gluten-free dairy-free colcannon croquettes

 

These are as easy as pie...I mean croquettes! 

You'll need: 

• Leftover colcannon (Irish-style mashed potatoes that include leeks and cabbage)
• Rice flour
• Beaten eggs
• Garlic powder
• Salt and peppper
• Oil
• Corn flour if you have it (or even gluten-free panko)

Do this: 

In a big bowl, mix the colcannon, rice flour, eggs, garlic powder, and salt and pepper together and shape into patties. Then dredge in corn flour and fry in oil. 

jerk chicken

 

This is one of those where you just eyeball everything.

And it is so so so tasty. We all love it.

• chicken pieces (I use breasts)
• jerk chicken spice (about 2 teaspoons for 4 breasts)
• neutral-flavored oil
• Worcestershire sauce
• ketchup
• apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper
• thyme
• fresh garlic
• soy sauce 

Mix the sauce ingredients together, put the chicken in doubled Ziploc bags, pour the sauce in, zip the bags, and mash it all together. With your fists, get your stress out and pound the chicken breasts, then fridge it for at least a few hours.

Bake at 220 C for about 25 minutes, until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the chicken reaches at least 60 C. Sit it out on the counter, tent with foil for 10 minutes, then serve with rice and sauteed spinach. 

easy gluten-free vegan stirfry

 

One day I had some fried tofu (age dofu) that I needed to use up, and this dish was born. It's easy, it's fast, there's minimal chopping, and with the "everything bagel" seasoning, the onions and garlic are already included without any mincing or grating. 

Serve over rice, of course! 

You'll need:

• eringi mushrooms, chopped (or mushrooms of choice)
• fried tofu, chopped
• fresh or frozen spinach, chopped
• gluten-free soy sauce
• "everything bagel" seasoning, which includes dried onion and garlic, and toasted sesame seeds
• sesame oil
• 7 spice

Do this:

In a frying pan, saute your mushrooms, tofu, and spinach in sesame oil. Add soy sauce and "everything bagel" seasoning. 

Put a jar of 7 spice on the table for folks to put their desired amount. Or none at all. 

garlic bread, ham, and cheese savoury bread pudding

 

This is not something I could eat because of the wheat and dairy, but my 3 guys loved it.

Take leftover garlic bread and chop it.

In a big bowl beat 8 eggs and 2 cups of milk, parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Butter a baking pan.

Throw in the chopped garlic bread.

Cover it with chopped ham and grated cheese.

Pour over the egg mixture and top with a little more grated cheese.

Bake at 180 C for 30 minutes. 

gluten-free dairy-free chocolate orange chia balls

This comes by way of The Tummy Fairy on Facebook---it was one of those reels that Facebook offers from out of nowhere, but it ended up being a good one.

You'll need: 

• 180 g oats
• 2 tablespoons cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 15 dates, pitted and soaked in just-boiled water for 15 minutes, then drained
• juice of 2 oranges
• zest of 2 oranges
• 30 g melted dark dairy-free chocolate

Do this: 

In your food processor, process the oats till powdery. Then add the other ingredients except for the dark melted chocolate.

Roll into about 20 balls. I have to wet my hands after every 5 balls or so to keep it from sticking. 

Put on baking paper or a Silpat on a baking sheet and freeze for about 20 minutes, then drizzle with the melted chocolate. It will harden instantly. 

I'm going to give some of these as Christmas gifts this year---they are that good! 

easy gluten-free dairy-free japchae, korean sweet-potato glass noodles

This comes by way of the friendly Korean cook Maangchi! I just subscribed to her Substack too. 

To be honest, I didn't obey every rule in the recipe. I bought fresh shiitake and not dried, I used pork, no red pepper, but I did throw in some cabbage and garlic chives. I used the egg white and yolk when I made the egg strips, and I cut them in the pan into chunks and not into the thin strips she suggested. 

I didn't marinate the meat and mushrooms---I just ran out of time and didn't plan ahead well enough. But it got rave reviews, including mine. 

This amount made enough for the 4 of us plus some yummy leftovers.

I did it my way (and tried to combine steps if possible)...

You'll need: 

• about 500 g thinly-sliced pork
• 500 g Korean sweet-potato glass noodles
• 2 carrots, peeled and julienned
• 1/4 head of cabbage, chopped small
• 4 or 5 strands of garlic chives, chopped
• handful of frozen spinach
• 1 onion, sliced thinly
• chopped green onions
• gluten-free soy sauce to taste
• white or brown sugar to taste
• sesame oil to taste
• 1 egg
• 4 or 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pack fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1 pack fresh shimeji mushrooms
• neutral oil
• black pepper
• toasted sesame seeds
• kimchi to eat alongside if desired

Do this: 

Lightly fry a beaten egg, let it cool, and slice thinly.

Bring a big ol' pot of water to a boil and boil the noodles for about 7 minutes, then drain and rinse them, and chop them twice. Put them into a large bowl and add a teaspoon each of sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and mix into the noodles.

In a big frying pan, add some neutral oil and stir fry the veg, starting with the harder ones first, and adding in the spinach, meat, and garlic near the end. 

Add some soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. 

In a big pot, by hand mix the noodles, veg, meat, an extra minced garlic clove, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and sugar. 

On plates, top your noodle mixture with the egg and more sesame seeds. 

Devour! 

salsa recipe from death row

One of my pen pals on death row is a lady in the state of Texas. Unfortunately I've never been able to get the US govt/jail email system to work for me from Japan, so my pen pals and I use good old-fashioned snail-mail, and in one of these letters my friend in Texas gave me her recipe for salsa that they make from veggies they grow on site together there. 

I could not find cilantro, and there's no V8 juice here, but I did find the Japanese tomato and veggie juice equivalent in a little can. 

I based my recipe on hers, and I also added fresh garlic and a wee bit of lime juice. 

You'll need: 

• 3 tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato and veggie juice (160 ml)
• a bit of onion, finely chopped (a few tablespoons)
• a few strands of garlic chives, chopped finely
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• a few squirts of lime juice
• salt and pepper
• cayenne pepper

Do this: 

Chop the tomatoes and mix all together, then refrigerate till you're ready. Goes great with tortilla chips or spooned over taco rice. 

Thank you, friend! 

(I must write to her and tell her how much we liked it.)

super easy refrigerator cucumber pickles

 

These are crunchy and ready to eat after just a few hours in the fridge! 

Here's how I did it, but you do you and use what you have. (I sort of based it off this recipe.)

You'll need: 

• 1 jam jar
• 4 Japanese cucumbers (or maybe 1 or 2 larger ones)
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon wholegrain mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered coriander
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 dried red chili, sliced and deseeded (use gloves!)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced

Do this: 

Slice your cucumbers in half and then lengthwise in slices. Put them in a jam jar. 

Heat up your vinegar and sugar till everything is dissolved, and then let it cool.

Put the chilies, mustard, coriander, thyme, and garlic in the jar with your cucumbers, then pour the cooled brine over. If there's any space in the top of the jar, add water to cover everything up. 

Fridge it and then eat a few hours later if you so desire. I so desire. 

 

gluten-free dairy-free chocolate and banana pancakes

 

These were so fluffy and delicious! I ate mine with peanut butter.

You'll need: 

• 2 cups rice flour
• 2 eggs
• 3 regular-sized bananas, mashed
• multiple dashes of cinnamon and powdered ginger
• 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 Tablespoons katakuriko potato starch (or cornstarch)
• 2 Tablespoons baking powder
• 2 Tablespoons neutral-flavored oil
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• splash of vanilla
• 1.5 cups of dairy-free milk

Do this: 

Mix mix mix. 

Ladle onto an oiled griddle and cook away! My guys ate these with strawberry jam, but I felt like peanut butter was a nice slightly salty topping for mine. Enjoy, you Mamatouille peeps. 

This served four people easily. 

gluten-free dairy-free homemade pho

 

I'm pretty sure pho is normally dairy-free, but to make this gluten-free as well, I used GF soy sauce.

The recipe comes by way of Tastes Better from Scratch, but as per usual I've changed it a bit.

You'll need:

• 1 Costco rotisserie chicken (I had more than 1/2 of a leftover one frozen, still on the bones)
• 1 big bag of pho noodles 
• 1 large onion, cut into big chunks
• 1 big knob of ginger, sliced
• chunks of green onions
• water
• dash of ground cloves
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• dashes of ground cinnamon
• liberal dashes of fish sauce
• ditto for gluten-free soy sauce
• salt and pepper
• dashes of cayenne pepper
• garnishes: lemon wedges, lime juice, cilantro leaves, bean sprouts, sliced red onion, chopped green onions

Do this: 

Boil your Costco rotisserie chicken till very tender. Leave to cool a bit and then strain out the bits and pull the meat off the bones. Discard all the bones and nasty bits.

In the broth, add the onion, chunks of green onion, ginger, and extra water if needed. Add cloves, coriander, cinnamon, fish sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper, and cayenne pepper. 

After simmering again for about 30 minutes, remove the onion and ginger bits. 

Add the meat back in and warm up. 

Cook your pho noodles separately, then drain and rinse. 

Put the noodles in bowls then pour broth and meat over. 

Serve with the fresh and bright garnishes, which are really not garnishes but integral to the flavors and texture. 

Enjoy all the money you saved by not going to a restaurant, but also, humbly acknowledge that this isn't perfect pho. 

It's purty durned amazing though. Pho-ntastic! 

gluten-free and dairy-free summer pasta salad

 

I used what I had on hand and boy, was it a flavor-show-stopper!

Use this as a template and utilize what's in your fridge and pantry.

You'll need:

• 300 g germinated brown rice spiral pasta
• 1/4 red cabbage, chopped
• 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 2 thin cucumbers, peeled and chopped
• chopped green onions
• 1 grated carrot
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• about 1 cup grated soy cheese

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil or olive oil blend
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Do this:

Boil and drain your pasta and rinse in cold water.

Mix your dressing ingredients together. 

Add the pasta, veg, and dressing together in a big bowl and put in the fridge for a little while. Great for picnics and bentos, or just eating by the spoonful out of the mixing bowl.

gluten-free and dairy-free soft drop biscuits

This recipe is based on one by Mary's Whole Life, but of course, Mamatouille style, I changed it for what I had here. These were moist and sliced well for peanut butter, jam, butter, or for making into sandwiches. 

You'll need:

• 1.5 cups rice flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup melted margarine
• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3.5 teaspoons baking powder

Do this:

Preheat oven to 180 C. I used a silicone baking mat. 

Mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together in a bowl and set aside.

Then mix everything together in a bowl, and shape into biscuit shapes on the baking sheet/mat. 

Bake for 13-15 minutes. 

 

gluten-free dairy-free Korean-style fish and rice

 

In my jet-lagged state I somehow threw this together with pangasius fish from Costco (nice that it's boneless too).

In your rice cooker, combine rice, water, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, spinach, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, gluten-free soy sauce, and a bit of salt. Cook normally.

Place your fish on a baking pan, and make a sauce with sesame oil, gluten-free soy sauce, honey, gochujang, black pepper, garlic, garlic chives, and toasted sesame seeds. Mix and pour over the fish. I would've also added ginger if I'd had it.

Bake 200 C for about 12-13 minutes.

Top the rice and fish with more sesame seeds and garlic chives.

gluten-free dairy-free tahini chicken and roasted vegetables

This comes by way of Nadiya Hussain, a famous British cook and TV cooking show host, but I've changed it a bit. She used a whole chicken, but I used breasts, which was easier for me. 

You'll need:

• one chicken breast for each person
• 1 big aubergine/eggplant
• 2 red onions, or white if that's what you've got
• garlic cloves, as many as you want (we want a lot)
• oil (I used olive)
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced, or lemon juice
• cumin powder
• turmeric powder
• coriander powder
• paprika powder
• salt and pepper
• tahini
• cilantro/coriander leaves
• optional: chili oil

Do this:

Overnight, marinate the chicken with oil and all the seasonings (to taste), along with chopped garlic and put it in the fridge.

In an oven-proof baking pan, add the aubergine, chickpeas, oil, salt and pepper, and lemon slices or lemon juice. Mix all together with your hands. 

Top with the marinated chicken and juices from the bag.

Roast at 180 C for 45 minutes or so, then let it rest and top with tahini, cilantro leaves, and maybe some chili oil if you want it. 

I served mine over rice and everybody enjoyed it. 

Chicken blessings! 

gluten-free dairy-free kedgeree

 

Every time we're in the UK I try to make kedgeree as often as possible since I have easy access to Sainsbury's and therefore easy access to smoked mackerel. (You could use smoked haddock if you like.) The Hairy Bikers' recipe is the one I've been using, with my own spins to make it edible for me and my dietary needs. Here's my take (and I try to use as few pots and utensils as possible).

You'll need: 

• 475 g smoked mackerel 
• 2 bay leaves (my in-laws have a tree! lucky me!)
• 200 g rinsed and drained basmati rice
• 4 eggs, boiled, peeled, and cut into fourths lengthwise
• 100 g frozen peas
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• splashes of non-dairy butter and some neutral-flavored oil
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 3 tablespoons non-dairy heavy cream (I use soy), or plain soy yogurt
• freshly-ground black pepper
• flat-leaf parsley
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Do this: 

Place the fish skin side up in a big pan with the bay leaves and 500 ml of water. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Pull the fish out with tongs, take the skin off, and shred the fish. Set aside. Pour the fish broth into a bowl and set aside. Throw away the bay leaves.

In the same pan, add your butter and oil and saute the chopped onion. When it's soft, add in the curry powder and peas. Then pour the fish broth in, stir in the rice, cover, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, for about 5 minutes more. 

Add in the parsley (save a bit for garnishing at the end), cream, lemon juice, and fresh black pepper. Stir in the flaked fish. 

Put the egg wedges on top, turn the heat on low, cover, and let it all steam up together a few minutes. 

Garnish with the extra parsley and extra black pepper...

And enjoy the whole pan by yourself! (I wish.)

Serves 6.