First, I must credit the hipster diner in Phoenix called Ingo’s Fine Food for introducing me to the kraut burger concept with their Farmer’s Daughter burger. Love the name. I also used to order their smashed potato chips and fermented jalapeno hot sauce and now feature my version of those dishes here on the blog because I had to have them at home (and now you can, too).

Best Ground Beef for Burgers Is Angus, Grass-Fed, Freshly Ground

Confession, I stalked the kitchen cook form Ingo’s and asked him for his pro tips for recreating their burgers in my home kitchen, and he told me it’s really all about sourcing quality ingredients at the end of the day. On that note, I recommend you source Angus or grass-fed ground beef and try to bake your hamburger buns from scratch.

Source Quality Ingredients for a Curated Burger Experience

If you’ve ever wondered why so many people order burgers from restaurants when they are so easy to make at home, listen. It’s actually not that easy to make a great burger. Unless, you really take each individual ingredient seriously and really focus on quality, quality, quality.

Ingredient Tips: Instead of yellow mustard, make a Dijonnaise; that’s equal parts Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon lives in my fridge 365 days per year) and mayonnaise (I like avocado mayonnaise). Instead of swiss cheese, look for cheese labeled “baby swiss cheese” because it melts nicely for burgers. With sauerkraut, definitely select refrigerated sauerkraut which is alive with active cultures. You can totally make your own raw sauerkraut which is always my preference from a flavor perspective.

Pro Tips for the Perfect Patty

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Kraut Burgers with Baby Swiss

Whip out that jar of fermented sauerkraut and make these epic kraut burgers. They are an unbeatable combination of complex savory flavors with a touch of sour.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword burger

Prep Time 15 days days

Cook Time 10 days days

Total Time 25 days days

Servings 4 people

Calories 637kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef Angus or grass-fed, preferably freshly ground
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or any high-heat oil
• salt and pepper for seasoning
• baby swiss cheese thinly sliced
• 4 sesame seed hamburger buns preferably freshly baked
• 1/2 cup sauerkraut raw, fermented (not canned)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Instructions

• Divide the ground beef into 4 roughly equal portions and then flatten to make 4 burger patties about 3/4-inch thick by 4 1/4 inches in diameter. Preheat a skillet to medium-heat and add your favorite high-heat oil. Season burger patties front and back with salt and pepper and place in the hot skillet. Without moving, cook for 5 minutes then gently flip them over and top with the cheese. Cook 5 minutes longer. Note: A safe internal temperature to target is 160℉.
• [optional] If you can butter your buns and toast them, I highly recommend this step. Simply place the bun (butter side down) and toast in the skillet for 30 seconds.
• To assemble the burgers, place the burger on the toasted bun followed by the sauerkraut. Combine the Dijon and mayonnaise in a small bowl and smear the top of the bun generously with the Dijonnaise. Serve immediately.

Notes

For a paleo or gluten-free burger, you can serve everything “Adam and Eve” style where you take a stack of iceberg lettuce and create buns out of that. Of course, you can also make your own gluten-free hamburger buns.

Nutrition

Serving: 1burger | Calories: 637kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 568mg | Potassium: 554mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 5mg

This chicken soup recipe clocks in at 36 grams of protein per bowl so it can be served for dinner or as a light appetizer with a side of kale salad. It’s balanced, healthy and basic yet totally satisfying. As you can see, I’ve finished mine with fresh lime and chiles, but I encourage you to make it your own and have loads of ideas for you to try.

Soup is something I like to rotate between meals just to break things up. My family really enjoys soup, and it’s just another way to serve chicken that keeps it interesting to eat.

About This Chicken Broth

I practically never buy soup and it’s really because homemade chicken broth is superior in flavor. It’s just so simple to make from scratch and I’m constantly playing around with whatever I happen to have on hand.

• Ginger. Fresh, anti-inflammatory, adds a spicy factor.
• Garlic and onions. Just the right amount of potency, anti-viral, anti-bacterial.
• Salty broth. Think great for hydrating post workout or when you have the flu.
• Generous amounts of lime juice and a pinch of zest.
• A pile of cilantro – or go with fresh mint, Thai basil, kaffir lime, parsley, or rosemary.
• Coconut milk for richness (think Tom Kha vibes). Absolutely feel free to swap in half and half if you prefer.

What never ceases to amaze me about this soup is how people react. People assume this is an involved recipe because it tastes so complex, but it’s actually really simple to make.

💭Top Tip

When using delicate herbs or greens, add them at the very end so the color and flavors really pop.

White Chicken Chili Variation

Consider fanning some avocado and minced red onion on top if you’d like a white chicken chili option. Have powdered ginger and garlic? Try swapping those if that’s what you’ve got. You can even add corn (fresh or frozen) and a handful of cheese, canned beans, etc.

Preparation

Make the entire recipe start to finish or prep and freeze for later.

🔪 Instructions

Cook the chicken until they reach 165°F then set aside.

Dice the vegetables (medium chop). Use a microplane to grate the peeled ginger. This is where you can double the garlic if you prefer to swap out the ginger.

Sauté or sweat the vegetables until tender. Don’t skip this step because it forms the base layer of your homemade broth.

Add 2 cups of water and shredded chicken to the pot. Let that come to a simmer.

Finish the soup with coconut milk (for dairy free–half and half works, too), lime juice and zest, and a big pinch of fresh herb magic on top.

Taste the soup and if it needs it, add more salt.

Freezer Options

This soup can be frozen for up to 1 month and I have two options for you.

The Cook-Later Option: See the recipe card notes for instructions on how to prep, freeze, then cook the soup.

The Reheat-It Option: If you would like to cook the soup first, then freeze, you will follow the recipe as written but omit the garnish. Allow soup to cool 20 minutes then portion and transfer to freezer bags or glass containers. Simply microwave to reheat. Garnish and serve.

Scaling

If scaling up or down, keep all ratios the same except the salt; add 1 teaspoon sea salt and then add more to taste. When scaling, bare in mind you will need a vessel that can hold roughly 4 cups for the original recipe (so 8 cups if doubling, 12 cups if tripling).

Leftovers

Leftovers? But how? You mean you didn’t stand dunking your spoon into the leftovers in the pot? Just me then, okay. You can store any soup leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 4 days. The garnish should be stored separately and added after you’ve rewarmed it.

Nutrition, big flavor, and healing whole food ingredients make this a cold-weather (and head-cold) essential. Garlic, ginger, and lime juice? This trio can make it all better.

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Creamy Chicken Soup

Creamy homemade chicken and vegetable broth with shredded chicken and finished with citrus and cilantro. Chiles or spices may be added if you like.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword cream soup

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes minutes

Total Time 52 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 484kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil lard, tallow, avocado oil, or butter work, too
• 1 onion diced
• 3 stalks celery diced
• 4 garlic cloves chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
• 1 14- ounce can full-fat coconut milk or substitute half-and-half
• 4 limes remove zest from 1 lime and then extract juice (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs cilantro, mint, thai basil for garnish (chiffonade)

Instructions

Cook the chicken.

• Slow Cooker Method: Season chicken thighs with salt and place in slow cooker with the oil. Set to “Bake” mode for 400F for 45 minutes.

  Oven Method: Use an oven-safe pan or Dutch oven at 400F, spread oil and place seasoned chicken thighs in pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until an internal temperature registers 165℉.
• Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Chop the vegetables (onion, celery, and garlic) and transfer them to a large prep bowl as you work to give yourself plenty of room on the cutting board. If you own a microplane, mince the ginger directly over the bowl to capture as much ginger juice as possible (as opposed to just chopping it).
• Sweat vegetables and make broth. Use tongs to transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Allow to rest for 10 minutes so you don't burn your hands and so the chicken can reabsorb surface juices. Combine the vegetables (onion, celery, garlic, and ginger) to the hot slow cooker or Dutch oven. Sauté on high heat for 7 minutes. Stir then add 2 cups of water. Return the shredded chicken (discarding the bones) to the pot.
• Finish the soup. Bring to a simmer then add coconut milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Allow the soup to warm then serve along with salt to taste. Top with fresh cilantro, mint, or Thai basil for Asian flavors or try adding avocado or red onion for Southwest.

Notes

Freezer Instructions:

FREEZE TOGETHER:

• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 onion diced
• 3 stalks celery diced
• 4 garlic cloves chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
• 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk (additive free)
• 4 limes (zest of 1 lime plus 1/4 juice)

INSTANT POT: From frozen, add 2 cups water then high pressure for 13 minutes + 10 minutes natural release.

SLOW COOKER: Thaw first, and then cook 6 hours on high.

FINAL STEP: Shred the meat and serve with cassava pasta, baked sweet potato, cauliflower or broccoli rice, zucchini noodles, etc.

If you regularly make batches of smoked chicken thighs, you can simply shred that for a smoky version of this soup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 775mg | Potassium: 873mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 526IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 6mg

As always, if you try a variation to this recipe that you like, you can leave it in the comments so you have a record for when you come back to make it again.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars are basically candy bars for adults who read ingredient labels and are health conscious. Loaded with peanut butter and protein powder, these stout guys pack 28 grams of protein so are the quintessential post-workout meal replacement or nutritious snack.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate = Pure Indulgence

I don’t know about you, but if I’m raiding my kids’ Halloween stash, I’m looking for a Reese’s peanut butter cup. It’s funny how sweet they taste to me now as an adult. Too sweet if I’m honest. So, here we have an adult version of that classic peanut butter and chocolate combo that’s less cloyingly sweet and more chocolate+peanut chemistry.

As with anything homemade, you get to decide what ratio of peanut butter filling to chocolate you are craving. You could do half and half as I do in these cut-out squares or you could shape them into bars and dip them in chocolate if you’re looking for just a thin layer of the chocolate. It’s fun to experiment with this recipe.

Ingredients You Need to Make Peanut Butter Protein Bars

In this recipe, you have a peanut butter protein paste that’s really thick and will remind you of playing with clay and a stovetop melted chocolate portion that gets poured (or used for dipping). No oven baking required. You just need a pan, parchment paper, a pot, and a mixing bowl.

• Coconut flour: coconut flour is desiccated coconut (think fiber) with a fine, flourlike texture that’s available in the baking aisle next to gluten-free flours.
• Protein powder: Use any type of protein powder that you like. Double check that there’s no gluten or dairy if you follow a gluten and dairy-free diet. For an allergy-friendly option, I like Hydrolyzed beef protein AI Paleo by Rootcology or Equip Prime Protein which is unflavored and unsweetened. Note: If your protein powder is sweetened, you will want to decrease the amount of maple syrup a bit.
• Peanut butter: Use plain, creamy peanut butter; if your peanut butter is already sweet, you may need to decrease the maple syrup in this recipe to taste. You may substitute with any nut butter. Cashew or sunflower butter would be great.
• Maple syrup: grade A or grade B work equally well in this recipe or try coconut palm syrup, honey, date syrup, or brown rice syrup.
• Palm shortening: I found a big tub of Palm shortening and enjoyed how easy it was to scoop and measure. Note, you can use refined or unrefined coconut oil 1:1 as a substitute.
• Coconut butter (not oil): Coconut butter or whole coconut puree provides some necessary fat (fat=flavor) and is reminiscent of cacao butter in that it’s solid at room temperature. Feel free to substitute cacao butter, if you like.
• Coconut sugar or maple sugar provide sweetness but coconut sugar is unrefined and won’t completely dissolve; if you want your carob coating smooth, go with maple sugar or evaporated cane sugar.
• Cocoa or carob powder: regular cocoa powder or carob powder is the base for the chocolate coating
• Vanilla extract: just be sure to read the label to ensure you are buying pure vanilla extract not imitation vanilla
• Optional: either sea salt in the chocolate or flake salt for garnish

Steps for Making Peanut Butter Protein Bars

See recipe card (below) for all the details.

Whisk the protein powder with the coconut flour.

Melt the peanut butter with the maple syrup then combine with the protein mixture to form a claylike paste.

Press the protein paste into the parchment lined dish and set aside. Make the chocolate mixture on the stovetop.

As you can see, the chocolate mixture starts out with melted palm oil (coconut oil works, too). Pour the chocolate mixture over the protein paste and chill until set (or shape the protein paste and dip).

More Sweet Snacks to Try

• Disappearing Apricot Coconut Bites
• Lime Cheesecake Bites with Toasted Coconut
• Valentine Tuile Cannoli
• Bodybuilding Dessert: Peanut Butter Tofu Pudding
• Candied Orange Slices Dipped in Chocolate

Get all my appetizers and snacks (sweet and savory) here!

Last but not least, you can add a flourish of fancy flake salt. While your bars are chilling, this peanut butter tofu pudding is fun to gawk at–it’s from my Dad’s bodybuilding competition days.

This recipe is adapted from my own recipe for Tigernut Butter Protein Bars. What’s great about this recipe is that you can swap the nut butter for anything you are not allergic to so feel free to try cashew butter or sunflower butter.

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No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Creamy peanut butter and chocolate protein bars that taste like candy yet are low carb, fiber and protein rich, and contain low-glycemic (unrefined) sweeteners. These will soon become your favorite meal prep snack.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate, peanut butter, snacks

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 10 bars

Calories 762kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

Protein Bar Ingredients:

• ½ cup coconut flour
• 1 ½ cups protein powder I like Hydrolyzed beef protein AI Paleo by Rootcology
• 2 cups peanut butter creamy/smooth
• ½ cup maple syrup

Carob Coating Ingredient:

• 1 cup palm shortening coconut oil works, too
• 1 cup coconut butter not oil or cacao bar
• ¼ cup evaporated cane sugar /maple sugar/coconut sugar
• ⅔ cup cocoa powder or carob powder
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt leave out if adding flake salt for garnish

Instructions

• Get ready. Use silicone bar mold or line a glass Tupperware or baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. For thicker bars, use an 8 x 8-inch pan. For thinner bars or bark, use any size bigger.
• Whisk the protein powder with the coconut flour. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the coconut flour and protein powder.
• Melt the peanut butter with the maple syrup. In a small pot over low heat, melt the peanut butter with the maple syrup until you can stir until smooth.
• Combine the wet and dry mixtures. Use a spatula to combine the dry and wet mixtures to form a very thick, sticky, smooth paste.

  *Troubleshooting: If the mixture seems dry and crumbly (it should be moist, sticky, and very thick) then you need to add more liquids, try 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or coconut oil) until you reach the desired texture. IF you mixture is too wet, consider adding more protein powder.
• Press protein paste into prepared container. Transfer the protein bar paste into the prepared pan and press firmly in place. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
• After the bars are firm, it's time to make the chocolate mixture. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the palm shortening and coconut butter.
• Add the sugar (coconut sugar/maple sugar/cane sugar) and stir frequently to distribute evenly (remember, coconut sugar will not completely dissolve). To avoid scorching, remove promptly from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and sea salt.
• Working rather quickly, make the bars! You should get 8 large bars or 10 to 12 smaller ones.
• Easy Way: Drizzle the chocolate coating over the top of the protein and refrigerate. Once set, use a knife to shape into squares or bars.
• Hard Way: Cut into bars first and dip the protein bar into the chocolate mixture to cover.
• Refrigerate to allow the shell to harden. Serve when chocolate coating is firm and set.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 762kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 43IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 3mg

I suppose I should just be grateful that most places don’t even offer a gluten-free option and I have to make my own.

In the spirit of not paralyzing you with impossible decisions, you will get a crispy chicken sandwich recipe with gluten-free breading, a smoky hot sauce recipe, and a kale slaw. By all means, add that mayo and those pickles if you please.

Now, the real magic of any chicken sandwich is the seasoning and breading that goes on the chicken and I honestly believe that this gluten-free breading is SUPERIOR to all-purpose flour. I’ll tell you why.

Cassava flour. It’s basically the higher proportion of starch that gets incredibly crispy and just works really, really well as a coating.

If you love chicken recipes, here are a few more favorites to try: How to Make Crispy, Juicy Chicken Thighs, Miracle Chicken and Zucchini, and Marry Me Chicken Tikka Masala.

How to Crisp Chicken with Gluten-Free Breading

When it comes to crisp chicken, the name of the game is temperature and timing. You want a high-heat cooking method with this batter or else it won’t crisp up properly.

Why This Recipe Works

We have tested the cooking methods for you and have found success with the gluten-free breading regardless of cooking method! Simply start by preheating your oven/air fryer or skillet to 425°F (medium to medium-high heat).

Next, grease your baking sheet (or skillet) with avocado or olive oil–because these oils are high-heat oils and healthy choices.

Be sure to place the chicken tenders with space in between; if you crowd the tenders, the breading will stay soft. 

Bake for 7 minutes, gently flip and bake another 7 minutes (14 minutes total).

Pro Tip: If your chicken tenders aren’t golden/crispy, it’s generally ok to cook longer; I find the texture of chicken is still quite succulent at 175°F.

Ingredients

For a complete list of ingredients, see the recipe card (below). Here are a few ingredients you will need and some tips about sourcing and substitutions.

• chicken tenderloins, preferably organic: Have you tried to cook a giant chicken breast lately? Very prone to dryness if you ask me. Therefore, I recommend tenderloins which are naturally a smaller, thinner, more evenly-sized cut of meat.
• fresh thyme leaves: feel free to leave this ingredient out or substitute with finely chopped fresh parsley or chives. Marinating the chicken just gives it a little something extra.
• cassava flour: I buy a big bag of cassava flour every 6 months and find it’s most similar to all-purpose flour; I like it because it’s a more wholesome ingredient than tapioca starch, which we aim for to keep our blood sugar balanced. You may substitute tapioca starch or a gluten-free flour blend. All-purpose flour works, too.
• coconut flour: I use coconut flour sparingly because it’s highly fibrous and absorbent, which is exactly why it helps so much compared to just cassava flour alone (cassava flour only has a tendency to fall off the chicken)
• fine sea salt: don’t be put off by the amount of salt in the recipe; you are adding it to the flour mixture and so you want to season more heavily
• onion powder: this ingredient is there for flavor but it actually also helps achieve a crispy texture; interestingly, you might want to leave this one out if you know you want to serve your tenders with honey
• garlic powder: I personally prefer the combo of onion and garlic powder but if you only have one, you could double the onion/garlic powder to compensate
• coconut milk: We are making this egg-free today so the fat and thickness of coconut milk gives the flour something to stick to (note: you may use 2 eggs stirred in a bowl if you like)
• oil: I like avocado oil the best but often use olive oil or refined coconut oil, too. While I haven’t tested lard or tallow, both should work.

Hot Sauce Ingredient Notes: If you want to try my perfected hot sauce recipe, you really must source the chipotle powder and the umeboshi vinegar for which no substitutes exist. Alternatively, make a “special sauce” using mayo infused with your favorite store-bought hot sauce.

How to Make Gluten-Free Chicken Sandwiches

Marinate the chicken. (Optional Step for flavor)

Rub the thyme leaves over the chicken and allow to marinade for 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.

Make the gluten-free breading.

In a large bowl, combine the cassava flour, coconut flour, salt, and spices. In a small bowl, pour your canned coconut milk and stir to combine. For this recipe, you will be coating your chicken in the coconut milk, then grain free flour mixture, and then cooking in an airfryer/a skillet (pan-frying)/an oiled baking sheet in the oven.

Dredge the chicken.

Dip the chicken in the coconut milk followed by the cassava-coconut flour mixture.

Cook the chicken. (Air Fryer Method pictured below)

Make the kale slaw. This part is optional and can be replaced with just crunchy lettuce, if you prefer.

On second thought, you could totally make this slaw with cabbage. Either would add a nice bit of crunch and some veggies.

As I mentioned, I’m sharing my smoky hot sauce which gets warmed briefly in a pot. It is definitely spicy but very, very good but if you prefer to skip it, you could use mayo (or try a special sauce with mayo and a little hot sauce swirled in).

To assemble the sandwiches, I recommend toasting the gluten-free buns in a hot skillet where the underbelly of the bread gets brushed with some oil. That way, the entire sandwich is supple, warm and just as good as a chicken sandwich can get.

So what are you in the mood for? Will you go for the classic or are you craving some heat? If you go spicy, be sure to include a drink. I love these Homemade Salted Lemon Sodas! In the comments: What variation did you try?

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Gluten-Free Crispy Chicken Sandwiches

This gluten-free breading works fabulously for crispy chicken sandwiches. Bring on the gluten-free bun! Make this recipe a few ways: The Classic Chicken Sandwich (pickles, mayo, lettuce) or homemade hot sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, sandwiches

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 chicken sandwiches

Calories 773kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

Chicken Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds chicken tenderloins organic, sliced evenly
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• ¾ cup Cassava flour not tapioca starch
• ¼ cup Coconut flour
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper or garlic powder
• 1 14- ounce can full-fat coconut milk
• avocado oil or olive oil used throughout (see individual steps)

Slaw Ingredients:

• 1 bunch lacinato curly, or red kale
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon umeboshi plum vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• ¼ purple cabbage thinly sliced
• 1 carrot use peeler to get thin ribbons

Spicy Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chipotle powder
• 5 teaspoons umeboshi plum vinegar no great substitutes exist
• ⅓ cup water *If sauce is too thick at any point, you can thin it out by adding more water or add honey for sweetness

Serving:

• 4 hamburger buns toasted
• Pickles if desired

Instructions

• Marinate the chicken. Rub the thyme leaves over the chicken and allow to marinade for 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Make the gluten-free breading. In a large bowl, combine the cassava flour, coconut flour, salt, and spices. In a small bowl, pour your canned coconut milk and stir to combine. For this recipe, you will be coating your chicken in the coconut milk, then grain free flour mixture, and then cooking in an airfryer, a skillet (pan-frying), or on an oiled baking sheet in the oven.
• Dredge chicken. Dip the chicken in the coconut milk followed by the flour mixture.
• Cooking the chicken (air-fry or oven bake).

  Preheat to 425°F. Grease a baking sheet really generously with avocado or olive oil. Place chicken tenders on top with space in between; if you crowd the tenders, the breading will stay soft. Bake for 7 minutes, gently flip and bake another 7 minutes (14 minutes total).

  If your chicken tenders aren't golden/crispy, it's generally ok to cook longer; I find the texture of chicken is still quite succulent at 175°F.
• Make the kale slaw. Submerge the kale in water then lift to drain. Use a knife to remove the bottom couple inches of the thick stem, discarding. Slice the greens into 1/4-inch wide ribbons. Place the kale ribbons into a mixing bowl with 3 tablespoons of oil, plum vinegar, and thyme. Add shredded purple cabbage and carrot. Using your hands, massage the slaw until tender. Set aside.
• Make the Korean sauce. In a small pot, whisk together the tomato paste, chipotle, 1 tablespoon Korean ground chile, vinegar, and ⅓ cup of water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 seconds to thicken the sauce. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Toast buns, assemble, and serve. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Brush the flat side of the buns with mayo or olive oil. Place them face-side down on the pan to toast (about 30-40 seconds). Assemble the sandwich with pickles followed by chicken strips, and the kale slaw. Top with Korean sauce and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 773kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1753mg | Potassium: 1265mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4218IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 9mg

FAQs

• Can I tenderize the chicken?
  • Yes. To tenderize the chicken you can marinate it in buttermilk or use a meat tenderizer and gently bang on it a few times. This will ensure that the texture is nice and tender.
• Can I use any gluten-free flour?
  • You might want to stick with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend or even try adding some additional tapioca starch to the blend.
• Can I deep fry the chicken tenders?
  • Yes, you can use this same recipe for the deep fryer. Be sure to preheat your oil to the right temperature first so the breading does not turn out oily.
• What other sauces could I try on chicken sandwiches?
  • Ranch dressing, honey, bbq sauce, ketchup, special sauce (a blend of ketchup, mayo, and hot sauce), honey mustard, sriracha, this fermented jalapeno sauce, plain yogurt

Picture perfect roasted Brussels sprouts packed with flavor. That’s these miso citrus glazed Brussels sprouts. Seasonal sides need not be predictable or dry. This is how you get everyone to eat their vegetables.

We eat a healthy serving of vegetables every night for dinner. These roasted Brussels sprouts will be a forever favorite–and for good reason.

My not-so-favorite part of a vegetable side? When it’s served dry and just lifeless. I simply can’t abide a sauceless vegetable. Not no way. Not no how.

As the resident saucier of the house, I set out to deliver a new and lighter (yet saucier) Brussel sprouts dish (this time no cheese). Going for something fresher in flavor, memorable, interesting.

And the perfect backdrop for our sauce? Little crisp, dry pockets of perfectly roasted Brussels sprouts.

Tip #1: Roast Brussels Sprouts at 400F, Tossing Every 5 Minutes

Steaming has ruined so many people on Brussels sprouts. If you want just crispy and caramelized-not-mushy sprouts?

1. Spread them out: crowding = steaming = gross
2. season with salt and pepper: and I mean generously
3. lightly toss with avocado oil: your go-to high heat oil
4. stir them every 5-minutes until they look really caramelized, are tender, have crisp edges, but not mushy: this is how you guarantee success regardless of the size of your Brussels sprouts

Gluten-Free, Dairy Free, Vegan POW Sauce

To sum, this sauce says “pow.” It hits your entire tongue in an instant with some seriously savory, floral notes. It’s definitely an unexpected experience. It’s different but in that way that you are craving.

Ingredients Explained:

How to Roast Brussels Sprouts

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ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH CITRUS MISO GLAZE

DAIRY FREE, GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN

I'm firmly in the camp that we underestimate the value of bitter greens. Take these Brussels sprouts. On their own, they're bitter and slightly spicy. When roasted? These become caramelized, less bitter, and pair spectacularly with this citrus-based sauce. You get umami, floral, and mustard flavors from this dish that leaves your taste buds wanting more.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Brussels sprouts

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 138kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

Brussels Sprouts:

• 1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts halved, stems removed
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil high-heat, neutral oil
• ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt or use truffle salt
• Fresh ground black pepper 15 turns

Citrus Miso Glaze:

• 1 ½ teaspoons tamari
• 1 ½ teaspoons miso paste such as white, chickpea, or yellow
• 1 ½ teaspoons fresh citrus juice ideally yuzu or a combination of lemon and grapefruit
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tiny pinch evaporated cane sugar
• ¼ teaspoon truffle oil*
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil neutral oil

Instructions

• Roast. Preheat oven 400F. Toss Brussels sprouts, oil, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and lay out on a sheet tray, making sure not to crowd. Roast until golden brown and tender, stirring every 4 minutes.
• Toss Brussels sprouts with the glaze. In a medium prep bowl, combine tamari, miso, yuzu, nutritional yeast, and sugar. Whisk while adding oil one drop at a time until emulsified. Toss roasted Brussels sprouts with the glaze and use tongs to serve.

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Notes

Truffle oil: You may replace the salt in this recipe with truffle salt (that’s salt sold with pieces of truffle in it) and omit the truffle oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1half cup portion | Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 459mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 856IU | Vitamin C: 97mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

Slightly sweet, buttery, and with pure vanilla extract! These homemade gluten-free waffle cones are crunchy and capture everything you know and love about a freshly shaped waffle cone. From one bowl of batter, you can shape into waffle cones, bowls, or take two disks and make ice cream sandwiches.

With kids in the house, we are a little ice cream obsessed around here. We’ve been churning batch after batch of lemon custard, salted caramel, and this fresh ginger ice cream (pictured throughout).

These cones have been a long time coming!

You can find decent ice cream in the store. That said, the cones are another matter. It’s maddening trying to buy flavorful ice cream cones; I’ve been on the hunt for a waffle or sugar cone that isn’t stale right out of the box for a decade.

It doesn’t exist (or if it does, I haven’t found it).

Cones don’t keep.

It’s a good idea to have ice cream cone ingredients because that way, you can whip up a batch of fresh cones in 15 minutes. Your homemade cones will keep for up to 3 days if you can protect them from moisture.

Why Gluten-Free Cones?

You may be wondering what’s up with the gluten-free flour. My husband has a gluten sensitivity and my culinary training is actually in the specialty diet realm. Bottom line, a tested and perfected gluten-free cone recipe has a ton of value to my family (and hopefully, yours too).

If you’re getting into gluten-free baking, I’m really proud of these gluten-free fudgy brownies (dairy free, too) and for something savory, there’s these gluten-free mini pizzas and these sushi and sashimi bowls.

In case you are wondering, you can make these in a non-stick skillet, but I think it’s significantly easier to use a waffle iron to get the fun pattern like we did here.

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Gluten-Free Waffle Cones or Bowls

You can add additional water to the batter (towards the end) if it thickens too much. When shaping cones, the initial texture will be pliable when warm. As the shapes cool, the cones will harden into whatever their shape is, becoming increasingly crunchy.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten free, waffle cones

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 cones

Calories 128kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour (also called tapioca "starch") may substitute arrowroot
• 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 1 egg white at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 4 tablespoons whole milk low-fat milk will also work
• coconut oil or butter for greasing the pan

Instructions

• Mix dry ingredients. In a bowl (preferably with a spout), whisk together the brown rice flour, tapioca, xanthan gum, salt, and sugar until incorporated.
• Form the batter. To the dry ingredient mixture, add the melted butter, vanilla, egg white, and 2 tablespoons milk. Whisk to form a smooth batter. Since you want the batter to remain pourable (but not too thin), you may need to continue to thin it out as it sits with milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Preheat a waffle iron (medium-low heat). Brush a waffle cone iron lightly with either coconut oil or butter. Pour or ladle approximately 3 tablespoons of batter at once. Close the lid and cook until golden, about 2 minutes.
• Remove and shape while warm. Using an offset spatula or a toothpick, carefully pry away the edges. Immediately roll into a cone shape being sure to keep the tip-end as small and tight as possible. You want to cinch the tip together while warm and hold in place for about 1-minute before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter and cones.

  Store cones in a non humid environment. They will stay crunchy for up to 3 days at room temperature in a sealed container or glass jar.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1cone | Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

Ginger ice cream made from fresh ginger makes such a refreshing dessert. Serve it after a heavy meal for an instant palate cleanser that will leave your taste buds dancing.

This ginger ice cream is crazy good–but unusual.

Just like a loud and proud lemon and cream pairing, fresh ginger infused syrup marries extremely well with dairy. We are talking simple, delightful zips of fill-your-whole-mouth ginger flavor.

Why You Need An Ice Cream Machine In Your Life

An $80 ice cream machine is a small investment to make when you consider how easy (and affordable) it is to stretch a few ingredients into multiple batches (and customizable flavors) of ice cream. Think roughly $3/gallon for homemade ice cream. I’m not even sure you could buy ginger ice cream at the store if you wanted to.

In this 7-ingredient recipe, you have egg yolks for a golden color and rich flavor and no carrageenan. Since ginger cannot be added directly to the ice cream due to its fibrous texture, you will learn how to diy your very own ginger syrup, so nothing artificial!

Since I have a few gluten sensitive eaters in my family, it was worth it to me to make homemade gluten free cones to pair with this naturally gluten-free ice cream. Gluten or no gluten, what matters here is homemade. Nothing beats a freshly waffled cone in terms of quality. Definitely recommend.

Serving Ideas for Ginger Ice Cream

You can serve this ginger ice cream with or without crystallized ginger, in a cup or in a homemade gluten-free cone; you can even serve it sandwiched between these molasses ginger cookies.

Ice Cream and Ginger Ale Float

On a hot summer day, you might want to try adding a scoop of ginger ice cream to some carbonated water. That’s right, you can make your very own ginger ale float! Creamy, thirst-quenching, and 100% natural ginger flavor.

Back to the ice cream recipe…Let’s go over all the ingredients you need for the ice creams (and pictured here are the cone ingredients, too).

Fresh Ginger Ice Cream Ingredients:

• sugar: evaporated cane sugar works well for making the syrup
• ginger peeled and grated: peel the ginger root and use a microplane to get a really fine pulp
• whole milk: be sure to use whole milk (reduced fat milk will not work)
• egg yolks: you will temper the egg yolks that give this custard a luxuriously rich flavor
• heavy cream: it’s important to use heavy, full fat cream to get a thick, creamy, and rich ice cream texture
• fresh lemon juice: compliments the flavor of the ginger
• candied ginger (optional): chewy, sweet, and spicy; used as a garnish

Ginger Ice Cream Recipe Step-by-Step

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. You can match these steps with the recipe card (below).

Step 1: Make simple syrup and infuse with fresh ginger.

An infusion is where you extract the ginger flavor into a heated syrup. You’ll strain the pulp at the end and you’ll be left with a golden, ginger syrup.

Step 2: Warm milk and steep with ginger. 

Step 3: Beat egg yolks. 

Step 4: Temper eggs to form the custard.

Step 5: Cool Quickly.

Ice Bath Method: You can quickly cool your dairy mixture by setting the bowl inside of a larger bowl with ice. Stir to cool. You don’t want to pour a really hot mixture into an ice cream machine because then it might not get cold enough to freeze and thicken properly.

Step 6: Churn Ice Cream

Ingredient Tip: Add chopped crystallized ginger when churning the ice cream, if you like. It will add little chewy bites.

Step 7: Freeze

If you’re wondering what I mean when I say “soft serve consistency,” look at the above picture. Your ice cream machine will produce something very soft. If you want to be able to scoop it, you have to freeze it longer (see below).

To get a nice scoop, you should spread the ice cream in a baking pan lined with parchment paper (also cover the top with parchment paper or plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn). Once the ice cream is hard, you will be able to scoop it. This can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours of freeze time.

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Fresh Ginger Ice Cream

Makes 1 quart (Double recipe if you have a 2 quart machine)

Refreshing ginger ice cream made from fresh ginger with pops of candied ginger. This ice cream is a palate cleanser/dessert in one.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Asian

Keyword ginger, gluten free ice cream, ice cream

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Steeping (30 minutes) + Freezing (4 hours) 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 scoops

Calories 204kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Equipment

• 1 ice cream machine

Ingredients

• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar of choice preferably evaporated cane sugar
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 ounce ginger peeled and grated
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons candied ginger optional

Instructions

• Make simple syrup and infuse with fresh ginger. Combine ¼ cup of the sugar with the water in a small saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Add the grated ginger and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from the heat, and strain the syrup into a small bowl. Reserve the cooked ginger (still in the strainer) in a separate bowl.
• Warm milk and steep with ginger. Over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan, combine the milk with 2 tablespoons sugar and reserved cooked ginger. When the milk comes to a boil, remove from the heat, and pour in the ginger syrup. Set aside and allow the milk to steep for 30 minutes.
• Beat egg yolks. Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining ¼ cup of sugar until the yolks turn pale yellow.
• Temper eggs to form the custard. Heat the ginger-infused milk once again, on low heat until hot. Pour the hot milk in a steady stream into the beaten egg yolks, whisking the whole time to avoid any lumps or scrambling of the eggs. Pour the custard mix back into the saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring continuously for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the custard thickens to coat a spoon.
• Cool quickly. Put a handful of ice cubes and a cup or two of water in a large bowl. Place a medium bowl in this ice bath. Remove the custard from the heat and strain it into the medium bowl. This cools the custard quickly. With a wooden spoon, press down on the ginger in the strainer to get any juices into the custard.
• Churn ice cream. When the custard has cooled through, stir in the heavy cream and the lemon juice. Pour into an ice-cream maker and add the candied ginger. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Freeze. Most budget ice cream machines will produce a soft serve consistency. If you would like to be able to scoop your ice cream, I recommend pouring into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Top with parchment paper and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for 4 hours. At this point, the ice cream will harden and you can scoop.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1scoop | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 584IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

You can’t go wrong with a crispy tortilla layered with chipotle simmered black beans, pickled red onion, and refreshing avocado slaw. We are covering our bases with these gourmet black bean tostadas and then some.

I really love a simple, yet gourmet, tostada. Can you tell?

In my book, there are a few musts when it comes to tostadas. They must be:

1. crispy, and preferably made with freshly fried corn tortillas
2. have a thick, hot layer of saucy black beans
3. topped with something(s) fresh

Don’t let these guys fool you. These black bean tostadas and every component are weeknight friendly and should only take you about 30-minutes to make (a bit more if you want to make the tortillas yourself).

Here are the Mexican Ingredients You Need:

• Avocado oil: This is a healthy cooking oil with a neutral flavor.
• Corn tortillas: homemade or store-bought
• Salt: sea salt or smoked sea salt are ideal
• ¼ medium white onion diced: don’t be tempted to use an entire onion in this recipe. I have tested this and you should keep the ratios so as not to over-power the beans.
• Garlic: you can mince your own garlic or use the pre-minced kind
• Chipotle chile in adobo sauce canned *1 chipotle chile from the can, roughly chopped plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce: these peppers are smoky and spicy; be careful not to add too many or the beans will be very spicy
• 1 14- ounce Can Black Beans: you can mash these up a bit if you like or use refried beans
• 1 pinch Dried Mexican oregano/regular oregano/fresh minced oregano: this adds a floral, earthy flavor that is important to Mexican cuisine
• 1 pinch Anise seed: while this may seem like a strange ingredient, I encourage you to use it. The anise imparts that something extra that makes these incredibly fresh-tasting.
• ½ Red Onion very thinly sliced: this is used for quick pickling and will become a garnish; I really like the flavor of red onion pickled in salted lime so don’t use a white onion for this
• 3 Limes: limes impart a sweet, sour flavor for pickling the onion; this juice gets re-purposed in the slaw and helps break down the cabbage so that it’s softer
• Jalapeno minced: I like to include the seeds for flavor and spiciness; adds freshness
• Cilantro: a garnish that adds a lemony, peppery, pungent taste to the dish
• Cotija cheese: any mild fresh cheese will work and you can leave off the cheese if you are making these vegan
• Green cabbage: I like the crunchiness of shredded green cabbage; it holds up better than lettuce
• Avocados: you can use the avocado to garnish and to impart a rich, creaminess to the cabbage slaw; acts like sour cream in this recipe

Step-by-Step Black Bean Tostada Recipe

Step 1: Pan-fry the tortillas until crispy. 

Technique Tip: For best results, you need to pan-fry (not bake) the tortillas. Really aim for firm and crispy so that they can hold the toppings without flopping around.

Step 2: Make the beans. 

Step 3: Quick pickle the onion. 

As you can see, the red onion gets submerged in lime juice with salt and this acid breaks down the onion, making it soft and a pretty pink color (see picture below).

Step 4: Make slaw, garnish and serve. 

For the slaw, you can serve this on top of the tostada like you would lettuce or on the side.

You can use store-bought corn tortillas to save time or you can make your own for a restaurant quality experience. Homemade tortillas are easier that you might think, and you don’t even need a tortilla press.

How to Make Homemade Corn Tortillas (Optional)

You can make homemade tortillas in less than 10-minutes by cleverly sandwiching the masa dough between parchment paper, which makes for both easy clean-up and prevents the dough from sticking. Here’s the basic process:

Homemade Tortillas Ingredients:

• 1 cup masa harina
• Lukewarm water
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fat, such as avocado oil, olive oil, or lard

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the masa, lukewarm water, salt, and fat. Mix well to form a thick paste. 
2. Divide masa paste mixture into 4 roughly equal-sized balls. 
3. Set a large piece of parchment paper on the counter. Transfer the masa balls on top spacing far apart and set another large piece of parchment on top sandwiching the masa in between the parchment layers. Press, flatten and roll the masa balls until very flat (approximately ⅛-inch thick). 
4. Peel away the top piece of parchment. Flip to make it easier to peel the parchment away from the flattened masa dough. To do this, you can place the masa over the palm of your hand and carefully remove. Gently lay palm-side-up onto a preheated griddle. Cook 40 seconds, then flip every 20 seconds until cooked through, approximately 2-minutes total. Store tortillas covered to keep moist.

Variations and Serving Tips:

• Cherry tomatoes: Halve and add as a garnish for a pop of color
• Salsa: any fresh salsa
• Taco sauce, hot sauce, or enchilada sauce
• Sour cream, especially thinned with a bit of lime juice and cilantro added
• taco shop guacamole
• shredded cheddar cheese, especially if melted over the beans
• microgreens: such as radish, kale, or arugula
• Just a pinch of this mesquite salt will impart some really special wood smoke flavor.
• Make mini tostadas: If you are making homemade tortillas, you could try serving mini tostadas for a fun appetizer or as a party food for a buffet

Mexican Recipes You Might Like:

• Chilaquiles with Fried Eggs: This is a great breakfast recipe if you end up with extra tortillas
• Bona Fide Fried Ice Cream
• Mangonada Smoothies
• How to Make Chamoy
• Pork Pozole Verde
• Forever Barbacoa – Mexican Shredded Beef

I hope you love a weeknight gourmet tostada as much as I do. Thanks for stopping by. You’re welcome back any ol’ time.

The Frayed Apron is committed to creating high quality recipes that work. We are transparent about the recipe notes we receive:

Tostadas – Tortillas were easy to make, funnily enough I have a low carb tortilla recipe on my website that uses the same method for flattening. These were delicious, my toddler loves the tortillas. I kept a bit of water on hand to keep the dough from drying out as I worked on them. We had these for dinner the night I made them with shredded chicken on top and they were great!

Adam Rahman, Recipe Tester and Photographer

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Smoky Black bean tostadas with avocado slaw and pickled onion

I love a good tostada and these black bean beauties have got it going on! You get bold, smoky and spicy from the chipotle black beans. Plus, the best of the best in toppings: pickled red onion, avocado slaw, and fresh Mexican cheese.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword black beans, tostada

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 535kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• Avocado oil
• 8 corn tortillas homemade preferably or store bought
• Salt to taste
• ¼ medium white onion diced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Chipotle chile in adobo sauce canned *1 chipotle chile from the can, roughly chopped plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1 14- ounce can black beans
• 1 pinch dried Mexican oregano regular oregano or fresh minced oregano work, too
• 1 pinch anise seed
• ½ red onion very thinly sliced
• 3 limes
• Jalapeno minced
• 1 ounce cilantro roughly chopped
• Cotija cheese crumbled (optional)
• 1 tiny head green cabbage very thinly sliced (1 cup)
• 3 ripe avocados halved, seeded, and outside peels removed

Instructions

• Pan-fry the tortillas until crispy. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and when it shimmers, add the tortilla in a single layer, cooking one at a time until golden brown. Flip the tortilla and repeat, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and season with salt while hot. Note: For tostadas, you are aiming to cook the tortillas until they are crispy like a chip.
• Make the beans. In the hot skillet, add the oil and chopped onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are slightly brown around the edges. Add the garlic and chipotle chiles. Stir then add the canned black beans, oregano, and anise seed. Leave to simmer. Note: While you can’t over-cook the beans, they can dry out so feel free to add water 1 tablespoon at a time to keep them moist.
• Quick pickle the onion. In a small bowl, combine the red onion, the juice of 3 limes, and 3 pinches of salt. Massage for 10 seconds then set aside and watch as the color transforms. When they appear bright fuschia, they are ready (approximately 10 minutes).
• Make slaw, garnish and serve. Slice 2 of the avocados thinly lengthwise for garnish, set aside. For the slaw, place one avocado in a bowl and mash with a fork. Pour the pickled onion liquid (reserve the onions for garnish) over the avocado. Add the cabbage and massage to create the slaw. Plate the slaw with a sprinkle of cotija. To plate the tostada: Place a layer of beans and garnish with jalapeno, cilantro, cotija, avocado slices, and pickled onion.

Video

Notes

Chipotle chiles are sold canned in adobo sauce. You can include some of the sauce in the beans, if you wish. It has a spicy, smoky flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tostadas | Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 1666mg | Fiber: 28g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 952IU | Vitamin C: 119mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 5mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

A sushi bowl has all the perks of traditional sushi–cucumber, seaweed, sushi rice, avocado, slices of fresh fish all on display. For condiments, there’s wasabi, pickled ginger, and sriracha-mayo. Keeping things simple is the way to go when your star ingredient is fresh raw fish.

Fish. When it’s fresh, it needs nothing at all.

That’s why a sushi bowl–a rather simple thing–makes so much sense. There’s nothing distracting. Just a pile of pleasantly chewy rice and some raw veggies. Fresh, clean flavors are the name of the game.

For the vegetables, you want to look for just-ripe avocados because those are the easiest to peel and cut thinly. For presentation points, don’t be shy about sprinkling with sesame seeds and crumbled seaweed. Oh, so delish!

Look at those little cucumber matchsticks, too! You can get a bit of everything on your fork if you keep your vegetable cuts dainty.

Love Asian flavors with lots of vegetables? Check out this Sheet Pan Sesame Salmon with Veggies, these cucumber tuna avocado rolls, or this Easy Vegetable Teriyaki Stir Fry.

My Secret Favorite Sushi Technique From a Japanese Chef

Many chefs take on the specialties of their mentors. I trained under a Japanese sushi chef for many years and so my standards for sushi rice are as high as can be.

My mentor and I spent many years together teaching others how to roll sushi in the traditional way. We always ended the cooking classes the same way: with a private family meal with all the leftover components from our class. We were exhausted and simply made sushi bowls. We never talked about those bowls.

Until today.

As an often exhausted parent of two young boys, I can certainly appreciate the practicality of a sushi bowl.

Mixing and matching bites of perfectly cooked sushi rice with attractively cut vegetables, sauce, and fish is gratifying and fun. More importantly, toddler friendly food.

For the first time on the blog, I’m sharing how to make the best sushi rice on the planet and will be channeling the wisdom of my mentor throughout this post. Are you ready for it?!

Best of the Best Sushi Vinegar

You can’t make sushi rice without it. That’s right, we’re talking about sushi vinegar! Sushi vinegar isn’t an ingredient; it’s a solution that’s mostly tangy and somewhat sweet ‘n salty. Balanced.

To make it:

You need rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. That said, I want to encourage you to source some premium ingredients: brown rice vinegar, a combination of savory/less refined brown rice syrup and maple syrup, and sea salt. It’s necessary to use exceptional ingredients if you want to create exceptional flavor and that’s what spectacular sushi is all about.

What type of rice for sushi rice:

For sushi, you need short or medium-grain white or brown rice, which is known as sticky rice in Japanese cuisine. Sweet rice is stickier and sweeter. Long grain rice is not for sushi because it does not hold together.

Chef’s Note: Since we technically don’t need our sushi rice to hold together (it’s a bowl not a roll), you could use whatever rice you want. In theory.

Please note that my process involves soaking the rice for 15-24 hours. This is what my sushi chef mentor did. It’s what I do. Not only does it reduce the cook time, it makes the final texture more supple. Also note that soaking rice reduces arsenic by as much as 80%!

How to Make Colorful Sushi Rice from Vegetables

You’ll notice in my recipe card (below) that I give you the option of making regular sushi rice or colorful sushi rice. The latter option involves mixing in some cooked vegetables, which actually become more vibrant in color as the sushi vinegar gets added.

Variation Tip: You don’t have to add grated red cabbage or finely chopped cooked beets, but it’s really fun to work with reddish-pink or purple hued sushi rice. I’ll leave that up to you.

Salmon Sashimi for Homemade Sushi Bowls

Salmon requires special handling from the moment it is caught to the moment it is processed to ensure it’s safe to eat raw. When in doubt, you can fully cook salmon and still make these bowls. This is a great option if you are pregnant, serving young children, or anyone with a compromised immune system.

Sashimi or Sushi Quality Fish

How do you know that a fish is safe to eat raw? Sashimi or “sushi grade” is really an unregulated term that’s used to imply that a fish is safe to consume without cooking. Most vendors will use this term to refer to only the freshest, highest quality fish that they know has been handled in a way that limits the risk of food-borne illness, such as putting the fish through a freezing process.

Sriracha Mayo

Sriracha mayo is a welcome fat that I think compliments the fat of the salmon or tuna very well. It’s equal parts sriracha and mayonnaise (full fat) but you could adjust the sriracha to your taste.

Kick this up a notch by adding extra sriracha! It not only gives the sriracha-mayo more color, it adds more flavor, too. You can use a bag with a tiny hole in the corner to pipe it on (or use a squeeze bottle).

How to Make Avocado Fans

Cut your avocado in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the core and peel. Note, this works best if your avocado is ripe but still firm.

Make thin slices 1/4″ apart, keeping one end intact. Press down with your hand to make the slices fan out.

How to Meal Prep and Store Sushi Bowls

For meal prep, I find myself mostly just preparing a larger batch of sushi rice (scaling up to the number of days I want to serve it) and double or tripling the sriracha-mayo. It’s simple enough to add the fish and vegetables the day-of. Here’s an example of a work-flow that will allow you to enjoy 3 days of sushi bowls:

Japanese Pantry Staples

Rice – “sushi rice” or “short grain rice” or “medium grain rice” is available at your local grocery store or Asian market.

Soy Sauce/Tamari – a fermented food, which gives a wonderful flavor to Japanese food It increases appetite and is an anti-viral sauce. Because we eat raw fish with soy sauce, some cheap ones are not fermented. Please buy real organic soy sauce. Gluten-free soy sauce is available at health food stores. Keep it in the refrigerator after opening to keep fresh.

Rice Vinegar – made from fermented rice. It has a milder flavor than white vinegar. Japan is rice country and brown rice vinegar is especially delicious.

Nori – the most popular seaweed in the world used in sushi rolls. It’s high in vitamins A, B1, B2, iron, calcium and other minerals. Nori gets damp easily, so keep it in a zippered plastic bag, otherwise it will get soggy. Buy plain nori, not the spicy one, because the spicy one contains MSG. Nori is farmed seaweed. Three hundred years ago, fishermen started keeping fish in net cages in the ocean. They found that nori seaweed grew on the surfaces of the nets. You want the “toasted” kind but you can just as easily toast it over a flame for 15 seconds per side if you have a gas burner.

Wasabi – Love it or hate it? Remember, just a dab will do ya. I like including wasabi with raw fish because it opens your nose and allows you to taste more flavor. To make it fresh, you can just store the powder in the pantry and mix with water. Just be sure not to cover the wasabi because that will dull the spice level down.

I hope you got something out of my kitchen today and that you’ll come back and see me again soon!

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SUSHI BOWLS

Dairy Free | Gluten-Free | Vegan Optional (No Fish)

Sushi in a bowl! Sushi rice finished with sweet and tangy sushi vinegar piled next to fresh seafood, raw vegetables and creamy, spicy hits of sriracha-mayo. Talk about satisfying!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Japanese

Keyword sushi

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Overnight Soaking Rice 1 day day

Total Time 1 day day 1 hour hour

Servings 4 bowls

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

Perfect Brown Rice, Sushi Vinegar, Sushi Rice:

• 2 cups medium-grain brown rice
• 2 cups water 3 cups if using a regular pot*
• Pinch sea salt

Sushi Vinegar:

• 1 cup brown rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon brown rice syrup
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

Pink Sushi Rice:

• 2 cups freshly cooked rice
• ⅓ cup sushi vinegar
• 2 tablespoons grated red cabbage or 1 tablespoon finely chopped cooked beets an optional ingredient if you want your rice to be a pink/purple color

Put it All Together:

• Prepared sushi rice
• 1 cucumber julienne into thin strips
• 1 pound sashimi grade seafood such as salmon or tuna, can also use cooked shrimp
• 2 avocado peeled pitted
• 2 sheets nori
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 green onion thinly sliced on the diagonal
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sriracha
• Daikon or red radish thinly sliced, wasabi, pickled ginger, tobiko and soy sauce/tamari as desired

Instructions

• To cook brown rice: Rinse brown rice gently. Soak in water for 15 to 24 hours. Drain. In a medium-sized pressure cooker or instant pot, add the soaked brown rice, 2 cups water and sea salt. Close lid, bring to a boil and when the pressure rises, reduce the heat to low. Keep the pressure at medium. Cook for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rice steam for 15 minutes. Open the lid, then fluff with a spatula.
• To make sushi vinegar: Mix the brown rice vinegar, maple syrup, brown rice syrup and salt with a whisk. This can be stored for 1 year at room temperature.
• For the sushi rice, you have 2 options (basic sushi rice or colorful sushi rice):

  1) To make basic sushi rice: In a large bowl, mix cooked brown rice and sushi vinegar with a spatula. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Cover with a damp towel.

  or

  2) To make pink sushi rice: grate red cabbage with a grater or cut cooked beet into small pieces. In a large bowl, mix cooked brown rice, sushi vinegar and grated red cabbage or beet with a spatula. Let it stand about 10 minutes. Cover with a damp towel.
• Divide the sushi rice between four bowls. Arrange ¼ of the seafood over each bowl. I like to slice the avocado lengthwise but leaving one end intact (about ½ and inch from the end). Keeping my cuts less than ¼-inch apart, you can then press down on the avocado to create a fan. Place the fan in the bowl for a pretty presentation. Divide the cucumbers into each bowl.
• Place the nori close to the flame of a gas stove flame to toast briefly until fragrant, about 10 seconds per side. Crumble the toasted nori over each bowl.
• For the spicy mayo, mix the mayonnaise with the sriracha until smooth. Drizzle over each bowl (a bag with a tiny hole is useful for piping a cool zig zag). Serve with wasabi, tobiko, pickled ginger and soy or gluten-free tamari as desired.

Video

Notes

My water:rice ratios assume you are using an instant pot, rice cooker, or pressure cooker. If you want to use a regular pot with lid, please adjust by increasing the water in the recipe as you will experience more steam loss.

Photography by Adam Rahman

Artichokes are such a delicacy but because they contain so many inedible parts, they can be downright daunting. If you love the taste and want to learn how to cut, cook, and eat them with ease, welcome! Today is the day you master the artichoke.

Let me start by saying that I am especially glad you are here. My favorite recipes involve some sort of challenge and the ability to be creative beyond cooking101. I KNOW that if you are reading this, you likely are a frayed apron cook in your own right. I see you!

I covet an artichoke. We never had them growing up.

This weekend, my sense of accomplishment came from teaching my son how to eat his first artichoke. He loved it! Even my husband, who is never excited about artichokes, raved “these are the best!” His apathy for them comes from thinking of them as steamed and lifeless.

All of this is to say, clean your chokes, stuff and roast them and people will think of you as an artichoke angel. Definitely plan on at least an entire artichoke per person. It’s hard to share that prized heart!

Gather Your Ingredients:

Today, we will be steaming, then stuffing and roasting whole artichokes with the usual players: breadcrumbs, olive oil, and garlic but also some pairings that you might not expect: capers, roasted bell peppers, and a citrusy vinaigrette.

When you sink into this artichoke, you will get earthy and briny tastes amplified by acidity (so not quite as rich as a dairy-based recipe). This is a pretty refreshing spring dish with lots of whole foods ingredients.

Would you look at that?

These are so gosh darn pretty. They make for a lovely appetizer for a family brunch. Honestly, I think they’d make a fabulous vegetarian centerpiece. Regardless of how you serve them, you can’t go wrong with an artichoke.

You can even make these gluten-free if you use gluten-free breadcrumbs, making this recipe:

Visual Tutorial on How to Prepare Fresh Artichokes 

Ingredient Tip: Did you know that cut artichokes oxidize and turn black? To prevent them from turning colors, you simply place them in a bowl of acidulated water (water with lemon juice usually) or just rub your halved lemon directly on the artichoke where you cut it open.

How to Cut

It’s probably safest to use a serrated knife to trim the top portion of the artichoke but I almost always use a really sharp chef’s knife.

Other nice things to have are a pair of kitchen shears for removing the pointy end of petals (about ¼ of the way down allows the petals to sit flat). While you can remove the fuzz while the artichoke is raw. It’s quite a bit simpler to do this step after the artichokes have been steamed.

Steam (Don’t Boil)

A steamer basket is key and will enable you to keep the artichokes above the boiling water. Steaming with a spritz or two of fresh lemon juice maintains the color and flavor of the artichokes as they cook.

Cooking Tip: If your steamer basket sits very low, you may need to add additional water halfway through as you really don’t want the artichokes submerged. Boiling will zap your artichokes of their flavor.

After the artichokes have cooled, you can remove the inedible center (so, just remove the fuzzy portion) with a spoon. This will vastly improve the eating experience.

Why Bother Roasting?

While you can eat freshly steamed artichokes, we are using a breadcrumb-based stuffing and we want to get the breadcrumbs slightly golden brown and crispy. Roasting also intensifies the flavor of each ingredient and allows everything to come together.

How to Cook Stuffed Artichokes

Really fill the heck out of your artichokes then roast them until you see the breadcrumbs brown in spots. This could take 15 minutes or longer.

How to Eat

You pull the leaves off one-by-one and bite down pulling and scraping the remove “the meat.” You can use a fork to enjoy little bites of the breadcrumb center, too.

Truly, I was surprised how quickly my 2-year-old figured out how to scrape the leaves with his teeth. He really seemed to get a kick out of this one.

Sometimes a photo (or video) is worth a thousand words. If at any point you’re not understanding an instruction, please check out the images or drop me a comment. I always try to get back to people as quickly as I can.

To reiterate, I love connecting with people who are well on their way through their cooking journey. It means I get to share even more creative recipes (like this one!). Oh, I DO hope you’ll come back:)

Your Curated Recipe Playlist:

• Homemade Pasta
• Rotisserie Chicken How-To with Seasonal Vegetable
• Creamy Rhubarb Lime Sorbet
• Extra Fudgy Gluten-Free Brownies (Dairy Free)

The Frayed Apron is committed to several rounds of testing so that our recipes always work! Here’s the feedback we received from our recipe tester:

Stuffed artichokes – No notes really, instructions were straightforward, it was pretty yummy. My family jokes that artichokes are the only food in the world I don’t like but I think you’ve converted me!

Adam Rahman, recipe tester and food photographer

Print

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

DAIRY FREE, GLUTEN-FREE, NUT FREE, SOY FREE, VEGAN

Freshly prepared artichokes are a must try. Serve these stuffed chokes as a gourmet vegetarian appetizer or a main course.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword artichoke

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people (1 artichoke each)

Calories 543kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Equipment

• steamer pot with steamer basket
• Kitchen shears
• Chef’s knife

Ingredients

• 2 approximately 1-pound artichokes, washed and dried
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Black pepper
• 2 tablespoons capers drained
• ½ cup roasted red pepper from 1 roasted pepper or from the jar, minced
• 1/2 cup packed baby spinach minced
• 1 cup breadcrumbs such as store bought or homemade (gluten free is ok)

Instructions

• Prepare the artichokes. Use a chef’s knife or serrated knife to cut straight through the top 2-inches of each artichoke and enough off the base to allow the artichoke to sit flatly. Use kitchen scissors or a chef’s knife to discard any tough outer leaves (usually toward the bottom of the artichoke stem-end). Use scissors to cut sharp tips of leaves.
• Steam the artichokes. Fill a pot with a couple inches of water and place a steam rack on top. Set the artichokes, stem-end up on the rack. Drizzle with about ¼ teaspoon acid (lemon juice or red wine vinegar) per artichoke then cover. Simmer over medium low heat until tender, about 40 minutes (more or less time, depending on the size of your artichokes*).
• Make the stuffing. Whisk together the orange juice, red wine vinegar, mustard, olive oil, garlic, and black pepper. Mix in the capers, roasted red pepper, spinach, and breadcrumbs.
• Stuff the artichokes then roast. After steaming, use a pair of tongs to remove the artichokes to cool on a plate. Gently remove just enough of the leaves from the center to reveal the “hairs” or fuzz. Use a spoon to gently scrape away and discard the fuzz to reveal a clean “heart.” Place the artichokes in a baking dish (or casserole dish) heart-side up so that they fit snugly. Use a spoon to pack the center of each choke with plenty of stuffing. Next, drizzle filling between the leaves; tip: using your fingers to spread the leaves will help you get more stuffing in there. Season each artichoke with salt then roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until the breadcrumb stuffing appears golden. Serve and savor each and every bite.

Video

Notes

Timing artichokes and cook time:

It’s actually pretty difficult to offer a universal cook time for artichokes because they cook at different rates depending on the size and other factors.

If you can pierce them through easily with a skewer, they may be removed from the steamer. You will be roasting further so it’s ok if the artichoke doesn’t just fall right off the skewer (this visual is the one you would look for if you were only steaming and not following with a roast).

Nutrition

Serving: 1stuffed artichoke | Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Sodium: 1252mg | Potassium: 753mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 977IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 5mg

Recipe Photography by Adam Rahman