Tag Archives: gluten-free

Mushrooms a la Julia C.

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Recently we were reacquainted with the delightful movie, Julie and Julia, which features some of culinary grand dame Julia Child’s advice. As in, for proper browning, don’t crowd the mushrooms in the pan. Believe me, it makes all the difference. If you need to cook a bunch, do it in multiple batches. All you really need to enjoy these creamy morsels is a spoon to shovel them down, but serve them on toast or tucked inside a classic French omelette when company calls. Bon appétit.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons butter
  • Button mushrooms
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Vermouth or sherry
  • Half and half
  • 2-3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and/or fresh chives

Method:

  1. Clean mushrooms with a brush or soft cloth to remove any bits of grit. Slice cleaned mushrooms until you have about 2 cups.
  2. Heat oil and butter in a wide sauté pan. Place mushrooms in the pan in a single layer, with room between them. After two minutes add the garlic and continue to cook. Initially the mushrooms will release a lot of moisture into the pan, but the liquid will eventually cook off allowing the mushrooms to brown. Watch closely at this stage and turn periodically so they brown on both sides.
  3. When most of the mushrooms are a bit golden brown, deglaze the pan by adding a healthy splash of vermouth. Stir and scrape browned bits off the side of the pan. Add a bit of half-and-half (a couple of Tablespoons or so) and stir to combine. Add some chopped herbs, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

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Many Moroccan carrot salads rely on cooked veggies—I prefer using the raw roots. Try tossing in a few mint leaves too, if you have them. A trick for julienning:  use an OXO handheld julienne peeler.  The tool turns out long, thin strips like magic.  Otherwise, a sharp knife does the job as well.  To make the task easier, first cut peeled carrots lengthwise, into long, thin strips.  Then cut those slices lengthwise into thin, parallel strips.

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Cucumber Raita (Indian Spiced Yogurt with Cucumbers)

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This refreshing Indian side dish is known for its cooling effect on taste buds, so try pairing with a spicy main course. Our girls love raita as a snack, anytime of day. Try some of the variations listed below including adding summer tomatoes while they’re at their peak.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
  • 2 cups peeled, seeded and grated cucumber
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin
  • Cilantro leaves and paprika for garnish

Method:

  1. Place yogurt into a bowl, add a bit of water to thin and stir. We like our raita on the thin side – like crepe batter, but others prefer it thicker.
  2. Add salt to taste, a little at a time. When you have enough salt, the yogurt will no longer have a strongly sour taste. You will probably use about ½ to 1 teaspoon salt for this amount of yogurt.
  3. Add cucumber and cumin and stir.
  4. Garnish with cilantro leaves and paprika and serve.

Note: to roast cumin seeds, place into a small dry sauté pan and cook over medium heat until fragrant. Be careful not to overcook – the seeds will turn bitter. Grind in a clean coffee grinder or spice grinder, or smash with a mortar and pestle.

Variations – add any of these to the raita, separately or together:

  • Chopped tomato.
  • Minced scallions or red onion.
  • Small amount of finely chopped mint.
  • Small amount of finely grated carrot or radish.
  • Pinch of cayenne or freshly ground black pepper.
  • Cooked potatoes or greens

Indian Yellow Lentils (Dal) with Greens

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This is the Indian version of comfort food and a more nutritious and inexpensive dish is difficult to find. Serve with yogurt raita and rice for a complete meal.  You’ll find yellow mung dal at any Indian grocery and some high end specialty markets.  It’s important to pick over the dal before cooking to make sure there are no bits of grit or debris. This variety of dal is particularly mild and digestible.

The lentils are first cooked with water to create a soupy broth.  They are seasoned with a separately sautéed topping of spices before serving, called tarka.  In this case the tarka topping includes onions, tomatoes and leafy greens as well as spices.

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Quinoa Salad with Fresh Peaches and Herbs

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I’m hooked on the light, fluffy whole grain, quinoa.  Blame it on the fabulous N.Y. Times food writer, Martha Rose Shulman (if blame must be placed), who recently featured this protein-packed whole grain in her Recipes for Health column. If you haven’t been following Ms. Shulman before now, check out her column for its nutritional information and recipes centered on fresh, seasonal and healthy food.

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