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.