Recipe Box: Baked Falafel with Tzatziki Sauce

I try to walk a line between fresh ingredients and convenience.  Some things (like fresh parsley) make a big difference to flavor and are worth getting fresh whenever possible.  Others (like chickpeas) work just as well from a can, and you don't have to start the day BEFORE you are craving these delicious little patties of garbanzo goodness.

Falafel is one of those foods that are claimed by multiple countries, and which have very loyal adherents to specific ingredients.  Cilantro or parsley?  Egg or no egg?  Coriander or cumin?  There are strong regional differences between Falafels, but no recipe is really "correct."  It's about what tastes good to you.  I like a really strongly-flavored, garlicky falafel.  There's a lot of fudge room in the recipe as well.  If you add more or less onion, it will survive just fine.   

Falafel:

1 small bunch fresh parsley (1/2 cup chopped.  You will need an additional 1/4 cup for tzatziki sauce)
1 can chickpeas or garbanzo beans (they are the same thing.  You will get about 1 cup beans, drained)
1/2 small white onion (about 1/4-1/3 cup, chopped)
2 cloves fresh garlic (you will need an additional clove for tzatziki sauce)
dash lemon juice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
dash salt, black pepper
1/4 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (I use Udi's, but see below for substitutes)
1/2 tsp baking powder

4 tablespoons olive oil for baking

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Oven rack should be in center of oven or just below.  If it is too high, the bottoms will not brown.

If you own a food processor, this becomes easy.  Just process everything but the baking powder and spices until it is like wet sand, then mix in the spices and baking powder.

If you're like me and don't have the kitchen space, mince the garlic, onion, and parsley.  Add everything but the baking powder together.  Use your hands to knead and squish until you have reduced the chickpeas to mush with pieces in it.  This will be messy, but also kinda fun!  Mix in the baking powder last.

Brush a rimmed baking pan/cookie sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Form the dough into small flat patties of no more than 1/4 cup each.  Brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. 

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, then carefully flip and bake for another 15.  Make tzatziki sauce while baking.  Serve warm with sauce in a gluten-free wrap or salad.

Tzatziki Sauce

1/3 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup grated or shredded cucumber (peel on)
1 finely minced garlic clove
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
dash lemon juice

Mix all together and let sit in fridge for at least 20 minutes for flavors to blend.  Keeps well for 2 days, stir before serving.  


*Breadcrumb substitute:  I love Udi brand's bread crumbs, but they're not available everywhere.  A toasted and crumbled slice of gluten-free sandwich bread would work well.  You can also use 1/4 cup sweet white rice flour, 1/4 cup chickpea flour, or 1/4 cup bean flour instead.  Plain white rice flour would not work, as you need it to work as a binding agent.  A gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with lots of starch should work well.  If using gluten-free Bisquick, omit the 1/2 teaspoon baking powder called for in the recipe. 

Recipe Box: Gluten-Free Banh Mi

Banh mi simply means bread, and you can usually find these Vietnamese sandwiches in the form of a baguette stuffed with all kinds of deliciousness.  At some places, like the Tin Drum chain of restaurants and some food trucks, the banh mi is referred to as a "Vietnamese taco" and is served on flatbread.  While baguettes are possible to make gluten-free, flatbread is quick, easy, and delicious.

In fact, when I set out to search for a flatbread recipe, I had no idea that I already had one.  Many recipes for gluten-free wraps or pitas online use a ridiculous amount of xanthan or guar gum to create the chewy flexibility.  For some folks, that's fine.  For my partner and I, xanthan gum really messes up our digestive system and we feel really ill for a few days if we have too much.  So the recipe from Gluten Free on a Shoestring caught my eye for being gum free.  Then I noticed that her recipe was pretty much traditional Pão de Queijo (Brazilian tapioca bread) but rolled out and pan-cooked instead of baked into rolls.  Maybe this should have been an obvious solution considering the chewy deliciousness of Pão. 

The best timing on this is to make the dough first so that it can rest in the fridge.  Then matchstick the veggies to give them time to pickle.  Then prep the rest of the filling ingredients.  The exception of course is if you're slow-cooking some fancy pulled pork or something, in which case that obviously has to happen first. 

With Pão de Queijo you bake the dough while it is still warm and sticky, but for wraps they really need to sit in the refrigerator until quite cool to make them workable.  Otherwise you will never be able to roll them flat.  Do not skip this step, but if you need to shortcut it you can separate the dough into individual balls (about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup each), flatten them slightly, and stick them in the freezer for 10 minutes.  I have not yet frozen the dough completely to see how it behaves after thawing, so don't leave them in longer than you have to.

Once you have the dough made up, it can sit in the fridge for three days wrapped air-tight in plastic wrap.  This makes it perfect for quick meals, as you can just tear a couple of hunks off, cook them up, fill them with leftovers or lunchmeat, and have a hot meal in 20-30 minutes. 

Ingredient substitution:

If you can't find daikon radishes, use half the amount of shredded red radishes and increase the carrots.
If you can't find shisito peppers, which might be sold at an Asian grocery as sweet peppers, then you can substitute a combination of green bell pepper and jalapeno pepper to your desired spiciness.  Dice or shred the seeded jalapeno very small. 

WRAPS:  (full Pão de Queijo recipe here)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups tapioca flour (also sold as tapioca starch)
2 cups shredded or grated cheese (anything meltable: mozzarella, cheddar, colby, etc.  We use the bagged pre-shredded Mexican blend or mozzarella from Publix)

THE DOUGH:

• Bring the milk and butter to a full rolling boil, stirring often to prevent scorching
• Remove from heat and dump in the tapioca flour all at once and stir vigorously until it is all moistened
• Move to stand mixer with paddle or dough hook attachment
• Mix on low until cool enough to touch without scorching, but still warm (may need to stop and pull the sticky dough off the beaters if it clumps)
• Add half the eggs, beat until incorporated, then repeat with the other half
• Add the cheese and beat until incorporated
• Separate into two or more chunks and cool completely in fridge (up to an hour).  Will cool faster in smaller pieces, or rolled out into a long snake.  
• Dough keeps in fridge for 3 days if tightly wrapped.

THE WRAPS:

• Preheat a cast-iron or non-stick skillet at least 10" in diameter to medium heat
• Tear a chunk off the dough about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup in size.  
• Flour a surface with tapioca starch (have more on hand)
• Dust the dough with starch and roll out, dusting as it sticks, to preferred thickness.  Tortillas can be very thin, roti should be about 1/8 inch thick.
• Cook on skillet for about 2 minutes. Should be stiff enough to pick up with a spatula, with brown spots on the underside.
• Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If desired, brush with olive oil and garlic/herbs, then flip and cook an additional minute.
• move to a plate and cover with a paper towel to keep warm, or use a tortilla warmer.
• These do not keep well in a cold lunch, but can be re-heated by cooking on a hot skillet for 30 seconds each side.

THE FILLING

Makes about 4 wraps.  Multiply the recipe if you want leftovers for the next few days.

THE PICKLE:
1/2 cup carrots, shredded or cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup daikon (white) radish, shredded or cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup red onion, shredded or cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup shishito peppers (sweet mild peppers) seeded, shredded or thin sliced 
1/2 cup white or rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar

Boil the water, vinegar and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved.  Let cool (can quick-cool in fridge or freezer)
Pour over veggie mix, mix well, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
Drain off liquid. Leftovers are good in fridge for up to 3 days

OTHER INGREDIENTS:  (All optional)
 Chopped cilantro
lime juice
meat (chicken, beef, and pork are most common)
shredded or matchsticked cucumber
mayonnaise

A little meat, a lot of pickled vegetables, a smear of mayo, a handful of cilantro and a drizzle of lime gets you what you see in the photo.  But as this is a pretty versatile wrap, you could fill it with just about anything and be happy with the result. 

Product Review: Pamela's Gluten Free Bread Mix

GLUTEN FREE FEATURED PRODUCT

A regular postings of gluten-free products that I use myself and are available in my local grocery store.  You can check your local store for these items, order them online, or ask your store to stock them. I do not have any relationship with the companies in question, nor do I receive any form of compensation for these reviews. Gluten-Free status is based on information from the manufacturer, the current Cecelia's Marketplace shopping guide and personal experience, and may change if the company changes formulation or manufacturing processes.




I've been eyeballing Pamela's bread mix in my local Publix for some time, but was turned off by the price.  Last week, I spotted it on the clearance rack near the registers for about $3.25, and decided that it was now or never!  I made it, and the next morning went back to buy up every bag left on that clearance rack.


This bread mix makes an amazing, moist, chewy, delicious loaf of bread, with that elusive wheaty flavor I've been missing.  I've tried several recipes and mixes, and so far this has them all beat hands-down.  Left out in a sealed plastic bag, it was just as tasty and moist the second day!  Between us we finished the loaf in two days. 


The downside hit me the next morning.  If you're one of those people who could eat xanthan gum straight with a spoon without ill effects, then you are very lucky and will love this bread with a passion.  For those who are a bit more sensitive to it, this delicious bread comes with a very uncomfortable cost.  Of course it's to be expected; you can't really make gluten-free bread that stays moist for days without a lot, and I mean a LOT of xanthan gum. 


I made up another loaf, hoping that moderation would mitigate the effects.  Only eating two slices still gave me a little digestive discomfort.  I am one of those people who could happily live on bread, cheese and herbs for most of my life though, so despite the amount of gum, this bread might still be worth it for an occasional treat.  I have the remainder of the second loaf sitting out to stale for bread pudding and sage dressing, and it is highlighting the second drawback.  Bread advertised to stay moist for days is hard to dry out when you want it to.  I might have to resort to oven-drying. 

Recipe Box: Sesame Noodles with Bok Choy

A fresh, tasty, hearty meal or side dish that makes a great lunch the next day.

Ingredients (makes 6 full servings):

1 12-16 package rice noodles (more noodles = lighter flavor/less sauce)
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds)

Veggies:
1 lb bok choy or baby bok choy, leaves and stems chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
6-10 oz mushrooms, sliced
peanut or sesame oil, for frying (2-4 tablespoons)

Sauce:
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (can sub apple cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons tamari sauce
1 teaspoon sweet chili paste
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup corn starch in 1/2 cup cold water

Directions

Set a pot of water to boil for the noodles
Chop/mince all the veggies
Pre-heat a frying pan or wok with 1 tablespoon oil
Make the sauce:  Combine all but the corn starch/water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Once it boils, stir in the cornstarch/water, and continue stirring until it is evenly thickened.  Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
Put the noodles on to cook (6-8 minutes, or per package directions)
When the oil is hot enough to spit with a drop of water, stir-fry the veggies in batches, making sure you do not overfill the pan.  Add oil as necessary.  Before each batch, fry a proportionate amount of garlic and pepper until fragrant, then add mushrooms and bok choy.  Pull it from the pan when the bok choy leaves are wilted, but the stem pieces still have some crunch.  Set aside vegetables in large metal bowl.
Once noodles are finished cooking, drain and add to bowl with veggies.  Pour sauce over all and mix well.
Sprinkle top with sesame seeds before serving.  

Recipe Box: New Orleans Shrimp and Grits with Andouille

I ate this at two different places while visiting New Orleans, and vowed to make it happen at home!  The one drawback was that local grocery stores do not carry a brand of gluten-free grits.  Not even in Atlanta!  So I highly recommend scoping out the grit situation ahead of time, and ordering online if necessary.  In a pinch, cream of rice works just fine, but the flavor will be different.  You can mix cream-style corn into the cream of rice for a better flavor, and at least one place in NOLA did the same to the grits.

Also note that while I would be the first to say there's no such thing as too much shrimp, in this recipe there is such a thing as too much shrimp.  More than a pound overwhelms all the other flavors.  

1 cup uncooked grits, plus whatever you need to cook them per their directions (quick cooking is fine, stone-ground tastes better)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (not olive - it will scorch)
3/4 lb andouille sausage, sliced into thin rounds
1 lb raw shrimp, or 1/2 lb if buying it already peeled and de-veined. 
3 cloves garlic
4 green onions, white and green parts separated
2 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend (or 1 tablespoon corn starch) in a little cold water
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon creole seasoning

Cook grits according to the manufacturer's directions.
Mince the garlic and the white parts of the green onion
Chop the green parts of the green onion
Peel and de-vein the shrimp
Fry the andouille slices in the oil until browned over medium-high heat.  Set them aside.
In the same pan, sautee the garlic and white parts of the green onion until fragrant.
Add chicken broth, cream, and flour or corn starch and reduce to medium heat
Stir slowly, scraping the bottom of the pan.  If clumps form, use a whisk to smooth them out
Cook until thickened (about 3 to 5 minutes) stirring slowly
Add sausage, shrimp, and creole seasoning
Cook until shrimp is no longer translucent, another 3-5 minutes.

Serve with a 1/3-1/2 cup scoop of grits, and a generous amount of the meat and sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with chopped green onion.

Store and re-heat leftover grits and topping separately.  Pick out the shrimp before microwaving.  Once the mix is hot, add the shrimp back in and wait 1 minute for them to warm.  This prevents the shrimp from getting overcooked and tough. 

Recipe Box: Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

For the biscuits, you can't do better than Simply Gluten Free's Mile High Biscuit recipe.  I don't like to buy buttermilk to use just a little, so I started with a cup of milk and a teaspoon of lemon juice (or 1 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar).  Let it sit and thicken while you mix the rest of the ingredients (it's okay if it gets clumpy).  I also don't have powdered milk on hand as a staple, but adding an extra 1/4 cup sweet white rice flour maintains the dry/wet balance well.

You've got 15 minutes while they're baking, which is plenty of time to make the gravy! 

This recipe makes enough for 4-5 biscuits, which means you'll have more biscuits than gravy using the recipe from Simply Gluten Free.  Double the gravy recipe as necessary, or save the extra biscuits for a scrumptious strawberry shortcake later!

For gravy:


1 tablespoon oil
1 pound plain/regular ground breakfast sausage (vegan sausage works just fine)
1/2 tsp sage (skip if using sage flavored sausage)
1 1/2 cups milk (have not tested this with dairy alternatives)
1/2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 tablespoons gluten-free flour, sweet white rice flour, or cornstarch

Heat a large skillet with the oil.  Fry the sausage and sage together until it is all browned and developing crispy bits.  Set sausage aside in bowl.

Mix milk and chicken broth.  If using gluten-free flour, add to pan and stir for 30 seconds or until toasted.  If using corn starch, whisk it into the milk and chicken broth while cold.  

Over medium heat, pour chicken broth/milk into pan.  Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring slowly and scraping the bottom of the pan.  If clumps form, whisk the mixture until it is even.

When the mix is the consistency of thin gravy, add the sausage and pepper and stir well.  Remove from heat or turn to low until biscuits are done.  It will thicken after 1-2 minutes standing.

To serve, split or crumble a biscuit and spoon gravy/sausage over the top. 

Gluten Free in New Orleans

With the New Orleans reputation for breaded and fried (not to mention flour roux), my partner and I headed there for three days with the definite possibility that he would be eating fruit, cheese, and GF crackers for the entire trip.  We were ecstatic to find the sheer variety available to us instead.  He is extremely gluten sensitive (below 20ppm), so we needed food that was not only gluten-free, but also handled carefully to prevent any level of cross-contamination.  Because he is so sensitive, and because he didn't get glutenend at all during the trip, I feel confident that these places are pretty safe.  As always, let the server know about your gluten sensitivity, and speak to the chef about cross-contamination whenever you can. 

We stayed at the Royal Street Courtyard Bed and Breakfast, in a quiet little local neighborhood just blocks from all-night jazz bars and the French Market. The owners, Phillip and David, are fantastic folks, and the house is absolutely everything you would want to feel part of the history there.  While they needed a quick crash course in gluten-free, they were very sympathetic and asked good questions.  They offered fresh fruit, coffee, and both dairy and almond milk for breakfast alongside the usual gluteny fare.  There was a grocery store within a very short walk with gluten-free cheese, crackers, and other options, a mini-fridge in the room, and a shared microwave upstairs. 

For dinner the first day we tried The Court of Two Sisters, a somewhat upscale French Quarter restaurant with a gorgeous shaded patio setting.  After speaking with the chefs, they were able to produce a gluten-free meal, but erring on the side of caution (which of course we appreciated greatly!) meant that the only option was a steak and asparagus, with no seasonings other than salt and pepper, and a fruit cup for dessert.  It was very tasty, if a little plain. 

On the second day we hit The Rum House on Magazine Street in the Garden District for a Caribbean-inspired lunch.  Their regular menu (available on their website) includes information about which dishes are gluten-free, and which can be modified.  It's about half the menu, so you won't lack for options!  The taco trifecta is a great way to sample several different flavors.  I recommend the Jerk Chicken, chopped shrimp, and seared scallop tacos, with the Roasted Poblano & Manchego Polenta or the Coconut Mango Rice.  None of the desserts are gluten-free. 

On the third day we found a gem of a place in the French Market amongst all the deep-fried and beery tourist foods called Meals from the Heart Cafe.  They specialize in organic, gluten-free and vegan options.  The Crab Cake Passion and the vegan smoothie made a light and delicious lunch for JD, while the gluten-eaters split a muffalata from around the corner.  The setup at the Market makes it perfect for everyone to get something a little different, but then all meet up and eat together at the same table. 

For dinner we went to the Cafe Amelie in the French Quarter, and had another lovely courtyard meal.  The metal folding chairs were pretty rickety for the heavy folks, but stayed together.  The server took a menu in to the chef, who then marked all of the dishes JD could eat safely.  It turned out to be most of the menu!  He had the Trout Amandine, and we split a lovely summer salad.  The server had no problem splitting the salad onto separate plates, as I was eating something with gluten.  According to JD, it was the best meal he'd had in New Orleans, and made a perfect finish to the trip.