sweet spicy tangy persimmon chutney

 

This is the second time I've made persimmon chutney for Thanksgiving week but the first time I've blogged it. Really, it's just wonderful, and it helps when your friend gives you a bag of homegrown persimmons from her allotment! 

This comes from Allrecipes, but I've changed it just slightly. (For instance, do NOT add as much apple cider vinegar as the original recipe calls for. I found the amounts listed below to be fine.)

It's not hard work, but give yourself some time to chop everything and simmer it, then to let it cool before you refrigerate the jars-ful. 

You'll need:

• 4 persimmons, peeled and chopped
• 1 apple, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion (about one small onion)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup white or brown sugar (I used brown)
• 1 cup raisins (golden if you can get them, or regular if you can't)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot garam masala powder (instead of the chilis and cloves originally called for)

Do this:

Combine everything except the persimmons and simmer till thick. Keep stirring! Then add the persimmons and simmer till they're soft. 

Everything should be tangy, thick, sweet, and spicy. Refrigerate it after it's cooled. 

Serve with chicken, turkey, or ham, and I bet it would be good with cheese too (no dairy for me). 

gluten-free dairy-free chicken potato quiche

This was from a random video on Facebook, so I'm sorry that I can't share the origin story with you. Anyway, I'm sure you want to jump right to the recipe! This is my Mamatouille-d version.

You'll need:

• 2 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• salt and pepper
• dairy-free shredded cheese
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• a couple Japanese piman (green peppers), chopped
• tomato paste to taste
• dried or fresh parsley
• paprika
• turmeric
• thyme
• powdered coriander
• 3 eggs
• dairy-free milk or cream
• peeled and chopped potatoes (4 Japanese small ones)

Do this:

Line a deep pie pan with baking paper. 

Make mashed potatoes, but not too soft or milky. 

Mash them into the bottom of the pan and cover with shredded cheese.

In a frying pan, cook the chicken in some oil with the onion, green peppers, tomato paste, salt and pepper, parsley, paprika, and turmeric.

Ladle that over the mashed potato and cheese mixture. More cheese.

Beat 3 eggs with milk or cream plus thyme and coriander, then pour over and add a bit more cheese. 

Bake at 180 C for 35 minutes. Let it cool a few minutes and then slice.

 

gluten-free dairy-free banana-yogurt pancakes

 

These are a Mamatouille original and a variation on a rice-flour pancake theme that we all really enjoy devouring. 

You'll need:

• 2 cups rice flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1.5 cups soy milk (or milk of choice) - start with 1 cup and see if you need more because these pancakes also have yogurt
• 3 tablespoons katakuriko (Japanese potato starch) or cornstarch
• 2 mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup soy yogurt
• lots of shakes of cinnamon
• raisins

Do this:

Mix it all up, fry up on your griddle, and enjoy with peanut butter or honey. 

gluten-free dairy-free black-bean chocolate brownies

 

A friend sent me this recipe from Poland, but she's American and I'm assuming these are too. I can't give you the source, but they're delicious and more-ish nonetheless.

As you can see, half of us like walnuts. :)

You'll need:

• 1/2 cup black beans, dried, soaked overnight, and cooked till soft, or 1 can of cooked black beans
• 1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chicory powder (or you can use instant coffee)
• 1/3 cup flour (I used half rice and half almond)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 50 g dark chocolate (dairy free)
• 50 g chopped walnuts

Do this: 

Make a puree of the beans in a food processor, then add in everything else except the chocolate bar and the walnuts. Stir those in at the end. 

Line a square baking pan (8 by 8 inches or 20 cm x 20 cm) with baking paper, pour in your batter, then bake at 170 C/325 F for 15-20 minutes. 

Let it cool completely before cutting and serving. 

CHOCO FIX! 

gluten-free dairy-free homemade tomato soup

 

Craving creamy and spicy tomato soup, I made up a Mamatouille special! 

You'll need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons dairy-free margarine
• 3 tablespoons rice flour
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 cups dairy-free milk (I used soy)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• paprika to taste
• dried parsley to taste
• Italian mixed herbs to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 sachets veggie bouillon
• 2 cans chopped or whole tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Do this:

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Add margarine then slowly whisk in flour. Then slowly whisk in the milk a bit at a time till smooth and let it simmer. 

Add your spices and sugar and bouillon. 

Throw in your tomatoes and tomato paste. 

Simmer a few minutes, then use an immersion blender to smooth it all out. 

Top with fried onion bits! 

Yuuuummmmm. Sweet. Spicy. Creamy. Great with a sausage roll. 

gluten-free goya chanpuru

 

This is not the Goya brand of seasoning in the US; it's the goya vegetable, also called bitter melon, that grows in Japan and is seasonal only in the summer. It's bitter and lovely and super healthy. 

Recipe comes mostly from Just One Cookbook. 

You'll need:

• 1 goya/bitter melon (I used a white one that my neighbor gave me from her garden--it was riper than the usual green ones that you buy in the store)
• 1 teaspoon salt (for the goya)
• 300g firm tofu
• 500g thinly-sliced pork
• 6 eggs
• neutral-flavored oil
• salt and pepper
• a few tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 or 2 small packets katsuobushi fish flakes (usually a Japanese package will have about 6 packets in each)
• 1/2 cup boiling water

Do this: 

First, make your fish stock: Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over 1 or 2 packets of katsuobushi fish flakes and let it set. When you're almost ready for the stock, strain out the fish flakes and keep the stock. 

Then, slice your goya lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and throw away, slice it up, then toss 1 teaspoon of salt on the goya in a salad spinner insert. Let that set at least 10 minutes then rinse and spin.

Wrap your tofu in paper towels and put a flat pan on top and then some kind of weight to squeeze the water out. 

Cut your pork up into bite-sized pieces.

In a bowl, crack your eggs and beat. 

Tear the drained tofu into bite-sized pieces. 

In a large frying pan, heat up some oil and brown your tofu on both sides. Don't turn it often. When it's brown all over, put on a plate. 

Then brown your goya with some salt and oil and then put that on the plate with the tofu.

Brown your pork with oil, salt, and pepper, then add the tofu and goya back in. Add in your strained fish stock and your 3 tablespoons or so of soy sauce.

Toss to combine, let the liquid evaporate a little bit, and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Add in your beaten eggs and let that set, then scoop it out and serve over rice in a bowl with more fish flakes on top. Eat with a spoon and enjoy to the hilt. We all love this. 

(Make sure you give yourself enough time for this dish. Each separate ingredient that needs browning takes a chunk of time.)

updated gluten-free dairy-free chocolate tofu peanut-butter pie

I used to make this with a storebought graham-cracker crust (when I could find that at an import store) or a homemade cookie crust, but since finding out about these food allergies that I have, I hadn't made this delectable pie in a long time. 

But I wanted to welcome our boys home from overseas with one. With just a bit of rejigging, here's my latest gluten-free and dairy-free version.

You'll need (for the filling): 

• 450 g (about 1 lb.) block of silken tofu, drained
• 2/3 c. creamy peanut butter (I make my own with just salt, no sugar)
• 1 c. melted dairy-free chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

You'll need (for the crust):

• 2 cups almond flour or meal
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• a sprinkle/pinch of sea salt

Do this:

For an 8.5-inch/22 cm springform pan, oil and line the bottom with baking paper. Toast the almond flour in a dry pan on the stove for a few minutes, until it turns a bit darker and is fragrant. Put that into a food processor and whiz up with the other ingredients. (Don't whiz it too long or it will liquefy!) Press it into the bottom of the springform pan and bake at 170 C/350 F for about 8 minutes or so. Let it cool and rest while you get on with making the pie filling. 

For the filling, just blend those 4 ingredients and pour into your cooled pie crust. Refrigerate it till set and then enjoyyyyyyyy that sucker! 

gluten-free dairy-free tuna chickpea veggie pasta

 

I originally saw a recipe like this here, but it's one of those recipes where you use what you have and it turns out delicious anyway.

Here's how I did it.

You'll need:

• gluten-free pasta, cooked and drained
• grated carrots
• chopped onion
• minced garlic
• chopped zucchini (or whatever seasonal veggies are available; maybe cabbage in the winter)
• chopped red pepper
• salt and pepper
• oil
• lemon juice
• thyme, if you have it (haha)
• can or two of chickpeas, drained
• canned tuna, drained

Do this:

In a frying pan, saute the veg in oil, then add in the tuna and chickpeas. Mix with the spices and cooked pasta, and serve it up with love and laughter (I mean, you didn't even have to go to the grocery store). 

vegan nutella

 

This jar of deliciousness comes by way of a video recipe from Epic Mint Leaves.

Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, then dry them off.

Roast them at 220C for about 27-30 minutes.

Throw them in a blender with 6 pitted Medjool dates, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, and 1 cup hot water.

Blend, eat a bit and jar the rest. Nestle it safely in le fridge. 

gluten-free dairy-free roasted carrot and chickpea salad with cashew-cream sauce

This recipe came by way of Bon Appetit, though I can't access the recipe anymore. I understand why paywalls are necessary sometimes for a business and also they are frustrating.

Anyway, I think I changed it enough to be my own. 

You'll need:

• lettuce
• cress
• carrots (2 or 3, sliced into matchsticks)
• 1 onion, sliced
• chickpeas (1 can, drained and rinsed)
• paprika
• olive oil
• turmeric
• garlic powder
• cumin
• salt and pepper
• dried parsley
• 1 cup cashews, soaked for a little while then drained
• 1/3 cup water
• salt
• pepper
• lemon juice to taste
• fresh garlic
• olive oil
• more dried parsley

Do this:

In a big bowl, mix carrots, onions, and chickpeas with paprika, olive oil, turmeric, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper, and dried parsley.

Roast on a pan at about 180 C for about 20-25 minutes, or until browned.

Blend the cashews, 1/3 cup water (more if the cream sauce is too thick), salt and pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh minced garlic. 

On the plates, arrange lettuce, then the roasted veg and bean mixture on top, and drizzle with cashew cream sauce. Toss some chopped cress on top for an extra peppery sharpness and beauty. 

gluten-free dairy-free rose tteokbokki

This is a wonderful Korean dish using mochi-mochi (soft and chewy) rice-flour tubes and gochujang (spicy chili paste) along with soy sauce, brown sugar, milk, cream, and cheese (I use all dairy-free ingredients). It's a great mix of spicy and creamy and sweet. Try it! 

I changed it just a bit to use what I could get here in Japan, but you definitely need the tteokbokki tubes and the gochujang, at least! 

Here's the recipe I based it off. 

(The photos above and below are the same dish, but the second time I made it, which is the above photo, I think I added more milk and didn't cook it off as long. Both times it was super tasty.)

You'll need:

• tteokbokki (rice tubes, like thick chewy pasta)
• 200 ml soy cream
• 200 ml soy milk
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/4 cabbage, chopped
• 1 bunch komatsuna greens, washed and chopped (or spinach or mustard greens)
• green onions, chopped
• fish cake (kamaboko), chopped
• age dofu (fried tofu) strips
• Canadian bacon, chopped (I use 4 slices)
• grated soy cheese
• 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
• 2 tablespoons raw brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce

Do this:

In a frying pan, cook the vegetables and Canadian bacon in oil till slightly soft but still with some al dente bite. 

Mix the gochujang, sugar, and soy sauce, and then stir into the pot. Add the milk and cream. 

Then toss in fried tofu strips and chopped fish paste. Stir everything well and then bring it to a simmer.

When it's simmering, add the tteokbokki and cook it all till the tubes are soft but not mushy. Stir in the dairy-free cheese and then in the bowls, sprinkle with green onions. 

Enjoy this stuff to the max! 

gluten-free dairy-free chocolate-ginger mug muffins

Another take on my mug muffins! So delicious.

You'll need (for one person):

• a microwave
• a cup/mug
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil plus more oiling
• 3 tablespoons almond flour
• pinch salt
• pinch baking powder
• 1 teaspoon chicory powder
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon honey
• sprinkle cinnamon
• splash of soy milk
• chopped dairy-free chocolate
• chopped crystallized ginger

Do this:

Oil your cup/mug. Crack an egg in and whisk with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients except the chopped chocolate and crystallized ginger. Whisk together till smooth, then toss in the chopped chocolate and crystallized ginger. 

Cover and microwave on 600 W for 1.5 minutes. 

Add another little splash of soy milk and dig in with a spoon.

 

funky gluten-free dairy-free bacon sweet-potato and white-potato summer salad

This was unexpectedly made and unexpectedly delicious! It was for an international potluck and because I'm an international woman this is what I conjured up with what I had on hand in my international home.

You'll need:

• frozen and then thawed cooked sweet potato slices, or fresh sweet potatoes, cut into chunks and cooked
• white potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks and boiled till tender
• 2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper
• mayo 
• plain soy yogurt 
• parsley, fresh or dried
• regular mustard
• Dijon mustard
• paprika
• bacon slices, cooked, drained, and chopped
• green onions, sliced
• grated carrots
• frozen and shelled edamame, thawed 

Do this: 

Drain your cooked potatoes and mix with the apple cider vinegar and let it set for a few minutes.

Mix your dressing ingredients: mayo, soy yogurt, salt and pepper, two kinds of mustard, paprika, and parsley.

Stir it in with the potatoes, bacon, green onions, grated carrots, and edamame. 

Put it in the fridge to chill, and you take a little moment to chill yourself too. Have a big glass of ice water, put your feet up, and then head to a potluck. Don't forget to take the potato salad! 

gluten-free dairy-free zucchini cashew-cream and chickpea pasta

I found this idea on one of those 30-second Facebook videos that they throw at you, so I can't give a source. Basically I just got inspired and then made it my own Mamatouille way. 

You'll need:

• pasta of choice (I used brown rice swirly pasta)
• 1 cup cashews, soaked in just-boiled water for a few hours (can put in fridge if needed)
• 3 zucchini, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 5 or 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
• olive oil
• salt 
• pepper
• about 1/2 - 1 cup soy milk
• 1 or 2 cans chickpeas, drained
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• dairy-free margarine
• about 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast powder

Do this:

Soak your chickpeas for a few hours and then drain. Roast in a 170 C oven for 25 minutes: zucchini, onion, garlic, olive oil, and salt.

In a blender, add the cashews, roasted veg, salt, pepper, margarine, 1 can drained chickpeas, soy milk, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast. Blend.

Cook your pasta in a big pot and drain, then mix the pasta, blended creamy veg mixture, and the other 1 can of drained chickpeas. 

I served ours with avocado and homegrown tomatoes from Kahoku-gata, and it was all more-ish. 

gluten-free and dairy-free chicken shawarma salad

 

It might look like a mess on a plate, but with spices like cumin and turmeric and cayenne pepper, this is absolutely more-ish. Comes by way of Our Salty Kitchen. 

This is basically a veggie-full salad topped with roasted spiced chicken and then drowned in tahini-lemon dressing. Here's my take on the recipe.

For the chicken, you'll need:

• chicken breasts, about 1.5 pounds
• a big Ziploc bag
• 1/2 cup oil (I use grapeseed)
• 2 juiced lemons or equivalent bottled lemon juice
• several minced garlic cloves or big shakes of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 t. cumin
• 2 t. paprika
• 1 t. turmeric
• sprinkles of cayenne pepper

Do this for the chicken:

Throw all of the above into the Ziploc bag and squish it around till coated, then fridge it for a few hours or overnight. After it's all succulent-ized, roast it in the oven with the juices at 425F/220C for 30 minutes, then let it cool. 

For the lemon-tahini dressing, you'll need:

• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced, or equivalent bottled lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Do this for the dressing:

Blitz it with a hand blender and fridge till ready. Can do this ahead of time! 

For the salad, you'll need:

Whatever salad ingredients you like. Nice with lettuce, cukes, tomatoes, mint, parsley, grated carrots, radishes, watercress. 

Plate it up:

Salad first, then chopped up chicken, then douse in the fab dressing.

MORE-ISH, I tell ya. 

gluten-free dairy-free red-miso chickpea burgers (optionally vegan)

 

Another Mamatouille original! Something I made up and have perfected over a few tries. 

You'll need:

• 4 cans chickpeas (450 g each), drained
• 7-8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 tablespoon red miso paste
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley or a few tablespoons fresh
• black pepper to taste
• optional: 1 egg

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons plain soy yogurt
• 1 tablespoon red miso
• 1 teaspoon black vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Do this:

For the burgers, throw all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz. I leave it a little bit chunky, not totally blended into a smooth paste. I like a little bit of texture. 

Shape them into patties and fry in a little bit of oil on both sides till browned. Leave them awhile on each side to get browned and so they won't fall apart. 

For the sauce, blend all the ingredients with a hand blender. 

I served it all with rice, homemade furikake (rice topping), vinegary coleslaw, and tomatoes sprinkled with Noto salt. 

Itadakimasu! 

gluten-free and dairy-free homemade peanut-butter cups

 

This is such an easy, fun, delicious recipe and I honestly don't even know where I got it---Facebook was just showing me random cooking videos and I clicked on one that captured my fancy. 

I think these puppies will capture your taste buds' fancy too.

You'll need:

• peanut butter (I used homemade salted and unsweetened
• honey (because I use unsweetened peanut butter)
• soy yogurt (or your favorite plain yogurt)
• chocolate bar (I used dairy-free)

Do this: 

In a bowl, mash your peanut butter, honey, and soy yogurt together. You want it to be a stiff mixture and not too liquidy.

Form that on to food-grade popsicle sticks, and freeze on baking paper in the freezer.

Once that's frozen solid, dip into melted chocolate. I just whack a chocolate bar (broken into bits) in a glass measuring cup in the microwave in 20-second increments till it's nice and smooth.

Put into the fridge to set and then chow down! 

gluten-free dairy-free banana-cranberry muffins

I got this recipe from Mama Knows Gluten Free, but of course, as per usual Mamatouille style, I changed it for our tastes and what I have available. They were so moist and filling! 

You'll need:

• 4 small bananas or 3 bigger ones, mashed
• 2 beaten eggs
• big dashes of cinnamon
• big dashes of powdered ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup gluten-free baking mix
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• about 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Do this:

Mix mix mix and bake bake bake at 350/170 for about 15 minutes.

Eat eat eat.

gluten-free and dairy-free spicy chocolate mug muffin

I've been making mug muffins for years and decided to spice it up a little! 

You'll need:

• 1 tablespoon oil, plus more for greasing the mug
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon chicory powder
• generous sprinkle of cayenne pepper
• generous sprinkle of cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• pinch of baking powder
• 3 tablespoons almond flour
• dash of vanilla essence
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon honey

Do this:

Grease a big mug. (Not your face mug.) Crack an egg in there and beat it with a fork, then add everything else and beat that too. Cover and cook at 600 watts for 1.5 minutes in your microwave, then splash on some soy milk and homemade chocolate sauce (or you can break up some dairy-free chocolate into the muffin before cooking). 

Spicy chocolate? Oh my! 

middle-eastern style fusion renkon (lotus root)

 

Normally I make very traditional Japanese renkon (lotus root) with soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil, but I was making some eggplant fritters with some warm Middle Eastern spices and decided to experiment on a lotus-root side dish to match it. I absolutely loved it! 

You'll need:

• one fresh chunk of lotus root
• tomato paste
• olive oil
• powdered cumin
• powdered coriander
• cayenne pepper
• paprika 
• salt

Do this:

Wash, peel, slice, and soak your lotus root slices in water for a little while. You can do this earlier in the day and put it in the fridge in the water. Then drain.

In a frying pan, saute the slices in olive oil, then add some squirts of tomato paste and all the seasonings. Stir and cook till a little bit bubbly, and serve with your favorite Middle Eastern main dish. 

gluten-free and dairy-free rice-flour pancakes with a carrot-cake pancakes variation and a turmeric variation

I'll start with the basic rice-flour pancake recipe that I nabbed (and slightly changed) from Laura Fuentes, then show you two variations that we love and that I made up myself! 

Rice-Flour Pancakes 

You'll need:

• 2 cups rice flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1.5 cups soy milk (or milk of choice)
• 3 tablespoons katakuriko (Japanese potato starch) or cornstarch

Do this:

Mix it all up in a bowl dance party, then cook in oil on a griddle. Yum yum. I like mine with honey or peanut butter. 

Carrot-Cake Rice-Flour Pancakes

You'll need:

• the above ingredients
• two grated carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Warm and Spicy Carrot-Apple Turmeric Pancakes

You'll need:

• the basic rice-flour pancake ingredients
• one grated carrot
• two peeled and finely chopped apples
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• dash of nutmeg

If you can't finish these in one sitting with your family, they freeze well between baking paper and sealed in a freezer bag. These recipes work for 4 of us, and anything leftover I eat during the week when my guys have oatmeal. 

Bon pancake appetit! 

elana's pantry's (sort of) paleo fruitcake

This is a cake from Elana's Pantry that I try to make every Christmas, and I use two small glass loaf pans that I grease first. Two of these tiny cakes don't seem like much, but they are dense. I tend to use whatever dried fruit I can find here in Japan. (It's not totally Paleo because I don't use the coconut ingredients that she calls for.)

You'll need: 

• 1.5 cups almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup dates, with pits removed and then chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (I usually use dried cranberries instead)
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon orange zest (or soak the fruit in orange curacao instead)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Do this:

Combine your dry ingredients, then add in the fruit and walnuts. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients, and then stir them into the dry ones.

Into your greased mini loaf pans they go.

Bake 350/170 for 20-30 minutes, and try not to eat it up all at once. 

gluten-free vegan yaki udon

This has quickly become one of our favorites. It comes via FitGreenMind, aka Maya from Germany on Instagram. That girl has great recipes, but I had to change a couple things for us with what we have available here in Japan. 

You'll need:

• gluten-free udon noodles, cooked according to package directions (they come in small individual-sized packets here, so I get four for us)
• veggies of choice (I use cabbage or komatsuna greens, plus onions and carrots)
• hard tofu (I buy a 300-gram pack), drained and cut into cubes
• 4 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 teaspoons vinegar (I use rice vinegar)
• salt to taste
• a little bit of water 
• chopped green onions

Do this:

Stir fry the veggies in oil, then add in the cooked udon noodles and brown a little bit. Mix the sauce ingredients together and pour over, then add your cubed tofu. Stir it all up till browned and sticky. Top with chopped green onions. 

All of us love this.

Go yaki some udon already! 

gluten-free vegan blonde brownies

 

These gluten-free vegan blonde brownies come by way of FitGreenMind on Instagram, the popular account of a German girl named Maya who makes great videos and comes up with delicious recipes. 

You'll need:

• 1 can (450 g) chickpeas
• 1/4 cup (75 g) peanut butter
• 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (40 g) flour (I use a gluten-free baking mix)
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• dark vegan chocolate (a bar, chopped, or chips)

Do this:

Drain the chickpeas and rinse them, then add to a food processor with all the ingredients except for the chocolate. Process until smooth.

Add the batter to a bowl, then stir in the chocolate. 

Line a loaf pan with baking paper and add the mix, flatten it out, and bake at 170 C for 35 minutes. Let it cool completely, then cut into bars.

These are so more-ish! 

quick and easy gluten-free oyakodon (Japanese chicken and egg dish)

I've been making oyakodon, a Japanese chicken and egg dish to put on top of a bowl of rice, for years and years. The recipe I had was a bit complicated and time-consuming, so I was happy when a friend here in Japan passed along a simpler version. I can't remember where it's from exactly, and I've changed it a little bit anyway, so here's my take. This makes enough for four people. 

You'll need: 

• 2 chicken breasts, chopped in bite-sized pieces
• 1 bunch of spinach, washed and chopped
• any kind of mushrooms, chopped
• 2 onions, sliced
• 6 eggs, beaten
• oil for cooking
• 4 tablespoons cooking sake
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup homemade dashi (with konbu and katsuobushi flakes)
• 4 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce

Do this:

Heat up your oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken till all the pieces are browned. Add the mushrooms and onions, then all the liquids and sugar. When everything is soft, add the spinach for a minute and then dump the eggs over it all and let it set till cooked. 

Serve over rice in a bowl, and add all those delicious juices and then eat with a spoon. 

easy chili

 

I served this with grated soy cheese, tortilla chips, and salad. (Would be great with cornbread too!) Normally I do a chili with kabocha squash, cinnamon, and cocoa powder, but it was nice to have a more traditional one for a change.

You'll need:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 piman (small Japanese green peppers, chopped (or 1 chopped regular green pepper)
• 6-7 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 kg ground beef
• 2 450ml cans kidney beans, drained
• 2 450ml cans chopped tomatoes (add water to the empty cans to swish out the tomato remains into the chili pot, for a total of about 1 can of water)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Do this: 

Saute the onions, green pepper, and garlic in oil in a soup pot, then add the rest of the ingredients and stir till the ground beef is in small pieces. Simmer about 20 minutes or more if you have time.

Options: 

Substitute half the ground beef with cooked lentils.

Add a teaspoon of cumin if you like it. 

dairy-free turmeric latte + dairy-free gluten-free turmeric latte pancakes

I've been making turmeric lattes (or golden milk) for a long time, but then completely forgot about them until my friend reminded me again the other day. Now I'm making these delicious healthy drinks about every other day! I originally got the recipe from BBC Good Food. 

Well then I brainstormed and thought why not make some turmeric latte pancakes! They were easy and spicy and delicious, and I topped them with soy cream that I whipped with a little vanilla and powdered sugar, then a drizzle of honey. 

First, the latte.

You'll need (for two lattes):

• 350 ml or so of dairy-free milk (I use soy)
• 1/4 t. ginger powder
• 1/4 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. turmeric
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1 t. honey
• black pepper to taste

Do this:

Throw it all in a pot on the stove on medium flame/heat and whisk till hot and frothy.

Now for the pancakes! 

You'll need:

• 150 g gluten-free and dairy-free pancake or baking mix
• 1 egg
• 1 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 1/2 t. turmeric
• 1/8 t. black pepper
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. ginger powder
• 1 T. honey
• 1/2 t. vanilla

(For the whipped cream I whipped 200 ml soy cream with 1/4 t. vanilla and 1 t. powdered sugar.)

Do this: 

Whisk the pancake ingredients together and cook on a griddle or frying pan in a little oil on both sides. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of honey.

This made about 12 small pancakes. 

Joy joy enjoy! 

sweet and spicy nuts

 

A lovely friend shared some of these sweet and spicy nuts with us on her boat on the Thames last summer, and when I asked for the recipe, she wrote it up in her beautiful handwriting and mailed it to me. It came originally from Gordon Ramsay.

You'll need:

• 300 g mixed nuts (whole, blanched, unsalted)
• 2.5 tablespoons icing/powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• black pepper

Do this:

Mix nuts, powdered sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper in a big bowl, then grind over some black pepper. Tip the nuts into a hot wok/frying pan, then sprinkle over about 1 tablespoon of water to help it all caramelize. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring or shaking constantly till browned. Dump it all onto a baking tray lined with baking paper in a single layer. Put in 140 C oven for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally. 

Serve with love in a glass jar on a boat on the Thames or in a bowl in your living room in Japan. Give as gifts in jars for birthdays or just as a love-note of crunchy joy. 

favorite new year's black-eyed peas

I've experimented through the years and riffed many times on my grandma's black-eyed peas New Year's Day tradition. We think this year's was the best so far.

And I believe that part of the flavor came from gratitude; I finished cooking this pot of beans on January 1, 2024, just before our Ishikawa Prefecture earthquake hit at 16:16. We survived and so did our black-eyed peas. (Normally I would serve these with cornbread, but after evacuating from the house and coming back later in the evening, I shakily defrosted some frozen rice instead.)

You'll need:

• Bacon fat
• Chopped bacon
• Onion
• Garlic
• Komatsuna greens (mustard greens)
• Salt and pepper
• Green beans
• Veggie bouillon
• Tomato paste
• Bay leaf
• Dried thyme
• Dried parsley 
• 500 g dried black-eyed peas
• Cayenne pepper
• Paprika

Do this: 

In a stock pot, saute onions, garlic, bay leaf, and komatsuna greens in a big wad of bacon fat. Add in the chopped bacon and cook through, then some chopped green beans. Next, add the black-eyed peas that you have soaked overnight in the fridge and then drained. Cover all of it with water and throw in your seasonings and tomato paste. Simmer until the beans are soft and a lot of the liquid has evaporated.

The only measured ingredient was those black-eyed peas. All the rest was conjured with love. 

Add in or detract as you desire. You know what your family likes. 

Everyone in mine said this was the best version yet.