Japanese Style Chicken Curry
Japanese-Style Chicken Curry (Wafuu Chicken Curry)
Serves 4
Free of: gluten and all top allergens
Wafuu Chicken Curry is a very popular weeknight meal in Japan. It’s mild, and richly comforting. The combo of potatoes and apples makes it a great fall recipe, and the mild slightly sweet flavor is a big hit with kids.
Traditional ingredients used in this recipe often contain soy, gluten/wheat, peanut, and sometimes bonito flakes (fish). I’ve replaced these allergens with delicious allergen-free substitutions, without the slightest sacrifice to flavor.
Feel free to double this recipe so you have leftovers throughout the week, as it only gets better on days two and three!
4 cups chicken broth (look for allergen-safe brands)
3-inch square piece Kombu seaweed
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tbsp canola oil, divided
1½ cups diced yellow onion
2 tsp finely minced or grated fresh ginger
2 tsp finely minced garlic
2 tbsp curry powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp brown rice flour (preferably superfine)
2 tbsp crushed tomatoes
2 tsp apple cider vinegar, divided
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
1½ Fuji apples, peeled, cored and roughly grated (1 cup)
2 tsp honey
4 cups cooked white rice
1. Combine chicken broth and Kombu in a medium pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Generously season chicken with salt and pepper. Add 2 tbsp oil to a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. Once oil is just starting to shimmer, add chicken and cook, stirring often, until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and transfer chicken to a plate.
3. Return pan to stove, reduce heat to medium-high, and add remaining 2 tbsp oil. Add onion, ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until onions are starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add curry powder and cayenne, and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Sprinkle in the brown rice flour, and cook, stirring continuously, until browned and aromatic, about 2 minutes.
4. Remove pan from heat and add ½ cup broth, stirring vigorously to combine. Add two more ½ cups broth, stirring vigorously after each addition, and incorporating any browned bits from bottom of the pan.
5. Return pan to heat, remove Kombu, and add remaining chicken broth, crushed tomatoes and 1 tsp cider vinegar. Stir well to combine, scraping up remaining browned bits from bottom of pan.
6. Add carrots, potatoes, reserved chicken, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and loosely cover. Cook at a slow simmer, stirring often, for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender when pricked with a fork.
7. Add shredded apple, honey, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar and a big pinch of salt. Stir well and loosely cover. Continue to cook at a slow simmer for 15 minutes, or until the apples have melted into the curry, and the potatoes and carrots are really tender.
8. Serve over steamed rice.
Japanese-Style Chicken Curry (Wafuu Chicken Curry) © 2013 by Cybele Pascal
This recipe first appeared in the Fall 2013 issue of Allergic Living Magazine
Allergy Free French Apple Cake
French Apple Cake is a rich tasting healthy cake that is wonderful for teatime, as a seasonal dessert, or perfect for celebratory brunches. I’ve whipped up a gluten-free, vegan, and top 8 allergen-free version that will knock your socks off. Allergy-Free French Apple Cake is one of my new favorites, and as apple season comes into full swing, I hope it will be one of yours’ too!
The key to this cake is precooking the apples for 3 minutes in the microwave. This ensures you’ll have tender apples without them releasing too much moisture into your cake.
Allergy-Free French Apple Cake
Serves 8 to 10
prep time: 20 minutes
bake time: 60 minutes
2 large granny smith or other large baking apples (1 lb), peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, and sliced 1/8th inch thick crosswise
2 teaspoons brandy (Calvados if you have it)
¾ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend or my Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix
½ teaspoon xanthan or guar gum
1 Tablespoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening
¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup plus 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
4 ½ teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 6 Tablespoons rice milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup rice milk
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Grease a 9-inch springform pan, sprinkle with a little gluten-free flour mix, tapping out any extra, and place prepared pan onto baking sheet.
2. Place apple slices in a microwave-safe pie plate, cover and microwave 3 minutes until apples are slightly tender and pliable, toss with brandy and lemon juice, and set aside on a wire cooling rack to cool.
3. Whisk together flour mix, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine shortening, light brown sugar, and ½ cup of the granulated sugar. Mix on medium-high speed for 1 minute, or until fluffy. Whisk egg replacer with 6 Tablespoons rice milk, till frothy.
5. Add egg replacer and vanilla extract, and mix for 20 seconds.
6. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in one-third of the flour, mixing for 15 seconds.
7. Add half the rice milk, mixing for 20 seconds.
8. Beat in half the remaining flour, then the remaining rice milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
9. Scoop out 1 1/3 cups of the batter and set aside.
10. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold cooled apple slices into the remaining batter. Transfer to the prepared springform pan, smoothing batter evenly to edges of pan.
11. Top with the reserved batter, using an offset spatula or rubber spatula to smooth batter evenly to edges of pan. Sprinkle top evenly with the remaining 1 Tablespoon of granulated sugar.
12. Bake in center of oven until top is golden and pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer cake pan to a wire cooling rack. Let cool about 10 minutes, then run a butter or pairing knife around the sides of the pan, and let cool completely, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve. Store covered with a cake dome at room temperature. May be reheated at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes the following day to freshen and be served warm.
Allergy-Free French Apple Cake © 2012 by Cybele Pascal Photos by Stephen Scott Gross
(Please note that all my recipes are completely free of all top allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, shellfish, and gluten), so as many people as possible can enjoy them. Additionally, all the ingredients are available atWhole Foods, and online at Amazon.com. If you have trouble finding something, let me know and I’ll help you find it.)
SAFETY NOTE: Because each person’s food sensitivity and reaction is unique, ranging from mild intolerance to life-threatening and severe food allergies, it is up to the consumer to monitor ingredients and manufacturing conditions. If manufacturing conditions, potential cross contact between foods, and ingredient derivatives pose a risk for you, please re-read all food labels and call the manufacturer to confirm potential allergen concerns before consumption. Ingredients and manufacturing practices can change overnight and without warning.
Last minute Allergy Free Dessert for Thanksgiving: Cranberry Apple Crisp
Maybe you still haven’t gotten together a pie for Thanksgiving (like me!), or perhaps you already have leftover cranberry sauce. Here is an easy-peasy seasonal dessert. Cranberries and apples pair perfectly in this delicious, old-fashioned recipe. Homey, fruity and simple to make, it’s the ideal dessert for Turkey Day or the days thereafter.
CRANBERRY APPLE CRISP
SERVES 6-8
6 firm, tart apples (like Granny Smith)
1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
1 cup brown sugar, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1½ cups whole berry cranberry sauce
1¼ cups Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend, or my Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix, or gluten-free All-Purpose Flour Blend of choice
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
1/8th teaspoon salt
1 cup gluten-free old-fashioned oats
½-¾ cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 7×11-inch pan or an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish.
2. Peel, core and slice apples into ¼ inch-thick slices. Toss with ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ cup brown sugar and cornstarch. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
3. Spread cranberry sauce evenly over top of apples.
4. Measure flour by spooning it into a dry measuring cup, leveling it with a straightedge or back of a knife and then pouring it into a mixing bowl. Add xanthan gum, salt, oats, the remaining ¾ cup brown sugar and remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Mix to combine.
5. Melt shortening (30-60 seconds in the microwave usually does it). Drizzle it into the flour mixture, a little at a time, tossing until you have a large crumb. Spread crumb evenly over top of fruit. Use your fingers to clump it together as necessary.
6. Place in preheated oven and bake 40 minutes until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling up around edges. Let rest about 30 minutes before serving.
*TIP For a slightly drier crumb topping (and for those watching calories), use ½ cup shortening. For a “buttery” crumb topping, use ¾ cup shortening.
Cranberry Apple Crisp © 2010 by Cybele Pascal
Please note that all my recipes are completely free of all top allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, shellfish, and gluten), so as many people as possible can enjoy them. Additionally, all the ingredients are available at Whole Foods, and online at Amazon.com. If you have trouble finding something, let me know and I’ll help you find it.
SAFETY NOTE: Because each person’s food sensitivity and reaction is unique, ranging from mild intolerance to life-threatening and severe food allergies, it is up to the consumer to monitor ingredients and manufacturing conditions. If manufacturing conditions, potential cross contact between foods, and ingredient derivatives pose a risk for you, please re-read all food labels and call the manufacturer to confirm potential allergen concerns before consumption. Ingredients and manufacturing practices can change overnight and without warning.