Strawberry Rhubarb Quinoa Crumble, A Sweet Start to the Week

It’s finally springtime here.  For us Midwestern folks, that means rhubarb and morel mushrooms are making their way into the kitchens of those with a good connection.

And a good connection I have!  My sweet friend Judy brought rhubarb to me from her garden in Iowa.  I enjoy eating rhubarb, but have limited experience cooking and baking with it and have never tried to grow it.  Judy cautioned me, “Don’t juice or eat the greens, they are poisonous!”  Now what would make anyone think I’d attempt to juice those beautiful, dark, leafy greens atop the rhubarb stalks?

The area where this rhubarb exchange took place had limited cell service for me, so I couldn’t immediately use my phone to research why I shouldn’t eat the greens.  My guess was high levels of oxalic acid (yes, this is how my food nerd brain works) but I couldn’t imagine how high the levels would have to be for it to become toxic.  Turns out it is oxalic acid and one would have to eat a pretty hefty amount of the greens for them to be deadly. But juicing them doesn’t sound like a good idea at all, since I’m guessing removing the insoluble fiber would make the absorption of the oxalates more rapid.

So I stuck with a more traditional preparation of rhubarb.  I made a strawberry rhubarb crumble with a few less-than-traditional ingredients like quinoa and bourbon.  Yep, bourbon.  I heard once it’s good for digestion.  Really, I heard that somewhere.

A quick tip on the quinoa flour:  you can buy quinoa flour at many stores now but if you already have quinoa in your pantry, just turn it into flour using a high speed blender, spice or coffee mill.  It can be a challenge to keep everything in the pantry fresh, so why keep two items in the pantry when you can keep just one?  I do this with quite a few other ingredients, including flax seed.  Anything I can do to keep my food fresh, cost and waste down, wins with me!

Brigadeiros, a luscious chocolate truffle with good-for-you ingredients

I have a fascination with Brazilian food.  This might surprise you if your idea of Brazilian food is visiting a churrascaria to eat endless mounds of meat cooked on a skewer.  What would a plant-based eater have in common with a meat-on-a-stick way of eating?

Nope, it’s not about the meat for me.  It’s about the breads, the crepes, the desserts, made without gluten.  Naturally gluten-free, always have been.

But here’s the thing (there’s always a *thing* with me and food)…many of the Brazilian desserts I like best are made with sweetened, condensed milk.  That doesn’t work well for me, so I wanted to find a way around it.  Then I started thinking about how that became the Brazilian way in the first place. How did a processed food become an essential ingredient in the desserts of a country so rich with fresh products, fruits, seeds, nuts?  It was because of World War II food shortages.  Nestle introduced sweetened, condensed milk and cocoa powder to Brazil to compensate for their shortages of fruits and nuts.  Interesting!

Since we aren’t currently short of unprocessed foods, I’m reinventing the Brigadeiro.  My version is free of dairy and refined sugar, it’s technically raw and vegan if that’s how you like to eat.  You can also make it nut free if you prefer. Instead of rolling the truffles in the traditional chocolate sprinkles, I’ve rolled mine in cacao nibs.  You could also roll them in finely shredded, unsweetened coconut.  Any way you go about it, these are decadent, luscious bites of chocolate.  Enjoy!

Oh!  One more thing…there’s still time to enter my giveaway for a signed copy of Michael Pollan’s new book, Cooked.  Click here to enter.

I’m linking this post up with Gluten Free Cat’s Raw Foods Thursdays ,  Wellness Weekend at Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free.  Drop by to see all of the goodness folks have shared this week!

Kale, Cheese and Onion Enchiladas, Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free!

After all of the Cinco de Mayo celebrating in the last week, I was hesitant to share an enchilada recipe. I thought maybe you were tired of cheesy, saucy, Mexican food.  That could happen, right?

Then I noticed my kale plants had been growing like weeds, very fast-growing weeds!  All of the rain we have had here apparently has fed my kale well and the plants have gone from tiny transplants to robust plants.  Soon I’ll be harvesting kale.  Perhaps you will be, too, and you’ll need lots of recipes to use your kale.  It’s a generous plant, kale, and soon it will be all about kale smoothies, kale salads, kale enchiladas…

These enchiladas come together very quickly and make a great weeknight dinner.  While I’ve used canned enchilada sauce, it can be tricky to find one that is gluten-free.  I recommend The Gluten-Free Homemaker’s Enchilada Sauce if you have a few moments to make your own.  Linda’s recipe is very easy and uses  ingredients common in the kitchen pantry. Make it vegetarian buy using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and you’re all set!

I’ve used Daiya wedges for cheese in this recipe.  While they do make shredded cheese, I like the flavor of the Jalapeno Garlic Havarti.  I also think shredding the wedges provides a better melting cheese than buying the shreds.

I Ate Here: Karyn’s on Green, Chicago

I have a list of must-visit vegetarian restaurants, spots all over the country.  I’ve compiled this list based on recommendations from fellow food writers, friends, sometimes complete strangers who I encounter on this crazy journey of mine.  When talking Chicago restaurants, Karyn’s on Green comes up often.  I was excited to have an opportunity to dine there recently.

While on a whirlwind one-day visit to Chicago to celebrate my birthday, I ate my way across town.  It was cold, in the 40′s, and rained most of the day. But I’m not one to give in to a little weather, especially not in a city like Chicago.  Oh, who am I kidding? I could eat way across any city…

Soggy and chilled to the bone, hands full of shopping bags, my favorite fella and I were welcomed into Karyn’s.  We were on the early end of dinner, so the restaurant wasn’t full.  We were indulged in my request for a table near the windows.  I had a sneaking suspicion I would want to take photos of the food, the light streaming in the tall windows on the front of the restaurant was gorgeous.  It’s a beautiful space, airy and open, white tablecloths, tables that aren’t crowded together, a large bar area.

We started off with cocktails.  Isn’t this fruity margarita concoction pretty? 

While perusing the menu, I noticed only one gluten-free entree on the completely vegan menu.  We decided we would piece together a meal of starters and sides instead.  I actually prefer this to ordering just one dish, as I get to try out more of the goodness.

We started with the aged cheese platter.  If you go to Karyn’s for no other reason than this cheese platter, it will be worth the trip.

Five flavors of cheese were on the platter.  One of the green wedges was a cheese made with kale.  You know I was in heaven!  The other green cheese was made with blue green algae.  The cheeses, nut based and raw vegan, are aged a minimum of 3 months.  The cheeses were served with raw crackers, microgreens, a sliced apple and a drizzle of agave.  I could have gone home happy if we had nothing else, but you know we didn’t stop with just the cheese platter.

Next up was the sunflower hummus.  The was one of the creamiest hummus dishes I’ve tried.

We were close to being full at this point but our server said if I was truly a kale aficionado, it was necessary that I try their kale slaw.  So we did.  Another beautiful dish packed with flavor.  I would describe it as more a salad than a slaw.

And because I’m almost as fond of Brussels sprouts as kale, we had the Caramelized Brussels Sprouts in Mustard Vinaigrette.  Wow, were these spicy!  You know that sneaky heat from the little packet of mustard that comes with Chinese take-out?  It was that kind of heat.  Not only did this dish taste great, it cleared my sinuses!

Since it was my birthday, we decided to split a dessert.  There was only one gluten-free option on the day of our visit, the blondie with ice cream. It was a nice way to wrap up a lovely meal at a spot I had long wished to visit.

Karyn’s on Green is located at 130 South Green Street in Chicago, Illinois. 312.226.6155.  You might also like to visit her other spots, including Karyn’s Raw and Karyn’s Cooked.  You’ll find info on those here.

Eat With:  Very minimal caution.  On my visit, the staff seemed very well educated.  Our server took a moment to confirm with the bartender which of their signature cocktails was gluten-free.  The menu is very clearly marked with GF next to all of the gluten-free offerings.  It’s still a good idea to mention to your server what your restrictions are so they can alert the kitchen.

Johnna’s I Ate Here series is not intended as a restaurant review, rather a summary of Johnna’s experience dining out.  You may or may not have a similar experience.  Menu prices, items and ingredients featured were current at the time of writing.  Please read the menu carefully and ask your server for assistance in ordering if you have dietary restrictions. It’s a good idea to call ahead and let the restaurant know of your food needs. 

Bacon Tofu Breakfast Scramble

It’s not every day you see Bacon and Tofu together in a recipe.

But it happens in my kitchen.  Well, it does now that I have Phoney Baloney’s coconut bacon on hand.  I wish I had some eloquent description of it to share with you.  Instead, I’ll just say it’s very bacon-y, but without the oink.  It’s made in a gluten-free kitchen and comes packed in zipper bags, so it’s easy to keep a couple bags in the cupboard.  It’s everything I wished for in bacon. I use it on salads, with Brussels sprouts, on sandwiches.  It’s the first veg-bacon I’ve been comfortable eating.  The ingredients pass muster around here!

And about tofu scrambles…I’m aware they are a stereotypical vegan breakfast dish.  I know some of you may have had a bad experience with a tofu scramble. Sometimes they are not very egg-like at all, sometimes they have very limited flavor.  If you follow this recipe, that won’t be your experience.

I learned a lot about tofu scrambles from Isa Chandra Moskowitz‘s cookbook, Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For.  I’m a fan of backyard eggs, but don’t always have enough eggs from our hens, so tofu scrambles fill in.  Sometimes my favorite fella doesn’t know if he is having scrambled eggs or a tofu scramble if I don’t mention it to him.  It’s all in the seasoning and cooking technique.  And it’s EASY!

Couple of quick things about this dish:  I’ve water sauteed the vegetables, as opposed to cooking them in oil. Here’s a great video from The Wellness Forum on how to water saute.   I’m studying some new-to-me cooking techniques right now and have found that I really enjoy the flavor of vegetables sauteed using this method better than in oil.  The second tidbit is about the sweet potatoes shown in the photo.  I cut a sweet potato into half moons and water sauteed them as well.  There’s not really a recipe, but they make a nice accompaniment to a tofu or egg scramble for breakfast.

Johnna’s Japchae, a new twist on a Korean favorite

I’ve been making this unique variation on a traditional Korean dish at least once a week for the past six months .  I’ve taught it in several culinary classes and even created a single-serving version for my recent 21-day healthy eating program.  Of all of my recipes, this is the one folks rave about the most.  I’ve seen photos shared on Facebook and Twitter, friends begging the person posting for the recipe.  Folks who have tried this dish just can’ t get enough of it.

Don’t take my word for it, here’s what a few of the folks attending my classes have to say about it:

“Loved this!  Delicious and beautiful.  Who’d a thunk you could do that with sweet potatoes?”  –S.H.

“This was ah-freaka-mazing!” –M.B.

“This dish is great.  Even my hubs who doesn’t normally like sweet potatoes loved it!? –M.V.

“I thought I did not like sweet potatoes but had never eaten them like this.  Wow!” –L.A.

“This has become one of our family’s favorite dishes.” –G.M.

“This sweet potato dish changed my life!  We have it on our menu each week and it’s a family favorite.  And the sauce!! It’s incredible.  I can’t say enough great things about this dish.” –R.H.

Are you convinced yet?  Ready to try it?

Here’s the scoop on Japchae: It’s a traditional Korean dish made with sweet potato starch noodles.  The noodles used remind me of glass or cellophane noodles.  They are a style of pasta and are parboiled before being added to a dish.  Japchae includes vegetables stir fried is sesame oil, usually carrots, onion, mushrooms and spinach, and is often topped with beef.  The sauce is made with soy sauce and sugar. Japchae is served hot and cold, usually topped with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

My variation on this dish starts with a change-up in the noodles.  Instead of using the traditional pasta-style noodles, I’ve used actual sweet potatoes.  I cut them with a Spiral Slicer, the kitchen gizmo I lovingly refer to as The Noodler.

I’ve stuck with the traditional vegetables, with only one swap, replacing spinach with kale.  In the sauce, I have swapped out maple syrup for the sugar .  The maple flavor works nicely with the sweet potato noodles.

While traditionally served with beef, this dish looks and tastes great without it.  At a recent flexitarian meals class I taught with Katie of Healthnut Foodie, beef from Parker Farms was used to top this dish. If we want to amp up the protein content of this dish in our meatless home, we top it with maple sesame tofu. I’ll share the tofu recipe soon.  Here’s a sneak peek:

So there you have it, a new twist on Japchae that’s packed with nutrients and flavor.  I hope you’ll try this one and add your name to the growing list of Johnna’s Japchae fans!

Cream of Asparagus Soup, Springtime Comfort Food

Earlier this week I attended a cooking class at one of my very favorite culinary stores, A Thyme for Everything.  The class was taught by Chef Jasper Mirabile and featured a Springtime in Italy theme.

During class, we learned how to make ricotta cheese, a beautiful ricotta citrus tart, chicken Vesuvio and a pasta primavera. But for me, the most intriguing of the dishes was an asparagus soup.

You see, asparagus isn’t a favorite of mine.  Often, I encourage my culinary coaching clients to try a food just once.  Maybe they will like it if it’s prepared in a way that’s new to them.  Maybe the flavor combined with other foods and spices will connect with them.  Yet I’m reluctant when it comes to asparagus.  I need to lead by example, I need to find a way to love asparagus!

But why start with this soup?  Well, it smelled divine in cooking class.  While I couldn’t sample it in class (dairy and chicken stock were used), I knew I wanted to try it based on the smell alone.  Perhaps it was the smell and the ooohs and aaahs of the other class attendees.  Whatever it was, I stopped on the way home from class to buy asparagus and found myself making the first batch of this very late at night immediately following the class.  This week has been packed with asparagus in my kitchen.

This soup did the trick!  After creating several batches of this soup, I’m now officially a fan of asparagus.  I think you’ll enjoy it, too!

Hearty Tomato Basil Soup

This seems an unlikely time of year for comfort food.  Here in Kansas City, we’ve got SNOW in the forecast for the next two days.  Snow.  In May.

So comfort food it is.  And the king of all comfort foods around here is tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.

This is a small batch soup, perfect for a hearty meal for two.  It cooks up quick with ingredients you probably keep in the pantry.  It’s got a little spicy kick and is creamy enough to cling well to a grilled cheese sandwich.

Speaking of grilled cheese, I’ve got a tip to share with you.  Instead of buttering the bread for my grilled cheese, I use vegan mayo.  It browns beautifully and makes a perfect toasted sandwich.  My favorite non-dairy cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches is Daiya cheddar.  I slice their wedge, but am anxiously looking forward to their new slices.

So here ya go, my favorite homemade tomato soup.  Perfect for a snow day, even in May.

Cinco de Mayo Round-Up from My Kitchen

Planning to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this weekend?  I’ve got lots of gluten-free options to share with you from right here in my kitchen!

First up, my favorite variation on Guacamole, Grilled Pineapple Avocado Salad.

Next, a quick and easy way to make tamales with a meatless filling that fools carnivores every time, Jackfruit Tamale Bites.  These can be made ahead of time and frozen, in case you want to get a headstart on your party prep!

If tacos are more your thing, I’ve got a couple options for those, too.  Crockpot Jackfruit Jicama Tacos are almost always on our weekly menu here, but more than tasty enough for a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

And a new variation on tacos in my kitchen,  Sunny Tacos, a sunflower seed-based taco filling.  I’ve shown these with jicama shells, too, but you could use this filling with a lettuce-style wrap or a gluten-free corn tortilla.  Both of the taco recipes I’ve shared work well with whatever shell you like best.

You’ll need a side dish to go with those amazing tamale bites and tacos.   Super Quick & Easy Mexican Rice to the rescue!

After you celebrate with those healthy dishes, you might want to indulge in a little dessert.  How about Margarita Cupcakes?  I had to dig deep in the archives to find these, this recipe was from the first two months of my gluten-free blogging.  I still make these when I’ve got a margarita craving.  These tipsy cupcakes soothe it every time!

Happy Cinco de Mayo and Gluten-Free Mexican Food Fest to all of you!

Asian Edamame Salad

Last night I hosted a dinner party for the first group of folks to complete my 21-Day Spring Into Healthy Eating program.  We had a nine course meal (ten if you count the cocktail), each course representing a different country or region of the world.  Goodness, we ate well!

Our salad course was my Asian Edamame Salad.  It’s a quick and easy salad to put together and perfect for a dinner party, as it can be made a day in advance. In fact, I think it is better after a full day in the refrigerator.  The flavors of the dressing really grab on to the salad ingredients.

A quick note on the salad dressing:  I’ve mentioned using either maple syrup or honey.  If you want a deep, robust flavor, go with the maple syrup.  If you want a light, more spring-like flavor, go with local raw honey.   As warmer weather approaches, I lean more toward honey.  Check back with me in the fall and I’ll tell you I prefer maple syrup.  Both are very good!

Sunny Tacos and My Favorite Taco Seasoning

For the past couple of years, I’ve made a taco filling with walnuts.  It’s very quick to make and really tasty.  Until you need something with no nuts.  While I can’t eradicate the human nuts from my kitchen, I knew I could find a way to make meatless tacos that were also nut free and maybe even raw vegan.

So I sought out to find an alternative to nuts.  Would you believe this is even better than the walnut one I thought was absolutely fine?  Isn’t that how it often works out?  A new dietary challenge often ends up being the impetus to creating something that tastes even better.  This taco filling is made with sunflower seeds! While not always a cup-for-cup replacement for nuts, it required minimal modification to my walnut taco filling to make a similar filling that is even more flavorful.

As I mentioned in my jackfruit taco post, my go-to for taco shells is a very thinly sliced jicama.  I learned this from Diane at The Whole Gang and have never looked back.  It’s crunchy, light and perfect for making a plate full of tacos, not to mention gluten-free.

Here’s how I made these tacos:

One slice of jicama and a bit of sunflower seed filling:

A generous dollop of lazy guacamole*:

Just a bit of shredded cabbage. And that’s it.

Super easy and makes a very quick dinner for four!

*My version of lazy guacamole isn’t really a recipe.  I toss in a couple of avocados, one small onion diced, a handful of cherry tomatoes halved, a little garlic, a little cumin, juice of a lime and stir away.

I’m linking up with Gluten Free Cat’s Raw Foods Thursday.  And while you are at her site, check out the tacos she shared this week–the nacho cheese spread she made is delicious!

I Ate Here: Frontera Grill, Chicago

I’ve long been a fan of Chef Rick Bayless.  Several times I’ve walked by his community of restaurants in Chicago (Xoco, Frontera, Topolabampo) but was always on the way to a dinner reservation elsewhere or a work commitment.  On a recent trip to Chicago, I made sure I wouldn’t walk by again without stopping in for a meal.

And, wow, what a meal!

Before I share too much about my meal, I have to tell you the menu at Frontera changes seasonally.  I was there on the last day several of the dishes I ate were offered.  Today’s menu may reflect different dishes than what I ate.  But based on the six dishes I sampled, I’m gonna guess you’ll be well fed, regardless of the season.  Here’s a peek into the dining space:

About eating gluten-free here:  while they don’t have a specific gluten-free menu, they have well-informed staff.  Our server was quick to point out what was gluten-free and was unsure on only one of the many dishes I asked about.  She was incredibly patient and made a trip to the kitchen to confirm one dish that she suggested to us.  I felt comfortable eating here.

First up, from the Vegetables (and a little meat) section of the menu, Jicama Street Snack.  This dish is so very simple…and so very delicious.  Crunchy spears of jicama, cucumber and pineapple with a drizzle of lime juice and sprinkled with guajillo chile.  This was the best $6 I spent in Chicago.

Next, I shared a couple of rice dishes with my favorite fella.  White rice with black beans, grilled knob onions, morita chile peppers, a basic yet flavorful dish.  This is the kind of food I could eat every day. The second rice dish was a red chile rice with lentils and pineapple.

This kale dish, oh the kale.  You know I’m a big fan of kale, but this dish would make a believer out of the kale-reluctant.  I know, some of you still don’t buy into my kale craziness.  This dish, I’m convinced it would change that for you.  Black kale with a guajilla chile sauce, little chunks of sweet potato and wood-grilled onions.  I’m usually a good sharer of food.  I considered stabbing my favorite fella’s hand with my fork every time he reached for some of this.  Only kinda sorta kidding.

Then there were a couple of tamale dishes. Fresh corn tamales, two little pillows of masa and corn kernels steamed in banana leaves, were delightful.  I know that’s not very descriptive but they truly were delightful.  The masa had a fluffiness to it and the pillow shape was the perfect serving size for one.  These left me wanting to know more about tamales beyond the traditional corn-husked steamed version.

The second tamale course was huitlacoche tamales.  Corn-husked steamed, more like the traditional tamale I’m most familiar with.  Huitlacoche seems to be a polarizing food, folks love it or hate it.  I’m in the love it corner and it was great in a tamale dish. I suppose if I called these corn smut tamales you wouldn’t like them, but I’d encourage you to try them anyway.

Here are a couple more photos of the space. It’s no surprise this entire stretch of street in Chicago, claimed by Rick Bayless, is full of delicious smells, vivid color and activity.  I would eat here again in a heartbeat.  I had more gluten-free vegetarian choices here than at many vegetarian restaurants and every dish I tried was something I would happily have again.  Except that the menu has now changed.  I may need to go back for another round…

Frontera Grill is located at 445 North Clark Street in Chicago, IL.  312.661.1434

Eat With:  minimal caution.  My experience was that the staff is well-informed and cautious in providing a safe gluten-free meal. I was told that chips are fried in a shared fryer, however I was offered corn tortillas as an alternative.  Ask away, questions were welcomed.

Johnna’s I Ate Here series is not intended as a restaurant review, rather a summary of Johnna’s experience dining out.  You may or may not have a similar experience.  Menu prices, items and ingredients featured were current at the time of writing.  Please read the menu carefully and ask your server for assistance in ordering if you have dietary restrictions. It’s a good idea to call ahead and let the restaurant know of your food needs.