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
Brassicas: Cooking the world’s healthiest vegetables by Laura B. Russell
Romanesco Summer Salad
Laura B. Russell has done it again! Yup, that’s right, she’s made me drool. Her new book Brassicas is stunning, sumpteous, and best of all, user-friendly. I will, without a doubt, be cooking my way from cover to cover.
It’s been quite awhile since a cookbook’s jacket copy has inspired my heart to skip a beat. And so it did, when I flipped to read about what awaited me in the pages of Brassicas. I had known that Laura was working on an all-vegetable cookbook, and had filed that somewhere in the back of my mind as interesting (and something to look forward to). After all, I was a fan of her first cookbook The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen. But I had no idea how excited I would be when this cookbook finally graced my table. If you are a fan of cruciferous and other brassicas veggies, you too will feel like this book was written especially for you. It’s a veritable candy shop for those who like their greens. It’s a celebration of the world’s healthiest vegetables, of their boundless potential and rich natural flavors. From the inherent sweetness coaxed out of brussels sprouts (see recipe for Charred Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Fig Glaze below) to the peppery zip of arugula and watercress salads, to the creaminess of Cauliflower Hummus, this book will take you on a journey through the wonders of brassicas, superfoods of the vegetable kingdom.
Featuring 80 recipes, Brassicas is chock-full of simple sides, salads, breakfast dishes, soups, snacks and even smoothies. Veggies aren’t just for balancing out your plate at supper, they are to be featured, as highlights, all day long. In addition to one knock-out recipe after another, Brassicas is also structured in my favorite format for cookbooks: chapters are devoted to a single vegetable or class of brassicas.
The majority of the recipes are made with recognizable and easy-to-find brassicas like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and brussels sprouts, which is a plus for shoppers. But for those wanting a little exotic variety, there are gorgeous recipes for broccoli rabe, kohlrabi, mizuna, and collards, just to name a few. I, for one, am always looking for ways to introduce new foods to my family. And, I’ll venture to say, this is a book full of superfoods that will inspire even professed veggie-haters to gobble up what’s on their plates. Look at the glorious Romanesco Summer Salad picture, featured above. I’m sure I can convince my two boys to eat this simply based upon its other worldly resemblance to dinosaur tails. Fun food! And my husband? With its nod to Italian al fresco dining, that’s one romantic looking plate!
For those with dietary restrictions, please note that all of the recipes are gluten-free. Laura has also included a “Special Diets Table”, for identifying major food allergens. Many recipes are naturally allergy-friendly, and for those containing a major allergen, many can be made allergen-free with a substitution, as identified on this table. The two recipes I feature below are gluten-free and free of all Top 8 Allergens.
Brassicas is available for pre-order now and wherever books are sold on April 8, 2014.
Romanesco Summer Salad
Serves 4
Although vibrant lime green Romanesco (sometimes called broccoli Romanesco or Romanesco cauliflower) looks like the love child of cauliflower and broccoli, it is actually closer to cauliflower in terms of taste and how it is used. Its color is fantastic in this lively salad, though you can definitely use white cauliflower if that’s all you can find. Cook the Romanesco just long enough to take away the raw bite, 2 to 3 minutes tops. Normally I would suggest plunging the florets into ice water to halt the cooking immediately, but introducing extra water here will mute the flavor and dilute the dressing. Instead, cook them fast and then spread them on a baking sheet so they cool quickly.
1 cup water
1 medium Romanesco or regular cauliflower, cored and cut into bite-size florets (about 5 cups)
2 teaspoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt (divided)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1⁄2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1⁄3 cup chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons drained capers, coarsely chopped
In a large pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat. (If you have a steamer insert, put it in the pot to hold the Romanesco. If you don’t have one, don’t worry about it.) Add the Romanesco, cover the pot, turn down the heat to medium, and steam for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Romanesco to a rimmed baking sheet or clean kitchen towel, spreading it in a single layer, to cool.
In a small bowl, to make the vinaigrette, whisk together the mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly with a fork to form an emulsified vinaigrette.
Put the Romanesco in a serving bowl. Add the bell pepper, onion, dill, capers, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the vinaigrette and toss gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. It will keep well for several hours. Just before serving, taste and add more salt if needed.
Charred Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Fig Glaze
Serves 4
Nothing tastes better with Brussels sprouts than cured pork, which is why I unapologetically offer you recipes that flavor sprouts with both pancetta and bacon (page 61). Here, the salty pancetta plays well with the sweetness from the fig jam, and you can finish the dish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar to add a tangy note (see variations). I found fig jam near the grocery store’s cheese counter (not in the jams and jellies aisle), but you could also try apricot or peach jam instead. You may want to add a touch more jam than I suggest, but strive for a subtle sweetness rather than a cloying, sticky mess.
3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
3 to 4 ounces pancetta, diced
11⁄2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (or quartered if large) through the stem end (about 6 cups)
1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons fig jam
1 tablespoon water
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a large (12 inches or wider) frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a small bowl. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the Brussels sprouts, keeping them in a single layer as much as possible. Having a few extra sprouts is fine, but if they are mounded in a pile, they will not brown or cook evenly. If necessary, use a larger pan, cook them in two batches, or pull out the extra for another use. Stir in the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are tender and well browned—even charred in spots. If the sprouts are browning too quickly, lower the heat to medium.
Add the fig jam and the water and stir until the jam melts and coats the Brussels sprouts. Add the reserved pancetta and the pepper and stir to combine. Taste and add additional salt or pepper if needed. Serve warm.
Variations For a sweet, salty, tangy version, add a drizzle (a teaspoon or less) of balsamic vinegar at the end. Aged balsamic is an especially good choice. Although I prefer pancetta here (I like its unsmoked rich pork
flavor), you can use bacon in its place.
Recipes reprinted with permission from Brassicas by Laura B. Russell (Ten Speed Press, © 2014). Photo credit: Sang An.
Allergy Friendly Pad Thai
Allergy-Friendly Pad Thai
(Gluten-Free and Top 8 Allergen-Free)
Serves 2
Pad Thai used to be one of my favorite foods, until my allergies to fish, shellfish, and wheat blew up. In fact, in its traditional form, this is one of the world’s most allergenic foods since it contains wheat/gluten, soy, fish, shellfish, eggs, and peanuts.
Not one to be daunted, I decided it was time to conquer this amazing dish, and make it allergy-friendly for us Thai food lovers with food allergies.
This recipe serves two, which is the recommended way to make Pad Thai because cooking a larger batch will make for mushy, clumpy noodles. If you want to double the recipe, you will need to cook the sauce a bit longer than 20 minutes to reduce it, and you will need to cook the Pad Thai in two batches for best results.
Sauce Ingredients
½ cup beef broth [allergy-friendly brand such as KITCHEN BASICS]
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth [allergy-friendly brand such as KITCHEN BASICS]
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder [try Spicely Organics, which are allergy-friendly]
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp tamarind paste
3 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
½ tsp Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
Main Ingredients
4 oz rice stick (pad Thai noodles)
2 tbsp canola oil
8 oz chicken breast, or pork, or beef, sliced into ¼-inch thick strips, seasoned with a little salt
1 cup chopped green onion, white and green parts divided
3 cloves finely minced garlic (1 tbsp)
1 1/3 cups bean sprouts, divided
½ cup roasted sunflower seeds, chopped, divided
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup carrots, shredded or cut into match sticks
lime wedges
1. Combine beef broth, chicken broth, garlic, and Chinese five-spice powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Now add salt, lemon juice and lime juice, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered 20 minutes until reduced to ¼ cup. Strain broth through a strainer or fine sieve, using the back of a spoon to push garlic juices through.
2. Return to the pot, add tamarind paste, palm sugar and Sriracha (if using). Stir over low heat, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Put noodles in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over noodles to cover completely. Use tongs to stir noodles a couple times. Let soak 4 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cool water. Set aside.
4. Heat a non-stick or well seasoned wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the canola oil and heat until almost smoking, swirl around wok, then add the chicken. Cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
5. Add the remaining tablespoon of canola oil to the wok. Add ½ cup of the green onions and the garlic to the wok, and cook stirring about 10-15 seconds. Do not burn the garlic.
6. Add remaining ingredients in the following order, and toss after each addition: noodles, 3 tablespoons of the sauce, chicken, 1 cup of the bean sprouts, and ¼ cup of the sunflower seeds. Season with a little salt. Toss everything until heated through but no longer than 1-2 minutes. Using two utensils will make tossing a lot easier!
7. Transfer to a serving platter and serve garnished with the remaining ½ cup of green onions, cilantro, the remaining 1/3 cup of bean sprouts, the carrots, the remaining ¼ cup of sunflower seeds, and a few lime wedges.
Pad Thai Tips
• While making your sauce, prep all your other ingredients except the noodles.
• “Chopping” sunflower seeds: Put the seeds in a ziplock bag and bang a few times with a rolling pin or a mallet. Attempting to chop these seeds with a knife is a losing battle.
• To mix evenly and cook through, use two large spatulas or spoons to toss the Pad Thai as you’re cooking it.
• Read the recipe through before making it, so you are ready to add ingredients to the wok quickly.
Allergy-Friendly Pad Thai © 2013 by Cybele Pascal
This recipe first appeared in the Spring 2013 issue of Allergic Living Magazine