Tag: gluten free

Baked Tofu

 

Baked Tofu

This is a base recipe for putting tofu into other things
Print Recipe
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 14 oz tofu extra firm
  • 1 tbsp oil neutral
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch

Equipment

  • 1 cookie sheet or any large, flat pan
  • parchment paper
  • tofu press or two large flat plates and a heavy pot
  • 2 towels

Method
 

  1. Press the tofu
    If you don't have a tofu press, and who does?
    Place 3 layers of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel on a plate. Place tofu on towels and cover with another 3 layers of towels or another clean kitchen towel. Place a heavy can or skillet on top of tofu to press moisture out, pouring off excess water and replacing towels as they get soaked, 30 to 45 minutes
  2. Preheat oven to 425F
    If you're using a cast iron pan, preheat with the oven
  3. Break or cut tofu into 1" cubes and toss into a bowl or bag
  4. Drizzle tofu with oil, and toss to coat
  5. Sprinkle on cornstarch, and toss to coat
  6. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, and arrange tofu cubes so they don't touch each other
  7. Bake for 12 minutes, flip the cubes over, and bake for another 12 minutes

Garlic-Parmesan Broccoli

 

Garlic Parmesan Broccoli

Quick prep, and cooks in 12 minutes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Side Dish
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 heads broccoli
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice

Equipment

  • 1 baking sheet
  • 1 bowl large, for mixing broccoli w/ oil and garlic
  • 1 oven

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 425F
  2. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets
  3. Toss broccoli with olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste
  4. Spray baking sheet or pan with non-stick spray or oil
  5. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until tender and very slightly crisped around the edges
  6. Sprinkle with parmesan

Notes

Pairs very well with Garlic Baked Whitefish.  You can cook both in the same oven at the same time, just cook the broccoli at 400F a little longer (3-4 minutes)

Inspired by damndelicious.net

Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken

 

Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken

Very fast chicken in a delicious cream sauce
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts boneless, skinless, thin sliced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes julienned, packed in oil, drained

Equipment

  • 1 Skillet
  • 1 whisk optional, a wooden spoon is ok too

Method
 

  1. Add oil to pan over medium heat
  2. Cook chicken, 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through. Sides should be a little browned.
    Remove from pan, set aside on a plate
  3. Add cream, chicken broth, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese to skillet.
    Whisk or stir over medium-high heat until it starts to thicken (4-5 minutes)
  4. Add spinach and sun dried tomatoes, cook until spinach starts to wilt (1-2 minutes)
  5. Add chicken back to pan, until warmed back up.
    Spoon sauce over chicken before serving.

Notes

You can use full-sized chicken breasts, but your cook times will be much longer.
This pairs well with egg noodles and glazed carrots.
Originally taken from https://therecipecritic.com/creamy-tuscan-garlic-chicken/

Kung Pao Chicken

This is one of the first spicy things I’ve made that my teenagers actually liked.

Kung Pao Chicken

Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 5 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Calories: 400
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper white or black
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar granulated
  • 1 tbsp sambal oelek
  • vegetable oil
  • 2 bell peppers diced large
  • 2 celery stalks sliced thin
  • 1 tbsp ginger, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup peanuts, roasted
  • 2 scallions sliced thin (optional)
  • 1.5 tsp sesame oil

Equipment

  • 1 Flat-bottomed wok or large frying pan
  • 2 mixing bowls
  • measuring cups and spoons

Method
 

Marinate the Chicken
  1. Add tamari or soy sauce, wine or sherry, cornstarch, sesame oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Drizzle 2 tablespoons over chicken and mix.
  2. Add the vinegar, sugar, and sambal to the remaining marinade and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
    NOTE: if you're doubling the recipe because you have a lot of chicken, don't double the sambal or you may make it too spicy.
Stir Fry the Veggies and the Chicken
  1. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add tablespoon of oil, followed by the bell peppers and celery. Season with salt and stir fry until crispy-tender and browned in spots (about 4 minutes).
    Add garlic and ginger and stir fry another 30 seconds.
  2. Transfer veggies to a plate.
  3. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the pan, followed by the chicken. Spread evenly across the pan and let cook until golden brown and a little seared on the bottom, 3-4 minutes.
    Stir fry for a couple of minutes, until cooked through.
Combine Everything
  1. Add vegetables back in, and add peanuts.
    Give the sauce a quick whisk and pour in. Stir fry until sauce thickens and coats everything, about a minute.
    Sprinkle in scallions and serve over rice.

Notes

Other veggies you can try: small mushrooms, zucchini, sliced carrots, and/or chopped onions.
Substitute soy sauce with a gluten-free variety to make it gluten free.
We've also made it with tofu instead of chicken:
  • use extra-firm tofu;
  • squeeze the water out by wrapping in towels or a couple of paper towels, then putting on a plate and leaving something heavy on top for 20-30 minutes;
  • cube the tofu into bite-sized chunks
  • toss with a little cornstarch, then fry over medium heat until all sides are golden-brown.
  • Continue with rest of recipe.

Originally seen on The Kitchn.

Garlic Baked Whitefish

This is a super-easy recipe.  My first time trying I went from pre-heating the oven to dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.

The source recipe calls for tilapia, but it should work with nearly any white fish.  Really there’s no reason it couldn’t work well with darker fish like salmon or tuna, though being thicker you may need to cook longer and flip the fish halfway through, as well as increase the other ingredient amounts.

This pairs well with rice and roasted vegetables.

Garlic-Baked Whitefish

Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 pounds White fish (Tilapia or similar)
  • 6 tbsp Butter melted
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon

Equipment

  • Cast Iron skillet

Method
 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400° F, with cast-iron pan inside
  2. Mix up the melted butter, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes
  3. Toss fish into the pre-heated pan and sprinkle on some pepper. You don’t need to grease the pan first, dry is fine, the fish won’t stick.
  4. Pour the butter mixture evenly over the fish
  5. Bake for 12 minutes

Adapted from https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a19665918/oven-baked-tilapia-recipe/

Indian Butter Chicken

 

Indian Butter Chicken

Delicious chicken and cauliflower. Pairs well with rice and/or naan bread.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Olive oil
  • Onion, yellow, small diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 2 tbsp Ginger, fresh
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 3/4 cup Chicken Stock
  • 6 oz Tomato Paste
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 tsp Cumin
  • 2 tsp Garam masala
  • 1 tsp Tumeric
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1.5 pounds Chicken diced to bite-sized pieces
  • 1 head Cauliflower chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 cup Heavy cream

Equipment

  • 14+ inch skillet w/ lid

Method
 

  1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet until it shimmers
  2. Add onions, garlic, and ginger, and sauté for a couple of minutes, until the onions begin to soften
  3. Stir in, and bring to a simmer:
    butter
    chicken stock
    tomato paste
    cinnamon
    cumin
    garam masala
    tumeric
    salt
  4. Add chicken and cauliflower, and stir until coated
    Don’t be alarmed: the previous steps leave you with a paste, not a sauce, and the chicken and cauliflower might seem a little dry.
  5. Cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes (or until the chicken is cooked through)
  6. Stir in lemon juice and cream, and bring back to a simmer
  7. Simmer, uncovered, for a couple of minutes

Notes

A variation of a traditional Indian dish, my recipe is adapted from The Modern Proper.
This is one of those recipes where your significant other may saunter through the kitchen and compliment the fragrance; children might run away in fear and loathing.  The final product is smooth, tasty, and not nearly as strong as it seemed while you were cooking.

Korean Beef Rice Bowls

 

Korean BBQ Beef Rice Bowls

Savory beef with a tiny bit of bite
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 bunch scallions sliced (for garnish)
Sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce reduced sodium is better
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 Skillet
  • 1 mixing bowl

Method
 

  1. Brown the hamburger and garlic in a pan. Break it up into crumbles as it browns.
  2. While the hamburger is cooking, whisk the sauce ingredients (brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper, black pepper)
  3. When the hamburger is browned, drain off the fat and mix in the garlic. Simmer for a minute.
  4. Pour in the sauce. Simmer for another couple of minutes. Mix in the scallions and serve.

Notes

Serve over rice with a side of broccoli to round out a complete meal

This recipe was an instant hit.  I have to make a double batch if I want leftovers for the next day.

Adapted from therecipecritic.com

Lentil Soup

When I was a kid I disliked soups and stews, and hated even the idea of lentil soup. (which, as a child, I somehow equated with Barbara Streisand – probably due to the publicity of her movie Yentl.)  Fortunately I became more open-minded as an adult, and found that I absolutely love lentil soup.  It’s very healthy for you, to boot.

The red lentils in this recipe break down and make a very creamy soup.  Green and brown lentils may be substituted, but black lentils don’t work out well.

Red Lentil Soup

My favorite lentil soup recipe
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 days
Cook Time 35 days
Total Time 50 days
Servings: 6 people
Course: Soup
Calories: 250
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 whole Carrots diced or sliced
  • 1 whole Yellow Onion, medium-sized diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Curry Powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin, ground
  • 1 tsp Thyme, dried
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 15 oz Tomato Sauce
  • 6 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium substitute vegetable broth to make a vegan soup
  • 1 lbs Red Lentils, dried
  • 1-5 cups Baby Spinach Optional, stir in at end

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch Oven or any large stock pot

Method
 

  1. Rinse lentils under cold water, until water runs clear (about 1 minute)
  2. Sauté carrots and onion until softened (about 5 minutes)
  3. Add garlic, curry powder, cumin, thyme, and salt
    Cook until fragrant (about a minute)
  4. Stir in lentils, tomato sauce, and broth
  5. Bring to a simmer and cover
  6. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
  7. Remove from heat, and (optionally) add baby spinach

 

Alternatives

You can try other vegetables as substitutes or additions, including sweet potatoes, butternut squash, mushrooms, celery, or whatever you have on hand.

Adapted from The Absolute Best Lentil Soup.

Beef Kebabs

I am shocked, shocked I tell you! that my children actually enjoyed this recipe.  I’m not sure why, perhaps they have given up all hope of enjoying a decent meal from my kitchen and now sullenly submit to my demands that they eat the goddamn food that I paid for and worked hard to put in front of them and it’s not like you do any chores around…  Ahem.  I got a little off track here.

Whatever the reason, they ate this one on my first attempt.

These are basically middle-eastern meatballs.  You can cut in other things with the meat, serve them in a variety of ways, whatever floats your boat.  (I rather enjoyed wrapping them in some naan with rice.)  It’s a meatball.  It’s the spices that make it.

The oven instructions are below.  We haven’t grilled them yet, but they should do great, just use a little grill-sense.  It’s a reasonably easy and fast recipe, ~20 minutes to prep and ~20 minutes to cook.

The recipe plus rice and other sides makes enough for 6-8 people.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds of ground beef – don’t get a lean mix!  80-85% seems good
    • mix in other ground meats as your fancy takes you, but you need some fats – don’t go too lean
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, or 1/4 cup dried
  • 1/2 small onion, diced fine
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced fine
  • Garlic, 3-4 minced cloves
  • Paprika, 1 tsp
  • Salt, 1 tsp
  • Cumin, 1/2 tsp
  • Pepper, 1/2 tsp

Directions

If you plan on skewering the meat, and you’re using bamboo or wood skewers, soak them in water for ~30 mins.

  1. Preheat oven too 350°
  2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl (don’t overmix)
  3. Form the mix into oblong patties, about kielbasa-thick
    • If you’re skewering, shove in the skewers now or form the patties around the skewers
  4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or grill for ~20 minutes, flipping at least once
  5. For the last couple of minutes turn on the broiler to brown the meat

Usual disclaimer with ground meat dishes: make sure the internal temp is at least 160° before serving.

Serve with some traditional middle-eastern sides, like:

  • Naan bread
  • Tabbouleh
  • Cucumbers and cherry tomatoes
  • Rice

kebab with rice and naan

Classic Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, certified D.O.P. if possible
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 7 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large fresh basil sprig, or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, more to taste

Steps

  1. Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and crush them with your hands
    1. Afterwards, fill the can about 1/4 to 3/4 way with water; slosh around to capture the tomato juices and bits, and set aside for a moment.
    2. Use more water if you want a lot of sauce, or are finishing meatballs, or want it to simmer for a long time.  Use less water if you don’t have much time
  2. Slice the garlic cloves as fine as you can
  3. Put the pan on medium heat and add the olive oil
  4. When the olive oil starts to shimmer, toss in the garlic and let it sizzle
  5. BEFORE the garlic starts to brown, pour in the tomatoes, followed by the water from the can, and sprinkle on the oregano and pepper flakes.  If you’re using fresh basil, lay it on top.
  6. Turn down the heat and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes to an hour.  It will get a nice orange-y color to the top.  You can reduce it until there’s no visible water, but no more than that – remove it from the heat if you reach that point!

Notes

  • This recipe is great because it’s tasty and doesn’t take a lot of extra work, but it does take time.  Expect prep plus cooking to be an hour.
  • You really want to use a heavy stainless pan, 12″ or larger.
  • Our local grocery store carries canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, and they are certified D.O.P., but they already have basil added (so we don’t actually put additional basil in).
  • I’ve tried using canned crushed tomatoes but it messes with the texture and flavor.  Crushing them yourself is easy yet so satisfying.
  • Our best experience was making meatballs at the same time, and finishing them off in the sauce.  The sauce picked up some extra flavors that made it sublime.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015987-classic-marinara-sauce