Tag: Meal

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Zucchini Flower Fritters (Dairy-Free)(Gluten-Free)

With summer in full swing, farmers markets are overflowing with delicious produce and fresh cut flowers. What could be better than a farmers market find that is both food and flower? Nothing, clearly. So when I locked eyes on the beautiful and edible zucchini flowers last weekend, I knew immediately I had to have them. These vibrant orange blossoms can be eaten raw or cooked and are a favorite in Mediterranean cuisine. Into the tote they went, merrily whisked back to the MOARyoga shoebox test kitchen. Equipped with the best of nature’s bounty, I set out to prepare a fun finger-food hearty enough for a meal but still light enough on the palette for a hot summer night.

…the result…

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Zucchini Flower Fritters

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1/2 roasted poblano, finely chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/3 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 3 tbs nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp adobe chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • Lemon wedges (for garnish)

For the Beer Batter:

  • 1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1/3 cup chilled gluten-free beer
  • 1 egg
  • Canola or grapeseed oil for frying

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How to Make Them:
  1. In a medium frying pan, saute shallots in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic, red pepper, poblano and jalapeño. Saute another 3-5 min. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix cooked quinoa with nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, chili powder and garbanzo bean flour.
  3. Add cooled veggie mix to your dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add eggs (whipped up in a separate bowl first) until everything comes together.
  4. Take zucchini flowers and use your fingers to remove any stamens from the inside of the blossoms. Rinse the flowers and pat dry.
  5. Using your fingers and/or a teaspoon to work a dollop of the quinoa mixture inside the blossom. Leave enough room at the top to twist the petals together, creating a neat little package with the flowers.
  6. Chill stuffed zucchini flowers in the fridge for at least 30 min.
  7. While that’s happening, prepare your batter. Mix garbanzo bean flour, salt, oil and gluten-free beer together in one bowl. In a separate bowl whip your egg vigorously until frothy. Combine the contents of the two bowls and stir until smooth.
  8. Remove flowers from fridge. Line a tray with paper towels.
  9. Fill a deep saucepan 1/3 of the way with canola or grapeseed oil, then heat on medium-high until a drop of water makes the oil hiss and spit (stand back!).
  10. Working in batches of four, slide the flowers one-by-one into batter. Allow any excess batter to drip off, then deep-fry for 4 min (flipping once) or until golden. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer to paper towel-lined tray. Repeat until all flowers are frittered!
  11. Scatter with salt and serve with lemon wedges.
These fritters are light, gluten-free, dairy-free and delicious. Try dipping them in my Tomatillo Spicy Green Salsa for some added kick!
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Zucchini “Fettuccine Alfredo” (Vegan) (Gluten-Free)

Growing up in a half-Italian household, there was no shortage of ricotta stuffed shells, eggplant parmesan, and creamy pasta dishes at family gatherings. You’d think I’d be naturally endowed with the ability to digest all that deliciousness. Sadly, like so many others, over the years I have lost the ability to properly digest lactose (a.k.a. I am dairy defunct). According to the NIH, “approximately 65% of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy.” So what’s an Italiana to do?

Thanks to creative cooks across the web and world, there are thousands of recipe alternatives out there for some of your favorite cheese and cream-heavy dishes. Ever since noshing on an amazing dish of dairy-free Fettuccine “Alfredo” in Austin, TX back in February I’ve been angling to make my own version that was both vegan and gluten-free. After reading countless recipes and making several attempts to fuse what I saw as the best elements of each, this is what I came up with…and it’s super tasty if I do say so myself!

Zucchini “Fettuccine Alfredo”

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What You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 8 oz boiling water
  • 3-4 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 small or 2 large zucchinis

How to Make It:

  1. Soak cashews in water overnight.
  2. Drain cashews and add to a blender or food processor. Add 8-oz of boiling water and blend until mostly smooth.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.
  4. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Let cool and store in the fridge for up to a week or use immediately (continuing to steps 5 and 6).
  5. Using a vegetable peeler, shave long slivers of raw zucchini into a bowl until you’ve used up the entire veggie. The strips should look like thin ribbons (see below).
  6. Toss zucchini with “Alfredo” sauce until well coated.
  7. Let marinate for at least 30 min so the sauce seeps into the “fettuccine.”

This can be served hot or cold. It makes for the perfect summer meal: very light, very healthy and, to top it off, very satisfying!

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Sunday Spread: Jerk Chicken, Spicy Beans

As a nutrition nut and yogini, I am all about healthy eating. Every now and again, however, comfort food is 1000% necessary. In a lot of families, it’s a tradition to have Sunday suppers that are more bountiful and indulgent than your average dinner. The other weekend, I tackled my own Sunday spread to impress a lucky gent, making Roasted Jerk Chicken for the first time with a side of Spicy Beans (recipes below). I also made some fried plantains, which were a tasty treat and great balance to the serious spice going on in this meal.

Though I’m deeming this a meal to have in moderation, there is still a whole lot of good nutrition going on here. The beans are full of dietary fiber, the tomatoes and tomato paste are a good source of heart-healthy and cancer-fighting lycopene, and the chicken is, of course, a great source of lean protein. And since you’re making it from scratch, you have complete control over the quality of your ingredients. Skip the fried plantains and the meal is overall quite healthful.

We enjoyed this with a bottle of Torrontés, a white wine from Argentina and currently my favorite for fish and chicken dishes. Pinot Grigio would be a comparable pairing if that’s more your style.

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ROASTED JERK CHICKEN

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 shallot, coarsely chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 3 habanero chili peppers, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 large limes, juiced
  • 2 tbs soy sauce
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tbs salt
  • 1 tbs brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tbs fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tsp Jamaican allspice
  • 2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 whole chicken

How to Make It:

  1. Blend all ingredients (except chicken) together in a blender until smooth.
  2. Place the chicken in a shallow roasting pan and cover thoroughly with marinade, rubbing it into all the nooks and crannies.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or as long as overnight. Remove from fridge and let sit at room temp for 1 hour prior to roasting.
  4. Preheat oven to 450° F (230° C) and cook chicken for 10-15 min. Then reduce temperature to 350° F (175° C) and roast for an additional 20 min per pound.
  5. Remove and let sit for at least 10 min before carving up.

SPICY BEANS

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 15-oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15-oz can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1  15-oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbs fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp hot sauce (I like Frank’s Red Hot)

How to Make It:

  1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and shallots and sauté until translucent, about 5 min.
  2. Add garlic and spices (paprika, chipotle pepper flakes, cayenne pepper) and reduce heat to medium, cooking for another 2-3 min.
  3. Add tomato paste, fire-roasted tomatoes (and liquids), and both kinds of beans. Add herbs (thyme and oregano).
  4. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Add salt and hot sauce and let the ingredients cook on low heat for 45 min-1 hour (you can let this sit while the chicken is roasting).
  5. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

Get yourself a plate and pick your favorite cuts of chicken. Serve with a side of Spicy Beans over brown rice and enjoy!