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Lactose Free

Dinner, Lactose Free, Mexican, Recipes, Rice Dishes

Easy Salsa Rice

February 21, 2024

If you happen to have a bit of leftover salsa and are wondering how you might use it (other than finishing off those last corn chips in the bag), give this easy salsa rice recipe a try. It’s similar to my Sopa de Arroz recipe but saves time by incorporating prepared salsa. It is my favorite accompaniment to any Mexican meal.

If the salsa you are using is very chunky, give it a few pulses in a food processor or an immersion blender if you have one.

Any red salsa will work whether mild or spicy. Let your own taste be the guide.

It’s essential to rinse and dry the rice well. This quick step will remove excess starch which can make rice clumpy and overly sticky. You want fluffy, separate grains for this recipe.

Once the oil is hot, stir in the rice and continue stirring until the rice takes on a very light golden color.

The salsa is added to the rice and continuously stirred to coat each grain. Watch the bottom of the pan to avoid burning the salsa.

Finally, the broth, salt, and chile powder are added to the rice.

Left uncovered, the broth is absorbed by the rice until nearly gone. Small holes will appear on the surface of the rice. Now it’s time to put the lid on and cook the rice for 20 minutes. Absolutely no peeking. The lid must stay on for the duration of the cooking time as well as after the timer goes off.

The rice has rested in the covered pot for 20 minutes. Now it is ready to be fluffed and served.

The salsa rice is delicious in a burrito or served with your favorite Mexican dishes. Warm the rice up for breakfast with cheesy scrambled eggs and corn tortillas.

Easy Salsa Rice
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Easy Salsa Rice

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

6

servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long grain rice

  • 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon tomato salsa of your choice (if very chunky give it a few pulses in a food processor)

  • 3 cups chicken broth

  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 1 teaspoon mild pure chile powder such as Hatch Mild Red Chile Powder from The Chile Shop online store) optional

Directions

  • Rinse rice in a sieve to remove excess starch. Drain very well, tapping the bottom of the sieve to remove any water collected on the bottom. Place the sieve on a clean kitchen towel to drain further while you heat your pan. This step is essential for giving your rice a fluffy texture and grains that remain separate.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil in a large multi-purpose pot with lid or Dutch oven (wider bottom works better than narrow and tall pot) over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, turn heat to medium and add drained rice. Coat rice with oil and stir constantly until rice takes on a very light golden color, about 5 minutes.
  • Turn heat down to low and add salsa. Stir continuously for a minute or two with a wooden spoon, coating the rice and scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid burning the salsa. Mix in 3 cups of chicken broth, salt and chile powder if using. Turn heat to medium-high and allow liquid to evaporate for about 6-7 minutes or until there is barely any liquid covering the rice and small holes appear on the surface of the rice. Turn heat to low and cover pot. Set your timer for 20 minutes. Do not open the lid while the rice is cooking.
  • Once the timer goes off, turn off the heat. Do not open the lid. Allow rice to sit, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove lid (be careful of the condensation on the inside of lid) and fluff rice with a fork before serving.

Notes

  • Leftover rices can be frozen for a few months.
Appetizers, Dinner, Lactose Free, Mexican, Recipes, Sauces, Summertime Meal, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tomatillo Salsa Cruda

February 14, 2024

This beautiful salsa is so refreshing and very easy to put together. It compliments a wide range of dishes: tacos, scrambled eggs, burritos, quesadillas, tortilla chips and grilled chicken. And since you do not need to cook any of the ingredients you can make this in a jiffy.

This recipe comes from Fermin Nunez, voted best new chef in 2021 by Food & Wine magazine. It caught my attention not only because I love Mexican cuisine, but also because it seemed easy to make. I knew it would be delicious served with tacos I planned for dinner. A little tart from the tomatillos and lime juice, a little spicy from the chiles, this salsa cruda (raw sauce) is delightful.

After a little chopping, everything goes into the food processor for a quick whirl. Lime juice, olive oil and salt are stirred in to balance the flavors. That’s it. The salsa is ready to be served.

Tomatillo based salsas go hand in hand with braised pork tacos and any style of tortilla chips.

Tomatillo Salsa Cruda
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Tomatillo Salsa Cruda

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

8

servings

Adapted from Food & Wine magazine

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) fresh tomatillos, husked, washed and roughly chopped

  • 4 ounces (about 3/4 cup) red onion, roughly chopped

  • 1 cup packed fresh cilantro (from 1 medium bunch)

  • 2 ounces (2 medium) jalapeños, stemmed and roughly chopped

  • 1 ounce (2) scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped

  • 1/8 ounce (1 medium or 1 1/2 tablespoons) serrano chile, stemmed and roughly chopped

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Directions

  • Pulse tomatillos, onion, cilantro, jalapeños, scallions, and serrano chile in a food processor until finely chopped, 12-16 pulses, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in olive oil, lime juice, and salt. Season with additional salt to taste.

Notes

  • For a milder salsa, remove the pith from the chiles. Salsa will keep well for up to 3 days stored in the refrigerator.
Dinner, Italian, Lactose Free, Pasta, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Summertime Meal, Vegan, Vegetarian

Broken Pasta Salad

January 20, 2024

I fell in love with this salad immediately. Not only is it a gorgeous salad to bring to the table, the flavors and different textures are superb. The addition of maple syrup in the dressing adds the perfect touch of sweetness that pairs so well with the intense flavors of bitter radicchio and briny, salty olives.

The original recipe from Bon Appetit calls for broken lasagna noodles. I used ribbon shaped mafaldine pasta instead because it is what I had available. Similar to lasagna with its ruffled edges, mafaldine is a very versatile pasta to have on hand.

Castelvetrano olives are a favorite of mine. Here on Maui they can be tricky to find. Sadly, Whole Foods does not sell them at their olive bar any longer though they are available packaged. You could substitute Picholine olives if you can’t find Castelvetranos.

The salad dressing is delightfully sweet and tart thanks to the maple syrup, red wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice. A bit of nutritional yeast adds flavor and body to the dressing.

If you have any leftover salad, it can be stored in the refrigerator and eaten the next day. If possible, reserve some of the toasted almonds to sprinkle on just before serving so they retain their crunchy texture.

Broken Pasta Salad
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Broken Pasta Salad

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

4-6

servings

Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cups raw almonds

  • 1 pound mafaldine or wavy lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces

  • kosher salt

  • 1 large garlic clove, finely grated

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped basil

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

  • pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

  • freshly ground pepper

  • 1 small head radicchio, thinly sliced

  • 2 cups Castelvetrano olives, pitted and torn (can substitute with Picholine or other green olives)

Directions

  • Preheat toaster oven or oven to 400 degrees. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until fragrant and slightly darkened, 6-9 minutes. Let cool slightly, then finely chop.
  • Meanwhile, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until tender (you don’t want al dente pasta salad). Drain and rinse under cool water.
  • Stir almonds, garlic, oil, parsley, basil, lemon juice, vinegar, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Season dressing generously with salt and black pepper.
  • Add noodles, radicchio, and olives to dressing and toss to combine. Serve with crusty sourdough bread.
Dinner, Japanese, Lactose Free, Ramen, Recipes

Dry Mein with Crunchy Bean Sprouts & Chili Crisp

January 13, 2024

Here on Maui (and beyond), Sam Sato’s is known for their wide variety of local-style menu items (plate lunches). But they are most famous for their dry mein noodles. A bowl of well seasoned thick noodles is particularly delicious when dressed with hot mustard. While dining in at Sam Sato’s is the ideal way to enjoy this unique dish, it’s not always convenient when you have a craving. So with just a few basic ingredients why not whip up a bowl of dry mein at home?

When I’m on Oahu I make a stop at Nijiya, a Japanese market conveniently located at Ala Moana Center. Their shelves are stocked with all kinds of goodies. They sell Sun Noodle’s Kaedama #18 thick noodles so I usually bring a few packages back home with me. I haven’t seen them on Maui, but a good substitute would be Sun Noodle’s saimin noodles which are sold in many markets here in Hawaii (Foodland, Safeway, Times, Island Grocery) or any other fresh, thick ramen.

I love a spicy kick when I eat ramen. So adding a dollop of chili crunch on my noodles is a must. My favorite at the moment is Zindrew Crunchy Garlic Chili Oil. It has the perfect heat level for my taste and the jar has lots of crunchy garlic pieces. Very yummy. They also offer a spicier version if that’s your thing. Another option for those who prefer less heat is S&B Crunchy Garlic in Chili Oil. This is a mild chili oil with large pieces of very crispy garlic. As they say on the label, Umami Topping! It is easily found here in Hawaii at Longs, Safeway, Foodland and Times. If you are unable to find it at your local market, it is available online. Other times I use hot mustard powder mixed with a bit of water and soy sauce. This is the typical accompaniment offered at Sam Sato’s.

I use a good amount of bean sprouts (6 ounces) in this dish. They add a welcoming crispy texture when mixed in with the fresh ramen.

Making your own dry mein at home allows you to control the amount of oil and salt you use.

If you can’t make up your mind about which chili crunch to use, go ahead and use both as I sometimes do. A little heat and lots of crunchy garlic = noodle bliss.

Dry Mein with Crunchy Bean Sprouts & Chili Crisp
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Dry Mein with Crunchy Bean Sprouts & Chili Crisp

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

2

servings

Ingredients

  • 9 – 11 ounces fresh thick ramen noodles

  • 6 ounces (about 3 cups) bean sprouts, rinsed

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped green onions (reserve 2 tablespoons for serving)

  • 1/2 teaspoon instant soup base (such as S&S)

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

  • salt and pepper

  • 2-3 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil

  • hot mustard, chili crisp and/or crunchy garlic chili oil for serving (optional but recommend)

Directions

  • In a 1-cup measuring cup, combine 1/2 teaspoon instant soup base such as S&S with 1/4 cup warm water. Stir in 2 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce. Set aside.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add bean sprouts and blanch for 1 minute. Using a spider strainer or large slotted spoon, transfer bean sprouts to a colander to drain then to a bowl. Reserve pot with water for ramen.
  • Bring water back to a boil over high heat. Add ramen and cook to al dente, 60 seconds less than package directions. Drain in colander under cool running water to stop the cooking and to remove excess starch. Set aside.
  • In large skillet, preferably one with 2-inch sides, heat 2-3 teaspoons oil (depending on the amount of noodles you use). Add green onions, reserving 2 tablespoons for serving. Toss in oil for 20 seconds. Add ramen to the pan and toss with the oil and green onions. Add 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce seasoning, tossing to coat the noodles (use 2 1/2 tablespoons if using less than 11 ounces of ramen). The noodles should be well coated but not saucy (you will not need all of the sauce). Stir in bean sprouts. Allow sauce to evaporate for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide noodles between two bowls. Top with reserved green onions. Serve with hot mustard mixed with soy sauce, chili crisp and/or crunchy garlic in chili oil.
Bread, Dressing, Lactose Free, Recipes, Sandwiches, Sauces, Vegetarian

Tarragon Aioli

December 29, 2023

I’ve been a fan of fresh tarragon ever since I started making béarnaise sauce for our filet mignon dinners. An aromatic herb with a very subtle and delicate licorice flavor, adding tarragon elevates an assortment of sauces and dishes.

This recipe is a snap to make and it will take your sandwich to the next level. Using prepared mayonnaise means you can whip up this tarragon aioli in less than 10 minutes. Slather it on grilled or toasted sourdough bread and layer on sliced tomatoes, or use it for BLT and chicken sandwiches, sliced hard boiled eggs or a dip for asparagus.

My favorite way to use tarragon aioli is on our homemade sourdough bread topped with juicy tomatoes. Grilling the bread with a bit of olive oil elevates the flavor and makes for a scrumptious open-faced sandwich.

Be generous with the aioli! You want your sandwich to be well seasoned.

Tarragon Aioli
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Tarragon Aioli

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

1/2 cup

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 medium garlic clove, finely grated (microplane works great)

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  • In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, garlic, tarragon, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve right away or keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • Here on Maui tarragon can be found at Whole Foods
Cookies, Dessert, Holiday Treats, Lactose Free, Recipes

Hawaiian-Style Gingerbread Cookies

December 19, 2023

These cuties are a real treat that I make just once a year. Christmas is close, but you still have time to whip up a small (or large) batch of these crunchy gingerbread cookies. Decorating the cookies is a blast! Both children and adults will be delighted to receive a homemade gingerbread cookie this holiday season.

Through the years of making these cookies I have used several different recipes. This recipe makes delicious cookies that are thin and crispy. It’s a large recipe that will make approximately 45 cookies depending on the size of cookie cutter used. This year I tried Sally’s recipe that uses unsalted butter instead of shortening (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks to make it lactose free) and a larger amount of spices. It makes just about 22 gingerbread cookies which is exactly what I wanted this year. The cookies turned out great. I rolled them out a bit thinner than the recipe calls for and baked them longer so that my cookies would be crispy all the way through. If you prefer softer cookies roll them out as the original recipe instructs you to. When rolled out a bit thinner, they turned out to be similar in texture to the original recipe I used in the past so either option works great. Just keep in mind that the dough for both recipes needs to be refrigerated overnight to firm up before rolling out. Kudos to Sally for her always reliable recipes!

As mentioned in this post, I used pasteurized egg whites for the icing in the past. Last year I discovered (late in the game) meringue powder. It’s easier to use and can be easily stored for more cookies next year.

I hope you have the chance to make a small batch of these adorable cookies this holiday season.

Mele Kalikimaka from my kitchen to yours.

Hawaiian-Style Gingerbread Cookies
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Hawaiian-Style Gingerbread Cookies

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

22

servings

Recipes adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction blog

Ingredients

  • 440g (3 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour (if you do not have a scale use the spoon and level method to measure the flour) + more for rolling

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (use a scant 1/2 teaspoon if using Earth Balance Buttery Sticks as they contain some salt)

  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 145g (10 tablespoons) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 150g (3/4 cup) packed light or dark brown sugar

  • 200g (2/3 cup) unsulphured molasses such as Brer Rabbit or Grandma’s brand)

  • 1 large egg, at room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Royal Icing & Decorating

  • 240g (2 cups) powdered sugar

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder

  • 5 tablespoons room temperature water

  • Assorted sugar sprinkles

  • Currants for gingerbread cookie eyes

Directions

  • In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and all of the spices. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or unsalted butter on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat on medium-high until combined and creamy. Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the egg and vanilla on high speed for a full 2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  • On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. You may use a firm spatula if the dough is too thick for the hand mixer. Once the ingredients are combined, divide the dough (it will be very soft) into 3 even portions and place on separate pieces of plastic wrap and wrap tightly patting gently to form into disk shapes. Transfer disks to a ziplock bag. Chill dough thoroughly for at lest 4 hours and preferably overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position racks in the middle and lower third level (just below the middle). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Meanwhile, place the dough disks in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. This will make rolling and cutting the cookies much easier if you are making thin and crispy cookies or if you live in a warm climate.
  • Place a large piece of parchment paper on the counter and flour it generously. Remove 1 disk from the freezer and place on the parchment paper. Sprinkle a bit of flour on the top of the dough disk as well as the rolling pin. For thin cookies roll dough just under 1/4-inch. For softer cookies roll dough 1/4-inch thick. Cut into shapes and transfer to the baking sheets leaving 2-inches of space between them. Transfer dough scraps to the freezer to firm up.
  • Transfer the cookie sheets to the oven racks (positioned as mentioned above) and bake for 12-14 minutes for crispy cookies (cookies larger than 4-inches), rotating cookie sheets from front to back as well as switching shelves halfway through baking time. For smaller cookies bake for approximately 8-10 minutes. For thinner cookies check doneness after they have baked for 11 minutes as oven temperatures can vary quite a bit. For smaller cookies check after they have baked for 8 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Continue with the remaining dough. Decorate cookies once they are completely cool. I make my cookies up to 3 weeks in advance and freeze until I am ready to pass them out.
  • Royal Icing & Decorating Cookies
  • Place all ingredients in a medium sized bowl with high sides. Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat on high speed for 1 1/2-2 minutes. If the icing is too thin, add more sugar and if too thick, add a bit of water. This recipe will make enough icing for 35+ medium sized cookies. If you plan to decorate with minimal icing on your cookies, cut the recipe in half.
  • Transfer icing to a small plastic squeeze bottle for easy application and outlining. Use various colors of sprinkles to make your cookies look fantastic! Allow icing to set completely before transferring cookies to storage containers. Freezing is the best method to keep cookies fresh if not passing out the day they are baked.
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