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  1. Crispy Kale and Coconut

    July 9, 2012 by brooke

    When I first saw this recipe over on Joy the Baker I thought it looked good, but I couldn’t understand how so many people were going absolutely crazy over it. Almost everyone who commented said that they had made this dish several times in a week. Come on, I thought, it’s kale and coconut. I like kale and all, but could it actually be that good?

    Both the kale and the coconut turn a lovely golden brown

    Yes. Absolutely. Definitely.

    I am new to the whole crispy-roasted-kale thing. The magic that happens with kale is covered with something oil-based than put in an oven for a little while and comes out light, slightly translucent, and decidedly crunchy is pretty amazing. Adding toasted coconut is inspired. But the dressing, with toasted sesame oil, GF soy sauce, and just enough sriracha to make things interesting, is unbearably addictive. Seriously, if I wasn’t the one who made it, I’d swear it was laced with something. Even the most begrudging veggie eaters cannot keep their hands out of the bowl to sneak a taste or two ten.

    Seriously, they kept eating the kale like chips.

    So please, even if you don’t love kale, try this. The original recipe was served with grains, but I tend to use chickpeas if I feel the need to add another texture or a bit more substance. I’ve had the chickpeas raw and roasted, and the dish is good either way. I’ve also added chicken coated with some of the dressing, but it obviously wasn’t vegetarian any more.

    Just be sure to add lots of the dressing. I could eat it with a spoon.

    Print
    Crispy Kale and Coconut
    Author: 
    Recipe type: Side
    Prep time: 
    Cook time: 
    Total time: 

    Serves: 4
     

    Crispy, crunchy kale and coconut combine to form a satisfying gluten-free, low-carb side dish.
    Ingredients
    • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
    • 2 tbsp tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
    • ½ tsp sriracha
    • ⅓ cup olive oil
    • Bunch of kale (I prefer curly kale)
    • 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Depending on how much kale you have, you may need two baking sheets to keep the kale in one layer.
    2. In a small bowl (or jar) whisk (or shake) together the sesame oil, tamari, sriracha, and olive oil.
    3. Remove the stems of the kale and tear into ~2″ pieces.
    4. Spread the kale in one layer on the baking sheet(s) and sprinkle coconut on top.
    5. Pour about ½ of the dressing over the kale and coconut and stir to coat.
    6. Bake the kale mixture. Start checking on the kale around 10 minutes, though it may take up to 20 minutes depending on your oven and the size and moisture of the kale pieces. You want to pull out the kale when it is crispy and translucent, just barely starting to brown, but before it burns.
    7. Toss the kale mixture with remaining dressing to taste, then serve.

    Notes
    This dish is best hot, but it is pretty darn good at room temperature, too. To make it a meal, serve with cooked chickpeas, quinoa, or even small strips of chicken.

     

    Category Gluten Free, Low-carb, PCOS-friendly, Vegetarian/Vegan | Tags: | No Comments

  2. Gluten/Dairy/Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding

    April 17, 2012 by brooke

    Seriously, you want to eat this.

    Oh my goodness.

    This stuff is seriously amazing. My experiments in gluten free baking have gone well, sugar free a little less so, but this is my favorite discovery yet.

    Seriously this is the dessert I’ve been looking for. It’s rich and sweet without any of the stuff I’ve been told to avoid.

    Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for the recipe. The recipe comes by way of Chocolate Covered Katie. Her blog is currently one of my favorite resources. If the food isn’t already gluten free and low sugar, she usually suggests substitutions to make it such. She has such a contagious, pleasant attitude, too!

    So I’ll give you a few photos of my own, but you will want to go open a can of coconut milk, set it in the refrigerator, and then check out the link above. Katie calls it frosting, but mine wasn’t that thick. It was more of a pudding–A delicious, rich, chocolatey pudding.

    I used Hershey’s dark chocolate cocoa powder, a packet of stevia, and a bit of extra vanilla extract.

    Delicious dark chocolate pudding

    I’m still working on the photography. It’s hard to find good lighting in my house.

    Seriously, you want to eat this.

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 1 Comment

  3. Restaurants — Starliner Diner

    April 16, 2012 by brooke

    By far, my favorite meal to eat out has always been brunch. My standard brunch fare used to be french toast. I haven’t tacked french toast in my kitchen yet, and apparently neither have any of the restaurants I’ve seen. So I’ve learned to mix up my brunch choices.

    Omelettes are a pretty obvious choice. They can get pretty boring, though. I enjoy finding places where I can eat something different.

    Enter the Starliner Diner

    It doesn't look like a lot from outside...

    The Diner doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside it has cute, eclectic decor.

    The wall is covered with clocks. The opposite wall is covered in a mural.

    The food is delicious & Cuban. I’ve heard wonderful things about their Cuban french toast, and my husband loves a delicious breakfast burrito that they serve (I don’t remember its exact name.)

    My husband's meal of choice...

    There are several options that have no wheat ingredients. I however, have a slight obsession with fried sweet plantains. Ever since Costelo’s went out of business, I have been sorely missing their fried plantains. So when I found them on the menu at Starliner Diner, I had to try them. I got the plantain appetizer which comes with a delicious cole-slaw-like salad. The plantains are sweet and the salad perfectly matches them.

    The plantain appetizer

    I wanted protein, too, so I got a side of black beans. They are well-spiced and flavorful.

    Delicious black bean side

    Then…. Combined I get pure deliciousness.

    Delicious beans and plantains

    Even if you are less… adventurous (read: strange) than me, there are some delicious options at the Starliner Diner.

    ——————————-

    Standard warning: Restaurants and their menus change. I don’t speak for any restaurant. I didn’t have a reaction, but always check with your wait staff and use common sense.

    Category Restaurants | Tags: | 3 Comments

  4. Quinoa with Berries

    April 13, 2012 by brooke

    This is as good as any cereal...

    I have found that one of the more difficult meals for me has been breakfast. I love cereals. It’s pretty easy to find gluten-free cereals, but trying to watch the carbohydrate levels has been more difficult. I’ve been eating a lot of hard boiled eggs for breakfast, but sometimes I just want something more like the breakfasts I used to have.

    This quinoa with berries is a compromise. It has a bit of sugar, but the quinoa has lots of fiber and protein and the berries have a low glycemic index. Agave is controversial, but I believe it’s better than sugar. Should anyone live on agave? No. But sometimes you just need a little sweetener. (If you really want you can sub honey, but stevia won’t work well because of how the mint flavor is infused in the syrup.)

    The resulting syrup smells amazing

    This may not be an everyday food, but it sure is delicious. I took it to a friend’s apartment for “brinner” (breakfast for dinner) and my gluten-and-sugar-eating friends all loved it.

    Berries are delicious

    This recipe comes together in about 20 minutes if you have to cook the quinoa. If you have pre-cooked quinoa, it would be even shorter. It stores well and tastes even better after having some time for the flavors to meld.

    This is as good as any cereal...

    Print
    Quinoa with Berries
    Author: 
    Recipe type: Breakfast, Dessert
    Prep time: 
    Cook time: 
    Total time: 

    Serves: 2-4
     

    Ingredients
    • 1 C quinoa (I used tri-color)
    • 2 C water
    • 1½ tbsp agave nectar
    • 1 tablespoon chopped mint
    • 2 cups berries
    • ½ tsp cinnamon

    Instructions
    1. Cook the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa, then combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes. If you are using white quinoa, the center should be completely translucent. Drain the quinoa if the water has not been completely absorbed.
    2. While the quinoa is cooking, combine the agave nectar and mint in a small, microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 5 seconds, or until the nectar begins to bubble. Set aside.
    3. If using strawberries, remove the hull and chop into pieces.
    4. Once the quinoa is finished, stir the berries, nectar mixture, and cinnamon into the still-warm quinoa.

    Notes
    If desired, cooked quinoa can be substituted for the uncooked quinoa and the water. Simply skip the first step.

     

     

    Category Breakfast, Gluten Free, Vegetarian/Vegan | Tags: , , , , , , , | No Comments

  5. New Directions

    April 12, 2012 by brooke

    This is my second blog.

    I wasn’t very good at the first one. I figured it would be a great fit… I love baking, and, despite being an engineer, kind of like writing, too. (Unless you want me to be really creative. I am way too concise to be a creative writer. ) I especially love taking pictures of things I make.

    Somehow, though, my heart wasn’t in it. The blog never became a priority, so after a few posts it fizzled out. In the end, I don’t think I felt that what I was doing was important enough to share. But that has all changed.

    If you’ve been over to the “about” page, you know I have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS.) If you haven’t, you should go check it out. The blog name makes a lot more sense that way! When I was first diagnosed, I was overwhelmed. I guess I still am a lot of the time. So many web sites telling me what to do and what not to do. So many women struggling to find answers.

    My life has been turned upside down, especially when it comes to diet. After several cases of questionable advice (did the doctor really think it was going to be helpful to tell a vegetarian to go on Atkins?), I finally received some nutritional guidance. It turns out I have a gluten intolerance. I may have Celiac, I don’t know, but I don’t care to go back on gluten to find out. Especially after a rather unfortunate episode of cross contamination that left me very, very uncomfortable. I may also be insulin resistant, but I know that I react poorly to sugars as well.

    So my new diet is gluten-free, with an emphasis on reducing sugar and increasing protein. I also have added in animal proteins. I was never vegetarian for ethical reasons, I just hated meat. I still don’t like it. But apparently my adrenal glands need the support, so meat it is.

    I also take a handful of supplements twice a day. And some hormone cream that makes my food want take up residence in my thighs.

    There are still so many questions. I know that this is going to be a journey, and I don’t particularly want to go through it alone. I don’t think any woman does. So I want this to be a place where I share my journey: highs, lows, and just life.

    There will, of course, be an emphasis on food. I still love baking and cooking and generally playing in the kitchen. I want to share some restaurants where I have been able to eat food without feeling like a diseased freak. But this time, I feel that my posts may be worthwhile, that seeing my journey may help someone else. I don’t think I will have the same problem I had before.

    So, this is my second blog, but I think it will be around a lot longer than the first.

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 1 Comment