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Harissa Deviled Eggs

September 3, 2016 By Alana Leave a Comment

Harissa Deviled Eggs

I can’t believe I’ve almost made it through the whole summer without sharing a recipe for deviled eggs! One of my all-time favorite picnic foods, they are a staple in our household, especially in the warmer months. And if I’m looking to use up some fresh herbs that might not make it much longer or create some much-needed space in the fridge by clearing out the bottom of a condiment jar, it’s deviled eggs to the rescue! They lend themselves to so many different flavor and texture combinations that I could probably snack on them every day and not get bored. Wasabi deviled eggs? Check. Crispy chive deviled eggs? Check again. Pickled okra deviled eggs? Oh yeah.

I could go on for a while here, but I’ll limit myself to talking about this week’s snack of choice – harissa deviled eggs. If you’ve been a regular reader of this blog, you’ll know that harissa is one of my go-to ingredients. I always have it on hand because it’s just so darn delicious! The brand I buy is heavy on the tomatoes, and is similar to a spicy sundried tomato tapenade – which, incidentally, could be subbed for the harissa in this recipe. If you do decide to go get some harissa for these eggs, check out my Spicy Harissa-Chickpea Burger, Quinoa Superfood Salad with Harissa-Sesame Dressing (excuse the photos – this was one of my first posts), and Baked Eggs with Lambsquarters and Harissa. Trust me, you’ll have no trouble using it up!

Anyway, let’s talk some more about these deviled eggs. They are seriously addictive – creamy yolks, subtle heat, and a bright pickle-induced crunch that pops out at you every once in a while to remind you what’s what. Hungry yet?

Oh – speaking of those creamy yolks, my #1 secret for delicious deviled eggs is to use more yolks than whites. This means you’ll never skimp on the delicious filling that is the very definition of a deviled egg, but you also won’t have to be heavy-handed with the mayonnaise to make sure your filling doesn’t run out. That’s right – I like my deviled eggs light on the mayonnaise and heavy on the flavor!

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Tagged With: Eggs, Harissa, Pickles, Picnic, Summer Filed Under: Dairy-Free, Grain-Free, New American, Peanut & Tree Nut-Free, Sides, Simple and Easy, Twists on the Classics

Rebellious Tofu and Bean Thread Stir-Fry

August 25, 2016 By Alana Leave a Comment

Tofu and Bean Thread Stir-Fry

Rules are made to be broken. Even in the kitchen. While this is a pretty simple comfort-food kind of meal (a healthier alternative to reaching for that Chinese take-out menu after a long day), it’s also just a tad rebellious. You won’t be able to taste the rebellion (unless you add some chili paste, of course — more on that in a bit) but you’ll know it’s there.

What on earth does rebellion have to do with a simple stir-fry? Well, let’s start by discussing what most people will tell you is the #1 tofu rule: press it. I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard that the secret to great tofu is to get all the moisture out of it so it crisps up better. It seems everyone and their mother has their own tofu pressing method – press it at an angle, so it doesn’t sit in its own water; cut it into small pieces before pressing; freeze it before pressing … I could go on for a while here. And yes, I’ve done some of these, and yes, they do yield crispy tofu. But is it better tofu? And is it worth the hassle/time of pressing? In many cases, I would (gasp!) say absolutely not.

With one exception – I do press my tofu when I need it to look visually stunning. Pressing and then browning it really well definitely does the trick there. But in terms of taste, I actually like my tofu better when it’s not pressed. And I definitely prefer not having to plan ahead when I want a quick dinner – tofu has always been my gold standard for a quick meal and pressing it takes that quality away completely.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying that I like my tofu mushy and soggy. But if you buy the right brand (Fresh Tofu Inc. is especially firm and dry and Nasoya Extra Firm is usually okay too, after a bit of light squeezing) and fry it up with some gluten-free soy sauce, it’ll be flavorful + tender with some lovely crispy bits – better than the overly chewy and sometimes dry quality you get when you go the press + brown-all-around route.

Confused? Don’t worry – my rebellious tofu is detailed in this recipe, so you can feel free to try it for yourself and see what you think. And if you’re a tofu pressing fanatic – no worries. You can definitely go ahead and press your tofu for this recipe if you must. As long as I don’t have to do it!

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Tagged With: Ginger, Green Beans, Pepper, Sesame, Tamari, Tofu Filed Under: Asian, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Entrees, Grain-Free, Peanut & Tree Nut-Free, Simple and Easy, Vegan

Sweet & Spicy Black Sesame Snack Balls

August 14, 2016 By Alana Leave a Comment

Sweet & Spicy Sesame Snack Balls

Have you ever noticed that each judge on Chopped  has at least one pet peeve – feedback that they seem to give over and over? Maneet Chauhan’s is raw cayenne. I feel like I’ve seen at least 8 episodes where she criticizes a chef for not cooking the spices properly, or for adding cayenne right before the buzzer. She hates the taste of raw cayenne!

I totally see where she’s coming from, but I have a dirty secret: I happen to really, really enjoy raw cayenne. Okay, maybe not in curries…you definitely gotta bloom your spices there. But sprinkled on fruit, gluten-free flatbread, fries, plantains … I have to say I really like the intensity you get when it’s raw!

Especially when it’s coating these black sesame – date balls. They were born when I decided to attempt a no-bake black and white cookie (made from black and white sesame seeds!) and then got distracted after my first attempt at the black half because I started thinking how delicious my dough would be rolled in a spice mixture. The cookie idea got shelved, and instead I went for some fiery snacks.

I’m glad I did – the black sesame, date, and raisin mixture is interesting on its own, but after being rolled in cinnamon, cayenne, and crunchy black and white sesame seeds, it really pops! Plus the snack balls are so pretty … and a cinch to put together! They are also nice and healthy – cinnamon and cayenne have a load of health benefits I won’t get into here (because the list is long – google it if you are interested!) and the balls are sweetened only with dates and raisins.

[Read more…]

Tagged With: Black Sesame, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Dates, Raisins Filed Under: Asian, Baked Goods and Desserts, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Grain-Free, Peanut & Tree Nut-Free, Simple and Easy, Vegan

Pan-Grilled Fairy Tale Eggplant with Feta, Honey, and Tarragon

August 5, 2016 By Alana Leave a Comment

Fairy tale eggplant with feta, tarragon, and honey

Once upon a time, a pound of cute little purple and white striped eggplant lived in a lovely garden with their father, a big purple Italian eggplant named Giuseppe, and their mother, a Japanese white eggplant named Mari. Life was pretty good – they were all given plenty to eat and drink and the compost in their part of town was utterly delicious.

One day, one of the purple and white striped eggplants overheard the cherry tomatoes talking amongst themselves. “It was incredible!” said a cherry tomato named Steve. “I never dreamed the world was so large!” “Oh, shut up, Steve,” said Marcus, an elderly tomato who was already starting to shrivel. “You have no business spreading lies around the garden. We all know you are making this up – I mean, you couldn’t roll two feet without getting stepped on, let alone all the way to Manhattan.” “Oh yes, I can,” retorted Steve. “I’ll prove it to you! Tomorrow, I’m going to the Union Square Greenmarket and I’m going to purchase an herb for my mother to wear – basil is all the rage these days!”

The little purple and white striped eggplant could hardly believe his ears. Leaving the garden? Why would anyone want to do that, he wondered to himself. But that night, he couldn’t sleep. Suddenly, he began to see the wisdom in what Steve had been saying. What was he doing, spending his whole life in one tiny corner of the world? He had to get out there. He had to take risks. Shaking his brothers and sisters awake, he told them what he had overheard. “Let’s go to Manhattan!” he said. “Steve already knows how to get there – all we have to do is follow him!”

And so it was decided. Bright and early the next morning, the pound of little purple and white striped eggplant set off, led by Steve, the cherry tomato. Unfortunately, the fairy tale these eggplants were born into was of the Brother’s Grimm variety, and so while Steve would miraculously survive to teach Marcus an important lesson about truth (namely, that he was telling it) that pound of purple and white striped eggplants was doomed. It would see the world – that was something – but then it would be purchased by a hungry female giant named Alana, grilled alive, and eaten.

But oh, in this fairy tale, deliciousness would prevail. Because young, tender, fairy tale eggplants quickly grilled in a cast iron skillet, sprinkled with a feta-tarragon mixture, and finished with honey and sherry vinegar are infinitely more delicious than poisoned apples, stale gingerbread houses, or magic beans (which to the best of my knowledge nobody even ate, but still). They are so supremely delicious, in fact, that you might be okay with fighting a hungry giant or slaying a fire-breathing dragon just to get your hands on them.

Fairy tale eggplant with feta, tarragon, and honey
Fairy tale eggplant
Fairy tale eggplant with feta, tarragon, and honey

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Tagged With: Eggplant, Feta, Honey, Tarragon Filed Under: Egg-Free, Grain-Free, Middle Eastern, New American, Peanut & Tree Nut-Free, Sides, Simple and Easy

Asian Tofu Salad

July 28, 2016 By Alana Leave a Comment

Asian Tofu Salad

If you’ve ever taken any sort of culinary or food science class, you may know that there are two types of cooking methods: dry-heat cooking and moist-heat cooking. Dry-heat is where your sautéing, roasting, baking, and frying lie. And moist heat is your boil, steam, simmer, and stew! (That’s by no means an exhaustive list of all moist/dry heat cooking methods, but it gives you a general idea.)

Anyway, it turns out I’m a dry-heat girl by nature. My go-to cooking methods are sautéing, roasting, baking, and pan-frying. Sure, I steam and boil on occasion (fried pasta would be pretty gross and I do like to blanch my greens and boil potatoes for mash now and then) but on the whole, my cooking routine generally begins with a skillet, some oil, and an onion.

In this heat, however, standing by a hot skillet babysitting a stir-fry is just not appealing. So when the craving for some tofu hit, I decided to boil it. Now if you’re like me, and you’ve spent your entire tofu-eating life baking, frying, or sautéing it, you may have some doubts about whether boiling is even possible. I know I did. But guess what?! It is! And it’s quite delicious and refreshing when seasoned well, chilled, and made into an Asian tofu salad like this one. In fact, taking foods I’m used to cooking one way and giving them a completely different treatment is definitely something I’d like to do more of. It helps me stay inspired, be creative, and not get stuck in any cooking ruts (which 90 degree weather can definitely precipitate!)

[Read more…]

Tagged With: Carrots, Cilantro, Coconut Aminos, Lemon, Peanut Oil, Scallion, Tofu, Umeboshi Vinegar Filed Under: Asian, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Grain-Free, New American, Salads, Sides, Simple and Easy, Vegan

Lemony Chive and Spinach Pesto (Vegan/Dairy-Free Option)

July 18, 2016 By Alana Leave a Comment

Spinach and Chive Pesto

Sometimes you gotta change it up a bit. Basil pesto is great – no argument here. But we’ve now reached the part of summer where it is HOT. And that means I need something a bit zingier – something with more freshness, more brightness. Because I’m sure as hell not going to find that in the swampland that is NYC right now.

Are you with me? Good. You should be. Because this pesto is yumtastic. Or yumtacular. Or whatever your favorite made-up compound superlative conveying deliciousness happens to be. Bright and grassy, it has a complexity of flavor that you don’t often get with a standard pesto, where everything hits you all at once. Taste  a spoonful of this, and your first impression will be fresh, lemony, and zingy – then the flavor will begin to evolve, giving way to something much fuller, richer, and creamier. If you are used to using raw garlic in your pestos, you’ll notice that the sautéed chives lend a flavor that is deeper, subtler, less abrasive, and more complex. Those delicious chives will begin to strut their stuff, and you’ll marvel at how such a small stalk  – when given the proper treatment – can bloom and blossom into a full-on umami symphony.

Or  – since not everyone is as food-obsessed as I am (you guys, I just typed the phrase “umami symphony”), you’ll just be like: “Mmm, this is yummy. I should put it on pasta.”

And indeed you should.

Spinach and Chive Pesto

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Tagged With: Chives, Lemon, Parmesan, Spinach Filed Under: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Entrees, Grain-Free, Italian, Low FODMAP, New American, Peanut & Tree Nut-Free, Simple and Easy, Twists on the Classics, Vegan

5-Ingredient Chewy Cinnamon Cookies (Vegan and Grain-Free!)

June 26, 2016 By Alana Leave a Comment

Chewy Cinnamon Cookies

I’ve been having some trouble with will power lately. Specifically when it comes to sugar cravings. It all started with my wedding a couple weeks ago (yay!) when the catering company left us an entire fridge shelf filled with gluten-free mini key lime pies. Suddenly, it was key lime pie for breakfast, snack, “lunch dessert” (which normally does not exist in my household), and of course, dinner dessert. Yeah – a mini key lime pie is one of those awesome desserts you can justify eating for breakfast – I mean, you’d eat a lemon bar, right? What’s the diff?

After the pie fiasco, I was at my local grocery store when I spotted a ridiculous sale: THREE Ben and Jerry’s ice creams for ten bucks. WHAT?! That’s basically like getting a whole pint of ice cream free, given that the lowest price I’ve ever seen for Ben and Jerry’s is around five bucks. I’m actually not a huge purchaser of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream because it has a LOT of crap in it compared to other comparable brands like Haagan-Dazs (and when I do buy ice cream I normally try to buy organic, grass fed milk, etc. anyway which rules out both of the above-mentioned big guys) but…I mean three pints for ten bucks?! And Ben and Jerry have been super politically involved lately – I should support them for that, right? I don’t know if I’m convincing you, but I sure convinced myself.

Now, once you have three pints of ice cream in your freezer, it is very, VERY hard not to indulge at every possible occasion. Especially when your freezer is packed full as can be and you can barely close the door because of all the gluten-free flours you have stuck inside. So really, every time I went to the freezer to get some ice cream, I was actually just doing my duty to clean it out. Three pints take up a lot of space, and we needed that space.

Which leads me to these cinnamon cookies. Another way to clear freezer space, of course. I had just 1/2 a cup of white sugar left – so why not make some cookies and get rid of the bag? I would actually be ridding my freezer of sugar in the long run, so it was totally justifiable. In fact, these cookies would be great mixed in to some of my remaining ice cream …

Okay, so you can see how things might have spiraled a bit out of control. But hear me out – the recipe for these cookies is actually super awesome. And if you are going through something similar and want to indulge a sugar craving fast, these guys are really quick and easy. Just five ingredients, completely grain-free, completely vegan, lovely cinnamon flavor, wonderful chewy texture. Make them! You can stop eating sugar tomorrow.

[Read more…]

Tagged With: Almond Flour, Cinnamon, Coconut Oil, Flax Filed Under: Baked Goods and Desserts, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Grain-Free, Simple and Easy, Vegan

Trio of Dips

June 18, 2016 By Alana 1 Comment

Trio of Dips

Why is dipping food into other food so much fun?!  If I like the dipping instrument and the dipping matter, I could probably be completely content for hours on end just taking a chip, dipping it into something creamy, taking a carrot, dipping it into something spicy, taking a strawberry, dipping it into a pool of melted chocolate … whoever invented dipping was seriously a genius.

And dips are laughably easy to make, too. The creamy harissa one in this post, for example, is as simple as stirring together harissa and yogurt, with maybe a bit of mayo thrown in there for good measure. That’s it! And it tastes four times as good as a creamy harissa dip you might purchase at the store – complete with a bunch of “dehydrated milk powder” and other random ingredients they have to throw in there so it doesn’t go bad while it’s waiting to be purchased. Making dips at home is definitely the way to go – both in terms of quality and taste and in terms of your wallet. (Extra points if you decide to make your own harissa too – I buy a really good brand that’s cost effective and doesn’t have any yuck ingredients in it so I just used that.)

How do you make a fabulous dip? Easy. Just think about what ingredients might go well together, then mix ’em up. If your dip doesn’t quite pop, you might need to add some acid (lemon, lime, vinegar, etc.) and if it doesn’t taste quite balanced, try adding a tiny bit of sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave, etc.) If you want your dip to be creamy, you can use sour cream, mayo, yogurt, avocado, hemp seeds, etc. For spice, throw in some cayenne or some kind of spice paste (like harissa or Asian chili paste). Spicy components go great with creamy or sweet elements, and sweet components go great with sour ones. Experiment and have fun!

To get you started, today I’m sharing a trio of dips that would be perfect to take with you on a Father’s Day picnic  – or any other kind of picnic – or to eat on your front porch, balcony, etc. We’ve got the aforementioned spicy, creamy harissa dip; a savory, protein-packed avocado-hemp dip; and a deliciously refreshing mango-poblano. That last one has some fresh tomatillo, basil, lime, and cumin in it as well and is the perfect counterpart to the savory avocado and spicy harissa.

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Tagged With: Avocado, Father's Day, Harissa, Hemp Seeds, Mango, Picnic, Poblano, Tomatillo, Yogurt Filed Under: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Grain-Free, Mexican, Middle Eastern, New American, Peanut & Tree Nut-Free, Sides, Simple and Easy, Vegan

Summer Buckwheat Noodle Salad

June 1, 2016 By Alana Leave a Comment

Summer Buckwheat Noodle Salad

I guess I maybe shouldn’t have complained about the lack of hot weather in my last post. Because now we’ve got it…bad. I know it’s not officially summer yet (and the weather is actually pretty nice when you’re lucky enough to get outside) but it’s so hot inside my apartment that the familiar summer sluggishness has definitely set in for me. I don’t feel like eating much, and when I do, it better be light and refreshing if I’m expected to eat more than a mouthful or two!

Hence this salad. The only part that requires the stove at all is boiling water for the buckwheat noodles. Easy peasy. It’s nice and light – more of a side than an entree – but if you wanted to make it more substantial, you could easily add some fried tofu and/or egg. Buckwheat noodles are tossed with fresh cabbage, carrots, scallion, and cilantro, doused in a light Asian-inspired vinaigrette, and topped with some roasted peanuts and crispy ginger. Sounds pretty good, right? It is!

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Tagged With: Buckwheat Noodles, Cabbage, Carrots, Chili Paste, Cilantro, Ginger, Peanut Oil, Peanuts, Scallions Filed Under: Asian, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Entrees, Salads, Sides, Simple and Easy, Vegan

5-Minute, 5-Ingredient Hazelnut Gelato (Vegan, No Sugar)

May 22, 2016 By Alana Leave a Comment

Hazelnut Gelato

Summer is coming! It is, it is, it is! I know that some of us eat ice-cream year-round, but for those of you who don’t (who are you??), I think I can say with certainty that it’s time to get started again, rain or no rain. If we act like summer is here, it will come. Okay?? And…according to the always-reliable weather forecast, it is going to be in the 70s and 80s all next week. So let’s celebrate with some 5-minute homemade gelato!

This gelato is seriously delicious. It contains no dairy, no eggs, and no sugar. The secret? Frozen bananas and a Vitamix! Yes, you can be skeptical…but I urge you to try this before passing judgment. It really does taste like gelato and…IMO…banana is not the central flavor. I mean, it’s there – don’t get me wrong – but you don’t have to be a banana lover to like this; you just can’t be a banana hater. (Actually, I gave some of this gelato to my mother and asked her to guess the base, and she didn’t even realize there was banana in it!)

Okay, so let’s get to the five ingredients: we need two ripe bananas which have been frozen solid (to the point where you can’t cut into them to peel them unless you let them sit out for a few minutes), hazelnut oil, coconut cream (which you can buy or obtain by just scooping the cream from a can of refrigerated full-fat coconut milk), a pinch of cinnamon, and mesquite powder. Oh – a pinch of sea salt is also nice, but I’m not counting that in the “5-ingredients” because c’mon, it’s salt!

Have you heard of mesquite powder? It’s a superfood made from the seeds of the mesquite plant, which grows in desert areas, and has been used by indigenous people in Mexico and the Southwest for a long, long time. It has a sweet, caramel-like flavor, a bunch of awesome vitamins (calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, zinc…), and some protein to boot! It’s wonderful in smoothies, hot drinks, baked goods, raw cookies…and this gelato, of course. In short, I highly encourage you to get some and try it out!

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Tagged With: Bananas, Cinnamon, Hazelnut, Mezquite Powder Filed Under: Baked Goods and Desserts, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Grain-Free, New American, Simple and Easy, Twists on the Classics, Vegan

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Hi, I’m Alana!

Thanks for checking out my collection of gluten-free and vegetarian recipes (with many grain-free, vegan, and dairy-free options) inspired by the cuisines I like most :-)

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