by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Gluten Free, Sauces, TOP Five, Vegetables
Wow, how time flies! Sorry for not posting any new recipes these past several months. I have been busy with kid activities and overall… just trying to be a “good parent” to my two teenagers! The ups and downs of being a full-time mom can definitely take it’s toll on a person. But all in all, I am grateful for this new chapter in my life. I am still cooking a ton, but haven’t posted anything, so I thought I would spend some of my summer sharing some of my favorites.
I have tried this recipe several times, and both my husband and son agree this is one of their “top 5” faves! This is a recipe I found on the NY Times website, but made some minor modifications to it. I hope you enjoy! Serves 8-10
FOR THE POLENTA
- 3 cups milk
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups polenta (I love Bob’s Organic Red Mill Polenta)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan
FOR THE MUSHROOMS
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 cup of home-made chicken broth (or store bought)
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pats, divided
- 3 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
In a large deep pan over high heat, bring the milk and water to a boil; add salt, and gradually stir in polenta. Reduce heat and summer gently, stirring frequently to prevent clumping and sticking, until mixture is very thick (approximately 30-45 minutes). If the polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep the polenta soft enough to stir. Stir in butter and the parmesan cheese.
Meanwhile, boil the chicken broth; add in the dried porcini mushroom. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and pat dry, then chop roughly. Reserve the mushroom/chicken stock.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan set over high heat until it has melted. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic brown.
Add the fresh and reconstituted porcini mushrooms and thyme to the pan, and sauté 8 minutes, turning until browned. Add about 1/4 cup of the mushroom stock to deglaze the surface, using a wooden spoon to scrape at the browned bits. Allow the stock to reduce by half, then turn the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, whisking to combine, followed by the soy sauce, cream and olive oil. Allow mixture to cook until it thickens a little, then remove from heat. Taste for seasoning, adding black pepper, salt or more parmesan cheese, if desired.
Place the polenta into warmed bowls, then top with mushrooms and the sauce. Serve immediately.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Breakfast, Gluten Free
My 12 year old daughter is not only very picky when it comes to food, she is also gluten intolerant, but of course loves breakfast foods! Growing up with a Swedish mother, has given me an upper hand on making these “crepes”, or, as we call them, “Swedish pancakes”. I have tried this recipe, which feels like a thousand times, using different gluten free flours, and finally… I found the perfect one! It’s King Arthur’s Multi-Purpose Gluten Free Flour. The flour is light and fine, and not at all “grainy”, and has a very mild taste (unlike coconut and almond flour.) I used it without having to alter the proportions in a regular crepe recipe. I also made them with almond milk, instead of whole/skim cow’s milk, as she is also slightly intolerant to dairy… UGH! The challenges of a mom… who loves to cook! Again, I searched far and wide for an almond milk that was not too thick, too sweet and without a strong almond flavor. I found Pacific brand Organic Vanilla Unsweetened Almond milk. (Pictures of products below).
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp organic sugar
- 1 cup King Arthur’s multi-purpose gluten free flour
- 1 ⅓ cup Pacific’s unsweetened organic vanilla almond milk
- 4 tbsp butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Whisk eggs with vanilla, salt, and sugar. Slowly whisk in the flour. (I do this, to avoid any clumping). Whisk until smooth. Slowly stir in the almond milk, until you have a nice thin batter. In a crepe pan, or large skillet add a ½ tbsp of butter, enough to melt and cover the bottom of the pan, be sure to roll butter around the edges of skillet. Pour in a scant ⅓ cup batter and quickly swirl the pan to evenly coat the bottom. Cook until the pancake sets, 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Using a rubber spatula, carefully lift the pancake by the edges and flip; cook until lightly golden on the other side, 15 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate; keep warm in the oven while making the others. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter to make about 12 pancakes. If the pancakes seem too thick, thin the batter slightly with almond milk. These are great served with powdered sugar, and fresh fruit. You can place all in the ingredients in a line in the center and roll and serve. But, we like doing this “self-serve” style, with a smorgasbord of fixings, as everyone has their favorite filling, including lingonberry jam for those traditional Swedes!
Here are the photos of the flour, almond milk and vanilla.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Appetizers, Fish
I love being in the kitchen with my son! He is able to identify missing ingredients, textures and even color in a dish. We made this Spicy Tuna Poke together, taking inspiration from several recipes on the internet, and made our own alterations in order to improve taste and texture, customizing it to our (his) liking. 😉
Tuna Poke Ingredients:
- ½ lb diced ahi or maguro
- 3 tb minced red or sweet onion
- 2 tb tobiko (flying fish roe) plus more for use as a topping
- ⅓ cup mayo (Hellmans or Best Foods)
- 1 tb sugar or honey (for paleo)
- 2 tb shoyu
- 3 tb Sriracha (or more to taste)
- 1 diced red chili-pepper (optional)
- 1 tb sesame oil
- 2 stalks scallions minced – green parts only
- 1 large pealed and julienned cucumber
Directions for tuna:
– Combine mayo, sugar shoyu, and Sriracha
– Gently mix together tuna, onions, chillies and green onions
– Add mayo mixture and tobiko, mix gently
– Add sesame oil, taste an adjust flavoring
As you can tell, I had some fun with my food and plated on a bed of finely diced cucumber. I used a Spam musubi mold to get the shape.
Sushi rice cakes
- 1 cup cooked sushi rice
- 1 cup organic canola oil
Use round or square mold to create 1-½” thick layer of rice. Place oil in small sauce pan heat on high. Place molded cooked rice, into oil with a slotted spoon. Cook approximately 2 minutes, then turn over to cook other side. Should be a little browned on both sides, and crunchy. Place cucumber on a plate, add the crunchy rice patty and add the Spicy Tuna Poke. Top with 1 tsp of tobiko. Add a few slices of green onion and Voilá. Some other options are to add some diced avocado and cucumber into the tuna mixture. Be sure to mix gently as you do not want to squish the avocados. 
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Meats, Paleo, Pastas, Vegetables
Since watching CowSpiracy (on Netflix), I am constantly trying to find alternatives to red-meat (beef). So I made some modifications to a traditional Ragu (or Bolognese) using Buffalo meat. If you prefer the Paleo version, you can skip the pasta and just place the Ragu/Bolognese into a butter lettuce leaf, for a tasty lettuce wrap!
Ingredients:
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 carrot, finely, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 ½ lb buffalo, ground
- ¼ slab bacon, or 5 thick slices diced
- ½ tube organic tomato paste
- 1 cup organic canned crushed/or chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup milk (skip for Paleo version)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating
- ½ cup organic whipping cream (skip for Paleo version)
Directions:
In a 6 to 8-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and soft, but please make sure not brown them, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the buffalo, and bacon and stir into the vegetables. Add the meat over high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking together until browned. Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, milk, and wine and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add in the cream and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat.
When ready to use, the cooked pasta should be added to a saucepan with the appropriate amount of hot ragu Bolognese, and tosses so that the pasta is evenly coated by the ragu. For Paleo version, spoon meat ragu into the butter lettuce leaves.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Desserts
So I found this video online and tried the recipe. Here is Tip Hero’s Video. I made some slight alterations to it, but they turned out incredible. Thank you Tip Hero!
Ingredients:
- 4 apples, cored and halved (leave the skin on)
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 6 Tbsp apricot preserves*
- 2 sheets of pie crust*
- Cinnamon and sugar mixture* (equal parts)
- Powdered sugar*
* Items with Asterix have been changed from original Video.
Instructions:
- Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
- I used my food processor* (Breville Sous Chef) with the adjustable slicing blade) – took less than 30 seconds and the slices were all equal. Put apple slices in microwave safe bowl. Fill bowl with water and juice from half a lemon. Use enough water to make sure apple slices are covered by water. Microwave for 3 minutes. This will soften the apple slices and make them more pliable for rolling up.
- Next grab a sheet of pie crust sheet. Flour your board and roll out the pie crust enough to make 6 strips at 3 inches wide. I scored and cut mine with a pizza wheel put you can use a knife.
- Spoon out the preserves in the center of the strip of puff pastry.
- Next place the apple slices long ways halfway on the strip. Keep adding slices until you reach the end. Sprinkle the apples with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Then fold the puff pastry over the bottom of the apple slices.
- Roll up the puff pastry and place in a greased muffin tin.
- Bake the apple roses for 35-45 minutes.
- Pull out of oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle powdered sugar on top of each rose. Can also be served with Vanilla ice cream or Brown Sugar Sauce (recipe coming soon).
Here are some more photos of my Apple Rose Batch:
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Meats, Sauces
I’m always trying to find other ways to make chicken, as we are making a conscious effort to try and eat less red meat. I have some dairy items in this recipe but they can be replaced if you are trying to stay away from it. This recipe is pretty easy and quick and goes great with roasted potatoes.
Ingredients:
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (filleted and pounded) Organic preferred
- 2 eggs
- salt
- 2 tbsp of lemon
- 1 cup flour (organic preferred)
- 2 tbsp butter (divided)
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter (divided)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots
- ¼ cup capers
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup cream (optional – can use a paste of four and water to thicken sauce)
Directions:
If you have whole chicken breasts, you can first remove the tenderloin first, then filet the breast. Pound out all of the pieces so they are thin, approximately ¼”. If all your pieces are the same thickness they will cook evenly and at the same time. In a mixing bowl, mix eggs, with lemon and 1 tsp of salt. Place the chicken into egg mixture. You can do this proceed before cooking, for a little extra time in the marinade. I marinated them for ½ hour.
For the sauce you will melt the butter and oil in a saucepan, add in the chopped shallots and cook on medium high heat, but be sure not to burn them. Then add in the capers and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove the capers and onions from the pan, leaving the liquids (butter/oil) in the pan. Now you can dredge the chicken breasts. I dredge them as I cook them so they don’t sit in the flour. Add 1 tbsp of butter and place the chicken pieces, spaced so they do not touch. Cook the chicken until crispy on both sides (approx. 2 minutes a side). Repeat, adding butter and additional chicken pieces. Once all pieces are cooked you place them on a platter, or warming plate. Next you will add the caper/onion mixture back into the pan, scraping up any residue on the pan. Add in the mustard and lemon stirring frequently, then the chicken broth. Cook down the mixture for 3-5 minutes. Add in the cream and stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. If you prefer to avoid the cream you can add a mixture of 1 tbsp of flour in a cup with some warm water, until you have a flour paste. You can slowly whisk this into the sauce to thicken it. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. (Additional sauce can be placed into a gravy boat).
Serves 4
