Category Archives: Appetizers

Cooking Up the Cure’s Gluten-Free Pizza Dough Recipe

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After only two attempts, I am happy to announce an easy, and quick GF pizza dough that even kids will enjoy.  We have had 2 ‘build your own pizza’ dinners using my recipe, and it was happily munched by all.. ages 10, 13, 17, 26, 28, 47 and me!  ;)

Imagine that after two dinners, I did not snap one photo of the baked product… sheeesh.  We ate them faster than I could reach for my iPhone, touch the camera icon and snap the shot!  Next time I will update with a mouth-watering pic.

Anyway, the flour combo in this pizza lends it high fiber, so you can actually enjoy two minis with no worries.  Choose toppings that are known for solid antioxidant value, and you’re get a super great meal. (Side salad makes a nice veggie boost.)

CUTC Gluten-Free Pizza Dough

  • 2 c. Bob’s Red Mill All-purpose Flour
  • 1 ½ c. Oat or Barley Flour
  • ¼ c. Olive Oil
  • 1 ½ tsp. Sea Salt
  • 6 tsp. Xanthan Gum or Tapioca Starch
  • 2 pkgs. active dry Yeast
  • ½ tsp. Sugar (for proofing)
  • 1 ½ c. very warm Water
  • Add : ¼ c. chopped organic Parsley or Green Onion, or 1 tsp. dry (1 Tbs. fresh) Oregano, if you want to be adventurous

Place yeast and sugar in warm water to proof.  Set aside for 15 minutes.

Place flours, oil, salt and xanthan gum in Food Processor or mixer with dough blade.  Blend until crumbly.  Add herbs if you’re using any, and slowly add 1 c. of the water while processor/mixer is on.  Add as much of the rest of the water until dough holds together and is soft to the touch, but not very sticky.  If it is too sticky sprinkle a little flour and process until incorporated and dough is smooth.

Mini pizza toppings

Mini pizza toppings

Place dough in a glass or stainless steel bowl that has been lightly oiled, cover and let rise for 45 minutes.

I like to pat the circles out by hand to 1/4″ thickness (thinner is better), but you can take 4 oz. of dough (for mini pizzas) and roll with a rolling-pin, or make one large or two medium pizzas.

Top with your choice of sauce, and chopped veggies and herbs.. then finish off with shredded Rice Cheese.

Mini GF pizza

CUTC Mini Gluten-Free Pizza

Bake in lower half of 420º oven for 12 – 15 minutes, or until bottom is golden brown and cheese is puffy.

Will make 6 – 7 small pizzas depending on size.  Also fun for appetizer size pizzas.

~ Enjoy! ♥

A New Look for CUTC, and Coconut Cilantro Chutney

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My there were a lot of words beginning with “C” for such a short post…

You may have noticed that CookingUpTheCure (CUTC – pronounced Cutsie! yeah, I know but I can’t resist..) has a new look.  I’ve switched to the new theme called Sundance.

My Chiropractor encouraged me to transition  this blog to a “.com” site, so I wanted to give the blog a cleaner, leaner and more professional look while I ponder the pros and cons of a transition.  I hope this new theme accomplished that!

Do you think it would be a good move?  I’d love to hear your opinion or experience.  I don’t want to lost the interactive nature, since I get such good questions and ideas from you all!

 

~*~*~*~*

One of my sweet 30-something nephews came over for lunch today.  (Since I am the youngest of 7, and arrived 8 years after my closest sibling, I have older nephews and nieces).

We hadn’t really visited for some time since he lives an hour away. We caught each other up on news over chicken tacos, chicken Thai curry, whole wheat couscous, kale salad and spinach flat bread (I like eclectic meals).

I realized that I didn’t have a chutney to serve, since most are so full of sugar I rarely buy them.  Then I came this recipe…funny how my thoughts often trigger an unexpected but related event.

Next time I will have some of this on hand to serve.  It’s goes very well with fish too, and takes just minutes to whip up.

 

Coconut Cilantro Chutney Recipe

  • 3/4 c. shredded unsweetened Coconut
  • 3/4 c. fresh organic Cilantro, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small seeded organic Serrano chili,  quartered
  • 1/2 c. light coconut milk (or green tea)
  • Juice of 1/2 organic Lime
  • dash of Sea Salt

 

Place all but Lime juice in blender, or food processor, and pulse until consistency is almost smooth.

Pour into a bowl and mix in lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.

As a variation you may add 1 clove of garlic to veggies, or a 1/2 inch slice of ginger.

Makes about 1 cup of chutney.

 

~ āp kā khānā svādiṣṭa ho! ♥

The King of Vegetables and My Eggplant Caponata

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As a child, eggplants were my least favorite vegetable, much to my mother’s disappointment.  The only exception was Baba Ghannouj, a must at every Lebanese appetizer table.
You see, in the Middle East, the Eggplant is referred to as the King of Stuffed Vegetables due to its versatility and the large number recipes that feature this violet beauty.
When I was in my preteen years, I decided that every couple of weeks or so I would force my self to eat one food item that I did not like. When the eggplant’s turn came around, it took a while, but slowly I grew to love that little bit of creamy bitterness it offers.  Soon my favorite recipes included 4 eggplant dishes… 1) Eggplant rounds pan-fried in olive oil and topped with a Spicy Tomato-Onion medley; 2) Eggplant stuffed with Rice, Lamb, Onions, Tomatoes and Spices; 3) Eggplant-Beef boats with Pine Nuts; and 4) Baba Ghannouj.
The recipe below calls for the Caponata to be served cold as an appetizer.  Since it is versatile, I have heated it up and spooned it over hot whole wheat couscous that has been cooked in chicken or vegetable broth, for a wonderful meal!

Recipe

Serves @ 10 as an appetizer
  • 2 lbs. organic Eggplant, peeled and diced
  • 2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 c. organic White Onion, small diced
  • ½ c. organic Bell Pepper, small diced
  • 2 Tbs. Garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 c. organic Tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and small diced)
  • ¼ c. organic Basil, fresh chopped
  • 2 Tbs. Sherry Vinegar
  • 1 Tbs. organic Lemon, squeezed
  • 1 packet Stevia
  • 1 small Green Chili, minced (opt.)
  • ¼ c. Green Olives, chopped
  • 2 tsp. Black pepper, coarsely ground
  • 1 Head of Green leaf Lettuce

Sauté diced eggplant in olive oil until lightly browned; removed from pan.
In the same pan, sauté onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and garlic for 2 minutes (vegetables should still have some texture, and garlic should not brown).
Mix everything else together in a large bowl with the cooked vegetables.
Refrigerate overnight.
Serve a large scoop of pate over a bed of lettuce and surround with toasted whole wheat pita bread triangles, or scoop onto whole wheat Tuscan bread that has a light smear of Vegenaise.

~ Buon Apetito! ♥

Rosebuds and Grapefruit

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Luscious! That’s the best word I can think of to describe the fullness of color bursting from rosebuds.  A promise of even more eye joy when it reaches full bloom.

Dreamy pinks that dare you to choose Cotton Candy over their beckoning magenta petals. Come take a whiff… you won’t be disappointed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s charming how easy it is to lift the energy in a room simply by adding a vase full of flowers. And you don’t have to be an expert at floral arrangements.

Romance yourself with Roses.  Don’t wait until there is an occasion to buy or clip some from your yard.  And don’t wait for someone else to buy you flowers. Gift them to yourself. You deserve to treat yourself to a weekly bouquet.

Place a single bud in a tiny vase near the kitchen sink, or on your desk, or wherever you seem to spend time when you’re home.  Take a couple to work. You’ll notice a difference, I promise.

And while you’re shopping for the flowers, pick up a couple of ruby grapefruits, two limes, a container of alfalfa sprouts and some grated coconut!

After arranging your flowers you’re going to sit down to a refreshing tropical salad.

Tropical Grapefruit Salad

This deceptively looking light salad is quite filling. You may serve it on butter lettuce leaves for an even more elegant presentation.

The recipe serves about 4.

  • 1-1/4 c. grated Coconut
  • 2 tsp. Tamari sauce (or light soy sauce)
  • 2 Tbs. organic Lime Juice
  • 2 Tbs. Water
  • 2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 organic Garlic clove, halved
  • 1 organic White Onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large Ruby Grapefruits, peeled and segmented
  • 1 c. organic Alfalfa Sprouts

Toast coconut in a dry skillet over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl.

Add Tamari sauce, lime juice and water to the coconut and mix well.

Heat olive oil over medium in a saute pan for 1 minute.  Add garlic and onion, and stir until softened. Remove and discard garlic.  Add onions to coconut mixture.

Arrange grapefruit segments among 4 plates.

Sprinkle each with alfalfa sprouts and spoon the coconut mixture on top.

~ Bon Apetit! ♥

Turnover a New Leaf? Make it Swiss!

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Couldn’t resist… the leaf is Swiss Chard and it’s going to creep into the turnovers I am making.

Savory pastries are quite popular in many European, South American and Mediterranean countries.  In my Post about Pies I mentioned a few of them:

Pierogi (Polish), Kulebyaka (Russian), Steak and kidney pie (British), Zwiebelkuchen (German), Tourtière (French Canadian), Banitza (Bulgarian), Kreatopita (Greek), Fatayir (Lebanese). Click on titles for recipes!

My favorite Lebanese turnovers or pies are: Lamb-Pine nut, Spinach-Onion, Swiss Chard, Chickpea-Onion, and of course Zaatar (Thyme) Pies.

I like mixing greens when I make turnovers, so I tossed two handfuls of Spinach, and a handful of chopped fresh Fenugreek into my mixture.

Note: I only trim 1 inch off the bottom of the stems of any green I cook. I believe there are nutrients in the stems that may not be present in the leaves!  I also don’t believe in waste. This will alter the amount of greens you wind up with, so I wanted to share that with you.

Make 1 recipe Basic Dough and let it rise for 90 minutes, or until about doubled.

Rising dough

In the meantime prepare Filling:

  • 1 bunch organic Swiss Chard, trimmed and cleaned
  • 2 c. organic Spinach, cleaned and chopped
  • 1/2 c. fresh Fenugreek, chopped (opt.) .. do not use dry herb
  • 2 medium organic Onions, chopped
  • 2 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
  • 2 Tbs. organic Lemon Juice
  • 2 Tbs. Sumac (found at Mediterranean markets)
  • 1 c. organic Walnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Stack 3 leaves of Chard and slice lengthwise into 3 – 4 pieces depending on width.

Slice Chard lengthwise, then chop

Chop and repeat with rest of leaves.

Chop Chard

Place in a large bowl.

Add Spinach and Fenugreek (if using).

Diced onions

Chop onions and add to greens.

Sprinkle Salt over mixture and using your hands mash all together squeezing the greens and onions until slightly wilted.

Swiss Chard Mixture

Add lemon juice, sumac, walnuts and olive oil, and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Tilt bowl so liquid will drain on one end, propping with a cloth underneath.

Tip bowl to drain juices away from filling

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil.

When dough is ready, roll into balls the size of walnuts, dipping the bottoms in flour and putting aside.

Dough balls waiting for their turn

Sprinkle flour on your board or counter top, and roll each ball into a thin round  using a little flour if sticky.

Dough should be thin

Place 2 Tbs. of filling in center of round. Make sure liquid is squeezed out.

Swiss Chard Pie 1

Have a small bowl of water nearby.  Dip your finger into water and rub around perimeter of dough round to wet.

Fold 1/3 dough over filling, sealing top tip securely by pressing.

Swiss Chard Pie 2

Fold other 1/3 overlapping the first and press to seal all along overlapped edge.

Swiss Chard Pie 3

Bring bottom 1/3 up and press along seams and tips to seal well.

Neatly folded Chard pie

Place on baking sheet, repeating until all dough it used up. 

P.S. If you are left with any dough balls, allow to rise for 10 more minutes, and pop in the oven to make into Pita bread!

Bake turnovers for 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.

Swiss Chard Pies

Cool to room temperature.  Enjoy warm or cold.

~ Sahtein (double health!) ♥

When did Waldorf Creep into my Sandwich?

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Many times you may be on the go, and just want to reach into the fridge and grab a quick (but healthy) ‘something’ to have for lunch.  It could be a morning when you’re rushing off to work, or a busy weekend with no time to sit down. You can relate to that I’m sure.

With summer around the corner, a cold meal is welcome.

Chicken Salad is a healthy alternative to other fillings (since processed meats are a No-no!, and you don’t want to have canned tuna more than once a week at most …thanks to mercury content).

I love the combination or sweet and savory, and adding low-sugar fruits to a sandwich is both tasty and smart! I have been known to add slightly under-ripe chopped pears to my tuna salad, or on the flip side… a dill pickle to my peanut butter! (I know, I know, I hear it all the time from my kids and J… “yecchh”… but ever since I was 15 I loved this combo.  Back then it was a home-made pickle, but an organic Dill will do the trick if you dare try it!)  :)

Enter Waldorf Chicken (or Tofu) Salad…

Anytime you have leftover cooked chicken, set some aside to make this salad.  It keeps for 2 – 3 days, and if you finely chop the ingredients you can serve it with whole wheat baked pita chips as a snack.

Waldorf Chicken Salad Sandwich

  • 2 cups cooked organic Chicken, diced (or 2 cups grilled or barbecued Tofu for Vegan recipe)
  • 2 tablespoons Apple Cider vinegar
  • 2 medium organic Granny Smith Apples, unpeeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup organic Grapes (halved)
  • 2 organic Celery Stalks, thinly sliced
  • Shredded organic Green Leaf or Romaine Lettuce
  • 1/2 cup chopped Pecans or Walnuts
  • 2 Tbs. organic whole Cranberry Sauce (opt.)
  • 1/2 cup Vegenaise
  • ¼ tsp. Black Pepper
  • Dash of Curry

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Serve on whole grain bread, Udi’s Gluten Free Chia bread, tucked in a whole wheat pita pocket, or atop salad greens.

~ To Your Health! ♥

Steam Baked Vidalia Onions

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This recipe is a Cancer fighter.

Onions are a major source of a Quercetin, a super-antioxidant.   Similar to garlic, onions and shallots seem to be most helpful in cancers of the digestive tract (e.g. esophagus, stomach, and colon).

Unlike garlic, onions don’t lose their potency if lightly cooked.

Prep: 5 mins Cook: 30 mins

  • 1 Tbs. organic Coconut oil or organic Butter
  • 3 cloves Garlic, finely minced or pressed
  • 2 med Vidalia Onions, peeled and cut in half across the middle
  • 2 Tbs. Water

Preheat oven to 375.

In a small sauté pan over med-low heat, warm the butter until just melted. Add garlic and stir to warm, about 1 minute.

Butter 2

Place onions cut side up, and the water in a small glass baking dish with a cover. Gently spoon the garlic butter on each half equally.

Cover with lid or aluminum foil tent (not touching any part of onions) and seal edges.

Bake until the onion is soft to the fork and garlic is slightly caramelized, about 30 mins.

Gently lift onto plates and serve. You can sprinkle with fresh oregano, thyme, or crushed rosemary.

Delicious alongside organic Chicken Breasts Baked in Lemon Garlic sauce, and a steamed Veggie of your choice.

~In good health!  ♥

Authentic Baba Ghannouj… or When Eggplant Meets Tahini

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It’s difficult to translate the name Baba Ghannouj literally because there isn’t one word that captures the adjective “Ghannouj” but I’m going to try.

When someone, usually children or girls up into their early 20′s, act cutesy, shy and cuddly we say they are a “ghannouj” for a male, or a “ghannouji” for a female.

Baba means father.. so Baba Ghannouj means Dad is being cutesy and cuddly!

Now here is my creative genius at work:

The term fits the unusual looking Eggplant… perhaps because it has to act cutesy and shy to tempt us into eating it! Or, it could be that this dish is so yummy, that Father had to act all cutesy and shy before he had the nerve to ask the Mom to make it!

Choose your version… either way… it’s delicious!  :)

Recipe

  • 1 large organic Eggplant (close to 1 lb)
  • 2 medium cloves organic Garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
  • 1/4 – 1/3 c. freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
  • 1/4 c. Sesame Tahini, mixed well to incorporate oil
    Garnish:
  • 2 tsp. virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbs. chopped organic Parsley
  • Pomegranate seeds (opt.)
  • Sprig of fresh Mint

Charring the Eggplant

Remove leaves from around stem, but don’t but stem off.  You’ll need to use it as a ‘handle’. Cut several small gashes around the eggplant to allow steam to escape during charring.

Place Eggplant in preheated 375º oven, and bake for 30 minutes, or until outside is crisp and inside is soft.

Allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Holding by stem, cut open eggplant and scoop out the flesh into colander. Discard the skin and stem.

Drain for about 10 minutes. Allowing the liquid to drain will eliminate the bitterness.

Making the Dip

Mash garlic with salt in a mortar and pestle until a smooth paste. Scrape into a medium bowl, and add eggplant pulp. Mash together with pestle until it is of uniform consistency with very few lumps.  (Small ones are ok).

Add the lemon and mix, then add the Tahini and mix again until well incorporated.

Once cool, cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Transfer Baba Ghannouj to a shallow serving dish.  Wet the back of a large spoon, and use it to smooth the surface of the dip, leaving a raised rim, much like a pie crust. Keep a small mound in the center so you’ve created a moat around it.

Decorate the center with sprig of mint, or a carved red radish. Sprinkle parsley around the rim in clumps, alternating with pomegranate seeds…or create your own pattern.

Drizzle olive oil into ‘moat’.

Serve with whole wheat Pita bread, or crudités.

~ Sahtein! ♥

Spicy Summertime Fruit Salsa

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My brother and I were cooking for a large gathering around Thanksgiving of last year, and wanted to come up with 8 unusual appetizers.

This is one of them, and it was a huge hit. We served it wrapped in tiny cones made of Nori that had a light smear of cream cheese to prevent them from getting soggy. They have to be eaten rather quickly!

They are on the top tier, between the Smoked Salmon rolls.

We also made a green olive/almond tapenade on pepper crackers, barbacoa with peppers on kale crackers, a southwestern cream cheese pinwheel, egg salad wrapped in dried melon with olive tapenade, and turkey and cheese skewers.

Recipe

  • 1 ripe organic  Peach – peeled, pitted, and diced
  • 1 organic Kiwi, peeled and diced
  • 4 fresh organic Strawberries, diced
  • 1/2 organic Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 tablespoons organic Lime juice
  • 2 organic Green Onions, chopped
  • 1/4 c. chopped fresh organic Cilantro
  • 1 pinch Sea Salt

Combine the peach, kiwi, strawberries, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, green onion, cilantro, and salt in a bowl; gently stir to combine.

Optional: Toasted Nori sheets and low-fat whipped or softened ream cheese (if you can have dairy).

To make Nori cones:

Cut each square sheet diagonally to make two triangles.  Spread lightly with cream cheese making sure not to tear Nori.  Fold to form a cone. The cream cheese will act as glue to hold cone in place.  Fill with 1 tsp of Salsa.

Serve immediately, before they get soggy!  :)

~ Bon Apetit! ♥

Cheesey Stuffed Mushrooms – Non Dairy

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Tomorrow evening I am having a few people over to test their anti-oxidant levels with the amazing machine I spoke of in my post on April 27th. I’m so excited to have access to such a wonderful tool.  My teenage son agreed that most kids in his class would rate quite poorly, and he’s anxious to see what his results will be.

To supplement his diet, I started him on the Teen vitamins Pharmanex makes, and so in 4 weeks we’ll do another reading to see if his levels rise. (It takes about 4 weeks for the change in your anti-oxidant levels to reach the skin, which is what the Biophotonic Scanner is measuring.)

I am going to try to get as many doctors in our area to incorporate this piece of data into their health evaluations!

Anyway, I want to make a little treat to serve tomorrow night and thought these quick and simple to put together appetizers would be fun.  (If you are someone who can eat dairy, then substitute goat cheese for the rice cheese.)

Makes about 24

  • Olive oil, for baking sheet
  • 3 slices whole wheat Sandwich Bread
  • 1 small Garlic clove, coarsely chopped
  • 6 oz grated Rice or Almond Cheese
  • 1/2 c. fresh organic Parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp. Red Pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
  • Coarse Sea salt
  • 2 packages (10 ounces ea) white button mushrooms, stems removed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.

In a food processor, pulse bread and garlic until fine crumbs form; set 1/2 cup aside. To food processor, add cheese, parsley, and red-pepper flakes. Season with salt, and pepper and pulse filling until combined.

Spoon filling into each mushroom, and roll filled side in reserved breadcrumbs. Place on prepared baking sheet; bake until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

Cheers! ♥