Gluten-free Archives - Page 12 of 12

Baked Beetroot Falafel

Entertaining. It used to be something I’d avoid doing. Far too much anxiety involved. Planning the perfect spread to try and please everyone I’d constantly be worrying: what if my guests didn’t like the food? What if I was bad company? What if.. ? Fortunately I’ve mellowed a little recently and entertaining nowadays is a different matter.

I get excited about having people over and love the planning and preparations that go into cooking up a big feast. All the same, sometimes it’s nice to have friends round more spontaneously and not spend weeks poring over recipes for an elaborate menu, simply embracing the company as what’s important (alongside a few light bites…).

I’m moving into my own place mid September, a cosy little flat, and am very much looking forward to playing hostess!

Today’s recipe is the ideal party appetizer and takes hardly any time to put together so you can whip it up quickly if you decide last minute to have friends over.

Falafel is familiar to almost everyone so it’s not intimidating “vegan” food, and the shocking pink of these ones are sure to impress. I baked them too which is obviously a much healthier choice than frying, without any compromise in taste in my opinion.

During the half an hour that they’re doing their thing in the oven you can mix up a little tahini dipping sauce for a little extra yum with time to spare to spruce up your place too!

Baked Beetroot Falafel

2014-05-18 04:44:51

Yields 12

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Falafel

1 C Shredded beetroot
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Small onion
1 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Ground coriander
1/2 tsp Salt
Black pepper
1 1/2 C Cooked chickpeas/1 can
3/4 C Roughly chopped fresh parsley and coriander (I used equal quantities of each)
2 tsp Olive oil
3 Tbsp Chickpea flour

Tahini-Lemon Sauce

4 Tbsp Tahini
3 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Agave nectar
1-2 Tbsp Water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180C/350F

For the falafel

I used the grater attachment on my food processor for the beetroot to speed things along even further but you can grate by hand if you don’t have such a thing. Remove beetroot from the food processor into a bowl.
Pulse minced garlic, onion, spices and salt in the food processor until coarsely chopped. Add in chickpeas and herbs and pulse again, being careful not to process too much, as you want a little texture. Add shredded beetroot and pulse just once or twice to combine. Finally stir in the olive oil and chickpea flour. If your mixture is still a little wet then add another tablespoon of chickpea flour.
Shape into golf-ball size balls, lay on a lined baking tray and flatten slightly. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping half-way, or until lightly brown and crispy. Serve warm or at room temperature with tahini dipping sauce.

Sauce

Whisk all ingredients, up to and excluding water, until you have a smooth, thick paste, then gradually add water until it reaches your desired consistency- I like it a little thicker for a dip, a little thinner for a salad dressing. Season with lots of black pepper and chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

I’d suggest making a double batch as these things are addictive, and if you’ve got leftovers they’re great for lunch over a big salad, drizzled with extra sauce.

Coconut and Berries http://www.coconutandberries.com/

Do you like entertaining? What do you like to serve when you don’t have time to plan far ahead?

Hope you try these Baked Beetroot Falafel for your next get-together!

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Pesto-Ricotta Tofu Omelettes with Cherry Tomatoes

I wasn’t an egg eater in my omnivore days (except in baked goods of course!) but appreciate that omelettes are a practical dish to make when you don’t want to be in the kitchen too long as they are super quick. This vegan variation is almost as speedy, just a matter of whizzing a few ingredients in a blender, spreading in a pan and cooking as you would an egg omelette. I’ve made tofu omelettes before, using the basic recipe from Vegan Brunch, mixing up the fillings- garlicky mushrooms and spinach is a favourite, as is a slightly more unconventional “leftovers” omelette, usually involving some kind of beany vegetable stew or curry.

I came across this variation on the Vegan Cookbook Aficionado recently and thought it sounded perfect for right now. The obvious result of bountiful basil growing in the garden is pesto! I made a big batch and froze some so I can enjoy that summer taste over the winter months, as well as giving me plenty to use in different dishes now. Mix it in pasta, with new potatoes, beans, slather it on crusty bread, crackers or as a dip for crudités…and now use it as an omelette filing! I had conveniently just made my Swiss Chard Lasagna too, and planned ahead, reserving a few tablespoons of the ricotta filling for these. Pan-blistered cherry tomatoes sealed the deal.

I’ve mentioned I don’t really do savoury breakfasts before so I made mine for an easy dinner alongside some fresh sourdough bread and a green salad. The omelette mix made enough for 2 and I was cooking for one so I simply covered it over in the fridge and made another the following day. Knowing it keeps fine, if you are into savoury in the mornings then you could use a full packet of tofu (double the listed quantities) and make a fresh omelette for breakfast for a few days!

Pesto-Ricotta Tofu Omelettes with Cherry Tomatoes:

(Adapted from Vegan Cookbook Aficionado)

1/2 400g/12oz pkg Silken tofu
1T Nutritional Yeast
1/2T Olive oil
3T Non-dairy milk
1/8t Turmeric
1/4-1/2t Black salt (This is what really gives these the “eggy” taste but if you can’t find it just add a little more regular salt. I bought some years back at Whole Foods and it’s lasted me since then)
1/4C Chickpea Flour
1/2T Arrowroot/Cornstarch
Salt + Pepper
6-8 Cherry tomatoes, halved
A few T Lemony tofu ricotta
A few T Basil Pesto ( I used homemade but if you don’t have any to hand I recommend these UK brands: Zest and Meridian)

Blend tofu through to black salt in a food processor or blender (I use a Tribest Personal Blender) until smooth. Add chickpea flour, arrowroot and seasoning and blend again briefly, scraping down the sides to ensure everything is fully incorporated.

Warm a little olive oil over med-high in a non-stick pan and add the tomatoes. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, until just beginning to collapse. Set aside in a small dish.

Wipe out pan and lightly grease with oil. Turn the heat down to medium. Pour 1/2 omelette mixture into the hot pan and spread it out into a thin layer with a spatula. Leave to cook for 3-5 minutes before flipping. Gently lift the sides with a large spatula, the underside should be matte and flecked with little brown spots if ready to flip. If not, leave a little longer. Flip omelette (I slide it onto a plate to make it easier) and spread on one half with pesto, add a couple of dollops of ricotta and finally a few halved cherry tomatoes. Gently fold the opposite half over the fillings and leave to cook for 1 more minute. Keep warm, covered, in the oven on very low heat while you make the second omelette.

Makes 2

Stay tuned for some more recipes incorporating pesto! What do you like to do with it?

Have you made tofu omelettes before? If not, that needs to change pronto!

Radish, White Bean & Avocado Quinoa Salad

Poor radishes are definitely an under used vegetable in my kitchen. I’ve tended to think of them as Peter Rabbit food and un-enthusiastically eaten the few puny things I pulled out of the ground when I tried to grow them last year. Seeing this beautiful bunch though, I immediately knew I needed to rethink my opinion on these baby roots, and certainly show them more respect than I had previously. Aren’t they pretty with their bright pink and little white tips? Especially when they’re still in a bunch with their leaves on.

It was one of those evenings when all ambitions to be good with meal-planning have gone out the window, I’m sure familiar to everyone reading (or else you’re much more organized then me….). 7pm has rolled around already and you’ve done nothing about dinner preparations. Actually, I had already decided that I wanted something with white beans, soaked them overnight, set them to simmer earlier in the day…only to forget about them and end up with a pot of burned beans! Canned beans are perfect for such emergency situations!

I put on some quinoa to cook while I chopped up my radishes, washed and dried the radish tops, drained and rinsed the canned beans, quickly cooked up a few frozen green peas and whisked together a simple dressing. I spread out the quinoa to cool a little while finishing up watering the garden, picking up some fresh dill en route, then back to my kitchen where I mixed everything together, sliced some avocado for topping and voilà! A beautiful, no-fuss dinner was served- Radish, White Bean & Avocado Quinoa Salad.

Radish, White Bean & Avocado Quinoa Salad

2014-05-04 06:15:06

Serves 2

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For the salad

1/2 C Quinoa, uncooked OR 1 1/2 C Cooked quinoa
1/2 Can white beans, drained and rinsed OR 3/4 C Cooked beans
1 C Sliced radishes
1/2 C Frozen peas (optional)
4-5 Sprigs of dill, roughly chopped

For the dressing

1-2 Shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Agave nectar
2 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste

To serve

Radish tops, julienned OR mild salad greens e.g. watercress/pea shoots
1 Medium Avocado, sliced thick

Instructions

If you need to cook your quinoa, rinse well and drain. Place in a pot with 1 C water and a large pinch of salt, bring to the boil, and let simmer 10-15 minutes, tightly covered, until water is all evaporated. When done, leave to sit for a few minutes, covered, until completely dry. To cool, spread it out onto a plate or a flat dish while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Cook frozen peas if using, boil 2-3 minutes then rinse with cold water to keep them fresh. Set aside.
While quinoa is cooking/cooling, put the sliced shallots in a little bowl with the apple cider vinegar for 10 minutes (this soaking them takes a little of the bite out of them). Whisk together remaining dressing ingredients.
In a large bowl mix together, quinoa, white beans, peas, dill and radishes. Pour over dressing, including shallots and their soaking vinegar and toss to combine. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve on a bed of salad greens and top with sliced avocado.

Coconut and Berries http://www.coconutandberries.com/

Radish, White Bean + Avocado Quinoa Salad

This kind of grain, bean, vegetable type of salad is ideal for quick meals and something I often make a larger quantity of and store in the fridge for lunches throughout the week. Add the avocado and salad greens fresh when serving.

How do you eat your radishes, if you like them?

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Blueberry-Orange Buckwheat Waffles

Hello, hope everyone’s had a good weekend!

Before I get to today’s recipe, just a reminder that Coconut and Berries is now on Facebook AND Instagram. Head on over and join in the fun!

I sadly didn’t grow up eating waffles and even pancakes were limited to holidays abroad with those extravagant American-style hotel breakfast buffets I loved so much. I almost always went for pancakes with lashings of maple syrup and especially loved watching the chefs cook them in front of you . Occasionally back at home my Mum would buy a container of Betty Crocker “shake to make pancake” mix and treat me and my brothers to a special Sunday breakfast. Anyone else ever have that stuff? It’s probably filled with nasty ingredients, but we certainly loved those pancakes!

Waffles are basically pancakes in a funny shape so I knew I’d like them, so much so that I bought myself a waffle iron a few years ago despite never having tried them. But my iron has only ever been used a couple of times since these past few years I’ve been living in university accommodation (and abroad) where kitchen space is rather limited…

Uni finished, waffles are back in my life! Hurrah! These Blueberry-Orange Buckwheat Waffles are reasonably healthy too. I incorporated buckwheat flour, oats and fruit, reduced the oil with unsweetened apple purée and didn’t overly sweeten the waffles…a generous drizzle of maple syrup sorted that out instead!

They turned out perfectly- crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The citrus and berries made them feel a little more summery and the buckwheat flour and oats give them a nice nutty flavour as well as making them super filling. I’ve shown two in the pictures below but it was a case of my eyes being bigger than my stomach and after one I admit I was pretty stuffed!

Naked waffles, hot and crispy.

If you don’t plan to eat all the waffles in one go, I recommend leaving them to cool on racks rather than stacking them so they stay crispy . They freeze really well too. When completely cool, wrap them up individually in foil or plastic wrap and pop them in the freezer. You can just pull one out when you fancy a special breakfast. I put them in the toaster to defrost and they get nice and crispy, just as good as fresh.

Pre maple syrup drowning…

That’s better!

I use a Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Maker and love it!

Blueberry-Orange Buckwheat Waffles

Yield: 5 large Belgian waffles

Ingredients

1 C Buckwheat flour
1/2 C Plain/all-purpose flour
1/2 C Rolled oats
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
3/4 tsp Salt
1-3/4 C Almond milk
1/3 C Unsweetened apple purée (apple sauce)
2 Tbsp Coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
2 Tbsp Oil-
2 Tbsp Ground flaxseed
1 tsp Vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large orange
1/2 to 2/3 C Frozen blueberries
I served mine with sliced oranges and more blueberries and topped with maple syrup but a berry sauce and non-dairy yogurt is another tasty option.

Instructions

Combine buckwheat flour through to salt in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl thoroughly whisk liquid ingredients, almond milk through to orange zest. Stir liquid ingredients into dry, just until combined.
Leave batter to stand for 5 minutes while you preheat the waffle iron.
Preheat the waffle iron for a few minutes while the batter is standing. Wipe or spray both grids of the waffle iron with oil.
Ladle the batter onto the centre of the iron, making sure not to cover more than 2/3 of the iron’s surface (They will spread!). Close the iron and bake for 3-5 minutes (will vary with waffle irons- mine beeps when they’re cooked and is fairly accurate) or until the waffles can be removed easily.
Remove to cooling rack and repeat until batter is all used up.

Notes

*I haven’t tried it out myself, but I imagine you could use this batter to make pancakes too if you don’t have a waffle iron. You could probably reduce or remove the oil too as it’s what gives waffles that characteristic crispy exterior and so is unnecessary for pancakes.

*To make these gluten-free sub a gluten-free all purpose flour for the 1/2 C wheat flour and use certified gluten-free oats.

*If you’re not a fan of buckwheat then try another whole grain flour: spelt, barley, wholewheat, teff etc.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2013/07/15/blueberry-orange-buckwheat-waffles/

Do you have a waffle iron? Any favourite recipes or topping ideas to share?

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Cheesy Tofu Scramble + Chipotle Sweet Potato Tacos

Who doesn’t love eating with their hands? Did you know that Indians eat with their hands because they believe that food is more than “just protein, carbs and fat” … it nourishes the mind, intellect and spirit. Food has to be sensual and mindful and eating with your hands apparently gives you a greater connection with the food.

I’m not sure my thinking is that deep but ditching the utensils and opting for hands instead is definitely more fun somehow! These tacos are not really the ooey gooey type since there are no beans, salsa or the like so it’s possible to eat them pretty neatly, if you’re concerned about sticky fingers!

The starting point for this recipe was Vegetarian Times’ June issue which featured tofu scramble breakfast tacos. I love a tofu scramble but I’m not a savoury breakfast kind of girl so my tacos were served for dinner. Don’t let me dictate when you eat them though, they’ll be delicious at any time of day!

The original recipe looked very mild on spice, with just the suggestion of a little hot sauce to liven things up. I decided to amp the heat up and bulk things out with the addition of chipotle dusted roasted sweet potato, which turned out to be a good choice. I had to top them with avocado too, as for me Mexican food of any kind isn’t complete without my creamy green friend.

Talking food with my uncle not that long ago I was horrified when he pronounced how bad avocado is for you because of how “fatty” it is! That couldn’t be further from the truth. They are of course high in fat but it’s mostly the healthy monounsaturated kind, and our bodies need these good fats for all sorts of functions. They’re also packed with other good stuff too, so much so that on many occasions they’ve appeared on lists of the world’s healthiest foods.

Another superfood boost comes in these tacos from a liberal dose of nutty hemp seeds in the scrambled tofu. These little seeds are a real nutrition powerhouse since they contain all of the essential amino acids which makes them an ideal source of protein.

Nutrition aside, these ingredients just taste good!

Cheesy Tofu Scramble + Chipotle Sweet Potato Tacos

(Inspired by Vegetarian Times)

For the Tofu Scramble:

1/2 Pkg Firm Tofu, Drained + Pressed
1T Tahini
2T Nutritional Yeast
3/4t Onion powder
Salt + pepper
1/2T Coconut OR Olive oil
2T Hemp Seeds

For the Sweet Potato:

1 Medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1” cubes
1/2T Coconut/Olive Oil
1t Chipotle chili powder
1/2t Garlic powder
Salt + pepper

Everything else:

6 Corn tortillas, soft or crisp ( I like the Cool Chile Co)
1 Medium avocado, sliced thickly
Fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Spring onions, thinly sliced
Lime slices
Hot sauce (Optional)

Toss sweet potato cubes with seasonings and spread out on baking tray. Roast at 200C/400F for 25-30 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare toppings and warm tortillas. Heat a dry pan until medium hot. Warm each side of the tortilla until toasty but still soft. Wrap in a tea towel to keep warm.

Crumble tofu into a small bowl and mix in tahini, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Warm the oil in a pan over med-high heat. When hot, add tofu mixture and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking but allowing it to get some brown crisp bits. Turn off heat and stir through hemp seeds. Set aside.

Allow individuals to layer up their own tacos as they wish- tofu scramble, sweet potato cubes, avocado slices, coriander and spring onions and a squeeze of lime and drizzle of hot sauce.

Serves 2-3

As someone who thinks about food a LOT I’ve been wondering for ages what the difference between fajitas and tacos is. I finally got around to looking it up and for anyone else curious about these things, here’s the answer. I love vegetable fajitas too- and yes I’ve decided I can still call the vegetable version “fajitas” since the word is really referring to the shape (little strip) rather than the ingredient itself. I love this fajita feast over at the Edible Perspective for a more classic-style Mexican vibe. Ashley even has a recipe and detailed instructions for making your own tortillas at home from masa harina. One day when I’m feeling ambitious I’ll give it a go….

What form of Mexican food do you like best? Tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, burritos, chimichangas…? All the different names are pretty confusing, no?

Do you have a favourite hand-held food?