Gluten-free – Page 5 – Kara Cooks and Eats

Guacamole

When we were in Belgium this summer, Kendrin’s cousin Laurens hosted a guacamole competition and the results were pretty delicious. The competitors were Laurens, Kendrin, and Zoé. I might be biased in that I voted for Kendrin because that is the recipe I also use! Kendrin is very popular on my blog lately!

Fierce competition

Guacamole – Gold medal
Source: Kendrin Sonneville

Ingredients
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 ripe avocados, mashed
Tortilla chips

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Serve with chips.

Just add chips

Guacamole – Bronze medal
Source: Laurens Sonneville

Ingredients
2 avocados
2-3 limes
1/2 large red onion
1 clove of garlic
Handful of cilantro
Salt and pepper
Cherry or grape tomatoes

Directions
1. Put everything except the tomatoes in a blender.
2. To serve, first add a layer of chopped tomatoes to your bowl, top it with guacamole mixture, then repeat the layers.

Cabbage soup

I love to make soup, and cabbage soup seemed like a great way to use some green cabbage that I got in the last week of my CSA. I found a recipe for “Healing cabbage soup” on allrecipes.com. I can’t speak to its healing properties, but I can say that I was pretty impressed with the result. This recipe (with my usual adaptations) is definitely a keeper. I might even make it again with the other half of the cabbage.

I used a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles to give it a little kick. The original recipe suggested using “Italian-style” tomatoes. This can also be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Big pot o’ soup

Cabbage soup
Adapted from allrecipes.com (JGCASE)
Serves: 8

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 head cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped or shredded
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp black pepper
Fresh or dried herbs, to taste
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

Directions
1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, and carrots; cook until onion in is transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in cabbage and saute until just starting to wilt, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Stir in broth, pepper, and other herbs. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 10 minutes.
3. Add diced tomatoes. Return to a boil, then simmer 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Enjoy!

Yum!

Red cabbage

I had an unexpectedly free evening today so I decided to spend it with this beautiful red cabbage. I know…if red cabbage excites me, perhaps I need to find some new hobbies.

Pretty red cabbage

I pulled a recipe out of my potluck recipe box, from a “Family Favorites” potluck circa 2007. I didn’t have plain white vinegar, so I decided to make my best guess among three options I did have on hand: white balsamic vinegar, tarragon white wine vinegar, or cider vinegar. I went with cider vinegar since it seemed like it would go well with the apples in the recipe. I also wasn’t sure if I should boil or steam the cabbage (aka, how much water to put in the pot). I hedged my bets and probably covered about half of the cabbage and onions.

Red Cabbage
Source: Kendrin Sonneville
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients
1 large head of red cabbage, shredded
2 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 large apples
1/4 cup sugar

Directions
1. Cook cabbage and onion together in water until fork tender (10-15 minutes). Drain water. Add vinegar and stir (dark purple color of cabbage will turn magenta).
2. While cabbage is cooking, peel, core, and dice apples. Cover apples with sugar, and saute until tender (only a couple of minutes). Add to cabbage.
3. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Apples ‘n’ sugar

By cooking the apples separate from the cabbage, I really liked that they didn’t get all mushy. I do like it a little more vinegar-y so I would probably add a bit more next time (or maybe I should try it with plain white vinegar).

Voila!

Lentil and Tuscan kale soup

This week I was in search of a recipe for collard greens, but it turns out what I really needed was a recipe for Tuscan kale. Whoops. I wish I had taken a photo of them to share with you all to see if you’d be able to tell the difference. I was in the middle of sauteeing the “collard greens”, and I thought they smelled like kale, and that’s when I had my epiphany.

I’m writing the recipe as I prepared it, but also added a link to the original. Maybe I’ll have to try it again next time I get collards.

Lentil and Tuscan kale soup
Source: allrecipes.com recipe for lentil and green collard soup)
Serves: 4

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium leek, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups water
1 bunch Tuscan kale, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
Juice from 1 lemon

Directions
1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Stir in onion, leek, pepper, garlic, and salt; cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in lentils, and cook for 1 minute.
2. Pour in water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. While lentils are cooking, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add kale, and cook until wilted. When the lentils are tender, stir in the kale and cumin; simmer for 10 more minutes.
4. Stir in lemon juice just before serving and enjoy!

Stuffed peppers

With the fall weather and an abundance of peppers in my refrigerator, I figured it was a perfect time to pull out the slow cooker and make stuffed peppers. There are so many different ways to make them, but I was in the mood for a more traditional stuffed pepper with ground beef and tomato sauce.

If you’re paranoid (like me) about leaving your slow cooker on all day while out of the house, I sometimes let the recipes cook overnight. In the morning, I just turn it off and put the whole ceramic dish in the refrigerator. The only drawback to this is the smell of food cooking can make you crave strange things for breakfast in the morning!

I had some peppers that weren’t conducive to stuffing (the long skinny kind), so I chopped them up and threw them in with the onions and garlic. I was also lazy and bought some already-cooked brown rice from the salad bar at Whole Foods. After filling the peppers, I usually have some of the meat mixture leftover, which I either add to the sauce or freeze for another time.

Stuffed peppers
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients
~1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup cooked rice or barley
4 bell peppers, halved
1 jar (25 ounces) tomato sauce

Directions
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat, then add onion and garlic and saute until translucent. Add ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. When beef is almost done cooking, add seasonings and rice.
2. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce in slow cooker.
3. Fill bell pepper halves with meat mixture and place in slow cooker. Top with rest of tomato sauce (try to cover all of the peppers).
4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Enjoy!

Step 1: Browning ground beef

Step 3: Stuffed peppers before the sauce

Kale chips

I think I discovered kale chips last summer, and it quickly became one of my favorite ways to eat kale. The “recipe” is pretty easy, but I’m going to share a few words of wisdom that I’ve learned along the way.

Dry the kale before adding the oil.
Adjust the oil depending on the size of the bunch. For a large bunch, I use 1 Tbsp per 1/2 bunch.
Add the salt and pepper before cooking, otherwise it doesn’t stick very well.
Keep an eye on them because burnt kale is less than awesome.
Be prepared to eat them right away as they don’t keep that well.

Getting ready to go in the oven

Kale chips
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients
1/2-1 bunch kale leaves (separated from stems)
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash and chop (or rip) kale leaves into bite-size pieces, then dry the leaves.
3. Toss chopped kale with olive oil and spread on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until crispy and edges just start to turn brown.
5. Enjoy!

Corn salad

I was very excited to get corn in my CSA. I confess that I have an SSB (secret single behavior) in which I like to eat corn on the cob for dinner, but I also love making this salad. It is another great recipe that lends itself to whatever you might have in your vegetable bin. When I made it today, I didn’t have any onion, but I did add some chopped cucumber and tomato which also adds more color and texture.

I think the fresh basil is a key ingredient to making this salad so delicious. If you are making the salad ahead of time and refrigerating it, the basil will turn black so I’d definitely add it just before serving.

Beautiful corn

Corn salad
Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, 1999
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
5 ears of corn, shucked
1/2 cup red onion, diced small (1 small onion)
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons good olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned

Directions
1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.
2. Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

Voila!

Pesto

My coworker makes the best pesto, and she used to keep me fully stocked…until I graduated and started making it myself. Of course I still use her recipe. I love to mix pesto with ricotta for pizza, with eggs, and when sauteeing vegetables.

Basil doesn’t do well in the fridge, so if I am not going to use it right away, I put the stems in a glass of water and leave it on the counter.

Love basil

Pesto
Source: Cynthia Brown

Ingredients
4 cups basil
4 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp pignoli (pine nuts)
1 cup olive oil
Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. She likes using a blender, but be forewarned that the next batch of fruity frozen drinks might have a slight hint of basil and garlic!
2. Freeze or add Parmesan cheese to taste and enjoy! If freezing, do not add the cheese until you are ready to use it.

Ready to blend!

Summer squash and white bean sauté

I have a confession to make…I don’t really like zucchini or summer squash. I would definitely not choose either of them to take with me to a desert island. But as part of a CSA, you don’t always get what you want, so over the years I have learned to tolerate them both. Usually I try to hide zucchini in bread or muffins, but today I tried to highlight them using this recipe. I also added about 1/2 of my kohlrabi (chopped) and some of the fresh dill I got last week. Plus I got to use my fabulous new pots (thanks to everyone who supported my Williams-Sonoma habit in the form of GCs).

Summer squash and white bean sauté
Source: Adapted from Key Ingredient
Serves: A lot

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1-2 garlic scapes, chopped
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 15-ounce can cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1-2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill (optional)
1/3 cup finely shredded Romano cheese (or Parmesan)

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic scapes and cook, stirring, until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, summer squash, oregano, and pepper and stir to combine.
2. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring once, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir in beans, tomatoes and vinegar; increase heat to medium and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in dill and Romano cheese!
4. Enjoy!

Step 1…sauté

The finished product

Since I have a feeling this is only just the beginning of my zucchini management, I will definitely be on the lookout for more recipes if anyone has any they’d like to share. I will also definitely post my chocolate zucchini muffin recipe…so stay tuned!

Kohlrabi slaw

I needed to find something tasty to do with the purple kohlrabi I got in week 1 of my CSA share. If you don’t know what kohlrabi is, check it out on good ol’ wikipedia. They can be purple or green on the outside, but are white on the inside. I think they taste a bit like radish or cabbage, but with the texture of a turnip.

A few years ago a coworker gave me a recipe for coleslaw with poppy seed dressing, and I decided to adapt it for my kohlrabi. It’s really good with cabbage too!

Kohlrabi slaw
Source: Coworker
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients
1/2 Tablespoon canola oil
1 carrot, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 kohlrabi, peeled and shredded
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Heat 1/2 Tablespoon of oil on medium high. Add carrot and onion and saute until starting to soften.
2. Add kohlrabi, cider vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, and salt. Saute for another minute or so. Can be served warm or cold.
3. Enjoy!

Delish!