Archives

Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes, Side Dishes

Creamy Chive Potatoes

March 8, 2015

Creamy Chive Potatoes This simple and delicious potato side dish is a dream come true.  Everything except the chives goes into a pot and simmers, for a short time until the half & half reduces and becomes a luscious coating for the creamy Yukon Gold potatoes. Luckily for me, being lactose intolerant, Organic Valley makes a lactose free half & half which is carried by Mana Foods in Paia.

Lactose Free Half & Half

Yukon Gold PotatoesIt seems I’m never able to catch up with all the food magazines that I subscribe to.  There are stacks of them all over the living room and they get higher and higher as the months go by.  So every now and then I’ll plop down in my comfy chair and spend an hour or two looking through these food magazines wondering what I might have missed.  This recipe is a good example. It comes from Bon Appetit’s May 2013 issue that was delivered to my home nearly 2 years ago.

Yukons, Half & Half, Buttery SticksWhat I love about this recipe is that it has just four ingredients, it’s ready in 30 minutes, and, most importantly, it’s delicious!

Chopped ChivesThese potatoes make a great side dish for steaks, roasted or grilled chicken, pork tenderloin or pork chops.  They are so good I even have the leftovers with eggs for breakfast.

Creamy Chive Potatoes

Creamy Chive Potatoes

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2″ cubes

1 1/2 cups half & half (I used lactose free Organic Valley half & half)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

kosher salt

1/4 cup finely chopped chives

Preparation

Combine potatoes, half & half, and butter in a large saucepan; season with salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender (the tip of a paring knife meets no resistance) and sauce is thick, about 20 minutes.

Season with salt; stir in most of the chives.  Top with remaining chives before serving.

 

 

 

 

Cookies, Dessert, Lactose Free, Recipes

Crispy Oatmeal Corn Flake Cookies

February 28, 2015

Crispy Oatmeal Corn Flake CookiesBack in the 70’s I had a recipe for corn flake cookies. They were light, crispy, and so delicious.  I don’t have the recipe anymore, but I haven’t forgotten about how good they were.  I’m always looking out for cookies that include corn flakes because I know they will have the nice crunchy texture I love.  I was skimming through a local magazine (I don’t recall the name of the magazine) that had a recipe for Grandma’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.  Corn flakes were listed as an ingredient so I quickly jotted down the recipe.  I thought it was interesting that lard was listed as an ingredient as well.  I don’t cook with lard and used Earth Balance Buttery sticks instead.  You could try the original recipe that uses half lard and half butter, or use butter only.

Oatmeal, Corn Flakes, Raisins, PeanutsThe original recipe left out the amount of salt to use and didn’t specify how long to bake the cookies.  No matter, the cookies turned out so well.  Though they are considered oatmeal cookies, the corn flakes are present and add such a nice crunch along with peanuts.  They are my new favorite cookie.

Crispy Oatmeal Corn Flake Cookies

Crispy Oatmeal Corn Flake Cookies

Updated 11/08/15

Adapted from the original recipe: Grandma’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Makes about 40 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or 1 cup unsalted butter), room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1 teaspoon kosher salt if using unsalted butter)

1 cup corn flakes

2 cups oatmeal (regular, not quick cooking)

1 cup peanut halves (unsalted, do not chop)

1 cup raisins

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°

Cream butter and sugars together.  Add eggs and stir to combine well. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt.  Fold in corn flakes, oatmeal, peanuts and raisins into the batter.

Drop rounded mounds of dough (about 1 heaping tablespoon, or more for larger cookies) on un-greased non-stick cookie sheets flattening the dough slightly before baking.

Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating pan once during baking period, until cookies are golden brown.

Let cookies cool on the pan for several minutes after baking before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.  Serve right away or freeze in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper.

 

 

Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes, Side Dishes, Soups

Hearty Tomato Herb Soup

February 19, 2015

Hearty Tomato Herb SoupI enjoy soup but it is not something I would typically order in a restaurant. More often than not, they contain dairy and being lactose intolerant, I have to pass.  So when I’m in the mood for soup I make my own at home, and lately, I’ve been in a soup mood. Maybe it’s due to the weather here on Maui.  It has been pleasantly cool and we’ve had more rain than we have seen in years.  We can go months and months without a drop!  So a bowl of hearty soup in February seems just right for lunch.

Onion, Carrot, Celery This soup is full of vegetables and fresh herbs.  There’s a tad of butter for sautéing  the vegetables, but other than that, it’s fat-free.

Tomatoes for Herb SoupLuckily, we have some nice tomatoes in the garden now.  Tomatoes are not the easiest fruit to grow.  They need a lot of attention (in our area), but with patience, you will be rewarded with the most delicious, juicy tomatoes ever.  If you don’t have fresh tomatoes for this soup, there are many good canned tomatoes you may use instead.

Oregano, Thyme, Parsley, BasilI appreciate our beautiful basil, Italian parsley, thyme, and oregano growing happily in the back yard. They add a wonderful fresh flavor to this soup.  By the way, this soup can be quickly prepared in an hour or so.

Cooked Green Beans

Hearty Tomato Herb Soup

Hearty Tomato Herb Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil (I use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced zucchini

2 cups peeled, seeded, diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 bay leaf

3 cans chicken broth (14 ounce)

3 cups water

1 cup cooked, chopped green beans

1 cup cooked rice (brown or white)

salt and pepper

grated parmesan, optional

Preparation

In a large saucepan sauté onion, carrot,  and celery in butter over medium heat for 5 – 7 minutes. Add zucchini and sauté another 4 minutes or so.  Add tomatoes, herbs, bay leaf, broth, and water to saucepan.  Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Add cooked green beans and rice to pan. Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle grated parmesan over soup if desired.

 

Lactose Free, Recipes, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

Golden Soup

February 9, 2015

Golden Soup Bonnie Mandoe, a former Maui resident, published her cookbook Vegetarian Nights: Fresh From Hawaii in 1994.  It is still one of my favorites.  Her recipes are very simple to make, and full of rich flavors.  I recall ordering a veggie burger many, many, years ago at Maui Coffee Roasters, which still exists today.  The burger was topped with green chile pesto, a recipe found in her cookbook.  It made that burger so special.  One of Bonnie’s dishes that I have made many times is her delicious Golden Soup.  Golden from turmeric and nutritional yeast, it’s a breeze to make.  You can find nutritional yeast in the bulk section of your favorite health food store.  I love it. I always have some in my pantry and use it to make mock chicken tofu as well.

Red LentilsRed lentils are usually orange in color.  They don’t hold their shape well, and are best suited to thicken soups, as is the case with this recipe.  So don’t be disappointed when this happens, it’s part of the plan.

Carrots, Potatoes, Celery & Bay LeafLots of tasty vegetables go into the soup, beautiful orange carrots, celery and creamy potatoes. I’ve made this soup Bonnie’s way, using vegetable bouillon cubes however this time I used chicken broth because I didn’t have the bouillon cubes in the pantry.  So that means it isn’t a vegetarian soup, but you can easily make it the original way for a vegan meal.  Also feel free to add cup of diced zucchini once the potatoes have cooked through a bit.  Simmer for another 5 minutes or until the potatoes are just perfectly cooked.  Add the parsley and nutritional yeast.

Golden Soup for Lunch

Golden Soup

Adapted from Vegetarian Nights cookbook

6 Servings

Ingredients

3 cups water if using chicken broth

2 cans (14 oz.) chicken broth or 2 vegetable bouillon cubes combined with 6 1/2 cups water

1 cup diced onion

1 garlic clove, pressed

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 bay leaf

1 cup red lentils

1 cup diced celery

1 1/2 cups diced carrot

1 cup diced potato (I like to use Yukon Golds)

2 tablespoons minced parsley

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

salt and pepper

Preparation

Bring water and chicken broth or water and bouillon cubes to a boil.  Turn  the heat down to a simmer and add the onion, garlic, turmeric and bay leaf to the pot.  Continue to simmer for 10 minutes.

Wash the lentils thoroughly in several changes of water until they stop foaming.  Drain and add to the soup, along with the celery, carrots, and potatoes.  Simmer another 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender.  The cooking time will depend upon how large or small you cube your potatoes.  I go for a fairly small cubes for this particular recipe.

Add the parsley and whisk in the nutritional yeast.  Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

 

 

Appetizers, Chicken, Dinner, Fish, Lactose Free, Recipes, Sauces, Vegan, Vegetarian

Avocado-Lime Sauce Vierge

January 31, 2015

Avocado, Basil, Cilantro, Jalapeno, Shallot, Garlic & LimeThis fantastic recipe from Bon Appetit is a winner.  Sauce Vierge is a French sauce literally meaning virgin sauce because it is not cooked.  There are so many variations, often using tomatoes as the base of the sauce.  The main ingredients found in most of the recipes are olive oil, fresh herbs and lemon juice.  This recipe includes luscious avocado, the juice and pulp of a lime, and jalapeño pepper.  Brilliant!

Avocado-Lime Sauce Vierge IngredientsThe original recipe calls for 1/2 cup olive oil and a half of an avocado.  I switched it around a bit and used a whole avocado and 1/4 cup of olive oil.  I don’t care for sauces or dressings that are heavy on the oil so this worked out perfectly.

Avocado-Lime Sauce ViergeThe article suggests serving this sauce with grilled fish, roast chicken, or huevos rancheros.  We served it with a roast chicken and dipped tortilla chips in the leftover sauce the following day.  It was so good, I made more right away.

Avocado-Lime Sauce Vierge with Roasted Chicken

Avocado – Lime Sauce Vierge

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1 medium avocado, pitted, diced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small jalapeño, seeded, finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot

1 – 2 limes, halved (our limes from the garden are large and juicy so I used just 1 lime, taste as you go)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Dice avocado and place in a medium bowl.  Coarsely crush some of the avocado.  Stir in olive oil, jalapeño, garlic, and shallot.  Squeeze limes into avocado mixture.  Using a spoon, scrape pulp out of limes into mixture.  Stir to combine.  Do Ahead: Sauce can be made a few days in advance.  Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface of sauce.  Cover and refrigerate.  Bring sauce to room temperature before continuing.

Stir basil and cilantro into sauce just before serving.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with extra olive oil if desired.

 

Chicken, Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes

Grilled Lemony Chicken with Fresh Herbs

January 23, 2015

Grilled Lemony Chicken with Fresh HerbsOur lemon tree is full of fruit and we have more than we can use.  Such is the case with our lilikoi vines as well.  It’s a bit overwhelming at times, wondering just what to do with all the fruit that’s piled high in baskets on the dining room table.  Much of it we give away.  I’ve always wanted to make preserved lemons so that might be my next project.  This time,  I made a quick lemony marinade for chicken breasts that would be grilled on the charcoal grill with a couple of wood chunks thrown on the coals for a touch of smoke.

Fresh Herbs & LemonsThough the few lemons I did use in the recipe didn’t make a dent on what’s left on the tree, the chicken turned out better than any version of grilled herb chicken we have made before.  It’s a keeper.  Any leftovers are delicious in a sandwich or served on a Caesar salad.

Rosemary, Marjoram, Basil, Parsley, ThymeI used fresh thyme, parsley, basil, marjoram and rosemary from the garden.  You aren’t required to use all of these if you make this recipe though I do feel the thyme, basil and rosemary are essential.  And maybe the parsley too.

Pounded Chicken Breast on Right I always pound the chicken breasts so that they are an even thickness.  Doing this ensures they cook evenly and stay moist and tender.

Herb Chicken MarinatingInstead of mixing the herbs into the olive oil-lemon juice marinade, I sprinkle them evenly over both sides of the chicken.  The herbs don’t get lost in the marinade and there’s plenty of fresh herb flavor on each piece.

Grilled Lemony Chicken with Fresh Herbs

Grilled Lemony Chicken Breasts with Fresh Herbs

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts –  lightly pounded to a uniform thickness

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

3 garlic cloves, crushed

dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

1 tablespoon chopped basil

2 teaspoons chopped thyme

2 teaspoons chopped rosemary

1 teaspoons chopped marjoram (optional)

Preparation

Season both sides of chicken breasts generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, chili flakes if using, and garlic.

Place marinade in a dish just large enough to hold chicken breasts in one layer.  Place chicken in marinade, turn to coat the other side.  Divide the herbs in half and sprinkle over both sides of chicken.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 1/2 hours or up to 2 hours, turning the chicken half way through.

Remove chicken from marinade and transfer to a plate.  Grill chicken for a few minutes on each side.  It is done when an instant read thermometer reaches 160°.

 

 

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: