Tag: grain-free

Butternut Coconut Red Lentil Dal

I cheated. The picture above is the nicest picture I think I’ve taken of dal/lentil soup. It’s actually not the dal for the recipe, but… it’s lentils and squash, you get the idea. It’ll look similar. Dal is really hard to photograph nicely, so this is what you get, at least for now.

This recipe makes about 3 to 3.5 quarts of dal. I usually store it in quart mason jars, and put two in the freezer right away. Cut the recipe in half or a third if you don’t want a lot of leftovers. As written, it uses the whole squash, though.

Bits

  • 1 large sweet winter squash, such as butternut or kabocha, about 4.4 lbs or 2 kg
  • 3 cups dry red lentils
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp salt, more to taste
  • Coconut oil for pan-frying, optional
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 20 to 25 curry leaves – You can get these on Amazon in big bags, but they freeze really well in air-tight jars, and if you have some frozen, you can add them to recipes straight from the freezer. Dried curry leaves have so little flavor compared to fresh or frozen, I don’t think they’re worth it.
  • 2 serrano peppers, if you want a little spice; omit if not!
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 ½ – 2 Tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp Berbere spice mix, if you want some more spice, or a little spice and don’t have serrano peppers. If you don’t have Berbere spice, use chile powder to taste
  • ½ can lite coconut milk (or if tolerated, use regular coconut milk and use the whole can)

Algorithm

  • Roast the squash – This can be done up to a few days ahead. If you roasted your squash and it’s been a few days and you’re still not ready to make dal, just put the squash in an airtight container in the freezer until you’re ready to use it.
    • Preheat the oven to 425
    • Cut the top stem and any bottom knob off the squash, and then slice in half from top to bottom
    • Scoop out the seeds and strings from the middle and discard them
    • Place each half of the squash open side down in a large baking dish (such as a 9×13” glass dish)
    • Add about an inch of water to the dish.
    • Place the dish in the oven and let bake about 30 minutes, until the squash is baked all the way through, and there is almost no resistance when you push on the top with your finger or a spoon
    • Dump out the water, turn the squash halves over in the dish so the flesh is facing up, and let sit until cool enough to handle.
    • When cool, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. You should have between 3 and 4 cups.
    • If you’re using a kabocha squash, the skin is edible and delicious. Discard any of the skin that has hard bits / “scars” but the rest is good to eat. Optionally, you could slice it up into small squares and add to your dal when it’s finished.
  • Clean the lentils. If you don’t wash them, your dal may taste gross!
    • Add the lentils to a deep bowl.
    • While filling the bowl with cold water, swish the lentils with your fingers to help clean them faster. When the bowl is full, skim off the bubbles/froth. Then use a strainer to drain the water. Repeat until the water in the bowl is clear and there is minimal froth.
  • Cook the lentils
    • Add the cleaned lentils to a large stock pot
    • Add 9 cups of water to the stock pot, and bring to a simmer
    • When the lentils start simmering, they’ll generate some foam; scoop out as much of the foam as you can, but don’t worry about getting it all.
    • Add the turmeric and salt, and let the lentils simmer while you do the next steps
  • Pan-frying
    • If you’re using it, add about a teaspoon of coconut oil to a small frying pan over medium heat. Otherwise, just put a small frying pan over medium heat.
    • Add the mustard seeds to the frying pan
    • After a few minutes when the mustard seeds start to pop, put a lid on the pan and take it off the heat.
    • Once the mustard seeds stop popping, add them to the stockpot with the lentils
    • If you’re using it, add more oil to the frying pan and add the curry leaves and serranos (if you’re using them).
    • Stir fry the curry leaves and serranos a few minutes until they become fragrant. Then add them to the stock pot with the lentils as well.
  • Finish the dal
    • After about 10 minutes of simmering, the lentils should start to fall apart. When they’re just starting to fall apart, add the roasted squash flesh and the coconut milk.
    • Once all the ingredients have been added to the stock pot, let everything simmer together for about 15 more minutes. Be sure to keep the heat low, and stir every few minutes, to prevent the dal from burning on the bottom. Have a lid ready to partially cover the pot if the dal starts to sputter (that’s probably a sign it needs a good stir, too). Add more water if it’s starting to look too thick, and sputtering a lot.
  • Serve and enjoy! Some totally optional things I sometimes like to top my dal with are:

Chickpea Flour Roasted Red Pepper Loaf

This is a fully grain-free, low-fat, robot-friendly loaf, that is still nice and sliceable and portable. Perfect for a picnic, or (my favorite) topped with a thick slice of tomato and an over-medium egg for breakfast in the morning.

Bits:

  • Dry
    • 1+ Tbsp mustard seeds (and optionally a little oil for frying)
    • 200 g chickpea flour
    • 2 Tbsp corn flour (it’s finer than corn meal, but coarser than corn starch)
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 tsp salt
    • 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
    • 1/2 tsp berbere spice mix (optional, but recommended if you can find it. I put it in everything.)
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
    • 1/2 tsp zatar
    • ~1 Tbsp black and white sesame seeds
  • Wet
    • 5 roasted red peppers (from a jar. I think this is about 200 g)
    • 175 g carrots
    • 1/4 cup / 70 g roasted mashed yam/winter squash/pumpkin
    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (I used nonfat)
    • 1-2 Tbsp date syrup (about 20-40 g)
    • 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Algorithm:

  1. Heat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and lay roasted red peppers flat on the parchment. Optionally, blot them dry with a paper towel. Put the tray in the oven to dry out the peppers while you prep the other ingredients, about 20 minutes.
  2. Line a 9”x5” standard size loaf pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease paper with butter.
  3. Peel and grate the carrots. Set aside.
  4. Add about ¼ tsp – ½ tsp oil to a small frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start popping, put a lid or plate over the top and move the pan off the heat.
  5. Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl (sift chickpea flour as it tends to clump!).
  6. Add wet ingredients except the roasted red peppers and carrots to a small mixing bowl and stir until pretty much smooth.
  7. Take roasted red peppers out of the oven. Chop into roughly ¾” square bits. Set aside. Turn the oven heat up to 350F.
  8. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients except the carrots and roasted red peppers.. Fold with rubber spatula until almost combined.
  9. Gently stir the carrots and roasted red peppers into the mixture until just combined.
  10. The mixture will be thick, more like a rough cookie dough, than a runny batter. Smooth the mixture into the prepared bread pan and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
  11. Bake 45-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out *almost* clean. Check after 20 minutes and put a foil hat over the top when it starts to look darker on top.
  12. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Wrap any leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Cauliflower Tofu Curry with Sugar Snap Peas

Bits:

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • Seeds from about 6 cardamom pods (or 1 – 1 1/2 tsp whole cardamom seeds if your using the kind that come already de-podded in a spice bottle and had a “best by” date from about a year ago so they’ve lost some of their flavor… I won’t judge you if you don’t judge me)
  • 1 large yellow/white/sweet onion, halved and sliced
  • 1-2 serrano peppers or 1/2 tsp chili powder or 1 tsp Berbere seasoning (my preference)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced (or garlic scapes if you can get them, which are low FODMAP!)
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 2 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp ras al hanout spice mix (I use Frontier Co-op, but use your favorite if you have one)
  • 1 head of cauliflower (about 2 lbs with stalk and leaves, about 1.75 lbs without)
  • 21-28 oz firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into ~1″ cubes, depending on how much tofu you like.
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups total of lite coconut milk and/or milk alternative (e.g. soy milk)
  • 2 med-large zucchinis (I’ve also used green bell peppers here, which I can recommend as a substitute if you prefer)
  • 1 lb. sugar snap peas (use frozen peas to make up for however many fresh peas you don’t have)
  • To serve: cubed roasted potatoes (or rice, chapati, naan, or grain of choice)
  • Optional garnish: Greek yogurt (non-fat works great), Dal Mix

Algorithm

  1. Put a large frying / sauté pan or wide stock pot on medium heat.
  2. Add the cumin and cardamom seeds a couple of minutes until the cumin seeds get a shade darker and they start to smell fragrant. Add the chopped onion and sauté until golden, 5-10 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic, peppers if you’re using them, and spices to the pan. Stir and let cook about 1 minute until they just start to smell fragrant.
  4. Add the cauliflower and tofu to the pan, and stir to mix with the onion and spices. Add the 1/2 cup water and the coconut milk; stir to combine. Put the lid on the pan and let simmer for 5 minutes, until the cauliflower has softened slightly.
  5. Meanwhile bring a small sauce pot of water to a boil. Add any frozen peas you’re using, let them come back to a boil and boil for about a minute. Add sugar snap peas, let them come back to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Take off the heat and strain from the water. Set aside
  6. Add in the zucchini (and/or green bell peppers) and stir. Let simmer for a couple minutes until the cauliflower is softened and cooked to your liking (shouldn’t take too long).
  7. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the peas.
  8. Serve with grain or starch of choice. Optionally, pass around Greek yogurt and Dal Mix to top each dish.

Savory Tomato Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Tomato Ginger Chutney

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Grain-free    &&    Low-fat    &&    Vegan

I can’t even try to pretend; I’m a bit obsessed with pancakes. These savory pancakes are the perfect excuse to have pancakes for lunch or dinner without feeling too weird about it (honestly, I wouldn’t judge either way). Like my breakfast pancakes, these are made with only chickpea flour, and are also secretly packed with shredded carrots. So there’s your protein and your vegetable, check and check! You can also change it up by using shredded zucchini, hearty greens, onions, or whatever you fancy, instead of, or in addition to, the carrots.

Instead of syrup, these are topped with a bright, flavorful tomato ginger chutney. If you’re not vegan, I’d also suggest adding a dollop of yogurt and/or an over-easy egg to these to really round out the meal.

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Savory Tomato Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Tomato Ginger Chutney

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s Vegetarian India

Bits:

For the tomato ginger chutney:

  • 3-4 large (24 oz total) tomatoes, finely diced
  • 4 tsp peeled and minced (or grated) fresh ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder (such as cayenne)
  • 1 tsp whole yellow mustard seeds
  • 6-8 fresh curry leaves, finely chopped

For the pancakes:

  • 150 g chickpea flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp rasam powder spice mix (substitute curry powder if you don’t have rasam)
  • 1/4 tsp garam masala
  • 1/8 tsp asafoetida (hing)
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 1 large tomato, finely diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 jalapeño, finely diced (ribs and seeds discarded for milder heat)
  • Butter, ghee, or oil for greasing the pan

Algorithm:

  • Start by making the chutney:
    • Put a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
    • When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the remaining ingredients to the pan, and bring to a low simmer. Stir every minute or so for about 10 minutes, until some of the juices have evaporated off and the chutney has thickened slightly. Keep over low heat, stirring occasionally when needed, to keep warm.
  • Make the pancakes:
    • Preheat a large frying pan on the stove over medium heat.
    • Sift the chickpea flour into a bowl. Add the salt and spices through asafoetida, and stir to combine. Slowly add the water, mixing with a fork continuously to maintain a smooth consistency, until you have a thin, smooth batter.
    • Add the tomato, onion, and jalapeño to the batter and stir to mix.
    • When your frying pan is hot, add the minimal amount of low-fat butter to coat the bottom of the pan (or more if you can tolerate it in your diet). Use a 1/4 cup or 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop the batter into separate blops in the frying pan to make the pancakes. Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes before flipping the with a spatula; cook for two to three minutes on the other side. When done, remove the pancakes to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining batter
  • Top pancakes with the tomato ginger chutney. (If you’re not vegan, the pancakes and chutney are extra tasty with an added dollop of yogurt or topped with an egg!)

Everyday Red Lentil Dal

Everyday Red Lentil Dal with pickled carrots and peppers and a boiled egg. YUM.

Vegan && Very Low Fat && Oil-Free && Grain-Free

I called this “Everyday” dal not because it’s mundane; actually the opposite, I love it so much I am excited to eat it almost every day. Like most dals I’ve ever met, it’s filling, satisfying, and (perhaps strangely?) soothing. It feels almost like a cheat to call it a recipe and make a post about it because it’s so simple and essential, it feels a little like making a recipe post about corn flakes in milk.

One thing I love about this recipe is that it’s extremely adaptable. It’s hard to make it taste bad if you are just adding ingredients you like, or omitting ones you don’t. This is the combination of my favorites, but I also frequently change things depending on what spices strike my fancy at the time, or what green vegetables have been sitting neglected in my fridge longest.

This recipe also has the benefit that the cooking part has enough hands-off downtime between adding ingredients, that you can prep while you cook, which I think saves time and energy. Making a big batch, as written, usually takes me 30 minutes or less from start to finish (including cleaning up my mess while it finishes simmering on the stove), so I feel like that’s pretty time and energy efficient, especially for so many servings.

The other great part about this dal (there are so many great parts!) is all the options for toppings. I try to make and keep a jar of picked carrots and hot peppers handy at all times to eat with my dal (I’ll make a separate recipe post for that; they are good on lots of other dishes too)! I also love adding a soft/medium boiled egg. Depending on the day, I may add a handful of cubed roasted potato or sweet potato. And DO NOT get me started on Dal Mix from Indianlife, that stuff is crack. It’s pretty low-ish fat, and grain free (yay!), so I enjoy small portions on *many* dishes, most especially this dal.

Dal is really hard to photograph. Also I am not a food stylist. But, trust me, this dal tastes way more amazing than any photo could convey.

Everyday Red Lentil Dal

Makes about 13-14 cups (about 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 quarts) — *freezes and reheats very well*

Depending how hungry you are and what else you’re eating at the time, one serving is one to two cups.

Hardware:

  • Deep bowl or mixing bowl that’s easy to pour from
  • Sieve for straining water from the lentils
  • Stock pot with at least 5.5 quarts capacity
  • Wooden spoon

Bits:

  • 3 1/4 cups red lentils
  • 1 (human) thumb of fresh ginger
  • 2 serrano peppers
  • 2-3 tsp salt (start with 2 tsp and add salt at the end to taste)
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • optional: 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
  • optional: 20 fresh or frozen curry leaves, chopped into small bits
  • optional: 1/2 tsp Berbere Ethiopian spice mix (for added spice)
  • 4-5 large roma tomatoes
  • 1-2 bunches of lacinato kale (or collard greens)

To serve: pickled carrots and peppers, pickled okra, boiled egg, hot sauce, cubed roasted sweet potato, Indianlife Dal Mix

Algorithm:

  1. Wash the lentils (do not skip this step or your dal will taste gross!): Measure out the lentils into a mixing bowl that’s easy to pour from. Fill the bowl with cold water, swishing the lentils around with a spoon or your clean fingers. Skim the foam off the top, and then pour into a large sieve to drain the water. Dump the lentils back into the bowl and repeat until the water running through the sieve is clear, usually after 4 or 5 changes of water. This method is more effective and wastes less water than just putting the lentils in a sieve and running tap water over them.
  2. Put the lentils in a large stock pot. Add 10 cups water and turn the heat onto high. When the water gets near a boil, skim off the foam that bubble up; don’t worry about getting it all, but try to get most of it. Once water comes fully to a boil, reduce heat to medium, enough to maintain a gentle simmer.
  3. While you’re waiting for the water to come to foam and boil, mince the fresh ginger and serranos. If you’re using them, chop up the curry leaves.
  4. After the water boils, add minced ginger, serranos, salt, spices, and chopped fresh/frozen curry leaves if you’re using them. Give everything a good couple of stirs.
  5. Dice the tomatoes. When they are all diced, add them to the pot. Stir again to make sure the lentils are cooking evenly and nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  6. Slice the kale leaves off the stems, and chop into 1- to 2-inch squares/strips. When they are all chopped, add them to the pot. Stir to incorporate the kale, and again make sure the lentils aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  7. Leave the dal to simmer uncovered for at least 5 minutes, until the kale is cooked and soft. Add water if the dal to achieve your desired consistency. Optionally, let the dal simmer up to 10 minutes more to let the flavors meld further, stirring occasionally. (This is a good time to clean up any mess remaining in the kitchen).
  8. Take off the dal off the burner. Optionally, add more salt to taste.
  9. Enjoy as is, or garnished with pickled veggies, egg, Dal Mix, or any toppings you like!

Carrot Chickpea Flour Pancake with Charred Green Beans and Tomatoes

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Grain-free    &&    Low-fat    &&    Vegan option

I have been a bit obsessed with pancakes lately. Of course they need to be made with chickpea flour, and be low- to no-fat, but beyond that, anything goes! This pancake is something I’ve been making for dinner; it’s a little sweet as it’s made with grated carrots, but it’s not sweet like a breakfast pancake (there’s no additional sweetener). It’s topped with spicy, savory charred green beans and cherry tomatoes. I am going to be very sad when those bright plump cherry tomatoes go out of season (in about two seconds from now), but maybe I’ll find something else for the fall or winter to substitute that goes just as well.

For now, I’ve been making extra green beans and cherry tomatoes (about 1 ½ times the amount given in the recipe below) and using the extra to top a good red lentil dal.

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Dear summer produce, I love you. Yours Truly, Robot Recipes

The recipe for the pancake is roughly based on Anna Jones’s carrot pancake in her excellent book “A Modern Way to Cook“. The charred vegetable recipe is adapted from the recipe “Blistered Green Beans and Tomatoes with Honey Harissa and Mint” from the New York Times Cooking.

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Carrot Chickpea Flour Pancake with Charred Green Beans and Tomatoes

Bits:

     Carrot chickpea flour pancake: 

  • 150g chickpea flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp coriander
  • ½ tsp curry powder
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 2 medium (~200g) carrots, peeled and grated (you should have ~125g, or 1 ½ cups after peeling and grating)

     Green beans and cherry tomatoes: (hint: make extra to eat on top of your favorite dal!)

  • 1 lb green beans
  • 10-12 oz cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tsp berbere spice mix (use extra if you like extra spice; substitute a mild curry powder if you don’t like much spice)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice
  • ½ tsp honey

To finish:

  • Plain Greek yogurt (optional) for serving
  • Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Algorithm:

Move oven rack to highest position, and preheat broiler on high.

First start the pancake cooking: Combine all pancake ingredients. Preheat a 12” non-stick frying pan / skillet on medium-high. When hot, if your pans have lost a lot of their non-stick-ness like mine have, add a teaspoon of reduced fat butter, or oil of choice and swirl it around the pan as it melts to create a better non-stick surface. Pour the batter into the frying pan and smooth it around with a spoon or spatula. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Let cook undisturbed for at least 20 minutes. The pancake is done with when the top is dry all the way across. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, start a medium saucepan of water boiling. Chop ends off of green beans and cut into desired size pieces. Boil green beans for 4 minutes and refresh in cold water.

Halve the cherry tomatoes (unless they’re already tiny).

Combine the berbere spice mix, salt, lime juice, and honey in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the green beans and cherry tomatoes on top. Pour over the berebere mixture and toss until the beans and tomatoes are evenly coated. Spread the beans and tomatoes out into a single layer on the baking sheet and place under broiler. Let cook for about 5 minutes. Check the contents of the baking sheet often, as the difference in time between nicely charred and burnt to a crisp is surprisingly short under a hot broiler.

To serve, slide a spatula under the pancake to loosen it from the pan. Once it’s loosened place a large dinner plate or serving plate over the pan and quickly and carefully flip the pancake onto the plate. Top with charred green beans and tomatoes, or alternately, slice the pancake like a pizza and let individuals top their portions with their desired amount of vegetables. For non-vegans, a dollop of plain greek yogurt is nice. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Fudgy Protein Brownies

Grain-free    &&    Low-fat    &&    Sugar-free

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These brownies are kind of amazing, if I do say so myself. They are dense and fudgy, and they hit you in the face with deep chocolatey flavor (far from the cringe-inducing sweetness that hits you in the face with other desserts). The flavor is so intense without being overly sweet, I’ve actually been eating them with berries or other fruits on top or on the side; it’s the perfect desert when you need serious chocolate (see Figure 1 below).

Fig. 1 Fudgy Protein Brownie topped with some fresh Pacific Northwest blackberries.

And best of all, I can actually eat them! That means they’re grain-free, low-fat, and low “sugar”. The trick (in addition to my usual bag of tricks) is that they’re sweetened with erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol; it passes through your body with almost no effect. Just like a neutrino. So it tastes sweet, but has no calories and doesn’t raise your blood sugar (i.e. has no glycemic load). I’ve been reading up on erythritol, of course, to learn more about it and make sure it’s safe, particularly as it seems too good to be true. I will let you do your own research, but it seems like it *is* actually as good as it promises. The only potential ill effects I’ve read about is that in large quantities it can cause temporary stomach upset and digestive trouble because the erythritol molecules reach your intestines without having been broken down; however, in “reasonable quantities” (like when you substitute 1 to 1 for sugar), for most people there’s no trouble. Each of these brownies has just 3/4 of a tablespoon of erythritol, which is less than the amount sugar than you’d find in a regular brownie. I am the last one who would want more digestive trouble in my life, but even I seem to tolerate “reasonable quantities” of erythritol perfectly fine.

To make the deal even sweeter (figuratively, not literally) I’ve added some protein powder into the recipe. High protein, low fat, no glycemic load, tastes like dessert… I’ll be making these on repeat.

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Fudgy Protein Browines

Makes 16 brownies (one 8”x8” pan)

Nutritional Info:

  • Total: 20.5g fat, 98g protein
  • Per brownie: 1.3g fat, 6.1g protein

 

Bits:

      Dry

  • 1 cup (120g) chickpea flour
  • 1 cup (90g) cocoa powder (non-alkalized)
  • ¼ cup (4 Tbsp) plain protein powder (I like NorCal Organic Pea Protein Powder)
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp cloves

      Wet

  • 90g egg whites (equivalent of 2 large eggs)
  • ¾ tsp vanilla
  • ¾ tsp hazelnut extract
  • ¾ cup erythritol
  • 425g (1 can) canned pumpkin
  • 1+ Tbsp water

Algorithm

  • Line an 8” square baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Sift together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  • Mix wet ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl; stir until smooth and fully blended.
  • Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir together with a spatula until fully blended and no dry pockets remain.
  • Spread batter evenly in bottom of parchment-lined pan. The batter will be thick; smooth with a spatula.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until the middle is firm starts to look dry (a toothpick inserted in the center may not come out clean). Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before removing and slicing.

Chickpea Flour Dutch Baby Pancake

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Grain-free    &&     Very low fat    &&    Low sugar    &&    30 minutes or less

Need a delicious breakfast that won’t take all morning to make? I got ya covered!

The pancake obsession continues! In this installment, we make a single gigantic pan-sized pancake, which can provide a fun change-up from having many smaller buttermilk pancakes, for example. If you haven’t had a dutch baby before, I’d describe it as the cousin of a traditional pancake, but with a texture and taste that’s a bit more reminiscent of custard than bread. And, unlike smaller pancakes that must be made and flipped in many batches, requiring you to stand at the stove and pay attention for quite some time, this is a simple batter that comes together in one bowl, is poured into a large pan, and bakes in the oven for 15-20 minutes, during which time you can kick back and sip your morning coffee until it’s done.

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If you have had a dutch baby before, I will note that the product of this recipe won’t puff quite as much as a dutch baby made with traditional ingredients, but it will still taste just as custard-y and delicious.

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Chickpea Flour Dutch Baby Pancake

Makes one 12″ dutch baby pancake.

Special equipment: 12″ cast iron or stainless steel (oven-proof) frying pan. (Or use a 10″ skillet and one greased 8 oz ramekin)

Bits:

  • 135g (1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp egg whites (equivalent of 3 whole eggs)
  • 40g (2 Tbsp) roasted yam flesh / canned pumpkin
  • 1 cup low-fat / non-fat milk
  • 120g (1 cup) chickpea flour
  • 1/2 tsp fine-grain salt
  • 1 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1 Tbsp white sugar (or coconut sugar)
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp reduced fat butter for greasing (note: this adds less than 0.75 grams of fat per serving, and is pretty essential to preventing the dutch baby from sticking to the pan!)
  • Optional: fresh berries, date syrup, maple syrup, or a dusting of cinnamon and sugar, for topping

Algorithm:

  • Put a 12″ oven-proof frying pan in the oven, and preheat the oven with the pan in it to 450ºF.
  • While the oven is heating, in a medium mixing bowl, combine egg whites and yam (or canned pumpkin). If you’re using roasted yam flesh, for a more homogeneous consistency in your pancake, blend the egg and yam with an immersion blender until smooth. If you’re using canned pumpkin, just whisk with a fork until egg and pumpkin are combined.
  • Add chickpea flour to egg mixture and whisk with a fork until well combined. Add remaining ingredients except the reduced fat butter, and stir until well combined. You should have a thin, smooth batter.
  • When the oven has come up to temperature, remove the pan from the oven (be sure to use an oven mitt!). Drop in the butter, and swirl to evenly coat the pan. As soon as the pan is coated, quickly pour in the pancake batter, and place the pan back in the oven.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Cut into wedges, top with fresh cut fruit, syrup, or a dusting of cinnamon and sugar, as desired. Enjoy!

Fresh Mint & Snap Pea Pasta/Chickpea Bowl

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Grain-free    &&    Very low fat    &&    Vegan option    &&    30 minutes or less

I know I already posted this dish with a rough algorithm for the recipe on Instagram, but I seriously CANNOT stop eating this dish! (Why do mint and peas go so well together?!? Apparently the British already had this figured out, but it’s news to me!) I was hesitant to post yet another pasta recipe, but my continuing love for this one is too great to contain. So, I figured it’s time to get serious about it, write down exactly the recipe I’ve settled on (instead of just winging it every time as I had been), and share it with the world.

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The Insta pic that got this whole thing started.

As I said on Instagram, I saw a recipe in The Irish Times by Nigel Slater from his new book Green Feast (Dear Seattle Public Library, Please add this book to your collection so I can check it out. Sincerely, Robot Recipes) for a pea, paparadelle and parmesan dish. The recipe was super simple, and screaming to be made, but with several twists to make it more robot friendly, and give it a little more zip. The result is a great seasonal recipe; I don’t know about you but my garden is currently in danger of being overwhelmed with fresh mint, and to my delight every other stall at my local farmer’s market has plump, crisp sugar snap peas that taste amazingly sweet even raw. It’s also super fast to throw together for lunch or dinner (or perhaps a pre-dinner snack!).

If you don’t have grain-free pasta on hand, this recipe also works well with canned chickpeas substituted instead. If you don’t have fresh sugar snap peas, just use extra frozen peas.

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Fresh Mint & Snap Pea Pasta / Chickpea Bowl

Serves 4 (makes about 2.5 cups mint pea sauce)

Ready in 30 minutes or less

Bits:

  • 8 oz. box of grain-free pasta (I used Tolerant Red Lentil Rotini in the Instagram pic, and Tolerant Green Lentil Penne in the other two pics); or substitute two 14oz. cans garbanzo beans, rinsed
  • 4 1/3 cups (1 lb. + 1 cup) frozen peas
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (such as Imagine Organic Vegetarian No-Chicken Broth)
  • 2 – 3 cups sugar snap peas, stemmy ends cut off, and chopped in half if desired for more bite-sized pieces.
  • 1/4 cup (7g) chopped fresh mint leaves; plus extra mint leaves for garnish
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • Black pepper (or lemon pepper) to taste
  • Optional for non-vegans: 1 cup low-fat/non-fat cottage cheese

Algorithm:

  • Cook grain-free pasta according to package instructions. If you use a similar chickpea and/or lentil based pasta like the one I used, after boiling, strain out the cooking water from the pan, and fill the pan (with the pasta still in it) back up with cold tap water. Rinse and strain out the cold tap water. This not only to stop the cooking when it’s done, but also will remove extra starch and prevent the pasta from sticking together.
  • In a small saucepan, combine the frozen peas and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Strain out the peas, reserving 3/4 cups of the broth. Set peas and broth aside.
  • If using fresh sugar snap peas: Using either the same small saucepan or a second one, fill half full with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the fresh sugar snap peas and boil for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft, but not mushy. Strain out the water and refresh with cool water to stop the peas from cooking further.
  • In a blender (bonus if you have a high-speed blender!) combine the reserved 3/4 cup broth, 3 1/3 cups (equivalent of 1 lb bag) of the peas boiled from frozen, 1/4 cup (7g) chopped fresh mint leaves, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth.
  • Divide pasta, reserved peas (from frozen), and the sugar snap peas (if using) among four deep bowls. Add 1/4 of the mint pea sauce to each. Garnish with chopped fresh mint leaves and extra pepper (or lemon pepper) as desired. I love to top my bowl with about 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese as well. Serve and enjoy!

 

Tomato Cobbler with Buttermilk Chickpea Flour Biscuits

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Grain-free    &&    Very Low Fat    &&    Vegetarian

The summer weather is really getting into swing now, but I am lucky to live in Seattle where it almost never gets too hot to turn on the oven. Even if it got super hot, I am probably crazy about cooking and baking enough that I’d turn on the oven anyway.

This recipe is an adaptation of one found in Hetty McKinnon’s beautiful and amazing new book “Family.” I know I’ve said I love her before, but it’s worth saying again; check out all of her cookbooks if you can. Of course I changed this recipe to make it robot-compatible (grain-free and practically non-fat), and I amped up the spices a little bit. The recipe calls for a lot of tomatoes, and would be great for using up those soft wrinkly tomatoes in the back of the fridge that got just past their prime before you could eat them fresh. Or if you can, go to your local farmer’s market, look for someone selling tomatoes and ask them if they have any “seconds”; I get seconds of organic tomatoes at my farmer’s market fo $1/lb, and usually there’s barely anything wrong with them! To be honest, I cut back on the amount of tomato filling when I made this because I just didn’t have the tomatoes, and I thought it was fine.

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The real star of the show here is the buttermilk biscuits! Because of the chickpea flour, they’re not quite as light and flakey as traditional buttermilk biscuits of course, but they’re still full of warm, soft, savory biscuity goodness, without the grain or fat!

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Tomato Cobbler with Buttermilk Chickpea Flour Biscuits

Adapted from Hetty McKinnon’s “Family” cookbook (p.163)

~45 minutes prep, 40 minutes to bake, 10 minutes to cool (total: 1 hour 35 minutes)

Serves 4 to 6

Bits:

Tomato Filling:

  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced fine
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat side of a knife and diced fine
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs (or 2 tsp dried thyme)
  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp chickpea flour
  • 4 lbs tomatoes (any variety), cut into about 1″ chunks
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Hot sauce to taste (optional, if like me, you like everything to have a little kick)

Buttermilk Biscuits

  • 120 g (about 1 cup) chickpea flour
  • 110 g (3/4 cup) fine-ground corn meal
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 100 g (about 1/2 cup) yam, roasted or boiled until flesh is fully softened
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Algorithm:

  • Adjust oven racks so that one is in the center of your oven, and the other is any distance below that. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC).
  • Make the tomato filling:
    • In a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat, add the red onion, and cook about until caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes; add a tablespoon or two of water if the onion starts to stick to the pan.
    • Add the jalapeño, garlic, thyme, and balsamic vinegar to the pan and immediately add the chickpea flour. Cook for one minute, while stirring continuously; don’t worry if the chickpea flour soaks up all the liquid and looks a little dry.
    • Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and hot sauce if you’re using it. Give everything a few good stirs. The chickpea flour should dissolve into and thicken the liquids in the pan to make a nice sauce. Add water a tablespoon at a time if it’s still to thick, or turn up the heat and cook it down for a couple minutes if it looks too watery.
  • Make the biscuits:
    • In a medium bowl, add the chickpea flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, paprika, and cumin in a bowl, and stir to combine.
    • Treat the yam just like you would butter; add it to the bowl, and using your fingertips, rub it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
    • Stir in the nutritional yeast and chopped chives. Pour in the lemon juice and buttermilk; whisk with a fork until no the buttermilk is incorporated.
  • Put it all together and bake:
    • Lightly grease the sides of an 9″ by 13″ baking dish with reduced fat butter or vegetable oil spray (this adds a negligible amount of fat to the dish).
    • Pour in the tomato mixture. Loosely form 12 balls of biscuit dough (or drop 12 large spoonfuls of biscuit dough) and place them evenly on top of the tomato mixture.
    • Place a baking sheet (or large bit of aluminum foil) on the bottom rack to catch any drips, and place the tomato cobbler on the top rack. Bake for 40 minutes; check halfway through and loosely place an aluminum foil hat over the baking dish if the biscuits start to get too dark.
    • Remove from the oven and dust lightly with extra nutritional yeast. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Serve while still warm. Pairs well with a fresh arugula salad.