Gluten Free and Dairy Free Recipes

So easy dairy free rice pudding recipe

Read more [Gluten Free Food Freak]

Mediterranean Eggplant Bake (The Un-Parmesana) [Vegan]

It is already past the 1 year anniversary of Cindalou's Kitchen Blues' debut, which I only accidentally discovered when going to post this recipe and linking back to my old grilled eggplant recipe from last summer. My dad pointed out that I should have a birthday party for the blog, but I think I'll have a combo b-day bash with all my virtual friends in a few weeks for my (real) birthday and the blog's birthday. Maybe I'll finally make some coconut ice cream. I love icy desserts in the summer, but summertime is also prime season for outdoor grilled vegetables. I can never resist grilled squash, eggplant, and peppers. Thank heavens I don't have any allergies to nightshade vegetables!

What better time than the dog days of hot, lazy summer to drag all that hot kitchen cooking outside? This bake is my rendition of a veggie-laden eggplant Parmesan, minus the parm of course :) I used nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor and texture, but feel free to omit the yeast. The heat of baking most likely destroys most of the beneficial B vitamins in the yeast, but the flavor is still great. Plus, I'm a closet optimist (don't tell) so I cross my fingers for the energy-boosting B's in the yeast coming through cooking unscathed.

My mother's old eggplant parm recipe dipped the eggplant in wheat flour, Parmesan cheese, herbs, then baked the eggplant itself an hour before making the casserole. I am not that motivated - when I see a multi-step recipe like that, I think "Ha," not to mention the no wheat flour or cheese thing. This tastes just as great to me, plus it adds colorful veggies. The grilling nicks the need to egg, bread/flour and fry or prebake. Grill extra and use the leftovers in lunch quesadillas with kale and corn tortillas, omelets like my old Grilled Squash and Collards Omelette, or just snack on grilled thinly sliced eggplant and squash. Thinly sliced, they're reminiscent of veggie chips in a non-fried, spicy way. You get the idea...




1 15 oz can organic crushed tomatoes with basil
~ 1/2 can (7 oz) artichoke hearts or fresh artichoke hearts
1 large grilled eggplant>
2 cherry peppers
2 jalapenos
5-6 garlic cloves
1 large organic carrot
2-3 sun dried tomatoes (sulfur free)
handful chopped fresh (or 1/4 c. dried, rehydrated & drained) portabello mushrooms
nutritional yeast, to taste (optional, for "cheesy" taste)
splash dry red wine, optional

Spices:
oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, sea salt, pepper, and a dash of Italian seasoning.

Slice the eggplant widthwise into ~1/8 to 1/4" slices for round eggplant pieces. Season with your choice of spices and spray the grill. I seasoned the eggplant with a blend of turmeric, ground black peppercorns, a dash of cayenne pepper, oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, a bit of dried crushed red pepper, thyme, and sea salt. My Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant recipe from last summer is the basis for this recipe.

Add the eggplant and whole peppers to the grill. Close the grill and cook on high for about 10-15 minutes or until very tender. I used a George Foreman electric grill since it takes much less time than a gas grill. Adjust cooking time for grill type.

Meanwhile, chop your mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, and shred the carrot. If you're using dehydrated mushrooms, steep them in boiling water high enough to cover them, and leave them covered for about 10 minutes or until soft. When finished, drain the mushrooms and save the juice for a healthy and yummy broth or as a sauteing liquid.

Set the chopped and shredded ingredients aside. Once the eggplant and peppers are finished, remove them from the grill and do a second batch if necessary. Slice the grilled peppers once they are cooled. If you prefer a milder flavor, remove the jalapeno seeds.

Add about half of the chopped sundried tomatoes and red wine to the tomato sauce and stir. Spray the bottom of an oven-safe glass baking dish with nonstick spray. I used a small Pyrex and spread the sauce lightly, covering the bottom. Layer the grilled eggplant slices on the bottom of the dish, from large to small slices. Top with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast (optional) . Cover the yeast and eggplant with a thin layer of the prepared carrots, jalapenos, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes. Cover that layer with sauce, then add another layer, sauce, and repeat . Top the casserole with a layer of sauce and the artichoke hearts. If using canned artichokes, drain thoroughly and layer directly on top of the casserole. If you're using fresh artichoke, steam or grill them, then, once cooled, cut them into small pieces and add to the top.



Bake at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes. Note that the short time is for the convection oven setting I used. If you aren't using convection, baking may take longer. Serve hot. Serves approximately 4.

We had this with a few thin slices of grilled tamari grassfed sirloin steak, served over a bed of parsley and drizzled with olive oil, and a fresh red kale and parsley salad.


Spicing up your dishes, especially grilled vegetables, is a fantastic way to throw in a dash of the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric and cayenne pepper. Cayenne pepper is an old folk remedy for poor circulation, stomach upsets, gas, and arthritis/carpel tunnel syndrome. It is also a metabolic stimulant and can help for healthy long-term weight loss and management. In addition to being strongly anti-inflammatory, turmeric is famous for its antioxidant properties. Turmeric's antioxidant qualities help protect and cleanse the gallbladder (prevent kidney stones) and liver. It might also provide aid in memory retention and help in Alzheimer's disease, pending further research. Turmeric is also useful for gout and was used in ancient times for "vermin killing" and is thought to be effective against scabies and lice.

However, cayenne and other hot peppers can be irritating to the skin, lips, and mucus membranes, so judge your intake by personal experience. Turmeric is often used liberally in Indian curries, so it is considered safer than drinking coffee. Use turmeric with caution if you have a bile duct blockage concern.

In this age, the first reaction to indigestion or acid reflux seems to be to suppress natural stomach acid with Calcium Carbonate (Tums) or a whole rainbow of OTC or prescription proton pump inhibitors. However, the avoidance of spice as part of an attempt to lower stomach acid may worsen digestion, since bacteria are not killed and large chewed food particles are harder for the small intestine to absorb nutrients. Also, simply popping a TUMS (basically a chalk pill, mmm) is merely treating the symptom of poor diet and lifestyle. The underlying problems(s) causing the digestive issues should be addressed- trust me, I deal with this on a daily basis! :)

Keep in mind that no one-size-fits-all approach can work. Everything depends on your body type. Some people have legitimate acid reflux, esophageal valve problems, or ulcers and should not assume either extreme of over spicing or raising stomach acid, nor completely hinder their body's natural state of chemical digestion with acid-buffering drugs.

I make no assumptions or generalizations, and can only speak from my own experience: I tend towards poor digestion. I myself benefit from a bit more spice, apple cider vinegar, herbal teas like peppermint and cinnamon, and digestive enzymes. I had acid reflux all the time as a teen. I was so miserable my parents took me to a GI specialist for a barium upper GI series of x-rays to look for ulcers. In the end, after years of thinking TUMS were my best friend, I only eliminated the reflux by elimination of all dairy, stress management (my sister calls me a "stressball"), and adding spices. Hey, a little cayenne pepper is a heck of a lot cheaper than a series of x-rays and the experience of drinking that awful chalky Barium shake :) So cheers to spice, and spice for health.



Other yummy gf eggplant creations:

Book of Yum's Eggplant Parmesan Sans Crumbs (uses dairy and nuts)
Natalie's Baked Eggplant Parmesan or Baked Eggplant Zucchini Spaghetti (uses dairy)
Gluten Free Kay's Stuffed Eggplant
Jeena's Chunky Mediterranean Vegetable Soup Recipe
Karina's Roasted Eggplant Tapenade or Mediterranean Eggplant with Crumbled Beef, Tomatoes and Mint

Visit a Random Gluten Free Blog Installation

I thought it'd be fun to have our own 'random gf blog' gadget, so I used Rachel's exhaustive list of gluten free bloggers in conjunction with a modified Random Link Generator to create the "Visit a Gluten Free Blog" button on our front page.

For Blogspot Bloggers, there are two installation options: the Easy Way, and the Customizable Way.

For Wordpress Bloggers, at the moment, you'll need to install the button similar to the last step (add page element) in the Customizable Way.
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*UPDATE*

Due to several requests, I've made the button on this blog (right side, says "Visit a Gluten Free Blog") available to add as a Widget without any copying, pasting, or template modifications.

Click the following button to install yours:



*That's all - you now have a browser friendly, gluten free blog hopping button!*


The following steps are for those who prefer to style their widget via css.

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Here's how you can add one yourself, and style it too!

The first step is probably the most daring, as it requires you to enter your Layout (Dashboard - Layout) and click the Edit HTML tab.

Once you're at the Edit HTML page, make sure to backup your template by clicking "Download Full Template".

The purpose of entering your template is to add styling to the button so that you can change colors and event font sizes/types from your Fonts and Colors tabs.

You'll want to create Variable names for the styles you'd like to edit from within your Font and Colors tab. Here are the four variables I created for this button:

<Variable name="randomblogbkgcolor" description="Random Blog Background Color" type="color" default="#c60" value="#5d7588">

<Variable name="randomblogbordercolor" description="Random Blog Border Color" type="color" default="#c60" value="#9cb088">

<Variable name="randomblogbkghovercolor" description="Random Blog Background Hover Color" type="color" default="#c60" value="#9db189">

<Variable name="randomblogborderhovercolor" description="Random Blog Border Hover Color" type="color" default="#c60" value="#718fa6">

These lines should be pasted near the top of your template, between the <head> and </head> tags. If you have meta tags, these variable name tags are commonly placed after the meta tags.

The next step is to paste the following lines just before the line that contains: >]]></b:skin> in your template:

/* Random Blog Styling */

input.randomblog {
background-color: $randomblogbkgcolor;
border: 2px outset $randomblogbordercolor;
width: 100%;
text-align:center;
font-style:bold;
color: #fff;
padding: 1px;
margin: 1px;
}
input.randomblog:hover {
background-color: $randomblogbkghovercolor;
border: 2px outset $randomblogborderhovercolor;
width: 100%;
text-align:center;
font-style:bold;
color: #fff;
padding: 1px;
margin: 1px;
}

Once you've completed this step (including backing up your template), click Save Template.

To add the button, you'll need to go to your Page Elements section under Layout. Once there, select "Add a Page Element" and choose HTML/Javascript. Copy and paste the following code into the new window:

<script style="" src="http://randomblog.googlecode.com/files/randomblogsourceclass.js"></script>

*note* this is the script Wordpress bloggers will want to refer to when adding this widget
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Select "Save" and you'll now have your own Visit a Random GF Blogger widget. To change the colors of the background, border, and hovered-over background a border, go to your Fonts and Colors tab under Layout and change the colors of the four variables that start with "Random Blog" i.e. Random Blog Background Color.

That's all! If you would like to be included in this random gf blog visitor, simply leave a comment here and let us know.

Purslane, Plum and Avocado Salad [Vegan] [Low Carb]

Perhaps you've heard recent hype about an obscure green weed with amazing health benefits for depression, but the truth is that purslane is an old herbal remedy-food and long-time enemy of a tidy gardener. If you're not sure about the safety of harvesting it in the wild, stop off at your local farmer's market. Now we can add "Purslane, Not Prozac" to the book "Potatoes, Not Prozac," or my personal (contrived) favorite slogan "pushups, Not Prozac." Whether you are concerned about depression, the odds are you know someone close to you who is. While exercise to alleviate depression as demonstrated by these Duke University studies may not necessarily be your cup of tea, perhaps a nice bunch of purslane in your salad, stir fry, or soup might be. Heck, while you're at it, toss in some fresh avocado and seasonal fruit- peaches, plums, nectarines. You might even forget the ominous "healthy" stuff in your meal after you take a bite.





1-2 organic plums
~ 2 lb. fresh purslane
1 ripe organic avocado
5-6 roma tomatoes
slivers red onion
oregano, to taste

Dressing:
50-50 mix of organic extra virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and pepper. Wash and pat dry the purslane and plums. Tear into bite sized pieces and put in a large bowl. Slice the red onion, plums, and avocado and add to the purslane. I cut my plums into thin wedges since I prefer them that way. Add the tomatoes and toss with dressing and oregano. That's it- fast, easy and delicious healthy greens and Omega 3's all in one tidy package.

If you are waiting to be impressed, check out the Nutritional profile of purslane. Purslane is high in magnesium and Vitamin C, so helps with:

• depression
• cardiac arrhthmia
• cold and flu
• gingivitis
  

Speedy Hemp Seed Cucumber Dill Soup [Low Carb] [Vegan]

3 large organic cucumbers, washed with skin
3 cloves garlic
1/4" ginger
1 c. organic coconut milk*
1 1/2 c. unsweetened original hemp milk
~2 T. extra virgin olive oil

pinch dried spearmint leaves
dash cayenne pepper (optional!)
sea salt and pepper, to taste
hefty pinch dried dill
4 fresh basil leaves
4-5 fresh mint leaves
1 T. garlic powder

1/4 c. shelled organic hemp seed (plus extra for topping)

* you can use all hemp milk if you'd like. The coconut milk makes the ordinarily thin soup a bit thicker and more satisfying to me.

Wash, dry, and cut a whole cucumber into thirds or quarters. Add the cucumber, ginger root, and garlic to your VitaMix or other blender. For about 30 seconds, blend on medium-hi (5) while using the damper (or a long-handled spoon out of reach of the running blades) to compress the cucumber. Once the larger chunks of cucumber are chopped, turn off the blender.

Add in the hemp milk, coconut milk, olive oil and spices. Use your imagination for spices. I made this soup earlier in the summer when my mint plants were taking over the porch and begging to be used. Turn your blender to high and blend it for 1-2 minutes. I blend my soup until it is thoroughly mixed but there are still shreds of cucumber not pureed so it isn't just a single consistency. Serve cold, sprinkled with hemp seeds. This soup is quick and easy as a delicious, cooling appetizer or side soup.

I used to adore the Hungarian Cucumber Soup I made every summer, but after finally saying adios to yogurt and dairy I've not made it since. A recent onslaught of cucumbers, mint, and dill sent me craving another batch of coconut yogurt for this recipe. I will still do that in the future, but for now I'm making (dairy laden) goat milk yogurt in our Crockpot for Jon. I have to appease the dairy guzzlers in the house occasionally :) I thought a good swap for this soup would be coconut milk, but after reading on and on about Karina's love for hemp milk I decided to use it as the base.

I love hemp anyways and wanted another faucet of this amazing healthfood in my diet. This soup takes about 2-3 minutes in the Vitamix and is a nice cool, refreshing appetizer or meal. For even more protein toss in a scoop of hemp protein powder if you have it on hand. If not, no worries- hemp seed is nature's perfect little vegan package of balanced Omega3:6 healing fats, fiber (low carb!), and complete protein. All those Canadian's sure make a killing off our growing American demand for hemp!

Create your own [non Gluten Free] Random Visit Button

If you'd like to create your own random visit button as seen on our front page, but want to make your own list of websites and/or blogs to choose from, comment here with your list of websites and a title for your button, and I'll upload a script for you to use. I'll post a link to each script here for others to download.

The installation instructions are the same as those from Visit a Random Gluten Free Blogger Installation except you'll add a different script to your page element.

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Per a suggestion from Uri Kalish, of Urikalization, advanced users who would prefer to do away with css styling in the template may do so by editing the source script in the following way:

Replace the class="randomblog" line in the script file with the following:

style="color:white" onmouseover="this.style.backgroundColor='red'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='blue'"

The lines above will change the font size in the form to white, the background color to blue, and the hovered over background color to red.

Remove the Variable information and the css style information in your template. Now you'll have a button that depends solely on the script (no css dependence).

Hope this helps!

Easy Tahini Dressing [Vegan]

So much for a real recipe from Cindalou's here in the recent past, but since you're already primed for a whole host of non-recipes, I'll use this chance to combat my swamped-at-work-can't-post hysteria with a "recipe" for a healthy dressing or sauce. Of course everyone knows how to whip up (or at least purchase) tahini nowadays, so I'll bore you with more health benefits and history than an actual Tablespoon per tablespoon recipe :) Yes, I still cook. All the time. Cindalou's has taken a back seat to thank you notes, family visits, and our flourishing (and crowded) apartment garden. So how's that for yet another disclaimer/introduction? If you find my intro less than satisfactory, then I recommend Karina's new Strawberry Cobbler post. You'll smile (and lick the computer screen).

Sesame seeds and tahini are quick and easy snacks and make a handy homemade dressing. The seeds themselves claim the honorable position of being one of the oldest condiments and their use seems to be traced back as far as 1600 BC. The seeds are a great source of many trace minerals and Omega 6 fatty acids. Indeed, the seeds were held in high esteem for the quality of the oil which is exceptionally resistant to rancidity and spoilage. One interesting fact: the phrase "Open sesame" stems from the sesame seed pod itself, which bursts open when it reaches maturity.


Tahini dressing:
1/4 c. raw, organic sesame seeds (I use unhulled since they're cheaper here and the hulls contain much of the calcium in the seeds) OR organic tahini (Once Again has a good organic tahini on the market)
1-2 t. sea salt, more to taste
1 t. or "dash" of San-J wheat free tamari (optional, omit for soy free)
4 liberal T. organic extra virgin olive oil*
squeeze lemon juice

Combine the sesame seeds and the salt in the bottom of the Vitamix or your blender. You will probably want to use the dry blade attachment for the Vitamix if you have one. In my experience, the dry-blade purees the seeds better than the regular container. If you only have a normal blender, no worries, but you may need to puree the seeds in spurts (to prevent regular blender overheating) to get them all creamed up. If you 're using jarred tahini, just skip this step.

It only takes about 1 -2 minutes for me to make this batch. I grind the seeds in 30 second intervals, but I take a minute to take the top off and scrape the sides of the blender to mix in the stubborn seeds. Once the seeds are pureed "dry," add the sea salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and tamari (if you're using the San-J). If you want to add a dash of turmeric (a great detoxifier and antioxidant), parsley (high in iron), or rosemary, add it now. Close the lid and blend once more until well mixed. Scrape the sides and pour into your dipping bowl or drizzle over your entree or salad, like below.

I made my sauce here with a bit more olive oil and lemon juice than above in order to achieve a more fluid sauce to dress our grilled salmon and salad. Just adjust the olive oil to seed ratio to vary the consistency between a thick tahini chip/ raw veggie dip and a dressing (like we used it).

* Add more olive oil to taste, I tend to add more olive oil to my share of the dressing since my body burns good fat efficiently (sugars and high carby foods kill my poor digestive system, so to each his own. Check your body type and eat what is fresh, local, and makes you feel best. Perhaps most importantly, trust your instincts... no, that doesn't mean reach for that bag of salted corn chips since you just like the taste!)


Tahini Uses:

• Tahini sauced mushrooms
• Salad dressing (of course)

• grilled wild salmon fillet dressing. I have a few old fish recipes here and the tahini sauce would be great drizzled over some Molasses Balsamic Salmon

• Stir fry dressing/sauce

• Dress up your veggies! Jon likes honey sesame green beans or broccoli
  
• homemade raw (Vegan) food bars
• toss into any bread, cookie, or muffin/pancake recipe