons tapioca starch
1 cup milk substitute of your choice (soy, rice, almond, oat)
1/2 cup Daiya cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
dash of nutmeg

1. In a small saucepan on low heat, melt the butter substitute (or warm it if it's oil).  Sprinkle in the tapioca starch and whisk thoroughly to incorporate and form a paste.
2.  Spread out the paste on the bottom of the pan, and cook it for a few minutes so that it bubbles a little, and cooks any raw taste out of the starch.
3. While whisking, pour in milk substitute a little at a time,  so that you don't create lumps.
4. When all the milk substitute is incorporated, add in the cheese a little at a time, whisking until melted and smooth.
5. Salt and pepper to taste, finish with a dash of nutmeg.  Serve.

When this cools, it will congeal to be pretty thick but it reheats just fine.  You can also thin it out with more milk substitute to suit your needs, but remember to correct the seasoning again.

Once you have cheese again in your life after a long absence, it calls for a little happy dance.  Go ahead, I won't look.