Berry Flan

From “A Primitive Diet” by Beverly Southam

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 cups hazelnuts ground finely
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Blend hazelnuts, honey and lemon juice and press into flan tin and refrigerate

Filling:

• 8 oz strawberries
• 8 oz raspberries
• A sprinkle of cinnamon or fresh ground allspice to taste.
• Sprig of mint

1. Reserve a few berries for decoration, then puree the remainder of the berries in the blender or food processor.
2. Add spice to taste
3. Spoon into flan, decorate with reserved berries and mint sprig, and refrigerate til required.

Stir-Fried Vegetables

By Christina Gentila,
NFCA Volunteer

Ingredients

Stir-Fried Vegetables: (Serves 4)

• 8 ounces extra firm tofu
• 8 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1/4 cup dashi (make sure it is Gluten-Free!)
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce (make sure it is Gluten-Free!)
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons rice bran oil
• 1 medium yellow onion; peeled, halved, and cut into thin crescents
• 2 medium carrots; trimmed, peeled, and diagonally cut into thin slices
• 1 medium Yukon gold potato (about 1/2 pound); diagonally halved, each half cut into 1/4-inch thick
• slices
• 1/2 pound string beans; trimmed and diagonally cut in half
• 1 yellow summer squash; trimmed and diagonally halved, each half diagonally thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper; cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips

1. Rinse the tofu under cold water. Drain and cut into small dice.
2. Place the shiitake mushrooms in a small bowl and add 2 cups of water. Let soak for 20 minutes. Remove 1/4 cup of the mushroom soaking water (or 1/2 cup if making a vegetarian version) and place in a small bowl. Blend in the dashi (omit if making the vegetarian version), 1 tablespoon of the soy, the sake, and the salt. Add several grinds of pepper to this seasoning mixture.
3. Drain the mushrooms; squeeze gently to remove excess water. Cut off the stems. Cut each cap into thin slices.
4. Heat the oil in a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Add the onion and shiitake caps and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the carrots and potato slices and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Stir in half of the seasoning mixture and cook for 4 minutes.
5. Add string beans, yellow summer squash, and remaining seasoning mixture. Continue stir-frying the vegetables for 6 more minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and most (if not all) of the seasoning liquid has evaporated. Add the tofu, red pepper, and the remaining tablespoon of soy. Toss to mix, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl.

Cauliflower Steak

By Edgar Steele,
NFCA Chef Spokesman

Ingredients

Cauliflower Steak

• 1 Head Cauliflower
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt
• 2 Tbsp. Diced Shallots
• 1 Clove Garlic, Sliced
• 1 Medium Sized Onion, Sliced
• Water
• Sea Salt

1. Peel the outer green leaves from the cauliflower and discard. Cut out the core of the cauliflower and discard. Cut a 3/4 inch slice from the center of the cauliflower, from stem end to tip. Using a paring knife, score some small slices into the stem part of the cauliflower slice, going about half way into the stem.
2. Trim the tips from the remaining cauliflower florets, and chop into similar-sized “pebbles”.
3. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil over low heat in a small saucepot, and add the onions and a little salt. Add enough water to barely cover the onions, and cook them until they are golden in color, about 45 minutes. Remove the onions from the oil and puree them in a blender. Adjust the flavor of the puree with salt.
4. Coat the large slice of cauliflower with oil and sprinkle with salt, then place on a hot grill. Evenly cook the cauliflower on the grill to achieve marks, and then remove the steak onto an oven-safe metal plate. Place the cauliflower into an oven set at 350° F.
5. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan and add the shallots and garlic. Cook the shallots and garlic until they are golden in color, and season them with salt. Add the cauliflower pebbles and briefly sauté them until they are soft.
6. Place a small amount of the sautéed cauliflower pebbles on the base of a plate, and drizzle some of the onion puree over the plate. Remove the cauliflower steak form the oven once soft, and place it on top of the sautéed mix. Sprinkle some sea salt over the steak, and drizzled some olive oil over the plate.

Ingredients:

• Fresh cherries
• Strawberry slices or whole
• Apple slices
• Kiwi, cut in half or star shaped halves
• Honeydew, sliced into spears or cubes
• Green grapes
• Dark seedless grapes
• Small plums, sliced

Directions:

1. If you have a three-tiered tray, top each level with a doily. Cut a hole in the middle if it is the correct size or cut a few pieces to fit each level accordingly.

2. Place your fruit in “clumps” of their own category. Arrange the fruit so no two colors are close to each other – it adds contrast and excitement to the arrangement.

3. If you do not have a three-tiered tray, then various platters of shapes and sizes on a table will also look beautiful. You can even add cheeses if you are indoors or have air-conditioning available.

4. Occasionally refresh your platter (and even the doilies) to add new fruit as people munch away.

Stay cool and enjoy your summer!

My friend Rebecca Subbiah RD, LDN, CPT shared this incredible recipe with me. The recipe is adapted from Dr. Ben Kim with slight alterations.

– Miranda Jade

Makes 10-12 pancakes.

Ingredients:

Pancakes

• 1 cups yellow mung bean
• ½ cup jasmine rice
• 1 zucchini (about 12 oz)
• 1 tsp. unrefined sea salt
• ½ red bell pepper
• 3 green onions
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• ½ onion
• ½ – 2 cups filtered water
• ½ tsp. unrefined sea salt
• Virgin coconut oil (to cook)

To serve

• ¼ cup gluten-free soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
• Chili oil, to taste

Directions:

1. Soak the mung beans and the rice in water overnight with 1 Tbsp. of whey, yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, lemon juice or vinegar.

2. Cut the zucchini in matchsticks and place in a large bowl with the salt. Toss the zucchini, then set aside and let it sit for one hour to draw out the moisture. Then, seed and dice the red bell pepper and chop the green onion. Peel and cut the onions into medium dice.

3. To blend the mung bean mixture, drain the mung bean and the rice and place in a blender along with the diced onions. Add 1 cup of water and blend. Then slowly add about ¼-½ cup of water while the mixture is blending. Then check the consistency. It should have the consistency of a pancake batter. Add the salt and blend again. Transfer to a large bowl.

4. To prepare the pancakes, squeeze out the liquid from the zucchini and add these to the pancake batter. Fold in diced red bell pepper, chopped green onion and mung beans sprouts until combined.

5. To cook the pancakes, heat a large stainless steel or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Swirl the pan to coat the whole surface with the oil. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan, about 4-5 inches in diameter or even smaller. Lower the heat slightly. Cook until you see bubbles on the top of the surface. With an offset spatula, flip the pancakes and cook for another couple of minutes. Transfer to a plate. Do the same with the rest of the batter, adding coconut oil for every batch.

6. To serve the pancakes, combine the gluten-free soy sauce, vinegar and chili oil. Serve with the pancakes immediately. They are best when hot.

7. Leftover pancakes can be kept in an airtight container and reheated in the oven until hot.

Contributed by Rebecca Subbiah RD, SRD, of ChowandChatter.com.

Ingredients:

• 4 ½ cup cauliflower
• ¾ cup cashews, soaked in water for 4 hrs. (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 medium garlic clove

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together. If you’re using a Vitamix blender, blend fast and long enough to heat up.