Slow-Cooker Balsamic-Tomato Chicken Stew

Balsamic vinegar is one of my favorite things on the planet.  It's up there with Sriracha.  I'll put it in everything.

Which brings me to this.

Oh my.

Delicious.

Just delicious.

I have nothing more to say.

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T. tomato paste
1 t. anchovy paste OR fish sauce (fish sauce is made from anchovies)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depends on how many you're serving)
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 t. marjoram/thyme
2 bay leaves
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cups of canned, whole tomatoes (San Marzanos are the best)
1 bunch Swiss Chard, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper to tasted

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add your onions and bell peppers and allow to cook until they are beginning to brown.  Add in garlic and stir together, cooking for 1 minute more.  Remove from heat.

Now place everything else except the Swiss chard and the salt and pepper into the slow-cooker.  Set on high for 6 hours.

If you want less liquid, uncover the slow-cooker about halfway through.

30 minutes before serving, add in the Swiss chard and season with salt & pepper.

Serve over rice, pasta, polenta, or, as we did, sunchoke puree!

I can't wait to eat the leftovers.  I think it'd be fantastic as a pasta sauce.

Banana Bread Pancakes

I don't post many breakfast recipes because I'm always looking to recreate that perfect gluten-y pancake, without the gluten of course.  So far, I haven't quite found it.  Every time I think I have, it never works twice.

That being said, I really like these.  We always have overripe bananas on hand, and who doesn't love banana bread?  They're not too sweet, the texture is great, and they're pretty hearty as well.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (I like to use half oat flour (oats pulsed into a flour in a processor) and half sorghum blend)
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. sugar
2 T. canola oil
2 eggs
1 overripe banana, mashed
1/4-1/2 cup milk (cow, plant, whatever)

Instructions:

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

In another bowl, combine eggs, banana, and oil.  Mix into the dry mixture.

Add milk to the batter until it reaches a pancake-batter consistency (this will vary depending on your flours, so add as much as you need).

Cook on a heated griddle, until the edges are golden brown and air bubbles are popping in the center of the pancake.  Flip over and cook for 2 minutes more.

Of course, you need the bacon as well.  Duh.

Serve immediately with maple syrup, butter, and lots of fruit!  This makes 8-10 pancakes.

Would you like some pancake with your fruit?

Chunky Apple Pie Granola

High protein snacks are what I go for, and who doesn't want some tasty homemade granola on their yogurt every day?

This recipe is super easy, and can be low-sugar, low-fat, AND high-protein with the aid of protein powder.

And it's vegan!

Ingredients:

2 cups GF rolled oats
1/4 cup hemp protein powder (or protein powder of your choice)
3/4 cup nuts of your choice, roughly chopped
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. salt
1/2 cup Splenda (OR 1/4 cup brown sugar)

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 t. vanilla extract
2 T. maple syrup

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Mix all wet in a small bowl.

Combine and adjust applesauce/sugars until you get sticky chunks of granola (not too wet!).

Bake in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, stirring everything around once or twice during baking.

Once done, you can toss in whatever dried fruits you like.  It makes about a quart, and is DELICIOUS.  Store in an airtight container!

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Vegan Monday was not on Monday this week, hehe.

This is actually a great variation on Shepherd's Pie--comfort-food-favorite of many--and it also leaves much up to the cook as to what veggies/legumes to use to adjust it to tastes and health requirements.  The mushrooms give it a really meaty flavor and texture, while the lentils provide a creaminess and body.  It's super-duper healthy, "slow-carb", and very filling.

The topping could be made with any mixture of starchy vegetables--mine just happened to be mostly pureed cauliflower, with a couple of small white potatoes thrown in.

Add cheese if you want, but that would make it not vegan ;).  I actually didn't think it needed it.

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
300 g. baby bella/cremini mushrooms, chopped
200 g. lentils (I had red on hand), rinsed, cooked, and drained  (if using canned, I think one 15-oz. can would be enough)
3 T. tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine
2 T. worcestershire sauce
2 T. coconut milk
1 t. of dill
1 t. marjoram
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. sweet paprika
1/2 t. smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
Salt & pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds (.6-.7 kg) starchy vegetable, steamed or blanched
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2-4 T. coconut milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F while you cook.  Prepare either a large casserole dish or multiple small baking dishes (for individual portions) by spraying the sides down with oil.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, lidded skillet over medium heat.  Toss in onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender (about 10 minutes).

Add in the mushrooms and garlic.  Cook for about 10 more minutes, until cooked through.

Add in the lentils, liquids, and spices.  Pop the lid on and allow everything to cook over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, to allow all the flavors to meld together.  Taste after cooking and correct any seasonings.

Allow excess liquid to cook off (you don't want it to be too "saucy").  Pour into the casserole dish(es).

In another skillet, saute the shallot over medium-high heat in a bit of oil until caramelized.

In a large bowl, using an immersion blender, blend up your starchy vegetables, the cooked shallot, and add the coconut milk gradually until it reaches the consistency you desire (like mashed potatoes).  Season with salt & pepper.  Pour over the filling in the casserole dish(es), spreading it out to evenly cover everything.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the edges are bubbly and the top is a light golden-brown.

It doesn't quite behave like normal Shepherd's Pie, but it sure tastes great!  My husband likes to top his with some ketchup, while I throw on the ubiquitous Sriracha.  It's even better leftover.

Sour-Cream Apple Coffee Cake with Oat Crumble

Sometimes you need a really good, dense coffee cake to satisfy those winter-driven sugar cravings.

And I wanted streusel/crumble on top, so I combined two recipes.

Both are from Carol Fenster's 1000 Gluten-Free Recipes, which I highly recommend, if only for the baked goods recipes.  The rest are kind of blah and can be found readily on blogs throughout the internet.

Ingredients:

Cake:

1/2 cup melted butter/canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. lemon extract (optional)
1 cup sour cream (this can also be swapped out for plain Greek yogurt)
2 cups Carol's sorghum blend (35% sorghum flour, 35% potato starch, 30% tapioca starch)
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger (I used fresh)
2 cups diced Granny Smith apples

Crumble:

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup Carol's sorghum blend
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I used pecans, but walnuts or almonds can be used as well)
2-3 T. maple syrup
2 T. brown sugar
3-4 T. melted butter
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter and (gf) flour a springform pan for the cake (this makes cake-removal easier and looks really nice--if you want to use a normal cake pan, just make sure it will all fit).

In a large bowl, mix your oil/butter, eggs, and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.

Add in your sour cream and extracts.  Mix until smooth.

In a separate smaller bowl, mix together all your dry ingredients.  Add them in batches to the wet mixture and mix until combined.

Stir in your diced apples and freshly grated ginger.

Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While your cake has begun baking, mix together all the topping ingredients until there are chunks of crumble-topping.  If it's not sticky enough, add more syrup.  If it's too dry, add more butter.  

When your cake has 15 minutes left of bake-time, crumble the topping over the cake and lightly press down.   Don't burn yourself! 

Bake until finished, and allow to cool a bit before popping the sides off of the pan.  

Enjoy!  This is also amazing with a little scoop of ice cream.

Vegan Mondays: Sweet Potato (or Butternut Squash) Hash

This is a great, great recipe for a very simple and quick meal that's also high in protein, fiber, and satisfaction!  While it's fantastic for dinner, I also think it'd make a great breakfast dish.  Credit to the original: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/10/sweet-potato-tofu-hash-vegan-comfort.html

Tofu hash is basically a mimic of scrambled egg hash, so crumble your tofu about the size you would want your eggs to be.  Seasonings and vegetables can also be adjusted to your own tastes.

I roasted my squash to get it caramelized, but if you're in a rush, you can very simply just pop your cubed squash in a bowl in the microwave and cook it for 5 minutes in there.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash or sweet potato
1 T. olive oil
Dash of salt, pepper, ancho chili powder

1 T. olive oil (more as needed)
1 shallot, diced
1 yellow/red/orange bell pepper, diced
1 15-oz block of firm tofu, pressed, crumbled
1 bunch green onions, chopped
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 T. coconut milk
2 t. cumin
1 t. turmeric
1 T. paprika
Dash of Hungarian paprika (optional, for heat)
1 t. salt
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2-1 t. liquid smoke (depending on how smoky you want it)
2-3 T. maple syrup

Instructions:

Cook your squash/potato by roasting in the oven at 425 degrees F (coated in the olive oil and spices) for 20-25 minutes, or in the microwave for about 5 minutes on high.

Heat up your oil in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium-high heat.  Toss in your shallot and bell pepper, sauteing until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.

Add in your tofu, green onions, and mushrooms, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the tofu is firming up.

Then add the coconut milk and spices/seasonings/liquids, stirring to coat, and allow to cook with the lid on for about 5 minutes (to let all the flavors mesh!).

Toss in your cooked squash/potato last, heat through, and serve!  I, of course, had to top mine with a healthy dash of Sriracha deliciousness.

Slightly Sweet & Spicy Baked Beans

I threw this together, not wanting typical sweet baked beans, not quite wanting charro beans, but something in between.  We had it with our delicious barbecue pork!  (It was then somehow glutened, so, alas, I cannot eat the delicious leftovers.)

Ingredients:

6 oz. bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can of white beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 t. yellow mustard
1 T. (or more) sriracha
3 T. fancy molasses
1 T. worcestershire sauce
3 T. red wine vinegar
Dash of liquid smoke
2 t. dried oregano

Instructions:

Stir all ingredients together!

Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed.  Uncover if it's not absorbing enough!  Taste and adjust any seasonings.

Eat the deliciousness!

Sweet Pork "Barbacoa"

Ingredients:

2.5-3 lb. pork shoulder, bone-in

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 T. chili powder
1 t. paprika (I did half normal and half "half-sharp")
1/2 t. ancho chili powder
1 t. course salt

1 T. tomato paste
1.5 cups chicken broth

6-7 cloves garlic, peeled
1 onion, thickly sliced

Instructions:

Place the pork shoulder in a Dutch oven OR slow-cooker.  If you're using a Dutch oven, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix your brown sugar and spices together in a bowl until well-mixed.  Add in the tomato paste and chicken broth.  Pour over the pork shoulder.

Toss in the garlic and sliced onion.

Cook in preheated oven for 4-5 hours, OR on low heat in the slow-cooker for 8 hours.

Once the meat is falling off the bone and much of the cooking liquid is gone, pull out the bone.  Shred. Place back in the oven, uncovered, to reduce any remaining liquid.

The original recipe said that this was to be served in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc, but I find it far less of a Mexican-esque flavor and more of a barbecue one.  It's quite sweet.

Also, look at my new pretty knife :D!  It's a Shun Ken-Onion chef knife.  This this is scary sharp.  One must respect it.  My Christmas present from my amazing husband!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

It's a new year (cue song: new dawn, new day, new life).  The world didn't end, we've all gained a little poundage over the holidays, and now it's 2013!  Rejoice!

I've been negligent over the last month for a few reasons.

1) My SAD is kicking in.  Having a history of depression kinda sucks, and living in Canada, where it's dark longer than it is light, doesn't help.  (Yes, I take Vitamin D.  Yes, I take it with calcium.)  My motivation is low, and I lost interest in my blog for a bit.

2) A lot of the recipes I've been trying lately have come out either not how I wanted or they're just plain mediocre.  I don't wanna post crappy recipes for y'all, just for the sake of having a recipe posted, so I kept holding off till I had something GOOD.

3) Sheer laziness.  Due partially to SAD.  Due partially to reason #2.

Anyway, I have resolved to get back to posting.  I have no food in the house, as we just spent 2 weeks in the States visiting my family, so I'll have to take care of that first!

Vegan Mondays shall be a regular thing (if not vegan, vegetarian).

Gonna be cooking some healthier stuff.

All will certainly be GF.

Oh, and I have to show off my prezzies from Christmas :D.  Got some exciting things!