Tasty Raisin » Gluten-free http://www.tastyraisin.com Sat, 17 Jan 2015 23:34:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.1 Spicy Vegetable Kebabs http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/06/15/spicy-vegetable-kebabs/ http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/06/15/spicy-vegetable-kebabs/#comments Sun, 15 Jun 2014 18:31:40 +0000 http://www.tastyraisin.com/?p=183
Spicy Vegetable Kebabs
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
Vegetables
  • ½ green pepper
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • 1 cup baby portobello mushrooms
  • 1 cup fennel, chopped
Marinade
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
Instructions
Kebabs
  1. Chop the green pepper, tomato, and onion into large pieces.
  2. Add the vegetables to skewers in any order you like.
Marinade
  1. Add all of the spices to the vegetable stock in a container large enough to fit the kebabs.
  2. Mix in the honey and the olive oil into vegetable stock mixture. Its helpful to measure and add the oil before the honey because the residual oil on the tablespoon helps the honey easily glide off the spoon.
  3. Once the marinade is fully mixed, add the kebabs to the container with the marinade and make sure to rotate the kebabs in the marinade.
  4. Let the kebabs sit for 20 minutes in the marinade, rotating every few minutes.
  5. Cook the kebabs on a grill over medium flame, making sure to watch and rotate the kebabs as they start to cook and occasionally baste the kebabs with the left over marinade .
  6. Remove the kebabs from the grill when the vegetables are done (Approximately 15 minutes), basting one last time with the marinade and serve.

Add the vegetables to the skewers in any order that you like. I found we had to be very careful when adding the mushrooms, especially the smaller ones as they would sometimes break and fall off. They were really good on the kebabs though, so it was worth the extra effort of adding them. I love the hearty texture of mushrooms in vegetarian dishes.

Before marinade.

Once the marinade is complete place it in a pan with the kebabs. The marinade does not have to fully cover the kebabs (ours didn’t, obviously) just be sure to rotate the kebabs every few minutes in the marinade so that they get completely covered. You can really let them sit in the marinade as long as you like but we let ours go for 20 minutes and the flavor of the vegetables was perfect.

Marinading.

Make sure to occasionally baste the kebabs while they are cooking on the grill. It adds extra flavor to the veggies. Once the veggies are all slightly charred, they are done and ready to be served.

After cooking.

]]> http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/06/15/spicy-vegetable-kebabs/feed/ 0 Avocado and Tomato Salad http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/06/avocado-and-tomato-salad/ http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/06/avocado-and-tomato-salad/#comments Thu, 06 Mar 2014 21:30:50 +0000 http://www.tastyraisin.com/?p=128
Avocado and Tomato Salad
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ½ avocado
  • 1 small tomato
  • ¼ cup red onion, chopped
  • Juice from from ½ lime
  • Pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Chop the avocado and tomato into bite-sized pieces.
  2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and squeeze lime juice over mixture.

 

]]> http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/06/avocado-and-tomato-salad/feed/ 0 Crispy Polenta http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/06/crispy-polenta/ http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/06/crispy-polenta/#comments Thu, 06 Mar 2014 21:27:27 +0000 http://www.tastyraisin.com/?p=97
Crispy Polenta
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ½ cup yellow cornmeal
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon ground Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
  1. Heat milk, broth, and bay leaf over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 10 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat, add cornmeal and Parmesan, and stir until smooth.
  3. Pour polenta into small oiled pan, making it about ½ inch thick.
  4. Refrigerate for an hour.
  5. When firm, cut polenta into serving sizes, and quickly fry in pan with olive oil until brown and crisp.

 

]]> http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/06/crispy-polenta/feed/ 0 Hearty Turkey and Vegetable Soup http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/03/turkey-and-vegetable-soup/ http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/03/turkey-and-vegetable-soup/#comments Mon, 03 Mar 2014 20:27:12 +0000 http://www.tastyraisin.com/?p=102
Turkey and Potato Soup
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1½ cup potatoes, in bite-size pieces (we used red potatoes, but any should work)
  • 1 cup white onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup fresh green beans, halved
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ⅔ cup celery, sliced
  • ½ cup carrots, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 quarts chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • ½ cup green peppers, finely dice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1½ teaspoon dried sage
  • 1 1/1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
  1. In a pan, sauté garlic and ⅔ cup onion until onion is translucent.
  2. Add ground turkey and garlic powder to pan. Stir frequently.
  3. In a pot combine broth, green beans, celery, carrots, peppers, bay leaf, seasonings, and ⅓ cup of onions to pot over medium heat.
  4. When turkey is browned, add contents of pan to pot, salt and pepper to taste, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover.
  5. Let simmer for at least one hour, or until potatoes are tender.

This is a super easy recipe that is savory and healthy.  First combine onion, garlic, and ground turkey in a pan.

Browning onion, garlic, and ground turkey.

Cook until the turkey is browned, and the onions are translucent.

Browned turkey.

Simmer broth, veggies, and the turkey over medium-low heat until potatoes are tender.

Simmering it all together.

Voilà!  A hearty meal with only a few minutes of active cook time.  Great for the cold weather!

]]> http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/03/turkey-and-vegetable-soup/feed/ 0 Classic Hummus http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/02/classic-hummus/ http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/02/classic-hummus/#comments Sun, 02 Mar 2014 01:59:20 +0000 http://www.tastyraisin.com/?p=81
Classic Hummus
 
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Serves: ~4
Ingredients
  • 1 can of garbanzo beans
  • ½ lemon
  • 1 teaspoon Tahini
  • Pinch of paprika for garnish
Instructions
  1. Drain the garbanzo beans, saving the liquid.
  2. In a food processor, add the garbanzo beans, lemon, Tahini, and 2 tablespoons of the liquid.
  3. Process until smooth, adding more liquid if necessary.
  4. Garnish with paprika.

 

]]> http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/02/classic-hummus/feed/ 0 French Green Beans with Mushrooms and Garlic http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/02/french-green-beans-with-mushrooms-and-garlic/ http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/02/french-green-beans-with-mushrooms-and-garlic/#comments Sun, 02 Mar 2014 01:47:35 +0000 http://www.tastyraisin.com/?p=71
French Green Beans with Mushrooms and Garlic
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups fresh green beans
  • ⅔ cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
  • 8 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
  • 4 tablespoons of broth (chicken or vegetable)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Slice the green beans length wise.
  2. In a frying pan, sauté the garlic and mushrooms with the olive oil for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the green beans and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the broth to the pan and continue cooking until the green beans are tender.
  5. Finish with the green onions and parsley.
  6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For a fancy looking side dish, this is an easy recipe.  The mushrooms and garlic in this dish make it quite savory and hearty. We are always looking for new ways to cook vegetables and this turned out to be one of our favorites.  This is also a very easy recipe to make vegetarian/vegan by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

]]> http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/02/french-green-beans-with-mushrooms-and-garlic/feed/ 0 Sous Vide Beef Short Ribs http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/02/beef-short-ribs/ http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/02/beef-short-ribs/#comments Sun, 02 Mar 2014 01:07:34 +0000 http://www.tastyraisin.com/?p=60
Sous Vide Beef Short Ribs with Crispy Polenta
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
Ribs
  • 3 short ribs
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • ½ tablespoon cayenne powder
  • ½ tablespoon salt
  • ½ tablespoon pepper
  • Sprig of fresh parsley
  • Pinch of paprika
Sauce
  • ½ cup dry red wine
  • ¼ cup white onion, minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
Ribs
  1. Combine all spices and thoroughly coat ribs.
  2. Vacuum seal the ribs leaving room between each.
  3. Sous vide at 135° F for 72 hours.
  4. After cooking, pat dry on all sides.
  5. Quickly sear on high heat or blow torch to sear.
Sauce
  1. Sauté onions in olive oil over medium-low until translucent in a small sauce pan.
  2. Add wine, Worcestershire sauce, and rosemary.
  3. Cook on medium heat until wine reduced by half.

We had never cooked short ribs before, and decided to try them sous vide.  They pair really well with a side of our crispy polenta, as pictured above.  First, season, seal, and cook the short ribs at 135° F for 72 hours.

Seasoned short ribs.

It’s possible that 48 or less would be sufficient, but 72 seems to be the most recommended.

Sealed ribs.

Then sear them, place them on top of the polenta and top with the wine reduction sauce.

]]> http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/02/beef-short-ribs/feed/ 0 Spicy Meatballs in Tomato and Fennel Sauce http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/01/spicy-meatballs-in-tomato-fennel-sauce/ http://www.tastyraisin.com/2014/03/01/spicy-meatballs-in-tomato-fennel-sauce/#comments Sat, 01 Mar 2014 23:56:31 +0000 http://www.tastyraisin.com/?p=20
Spicy Meatballs in Tomato & Fennel Sauce
 
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Beef meatballs with habanero peppers, cooked with chilies, and served with vegetable tomato sauce.
Serves: 4+
Ingredients
Sauce
  • 2 cans (8 oz. each) crushed tomatoes
  • 1½ cup fennel, finely chopped
  • 1½ cup Cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • ½ green pepper, finely chopped
  • 5 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
Chilis
  • 2-3 dried chili peppers, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup white vinegar
Meatballs
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • ¼ habanero pepper, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons dried thyme
  • Salt & pepper
Instructions
Sauce
  1. Heat crushed tomatoes in pot on medium-low heat.
  2. Sauté fennel, mushrooms, onion, and pepper until onions are translucent.
  3. Add all vegetables to crushed tomatoes, turn heat to low and cover.
Chilis
  1. Crush whole chilies and salt in mortar and pestle.
  2. Combine crushed peppers and vinegar in small saucepan.
  3. Warm over low heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes until vinegar becomes spicy.
Meatballs
  1. Combine habanero pepper, oregano, thyme, and ½ of the parsely to beef.
  2. Generously salt and pepper
  3. Mix and form into about 30 small meatballs, or 15-20 large meatballs.
  4. Add about half the meatballs and chili/vinegar mixture to a pan on medium heat and cook until browned.
  5. Repeat for remaining meatballs.
  6. Add all meatballs to sauce and let simmer for at least 15 minutes.
  7. Serve garnished with remaining parsley.

These meatballs pack some serious spice with both habaneros and dried chilies.  Served in a thick tomato sauce with plenty of veggies, this is a seriously filling dish.  Enjoy with a side of good toasted bread!

First we make some meatballs.

Rolled meatballs.

Crush some whole dried chilies with a mortar and pestle.  Adding some salt helps with the grinding.  Simmer the peppers in vinegar until fragrant.  The fumes from this process are quite potent, so watch your eyes!  Then brown the meatballs in the spicy vinegar liquid.

Chili peppers before being crushed.

Meatballs browning in the pan.

Add the meatballs to the veggie and tomato sauce to let simmer!

Meatballs simmering in the tomato sauce.

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