Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Refrigerator pickles




These went over really well with my husband. Spices are very flexible, the first time I only used these spices but the second time I put in some chili powder and onion powder.

2-4 small cucumbers or 4-8 pickling cucumbers (depends on size of jar and cucumbers)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 1 teaspoon fresh chopped dill
8-16 whole black peppercorns

Directions:

1. Sliced cucumbers in any fashion you use and place into jar. If your jar is big enough and your cucumbers are small enough, put them in whole.
2. Mix together the water, sugar and vinegar in either a pot or a microwave-safe container.
3. Heat on stove or in microwave until the mixture is hot and the sugar is completely dissolved.
4. Pour spices over the cucumbers.
5. Pour the sugar-water-vinegar mixture over the cucumbers until it reaches the bottom of the jar's neck.
6. Cap jar and invert several times to distribute the spices.
7. Place into refrigerate and wait at least one day before eating.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Vegetarian Sandwich with fig and peach jam, vegan cheese and baco bits and lettuce ( Vegitarian, Kosher, Citrus Free, Dairy free)



Microwave fig and peach jam:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups diced fresh figs (6-10 figs, depending on the size of the figs)
1/2 cup seeded, peeled peach, diced
1 1/2 cups of sugar (reduce if you want, though it won't set as well)
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon oil

2 (8-ounce) canning jars

Method

1 Place the ingredients in a large ceramic or glass bowl or casserole (we use a 2-quart pyrex measuring cup), stir to combine, let sit for 30 minutes for the fruit to macerate in the sugar.

2 Place in microwave. You will cook the fruit mixture on the high setting for approximately 15 minutes. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, after about 6 to 8 minutes, stop the cooking and stir. Continue cooking and stir every few minutes. At about 13 minutes the mixture should start to get viscous. If you spoon out a bit on to a small plate that has been in the freezer, you can push the mixture around a bit with your finger tip to see how thick it is. If it is runny, cook it a couple minutes more. You can also check by seeing how the jam runs off of a spoon. If it seems to firm up a bit as it drips, it's done.

If you use a large pyrex measuring cup as we have done here, you can see that you start with close to 3 cups of liquid. You want to boil it down to 2 cups.

3 Pour out the jam into jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headroom from the top of the jars. If you want to keep your jam in a cupboard, then use sterilized jars (heat them in the oven at 200°F for 10 minutes). If you plan to eat up quickly and will keep them in the refrigerator, regular clean jars will do.

Homemade Vegan Baco Bits:

1 cup plain textured vegetable protein (TVP) granules
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1/4 cup oil

Combine TVP and boiling water in a small bowl; let stand several minutes to rehydrate. Combine tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar and liquid smoke; add to TVP and mix well.
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet; add TVP mixture. Cook over medium heat until browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
Cool before storing in the refrigerator.


Microwave Gluten Free Roll

Ingredients:

2 Tbs oil
1/2 pinch of salt
1 egg
2Tbs flaxseed meal 2 Tbs Rice flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix all ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl or container, and microwave on high for 1 minute or until center is set (it will get larger in the bowl). Let set in bowl for one minute, then turn onto a cooling rack to cool. When it is cool, slice through the middle with a bread knife.

Once all these items are made, place some fig and peach jam on the bread, put lettuce on it, put vegan baco bits on the lettuce, top with vegan cheese, and grill until the cheese is melted

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Water challah (dairy-free, vegetarian, egg-free)



1 1/8 cup water
1/2 cup oil
4 heaping cups flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 packet of bread machine yeast preferred)

Following the directions for a bread machine:
1. Pour the water, the oil and the vinegar into the bread machine's pan.
2. Add all dry ingredients except yeast.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients with your finger and pour the yeast in the well.
4. Set your bread machine to the Dough setting.
5. When the dough is done in the bread machine, place it on a sheet of parchment paper.
6. Separate the dough into thirds, then separate each ball of dough into thirds again.
7. Roll each small ball of dough into a rope.
8. Braid together 3 small challah loafs.
9. Top with egg or egg whites (use olive oil to make egg-free)and sesame seeds.
10. Bake at 345F for about 45 minutes or until outside is lightly browned and crispy.

I like to add milled flaxseed to the dough before it is mixed and use a flavored vinegar. I also like to top the braided challahs with salt, pepper and savory spices like basil or rosemary before baking. I don't like my challah too sweet so I cut down the sugar. The original recipe called for 1/4 cup, so feel free to play with the amount!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Sivan's Super Hummus (egg free, dairy free, gluten free,vegetarian)


This recipe it from my friend in Israel- you cant get any more authentic or easy than this- It disappeared in my office when I brought it in!


1 can of drained chickpeas
3 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ cup tehina
3 tbs olive oil
Garnish: Olive oil
Parsley
Chili pepper
Sweet and spicy paprika
Olives
and other sours
1) Strain the canned beans and grind them in a food processor, blender, or chopper. In order to get a smooth and solid consistency, recommended to do this process twice.
2) Add the Apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, tehina sauce, and olive oil, and mix well. Taste the mixture and add more spices as you see fit.
3) Prior to serving, put on plate and sorta flatten it out with a spoon, then garnish the chumus with a drop of olive oil on top all around and towards the center, and sprinkle chili pepper. Decorate the outside of this with the rest of garnish and sours. Another idea is to put tehina at the center of the dish. This is soley for presentation, and does not need to be done for it to be edible...

Friday, August 8, 2008

3 bean salad (vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, etc)

3 bean salad (Linda's recipe)


Beans are a great source of fiber and protein, especially for vegetarians or those who don't much meat or fish. This recipe is quick and really easy. Canned vegetables are a great way to get nutrients even in the middle of the winter, when it's hard to find good fresh produce. Feel free to play with the spices, this is a recipe that's great for experimentation! Sometimes I add diced jalapeƱo or serrano chilies to the salad to heat it up, or I make it a 5 bean salad with the addition of white beans or pinto beans or lima beans. You could also add corn and other vegetables to make it a layered salad in a beautiful glass or crystal bowl. Cumin is a spice native to the Middle East, it's very characteristic of dishes in the area. It's very savory and has a distinctive flavor, really very enjoyable. It's purported to be an antiseptic and aid in digestive health.

1 15.5 oz can of chickpeas
1 15.5 oz can of pink beans, kidney beans, or red beans
1 14.5 oz can of cut green beans
1/2 red onion, diced small or 3 small shallots, sliced very thin
5 cloves of garlic, diced small
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tarragon, cider or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all 3 cans of beans in a large bowl or container.
2. Dice onion/shallots and garlic; mix into the bean mixture.
3. Pour the oil and vinegar over the salad.
4. Add all the spices.
5. Mix very well.
6. Taste to determine if more oil, vinegar or spices are needed.
7. Serve immediately or, for better flavor, marinate in the fridge until it's time to eat.

Welcome!

So we have an interesting story...

I (Linda) have a background in Food Science. I've worked for two flavor companies and a major food and beverage producer. I love to cook and I love science. It works out well.

I (Talia) have a gluten intolerance and many severe food allergies. I love to cook and I love to try out new recipes that I can finally eat!

Plus, we're both Jewish and keep kosher. So our recipes tend to be healthy, separated by meat/dairy/vegetarian and mostly allergen-free. We'll make a point of noting what allergens may be found in a particular recipe (i.e soy, milk, etc).