The Smiling Onion

Vegetarian and Gluten-free Cooking

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Pumpkin-Sage “Nut & Seed” Bread (Nut-free, Vegan, GF, Low Fodmap)

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One of the frustrating things about packaged gluten-free breads is the lack of variety. Most of them tend to imitate white sandwich breads. Every once in a while, you’ll find a whole-grain version, and if you’re very lucky, you might discover a crusty, artisan-style loaf. But I’ve yet to find a packaged gluten-free version of those flatter, denser, heartier, nut & seed breads that were so much a part of my childhood. Breads reminiscent of this sunflower loaf, for example.

Luckily, imitation “nut & seed” breads are super easy to make; MUCH easier than your typical yeasted loaf. The recipe I’ve developed below can be whipped up in about 10 minutes, and then only bakes for 25. It’s composed of healthy, fuel-packed ingredients like oats and quinoa flakes, with a lovely sweetness from the pumpkin and savory notes of sage and marjoram. Better yet, the whole thing can be baked in the tray of your toaster oven! (Unless of course, you want more bread than that, in which case I recommend doubling the recipe and baking it in a regular oven.)

This bread is delicious with all  manner of toppings: hummus & avocado, mustard & swiss, tempeh, lettuce, & tomato – you name it. It’s pictured below with a vegan cheese spread and some fresh veggies. So, how about some hearty pumpkin bread to offset all that Halloween sugar?

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Creamy Cilantro Dressing

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I was fairly shocked to see cilantro at the greenmarket last week – I mean, it’s almost November, for cripes sake! Yet buy a bunch I did, with zero regrets. I love having fresh herbs in the house because they always give dinner a lift – you’re only a quick blend away from a lovely dressing, dripping sauce, or drizzling sauce that will always take your meal to the next level.

This creamy dressing is one of those easy meal lifters. It, like most of my sauce recipes, is also quite versatile. You can use it to dress a salad or grain bowl, drizzled over a protein, or all over your quesadillas. In other words (for you Dr. Seuss fans) whether you eat this in a house, with a mouse, in a box, or with a fox …  you’ll definitely enjoy it.

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Kiwi-Papaya Sherbert

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What do you do with four very ripe kiwis, some basil, and an ice-cream machine that’s anxious to be used before autumn descends? Make sorbet! Well, actually, since I couldn’t resist adding in some sweetened condensed coconut milk for a creamier texture, this is actually a sherbert. (In case you’re rusty on your ice-cream classifications, when you add a little fat to sorbet, it becomes sherbert.)

Whatever it’s called, it’s incredibly difficult to stop eating. This sherbert is bright and fruity, but it also has a wonderful, melt-in-your-mouth creamy texture, thanks to the sweetened condensed coconut milk and a little bit of gin. The savory hint of basil goes perfectly with the sweet, tartness of the kiwis, the papaya adds some body, and the lime gives it just the right amount of pop. In fact, it’s a very good thing this sherbert recipe only yields a couple servings because, if left in the freezer, I definitely don’t think it would be safe from eager spoons. (I’m exercising quite a bit of will power now, in fact, trying to finish this post before devouring the couple spoonfuls I have left. If there is some sort of record for the highest number of glances at one’s freezer in a single hour, I’ve definitely broken it today.)

So, in the interest of not making this post too long (and limiting the amount of time I have to wait until I can finish off the sherbert), let’s get to the recipe.

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Chinese-Style Broccoli with Brown Sauce and Crispy Ginger (Soy-Free & Sugar-Free!)

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One of my favorite things about cooking for people with dietary restrictions is developing personalized recipes. This sauce was born a couple years ago, when I used to cook for a client who was soy-free, sugar-free, grain-free, and dairy-free. Some people might conclude that your standard American-style Chinese food was out of the question, since it’s normally loaded with soy and sugar. But I had a feeling that wasn’t the case.

One week, the menu leant itself to an Asian-style glaze. I knew I could replace the soy component and some of the sugar with coconut aminos, which is not only a great soy-sauce substitute but also lends a nice sweetness to marinades and sauces. For the rest of the sugar, I decided to use just a little bit of mandarin orange juice. Next, I added a touch of toasted sesame oil and boiled those three simple ingredients together until…voila…I had a soy-free, sugar-free Asian-style glaze. And I couldn’t stop eating it…

This recipe uses a very similar procedure to yield the brown sauce, but instead of mandarin juice, I’ve used navel oranges. These have a lower sugar content than mandarins, so the glaze takes a bit longer to reduce and becomes more of a sauce (as opposed to a sticky glaze) once you toss it with your broccoli. (By the way, I’ve also chosen to roast the broccoli, which I find is one of the easiest ways to get perfectly cooked, crispy-but-not-oily, lovely little florets!)

Since this dish is so simple (you basically roast some broccoli – easy peasy – boil the three ingredients to make your brown sauce  – even easier – and toss the two components together), I decided you’ll definitely have the time and energy to make some awesome crispy ginger to really take this dish over the top. Believe me, it’s well worth the extra 5 minutes!

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5-Spice + Turmeric Carrot Breakfast Pudding

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What if it were acceptable to eat pumpkin pie filling for breakfast? Would you? Even in summer? I might. Because this 5-spice + turmeric carrot pudding tastes like a breakfasty twist on pumpkin pie – in pudding form of course. The spices are subtle yet warming – the perfect start to your day – and the color is vibrant. And, as an added bonus, the fresh turmeric root provides a nice anti-inflammatory boost!

While this 5-spice + turmeric carrot breakfast pudding screams autumn, I find myself craving warming breakfasts like this year round. Would you expect anything less of a winter ice-cream eater? Anyway, if you’re not much for warming breakfasts in summer, this pudding is also fantastic cold. (In fact, if you chill it, it will taste even more like pumpkin pie filling.) I, however, actually prefer it warm,  with a splash of almond milk, a sprinkle of raisins, and some toasted coconut. The notes of molasses in the jaggery sugar compliment the cloves and pepper in the 5-spice perfectly, and the raisins add a nice bite.

So…breakfast pudding, anyone?

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Carrot Top Pesto

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Summer is in full swing and with it comes gorgeous Farmer’s Market veggies galore. This includes carrots that have not been rudely decapitated – or in other words, relieved of their feathery tops. And what a blessing that is!

Carrot tops join the ranks of underappreciated and often discarded veggie parts, along with beet greens, fennel fronds, and potato skins, among others. I’m still waiting for Chopped or some other Food Network show to do an episode that features these underutilized veggie components, all in the same round. Or maybe they have — I’m a bit behind on my Food Network binging! If they did, I hope someone made potato skin nachos with pickled beet greens, carrot top pesto, and fennel frond queso…

Anyway, back to carrot tops. Next time you find yourself with a cutting board full, please don’t throw them out. Instead, make this quick + delicious, flavor-packed pesto. You’ll be glad you did!

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Lapsang Souchong Carrots

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Lapsang Souchong is a deliciously rich and smoky Chinese black tea that is fantastic for both cooking and drinking. Since it’s a black tea, it also carries with it all those lovely black-tea health benefits – antioxidants, heart-healthy compounds, etc. – though, since the tea is smoked over pine leaves, I do find myself wondering whether the antioxidants survive. Tea experts, please chime in! My google searching has proved inconclusive (nobody is talking about this on the internet, apparently) and I’d love to know what affect the smoking process has on a tea’s health benefits.

In any case, I can say with certainty (albeit certainty subjective to my own taste preferences) that the smoking process has a beneficial affect on the taste of this tea. If you’ve never tried it, you really must – I playfully call it the Laphroaig of teas since its smoky, intense, complexity reminds me of a bacony scotch.

This makes it a perfect ingredient for sauces and marinades, as it lends this complexity of flavor to the simplest of dishes. Seriously – you’ll be amazed at how easy these carrots are to prepare. Simply mix a 5-ingredient marinade together, pour it over some carrots, and bake until tender. That’s it! Serve them over your favorite grain with a poached egg or some baked tofu for a simple, delicious meal or leave them as is for a lovely side dish. You really can’t go wrong.

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Bourbon-Sour Cream Ice Cream for the 4th of July!

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You may have noticed that I tend to put whiskey in my holiday blog posts – at least once a year.  There’s this year’s Irish Whiskey Banana Bread (St. Patty’s Day), last year’s Cinnamon-Sugar Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate-Whiskey Cream (Valentine’s Day), and my whiskey-glazed Apples & Honey Cake from Rosh Hashanah 2015…er…5776 (Jewish calendar). In any case, I’m beginning to realize I may have a whiskey dessert problem.

But what a wonderful problem it is! Bourbon lends itself perfectly to ice cream. In fact, no matter what flavor I decided to create, it probably would have included at least 1 tablespoon of the stuff since adding alcohol to homemade ice cream helps make it creamy and prevent iciness. (So does arrowroot starch, incidentally, which you’ll also find in this recipe!) And the caramel notes of the bourbon with the tanginess of the sour cream – it really can’t be described in words.

In addition to tasting divine, this ice cream recipe is also lactose-free, low fodmap, egg-free, coconut-free, soy-free, and nut-free! Interestingly, I haven’t been able to find a lactose-free ice cream recipe that doesn’t use coconut milk or nut milk, and really wanted one, since coconut can tend to taste quite coconuty and nut milk doesn’t quite have the proper texture to yield a creamy result. This probably has something to do with the fact that traditional ice cream is made from a blend of heavy cream and milk, and, while there is plenty of lactose-free milk on the market, I don’t think there is any heavy cream. There is, however, lactose-free half and half and lactose-free sour cream. I had a hunch that thickening the half and half slightly with some arrowroot starch (which also prevents an icy ice cream texture) and then blending it with the sour cream might be a winning combo –  and I’m happy to say I was right!

This ice cream is the perfect balance of creamy, rich, tangy, and sweet. Whether you’ve never had sour cream ice cream before, or you’re already a convert, you really must try it! So plug in that ice cream maker, grab yourself a bowl, and get ready for some fireworks.

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Spicy Tibetan-Style Potatoes & Spinach

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This dish is great because it’s so versatile. Can it be an stand-out veggie side? You betcha. How about a main dish? Yup – just serve it with your favorite grain, add in some lentils or chickpeas for protein, and maybe a drizzle of yogurt over your bowl of goodness for good measure! It also makes a fantastic stuffing: use it for cabbage rolls, stuffed peppers, inside my buckwheat kati roll wrappers, or as the filling for a fabulous fusion taco. (Add some chopped cilantro and potentially some mild feta, drizzle with yogurt and maybe some mint chutney and you are in taco fusion heaven!) It’s also fantastic for breakfast alongside some eggs. In fact, I really can’t think of a savory-meal situation where it couldn’t play a role!

Yesterday, my husband and I enjoyed this over millet with some Lapsang Souchang tea. And what a wonderful meal it was! As bite after bite of warming, spicy potatoes coated in a flavorful gravy of Indian spices like  turmeric, paprika, coriander, and garam masala hit my palate – along with crispy bits of scallion and serrano –  I was reminded of the potatoes our Tibetan housemate used to make when I was little. Granted, I will not go so far as to say these are “authentically” Tibetan. I’ve never studied Tibetan cooking and I was actually going for North Indian when I put this recipe together. However, they definitely have a Tibetan or Nepalese flair!

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3-Ingredient Creamy Coconut Porridge

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted a breakfast recipe. And that’s a pity, because it’s one of my favorite meals! Since breakfast has a unique ability to set the tone for the entire day, I like to try to eat something yummy, nourishing, and easy to make/clean up! (Weekends, I get a bit more ambitious. Check out my Savory Waffles, Baked Eggs with Lambsquarters and Harissa, and Maple-Teff Muffins for some favorite weekend breakfast recipes.)

In any case, this 3-ingredient creamy coconut porridge hits all the criteria above. The three ingredients are gluten-free rolled oats, coconut milk, and water. Can you beat that for simplicity? And yet, the finished product is really all you could ask for in a porridge. It’s creamy and nourishing without being heavy. The oats have plenty of fuel and fiber to keep you going until lunch. And no extra sweetener is really necessary here: the natural sweetness of the coconut milk does the job, especially when you top it with the salted maple pecans (recipe included below!) and some fresh fruit.

Let’s get our porridge on!

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