Quatra Ensalada

Rainbow Carrot Slaw with Ginger Vinaigrette
1 yellow carrot, julienned
1 white carrot, julienned
1 orange carrot, julienned
1/2 piece of ginger, skinned and grated
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tbsp tamari

Toss all ingredients together and let it marinate for 5 minutes before serving.

Minted Cucumbers
1 cucumber, seeds removed, diced
2 cups cold water
1 large handful of mint leaves, crushed and minced
1 cheese cloth and twine

Soak diced cucumber in a brine made of water and mint leaves wrapped in a cheese cloth. Soak for 30 minutes or longer. Drain and serve cucumbers. Discard mint and water.

Pickled Oregano Black Peppercorn Onions
1/2 white onion, sliced thin
EVOO
Fresh Lemon juice
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
1/2 tbsp oregano
Salt & pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together and massage till the onions have softened or wilted. Serve alongside crisp veggies of choice or with smoked salmon.

Tomatoes with Cinnamon and Chillies
1 roma tomato, seeds removed and diced
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
1 thai red chilli, minced

Toss all ingredients together and serve.

This salad gives your palate a nice tingle. A great summer salad with bursts of flavours. All the flavours are harmonious but distinct when eaten separately.

Chicken Corn Soup

1 small can cream of corn
1 chicken breast, diced
1/2 white wine
1 cube of bouillon
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper

In a sauce pan on medium high heat. Add oil and sautee diced chicken till lightly browned. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Scraping the browned bits from the pan. Those are the yummy caramelized flavours. Add can of corn and mix well. Bring to a simmer and then add bouillon cube. Mix and incorporate well. Bouillon cube will slowly melt into the liquid.

Remove from heat and season with salt & pepper. Serve hot with garlic toast. Makes 2 bowls.

Rosé Sauce with Turkey Vegetable

Ingredients:

1 cup of soft goat cheese
1 10 oz can diced tomato in olive oil & garlic
1 small zucchini finely diced
2 cups button mushrooms finely diced
1 lb of ground turkey
1/2 cup white onion finely diced
2 tbsps olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat a large sauce pan at medium high heat and add olive oil, onions & turkey. Sautee till turkey is browned and onions are translucent. Add the can of tomatoes and turn heat down to medium. Bring to a simmer and add zucchini & mushrooms. Stir well. Let simmer for 3 minutes. Add goat cheese and stir well. Bring to a simmer and keep stirring as the cheese melts to incorporate it into the sauce. This will also prevents it from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving with pasta or putting it in lasagna.

Vietnamese Style Spicy Beef Stew

6 cups cubed stew beef
1 large onion halved and sliced
2 carrots peeled and cut into 1" chunks
2 tbsps Sesame oil
2 tbsps Chilli oil
2 tbsps Five Spice Powder
1 tbsp Cinnamon
3 cloves garlic minced
1 stalk lemongrass bruised and minced
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup gf Tamari sauce
1 tbsp Fresh cracked Black pepper
2-3 tbsps olive oil

Place olive oil in a large pot on medium heat, brown your beef cubes on all sides. Remove meat and set aside. In the same pot add garlic, onions, lemongrass and carrot. Sautee for 2-3 minutes. Add meat back into the pot along with remaining ingredients. Bring the liquid to a boil and turn the heat down to low-medium. Cover with lid. Simmer for 3-4 hours, occasionally stirring, make sure the sauce doesn't  stick to the bottom. Taste and Texture test at 3 hours, cook longer if meat is still tough. Cooking time depends on what cut of meat you buy. When you like the taste and texture of the meat. Turn heat to low. You can thicken the sauce using 1 tbsps of cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsps of cold water. Pour this mixture in the sauce slowly and mix very well to thicken it.

Serve hot with french bread, steamed rice or noodles.

Lentil & Rice Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
4-6 medium sized harvest veggies chopped into 1" sized pieces
(This week I used; turnip, carrot, potato, celery, cherry tomatoes)
8 cups broth
2 cups water
3 bay leaflets
1/4 cup lentils
1/4 cup brown rice
2 tbsps olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot on medium high heat sautee vegetables with olive oil for 2 minutes and add bay leaflets, rice and lentils. Sautee for another 3 minutes. Stirring frequently.

Add broth and water. Bring to a rolling boil then turn heat down to low. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the rice and lentils doneness. The rice should have blossomed and appear fluffy. Lentils should be soft and the texture of cooked chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with garlic toast.

GF Souvlaki

What's your choice of meat? You can make tempeh or firm tofu souvlaki as well. No matter what it is. The trick is to marinate for 6 hours or more.

For the marinate you will need a blend of olive oil, fresh minced garlic, oregano, lemon juice, salt and pepper. And for those who love more tangy-ness add the zest of a lemon.

Cut your meat, tofu or tempeh into bite size pieces.

Whisk all the marinate ingredients together.

Place meat, tofu or tempeh in a large ziplock bag. Pour the marinate in and seal it shut, pressing all the air out. Massage the meat or swish the tofu/tempeh around to evenly coat it. Repeat every other hour. Just to make sure the flavours are evenly distributed.

Soak your bamboo skewers in cold water for at least an hour before use. Skewer the meat/tofu/tempeh using veggies as dividers or you can just have all meat.

Grill until meat is cooked or when the center is warm. Serve with rice, pita, tzatziki sauce and greek salad.

GF Slow Cooker Adobo Chicken

This is a well-known Filipino recipe for chicken. It is a nice balance of sweet, savoury, bitter and spice.

6 skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1/2 cup GF Tamari
1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pickled pearl onions
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced potato
2 tbsps ginger powder
2 bay leaves

Place all the vegetables in the bottom of your slow cooker followed by th ginger powder and bay leaves. Place chicken thighs over the vegetables and pour liquids over top. Cook on high for 2-3 hours then on medium for 1-2 hour. Serve with steamed rice and salad.

GF Boeuf Bourguignon

This is my rendition of Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon sans gluten (gluten free version).

6 oz slab bacon, rind removed, cut into 1/4 x 1 1/2" pieces, 1 tbsps olive oil, 3 lbs stewing beef, such as lean rump pot roast, cut into 2" cubes, patted dry. 1 carrot, thinly sliced, 1 medium onion, sliced, coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. 2 tbsps gluten free flour blend,
3 cups red wine, such as Chianti, Shiraz, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. 3.5 cups beef stock or canned low-sodium beef stock, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 3/4 tsp dried thyme, 1.5 dried bay leaf, crumbled, 4 sprigs fresh parsley, plus more for garnish. 3 1/2 tbsps unsalted butter, 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 24 pearl onions, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, and peeled,
1 lb white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered.

After shopping for half a day to buy all the ingredients,  you yhen spend the remainder of the day cooking. 😆

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with oven racks set in the middle and lower half. In a small saucepan, bring 6 cups water to a simmer; add bacon and rind, simmering for 10 minutes. Drain; dry bacon and pot. Reserve rind.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch-oven over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon; set aside.
Increase heat to medium-high; oil should be just below smoking point.

Add beef in small batches and cook until well-browned on all sides. Remove meat, and set aside with bacon.

Add carrots and sliced onions; cook until browned.

Return beef and bacon to pot; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle in flour, tossing to coat.

Transfer pot, uncovered, to middle of oven; bake for 4 minutes. Toss meat and vegetables; bake for 4 minutes more.

Transfer pot to stove. Reduce heat to 325 degrees.

Over medium-low heat, stir in wine and enough stock to barely cover meat. Add tomato paste, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1 crumbled bay leaf, and bacon rind; bring to a simmer. Cover pot, and transfer to oven.

Bake, regulating heat so stew simmers, until meat is fork tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Meanwhile, make a Bouquet Garni (herb sachet). In an 8 x 8" piece of cheesecloth, combine 4 sprigs parsley, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp thyme, and tie using kitchen twine. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, combine 1 1/2 tbsps butter and 1 1/2 tbsps oil over medium-high heat. When butter is bubbling, add whole onions; sautée until browned, about 10 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup stock to pan; season with salt and pepper, and add the bouquet garni. Simmer, covered, until onions are tender and liquid has evaporated, 40 - 50 minutes. Remove herb sachet, and discard. Set aside.

Wipe out skillet; place over high heat. Add 2 tbsps butter and 1 tbsp oil; butter will begin to foam. As foaming subsides, add mushrooms; sautée stirring often, until lightly browned. Remove from heat; set aside.

Pour stew into a sieve set over a large saucepan. Rinse out Dutch-oven. Return beef and bacon to pot; add cooked mushrooms and onions.

Skim fat from sauce. Over medium-low heat, bring sauce to a simmer, skimming off additional fat, 1 to 2 minutes. Sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. If too thin, bring to a boil and reduce to correct consistency.

If too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables.

Bring pot to a simmer, covered, over medium heat, basting meat and vegetables with sauce, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley; serve immediately.

GF Crêpes

Bonjour mes amis! Bienvenue à la blog YourInnerGreek. Today I will share a french snack/simple dessert recipe with you.

For the batter you will need the following ingredients; 2/3 cup coconut, soy, almond, rice or cow's milk, 1/3 cup cornstarch, 1 egg, 2 tsps olive oil or melted butter and pinch of salt.

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Grease your frying pan with olive oil and heat the pan over medium heat.

Pour 2 tbsps of batter into the pan while swirling the pan to spread out the batter.
Continue to swirl the pan – OFF the heat! – until the batter begins to bubble and there is no longer excess batter to swirl.
Cook for 30-40 seconds; the first one is always not the nicest looking crepe. But it gets better as you go.

Carefully flip the crepe and cook and additional 15-20 seconds on the other side. Repeat until there is no batter left.

This recipe makes approximately 10 crepes depending on your pan size.

Serve the crepes with melted butter and sugar. Butter, sugar and lemon. Cinnamon apple compote and confectioners sugar dusted on top. Or have a savoury crepe a la Thon. Tuna salad and chopped tomatoes rolled in the crepe.

Bon apetit!

GF Pancakes Recipe

I thought I would post this recipe for those who love pancakes. Super simple and quick to make.

Here is what you will need; 1 cup GF flour blend, 1.5 tsp baking powder, 1 egg, 1 tbsp coconut oil, a pinch of salt & 1/2 cup coconut water give or take. You may need more or less coconut water. It depends on your flour blend; some like more liquids and some like less.

Whisk all the ingredients together till smooth without lumps. Grease your frying pan and heat should be at medium. Pour a laddle of batter in the center of the pan and watch for bubbles to form. Once the edges becomes solid and slightly translucent. Flip the pancake and press down lightly with your spatula. In about 20-30 seconds remove from pan and place on serving plate. Repeat till no batter is left.

This reipe makes about 6-7 mini pancakes or 2-3 large pancakes. Which is great for 1 person.

Hope you enjoy my recipe; let me know how you liked it in the comments below.

Cheers,
Vivian

The Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies

Here's a super easy recipe that I tried out in my test kitchen today. It is gluten free, dairy free, egg free and vegan. Sorry to those with nut allergies. You could try using a nut free spread. Let me know how that turns out. :)

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup coconut sugar, any granulated sweetener will do
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup gluten free steel cut oats
3 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all ingredients well. Let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes for the chia seeds to thicken.

Roll spoonfuls of dough into 1" balls in the palm of your hand. Place 1" apart from one another on baking sheet. Flatten with the back of a fork to 1/2" thickness, this makes them either striped or checkered pattern. You may also use your fingers to flatten them. Bake on parchment lined cookie sheets for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Let set & cool on baking sheet. Serve with milk or tea. Keep leftovers in an air tight container.

Cheers & Enjoy.
Vivian

Slow Cooker Chicken & Vegetable Stew

An easy and healthy meal for the family.

Ingredients:
6 pieces bone in chicken thighs
4 cups your choice of chopped veggies
[In this recipe I used celery, carrot, cherry tomatoes, onion, cauliflower, garlic]
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
2 cups water
2 tbsp Montreal steak spice
1 cup cooked pasta [macaroni, bows, shells or use fancy character pastas to make it fun for the kids]

Place all the ingredients except for the pasta in your slow cooker. Turn the temperature to high. If it doesn't all fit. You can either cook the chicken or the vegetables till they're soften first. Then everything should shrink and it will fit in a 6 quart slow cooker.

Once the chicken is cooked and the liquid is simmering. Turn the heat down to low and let it cook for 2-3 hours. The vegetables and liquid should thicken into a chunky sauce. Chicken should fall apart now. Remove the bones and add the precooked pasta. Mix well and warm up the pasta for about 30 minutes in the stew.

Serve hot with garlic toast or on its own.

Bon appetit!

Spicy Enoki & Spinach Stirfry

Ingredients:

1 enoki mushroom bunch (cleaned, trimmed and separated)
1 spinach bunch (cleaned with stems on)
1 tbsp chinese chilli oil (with peppers, not the oil only version)
2 tbsp gluten free tamari sauce
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic

In a large skillet, on medium high heat. Place oil, ginger and garlic. Sautée till fragrant and slightly golden.

Add spinach and tamari, stir around every minute so the bottom leaves don't over cook. Once the spinach has cooked down to half the size. Add mushrooms and cook for 2-5 minutes or until the stalks soften. Caution don't overcook these mushrooms as they get really chewy.

Plate with chilli oil drizzled over top. Serve with steamed brown rice or quinoa. This is a quick and delicious dish, who said vegan & gluten free cooking couldn't be easy?

Enjoy!

Creamy Spinach & Ham Soup DF GF

Ingredients:

6 Frozen chopped spinach pellets or 1/2 pack of the block form spinach
2 bouillon cubes or 2 tbsp bouillon powder
1/4 onion diced
1/2 cup of ham diced
4 - 6 cups water depending how thick you want your soup
Salt and pepper to taste

Thickening agent: mix well together
1 cup corn flour
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsps butter

In a large pot sautée the thickening agent until it forms a dough like consistency and is slightly transparent. Keep stirring as this mixture loves to stick to the bottom of the pot. Approximately 5-10 minutes on medium high heat.

Add the onions and ham into the thickening agent mixture. Break up the dough as much as you can. Add 4 cups of water and mash up the the dough bits as it boils. They should slowly melt away. I like to keep some of the dough in the soup for texture and dumplings. Add bouillon and spinach. Keep stirring as the soup thickens. Add remainder of water if the soup becomes too thick. Stir and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. This is the dairy free version. But if you like dairy, I would recommend making some cheese crisps to add on top when serving.

Hope you enjoy my recipe and until next time. Happy cooking and bon appetit.

Thai Chicken & Pineapple Salad

Quick recipe for a hot summer night. Enough for two people.

Ingredients

2 cups diced leftover roasted or bbq chicken
1 cup fresh diced pineapple
2 tbsps chopped cilantro (may substitute with basil)
2 tbsps chopped fresh mint
1 Thai red chili pepper (seeded, minced)
1 tbsp apricot jelly
1/4 cup ginger sesame dressing

In a large bowl, mix chicken, pineapple, cilantro & fresh mint.

In a small bowl whisk apricot jelly, chili & dressing together.

Drizzle mixture over chicken mixture.

Toss well and serve. Great for lettuce wraps or salad roll filling.

Enjoy :)

Perogies

After years of not being able to eat perogies. I've finally broke down and made a successful batch of perogies. For being gluten free it is still a very delicate dough like all gluten free doughs.

2 cups corn flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
2 tbsps guar gum
1 pinch of salt
1 cup warm water
2-3 tbsps vegetable oil
Cornstarch or extra tapioca starch for dusting and kneading

Mix all the above ingredients together well. You will have a sticky dough. Use cornstarch or tapioca starch to dust a clean flat surface.  Knead dough and roll out to 1/8" thickness. Flipping the dough and dusting with more starch to prevent sticking. Use a circle cookie cutter to cut out rounds of dough.

Fill with your favourite fillings. Fold in half into semi-circles and press the edges to seal.

Boil perogies in a pot of boiling water till they float freely. Remove from the water and set aside.

In a skillet melt 2 tbsps of butter. Brown some sausage, bacon or kielbasa and sautee some diced onions and peppers. Add perogies and brown the sides. Be careful as the edges may break off, so be gentle. Remember the dough is delicate even when it's cooked. Pan fry till a little bit golden brown.

Serve with sour cream and diced green onion.

Bon apetite!

Vivian

Cinnamon Almond Granola

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats (gluten & wheat free)
3/4 cup sliced almonds
3 tbsps cinnamon
3 tbsps coconut oil
3 tbsps honey, agave or brown sugar

Mix all ingredients except almonds thoroughly and bake at 300°F till crunchy and slightly browned. Toss in sliced almonds. Cool and store in air tight container for up to 2 weeks.

Sprinkle on cereal, ice cream, yogurt or fruits for a healthy topping.

Well.ca Review

Hello Foodies,

Today I'm back with a mini haul from Well.ca. If you are not familiar with them, Well.ca is a Canadian online health + beauty store based out of Ontario. Woot! That's where I'm from :)

Everything was carefully wrapped and a lovely handwritten message from Deb. I thought that was a sweet personal touch.

Thank you for the prompt shipment and the package arrived in perfect condition. I loved how they wrapped my cookies in bubble wrap and put them in a separate box. No one likes a bag of crumbs. :)

For those that enjoy gluten free or organic treats, this website has got plenty. And for those who like to cook they've got some cool gadgets too. On my next purchase I plan on purchasing one of those julienne peelers to make myself some raw veggie noodles.

Thanks Well.ca, I will be back for another shopping spree soon.

Vivian
maydaydesigns.blogspot.ca

Chewy Oat Bar

Hello Foodies,

Today I'm back with a comparable recipe to the Starbucks Oat Bar. This buttery, creamy and semi-sweet chewy goodness. Great for snacks and breakfast on the go. I don't necessarily make them into a bar form, sometimes I just roll them into 1" balls and call it a day.

Here's what you'll need:

1 cup quick oats
1 cup quick oats, blended into a coarse flour in a food processor/blender
1/4 cup butter, unsalted
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp cinnamon (optional)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp agave nectar
2 tbsp golden cane sugar
2 tbsp hot water

In a saucepan melt butter at medium/high heat. Add salt, vanilla, honey, agave nectar, cane sugar and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, turn the heat down to low and cook for another minute. Make sure your liquid is not sticking to the saucepan, stir to melt the sugar.

In a large bowl mix 1 cup of quick oats with the other cup of blended quick oat flour. Mix well with cinnamon.

Pour the hot liquid into the dry ingredients and mix well. Add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time until you've reached your desired consistency. NOTE: You may need more than 2 tbsps of hot water. Add more water if the mixture is too dry or if you like it to be more chewy.

In a greased rectangular pan, press the mixture into the pan and level off with your hands or a spatula. Or you can take a spoonful and roll it into a ball, repeat till you have a cookie sheet full of them.

Place in fridge for at least 1 hour to set. Remove from fridge and cut into squares. Store in an air tight container.

Hope you like my take on the delightful Starbuck's snack.

Enjoy!

Vivian
YourInnerGreek

Hoisin Sauce Recipe

Great for bbq, chicken and seafood. The term 'hoisin,' means seafood. But traditionally this sauce is used when serving Peking Duck as well as Crispy Suckling Pig in Chinese culture. In Vietnam, it is used as a dipping sauce for soup noodles and salad rolls.
Here is what you will need:

4 tbsps gluten free tamari sauce
2 tbsps nut butter
1½ tbsps agave nectar
2 tsps apple cider vinegar
⅛ tsp garlic powder
2 tsps sesame seed oil
2 tsps siracha sauce
⅛ tsp black pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together and voila. Great for wraps and sandwiches. Use it as a bbq glaze instead of store bought bbq sauce. Brush onto salmon steaks and bake in the oven till it is done. Sprinkle with fresh cut green onions and thai chillies.