Refreshing Apple-Veggie Salad

This refreshing sweet and savory apple-veggie salad is a tasty side dish year-round, and gives you options as to which vegetables you wish to add. Here's how I adapted a classic Broccoli Apple Salad to my liking.

Ingredients

1/4 cup Red Onion

1 large crisp Red Apple

1/2 cup fresh Pineapple Chunks

1/2 cup Craisins

4 stalks Celery, chopped

1/2 cup Walnuts (or Pecans), chopped

Other suggested options or additions: Broccoli, Carrots (sliced or slivered), Spinach, 

Pickled Beets, Strawberries, Mandarin Oranges or Orange segments (chopped),

Garbanzo Beans, Jicama... experiment with whatever you have on hand

Dressing Ingredients

1/2 cup Mayonaise 1/2 cup

1/2 cup Yogurt, plain or honey flavored for extra sweetness

2 Tablespoons, fresh squeezed Lemon

1 Tablespoon Sugar, more or less

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 pinch Cayenne (or 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper)

Directions

1. Prepare, slice or chop first set of ingredients into a medium bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl, mix the salad dressing ingredients together.
3. Pour the salad dressing over the salad ingredients, mix and chill.
4. Serve in small bowls or on a plate on a bed of lettuce or spinach.

Holiday Brunch Fruit Salad

This colorful and zesty fruit salad is simply delicious; quick and easy to prepare and marinate ahead the night before your brunch. Serves 12-16.

Ingredients 

2 cups green Grapes, halved

2 cups Strawberries, sliced

2 cups Peach, sliced or chunked

2 cups Orange (Mandarin Oranges), segments

1 cup Kiwi, peeled and sliced or diced

2 Bananas, sliced

1 cup, Blueberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup Orange Juice

1/2-cup orange-flavored Liqueur (Cointreau®)

2 tablespoons white Sugar

Directions

1. If using canned fruit, drain before adding.
2. Add the prepared fruits, except the bananas and blueberries, to a large bowl.
3. Whisk the Orange Juice, Cointreau, and sugar (until dissolved)
4. Gently stir the orange mixture in with the fruit medley until coated.
5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. Before serving, gently stir in the freshly sliced bananas and blueberries, tossing with the orange dressing to coat.

Thanksgiving Dinner that Your Mama Didn't Make

Creating a sauce that tastes of warm carmel apple with the pleasant and not so over-powering tang of cranberry, was the beginning of putting together a semi-non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner that taste better than any traditional meal I've made in the past. According to my husband, the best ever!

Don't wait until next Thanksgiving to try these recipes - Christmas is just around the corner. Enjoy!

Our Gluten-Free Holiday Menu

• Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Tamari Gravy 
• Tempeh and Sage Loaf with Cranberry Maple Cider Sauce
• Ginger-Glazed Parsnips & Carrots
• Romaine, Red Onion & Orange Salad with Lime Dressing
• Cranberry-Apple Pie

So, let's go through the ingredients and directions for all the recipes. Click here for the cranberry sauce.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Gluten-Free Tamari Gravy

Since you probably already know how to make garlic mashed potatoes, I'll only share that we boil white potatoes until soft, then mash them with freshly minced garlic, a cup of non-dairy sour cream, along with some of the reserved potato water in the pot, with sea salt to taste.

Tamari Gravy

You'll love the ease and simplicity of this one!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Tamari, organic and gluten-free soy sauce (San-J)

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1/4 cup Water

1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast

Directions:

Pour all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until a smooth consistency. While preparing the rest of the meal, I leave the gravy mixture in the blender to give one final blend until ready to pour into a small gravy bowl or pitcher as dinner is about to be served. Yields 1 cup.

Tempeh and Sage Loaf

I thank my daughter for this fabulous gluten-free entree, which she found in the cookbook Casseroles (and Loaves) You Wish Your Mother Had Made (page 99). My husband says it's an excellent alternative to both turkey and stuffing all in one. What I love about this recipe is that you mix the ingredients a day ahead and then on the day you serve it, it slow cooks in a crock pot while you busy away in the kitchen making the side dishes to accompany it.

Ingredients:

1 package plain Tempeh, cubed (8 ounces)

1 small Onion

2 cloves Garlic

2 stalks Celery

1 medium Carrot

1 cup fresh, sliced Mushrooms

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 cup gluten-free Bread Crumbs

2 tablespoons Flaxseed mixed with 2 tablespoons Water

2 tablespoons vegan Chicken-Flavored Bouillon

1 teaspoon Thyme

1 teaspoon rubbed Sage

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried Rosemary

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Directions:

1. The day before, steam the cubed tempeh for 10 minutes and cool.
2. Using a food processor, mince the onion, garlic, mushrooms, celery and carrot. To avoid the mixture from becoming mushy instead of minced into small bits, I pulsed separately first the onion, then the carrot and celery, and lastly the garlic and mushrooms.
3. After heating the oil on medium heat in a skillet saute the vegetables for a few minutes, only until the onion is translucent.
4.  In a large bowl, crumble the cooled tempeh and add the vegetable saute, the bread crumbs, flaxseed mixture, bouillon, herbs and salt.
5. Mix thoroughly, then refrigerate in a sealed container overnight.
6. Planning ahead when you wish to serve your meal, put the tempeh mixture into the oiled crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours (7 is about right). Keep the lid propped open during cooking to keep the condensation from dripping on top on the loaf. You want the top to have a crisp texture; the center will be moist. Use a flat spatula to cut and lift out each serving. Serves 6 

Ginger-Glazed Parsnips & Carrots

This Ginger Glazed Carrots recipe has been one of my favorite holiday side dishes for years; a recipe from Spices of the World Cookbook by McCormick I acquired in 1978. This adaptation includes my other favorite root vegetable, parsnips.

Ingredients:

4 medium Carrots

4 medium Parsnips

1 teaspoon vegetable-based Bouillon, chicken-flavored optional 

1 teaspoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Bon Appetit seasoning, optional

3/4 cup Water

4 tablespoons Butter or butter substitute

1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice

3 tablespoons Honey

1/2 teaspoon Ginger powder, or fresh minced

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg powder, or freshly grated

Parsley

Directions:

1. Wash, peel and slice diagonally carrots and parsnips. 
2. Finely chop some parsley for garnish.
3. In a skillet add the carrots and parsnips, bouillon, water, sugar, Bon Appetit and 1 tablespoon of the butter.
4. Cook covered over medium-high for 10-12 minutes - or until tender, then drain.
5. To the skillet, add the remaining butter, lemon juice, ginger, nutmeg and honey.
6. Cook uncovered over medium heat 2 to 3 more minutes, tossing continually to glaze the carrots and parsnips.
7. Garnish with parsley when serving.
8. Serves 4

Romaine & Orange Salad with Lime Dressing

Dressing - Mix the following ingredients by shaking in a tumbler or by blending in a blender:

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1/8 teaspoon grated Lime Peel

1 tablespoon fresh Lime Juice

1 large clove Garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon Sugar

1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt

Salad - Toss together six (6) cups of washed, crisped and torn Romaine Lettuce leaves with 1/2 cup thinly-sliced red onion and 1 can of drained or freshly chopped mandarin oranges. Either drizzle dressing over individual salad servings or toss the dressing with the salad.

Cranberry-Apple Pie

Working with a gluten-free dough can be tricky, especially when trying to make a pie with a lattice top. Photo clearly shows the challenge I had making a "pretty pie". If it's texture and taste you're going for ,bursting with flavor, tucked into a flaky crust... it's so worth the effort.

Start by making the dough for the top and bottom gluten-free pie crusts:

Recipe for 1 crust (for 2 crusts, double the ingredients except for the salt)

Wet Ingredients:

1 Egg

2 teaspoons White Vinegar

Dry Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour*

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum

Additional Ingredients:

6 tablespoons Butter Flavored Crisco, chilled or frozen

1 teaspoon ice cold Water

Directions:

1. Whisk the egg and vinegar until very frothy and refrigerate while mixing other ingredients.
2. Combine the dry ingredients.
3. Cut the Crisco into the flour mix until a coarse, mealy consistency the size of small peas.
4. Add the egg/vinegar mixture. If the flour mixture is still too dry, add cold water 1 teaspoon at a time until you have the consistency where you can form the dough into a ball (2 balls if doubling for 2 crusts).
5. Wrap dough balls in plastic wrap and refrigerator for an hour.
6. Roll the dough between wax paper or parchment paper until the circle is the size to fit your pie pan.
7. Add the filling** and top second crust. I used a lattice cutter as I found the top too fragile to weave strips of crust into a lattice top.
8. Brush the top with a glaze made of mixing together: 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk brush over the top and edges of the crust, then sprinkled with a mixture of: 2 teaspoons sugar and a dash of cinnamon.
9. Bake pie in an oven pre-heated to 400-degrees and bake for 25 minutes.
10. Reduce the oven to 325-degrees and continue baking for another 40-45 minutes.
11. Especially yummy served warm a la mode with vanilla coconut ice cream.

* Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix

Blend together the following ingredients and store in an air-tight container:

2 cups Rice Flour

2/3 cup Potato Starch

1/3 cup Tapioca Flour

** Filling for Cranberry-Apple Pie

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the following:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried Currants and Raisins

2 tablespoons Dark Rum or Water

1 cup fresh, whole Cranberries, washed and drained

3/4 cup Sugar

5-6 medium Baking Apples - Fuji or Braeburn, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 tablespoons quick-cooking Tapioca

1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice

1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

Curried-Tempeh Salad

Wow. This is way better than chicken salad! Thank you for sharing you recipe with us, Ef!

The main entree of our tailgate lunch, in the parking lot at the Portland International Raceway between our kid's cyclocross races, was our daughter's gluten-free, faux chicken curry salad, made with tempeh, served with her gluten-free sandwich bread made with buckwheat. If I am successful with her bread recipe, I will share it on this blog too.

Ingredients:

2 packages (8-ounce each) of Tempeh, diced into 1/4" cubes

1 Apple, cored and diced (peeling optional)

3 Celery stalks, chopped

1/4 cup chopped Nuts (walnuts or pecans)

2 tablespoons Raisins

2 teaspoons Curry Powder

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground Cayenne Pepper

1 cup Mayonnaise (eggless, if vegan)

Directions:

1. Steam the tempeh for 10 minutes. If you don't have a steamer, add 2 to 3 inches of water to a saucepan and place tempeh in a steamer basket. Let cool.
2. Once cooled, in a large bowl, combine the tempeh with the apple, celery, nuts, raisins, seasonings and mayonnaise. Add more or less pepper and mayonnaise to your taste and level of moistness you prefer.
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 8

Here's a recap by my daughter of her conversation her four year old daughter, my granddaughter, on their drive home from their cyclocross race: 

"Leify (22-month old brother), please stop making all that noise! It's not polite to make all that noise when I'm trying to have a conversation with Mama." She told me in intricate detail of her plans for opening a restaurant called "A Big Kitchen For All of Us" - it will host two large kitchens, a party room, offer world foods, the parking lot will be on the left - and I will be supplying lights for the lot, restaurant decorations, roses for the tables and a calendar for the kitchen so that she knows what day it is. And her menu sounds amazing! She's so creative she won't even have to go to cooking school! Thankfully we've been invited to dine at her restaurant every night! I can't wait for her to wow me every night, cause she certainly does evety day!!!

Some of the delectables Seph plans to serve are Crispy Crunchy Carrots and Purple Marshmallow Stew.

Black Olive and Roasted Potato Salad

Central Market in Poulsbo is a wonderful one-stop-shop grocer on the Quimper Peninsula. Last time I was there I bought my family in Eugene a terrific cookbook chalked full of fantastic vegetarian and vegan recipes for burgers and delicious, nutritious side dish accompaniments. Everything we've tried from Luke Volger's Veggie Burgers Every Which Way thus far has been exceptional, including Black Olive and Roasted Potato Salad with Arugula, on page 135.

The roasted potatoes just came out of the oven to cool before tossing with the vinaigrette.

In the meantime, I'll give you this gluten-free recipe, so you can whip up this dish for you and your guests tonight.

In the original, the potatoes are tossed with arugula. I'm serving the potato salad atop mixed greens and only using the only potatoes we had on hand, red. I also substitute cracked black pepper with cayenne, as I have a black pepper allergy. Although the recipes says it serves 4, it can be stretched to serve 6 if not the main course.

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato or 1 large large Yukon (8 ounces)

1 red potato (8 ounces)

4 tablespoons black olive tapenade (finely process 1 cup + of black pitted olives with 2 tablespoons olive oil)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced into half-rings

3 cups baby arugula, baby spinach or mixed greens loosely packed

Fresh ground pepper to taste.

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400-degrees
2. Wash, dry and cut potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Peeling not necessary.
3. Toss potatoes with 3 tablespoons of the tapenade and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
4. Spread potatoes onto a baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes or until cooked through.
5. Completely cool the potatoes.
6. In a large mixing bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of tapenade, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and salt.
7. Add the slices of red onion and let the mixture stand for 10 minutes before adding the potatoes and greens before serving.
8. Season with black pepper to taste.

We served our warm black olive and potato salad on a bed of mixed greens with blanched asparagus and sautéed mushrooms.

Festive Gluten-Free Quinoa Salad

Very exciting news! Our daughter Effie gave birth to a beautiful baby boy this past Wednesday, on December 15th.

Besides caring for our two year old "big sister" granddaughter, I wanted to make a nutritious meal for the family to enjoy when they returned home from the hospital.

I slightly modified the "Southwestern Quinoa Salad Recipe" I saved from the blog A Chic Life. It seemed like a versatile offering; one they could enjoy as a main entree and serve the next day as a side dish. Although the perfect salad for summertime meals, this quinoa salad is also a colorful, flavorful and festive contribution to any luncheon, dinner or potluck during the holidays. And it's gluten-free!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, dry and uncooked
  
• 2 cups water
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn
  
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeds, minced OR 1 small can of diced jalapenos (mild or hot)
• 1 small jar of pimentos
  
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 1/4 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

Directions:

1. Rinse the quinoa and combine with the 2 cups water in a medium pot.
   
2. Bring quinoa to a boil and simmer on low heat till the water absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking to the pot. Cool.
   
3. In a large bowl, mix the cooled, cooked quinoa, black beans, bell pepper, corn, jalapeno, and cilantro to combine.
   
4. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, and chili powder.
   
5. Pour dressing over the quinoa salad and stir gently to combine.
6. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Enjoy!

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!"

Connecting Through Food - Sea Bass with Red Quinoa Salad

This past week, I was in Seattle to meet with my friend Rita Golden Gelman, the author of Tales of a Female Nomad, Living at Large in the World to talk about her non-profit organization Let's Get Global, celebrate her new anthology-cookbook Female Nomad and Friends, Breaking Free and Breaking Bread Around the World, and to attend her launch party and book signing.

While in town, my husband and I had the opportunity to see our dear and very precious friend Kimberly Lockard Ness not only at Rita's author event at Ravenna Third Place Books in Seattle, but Kimberly invited us to come to her home in Milton on Saturday afternoon for a late lunch on her sun-lit deck, as we were heading back south towards home.

Our time with Kimberly was absolutely delightful and lunch was fabulous - we were greatly blessed and nourished body, soul, and spirit! I asked Kimberly is she would be interested in writing something about our lunch together and share her recipes with us on my food blog.

Here are Kimberly's personal reflections and recipes for Sea Bass served with Quinoa Salad:

I’ve recently passed through a major surgery and am learning and seeking new, fresh and healthy foods to aid me in my recovery. I am focused on high protein and organic fare. My sweet friends from out of town (Lee Erickson and Cliff Bisch) invited me to join them at a book signing event in my city, where they would be attending. What an extraordinary event – so wonderful to meet old and new friends. A wonderful evening.

We planned a lunch at my house the next day, on their way out of town. I knew Lee was also focused on fresh, healthy, gluten free organic eating and I planned a sea bass and quinoa salad menu. I noticed at Trader Joe’s a new kind of quinoa that I’d never seen – Red Quinoa. And on the back of the box – this recipe!! So I take no credit, except that I added the organic greens and couldn’t find fresh corn to roast so I used a can of organic corn. All the ingredients I chose were organic. The recipe called for Cilantro Salad Dressing, which I couldn’t find so I chose a Tarragon Dijon Vinaigrette at QFC instead. It was really good.

The thing that makes food so wonderful is the hearts you get to experience along with it. I am always amazed and so very grateful when I participate in breaking bread with others and see how open communication and sharing of hearts is facilitated through eating. I believe there must be a spiritual restoration that happens in our hearts, as we corporately fill our bodies with wholeness and purity in all of its forms. Everything we do and say on this earth has the potential lead us into the presence of God, to mirror his design for our lives, and aid in fulfilling a purpose for His glory.

Sometimes it’s difficult to see it when you are in the middle of a dark season, but I often look behind me and see what He’s done in my life after it’s happened and more times than not, there was someone there alongside me enjoying a meal, a flower, a moment of time together with me. Glorious days, bright days await us and my story today with Black Beans and Red Quinoa is about how our dark days (those Black Beans) can pass through the blood of the Lamb (that Red Quinoa) to a brighter day with loved ones to share our experiences with on this journey.

Black Bean, Roasted Corn & Avocado Salad on a Bed of Red Quinoa and Greens

Ingredients:

1 cup red quinoa, cooked with broth
2 cups vegetable broth... See More
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained/rinsed
2 cups roasted corn kernels
1 avocado, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup red onion, diced
¾ cup Tarragon Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing (QFC)
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
Zest of 1 lime
Sea salt and pepper
2-3 cups organic greens of your choice

Directions:

Cook quinoa with broth according to package directions. While quinoa is cooking, combine beans, corn, avocado, tomatoes and onion. Top with salad dressing and toss gently. Add salt, pepper and lime zest to taste. Add ½ of cilantro and gently toss once more. Set aside.

When quinoa is cooked, toss with olive oil; add salt and pepper to tast. Set aside to cool. When read to serve, spread greens on serving platter, spread quinoa on top of greens, and top with corn and bean mixture. Garnish with remaining cilantro.

Serves 6 as a side dish.

I believe that Kimberly baked the Sea Bass in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes. The fillets were baked in olive oil in au gratin dishes topped with a freshly ground lavender-pepper blend.

We LOVE you, Kimberly! Thank you for sharing your heart, your food and your home with us!

[If you also like to connect with others through food, Rita invites YOU to join her Female Nomad and Friends Global Dinner Party "Connecting Through Food" on June 18th, which will be taking place all over the world in our homes. For more information, go to Rita's website or her Facebook Female Nomad fan page.]

Sweet & Sour Citrus Salad

What! The last time I blogged was March 2nd! Where did the time go... let me tell you.

I haven't spent much time in the kitchen coming up with new, tasty and exciting delectable dishes, because we've been doing some traveling about the west coast, flew to the east coast, and once home we were off again to Central Oregon to visit family.

While visiting Bristol and Newport, Rhode Island, I enjoyed some of their freshest and finest seafood I've ever tasted - lobster at DeWolf Tavern, the best ever fish & chips at Via Blue Ocean, and scallops at Scales and Shells (also at Ray's Boathouse in Seattle, Wa). Clam poppers were new to me. Crab cocktail and grilled oysters in Port Townsend and The 3 Crabs in Sequim, Wa.

Here's just a taste...


Since I've been back, I've been bogged down with the cares of life, getting ready for a garage sale and putting our house back on the market.... all this seems to have sucked away any drops of culinary inspiration these past few weeks.

I must say though that watching episodes of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is lighting sparks under my damp fire. And today, I mustered up enough enthusiasm to vote for my favorite dish in Oliver's Virtual Recipe Club- 20 Minute Meals/Cookbook Contest.

So, I'll begin again with a quick meal/side salad, something vegan, basic and sour, then sweeten it up to refresh and cleanse our palate!

I'm going to kick the blocks out from under my lethargy in the kitchen to kick-start an new wave of culinary enthusiasm, by sharing a healthy, zesty citrus salad with you!


Ingredients

1 large pink grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1 large navel orange, peeled and sectioned
1 tablespoon sugar
1 large red pepper, julienned
1 small red onion, sliced and separated into rings
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, or to taste
2 teaspoons grated onion
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
4 cups torn salad greens
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the citrus sections and sprinkle with the sugar.
2. Add the red pepper, red onion and toss lightly.
3. In a blender, combine the honey, vinegar, poppy seeds, grated onion, lemon juice, salt, mustard and lemon peel. Cover and process until blended.
4. Pour over fruit mixture and toss to coat.
5. In a large serving bowl, toss the salad greens, mushrooms and fruit mixture.
6. Option - top with some slivered almonds or tasty candied pecans!
   

Yields 6 servings

Raw Beet Salad

My husband doesn't care for beets; they simply don't appeal to him. On the other hand, I happen to L-O-V-E beets boiled, steamed, pickled or glazed. But, until now they have always been cooked. Eating beets raw maximizes the benefit you get from all the live nutrients - vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C.

Ingredients:

2 large beets (pH of 5.5 - alkaline forming)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ small onion, finely minced
I clove garlic, finely minced (or garlic powder to taste)

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse the beets to the consistency of thick apple sauce.
   
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend well.
3. You can either serve the beets right away or marinate for a couple hours or overnight before serving for added flavor.

Try experimenting by making this raw beet salad with one beet and one other root vegetable such as turnip, rutabaga, carrot or parsnip. Try grating or cutting the vegetable(s) into very small bite-size chucks. For variety, add freshly chopped cilantro, parsley or one of your favorite garden herbs. Serve on a bed of greens, topped with crumbled feta cheese or blue cheese.

Spanish Rice, without the rice.

After an afternoon of biking and walking, I worked up an appetite. I wanted something refreshing, yet filling... and quick. I had all the ingredients on hand to make Spanish Rice with fresh, organic produce. It took all of 15-minutes. And, did I say it is absolutely delicious?!

Ingredients:

2 cups of grated jicama
10-12 ounces, fresh or thawed kernel corn
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 green onions, chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.

Serves 4-6

Adapted from the cookbook Rawsome! Page 209

Vinaigrette for Vegan Caesar Salad

I much prefer a zesty vinaigrette bursting with the flavor of seasonings and herbs over a thick, creamy dairy-based salad dressing any day. A good vinaigrette not only enhances the enjoyment of eating fresh greens, assorted vegetables and fruits, but it aids digestion, as well. Read more about making perfect vinegar dressings.

Vinaigrette for Vegan Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

1 head romaine lettuce, washed and dried
1/4 cup lemon juice or 4 tbsps apple cider vinegar (1/4 cup = 4 tbsps)
1 cup water
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons shredded kelp (if you don't have kelp, don't let it stop you from making this!)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper or 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (one of nature's anti-inflammatory spices)
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup macadamia nuts or pine nuts, soaked for 4 hours, then rinsed (without the nuts, the dressing is watery, but still delicious and refreshing)
1/2 cup walnuts, soaked for 4 hours, then dehydrated until crunchy (6-12 hours)

Directions:

1. Tear bit-sized pieces of romaine and place it in a large serving bowl.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend well.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the romaine lettuce.
4. Top with crunchy walnuts. Croutons optional.

Learn how to make your own freezeable, gluten-free croutons.

Recipe adapted from the Rawsome! cookbook. Page 156.

Moroccan Sweet Potato & Raisin Salad

I love this salad - a flavorful, ethnic side dish to complement your Thanksgiving Dinner!

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. Sweet Potatoes
5 oz. Raisins soaked in water
1 Tbsp. of Honey
Pinch each of Saffron, Turmeric Powder,
1/4 tsp. each of Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp. of Cinnamon
Note: Adjust seasonings to taste as you are cooking.
Water, about a pint
2-3 Tbps. of Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Peel the Sweet Potatoes, and cut into 1" cubes.
2. Cook on medium heat; put the Olive Oil in the pan.
3. Add the Sweet Potatoes and along with all the Spices.
4. Cover with Water, and cover the pan; cook for 20 minutes - making sure there is always enough water in the pan.
5. Drain the Raisins from their Water and add to the Sweet Potatoes.
6. Add the Honey and stir, adding a little bit more of Water.
7. Taste the Sauce in the pan and see if it need any adjustment to the flavor.
8. Cover the pan, and let it cook for 10 minutes more to carmelized the sauce.
9. To make sure the Sweet Potatoes are ready, poke them with a fork - they should be soft.
10. This Moroccan salad can be served either hot or cold.

Note: I learned to make this dish from Alia.

Celebrating, Fall, Comfort Food and Family

I awoke to a blanket of fog that had settled upon Siuslaw Valley. As it burned off over the course of the morning, the fall scenes surrounding me were magnificent. Steam from the horses nostrils melded with the rays of soft light filtering through the golden leaves of the grand old maple. 

Today is our son-in-law's birthday. So I set to work early to set a fall harvest table, which later will be filled with warm, savory dishes for a cool, fall evening celebration. I'm cooking from Donna Klein's The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen. The main entree this evening is Mushroom, Pea and Pearl Onion Pot Pie with Herbed Potato Topping on page 108, served with Warm Beet Salad with Parsley and Walnuts on page 51.

Early in the afternoon, I made a double-batch of oven-ready pot pie and had just finished making the warm beet salad when the call came. Change of plans. Our son-in-law was going to have to work later than expected at the hospital. Not a problem, we simply took dinner to their house, so it would be ready to eat when he walked in the door.  

I only made a few changes to the recipes.

There was enough vegetable broth and cream cheese in the pot pie  mixture that the skim milk was totally unnecessary, mixed together with peas and pearl onions, sauteed chopped onions, mushrooms, red pepper and fresh basil. No longer having fresh herbs available from my garden, I blended a variety of dried herbs together from my spice cupboard: marjoram, oregano, savory, tarragon and thyme to add to the potato topping.

The whole beets warmed through with vegetable broth, raspberry vinegar, scallions and coarsely chopped walnuts were delicious all by themselves, but I presented each serving on a bed of fresh greens topped with crumbled feta cheese and drizzled with a zesty raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

Locally-made, ready-to-bake bread from the natural foods grocer and bakery was hot and ready to slice and serve in ten minutes.

Effie and Dirk loved both the entree and the beet salad, rating the meal a *****.  Watching how our one year old granddaughter was gobbling her dinner down was the best compliment of all.

Our daughter served us an incredible non-alcoholic beverage she made with fresh prickly pear, lime, sugar and cinnamon.  This is not her exact recipe, but close:

2 cups cold water

1 cup ice

2 cups red prickly pears, halved, pulp and seeds scooped out (wear rubber gloves)

1/4 cup sugar, or to taste

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste

cinnamon to taste

Directions: In a blender combine all ingredients and blend on high speed until completely smooth. Pour cooler through a fine sieve into a glass pitcher. Chill cooler and stir before serving.

Effie also baked and beautifully decorated a German chocolate birthday cake for Dirk. I took a GlutenEase well in advance, realizing the temptation was going to be too great to pass on a slice of yummy homemade cake with vanilla  bean ice cream on this festive occasion.

Our family loves to get together and share in the cooking and eating of good food, always cooking more than enough to ensure that there will be leftovers. We do love our leftovers and find that they are often just as good or better the next day... with few exceptions.

"The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers.  The original meal has never been found."  ~Calvin Trillin