Rebecca Weger

I’m sort of in trouble.  And its not that this sort of thing hasn’t happened before. A friend messaged me this morning asking for a recipe for a dish she had previously enjoyed at my home. I thought I’d used a recipe from a cookbook, but now that I’m looking at it I’m sure I didn’t.  I am certain I can recreate something similar, but I’m doomed if she actually wants measurements.  Except… I apparently wrote a version down a little over a year ago for some friends. But that was using a totally different method of preparation and a bigger pot.

So, for Cassie, here’s an attempt at a recipe for my really, really good beef stew.  Now, in a crockpot. My crockpot is 5.5Q.  Adjust down on some bulky ingredients like potatoes and carrots if your crockpot is smaller.

Beef Stew
Yes, its a crockpot recipe, but it is greatly enhanced by starting off at the stove. You can skip all the stove-based steps if you like, just add those ingredients directly to the crockpot.

Dredge 1 lb stew beef with salt, pepper, thyme, sage, celery salt and flour.
Brown meat in heavy pan with olive oil

Sweat/caramelize 2 mediumish diced onions and 4 cloves of diced garlic  in the pan over low heat while prepping all following ingredients.  Deglaze with red wine as needed.

Prepare:

• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 3 potatoes, cubed (add an extra if they are particularly small).  I rarely peel them.
• 2-3 large carrots, sliced or half moons.  I rarely peel them.

Turn crockpot on low.

• Place celery, potatoes and carrots in crockpot
• Add 1/4 – 1/2 cup tomato sauce OR some tomato paste
• Add onions and garlic from stove.
• Add browned beef.
• Add cooking liquid.  Perhaps 2 cans of beef broth and some red wine.  My goal is to cover all the other ingredients, and have the crockpot at 75-85% full.
• Pepper, sage, thyme to taste.  Add a bay leaf or two if you like.

Put the lid on and set the crockpot for 8-12 hours on low.  I find that you can usually cut the low times in half to cook on high.
Near the end of cooking, add 1/2 bag frozen peas and cook until they are defrosted and warm.

Add more spices if needed.  Crockpot cooking can really rob them of their flavor and you will need more than you usually use.
Thicken with slurry from 3T tapioca flour (or potato starch flour, or regular flour)

*Choose your broth/stock/bouillion/wine with a bit of thought.  It will really impact your final flavors.

The only part of this I can take credit for are the cupcakes, but this was one amazing dinner. Every gathering has its traditions and specialties, those fabulous dishes and immeasurable hours and love expended. This one was a bit special for a few reasons. A big reason is that every item in this picture was gluten free.

I spent Thanksgiving dinner with some old friends, and two of us are gluten-free. Our hostess went to above and beyond to orchestrate a meal where we could eat everything on the table. The turducken was a masterpiece that had three layers of fillings: potatoes, wild rice, and gluten free cornbread stuffing. Our hostess made the cornbread by hand, and she and her dad assembled the birds at 4:00 am.

She also took a crack at two gluten free pies – making the crusts from scratch. Sadly, I didn’t get to try any tonight because I had already hit carbohydrate coma. In part because I wanted to try my own dessert creation: pumpkin cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting. The original recipe came from Smitten Kitchen, and I adapted it to be gluten free and a little less sugary. Specifically:

• Used gluten free flour (using Analise Roberts’ rice flour blend recipe
• Added 3/4 t xanthan gum
• Eliminated 1/3 c granulated sugar
• Reduced pumpkin to 1 c
• For the frosting I added some vanilla and a little bit more maple syrup
• The tops were dusted with cinnamon

I don’t have an 18 cup cupcake pan so I improvised.  12 full size cupcakes plus 17 minis (which were baked for a little less time).  I enjoy my sweets in small portions, so the minis are always a great option for me.  I made the cupcakes themselves last night and frosted them this afternoon.

The cupcakes were extremely moist and cakey, with well-balanced flavors.  The frosting was almost like having cheesecake on top.  They will most certainly be in my holiday recipe arsenal going forward, and are certainly on that list of foods that gluten eaters will never suspect as being anything other than “normal.”

I was flipping around on TV and saw  Claire on 5 Ingredient Fix.  The premise is simple and brilliant – all her recipes have 5 ingredients or less.  As I wandered over to her website I realized just how appealing that sort of a simple meal form real ingredients is.  While I haven’t tried any of her recipes yet, I did decide to focus on something simple and packed with flavor: chili.

Chili: 11/22/2009

This chili is especially remarkable for me because it might be the first time I’ve ever made chili with meat in it.  I was looking for something particularly hearty and flavorful and used some grass fed ground beef from RK Farms. The result was just what I was looking for.  The heat was perfect, developing into something deep and consistent, without being overwhelming.

• 1 lb ground beef, sauteed
• 1-2 onions, chopped, sauteed
• 3 T minced garlic, sauteed
• 1 28 oz can of Muir Glen organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can organic pinto beans
• 2 T ground cumin
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 t salt

Cook in a large pot,over medium low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring periodically

Top with grated sharp cheddar cheese

I made some simple gluten-free drop biscuits to go with.

I’m continuing my Crockpot experiments on the weekends as I have time.  Today, I needed some comfort food.  Something warm, creamy, simple and delicious.  Macaroni and cheese.

I’m using Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking as a reference for this experiment.  The book is based on Stephanie O’Dea’s website and I looked there for additional guidance.  Apparently, her recipe garnered mixed reviews, but it seemed like the right place to start.  Here’s what I did:

Spray Crockpot with cooking spray

In a bowl, combine:

• 1 egg
• 5 c milk
• 2 t potato starch flour (cornstarch or other flour would work too)
• 1/2 t fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 2 t dried mustard
• 1/2 t onion powder
• 4 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 12 oz package Bionaturae gluten-free elbows

Pour mixture into Crockpot.  Cover, cook on high.

There were a few major themes in the comments on Stephanie’s website:

1. Curdling and separation
2. Pasta overcooking
3. Sauce too thin
4. Needing to stir regularly

I added the potato starch flour as a fisrt attempt to mitigate some of those concerns.  I started the Crockpot on high for the first 30 minutes, then stirred. Then I turned it down because I was nervous.  Stirred in another 20 minutes, when I stopped being wimpy and turned it back up to high.  Stirred at 15 more minutes. Wasn’t sure if it was too thin, so I made a quick slurry of water and 2t potato starch flour, stirred it in, and turned the heat down to warm.  I dug in a few minutes later.  I think.  It might have been closer to 1 1/2 hours total.

It was creamy and rich.  So substantive I couldn’t finish my bowl.

My friend Sierra writes a wonderful blog called “ChildWild.”  I don’t even have kids and I read it fervently.  This week she shared her 5 year-old daughter’s recipe for apples from their farm share:  Rio’s Fried Apples for Friends.  Check it out, and check out the rest of her blog while you’re there.

Inspiration, with Chicken

Inspiration struck on my walk home from work the other night.  Sliced cooked sweet potatoes. Sliced avocado.  Cooked chicken, shredded.  Onions lightly sauteed. Drizzled with a terriyaki-ish sauce.  It was delish.

I had forgotten how far a simple sauce could go to tie things together and give some zest.  I rarely measure anything, but here’s my basic methodology:

Use a small, heavy bottom pan.

• Gluten-free tamari (I used San-J)
• Mirin (sweet rice cooking wine)
• Juice ( I had Naked Mango Smoothie on hand, but have used orange juice in the past)
• Powdered ginger

Cook over low heat until liquid is reduced to 2/3 or 1/2

Today was overflowing with food goodness – only some of which got its portrait taken.  Breakfast this morning was nothing to write home about except that it didn’t break the bank and Joseph’s pancakes were enormous.  Let’s just skip ahead to the cupcakes.

I’d read about Babycakes, and seen their cookbook. Reading has nothing on biting into vegan gluten-free cupcakes.  This afternoon I had a pumpkin cupcake.  This evening, I had a chocolate one in bed.  Joseph had banana chocolate chip bread, and a cinnamon toasty.  I heard “good,” “tasty,” and “mmmff.”  They were a little heavier and more dense than the cupcakes I make, but mine aren’t vegan on top of being gluten-free.  I also didn’t have to make these.

For lunch we walked up to S’Mac, short for Sarita’s Macaroni and Cheese.  Their menu was amazing. We both ordered gluten-free versions (available for an extra charge for any of their dishes).  Joseph had the Parisienne, “Mac-n-Cheese for the “upper crust”. Creamy Brie, roasted figs, roasted shiitake mushrooms & fresh rosemary. It’s addictive!”  I went for the basic All-American, “Just the way you remember it as a kid! Nostalgia at its finest – a tasty blend of American & Cheddar cheeses.”  The All-American was perfect.  I declined the gluten-free breadcrumbs option and just focused on gooey, creamy, baked goodness at my place in a cast iron skillet.  The Parisienne was remarkable.  The tast combination was complex and compelling, although I found it bordering on too intense and a bit too sweet. Joseph, however, felt it hit just the spot.

I was tired come evening, so we headed back to the hotel and over for a quick bite at Mozzarelli’s.  It was basically a glorified take-out joint with a few tables that were being cleaned and put away for the night just as we sat down.  The pizza was quite good.  Theyserve both gluten and gluten-free food, but carefully use different pans, different equipment.  I’ve had Uno’s gluten-free pizza on two occassions in two different cities.  This was better than either.  The secret is probably in the flour.  Mozzarelli’s makes their crust with garbanzo flour, pinto bean flour and rice flour.  That gives it that bit of nuttiness that always helps fill the gluten-free taste gap on foods that rely so intensely on the flavor of wheat.  My suspicion if that Uno’s uses mostly, if not entirely, rice flour.

Afterward we had a drink in a lovely dark bar with tin ceilings, wooden tables, and a strange playlist.  It was our cue to leave when Billy Ocean came on.  That’s when I came back to the hotel and had that chocolate cupcake.  In bed.

I’ve had quite a number of homes over the years.  Today I landed back in NYC for the first time in five years.  I lived here for two years in the mid to late 90s and I miss it regularly.  It still feels like home.  We arrived late this afternoon and decided to head right for comfort food.

Dinner was at my favorite Japanese restaurant, Marumi.  I’m not enough of a connoisseur to claim I can tell the “best” Japanese food or “best” sushi.  But it is for sure my favorite.  Partly, its the memories.  I ate my first Japanese food here with a former roommate of mine.  She was an exchange student from Seol, and took me out as a hospitality gift.  I ate many meals here in graduate school when I lived just a block away.  Hot mustard, wasabi and a bottle of Saporo got me through a few bad colds and a flu one year.  Then there were the nights I sat at the sushi bar cramming the last few pages of reading in before my next class.  Or the memory of my mom’s first attempt at salad with chopsticks.

Joseph gamely ordered my two favorite dishes that I can no longer eat:  fried shumai with hot mustard, and yaki udon (now with organic chicken).  I don’t believe he was at all disappointed.

I did not ask any gluten-free questions.  I travel with my own gluten-free tamari.  I settled in with a bowl of chilled edamame and some sushi.  The salmon avocado sushi simply melted in my mouth.  We shared a bottle of sake.

After dinner we took a walk through the village and stumbled on Varsano’s Chocolate.  Having already gorged myself on sushi, a couple of cocoa truffles was more than enough for dessert. The discovery of an actuall bathtub in our hotel led to a brief detour by LUSH for the purchase of a bubble bar (there will be a full-on shopping excursion before the weekend is over) and we were back at our hotel.

A pretty good start to a few day getaway.