Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook (12 page)

serves 6 to 8

1 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight

1 tablespoon kelp flakes, or 1 (3-inch) piece of kelp

4 cups water

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or 1 cinnamon stick

1 cayenne pepper, seeded and minced, or 1 teaspoon dried chile flakes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil

1½ cups chopped red onions

3 cups peeled, grated sweet potatoes

4 cups quartered tomatillos

3½ cups diced tomatoes

4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

1½ cups tightly packed chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

1½ teaspoons sea salt

Grated Cheddar cheese (optional), for garnish

Drain and rinse the beans, then put them in a large soup pot with the kelp, water, cinnamon, and cayenne. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer.

Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sweet potatoes and sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the sweet potatoes soften and take on a brighter orange color. Add the sauté to the soup pot and continue to simmer for about 45 minutes, until the beans are soft.

Stir in the tomatillos and tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the tomatillos almost melt into the stew. Stir in the corn, cilantro, garlic, cumin, and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired. Serve topped with the cheese if you like.

This sweet golden stew is very satisfying and warming, making it the perfect choice for a chilly night. Ginger and cilantro enhance the Indian accent and also boost the immune system and energize digestion. Mineral-rich dulse provides similar benefits, and if you’re leery of sea vegetables, no worries; it dissolves into the soup so you won’t even notice it in every loving spoonful. For an amazing winter meal, serve the stew with
Spiced Yams with Pecans
and end the meal with
Honey Hazelnut Treats
or
Maple Sugar Cookies
.

serves about 6

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

1 cup millet, rinsed

4 cups cubed delicata squash

2 tablespoons curry powder

2 tablespoons dulse

2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk

3½ cups water

1 cup chopped cilantro

1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon sea salt

Combine the lentils, millet, squash, curry powder, and dulse in a soup pot. Add the coconut milk. Pour some of the water into the coconut milk cans and swish them around, then pour into the pot; if needed, repeat with more of the water so you get every last drop of the coconut milk’s goodness into the pan. Stir everything together, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils practically dissolve and the millet is tender.

Stir in the cilantro, ginger, and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired.

Coconut Curry Lentil Teff Loaf:
Pour the cooked stew into a 9 by 13-inch baking pan or 2 standard loaf pans and let it set for about 30 minutes for it to set up, then slice and serve.

Variations

Use an assortment of vegetables for a total of 4 cups, such as onions, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers.

You can make this stew in a pressure cooker. Combine the lentils, millet, squash, coconut milk, curry powder, dulse, coconut milk, and water in a 6-quart pressure cooker and stir them together. Lock the lid and bring the cooker up to pressure over high heat. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to come down naturally, which will take about 10 minutes; if you’re in a hurry, put the pressure cooker in the sink and run cold water over it. Stir in the cilantro, ginger, and salt.

This dish boasts sharp and sweet tomatillos, pungent garlic, and spicy chiles, making it comforting and stimulating in every bite. Served with
Amaranth and Corn Flatbread
, it makes a perfect meal for a cold winter’s night. Chiles can vary tremendously in heat and flavor qualities, and dried chiles extend the range of flavor and textural qualities. For an extremely spicy soup, use a Scotch bonnet, Thai, habanero, or cayenne pepper; for moderately hot, use a serrano; and for mildly hot, use an anaheim, ancho, jalapeño, or poblano and remove the seeds from the chiles.

serves 6 to 8

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

8 cups water

4 cups diced potatoes, in 2-inch cubes

3 cups diced yams, in ½-inch cubes

1 chile pepper, dried or fresh, seeded and chopped

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 cups diced tomatillos

½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

8 small cloves garlic, pressed

Toast the cumin seeds in a large soup pot over medium heat, stirring often, for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the oil, onion, and quinoa and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Add the water, potatoes, and yams, then stir in the chile pepper, salt, and ground cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.

Stir in the tomatillos, cilantro, and garlic. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired.

Variation

For a soup that will deliver more long-lasting energy, omit the potatoes and increase the amount of yams to 7 cups.

In this creamy and spicy main course soup, onions, carrots, parsnips, and cabbage combine with warming spices to create a fusion of heat and sweet that will sustain you through the coldest night of the year. For a delicious and filling meal, ladle the hot soup over cooked brown rice, millet, or teff.

serves 6 to 8

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, extra-virgin coconut oil, or
ghee

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

8 cups coarsely chopped cabbage

4 cups coarsely chopped parsnips

3½ cups diced tomatoes

1 cup coarsely chopped carrots

2 cups
cooked chickpeas

1 teaspoon dried chile flakes

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly grated

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

4½ cups hot water

1 cup
peanut butter

1½ tablespoons sea salt

1 head of garlic, pressed

Toast the fenugreek and coriander seeds in a large soup pot over medium heat, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, until fragrant. Transfer to a spice grinder or seed mill and grind until powdery.

Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Add the cabbage, parsnips, tomatoes, and carrots and sauté a moment longer, then stir in the chickpeas, chile flakes, nutmeg, and cloves, 2½ cups of the hot water, and the ground fenugreek and coriander. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer.

Put the peanut butter and the remaining 2 cups hot water in a blender and puree until creamy. Pour the mixture into the soup, then stir in the salt. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour, until the cabbage is tender to your liking.

Stir in the garlic and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired.

Variation

Substitute cooked lentils for the chickpeas.

Substitute sweet potatoes, yams, or butternut squash for the parsnips.

If you have nettles growing in your area and feel confident that you can identify them, you’re in for a treat. They will awaken your palate and energize your spirit. Harvest them in spring or early summer, before they flower, removing just the top few inches so the nettles can regenerate. Be sure to wear gloves when harvesting and working with them so they don’t sting you. (Don’t worry; they lose this power when cooked.) The spicy noodles add a spark that complements the bright green flavor of the nettles, which is somewhat similar to fresh peas. If you don’t have nettles, see the variations below for substitutions.

Variations

No nettles? No problem! Just substitute 1 to 2 cups of peas, spinach, mizuna, tatsoi, bok choy, watercress, or mustard greens.

To boost this healthful soup’s immune-enhancing effects, add about 1 cup of stemmed and sliced fresh shiitakes; they’ll also lend a buttery flavor to the soup.

Use other noodles, such as bean thread or 100% buckwheat soba, in place of the rice vermicelli. Or substitute 2 cups of cooked rice.

Substitute basil oil or garlic oil for the chili oil.

Garnish with strips of toasted nori.

serves about 4

5 to 8 ounces of rice vermicelli

6 cups water

4 cups fresh nettle tops

2 cups finely chopped broccoli

2 cups diced tofu

½ cup coarsely chopped chives or scallions (white and green parts)

2 cloves pressed garlic

¼ cup miso, or more to taste

1 to 2 tablespoons hot chili oil

1 to 2 tablespoons tamari

Put the rice vermicelli in a medium-size bowl and pour in boiling water to cover. Test occasionally and drain the noodles once they’re soft, usually about 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water, and set aside to drain completely.

Meanwhile, put the water and nettles in a soup pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium-low. Stir in the broccoli, tofu, and chives and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the broccoli is tender to your liking and the nettles are bright green. Stir in the garlic.

Dissolve the miso in a small amount of the hot broth, then stir it into the soup. Taste and add more miso or garlic if desired.

Heat the chili oil and tamari in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the noodles and sauté for 1 to 3 minutes, until the noodles are evenly coated and well seasoned.

Ladle the hot soup into bowls, mound the noodles on top, and serve immediately.