Fattoush Panzanella Salad Recipe, Day 19 of the 30 Day Self-Love Detox Challenge

             

Helloodles!

Okay, so today I am giving you my version of this delectable Lebanese fattouch salad. I posted a link from another blog previously for the third menu for the 30 day self-love detox challenge, which was very different from mine. The reason being is that my recipe uses a few things that were technically not allowed during the initial detox phases & like an ass, I forgot to take pictures and write the recipe out when I made it. This recipe will be alright as you begin to reincorporate foods after your juice fast, which we will be discussing in tomorrow's post

I wanted you to have a recipe for that previous menu that was good but this recipe takes everything up a notch to great! 

I have a love affair with Panzanella, it's a simple Italian salad that uses bread and mixes it with salad and dressing which sops in to give it sooooooo much flavour. The bread is usually dry, often day or two old and always gluten filled. I have played around using gluten-free breads and have come to enjoy Panzanella once more. I had to share this recipe with my special twist because you will absolutely fall for it and so will those you serve it to.

                

A little about Sumac spice first because one cannot make fattouch without it. Sumac spice which is not to be confused with poison sumac, adds a nice acidic and earthy taste to foods. Just remember: Sumac spice=good, poison sumac=no touchie! I found this info. graphic on Pinterest. 

                                     

I purchased sumac at our local Lebanese market. It was $3.99 for 300 grams, really not expensive for the amount we got. We searched our local grocers, bulk barn & small Asian market but they didn't carry it, so I suggest you seek out local middle eastern markets to find this gem.

This salad was boomtastic! 

It is also mega easy and vegan, it took all of 15 minutes to assemble, that includes the dressing. You are going to truly enjoy the vibrant acidic and inviting taste of this salad. I shamelessly scarfed it in no time, so did the others I served it to; and they kept saying how good it was. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I like to make the dressing a day or two in advance and then assemble the salad and throw the pre-made dressing on. It's a little less fuss and nice to not have to deal with making after a long day at work.

If you prefer to go completely rawfood, or no carb, feel free to omit or change the gluten-free bread for raw croutons or crackers you have on hand.

Regular fattouch salad uses raw onions, I have a horrible time digesting raw onions and am not really a big fan of them either. So what is a girl to do? Well, I decided to use an ingredient I have on hand in my fridge at all times. Pickled red onions, homemade- if you please; and I so happen to have posted this recipe earlier. The link is here, I recommend making them 72 hours in advance for the right flavours to come out. That way they will balance well with this salad, if you cannot wait, then by all means use the same amount of thinly sliced red onions but in their raw un-pickled state. The taste will be good but not great, in my humble opinion. Truly, it's worth the extra effort of making the pickled onions but do what works best for you.

http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2016/03/pickled-red-onions-in-ginger-juniper.html 

                                

                 

FATTOUCH PANZANELLA WITH PICKLED ONIONS

Serves 4 side portions or 2 full portions

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup fresh curly parsley, rinsed & chopped finely

1 Head romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped

1 Red pepper, seeded & chopped

1 Large tomato, seeded and chopped

3 Baby cucumbers, chopped

1/4 Cup pickled onions or thinly sliced raw red onion (pickled onion recipe is best, see above link)

Zest of 1/2 lemon

2x Gluten free whole grain bread toasted well on each side, cubed

Method: 

-In a large enough bowl combine all ingredients, except toasted bread cubes and pickled onions.

-Add dressing, (recipe follows) and toss vegetables, then add bread cubes & toss.

-Add pickled onions last, toss once more and allow to sit 5 minutes.

-Serve immediately.

DRESSING 

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, pressed

6 Fresh mint leaves, chopped finely

1/4 Cup Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp Red wine vinegar

1 1/4 tsp Ground sumac spice

1/2 tsp Dried oregano

1/2 tsp Dried mint

1/2 tsp Herbamare or seasoned sea salt

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Method:

-In a shaker, add all ingredients and shake until well combined. 

-Use over salad right away or kept refrigerated until ready to use.

                               

                   

Vegan Tempeh & Vegetable Stir-fry and Raw Vegan Mediterranean & Asian Nori Rolls

                

These recipes will be needed for the next phase of the 30 Day Self-Love Detox Challenge but they're also yummy to eat when you want healthy vegan nom nom's. The Asian Nori rolls are always a big hit and I have never had a problem getting meat mouth's to eat seconds when I make them. Unless they do not like seaweed but that's a case of, you win some, you lose some.

Have fun!

VEGAN TEMPEH & VEGETABLE STIR-FRY:
Ingredients: 
1/2 Pkg Organic Tempeh, defrosted, cut and sliced into bite sized pieces
2 Tbsp Kuzu mixed with 1/4 Cup Vegetable broth
1 Cup Vegetable or herb broth
1/4 Cup GF Tamari
1/2 tsp Toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp Sesame oil
1 Cup broccoli florets
2 Carrots sliced
1 Onion medium dice
1 1/2 Cup Chinese cabbage chopped
1 Spring onion bunch
1 Large clove garlic minced
1 Small knob ginger sliced
1 Can Sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 Pkg Sweet potato noodles aka Glass noodles

Method:
-Prep glass noodles by putting a bunch in a large bowl, pour boiled hot water to cover and leave to soak for 5-10 minutes. Drain and repeat process if noodles are not tender and easy to eat. With smaller noodles it usually only takes one try but with thick noodles, like the one's in the pics, they took me 3 times of draining and soaking. Keep aside and strain off water just before serving with tempeh, if they are not hot enough you can pour boiling water on them and drain again, they will heat quickly.

-Prep Tempeh as shown in the pictures below, saute in 2 Tbsp oil until browned, remove from heat and keep aside. Alternatively, you can saute them with the onions if you are not a big fan of fermented soy and prefer to give it more flavour from the vegetables. 

-In a large enough pan, heat sesame and toasted sesame oil, saute onions for 2 minutes, add broccoli & carrots, cook 2 mins, add Chinese cabbage, water chestnuts, and ginger and cook for 2-4 minutes- stir often.

-Add garlic and cooked Tempeh pieces, stir through then add Tamari and stock, stir through.

-Add Kuzu mix and cook through while stirring for 1-2 minutes, it will thicken. Remove from heat, and serve immediately over hot glass noodles.

           

Tempeh is different from tofu and is allowed sparingly on this detox because it is fermented. The fermentation process stops the toxic properties in soy from being an issue, makes it more easily digestible, and adds good bacteria to your diet. It means something else too though, it's got a taste that we in North America are not so used to, I don't balk at it but I also like the taste of Natto with tamari over rice. You want to see some serious fermented food? Check out Natto. Big in Japan and popular with doctor's because it is one of the few sources for Vitamin K, if you want to learn more about Natto you can check this link out and below is a pic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natt%C5%8D
                   
Back to tempeh, so it has a kind of spongy look to it and there is a mild mushroom scent but it's not like mushroom. It is the fermentation process that gives it this look, texture, and smell.

          

Found in the freezer section of health food stores, I always buy plain or with some seaweed, organic, and use a bit as I need then freeze the rest. It is a meat replacement that I eat sparingly because soy can be a goitrogen but it's fermentation process makes it an alright, once in a blue moon food for me.
If you have a thyroid issue, I highly recommend reading the information in the link provided here as it is VERY important to know what foods are safe and those that inhibit thyroid function. Caution though, as there are some graphic goiter pictures.
http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2015/07/goiters-and-thyroid-plus-natural.html

          

This is how to cut the Tempeh and I like to cook mine until crisp before hand but as I stated, I like the taste of Tempeh because I am used to fermented foods. Do what works for you.

         

Kuzu is wild Japanese arrowroot and is found in the Asian section of your health food store. I have always used Mitoku brand which is organic. It can be a bit pricey but I use it sparingly and although it has gone up over the years in price from $4.99 to almost double; the benefits of it outweigh the expense. Kuzu is a natural thickener but it also has soothing properties for the intestines, it is sometimes used as a tea in Japan and has been applied with other herbs as plaster for wounds. It looks like white starchy rocks, they dissolve easily in Miso, broth, and water. I even use it to thicken my Macrobiotic apple sauce. You will find it is used more often in Japanese and particularly Macrobiotic cooking.

        

Glass noodles are made from the starch of sweet potatoes, they are a great noodle, have a fun chewy texture, and replace rice or regular wheat noodles nicely. They are gluten free and are usually made with only the sweet potato starch and water, cheap as well-they cost around $1.99-$2.99 a package in Asian markets.

        

This is how I stir fried the vegetables, stir-fry is a quick process. Cooking happens on a medium high heat so it's important to not leave your vegetables and other ingredient's in the pan for too long. I always like a little firm, fresh, vibrant bite to my vegetables.

           

         

                                                           Yummy!

          

         

These Nori rolls are super easy to make, you can use any kind of filling you like, sometimes I use only vegetables & other times I add sliced mango to give a fresh bite. Mixing the fresh vegetables with vegan vegetable slather or chickpea's mashed with a clove of garlic and a spritz of lemon juice, make for a great nourishing base that you can enjoy piling crunchy vegetables on.

         

Here is the link for the vegetable slather:

http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2013/03/gluten-free-raw-food-vegetable-slather.html

I used it as a base for the rolls with the pickled daikon and carrot rolls. The pickled carrots and daikon are here:

http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2016/04/day-13-self-love-detox-challenge-and.html

You can also sprinkle the filled rolls with some vegan cheezie sprinkled before folding them, the recipe is here:

http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2013/03/vegan-cheezie-sprinkles.html

RAW VEGAN MEDITERRANEAN & ASIAN NORI ROLLS

Ingredients:

Sushi nori squares (We used 8 because we were feeding 2 people)

1/2 Cup rawfood vegetable slather

1/2 Cup cooked chickpeas mashed with 1 clove garlic pressed and 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice & 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil. Mix and keep aside

1 Cup pickled daikon & carrots

1 Cup thinly sliced cucumber

1/2 Cup sliced peppers red or yellow

a few Scallion stakls sliced in half (I used 4)

6-8 Basil leaves

2 Lettuce leaves

2 Shiitake mushrooms, soaked and then sliced when softened. Marinade in 1/4 tsp sesame oil, with 1 Tbsp GF tamari, and a few slices of pickled ginger. Stir and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

1/2 Tomato sliced

1 Ripe avocado sliced

1 small bowl of cool water (for rolling Nori)

Method:

-Using a bamboo sushi mat, lay a piece of Nori flat. 

-For Mediterranean rolls, follow the next picture and stack the filling then vegetables as you see. Chickpea mash (do 2 with mash), or use garden vegetable slather (do 2 with slather) basil leaf, tomato, scallion, peppers.

-For Asian rolls follow the second set of pictures. Thinly sliced cucumbers, lettuce, avocado, marinated mushroom, pickled daikon & carrots, and sprinkle some cheezie sprinkles if you like.

-Once fillings are done roll and seal with water at the edges as the pictures show you below. Be patient, and don't over-fill or they will split and become an awful mess. Take your time and be gentle, seaweed paper aka Nori, is delicate but tastes great.

          

Mediterranean one's use the fresh basil which gives a nice flavour when mixed with the slather or the chickpea's.

          

Fillings that are fresh and compliment one another are going to have a great impact on your taste buds.

         

Rolling is a gentle and calm process, be nice to the Nori.

         

Rolls completed, I served them with a bit of Miso broth. It was 1 Cup boiled water with some Miso stirred in.

       

Enjoy and share with someone you love. Don't forget to subscribe & leave comments or questions down below.

GF Tofu Puffs in Lemongrass 5 Spice Chinese BBQ Sauce with Sautéed Vegetables

                    

Good morning beautiful people!

As promised I am posting the delectable recipe to accompany the sauce I posted earlier this week. This is such a delicious powerhouse of flavours, a perfect vegan and gluten-free dish. It gets the tasty yummies from this glorious sauce, which has a sweet and salty BBQ fullness:

                   

You're going to need the recipe for this sauce before you can begin, which works in 3 steps. Seems complicated but it's not, if you want full flavour, you're going to need to do this right. Link is here:

http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2016/02/gf-vegan-5-spice-lemongrass-chinese-bbq.html

Make your favourite rice in advance, I like white or brown Jasmine rice. This is going to be a requested dish in your home, have fun testing it out for Valentine's day!

GF Tofu Puffs in Lemongrass 5 Spice Chinese BBQ Sauce with Sautéed Vegetables

(You must have all ingredients prepared and move quickly when cooking because it does not take long to cook and the puffs cool quickly, so they must be served as soon as they and the vegetables are done.)

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp sesame oil (not toasted)

1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 1/2 pkgs. Tofu puffs aka fried tofu

1 large red pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, one thinly sliced and one crushed in garlic crusher

1/3-1/2 Cup Chinese BBQ sauce

1-2 Tbsp tapioca starch mixed with just enough water to make a thick paste

8 leaves Chinese cabbage

1 Cup broccoli florets

6 Shiitake mushrooms sliced

1 small knob fresh ginger cut into slivers

1 vegetable stock cube

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp tapioca starch mixed with 2 tsp water

3 stalks scallion ( green spring onion) slivered thinly on an angle

3 tsp sesame seeds of choice ( I like black, as it is more striking)

This is what the tofu puffs look like, I got them at my local Asian markets.

                        

Method for Tofu Puffs:

- In a wok or pan heat 2 Tbsp sesame oil (not toasted) sauté half of diced onion, keeping other half aside for vegetables.

- Add red peppers, ginger, sliced garlic (not crushed clove, it's for vegetables) and sautéed one minute.

- Add tofu and sautéed one minute.

- Add sauce and stir through, cook for 1 minute and add 1-2 Tbsp tapioca starch slurry. ( not both, one is for vegetables) Cook for 1 minute until thick, remove from heat and keep covered. 

                          

Method for Sautéed Vegetables:

- In a wok heat 2 Tbsp sesame oil and 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil

-Add remaining onions and cook on high heat for 1 minute, add in other vegetables and stir well.

-Add garlic and stir through, cook for 30 seconds and add stock, then add soy sauce, stir through.

-Add tapioca slurry and cook until just thickened, serve with tofu and rice immediately.

-Sprinkle slivered green spring onion over all with sesame seeds sprinkled as well, just before serving.

                      

Veg and tofu prepped and ready to grab as I cook. It's important to have it all at the ready before hand.

                      

                                                       Tofu puff magic!

                      

                                  I made sides of rice and sautéed vegetables. 

                       

                                                     Pretty and waiting to be devoured!

                       

                                         The tofu looks like this when you bite it!

                       

                                        I made a variation with Chinese broccoli.

                            

                                              The original is still deelish!

                         

Who knew tofu could be this good? I did haha!

I hope this inspired you, trust me, the meat mouths are gonna love it! I feel this is a nice meal for two, it would be a pain-free way to have a vegetarian Valentine's with your special someone.

Leave your comments down below and let me know how this turns out for you.

God bless and don't forget to be fearless in the kitchen.

GF, Vegan 5 Spice Lemongrass Chinese BBQ Sauce with 5 Spice Mix Recipe Included

                

Good morning loverlies!!!!!

Yup, I am really hyped up about this blog post. It leads to such yum-scruminess, that I cannot contain the joy, and must pass this lusciousness your way.

I went searching for a gluten-free hoisin recipe because there were some delicious Chinese meal options I have been missing out on for quite some time now, and I decided that just would not do.

I stumbled upon a tasty recipe and had a go at it, turned out to be fantastic and with some small adjustments of the nit picky Chef kind, I got something that has become a great base for other sauces.

Particularly for my 5 Spice Lemongrass Chinese BBQ sauce. I am breaking this recipe down for you in the 3 parts required to make the awesomeness that is Tofu Puffs with said BBQ sauce, see for yourself how lovely she looks:

                       

Deeelish-ums indeed! I wish you could scratch and sniff, the smell alone will give you happy face. It permeated the whole house when I made it and there were zero leftovers, a big hit for sure and the best parts? No MSG, no gluten, vegan, real ingredients, no refined white sugar, cheaper for your wallet than having to always order take-out, no artificial colours or gross caramels, you will have plenty to use for several meals, you can give it as a gift to the foodie in your life, and a kapow to your taste-buds! Down for the count, this sauce has officially K-o'd everything in the sauce department. Shabang!!!!!

Okay enough sillies, seriously though, you have got to make this sauce. I will be posting the recipe for the tofu puffs in the Chinese BBQ sauce, this week so you can surprise your love for Valentine's day and have an extra romantic night in.

Let us begin with the vibrant 5 Spice powder mix. I don't know if you have ever come across this before but it is big in cuisine all across Asia and the variations are endless. Here are a few pictures I found on-line for different ingredients: First one is from food.com, the second is from finecooking.com, and the last if from delmonte.ph.

                              

                              

                   

Everyone agrees that star anise, fennel, and cinnamon are always to be a part of this mélange. I personally have about 3 different variations I do which are based on the type of recipe I am doing, the end product flavour profile I am aiming for, and what spices I have in the pantry that make it all possible. I have also been known to cheat and make it a 6 Spice powder on occasion. I did not take a picture of my spice mix but found this one from chowhound.com that looks exactly the same, they all pretty much look alike anywho, so no worries.

                               

Chef Kiki's 5 Spice Mix for Hoisin Sauce  (Part 1)                                                                  

Ingredients:

(Please note that for this recipe I DO NOT use pepper of any kind. Schezuan peppercorns or pink or black peppercorns are traditionally used in 5 spice powder but I found this recipe tastes better without.) 

1 Whole Star Anise 

5 Whole allspice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp Whole fennel seeds

1 Whole Clove

Method:

In a mortar and pestle, grind all spices down to a powder. If you do not know what a mortar and pestle look like, here is a picture of marble one's, which are what I use:

                                

Store your spice mix in a small airtight mason jar until ready to use, feel free to triple the batch if you want to have more on hand for later use and you may also add pepper if you prefer it with.

Now we move onto the hoisin sauce, the original recipe apparently comes from Goop site which is supposedly Gwyneth Paltrows site, I came across a version that was on onehungrymama.com and I proceeded to change it slightly and make it gluten-free along with adding or adjusting ingredients and method. Here is my version for this lovely hoisin sauce, it's pretty close to the original.

Chef Kiki's GF, Vegan, Hoisin Sauce  (Part 2)

Ingredients:

(I prefer organic for this recipe but do what you can.)

1/4 Cup of Gluten-free Tamari Organic (Soy sauce is fine, just make sure it's gluten-free)

 1 1/2 Tbsp Kiki's 5 Spice Powder (see recipe above)

1/2 tsp Toasted sesame oil Organic (not the same as regular sesame oil, cannot be replaced)

2 Tbsp Grapeseed oil Organic

2 Cloves medium Garlic

1/2 Cup Maple syrup grade B (The darker one)

3 Tbsp Rice vinegar Organic

1 Tbsp Tapioca starch mixed with enough water to make it a very thick paste, about 2 tsp.

*2 Tbsp Massawippi*Organic Miso 

 Method:

-In a small saucepan, add Tamari, sesame oils, maple syrup, garlic clove, spice, maple syrup, vinegar. Bring to a simmer whisking often, add tapioca starch mix by whisking in. Turn off heat and cook 1 minute while whisking to thicken it.

-Add miso off the heat by whisking it in.

-Allow to cool while you make the BBQ sauce mix.

5 Spice Lemongrass Chinese BBQ Sauce  (Part 3)

Ingredients:

1 Recipe Hoisin sauce

1 1/2 tsp Grated fresh ginger 

3 Cloves Garlic crushed

1/4 Cup Organic Gluten-free Tamari

1/2 tsp Toasted sesame oil(not the same as regular sesame oil, cannot be replaced)

3 Tbsp Organic Rice vinegar

1/4 Cup Organic Honey

3 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 tsp 5 Spice mix

1 Tbsp Lemongrass (I use the frozen pre-chopped from Asian markets)

Method:

-Whisk all together in a bowl, bottle and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

-I usually use 1/3 Cup of sauce for a 2 portion serving of tofu or fish or meat. Meat tastes better when it marinades overnight.

Before I get to the pictures, I am going to drop some Miso knowledge on you. We get this wonderful Miso at our health food stores here in Québec, that is like nothing else I have ever used  in all my years of Macrobiotic, Raw Vegan, Vegetarian, Cheffing! It is so unique, so robust in flavour tones, and has a load of health benefits. Here is the lowdown from the company along with a link, and I have included a picture. If you cannot get this then use any Miso you like, just not Barley Miso as Barley HAS gluten.

5 year-old Special Vintage Soybean and Rice Miso

A Gluten Free Product

Our special 5 year-old vintage organic soybean and rice miso is arguably the best of all misos we have produced so far. Due to its unique blend of ingredients, we have been able to extend its natural period of fermentation to 5 years. The result is the "best blend", where all of the components come together in a balanced, full-bodied, exceptional flavor. Like all of our misos, it is produced using only the highest quality organic products, certified non-GM.

• Whole organic soybeans high in protein content. We prefer to use locally or regionally produced soybeans from the Eastern Townships, central Quebec or the Mauricie region.

• Whole grain semi polished arborio rice from Italy. Having tried several types of rice from various parts of the world we opted for round grain rice that lends itself best to fermentation and gives our miso its unique flavor.

• Sea salt.

• Natural spring water.

• An inoculum of Aspergillus oryzae and a selection of lactic bacteria such as Pediococcus halophilus and Lactobacillus delbruekii.

                           

                       

            

Easy to make and keeps for a few weeks in the fridge, you must refrigerate this sauce!

          

Recycle baby! I reuse my kombucha drink containers by cleaning off the sticky labels. First I peel them, then they sit in a bowl with a solution of 2 parts baking soda to 1 part olive oil with a good squirt of dishsoap which I make into a paste and rub all over the place where I removed the label. I allow it to sit for 10 minutes and usually a good scrubby wash takes it all away. These particular bottles were very scummy and required a second solution slather and soakage.

              

I then used a funnel to pour the sauce in, normally I place the bottle and funnel together in the sink as I pour to avoid problems but I wanted you to see the method properly.

Artsy fartsy play time came next, I used my calligraphy fancy marker I recently splurged on and cut out a cardboard tag then I wrote what it was and glued some pretty paper cut out hearts with a glue stick.

            

DIY fun! I used a hole punch and punched a place to wrap rustic twine into it and then twirled it around the bottle. She looked so purdy when she was done and tastes freaking scrumptious! You must make this, I am posting the tofu puff vegan GF recipe soon, soon, I promise, so you can make it for Valentine's. Will link to this post when the time comes, aiming for Thursdays.

Made it, here is a pic & the link:

                              

http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2016/02/gf-tofu-puffs-in-lemongrass-5-spice.html 

               

                                                                Plain Jane

                            

                                                    Too sweet and sassy...

           

Enjoy and leave comments down below, I love to hear from you!