Cannellini, Chorizo & Kale Soup

1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
12oz soy chorizo, casing removed and chorizo broken up
2 15oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
6 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper

1) In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes.
2) Add broth, soy chorizo, beans, celery, carrots and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
3) Add kale and stir, until kale has wilted and integrated into the soup, 1-2 minutes.
4) Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Review: This originally was a complicated recipe, using dry beans and a pressure cooker. I simplified it, along with making it vegan. I don't like soup, but it was snowing yet again today and this seemed hot & hearty. This was absolutely amazing. The chorizo gave this a really nice spicy flavor, but without making it overly spicy. However, the chorizo seasoning leached from the soy protein and colored the broth, leaving beige chunks in my soup. This was incredibly filling and didn't have the typical soup feel. I loved it and it's a great dish for our arctic weather!!

Adapted from:
Real Simple, March 2015

Maple Bourbon Glazed Doughnuts

1 cup gluten-free flour
2 Tbs + 2 tsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
4 Tbs vegan butter, softened
6 Tbs maple sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup + 6 Tbs almond milk
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 Tbs + 2 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp bourbon

1) Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum in a small bowl. Set aside.
2) With an electric mixer, beat the vegan butter and maple sugar until they're fluffy and the sugar begins to dissolve, about 2 minutes. Then add the egg, beating well.
3) Add the milk, alternating with the dry mixture, to the butter/sugar.
4) Beat the batter on medium speed for approximately 30 seconds, then scrape the sides of the bowl and beat for an additional 30 seconds.
5) Spoon into a greased doughnut pan. Allow the batter to rest for 10-15 minutes, while the oven preheats to 350F.
6) Bake the doughnuts for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to rest for just a minute or two before turning them out onto a rack to cool.
7) To make the glaze, mix the confectioner's sugar, maple syrup and bourbon in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Spoon the glaze onto the doughnuts, covering evenly.

Review: I have been craving doughnuts like crazy. There's a box of gluten free doughnuts in the frozen section at the grocery store. It comes in glazed, cinnamon sugar and chocolate. And every flavor has nutmeg as an ingredient, which I'm also allergic to. No fair! So, I got a $10 gift card for amazon.com from one of the consumer research panels I work with and decided to treat myself to a doughnut pan. This was my first ever attempt at making doughnuts. I didn't have maple sugar, but created a white sugar/maple syrup concoction that did the trick. I realize I live near many maple farms and should go get some local stuff, but I haven't done it yet. The doughnuts were just ok, as it's not the yeasted, fried deliciousness that I craved. However, this glaze is AMAZING. The bourbon adds just a little kick to the flavor, but really is the key ingredient. Yum! Also, you'll notice the odd measurements. I halved the original recipe to accommodate my pan of six, but still had enough batter for two more doughnuts.

Adapted from:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/gluten-free-maple-bourbon-glazed-doughnuts-recipe

Sweet Potato with Miso-Ginger Rice

32oz miso ginger broth
1 lb rice blend
1 large sweet potato, diced
1 cup water

1) Place all ingredients in a large pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
2) Reduce heat to medium and cover. Simmer for 25 minutes, until the sweet potato and rice are tender.
3) Season with salt to taste and serve hot.

Review: This rice is a new product at Trader Joe's and I bought it on a whim yesterday. I was sure I could find a use for it. I thought the same thing about this broth, but I bought it MONTHS ago. I considered cooking them together, but needed something to spice it up. I then eyeballed the leftover sweet potato from a dish I made last week. Miso and sweet potato is an amazing flavor combination and very popular lately. This made for an easy dish, and a lot of leftovers. The flavor was quite tasty, without any one prevalent flavor. It could be improved with a couple spoonfuls of miso or some minced ginger for a little kick.

Zuppa di Pasta e Fagioli

2 Tbs olive oil
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 carrot, sliced into half-moons
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 19oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable broth
15oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water, or more if needed
2 tsp dried thyme
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper
2 cups gluten-free pasta

1) Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2) Add celery, carrot and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes until celery begins to soften slightly.
3) Add beans, broth and tomatoes.
4) Add water, starting with just 1 cup.
5) Add thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper.
6) Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
7) Add gluten-free pasta. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
8) Remove bay leaves and serve hot.

Review: This made so much food! It was a wonderfully hearty dish for our cold, snowy days. Unfortunately, the gluten-free pasta behaves a little differently. It continued to soak up the broth and the leftover bowls were more of a pasta dish and less of a soup. This may change based on what kind of pasta you use. My absolute favorite is made by Trader Joe's and is a quinoa/brown rice mix.

Adapted from:
http://www.theglutenfreevegan.com/2012/05/zuppa-di-pasta-e-fagioli/

Shiitake Mushroom & Potato Enchiladas

1 pt sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 Tbs olive oil
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
kosher salt and black pepper
2 cups Daiya shredded 'cheddar'
2 10oz cans green enchilada sauce
10 corn tortillas, warmed

1) Preheat oven to 400F. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook, tossing often, until the potatoes begin to soften (6-8 minutes). Add the corn and mushrooms, continuing to cook until the potatoes are tender (6-8 minutes).
2) Spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Dividing evenly, roll up the mushroom mixture and a sprinkle of cheese in a tortilla. Place seam down in the casserole dish. Repeat until all mushroom mixture and tortillas are used. Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
3) Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted, 15 to 20 minutes.

Review: I loved the flavor of this dish. The potatoes were an unexpected item in enchiladas, but worked really well. However, this was incredibly dry. The original recipe called for dried mushrooms that soaked in water and using some of the soaking water in the skillet. I prefer fresh mushrooms. I'm not sure if adding some water to the skillet would have helped, or if I should have just used more enchilada sauce. This will need some tinkering, for sure.

Adapted from:
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/mushroom-potato-enchiladas

Citrus Scented Wine Cake with Fresh Berries

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
2 Tbs King Arthur Flour cake enhancer
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sweet dessert wine, such as Moscato, Marsala or Muscat
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 pt fresh berries
2 Tbs powdered sugar

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 9x13 inch cake pan lightly with oil.
2) In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, cake enhancer, baking powder and salt.
3) In a different small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, wine and orange juice.
4) In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer for 4 minutes, or until pale yellow and tripled in volume. Add half of dry ingredients and mix on low speed until blended. Add half of olive oil mixture and mix to blend. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and olive oil mixture.
5) Let the batter sit for 10 minutes and then gently mix in berries.
6) Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 minutes, or until center is 210F. Cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar.

Review: I've had this recipe for almost three years. Each week it tempts me as I flip through my pile of clipped recipes. I decided to treat myself and finally make it. Unfortunately, after buying 2 pints of berries (blueberry & blackberry), I read the instructions and it said to serve the cake with berries. Ugh. Berries rot in the fridge so quickly, so I was reluctant to do that. I tossed them into the cake and they sunk to the bottom and burst. Remembering a class I took, I should have let the batter sit for 10 minutes before mixing in the berries. This helps the xanthan gum bind itself up and makes it able to suspend mixed-in items. Now, back to the flavor. This was pretty delicious. It was light, airy and had a subtle citrus/moscato flavor. It also had a strong olive oil flavor. Bummer. I'd recommend trying vegetable oil next time.

Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/citrus-scented-wine-cake-with-fresh-berries/

Tofu Stir-Fry with Asian Pear & Cashews

1 cup brown rice
4 tsp hot toasted sesame oil or hot chili oil, divided
16oz pkg extra firm tofu, diced
3 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium Asian pear, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs gluten free hoisin sauce
2 Tbs gluten free soy sauce
3 tsp rice vinegar
1 cup roasted cashews

1) Cook rice according to package directions.
2) Heat 2 tsp sesame oil in wok over high heat. Add tofu, and cook 10-15 minutes, or until golden on two or more sides, turning occasionally. Transfer tofu to plate.
3) Heat remaining 2 tsp sesame oil in wok over high heat. Add carrots and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add Asian pear and bell pepper, and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add garlic and stir-fry 1 minute more. Return tofu to wok with vegetables and add rice.
4) Whisk together hoisin, soy sauce and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Pour over wok mixture, and stir until tofu is heated through. Serve topped with cashews.

Review: I've never tried Asian pear before and thought this would be a great introduction. The sticker on the fruit said it was an apple pear. That's a great description of its flavor! But, it's not an apple pear, it's an Asian pear. Look for a fruit that's firm like an apple and has no bruising. Like a pear, it's optional to peel or leave skin on. I left the skin on and it was fine. Many have skins that are scratched - that indicates a good degree of ripeness because the fruit stayed on the tree longer. Once it's in the fridge, it supposedly can keep for several months. I had mine for over a week and it was fine. So, back to the recipe. I had some difficulty finding all the ingredients. My grocery store only had one row of hot toasted sesame oil and it was hard to find. To top off the difficulties, I only know of one brand that makes gluten free hoisin sauce. I was very fortunate that it was carried at my grocery store. This was a labor of love just getting all the ingredients together. Preparing and cooking the meal was another labor of love as it took about an hour. And don't try licking oil off your fingers, this stuff is SPICY. This dish had an awesome mix of heat, sweet and savory. What a wonderful dinner!!!

Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/tofu-stir-fry-with-asian-pear-and-cashews/