Glory Bowl

Ingredients:

1 Cup Brown Rice
1/2 Cup Beets
1/2 Cup Carrots
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Spinach
1/4 Cup Alfalfa
1 Avocado
1/2 Cup Tofu or Chicken
1/4 Cup Cilantro

Dressing:
1/4 Cup Miso
1 Lime
1/8 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup Water
1 Clove Garlic
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/3 Cup Tahini
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

Directions

1. In small pot, start cooking the brown rice with 2 Cups water and 1 Cup of brown rice.

2.  While Rice is cooking, Grate the raw beets and carrots
3. Finely shred the spinach and dice the avocado.

4. In a blender, blend together the miso, lime juice, vinegar, 1/2 cup of water, garlic, soy sauce and tahini.  Slowly drizzle in the Vegetable oil as it can get too thick.

5. Once your rice is done cooking, layer the ingredients as follows:  Rice, a little of your dressing, Beets, Carrots, Spinach, Avocado, Alfalfa, Chopped Cilantro, Sunflower Seeds, and the rest of your dressing. 

Tofu Musubi

Adapted from my
Spam Musubi recipe


Picture from Bread without Butter blog
 
INGREDIENTS

Half package of firm tofu
1/4 cup tamari / soy sauce (low sodium is best, if you have)
1/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup cooked sushi rice
2 sheets of roasted seaweed, cut in half


DIRECTIONS

In a small saucepan, begin dissolving sugar into tamari/soy sauce. Remove from heat once sugar is completely integrated.

Slice tofu into 1/4 inch thick pieces and press excess water out using paper towels. Heat up a frying pan on the stove top with one tbsp of vegetable oil. Lightly salt pressed tofu and pan fry over medium heat for 5 minutes each side, or until just starting to brown.

Add generous amount of the sauce to the tofu and cook off for another 2-3 minutes, until the sauce begins to reduce. Remove tofu slices from heat and let marinate in the sauce.

Using a bamboo sushi mat, or any non-stick flexible surface, lay down the halved seaweed sheet. Place a 1/4 inch thick layer of sushi rice, covering about 1/3 of the seaweed sheet. Place a tofu slice on top of the rice.

Wrap the seaweed around the rice and tofu, using water or extra sauce to seal the seaweed. Use the mat to gently press musubi into a rectangle.

Easy Sushi at Home

A number of years ago now, a couple of friends of mine went "WWOOFing" (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms – an organization that connects volunteers with farms all over the world in need of assistance, often in exchange for room and board) in Japan. One of the farms they stayed with introduced them to a way of preparing sushi for a large, busy family without someone having to spend hours assembling all the rolls or cones. When they came home, they introduced this technique to our group of friends:

First, get your sushi rice cooking. For how to make the sushi rice, see this recipe.

Sushi ready for assembly: Steam broccolini stems, avocado, baked sweet potato sticks, cucumber sticks, and homemade tamago.

Second, prepare all the ingredients you like to have in sushi rolls. We like veggie rolls of various kinds, so we cut tofu, avocado, and cucumber into sticks and grate a bit of carrot and/or radish. We also lightly steam asparagus or broccolini/broccolette stems and bake yam sticks. You may also want to get more adventurous and add raw or cooked mushrooms, spinach, bell peppers, mango, green onions, baked squash, homemade tamago, tofu (plain or marinated), or, of course, shrimp, crab, and sushi-grade fish. For condiments, in addition to soy sauce or tamari, you may want wasabi, pickled ginger, mayonnaise, cream cheese, toasted sesame seeds or gomasio. Check out the online menus of sushi restaurants for inspiration.

Third, cut your sheets of sushi nori into square quarters.

Finally, when your rice and other ingredients are cooled, lay out all the ingredients on the table. Just like having a taco night, everyone grabs some nori squares, add some rice and their favourite ingredients and condiments, roll it in their hands into a rough cone shape or just hold it like a taco, and eat!

Add in bowls of miso soup to complete the meal.

Sushi Rice

Chef Luis Lavieri

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sushi rice
1 cup of water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 generous tbsp of sugar
1 generous tsp of salt

Optional:
1 tbsp of mirin (rice wine)

If not using mirin, add 1 more tbsp rice vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Place the rice in a colander.

Rinse the rice under running water for about a minute.

Drain the water from the colander by placing it over an empty pot.

Allow the rice to drain for 30 minutes (summer) to one hour (winter).

If using a rice cooker: Put rice and water into cooker and set to cook.

If using a pot: Bring the water to boil, then place the rice in the water, cover it with a towel, then place the lid onto the pot, over top of the towel.

In a separate bowl mix together the rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and mirin. If not using mirin, add one extra tbsp of rice vinegar.

When the rice is cooked, remove it from the cooker/pot and place it into a bowl.

Pour the vinegar mixture overtop and mix gently, careful not to break the rice grains.

Allow to cool to body temperature, then make your sushi.

Zucchini Gratin

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup uncooked white rice
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 or 4 medium zucchini
1/2 pound plum tomatoes
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS 

Cook the rice. Slice both the zucchini and the tomatoes into 1/4 inch rounds. Preheat oven to 450°F.

Coat two large baking sheets each with a tablespoon of olive oil and spread zucchini and tomato slices on the baking sheets in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes for 10 minutes and zucchini for 20, flipping the zucchini halfway through.

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Thinly slice the onion. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan and while it heats, mince the garlic. Add onions, garlic and a pinch of salt to pan. Cover and reduce heat to low, cooking onion until limp and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl, then add the onion mixture, rice, thyme, half of the grated cheese, a half-tablespoon of olive oil, and a generous amount of black pepper in a bowl. Coat a shallow 2-quart baking dish with the final half tablespoon of olive oil. Spread half of rice mixture in bottom of dish. Arrange half of roasted zucchini on top. Spread remaining rice mixture over it, arrange remaining zucchini on top, then tomato slices. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese and bake until set and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

What Does it Really Mean to Go Gluten Free?

More and more people these days are opting for gluten-free diets, whether because of a celiac diagnosis, a wheat-sensitivity, a bid to be all-around healthier, or just to see what it's like. But what does going gluten-free really mean?

Gluten is an elastic protein that's present in wheat, rye, barley, spelt and kamut. Of all these grains, wheat is the one that tends to give people the most trouble and is present in the most things that we often reach for as a snack. Modern wheat is vastly different from the grain it used to be thanks to extensive cross-breeding; classic wheat plants used to grow to over four feet tall, while modern wheat, which is grown in the vast majority of the world’s wheat fields, stands at about two feet and balances a huge seed head on its small stem. As a result, the structure of the gluten protein in wheat is very, very different from its ancient grain form -- which, essentially, is what both spelt and kamut are. This shift in wheat's structural make-up may be to blame for the huge numbers of people having difficulties with wheat-loaded diets. We also tend to eat a lot more gluten these days than our forebears did in days past, especially since gluten can be hiding in everything
from soy sauce to candy to yogurt to lipgloss (no, really).

So what's a gluten-free gut to do? First of all, figure out what kind of gluten-free eater you are, or if you are one at all. Some of us thrive perfectly well on a wheat-full diet, despite all trends. Others would do well to simply cut back on the amount of processed wheat they're consuming. But some of us really do need to go gluten-free for good. Know what's best for your body -- not anyone else's -- by checking your resources, talking to your doctor, and tuning in to what your own body is telling you.

There's a huge difference between going gluten-free because you have celiac disease and going gluten-free because you think you'd like to cut back on your wheat consumption. Both change your diet, certainly, but the former almost always entails a much stricter eating regime than the latter, which can sometimes make room for a snack that you don't feel like skipping or for cross-contamination. If you're celiac, all of a sudden you need be able to decode the many mysterious ingredients on the back of salad dressing bottles and be vigilant for any speck of gluten that may have touched your otherwise-totally-gluten-free salad. Luckily, for the seriously celiac, there are a lot of resources on how to not only cope with your new diet but to thrive. Good places to start on the internet are Celiac.com (http://www.celiac.com) , Gluten-Free Living (http://www.glutenfreeliving.com) , and Gluten Free Girl and the Chef (http://glutenfreegirl.com/) .

Perhaps the best way to imagine your new life without gluten is to focus on all the delicious foods you get to bring into your diet that you were previously neglecting out of an unnecessary wheat loyalty. Gluten-free can be really hard if you're only thinking about what you can't eat. A lot of gluten-free products out there take your favourite wheaty snack and replace it with something that almost inevitably doesn't taste as good as the original. It's hard to make a good gluten-free pizza (though certainly not impossible)! A much easier way to start enjoying your gluten-free life is to fill your plate with good, fresh food that's naturally gluten-free. Explore your vegetables. Embrace the multitude of other grains, like amaranth, buckwheat, millet, rice, teff, and quinoa (not technically a grain but it works).

If you are attached to baking or baked goods, familiarize yourself with the many ways to bake gluten-free and keep a stash of all-purpose gluten free flour mixed up in your kitchen. A good way to bake gluten-free is to do it by weight; invest in a kitchen scale and your baking life will become much, much easier. You can make your own all-purpose flour mix at home -- because buying it in the store can be really expensive if you use a lot -- by simply mixing 7 parts of gluten-free flour of your choice with 3 parts gluten-free starch of your choice (for more instructions on that, check out this post (http://glutenfreegirl.com/2012/07/how-to-make-a-gluten-free-all-purpose-flour-mix/) ).

The most important thing about going gluten-free is knowing what works for you. Learn to ask questions about cross-contamination at restaurants, to expect ingredient lists for meals, and to really listen to how your body is dealing with whatever it is you're eating. It's a whole lot easier to be gluten-free these days, but it can still be a challenge. Luckily, every single one of our predesigned produce bins comes automatically gluten-free!

Thai-Style Yellow Rice

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 to 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup English peas, removed from pods
1 roma tomato or 1 small field tomato, diced
2 cups jasmine rice or basmati rice
4 cups (minus 2 Tbsp) chicken broth or vegetable broth
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp of lime juice)
2 Tbsp tamari
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 to 1/3 tsp saffron (optional)
Handful of fresh basil or cilantro, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Warm a deep pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper flakes/cayenne. Stir-fry for about one minute, until fragrant, then add the red pepper, peas, and tomato. Stir-fry for one more minute.

Add the rice and stir to coat, then pour in the broth. Add the lime juice, tamari, turmeric, and saffron (if using). Stir well.

When the broth begins to bubble, cover tightly with a lid and reduce heat to low. Allow rice to gently simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. Give the rice a gentle stir, put the lid back on, turn off the stove, and leave the rice to sit on the off, but hot, burner for at least 10 minutes and up to one hour.

Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Top with a little fresh basil or cilantro.

Green Banana Curry

INGREDIENTS

5 green bananas
2 - 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 onion, finely sliced
1 tsp curry powder
1 can coconut milk
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Slice the bananas into slices about 1-inch thick.

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Fry the banana slices until lightly browned on each side; do them in batches if necessary. Drain on paper towel.

Still over medium heat, add the garlic, ginger, and onion to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the curry powder and stir well, then return the banana slices to the pan. Add about 2/3 of the coconut milk and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.

Pour in the remaining coconut milk and simmer until the mixture thickens and the bananas break down a little. Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice.

Baked Brown Rice Croquettes

INGREDIENTS

Rice balls:
1 1/3 cups brown rice
2 2/3 cups water
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 eggs
1 cup finely cubed mozzarella
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, lightly packed
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Coating:
2 eggs
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Soak the brown rice overnight in the water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix together the other ingredients for the rice balls. Stir in the cooled rice until all the ingredients are well combined.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the bottom of a glass baking dish with a generous layer of extra virgin olive oil.

To make the coating for the rice balls, whisk together the eggs and olive oil together in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs with the black pepper.

Wet your hands to keep everything from sticking to you. Shape some of the rice mixture into a 2-inch ball, then dip it into the egg and oil mixture and then roll it around in the bread crumbs to cover it evenly. Place it in the prepared baking dish.

When all the rice mixture has been shaped and coated, bake until the bottoms of the balls are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn them over and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. Drain on paper towel and serve hot with a side of salsa or pasta sauce for dipping.

Makes about 18 2-inch croquettes.

Lemon Rice and Peas

Also a great way to use up leftover rice. I'll often cook about three extra cups of rice when having a stir-fry and use it a day or two later for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups water
1 cups brown basmati rice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
6 green onions, finely chopped
2 cups shelled English peas
1 cup cashews
3 Tbsp tamari
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
Cayenne pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the rice, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the water is absorbed, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Heat the olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook, stirring, until the mustard seeds begin to pop, about 30 seconds. Add the cumin and green onions and cook until the onions have softened, about 1 minute. Add the cooked rice, peas, cashews, tamari, lemon juice, parsley, turmeric, and cayenne and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Excellent served with flour tortillas. Warm the tortillas and either wrap the mixture in them or serve with the tortillas on the side to scoop up the rice.

Chickpeas and Rice

An easy-to-adapt dinner. Try using roasted tomatoes or a bit of pasta sauce instead of sundried tomatoes, add fried zucchini and/or mushrooms, experiment with different spices, or add feta in place of parmesan. A great way to use up leftover rice.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup brown basmati rice (uncooked)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 can chickpeas
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes packed in oil, finely chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

DIRECTIONS

Cook rice in vegetable broth and set aside.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil and half of the butter in a skillet. Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring frequently.

When chickpeas start to turn lightly brown (about 5 minutes), add the parsley and the sundried tomatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the basil, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and mix rice, chickpeas, remaining butter, and parmesan cheese together until the rice is a golden colour. Serve hot.

Curried Chickpeas

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot OR 1/3 cup red onion, minced or diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 to 1/2 tsp chile powder
2.5 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp tamari
1 can chickpeas
1/4 cup lemon juice or lime juice
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, lightly chopped
3 Tbsp coconut milk (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Over medium-high heat, heat a wok or large frying pan. Add oil, then, when oil is hot, add the shallots or onion and the garlic. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly.

Add turmeric, chile powder, cumin, coriander, tamari and a tablespoon of water to pan. Stir-fry together briefly.

Add the chickpeas and continue cooking and stirring until they are coated with the spice mixture and are nice and hot, about 5 minutes. If they become too dry, another tablespoon of water.

Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the lemon or lime juice, black pepper, and most of the fresh cilantro. Stir in the coconut milk if using.

Adjust seasonings to taste: add more tamari if not salty enough, or another squeeze of lemon or lime juice if too salty.

Top with any remaining cilantro and serve hot with rice.

Spinach Soup

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup lentils
1/2 cup white rice
2 Tbsp flour
3/4 lb spinach, chopped
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Turmeric
Sea salt
Pepper
1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS

Put 4 cups of water, lentils, rice, and flour in a pot. Cook on medium heat for 1 hour or until rice and lentils soften.

Add spinach and oil and then season with turmeric, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook for another 30 min. Add water if necessary.

Add the beaten egg to the soup and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes. Serve hot with a side of bread.

Tofu and Rainbow Chard Stacks

INGREDIENTS

Tofu:
2 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine) (or balsamic vinegar)
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 package extra-firm tofu

Chard:
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups thinly sliced rainbow chard
2 tsp tamari
1 or 2 cups cooked rice

DIRECTIONS

Tofu: Combine the first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Cut tofu lengthwise into 4 slices. Carefully place tofu in a 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Pour the soy sauce mixture over tofu. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes, carefully turning once.

Preheat broiler.

Remove tofu from dish; save marinade for rice. Place tofu on an oiled baking sheet. Broil 10 minutes on each side or until tofu is lightly browned.

Chard: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ginger, pepper, and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add chard; cook 3 minutes or until chard wilts. Stir in 2 teaspoons tamari.

Place 1/4 cup chard mixture on each of 2 plates; top each serving with 1 tofu slice. Repeat layers with remaining chard and tofu.