Autumn Ratatouille

This is my all time favorite Fall recipes, perfect for Meatless Monday. Only he has the patience to make it. The recipe is little involved, but the results are fantastic. Luxuriously rich, smooth, and flavorful, this ratatouille is practically the best way I know of preparing vegetables that people can't get enough to eat.

Preparation time:  3 hours 

Ingredients

• 1 lb of yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 lb zucchini, chopped
• 1 lb yellow squash, chopped
• Bell peppers, seeds removed, chopped into 1/2 inch square pieces:
• --1 lb green bell peppers
• --1/2 lb red bell peppers
• --1/2 lb yellow bell peppers
• 1 lb eggplant, 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 (14 1/2oz) can of good quality diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-inch sprig rosemary
• 3/4 cup white wine, vegetable broth or tomato sauce
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Method

1 Preheat oven to 250° F.

2 Using a large oven-proof pan over medium high heat, sauté onions in olive oil until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and reduce heat to low.
3 While the onions and garlic are cooking over low heat, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a another frying pan over high heat. As soon as oil starts to smoke, quickly add enough zucchini cubes all at once to cover the bottom of the pan. Keep on cooking over high heat, stirring, until zucchini is lightly browned on all sides. Remove zucchini cubes, and add them to pan with the onions.
4 Working in batches, repeat this process until all of the zucchini cubes have been cooked. Do the same with the yellow squash. Make sure to add a little olive oil between each new batch. Continue with the bell peppers, then the eggplant cubes, adding the browned vegetables to the onion pan as soon as they are cooked.
5 When all the vegetables (except the tomatoes) are browned and in the pan with the onions, increase the heat to high and stir, making sure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add salt to taste, thyme, bay leaf, and rosemary, the vegetable stock, and stir well. Place in oven, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring occassionally.
6 Add the chopped tomatoes and cover. If serving as a warm side dish, let the ratatouille stand for 10 minutes, just enough to "cook" the tomatoes. The ratatouille can be served at room temperature or refrigerated and reheated the next day.
7 When ready to serve, remove the bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

I like to serve this with Creamy Polenta....
Serves 6-8.

Squash Quesadillas, Meatless Monday

It’s not too difficult to go meatless Monday in the summer. I mean, have you been to the farmers’ market lately? The stands are overflowing with tomatoes in every variety and color, squash, zucchini, onions, beans, peppers, nectarines; from a produce standpoint, it’s the best time of the year. My struggle with the market is restraining myself from wiping out the full stock of heirlooms or those tiny, yellow tomatoes that taste like candy. And if you’re lucky enough to have a garden, you’re bringing in quite the bounty from your yard, too. So like I said, eating vegetables on a summer Monday shouldn’t be a challenge. It might be tougher to stop scarfing down vegetables than it is to start.
So while you’re at the farmers market or in your garden, grab a bunch of zucchini or summer squash and some tomatoes. You’ll need them for this irresistible squash quesadilla. It’s comforting in the way that Tex-Mex food is, with little pockets of melted cheese topped with spicy salsa, but this version of the standard quesadilla is full of smoky, grilled squash. It’s so good, you might want to make two batches.

This recipe is flexible; you can use your outdoor grill or a grill pan inside. Make homemade roasted tomato salsa if you’ve got fresh tomatoes, or take a shortcut and serve the quesadillas with your favorite store-bought salsa.

Grilled Squash Quesadillas with a Charred Tomato Salsa

Makes 8 quesadillas

2 zucchini or summer squash, sliced lengthwise 1/4-inch thick
About 3 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter or a combination
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 GF white corn tortillas
1/4 to 1/2 cup Ancho Chile Paste, recipe follows, or store-bought
8 ounces thinly sliced or shredded Manchego cheese, Monterey Jack is a good substitute
2 green onions (scallions), white and green parts, very thinly sliced

Charred Tomato Salsa, recipe follows, or your favorite green or red salsa

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the zucchini with the oil or butter and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once until just soft, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Halve the grilled zucchini so they will fit into the tortillas.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add about 1 tablespoon of the oil or butter. Lay a tortilla in the skillet and paint a light covering (more or less depending on your taste) of the Ancho Chile Paste over the tortilla. Scatter or lay a slice of cheese just big enough to cover half the tortilla (about 1/2 ounce). Then add a strip or 2 of zucchini and some scallion slices and cover with another layer of cheese. Cook until the tortilla softens, about 1 minute. Fold the tortilla over into a half moon. Flip and cook on each side until golden brown and crisp and the cheese melts, adding more oil or butter if the pan gets dry, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Cut the quesadillas into wedges and serve with the Charred Tomato Salsa, or your favorite homemade or store bought salsa..

.
Ancho Chile Paste:
6 dried ancho or pasilla chiles or a mixture
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
Stem, seed and pull the chiles in half. Toast the pieces in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning until fragrant and blistered but not charred, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl of boiling water and set aside to soften, 30 to 40 minutes.
Put the chiles in a blender with the salt (not a food processor, it won’t be fine enough) and puree until very smooth. Add some of the soaking water, about 1/2 cup, if needed to engage the blender. Strain if desired.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the paste and fry, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Charred Tomato Salsa:
Position rack in the upper part of the oven and preheat the broiler. Line a small broiler pan with foil.
Place the tomatoes and jalapeno in the pan and broil, turning them as needed, until the skins blacken and split, 15 to 20 minutes. Wrap completely in aluminum foil and cool.
Core the tomatoes and stem the jalapeno (remove the seeds if you want to temper the heat). Puree the tomatoes, skins and all, with the jalapeno, oil, garlic and scallions and in a blender to make a smooth sauce. Pulse in the cilantro. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. (The salsa thickens a bit if prepared ahead and chilled; stir to loosen it up before serving.) Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups.
4 ripe medium tomatoes (about 1 pound)
1 jalapeno
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 scallion, white and green parts chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Kosher salt

Battered Onion Rings

Battered Onion Rings



Ingredients

2 eggs
1 cup milk (dairy or rice)
1 cup all-purpose GFflour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
2 teaspoons non aluminium baking powder
2 teaspoons garlic salt or onion salt
1 teaspoon cayenne (optional -does not make hot/spicy)
1 quart oil for frying, I used Canola Oil
4 large onions, peeled and sliced into rings, I used Wala Wala Sweet Onions


Directions

Whisk together eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, cayenne, and garlic salt in a bowl to make a smooth batter.
Then divide the batter into two bowls (reasoning is that the batter gets clumpy and you will want to switch to the other bowl about 2 onions in)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or deep fryer. The oil needs to be fairly hot.

Dip the onion rings evenly into the batter, then fry in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion rings are golden brown. With a slotted spoon, remove the onion rings to paper towels to drain. Serve hot for best taste!

*** If you choose not to use cayenne, use something else, like Italian seasoning, or maybe even a "mix" of seasoning that you have made. They taste better seasoned, but if your kiddo likes plain, then omit the cayenne.

Green Goddess Dressing

You see, Green Goddess is much more than a dressing. Since I've started making it, it's made its way into a variety of applications. It makes a fantastic dip for just about anything on its own, but toss it into a blender with some white beans and you've got something rather special indeed. I have seen it as a dressing for cold pasta, and served with grilled jumbo shrimp; I think scallops would be at least as delightful.
In researching the dressing, I came across a lot of different recipes with a surprising amount of variation: Different proportions of mayonnaise, plain greek yogurt, sour cream and vinegar; with or without anchovy; and while nearly all call for parsley and chives, others called for basil, tarragon, thyme, mint and even chervil. Despite Martha's greatest efforts to market it, however, chervil remains an elusive ingredient for most of us. While they call for parsley and chives, the original evidently did not include tarragon; this will not stand. For reasons I cannot justify, in my mind Green Goddess must have tarragon. Must. So I added it. And I stand by that decision. Fact is, you could tweak this recipe ten times till Tuesday, and you'd still end up with a delicious, refreshing dressing, so have at it. I opted to use a variet of herbs from this years herb garden. I have a combination of basil, mint, chives, Italian parsley and tarragon.

3/4 c. GF real mayonnaise
1/4 c. GF sour cream
1/4 c. each chives, parsley and tarragon, finely chopped
a small handful of fresh mint, about 6 leaves
a small handful of fresh basil beaves, about 6 leaves
1 small garlic clove
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, mince the herbs and garlic. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar and lemon juice, pulse to blend. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Pulse to combine. Transfer to and air tight container.  Cover and refrigerate. Best if made several hours or up to a day ahead.

Gluten Free Sugar Free Almond Cake, In honor of Fathers Day

Gluten-Free Almond Cake

When it comes to baking, my biggest challenge is creating recipes that are both gluten free and relatively healthy. I stumbled upon this recipe from allrecipes.com of all places. It is pretty simple to make, has only 4 ingredients, but such a rich and wonderful texture and taste. And it’s super high in protein since it’s made of almonds. With a few minor adjustments to the original recipe, this is another guiltless but tasty dessert!

Almonds are great – they are full of goodness! They contain high quality and highly absorbable protein, as well as magnesium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin E and vitamin B complex. Almonds are rich in calcium as well, making them an excellent substitute for dairy products.
For this recipe, you will need ground almonds. These can be purchased from most grocery stores and health food stores, I buy mine from Trader Joes, or you can grind them up yourself to a fine powder.
Enjoy!

You’ll need:

• 4 eggs (farm fresh are preferable)

• 3/4 cup good sugar (such as agave nectar, succanat, or cane sugar if the other 2 are not available)

• 2 cups finely ground almonds

• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Prepare an 8 inch round baking pan by lining bottom with either parchment paper, or lightly greasing it using a good fat such as coconut oil.

2. In a bowl, beat the eggs until thick and tripled in volume. Add sugar slowly, beating until very thick. Slowly fold in extract and then almonds. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden on top and slightly browned on edges. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out.

- Can add slivered almonds and/or powdered sugar on top

Another way to cook pasta – Pasta "risottata" with fava beans, zucchini and tomatoes

After this past few weeks, I needed to eat something to soothe my mind…Pasta especially pasta in bianco (with  parmigiano, butter and parmesan) I am not Italian, but I have a love of food and cooking ethnic food from around the world. There are indeed many ways to cook pasta, one less known method is called “risottata“, meaning like a risotto where broth is added gradually. I did not come up with it, it’s a very old Italian method of cooking pasta! so, no pasta is not always boiled in salted water, drained and served topped with sauce. There is an interesting and funny article in English about the different cooking methods and cooking time of pasta on Identità Golose.



Pasta risottata being cooked a long time, takes longer than the usual way of boiling it in water. The risottata method allows it to keep its starch, therefore develop a particular creaminess......can you just imagine the deliciousness of the pasta while having absorbed all that flavorful broth? It’s really my newest favorite way to cook and eat pasta. You need to try to believe it. For this cooking method, you need short pasta (pasta corta) such as small penne or fussilli or a small shell, or anything that size.
The recipe is quite simple, the greatness of the pasta comes first from the risottata method, then the combination of the ingredients make it a real treat.
Ingredients for 4

• 16 oz brown rice pasta fissilli
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh fava beans, pod removed
• 4 zucchini, diced in small cubes
• 1 can diced organic tomatos in rich juice
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 chopped red onion
• 1 garlic clove
• olive oil and butter
• Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
• salt and pepper

Preparation
Heat 1 T. oilive oil and 1 T. butter in a pan and add garlic, stir for a few minutes, then add zucchini, cover and let cook until the zucchini start to be cooked but firm, then add tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Set aside.
In the meantime, blanch fava bean grains in boiling water for about 2 minutes depending on the size of the grains. IF the grains are small and tender, one minute is enough. Drain and peel beans. Add to the pan with the other vegetables.
In a pot, heat olive oil, add red onion and saute. Add pasta and proceed like you would for a risotto, adding gradually broth to cook it. When the pasta has reached the desired consistency (it will need to be slightly creamy), add vegetables and parmesan. Stir well and serve hot.

Granola Pie Crust, Gluten Free

Ok, here is a really good pie crust whether or not you are gluten free, but it is a perfect option for those that have to eat gluten free. It is a crust that can be used in so many ways and is one that many people would not think twice about being gluten free.
Now you do need gluten free granola for this, If you don’t keep gluten free granola on hand this pie crust would be the perfect excuse to make some. Gluten free granola can also be found in many health food stores or in the gluten free section of your grocery store.
I made this crust for my cheesecake recipe but this crust would work well for just about any no bake pie or any pie that you would use a graham cracker crust for.

Granola Crust

• 1 ½ cups of Gluten Free granola, I like trader joes or Udi's brand.
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon ( you can leave this out if it does not match the filling that you are using.)
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a food processor pulse the granola with the sugar and cinnamon until fine crumbs form. Drizzle in the butter and process until combined.
3. Press into a 9 inch pie plate and bake for about 10 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden.
4. Cool before adding filling.

Welcome Sunshine

Well, we are in the middle of May and it has been a wet one in California. It has felt more like February, mor elike cooking comfort foods rather than spring foods. Today we have sunshine though, at least for the time being, there are scattered showers predicted for the afternoon. I will take this bit of sunshine and write to you all. I am going back a few days to my meatless Monday, yet it is Wednesday. On Monday I tried my hand at a new recipe, something like a cross between eggplant parmesan and lasagne roll-ups. Think Lasagne minus the noodles and add the eggplant minus the breading and frying. I have to say it turned out great. Served with Creamy Polenta and a mixed herb salad. It was the perfect meatless meal.

Feel free to use your favorite fresh tomato sauce or a purchased sauce in place of the tomato and roasted red pepper sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant
• Olive oil, to brush the eggplant with
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup diced red peppers
• 2 large tomatoes, seeded, peeled, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ***Filling***
• 1 cup ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (I used cottage cheese because that is what I had at home)
• 1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper

Preparation:

Remove ends from the eggplant. Slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Brush a large baking sheet with  olive oil and arrange the slices on the baking sheet in a single layer. Brush the sliced eggplant with olive oil. Broil until browned. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and sauté just until tender. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Add peppers, tomato, 1/2 teaspoon basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a dash of pepper. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes, until vegetables are softened.
Combine the filling ingredients, mixing to blend well.
Heat oven to 375°.
Spoon half of the tomato mixture into a baking dish. Spoon a few teaspoons of the cheese mixture onto the end of each slice of eggplant. Roll up and place on the tomato mixture, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices. Top with remaining tomato sauce. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, top with shredded mozarella cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes, uncovered.

Asparagus Risotto

     In California winter can transition to spring in a flash. It seems like yesterday we were beset by chilly storms while the forecast for this week is all sunny and 70s. Daffodils are blooming, as are cherry trees, and the truest test of spring, asparagus in the market can be found for less than $2 a pound. I just couldn't resist these at the market today, and cooked them up into a creamy risotto, perfect for meatless Monday. This is a classic asparagus risotto recipe. You can easily dress it up with some lemon zest, lump crab meat, green onions, truffle salt, fresh thyme or chopped mint. Serve with a freshly baked loaf of Gluten Free Bread, such as Breads from Anna, Gluten Free Herb bread mix. https://breadsfromanna.com/products/gluten_soy_nut_rice_free
You won't be disappointed.

Asparagus Risotto Recipe

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound asparagus
• 3 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 cup arborio rice, http://www.lundberg.com/products/rice/2_lb_rice_varieties/Eco-Farmed_White_Arborio_Rice.aspx
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• About 3 1/2 cups Gluten Free stock (use vegetable or chicken stock), can substitute some of the asparagus cooking water for stock*
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

.

Directions

1 Prepare the asparagus by breaking off discarding the tough ends (about the last inch of the spear). Cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces (tips longer, base shorter). If your asparagus are especially large, cut into even smaller (bite-size) pieces. Bring a saucepan with a quart of water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes. At the end of two minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus pieces to an ice water bath to shock the asparagus into a vibrant green color and to stop the cooking. Drain from the ice water bath and set aside.

2 In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.
3 While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan.

4 Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
Note the stock amount given is approximate. You may need a little more or less. If you end up needing more stock and you find yourself without, just use water or the cooking water from the asparagus.

5 Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining 1 teaspoon butter, and the asparagus. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Another Meatless Monday, Asian Style

This recipe for Asian Peanut Noodles is similar to Pad Thai noodle dishes popular at Thai restaurants. Add some stir-fried chicken and veggies (recipe for my favorite vegetable stirfry is included on the bottom of this page), and you've got a tasty dinner that's almost as good as that takeout place down the street.


Asian Peanut Noodles

• 14.5 oz GF Vegetable broth
• 5 tbsp natural  peanut butter
• 1 tbsp sriracha chili sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp GF tamari (soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 8 oz rice noodles
• 2 tbsp chopped peanuts 
• 1 lime, sliced
• 3/4 cup scallions (green onion), chopped
• Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Combine 1 cup vegetable broth, peanut butter, sriracha, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes.
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and toss with peanut sauce, adding additional chicken broth if needed to loosen sauce. Top with chopped peanuts, scallions, cilantro (if using), and squeeze of fresh lime.

I like to serve this with my Thai inspired Stir Fried Vegetables

• 1 medium-size carrot, sliced
• 1-2 cups baby bok choy
• 1 red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
• 5-6 mushrooms, sliced, or left in halves or quarters
• 3 spring onions, cut in thirds
• 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets

STIR-FRY SAUCE:

• 1/3 cup vegetable stock
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (or substitute 2.5 Tbsp. GF tamari  (soy sauce))
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 5-7 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. liquid honey (or substitute agave nectar), plus more to taste
• 2 tsp. corn starch dissolved in 4 Tbsp. water
• 1 red chili, minced

Start by making the stir-fry sauce. Place all ingredients - except garlic and cornstarch - in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.

1. When sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low. Now add the minced garlic and cornstarch (dissolved in water). Stir until the sauce thickens slightly - about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Do a taste test. You're looking for a balance of salty (fish sauce), spicy (garlic and chili), sour (lime), and sweet (sugar). Adjust these flavors to suit your taste.
3. Place a little oil in a wok/frying pan over medium to high heat. Add the carrots and mushrooms.
4. When the wok/pan becomes dry, add a little of the wine or sherry, 1 Tbsp. at a time, to keep ingredients frying nicely. Stir-fry in this way, adding more wine or sherry as needed, for 2-3 minutes, or until carrots start to soften.
5. Add the rest of the vegetables plus 1/3 of the stir-fry sauce and continue stir-frying another 2 minutes, or until the broccoli has softened but still retains some of its crispness.

So easy, Gluten Free Apple Cake

1 box Betty Crocker® Gluten Free yellow cake mix

1 stick butter or margarine, softened

2/3 cup water

3 eggs

2 tsp. GF Vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups chopped peeled apples, I used granny smith apples

1.   Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom of 9-inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray.

2.   In a mixing bowl combine all ingredietns except the apples. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scrape bowl and continue to beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in apples. Spread in pan.

3.   Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into 16 squares.

Mexican Rice

Mexican rice was a mystery to me and until I had many years of experimentation,  I've made a few changes over the years, mainly to please my kids but the technique remains the same. I used to add lots of spices, including chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, etc...Now I Just throw a whole clove of garlic in the pan with the rice and oil, and remove them later after they've worked their magic.

Where a lot of people go wrong with Mexican rice is in the seasoning. They think any food called Mexican needs to be full of spices. But that is, "totally unnecessary!" Think about it. You need some variety on your plate, something mild to balance out the heat and spice of everything else.

I've found the only way to get consistent results with any rice recipe is to use the same rice and the same pan each time--especially when making a large quantity. I perfected my recipe using Lundberg organic long-grain white rice. So once the recipe comes out to your liking, always use the same rice.

Mexican Rice - Sopa de Arroz

(Makes 4 servings)

2 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth or water, if you're vegetarian)
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup medium- or long-grain white rice (I use Lundberg organic long grain)
2 tbs tomato sauce (I use Muir Glen organic; it is THE best!)


1 In medium pot, heat olive oil and stir in rice (straight from the package--do not rinse). Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until rice is lightly browned. This may take 15 to 20 minutes. Throw in a whole clove of garlic at some point, if you like. They can be removed before the next step or before serving.
2 Gradually stir tomato sauce into rice and cook for a minute or two, then add broth or water and salt to rice. Bring to a full boil and stir just once. Put the lid on tightly, reduce heat to the very lowest setting and leave undisturbed for the length of time specified on your rice bag, usually about 20 minutes.

3 If this is your first time making this, take a really quick peek to see if liquid has evaporated and rice is done. Cover and let stand, off heat, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Garnish, if you like, and serve.

A Hidden Puerto Rican Gem in San Rafael, California

If you find yourself in the city of San Rafael, don’t miss a trip to SOL FOOD, Puerto Rican Cuisine. Whether or not you eat gluten-free, this eatery has plenty to offer. The Beef is all natural, the Chicken is Free Range, all the salads are organic. They offers several Vegan options and almost everything on the menu is offered Wheat Free.

On my first trip to SOL FOOD, I sampled two of the dishes off the vast menu. The first came recommended by the young lady at the register, the Tostones con queso, 5 tostones (green plantains, fried, smashed and fried again, topped with melted jack cheese and mojo (a garlic and olive oil blend), you may add fresh tomatoes or avocado to top this off. My second dish was the A La Carte, polo, (Boneless skinless Free Range Chicken thighs marinated with oregano and garlic, then baked. I also got a side of the most amazing black beans and rice. The black beans were simmered with peppers, onions and cilantro. I was in heaven. The portions are very generous and it is a great place to order several items and spilt them among your friends.

If you haven't been to Sol Food, it's owned by Sol Hernandez, an enterprising San Rafael native who decided to bring Puerto Rican food to Marin. She lived on the island for quite awhile with her boyfriend and his mother and spent her free time learning how to cook the local dishes. The original Sol Food is a tiny little almost shack like place on the corner of 4th and Lincoln in San Rafael. There aren't any formal indoor tables although there are stools by the window and up by the counter. Locals differentiate between the two in size, calling the original location on 4th Street "the small one", some I would dream of, if I visited Puerto Rico and the second location on Lincoln Avenue, more sit down restaurant. Now they have monopolized the Peurto Rican Restaurant scene in San Rafael, if they would only branch out to Sonoma County, we'd be talking. Maybe I'm partial because I live in Sonoma County. The drive to San Rafael for SOL FOOD is worth it.
Regardless of which one you choose, Sol has successfully created two restaurants, almost three spaces that look and feel like Puerto Rico: colorful shutters and chairs, green plantains holding down stacks of napkins, and big leafy plants gracing every inch of usable counter space. Loud, lively music streams throughout the busy cafe, and one of the things I love the most are the communal tables (at the larger location). Here, you may be seated next to a teacher grading papers, an older man reading the paper, employees on a break, and tattoo artists from down the street. There aren't a lot of places around Marin where young and old, conservative and liberal, come together and chat over pink beans and rice.

If you are lucky enough to live near by, they deliver, too........

http://www.solfoodrestaurant.com/

Sol Food, Cafe (Small One/Original)
732 4th Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 451-4765
Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 7am-12am; Fri. 7am-2am; Sat. 8am-2am
Sol Food Restaurant (Big One)
903 Lincoln Avenue
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 451-4765 (same number as above)
Hours: Daily from 11am-10pm

Greek Quinoa Salad

If you’ve never tried Quinoa or would like to know more about it, check here. Tabbouleh is traditionally made with bulgur, which is made from wheat. Quinoa gives a great nutty flavor and is great for those who can’t eat wheat.

Today, while shopping at my favorite store, Trader Joes, my inspiration for lunch came to me. The sun is shining here in beautiful California, feeling more like Spring than Winter. What a better lunch than a protein and vegetable packed salad. I picked up a box of Gluten Free Organic Red Quinoa, a jar of pitted Kalamata Olives, some grape seed oil, an English cucumber, a red onion, a yellow bell pepper, cherry tomatoes and feta cheese.

For the Salad:

2 cups cooked and cooled Quinoa
6 Kalamata olives, chopped
1 English cucumber, washed and diced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup grape seed oil
1/4 cup Gluten Free Red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. cracked pepper
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Notes: For this recipe, bring 2 cups water to a boil in a sauce pan. Add 1 cup quinoa and brought it back to a boil. Then cover, lower heat to medium and cook until water is fully absorbed by the quinoa, about 12+ minutes. Take it off the heat, fluff it up, cover again, and let it stand.

Toss cooled Quinoa with the chopped vegetables. Combine the oil and vinegar, whisk with salt and pepper. Pour over Quinoa and vegetables. Fold to blend. Top with feta cheese and lightly blend.

This salad will stay fresh for several days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cheers and enjoy.........