Soba noodles are such a tease.  The traditional Japanese version of soba noodles is made with buckwheat flour and is naturally gluten-free.  Unfortunately for those of us who can’t eat gluten, most versions of soba found in the U.S. are made with wheat flour.

When trying to figure out what to make for a small dinner at my place last Sunday, the first recipe suggested was a Soba Noodle Salad.  I knew that gluten-free soba exists, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to find them in time for our dinner.  However, I was up for a challenge and curious about this noodle.  I was lucky enough to find a pure buckwheat noodle on only my second try!  At $5 for eight ounces, it was a bit pricey and I was a little worried that they might not turn out.  So as backup I also purchased some Tinkyada gluten-free pad thai noodles – much less expensive and I knew that they would be good.

The recipe turned out great.  Notice I said recipe rather than noodles.  On their own, the noodles didn’t have much flavor.  They definitely aren’t something I would seek out to dress simply and eat plain, but as part of the flavors in this asian sauce, they were perfect and I would totally splurge again for them next time. While the recipe looks long, it was really easy to put together and tasted absolutely fantastic.

We started by making this Edamame with Ginger-Chile Dipping Sauce recipe (using gluten-free tamari).  That sauce was soooooo good we couldn’t get enough of it.  I ended up using it the next day on scallops and then again on more edamame.  I usually try not to cook all new recipes in case one doesn’t turn out – but these both worked so well, I may get more adventurous from now on!

Spicy Gluten-Free Soba Noodle and Lamb Recipe (adapted from Bobby Flay)

Ingredients
1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon five-spice powder
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound lamb tenderloin
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium gluten-free soy sauce (I used San-J Wheat Free Tamari which wasn’t low-sodium and it was fine)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
2 red jalapenos, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon honey
Kosher salt
1/2 pound gluten-free soba noodles
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions
Mix together 1/4 cup of the oil, five-spice powder and garlic in a large Ziploc bag, add the lamb and turn to coat in the mixture. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Whisk together the vinegar, gluten-free soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, jalapeno, honey and remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large bowl and let sit while you prepare the noodles.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gluten-free soba noodles and cook until just tender, approximately 5-8 minutes. Gluten-free noodles go quickly from al dente to mushy so watch carefully.  Stir gently as they are cooking to keep them from sticking together. The pure buckwheat noodles tend to stick together more than the soba noodles made with wheat flour. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain well and place immediately in the bowl with the dressing – if they are sticking together the oil in the mixture should help them come apart. Add the green onions and cilantro and mix until combined. Let sit at room temperature while you cook the lamb. Can be made 8 hours in advance and refrigerated. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Heat the grill to high.

Remove the lamb from the marinade and season with salt. Place the tenderloins on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling for 2 to 3 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from the grill, let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into 1/4-inch thick slices. Transfer noodles to a large platter and top with the sliced lamb.

This recipe would be great with pan-seared black cod if you don’t eat red meat.  And if you are looking for other ways to put your gluten-free soy sauce to work – try these Gluten-Free Tamari Roasted Almonds or this Gluten-Free Spicy Fish in Parchment and for the vegetarians try this Oven-Roasted Tofu recipe.

Someone was asking me recently why I thought food memories are so vivid at times.  I think it’s because it involves so many different senses.  The smell that fills the room and eventually greets your nostrils and the presentation set out for your eyes to take in, the touch/feeling of the texture and bite and finally the actual act of tasting which is affected by all of the other senses. While there isn’t much to hear other than chewing or crunch, a great meal is usually shared and that’s where conversation plays into the vividness of the memory.  I might not remember the details of what was said, but I associate the warmth and comfort of my friendships with whatever I was eating.

I am constantly on a mission to share deliciousness with my friends and family. When I find an ingredient that I love I become almost religious in my fervency as I try to introduce them to something that brings me such pleasure.  If you share my love of food, this is a familiar circumstance.

My recent discovery is Salish Smoked Sea Salt.  It concentrates the perfume of a summer afternoon spent grilling into little crystals you can use long after summer has given way to the chill of fall and winter.  I was lucky enough to visit my friends Jed and Chris in Seattle last week.  My host gifts for them included a small jar of Salish.  On Sunday we took advantage of a beautiful afternoon to experiment with the salt as we grilled with a big group of friends.   One friend made a delicious seared tuna crusted with Salish and chili powder.  I used the salt to make halibut with a yogurt sauce everyone seemed to love.  It makes the perfect accompaniment to fish tacos though this time we just smothered the fish with the salt and topped it with cilantro.

A great starter for this dish would be my Avocado and Fig Salsa, and a side of cilantro lime butter smothered on grilled corn would make the meal complete.

Halibut Fish Tacos Recipe with Salish Smoky Yogurt Sauce
Serves 2
Ingredients
halibut fish fillets for 2
1/2 fresh lime juice
1/2 lime zest
ground salish salt to taste
cumin to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Salish Smoky Yogurt Sauce
4oz nonfat greek yogurt
1/2 fresh lime juice
1/2 lime zest
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
salish salt to taste

cilantro

corn tortillas for tacos or lettuce for wraps
Directions:
Dry the halibut filets and coat with cumin, salish salt, pepper and lime zest.  Squeeze the fresh lime juice to coat.

Mix yogurt, chili powder, salish salt, lime juice and zest.  Set aside.

Heat a medium frying pan lightly coated with grapeseed or olive oil to medium/high heat.  Pan sear the halibut on each side until done. (time will vary according to thickness of the filet and personal preference)

Top the fish with the yogurt sauce and cilantro – serve with tortillas or lettuce for tacos or lettuce wraps. 

Special thanks to Jed and Chris for being such incredible friends and making sure my five days in Seattle were full of great food memories.  They bought a big box of gluten-free crackers before I arrived so we could eat them with cheese.  At the BBQ, Jed went to extra special effort to make sure no one contaminated dishes I wanted to eat with anything ‘gluten-y’.  I felt so cared for and loved.  I will have a vivid memory of all our meals together in Seattle for years to come.  It was truly a magical break from NYC.

I went out to her house in Queens for her Holiday party in December.  She had gone to the effort to get me gluten-free crackers AND gluten-free pasta for a dish she was making.  I had no idea she was going to such efforts.  With all of the chaos of hosting over 25 people (and her Mum!) at her place, she went way beyond any accommodations I would have ever expected.

When I went out to her house a few weeks ago for dinner with her and her amazing boyfriend Erik, they asked me to bring gluten-free bread for our burgers.  Not just for me though – we all ate the gluten-free bread.  I was so touched – they didn’t want me to feel like the odd man out.  They declared the gluten-free bread delicious whether it was or not isn’t really relevant, it made me feel like less of a burden with my ‘special needs,’  I also brought the gluten-free cookies I found at Mozzarelli’s.  The whole house, including her roommates, enjoyed those.

Aside from being a great evening of conversation and food, where I felt so cared for and at home, I also left with a new recipe for my repertoire.  (You can spy Kate and Erik in this photo from my Valentine’s Day Party)

Feta and Dill Burgers or Lettuce Wraps with a Spicy Sweet Potato Side

Ingredients (serves 2)

1/2 lb extra lean ground turkey
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2-3 oz fresh feta cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

Spicy Sweet Potato Side
1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (you can sub olive oil)
2-4 shallots, sliced
2-3 jalapenos, sliced
1 medium sweet potato, grated
salt and pepper to taste

romaine hearts

In a bowl, combine turkey, dill and feta. Shape with your hands into two burger patties and set aside.

In a medium non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add shallots and jalapenos and sauté until the shallots are soft and beginning to caramelize (about 10 minutes).  Add the shredded sweet potato and stir until the sweet potato is warmed through (about 3-5 minutes).

Heat grill (or your grill pan/george foreman for my fellow Nyers) and cook the burgers over med-high heat.  (quick tip – I like to make turkey burgers a little thinner than burgers made with beef to make sure they cook through without losing too much moisture)

Serve with gluten-free bread or hamburger buns.

I have been adapting this to make lettuce wraps.  Sauteing the turkey with dill, salt and pepper until brown.  I then add the feta as I turn off the heat to just begin the melting process.  I then fill pieces of romaine with the turkey mix and sweet potato side. It’s an affordable, low-fat and flavor-packed dinner I can make in under 15 minutes.  I owe Kate and Erik not just for their thoughtfulness but also inspiring my cooking long after our dinner!

With summer on its way, I will soon be leaving sweet potatoes behind for the season and adding lighter fare – Henrietta’s Halibut,  Chicken with Strawberry Salsa, and Corn with Cilantro Lime Butter are all on the agenda.

What are your favorite summer foods?

I learned to make this Ethiopian Chicken Stew at a recent cooking class and was amazed at the way the flavors melded together.  Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you.  They are easy to assemble, and the entire recipe cooks up quickly with rich, full flavors as a reward.  This was our second-favorite recipe in a class full of winners (like the Sorghum Cauliflower Curry Recipe).  I highly recommend serving the chicken with gluten-free polenta; the sauce will coat the base and the spices will be highlighted by the subtle flavor of the corn.

Gluten-Free Ethiopian Chicken Stew
4-6 Servings
Adapted from Whole Grains Every Day Every Way by Lorna Sass

Ingredients
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (or 4 cardamom pods, crushed to reveal the seeds)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 pounds bone-in chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat
salt to taste
2 to 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions:

Combine paprika, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cayenne, and black pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Season chicken evenly with salt and pepper and divide into 2 batches (depending upon the size of your pan).  Heat oil in a large wide saucepan over medium-high heat.  Arrange first batch of chicken in asingle layer in saucepan and brown on all sides (about 8 minutes).  Set aside. Repeat with second batch and set aside.

Add onion to pan, adding more oil if needed.  Cook until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in the ground spices and cook, stirring continuously, until well combined.

Stir in chicken broth to deglaze the pan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Return all browned chicken to pan, cover and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 35 to 45 minutes.  Add more broth or water if mixture becomes dry.  Turn chicken half way through cooking if certain pieces are not completely immersed in the liquid.

Serve warm atop polenta, rice or the veggie of your choice. 

The flavor is slightly nutty but it’s not an overwhelming, making it a good canvas for other seasonings. The nutritional properties are similar to quinoa, with higher protein content than most whole grains. Last week I made sorghum with cooked dried fava beans. I had it with dinner as a savory dish and at breakfast with almond milk as a cereal.

It takes a while to cook – even if you pre-soak it.  So it’s not for a ’10 minute meal’.  But like dried beans, it doesn’t require constant supervision so I can work on other things while it’s cooking away.  It also reheats well so I get a few meals out of one pot.

This Sorghum Cauliflower Curry was the favorite of most of my friends at a recent gluten-free whole grains cooking class.

Gluten-Free Vegetarian Sorghum Cauliflower Curry Recipe
4-6 Servings

Ingredients
3 cups water
1 cup Sorghum grain
Salt
1 cup chopped scallion
1 head cooked cauliflower florets
3 cups cooked green peas
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup reduced-fat coconut milk
6 Tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Bring a medium pot of generously salted water to a boil.  Add sorghum, return to a simmer and cook until tender, about 60 minutes.  Drain thoroughly.

In a large bowl, combine scallion, cauliflower, and peas.  Add cooked sorghum and mix well.

In a small bowl, whisk together the black pepper, coconut milk, rice wine vinegar, curry powder and cayenne.

Drizzle vinaigrette over sorghum and vegetables.  Mix well.  Stir in cilantro.

Season to taste with additional vinegar, curry powder, salt or pepper as needed.

Serve warm.

So after my week as a vegetarian, I find myself gravitating more towards vegetarian recipes – once I took away the self-imposed meat-restrictions I haven’t been craving it as much.  Besides beans, tofu and grains like quinoa and sorghum, what else do gluten-free vegetarians use for savory proteins?

I have a massive food crush on Mark Bittman.  I love his simplistic approach to food and his acerbic wit.  It was an episode of his show on PBS that inspired me to order the Florentine Steak during my visit to Montepulciano in Tuscany.  So the irony is not lost on me that his new book, Food Matters moved me to try Vegetarianism for a week.
As a yoga instructor, I have been surrounded by vegetarians. I love restaurants like Candle 79, Candle Café and Sacred Chow. I even dated a vegetarian briefly, but I never felt like I could give up meat.  Well, last week I went to a reading/cooking demo/book signing with Mark Bittman.  He outlined shocking figures about the source of calories our nation is consuming as a whole –12% from sweets/desserts, 8% from bread, rolls, crackers and 7% from soda alone.  He also spoke of the horrific environmental and health impacts of U.S. meat production.

In order to lower his consumption of animal products he became a ‘part-time vegan’ two years ago. As he uttered the words I gasped!  Mark Bittman, my food hero, was advocating a vegan diet of sorts?  How could this be?  I had been known to mock veganism as a socially acceptable version of anorexia…

Well, it turns out he only follows a vegan diet from dawn ‘til dusk and then eats whatever he wants at dinner, including meat, dairy, eggs etc.  He isn’t advocating a vegan diet per se, but rather shifting our current consumption to “eat fewer animal products and more plants.”  What works for him is to follow a vegan diet during the day and eat what he wants at night.  I was intrigued.  I took the book home with me and proceeded to devour it on a few extended subway rides.

While gradual changes to my diet and food choices have come from reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, this was my first foray into vegetarianism.  I decided to give it a try for a week.  (I contemplated veganism for about 2 seconds, but the siren call of eggs, milk, cheese and yogurt was too strong for me to resist.)  I already subscribed to two of the basic tenets of the Food Matters diet – heavy on vegetables, low on processed foods.  I just needed to get the ‘light on animal products’ part down.

It was an interesting experiment.  I maintained my workout schedule and felt sustained until the end of the week.  By Friday I was really craving protein though in theory I was getting enough from the beans, veggies and dairy I was consuming. One of the aspects of yoga I most appreciate is learning to listen to your body. I went out on Saturday and bought a big piece of fish to end my ‘meat fast.’ All in all – it was a valuable week.  I learned that a savory breakfast of whole grains is delightful – sorghum and black beans with cumin, cilantro and a splash of almond milk was my favorite.  I also discovered how ridiculously easy it is to make a homemade bean soup.

How will I take this into the future?  I am going to make higher- quality protein choices when I can. I will buy wild fish rather than farm-raised and cut out meat on other nights. Ranch Gordo beans will be an even bigger part of my diet.  Sorghum and quinoa will be appearing more often. Meat becomes a condiment – something to be savored and truly enjoyed when I do consume it but not the focus of my day-to-day meals. I am trying to be more conscious of the food choices I make. That may sound a little crazy since as I person with diabetes and celiac disease I am constantly aware of what I am eating, but I haven’t been truly conscientious of the broader environmental impact. For every person and family, the situation is different. .  My friends and family all have different ways of approaching it. It’s important to find the balance that works for you.  What works for me is different than what works for Mark Bittman, though I thank him for moving me to make changes, however small the impact.

Here is the bean soup I made with so little effort I can hardly believe it.  I made it twice this week, and the first time was accidental.

Gluten-Free Bean and Hominy Soup Recipe

Ingredients (approx):
3/4 cup dried beans
1/2 cup dried hominy
1/2 small red onion cut in wedges
salt and pepper to taste
optional – cumin, avocado, cilantro

Rinse and soak beans and hominy in water at room temperature 6-12 hours
In a medium saucepan, boil hominy and onion in water for 20-30 minutes.  Add beans and continue to boil over medium heat for 60-90 minutes, adding water as it starts to evaporate.  Test the beans and hominy for texture and add water whenever it begins to boil off (I had to add water 2-3 times, I didn’t want to add too much since I wanted a soup that wasn’t too watery at the end).  Add salt, pepper and cumin to taste.  Garnish with slices of avocado and chopped cilantro. 

While it sounds like a lot of time, I was busy doing other things as it cooked down – the ‘hands on’ time is very low and requires very little chopping or preparation (I have an irrational hatred of chopping for weeknight meals).  The level of satisfaction and extremely flavorful results were shocking even to me.  After my first ‘accidental’ soup early in the week, I was craving it for dinner later in the week.  This will definitely be a new staple in my ‘meat-lite’ diet.

This gluten-free pasta recipe is light and fresh – a perfect summer meal.
I hope you have a chance to try this recipe at least once before the tomatoes and basil leave the farmer’s markets.  Enjoy the last day of summer!

Gluten-Free Pasta with Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce Recipe
4 Servings

Ingredients
1 package (10 oz.) gluten-free pasta (tinkyada is widely available and recommended)
1 large bunch fresh basil, cleaned well, stripped from stems and chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4-6 large ripe tomatoes (about 2 lbs), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook gluten-free pasta according to package instructions.  Drain thoroughly.

Put the tomatoes, basil and garlic in a large bowl and stir in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream.  Add salt and pepper.

Add the pasta and stir.

Serve warm, topped with freshly grated cheese. 

Remember when working with gluten-free pasta that while it may take longer to cook, it moves from al dente to mushy very quickly.  Just watch it and test it before letting it go too soft.  While my favorite gluten-free pastas are the rather pricey BiAglut (currently unvailable in the U.S.) or Dr Schar. Le Veneziane corn pasta and the more widely available Glutino or Tinkyada brown rice pastas are all quite tasty.  And after all of my time in Italy, I am not one to accept sub-par pasta merely because it’s gluten-free.

For more gluten-free recipes to make use of your fresh tomatoes, try:

Katie’s Favorite Avocado and Cilantro Salad Recipe

Santa Fe-Style Quinoa Salad Recipe

Fig and Avocado Salsa Recipe

Healthy Mediterranean Tuna Salad (from Eat Food Nutrition)

Ingredients
2 – 6.5 ounce cans water-packed tuna, drained
1 – 15 ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed well
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions (you can sub shallots or onions)
1 1/2 cups peeled, finely diced cucumber
4 cups chopped spinach leaves (you can sub arugula, mesculun or the green of your choice)
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons grainy Dijon Mustard
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Coarsely ground pepper to taste
1 heaping tablespoon small capers
Chunks of avocado (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine tuna, beans onion, cucumber and spinach. Toss ingredients. Stir in oil, mustard and lemon juice; mix well. Season with pepper and add capers. Mix evenly and serve with avocado garnish.

While I have been on a summer blogging vacation, the rest of the gluten-free blog community has been busy – Sea’s “Adopt A Gluten-Free Bloggger” event, highlights some of the best gluten-free cooking on the Web this summer.

Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin, originally uploaded by A Gluten-Free Guide.

I am back from my trip, with great food stories and photos to come this week, but I want to tide you over with another winter recipe to warm your hearth during these cold days. After making this Three Bean Turkey Chili, a savory dish with the surprising ingredients of cinnamon and cocoa powder, I was intrigued. I wanted to find other ways to put these spices to use in unexpected dishes.

Pork tenderloin is a great lean cut of meat that I find easy to work with and more flavorful than a chicken breast. This spice rub is from Michael Chiarello. He’s one of those approachable chefs, someone you would hang out with. While the spice rub may take some effort to put together initially, it will keep in an airtight container for up to three months. Make it once and enjoy the fruits of your labors many times over.

I have made this a few times since putting together the spice rub. The first time I served it with roasted pumpkin seasoned with nutmeg and a little melted butter. Curried roasted butternut squash and rosemary roasted root vegetables both made great pairs as well.

Seared Pork Tenderloin with Cocoa Spice Rub

1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole coriander
4 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
4 tablespoons sea salt, preferably gray
2 (2-pound) boneless pork tenderloins
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, toast white peppercorns and coriander seeds until they begin to pop. Remove from heat and grind to fine powder in a spice mill or coffee grinder. Mix the ground pepper and coriander with remaining spices, cocoa and salt.

Trim the pork tenderloins of fat and silver skin. Rub with a generous amount of the cocoa spice rub. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Sear each tenderloin on all sides until a rich brown color, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove tenderloins from heat and finish in the oven for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Let the tenderloins rest out of the oven for at least 10 minutes before carving.

The second time I made the rub, I couldn’t find the whole coriander and had to use pre-ground. It wasn’t quite as flavorful but no one else noticed!

Easy Chicken with Grapes and Crispy Bacon, originally uploaded by A Gluten-Free Guide.

After all of my incredible gluten-free dining experiences in Italy this October, I attempted to recreate one particularly memorable dish upon my return home. Katie and I enjoyed all of the dishes we ordered in Lucca, but the roasted guinea fowl with grapes and crisped prosciutto left us both craving more.

My version is not identical but it gets close. The flavors are rich and warm – perfect for a fall or winter evening. It’s easy to prepare, and while recipes like my Three Bean Turkey Chili will serve a large group, I like this recipe because it’s just right for two people.

Chicken with Grapes and Crispy Bacon Recipe
Serves 2

Ingredients
4 slices of bacon
1 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 whole chicken breast with skin bone-in, halved
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons gluten-free flour (I used sorghum flour)
1/3 cup riesling wine
1/2 cup gluten-free chicken broth
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup green seedless grapes, halved lengthwise

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp, remove from pan, set aside and break into pieces. Heat the butter and oil over moderately high heat in the skillet with the bacon fat until the foam subsides. In the fat, brown the chicken on all sides for about 8 minutes, or until it’s golden brown. Transfer it with tongs to a plate. Reduce the heat to moderately low and in the fat remaining in the skillet, cook the shallot and garlic for about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook the roux, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the Riesling and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth, lemon juice, thyme, and salt/pepper to taste and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring.

Return the chicken to the skillet with any juices from the plate and simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 minutes. Add the grapes and the bacon and simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.