Female Nomad and Friends by Rita Golden Gelman Virtual Tour

My book review scheduled for Monday, June 7th, for the Female Nomad and Friends by Rita Golden Gelman Virtual Tour and other information is rescheduled to post on June 15th and will include details about the author's launch party and book signing, which I attended in Seattle this past Friday, on June 4th.

Meanwhile, here are two recent and related blog posts about the launch of Rita Golden Gelman's new anthology/cookbook Female Nomad and Friends: New Anthology/Cookbook and Global Dinner Invitation and Connecting Through Food - Sea Bass with Red Quinoa Salad.

Be sure to read the other book reviews scheduled from June 7th through July 2nd on the Female Nomad and Friends by Rita Golden Gelman Virtual Tour.

As my Finnish Grandfather would say, "Come Soon Back!"

Grilled Marinated Tuna Steaks

Although I am incorporating more raw foods into my diet, I am a pescetarian and include some seafood. One book that has been very helpful and healing for me has been Diet for a Pain Free Life. The premise is that if we are to reduce pain in our bodies then we need to eat the right foods, exercise, improve our mood and quality of sleep, and lose weight. I've adapted this recipe for marinated tuna from page 125 of Diet for a Pain Free Life, which is quite delicious and easy to prepare.

I'm also going to begin incorporate pH balancing with my recipes, as an imbalanced pH, especially if acidic is a breeding ground for illness and disease. But, acid-alkaline biochemistry is a topic for another post.

I cut the recipe in half for the two of us and served our tuna steaks with steamed red rice, lightly steamed zucchini and turmeric cauliflower. Tuna, the marinade and red rice are acidic, while zucchini and cauliflower are alkaline. Turmeric (mixed with with feta and hemp seeds) tossed with the cauliflower is a potent anti-inflammatory spice.

Ingredients:

4 4-ounce tuna steaks
1 teaspoon
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon Splenda
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-2/3 cups porcini mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Directions:

1. Place the tuna in a shallow dish and season with salt on both sides.
2. In a separate bowl, combine 1-1/2 tablespoons oil with the remaining ingredients and whisk.
3. Pour the mixture over the tuna steaks and marinate for 15-minutes.
4. Remove the steaks and put the remaining marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
5. Blot the steaks and brush with the remaining olive oil.
6. Grill the steaks on the stove top or on the barbecue 2-3 minutes each side or until you have achieved the level of doneness you desire.
7. Serve over a bed of steamed baby boy choy (optional)
   
8. When serving the tuna steaks, drizzle the hot marinade over the top of the steaks.
   

Gluten-Free Salmon Cakes or Burgers

Salmon Cakes can either be grilled and served on a burger bun, on a bed of lettuce tossed with a light vinaigrette or like I did this evening, simply served with a dollop of tartar sauce, steamed brown rice and half an artichoke.

Ingredients:

3/4 to a 1 pound salmon fillet, boned and the skin removed
1/4 white or red onion, finely chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons capers, whole or chopped
1 egg, whisked
1 cup rice flour or fine gluten-free rice bread crumbs (panko bread crumbs for those without gluten-intolerance)
Season to taste with salt and pepper or Salt Substitute Homemade Herb Blend
Olive oil for cooking on the stove-top.

Directions:

1. Rinse and pat the salmon dry, then mince.
2. In a bowl, to the whisked egg, add the diced onion, capers, salmon and seasoning and mixed until thoroughly combined.
3. Add either the panko or gluten-free rice bread crumbs or rice flour and shape into patties and press.
4. Cook on a hot grill or in a pan with olive oil for 2-3 minutes each side, or bake in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Serves 2 (Yields 4 Salmon Cakes)

Baked Salmon, Not Your Mama's Brussels Sprout & Potato Gratin

Our holiday family dinner at Tutu and Papa Keith's was superb! The setting is so intimate and festive - toasty warm and cozy inside. Their house is a beautiful hand-scribed log home... our table centerpiece set with evergreen boughs, red cardinals and candles.

We prepared our family's favorite oven-baked salmon rubbed with freshly squeezed lemon juice, sprinkled with sea salt, smothered in sour cream, topped with thinly-sliced rings of onion and baked for 40-minutes at 350-degrees.

For side dishes, Tutu came up with two new recipes this year. Both were absolutely delicious. I'm getting hungry to the point of drooling, just thinking about them.

Unfortunately, there was so much going on while I was helping to serve up dinner that I forgot to take photos of our dishes, except for this one - our daughter Skye handing me a second helping of Potato Gratin. That's my mother Marjorie aka Tutu on the left and our grandson Max on the right.

Recipe for Potato Gratin

Ingredients:

2-1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1 garlic clove, halved
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Course salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (1 cup)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
2. Peel potatoes and place in a bowl of water to prevent browning.
3. Rub inside of a 9x12 inch oval baking dish with the cut sides of the garlic.
4. Heat the cream, milk, nutmeg and 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until bubbles form along the edge.
5. Season with pepper and remove from the heat.
6. Slice the potatoes 1/8-inch thick using a slicing-mandoline and transfer to a large bowl.
7. Pour the warm cream mixture over top.
8. Mix well, using your hands to separate and coat the potato slices.
9. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
   
10. Gently push the potatoes down and pour the remaining cream mixture in the bowl over top.
11. Evenly sprinkle the Gruyere cheese over the top.
12. Place baking dish in the oven with a cookie sheet of foil on the rack below to catch drippings.
    
13. Bake until the potatoes are tender and the top is bubbling and brown, about 1 hour and 15-minutes.

Serves 6 (we doubled the recipe).


Recipe for Not Your Mama's Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

1-3/4 pounds Brussels sprouts (outer leaves removed)
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
12 medium shallots, thinly sliced ( 2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted and divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Using a food processor and working in batches, thinly slice the Brussels sprouts.
2. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pot on medium heat.
3. Add shallots and saute until almost translucent for about 3 minutes.
4. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.
5. Add Brussels sprouts, increasing the heat to medium-high and saute until tender, about 8 minutes.
6. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the toasted pine nuts and lemon juice.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts.

Serves 8 (we doubled the recipe).

Halibut Osso Bucco & Pine Nut Pilaf

The fish market was jam-packed... it appeared that not everyone was serving prime rib, ham or turkey Christmas Eve. My husband emerged from the frenzy with four beautiful halibut fillets packed in ice for the long drive home.

The eve of Christmas Eve our daughter made the Halibut Osso Bucco* sauce in her kitchen and I made the Pine Nut Pilaf in mine, so we'd spend the least amount of time in the kitchen on Christmas Eve and our dinner would be all the more flavorful. Our Christmas Eve Halibut "Osso Bucco" dinner was so delicious it will most likely become a new culinary tradition for our family at Christmas time.

The Osso Bucco sauce is a savory stew of fresh ingredients finely chopped: onions, carrots, celery, parsley and garlic with pureed tomatoes, lemon peel, white wine, vegetable stock, butter, bay leaves, sea salt and pepper.

Our Halibut Osso Bucco recipe comes from Halibut - The Cookbook, page 100. Whitecap Books. Edited by Karen Barnby, this cookbook is the only one you'll ever need for preparing and cooking halibut to perfection. Every halibut recipe I've tried thus far, including this recipe is magnifico!

The halibut is salt and peppered and dipped in rice flour, then pan-seared over medium heat on all sides. The fillets are then placed in a glass baking dish. The sauce is brought to a boil and poured over the halibut and baked at 350-degrees for 10 minutes; 15 minutes at the most. We served four fillets and used all the sauce intended to serve 6. We enjoyed the extra sauce with our pilaf.


Pine Nut Pilaf

Ingredients:

2 large onions, diced (2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup butter
4-1/2 to 5 cups vegetable stock
2 cups Basmati rice, uncooked
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup currants, blanched (or golden raisins)
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Saute the onion and garlic in butter in a large skillet or pot until golden.
2. Add the vegetable stock (or chicken stock) according to the directions for cooking the rice.
3. Bring the stock to a boil and stir in the rice with a fork or whisk.
4. Cover and reduce the heat; follow the directions for cooking the rice.
5. When the rice is done, add in the blanched currants, parsley, pine nuts, salt and pepper.

Serves 10-12

* Italian Osso Bucco (or Buco) is traditionally made with veal shanks, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, pancetta, and gremolata with parsley, lemon zest, and garlic.

Macadamia Encrusted Halibut

In my recipe I call for macadamia nuts, but you can use pine nuts, also you can make this macadamia version with shredded coconut instead of Parmesan cheese.

I recommend fresh halibut for this recipe.

• 1/4 6-oz. Halibut fillets 4
• 1 Tbsp. Grapeseed or Olive Oil
• 4 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 cup Macadamia Nuts, coarsely chopped
• Salt to Taste
• Squeeze of Lemon

Directions:

1. Rinse and pat dry the fillets on both sides. 
2. You can either bake the fish in a preheat 425 ºoven for 10-15 minutes, or you can add a splash of oil to a non-stick skillet to cook at medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes a side, depending on how thick the fillets. Combine the macadamia nuts, Parmesan cheese and salt. 
3. Place the halibut fillets on a baking sheet, or cook stove top in a flat-bottomed skillet large enough cook two to four fillets at a time . 
4. Before I pat the macadamia mixture onto the halibut fillets, I brush oil on both sides (or you can brush on egg). 
5. Pressing the mixture lightly to make it adhere. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the fish is opaque all the way through or cook on the stove top/ Since the crust is loosely patted onto the fish, turn gently. 
6. When flipped to the other side, you can add any remaining crust mixture on top. 
7. Add a thin slice of lemon and squeeze a little lemon juice and cracked pepper (optional) over all.

Serves 4

Mock Balsamic Vinegar and Jeera Lassi

The aromas coming from the kitchen were incredible. My pre-holiday test-run to try out these dishes was not without its challenges. While enjoying the warm notes of the smoky Provolone wafting from the kitchen as the strata baked, I took time out to defrag from a couple of glitches during preparation.

In the course of preparing dinner, I discovered (1) that my blender’s bearing was shot, leaking some of the swirling yogurt mixture all over the counter top as a metallic gray slurry, having run down through the motor first; (2) this is also the first time our fillet of sole came with its tough gray skin and spiny bones attached. My husband only noticed the topsides while making his selection at the fish market. Problems out of the way and resolved: blender in the recycle bin, fish recipe revised to accommodate two people who are not the least up to spending the next hour removing skin and bones, all ended well. The commingling of aromas kept us in a mood of great anticipation... and we weren't disappointed. Great meal!

Jeera Lassi is a traditional drink in India made by blending dry-roasted cumin seeds, yogurt, water and salt and pepper to taste. Especially with spicy foods, this beverage refreshes your palate between bites. Garnished with mint and roasted cumin.

Christmas Fish is a holiday entree meant to be presented as stuffed, rolled fillets sprinkled liberally with red paprika. Here you see that I spread the stuffing over the top of the sole fillets and baked according to the directions. This worked out quite well; much less work than rolling the fillets around loose stuffing.

Dinner this evening was an infusion of textures and flavors from four recipes taken from both of my Cooking Course Challenge books. The Christmas Fish is found on page136, Shilpa’s Roasted Beets on page 96 and Jeera Lassa on page 207 of the Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet; Asparagus and Provolone Cheese Strata is found on page 156 of The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen.

Asparagus and Provolone Cheese Strata can be prepared a day ahead. Chill 3 hours or overnight before baking.

Shilpa's Roasted Beets first marinate in Mock Balsamic Vinegar, combined with garlic, oregano, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. This is now my favorite way to prepare beets. No boiling or peeling necessary. Delicious served hot or cold.

How to make Mock Balsamic Vinegar:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup red wine

1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20-25 minutes longer. Let the vinegar cool. Refrigerates well for up to 2 weeks. Yields 1/2 cup.

Because the beets cook for an hour at 400 degrees, the strata for 45 minutes at 325 degrees and the fish for 30 minutes at 375 degrees, I baked the strata first, then increased the temperature, roasting the beets for a half hour, placing the fish on the lower rack to bake for the last 30 minutes without adjusting the temperature. The fish was moist and tender; not overcooked. I kept the strata hot in my warming drawer until the other two dishes were ready to serve.

 

Here's how to make Jeera Lassi:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1 cup yogurt
• 3/4 cup water
• Salt and pepper to taste ( I used cayenne)
• Ice, optional
• Mint sprigs and roasted cumin seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Dry-roast the cumin seeds in a small pan, without oil, over medium heat.
2. Stir seeds until they brown; do not burn.
3. Set a few seeds aside for garnish.
4. In a blender, combine all the ingredients except the ice and mint.
5. Chill or pour into glasses and add ice. 
6. Garnish with mint and cumin seeds.

Serving size: one 10 ounce glass

Enjoy!

"A messy kitchen is a happy kitchen and this kitchen is delirious." Anon

Roasted Ling Cod, Mexican Rice and a Thankful Heart

Today turned out to be one in which I eventually ran out of emotional and physical energy, yet I was hoping to gather enough steam to cook a couple more dishes from my Cooking Course Challenge cookbooks. I almost opted for cheese, crackers and organic soup from a box. Instead, my husband gave me a much needed shoulder massage and poured me a glass of wine as I set to work in the kitchen to make us dinner.  I regrouped, relaxed, and it was well worth the effort. We sat down to a lovely meal and gave thanks to the Lord. Every bite was deliciously rewarding.

Tonight’s fare was Roasted Ling Cod (recipe calls for bass) with Parsley Butter from Raman Prasad’s Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet from page 135, served with lightly steamed spinach and Mexican Rice from page 140 of Donna Klein’s The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen.

Here’s Prasad’s recipe for Parsley Butter:

4 tablespoons of butter, softened

1-1/2 tablespoons almond flour

2 shallots, minced

4 tablespoons parsley, chopped

3 limes, juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the almond flour, shallots, garlic, parsley, lime juice and softened butter in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. I substituted cayenne for black pepper.

This savory butter would be excellent with any grilled, roasted or baked fish and can be made in advance, by storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before using, allow the butter to soften.

I have to say that the hearty, perfectly seasoned Mexican Rice was the best I have ever eaten, anywhere, ever. The house was fragrant with the pungent aroma of chili powder, cumin and garlic slow cooking together with stewed tomatoes, green pepper and onion with rice. From now on, I will cook this rice dish anytime we have a Mexican-themed meal or potluck with family and friends.

Cuanto más gratitud que tenemos, más tenemos que ser agradecidos para.

The more gratitude we have, the more we have to be grateful for.