John Mackey vs. Michael Pollan: The Smackdown

I'm headed to UC Berkeley this evening with my dear friends Ms. L and Poet With A Day Job for the much-anticipated dialogue between John Mackey (CEO of Whole Foods) and Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and a food ethicist who is an outspoken critic of Whole Foods, which is part of what he calls "Big Organic." Pollan is troubled by the negative environmental and social impact of Whole Foods and other companies who capitalize off of their progressive images while undermining local agriculture. And a whole lot of other things. He has lots of good things to say about a variety of issues including nutrition, animal treatment, and sustainable agriculture. The whole blog world seems to be abuzz today about this sold-out event, so I wanted to let those of you who aren't local or who weren't able to obtain tickets know that you can watch it for free as a webcast here, beginning at 6:50 PM (Pacific).

(Thanks to Ethicurean.com for the lowdown!)

Collard Greens, Plain and Simple

I grow collards in my garden:



And I grow collards on my porch:


I love collard greens, and they sure make my body happy.

Here in Northern California, February is a great time to buy, or harvest, various hardy green vegetables and cabbage-family veggies that thrive in the winter weather. I harvested 2 whole pounds of collards from my garden last week and cooked them up for this week's submission to the Anti-Oxidant Rich Foods / 5-A-Day Tuesday blogging event. They are very tasty by themselves or with rice and beans. I'll be enjoying for days to come. Feel free to cut this recipe in half, of course, if you don't want a week's worth of greens on your hands!

Part of why these greens turned out so deliciously is that I used my Victorious Vegetable Stock, which is incredibly flavorful and rich. However I'm sure they'd turn out fine and dandy with one of the less flavorful storebought stocks. The smoked sweet paprika in these greens imparts a wonderful smoky flavor without the traditional but decidedly non-kosher and non-vegetarian smoked ham hock.

Whatever you do, don't discard the pot liquor! It is full of the nutrients and flavor that have leached out of the greens during cooking, and makes a very full-bodied and rich broth you can use as a replacement for water when making rice (my favorite), as the base for soups or stews, or in any other savory dish that requires broth or water.

EASY VEGETARIAN COLLARD GREENS

2 pounds of collard greens
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Optional: Hot sauce or red pepper flakes

Wash greens well, submerging in a sink full of cold water to remove any dirt and grit. Drain well. Cut off the stems right where the leaf starts. Stack about 5-8 leaves on top of eachother, then roll lengthwise. Cut rolled up leaves into 1" slices widthwise. Repeat until all the greens are done, and add to a large pot.

Add all other ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes or until greens are extremely tender. Serve hot, using a slotted spoon to drain the liquid from the greens.

The Curse of the Lazy Blogger: A Letter to My Readers

My dear and loyal readers,

I just received a few e-mails from readers who pointed out that in the Multigrain Miracle Bread recipe I forgot to write the word "flour" after the first few ingredients. This led some people to wonder if I was calling for flour or for cooked grains instead. I have now corrected the recipe and it should now be clearer. In addition, I was tipped off to the fact that I left out the dijon mustard in the Lemon-Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Oy! This is what I get for lazily proof-reading my recipes late at night.

These errors have now been changed. Many thanks to all of my detail-oriented readers who took the time to let me know. I am a good proofreader of other peoples' writing, but clearly not a good proofreader of my own. I hope you enjoy these recipes.

A word to e-mail subscribers: You are not sent a revised version when I revise a blog entry because you were already e-mailed a post. This means that in situations like these, where I update a recipe for clarity's sake or to correct an error, the recipe you have in your inbox will not be correct. Thus, I recommend clicking the link within each e-mail to actually visit the original post on the website itself. The URL of my blog is:

http://glutenfreebay.blogspot.com

Check the actual site periodically for occasional changes to posts and recipes, new links on the sidebar, etc... And to comment on my posts, of course!

You might also consider subscribing to a feed reader or RSS aggregator such as Google Reader (my favorite), MyYahoo, MyAOL or NewsGator. I find these much better ways to read blogs than through e-mail subscription. These sites all enable you to read ALL of your favorite blogs in one place on one page. You simply "subscribe" to a blog through one of these sites and check the aggregator site daily to see all of the latest posts, without having to individually visit each blog. It saves time and mouse clicks and energy.

Thanks for your patience with my mistakes, everybody. Please never hesitate to let me know if there's something confusing or inaccurate in my posts and my recipes!

Gluten-Free, Cane-Sugar-Free Hamantaschen

It's getting close to Purim, which means it's time for hamantaschen! These three-cornered cookies are made to look like villain Haman's tri-cornered hat, and are filled with delicious things - Growing up we had them with apricot, prune or poppyseed filling. I think they are one of the most delicious of all Jewish foods, and they are as much a part of Purim as costume-wearing, cross-dressing, and drunken raucousness.

This is a recipe for gluten-free, cane-sugar-free hamantaschen. It works great with most gluten-free baking mixes, such as Better Batter Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour (Orthodox Union certified), Arrowhead Mills All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Mix (OK certified) or Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix
(kosher ingredients, non-certified) or my Rice Flour Mix. I was inspired partly by a recipe by user "debmidge" on Celiac.com, as well as by my own instincts as to what would taste right and work for my gluten-free, no cane sugar diet. A warning to those who, like me, grew up with the crumbly, crisp sugar-cookie variety of hamantaschen: These do not have a sugar-cookie consistency. Instead, they have a thicker, softer, more cakelike texture, which is traditional for some Jews. Think more buttery pastry than crumbly cookie. Whether or not they're the kind you grew up with, I think you will find them quite delicious!

A word about hamantaschen fillings: I filled half of my hamantaschen with no-sugar-added apricot preserves. The other half I filled with lekvar, a puree of dried prunes that have been softened in boiling water. You can buy canned lekvar, which has sugar or corn syrup in it, or you can try making it yourself. Try a recipe such as this one, but replace or omit the sugar. Don't be scared of the prune filling - In my humble opinion it is by far the tastiest filling for hamantaschen - It is sweet but also has a nice tartness to it. Other kinds of jams can be used, or a poppy seed filling.

*A note about agave: Agave nectar is controversial in that it is billed as "unrefined" but it actually goes through quite a bit of refinement. What is known is that it naturally contains fructose it is much lower on the glycemic index (GI) than other natural sweeteners, which supposedly makes it more suitable for diabetics, sugar-sensitive people, low-carbers, and hypoglycemics. I've noticed it doesn't give me the same kind of strung-out feeling and anxiety as I get from cane sugar. Please remember, however that it does still affect one's blood sugar, so it's not something that diabetics can eat in large quantities and it will affect their blood sugar in a way that truly sugar-free non-caloric sweeteners (like Splenda) won't.

CHAG PURIM!

HAMANTASCHEN

1 stick (8 tbsp) margarine or butter, softened
3/4 cup agave nectar
1 egg
2 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tbsp corn starch
2 1/2 cups gluten-free baking mix (rice-flour based)
1/2 cup potato starch
1 additional egg, well beaten and set aside

With an electric hand mixer, or in the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter or margarine with the agave nectar. Add the unbeaten egg, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla and continue combining. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry mixture into the liquid mixture. Mix until combined into a cohesive ball of dough. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Flour a counter or other surface thoroughly. Remove dough from refrigerator and immediately roll into a ball and roll the ball in flour before placing it on the floured counter. Roll out until 1/4" to 1/8" thickness. Using a juice glass or biscuit cutter, cut into 3-4" circles. Immediately move dough circles to parchment-lined cookie sheets. If the dough begins to stick to the counter, use a pastry scraper to gently transfer the disks of dough. Place approximately 1 teaspoon of filling (apricot preserves, lekvar, poppyseed filling, raspberry jam, etc) in the center of each circle. Using a pastry brush, apply well-beaten egg to the perimeter of each dough circle and immediately fold 3 sides of circle together so that the cookie becomes a triangle, and pinch corners to seal. Seal completely and firmly, using beaten egg so they do not come apart in baking. The final cookie should look like a triangle with the filling showing through only at the center. Use the remaining beaten egg to lightly brush the top of each pastry.

Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden on top but not over-browned on the bottom (lift one cookie up after 12 minutes to make sure the bottom hasn't become dark brown). Let cool slightly before serving or transferring to cooling rack.

Makes approximately 24 cookies.

Gluten-Free Bread That Just Might Make You Cry [For Joy]

It is hard to believe that something as ordinary as a loaf of bread could nearly bring tears to my eyes - But that is what happened the other night when I sliced into the loaf of fresh-baked bread I had just pulled from the oven.

I had adapted a recipe that was shared on the Celiac.com forums by a woman named Laurie. I certainly won't take full credit for it, as the basic structure was her creation. I owe her many thanks.

I didn't want to get my expectations up about this bread. I figured it couldn't possibly be anything more than satisfactory, at least by the standards of someone who still remembers the taste and mouthfeel of real, gluten-loaded bread. The first thing I noticed when I sliced it was that the slices were pliable. I was certain that I was hallucinating. You know what I'm talking about - Lacking the rubbery properties of gluten, even good gluten-free bread will usually break if you try to bend one of the slices. But this slice was like an acrobat, gracefully bending nearly in half without any crumbling whatsoever. It had the appearance of wheat bread. I poked at it tentatively with a finger... It gave, and bounced gently back. It was soft as a pillow. When I bit into it, all I could think was "Holy sh*t!" I got a little farklempt. At that moment I realized what I had been missing since gluten began making me ill.

There is not a single thing about this bread that tastes or feels different than a wheat loaf. This is bread I could serve to a gluten-eating guest without shame, and feel confident they would never guess that it is gluten-free.

So, about those flaxseeds: I am not a big fan, generally, but I truly could not taste them in this bread. They play a big part of giving it the wonderful texture it has, as well as the high fiber content, but thankfully they do not contribute to the flavor. It is dairy-free, which makes it a good choice for all you GFCF (gluten-free casein-free) folks. It has more protein, more fiber, less sugar, and more whole grains than most breads which makes it a perfect fit for my increasingly healthy diet.

The next morning I woke up for work, and stumbled to the kitchen. I accepted that the rest of the slices, which I'd left in a ziploc bag on the counter, would have become dry or gummy (or that special combination of both that is apparently unique to gluten-free bread). I was blown away by the fact that the bread had the same exact texture as it had the night before. This is bread that you can make a sandwich on without toasting it first. Bread that you can take to work or pack for your kid's school lunch. Best of all, it's not one of those breads that has a mediocre flavor or texture that needs to be obscured by peanut butter and jelly in order to be edible. It isn't just good - It's wonderful. This is a loaf that stands alone.


GLUTEN-FREE MULTIGRAIN MIRACLE BREAD

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot starch
1/4 cup flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)
3 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 additional egg whites
1 cup water, room temperature
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 200F.

Sift the flours, yeast and all other dry ingredients together into a medium bowl. Stir in flax meal and combine.

Combine the wet ingredients in a separate large bowl using a hand-mixer on low or medium speed. When fully combined, slowly add dry ingredient mixture and mix until fully blended, with no lumps. Scrape the sides regularly.

Grease a 9x5" bread pan, and pour the dough into the pan. Turn off the oven and immediately place the pan in it. Do not open the door again, if possible. Allow the dough to rise for 90 minutes. It should rise to the very top of the pan.

Increase heat to 350F and bake for approximately 40 minutes. The crust should be golden-brown. Allow to cool slightly before removing it from the pan to finish cooling. Do not slice until the bread is no longer hot.

This loaf does not need to be frozen, but if there are leftovers after a few days, place slices in airtight bags and freeze.

Double-Bean Pasta with Tomatoes

On Sundays I cook with weekday lunches in mind, favoring big pots of tasty dishes that reheat well in the microwave at work. This low-fat, whole grain, high-fiber and vegan pasta dish is full of some of my favorite foods - Green beans, chickpeas and pasta. Mmm. Nutritional yeast adds B-12 and other vitamins and a slightly cheesy taste, though folks who love cheese can try parmesan or romano instead. Bob's Red Mill and Red Star brands of nutritional yeast are both gluten-free.

DOUBLE-BEAN PASTA WITH TOMATOES

2 cups gluten-free Tinkyada brown rice spirals
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 (16 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1-2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Cook pasta in salted water until done, according to package instructions. Drain in a colander and set aside. In the same pot, steam green bean pieces until tender but still crisp. Add to colander with pasta.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or deep frying pan over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes, dried parsley and dried basil and shallot. Sautee until the shallot has become translucent. Add bell pepper and garlic and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring often. Add tomatoes and garbanzo beans and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Stir in pasta and green beans, nutritional yeast, and balsamic vinegar. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Lemon-Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts

For those of you who are fans of my Roasted Brussels Sprouts, here's a zesty twist on the same simple dish. If you haven't yet tried the original recipe, either one of these recipes just might make you a brussels sprout fan even if you're a sworn hater. The possibilities are endless when it comes to these itty bitty cabbage babies... Take a look at my friend Seamaiden's Caramelized Maple Brussels Sprouts - A tasty option for those who prefer their sprouts sweet.

My lemon-dijon brussels sprouts are made with fresh lemon juice - I much prefer them made with Meyer lemons but if you can't get them a regular lemon will certainly do. Beware, these peppery sprouts are addictive.

LEMON-DIJON ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

1 lb fresh Brussels sprouts
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut less than 1/4" off of the bottom of each brussel sprout and then slice sprout in half lengthwise. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl. Then toss brussels sprouts with sauce in a baking dish - Spread sprouts in a single layer. Roast for 25 minutes or until brussel sprouts are slightly browned and tender throughout. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Lemon-Blueberry Pancakes

When I found out that IHOP was serving free pancakes yesterday for Shrove Tuesday / National Pancake Day, I was sad for a moment that I couldn't take advantage of the offer. I sure am a sucker for free food. The disappointment was short-lived, however, because I remembered that I had made a huge batch of gluten-free lemon-blueberry pancakes on Sunday and still had a number of them in the fridge. I popped them in the toaster oven for a few minutes, spread no-sugar-added Raspberry Jam on them, and dug in. Pancake heaven!

I used Meyer lemons from my uncle's tree to prepare these - If you have access to this sweet, juicy variety I recommend using them. If not, a regular lemon will certainly do. I prefer them with real eggs and rice milk, but you can use egg replacer and any type of milk replacement. Try raspberry jam on them instead of syrup... it works wonderfully with the flavor and texture of the pancakes.

I've decided that pancake joy is its own special category of joy.

LEMON-BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

2 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix*
2 large eggs or equivalent egg replacer
1 1/2 cups rice milk or almond milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat a lightly oiled griddle over medium heat. Mix all of the ingredients together thoroughly until they are smooth with no olumps. Fold blueberries in gently. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle at a time. Cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and cook the second side. Serve hot with butter, real maple syrup and/or raspberry preserves. Leftover pancakes should be cooled, then stored in ziploc bags in the freezer or refrigerator. They can be reheated in a toaster oven or on a griddle, or microwaved for about 1 minute.

Makes approximately 12 pancakes.

*Edited 3/09 to add: Pamela's baking mixes are under kosher supervision but are not certified by a mainstream kosher certifying agency, so most people who keep strictly kosher kitchens will want to use another gluten-free pancake mix such as Gluten-Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake Mix. I no longer use Pamela's products in my house since I now have a more strictly kosher kitchen. If in doubt, check with your rabbi!