Apple and Tomato Steak over Jasmine Rice

This is an easy weekday recipe that takes about 20 minutes to make. I bought the beef already cut up for a very good price from the grocery store.
In this recipe, I describe how to cook rice using the pasta method. This is a fool proof method to cook rice because you can constantly check it by pulling out a few grains at a time as you go until it is cooked just as you like it. This method of cooking also has the added benefit of removing a lot of the residual arsenic that is in most grain products grown in the United States, according to a Consumer Report. You will need a sieve like the kind used to strain gravy or a colander with very small holes. Jasmine rice is an especially fragrant medium grain rice and is often found in the ethnic section of your grocery.

Ingredients:
1 cup jasmine rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 rib of celery, diced
1 pound of steak cut into 1 inch cubes
1 apple, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to the pasta method. This means bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil (at least 5 cups) with a pinch of salt in it. Add the cup of dried rice. Reduce heat to maintain boil (about medium). Cook uncovered until rice has reached the desired tenderness (taste it to check). Strain rice through a sieve to remove from the water. Allow to rest in the sieve to let it get fluffy.
2. While the rice cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet on medium high and saute the diced celery until it starts to brown. Add the cubes of steak and stir to brown the meat on all sides. Salt and pepper as desired.
3. Add the diced apple and quartered cherry tomatoes. Put a lid on the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Allow to simmer for 2 to 5 minutes. Then serve the meat mixture over rice. This makes 4 servings.

There are not a lot of ingredients to aggravate typical allergies and intolerances as this recipe contains no preservatives or dyes and no wheat, soy, egg, dairy, nuts or seafood.

Eating While Traveling

I have been known to earn some funny stares when I travel. Eating out with food allergies can be scary, and sometimes I want to relax and not take the risks. Here we are breaking some serious hotel rules and cooking with open flame on a hotel balcony. Do not try this at home (or at your hotel).

Goat Chop Vindaloo with Rosted Vegetables and Rice

Vindaloo is a pungent North Indian Stew. I met Teresa Mainello from Keeterbarn Corner Farm (http://keeterbarncorner.webs.com/)last Saturday at the Elizabeth City farmers market. I bought some fatty goat chops from her to make this delicious curry.

Ingredients:
4 fatty goat chops
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced
1 clove minced garlic (optional)
1 teaspoon minced ginger
12 ounces crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
prepared rice

Directions: Cook all of the ingredients except rice in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours. Serve over rice.

Update: I can't eat this anymore because it's high in sulfur.

Christina's Doughnuts

Over the years, I’ve gotten very good at adapting recipes for people who have special food concerns. Among my accomplishments are a preservative-free pineapple up-side-down cake and dairy-and-soy-free ice cream, but I am most proud of making doughnuts for my friend Christina who has many food allergies, including soy, dairy, and egg. While my friend—who doesn’t cook at all—watched with amusement, I combined flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in my largest mixing bowl. Then, in a separate bowl, I mixed olive oil, apple sauce and apple juice. While the vegetable oil was getting hot in an iron skillet on the stove, I kneaded the batter until it was firm and then rolled it out on my large wood cutting board dusted with flour. After that, I cut the batter into doughnut shapes by using a fancy glass for the round and a bottle cap for the hole. Christina leaned forward with interest as the dough started to sizzle when I placed it into the hot oil and looked on with delight as I turning each one to achieve a golden brown on each side. Finally, I lifted the doughnuts from the oil, dried them on paper towels, and dusted them with powdered sugar. Tentatively, she selected a doughnut and took a cautious bite. I was very gratified when I saw the look of joy on my friend’s face when she savored a doughnut for the first time.

Allergy Friendly Meatloaf

I like the edges on a meat loaf, so I make mine into a ring so it has edges in every slice. This meatloaf has no preservatives, is low sulfur and is wheat, egg, dairy, and nut free.

Ingredients:

For Meat Loaf:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 small carrot, diced fine (I use a food processor)
• 1 tablespoon honey

For Topping:

• 1/4 cup cooked and purred tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon honey
• juice from half of lime.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the meat loaf ingredients in a bowl. Transfer to an oven safe dish and shape into a ring. Create an indented trough on top for the sauce.
2. Combine the topping ingredients. Spoon the sauce into the trough. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done.

Starbuck's Style Madeleines in Silicone Pan

I tried several online recipes before adapting my own. I changed two major aspects of the traditional madeleine recipe. First, combining the butter, sugar, and egg before adding the flour keeps you from over-mixing and getting a rubbery texture. Also, increasing the cooking temperature increases the leavening and produces the right texture. Where I think that I haven't gotten it just right yet is using the silicone pan. Everyone recommended silicone, but it doesn't produce the crisp edges I am hoping for. I'd like to get the metal pan and play with this some more.

Ingredients:

10 tablespoons of room temperature salted butter or Fleichmann's Margarine

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs and one egg white

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or other flavoring (optional)

1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest (optional)

1 cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat sugar and butter (or margarine) together until fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add one egg and beat until combined. Then add the remaining egg, vanilla, and lemon zest and combine thoroughly. Fold in flour until just combined. Place silicone pan on a metal cookie sheet to prevent flexing. Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each mold. Bake until golden brown and set, about 10 minutes. Yields 2 dozen.

Sulphites in Foods

I got this list of food from the Canadian Food and Drug government organization http://inspection.gc.ca/english/toce.shtml. It's the best list I've found so far.
Food and products that often contain sulphites

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer and cider
Bottled lemon and lime juices and concentrates
Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables
Cereal, cornmeal, cornstarch, crackers and muesli
Condiments, for example, coleslaw, horseradish, ketchup, mustard, pickles, relish and sauerkraut
Dehydrated, mashed, peeled and pre-cut potatoes, and frozen french fries
Dried fruits and vegetables, such as apricots, coconut and raisins, sweet potato
Dried herbs, spices and teas
Fresh grapes
Fruit fillings and syrups, gelatin, jams, jellies, preserves, marmalade, molasses and pectin
Fruit and vegetable juices
Glazed and glacéed fruits, for example, maraschino cherries
Starches, (for example, corn starch, potato starch)
Sugar syrups, for example, glucose, glucose solids, syrup dextrose, corn syrup, table syrup
Tomato pastes, pulps and purees
Vinegar and wine vinegar
Wine
Baked goods, especially with dried fruits
Deli meats, hot dogs and sausages
Dressings, gravies, guacamole, sauces, soups and soup mixes
Fish, crustaceans and shellfish
Granola bars, especially with dried fruit
Noodle and rice mixes
Snack foods, for example, raisins, fruit salad
Soy products