Easiest, Tastiest GF Pancakes - Buckwheat

We love pancakes. Leena has never had 'real' pancakes with 'real gluten' - so she really doesn't know the difference. However, Ben and I do. And I think there are three categories of pancakes:
1. Super fluffy and light
2. Dense and more of a healthy 'wholesome' pancake (these are usually the whole wheat pancakes)
3. Something in between

This is a #3 recipe. They are not super light, but not super dense. They are so delish. I hope you try them, even if you are not gluten free. The best part is the base is buckwheat. For those of you not familiar with buckwheat - it is neither wheat, nor a grain. It's actually a seed. And it's delicious. My boss is Russian (where buckwheat is a daily staple) and we always talk about how this is 'the' food. It has so many ways of being cooked, and it's so good for you, so filling and so tasty.

Basically, buckwheat flour is just taking what are often called buckwheat groats (these) and blending them in the blender for 2-3 minutes, or until a flour. Easy. And just one extra step. I promise - NOT HARD! :)

Next, you can use 2 eggs if you don't want to do this vegan. But grinding flax seeds is also, very, very easy. It provides some extra fatty acids (translation - more filling so you will skip the sugar later in the day) and extra fiber (translation - fills you up).

This is now our Sunday morning 'thang'. Try it!

Ingredients
2 cups Buckwheat Flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbls coconut or date sugar or regular old sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup ground flax meal (or 2 eggs)
2 cups 'milk' (we have used all sorts, but it's extremely delicious with a full can of coconut milk)
1/4 cup melted spectrum butter flavored margarine, or butter (we like the butter flavored margarine because the buttery-ness makes this really nice)

Method
Preheat your skillet or griddle on a medium-high heat.

Follow a standard 'mix the dry'. 'Mix the wet'. Mix together.

Take a 1/4 cup measuring cup and spoon into the pan. Let the bubbles form and pop. When it completely stops, and the top looks kind of dry/almost done, flip over and cook on the other side for another 2 minutes.

The best way to keep these warm is a tortilla warmer. But you can also stack two plates on top of each other.
These refrigerate very well too.

Toppers
Real maple syrup
Fruit
Coconut oil

Crispy Salmon with Garlic, Caper Mustard Sauce

I love the idea of "Seafood Saturday". Something about the weekend makes it easy to go get fresh seafood, prepare it and then clean it up - because ain't nothin' worse than the smell of any fish that had been sitting around from the night before. Gross.

So last Saturday, we cooked this up. Actually, Ben did all the work. But hey, now I am doing the work of blogging about it so we can all enjoy it and I can remember what we did!

This was a hit with the little one too - and great for her growing body too!

Note that the type of salmon you get really matters. I follow these rules:
1. SMELL it! Always smell your food. Who cares if you look weird doing it, your fish should smell fresh. If it doesn't, pass and move on.
2. Do not buy farmed salmon. As a matter of fact, steer clear of all farmed salmon. Do a basic web search on this and you will know why.
3. Buy in season and you will get the freshest, most local fish.
4. I personally prefer King Salmon. Sockeye is everywhere, but it has a mushy texture to me. King is firm and the tasiest.

Ingredients
1 lb of fresh salmon, Skin off for maximum crispy  
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbls dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1-3 tbls dry white wine
Few tbls olive oil
1/4 cup capers
1 lemon sliced thin
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method
Mix the garlic, mustard and herbs in a bowl. Whisk in the wine and olive oil.

Heat your skillet. Add a few good rounds of olive oil. Toss in the lemon and capers and just start to heat. Lay your salmon in. Let brown on one side. Toss in sauce. Flip salmon. Let cook until just done.

Serve on plate with more lemon. Enjoy!

Pictured here with a fresh green salad (from my garden!) and quinoa flakes (we used homemade broth as the base). I love quinoa flakes - it's so quick and so creamy! You can find them here (and local folks - New Leaf and Whole Foods both carry these)

Fava Bean Pesto

Fava beans are still a fairly new food to my palette - and I adore them. If I had to guess, most folks look at them and don't know what to do with them. Others might have tasted them and thought they didn't like them. But for those of us that have figured out that if you get fresh fava beans, and prepare and cook them just right - they are divine.

This recipe is an example of that.

It is a labor of love. And if you have a little one - this might be done in steps (as outlined below) over a day or two (I've written the steps in the order I would suggest if you can't do this all at once). And trust me, it's just as good that way. If you have an older little one (3+ years old), enlist them to help! And if you are just plain busy, still try this on a weekend when you find good, fresh fava beans.

Ingredients
3-4 cups shelled fava beans (I started with about 3/4 of a plastic bag full of whole fava beans)
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1-2 cloves garlic (garlic adds spice here so adjust for your taste)
Salt and Pepper
1/2 Cup of more of olive oil

Step 1: Take the fava beans out of their shell
Step 2: Boil the fava beans for 5 minutes (don't go beyond this)
Step 3: Let cool and peel the outer shell. Note that you can keep this on, but it's bitter. Especially for a toddler taste - it's probably best to peel all the way.
Step 4: In a food processor, pulse the garlic. Then the pinenuts. Then add the beans and the olive oil and salt and pepper. 

The more (and higher quality olive oil) and salt you add, the more it will mellow the flavor. 

Our recent favorites to use this on are:
1. Quinoa pasta (we love this one) - Our little one GOBBLED this pasta up. To enrich it you can add frozen or fresh peas. To make a bit more fancy, you can add truffle oil. 
2. Make zucchini 'noodles' using something like this, and saute a bit and then toss a few tablespoons of this in. 


Here is an old fava bean posting for something with skins on 

Black Beans - 3 Ways

First in my series of beans a la crockpot - black beans.
I really geeked out on this little project. It all started because I was reading this blog. and was inspired by the beautiful bean salads and a local bean grower with a real passion for beans (here).
I decided, we were going to do a day trip to Napa and one of my stops would be this bean shop. Each bag of beautiful, fresh beans cost about $5.50. I thought - ok, before I totally muck this up on my pretty beans- let's make sure I know what I am doing and use a cheaper bag.
So I also went to the store and bought a few cheaper bags of beans so I could test the cooking times and my abilities. I suggest you do this same thing - each crockpot can be different so you are going to want to test the timing on yours. And buying good quality beans is important because you want something that is fresh and you know how/where it was grown.
Another experiment was freezing the beans. I didn't think it would work, but it's better than canned!

What you need:
Water
Black beans

Process:
The night before you want to cook your beans, cover them with a lot of water in a bowl and leave on the counter. I used the whole bag because I didn't want to do this multiple times and freezing works great for beans!
Drain and rinse. Dump into your crockpot and cover with 2 inches of water.
For my crockpot it took 5 hours on high for black beans (again, these were pre-soaked). I like mine tender and not mushy.
Set it, and forget it.

Storing:
When your beans are cooked, you can use them immediately or let them cool and freeze them.
Just place them in a storage container and put the lid on and freeze. If you are not going to use them this month I would recommend vacuum packing them after they have formed in the freezer in the storage dish.

Black Beans My Way #1 {Black Bean Corn Summer Salad}

Ingredients
Black beans
Corn, grilled
red onion
cilantro
lime
olive oil

(no measurements here because some might like more corn and less onion, or more lime, etc) Just toss together and enjoy!

Black Beans My Way #2 {Refried}
An awesome use of the frozen beans - literally take them out, put them in a pot with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water and over medium low heat defrost them. As they defrost mash them as much as you like your 'refried' beans and you are done.
Serve on homemade corn tortillas and guacamole for a yummy vegetarian snack!

Black Beans My Way #3 {Plain}
Plain with some salt - great side dish with some protein and veg!


{I am on a bean rampage so keep your eyes out for more black bean recipes!}

Easy Skillet Chicken and Rice

This was inspired by an America's Test Kitchen recipe - but made GF/DF and some added umph it needed. It's such a comforting meal. So simple to make and so simple in taste. And I like that sometimes. This is a great weeknight meal and it takes only 30 minutes and can be mostly made from things I usually have in the freezer and fridge.

**Notes: I would really urge you to use a flavorful rice like basmati here. And good basmati. The dish is quite plain and the yummier the rice the better. Also, I always use a Le Crueset here. You can use any heavy bottom pan, but my preference for even cooking is always LC.

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 tbls olive oil
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 medium onion, finely chopped
pinch of chili flakes
1/2 cup white wine of your choice (always cook with something you want to drink)
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped green olives
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1-2 lemons, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Process
In a pan heat the oil (make sure you've picked a pan with a lid). When good and hot - sear one side of the chicken. Take out and set aside.

Next warm up the onion and cook until soft. Add the chili flakes and garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add in the rice and let it cook until most of the kernels are white. Stir in the wine. And you are going to do a risotto type thing here where you really let the rice soak up the wine before adding the stock in.
Once the wine is absorbed, put the stock in and place the chicken back in the skillet. Cover and cook until the chicken is done - about 10 minutes.
Throw in the peas, green onion and olives. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Enjoy with a hearty serving of chard. 

Stroller Snack

This is so simple and so good. It's what I pack myself to have on hand in the stroller when the nursing hunger attacks me (but non-nursing folk love it too!)

2 ingredients. Yes two. You can add more dried fruit or other seeds - which actually this started as a store bought no nut trail mix I was buying. I decided I only liked these two parts so to save money and satisfy my craving, I now make my own.

Ingredients
1 cup Raw or raw sprouted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup Enjoy life brand mini chocolate chips (or your favorite brand but his one is soy, nut,dairy,gluten etc all of the common allergens free)

Mix in a baggy and take to go

Quick Indian Cauliflower & Green Bean Curry

This is so quick and requires that you just have a few of the basic Indian spices on hand. And you can use this same method on a lot of vegetables, but this happens to be my favorite. Usually it's done with cauliflower and potato and peas, but I don't eat potato so this is my version - Hashimoto friendly!

Ingredients
2 tbls canola and/or peanut oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1-2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
1 head of cauliflower, core taken out and cut into smallish pieces (your choice)
2 cups green beans
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp garam masala (store bought or you can make your own)
1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 cup or so of water

Process
In a pan (that you have a lid for) warm the oil over medium low heat. DON'T go crazy with the heat. Indian cooking is all about managing that so you can just lightly toast the spices.
When you think the oil is warm, put in one mustard or cumin seed. If you see it bubbling on the sides, put in the rest of the seeds. Cook until just fragrant (that literally means until you can smell it - don't let them burn if you do - start over).
Then toss in the ginger and onion.

When the onion is soft, toss in the cauliflower, green beans, spices, salt and water and cover with a lid.

Cook until the cauliflower is nice and soft. Keep adding water as needed.

Serve over basmati rice.

Powerful Quinoa

Quinoa is in itself one of the greatest grains for anyone - but a Celiacs best friend. You can do this up any way you want, but what makes it 'powerful' is the blend of veggies you get from the farmer's market and the addition of coconut aminos and seeds.
If you are not familiar with coconut aminos, read here. (I have found it at New Leaf and Whole Foods, but you can also get it on Amazon I think). They are awesome. Adds umami like soy sauce but is not soy. So for the allergen sensitive folks - this is the PERFECT alternative. You can also use it to dip sushi, toss with rice noodles. Delish.

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, soaked overnight and rinsed
1/2 bunch arugula or spinach, cleaned and chopped
1/2 head of cauliflower and/or broccoli
2 small zucchini, chopped or sliced
1 good handful of green beans trimmed and chopped
1 cup shitake mushrooms
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 lemon
coconut aminos
salt and pepper
olive oil

Part 1
Heat your oven to 400 F and roast the broccoli/cauliflower and/or zucchini on a sheet pan until golden with olive oil, salt and pepper

Part 2

While the oven is heating...

Warm the olive oil up in a pan and cook the onion until it's soft. 

Toss in the mushroom and cook until everything is just as you like it.

Part 3
While the oven is going and the pan is going...
Cook the quinoa and toss in the arugula - let the heat of the quinoa wilt the greens.

Toss together and squeeze the juice of the lemon, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and coconut aminos to your taste; Add the pumpkin seeds.

Enjoy!

This is perfect cold or room temp - I actually don't eat it warm except the first time I make it.

Our Own Chicken Sausage

Sausage is expensive to buy and while I definitely like the convenience and the unique flavors some brands have come out with - I prefer this as a staple in our house instead.
1. I know what is in it
2. No weird ingredients
3. It's chicken (I don't do much pork)
4. Pretty darn cost effective

Ingredients
1 lb chicken (or pork, beef too, but I would change up the spice mixture)
1 - 1.5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp fennel seed

(feel free to add or subtract any of the spices here)

Process:
Pour everything in a bowl.
Take off your rings or put on gloves - and get friendly with your meat mixture. Don't over blend but mix in the spices thoroughly.

I love using this in my pasta toss (quick healthy rice pasta cooked with chard and then mixed with this sausage, my own pesto and some jarred artichokes and olives and capers - easy and delish!)

You can also buy several pounds of ground meat, mix and freeze the extra so it's just ready for you next time.

Spanish Beef Stew

This. Is. So. Good!

Pretty easy and definitely a great freezer meal. I was inspired by this recipe here, but seeing as I cannot have tomatoes, it had to be modified. Plus, we didn't agree that the beef should go in after the onions - you won't brown meat that way! (you will steam it)

So here is the LL version:

Ingredients:
2 tbls good quality olive oil
2 lbs chuck roast, trimmed and diced into cubes
1 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1 tsp paprika (if you are really sensitive to nightshades, omit this)
2 tsp dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced (or smash if you are feeling lazy :) )
1/2 jar of pitted green olives sliced
8 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Process
Warm the oil in your best dutch oven like pot over medium heat.
Brown the pieces of beef in batches. Set aside.

Cook the onions and garlic until soft and just getting caramelized. Season with spices.
Add the beef and broth and let simmer for an hour or two.

At this point you can let it cool and then freeze it. What I recommend is eating it with rice that has been soaked and then cooked. You can do this with the soup as you freeze it but then the rice soaks up the goodness. Just preference, but I would just make it when you defrost the soup.