Book of Yum

Being gluten-free on the road can be difficult, unless you happen to be traveling to some area like Portland, Oregon that has unexpected numbers of health food stores and gluten free bakeries. Luckily, some time ago I came across By the Bay’s brilliant solution to the self-contained meal: gluten free chebe knishes. She took a package of chebe and used the manioc based mix to create a brilliant, pliable dough that can be used for pastries, knish, perogies, and even calzones. The possibilities are endless. My favorite thing is how easy this dough is to roll out and handle- I never thought of pastry as a “weekday meal” option before I discovered Chebe as pastry, but now I don’t hesitate to make baked samosas, spinach tartlets and even calzones as a last minute meal solution. Cool, right? As you can tell, By the Bay’s recipes have really inspired me. But you know what’s better than being inspired by ONE By the Bay recipe? Being inspired by TWO of By the Bay’s recipes at the same time! As part of her un-cooking series, By the Bay featured a recipe for Balsamic Tuna Salad. Maybe I’ve become entirely too obsessed with these chebe meal packets, because as soon as I saw this unconventional tuna salad recipe, I thought that it would undoubtedly taste great baked into a knish! So, some time ago when DH and I planned a road trip to Sacramento and intended to start our trip in the evening, I baked up a big batch of knishes to take with us. Half of the recipe was filled with By the Bay’s potato knish filling, and the other half was filled with balsamic tuna salad! It was absolutely delicious, and very satisfying. The only thing about chebe knishes is that the day after you make them, they really need to be baked in the oven for 10 minutes or so to achieve crispiness, and they’re not very good microwaved. But, since we were chomping in the car relatively soon after I baked them, they were perfect little self contained meals. But, as you know, although I occasionally indulge in seafood, my meal focus is really vegetarian. As soon as I tasted the Balsamic knish, I immediately started thinking of how I could make a vegetarian version. The recipe below is actually my second attempt. The first time I used little white beans, and I was not at all happy with the results. Although usually home baked slow cooked beans are preferable to store bought, in this case the soft mushiness and the bland sweetness of the white beans couldn’t stand up to the vigor of the balsamic sauce. I started thinking about a veggie bean salad I make sometimes, inspired by a trip to Florida, and decided that, since kidney beans hold their own in that vegetable salad recipe with raspberry vinaigrette, they just might stand up to this kind of balsamic vinaigrette. I tried it, and success!(small photo, right) I was very happy with the results, although I think DH preferred the tuna version. By the way, the main photo for this post is of my version of By the Bay’s potato knish- virtually identical to her recipe except this time I sauteed some pressed garlic with the onions, and I added some turmeric to the dough for color. I’ve also tried her potato knish recipe with portobello mushrooms added to the onion mixture.(small photo, left) It is delicious, but I think I prefer the original recipe (with garlic).

My second Chebe culinary quest that has taken me some time to complete, is that of using the cinnamon chebe mix for making a lowfat apple turnover. I only wish that I’d made it sooner, because as soon as I tasted this recipe, I knew I had a winner. It is fabulous with or without ice cream, and the crunchiness of the dough, while not the traditional buttery pastry usually found with such things, is extremely satisfying. The flavor is great, and without ice cream, you can even enjoy this turnover for breakfast without going into sugar shock. If I’d known this recipe would be THIS addicting, I would have ordered a whole box of cinnamon chebe mix, darn it. Oh well… next time I know what’s on my shopping list! These also travel well, with the caveat that like all chebe pastries, they should be eaten soon after baking OR reheated in an oven to freshen and crisp the dough.

For other By the Bay Chebe recipe, try her Jamaican-style spicy turkey knishes

*a sad note* By the Bay recently posted the sad news that Chebe is no longer certified kosher. She calls for those who are Gluten-free and keep kosher to contact the company and encourage them to re-certify their products. If this change affects you (or even if it doesn’t) I would encourage you to vocalize your feelings to the company in the interest of more gluten-free options for all. Let’s hear it for solidarity, yeah!

Balsalmic Vegetable and Bean Knish Recipe Main Course  Vegetables  American

Ingredients Dough: 1 7.5 oz package Chebe All Purpose Gluten Free Bread Mix (Dairy free) 2 large eggs (try 1 egg and one Ener-g foods egg replacer egg to lighten calories, but I haven’t tried it yet) 2 tbsp olive oil 5 tbsp water or milk substitute 2 tsp pasta seasoning mix (trader joe’s) 1 tsp garlic powder Nonstick cooking spray Filling: 1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (don’t use home cooked unless beans are very firm) 1/4 cup olive oil and butter caramelized red onions, chopped (probably about 1/4 large red onion) 3/4 cup red and yellow peppers, between a chop and a dice 1/4 cup fresh, canned or microwaved frozen corn (canned or fresh is probably better, if fresh, should be boiled) 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes in oil with oil washed off in warm water 2 1/2 chopped green onions (1/4 cup) 1/8 cup sliced kalamata olives 2 tbsp capers, diced 1 tbsp finely chopped dill 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme 4 tbsp low fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing (like from kraft) 1 tbsp good quality mustard (or less) lots of freshly ground pepper Directions Prepare filling- mostly involved chopping, except for the onion and corn. I chopped a whole red onion and sauteed it in 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter until caramelized. Then I removed 1/4 cup of the onion and used it in my filling. (I used the rest in BytheBay’s recipe for Potato knish, adding 2 pressed garlic cloves and frying a bit longer after the onion for this recipe was removed from the pan.)Mix all ingredient thoroughly, keeping the beans intact. Then add the dressing and mustard, folding evenly through the salad. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine ingredients for dough and knead until fully combined. Roll out dough inside a gallon ziploc bag with the sides cut open. (This makes it easier to roll out the dough, as it doesn’t stick to the bag as badly as it would stick to the rolling pin.) There should be enough dough to do this several times. If you have one, use a dough press and lay one layer of dough lightly over the press, place filling evenly on one half of the press. Fold over press and press lightly to seal edges. Take a sharp knife and cut the excess dough outside the crimping edges. Open press and carefully peel samosa off, being careful not to handle the pretty, crimped edges. Place on baking sheet. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Notes There will be about twice as much of the filling as you need for this recipe. Serve the remainder as a vegetable bean salad the next day!

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Heavily Inspired by ByTheBay Recipe ID:  1133 Added:  September 6, 2007 Last Modified:  September 28, 2007

Chebe Apple Turnover Recipe Dessert  Alternative Grains  American

Ingredients 1 pkg. Chebe Cinnamon Mix 2 tbsp butter 3 tbsp. applesauce 3 tbsp milk 1 egg *edited* Filling 2 tablespoons lemon juice 4 cups water 4 small apples -peeled, cored and sliced 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon apple pie seasoning (or pumpkin pie mix) 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp vanilla 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon water 1 egg, mixed, for egg wash optional sugar (optional) Directions Combine dough ingredients in a bowl and knead until you have a firm ball of dough. Reserve. Put sliced apple in water with lemon juice. Melt butter in cast iron pan and toss drain apple slices into pan and saute for two minutes. Add seasonings, and brown sugar and heat for two more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vanilla. Mix cornstarch and water together completely and then add to pan. Let thicken and remove from pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take half of chebe dough and roll out between a gallon size cut open ziploc bag with the sides cut out. Cut out squares of dough and use ravioli press to make turnovers with crimped edges. I line my press with saran wrap or a cut open sandwich bag. For variety you can cut out some squares of dough and put filling in the middle and fold each corners of the dough in so they meet in the middle, forming packages. Spray cookie sheet with butter flavored cooking spray and place turnovers on the sheet. Baste them with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired. YUM YUM YUM!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  The contents of my brain, do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1138 Added:  September 13, 2007 Last Modified:  October 27, 2007

Onigiri, Japanese rice balls or triangles, are one of my favorite, portable snacks. I’ve made onigiri countless times, and I even posted my recipe for kimchi tuna or spinach onigiri. However, I’ve never been completely satisfied with the vegetarian onigiri that I’ve made. Traditionally, you can use an umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum), natto (fermented soybean), or hijiki (seaweed) filling for completely vegetarian onigiri. However, while I love umeboshi filling, it may be difficult to find a source of umeboshi that doesn’t contain either glucose or MSG, both of which may contain gluten. And, honestly, I’m just not that crazy about natto OR hijiki. So for some time now I’ve been daydreaming about a vegetarian onigiri filling with serious flavor that rates high on the yum scale. After I made my last Southern Style Greens, I had an idea. What if I simmered spinach like southern collards in water and got them all silky smooth and melty, and combined that not with a delicious peanut sauce but a tasty sesame paste, similar in texture to Japanese miso but similar in flavor to Japanese goma (Sesame) dressing? I got busy cooking, making my greens (remembering that spinach is more delicate than collard greens or kale so requires a shorter cooking time) and began mixing up ingredients for a really potent sesame sauce. I mixed and mixed, adding ingredients to balance the flavors, until I had come up with a sesame sauce that, while stronger than a typical dressing, would be able to add a punch of flavor to an entire rice ball and spinach too. DH was skeptical, and insisted that I make his favorite tuna mayo filling (like for a sandwich) as well- but I convinced him to try one of my vegetarian spinach onigiri, and he had to admit it was tasty. I was thrilled with my creation, and convinced that I had found a new favorite onigiri- and this time, one completely vegetarian and friendly to peanut allergies. Onigiri is best the day it is made, but if you want to pack it for lunch tomorrow, wrap in saran wrap and microwave before you eat it to freshen the rice. One Bento site recommends that if you can’t microwave the rice right before you eat it, to at least microwave it briefly the morning that you will pack it, and it will theoretically “refresh” your rice. I haven’t tried it myself, but it’s worth a try. So why not make yourself a tasty, totally vegetarian, completely gluten-free onigiri for your lunch? They aren’t that hard to make, and are a great food for the celiac on the go! (Way better than a protein bar, yick.)

*Note: this is a fusion recipe, so not terribly authentic. That’s what makes it fun, and tasty!*

How to Make Onigiri

To make onigiri, you need short or medium grain, high quality Japanese style rice (preferably white, but you can try brown if you don’t mind it being more crumbly), salt, sesame seeds, fillings of your choice, and saran wrap. The rice should be warm (or hot, if you can stand it and it won’t melt the plastic wrap).

Here are the best instructions for making onigiri/ omusubi

I highly recommend making your onigiri in a small rice bowl, as she suggests, and lining it with saran wrap. But, I wasn’t quite satisfied with dampening the saran wrap and sprinkling it with salt. My salt clumped. So, if you want salted onigiri, you might try putting the saran wrap on the counter, sprinkling it with salt, and then putting down a clump of rice on the wrap. Then, lift the saran wrap with the rice on it, fit it into the rice bowl and proceed as her site directs. Or, just skip the salting until the rice ball/triangle is formed. Then sprinkle your hands with salt and clamp them around the onigiri to add the salt. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

To understand how to make traditional Japanese onigiri, do NOT watch this video.

A reader asked about furikake, the Japanese seasoning often sprinkled on onigiri. It is difficult to find this without wheat or soy sauce, but Eden Foods has some gomasio (sesame salt) and even a sesame sprinkle (furikake) that seem to be gluten-free. I was playing on amazon and found this fun widget to show you the products. i just love toys for my blog! You can click on the product to find out more about it. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Spinach Onigiri Rice Ball Recipe Main Course  Rice  Japanese

Ingredients 2 scoops of high quality, Japanese short grain white rice Kosher salt Black sesame seeds (kurogoma) Snog-worthy Sesame Spinach Filling: 1 bunch spinach, stem cut off and washed thoroughly Water, to cover one inch of dutch oven with lid Goma (Sesame) Sauce: 2 tbsp tahini (sesame paste) 1 tbsp sugar (plus a dash or two) 1 tsp toasted sesame oil 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar 1 1/2 tsp crushed ginger (sold at Trader joes in a jar or found at an Asian market in a tube) 1 small or 1/2 large garlic clove, pressed sweet paprika 1/4 tsp chili sauce (vietnamese sweet spicy rooster sauce) salt to taste (don’t be shy!) Directions Start your rice in a rice cooker. Prepare filling. Bring water to a boil in the bottom of your dutch oven and add your chopped fresh spinach. Cover, lower temperature, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until silky soft. Remove from water and drain, reserve. Combine ingredients for Goma Sauce in a small dish and mix until creamy, like miso in texture. Taste and adjust seasonings until perfect for your taste buds. Take drained chopped spinach and combine with enough goma sauce to make a delicious filling but not enough to overwhelm the spinach. You will have a fair amount of goma sauce left over for topping the onigiri or to use in other recipes When rice is done, fluff it and let sit on warm for a few minutes. Then take a thick piece of saran wrap or cut open thick sandwich bag (to protect your hand from the heat) and place in a small rice bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place enough rice to lightly cover the bottom. Put some filling on top of the rice and cover with a light layer of rice. Bring the bag edges together and press between the hands to form a triangle with fillings neatly enclosed inside. Put a dab of Goma paste in the center of the triangle to serve. Enjoy these yummy, yummy vegan onigiri!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Original recipe, do not replicate without my permission Recipe ID:  1135 Added:  September 11, 2007 Last Modified:  September 19, 2007