Archive for June, 2008
We love dal - it is an Indian lentil dish which is very useful for gluten-free households containing vegetarians!
This is an easy and delicious dal with homemade spice mixtures, so you can use known gluten-free spices from companies that guarantee the gluten-free status of their products.
In a large casserole that can go in the oven (we don’t like the term “flame-proof” and refuse to use it), put all of these ingredients:
3 Tablespoons ghee (a clarified browned butter, or use unsalted butter)
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric (this spice stains clothes - be careful!)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or one dried cayenne pepper)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (make your own, using a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey or Julie Sahni)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest (orange part of the orange peel)
Juice of one orange
1 onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups masoor dal (red lentils) washed (see note below)
1/2 cup moong dal (split, yellow in color and elongated in shape) washed (see note below)
4 cups hot water
2 teaspoons salt
Notes: Make sure to wash the dals carefully, removing any small stones. Put the dals in lots of water, stir around and remove the water. Repeat several times until the water runs clear. It does not really matter what proportions of red lentils and masoor dal are used. The original recipe this is based on called for 2 cups red lentils.
Ghee gives a better flavor than butter, and butter is better than other alternatives. If you use margarine or oil instead of the butter, the depth of flavor will be compromised. If you can use the ghee or butter, by all means do!
Stir everything together, cover and bake in a 300 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove the top and bake for 15 more minutes. Check to make sure it doesn’t get too dry.
Serve with basmati rice, chutney (homemade!), and yogurt.
This recipe includes the vegetarian aspects of a recipe for Capon from the cookbook called “Braise” by Daniel Boulud.
This is a very refreshing recipe for lemonade, including only sugar, water, fresh lemons and soda water! It is posted in honor of Russell, who likes to cook.
For each guest, fill a 12 ounce glass with ice.
Add 1/3 cup of simple syrup (made from equal parts of sugar and water, boiled until the sugar has dissolved, then cooled.)
Squeeze the juice of one lemon in to the glass.
Fill the glass to the top with soda water (sparkling water, seltzer water)
That’s it! This is a very refreshing gluten free and alcohol free drink to serve to guests.
You can add shredded lemon zest (just the yellow part of the rind) to the sugar and water for the simple syrup, to add more lemon flavor if you wish.
We read an interesting recipe for “chilli marinated pork spare ribs with salted lemon” in Donna Hay magazine issue 35. Let’s just say that squeezing lemon on barbecued pork ribs is a totally excellent idea! But, we had planned to make baby back ribs on the grill so we altered the recipe a little. Here is what we made to serve 4 people.
Soak a dried ancho chili in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain the water off, remove the stem and seeds from the chili and set the chili aside.
In a blender or processor, grind
4 cloves garlic
the soaked ancho chili
a dried cayenne pepper (optional - use it if you like hot spicy food)
4 Tablespoons gluten free Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon kosher or coarsely ground salt
Spread the mixture on the meaty side of two racks of baby back pork ribs.
Using indirect heat on a barbecue grill, grill the ribs bone side down for 30 minutes, turn them over so the meaty side is down, grill for another 30 minutes, until tender and the meat is very easy to remove from the bone. If they need further cooking, keep then cooking until they are done! Turn them meat side up again and slather a mixture of 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup honey on the meat. Let cook briefly (close the cover). Remove the ribs and serve with quartered fresh lemons and sea salt. Squeezing the fresh lemon juice on these ribs is a great, great culinary idea!
Indirect heat cooking - this is when you put the fire under one side of the grill, and put the meat on the other side, so there is no fire directly under the meat. You close the cover of the grill while the meat is cooking.
In the original recipe, the chili, garlic, Worcestershire, sugar, honey and salt were mixed together, then half of the mixture was brushed on the ribs. The ribs were put on a wire rack over a baking pan lined with non-stick baking paper, and marinated in the refrigerator for an hour. Then they were baked in the oven at 355 degrees for 30 minutes, the temperature was raised to 390 and the remaining half of the marinade was brushed on, then they baked for another half hour until sauce was sticky and the ribs were tender. They were served with the lemon wedges and salt. Again, the lemon is the key!