gluten free cooking

Pork, Poblano Pepper and Black Bean Stew

What to do with leftover pork roast?  There isn’t much eating a plate of pork with all the leftover sides that I can take.  So searching I found this recipe for a soup and of course had to alter it some! Don’t you get tired of rushing out to buy that one or two ingredients you don’t have? Then there are the things I don’t care for like cilantro, creamed corn… Any way; it is pretty darn tasty and a big change of pace from typical holiday food. You may call it a stew; not actually sure where the delineation between soup and stew is.  This is very chunky and hearty so maybe it is more a stew than a soup.

pork-and-poblano-soup

Pork, Black Bean and Poblano Soup: serves 6

1 poblano pepper, roasted

1 ½ tbsp mild olive oil

1 red onion; diced and divided (set aside ¼ of it)

2 cloves minced garlic

1 heaping tbsp. ground coriander

¾ tsp. ground cumin

1 32 oz box of chicken broth, low sodium preferred

2 cups chopped kale (dinosaur kale is my choice for this soup)

1 tbsp. basil pesto

½ can black beans, well rinsed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¾ lb roasted fresh pork cut in ½ inch cubes

Cooked brown (or white) rice for serving

Garnishes:

Sour cream; 1-2 tbsp. per serving

¼ diced avocado per serving

¼ lime in a wedge to squeeze in your soup bowl

Some diced red onion or scallion rounds

Crushed tortilla chips

Chopped fresh cilantro (optional!)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan.  Add most of the red onion, sauté 4-5 minutes stirring often.  Add poblano pepper cut in ¼ inch dice, the minced garlic cloves and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add coriander and cumin and cook another 1-2 minutes.  Add broth and beans, bring to a simmer.  Add the chopped kale (Make sure you remove the ribs if you use dinosaur kale aka Tuscan kale.)  Cook 5-8 minutes until the kale gets tender.  Add the pesto, stir well.  Add the cubes of cooked pork and heat through out, add salt and pepper to your taste.  Ladle into large bowls that have about ¼ to 1/3 cup of rice in the bowl and top with the garnishes. I like it with the brown rice or minus any rice. Have had it with or without the crushed chips. My favorite chips are the multigrain ones from Aldi’s; perfect crunch and spot on flavor. Do crumble them a few at a time as you slurp the soup so some chips stay a bit crunchy.  I also tried it with scallion rounds instead of red onion; works great too.  You will love that you can use any combination of toppings to vary the flavors. That is something I appreciate about this soup.

 

This recipe originated on Food Network; titled Pork and Poblano Soup; there were a number of changes I made.

Info on My Blog Posts

Sometimes I get questioned on the recipes I put up on my blog. I never post anything I have not made myself.  Know too, that if it doesn’t taste great it doesn’t get on this page!  I make many things that never reach print for one reason or another.   I go back and bake/cook a lot of these things again a year or two later; most of the recipes I post become true favorites of mine.  For example, I am making a fig and yogurt cake this afternoon with some of my last few figs. I made the first one for me two weeks ago and knew it was a keeper on my first bite, see the blog post from two week ago.  Today I am making it with some orange extract I bought for the purpose to see if that was even better than the lemon extract I used last time.  I often switch things up a bit to try different flavors for new results.  Next fall, you better believe that I will be making this cake again once the figs ripen.  Ditto for that fig and raspberry galette of last week; it was an amazing dessert for sure.

fig-galette-016

Feel free to change things if you make my recipes; if you hate a seasoning use something you prefer.  I do suggest that it may not go so well if you change the proportions in pie crusts, breads or quick breads as baking is really a science; there you need to stick closer to the proportions and ingredients.  You still can switch the seasonings if that floats your boat!

chicken-gumbo-002

If you are new to my blog know that I tend to cook seasonally with fruits and vegetables are they are harvested and ripe. I like using organic and local grown produce as often as possible.  I tend to add extra veggies to soups, stews and stir fries as I am a lover of them to a bit of an extreme.  My herbs are often grown in my own yard for best flavor and freshness but I do buy them when I don’t have and need them for a dish.

chicken-gumbo-005My food is totally gluten free as I must remain gf due to celiac disease.  But that doesn’t mean my meals are less than fantastic or that the plate of cookies I bring to your house won’t be delicious. They will, I promise!  Gluten free from scratch baked goods CAN taste great.  Do not think otherwise and bake gf with confidence for your loved ones.

I cook with love for my friends and family. I cook with joy for the process and I cook with great anticipation for the flavors and textures of my home cooked from scratch gluten free meals.  Enjoy!

Chicken Gumbo Bowl

Chopped, October 2016 edition.  I have a raw chicken breast, boneless.  There is a packet of fresh tender okra in my fridge.  Yeap, I have more fresh okra; picked it up in Valley Farm Markets in Bethlehem, PA.  Great produce there.  It is a southern veggie: needs a hot summer around here to really produce and only plays well in a limited array of dishes.  Most times at my local store it looks kinda beat up and I pass it by but this day I was shopping one town over: selected a good looking packet of it to build my supper around. Other ingredients I had around were: the last two fresh homegrown tomatoes and a red bell pepper, plus the usual items available in my pantry: onions, garlic, broth.  What to make in 35 minutes that tastes like late summer in a soup bowl but isn’t soup?

Originally I had been all for fried chicken fingers but that okra sent me off on another path.  I was suddenly thinking gumbo because of the okra.  Yeah, I have commented before about the whining regarding the alleged slimy nature of okra.  This cook was determined to never let that travesty occur, so my  beautiful okra was sliced right before adding to the pan.  I sautéed and stirred my pan full of chicken, veggies and a few shrimp and before I knew it; supper was ready.  It isn’t quite a gumbo as I didn’t cook it for a long time nor did I make a roux but my results were darned delicious.  The ripe tomatoes from my garden were perfect with the okra and the chicken which was so tender I cut chunks up with a fork. I added a few rounds of turkey pepperoni to add an almost hot sausage flavor.  Totally optional; you could use andouille sausage if you prefer that; not too much though; no more than ¼ cup.  Or no other protein.  Could even leave the shrimp out and I bet it would still be awesome.

I served mine over cooked brown rice but you might try using tiny rice grained gluten free pasta. I actually like that better than rice.  Of course, you could use another protein like cod, monkfish, or any firm white fish.  Enjoy!

Angie’s Chicken Gumbo; Serves two generously

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 chicken breast cut into roughly 1 inch chunks

½ cup chopped onion

3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

½ cup chopped celery

1 garlic clove minced (about 1 tsp.)

A sprinkle of red pepper flakes

1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

¼ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp sea salt

1 cup broth: chicken or veggie

1 cup chopped fresh ripe tomatoes

8-10 rounds of turkey pepperoni (optional)

1 1/2 cups sliced okra; cut in 1/3 inch slices

8 medium shrimps, peeled (optional)

1 cup hot rice or cooked rice shaped gf pasta

Directions:

Cut the chicken into small pieces and roll in some rice flour to cover.  Shake excess four off, Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan; add the chicken pieces.  Cook 2-3 minutes, turn over, cook 2 more minutes, stir up and cook another minute.  Chop the veggies while the chicken cooks or do it before you even start the chicken cooking.   Then add the onion and sauté for three minutes on medium heat, add the pepper and celery, cook 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, sauté another minute, stirring. Then add the thyme, half the parsley, and the salt.  Cook for 3 minutes stirring often. Add the broth, pepperoni and chopped tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer.  Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the okra and cook for five minutes, add the shrimp, cook for 3-4 more minutes add the rest of the parsley.  Taste, add more salt if necessary and up to ¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper.  Serve over the rice or pasta in a shallow soup bowl.

If you want it spicy, add a dash of Tabasco and a pinch of cayenne when you add the thyme.  If you want it soupier; add another ½ cup of broth.  I had a bottle of green Tabasco sauce available and that worked fine to spice it up even more.  chicken-gumbo-009

This recipe is based on one from Jane Brody’s “Good Seafood Cookbook” with my modifications.

Eggplant Potato Moussaka: Opa!

It being fall, the garden is winding down but there are still eggplants to pick in my garden.  Kinda tired of the usual stuff I make with eggplants so I did some research and came up with moussaka, a Greek eggplant casserole.  I made it once long ago and remembered it as tasty. This recipe is from food network and is by Emeril Lagasse, he of the “Bam” exclamation.  It is a fair amount of work; took me about 90 minutes to put it together, 45 minutes to bake and another 50 minutes of resting time before you can cut into it.  Gotta say it was worth the effort. Everyone who ate it were crazy about the flavors.mousakka-014

My alterations: I used a mixture of ground pork and ground lamb (recipe is 50/50 ground beef and ground lamb) and subbed in white wine for red as that was all I had.  Ditto in my subbing of a red onion for the yellow onion and chopped fresh tomatoes for the crushed tomatoes.  Sometimes I am unwilling to make a second run to the grocery store to spend $ for something if I can sub in a different but similar ingredient.  To make it gf I used white rice flour; it was okay; next time I am trying brown rice flour or a flour blend to see if it sticks tighter and browns better. Worked but not sure white rice was the best flour choice.  I used brown rice flour in the sauce but I am guessing any gf flour will work.  The cheese I used was fresh grated Parmesan; three choices are provided.  Never heard of Kefalotiri and I am allergic to Romano.  Plus: that’s what I had in the cheese drawer.

I read some of the comments people made on the recipe; I’m thinking about roasting my eggplant slices if I am in a hurry. I used less oil than the recipe and some of my oil was canola as I was running out of olive oil; couldn’t tell the difference in the final product. I might add a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg next time too, and there will be a next time as this tastes amazing.  PS: I used a mixture of whole milk and 1 percent for the béchamel sauce.

This recipe is too involved to put in my post; here is a link to the recipe.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/eggplant-and-potato-moussaka-recipe.html

mousakka-015

Have fun making it; a great recipe for 2-3 folks to work on together.  Super entrée choice for a family gathering.  Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Fish Gumbo for Supper

Chopped, early fall 2016 edition.  Thirty minute time limit because I am hungry! I have some frozen haddock.  There is a packet of fresh tender okra in my fridge.  Yeap, I am in possession of a healthy amount of that crazy southern veggie, okra, which I happen to love. okra Most times it looks kinda beat up and I pass it by but this day the okra was mighty fine and I selected a packet of it to build my supper around. Also must use ingredients are fresh homegrown tomatoes and a red bell pepper, plus the usual items available in my pantry: onions, garlic, broth.  What can I concoct? In about thirty minutes.  I was thinking gumbo because of the okra.  Yeah, I have heard all the whining about the slimy nature of okra.  This cook was determined to not let that travesty occur, so the okra was sliced right before adding to the pan and I didn’t cook it too long.  I chopped and sautéed and stirred my pan full of veggies and some haddock.  It isn’t quite a traditional gumbo but pretty close and darned delicious considering how quickly it went together.  The ripe tomatoes from my garden were the perfect counterpoint to the okra and the flaky fish.  I served mine with tiny rice grained gluten free pasta but you could easily use the more traditional cooked white rice to accompany your gumbo.  Of course, you could use another protein from the sea like cod, monkfish, shrimp or any firm white fish.  Enjoy!

Angie’s Haddock Gumbo; Serves two.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove minced (about 1 tsp.)

3/4 cup roughly chopped red bell pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, divided

¼ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp sea salt

1 cup broth: fish or chicken or veggie

1 cup chopped fresh ripe tomatoes

1 to 1.5 cups sliced okra; cut in 1/3 inch slices

½ lb thawed haddock cut into ½ inch cubes

1 cup hot rice or cooked rice shaped gf pasta

Directions:

Chop the veggies.  Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan; add the onion and sauté for three minutes on medium heat.  Add the garlic, sauté another minute, stirring. Then dump in the pepper.  Cook for a minute before adding the thyme, half the parsley, and the salt.  Cook for 3 minutes stirring often. Add the broth and chopped tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer.  Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the okra and cook for five minutes, add the fish cubes, cook for five more minutes add the rest of the parsley.  Don’t overcook it until okra is shapeless and gray; it should be just tender and the tomatoes still holding some of their shape. Taste, add more salt if necessary and up to ¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper.  Serve over the rice or pasta.

If you want it spicy, add a dash of Tabasco and a pinch of cayenne when you add the thyme.  If you want it soupier; add another ½ to one cup of broth and serve in a bowl.

raspberry-jam-011This recipe is from Jane Brody’s “Good Seafood Cookbook” with some modifications.