Gluten-Free Friday Stirfry

A great way to use those leftover veggies that otherwise would be thrown out, grab some brown rice and... it's time for a stir-fry! The three oils necessary in a kitchen (in my opinion) are extra virgin olive oil, truffle oil, and sesame oil--the latter of the three is crucial for a good stir-fry. Sesame oil is light and tasty when mixed with veggies, rice and tofu (or chicken). Serves 2

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

1 cup steamed or boiled vegetables of choice

--> I used broccoli and carrots

1 shallot, chopped 

2 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 container (about 15oz) extra firm tofu, cubed and pressed

--> to dry, press between paper towels

2 tbsp rice flour

salt and pepper to taste

In a pan, warm oil on medium heat

Add shallots and cook until opaque 

Toss tofu in flour then place into the pan

Cook until all sides are slightly golden, about 8 minutes 

Add rice, vegetables, shallots, salt and pepper

Serve hot!

To reheat, put a little oil in a pan and heat on medium-high

Add mixture and stir until warm

Copyright © 2012 Rachel Pollard

Ricotta Fettuccine with Leeks and Sugar Snaps

This recipe is dedicated to my brother-in-law who inspired me to come up with a new hearty vegetarian dish. This one does the trick without being super fattening or heavy. The taste of the leeks combines wonderfully with the peas and lemon and the trick of using pasta water with ricotta adds a light creamy texture. Serves 6

Ingredients
1 12 oz bag of dried fettuccine
(I prefer lemon pepper with a four minute boiling time)
1/2 lb sugar snaps, ends cut off
1 lemon, zested
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 leek, white and light green parts only
*sliced and rinsed because they can be pretty dirty
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp butter

In a large pot, boil 6 cups of water
Add pasta and beans (both need about 4 minutes to cook)
Meanwhile, heat butter and oil in a large pan
Add leeks and stir for about 5 minutes
Add salt and pepper
Drain pasta and sugar snaps, leaving about 1/2 cup of pasta water in the pot
Add pasta, peas and 1/4 cup liquid to the leeks
Stir in the ricotta
If not creamy enough, add more reserved water
Top with lemon zest and parmesan, then stir

Serve immediately

If you decide that this isn't hearty enough, slap this dish between a dinner roll, as shown by my brother-in-law :)

Sunday Night Cocktail

This drink is to cheers the end of my first round of interviews for next year (which have been keeping me busssssy)! I had an inspirational cocktail at the Tipsy Pig in San Francisco with my dear friend Charlotte last week. This recipe was amazing so I wouldn't change much at all, except adding a little mint. It's called the Strawberry Fields and it needed to be recreated on the East Coast! If you want a mason jar, go to your local hardware store and just ask. They're cheap and look great filled with summer cocktails! Serves 1

Ingredients
4 strawberries, stems removed then mulled
1.5 shots vodka
2/3 cup club soda
1 tbsp simple syrup
2 tsp lemon juice, plus two wedges of lemon
1 wedge lime
3 mint leaves, crushed
ice

Combine ingredients and don't drink it too fast!
*Feel free to add more or less vodka and more or less simple syrup

Gluten-Free Friday: Citrus and Herb Turkey Cutlets and Broccolini

Another citrus recipe from my cooking class! This one included flour, so I tried the recipe again with rice flour and worked just fine. This only took about 30 minutes to cook and looks like it took a lot longer. The citrus taste is amazing and something I had never tasted before. If you don't like turkey, feel free to replace with chicken.  Serves 4

Chef showing how to zest the orange

Ingredients

1 large orange

4 turkey cutlets, patted dry

2 tbsp tarragon, minced

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

rice flour for dredging

1 large shallot minced

3/4 lb broccolini, cut in half

1 cup gluten-free broth

1/2 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

Zest the orange and place in a bowl 

(make sure not to get too much white because that part is bitter)

Squeeze the juice into a cup

Sprinkle zest and half of the tarragon on the turkey

In a large non-stick pan warm 1 tbsp oil

Dredge the turkey in the flour and place in the oil

Saute until golden brown (4 minutes per side)

Remove turkey and cover with foil

In the same pan, heat remaining oil

Add shallots and cook for about 1 minute

Add broccolini and broth

Cover and cook for 5 minutes

Remove and place in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper

Add the juice to the pan and boil, stirring constantly so it does not burn

Do this for 3 minutes and stir in the remaining tarragon and butter

Arrange turkey and broccolini next to each other and cover with sauce

Kumquat Crostinis

I enjoyed an awesome cooking class at Williams-Sonoma on Sunday that featured dishes involving citrus. I learned all about different citrus; when it's in season(now), how to cut it and zest it, and where different varieties come from. This is a little appetizer that will WOW your guests! More to come with citrus. Serves 20

The beautiful kitchen that I aspire to have one day!

Ingredients

1 baguette, sliced into twenty pieces
20 kumquats, diced with seeds removed (you eat the outside too!)
1 container of chevre OR homemade ricotta
-Ina Garten has a great recipe in her new cookbook
1 bunch thyme, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F
On a baking sheet, sprinkle sliced bread with olive oil on each side
Cook for about 3 minutes per side, until crispy
Meanwhile mix thyme and chevre
When the bread has cooked for one minute, top with cheese and sprinkle with kumquat

Laura's Perfect Oatmeal

My friend Laura is the queen of breakfast; from eggs to bacon to oatmeal, she rocks. This recipe is her famous fruit filled oatmeal that I've changed just a little bit. This is a great meal before a busy day at work or school. I can eat it at 7am and not be close to ravenous by lunch time. Serves 1

oatmeal is not the prettiest to capture with a camera, but it's very tasty!!!

Ingredients
1/4 cup oatmeal (in a barrel contain)
A little less than 1/2 cup almond milk
1 banana, sliced
6 raspberries, cut into four pieces each
10 blueberries
1 tbps maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, combine oats and milk
Microwave for about 2 minutes (or whatever the container directs)
Add bananas, raspberries, blueberries, syrup, and vanilla



Voila!

Easy Sunday Night Spinach Pesto Pizza

This is a quick and filling twist on the traditional Margarita that's healthier and tastier than your average pizza.  You can either make your own pizza dough or, like I did, buy a $1 ball of whole wheat pizza dough at Trader Joe's. Serves 6

Ingredients
2 medium balls mozzarella sliced
1/2 cup marinara sauce, I prefer Rao's
1/4 cup rotisserie chicken (optional)
1/4 cup spinach pesto*
salt and pepper to taste
*1/2 cup spinach
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 half clove garlic, minced
combine these three  in a blender
add oil if needed

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
Leave dough at room temperature for 20 minutes
Roll out onto an oiled baking sheet (or pizza stone if you have one)
Spread sauce
Top with mozzarella and pesto



Cook for 10-15 minutes

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing

This was all that was left for me to take a picture of! Very yum

Copyright © 2012 Rachel Pollard

Gluten-Free Friday: Minestrone

I'm back! Spring is apparently upon us, so here is one last soup to close the door on winter! This soup is adapted from Mark Bittman's Best Vegetable Soup Ever. It definitely lives up to the reputation; it's full of heart veggies, great herbs and no added broth (so light on the sodium). Serves 6

Ingredients

2 cans white beans
-one can drained and smashed with a fork, one can with liquid
1 cup cabbage (1 to 2 leaves chopped)
1/2 cup red chard
15 baby carrots, diced
1 large zucchini, sliced
1 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 tbsp tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup gluten-free pasta, cooked

In a large pot, warm extra virgin olive oil on medium heat
Add onions, celery, and carrots
Stir for 5 minutes
Add zucchini, cabbage, chard, parsley and beans.
Stir for two minutes and add tomato paste
Simmer for 20 minutes, adding water after 10 minutes if too thick
Pour in pasta
Add salt and pepper to taste




Top with Parmesan if desired