Book of Yum

When we had our last Celiac Bay Area Support Group meeting, we were all treated to a wonderful buffet of delicious Indian food. I liked every dish that I tried, but one of my favorites was probably this okra salad brought by an ambitious, internationally inclined chef that we will call JM. (shhh.) I loved the dish because while I thoroughly enjoy the flavor of okra, I’ve never been sold on that sticky, slimy texture- and this recipe manages to preserve everything I love about okra and yet get rid of all the stickiness at the same time. JM is modest, and says it’s not that she has mad cooking skills but rather, mad recipe SELECTING skills. Whatever she says, this recipe was absolutely delish and everyone at the party seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. That’s why, when I found out I’d be out of town for a few weeks, I asked JM’s permission to share it here with you. Enjoy!

Crispy Indian Okra Salad Side Dish  Vegetables  Indian

Ingredients Ingredients * 1 1/4 teaspoons garam masala * 1/4 teaspoon amchoor powder (optional, see Note) * Vegetable oil, for frying * 1 pound young okra—halved lengthwise and cut into long, thin strips * Kosher salt * 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced (3/4 cup) * 1 medium tomato—cored, seeded and sliced into thin strips * 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro * 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (Meyer works well) Directions Directions 1. In a small bowl, combine the garam masala with the amchoor powder. 2. In a large, deep pot, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350°. Working in batches, fry the okra strips, stirring a few times, until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried okra to a large paper towel lined plate to drain. Sprinkle with some of the spice mixture and salt. 3. In a large bowl, gently toss the fried okra with the red onion, tomato, cilantro and lemon juice. Season the salad with more of the spice mixture and salt and serve immediately. NOTES amchoor powder, which is made from dried green mangoes, adds a fruity, tangy note to this dish. Notes Everything I love about okra, and nothing I don’t… A lovely, light but CRUNCHY vegetable dish.- Sea’s comment JM’s notes: When the recipe says fry until golden and crisp, it means just a little past a wee bit golden. After burning the first batch, I kept pulling slivers out until they were cooked just to the point where they were crispy, which took longer than the 4 minutes the recipe suggests even with bringing the oil back up to 350 between batches. Next time I’ll fry something random before putting the food I’m actually working on in the oil, I read at some point that oil works best after it has fried something and has food bits in it. That way the slaved-over okra slivers won’t go to waste. If you come up with some sort of shortcut to get those okra slivers slivered, please let me know! It’s just an endless process of slicing sticky okra. I don’t know if a mandolin would help all that much, but maybe. *The okra is pictured in the upper left portion of the plate- sorry that there’s no better photo. Also pictured, channa dal, palak paneer (also made by JM), and quinoa cauliflower curry. All very yummy!*

Rating:  9 Original Source:  July 2006 Food & Wine, by Suvir Saran, shared by JM Recipe ID:  1259 Added:  June 27, 2008 Last Modified:  June 27, 2008

I was fairly astonished to realize recently that there was actually a gluten-free blogging event going on that I somehow had failed to participate in. How could this be? The event in question is the “Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free” Event and was started by the very popular Naomi of Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried. The first event featured tea-party friendly fare, and the second featured Birthday Treats for Kids. This third one is almost the most fun, though, because it’s gone straight to the savory with a call for “finger-food” recipes. Oh, I suppose you could make a sweet dish if you like, but to me, finger food cries out for yummy garlic and crispy coatings… I had just happened across the entry and had it in mind when I went rummaging through my fridge for lunch one day. I found some leftover vegan basil pesto, dairy-free mashed potatoes, and some steamed broccoli. Hmmmm…. And so, these lovely gluten-free pesto-potato croquettes were born. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. And poor DH- he was at work and by the time he got home, not a single one was left! In the spirit of sharing, you might want to double the recipe, because if you like them as much as I did, you might not feel like sharing otherwise!

So, here is my inaugural post for the third edition of Go Ahead Honey, it’s Gluten-Free, hosted by Sheltie Girl at Gluten a Go Go.

And if you love Gluten-Free Blog Events, check out the
Roundup for our March Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger Event
or
Rachel’s Call for the April Edition of Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger

Broccoli Pesto Potato Croquette Recipe Main Course  Potatoes  American

Ingredients 2 cups leftover Mashed Potatoes (made with plain dairy free milk and dairy free margarine, salt and pepper), cold 1/8 cup dairy free homemade pesto (recipe in files) 1/8 cup steamed broccoli, cut into baby pieces, stem ok 1/8 sweet red pepper, diced 1 green onion (scallion), diced freshly ground sea salt freshly ground black pepper italian seasonings, salt, and pepper 2 tbsp. teff flour or other whole grain GF flour Olive oil To serve: Vegan mayonnaise, soy, or rice yogurt sirachi sauce, gourmet ketchup, or chipotle sauce Large lettuce leaves Directions Combine mashed potatoes, pesto, steamed broccoli, red pepper, and green onion, folding the broccoli in carefully so florets remain somewhat intact. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add any additional spices to taste. Heat nonstick frypan over medium-high heat and add a teaspoon or two of olive oil (for the nicest browning) and cover pan evenly. Shape your potato mash into balls and then flatten into a patty. If you like, you can combine the teff flour and seasonings and flour your patty OR you can just leave the croquette as is. Fry your patty until golden brown, turning over to get both sides evenly crispy and brown. To serve as “finger food” provide your guests (or family) with large lettuce leaves to make a lettuce potato wrap, with a smidgen of aoli or vegan mayonnaise or other creamy sauce and a dab of “red” sauce (your choice). Or just enjoy plain!

Rating:  7 Original Source:  The contents of my brain. Please do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1222 Added:  April 17, 2008 Last Modified:  April 17, 2008

Dairy Free Basil Pesto Recipe for Pizza or Pasta Main Course  Sauces & Condiments  American

Ingredients 2 cups basil leaves, destemmed, and packed tightly 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (*Edited to have more nuts) 1/6 cup rice wine or cider vinegar 1/8 cup water 1/6 cup nutritional yeast flakes (optional) 2 cloves roasted garlic (bake with other dishes in the oven or use raw if you like) 1/4 cup olive oil salt and pepper Your favorite gluten-free pizza recipe (from mix, scratch (carol fenster) or pre-made) Directions Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender through the garlic, and pulse until ingredients are combined and chopped. Add olive oil in a steady stream with the machine on until you form a nice pesto paste. Scrape out pesto into a bowl and reserve. Notes Reserve one or two tablespoons of pesto for other recipes like my buckwheat grit pesto fries! You can use it for pizza: Prepare your gluten-free pizza according to recipe and top with pesto. Add any other ingredients you like (olives? artichoke hearts? portabella mushroom slices?) and bake according to instructions. (Usually 10-15 minutes). Slice and enjoy! Or for pasta: Combine with gluten-free pasta, grilled veggies and plenty of pesto. Yum!

Rating:  8 Original Source:  modified version of this recipe: http://www.bookofyum.com/recipes/showrecipe.php?recipe=1024 Recipe ID:  1208 Added:  March 16, 2008 Last Modified:  May 15, 2008