roodonfood

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Posted by roodonfood on October 4, 2013 in gluten free, Recipes, vegan

Despite appearances this isn’t eggnog.

Running always puts me in a good frame of mind. It clears out negative thoughts and replaces it with energy. On the days that those benefits aren’t enough – I always have a post-run smoothie to look forward to.

For recovery, it’s hard to beat bananas and peanut butter. My smoothie is easy: It uses almond milk (other milks work too), banana, a touch of honey, cinnamon and lately a scoop of peanut butter.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2
8 oz milk
6 ice cubes
1 banana
1 t peanut butter (or more if you prefer)
1 shake of cinnamon
1 t honey
1 scoop protein powder (optional)

Method: Place all ingredients in blender and blend. Stir a little to make sure peanut butter isn’t stuck to the side. Blend again for a moment. Once it’s smoothie consistency pour into a tumbler and enjoy.

Here is a link to another great variation using chickoo.

Tags: food, Gluten Free, peanut butter banana smoothie, running, Vegan, vegan smoothie, vegetarian Permalink

Amaranth Spinach Recipe (Tandaljo)

Posted by roodonfood on October 3, 2013 in gluten free, indian, New York City, queens, Recipes, vegan

Amaranth Spinach

I’d eaten spinach a million times and tried amaranth a few ways but never amaranth spinach leaves. Purchased in the frozen section of the venerable Indian American grocery chain, Patel Brothers, it was only $1.29 for the 12 ounce packet. The contents were frozen into multiple mini bricks giving them a futuristic look but I digress.

Frozen Amaranth Spinach Leaves

To really get a sense for the flavor I kept the seasoning simple so the amaranth spinach could sing on its own. The flavor is earthier and a little coarser than run of the mill spinach but tasty and not a bad change from mustard greens or spinach. Side note: Amaranth spinach is also used commonly to the make the Caribbean side dish known as callaloo, but that will be written about in a future post soon.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 3
Ingredients
1 package amaranth spinach leaves
¼ onion chopped
½ tomato, chopped small
1 T ginger
1 T cumin seeds
1 T ginger
chili powder to taste
salt to taste

Method:
Cook onions on medium low for 5 minutes. Add ginger and cumin seeds and roast for a 2 minutes. Now toss in the remaining ingredients and about a half cup of water. Cook covered for 15 minutes or so. Once the tomato begin to wilt and the amaranth bricks are easy to break up it’s time for blending. Blend pan contents and pour back into pan. Cook for an additional 15 minutes. Taste the flavor and adjust seasoning. If more tartness is necessary lemon or lime juice are helpful. Serve with rice or roti.

Tags: amaranth spinach, food, Gluten Free, indian amaranth recipe, indian food, Vegan, vegetarian Permalink

3 Comments

Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce Via Serious Eats

Posted by roodonfood on October 2, 2013 in gluten free, Recipes, vegan

Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce

This recipe via Serious Eats is probably my favorite way to cook cauliflower. The roasting, tahini and cumin gives it a smoky and creamy flavor. My only suggested change to this side dish is to roast the vegetable for 30-40 minutes for a softer texture than the recommended 15-20. Try it. No don’t thank me. Thank Serious Eats user Zesty Vegan. The recipe is naturally vegan and gluten free.

Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce Recipe Link

Tags: roasted cauliflower recipe, serious eats cauliflower recipe, side dish recipe, Side dishes, tahini vegetable recipes Permalink

Coconut Rice and Pigeon Peas Recipe (Gandules Con Coco)

Posted by roodonfood on October 1, 2013 in gluten free, Recipes, vegan

Coconut Rice and Peas

Pigeon peas are popular in tropical areas like the Caribbean and parts of India. A great source of protein and iron, they have the creaminess of a black eyed pea but are a touch more meaty. This coconut rice and peas recipe is a variant of the Caribbean style gandules con coco. I skipped the tomato paste, emphasizing the coconut milk flavor more. Other versions, especially Dominican ones include squash. The recipe is naturally vegan and gluten free.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 3
1/2 can of coconut milk
1.5 cups of rice (we used jasmine)
1/4red bell pepper chopped
1/4 onion, chopped small
1 can pigeon peas (15 oz)
1 T dried thyme
1 t garlic powder
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Tomato (a few ounces for garnish)

Method:

Cook onions and peppers in a pot on medium for a few minutes until beginning to turn translucent. Next toss in the rice and toast for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Now add in coconut milk and water. (Add in appropriate amount of water for the type of rice you’re using, subtracting for the ½ cup of coconut milk). Cover pot and let simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and if necessary add in additional water.

Tags: arroz con gandules, caribbean, dominican, food, gandules con coco recipe, Gluten Free, pigeon peas recipe, recipes, Vegan, vegetarian Permalink

6 Comments

FastSnack: Indian Potato Pancake (Aloo Tikki Recipe)

Posted by roodonfood on September 26, 2013 in gluten free, Recipes, Snacks, vegan

Aloo Tikki

The Aloo Tikki is a like a midly spicy Indian cousin to the potato pancake. My version uses jowan also called ajwain, carom seeds or bishop weed. It’s a filling snack and can be easily customized. The recipe uses the traditional chickpea flour for the light coating and is naturally gluten free and vegan. If you’re interested in my regular potato pancake recipe, you can find it here.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8-10 tikkis (depending on size)
Ingredients:
5 medium sized potatoes, chopped small
1/2 onion, chopped small
1/2 cup of frozen peas
chili powder to taste
1 t cumin seeds
1 T cumin powder
1 T garlic paste
1 T ginger paste
1 T apple cider vinegar
1-2 oz milk (or non-dairy milk)
1 T butter (or smart balance)
2 handfuls of cilantro
a few ounces chickpea flour
salt

Method:
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add in potatoes and peas. In the meantime, cook chopped onions in a pan for about 5 minutes. Next add in cumin seeds and allow to sputter for a minute. Once potatoes are softened, drain water. Transfer potatoes, onions, cumin, 1 handful cilantro and remaining ingredients except flour into a mixing bowl. Mash and mix well. Taste the mix and adjust seasoning as necessary. In a second mixing bowl place chickpea flour. Form the tikki into slightly smaller than palm size balls and flatten out a bit. Dip each side into the flour.

Finally, heat a pan to medium. Add in tikkis. Cook each side for 3-4 minutes until they get a little golden brown. Serve hot with chutney. Garnish with remaining cilantro.

Tags: aloo tikki recipe, fastsnack, food, Gluten Free, indian food, indian potato fritter, indian potato pancake, indian snacks, snack recipes, Vegan, vegetarian Permalink

3 Comments

Sweet and Tangy Tofu Recipe

Posted by roodonfood on September 25, 2013 in gluten free, Recipes, vegan

Sweet and Tangy Tofu

As I’ve ramped up non-meat proteins in my diet, one of my favorites has become extra firm tofu. This recipe was inspired by some delicious sticky chicken wings I’d had in celebration of the beginning of the NFL football season. They accidently marinated for an extra day and were probably the better for it. (Between you and me, overnight is good enough). ProTip: for a chewier, firmer texture, squeeze out water and freeze tofu for a few hours.

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 24 hours
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 lb extra firm tofu
2 oz ketchup
2 oz tamari or soy sauce
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 oz honey
1 t garlic
water
sriracha or other hot sauce to taste

Method:
Squeeze out as much water as possible from the tofu by pressing down on it with a plate (be sure to maintain the shape, unless you like it broken up). Next, chop the tofu into bite size cubes. In a bowl create marinade and mix well. Add marinade and tofu into a fridge friendly tupper ware. Add a touch of water so the tofu is partially submerged. Put on lid and shake it around. Place in fridge ideally overnight. It can be cooked either on the stovetop or oven (see below).
Stovetop: Drain marinade and keep aside. Add tofu to a pan and cook on each side for about 5 minutes to get a nice brown. When it’s done add marinade back in.
Oven: Preheat oven to 350. Drain marinade and keep aside. Add a touch of oil and tofu to an oven safe pan. Bake for about 10 minutes and then flip and cook for an additional 10 minutes. The edges should begin to brown. Add back in the marinade and cook for another 5 minutes.

Tags: chicken wing style tofu, food, Gluten Free, sweet and tangy tofu recipe, tofu recipe, Vegan, vegetarian Permalink

4 Comments

Nachos Recipe: Indian Style (Rajmaa Meets Nachos)

Posted by roodonfood on September 24, 2013 in gluten free, Recipes, vegan

Indian seasoned refried bean nachos

This simple recipe marries two of my favorite types of food: Indian and Mexican (well, Tex-Mex). This homemade rajmaa refried bean recipe works great as a dip or as part of nachos. To save time: Use cans of red kidney beans. To save money: Used dried beans and rehydrate. They’re ready after an hour of simmering. This recipe is naturally vegan and gluten free.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4
1 pd plain refried beans
¼ onion diced small
½ tomato chopped, small
1 t garlic
1 t cumin powder
1 T ginger paste
2 oz almond milk (or your favorite milk)
Chili powder to taste
Salt to taste
Handful of cilantro
Coriander chutney (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)

Method: Heat a pan with oil, toss in onions and allow to caramelize for 5 minutes. Add beans, half of the chopped tomatoes, spices and milk to a bowl. Mash and mix in well. Once relatively well mashed, move contents to a blender and blend for a few moments till visible chunks are gone. Now place beans in pan with onions and mix in. Garnish with coriander chutney and tomatoes on top. Served warm with tortilla chips.

Tags: best nachos, food, indian nachos, nacho recipes, rajmaa nachos, rajmaa recipe, recipe nachos, Vegan, vegetarian, vegetarian nachos Permalink

Peanut Butter Overnight Oats via The Lemon Bowl

Posted by roodonfood on September 23, 2013 in gluten free, Recipes, vegan

Oatmeal is now exciting!

I’ve seen so many recipes for overnight oats in the last two weeks that it makes me wonder if Quaker and Bob’s Red Mill have hired the mob to ensure daily posts. This luckily is a comfortable, nutritious bandwagon to leap on to and it makes breakfast a little easier too.

The version I made entails adding milk and oats (1:1) to an almost empty jar of peanut butter. I then added in cinnamon, nutmeg and honey to taste and refrigerated overnight. If you have fresh food on hand, it’s highly recommend. The result the next morning was a creamy batch of hydrated oats infused with all the aforementioned flavors. No cook time at all! From the Lemon Bowl here is a peanut butter overnight oats recipe. And here is a very impressive list of overnight oatmeal variations from KathEats.

Tags: bob's red mill, food, overnight oatmeal, overnight oats, overnight oats peanut butter, Vegan, vegetarian Permalink

6 Comments

Serbian Food from Cevabdzinica Sarajevo: Food Adventures in Astoria, Queens

Posted by roodonfood on September 20, 2013 in Food Adventures, New York City, queens

As documented in Food Adventures, I enjoy checking out foods originating from different countries. Some favorites over the years include Georgian, Slovakian and Jamaican. When a friend of central European descent inquired about Bosnian/Serbian food I jumped at the chance.

The majority in New York City are in Queens, specifically Astoria and Long Island City. Based on the descriptions on Yelp, we chose Cevabzinica Sarajevo. Located just off Northern Boulevard, we somehow did manage to get a little lost, though I suspect we’re not the first people to do so given the crazy streets in this borough.

The restaurant was located right on the corner. It’s setup as sit down fast food, that is to say, you order at the counter and they bring out the food to you. It’s a modest size establishment. Aside from a small group of gruff looking men, we were the only customers at the time. Despite comments about Serbian places in general being unfriendly, we found the server to be warm and very helpful in answering questions.

Per my friend Peter’s suggestion, we tried the signature food of Serbia, cevapi, a type of grilled sausage made of beef. The accompanying sauce was called ajyar (pronounced ayyar) a creamy, smoky relish made with grilled eggplant and sweet red peppers. The consistency is like a thinner babaganoush but with a lovely orange/reddish color. Also provided were onions and a fluffy bread called lepinja, not unlike naan. Everything tasted incredibly fresh. In an odd coincidence, there was just an ajvar recipe posted to Serious Eats (recipe is gluten free/vegan).

Cevapli Sausages with Ajvar

Lepinja – Fluffy bread that would make a great pillow.

We also tried the excellent stuffed cabbage which was served in a very thin tomato and chicken based broth. The meat inside had a nice bit of heat to it. Lastly, we checked out a meat and a spinach bureks. Unlike the bureks I’d tried in the past, these were moist but kept the integrity of the filo dough though I wouldn’t have minded some ketchup and sriracha for dipping at the time.

This was an excellent experience. It’s not friendly to vegetarians at all but if you’re non-vegetarian and looking for hearty fare, this is a great, great option.

Spinach Burek

Meat Burek

Tags: ajvar recipe, astoria restaurants, Cevabdzinica Sarajevo, Queens, serbian food, serbian food astoria, serious eats Permalink

2 Comments

Welcome to Chili’s: Please Look At the Screen

Posted by roodonfood on September 19, 2013 in Uncategorized

Chili’s plans to install tablet style computers at most of their locations. The casual dining chain says the devices, which allow guests to order and pay online, saw an up tick of overall sales than those without:

According to Krista Gibson, VP of Strategy “Pictures of desserts pop up on the screen midway through the main course, when people start to think about what they will eat next. Dessert sales increased almost 20% in tests….and coffee sales also rose when featured in a similar way. Chili’s is also considering promoting alcoholic beverages during meals…”

Guest are still greeted by a server upon arrival and the chains says they have no plans to cut labor. Roughly half of those with the machine opted to pay by swiping rather than wait for the check. Chili’s also claims that because the machines gives a suggested tip amount, low tippers are weeded out. Article Source

Since I don’t go out to eat at restaurants often, my knee jerk reaction is to dislike this trend. With my work, computer time is necessary. On a night out I’d much rather enjoy the company of the people I’m with. I do however appreciate the chance to pay the bill without having to wait for the bill. Have you seen this at restaurants you’ve visited? What was your reaction?