Julia Child remixed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_63772&feature=iv&src_vid=-FD1K8OvVCs&v=80ZrUI7RNfI

Tips on veggies (and pressure cookers)

http://www.theveggiequeen.com/

Chilean Lentejas (lentils)

Lentejas (lentils)

1 bag of lentils (soak just while you chop veggies; drain)
1 carrot diced finely
1 zucchini, chopped
1 med. onion, minced
2 cloves garlic
1 bell pepper
3 Longanizas chopped; may substitute chorizo or Italian sausage (any [or no] snausage, really, just adjust spices accordingly)
1 Tbsp oregano
¾ C Rice
Salt, to taste
1-2 hard boiled eggs

• Wash lentils, pick out any nasty ones you find.  Soak, as above. No need for the overnight soak.
• In a large pot, saute onion, garlic, carrot, and pepper until onion is translucent.
• Add lentils and oregano, stir around for half a minute, then cover with about an inch and a half of water (remember that rice will soak up water later), over medium heat.  
• Bring to boil, reduce heat and partially cover (add water if necessary).
• Once the lentils are al dente (not quite perfectly soft), add sausage, rice, and zucchini; cover.  Once the rice is done (about 15mins), remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes.

Serve with bread, cover with crumbled hard-boiled egg and grated Parmesan.

Gluten-free beers

Paste Magazine's top 10 Gluten-free Beer List (from March 2012):

1. Brunehaut Bio Blonde
Style: Belgian Tripel
City: Brunehaut, Belgium
ABV: 5%
Key Ingredients: Barley (with gluten-extracted)
% Like Beer: 100%
For Fans Of: Maredsous 8
The verdict: Not just a great gluten-free beer but a great beer, Brunehaut’s Blonde is a well-balanced Tripel and a wonderful step forward in the world of gluten-free beer. Starting with barley and extracting gluten from it seems to be the best way to go.

2. Green’s Endeavor
Style: Belgian Dubbel
City: Baildon Shipley West Yorkshire, UK
ABV: 7%
Key Ingredients: Belgian candi sugars, Belgian yeast
% Like Beer: 100%
For Fans Of: McChouffe
The verdict: The Green’s Belgian Dubbel was rich and flavorful—I’m personally okay with gluten, but I’d order this over a lot of “regular” beers. If you love sweet, dark, malty beers, this one is for you.

3. Brunehaut Ambrée
Style: Amber Ale
City: Brunehaut, Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Key Ingredients: Barley (with gluten-extracted)
% Like Beer: 100%
For Fans Of: Ommegang Abbey Ale
The verdict: Belgian brewery Brunehaut has figured out how to use barley in its ales and extract the gluten after the fact. Though it measures at the same “less than five parts per million” of gluten that non-barley beers do, it’s regulated by a different government agency in the U.S. and can’t use the “gluten-free” tag. But it’s the best solution we’ve seen yet for those with gluten allergies.

4. Green’s Quest
Style: Belgian Tripel
City: Baildon Shipley West Yorkshire, UK
ABV: 8.5%
Key Ingredients: Sorghum, rice, buckwheat
% Like Beer: 90%
For Fans Of: Belgian beers
The verdict: A good example of a mellower, low-ABV Belgian Tripel. Spiced, sweet and aromatic, this has already made many a Celiac happy.

5. New Planet Off the Grid Pale Ale
Style: American Pale Ale
City: Boulder, Colo.
ABV: 5%
Key Ingredients: Hops
% Like Beer: 85%
For Fans Of: American-style IPAs
The verdict: For IPA and pale ale lovers, New Planet’s Off the Grid is the clear choice. Hoppy and crisp, it delivers on the promise of American craft-brewed ales.


6. Green’s Discovery
Style: English Strong Amber Ale
City: Baildon Shipley West Yorkshire, UK
ABV: 6%
Key Ingredients: Sorghum, rice and buckwheat
% Like Beer: 85%
For Fans Of: New Belgium Fat Tire
The verdict: Here we’re starting to find viable alternatives for lovers of craft beer. Even our least favorite from Belgian brewer Green’s outclassed most of the domestic competition.

7. Dogfish Head Tweason’Ale
Style: Fruit Beer
City: Milton, Del.
ABV: 6%
Key Ingredients: Strawberries, sorghum, honey
% Like Beer: 35%
For Fans Of: Lindeman’s Framboise
The verdict: The fruitiness of the strawberries is balanced by mild hoppy tones. Leave it to Dogfish Head to create an “off-centered” ale without gluten. One of the most interesting of the bunch, if not the most recognizably beer-like.

8. Bard’s Tale Dragon’s Gold
Style: Brown Ale
City: Buffalo, N.Y.
ABV: 4.3%
Key Ingredients: Sorghum, yeast, hops and water
% Like Beer: 75%
For Fans Of: Newcastle
The verdict: A reasonably bold flavor and a good option for a gluten-free session beer. This had few passionate fans but also few detractors.

9. New Planet Tread Lightly
Style: Blonde Ale
City: Boulder, Colo.
ABV: 5%
Key Ingredients: Sorghum, corn, orange peel, hops, yeast
% Like Beer: 40%
For Fans Of: Hard cider
The verdict: A tasty crisp cider/beer hybrid with much more flavor than New Grist or Daura. Still not hitting that “beer” target in the dead center, but a good option nonetheless.

10. Redbridge
Brewery: Anheuser-Busch
Style: Red Lager
City: St. Louis, Mo.
ABV: 4%
Key Ingredients: Sorghum
% Like Beer: 80%
For Fans Of: Yuengling
The verdict: We don’t have much love for Anheuser-Busch, but they’ve at least produced a gluten-free beer that tastes as good as their other lagers.

EWG's Good Food Guide

On my kitchen table this week: The Good Food Guide, put together by the Environmental Working Group and Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters project.

Their Summary: EWG's "Good Food on a Tight Budget" booklet comes with our top tips for healthy eating, quick lists of best foods, tasty recipes and easy tools for tracking food prices and planning your weekly menu.


Table of Contents
About
Top Tips
Fruits
Vegetables
Grains
Protein
Dairy
Cooking Fats & Oils
Staples & Spices
Recipes
A Healthy Budget
Shopping List
Meal Planner
Price Tracker

Flour to buy for CIA flour blends

The Culinary Institute of America put together some gluten-free recipes for baking. The recipes are built around 5 different blends of flour. They all have some combination of the following: white rice, brown rice, and soy flours and potato starch, tapioca starch, guar bum, albumen, whey powder (or sub navy bean flour)

Blend #1 (weakest strength, most carbs):
White Rice Flour - 1 3/4 cups
Potato Starch - 2 cups
Tapioca starch - 1 1/2 cups
(total = 5 1/4 cups)

Blend #2 (second weakest; contains a little protein an fiber from brown rice)
White rice flour - 1 3/4 cups
Brown rice flour - 1 1/4 cups
Potato starch - 3/4 cups
Tapioca starch - 1 cup
(total = 4 3/4 cups)

Blend #3 (moderately strong; carb/protein combination)
White rice flour - 3/4 cup
Potato starch - 4 cups
Guar gum - 3 1/2 tablespoons
Albumen - 1/2 cup
(total = 5 1/2 cups)

Blend #4 (stronger; higher in protein from soy flour)
White rice flour - 1 1/2 cups
Tapioca starch - 1 3/4 cups
Soy flour (defatted) - 2 1/4 cups
(total = 5 1/2 cups)

Blend #5 (the strongest; high protein from soy and whey)
*note to folks who have trouble with dairy: whey contains casein, so substitute with navy bean flour if you think you might react to casein
White rice flour - 1 3/4 cups
Tapioca starch - 1 1/4 cups
Soy flour (defatted) - 1 3/4 cups
Whey powder

Examples of recipes calling for these blends:

• Focaccia - 1 and 3
• Multigrain Bread - 3 and 5
• Rolls - 5
• Cinnamon Raisin Bread - 5
• Bagels - 3 and 5
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins - 2
• Pancakes - 5
• Cookies - 2
• Biscotti - 3
• Chocolate Pecan Cookies - 4
• Carrot Cake - 2

Tangy Red Cabbage Slaw

From Real Simple online

Serves 8| Hands-On Time: 15m| Total Time: 1hr 00m

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup  fresh orange juice
• 1/4  cup  fresh lime juice
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil
• 2  tablespoons  brown sugar
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2  medium red cabbage (about 1 1⁄2 pounds), cored and shredded
• 2  large carrots (about 1⁄2 pound), grated
• 3/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the orange and lime juices, oil, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
2. Add the cabbage and carrots and toss to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for at least 45 minutes. Fold in the cilantro before serving.