Chickpea Flatbread, Attempt Two

I tried the Chickpea Flatbread again, using a different recipe. It calls for the flour and water to sit together for several hours, and I didn't like it as well as the first recipe I tried. The first recipe made a thicker bread, and it was more moist. Here is the recipe that I like (with a couple extra notes):

Chickpea Flatbread
6 cups water
3 + 1/4 cups chickpea flour (also called garbanzo bean flour)
7 Tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp salt
ground pepper

Pour the water into a bowl and sprinkle in the chickpea flour little by little, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add 6 tablespoons of the olive oil and the salt and mix until batter is smooth. Let rest for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350. Pour last tablespoon of olive oil into large rimmed baking sheet. Slowly pour most of the batter into the baking sheet. Place in oven and pour the rest of the batter in. Bake until golden brown and a crust forms on the surface. Serve hot with pepper, salt, and butter.

The "dough" will be very watery..

The bread tastes like garbanzo beans, but the texture is more like cornbread. Actually, it's a lot like a flat cornbread made from garbanzo beans.

Enchiladas

Enchiladas are made by rolling cheese and cooked meat into a tortilla, placing the tortillas in a pan, covering them with enchilada sauce and extra cheddar, then baking them in the oven until the edges are crispy.

Enchilada sauce
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup flour
3-4 cups of hot water
1/2 cup chili powder
cumin and cayenne pepper to taste

Heat a large sauce pan, add first the oil then the flour. Cook for a few minutes until smooth and bubbly. Add some hot water and it will thicken right away-- add more to the right consistency. Add the spices to taste. Pour over rolled and stuffed with chicken and cheese enchiladas. This will probably make more sauce than you need.

 

I like to eat them with sour cream, because they are spicy.

Three Bean Salad

I find this recipe delicious. If you like beans, you'll love this side dish.

Marinated Bean Salad
1 can green beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can red kidney beans
Assorted red or orange sweet peppers and red onion to taste

Marinade:
1/4 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of oil
2/3 cup of vinegar (for this recipe I used 1/3 cup red wine vinegar and 1/3 cup white vinegar that had
tarragon added to it)
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed

Mix together drained beans, onion and peppers. Pour over mixed marinade. Stir. Let stand 1/2 day or overnight, stirring occasionally.

The longer it sits, the more the beans will soak up the marinade, and the stronger the flavor will be.

Why Gluten Free?

My family eats mostly gluten free. Why?

It started with my dad. He has tried many different diets, trying to find the right one for him. Because my family is just my mom, my dad, and me at the house, we usually get pulled into his diet experiments. With each diet, we try it for a little while, and then decide for ourselves if we want to continue.

Going gluten free was difficult at first, because it meant cutting out bread. There are gluten free bread recipes, but we just cut out bread altogether.

After a couple weeks, we decided that we wanted to continue eating gluten free. I simply feel better when I don't eat gluten. It has helped my parents lose weight too.

There are many reasons that people eat gluten free, but ours wasn't for anything serious. We just tried it, and like it.

I don't notice anymore that I don't eat bread. It's just not part of my diet. Also, I eat foods with gluten on occasion, like cakes for birthdays.

Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Salad is absolutely my favorite dish with quinoa (and I eat a lot of quinoa dishes!). Here is the recipe we use:

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper

Quinoa Salad:
1 cup water
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole cashews, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, sliced in thin slivers
1 cup fresh dark sweet cherries, pitted and halved, or red seedless grapes, halved
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 small head butter lettuce, torn (4 cups) directions

For Honey Vinaigrette, in a small bowl whisk together ginger, honey, vinegar, lime juice, and garlic. Drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly, until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

For Quinoa Salad, in a medium saucepan combine water, quinoa, and salt. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.

Fluff quinoa with a fork. In a large bowl toss quinoa with cashews, apricots, cherries, and onion. Add lettuce, then drizzle with 1/2 cup of the Honey Vinaigrette. If necessary, season to taste with salt and pepper; toss again. Pass remaining vinaigrette. Refrigerate any remaining vinaigrette up to 5 days.

Sometimes we substitute grapes for the cherries or walnuts for the cashews, but no matter what, it is delicious!

Hidden Heart Cupcakes

Last post about Valentine's Day, I promise. My school has been out for a week because the rooms have been flooded, so I haven't been able to give gifts to my friends. We will return to school tomorrow, so I made some special cupcakes. The cupcakes have hearts hidden inside them.

Start by mixing up one batter of chocolate cake and one batter of strawberry cake (or any pink or red colored batter).

To bake these, bake a thin sheet cake of a pink or red batter, then use a cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes. If you don't have a heart shaped cookie cutter the right size, draw a heart on paper and trace it with a knife (that's what I did). Once you have your hearts, stand them up in a cupcake liner and spoon the chocolate batter in around them. It helps if you draw a line on the bottom of the cupcake liner before you place the heart inside, so that you know which way to cut the cupcake in half (if you slice it the wrong way, it will look like a rectangle, not a heart). Bake until a toothpick come out of the cake clean (but make sure you stick the toothpick in the chocolate cake batter, not in the center where the precooked heart is.

This is my favorite frosting recipe:
Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

¾ cup butter room temp
¼ cup shortening
½ cup milk
½+ teaspoon vanilla
2 lbs. powdered sugar

Mix all the ingredients except for 1 lb of sugar. Blend well. Add remaining sugar and whip for 10 minutes for the best results. This makes enough frosting to ice and frost an entire cake. If you wish to make a small batch of frosting, be very careful with your measurements, and make sure you have extra ingredients, as the proportions are very sensitive.

Frost, slice, serve, smile.

Eggplant Parmesan

I made eggplant parmesan today, following a this recipe:

2 1/2 lb medium eggplants (about 3), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 teaspoons salt
2 cans of diced tomatoes, drained
1 can of tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups plus 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons of basil
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup oat flour
1 cup rice flour
5 large eggs
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2/3 cup)
1 lb chilled fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), thinly sliced
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy pot over medium heat until hot but not smoking, then add onions and saute until translucent. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and garlic and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.

Stir together oat and rice flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of cold water to eggs to thin.

Working with 1 slice at a time, dredge eggplant in egg, and then the flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg again, letting excess drip off. Transfer eggplant to sheets of wax paper, arranging slices in 1 layer.

Heat remaining 1 1/2 cups oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, turning over once, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.

Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of a rectangular 3 1/2-quart (13- by 11- by 2-inch) baking dish. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 11/4 cups) and one third of mozzarella. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and golden and sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes.

It tasted a little weird to me (I've never had eggplant before), but was very good anyways. I would love to have it again.

Fish, Tartar Sauce, and Salad

I cooked cod today, and it surprised me how simple it is to make. Just stick the fish in a pan with a little oil and slice butter over the top, then stick it in the oven until it's done.

We always have tartar sauce with fish, and this is approximately the recipe:

1/3 cup Mayo

1-2 Tablespoons Relish

1 teaspoon Mustard

1 teaspoon Lemon

1 Tablespoon Ranch

Combine all ingredients and stir together.

I also mixed up a salad, which was very simple, just combine whatever vegetables you like and toss with lettuce.

Valentine's Day Rocks

No cooking for today.... but for Valentine's Day, I did something a little different from usual. My friend Lauren and I left little surprises for strangers.

We started by gathering rocks from her yard, the smoothest ones we could find. We brought them inside, washed them, and painted them with hearts. We had about twenty painted rocks in the end.

After the paint dried, we gathered them up, and went to Barnes and Noble's. Very quietly we placed the rocks around the bookstore, some by books we'd read and liked, some by books with nice covers, others in random spots. With a few of the rocks, we hid them so that someone would have to lift books to see them.

It's something simple, a little surprise, but it was worth doing if it helped cheer up someone. We spread them out today so that someone might find one tomorrow, on Valentine's Day.

Cookie Dough (to eat raw)

I was at my friend's house the other day, and she wanted cookies, but doesn't like baking. I suggested she just make cookie dough, and the idea surprised her. "You can do that?!" she asked. I had thought that everyone knew you could eat cookie dough raw, if you omit the egg. You can eat it with the egg, but you risk getting salmonella. We included the baking soda, but you can omit that too.

Just mix the dough like normal, omitting unnecessary ingredients. We made a 1/4 batch of Chocolate Chip cookie dough, using the recipe on the back of the Chocolate Chip bag. If you make a small batch and need to divide the ingredients, keep in mind that 1 teaspoon is 1/3 tablespoon, and 1 tablespoon is 1/16 of a cup.

Finally, because Valentine's Day is day after tomorrow, I shaped my cookie dough into a heart, saving the chocolate chips for last to outline the shape.

Crispy Chicken Salad

This is one of my favorite dishes, and it is super easy to make!

Crispy Chicken Salad

1 lb chopped chicken breast

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 cup of crushed chips

1/2 cup of sliced almonds

1 cup chopped oranges

4-6 cups chopped leaf lettuce

2 Tablespoons of Simply Asia Sweet Ginger Garlic Seasoning (found at Costco)

Fry the chicken in the olive oil until cooked. Add a little water and the seasoning. Place a lid on top at an angle and let it saute until most of the moisture is gone. Assemble all of the other ingredients and add the chicken. Serve with Asian dressing.

Chickpea Flatbread

To go with the Leek Soup, I also mixed up some Chickpea Flatbread. The recipe called for just chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour, water, oil, and a little salt, mixed all together and baked in a large pan. However, the recipe left out some key details, like how high to heat the oven, or what size of pan to use, or how long to cook it. I decided to try it anyways.

The "dough'' was extremely watery, because the recipe uses twice the water as flour (!). The whole thing just looked silly--bread doesn't bake from water. The dough is supposed to rest for 30 minutes, although there was no explanation why, and after that it is poured into a large pan. I poured it into the widest pan we have, but it still seemed pretty thick (maybe 1/2 inch thick). Then I stuck it in the over (very very carefully, the pan was full), and waited. And waited. And waited. The mixture slowly developed a crust,, then continued to bubble for an hour or so before I finally took the "bread" out.

The first time I tested it, it tasted like soggy flour, but after cooking for a while, the flavor improved. It still tastes a little odd, but I like it alright. However, I looked up similar recipes online, and none of them called for twice as much water as flour--they called for a little water than flour, but not by much. I think the recipe in my cookbook might have been mistaken, and meant to call for less water. I will try the recipe again in the future, but alter it a little. At any rate, it tasted okay once I cooked it long enough.

Leek Soup

Leeks are like onions, but much more mild and a little sweeter. This soup was fairly straightforward: chop everything (peeling and washing where necessary), lightly cook just the leeks in butter, add other ingredients (starting with liquids), simmer, and partially blend the soup. Many soups seem to follow the same pattern, with the most onion-like ingredient being the one cooked first, or the ingredient that carries the flavor being the one cooked first.

Leek Soup:
3 large leeks
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
2 pounds potato
1/4 cup parsley
dash of marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper

Cut leeks lengthwise, separate, and clean, using only the white and pale green parts. Chop leeks and cook in butter in a sauce pan, cover and cook on low 10 minutes. Do not brown leeks (they will taste burnt).
Add water, broth, and potatoes, and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree part of the soup, either with an immersion blender or scoop out part into a food processor or blender. Add seasonings and salt, to taste. Serve with ground pepper.

I thought the soup tasted alright, but not great because I do not like leeks very much. Minus the leeks, the soup tasted very much like Potato Soup.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars, with and without Gluten

I made Peanut Butter Bars, following the recipe to a T, then I switched out the flours to bake a gluten free version. We ate the gluten free bars and sent the regular ones to my brother, who is away in college.

I tasted both bars, and both were delicious, of course (you can hardly go wrong with peanut butter, chocolate, and sugar), but they had slightly different textures. The regular recipe had a finer crumb, but felt too rich to me. You can see the texture difference in the photos.

Regular recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter with sugars until smooth. Beat in egg, peanut butter, and vanilla until well blended.

In another bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, oats, baking soda, and salt; stir or beat into butter mixture until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread dough evenly in a buttered 8-inch square baking pan. Bake until pale golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack about 10 minutes, then cut into pieces (about 12). Let cool completely.

Gluten-free recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup oat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup wheat germ- substituted 1/8 cup rice flour/ 1/8 cup of Bob's biscuit and baking mix
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter with sugars until smooth. Beat in egg, peanut butter, and vanilla until well blended.
In another bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, oats, baking soda, and salt; stir or beat into butter mixture until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spread dough evenly in a buttered 8-inch square baking pan. Bake until pale golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack about 10 minutes, then cut into 12 pieces. Let cool completely.

Gluten Free Waffles

After going gluten-free, my dad experimented with one recipe after another for gluten free waffles. We were guinea pigs for months, but he finally perfected his recipe. You have to buy a few special flours, but the recipe is not complicated beyond that. I think the waffles taste almost exactly the same with and without gluten, which is to say, they taste delicious.

4 eggs, separated
½ cup almond flour
¼ cup oat flour
¼ cup Bob's Biscuit Mix
½ t baking powder
¾ cup milk
4 Tbs butter, melted

Whip the egg whites until fluffy. Beat the yolks, flour mix, and milk until smooth. Add melted butter. Fold in whites. Serve warm with your favorite topping (some ideas: jelly, jam, or preserves, powdered sugar, butter, maple syrup, cinnamon sugar, cocoa powder, whipped cream)

Note: Pure oatmeal does not contain gluten. However, most oatmeal brands on the market today are not pure — they contain oats that have been cross-contaminated with a tiny bit of wheat, barley and/or rye. Bob's Red Mill oatmeal does certify that it is gluten free.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Quinoa

The other day, I made Spaghetti with quinoa instead of noodles. It was easy, but a little more complicated than the other dishes I have made. I cooked the hamburger too long, so the onions didn't cook at first, but once I added a little water to the pan, they cooked up fine. Spaghetti is a common dish in our house, so it was great to finally learn how to make it. Quinoa is gluten free, I prefer the taste quinoa over the taste of noodles, but either way is good. Spaghetti squash is another great alternative to noodles, but the squash makes the sauce watery.

Cook in sauce pan:
1/2 cup of thinly sliced or chopped onion
1.25 lbs. hamburger

Add the following:
2 cans of tomato sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes

Bring to a simmer and add:
1 cup coarsely chopped mushrooms
1 cup olives
1 to 2 tablespoons of oregano, basil or Italian herbs
2 cloves garlic
Simmer 10 minutes while you cook the spaghetti or quinoa.
Serve immediately after the pasta or quinoa is done.

Clam Chowder

More soup! This one was more complicated, but still easy. My mother guided me through this one by explaining how she would make it, and different variations I could try. I ended up with something like this:

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon oil

4 cups golden potatoes

1/2 cup cream

3 tablespoons of flour

2.5 lbs. can of chopped sea clams undrained  (the can I used had 3lb. 3 oz and I didn't use it all)

Cook the chopped onion in the oil on medium low heat until the onions are translucent. Add 1 cup of water and potatoes. Add more water if needed to completely cover the potatoes. Boil the potatoes until cooked and add 1/2 cup cream mixed with the flour. Bring the liquid up to a slight boil to allow the flour to thicken. Add clams and juice. Serve immediately.