Quinoa Pancakes

Quinoa Pancakes

I’m up at 6AM making pancakes and I feel slightly Julia Child-like standing over the stove, wearing my fake pearl necklace I posted yesterday on trend & chic, my fashion (among other interests) blog.

These pancakes are hearty, fluffy pancakes that are the epitome of classic pancakes. These are the pancakes you think of when you think of your basic breakfast pancakes. They have a slightly nutty flavour as well from the quinoa (we use quinoa flour and cooked quinoa in the batter), which compliments itself well to being generously spread with butter and drizzled with honey or maple syrup.

Thanks to quinoa being nutrient-dense, these pancakes also fit the bill for this month’s theme of Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten-Free! hosted by Maggie of She Let Them Eat Cake. Continue reading »

Gingery Pork Pot Stickers for Chinese New Year

Gingery Pork Pot Stickers for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is next Monday (it’s the Year of the Dragon) and what better way to celebrate it than share this recipe for Gingery Pork Pot Stickers from Laura B. Russell’s cookbook, The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen? If the photo above looks familiar to you, it’s because it’s from when I reviewed Laura’s cookbook back in August last year.

I’d never made pot stickers from scratch until this recipe. Prior to making them, my only fond memories of pot stickers were eating them after I’d watched Mulan. The most time consuming part is rolling out the dough and shaping the dumplings, but once you’ve got that all out of the way, it’s pretty straightforward. The pot stickers are first fried a little, then – holding lid at the ready, before yourself like a shield – water is added to the hot pan and the lid is quickly clamped on, covering the pot stickers and steaming them. They’re fried a little more after that, then you serve them right away with the dipping sauce or some soy sauce.

The best part is that they’re practically indistinguishable from pot stickers made with wheat flour and there is no difference in taste at all. They’re an instant party pleaser! I’ve even had family try them who eat gluten and loved these gluten-free pot stickers. You’ll have people clamouring for more, guaranteed. Continue reading »

<i>Girl Hunter</i> : Reconnecting with Our Food

Girl Hunter : Reconnecting with Our Food

It was unusual in the city to see a whole pig roasting on a spit. It was summer and, sitting in the passenger seat, driving along Broadway with my Mum, I saw a whole pig being roasted right on the sidewalk in front of a pub. I craned my head back frantically, not sure about what I’d just seen. I told everyone I knew about it, all equally astonished as I. When I told my grandmother in Fiji about this odd sight she said, “It’s the way of life.”

I’ve been contemplating that memory and, in particular, thinking of my grandmother’s words since reading Georgia Pellegrini’s new book, Girl Hunter. There is a moment in the book in which Georgia visits Yellowstone National Park and realizes the sad irony of people observing nature from their cars and behind fences; cameras ready for action. She questions if nature has become “the last great zoo”, living off the land simply a romantic notion but unrealistic. Continue reading »