Yakisoba

Sauce:
 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake
1/2 teaspoon mirin
3 dashes white pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

Mix in small bowl and stir until dissolved. Set aside.




12 oz soba noodles
1-3 TB oil for frying
1 lbs choice of meat, tofu, seafood cut thinly against the grain
3-4 carrots, coarsely grated, julienned, or sliced thin on the diagonal
1 lbs cabbage (napa, savoy, bok choy) slightly more may be used if preferred
1 white onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic
1-2 TB grated ginger
2-3 green onions, finely sliced (optional)




After slicing protein and vegetables begin to prepare noodles according to package, rinse with cold water and drain. Set aside.
Over medium/high heat, add oil to a large frying pan or to a wok. Add protein, stir while frying. Lightly brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add cabbage, carrots, onions, ginger, and garlic to pan. Stir often. When vegetables reached desired consistency, about 7-10 mins, add noodles. Toss lightly, for 1-2 mins. slowly adding in soy sauce mixture.
Return protein to pan. Make sure everything is coated with the sauce. Bring up temp quickly, stirring noodles another 3-5 minutes.

Serve very hot.


 
Traditionally served with sliced, red pickled ginger on top.
Serves 4-6

Sweet & Sour Sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 white vinegar
1 TB catsup

2/3 pineapple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce (optional)
2 TB cornstarch


Whisk cornstarch into liquid ingredients. Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over med heat. Stir often until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Tempura Batter

2 egg whites
1 cup cold water
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 baking powder
2 icecubes




 Whip egg whites until they are quite foamy but not yet stiff. Sift flour and salt into egg whites and mix lightly. Add baking powder and then water. Stir very gently, only until just mixed. Batter will be very dry and lumpy. Do not overstir or batter will lose it's crispiness when fried.
Add icecubes and let sit until melted.

After ice is melted stir once more, batter is now ready for vegetables.
Salt after frying or serve with dipping sauce.



Vegetable suggestions: zucchini, onion, green beans, asparagus, sweet potatoes, baby corn, mushrooms, potatoes, green peppers
Protein suggestions: 2 inch pieces of chicken, fish, shelled shrimp, tofu







Note: this video is a very good guide to the proper texture for your tempura batter, also gives an egg-less recipe and the traditional dipping sauce recipe.

Kitchen Supplies

We are still eating gluten and casein. This is really an all or nothing deal. I haven't quite wrapped my head around it, yet. I picked up rice flour at the store today thinking I could try to make tempura from it, then put it back. How will I know if I don't try it?
Friday night the two bebes had vegetable, shrimp tempura out to dinner with their father and I. Lucky had less than half cup plain rice, Duckie shared my Yukkisoba (glorified teriyaki? I looked up the recipe later, I am trying something of the sort later this week. Out, it was very greasy, but sweet and tasty enough.)


I have been wanting a wok, for-ever! There's really no room for it in this kitchen, so I keep telling myself I don't need it. I started scouting them out.

I also decided I need a rice steamer. A few weeks ago Dman decided we needed to replace the blender that broke a year ago. It seems I underestimate how important smoothies are in our lives. I was more convinced a rice steamer would fill a need while the blender would take up space.

I was wondering what I could make smoothies with now if I'm not using cow's milk . . . I have had the stuff for making rice milk here for over a week now . . . just wondered if I could make kefir with rice milk . . . and . . . look what I found!

A fantastic new fooding blog with a recipe on dairy-free yogurt!
I'm overloaded with thinking about the way rice milk will react to kefir grains and probiotics! Oooh, I'm going to have to try this! I wonder if it will work?!


Where was I? Blenders, steamers. . . I bought a rice steamer today. In fact, the universe really blessed me today by making available to me a fancy multi-purpose kettle! It steams, it deep fries! It roasts, it browns, it boils! I linked it because it really is that cool. So cool, in fact that I could afford to buy a toaster oven big enough for a chicken! How's that for no room in the kitchen?
I am so thankful for these not so little things.

And that was the point of this post ;)

Here's to looking forward to the oncoming week!

Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce

1 x 28-oz can (whole or diced) plum tomatoes, with their juices
5 tablespoons (75 g) unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
salt, to taste


Mush tomatoes with your hand into med saucepan. Do not drain out juices. Add butter, and onion halves in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch or two of sugar. Place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer, mashing up the tomatoes gently with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook, uncovered, at a very slow but steady simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free from the tomato and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Stir occasionally, continuing to mash any large pieces of tomato with the wooden spoon. Taste and salt as needed. Discard the onion.




From Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

Polenta

•  7 cups water
•  2 tsp sea salt
• 1 3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Polenta 
• 1/4 cup ground flax
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil 

Bring water and salt to boil. Add polenta and flax slowly. Add oil. Don’t worry when it separates immediately—it will come together once it sets.
Bring back to boiling, then reduce heat to low simmer. Stir constantly; continue cooking over low heat for 30 mins. Polenta will become very bubbly and thick.
Spoon cooked polenta into desired mold. Let set for a minimum of ten mins. Turn mold upside down on flat surface. Slice about 1/2 inch thick.

Fry polenta in med-high heat skillet with small amount of olive oil for approx. 4 mins per side. Top with tomato sauce.

Salmon Patties

1 lb smoked salmon
1 lb mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons coarse grain mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopeed
1/2 lemon, juice and rind of, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups gluten-free breadcrumbs



Flake salmon with a fork and place in a large bowl with potatoes, butter, and mustard and mix well.
Add dill, parsley, chives, lemon rind and juice, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
Divide mixture into eight portions and form into balls.
Flatten each ball to about 1 inch thick.
Dip each cake in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs thoroughly coating with each.
Fry fish cakes in oil over medium high heat until golden brown and crispy about 5-8 minutes on each side.
You can serve with a tartar sauce or some other condiment but really they are great just with a squeeze of lemon or a dash of tabasco.

Veggie Burger

 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/4 cups chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cups black beans, drained
• 3/4 cups chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 ounces white beans, drained
• 2 1/4 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 tablespoons diced red bell peppers
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 egg

    oil for frying



Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir for a few minutes, continue cooking until tender. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Pour in the beans, rice and bread crumbs. Season with salt, paprika, oregano, chili powder, sage and celery salt. Mix thoroughly using your hands. Form into 6 patties. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (you can use the same one). Fry the patties until golden on each side, about 10 minutes total.

Blueberry Rice Pudding

1 cup cooked jasmine or basmati rice
1 cup cooked Bob's Red Mill Mighty Hearty Cereal
2 1/2 cups (625 ml/213/4 fl oz) low-fat milk
3 tablespoons raw organic honey
2 large ripe banana, small dices
2 eggs
1 vanilla bean (or 2tsp vanilla extract)
1 cup (150 g/5 1/4 oz) blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons almond flakes


Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray an ovenproof baking dish with olive oil.
Using a sharp knife slice vanilla bean in half, lengthwise. Scrape out the vanilla seeds with the tip of the knife.
Place eggs, milk, honey and vanilla seeds in a blender and mix until well combined.
Place rice, banana and blueberries in baking dish and cover with milk mixture.
Bake in oven for 15 min. Take out of oven and gently stir until rice and berries are evenly mixed through pudding. Sprinkle with cinnamon and almond flakes and return to oven for 30-35 minutes, until pudding is set. Cover with foil if pudding is becoming too brown.
Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm or cold.
Serves 4-6.

Cheesy Rice Bake

3 cups cooked rice
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups Mozzarella cheese, grated
½ teaspoon oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup onion, minced
¼ teaspoon thyme and/or marjoram
15 ½ ounce can tomato sauce





Directions:
Mix rice, eggs, and 1 cup cheese together. Spread thinly with raised outer edge into greased cast iron skillet. Bake at 450 F 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown.
Simmer tomato sauce and herbs together for 15 minutes (for oregano and thyme/marjoram, I have used 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning instead.). Spread over rice crust. Sprinkle with the rest of cheese and bake at 450 F until cheese is bubbly.
Possible additions before cheese: Ripe olives, green olives, green peppers, onion, pepperoni, precooked drained sausage, ham, Canadian bacon, precooked drained hamburger. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of mozzarella cheese or combine mozzarella cheese with cheddar cheese if you wish.

Easy Egg Pancake

 3 eggs
2 TBS heavy cream
oil for pan



 Blend all ingredients together with a blender.
Heat small pan with tiny amount of oil. (I used peanut oil).
Pour 1/8cup mixture in the pan. When it starts to come away from the edges, carefully turn over with a spatula.
Slide the finished crepe onto a plate and repeat until your mixture is finished.
Season with ground cinnamon.




*Note: I used regular milk with these. I got about four crepes from it.
And I'm a huge fan of apricot jam! Dman suggested wrapping sausages in them and covering them with syrup. Lucky will only eat them plain.

Miso with Tofu and Green Onions

4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons instant dashi granules
1/2 cup miso paste
1 tablespoon dried seaweed (for miso soup), soaked in water
1/2 cup cubed tofu
2 tablespoons chopped green onion


1. Pour the water into a pot and bring to a boil. Add the instant dashi and whisk to dissolve. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the tofu. Drain the seaweed and add the seaweed to the pot. Simmer for 2 minutes.
2. In the meatime, Spoon the miso paste into a bowl. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot dashi broth into a bowl and whisk with chopsticks or a whisk to mix and melt the miso paste so that it becomes a smooth mixture.
3. Turn the heat off, add the miso paste to the pot and stir well. Do not bring miso to a boil!
Top with green onions and serve immediately.


 *Note: The miso makes this soup not gluten-free.




(This is not the recipe I use, but the comment about kelp fortified with Prozac makes me laugh. And this is a very easy version.)

Simple Fried Rice For One

1 cup cold, cooked rice
1 egg
3 baby carrots, shredded
1/4 inch ginger root, shredded

Heat drop of peanut oil in small frying pan. Lightly saute rice over high heat for 2 mins. Add carrot, sauteing another minute.
Mound rice in center of pan. Make an open hole in middle of rice mound and crack egg into it. Quickly scramble egg into rice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook until egg is cooked to desired temp. approx 5 mins.



Chicken, broccoli, peas and other veggies are all quick easy additions if you prefer more ingredients!

Baked Sweet Potato Disks

2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/2 thick rounds
cooking spray
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 TB molasses
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 cayenne
Salt & pepper


Preheat oven to 425°

Place potato rounds in large bowl and coat lightly with oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix seasonings thoroughly, then add syrup and molasses. Marinating them ahead of time is great.
Cover baking sheet with wax paper to prevent sticking. Place rounds on sheet, being careful not to crowd (overcrowding leads to steamed potatoes). It's best to bake similar sized rounds per batch to prevent burning.
Bake 15 mins, then flip and continue baking another 10 mins. Place in broiler for 1-2 mins per side, for crispier fries. Serve hot.






(Sweet potato fries are trickier than you may expect. It's hard to get them crispy without deep-frying them. Also, you can cut them into strips if that's what you prefer, but I've found that it's harder to get them to cook uniformly this way, and much harder to flip. You can also do wedges. Adjust baking times accordingly.
I also recommend playing around with the seasonings until you find one that suits your tastes.)

Finnish Egg Pancakes

3 eggs

2 cups milk
1/4 cup honey (or sugar)
3/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 tsp salt 

4 Tbs butter

Preheat oven to 425°.

Sift flour. Beat eggs and milk together. Beat in honey or sugar, then add flour and salt. 

Melt butter in a 9" frying pan until it sizzles and immediately pour the batter into the hot pan in a circle around the center so butter will not be pushed to the tops and sides. 
Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the pancake is set and puffed and golden brown on top. 

Serve with maple syrup or homemade jam. Serves four. 



(I made these for dinner last night. They were surprisingly good! I burnt the first batch, so be careful! They turn golden very fast! We topped them with apricot jam and ate them with sweet potato fries.)