Chomp Zone

Day one of being back to gluten free and I would say it’s been a success thus far. I had a burst of creative energy in the kitchen (something that vanished over the holiday season) and spent hours concocting recipes - gluten free crescent cookies (yum), gluten free bread, gluten free ice cream. You name it.

Tonight we went back to the basics - stir fry. I made a lot of stir fries back in the day, although most were bland tasting because I had not discovered spices yet. Unable to nosh on soy sauce, I couldn’t rely on my go to Szechuan sauce. It could have been tragic. But thanks to many gluten free bloggers and Epicurious I was inspired to make a peanut based sauce. Here’s what you’ll need -

• 6 - 8 tbsp dry roasted peanuts
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup Knorr vegetable bouillon
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp lime juice (or one whole lime, juiced)
• 1 clove of garlic

In a food processor, blend peanuts until a coarse meal forms. Add the sesame oil and pulse until smooth. It should look something like this:

Add the remaining ingredients and continue to pulse until smooth. If you prefer more spice, add more red pepper flakes. If the sauce isn’t thick enough for you, add more peanuts (you can do this after the fact, just make sure to blend well). Makes about 2 cups.

For the stir fry you will need -

• 3/4 lb of shrimp, deveined and shelled
• 1/2 cup Knorr vegetable bouillon
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 medium orange pepper, sliced
• 1 small zucchini, chopped into 1/4 - 1/2” pieces
• handful of sugar snap peas

In a large pan, boil the vegetable broth and sesame oil. Add the shrimp and cook until pink (about 3 - 4 minutes). Turn in the middle of cooking. Add the vegetables and cover. Stir occasionally and cook for another 5 - 6 minutes until vegetables are soft and heated through. Remove from heat and strain any liquid left in the pan. Add 1 cup of the peanut sauce as prepared above. Heat for an additional minute.

Serve on top of rice. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts, toasted sesame seeds and cilantro.

It’s that time of year when you realize that you will need to wear a swimsuit in two months (yes, very tragic). So it’s time to kick out high caloric meals with lots of butter and cheese and switch into healthy summer mode (which really, isn’t all that bad). Since I really enjoyed the chicken in my gumbo a few weeks ago, I decided to use the spices again.

What you’ll need:

• 4 chicken cutlets or 1 breast, cut into small pieces (1/2 - 1”)
• 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 small eggplant, cut into small pieces (about 3/4”)
• 1 medium summer squash, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion sliced

Chop up your chicken and sprinkle on cajun seasoning. Let sit for a few minutes. Throw into a heated and oiled cast iron skillet. While this is cooking (and remember to stir the chicken up!), chop up your veggies. Add the onions and cook for another few minutes. Add the egg plant and summer squash and cook for about 5 - 7 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through.

Serve on top of rice.