All posts in category food

Gluten-free Update

sliced breadIt’s been two months since I decided to go gluten-free. I have to say, it hasn’t been as difficult as I thought it was going to be. It’s forced me to pay more attention to ingredient lists and sometimes search for alternatives, but because of how mainstream gluten-free eating has become, there are a huge range of options.

One of the things that I made sure to do was to have a Celiac Disease before I had followed a gluten-free diet for an entire month. I’m grateful to say that I tested negative for Celiac, though I am wheat sensitive.

I accidentally consumed wheat twice over the past two months and purposely consumed it once. Each time, I experienced swelling in my joints and intense pain. I also experienced the classic symptoms of bloating and stomach pain. The consistent reactions that I was able to replicate indicate that the sensitivity isn’t in my head, especially since I had the same reactions when I unintentionally ate wheat.

What does this mean for the future? Well, I’ll continue to seek out alternatives and share the successes and failures here. With the local food season going into full swing, veggie-heavy meals will be on the menu most nights. It’s always exciting to be presented with new-to-me produce from my CSA and to develop recipes around them. It should be an interesting summer.

But for the next two weeks, I’m going to be gallivanting in the desert, consuming Tasty Bites and Tanka Bars — the staples of our camping meals, but not very exciting in terms of a food blog. As soon as I return from vacation, I’ll be back to blogging. Until then, try some new recipes and drink lots of good wine.

by Mellisa on June 1, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Mellisa on June 1, 2013

https://sapidcellardoor.com/2013/06/01/gluten-free-update/

The Start of Local

Local ProduceThere hasn’t been much in terms of cooking in casa de Hannum over the last week and a half. I’ve been fighting a nasty bug.

That aside, it’s the beginning of our local produce season, when farmers begin to deliver truckloads of fresh, beautiful food to the store and farmers markets.

My favorite way of consuming spring goodies is to process them as minimally as possible, celebrating their tender flavors, either in a quick stir fry or gathered raw on a platter along with cheese, olives, and Blue Diamond’s pecan crackers for a savory, light supper.

by Mellisa on May 25, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Mellisa on May 25, 2013

https://sapidcellardoor.com/2013/05/25/the-start-of-local/

Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder

slow cooker pork shoulderYou’re probably beginning to realize that while I occasionally enjoy creating a complicated meal, my stand-bys are simpler meals that have a few layers of flavor but are easy peasy to make. And I love my slow cooker. I have a small one that’s perfect for smaller meals as well as small roasts — even a chicken.

A couple of days ago, I found a pork shoulder in the freezer (that place is a constant source of surprise for me) and decided it needed to be dinner. After thawing overnight in the fridge, I slow cooked that bad boy until it was a tender, falling-off-the-bone flavor extravaganza and served it with some smashed potatoes.

Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder

One pork shoulder
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of mixed sweet and hot peppers (I had a bag of pre-sliced sweet bells, jalapenos, etc. that were in the freezer. I recommend a 3 to 1 ratio of sweet to hot.)
2 cups sweet cherries

Throw it all in the slow cooker. Set on low, and go to work. It will be cooked and the flavors will be nicely incorporated by the time you get home. Serve with veggies, potatoes, etc. — whatever side speaks to you.

Any leftovers can be turned into pulled pork sandwiches. I used a gluten-free hamburger bun that I toasted on the grill with a little garlic butter before filling. I added a couple of dollops of Larrupin Red Sauce to the pork for a bit more sweetness and heat.

by Mellisa on May 11, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Mellisa on May 11, 2013

https://sapidcellardoor.com/2013/05/11/slow-cooker-pork-shoulder/

Thai Green Curry

Thai green curryI find curry to be an amazing comfort food. Maybe it’s because of the endorphins released by the spicy heat. Maybe it’s because the flavors meld so beautifully. Whatever the cause, when I’ve had a rough work week, nothing helps me wind down quite as well as a nice bowl of curry and a glass of slightly sweet Riesling.

This is a simple Thai curry recipe that requires a small amount of prep and a bit of waiting, but the sigh you exhale with the first spoonful is worth that bit of work. Bonus, the money you save by making it yourself means that you just might be able to purchase that pair of strappy sandals you’ve been eyeballing. Comfort food + retail therapy = fully recovered!

Thai Green Curry
serves 4

2 cups water
1 cup jasmine rice
1 Tablespoon cooking oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped Galangal (Thai) ginger
2 cups mixed vegetables
pinch of salt
1 block of tofu, cubed
3 Tablespoons Thai green curry paste
2 cans of organic coconut milk (Give those cans a good shake before opening them.)
2 Keffir lime leaves if available (We have a local farmer who sells them.)

Put rice and water in a pot over high heat. Once it begins to boil, turn heat down to low and simmer until water cooks off. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside if curry isn’t quite done. It’s rice. You probably know that already, but just in case I have any beginners, that’s how it’s done.

Cook veggies and ginger until they’re just beginning to soften up, toss in tofu and salt, and stir. Pour in the coconut milk, curry paste, and lime leaves. Stir. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove lime leaves.

In a nice, deep bowl, shovel in some rice, pour curry over the top, and serve. Take a sip of that slightly sweet Riesling. Inhale through your nose. Exhale through your mouth. Repeat until dinner is finished. Don’t you feel better?

by Mellisa on May 4, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Mellisa on May 4, 2013

https://sapidcellardoor.com/2013/05/04/thai-green-curry/

Kelp Noodle Stir-fry

kelp noodle stir fryThere’s been a package of kelp noodles that we got as a sample quite some time ago that would stare at me sadly every time I opened the pantry door, wondering when I was going to get around to using it. Though I liked the idea behind the noodles, and I enjoy seaweed of many different sorts, it was difficult to feel inspired when gazing at a package of gelatinous-looking noodles surrounded by a nebulous liquid.

Yesterday though, yesterday, I spied some Lo Mein on the deli’s hot bar at work, and man it looked and smelled so good, and I couldn’t have it! So I decided it was time, time to give those doleful noodles a purpose in being. Frankly, now I’m wondering why it took me so long. I really enjoyed them. They were crispy and fun to bite. While they tried to ball up together, a little separating with a fork brought them into line again, and they picked up the flavors of the sauce. Plus, they were that healthy thing I’m always striving for, so that was a bonus.

stir fry ingredientsKelp Noodle Stir-fry with Peanut Sauce

1 package kelp noodles
.6 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 1-inch pieces
small yellow onion, chopped
red bell pepper, sliced thinly
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons + 1 Tablespoon gluten-free Thai peanut sauce
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
drizzle of gluten-free Tamari
drizzle of gluten-free Sriracha
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Heat up skillet on high heat. Add oil.
Drizzle 2 TB peanut sauce, Tamari, and Sriracha on chicken and mix until chicken is coated. Toss in peanuts then place in hot skillet. Once chicken has browned, add onion and bell pepper. Stir for about a minute then add the garlic. Turn down heat to medium.
While the skillet does its magic and turns raw into cooked, place kelp noodles in a colander and rinse in cold water, separating the glob into lovely strands of translucent noodles.
Once onions are soft, throw in noodles and 1 TB sauce, stirring until the noodles are coated and warmed enough to become more flexible. When they’re flexing like a ballerina on a barre, serve that concoction with a couple of napkins. Until you get the hang of it, eating those noodles is going to be messy.

The red bell peppers are a nice counterpoint to the heat created by the Sriracha and play nicely with the nuttiness of the sauce. And I’m sold on those noodles. I’m going to be picking up a couple more packages. They just won’t stick around long enough to stare glumly out at me from the pantry shelf. I’ve learned my lesson.

by Mellisa on April 27, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Mellisa on April 27, 2013

https://sapidcellardoor.com/2013/04/27/kelp-noodle-stir-fry/

Gluten-free Pizza

Gluten free pizza slice I had been noticing for quite awhile that when I ate bread, my joints would ache, and it kept getting progressively worse. It didn’t matter if it was organic, sprouted wheat bread or crappy French rolls from Sysco. First my left wrist would swell, then my knuckles, and finally my right elbow. Then my whole body would begin to HURT, I’d stiffen up, and it would be hard to move. Such negative reinforcement made me switch to a gluten-free diet pretty quickly, and I started to read “Wheat Belly” to get some answers.

While most of my meals are whole foods — lots of vegetables, some meat, some rice — sometimes, I crave comfort food. I’ve been investigating alternatives to some of my favorites. Keep in mind, I find these processed alternatives to be treats, so they’re not a regular feature of my meals. But sometimes, you just gotta have a piece of pizza.

gluten free crust For my first venture into the gluten-free world of pizza crust, I decided to go store bought. I’ll probably make a crust the next time, but it was a pretty tasty option. The texture, being rice, was interesting, both crispy and chewy, but it made for a good dinner.

Here’s my process:

Ingredients:

Chevre, pepper jack (shredded), and small mozzarella balls
extra virgin olive oil
pesto
nitrite-free salami
orange bell pepper (sliced)
portobello mushroom cap (sliced)
basil leaves
roasted red pepper flakes
garlic powder
Roma tomato
pizza crust

Ready for the ovenPreheat oven to 500 degrees. (You’ll be turning it down a tad once you put the pizza in the oven.)

Brush top of crust with olive oil. Spread a nice layer of pesto to almost the very edge of the crust. Follow with the pepper jack, crumble on the Chevre, layer the salami, mushroom, and bell pepper on top of the cheese. Next, cover the pizza with basil leaves and sprinkle with the mozzarella balls. Shake with a generous amount of the pepper flakes and garlic powder, and then follow the instructions on the box for cooking temperature and time.

While pizza cooks, slice tomato thinly. Once pizza is finished, layer the tomato slices on top of the cheesy goodness, and chomp away.

by Mellisa on April 20, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Mellisa on April 20, 2013

https://sapidcellardoor.com/2013/04/20/gluten-free-pizza/

Grown Up Tuna Casserole

tuna casseroleFlipping through my ancient 4-H book the other day, I was reminded that I cooked a lot for my family when I was growing up. Then, like now, I obviously had something going on during the daytime and preferred easy-to-throw-together dinners that were filling and didn’t create a ton of dishes.

One of my much revisited dinners was tuna casserole. I tweaked it until I had a dish with more flavor than most of the traditional recipes but was still a crowd pleaser. (Always a must.)

Lately, I’ve been craving comfort food, and when I ran across a couple of packages of albacore tuna while rummaging around in the pantry, I knew what comfort food to focus on.

My only new considerations were that it needed to have a lot more vegetables in it than when I was concocting this dish as a child, and it needed to utilize the rather staggering collection of goat cheese I had amassed within the glowing cavern that is our refrigerator. The Frankensteinian creation that resulted was pretty tasty, but I think it could stand a bit more tweaking. Feel free to change the list of ingredients to what most appeals to your taste buds.

Grown Up Tuna Casserole

1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
16 oz whole wheat shell pasta
1 Tablespoon ghee
4 fire roasted peppers in oil, chopped
2.4 oz jar of capers, drained
pinch of dried dill
2 cups baby spinach
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
24 oz organic cream of mushroom soup
10 oz organic mixed mushrooms
salt & pepper to taste
6 oz albacore tuna
2 cups cheese (I used a combination of goat cheeses: drunken goat, capra bianca, and laychee)
Italian Herb Panko

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put a pot of water on to boil. Cook pasta to package directions.

While waiting for water to boil, saute onion and garlic in a medium pan with the ghee until onions are translucent and beginning to brown. Lower heat and add peppers and capers. Stir until everything has warmed through and flavors have had a chance to commingle. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, cook the mushrooms until tender, but not to the point that all moisture has evaporated from the pan.

Once pasta has cooked, dump all of the ingredients into the pot, reserving a half cup of cheese. Stir everything together until cheese has melted. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and follow with a layer of Panko.

Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove lid and bake for ten more minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for five minutes before serving.

UPDATE
The following day, I added some smoked tuna to the leftovers. It was the perfect addition, helping all of the flavors to blend together just right. It was quite the Goldilocks moment.

by Mellisa on March 30, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Mellisa on March 30, 2013

https://sapidcellardoor.com/2013/03/30/grown-up-tuna-casserole/

Salmon Run

salmonSalmon, you crazy omega-3 filled food, you! Why must you be so very, very expensive?

Because of the price, salmon is a rare treat for us. I mean, I can usually get filet mignon for less, but when the mood strikes and the wallet is feeling a wee bit fatter than usual, a fresh salmon steak from the fish case is where it’s at.

When cooking – and when pairing with wine – treat salmon as you would a steak from a roly poly, grass-fed cow. My favorite method is to get the cast iron skillet crankin’ hot, rub the filets with Cajun spices, and sear those bad boys until they’re tender and just-cooked-through. Depending on thickness, the average I’ve found is about three minutes per side, with a deep lid placed over the top to trap in a bit more heat and moisture.

Place that pink wonder on a bed of risotto and drizzle with Larrupin Dill Sauce – the obvious and best choice of sauce for salmon. Since I had a teensy bit of Laychee left over after the manicotti mania, I placed the final dollops on top of each filet.

Accompanied by some broccoli rabe that had been drizzled with olive oil and dusted with parmesan and garlic and left under the broiler while the fish cooked, dinner was served, the combination of ingredients so perfect, I had more energy after eating than before. Don’t you love it when that happens?

by Mellisa on March 23, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Mellisa on March 23, 2013

https://sapidcellardoor.com/2013/03/23/salmon-run/

The Cheese Can Stand Alone

Penny Royal FarmsteadSometimes I’m so grateful I’m a supertaster. I want to scream, “Thank you!” at the heavens and do cartwheels.

When I received my first shipment of my Farm to Table program from Pennyroyal Farm, I was blessing each and every taste bud clustered on my tongue.

Charles and I had first gotten the opportunity to sample Pennyroyal’s cheese at the Alsace Festival in Anderson Valley. I could honestly say that I’ve never sampled a more glorious cheese. I was hooked. My need would not be assuaged, so I signed up to have the farm’s creations sent to my door five times a year.

The spring shipment arrived on Thursday, and I instantly grabbed a spoon to try the Laychee. Sweet, salty, slightly tangy and ever-so dreamy creamy, one bite and I knew this cheese had to be the main focus of any dish of which it was a part. That spoonful made my stomach dance with butterflies of pleasure, like the way you felt in third grade when that cute boy with the mop of brown hair looked at you with his azure blue eyes. That first spoonful was like that, except in cheese form.

manicottiTo showcase my new found Laychee love, I decided to make a manicotti dish, but instead of using the traditional ingredients of spinach, nutmeg, pepper, and meat as well as cheese, I just stuffed the pasta with Laychee. I then poured tomato sauce on top and baked the concoction in the oven at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Topped with some Boont Corners, grated finely, before serving and paired with a pinot noir, this ended up being a spectacular way to celebrate my very first cheese shipment. It’s going to be a very long wait for the next one. Until then, I’ll content myself with the final cheese in the first batch — a lovely blue that we’re slowly savoring, paired with almonds and a small glass of tawny port each evening we feel like having a special treat.

by Mellisa on March 16, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Mellisa on March 16, 2013

https://sapidcellardoor.com/2013/03/16/the-cheese-can-stand-alone/

Slow Cooker Roast Beef

roast beef sandwichI work full time, as many of you do, and I’ve found that one of my best friends on a busy day is my slow cooker.

When it’s slow cooking beef, I’ve found another friend — Mr. Sauerkraut.

Mr. Sauerkraut does an awesome job of breaking down a tougher cut of meat during the day and creating a tender, flavorful star for a sandwich.

A couple of days ago, I was poking around in the freezer, trying to find inspiration for dinner. I found a flank steak from my meat CSA. A few days before, I had made a simple meal of sausage, potatoes, and sauerkraut and had picked up an extra package of the fermented wonder. (Just like other condiments, I find it’s good to have an extra package of sauerkraut hanging out in the fridge for last-minute meal ideas.)

Knowing that a tender roast beef sandwich was only a crock pot away, I allowed the steak to defrost in the fridge overnight and then tossed it into the slow cooker with the entire package of sauerkraut, turned it onto low, and left for work.

When I got home that evening, I drained the beef in a metal colander while browning a roll of whole wheat French bread on the cast iron skillet. While the bread browned, I put together a simple salad of tender baby greens of chard, kale, and spinach and threw on some grape tomatoes and avocado for good measure.

Once the bread was ready, I smeared a healthy layer of horseradish on the roll, and dinner was served. We were chowing down with a nice barleywine to drink within a half hour of arriving from work. What could be simpler?

by Mellisa on March 2, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Mellisa on March 2, 2013

https://sapidcellardoor.com/2013/03/02/slow-cooker-roast-beef/

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