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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Berry Crumble {Guest Post by Magnolia Days}


Dear all - I am so humbled that my dear friend Renee from  Magnolia Days is my guest today.  She writes an amazing blog, her recipes, as well as all her presentation are simply superb.  I am so happy, and excited beyond belief for this amazing dish.  Thank you so much, Renee...
Hello! I’m Renee from Magnolia Days. I met Bea a while ago through Sunday Supper. There were a couple of things that got my attention when I read her posts. One is that she is from Germany in an area not far away from my family. The other is her absolute devotion to her daughters and husband. Her love for them shines through in every single one of her posts and recipes.

Speaking of her recipes, the ones for German food really steal my heart (and tummy)! My mouth was watering over her Jaegerschnitzel and Swabian Beef Spaetzle. Beyond that, what amazes me is how Bea can adapt almost any recipe to be dairy-free. Her girls don’t miss out on anything. I wanted to take on the challenge and create a special treat too. It was an interesting experience and quite fun. I got to play with new ingredients and make a topping I never would have otherwise. I adapted the recipe from a blackberry cobbler on Jen’s Favorite Cookies.

Berry Crumble is a delightful summer treat with juicy fresh berries, crunchy crumble, and a creamy topping. I used blackberries and raspberries. I admit I devoured it right after taking photos. I’m considering not sharing the rest of it with my husband. It’s really that good. Not a trace of dairy either. I’m so proud I met the challenge!

It’s an honor to be a guest on this blog. Thank you so much Bea! I hope you, your family, and your readers will enjoy this Berry Crumble.
Berry Crumble
  • For the crumble:
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts
  • 4 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan butter, melted


For the filling:
  • 2 ¼ cups fresh berries (blackberries and raspberries)
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • ¼ cup water
  • Pinch of salt
  • For the topping:
  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk (American brands work best)
  • 2 teaspoons powdered sugar


For the crumble:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Stir together the flour, brown sugar, oats, almonds, and walnuts in a medium bowl.
  3. Add the melted vegan butter and stir to combine.
  4. Press the mixture evenly on one end of a baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.
  6. Let crust sit for 3 minutes then fluff with a fork. Cool to room temperature

For the filling:
  1. Place 6 to 8 berries in a small saucepan and mash the berries using a fork.
  2. Add sugar, cornstarch, water, and salt. Stir to combine.
  3. Bring to a boil and let boil for 4 minutes, until mixture thickens.
  4. Remove from the heat and pour over remaining berries in a bowl. Toss to coat.

For the topping:
  1. Place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight.
  2. Puncture the can with the pointed end of a can opener and drain out liquid.
  3. Open the can and scoop out the solid coconut fat to a chilled bowl.
  4. Add the powdered sugar.
  5. Whip on high speed in until soft peaks form. Do not over-whip.

To assemble:
  1. Divide the crumble into thirds. Use two-thirds and divide evenly in four serving bowls. Spoon the berry filling over the crumble. Sprinkle the remaining third of the crumble over the berries. Top with whipped coconut milk.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Beef Goulash with Caramelized Onions {Guest post by MarocMama}


Please welcome my friend Amanda of MarocMama to The Not So Cheesy Kitchen today.  We met through Sunday Supper and her recipes are always amazing.  Thank you so much, Amanda for sharing your experiences and this fantastic recipe :)

When I was growing up I had a fascination with all things German.  I can remember in middle school when we had to take “exploratory” classes and one of them was Spanish.  I argued with the Spanish teacher all the time that I didn’t need or want to learn Spanish I wanted to learn German – except our school didn’t offer that language.  When I finally was in high school I took language courses at our local community college and as chance would have it a few years later I was dating the German exchange student.  No not on purpose.  He went home the summer after my junior year but I planned a trip in the fall to visit him and his family in eastern Germany.  Finally I was going to go!

I spent three weeks traveling around central Europe and it was amazing. Although our relationship ended, the memories of visiting castles, cathedrals, and historical sites stay with me.  So does the memory of eating his mom’s food.  She was an amazing cook! Years later I remember goulash and knudlen.  But, I’ve never been able to replicate it nor found a recipe that was what I remembered. 

So, instead I decided to make my version of a beef goulash.  This is an easy weeknight dish, that’s both gluten-free and dairy-free.  I served it over rice, but you could put it over noodles or mashed potatoes. 


Ingredients
  • -        1 lb of beef, such as an arm roast, sliced as thinly as possible
  • -        1 large Vidalia onion sliced as thinly as possible
  • -        3 tsp vegetable oil
  • -        2 tsp spicy paprika
  • -        1 tsp caraway seeds
  • -        1 tsp each salt and pepper
  • -        1 lb of mushrooms
  • -        2 cups Beef broth
  • -        1 tsp cornstarch

Directions
In a large skillet, add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil and heat to medium high. Carefully slice one large Vidalia onion as thinly as possible.  Add the onion pieces to the heated oil and turn down the heat to medium low.  Slowly cook the onions, watching and stirring occasionally so that they don’t burn.  They will turn translucent, and then begin to brown.  If you notice them browning too quickly you can add a little bit of water to the pan.  When they are caramelized they will be an amber brown color, soft, and a little sticky. 

Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.  Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the same pan, turn the heat to high, and add the sliced beef. Sear the beef on all sides.  Season the meat with 2 teaspoon spicy paprika, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir. 
Prepare the mushrooms by washing them well to remove any dirt, and then slicing a similar thickness as the meat.  Add the mushrooms to the cooking meat and stir.  Add the 2 cups of beef broth to the mixture and simmer until the mushrooms have softened.  Whisk in 1 tsp cornstarch to thicken the broth to a gravy consistency. Finally mix the caramelized onions back into the mushroom and meat mixture. 

Serve hot over your choice of potatoes, rice, or noodles.  

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Roasted Asparagus and Avocado Panzanella {Guest Post by Vintage Kitchen Notes}


I am so excited to welcome my dear friend Paula of Vintage Kitchen Notes to The Not So Cheesy Kitchen today. I have been admiring Paula's Blog for a very, very long time and am thrilled to welcome her today...Thank you so much, Paula.

Hey all! How are you today? This guest post is special, not only because it needs to be dairy-free, but because I´m in awe of bloggers and mothers who go that extra mile with food restrictions. Bea, of course, is one of them. There are not enough nice things to say about her, her care and dedication come through in every post.
Her two daughters have a rare condition of dairy intolerance, which you can read about here, and she not only adapted the household diet to avoid all dairy, but also spends time researching and trying out recipes like dairy-free flan or cherry cupcakes. Now 
that´s what I consider an awesome thing to do.

We met a while ago, through the Sunday Supper team, and she hosted an event which was all about food restrictions and allergies. You can read all about it here, with recipes included for almost every possible condition.

Most cultures have a way of using leftover bread, anything from french toast, pain perdu or torrejas, bread pudding, which is one of the traditional and most common desserts here, Argentina, where I live, to one of my favorite savory recipes with stale bread, the strata, a layered savory pudding.

In the salad section we find the super famous ceasar salad and panzanella, the italian way of using white bread, and also another summer favorite, juicy, ripe tomatoes. I roasted them for this recipe, to suck even more flavor out of them. But if you have amazing summer tomatoes use them fresh if you want.


Let me tell you something about cooking and baking without dairy, it´s not easy. Not at all. So I went the easy route and opted for a salad with seasonal vegetables, roasted and juicy, sharing the plate with wonderful white bread croutons, very rustic, made from a sourdough loaf I had in my freezer.

It has avocados and asparagus, and I think those two more than make up for the lack of cheese in this salad, don´t you? It turns out, Bea and her family are all very fond of them, so that makes this recipe more special. A bonus for me, like I knew what I was doing. Pure luck really. 

The ingredients in this salad could easily be turned into a tartine, that is a toasted slice of bread with roasted tomatoes, asparagus and avocados on top, drizzled with some olive oil.

But in salad form, you take advantage of a vinaigrette made with good sherry or red wine vinegar and the juices that result from the roasting of tomatoes. A lot of concentrated flavor.

When you have few seasonal ingredients, they have to be flavorful, pack some punch, otherwise it´s another boring salad, and that is not the idea at all here.
One of the crucial parts of the panzanella, are the bread croutons of course. My favorite ones are made from simple white bread, with crust, irregularly torn pieces of bread rather than perfect dice with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. The oven has to be fairly low, no more than 300ºF/150ºC, that way they dry before toasting.  You don´t want soggy croutons from the start, and though this salad has to be dressed at the last minute, the drying of the bread makes them more resilient to the liquids. 

You can keep croutons in a tin, if they have been properly dried in the oven, for a week or so. That way you can have an asparagus avocado panzanella in a moment´s notice. How´s that for a great impromptu lunch?


ROASTED ASPARAGUS AND AVOCADO PANZANELLA

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

For the croutons:
  • 2 cups white bread, torn into chunks
  • 2 or 3 Tbs olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:
  • 1 bunch green asparagus, tough ends discarded
  • 1 pound tomatoes
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 haas avocados
  • 3 Tbs sherry vinegar
  • 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Leftover juice from the tomatoes
  • Fresh basil or chives (optional)

Directions

For the croutons:
Preheat oven at 300ºF / 150ºC.

Drizzle olive oil on a baking tray. Spread bread on top and toss them around to coat with the oil. Don´t worry about dry spots.  Salt and pepper to taste, and bake for about 40 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the croutons.  Check them once or twice and toss them around the pan so they dry out as evenly as possible.

Keep in mind that you´ll have different sizes, so some parts will be more toasted than others. You need to be sure the large pieces are not soft inside, especially if you´re making extra croutons to keep in a tin for a few days.

For the salad:
Leave the oven at 300ºF.

Wash and dry asparagus and tomatoes. Cut the spears in two or leave them whole, that´s up to you. Cut the tomatoes in half each, and arrange them cut side up on a baking tray. Add the asparagus spears to the same pan.

Drizzle everything with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for half an hour. Check asparagus, they should be a bit shriveled and golden in some parts. Take them out and let cool.

Keep baking the tomato halves for about 30 more minutes or more, until they look shriveled and starting to dry out. The juices will be realeased by now. Take them out and let cool.

You can make the asparagus and tomatoes the day before, and keep refrigerated, covered with a few tablespoons of extra olive oil.

When you´re ready to assemble the salad, make the vinaigrette by mixing together both vinegars, olive oil, salt, pepper and juices from the tomatoes in a bowl or jar. Shake or stir well, taste, and adjust seasonings. You can also add some fresh basil or chives if using.

Peel and cut the avocados in thick slices or dice.

In a serving platter, start layering half of each ingredient: roasted tomatoes (some halves whole, some cut into bites) and asparagus, bread croutons and avocados. Drizzle with half the vinaigrette. Layer the rest of the ingredients and add the rest of the dressing.

Serve immediately.


Friday, July 19, 2013

Pasta with Broccoli & Sunflower Seeds for #WeekdaySupper

Sunday Supper Movement
Happy Friday, friends!!! Are you ready for an quick, easy, healthy, and yes super delicious dinner?!  Perfect, because today I bring Pasta with delicious young Broccoli plus Sunflower Seeds for #WeekdaySupper.

This meal is delicious and beautiful; well okay at least I think so - bright green broccoli on a bed of pasta

...and just in case, Pasta with Broccoli is not that appealing to you, take a look at the other quick, and mouthwatering recipes from this weeks #WeekdaySupper.  Did you know, that every day of the week you find a different recipe that is always quick and easy to make?  Yup, that is right just follow the #WeekdaySupper hashtag...

Monday (July 15th) - Taco Wraps by Cookin' Mimi 
Tuesday (July 16th) - Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes by Blueberries and Blessings
Wednesday (July 17th) - Asian Shrimp Salad w/ Gochujang Dressing by Foxes Love Lemons 
Thursday (July 18th) - Fried Catfish Nuggets w/ Homemade Tartar Sauce by girlichef
Friday (July 19th) - Pasta with Broccoli & Sunflower Seeds by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen


Pasta with Broccoli & SunFlower Seeds
  • 1 box of Linguini prepared according to directions 
  • 1 bunch of young broccoli - cleaned and cut into individual stems {or smaller if you prefer}
  • 1/2 head of fresh garlic - coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 C Sunflower Seeds
  • 1/4 - 1/2 C Olive Oil
  • Juice of one lemon
  • Zest of one untreated lemon
  • Salt & Peper to taste
  • {optional} 1/2 C Parmesiano Regiano
  1. Prepare Linguni according to directions
  2. While pasta is cooking - heat a cast iron pan and toast the sunflower seeds.  When they are fragrant add,
  3. Broccoli, garlic, lemon zest and 1/4 C Olive Oil.  Quickly saute until broccoli is bright in color, then add,
  4. Lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste
  5. Drain pasta {reserve a little bit of pasta water} and add it to the broccoli in the cast iron pan. Toss pasta with the broccoli & sunflower seed mixture.
  6. If using, add Parmesiano Regiano, and if too dry for your taste additional Olive Oil and/or reserved pasta water.

Oh, and just in case you are wondering our children like this meal as well :) - actually a lot....






Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Tropical Shrimp Skewers with Coconut Rice {Guest Post by Cindy's Recipes and Writings}

Today I welcome my friend Cindy from Cindy's Recipes and Writings to The Not So Cheesy. I cannot wait to give this dish a try. Thank you so much for making in a dairy free dish for all of us to enjoy :) Now please read own....Thank you, Cindy! 

I'm so exciting to be guest posting for Bea today! I met Bea through Sunday Supper and got to know her, her girls and their diet restrictions through her wonderful blog and recipes. I'm a professional cook and recipe developer. I work at a women's college where a lot of the girls have diet restrictions and I know it can be a challenge to offer variety on a daily basis.

I'd love if you stop by my blog sometime and say hello! http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com

Hope you're having a great time, Bea!

Tropical Shrimp Skewers with Coconut Rice

These Tropical Shrimp Skewers are fast and easy and this creamy rice uses coconut milk. You'll never miss the dairy. Thread the skewers a few hours ahead to save time. If using bamboo skew
ers soak them in water 10 minutes before using on the grill to prevent fire. This sounds like a no brainer, but you would be surprised at how many people scorch their food or worse when skewers catch fire!

Ingredients

  •  1lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined 
  •  1 cup pineapple chunks, cut in 1-inch pieces 
  •  1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes 
  •  1/2 red and/or green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces 
  • 1/4 medium red onion cut into 1-inch pieces 
  •  1/2 cup orange juice
  •  1/2 cup brown sugar 
  •  1/4 tsp. salt 
  •  1 Tbsp. orange zest 
  •  1/4 cup toasted coconut Coconut Rice 
  •  1 cup rice 1 cup coconut milk 
  •  1 cup water 
  •  1 Tbsp. coconut oil 
  •  2 Tbsp. shredded baking coconut 
  •  Salt to taste 


 Combine rice, coconut milk, water, coconut, oil and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Check about halfway through to see if you need to add a little more water since the coconut milk tends to thicken fast when cooking. Keep warm until skewers are grilled. 

Make your glaze.
 In a 1-quart saucepan, combine orange juice, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling while stirring until sauce is reduced to about 1/2 the volume, approximately 10-12 minutes. Divide glaze into 2 equal portions. Reserve one portion as a condiment for cooked shrimp.

 Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Spray grill lightly with cooking spray.

 Thread skewer through thickest part of shrimp, alternate between tomato, pineapple and pepper and onion to fill skewer. Be careful not to overlap shrimp and vegetables.

 Place on grill and cook about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Brush with glaze during the last few minutes of cooking time and cook until shrimp are opaque. Discard leftover cooking glaze used for grilling.

 Serve over rice or on the side. Sprinkle with orange zest and toasted coconut. Drizzle with reserved glaze if desired.