I know I shouldn't, but...

I'm craving a cupcake! How about you?

I think I'll make some today. And some zucchini bread. Do you think a zucchini cupcake with sour cream frosting would be good? I do!

I'm not the first one to think of these!

This variety is vegan, and with walnuts on top.

Chocolate zucchini cupcakes. Mmm...

Take a bite! I'll post a recipe later.

Broiled Salmon with Mango Salsa and Quinoa

This is a really easy one, and full of color and fresh flavor. Something definitely lacking in these remaining winter days! Treat yourself to wild caught salmon and a huge helping of the salsa; with no oil or salt, this is a super healthy meal.

Some may wonder, "What is quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) and why should I eat it?" Quinoa is a whole grain with NO GLUTEN. As you know, we glutinos don't enjoy many whole grain foods, or fiber-rich ones, since most of them contain the evil gluten. We've already established here at Homeward Bound that oatmeal is ok, but you certainly won't be eating it alongside a dinner protein!

I was inspired to try quinoa after seeing a dish my sister made, which was actually similar to this one. The main components were there - grain, fish, fruit - but she had coconut and some other fun ingredients. I like my recipe for its highlighting the natural sweetness of the fruit.

Broiled Salmon with Quinoa and Mango Salsa

Ingredients

3-4 medium-sized salmon filets

Salt and pepper

2 large mangos

4 Tbsp soy sauce (non wheat variety)

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper

1 medium green pepper

1 medium poblano pepper, seeds removed

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp lemon juice, or fresh lemon wedge to squeeze over salsa

Method

1. Set broiler to 350.

2. Cook quinoa according to directions on package, or as you would rice in a rice cooker.

3. Combine soy sauce and brown sugar in small bowl. Place salmon in lightly oiled baking dish and brush with sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Chop peppers coarsely and onion, combine in bowl.

5. Peel and slice mangos into large chunks, add to pepper and onion mix.

6. After 15 minutes, check on salmon, flip over and brush with remainder of sauce.

7. Drizzle 1 Tbsp honey and lemon juice over salsa mixture. *Next time I will omit - it was sweet enough with the mango.

8. Remove salmon from oven. Serve over quinoa with salsa over the top of fish.

Cheesy Tilapia and sides

This recipe comes to me from an impromptu visit to Parisienne Farmgirl a.k.a. Angela, a.k.a. master of whipping something impressive up with whatever's in the fridge!

It's not a formal recipe really, but I reacreated it at home with a couple of my own changes (based on preference and availability).


Cheesy Tilapia

Ingredients
3-4 servings

1 8 oz. bag of shredded Parmesean cheese (don't use grated; it will not get bubbly cheesy!)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4-5 medium size tilapia fillets, raw
3 tbsp lemon juice
Fresh ground pepper
A smattering of sea salt
A hint of chipotle or red pepper (1 tsp)
Paprika dusting

Method

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Place tilapia filets in lightly oiled glass baking pan.
2. Mix together cheese, mayo, lemon juice, red peper into a paste. Slather over filets.
3. Grind black pepper over filets and add paprika also.
4. Place in oven for approximately 10 minutes. Flip over and slather with remaining cheesy goodness. Bake another 15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and browned slightly.
5. Remove and cool. Serve with fresh green beans and applesauce on the side.

Oh My!

I haven't written on this blog since October - oh dear! I had better get my act together.

I've got a few good ones from recent days though, so stay tuned. In fact, I'll probably write one in a few minutes since it's a slow day at work today.

Broiled salmon with mango salsa...

Shish Tawook and mujadrah...

Baked tilapia with cheese sauce and sides...

Gluten Free Traveling Help

I can't believe that October - officially "Celiac Disease Awareness Month" - is almost over and I didn't even post anything about it!

Of course, this blog is an ongoing attempt at "celiac awareness," so I shouldn't beat myself up too much. Still, I wanted to add here some helpful information I found today while searching the internet.

Travel can be a challenging undertaking for gluten-free eaters. There are few fast food joints, likewise items on their menus, that are even remotely safe for gf eaters. Of course you can opt for a more upscale restaurant, but they are likely expensive. Flight costs are high enough! Combined with more stringent rules about bringing your own snacks on the plane and you've got a sad, empty stomach situation.

But even despite these challenges - which can be gotten around by eating before you leave, sticking to simple salads or burger options, and looking at national chain menus on the internet ahead of time - domestic travel is much more friendly than foreign traveling. At least when you get to where you're going in the U.S. you can explain what ingredients you can't have, and ask specific questions in your native language.

When traveling in countries where english isn't the first language, take a handy "gluten-free travel passport" along with you! The passports, developed by a few New Zealandors with a zeal for foreign travel, come in several different major western languages, including French, German, Italian and Spanish. The folding cards, which can be printed from pdf files and stored in your wallet or passport holder, contain handy phrases such as:

I cannot eat the smallest amount of gluten which is wheat, rye or barley.

Is this food dusted with wheat flour prior to cooking?

Is this food fried in the same fryer as items fried with breading?


Each passport contains the question or phrase printed in english and the corresponding language of your choice. You can either point to the quesiton or comment written in the language of your waiter, or take a stab at pronouncing it in the language. However, some are written with characters, not english pronunciation (like Greek, for example).

Choose from 11 different common languages! Print out from pdf files you can download for free. Happy traveling!

Gluten Free Travel Passports link

The site has TONS of other helpful traveling info, too. Check it out before your next foreign adventure.

GF at Target and an easy Granola recipe

*Please see previous post on oatmeal and gluten content.


On a trip to Target the other day, I was shocked to find three bags of gluten free rolled oats* on the shelf next to the bird seed. Now, it was weird enough that these were in a pet food aisle, but stranger because I didn't think Target sold ANY GF products.

I have a granola recipe I wanted to try and it seemed that rolled oats were integral, so I set off in search of a price scanner. Unfortunately they rang up $5.99 for a 16 oz. bag (yeah, I know I'm probably far too frugal...) and, even though that normally would be a good deal, since we're on a super tight budget I had to skip them.

But when I turned around to replace them, I found myself in front of the end of an aisle, which was fully stocked with GF items: Tinkyada pasta, Bob's Red Mill flour mixes, Mi-Del ginger snaps, Arrowroot cookies, kids' pasta meals in a bag, pizza dough mix and a couple other things. Unbelievable! Way to go, Target. That makes them the first department style store to carry GF, as far as I know. Call your local super Target and find out if they carry them. The prices were about as high as you'd expect ($3.65 for pasta, $3.50 for cookies) but there is a convenience factor herel; if you're already at Target for paper towels, cheap prescriptions and cat litter, you can now add some of your staple GF items at the same time. I've found this to be a great reducer of annoyance that I don't have to go to three different stores to get what I need.

Upon returning home I made this super easy granola. Again, something you'd think would be GF on its own, but watch the labels on store items closely; there are sneaky ingredients that act as binding agents. This granola is chock full of nuts (not the coffee), so it'd be good as a snack after exercising or on top of yogurt. I wouldn't eat it with milk for breakfast because it's not really sweet enough. But you can modify it to suit your needs.

I found the recipe online but modified it a bit. Instead of nuts on their own, I used a bag of trail mix that had sunflower seeds, raisins, pepitos and peanuts. I added cashews and honey-roasted soy nuts to the mix for their saltiness. Also, the recipe I found said not to use quick-cooking oats, but I did and they did not give me a problem. In fact, when I added a little water, they became just wet enough to keep it all stuck together as it dried.



Crunchy Snacking Granola

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups quick-cook oats
1/3 cup cashews, salted or raw
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups mix of pepito, sunflower seeds, peanuts
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-low heat (no oil, no nothing). Add oats, cashews and dry roast them, stirring often. 5-7 minutes or until they start to turn brown.

2. Add sunflower seeds, stirring for about another 10 minutes. Add sea salt and brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly until the sugar has melted. Spritz with water if necessary, to help the sugar dissolve.

3. Reduce heat and add the nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook for just 1 minute more then remove from heat. Add raisins to mixture at the very end, so they are warm but do not burn. Transfer to a large baking sheet to cool.

* My granola was a little moist from adding water, so I put it in the oven at a low temp (250) for about 10 minutes to bake. I let it cool, then broke it up into small clusters and stored in an airtight container.

The Easiest Cheesecake Ever!

I've made two in two weeks and they've both been devoured. I'd say that counts as a recipe success, wouldn't you?

The crust is so simple and gives a spicy change to the usual graham cracker taste. I say, why use graham when you can use ginger snaps?

I used pre-packaged ginger snaps from the Mi Del company (delicious and crispy). You could also make your own cookies of preference - maybe even chocolate chip to go with a chocolate chip variety? - and use those instead. Be creative! There are so many good gf cookies now and they should be tested. Frequently. :) The 8 oz. bag I bought for $3.70 yielded two crusts.

There are variations to this cheesecake listed below the method. I bet you it's the easiest dessert you've ever made, particularly it being a gf dessert. Even I, the queen of baking disasters, have mastered it!


Ginger Snap Cheesecake

Ingredients:

4 oz. ginger snap cookies
2 tbsp butter (not margarine)
2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese (can be low fat)
10 oz. sour cream (*see below for variation)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt


Method:

For crust -
Use food processor (or crumble with your hands) to coarsely grind 1/2 bag of ginger snap cookies. Melt 2 tbsp butter (not margarine) on the stove. Combine butter and cookie crumbs in a small bowl, mix well together until all cookies are slightly moist. Press into pie plate (preferably glass).

For cheesecake -

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.

2. Leave cream cheese out until softened. Beat together with yogurt/sour cream, sugars, vanilla and eggs until smooth (this will take between 3-5 minutes with a hand mixer). Add salt last and beat another minute.

3. Pour into ginger snap crusted pie plate. Smooth over the top (so it looks pretty).

4. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

5. WITHOUT opening over door, reduce heat to 325 and bake another 45 minutes or so. After 35-40 minutes, open door and check the consistency; the center should be slightly wiggly, but not soupy.

6. Remove from over and let cool. After 20 minutes or so, you can place it in the freezer to chill as long as you want, or to firm it up if you took it out too soon (this is what happens to me!).


VARIATIONS:

I used raspberry yogurt (with fruit added) the first time I made this cheesecake. I made a simple blueberry sauce (berries, cornstarch and sugar) to go with it. I brought it to a party where, before I even knew it had been cut, it was half gone. We had none to bring home with us.

You could use any kind of yogurt as a substitute, even do a half yogurt/half sour cream if you like. Add your favorite berries into the mix, use a knife to swirl the batter before you bake it. A surefire hit to any party, and it looks like it was complicated!

Lentil & Bacon Burgers

A couple of years ago, long before either one of us was hip to Celiac, my sister gave me a funny cookbook titled, "Apocalypse Chow," which is a collection of recipes made from canned food, and requiring no major cooking apparatus to make.

I think she just liked the name and wanted to share the joke with me; she knows I am an avid cook (she is, too) and at least at the time, I was cooking mostly fresh foods daily. The book was packed into a box with other seldom-used cookbooks and stored in the basement. When I recently moved, I found this little gem and decided to give it a try.

I was shocked at how tasty the outcomes are, given the source of their ingredients! Most of them are vegetarian, relying on dried beans and canned veggies to combine with rice for the protein element. Not much canned meat out there, nor does anyone want to eat it! The recipes in "A.C." vary regionally also; there are latin and Indian influenced, as well as Mediterranean and Italian, too. Because they rely on rice instead of pasta, most items are gf as well.

There are several arguments for eating a couple of vegetarian meals a week. One is that there is a great variety of legumes and veggies out there waiting to be tried! Another is that meat can be quite fatty and also full of hormones that are not good for your overall health (and should be consumed in small quantities). Lastly - and this is tantamount to our graduate student budget lifestyle - eliminating meat from a few meals saves a lot of money.

Here is a recipe from "A.C." that I have adapted to suit our tastes (theirs had black beans as the star). Oddly enough, it was a vegetarian meal until I added the bacon. But bacon makes everything taste better, doesn't it? I use low sodium, lean bacon, and in moderation. If you don't have it, omit. It adds a nice smoky, salty element, but it is by no means necessary. Next time burger night rolls around, try these!


Savory Lentil Bacon Burgers

Ingredients:

12 ounces white potatoes, cooked and cubed
1/2 bag of lentils, cooked for 20 minutes in boiling water, then drained
1/2 cup minced red onion
1 tbsp. parsley
3/4 cup corn tortillas, chopped finely
3-4 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped coarsely; reserve 2 tbsp bacon grease
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Combine cooked lentils, cooked potato, onion and bacon grease in medium bowl. It will look like this:

2. Add parsley, salt and pepper, tortilla crumbs and bacon; mix together thoroughly.
3. Form into patties about 1/2 inch thick. See below:



4. Cook in a hot pan with a little bit of oil. Cook on each side until slightly brown and crispy.

5. Serve alongside your favorite veggies, such as corn on the cob, cauliflower and carrots. Eat with a fork, or roll up into a tortilla.

Labor Day American Fare

Grilling is great for gluten-free eaters! You can load up on all the extras and simply skip the bun. Most sides - including baked beans, potato salad, french fries (without any coating), coleslaw and buttered corn - are all naturally gluten free, too.

Here's a simple recipe for a homemade gluten free side that requires only a little prep and makes for a fun addition to a holiday barbecue, especially for the kids. *Please note: this is not a kid-friendly item to cook.


Rice Flour Onion Rings*

Ingredients:

1 large white onion, sliced into rings
3/4 cup white rice flour
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup water
salt to taste - not in batter

Method:

1. Heat corn or vegetable oil on medium-high heat for approximately 7 minutes, or until hot. Test temperature by dropping small amount of batter into oil. If it fries and floats, the oil is hot.

2. Sift together rice flour and baking powder.
3. Add egg, water to mixture and stir until smooth. Batter will be slightly thick; this makes it better for coating onions.
4. Dip rings in batter to fully coat. Gently drop into hot oil. Cook until golden brown. Set aside on paper towel-covered baking sheet to cool before serving. Sprinkle on salt to taste.
5. Serve alongside burgers or bbq pork sandwiches.

We had ours today with burgers, salmon patties and lots of ketchup on the side. Mmm!

*Adapted from a recipe found on cooks.com

Pobrecita Tomatilla

That translates to "poor little tomatoes," and they are my subject today.

I have always wanted to grow tomatoes. Ever since seeing my mother's full, vibrant cherry tomato plants lined up against the south wall of our house I've dreamed of having my own. I have no idea if she grew hers from seed or starters; it didn't occur to me that anyone grew tomatoes from starter plants at first because, being the cheapskate I am, I grow everything from seed only. It's sort of a rule; an obstinate, obstinate rule. :)

So back in February or so, I decided to start my own tomatoes (both cherry and an heirloom variety) from seed, in a little mini greenhouse I bought from Wal-Mart of all places. Tiny future plants were placed in moist peat patches, covered with a plastic lid and lived happily on the third shelf of the baker's rack for some time.

I checked them nearly every day, remembering that last year's outside crop - consisting of zucchini, green beans, squash, radishes, scallions and pumpkin - was completely washed out by a late summer three-day rain fest (which yielded me a job, but that's another story...). Thus, this indoor battalion might be the only thing to harvest come August.

Known for my impatience, I surprised even myself by forcing the tomatoes to live out-of-doors far too early, sometime in early May. I did not pot them until early June, and I put them in so many different places that some were bound to survive. My garden patch in the back was all shade, so that yielded nada. But the side yard's runoff patch (not even intended for growing anything but a holly bush) proved to be the magic spot, and over a dozen plants sprung up there almost overnight!

I babied them. My housemates thought it quite amusing, my constant gardener-ing. But it paid off; when I moved to Wisconsin I gave away four cherry tomato plants, already producing fruit weekly, left five or so in the ground for whomever wanted them. For myself, I uprooted about six plants, potted them in large plastic bins and they rode alongside Pousse-Pousse (my cat) in the backseat all the way to Madison.

The apartment complex has plenty of sunny space around the building, and despite the schizophrenic weather (in one day: cold, then misty, rain, humid, then into the 90s) they are producing fruit now. Judging by the leaves, about half are heirloom and the other cherry. It's my own fault for not keeping them labeled when I potted from the mini greenhouse!

So, these poor little tomatoes may bloom yet. I think they have been quite accommodating. As you see, I've got three to show so far. And that's not bad for a first-time gardener, planting from seed and having to move them precisely when they should stay put! :)

To the seasoned tomato-growers, I salute you! Tomatoes are a labor of love, but well worth it. How are you using your crop?

Southwest Chicken Chili

I think there are as many chili recipes as there are stars in the sky. Do you have a favorite?

Chili is a wonderful option for all kinds of special diets because it can be modified so easily. Low sodium? Substitute fresh tomatoes for canned and add more spice to bring the flavor up. Vegetarian? Pick four kinds of beans, multi-colored peppers, corn and spinach to make a savory and unique stew. For gluten free it's au naturale because chili doesn't use flour or thickeners or any kind. Yes!

I have about five different chilis that I rotate depending on my taste for spicy, sweet, tangy, smoky or hearty. This Southwestern Chicken Chili falls into both the 'spicy' and 'smoky' categories for its use of both cayenne and chipotle pepper. I could've named it "Reggae Chili" for the use of green, yellow and red veggies. Yah, man. :)

This one gets an A for its use of the slow cooker. I bring it to potlucks for the "Whoa, spicy!" reaction amongst the hotdishes. I suppose I just like to shake things up a little.


Southwestern Chicken Chili

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup yellow or white corn
1 12 oz. can tomato sauce
1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes, or 4 roma tomatoes, diced
1 12 oz. can black or dark red kidney beans
1 small can chipotle peppers, finely chopped or 1 Tbsp chipotle pepper powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp course salt
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp cumin

Method

1. Brown onions and chicken in small amount oil of choice in a small pan. Add to the crock pot.
2. Cook slightly green and red peppers in pan, transfer to crock pot.
3. Add beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce to crock pot. Mix together thoroughly.
4. Add spices, one at a time, and mix thoroughly to get even taste. Add chipotle peppers and brown sugar last.
5. Cook on low for several hours (during the day if you work or are busy). It will be done by dinner time.
6. Garnish with shredded Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese. Serve with stove top cornbread. Oh, and a glass of milk for the heat. Yee-haw!