From the Field to the Table Brown Rice Spirals in Tomato Sauce with Cauliflower, Olives, and Capers August 30, 2010

Today, I share a seasonal recipe from my latest cookbook, Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: Brown Rice Spirals in Tomato Sauce with Cauliflower, Olives, and Capers.

Here is a basket of tomatoes from my organic garden!

With a wealth of ripe plum tomatoes, fresh onions, garlic, you can create a wonderful tomato sauce perfect over pasta, polenta, and other whole grains. Feel free to freeze or can it, too! You will be glad you did when winter rolls around.

Brown Rice Spirals in Tomato Sauce with Cauliflower, Olives, and Capers

Serves about 8

Dulse is an unusual addition to a red sauce, but it’s tasty and also helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Substitute 1 teaspoon of sea salt for the dulse if you like, or if you don’t have any dulse on hand. For a divine meal, top this dish with grated Manchego or your favorite cheese. Of course, you can serve this sauce with any type of pasta you like, but I think it pairs well with spirals—especially the brown rice spirals made by Tinkyada. Or think outside the box and try the sauce over kasha or other cooked grains.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
7 cloves garlic, pressed, or more to taste
6 cups sliced plum tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup dulse
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup pitted whole black olives
1/4 cup capers, rinsed
1 pound brown rice spirals
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, onion, and dulse and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot and bubbling. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower, olives, and capers and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender to your liking.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a generous amount of boiling water until just tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings if you like, then pour it over the pasta and stir gently. Serve immediately.

Copyright © 2010 Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier (New Harbinger, Inc). All rights reserved. Used by permission of the publisher and author.

This recipe is so well loved that Sara Snow shared it on 2 of her blogs today as well: sarasnow.com and theorganiccenter.wordpress.com blog

Also, there is still room in my From the Field to the Table Hands-ON Organic Vegetarian cooking class at Esalen Institute Big Sur, CA:
Click here: http://webapp.esalen.org/workshops/8651

Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook gets raved reviews; Leslie Cerier on the Radio; Vegetarian Cooking Classes in September August 21, 2010

Here is the review:
“Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook is a buoyant book, one that celebrates the vast offerings of the earth in their seasonal best rather than mourn the loss of gluten-filled grains. Embracing the gluten-free, Cerier leaps joyfully into discovery, leaving gluten-filled grains in the dust without a backward glance. Should you be dealing with gluten-free for health reasons, you will feel worries melt away as you dive into Cerier’s delicious recipes. Should you merely be curious about the wide world of grains, happy discoveries lie ahead. ”

“As a teacher, Cerier knows how to teach about the new grains, and offers tips on gluten-free cooking with ease and accuracy. Her writing is so infused with both her love of life and the foods that nourish it, that it is a pleasure to read. Her knowledge would be formidable if it was not so enthusiastically shared. There are tips throughout the book, such as the secret of putting sea vegetables in the cooking water with beans to reduce gas-producing enzymes. In what may be our favorite short section, Cerier devotes a few pages to cooking with color and artistry to turn kitchen tasks into kitchen pleasures. ”

“The recipes are innovative and creative. Start the day with a “bountiful breakfast,” advises Cerier. She gives recipes for Power Porridge with Goji Berries, Oat and Raisin Muffins, Coconut Quinoa Waffles with Maca, even includes a Miso Watercress Soup – a classic breakfast in Japan. For main course suggestions Cerier offers a wide range of grains and beans recipes such as Soba with Tempeh and Broccoli in Coconut Sauce, Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Casserole, Savory Stuffed Winter Squash, Corn Grits with Sauteed Onion, Kale, and Cheddar, or a Coconut Curry Lentil and Millet Stew.”

“Listed as sides are a variety of recipes that might also serve as a main course. You will find Basmati and Wild Rice Pilaf, Coconut Jasmine Rice with Goji Berries and Shitakes, Madagascar Pink Rice with Cashews and Scallions, Bhutanese Red Rice Pilaf with Vegetables, Spiced Yams with Pecans, Tomato-Lentil Stew with Kale.”

“Cerier packs the book with sauces and toppings, often vital to grain cooking. Inspired by global discoveries, Cerier offers Russian Dressing, Italian Dressing, Moroccan Tahini Sauce, Thai Peanut Sauce. There are sauces from a Cilantro Pesto to a gourmet treat Red Wine with Porcini Sauce.”

Desserts, often the bane of the gluten-free, are included with such luscious recipes as Hazelnut Butter Cookies, Date and Coconut Cookies, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, Topless Blueberry Pie, Granny Smith Apple Crumb Pie.

Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook is a book for all seasons and for all who love good food.” Review from Diana Serbe inmamaskitchen.com

About the author: Leslie Cerier is a gourmet caterer specializing in whole foods and organic cuisine. Her robust New England based business includes custom culinary work for private clients as well as private and group cooking instruction and coaching. Cerier is a pioneer and national authority on wheat-free baking, the entire spectrum of whole grains, and cooking with wild foods. Her specialty in grains has led to her being much sought after by health professionals and private clients to help them translate challenging dietary allergy issues into culinary success and meal satisfaction. http://lesliecerier.com/leslie.html
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Please listen and enjoy my interview with the Jazzy Vegetarian, Laura Theodore, recorded August 11, 2010.

Leslie Cerier Interview with the Jazzy Vegetarian, Laura Theodore

http://lesliecerier.com/classes.html
More great news! My Vegetarian Express, Quick Meals with Whole Foods has CECs Continuing Education Credits for Dietician and Nutritionists: and of course everyone will love this hands-on cooking class: Please join me September 10-12 at Kripalu in the Berkshires:
http://www.kripalu.org/presenter/V0000625/leslie_cerier

Do Gluten-Free Like the Clintons August 8, 2010

Do it like the Clintons. Chelsea Clinton had a gluten-free wedding cake. Why gluten-free? Because millions of people are over eating gluten (wheat, rye and barley) causing migraines, indigestion, fatigue, depression among other chronic ailments. Not only people with gluten-intolerances will benefit from diversifying their diet and including a new variety of gluten-free grains. They are nutritious, delicious and fun to cook with. In fact, I am not gluten intolerant but for over twenty years have been enjoying gluten-free cooking and baking because it has given my family and me increased energy, stamina and variety in our daily meals.
Within my experimentation with gluten-free grains, I ended up creating a wealth of new combinations but I never intended to write a book about gluten-free grains. It wasn’t until I learned about all the nutritional value of my style of cooking that I realized I had something to offer on cooking for health and vitality that everyone can enjoy, gluten-intolerant or not. Gluten-free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, A Seasonal Vegetarian Cookbook, includes recipes that I created because they are delicious. After eating and serving them for years, I learned that there were many people searching for alternatives to gluten (wheat, rye and barley). The search is up. I wrote a book that features ten gluten-free grains and flours. Using corn, millet, oats, teff, rice, sorghum, buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa along with nut, seed and coconut flour, you’ll never feel deprived. With recipes like Hazelnut Brownies with Chocolate Chips, Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, Banana Cinnamon Pancakes, Corn Muffins, quinoa casseroles, lasagnas, your cooking repertoire will explode and your body will thank you for it.

Eating a gluten-free diet is good for you and the planet. The majority of the wheat grown is genetically modified and heavily sprayed with toxic pesticides that are hard for humans to digest. Our diets have been built around these wheat varieties that yield the highest quantities instead of the highest nutritional content. This book celebrates the earth’s bounty in the kitchen. Being adaptive, creative and conscientious is part of our recipe for reducing our carbon footprint.

You don’t have to be the Clintons to enjoy gluten-free deserts. Here is a hazelnut- chocolate chip brownie that will become one of your favorite recipes whether you’re gluten-free or not:

Hazelnut Brownies with Chocolate Chips
Serves 6 to 8

This is the best brownie recipe I know of—gluten free or otherwise. Enjoy them warm out of the oven. Or, in the unlikely event that you have leftovers, rest assured that they get better every day.

2 eggs
1 cup apple or pear juice
1/4 cup melted extra-virgin coconut oil or butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup finely ground raw hazelnuts (skins on) or hazelnut flour (see page 00)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil a 9-inch round pan or a standard loaf pan.
• Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients, holding back 1/4 cup of chocolate chips, and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, scraping the bowl to get every last speck of chocolaty goodness. Decorate the top with the remaining chocolate chips.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with only melted chocolate on it). Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and eating—if you can wait that long!

Copyright © 2010 Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier (New Harbinger, Inc). All rights reserved. Used by permission of the publisher and author.

If you’re looking for a delicious way to increase your health and vitality, adding gluten-free grains to your diet is an easy fix.