Mediterranean Sorghum Salad with fresh Oregano, Mint and Chives
Mediterranean Sorghum Salad with Mint and Chives
This was a big hit in the Great Meals with Great Grains workshop at Esalen Institute March 2012. Fresh oregano, chives and mint make a tasty dressing for this marinated grain salad. Serve on a bed of lettuce, topped with goat or sheep feta for an beautiful lunch treat!
Gluten-free sorghum, also known as Milo, is a small round grain, with a texture of pearled barley. Sorghum is good source of iron, potassium and fiber. A half cup serving has 11.3 grains of protein, higher than corn and almost as high as wheat. Sorghum is not a complete protein, but served here with feta completes the protein. Serving a grain with a bean also completes its protein profile.
2/3 cup sorghum grain soaked at least 6 hours, rinsed and drained
2 cups water
Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt
1 cup sliced radishes
2/3 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives, tightly packed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint, tightly packed
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
6 cups lettuce
2 cups crumbled goat feta loosely packed
Optional: 2 Nasturtium flowers
1. Bring the water and sea salt to boil in a medium saucepan, then add sorghum.
2. Simmer for about an hour or until water is absorbed and sorghum is somewhat soft, similar to cooked rice.
3. Cool sorghum to room temperature, fluffing with a fork occasionally.
4. In a large bowl, combine sorghum with all the remaining ingredients, EXCEPT the lettuce, feta and nasturtium flowers. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
5. Place lettuce on a platter or serving bowl. Add the sorghum salad. Decorate with crumbled feta and nasturtium flowers.
If you’re adhering to a gluten-free diet because you have celiac disease or other health conditions that benefit from avoiding gluten, this is one cookbook you’ll want on your cookbook shelf. But be sure to take a look at it if you’re interested in exploring a variety of whole grains, too — regardless of what else you eat!
Leslie tells us all we need to know about this dietary choice, even if we’re new to the topic. She explains what gluten is, she looks at the health issues that prompt people to adopt a gluten-free diet, and she introduces us to ancient and exotic gluten-free grains: amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, sorghum, teff, and wild rice. A chapter is devoted to basic grain cookery, including everything from cookware to modifications to change texture or enhance flavor (such as including seasonings and toasting grains before adding the cooking liquid).
The Bountiful Breakfast chapter includes directions for making nut and seed milks, smoothies and shakes, granola (Vanilla Hazelnut Granola, no less!), porridges, muffins, scrambled tofu, pancakes, and waffles. There’s even a breakfast soup!
You’ll find a handful of savory stews in the chapter on Main course sensations, along with loaves, pasta dishes, a quinoa casserole, and much more. You’ve come to the right book to dispel any lingering doubts about gluten-free recipes being boring. In this chapter alone you’ll find Shiitake and Kale Lasagna with Marinated Dried Tomatoes and Chevre as well as Red Lentil and Teff Loaf with Red Wine and Porcini Sauce.
There’s a chapter devoted to Sushi, and another on Savory Sauces and Tempting Toppings. For readers who want to experiment a bit without committing to an entire gluten-free meal, the Super Sides chapter is a great place to start. How about a Lemony Quinoa Salad with Toasted Sunflower Seeds or Spiced Yams with Pecans? Sweet indulgences include an array of cookies, puddings, pies, crisps, and bars. (I’ve put Mocha Coconut Rice Pudding and Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies on my dessert menus for next week!)
This unassuming paperback includes over 100 intriguing recipes, with straightforward directions that put most of them in the easy-to-prepare category. A glossary of ingredients and a section of resources are helpful, too.
Leslie encourages the reader to cook “like an artist designing a meal, composing with gluten-free whole grains, flours, and pastas complemented by a rainbow of local, seasonal fruits and vegetables.” To get you started right away, we’re happy to be able to include on our recipe site three recipes from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook for you to try. (You’ll also find some recipes from a couple of Leslie’s other cookbooks.) Let us know what you think!
These dark cacao truffles are delicious, quick, and easy to make.
1 cup grated raw cacao butter
1 cup raw cacao powder
6 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Optional: ¼teaspoon -1 teaspoon maca powder
Pinch of sea salt
¼ cup goji berries or a combination of goji berries, hemp seeds, cacao nibs, chopped hazelnuts or shredded coconut.
Blend the cacao, cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla, maca, if using and salt in food processor.
Taste and adjust the seasonings, if desired.
Shape into walnut sized balls.
Put the goji berries, and/or hemp seeds, ground hazelnuts, cacao nibs, or shredded coconut on a large flat plate and roll balls in them.
Eat immediately or store in a jar on the counter.
Makes 12-15 walnut size balls
Optional: for a creamier truffle add ¼ cup extra virgin coconut oil.
I love eating Navitas Naturals Organic and Fair Traded Products: Cacao Butter, Cacao Paste, Cacao Powder, Maca, Cashews, Goji Berries, Hemp Seeds, Mulberries, and much more.
Especially good news for all those wanting to make Leslie Cerier, The Organic Gourmet’s dark chocolate truffles, which are vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.
Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier
After months of migraines, my hands and feet going numb, stomach in knots and extreme dizziness and fatigue I found out I had gluten intolerance. And going gluten-free after 25 years of eating “normally” was and still is one of the hardest things I have ever done. I have been gluten-free for about four months now, and I am still finding it tough. Especially at get-togethers, I see the spread of food and can’t eat a single thing there. It is such a difficult thing to get used to and at first it seems like you might just starve to death. It gets even harder when you are strapped for time and cash AND being vegetarian or vegan. After months of research it hasn’t gotten much easier. If this sounds like what you’re going through, or if you just want to eat better, I would pick up Leslie Cerier’s Gluten-free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal Vegetarian Cookbook. I am so thankful I was given this book and I use it as a guide everyday. All the information is laid out in a way that is easy to use and understand and the recipes and tips make the possibilities of gluten-free eating endless. Even if you don’t have gluten intolerance or Celiac’s, a gluten-free diet is much better for you…for everybody!Gluten is a protein present in wheat, barley and rye. It’s difficult to digest and doesn’t benefit us much. Manufacturers pump foods with it to give them longer shelf life and to taste better. The forward by Kathie Madonna Swift is a great briefing on the affects of gluten and the positive changes that come from going gluten-free. She says how changing to a GF diet can “prevent and cure many chronic health conditions” (IBS, migraines, chronic fatigue, neurological problems, diabetes, thyroid, obesity) and it can improve “autoimmune, inflammatory, gastrointestinal, dermatological and some neurological conditions.” It not only affects us, but it impacts the Earth. Wheat and other gluten grains are grown with harmful chemicals, while gluten-free grains can be grown without these methods. As Cerier says, “more nutrition from the same amount of land” because GF grains “offer superior nutrition and higher quality protein.”
Leslie Cerier treats GF cooking as an art form and a sport because you can transform the colors, shapes and textures of these grains and foods as you like, making them taste and look great! The first chapter is dedicated to introducing the GF grains: amaranth, buckwheat, corn millet, oats, quinoa, rice, sorghum, teff and wild rice. Cerier provides descriptions of each, as well as other useful ingredients like coconut flour and nut and seed meals. The second chapter gives instructions and suggestions on cooking GF grains and includes charts on liquid to grain ratios, which is one of my favorite things about this book (along with the glossary of ingredients and resources in the back of the book!). After this all the chapters are loaded with amazing recipes: breakfasts, main courses, sushi, sides, sauces and toppings and desserts. I won’t stop till I make and try them all. It is my dream guide to gluten-free cooking and as soon as you pick it up I guarantee it will be yours too!
Leslie Cerier (a.k.a “The Organic Gourmet”) is also the author of The Quick and Easy Organic Gourmetand Going Wild in the Kitchen. To learn more about Leslie, her classes, organic catering and consultations visit her website. Make sure to check out the many recipes on VegKitchen provided by Leslie.
Ground almonds replace the flour and add sweetness to the topping for this fabulous fruit crisp. From Going Wild in the Kitchen.
Serves: 4 to 6
Topping:
3/4 cup almonds
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup plain or black walnuts, halved
1/4 cup whole cashews
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
Filling:
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1 1/2 cups sliced pears
1 cup peeled, sliced apples
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup organic canola oil or melted extra coconut oil, or other healthy vegetable oil
1 cup peach juice or other fruit juice
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
To make the topping, place the almonds in a food processor and grind to a meal. Transfer to a large mixing bowl along with the oats, walnuts, cashews, and salt, and mix well. Add the maple syrup and oil, and stir until well blended.
Arrange the raspberries, pears, apples, and blueberries in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Cover with the topping, pour the juice on top, and bake 30 minutes, or until the fruit is hot and bubbly and the topping is crisp. Serve warm, spooned into bowls.
“Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier”
Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, A Seasonal Vegetarian Cookbook by Leslie Cerier
Yes, as I expected, “Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook” is a contribution to the cook’s reference library for those who are gluten sensitive or have a family member who cannot eat wheat. And, yes, it’s also a terrific introduction to the many other grains available to those who are interested shaking up their habitual dependence upon wheat flour.
But first and foremost, it’s a fine cookbook. I found it full of great recipes for tasty meals that make the body feel good. Leslie Cerier, the author, is a teacher, too, and that means that she explains things so that we’ll not only learn but learn to appreciate. (Be sure to see the section on cooking with color!)
I like eating, I confess, so a cookbook is not a hard sell. That said, I’m fussy about my cookbooks. The print has to be easy to read. (It is.) The pages have to lie flat easily. (They don’t. I put a piece of glass over the book-which is probably a good idea if you don’t want your copy to look like all of my cookbooks, as if illustrated by an abstract water-colorist whose favorite color is coffee-stain brown.) The book has to be organized well. (It is, with sections on breakfast – my favorite meal- desserts, soups, salads and entrees.) I also like a cookbook that is international without being impossible (shopping for ingredients should not be a scavenger hunt). Leslie’s book meets that criteria nicely.
“What about the recipes?” you ask. I thought you’d never.
Banana Pancakes with Cinnamon made with teff flour from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier
I started by making the Banana Pancakes with Cinnamon; they were OK but seemed oddly chewy. That’s something that I should have expected – different grains have a different “tooth” and feel different in the mouth. After two bites, I was used to it. Please pass the syrup.
I made a batch of the Garlic Peanut Soup; of the four who tried it, three loved it and one person didn’t; unfortunately, that was me. I love peanut and I love garlic, but I didn’t care for the combo. That said, there wasn’t any left in the pot by the other three.
Granny Smith Apple Pie. Yowza, That’s very good. It kind of desert it makes you want to cook another right away. And eat another one right away. Also inviting are Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, Topless Blueberry Pie, and I remember something about hazelnut and cookies that I’ll be trying.
The book has many sauce recipes, as well. Moroccan Tahini Sauce looks perfect as a topping for wraps with a variety of ingredients. Then there is my personal favorite, Thai Peanut Sauce.
Entrees run the course from Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Casserole to Coconut Curried Lentil and Millet Stew. Add a side of Spiced Yams with Pecans.
Leslie Cerier, who specializes in whole foods and organic cuisine has more than 20 years experience. She is a national authority on gluten-free cooking and baking; teaches vegetarian cooking nationwide, and is the author of 5 cookbooks: “Going Wild in the Kitchen”, ”The Quick and Easy Organic Gourmet.” Leslie Cerier is a chef, educator, environmentalists, photo photographer, and recipe developer. www.lesliecerier.com
Now that the weather here in New England is cooling off, lots of folks are starting to cook and bake. Good news, there are lots of fun, easy and quick recipes in Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook http://lesliecerier.com/cookbooks-gluten-free.html and many reviewers and foodies are loving this cookbook.
Here are some recent links which also offer recipes complete with photos of my latest cookbook.
The Savvy Vegetarian loved the “Millet and Carrots”served with the “Mushroom Sauce” from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook. She says that Leslie Cerier’s gem of a cookbook is a collection of easy, quick and simple gluten free recipes. But she has packed a whole lot more than gluten free cooking into 223 pages.” Here is the link to read the full review:http://savvyvegetarian.com/articles/gluten-free-recipes-review.php
Then “Flora’s Kitchen, An Adventure in Gluten-Free Eating”, also blogged about my cookbook on Oct 10th. She said that “Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook by Leslie Cerier is just the book for me. It is a seasonal, gluten-free, vegetarian cookbook full of healthy, easy, family-friendly recipes. You might be asking yourself why I would ever cook out of a vegetarian cookbook, after all if you have read my blog you know we eat meat at our house. Honestly, we eat way too much meat, and getting more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in our diets is really critical….” Here is the link to read the complete review:
Veggielady4life also reviewed my cookbook and she said, “ I have to say this book is an excellent resource for both gluten-free as well as non-gluten-free cooks. It has a wonderful introductory section that discusses many of the most common gluten-free grains, many of which you probably use every day (without even realizing they are gluten-free!). Corn, millet, oats, quinoa, and rice are just a few examples. She discusses the origin of these grains, cooking methods, and recipe ideas for each one. I found this section extremely interesting, and I learned a good bit about each grain….” Here is the link to read the whole review along with photograph and recipe of the ”Tomato Lentil Stew with Kale” from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: http://veggielady4life.com/2010/10/08/tomato-lentil-stew-with-kale/
Well, all this talk about cooking and eating is making me hungry… so I am going to cook. Hope you have a great time feasting on your local harvest, too!
For more great recipes, and for upcoming cooking classes, please go to my website:
Brown Rice Spirals in Tomato Sauce with Cauliflower, Olives, and Capers
Dulse is an unusual addition to a red sauce, but it’s tasty and also helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Substitute 1 teaspoon of sea salt for the dulse if you like, or if you don’t have any dulse on hand. For a divine meal, top this dish with grated Manchego or your favorite cheese. Of course, you can serve this sauce with any type of pasta you like, but I think it pairs well with spirals—especially the brown rice spirals made by Tinkyada. Or think outside the box and try the sauce over kasha or other cooked grains.
Serves about 8
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
7 cloves garlic, pressed, or more to taste
6 cups sliced plum tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup dulse
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup pitted whole black olives
1/4 cup capers, rinsed
1 pound brown rice spirals
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, onion, and dulse and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot and bubbling. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower, olives, and capers and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender to your liking.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a generous amount of boiling water until just tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings if you like, then pour it over the pasta and stir gently. Serve immediately.
Madagascar Pink Rice with Cashews and Scallions, a quick and delicious recipe from my cookbook, Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, is featured in an article about the ecological benefits for growing rice with less water, which is posted at the end of this blog post. I hope you will enjoy reading it.
Madagascar Pink Rice with Cashews and Scallions
Here’s a great side dish scented with cumin and ginger. Serve with a bean salad for a great summer meal.
Heat the ghee and cumin seeds in a 4 quart stock pot over medium heat. Fry for 1-2 minutes until they smell fragrant. Add and sauté the rice and cashews for two minutes to coat and flavor the rice and cashews.
Turn off the heat and add boiling water, grated ginger and sea salt. Resume heat. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed.
Oats, amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa are complete proteins, and gluten-free. You can make a delicious, quick morning porridge with rolled oats, amaranth, dates and mulberries… delish! Add a dollap of coconut butter and sheep yogurt to bring it to the next level of bliss.
Interest in gluten-free eating has been steadily growing. While some suffer from Celiac disease, other gluten-free eaters choose to refrain from eating gluten simply because doing so makes them feel healthier and more vibrant. GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES FOR THE CONSCIOUS COOK is designed for anyone interested in enjoying delicious, well-prepared, and healthful vegetarian meals — not just for those who don’t eat gluten or meat. Even recipes like Banana Pancakes with Cinnamon and Hazelnut Brownies with Chocolate Chips focus on whole grains and proteins, featuring beans, soy products, pasture-fed dairy, nuts and seeds. Throughout the cookbook, Leslie Cerier emphasizes the importance of using organic and seasonal ingredients in cooking, encourages the reader to adapt recipes containing gluten for the gluten-free diet, and offers tips for the reader to develop new gluten-free creations of their own.
About the Author Leslie Cerier is a gourmet caterer specializing in whole foods and organic cuisine. Her robust New England based business includes custom culinary work for private clients as well as private and group cooking instruction and coaching. Leslie Cerier is a pioneer and national authority on wheat-free baking, the entire spectrum of whole grains, and cooking with wild foods. Her specialty in grains has led to her being much sought after by health professionals and private clients to help them translate challenging dietary allergy issues into culinary success and meal satisfaction. Her previous books include Going Wild in the Kitchen (Square One Publishers, 2005), The Quick and Easy Organic Gourmet (Barrytown Ltd, 1996), co-author of Sea Vegetable Celebration (The Book Publishing Company, 2001) and editor of Taste Life! Organic Recipes (Square One Publishers, 2002). Find out more about Leslie Cerier on her website www.lesliecerier.com.
by Leslie Cerier is just the book for me. It is a seasonal, gluten-free, vegetarian cookbook full of healthy, easy, family-friendly recipes. You might be asking yourself why I would ever cook out of a vegetarian cookbook, after all if you have read my blog you know we eat meat at our house. Honestly, we eat way too much meat, and getting more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in our diets is really critical….” Here is the link to read the complete review: