Quick & Easy: Turkey Snow Peas with Pickled Ginger

I've been a little quiet lately. Okay, I've been a lot quiet lately but that doesn't mean I've slowed down in the kitchen. Each week I've spent my time cooking up a storm and man oh man it's time for me to post some of these suckers. Let's start with this one, shall we?

From a previous post, you will notice that it's pretty difficult for me to eat most types of Asian cuisines (at least authentically,) and though at one time it was my favorite type of food, it has taken a back-burner to some of my other favorites with more allergy friendly fare. But I was jonesing a couple of weeks back so I had to try my hand at some more fake Asian fusion food!

One of my favorite Chinese dishes has always been chicken and snow peas. I loved it! I wanted it. Badly. Since I had ordered some veggie sushi to the flat a couple of nights before (I love me some avocado rolls folks) I had a ton of leftover pickled ginger.

I have to fly off the path for a minute to take a minute to explain how fully I absolutely go head over heals for pickled ginger. Sometimes, there's more ginger on my sushi than there is actual sushi, but to me, it brings it all together. Pickled ginger is sweet and spicy and bold and smells insanely good. And though it seems to show up in Japanese cuisine more readily than in others, I wish it was a part of day to day eating. It's complexity, not to mention its health benefits, are second to none. But I digress...

Back to the meal: I had a ton of leftover pickled ginger and there was a good deal on turkey at the market so I decided to make turkey, snow peas, and you guessed it, pickled ginger. It was warm, and delicious, and didn't really taste like the restaurants would make it, but hey, you do the best with what you've got folks! Enjoy my mish-mash fake fusion folks. It's cheaper than take-out. Though I can't promise it's easier than picking up the phone ;)

Turkey Snow Peas with Pickled Ginger

aka

Fake Asian Fusion

Ingredients:

1 pound lean boneless, skinless turkey thigh, chopped up

3 oz snow pea pods, washed

2 tbs +1 tsp of gluten-free, soy free Worcester sauce

1 tbs + 1 tsp of garlic paste

3 takeaway packets + 1 small serving of pickled ginger*

sesame oil

cracked black pepper to taste

*Note: Since I was using leftover takeout ginger, it came in a small cup like salad dressing would with 3 ketchup sized packets. Use as much or as little as you like. And if you don't like pickled ginger, than use fresh or ginger powder. I'm not going to judge you ;)

Directions:

Coat a large skillet/saute pan with sesame oil and heat on medium to high

And turkey and brown.

Add snow peas, salt, pepper, and Worcester sauce.

Keep sauteing over medium to high heat for 5-10 minutes making sure to keep stirring so nothing burns.

Add ginger, garlic paste and a touch more oil and incorporate until you are happy with the flavor.

Serve up a helping over easy microwave white, brown or basmati rice OR serve with even more veggies. Yum!

This was quick, healthy, easy and cheap. I hope all you allergics and non-allergics can enjoy it as much as I did. Hopefully one day they'll discover a way of making GF, soy-free fake soy sauce. That will really be the day I can live it up, but this ain't so bad in the meantime :)

Pumpkin Muffins Trial 2: Success!!

I tried these a couple of weeks after the disaster that was the first PM trial.  The texture is still a little spongy but I have a feeling that's because there's no actual sugar or oil in these bad boys. I know that a muffin without many traditional muffin ingredients can seem boring or gross, but I'm used to the whole eating without traditional ingredients thing at this point.  And really, it's not that bad.  I kind of even like them!

Very important: these muffins should never be served cold.  You can store them in the fridge or freezer and they keep well, but without heating them up in the microwave or oven it's not a good idea.   They're hard as rocks when they settle. Again, these aren't sounding like the most appetizing of treats but they're a good substitute when trying to eliminate certain ingredients. Here's what I tried this time around:

Nearly Free From Everything (including awesome texture)

Pumpkin Muffins, Trial #2

Adapted from 1Steve at Recipezaar:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup GF rice flour blend

1/3 cup + 2 tbs agave

2 tsp baking powder

3 tsp spice blend

1 egg

1/2 cup milk (I use lactose free skim milk)

3/4 cup pumpkin

1/4 cup apple puree

Directions:

Preheat oven to 35o degrees F.

Place parchment paper liners in a 12 muffin pan.  Do not grease; it's parchment paper.

In a bowl, sift all dry ingredients together.

Add all wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix well, careful to not over-mix.

Drop sticky batter into 12 liners and bake, watching carefully until muffins brown (about 6-12 minutes in the crazy oven I'm using.)

Remove and cool.

Since this trial, I've also tried replacing the pumpkin with 1 1/2 cups mushed banana.  Those were quite yummy as well with nice, big chunks of squished banana.  Even the saddest of muffins can sometimes make an allergic girl quite happy.  Plus they're honestly easy, quick, and cheap to produce.  Who doesn't like that?

Tradition Tastes Good

I'm certainly over the weather here in the UK; it's put me under the weather again I'm afraid. And even though I'm sickly, traveling for work, and haven't slept in a day, I refuse to let that stop me from posting a quick bit about this month's You Want Pies With That challenge. Chosen by the ever fantastic Natalie of Oven Love, all of the talented bloggers had to put forth a pie that was either a family favorite or inspired by a family favorite.  What a great theme right?

I chose to close my eyes and go with one of my first taste memories: butterscotch.  Often associated with grandparents for one reason or another, butterscotch is a rich and deliciously decadent flavor derived from butter and brown sugar (among other things.)  Since butterscotch pudding, cakes or otherwise has always been a family favorite, I decided to go with that.

To compliment the smooth and sweet flavor of the brown goo, I chose to bake a fake amaretti, gluten free cookie crust.  I found a wonderful brand that makes a fake nutty cookie (no nuts used in the factory) and is free of almost every other major allergen you can think of.

Since this challenge recognizes that some family favorites need to remain in the family, I am choosing not to post my filling recipe.  It'll just have to be my little secret!

Go check out YWPWT to see all the other amazing creations~