100th Post!

This recipe represents the one-hundreth post to the Evolving Palate. Since it's beginning in February of 2009, we have been bringing to you (hopefully) tasty, healthy dishes that eschew all the bad things in the SAD and instead using wholesome and natural ingredients. We cater to those with dairy and wheat allergies, and lean towards vegetarianism. We like to explore exotic foods across the globe, but also like to reinvent American classics.

Postings have been light these past few months due to other commitments, but rest assured that we're still cooking. The challenge is to find time to type up what we're eating. 

What better way to celebrate 100 posts than with a cookie recipe! The following recipe combines my two favorite dessert ingredients: chocolate and coffee. I found this recipe in a King Arthur Flour catalog and modified it. Gone is the gluten flour, I reduced the amount of sugar and increased the amount of coffee. For the gluten free flour, if you don't have a favorite blend, you can use the one mentioned in this recipe. I find a rice flour-based blend to work best.

Mocha Cookies

Ingredients

½ c unsalted butter (1 stick)

¾ c brown sugar

¾ t baking powder

2 t dark coffee, finely ground

½ t salt

2 eggs, or flaxseed "eggs"

2 t vanilla extract

⅔ c unsweetened powdered cocoa

1¾ c gluten free flour blend

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray oil on two cookie sheets.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, baking powder, coffee, and salt with a blender. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.

3. Stir in the cocoa powder, then the flour. The dough will be slightly stiff. Mix in the chocolate chips.

4. Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Place on the cookie sheet and press down slightly.

5. Bake for 13 minutes. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the pan. 

Chewy Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

These cookies are fairly decadent and rich with chocolate, cherries, and sugar. This recipe has been adapted from a Cooking Light recipe from years ago. I have made in gluten-free, removed the egg, and cut back on the butter.

One thing I have noticed a lot of recently is the addition of baking soda in recipes that have no acid in them, like these cookies. To my knowledge, baking soda needs an acid to react. Since my wife's taste buds are sensitive to baking soda, I try to leave it out, especially when there's no acid to make it worthwhile.

Chewy Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

Ingredients

1 c gluten-free flour blend (rice based blend is best)

⅓ c unsweetened cocoa

¾ t baking powder

¼ t salt

1 c sugar

¼ c butter, softened

1 t vanilla extract

1 flax seed "egg"

⅔ c dried cherries

3 T semisweet chocolate chips

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer on high speed until well blended. Add vanilla and "egg"; beat well. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture. Beat until just combined. Fold in the cherries and chocolate chips.

3. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 12 minutes or until set. Remove from oven; cool on pan 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Gluten Free Muffins

Quick breads are great because they're, well, quick, and they're bread. I find yeasted gluten-free breads are quite finicky, but quick breads made with baking soda/powder have a much higher success rate.

Lately, I have abused my family with batch after batch of muffins while I tried to perfect my muffin recipe. I started with a basic mix from Bette Hagman's book The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread: More Than 200 Wheat-Free Recipes, but one thing I noticed about her recipes is that she relies a lot on tapioca and cornstarch/arrowroot. I have not been able to find much information on these flours, but I doubt that these simple starches have any more nutrition that plain old white flour.

So I have been trying to modify her recipes somewhat with healthier flours. For her muffin recipe, I use oat flour as the base, and the touch of potato flour (*flour*, not starch) is crucial for getting a good texture.

Consider this recipe a starting point for other additions like nuts, dried fruits, or whatever.

Gluten Free Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

Dry

1 c oat flour

⅓ c coconut flour

1 T potato flour

½ c tapioca flour

1 T baking powder

½ t salt

⅓ c sugar

Wet

3 T ground flaxseed meal

6 T warm water

4 T oil

1 c milk

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease 12 muffin tins.

2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Combine the wet ingredients in a medium bowl.

4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir until just moistened, no more.

5. Evenly fill muffin cups.

6. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Insert a toothpick to make sure insides are done.

The World of Pizza

It's difficult to put an exact definition on pizza. It seems every culture has some form of food that resembles pizza. Basically, it is a flat bread crust with stuff on top. Or sometimes the stuff is inside. The ancestor of the American pizza originated in Naples.

The Neapolitan pizza is characterized by a bread crust which by itself has little flavor; it is the vehicle to get the toppings to your mouth without it falling into your lap. On top of that is a flavorful tomato sauce. This provides the bulk of the taste and moistens the entire thing so it goes down easy. A thin layer of mozzarella cheese covers the top that holds the whole thing together. And finally, sprinkled on the top is a little fresh basil. This simple recipe spread throughout Italy, each applying their own local variations. Then it spread all through Europe and East and West.

But something awful happened to the recipe on the way over to the U.S. Apparently the recipe blew overboard, and when the crew finally dredged it out of the sea, it was water-logged and practically illegible. This must be the case because the American pizza has evolved into something quite grotesque. The crust keeps getting thicker and denser. The tomato sauce is thin and lifeless. There are no herbs to speak of. Taking center stage is the thick carpet of cheese on top. Cheese is even infused into the crust. What was once a savory, tangy delight has become a thick, heavy glob of cheese and dough. This evolution has placed American pizza into the "junk food" category, which is a real shame because pure pizza is darn good food.

Over the years, I have been interested in pizzas from around the world. One pizza I really enjoy is a Moroccan pizza, also known as Marrakesh Pizza. This pizza is not easy to make, though, as the toppings are really a filling. The dough is folded with the filling inside, rolled out, folded again, and rolled out again. While this does create an interesting pizza, it's time consuming and messy. However, I love the taste of the filling.

In the following recipe, I recreate the Marrakesh filling but use it as a topping on the traditional Italian style pizza. I have been searching for a good gluten-free pizza crust, but so far the best is the one in Bette Hagman's book The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread. I present a slightly modified version of Bette's pizza crust below.

What I like in this particular pizza is the absence of a sauce. Pizza does not have to have a sauce, and many non-American pizzas I've tried do not. Here I used tomatoes fresh my garden and some rice-based cheese. As you can tell, cheese plays a very small role in this dish.

Marrakesh Pizza

Ingredients

pizza crust:

7/8 c brown rice flour

5/8 c tapioca flour

1½ t xanthan or guar gum

1 T sugar

3 T almond meal

½ t salt

2½ t yeast

2 egg whites, or 2 T ground flax seed + 4 T warm water

1½ T olive oil

½ t vinegar

¾ c warm water, more or less

filling:

½ onion, chopped fine

2 large tomatoes, or 4 romas

3 T parsley

½ t ground coriander

1 t paprika

1 t cumin

½ c shredded cheese

2 T olive oil

Steps

To make the pizza crust:

1. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or round pizza pan (not one with holes, the dough is too wet).

2. Blend the dry ingredients (rice flour through yeast) in a medium bowl.

3. Place wet ingredients in the bowl of your mixer and blend (reserve some of the water). With the mixer on low, add the flour mix. Add more water if needed to get a firm but spreadable dough. Beat on high for 3½ minutes.

4. Spread dough on the prepared sheet or pan, spreading in circles until 12 inches in diameter. Raise the edges slightly.

5. Let rise for about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F.

6. Bake crust for about 10 minutes. While baking, prepare the topping.

To make the topping:

1. Mix all the topping ingredients into a bowl.

2. Spread topping on top of crust and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.

America's Sugar Addiction

Jonny Bowden has an interesting article on Forbes.com, The Healthiest Foods On Earth, which has this great quote:

All these healthy diets have in common the fact that they are absent foods with bar codes. They are also extremely low in sugar. In fact, the number of modern or ancient societies known for health and longevity that have consumed a diet high in sugar would be ... let's see ... zero.

Just recently the American Heart Association is now advising that Americans eat way too much sugar and we need to cut back. We eat 22 teaspoons a day. Fructose is unhealthy in many ways; it damages your liver and kidneys, puts on lots of unwanted weight, causes acne and tooth decay, etc.

From an evolutionary point of view, Dr. Miller in the Jungle Effect says that humans have a natural affinity towards sweet things as a way to encourage us to eat more fruits. Back before the wide availability of sugar, fruit and honey was our only source of sweetness. And fruit and honey can offer so much more to our bodies, whereas pure sugar offers nothing nutritionally.

One thing I have noticed in my label reading of various packaged foods is that sugar is in most everything, even things that you wouldn't expect: items like soy sauce and salad dressings. The fact of the matter is that America is addicted to sugar. Food manufacturers have to put it in the food they create, otherwise people won't eat it. It is just like the tobacco companies lacing their cigarettes with nicotine to get smokers hooked on their brand.

Ever since I cut back on sugar and eliminated High Fructose Corn Syrup completely, my taste buds have reawakened. I notice more subtle flavors in my food that before were hidden from my deadened taste buds. And now when I happen to taste some super-sweet food, I find it disgusting.

When I follow recipes, I am as much aware of the sugar content as I am when reading food labels. I present a recipe below from Living Without, a magazine that caters to those with various food allergies such as gluten. While this is a great service to people who cannot eat "normal" food, I notice that this magazine also caves in to the American addiction to sugar. Its recipes are heavily laden with sugar, especially its desserts. 

The modified recipe below originally called for 1 2/3 cups of brown sugar. One and two-thirds cups!! And, there was 4 tablespoons of maple syrup, a sneaky way to disguise an additional ¼ cup of sugar. And there were raisins in it, one of the most sweet fruits you can get naturally.

This is simply way too much sweetness. Nobody should eat food this sweet. We are not hummingbirds! So I cut the sugar nearly in half. The amount of oil was also a bit high: 2/3 cup, so I cut this in half as well. The result? I still find it a bit too sweet, but it has promise. This snack bar also suffers from what most gluten-free items suffer: it is crumbly. Using real eggs might help this, but I tend to use flax seed "eggs". I welcome any suggestions on how to make gluten-free breads more cohesive.

In future versions, I will try cutting back the sugar even more, adding nuts and/or seeds, and try to make less crumbly.

Gluten-Free Snack Bars

Ingredients

1⅓ c rolled oats
1 c sorghum flour
¾ c rice flour
½ c tapioca flour
1½ t xanthan gum
½ t salt
1½ t baking powder
1½ t cinnamon
1 c brown sugar, not packed

⅓ c canola oil or other vegetable oil
2 eggs, or flax seed "eggs"
2 T maple syrup
2 t vanilla extract

⅔ c dried cranberries, soaked in warm water
dried coconut flakes

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

2. In large bowl, combine dry ingredients.

3. In medium bowl, combine vegetable oil, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and mix with a fork or wooden spoon until blended.

5. Drain cranberries, reserving ¼ cup liquid. Fold cranberries into batter. Add reserved liquid, a little at a time until batter is smooth. Batter will be thick.

6. Spread batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle coconut flakes on top. Bake in preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes until golden.

7. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars or squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Pine Nut Rosemary Cookies

You may never think pine nuts and rosemary ever belong in a cookie, nor olive oil. But this recipe has all three and the cookies are delicious. Unlike the typical "sugar-flavored" cookie, these are savory and go well with a hot cup of tea. I have adapted it to be egg-free and gluten-free. You can use your favorite gluten free flour blend, but I find the rice flour-based blends do better for this recipe. If you don't have your own blend on hand, you can use the mix described below.

Pine Nut Rosemary Cookies

Ingredients

3 t dried rosemary
¼ c pine nuts, toasted
2¼ c gluten-free flour (see below)
1 t baking powder
½ t ground ginger
¼ t salt
8 T unsalted butter (one stick), softened
1 c sugar
2 T olive oil
2 T heavy cream (or coconut milk)
1 egg, or flax seed "egg"

Gluten-free flour blend:

1¼ c brown rice flour
1 c tapioca flour
2 t sugar
2 t xanthan gum

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 325º. Spray two cookie sheets with oil.

2. Grind the pine nuts in a small food processor or coffee grinder. Add the rosemary and finely chop. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. Stir in the flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt. Set aside.

4. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in oil. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture. Add cream (or coconut milk) and mix until well combined. Add "egg".

5. Shape dough into ¾-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly with your fingers.

6. Bake for about 13-15 minutes, until cookies are lightly golden. They will not get very dark. Turn the sheets halfway to ensure even cooking. Let cool 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before removing to cooling racks.

Monster Chips

If I have one junk food vice, it's chips. Yeah, potato chips are okay, but I get sick of them real quick. My obsession is with tortilla chips. I can eat them with guacamole, salsa, or just plain. I love the simple corn flavor with a hint of salt.

Most store bought brands are way too salty, and the salt-free versions are too boring. And all of them are too expensive. So I make my own. For $0.80 I can get a bag of 12 corn tortillas. I oil these, season them to my liking, grill them to perfection, and snack on them all week.

I leave them whole because they are easier to prepare and cook (less flipping), and it is easier to stick a couple of these into my lunch bag. Due to their size, I call them "Monster Tortilla Chips". You can break them into bite size pieces, or put a topping on them, like salsa, beans, etc to make a little crispy pizza.

Monster Tortilla Chips

Ingredients

bag of corn tortillas
2-3 T olive oil
seasonings to taste

Steps

1. Get your grill going. Pour olive oil into a small bowl.

2. On a plate, lightly brush each tortilla with oil on both sides. On the second side, sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili powder, sesame seeds, whatever you like. Stack them up as you go.

3. Place tortillas on the grill in a single layer. Cover and cook a few minutes. Flip several times while cooking and keep a close eye on them. They will burn quickly. Just as they begin to brown, remove them back to the plate. Repeat for all chips. Allow to cool before storing. They will crisp up more as they cool.

A Better Gluten-Free Flatbread

I previously wrote about a gluten-free flatbread/tortilla, which we have made several times. However, I find these a little stiff and not having much taste. Recently I found a new recipe that is similar but uses potato flour as one of the ingredients. This flour adds some much needed flavor and softens the texture of the breads as well.

As usual, I like to grill my flatbreads/tortillas because (a) it keeps the heat out of the kitchen, and (b) it just seems to taste better. Here I am grilling 4 at once. If I turned on all the burners, I could have grilled all of them at once, but I tend to roll out the next batch while cooking the current batch. You'll notice I don't fret over them not being perfectly circular. They're "rustic", I explain to my wife.

This flatbread has now become our new go-to flatbread, as it is easy to make and tastes great. It also makes use of a bunch of potato flour we accidentally bought (we wanted potato starch). I want to experiment with adding various herbs and spices, but they taste pretty good just like this.

Gluten Free Flatbreads

Ingredients

1 c brown rice flour
½ c potato flour
¼ c arrowroot or tapioca flour
½ c cornmeal
1 t xanthan gum or guar gum
3 T olive oil
1 t salt
1 c buttermilk

Steps

1. Mix all ingredients together adding milk last and in stages so as not to end up with too wet a mixture. The dough needs to be just past the crumbly stage, and able to come together in a soft ball in your hand.

2. Roll out golf ball sized portions to as thin as you can handle the rolled out dough.

3. Cook on a greased hot skillet or grill for 1 minute on each side. Keep warm til serving.

Mexican Jobs Tears

Today's exotic ingredient is job's tears. This grain comes from a tropical Asian grass. In looks similar to barley --in fact it is often called Chinese barley-- but it is not very closely related to barley. Because barley contains gluten, my wife can't eat it, but she can eat job's tears.

The grain can be substituted for barley quite readily, but it does have a unique, earthy taste that some may not like. Like quinoa, it is best to cover up the taste with accompanying ingredients.

For this recipe, we pair the job's tears taste with Mexican flavors. This is another pressure cooker recipe that takes about 25 minutes to cook. You can make this in a standard pot, but allow for 60 minutes of cooking time.

Mexican Jobs Tears

Ingredients

1½ c job's tears
1 T olive oil
2½ t cumin seeds
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
¼ t crushed red pepper flakes
2 t dried oregano
1 lb tomatoes, pureed
½ t salt
¼ c parsley

Steps

1. Rinse the job's tears well and drain.

2. Place the grains in the pressure cooker and roast over high heat for 3-5 minutes (the grains won't darken much, but your pot will. It will wash off). Place grains in a bowl.

3. Heat the oil in the cooker and saute the cumin seeds for just a few seconds. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper, celery, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Top off the tomato puree until it is 3½ cups. Add this to the cooker and bring to a boil.

5. Stir in the job's tears and salt.

6, Lock the lid and bring to high pressure. Maintain high pressure for 16 minutes, then let the pressure reduce naturally for 10 minutes.

7. Stir in the parsley.

Carob, the Other Chocolate

Awhile ago we bought some carob flour. We didn't have any use in mind, but I like the taste and decided to get some. The recipes could follow.

The carob bean comes in large pods of the carob tree. Traditionally, carob was used as a sweetener throughout the Middle East, and the pods are often used as animal feed. From the 1920's through the 40's, several attempts were made to grow these trees on a large scale in California and Arizona, but the craze never really caught on. Europeans and Americans mostly grind carob into a flour and roast it, using it in drinks and desserts. Carob is mostly known here in the states as a chocolate substitute. I like to sprinkle some carob flour in my coffee just before brewing; it mellows out bitter coffee quite well without sugar.

The following recipe can be made gluten-free by substituting the flour with your favorite gluten-free flour. I believe a rice-based blend works best for cookies.

Carob Cashew Cookies

Ingredients

1 c all-purpose flour, or a comparable gluten-free blend
¼ c carob flour
1 t baking powder
¼ t baking soda
½ t cinnamon
¼ c sugar
¼ t salt
4 T maple syrup
2 T cashew butter, or almond butter
1 t vanilla extract
4 T canola oil
¼ c cashew pieces

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a cookie sheet with oil.

2. In a bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (down to salt).

3. In another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (down to canola oil).

4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until well combined, but don't overmix.

5. Roll the dough into 1-inch diameter balls and place on the cookie sheet. Place a cashew piece on top of each and press down slightly.

6. Bake for 11 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove to a wire rack.

Date Nut Bars

We cook and bake a lot with dates because they are incredibly sweet. Unlike sugar, which is just sweet, dates are sweet and have a wonderful flavor. This dish makes a tasty and satisfying bar that can be eaten any time of the day.

Even with just a few ingredients, these bars can easily stand on their own. However, I can't help but think about adding some dark chocolate or cranberries...

Date Nut Bars

Ingredients

1 c dates, cut in half and pitted

1 c pecan halves

1 c rolled oats (not instant)

pinch of salt

1 t vanilla extract

1 T honey or brown rice syrup

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a glass 8x8 baking dish lightly with oil.

2. Place all ingredients in a food processor. Process until the pieces are all finely chopped and well mixed together. Add a little water if the dough is dry and doesn't hold together.

3. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Apple and Oat Bran Muffins

Sometimes we prefer muffins over sliced Bread because they're fast and easy to make. They are often more portable, and you can make so many different kinds. And best of all, making gluten-free muffins is super easy, unlike finicky yeast Bread.

Even though muffins are easy to make, there are a couple rules you should be aware of. These rules apply to gluten-free or gluten-full muffins.

Most important is to not over-stir your dry and wet ingredients. As Alton Brown once said, "Stir 10 times and then just walk away." Muffins are a form of "quick bread", meaning they rise from baking soda and/or baking powder. Working the batter too much will result in a dense loaf that is chewy and stiff, and very little rise. That is why you usually see instructions that say stir until just moistened. After that, "just walk away."

Another tip is not to fool around with those paper muffin cups. Those are really for cupcakes and are not necessary for muffins. I use a non-stick muffin pan and spray with oil.

The following recipe is really healthy: it has little fat and sugar. The apple doesn't really add much flavor, but it does add plenty of fiber. Be sure to squeeze the water out from the shredded apple; otherwise your batter will be too wet. Your apple will also turn brown as it oxidizes. Don't worry about this; it doesn't do any harm and you won't see it in the final product anyway.

If you don't have any buttermilk on hand (I never do), simply add 1 T of cider vinegar to 1 c milk (soy or moo) and let of congeal a few minutes.

We always have a general purpose gluten-free flour blend on hand, but if you don't you can use our blend (a slight modification to Bette Hagman's Four Flour Bean mix):

½ c oat flour

½ c tapioca flour

¼ c chickpea flour

1 T sorghum flour

Muffins are more forgiving to the blend you use than yeast Bread, so you really should experiment with whatever you have on hand. Chances are it will turn out great.

Apple and Oat Bran Muffins

Ingredients

1¼ c gluten-free flour blend

1 c oat bran

1/3 c packed brown sugar

2½ t baking powder

¼ t baking soda

¼ t salt

¼ t ground nutmeg

¾ t ground cinnamon

1 c buttermilk

1 flax seed "egg"

2 T canola oil

1 medium apple, peeled and shredded

Steps

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour, oat bran, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl combine buttermilk, egg, and oil. Add to dry ingredients; stir just until moistened.

3. Squeeze shredded apple inside a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Stir shredded apple into batter.

4. Spray muffin cups with nonstick spray coating. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup. Bake in a 375 degrees F. oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins (12 servings).

Tofu "Meat" Balls

Some things I really miss from my old carnivore days are meatballs and sausage. I don't think it is so much the meat part that I miss, but the herbs and spices that went into them. There are more and more meat-free alternatives available in the grocery these days, but unfortunately most have wheat gluten in them. Therefore, I am constantly searching for the perfect vegetarian blend that holds up well under cooking/grilling and tastes great. Sausages made from black beans appeared in the Evolving Palate not long ago.

Those are pretty tasty, but here is another take; this time using tofu as the protein base instead of beans. These are gluten-free and they are baked, not fried, so they are low-fat. They originally called for barbecue sauce, but we never keep the stuff on hand, and I didn't want to buy some just for 3 tablespoons. The four ingredients starting with the soy sauce is my barbecue sauce substitute.

I find the mustard taste a tad too strong, so I have adjusted this recipe to decrease the mustard a bit. It could also use more herbs and pepper, but overall the texture is about right and the flavors are good, with some improvement possibilities. I don't think these meatballs are strong enough to hold up to being in a soup. I have some ideas of how to strengthen these guys up, but until then, here is a good start.

Tofu "Meat" Balls

Ingredients

1 pkg firm tofu, drained

1½ c gluten-free bread crumbs

½ c brown rice flour

1 t potato flour

1 T oat bran

1 t dried parsley

½ t dried basil

½ t chives

½ c green onions, chopped

½ t salt

pepper to taste

1 T soy sauce

2 T ketchup

½ t chili oil

1 t worcestershire sauce

1 T yellow mustard

2 T oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Crumble up the tofu and combine all ingredients into a large bowl.

3. Use your hands and blend all the ingredients well.

4. Using your hands, roll the mixture into golf-ball sized balls. Place them on a cookie sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. Turn them over and cook another 15 minutes, or until golden on the outside.

Buckwhat?

Our exotic ingredient for the day is buckwheat. Most people recognize Buckwheat as the name of that little boy (played by Billie Thomas) from the 1930's show Our Gang.

The buckwheat I want to talk about is another overlooked grain in the SAD. Buckwheat is quite common in Russian, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine.

Despite its name, buckwheat is not a wheat at all, nor is it a cereal or grass. It is a fruit seed related to rhubarb. The seeds can be cooked and eaten like a hot cereal, or used in pilaf type dishes. The seeds are also ground into a flour (gluten-free), which can be used in breads or noodles (like the Japanese soba).

Buckwheat is generally available in well-stocked groceries and markets. If you can't find it, there's always dependable Amazon: BUCKWHEAT GROATS, 12 oz bag

Buckwheat has a distinctive, earthy flavor that may not appeal to everyone. It pairs wonderfully with mushrooms. Therefore, this dish I present is a mushroom and buckwheat pilaf, a simple yet tasty side dish.

Mushroom and Buckwheat Pilaf

You can use toasted buckwheat, but that will have a much stronger and overpowering flavor. It is best to use raw buckwheat groats.

Ingredients

1 large onion, sliced thinly
2 T vegetable oil
½ lb mushrooms, washed and stems left intact, sliced
1 c raw buckwheat groats
1¾ c vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for about 8 minutes, until they are translucent.

2. Stir in the buckwheat, broth, and the mushrooms. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the groats are tender (about 20 minutes). Add more water if needed.

Cardamon-Walnut Cookies

Based on our previous articles, one might think that the Evolution Kitchen is anti-dessert. Fact is, we love dessert, but not the ultra-sweet, glazed, creamy, heavy kind of glop that most people associate with dessert. If you're still hungry enough to eat a 500 calorie brownie after dinner, then you obviously didn't eat enough food prior to dessert.

Dessert should be the period at the end of the sentence, not an entire phrase. We're more into delicate sweets, those that are spicy or tart, not simply sugary. We prefer sugar to enhance the background flavors, just as salt is supposed to bring out the flavors underneath it. Sugar should never be the flavor.

This recipe is lightly sweetened to enhance the cardamom and walnut. Cardamom is a unique spice that is completely foreign to the SAD. Its taste works well in desserts and beverages, as well as in curries. This recipe has been converted to be gluten free, and the sugar has been cut back somewhat. Warning: this still has a lot of butter in it!

Cardamom-Walnut Cookies

Ingredients

Dusting:

½ c powdered sugar
½ t cardamom

Cookie:

½ c sugar
1½ t cardamom
1 c (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 t vanilla extract
1 t grated lemon peel
¼ t salt
2 c gluten-free flour (Or the blend below)
1½ c walnuts, toasted and finely chopped

Gluten-Free flour blend:

1 1/8 c brown rice flour
¾ c tapioca flour
4 t sugar
2 t xanthan gum
pinch of gelatin or agar agar

Steps

1. Mix the dusting in a bowl and set aside.

2. Combine sugar, butter, vanilla, cardamom, lemon peel, and salt in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer or spoon, mix until well blended. Add flour and chopped nuts. Beat some more until smooth.

3. Gather dough in ball and wrap in wax paper. Chill for at least one hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two cookie sheets lightly with oil. Using your hands, roll dough into ¾-inch balls and place on cookie sheets.

5. Bake cookies until golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on sheets.

6. Roll the warm cookies in the dusting mixture. Cool completely before storing.

Healthy Granola

Granola is typically a mixture of rolled oats, nuts, and fruit, which is then baked or toasted. When it is not baked, it is called muesli. I remember when granola first made the scene, it was kind of a "hippie" food, and traditional families tended to push it aside while reaching for the Cocoa Puffs and Super Sugar Smacks.

Slowly granola became a popular alternative to the cocoa-frosted sugar bombs. Now you would think granola is a rare commodity, as it costs $3.00 or more a pound. It's ironic, since oats used to be shunned by humans as just horse fodder.

I also noticed that most store-bought granola is just as sugar-laden as the other over-processed, over-sweetened cereals. Here is a quote from a Yahoo news article:

Bear Naked's latest "all natural" flavor contains 21 ingredients, including four types of sweeteners, chocolate, and peanut butter. It's also 140 calories per ¼ cup (that's a whopping 280 per serving!). Even low-fat granola packs a caloric punch. One serving of Health Valley's Real Oat Bran Almond Crunch clocks in at 200 calories.

Luckily, granola is dead simple to make at home. However, many of the recipes out there continue the sugar addiction and adds gobs of honey or maple syrup. Egads, we are a nation of human hummingbirds!

The following granola recipe is barely sweet at all. Certainly you can adjust the sugar content to your liking. You can use this as a base and add whatever you have on hand. Granola is very forgiving; you could put in rice flakes, croutons, M&Ms, whatever. I also add some puffed grain just to provide some texture contrast. You can use something else, or just more oats.

You'll notice I don't put any fruit in it. That comes later. Some recipes have you put dried fruit in the mixture before cooking, but this usually results in really dried fruit, and sometimes crispy fruit. I add fruit after it has been cooked and cooled.

Healthy Granola

Ingredients

dry:
4 c regular rolled oats (not instant)
1 c puffed grain (like rice, millet, or corn)
¾ c nuts
¾ c seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, etc)
1 t ground cinnamon

wet:
½ c apple juice
2 T canola oil
2 T brown sugar (or honey, maple syrup)
1 t vanilla extract

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir thoroughly to mix.

4. Spray a 13x9 inch metal or glass baking pan with oil. Pour the granola mixture into the pan and spread it out.

5. Bake for about 45 minutes, depending on how crunchy you want your granola. Stir the mixture several times while baking.

6. Cool thoroughly before storing.

Gluten-Free Raisin Rolls

Around Easter time every year we are inundated with recipes for Hot Cross Buns. I decided to take a look at one and try a gluten-free version. Wow! There is a lot of sugar in those things! Over half a cup of sugar, plus candied fruit, plus butter drizzled on, and then topped off with MORE sugar icing. Geesh, people. Not everything has to taste like candy.

So with pencil in hand, I edited that recipe beyond recognition. I can't even call them Hot Cross Buns anymore. What I ended up with tastes great and is far more healthy (and gluten free). They look a little lumpy and wrinkly in this picture, but that's just the camera... and maybe my photography skills.

Gluten-Free Raisin Roll

Ingredients

1½ c chickpea flour
½ c arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
¾ c tapioca flour
1 c brown rice flour
⅓ cup sugar
5 t yeast, or 2 packages
½ cup powdered milk (soy, rice, moo)
1 T xanthan gum
1 t salt
1 T cinnamon
¾ - 1 c warm water
¼ c canola oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten, or 3 flax seed "eggs"
1 t vinegar
1 c raisins
½ t dried lemon peel
1 t dried orange peel

Steps

1. Lightly grease a 10-inch cake pan.

2. Mix flours, sugar, yeast, powdered milk, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon together in the bowl of your mixer.

3. Add water, oil, eggs and vinegar and beat for 5 minutes.

4. Mix in raisins and dried fruit peels.

5. Scrape dough out onto a floured plate (rice flour). Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and gently shape each into a ball. Place one ball of dough in the center of prepared cake pan. Loosely arrange the remaining balls around it, leaving room for buns to rise. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 30 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 375°. Place buns in preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

Quinoa - Ancient Indian Superfood

There have been many foods touted as "super foods". The list includes food like chia seeds, blueberries, oats, green tea, and acai berries. I try not to get caught up in the hype of these unsubstantiated claims; I believe we should simply try to eat a balanced diet of all healthy foods. There is no "magic pill" in the food world.

Another food that is sometimes placed on this super-food list is quinoa, pronounced "KEEN-wah". This is an ancient grain that was sacred to the Incas as the mother of all grains. It is easily cultivated and it spread throughout South and Central America as a dietary staple until it was largely replaced by maize.

I'll be the first to admit that I am not all that crazy about quinoa. It is a small grain that invariably ends up all over the counter and stovetop whenever I cook it. It has a slightly bitter taste and must be thoroughly rinsed to remove the natural waxy coating that adds to the bitterness. But despite these negatives, it cooks quickly and is one of the few grains someone on a gluten-free diet can enjoy. And if you believe all the claims, quinoa has twice the protein as other cereal grains, and it is a "complete protein", which means it contains all essential amino acids.

If you can't find quinoa, you can order it here: NOW Foods, Organic Quinoa Grain - 1 lb

Quinoa can be used in place of couscous, but the flavor is sometimes not compatible. So I am always on the lookout for recipes that work well with quinoa. Here is one that is not half-bad, probably because the vegetables mask the quinoa flavor.

Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf

This can be served as a main dish, hot or cold.

Ingredients

1 c whole-grain quinoa
2 c water
2 T lemon or lime juice
3 T olive oil
2 T parsley, chopped
2 T fresh basil, chopped
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
3 scallions, white and green parts, sliced
1 c sliced celery
1 c frozen corn
1 c red bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Steps

1. Rinse quinoa well before using. In a medium saucepan, boil water and add quinoa. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with fork. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, basil, salt and pepper.

3. In a large skillet, briefly saute all the vegetables in a little bit of oil. Add vegetables to the bowl.

4. Add cooked quinoa to the bowl. Stir until well blended. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Gluten-Free Cranberry Crisp

Cranberries are one of those foods that seem to be limited to Thanksgiving (see also sweet potatoes). But cranberries are really good for you, and can be quite tasty if the sourness is properly offset. There is no reason why they shouldn't be a part of your regular diet.

Although this recipe uses cranberries, you could also use sour cherries, or any kind of fruit really. Realize that the amount of sugar present in the filling and the topping is to offset the bitterness, so if you use a sweet fruit, you might want to cut back on the sugar.

Gluten-Free Cranberry Crisp

Ingredients

Filling
3 T  tapioca flour
5 c fresh cranberries, or defrosted frozen cranberries  
2 t  fresh lemon juice
½ t vanilla extract
7/8 c granulated sugar
¼ t ground allspice
¼ t ground nutmeg
Pinch salt

Topping
2 c  gluten-free flour blend of your choice
¾ c  dark-brown sugar
½ t cinnamon
½ t salt
1 c unsalted raw walnuts
1½ sticks butter

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 13x9-inch baking dish.

2. To make the filling, stir together tapioca flour, cranberries, lemon juice, vanilla extract, sugar, allspice, nutmeg and salt in prepared baking dish until well combined. Let filling rest to release fruit juice while making the topping.

3. To make the topping, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a food processor and mix until well combined. Add walnuts and pulse. Add butter and pulse until mixture begins to form large clumps.

4. Crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake until fruit is bubbling and topping begins to brown, approximately 50 to 60 minutes.

Gluten-Free Flatbreads

We eat a lot of flatbread. They are perfect for dips and we take them backpacking instead of the ubiquitous tortilla, which are too fragile for the rigors of the pack. Flatbread is also incredibly easy to make, and as this recipe shows, can be done as a gluten-free option.

We recently made a batch of these to go with our Muhammara dip. See the recipe and flatbread picture here. I like to make them on a charcoal grill, which gives them that smokey, rustic taste. You can certainly cook on a hot griddle inside, but I think you will agree that the grill is the way to go. Some will tend to puff up like pita Bread as they cook.

If you have made gluten-free Bread before, you will likely have all these ingredients already on hand. I've also replaced the tapioca flour with oat flour before and achieved good results.

Gluten-Free Flatbread

Makes 10-12 flatbreads

Ingredients

2½ t yeast
½ c warm water
1 t sugar
1½ c brown rice flour
½ c tapioca flour
1 c sorgham flour
2 t xantham gum
1¼ t salt
1 c lukewarm water
1 egg or flax seed "egg"

Steps

1. Dissolve the yeast in the ½ cup of warm water. Add the sugar. Allow this to sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.

2. Combine flours, xantham gum, and salt in the bowl of your mixer. Pour in the yeast mixture and the egg. Mix on medium speed using the paddle attachment.

3. Slowly add ½ - 1 cup of lukewarm water. Add enough water to get a soft and tacky dough. It shouldn't be liquid. Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed.

4. Spray a large bowl with oil. Turn out the dough into this bowl, cover with a wet towel, and let sit in a warm spot for about an hour.

5. Start your coals.

6. Pinch off 10-12 pieces and roll into a ball. On a floured surface, flatten ball into a ¼-inch disc, using your hands or a rolling pin. These will be sticky and fragile, so be careful when stacking them up.

7. Cook on the hot grill for about a minute on each side until brown and toasted.