Crafty Cookery

Chickpea Curry

Posted on June 1, 2010 by Vandy Roadifer

I have a fairly large herb and spice collection so I didn’t use pre-packed “mild curry powder” but it can certainly be used in place of the spices in this recipe.

2 15oz cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 medium onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs fresh ginger, minced or grated
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbs ground turmeric
Salt to taste

In a large saucepan, heat oil and add onions. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add garlic, ginger and spices. Cook for another couple of minutes. Add one can of chickpeas, including the liquid. Add other can of chickpeas plus their liquid in food processor and puree. Add pureed chickpeas into the saucepan. Simmer for 20 minutes, until curry is thickened and heated all the way through. Add salt to taste. If it’s not spicy enough, add more of the spices to taste.

Serve with rice or naan bread.

Suggested garnishments: lime wedges, chopped peanuts or cashews, shredded carrots, chopped cilantro and/or chopped green onions.

Posted in Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Course, Vegan | Leave a comment

Spicy Salmon Tacos w/ Avocado Slaw

Posted on May 30, 2010 by Vandy Roadifer

Spicy Salmon

4 6oz filets of Salmon
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 Tbs lemon juice

Sprinkle chili powder, paprika and garlic on both sides of the salmon filets. Bake at 400* for 5-10 minutes (longer if frozen). Flake salmon while still warm. Squeeze lemon juice over the top of the flaked salmon.

Avocado Tomatillo Slaw

1 head of cabbage, shredded
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 avocados
1 7oz can of tomatillo salsa (I use Herdez brand)
3 Tbs mayonnaise
2 tsp lime juice

In a food processor blend avocados, salsa, mayo and lime juice. In a large bowl combine shredded cabbage, onions and avocado mixture. Gently mix in cilantro. Chill and serve on salmon tacos.

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Easy GF Apple Cherry Crisp

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Vandy Roadifer

I’m in a good mood and have a clean kitchen so I just have to cook. LOL!

4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored & sliced
1/4 cup dried cherries
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup toasted almonds
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup organic brown sugar
2 Tbs butter or margarine

Mix apples, cherries, and lemon juice in a large bowl and spread out in a baking dish. In a food processor combine almonds, flour, sugar and butter. Pulse until all ingredients are combined. Pour over the top of the apples and cherries. Bake in a 350* oven for 30 minutes.

*Note: I forgot to add cinnamon but one tsp can be added to the topping ingredients. 🙂

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Asparagus Risotto

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Vandy Roadifer

This was a time consuming recipe but well worth if you’re going to be in the kitchen doing something anyway (I was cleaning the kitchen while making it). Remember to stir it often so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot! I almost ruined it in the last five minutes. Oops! It’s also very easy to adapt for vegan or dairy-free people. 🙂

1 cup arborio rice (a good brand of short grained or pearl rice can be substituted)
1 small sweet onion, diced fine
1 qt stock (chicken, mushroom or vegetable), heated (I microwaved it for 5-6 minutes)
1 Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs butter or margarine if cooking vegan
1 lb asparagus, chopped & slightly steamed (I put mine in a bowl w/ half inch of water, covered & microwaved for 2 minutes then drained it and set it aside)
Salt & pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan heat butter/margarine and onions. Cook on medium heat until onions are translucent. Add rice and cook for a couple of minutes more, until the rice is coated. Add lemon juice and 1/2 cup broth. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. Once the broth is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of broth to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more broth in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it’s absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in asparagus and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Posted in Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Side Dish, Vegan | Leave a comment

DF Apple Moscato Wine Ice Cream

Posted on May 23, 2010 by Vandy Roadifer

1 750ml bottle of Moscato or Muscat wine
1 13.5oz can of coconut milk
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 small Granny Smith apples, finely grated

In a saucepan, reduce bottle of wine by half. Once reduced, chill wine. When chilled, combine the rest of the ingredients with the wine and pour into ice cream machine per the machine’s instructions. Chill in freezer for at least 3-4 hours before serving.

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DF Clam Chowder

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Vandy Roadifer

My gall bladder rebels every time I have dairy, even the smallest amount of salty feta cheese which I love so much, so I’m still on a dairy free diet. I find it very sad. Some day I’ll probably have to do something about my angry gall bladder but I have enough health issues right now. Until then I’m making creative non-dairy foods. Once I perfect my non-dairy cashew cheese sauce, I’ll post it as well. It sort of turned out like glue when I made it the other day.

I’m finding coconut milk is a very acceptable replacement for cream in many recipes and this clam chowder turned out much better than the almond milk version, even though I didn’t have celery.

1 13.5oz can of lite coconut milk
1 10oz can of baby clams, drained
3 cups water
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/4 lb of bacon, chopped
3 stalks fennel or celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium baking potato, peeled and diced
1 Tbs olive oil

In bottom of large sauce pot, cook bacon pieces until crisp. Remove bacon from pot and drain on a paper towel. Drain off bacon grease. Add olive oil and onion in pot. Cook until onions are translucent. Add fennel (or celery), garlic and potato to the pot. Cook until garlic is cooked, about five minutes. Add water and clams. Return bacon to the pot. Cook until potatoes are soft. Add coconut milk and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

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DF Sweetened Condensed Milk

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Vandy Roadifer

I made this as a substitute for coconut milk. My recipe called for 3/4 of a cup and this recipe made exactly that amount.

2 cups almond milk (1/2 cup of it set aside) or your choice of non-dairy milk
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp corn starch

In a small saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups almond milk and brown sugar. Simmer on low, stirring frequently, until liquid is reduced by half. Whisk 1/2 cup almond milk and corn starch in a cup and pour liquid slowly into the saucepan. Whisk corn starch slurry into the reduced almond milk. Continue simmering until the liquid is again reduced and thickened. Take off heat and use as a replacement for sweetened condensed milk in recipes.

Posted in Dairy Free, Dessert, Gluten Free, Sauces, Vegan | 2 Comments

DF Salted Caramel Sauce

Posted on May 16, 2010 by Vandy Roadifer

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 Tbs light agave syrup
3/4 cup coconut milk (not lite)
4 Tbs vegan margarine
1 1/2 tsp course gray sea salt, crushed

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water and agave syrup and bring to a boil. Using a wet pastry brush, wash down any crystals on the side of the pan. Boil over high heat until a deep amber caramel forms, about 6 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and carefully whisk in the coconut milk, margarine and salt. Let the caramel cool to room temperature.

Update: I tested the recipe and it turned out great, though I substituted Vegan Sweetened Condensed Milk (see post from May 17th) for coconut milk.

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DF Butterscotch Pudding

Posted on May 8, 2010 by Vandy Roadifer

I found a recipe for almond milk pudding online the other day. I cut back on the sugar, though, because while I like sweet, there is such a thing as too sweet. The texture was a bit off. It had a gritty mouth feel. Next time I may try a different thickener such as arrowroot just to see if it makes a difference.

3 Tbs corn starch
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups almond milk
1 Tbs margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla

In a small saucepan combine the corn starch, sugar and salt. Add 1/4 cup of almond milk. On medium-low heat, mix ingredients well to dissolve the corn starch and sugar. Add the remaining almond milk, stirring constantly until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the soy margarine and vanilla until completely incorporated. Transfer pudding to a heatproof dish, place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding (this will prevent a skin from forming), and chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving. Serve cold.

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Carob Chicken Mole

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Vandy Roadifer

I’m allergic to chocolate and tomatoes so I created this alternative chicken mole recipe. Obviously cocoa powder can be substituted for carob. Also you can add a can of diced tomatoes to make it more authentic. If you add tomatoes, cut chicken broth down to one cup. Also peanut butter can be substituted for almond butter. I personally just don’t like peanut butter and had almond butter on hand.

1 Tbs Olive Oil
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, diced
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 poblano peppers, diced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup almond butter
1 Tbs carob powder

Add spices and oil in the bottom of large saucepan. Stir on medium heat until fragrant. Add onions, garlic and poblano pepper and cook until onions are translucent. Add chicken broth, almond butter and carob powder. Mix well. Add chicken and simmer on low until chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice or with corn tortillas.