Category Archives: Gluten-Free
Baby Bok Choy With Cucumber Noodles in Peanut Sauce
My mom’s latest obsession is baby bok choy. And so, I thought I’d hunt down some new and interesting bok choy recipes to try. I didn’t have to hunt very hard. I adapted this recipe from one I found on tastespotting.com. It was relatively easy to make although it isn’t the best on the second day; it gets soggy. Next time, if I plan on leftovers, I’ll keep the sauce and salad separate and dress it right before eating OR put some sauce in the bottom of one of my mason jars with salad on top and mix later. I love my jars.
Ingredients:
2 medium cucumbers
1 bunch baby bok choy
1/4 cup peanut butter (natural – I use Justin’s)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
juice of 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons of water
1/2 teaspoon garlic-chili paste (add more for extra heat!)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
cilantro chopped and chopped/crushed peanuts to garnish
Directions:
1. In a small mixing bowl combine peanut butter, maple syrup, lime juice, sea salt, water and chili oil.
2. Chill in refrigerator while you prepare the noodles.
3. Chop baby bok choy into thin slivers.
4. Peel skin from cucumbers. Then, cut them julienne or continue using your peeler to yield strips or “noodles” of cucumbers.
5. Squeeze as much liquid out of the cucumber noodles as possible (you can wrap a paper-towel around them to do this), and combine with boy choy in a large bowl.
6. Add peanut sauce, a bit at a time, to cucumber noodles and bok choy (add more water to the sauce if needed, use more of less peanut sauce to taste).
7. Serve immediately garnished with cilantro and chopped peanuts
Adapted from A House in the Hills.
Mini Quinoa Pizzas
I came across this recipe on foodgawker.com except that it was styled “pizza bites”. All of these mini recipes requiring the purchase of new “mini pans” is killing me. Not really. But seriously – mini doughnuts, mini cupcakes, and mini muffins, oh my! I didn’t event notice the need for the mini muffin pan until I got started with my cooking (shocking) so I decided to use my regular sized muffin pan. You can find the original recipe at The Way to His Heart. Original recipe = 24 bites and the Zinnrunner recipe yields about 12 regular size.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa (I used red quinoa because it’s what I had but you can use any color)
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup chopped pepperoni slices
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pizza spice or Italian spice
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Your favorite pizza sauce
Directions:
1. As always, rinse quinoa in cold water (for about 2 minutes).
2. In a small pot, add water, quinoa, and salt and bring to a boil.
3. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Allow to cook for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, until water has been absorbed.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease your muffin tin.
5. In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients together, minus the pizza sauce.
6. Fill each muffin cup.
7. Gently pat the mixture down to make compact.
8. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes.
9. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 3-5 minutes before removing. You may want to run a knife around the edge of each “pizza” before removing from pan.
10. Serve with pizza sauce smeared across the top of each “pizza” or as a dip.
