Category Archives: Gluten Free

Tandoori Chicken

Posted on by Andrea

tandoori chicken

This is a great recipe for this time of year–bbq season– but also very good in the oven – and you will want to make this all year long. It’s got great concentrated flavour, and all you have to do is put together a super-easy,  yogurt-based marinade, score your chicken, let it marinate and then bbq or bake it.  The yogurt base tenderizes your chicken and the Middle Eastern spices make it aromatic and exotic tasting.  Make sure your spices are fresh –  it makes all the difference. You will be making this again and again, so you might as well get some fresh spices.  I like to serve some cucumber raita alongside. (recipe below). You can use any type of chicken pieces you like. I usually use bone-in chicken breast, skinned and cut in two.  You can marinate a big batch of chicken and put half in the freezer — it’s perfect for that. This recipe makes enough marinade for about 5-6 pounds (3 kg) of chicken. It will be a family favourite. Great the next day for lunch on a salad or with rice. TRY!

Tandoori  Chicken Marinade

1 medium onion, grated (or minced in processer)

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp minced  fresh ginger

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander seed

1/2 tsp tumeric (for colour, if you don’t have any, don’t worry about it)

¼ tsp cayenne (more if you like it hot)

1 tsp salt

1 cup plain yogurt

Juice of ½ lemon

[1-3 kgs of chicken pieces]

[½ cup melted butter for basting at the end.]

Mix up ingredients except chicken and  melted butter–feel free to throw it all in the processor or grate and chop and mix by hand.  Remove skin from chicken, and score deeply. Massage marinade into chicken. Best if meat is marinated for 24 hours. (minimum 6 hours)

*divide remaining marinade into freezer containers (1/2 cup each approx) and freeze. You can marinate the chicken and freeze it too -it works out perfectly.  Defrost and use when needed.

Cooking Instructions

If using BBQ

Turn one side of bbq on med-high. Put chicken in a  foil pan. Place it on upper level on side of bbq that is unlit, to create a ‘convect’ affect. Cook until internal temp of 165 F., approx. 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken from pan with tongs and place on direct heat of grill. Baste with butter , turning until nicely charred. Serve with Cucumber Raita.

If using Conventional Oven

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place chicken in roasting pan. Cook until internal temp of 165F. Melt butter. Baste chicken with butter. Turn on broiler, and place chicken under broiler until browned and glistening. Baste again before serving. Serve with Cucumber raita.

mixing up the marinade ingredients

use a cleaver to chop breast in half, then score the meat about 1/2 inch deep

massage marinade into the crevices, and let sit in the fridge to marinate

after baking on top shelf, place on grill, baste with butter until charred nicely

delicious with a salad ( healthy and low fat, low carb)

Cucumber Raita

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup grated cucumber

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (optional)

Grate cucumber and squeeze out liquid with paper towel. Mix into yogurt with cumin and salt.  If you have some  fresh coriander (cilantro) around, add that in too.  Serve with chicken.

Caesar Salad

Posted on by Andrea

caesar salad

Okay, I know it sounds so boring that I am putting in a recipe for Caesar Salad. Who doesn’t just buy Renee’s dressing? I was left without any salad greens today, and the only lettuce I could buy at our local store was a head of romaine.   I thought this dressing sounded pretty good, and it did turn out to be easy and flavourful, so what the hell. It can be used as dip for veggies too.  A 6.5 oz serving is 150 calories, that’s almost a cup! A cup of delicious dip when you are starving, hello.

Caesar Salad – Low Fat

adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favourites

Dressing: (makes about 1 cup)

2 hard-boiled eggs

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup low fat cottage cheese

2 kalamata olives, pitted and minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp worchestershire sauce (*to make this GF, use GF tamari sauce instead)

salt and pepper to taste

Salad

1 medium head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

In food processor or blender, combine dressing ingredients, except salt and pepper — puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate. (will keep for several days in fridge).

Wash and dry lettuce, tear into bite-size pieces. Toss with about 1/3 cup of dressing to coat. Sprinkle with grated cheese, add sliced hard-boiled egg. Serve immediately. (serves 4)

simple ingredients

put dressing ingredients into processor

mixed dressing ready to go

Caesar salad

Easy and Delightful Apple Cake

Posted on by Andrea

apple cake

I love this cake recipe. Aside from it being from my favourite cookbook author, it’s quick to put together, the ingredients are simple and the result is just great.  It’s more like a bunch of delicious cooked apple chunks held together with a bit of moist, rum and vanilla flavoured awesome cake batter.  A beginner baker should have no trouble with this, and an experienced baker will appreciate how effortless it is.  It’s good the first day, but better the second, third and fourth. This cake is very moist so I just cover it loosely with a tea towel — it’s got a lot of moisture so covering with plastic wrap will encourage mould. (If it lasts that long). This cake is great for afternoon tea, breakfast on the run or for dessert with a dollop of whip cream or ice cream. It will become part of your regular baking recipes, guaranteed.

*Also, I have marked this as “gluten free” – this recipe isn’t but it translates perfectly to a gluten free cake by using  the same amount of all-purpose GF flour with 1/2 tsp of xantham gum.  I’ve made it many times this way, and it’s awesome.

Apple Cake

from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 large apples (if you can, choose 4 different kinds)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons dark rum
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan (I have also used a regular non-stick 9 inch cake pan with good results)  and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl.

Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1- to 2-inch chunks. (pretty big chunks)

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it’s evenish.

Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean; the cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for five minutes.

Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. (Open the springform slowly, and before it’s fully opened, make sure there aren’t any apples stuck to it.) Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled, then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish.

simple ingredients

add rum and vanilla to batter

fold the apples into the batter – notice nice big chunks

press into pan

baked until nicely browned

let the cake sit for a few hours before eating

Roasted Asparagus: the best way to enjoy it!

Posted on by Andrea

roasted asparagus as a side dish to a summer bbq meal

If you don’t roast your asparagus, you really must start. I have converted asparagus haters by roasting it. It’s easy and so good, I can’t imagine going back to steaming it.  I’m not going to say much more about it, just follow along and make it– you will love it.

Roasted Asparagus

1 lb asparagus

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

zest of one  lemon

Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash asparagus and snap off the ends. If the stalks are thick, give them a quick peel. (This makes them nice and tender).  Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil.  Use your hands to roll it back and forth to make sure they are coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and grate lemon zest over top. Place in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, until tender. Enjoy!!

* can be done on the bbq in an aluminum pan, high heat, upper shelf with opposite side burners on, (one side lit only). Close cover while cooking.

* also tastes great with parmesan cheese and if you have any leftovers, throw them in your salad the next day.

purple asparagus, who knew?

peeled asparagus

add some grated lemon zest

ready for the oven or bbq

Yum!

Healthy Salad with Creamy Japanese Dressing

Posted on by Andrea

Notice how I titled it, “Healthy” salad? I did so because there are so many salads have ingredients that  make them less than healthy–but this one really is very healthy with steamed veggies, sauteed peppers,  feta, and toasted almonds. You can add whatever you like — bean sprouts and some red onion would be nice – some roasted red peppers would add great flavour and perk up the colour as well. I put this together with what I had on hand, and so should you. The creamy Japanese dressing ties this salad in nicely with the previous post, “Ginger Soya Glazed Salmon Skewers”.

Vegetable salad with Creamy Japanese Dressing

Healthy Vegetable Salad

1 head boston lettuce

2 cups baby spinach

2 cups broccoli, cooked until tendercrisp

2 cups cauliflower, cooked until tendercrisp

1/2 yellow or red pepper, sliced

1/4 cup feta cheese, diced

2 Tbsp toasted sliced almonds

1/2 cup Creamy Japanese Dressing (see recipe below)

Cook broccoli and cauliflower in boiling water until tendercrisp, about 5 minutes. Immerse in a bowl of ice water. Cool, drain.  Saute pepper strips for 2-3 minutes in a tsp of butter or oil.  Remove from heat. Toss lettuce in a bowl with dressing. Place on platter. Surround lettuce with cauliflower, broccoli and sauteed peppers. Sprinkle feta and toasted almonds on top. Drizzle a little more dressing on vegetables.

Creamy Japanese dressing, vegetables and salad

Creamy Japanese Dressing

adapted from Chatelaine magazine

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 Tbsp ketchup

2 Tbsp mayonaisse

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp salt

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously.  Serve over salad greens. Refrigerate remainder. Makes 1 1/2 cups.