Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free » Salads & Sides

Sweet Potato & Kale Hash with Curried Quinoa

Amy — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:59:04 +0000

It’s Week 4 of A Gluten-Free Holiday hosted by Hallie at Daily Bites. You’ll want to check out this week’s event and the *give-away* – more at the end of the post….

Pregnancy sparks some interesting cravings. I haven’t had any that are massively outrageous – are there really pregnant women who want pickles and ice cream? But, there are times when a certain foods come into mind and, well, I’m just not satisfied until I eat them.

It’s a drastic change from how I used to eat. My diet was always so predictable and measured. My body was so very happy on mostly fresh foods, a little meat, some dairy, and a some healthy carbs.

Now, my body loves carbs. And I mean love in every sense of the word. Growing a baby definitely takes different fuel than I was accustomed to.

One afternoon, I got a huge craving for sweet potatoes and kale. Together. I’d never thought of pairing them before. It’s really a great balance of taste and texture – the sweet, creamy potatoes and the slightly bitter, crunchy kale. Throw in some quinoa and I’ve got a protein, too. I call that a meal.

After eating all of it (not in one sitting thank goodness – it took a couple days!) it occurred to me that this would be a much healthier alternative to those sugary sweet potato casseroles that are everywhere through the holidays, which is why I’m sharing this for Week 4 of A Gluten-Free Holiday.

Had I made the connection before I took the pictures, I would have presented the in beautiful red Le Creuset stoneware surrounded by holiday-esqe decorations. But, I was just a very hungry pregnant woman who just wanted the photos done.

At least I’m being honest, right?

I can promise you that this dish is oh-so-good and not just a crazy pregnant woman’s creation. I used Coconut Secret’s Coconut Aminos to add some flavor. It’s a healthy substitute for soy sauce and is gluten-free, soy-free, raw and contains 17 naturally occurring amino acids.

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Sweet Potato & Kale Hash with Curried Quinoa

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: serves 4 - 6

A nutrient-dense sweet potato and kale dish. Quinoa adds protein so this can be eaten as a side or main dish.

Ingredients

For the Curried Quinoa:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 medium onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, grated on a microplane
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon tumeric
pinch of ground ginger
1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

For the Sweet Potato & Kale Hash:

3 cups diced sweet potatoes, 1/2 inch dice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, grated on a microplane
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 cups chopped kale
1 tablespoon coconut aminos

Instructions

Make the Curried Quinoa:

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Sautee the onion for 5 - 8 minutes, until soft.
Add the garlic and stir for one minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the curry powder, salt, tumeric and ginger. Stir for a minute or two, until the spices are fragrant.
Add the chicken or vegetable stock. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
Stir in quinoa. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.

Make the Sweet Potato & Kale Hash:

Set up a steamer and steam the sweet potatoes until tender, 10 - 15 minutes. Set aside once cooked.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, nonstick saute pan. Add the garlic and stir for one minute, until fragrant. Stir in the curry powder, ground yellow mustard seed, and kosher salt.
Add kale to the saute pan. It should still have water clinging to its leaves from being washed. This will steam the kale.
Cover and cook for several minutes until tender.
Stir in the steamed sweet potatoes. Add coconut aminos. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Serve sweet potato and kale hash on a bed of curried quinoa.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/sweet-potato-kale-hash-with-curried-quinoa/

A Gluten-Free Holiday Week 4!

Stop by Daily Bites and share your holiday side dish then browse the other recipes there. You might just find the perfect dish to add to your Christmas menu.

Hallie is also giving away a copy of her new (fabulous!!) gluten and dairy-free cookbook, The Pure Kitchen.

I’ve got a copy of her book on my shelf. It’s a must-have.

Much love,

Amy

Sweet Corn Spoon Bread

Amy — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:43:58 +0000

I love a simple and delicious gluten-free bread. This spoon bread is both. And, it’s perfect for those of you who can’t tolerate xanthan gum – no gum required.

The idea of spoon bread has always been alluring. The first time I’d ever heard of it was several years ago when reading a Martha Rose Shulman cookbook. The bread was supposed to have similar qualities to regular bread but it’s so baked in a dish and so loose you had to use a spoon to get it on your plate, hence the name spoon bread.

It’s not something I grew up with. The closest thing I remember is something our family called corn casserole. But, up north just about any mess of ingredients baked in a dish is called a casserole.

Granted you can make spoon bread many different ways – this dish is quite different than the first spoon bread recipe I came across. In fact, it’s much like a souffle. The bread actually puffs up really high while baking and, true to a souffle’s nature, it deflates after several being out of the oven for several minutes.

Don’t let the souffle nature of this dish scare you off. There’s nothing scary about whipped egg whites.

It’s bready, a little sweet from the corn, and has a good, down-home comfort food feel. We loved every last bite.

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Sweet Corn Spoon Bread

Summary: A simple and delicious gluten-free spoon bread with a down-home comfort feel.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 small onion, diced small
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
a few cranks of the pepper mill
2 cups low-fat milk
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 egg yolks
4 large egg whites

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter a 9″ x 6″ or equivalent baking dish and set aside.
Heat the butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium low heat. Cook the onions for 5 – 8 minutes, until soft.
Add the salt, pepper, milk, and corn. Heat until very hot but not boiling.
Add the cornmeal and whisk constantly until thick. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Once cool, transfer to a medium bowl and whisk into the egg yolks.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they reach the soft peak stage.
Stir 1/4 of the egg whites directly into the cornmeal mixture.
Fold the remaining egg whites into the cornmeal mixture in 2 to 3 additions.
Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, until the center of the spoon bread is set.
Let cool for several minutes before serving.

Notes

Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)

Cooking time: 35 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegetarian

Diet tags: Gluten free

Number of servings (yield): 6

Cole Slaw – A Labor Day Favorite

Amy — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:20:16 +0000

I remember my Grandma Ruth making cole slaw at her kitchen table when I was a little girl. She never used recipes. She learned to cook by touch, sight, and taste growing up on a farm in Ohio.

Her ingredients were simple – Miracle Whip, cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Once the dressing had the right flavor, she poured it over a bowl of freshly shredded cabbage and grated carrots then promptly refrigerated her salad so the cabbage could wilt.

Ruthie, as we affectionately referred to my Grandma, always cooked to make the people she loved happy. It was never about her best dish or any pomp and circumstance about how good her food was. She never once bragged about how good her food tasted. But she would tell you how much my dad or my uncle loved a her chocolate pie. And that was the sole motivation behind her cooking – to make the people she loved happy.

For some reason, Baby Green has brought on food cravings from my childhood. I’ve made not one but two bowls of cole slaw in the last two weeks and we loved every last bite. My recipe is slightly different than Ruthie’s. I used yogurt cheese to make it a little healthier and added dijon mustard for tang.

With Labor Day coming up, I thought it was the perfect time to share this with you.

Have any big plans for the long weekend? We’re grilling out with some good friends. Can’t think of a better way to celebrate.

Other Gluten-Free Labor Day Recipe Ideas:

Dairy-Free Tzatziki from She Let Them Eat Cake
Glazed Chicken & Peach Skewers from Simply…Gluten-Free
Two Potato Salad with Sweet Potatoes from Gluten-Free Goddess
Labor Day Round Up from SS&GF

Stop by Full Plate Thursday for other recipe ideas.

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Cole Slaw

Summary: A classic recipe remade so it’s lower in fat and refined sugar-free.

Ingredients

1/2 medium green cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
 2 medium carrots, grated
 1/2 cup yogurt cheese 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
powdered stevia to taste
 salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Put the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix together the yogurt cheese, mayonnaise, cider vinegar, and dijon mustard.
Add stevia, salt, and pepper to taste.
Pour dressing over cabbage and carrots. Mix to combine.
Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 5 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegetarian

Diet tags: Reduced fat, Gluten free

Number of servings (yield): 8

CrockPot Applesauce

Amy — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:30:32 +0000

I know – it’s not apple season. But I couldn’t resist sharing this healthy, naturally gluten-free and refined sugar-free, simple applesauce recipe with you. You’ll never buy applesauce again.

Last week I had some apples rolling around in the fruit drawer that were on the verge of going bad. I can’t stand to throw food out so I chopped up the apples and threw them in my CrockPot. (I like the programmable kind.) I thought about adding a cinnamon stick but then decided to let it cook au natural.

Four hours later, I pulled out a big piece of apple, scraped the cooked flesh away from the skin and took a bite.

Baked apples, in any form, have always been a favorite of mine. I spent hours recreating my childhood favorites to include in my book – Apple Crisp, Apple Pie with Pecan Crumb Topping, Baked Apples stuffed with Currants. And there’s Joe’s favorite, my French Apple Tart.

There wasn’t anything special about these apples. No sweetener or spiced added, just big chunks of fruit thrown into a slow cooker with a little water. The first bite didn’t disappoint. The sweet flesh was still a little firm, reminiscent of biting into an apple pie. I let them cook for another hour, when I deemed them ready for the food mill.

I like my applesauce chunky so I use the disk with the largest holes when I run it through the food mill. It leaves little pieces of apple skin, too, which adds to the texture and mouthfeel. If you like your applesauce smooth, use the small disk.

Spread warm applesauce on your favorite loaf of zucchini bread or pumpkin loaves. Eat it cold with nothing at all or topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon or nutmeg.

Other Gluten-Free Apple Recipes

Apple & Carrot Breakfast Cake from SS&GF
Apple Cinnamon Zepploe from Simply Gluten-Free
Kohlrabi and Apple Slaw from Tasty Eats at Home
Coconut Flour Apple Cake from Gluten-Free Goddess
CrockPot Apple Coffee Cake from A Year of Slow Cooking

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CrockPot Applesauce

Summary: Make this simple appleauce in your CrockPot – no stovetop or sweeteners required! Perfect for topping zucchini or pumpkin bread.

Ingredients

8 – 10 medium organic gala apples
enough water to cover the bottom of your CrockPot

Instructions

Add just enough water to the CrockPot to completely cover the bottom.
Chop and core your apples. Big pieces are perfect. No need to peel them.
Put the apples into the CrockPot, cover, and cook on low for 5 – 6 hours.
Run the cooked apples through a food mill using the large disk for chunky applesauce (my favorite) and a small disk for smooth applesauce.
Serve warm or cover and refrigerate.

Notes

Using a sweet variety of apple, such as Gala, results in a naturally sweet applesauce.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 6 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 12

Spicy Paprika Roasted Carrots

Amy — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:30:37 +0000

A healthy & tasty plate of roasted carrots

Carrots are naturally gluten-free and add a healthy component to a variety of dishes which is why they’re one of those vegetables I always keep on hand. I use them in salads, smoothies, juices, instead of chips for dips, stocks, soups, and of course I cook them as a side dish, too.

I buy organic carrots in a 10 pound bag – and we always use them all before they go bad.

I’m going to tell another Joe story – if you’re bored with them go ahead and close the page. I almost laughed out loud when I realized my fingers were getting to write about yet another food that he refused to eat before we met.

He wouldn’t eat carrots. Raw, cooked, it didn’t matter. He never complained, he just ate around them. But when I roast carrots, Joe not only eats them but happily piles them on his plate. The great thing about this recipe is that you get a little heat from the paprika and some sweetness from the carrots.

Don’t freak out – there’s no ‘recipe’ for this. I’ve never bothered to measure. Instead, I cut as many carrots as I want to cook, season with salt, pepper, smoked hot Spanish paprika, and extra virgin olive oil, and taste before I pop them into the oven.

I buy the paprika in the bulk section of my specialty grocery store. If you can’t find it try another seasoning you love – maybe curry, cumin, chervil, or thyme.

Serve this healthier side dish with any chicken, fish, grilled meat or even lentils and rice.

SS&GF – The Book

Thank you, A Sweet Life, for the fabulous interview and feature this week!
Lauren, from The Spiced Plate is giving away two copies of my new book. Stop by and leave a comment.

Other Healthy, Gluten-Free Carrot Recipes

Curried Carrot Cauliflower Soup from Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen
Carrot & Parsley Salad from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Apple & Carrot Breakfast Cake (dairy-free, fat-free) from SS&GF
Millet with Carrots, Mushrooms, and Mint from Gluten-Free Goddess

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Spicy Paprika Roasted Carrots

carrots, as many as you want to prepare
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
smoked hot Spanish paprika, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Peel carrots and cut to even lengths. Cut carrots in half and if your carrots are large, cut them into fourths. The important thing is to get them into relatively even pieces so they cook evenly.

Drizzle carrots with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Roast carrots for 20 – 25 minutes, until they start to caramelize slightly on the tops. We like them best when they’re still slightly firm and lightly caramelized. Serve hot. They’re great the next day cold, too.