Tej- Ethiopian Honey Wine

Drinks

Girl Cooks World

-

April 11, 2019

This recipe is so simple that it almost doesn’t warrant a post. But it’s a super quick and easy alternative to T’ej, Ethiopian’s honey wine that’s similar to mead. It’s light, sweet and has a definite honey flavor. Although I wrote down a recipe as a general guideline, you can easily tailor it to your own preferences for alcohol strength or sweetness.

It’s not particular strong, which is great because it sure does go down easy (and fast!). I also found it was an excellent way to quell the fire in your mouth if happened to take a bite of something super spicy.

Tej- Ethiopian Honey Wine

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups light, sweet white wine
2 cups water (reduce to 1 or 1 1/2 cups if you’d like a stronger drink)
1/4 cup honey

Combine ingredients in a glass jug or pitcher and stir to combine. Serve chilled.

Super Fast Gluten-Free Pecan Pie Muffins (with Chocolate Option)

Recipes

Girl Cooks World

-

April 11, 2019

0

Super Fast Gluten-Free Pecan Pie Muffins (with Chocolate Option)

This is the kind of regional recipe that really needs to hit it big nationwide. I saw it in two Southern cookbooks and you could tell both authors were big fans of these muffins… these were no cookbook filler. And there’s good reason: they’re quick, the ingredient list is short, and they taste amazing.

Imagine rich, dense cake with the flavor of pecan pie without the time or hassle. You could conceivably be eating these in just over 30 minutes. Yes, they’re that quick and easy.

A friend who tasted these claimed they reminded him of Caramel Cuts, a chewy pecan blondie that they served at Punahou School (for any other Punahou alums or Obama fans out there). Since I’m a big fan of chocolate pecan pie, I also did a chocolate version that ended up tasting like a killer fudgy pecan brownie. I really like the fact that you can make these in such small portions too. You could even cut the recipe in half… although why would you want to? In fact, you might want to think about doubling this one.

These are rich and chewy, but they’re also a bit delicate so be sure to use cupcake liners and give them a good coat with cooking spray. I think the gluten-free among us have a bit of an advantage here. We have things like xantham gum in our pantry arsenal. I added a bit to the batter to help bind the finished product. Score one for celiacs everywhere…

Super Fast Pecan Pie Muffins

Yield: 9 muffins

Ingredients:

* 1 cup chopped pecans plus 9 pecan halves, divided
* 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup rice flour
* 1/4 cup sorghum flour
* 2 Tablespoons sweet rice flour
* 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup butter (8 Tablespoons), melted
* 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with 9 baking cups. Coat with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the chopped pecans, brown sugar, rice flour, sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, and xantham gum. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. If you’re making the chocolate version, place the chocolate chips in the melted butter and let stand for a minute or two. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the butter (and chocolate, if using) to the eggs and stir quickly to combine. Add the egg and butter mixture to the pecan mixture and stir just until combined.

Spoon the batter into the baking cups and place one pecan half in the center of each cup. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pans immediately and let cool on a cooling rack.

Serve at room temperature or chilled (my preference).

Ethiopian Cabbage, Potato and Carrot Stir-Fry

Girl Cooks World

-

April 11, 2019

0

Ethiopian Cabbage, Potato and Carrot Stir-Fry

If you glossed over the word Ethiopian in the title of this dish and had only read the recipe, you probably would have thought it was an Indian dish. And that would have been a pretty good guess. Ethiopian cuisine is highly influenced by Indian spices and flavors and this dish definitely reminds me of one of my favorite recipes (spicy cabbage).

But this cabbage dish gets beefed up with some potatoes and carrots to help make things a bit more filling. The original recipe didn’t include any heat, but I’m never one to miss an opportunity to spice things up.

It’s total comfort food with an added bonus of being chock-full of veggies and cancer-fighting spices like turmeric and ginger. And considering that my usual comfort foods tend to be things like macaroni and cheese, cookies, and chocolate, I’m happy to add a healthier option to the list.

Ethiopian Cabbage, Potato and Carrot Stir-Fry

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1/3 cup nit’ir qibe or vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 carrots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh, peeled ginger, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
berbere, to taste (optional)

Directions:

Heat the nit’ir qibe or oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the carrots, garlic and ginger and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cumin, turmeric, salt and cabbage and coat the cabbage with the spices. Cook, stirring occasionally another 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes, stir to combine, and then cover. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are soft. Taste and add salt, if necessary, and black pepper to taste. If you’d like to add some heat, add berbere to taste.

Sweet and Sour Bacon and Green Beans

Girl Cooks World

-

April 11, 2019

0

My first experiences with green beans were quite possibly the exact same as yours. The divided cafeteria trays at elementary school often had a scoop or two of canned green beans with a greyish tint at lunch at least once a week. I suppose the lunch ladies hoped that there wasn’t enough chicken nuggets or pizza to sustain through the afternoon and that we’d be forced to eat the tasteless, mushy side. I may have tried a bite once, but after that the portion always went back 100% untouched.

The only way I’ll eat the canned version these days if it’s mixed in with a three or four bean salad. Otherwise, fresh is the only way to go. And although excessive amounts of cheese sauce is what lured me into eating broccoli and other vegetables when I was a kid, I’m guessing bacon could have also done the trick.

In this Southern dish green beans get cooked with bacon and onion and flavored with vinegar and sugar. The rendered bacon fat helps cover each and every green bean with a tangy, sweet, and smoky glaze. This is another gem from Christy Jordan’s book, Southern Plate. Christy’s recipes are simple and delicious and the book is peppered with lovely stories of the South. Want to get a preview of her unfussy and unpretentious Southern Food? Check out her blog, also called Southern Plate. I think you’ll become a fan too.

Sweet and Sour Bacon and Green Beans

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

* 1/2 pound bacon, cut into small chunks
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed and cut into manageable sized pieces
* 2 Tablespoons vinegar
* 2 Tablespoons sugar
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and fry until crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and spoon out several Tablespoons of bacon grease and reserve for another use.

Next, add the onion to the bacon grease and cook until softened. Add the green beans and cook until tender-crisp, or your desired tenderness. Add the sugar and vinegar and stir well. Finally, add the bacon back to the pan and cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Bread

Girl Cooks World

-

April 11, 2019

0

Bright, lemony bread bursting with plump, juicy blueberries and topped with a sweet and tart lemony glaze? Yes, yes and yes. This quick bread is like a slice of summer sunshine on a cold and rainy day. (Yes, we have those even in Honolulu).

I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that quick breads like these are often the easiest and most successful of gluten-free baked goods. This bread is absolutely indistinguishable from its gluten containing counterpart. And the best part? It barely takes any more effort. You just need to have an extra ingredient or two (special flours and xanthan gum) on hand.

Nope- that’s not a picture of a major case of blueberry mold. Giving those blueberries a quick dusting of gluten-free flour helps keep them from sinking to the bottom of the batter. That little trick works for just about any baked good item- I usually try to do the same thing for chocolate chip brownies.

Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons rice flour, divided
* 3/4 cup sorghum flour
* 1/2 cup potato starch
* 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup canola oil
* 1 cup sugar
* 3 large eggs
* grated zest of 1 lemon
* 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon milk
* 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Glaze:
* 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or grease a standard-sized loaf pan.

Combine 3/4 cup of the rice flour, the sorghum flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, mix the canola oil, sugar and eggs. Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk and stir thoroughly to combine. Mix the blueberries in a small bowl with the 2 Tablespoons of rice flour and stir lightly to coat the blueberries. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until the top turns a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack covered with wax paper.

Make the glaze by combining the lemon juice and granulated sugar and stir to combine. Pour or brush the glaze over the top and sides of the loaf. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Rolled Omelet

Girl Cooks World

-

April 11, 2019

0

After several weeks of nothing except smoothies and herbal tea for breakfast, you’d better believe that I’m craving some typical breakfast foods hardcore. Unfortunately bacon and sausage are out for just a couple more days, as are gluten-free waffles, pancakes, and the like. But organic eggs, spinach and goat cheese do make the cut. Only stipulation was it had to be after 5 p.m. No worries, I’m a huge fan of breakfast for dinner.

To keep this nice and light, I used Heidi’s Skinny Omelet recipe for inspiration. Eggs are cooked almost crepe-like and rolled up with some greens and cheese, which allows the spinach to keep its integrity while the goat cheese gets nice and warm and gooey. As much as I hate to admit it, this was a nice change from my usual epic (read: heavy) breakfasts, which usually send me into a food coma. And the icing on the cake is that this is fast. Like on the table in under five minutes fast.

And just a word of thanks for sticking with me during cleanse month. I’m already researching the next couple countries I’ll be cooking from and I’m pretty psyched to get back in the swing of cooking from some new locations.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Rolled Omelet

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

2 eggs, well beaten
handful spinach
several Tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
salt and pepper
pat of butter for cooking

Directions:

Heat the pat of butter in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and immediately swirl the pan to evenly distribute the eggs around the pan. Sprinkle the top with spinach, goat cheese and season lightly with salt and pepper. When finished cooking, roll the eggs up like a crepe and remove to a plate. Slice diagonally into two pieces, if desired.

Raw Zucchini Noodles with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Vegetarian

Girl Cooks World

-

April 11, 2019

0

Raw Zucchini Noodles with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

It seems as though most people take issue with raw and/or vegan foods when they’re named after a non-raw or non-vegan equivalent. Case in point: nut or rice cheese. It’s unfortunate, because a lot of these foods are pretty darn good.

I say, let’s not get hung up on the name and enjoy the food for what it is. So I’m not going to call this pasta or spaghetti, but it is a pretty great substitute for your favorite noodle dish. And it’s a whole lot healthier and quicker to put together. Add a little raw goat cheese, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper and I’m in pasta, I mean zucchini noodle, heaven.

Raw Zucchini Noodles with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

* 2-3 zucchini
* 16 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water until softened
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
* 3 Tablespoons olive oil
* salt and pepper
* crushed red pepper
* raw goat cheese, shredded (optional)

Directions:

Drag a vegetable peeler along the zucchini to create long, spaghetti-like noodles. Rotate around the zucchini, and continue to peel into noodles until you hit the seeds. Repeat with the remaining zucchini. Place noodles in a large bowl and set aside.

Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and combine in a blender with the basil and olive oil. Process until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Pour the pesto over the zucchini noodles and toss to coat. Pour into individual bowls and sprinkle with crushed red pepper and raw goat cheese, if desired.

Natalia’s Green Lemonade

Drinks

Girl Cooks World

-

April 11, 2019

0

I’ve had my Vita-mix for several years now and I’ve been drinking green smoothies on and off since then. But they’ve never become a daily staple. I suppose I never found the right recipe… until now.

This green lemonade is the creation of New York nutritionist Natalia Rose. It’s easy to make, used ingredients I almost always have on hand, and gives me a boost of energy with every sip. And it tastes amazing.. like a lemony spiced cider.

I’ve been drinking one of these every morning before work and then another before my afternoon workout. Natalia actually suggests juicing, but I don’t have a juicer and have no plans of buying one in the near future. Don’t worry- the blender works just fine. New to green smoothies and want to take baby steps? Just start with the spinach and work your way up to adding the kale.

Natalia’s Green Lemonade

Yield: 1-2 servings

Ingredients:

* large handful baby spinach (about 3 cups, unpacked)
* 1 stalk kale (any type)
* 1 apple, cut into chunks
* 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
* 1/2-inch piece ginger, grated or chopped
* 1-1/2 cups ice
* up to 3 cups water, divided
* stevia, as needed

Directions:

Combine the spinach, kale, apple, ginger, ice and 1 cup water in the container of your high speed blender. Turn it on and slowly increase the speed to high. Let process until smooth. Reduce speed to low and add just enough water to achieve your desired consistency level. Sweeten to taste with stevia, if needed.

Healthy Mint Chocolate Ice Cream

Dessert

Girl Cooks World

-

April 11, 2019

0

I wasn’t kidding around when I said that I intended to eat well on this cleanse. I mean, mint chocolate ice cream. Really? I suppose the most important part about doing a cleanse is finding one that works for you. I got my start with cleanses when my naturopath and my allergist both recommended I do an elimination diet to see whether I was allergic or sensitive to anything besides gluten. I ended up doing a hybrid of the elimination diet from the good folks over at Whole Life Nutrition and Dr. Junger’s Clean program, which gets high marks from Gwenyth as well as a bunch of folks on Amazon.

This time I’m loosely following Natalia Rose’s Detox for Women (Kimberly Synder’s The Beauty Detox Solution is similar). Natalia stresses lots of vegetables but gives the green light on limited amounts of raw goat cheese (yum!) and dark chocolate (double yum!). That’s a cleanse I can get behind.

You’ve may have seen one-ingredient banana ice cream in the blogosphere before. OK, but a little on the boring side in my opinion. In one of Natalia’s earlier books, she has a recipe for “banana mint,” which is like a soft serve mint ice cream. I lightened it up with a bit of ice and processed some chocolate in there with it. It’s pretty amazing what you can get when you combine a bunch of mint leaves, a small amount of chocolate chips, and some frozen bananas. I have a feeling that I’ll be whipping up variations of this long after this cleanse is done.

Healthy Mint Chocolate Ice Cream

Yield: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

3 very ripe bananas, peeled, cut into chunks and frozen
about 15 fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 cups ice (optional)
1/4 cup bittersweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions:

If using a high speed blender such as a Vita-mix or Blendtec: Place the bananas, mint leaves and ice, if using, into the blender container. Turn on the machine and quickly increase speed to high. Use the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades while processing. Once everything is slightly combined, stop the machine and add the chocolate chips. Turn the machine back on and again increase the speed to high. In about 10-30 seconds, the sound of the motor will change and mounds should appear in the mixture. Stop machine immediately or melting can occur.

If using a food processor: In a food processor combine the bananas and mint leaves. Process until almost smooth. Add the chocolate chips and process until well combined.

Serve immediately.

Note: You can also freeze the mixture to get a harder ice cream, but you’ll have to let it sit out and thaw for a couple minutes before you’ll be able to scoop it.