Cumin steak with balsamic onions

I made this last night for our (belated) Beltaine feast.  It was so yummy I had to record the recipe so I can make it again!
I don't have exact amounts, mostly because that's not the way I cook, but also because it's a very casual recipe.  The amounts are completely adjustable so you can serve as many or as few as you need.

Begin by rubbing thinnish sirloin steaks with ground cumin, sea salt and fresh ground pepper.  Flip and rub both sides.  Let sit for 30-45 minutes.  Cut sweet and red onions in half and julienne them.  Set aside so they are ready for the pan when the steaks are done.
Wipe or spray a heavy frying pan with oil and fry steaks over medium heat, flipping until cooked to medium.  Remove steaks to a cutting board, add olive oil to the pan and cook onions until soft.  Slice the steak into thin strips while onions cook.  When onions are soft, drizzle them with honey and balsamic vinegar.  Season lightly with sea salt.  For 2 large onions, I probably used 1/4 cup vinegar and 2 tbsp honey.  When this has reduced slightly to a thick, rich sauce, add the steak back to the pan.  Turn off heat and toss to coat.  Serve the steak and onions with a spring green salad.
I also made up the biscuit recipe I have here but added a small handful of mixed herbs from my garden.  Just chop up and add to the dry ingredients.  I had rosemary, thyme and sage.  It was a fabulous meal.

Tortillas

I have always been a big fan of Mexican, or Tex-mex food. What's not to love? Fresh ingredients, lots of veggies, spicy meat in moderation, beans, and tortillas. Yum. Tortillas. Trouble is, if you're allergic to wheat and corn, that pretty much eliminates tortillas from the diet. Sure, you can find a couple of substitutes, such as Food for Life. But with nut cross-contamination and running close to $4 for 6 tortillas, they are out of the running around here!

Wanting to make real tacos for dinner one night, (or was it fajitas? I don't remember), I was flipping through my cookbooks looking for a recipe to tweak. I found one in The Encyclopedia of Country Living. I played with it a bit and came up with the following recipe. It has served me well for at least 3 years now. I thought I'd shared it here already, but I guess not. Sorry about that!

Nothin' Tortillas

1 1/2 cup brown rice flour

3/4 cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup millet flour

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp guar gum

1 cup boiling water

Put everything in a stand mixer--I haven't been able to make this work by hand. Mix it really well. Then let it sit covered for about 5 minutes. Heat a cast iron pan or a griddle a little hotter than you would for pancakes. Do not grease it! Then using a tortilla press*, make your tortillas. Cook them about 30 seconds on each side and transfer to a platter to sit while you make the res.

When you've made them all, cover to "cure" for a little while. If you can wait.

Like many GF foods, these really don't keep well. Which could explain why the store-bought stuff is so gross. But you could try freezing some. I haven't--they never last that long! I do know that you definitely DON'T want to store them in the fridge, as they will get crumbly.

These don't roll very well-about as well as a cooled corn tortilla, but if you use them fresh, you could manage enchiladas okay.

They also fry up pretty well. Tortilla chips anyone?

*You can purchase a cheap tortilla press at any Mexican grocery, international grocery or even a store that caters to a large Hispanic population. I've even seen them in Asian groceries. Go figure. I think I paid less than $10 for mine.

If you don't want to go find one, you can use 2 pieces of plastic wrap with a blob of dough sandwiched inside. Roll out a thin tortilla and proceed as directed.

Either way, cover your tortilla press with plastic wrap and brush/spray it with some oil. This is a soft, sticky dough

Quick pork chops

I am always thinking up dinner at the last minute. Not always a good thing for someone who is so limited in ingredient options! But I discovered a new friend in my vacuum sealer. I use the mason jar attachment.

1# pork cutlets
1/2 C tamari-wheat free
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1# mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil

Place pork cutlets in a large mason jar. Pour tamari, vinegar, and honey over the top. Seal with the vacuum sealer according to manufacturer's directions. Shake jar well and leave to marinate for 1 hour.
Slice mushrooms and saute in large skillet with oil. When mushrooms have begun to wilt, push to the sides and place pork and marinade in pan. Add additional oil if necessary. I cook on high 3 minutes per side and then reduce heat. Cook until chops reach a temperature of 155-160F, or are a pale pink inside. Serve with mushrooms and pan drippings spooned over the top.

Meatloaf

I have those weird kids that love meatloaf. It's like saying we're having a special dinner. Oh well. It is a great way to get them to eat vegetables. Yeah really! And I don't have to lie to them about it either. They help me make it and know exactly what goes in here!

1# ground meat (beef, pork, chicken or turkey all work great)
3-4 leaves of kale, stripped from large vein
2 peeled carrots
1/2 medium yellow onion
1/3 C flax meal
2 tsp parsley
2 tsp Spike
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place kale, carrots, and onion in food processor. Run until veggies are finely chopped. Mix this in with all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Transfer to a greased loaf pan and bake in a preheated 375F oven for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer (this will vary with the meat you use, obviously). Let rest in pan for 5 minutes before serving.