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Gluten Free

DessertsGluten Free

Healthy Crunchies for the Manic Munchies. [Gluten Free]

You know you’ve all been there.  You’re sitting at your desk, scrolling through Facebook, putting together a draft memo, emailing your colleague or client, editing photos, whatever it is you do at your desk… and without even realizing it, you reach over to some vague corner of your workspace and begin pawing for something…

Something tasty.
Something sweet.

Something crunchy.

I have to say, working at the home office is the biggest nemesis for keeping fit. Somehow, the mundane task of typing away at my computer at home–where I am fully aware of all the little nooks and crannies chock full of delicious snacks and sweets–transforms my otherwise ordinary stomach into a gaping maw, an abyss with depths that would lay waste to the most profound philosopher. I could literally eat non-stop and not get full–especially if it’s something with some bite.

As it were, my friend Teri over at NoCrumbsLeft posted a delightful recipe for her Peach and Cloudberry Crunchies.  What caught my eye, of course, were the beautiful caramelized morsels of what looked like granola on the side of her plate.  Now that I could snack away on to my heart’s content without a fork, knife, or even a napkin.  It turns out that these were actually pieces of a cookie–a beautifully crispy crunchy cookie.

And, lo and behold, Teri challenged me to veganize it.

Challenge Accepted.

Need I say more?

No, but I will.

Not only would I veganize this dreamy little dessert, I would “healthify” it too, in order to facilitate the endless snacking I envisioned as part of its destiny.  I decided, at once, that I would make it gluten free, refined sugar free, refined oil free–as well as dairy and egg free.

And it came out perfect.

Baked to a crisp on the edges, but retaining a little ooey-gooey-chewiness at the very center, these little discs of heaven will knock your socks off right into God’s own parlor while keeping those pesky calories in check.

So that you an eat not one, but two (or even three) a day…!

And the best part about this cookie is that it doesn’t have to stay a cookie.  Crumble it up over some nice cream or a smoothie bowl.  Take a leaf out of Teri’s book and add some to your yogurt parfait.  Or, if you’re like my boyfriend, crumble it up into a bowl and pour chocolate milk over it.

Yup.

The sky is truly the limit here.

OR,

You can be like me and just eat ’em plain as God intended.

Healthy Crunchies for the Manic Munchies. [Gluten Free]

...for when you have the munchies for something crunchy and sweet...
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6 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 cup GF rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 tbsp GF oat flour
  • 1 tsp xanthum gum
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp crushed pink peppercorn
  • 1 tbsp flax seeds
  • 1 1/2 tbsp non-dairy milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Add flax seeds to non-dairy milk and set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt coconut oil and add coconut sugar. Stir until a thick paste forms. Remove from heat.
  • In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients. Then add flax+milk, vanilla extract, and sugar mixture to dry ingredients. Stir with wooden spoon until all ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Using your hands, spoon out dough to form a ball and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. The dough will be very loose, but once you place them on the baking sheet, you can shape them into pretty little circles, roughly 2 inches in diameter. Make sure to place at least 2 inches of space between the cookies, as they will spread in the oven.
  • Place baking sheet in oven preheated to 350° F for approximately 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool for approximately 1 minute. Then, with your spatula or the back of a spoon, reshape the cookies into discs if they've spread into shapeless blobs. Let them cool for a few minutes longer until they've started to harden. Remove them from the baking sheet with a spatula and place them gently onto a cooling rack. Let them cool for ~15 minutes and enjoy.
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DessertsGluten Free

Blackberry Glazed Blackberry Donuts [Gluten Free].

So, I don’t know if you guys heard, but the KV Kitchen has had a minor “makeover.” And it wasn’t the kind that I liked.

We’ve Gone [Sort of] Gluten Free.

My boyfriend was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder called Hashimoto’s Disease.  Now, I’ll spare you all the skepticism I have for conventional medicine and the manner in which he was diagnosed, but we figured that it wouldn’t hurt to try eliminating gluten from his diet for at least a temporary period of time.

HIS diet.

I am not gluten free.  I do not have an autoimmune disorder, and even were I to test positive for some sort of so-called “sensitivity,” I still wouldn’t adopt a gluten free diet.  I love bread too much. My doctor would literally have to tell me,

“You’re going to DIE if you eat any more gluten.”

And quite frankly, any doctor who told me that would probably do more to piss me off than to earn my trust.

Ok, so back to the recipe at hand…

Because I Am An Awesome Girlfriend…

I decided that I would do my best to cook gluten free in our kitchen.  At first, this was sort of a traumatic thing. I know, that sounds so dramatic, but think about it: two of my favorite Korean Vegan ingredients in all the world contain gluten:

Soy sauce.

Doenjang.

I cook with these two condiments all the time.  Sure, there are gluten free options, but I sort of pride myself (as many would) on using the very same ingredients my mom and my grandmother used.  They did not have “gluten free” soy sauce or “gluten free” fermented soy paste.  Indeed, the notion of “gluten free” would  be so absurd to my grandmother she’d probably smack me [she grew up during a time where smacking kids in a non-child-abuse sort of away was totally ok.]. Be that as it may, I put my big-girl pants on and decided that I could start focusing on veganizing and gluten-freeing some of our favorite recipes.  OR, in some cases, simply coming up with new recipes that were already gluten free.

Welcome Gluten Free Donuts.

And that is how these blackberry donuts were born.  Our house has been packed with blackberries this entire summer, so I thought it was high time I come up with a way to bake something out of them.

I started with the idea of making cupcakes, but when my muffin tray could only accommodate half the batter, I figured that donuts might be fun.

And indeed they were.

Blackberry Glazed Blackberry Donuts [Gluten Free].

..for when your gluten free cake batter runneth over...
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12 donuts

Ingredients
  

Donut Batter

  • 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup flaxseed meal
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1 tsp xanthum gum
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup date sugar (can substitute coconut sugar)
  • 2/3 cup non-dairy milk
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 banana (mashed)
  • 7 oz. blackberries (mashed)
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Blackberry Glaze

  • 8 oz. blackberries
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp chia seeds

Instructions
 

Donuts.

  • Add vinegar to non-dairy milk and set aside for 5 minutes (vegan buttermilk). In the meantime, stir together all dry ingredients in large bowl.
  • Add vanilla extract, as well as mashed banana and blackberries to dry ingredients. Then, add vegan buttermilk and whisk until all ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Pipe batter into donut pan and bake at 350° for 28-32 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean). Allow donuts to rest in donut pan for 10 minutes. Then gently remove donuts and let them cool on cooling rack for 20 minutes.

Blackberry Glaze.

  • Place all ingredients for glaze into small sauce pot over medium high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture reaches desired consistency. If mixture doesn't thicken, you can always add a little potato starch (I didn't need to). Blend with immersion blender.
  • Dip cooled donuts into glaze and sprinkle with chia seeds.
  • Remember, these are gluten-free, refined sugar free, dairy free, egg free, and refined oil free. Eat all donuts at once so as to leave behind no evidence of the same.

Notes

  1. This is the gluten free flour I used for this recipe.
  2. You can purchase donut pans here.
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Gluten FreePasta and NoodlesSauces

My Korean Vegan Red Sauce.

In summer time, the tomatoes are as fat and sumptuous as the days are long and sultry.  There is thus little excuse to use tomatoes out of a can or box.  I don’t care if you paid $100 to have them shipped from some small village in Modena, Italy. Fresh, local tomatoes–when in season–always beat out the fancy schmancy stuff they seal into jars.  This easy, peasy vegan recipe for my red sauce with a spot of Korean spice will make you the goddess of your kitchen.  A couple jars of this in your fridge, and you’ll be whipping up all sorts of dishes (pasta, stews, soups, sauces) in minutes.

Spaghetti happens to be one of my favorite foods of all time.  I honestly believe that I could actually be competitive in a spaghetti eating contest.  It’s one of those foods that never leaves me feeling full.  We use Jovial gluten free pasta in the KV Kitchen, and we love the stuff.  It’s made entirely out of brown rice and to us, it tastes better than regular pasta.

One of the things I like about this sauce is that it’s not watery and flat like the stuff you find in the grocery store.  The tomatoes retain some of their texture even after you blend them (especially if you use an immersion blender), and the carrots also give the sauce both a depth and brightness that makes you happy as you slurp your noodles.  The texture also helps with the “sticky” factor–as in, the sauce doesn’t just slide off your noodles.  The sauce cleaves to even the smoothest spaghetti, ensuring that each forkful is as delicious and satisfying as Nonna’s.

My Korean Vegan Red Sauce.

...for when you want everyone to know you make your sauce from scratch...
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6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 red onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup carrots chopped
  • 2 tbsp gochujang*
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup white wine can substitute vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 6-7 ripe tomatoes chopped

Instructions
 

  • Add olive oil to large sauce pot over medium high heat. Once oil begins to shimmer, add red onions and cook until they become translucent and soft. Next add garlic, carrots, Italian seasoning, pepper and salt.
  • When veggies begin to brown (and the bottom of the pot begins to brown), add gochujang and stir until all veggies are evenly coated. Then, deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup of the white wine. Scrape up all the brown bits and cook over low heat until the liquid reduces.
  • Add tomatoes and remaining white wine. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to allow the tomatoes to simmer for at least 45 minutes.
  • Once the tomatoes have broken down from cooking, remove from heat. Add contents of pot to a blender or blend with immersion blender to desired consistency. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Add sauce to cooked pasta of choice, together with some fresh basil.
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Gluten FreeSaucesSoups, Stews, and Side DishesTraditional Korean Recipes

Kimchi Chigae Reigns Supreme.

Ok, so the other night, my boyfriend was out and it was just me for dinner.  Normally, on nights I don’t need to cook for anyone but me, I stick to something easy–like bread and almond butter (sadly, this is not an exaggeration).  But, there was a ripe old jar of kimchi calling my name just sitting in my fridge, so I decided it was a great opportunity to make some kimchi chigae.  My boyfriend–an Italian American–has been a real trooper about trying all the different veganized Korean foods I make, but the one thing that hasn’t quite enthralled him (yet) is kimchi [guys, no one is perfect stop judging him].

Kimchi chigae is basically like many other Korean recipes–it’s aimed at making sure nothing goes to waste.  Like bibimbap, it’s about taking what’s in your fridge that you would otherwise not serve at the table and putting them into a pot until they become delicious again.  The trick with any chigae (stew) is to make a kick ass broth.  Here, that starts with good kimchi [duh]. But I also add some red onions (which are healthier than the white variety), garlic, and shiitake mushrooms to do some of the legwork.  The final piece to the puzzle, though, is my mom’s Korean BBQ Marinade.  I use this delicious concoction to take basically every savory dish I make to that next level.

If you like spicy food, you will love love love this recipe. It’s easy, delicious, and healthy to boot!  You can find a step by step video demonstration of this recipe (along with a bunch of others) here.  

Kimchi Chigae.

...for that time you don't know what to do with all that left over kimchi that's too sour to eat...
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4 people

Ingredients
  

Chigae

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 red onion diced
  • 6-7 shiitake mushrooms sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup kimchi** overripe
  • 1 1/2 tbsp gochujang*
  • tbsp Omma's Korean BBQ Marinade see below
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup black beans
  • 3 oz. extra firm tofu sliced
  • green onions for garnish

Omma's Korean BBQ Marinade

  • 1/2 red onion
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce use Tamari sauce for GF version
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 1/2 Korean apple pear
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup optional
  • 1 tbsp liquid smoke optional

Instructions
 

  • Blend all ingredients for Omma's Korean BBQ Marinade in blender, until smooth and slightly frothy. It will smell freaking delicious and you will want to use it in everything you cook.
  • In a medium size pot (I use the traditional Korean stone pot, but you can also use a dutch oven), over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Once the oil is nice and hot, add red onions and mushrooms. Cook until brown. Add garlic and salt and stir until garlic softens.
  • Add kimchi and some of the kimchi juice. Feel free to slice the kimchi into bite sized pieces if it doesn't come that way already. Make sure the kimchi is overripe--as in, not the kind that you want to eat raw. The kimchi should be a dull orange (as opposed to the beautiful bright orange you see when served at a meal) and smell like your brother's dirty socks. If you use underripe or even just ripe kimchi, the stew will not come out as good.
  • Add gochujang and Omma's Korean BBQ Marinade and stir until all the veggies are evenly coated. It should smell like heaven in your kitchen.
  • Add water and bring to a boil. Then add black beans, tofu, and a little green onion for garnish. Do not let your stew cook too long--the longer you cook, the soggier your kimchi becomes. You want your kimchi to retain a nice satisfying "crunch" even when the stew is done cooking.

Notes

  1.  You can get gluten free gochujang here.  If you have no probs with gluten, you can pick up a few other brands of gochujang that I really like here and here.
  2. If you don't have an awesome mom who makes you vegan kimchi (like my mom), you can buy vegan kimchi here.
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