Beef Negimaki (I'm back!)

Oh, my poor, neglected GF blog! I know I promised a recipe and a documentation of my Disney eating. I am so sorry. I misplaced my Disney journal and won't be able to write about my dining experiences until I relocate it. I will post that someday. Sigh.

I haven't been blogging for many reasons, but the main one is that I have been following a very strict (and some say controversial) diet plan. I have been blogging about it if you want to take a look. I have been using HCG and a very low calorie (and still GF) diet to burn the bad, stored fat on my body. Think of the HCG diet plan as you will, but it is working for me! I have lost 32 lbs and less than 3 lbs of that is lean muscle mass. That is incredible because even on "sensible" weight loss plans you usually see at least 20% of the weight lost is actually lean muscle mass.

Okay, enough about all of that. Here is great new recipe that I use as an entree, but makes a great appetizer or hors d'oeuvre for a cocktail party. It uses slices of sandwich roast beef. Make sure yours is GF (Hormel has one, or more natural is Applegate Farms, either in the deli section or prepackaged in the meat and cheese section).

------------------------------------
Beef Negimaki (adapted from Sandra Lee at Food Network, edited 5.25.10)

12 slices of gluten free roast beef (about 1/8 inch thick and 4x6 inches)
12-36 asparagus spears
3 green onions or scallions
GF teriyaki sauce (below)

Preheat the grill, grill pan, broiler or Foreman grill.

Cut each green onion in half lengthwise, then cut each length in half into 2 pieces, about 4 inches long. I like the white part of the onion best so I used 6 onions, sliced in half lengthwise and 4 inches long, but mostly the white part. Set aside.

Remove woody ends of asparagus spears so that just 4-6 inches of the floret end remains. Set aside.

For this next part you can either dip the slices of roast beef in the teriyaki sauce or you can brush it on. Lay out beef slices on a work surface, like tall rectangles. Brush one side with teriyaki if you did not dip them. Place a piece of onion and 2-3 pieces of asparagus across the bottom of the beef rectangles. Roll each portion tightly into a cylinder; secure each portion with 1 or 2 toothpicks.

Brush each roll with teriyaki sauce, if you did not dip the beef before rolling.

If using a Foreman grill you will cook the rolls for just 3 minutes. If using a grill, grill pan or broiler you want to cook for 3 minutes, then turn over and baste each portion again with teriyaki sauce. Cook for another 3 minutes.

Serve immediately.

-----------------------------

GF Teriyaki Sauce

This is great for more than just the Negimaki. We like it for chicken and pork as well.

1/4 C mirin (Japanese rice cooking wine)
1/4 C GF low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs rice vinegar (I use lightly seasoned)
1 Tbs dark sesame oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
dash cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together. This made enough sauce to dip 12 slices of roast beef. I had enough left over that I tossed extra asparagus in it before I cooked it on the grill also.

If you are using this to marinate raw meat, do not reuse it.

Glad to be back. Will try to be more regular, but I do have a few more days on my HCG diet.

Enjoy,
Amy

Gluten Free Stuffed Mushrooms

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner. It was simple and somewhat traditional. Well, traditional for my family; your traditions are probably different and that is what I love about family traditions. I served a natural, free-range turkey, gravy (thanks for the help Gluten Free Girl and Chef!), mashed potatoes, and veggies (Brussels sprouts, asparagus).

And, instead of stuffing this year, I made stuffed mushrooms. Wow! They were tasty fine! I adapted the recipe from Ina Garten and they were a big hit. They would be a great appetizer to take to a party this holiday season (or anytime) .

Ina had originally marinated her mushrooms in Marsala and olive oil. She suggested that sherry would sub for the Marsala, but upon smelling my sherry, I decided that wouldn't work for my group. I used my favorite Italian vinaigrette (Garlic Expressions Classic Vinaigrette) with fantastic results. The mushrooms were tasty just with that.

Ina also called for marscarpone cheese which may not always be easy to find. I did use marscarpone, but you could substitute 1/2 part cream cheese + 1/2 part sour cream to get the right consistency.

Gluten Free Stuffed Mushrooms

16-20 large white or brown mushrooms
1/2 C GF Italian vinaigrette (I used Garlic Lovers, but any light colored Italian would work)
12 oz Italian sausage (hot or sweet)
1/4 C minced green onions (white and green parts)
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 to 2/3 C GF plain breadcrumbs (I toasted a piece of bread and processed it into crumbs)
5 oz marscarpone cheese
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Clean the mushrooms with a dry brush or paper towel (do not wash them!). Remove the stems and finely chop. Set aside.

Place mushroom caps in a large bowl and toss with vinaigrette. Set aside to marinate.

Saute sausage over medium heat, breaking up and crumbling until browned, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in chopped mushroom stems and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add in the garlic and green onions and continue to saute for 2-3 more minutes. Add the GF breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Add the marscarpone and continue cooking until it melts into the mixture, making it creamy. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly. At this point add in the Parmesan cheese. You do this off heat so the stuffing mixture doesn't stick to the pan too much. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Allow to cool until you are comfortable handling it for stuffing into the mushroom caps. Fill each one with as much stuffing as possible. Arrange the stuffed caps in a baking dish (I used my large lasagna pan). These should be a tight, single layer. Bake until the stuffing is browned, 35-40 minutes.

Yummy! Enjoy!

Amazing Avacado Dip

This dip is soooo delicious. Amongst my friends it is known as THE Dip or Da Dip.

Every time I take it to a party I make a triple batch and it always disappears. It is sort of like guacamole...but not. Think guacamole with a Mediterranean make-over. It has the earthy creaminess from the avocados, an acidic tang from the tomatoes and vinegar, a salty-sour note from the feta, zip from the onion and garlic and a final harmonious note from the oregano.

I used to enjoy it with pita chips, but it is equally good with corn chips. Make some for your next holiday event and watch everyone swooon.

This recipe is for a single batch and I have to laugh because a) I haven't followed the recipe in ages as it is memorized and b) I always double or triple this amount.



The Dip

1 avocado, diced
2 Roma tomatoes diced (any low-juice tomato will work)
1/4 C chopped purple onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 oz. crumbled feta

Put it all together!!! Have your bag of chips handy because now you need to adjust for taste. This is the hard part: taste, adjust, taste, adjust (you get the idea). I frequently find myself adding a little more vinegar. I don't find this needs salt as it gets plenty from the feta.

If you prefer your avocado chunky, be very gentle when mixing. If you want more of a guacamole consistency, stir with reckless abandon. :)

Enjoy!

Walnut Spread for Veggies

With the holidays coming I have started thinking of the dips I will be taking to all the parties and gatherings. In the next few entries I will share recipes for a couple of bean dips that work really well with veggies and an amazing avocado number that always disappears.

In this post I have included the recipe for a walnut bean spread made with fresh basil. It is so delicious and it is vegan. It is a great dip to bring to a party with a tray of veggie sticks (be sure to label that it contains walnuts). I use it regularly with veggie sticks. I don't love veggies; I eat them because I am an adult and I should. This dip even makes some of my least favorite raw veggies tasty.



Walnut Spread
1 14.5 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 C chopped walnuts
1 C lightly packed fresh basil leaves (fresh is crucial)
1/4 C olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ea salt and pepper

Drain beans, reserving liquid. In food processor, combine 1/4 C bean liquid with remaining ingredients. Cover and process, scraping down sides and adding liquid as needed to make a smooth mixture. Store in refrigerator 4-5 days (I have kept it for almost 2 weeks as walnuts are a natural preservative).

Yields approximately 2 Cups.



I am certain you can substitute another nut for the walnuts. I love walnuts and I grew up with close family friends that owned nut orchards. I spent many long summer days playing in the orchards as a child. I have never tried to sub the walnuts because the flavors in the recipe blend so well together; the walnuts do not take over. I look forward to hearing about the results if you try something else.

Frosted Tomatoes

You just have to try these! They are incredibly easy to make for a very impressive dish. I experienced these at a cocktail party and it took tomatoes to a whole new level of yummy for me.

Most cooks know that a little sugar can really enhance tomatoes by neutralizing their acidity and enhancing their natural sweetness. Salt on tomatoes is pure heaven. Combine the two and make that an herbal salt blend and you have an amazing taste experience.

Are you ready for the recipe?
Frosted Tomatoes

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
2 Tbsp sugar (yes, granulated sugar)
2 Tbsp Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt

Mix the sugar and salt in a small bowl. Rinse the tomatoes and put into a medium bowl. While the tomatoes are still moist, sprinkle the sugar and salt over them. Toss a few times to coat. Spread on a cookie sheet, piece of parchment, a platter, whatever you have to spread them out so they can dry. The sugar and salt stick better this way. Serve with toothpicks if you are having them as an hors d'oeuvre.

And yes, Jane's is gluten-free. I contacted the company to verify.

Enjoy!!