Cooking with Alison

Posts Tagged ‘gluten-free’

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Aloo Gobi Recipe (Potato and Cauliflower)

In Indian on February 20, 2010 at pm

I rarely eat cauliflower because I find it so tasteless.  When a creamy, cheesy, cauliflower gratin that I made still wasn’t enough to change my mind, I gave up on this vegetable for a long time.  But I recently read about the nutrition and health benefits of cauliflower, so I thought it was time to give it another chance.  While searching for interesting ways to cook it, I found aloo gobi, an Indian spiced potato and cauliflower dish.  It was perfect because I just happened to be binge-cooking indian this month.  This dish still wasn’t enough to make me crave cauliflower, but it’s a great side to a curry meat dish (and Ed loved it), so I’ll definitely make it again.  See here for tips on how to get the most flavour out of your Indian spices.

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Ghee Recipe

In Indian on February 18, 2010 at pm

Ghee is clarified butter that is commonly used in Indian cooking.  In recipes, it can be substituted with oil but ghee makes the food much more flavourful.  It’s Very easy to make at home, but if it’s your first time making it, I’d suggest halving the recipe first because it can burn easily.  See here for tips on how to get the most flavour out of your Indian spices.

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Whipped Potatoes

In Sides and Sauces on February 16, 2010 at pm

I bought my Kitchenaid stand mixer in October 2009.  The only savoury food that I’ve made with it so far is whipped potatoes.  I love the smooth and light texture that whipping puts into mashed potatoes.

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Black Sesame Dumplings (tong yuen / tang yuan)

In Asian Desserts on February 14, 2010 at pm

Other than being Valentine’s Day, February 14 was the first day of Chinese New Year, 2010.  During the 15 day celebration, people traditionally make and/or eat tong yuen (tang yuan), which are sweet glutinous dumplings that are filled with a sweet black sesame paste.  They are boiled and served in hot water.

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Favourite Mushroom Bhaji Recipe

In Indian on February 9, 2010 at pm

I tried mushroom bhaji for the first time recently when a friend ordered take out from an Indian restaurant that’s pretty well known in Ontario.  It was simple, delicious and oily.  So I set out to make my own (for a fraction of the cost).  I tried traditional recipes with and without tomato; with and without fenugreek (which isn’t in most traditional recipes but was in the restaurant’s version); a variation using curry powder; and a traditional thick sauce versus a slightly watery sauce (like the one served at Curry Original’s in Kingston, ON).  Here’s my favourite mushroom bhaji recipe.  See here for tips on how to get the most flavour out of your Indian spices.

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Turnip Cake Recipe (lo bak go)

In Dim Sum on January 29, 2010 at am


When I discovered how easy it is to make taro cake (link here), it only made sense to try turnip cake next.  This is very similar to the dim sum they serve in the restaurants. Personally I like turnip cake much more than taro cake.  I revised this recipe and improved it for Chinese New Year, February 2011.  (The original photo that was posted is at the bottom of this post.)  If you have leftover daikon radish, see here for a list of other recipes.

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Taro Cake

In Dim Sum on January 29, 2010 at am

My mom really likes taro so I tried making taro cake from scratch.  It is very easy to make.

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Squash Soup

In Soups and Salads on January 29, 2010 at am

If you try this recipe, I definitely suggest using the sour cream, bacon and green onion because those make a huge difference to the experience of this squash soup.  Alternatively, for a vegan or vegetarian soup, add a few drops of good balsamic vinegar onto each bowl of soup instead of the bacon and toppings.  This makes for a more elegant soup.

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Balsamic Chicken Wings

In Poultry on January 29, 2010 at am

This is a neat twist on honey garlic wings.  With the toasted sesame seeds as garnish, I feel like it’s a very classy way to serve chicken wings.  Giada’s recipe was originally intended for chicken drummettes but I prefer using chicken wings.  I’ve also used drumsticks before.

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Avocado and Orange Salad

In Soups and Salads on January 25, 2010 at pm

I love oranges and I love avocados but I never thought to put them together.  I got the idea from Premiere Moisson in Quebec.

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Caramel Popcorn Recipe

In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, Other Desserts on January 21, 2010 at pm

I love good caramel popcorn.  My favourite caramel popcorn comes from Kernels (from Canada) and Garrett’s (from Chicago), but their popcorn is ridiculously overpriced, especially considering how easy and cost efficient it is to make at home.  I eat this stuff until my mouth hurts.  🙂  My recipe always gets great reviews.

Krystal’s company holds an annual baking contest to raise money for charity (United Way).  The winner is determined by the employees’ votes.  But since employees have to pay for the baked goods that they want to sample, not everything gets tasted.  This is the most challenging aspect of this competition, because your entries need to be unique and visually appealing in order to get picked over the other, 30 or more, entries.  The best tasting brownies or cookies wouldn’t stand a chance in this bake-off, because no one would even try them.  In November, 2009, I competed for the first time with my caramel popcorn.  Only 3 people sampled it, haha  🙂  However, 2 of the 3 people that sampled it, voted for it.  So I consider that a success.  🙂  Update:  In November, 2010, I competed for the second time and won 1st place with my Chocolate Bar Cheesecake Bites (recipe here).  In November, 2011, I placed 3rd with my Butter Tarts (recipe here).

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