Clementine-cranberry scones (icing optional)

This is a recipe I first posted on my other blog.

I've managed to create a clementine-cranberry scone that is gluten, grain, soy, and dairy free! Well, OK.....the icing I put on top is not grain free because powdered sugar has cornstarch in it, but you can skip the icing if you desire.

Ingredients:

Scones:
4 eggs
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
3 T agave syrup
several drops (8 - 10) of liquid stevia to taste
1 T clementine (or orange or tangerine) zest
Freshly squeezed juice from 2 clementines (about 3 T juice)
1 C fresh cranberries
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C coconut flour
1/3 C almond flour**
1 T flax meal
1/2 tsp baking powder

Icing:
3/4 C powdered sugar
orange or clementine juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, and agave syrup until well mixed; add the clementine juice and zest. Coarsely chop the cranberries in a food processor, then add them to the egg mixture. Combine the salt, coconut and almond flours, flax meal and baking powder in a separate bowl, then stir into the egg-oil mixture, blending well. Add the stevia drop by drop to taste (scones aren't supposed to be very sweet), and mix thoroughly.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for approximately 16-20 minutes (start checking them at about 16 minutes), until beginning to develop golden-brown spots on tops. Makes 8 scones.

Optional icing: Let scones cool, then make clementine (or orange) icing by stirring a couple of teaspoons of juice at a time into the powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle icing over scones; let sit long enough for icing to harden a bit, then serve.

**Note: I am following Elana Amsterdam's suggestion and using ONLY finely ground blanched almond flour. Some almond flours on the market simply are not fine enough to give a good texture to baked goods. For example, Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour just doesn't work. The flour that I'm currently using is Honeyville's Blanched Almond Flour.

P.S. These scones are not the typical shortbread type scones, they're a lot moister.

Pumpkin Cheesecake: Grain Free, Sugar Free

I found this recipe at a site that publishes low carb recipes! Yum!

Ingredients

Crust:
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/2 teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon
4 Tablespoons melted butter
Sugar substitute equal to 4 Tablespoons sugar (try 1/4 tsp liquid stevia)

Filling:
3 8 oz packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sugar substitute equal to 1 1/2 cups sugar (try 3 - 3 1/2 tsp liquid stevia, to taste)
1 can (about 15 oz) pumpkin
1 Tablespoon vanilla
5 eggs, preferably room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Heat oven to 375 F.

Prepare springform pan: put a piece of parchment paper over the bottom of the pan -- no need to cut it to size, just snap it into place when you put the tighten the sides. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan in heavy-duty foil, to protect from leaks.

1) Combine ingredients for crust, and press into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to brown.

2) Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and beaters. This step will be repeated several times and is important. The mixture will gradually become lighter, and the denser stuff has a tendency to cling to the bowl. You won't be able to incorporate it as well later, so keep scraping.

3) Add spices and sweetener. Beat again, scrape again.

4) Add pumpkin and vanilla. Beat well, scrape.

5) Add 3 eggs. Beat well (about a minute), scrape.

6) Add the other 2 eggs and cream and beat another minute. Pour mixture into pan over crust.

7) Place pan in a baking pan and pour boiling water around the sides, about halfway up. Lower the oven temperature to 325 F. and bake for for 60 to 90 minutes, checking often after an hour. When the cake is firm to touch but slightly soft in the center, or the center reaches 150 to 155 F, remove from oven.

8) Remove sides from pan. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, or up to 3 hours. Cover and chill, ideally for another 3 to 4 hours.

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Ingredients

2 lbs broccoli florets or 3 large heads of broccoli, cut up and steamed until tender
1 1/2 cups cream of mushroom soup, gluten free (can make with arrowroot for grain free)
milk or cream
4 - 5 C of cheddar cheese, grated
2 jars Kraft Old English Cheese Spread
1 cup diced chives or diced green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
garlic powder (1-2 tsp)
dill weed (a few pinches)
rosemary (a few pinches)
thyme (a few pinches)
1 tsp dry mustard

Dump the mushroom soup in a medium sized saucepan, heat and stir while adding most of the grated cheese (reserve a bit for topping), the Kraft spread, the diced veggies and seasonings to taste. Cheese sauce should be thick; add a bit of milk or cream if it seems overly thick, but remember that you'll be adding the steamed broccoli, which has some water content that will thin out the sauce too.

Combine steamed broccoli with the cheese sauce mixture, add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a casserole dish, top with cheese and crushed potato chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly around the edges.

Mushrooms Parmesan

Ingredients

3 T. butter

1 1/2 lbs mushrooms
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
3 T. butter
2 T arrowroot
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
salt, pepper to taste
grain free crumbs (from a grain-free biscuit)

Directions

Clean and slice the mushrooms (I like the slices fairly thick myself). Melt the first 3 T. butter in a large skillet and saute the mushrooms until wilted. Drain.

Make a roux with the second 3 T. of butter and brown rice flour by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and quickly blending in the arrowroot to form a paste; cook briefly, do not burn it! Add the heavy cream and whisk to ensure no lumps; simmer and stir until it thickens, slowly add the milk and simmer and stir again until thick. If too thick add a bit more milk. Lastly add most of the Parmesan cheese (reserve a bit to put on top) and the nutmeg. The sauce should be quite thick at this point, almost like a thick batter, because the mushrooms will still retain and release some liquid, even though they've been drained, which will thin out the sauce when they are added.

Add the mushrooms to the sauce, stir well, pour into a casserole dish and top with reserved Parmesan, crumbs and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and starting to brown slightly on top.

Grain-Free Banana Blueberry Muffins

Another recipe for grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free muffins!

This recipe makes approximately 20 muffins, if you fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full.

Ingredients:

2 large (or 3 small) very ripe bananas, about 1 1/2 - 2 cups mashed
1/4 C melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil
3/4 C agave nectar
6 eggs
3/4 C coconut flour
1 C plus 3 T almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 rounded C blueberries (if fresh, dry them well after washing)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pans generously with shortening (I've used both Crisco and Spectrum).

In a large bowl mash the banana and beat until smooth; add the eggs, agave, and oil and beat with a hand-held mixer or stand mixer until smooth and "emulsified" (meaning there should not be a skim of oil on top, but the oil should be completely incorporated). In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Dump the dry ingredients into the banana mixture; mix together thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. Fold in the blueberries.

Spoon muffin batter into greased muffin pans. Bake at 350 for approximately 20 - 23 minutes, depending on your oven, until beginning to brown on top. Allow the muffins to cool in the pans for 10 - 15 minutes, then remove them to wire racks to finish cooling.

NOTE: the muffins will be very fragile just out of the oven, and will feel overly moist, even oily on the bottoms. But as they cool, they firm up and absorb the excess moisture and oil. This is likely due to the absorbent properties of the coconut flour; it allows the muffins to stay moist and delicious for days.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins: grain, gluten, and dairy free!

Here is a recipe for scrumptious gluten, grain, dairy (and sugar) free pumpkin muffins I came up with recently. I did post this first on my other blog, but will always archive the recipe here as well.


This recipe makes approximately 21 muffins, if you fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full.

Ingredients:

1/4 C melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil
1 C agave nectar
1 15-oz can pumpkin (100% pure pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie mix)
6 eggs
3/4 C coconut flour
1 C plus 3 T almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp (rounded) ginger
1/8 tsp cloves

NOTE: 1 15-oz can of pumpkin is approximately 1 3/4 C of pumpkin puree, at least for Libby's pumpkin!

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pans generously with shortening (I've used both Crisco and Spectrum).

In a large bowl combine the eggs, agave, oil, and canned pumpkin with a hand-held mixer until smooth and "emulsified" (meaning there should not be a skim of oil on top, but the oil should be completely incorporated). In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and all the spices. Dump the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture; mix together thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently.

Spoon muffin batter into greased muffin pans. Bake at 350 for approximately 21 - 23 minutes, depending on your oven. Allow the muffins to cool in the pans for 10 - 15 minutes, then remove them to wire racks to finish cooling.

NOTE: the muffins will be very fragile just out of the oven, and will feel overly moist, even oily on the bottoms. But as they cool, they firm up and absorb the excess moisture and oil. This is likely due to the absorbent properties of the coconut flour; it allows the muffins to stay moist and delicious for days.

As I mentioned before, I made 21 muffins by filling the muffin cups about 2/3 full. If you fill yours with more batter, you will have larger (fewer) muffins and may have to bake them a bit longer.

Grain Free Oven "Fried" Chicken

Another grain-free recipe we've been enjoying lately....

Ingredients:

2 C almond flour (I used Bob's Red Mill because it's a bit chunky - good texture for breading)
1 C Parmesan Cheese, grated
2-3 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (to taste)
1 T garlic powder
2 tsp Herbes de Provence (or Italian Herb Mix)
4 eggs
3 - 3 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T each butter and olive oil for pan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter and olive oil in baking pan (should be large enough to accomodate all of the chicken in a single layer, leaving a bit of space between pieces if possible), and place the pan on a rack in the center of the oven. You want the pan and oil-butter mixture to be hot when the chicken goes in.

Mix all dry ingredients in a pie pan; beat the eggs in a separate pie pan. Immerse each chicken breast in the beaten eggs, coating well. Next, dredge the chicken in the almond flour mixture, pressing it in with your fingers....make sure each piece is well covered. Remove the hot baking pan from the oven and place the chicken pieces in the olive oil-butter mixture. Try to separate the chicken pieces from each other in the pan if possible.

Bake for about 20 minutes, then turn the chicken and bake for another 20 - 25 minutes depending on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts.

Enjoy!

Casein-Free, Grain-Free Drop Biscuits

Another recipe from my other blog....

I'm still experimenting with coconut and almond flours, attempting to replace all of the other gluten-free flours that I've become accustomed to using. Here is a very nice drop biscuit recipe I came up with (casein-free cousin to the garlic cheese biscuits) which uses both almond and coconut flours, as well as a bit of flax meal; my husband says they taste very much like Bisquick biscuits, only better.

I like the flavor and the texture of the almond-coconut flour combo.....I will continue to experiment! :)

Ingredients: (updated 11/22/09 and again on 11/26/09)

4 eggs
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C coconut flour
1/4 C almond flour**
1 1/2 T flax meal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1-2 T agave syrup (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and coconut oil (and agave if using) thoroughly. Combine the salt, coconut and almond flours, flax meal and baking powder in a separate bowl, then stir into the egg-oil mixture, blending well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for approximately 16-20 minutes (start checking them at about 16 minutes), until beginning to develop golden-brown spots on tops. Makes 8 biscuits.

**Note: I am following Elana Amsterdam's suggestion and using ONLY finely ground blanched almond flour. Some almond flours on the market simply are not fine enough to give a good texture to baked goods. For example, Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour just doesn't work. The flour that I'm currently using is Honeyville's Blanched Almond Flour.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits - Grain Free!

I posted this recipe first over on my other blog (My Experiment in Gluten Free Living), but wanted to archive it here, of course.

I have been experimenting with coconut and almond flours lately, and have been trying to see if combining them makes any sense. Here is one recipe that turned out well; my family loved them!

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1 T garlic powder
1/3 C coconut flour
2 tsp flax meal
2 tsp almond flour**
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 C grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and coconut oil thoroughly. Combine the salt, garlic powder, coconut and almond flours, flax meal and baking powder in a separate bowl, then stir into the egg-oil mixture, blending well. Add approximately 3/4 of the grated cheese, reserving a little for the tops of the biscuits.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; top with reserved cheese. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until beginning to develop golden-brown spots on tops. Makes 8 biscuits.

**Note: I am following Elana Amsterdam's suggestion and using ONLY finely ground blanched almond flour. Some almond flours on the market simply are not fine enough to give a good texture to baked goods. For example, Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour just doesn't work. The flour that I'm currently using is Honeyville's Blanched Almond Flour.

Eggplant Parmesan

Inspired by Elise:

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced thinly
(you can slice the eggplant either lengthwise or across, into rounds)
2 T. salt
2 jars marinara sauce (or your own homemade sauce)
grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups almond flour
6 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 lbs of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Place the eggplant slices one layer at a time in the bottom of a large colander and sprinkle evenly with salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant, salting, until all eggplant is in the colander. Weigh down the slices with a couple of plates and let drain for 2 hours.

Rinse the eggplant thoroughly after draining process to remove salt, and lay the slices out on paper towels to dry. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine almond flour and pepper. Pour beaten eggs into another wide shallow bowl. Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat, and pour in a a half inch of grapeseed oil. When oil is shimmering, dredge the eggplant slices first in the flour mixture, then in the beaten egg. Working in batches, slide coated eggplant into hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bottom of a 10x15 inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of marinara sauce. Top with one third of the eggplant slices. Top eggplant with half of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with one third of the Parmesan and half the basil leaves.

Make a second layer of eggplant slices, topped by 1 cup of sauce, remaining mozzarella, half the remaining Parmesan, and what's left of the basil leaves. Add remaining eggplant, and top with a generous amount of marinara sauce and the rest of the Parmesan.

Bake until cheese has melted and the top is slightly brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

Gluten Free, Grain Free Pizza!

I've already posted this recipe on my main gluten free blog, My Experiment in Gluten Free Living, but wanted to put it here as well. It's based on a recipe from the Tropical Traditions website:

Grain-free Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk organic mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 large organic eggs
1/4 C flax meal
1/4 C coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut 1 piece of parchment paper out for baking sheet.

Mix cheese, eggs, flax, coconut flour, and baking powder together until a sticky wet dough is formed. Spread with a spatula to 1/4 inch thickness on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 22 minutes in preheated oven.

Remove from oven. Top with sauce, pre-cooked veggies or meats, and cheese. Return to oven for approximately 5 minutes to bake at 350, then put crust with toppings under the broiler on high for a minute (or less) until cheese is melted and bubbly. Slice and serve.

Notes on the changes I made: the original recipe served 2-4 (about one medium round pizza). I doubled the recipe to make a rectangular pizza in my 15 x 10 jelly roll pan so we would have plenty of leftovers. The original recipe calls for turning over the pizza crust half way through the baking process; I didn't find that to be necessary. The original recipe said to bake for 30 minutes during the first baking....my crust was too brown by 25 minutes the first time I tried it.

ENJOY!!

Elana's Savory Vegetable Quiche

I've recently found a gluten free blog that is rather different from most, in that the author uses mostly almond flour for baked goods (although she's now branching out into coconut flour too). I'll bet many of you know that I'm referring to Elana Amsterdam and her wonderful blog, Elana's Pantry.

What intrigues me is that she is grain-free, not just gluten free. I've read many posts on the board at celiac.com stating that one person or another did not experience healing until they gave up all grains (and usually dairy as well!).

Elana's blog has tons of great recipes and lots of other helpful info....after I fell in love with her blog, I went ahead and bought her cookbook; this recipe is from her book (and I hope it inspires all of you to go out and buy the book too!):

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 C blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 T minced scallions
1/4 C grapeseed oil
1 T water

Filling:

2 T grapeseed oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 C broccoli, sliced into small spears
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 3)
1 C thinly sliced mushrooms
1/4 C finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (dry packed)
3 large eggs, whisked
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and scallions. In a smaller bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the grapeseed oil and water. Stir wet ingredients into dry until thoroughly mixed. Press the dough into a 9 1/2-inch or deep dish pie pan. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before filling.

Quiche: Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion for 8 - 10 minutes, until soft. While onion cooks, steam broccoli until bright green. Add broccoli, garlic, mushrooms, and tomatoes to the onion, and saute for 15 - 20 minutes, until broccoli is tender. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, and salt. Stir in the sauteed vegetables, then pour the mixture into the pre-baked crust.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 350 degrees until browned around the edges and cooked through. Let the quiche cool in the pan for 30 minutes before serving.

Crockpot Orange Chicken

Stephanie, the Crockpot Lady, keeps coming out with great recipes, even though her year of Crockpotting is officially over! Here is another one:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch pieces
1/2 C gluten free flour
olive oil, for browning the chicken
1 T kosher salt
6 oz (1/2 can) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (little or no pulp is best)
3 T brown sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 T ketchup

Directions:

Stephanie says to use a 4 quart Crockpot for best results. Coat the chicken pieces with the flour, and shake off any excess. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken on all sides. Sear it just enough for the flour to stick.

Place the chicken pieces into the Crockpot. In a small mixing bowl, combine orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Taste; add more sugar if you want it sweeter. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and toss to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Serve over white or brown rice.

Enjoy!

Polenta Lasagna

I've been experimenting with polenta lately, because it's naturally gluten free. I decided to use it to make a version of lasagna (hubby loves lasagna!):

Ingredients:

Olive oil
2 18-oz tubes of polenta
2 jars gluten free marinara sauce (or you can use your favorite homemade sauce)
1/2 pound of mushrooms, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced,
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb gluten free Italian sausage
1 lb ricotta
1 lb mozzerella, shredded and divided
Parmesan, grated
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano

Saute the diced onion in a small amount of oil in a large skillet until soft. Remove the casings from the sausage and crumble into skillet; cook for about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for a few more minutes, until sausage is browned. Remove from heat, drain off excess grease, and set aside.

Reserve approximately 1 C of mozzerella for topping. In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining shredded mozzerella, ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and the basil and oregano.

Slice each tube of polenta into approximately 15 slices. Use ~1 C of marinara sauce to cover the bottom of a 13" x 9" pan, then place half the polenta slices evenly spaced on the sauce (I do 3 by 5).

Top the polenta layer with half of the cheese mixture, then half of the sausage-veggie mixture. Cover with marinara sauce, then layer remaining polenta, cheese, and sausage-veggie mixture on top. Pour generous amount of sauce over all, top with reserved mozzerella and more Parmesan.

Bake at 35o degrees for approximately 35 - 45 minutes, until bubbly and cheese topping is beginning to brown a bit.

Enjoy!!

Crockpot Baby Back Ribs

Fall-off-the-bone good....!

Ingredients:

5-7 lbs baby back ribs
gluten free barbecue sauce (I used Homemade BBQ Sauce version 2)

Directions:

Separate the ribs into serving sized pieces (4-5 ribs) and place in the Crockpot, basting with your favorite gluten free barbecue sauce. Cook for 6-7 hours on High.

Remove ribs gently (they fall apart easily at this point) and place on a cookie sheet or roasting pan, and baste generously with more sauce. Place under broiler for a few minutes, just until the sauce starts to "crisp up" a bit; you don't want them burnt....watch them closely!!

NOTE: If you're still working on side dishes for dinner, you can bake the ribs at 250-300 degrees for up to 45 minutes to keep them warm, and turn on the broiler at the last minute, just before you serve dinner.

Homemade Gluten Free Barbecue Sauce, part deux

My latest version of the original homemade gluten free barbecue sauce:

Ingredients:

1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 T butter
2 C gluten-free ketchup (Heinz works)
2/3 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C gluten-free worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gf in the USA, but NOT in Canada)
2 T lemon juice
1 1/2 T liquid smoke
1 T Old Bay Seasoning (or more, to taste)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 T white vinegar

Directions:

In a sauce pan melt butter. Add onion and saute until tender. Add all remaining ingredients and heat 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Kay's Fish Pie

This is a "fishy" version of Shepherd's Pie from Kay, and it's amazing! I've only made it once so far, and I used tilapia instead of cod, but we loved it! Hubby ate some of the leftovers for breakfast the next morning! :)

Please visit Kay's site to see her wonderful step-by-step pictures of this recipe.

It was very easy to convert it to be gluten and casein free.

UPDATE (9/1/09): I've made it twice more, the last time with cod, which was wonderful too!

Ingredients:

Mashed potato topping:

1 1/2 lbs potatoes
roughly 2/3 cup of milk (rice milk works if you prefer)
2 T butter (omit butter if casein free)
salt, pepper, nutmeg

Fish/Vegetable Filling:

14 - 16 oz white fish (cod and tilapia both work)
1 1/2 cup milk (again, rice milk or almond milk or whatever will be OK)
2/3 cup vegetable (or fish or chicken) broth
1 1/2 cups green peas
1 small onion
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1 large carrot
1 lemon
flat-leaf parsley
cheese (you'll have to omit the cheese or use rice or soy cheese to be casein free)

White Sauce:

4-5 T sweet rice flour
3 oz butter (or organic shortening or coconut oil if casein free)
1/2 tsp salt
white pepper


Directions:

Peel, salt, boil and mash the potatoes. Season them with butter, a pinch of salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg, and set aside.

I used frozen tilapia; Kay used frozen cod. NOTE: according to Kay, what really gives a fish pie a major boost is adding some salmon, about 5 oz or so.

Place the fish in a deep pan—Kay always uses her Dutch oven for this—and pour in the milk and broth. You can use vegetable, chicken, or fish broth for it. I used chicken broth because that's what I had on hand.

Peel the medium onion, cut it in half and stick 3 cloves in one half. I know it seems a bit different, but this is how Kay's grandma did it.

Put the clove-studded onion in with the fish, clove side down, and season the liquid with 1/2 tsp salt and one fairly large bay leaf. Bring it to a boil and simmer covered over low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes. Until the fish starts to flake.

In the mean time peel and coarsely grate 1 large carrot and dice the other half of the onion.

Another frozen item: 1 1/2 cup green peas. Kay says that she absolutely prefers frozen peas over fresh ones. I used frozen peas as well.

Chop a big handful of flat-leaf parsley. About 4 T. chopped.

In the mean time the fish should be done. Move it to a plate. Don't pour the cooking liquid out! You'll need it to make the sauce with. Discard the onion and bay leaf and sieve the liquid.

To make the sauce, melt 3 oz of butter and whisk in 4 to 5 T sweet rice flour. Cook the roux for a minute or two (over low heat), then slowly whisk in the sieved cooking liquid until you’ve reached a sauce consistency you like. You may or may not need all of the cooking liquid.

Season the sauce with salt (1/2 tsp for me), white pepper and simmer for another 3 minutes. Just set it aside while you prepare the vegetables. Tip: you may add a splash of white wine for a more adult type of fish pie! :)

Heat a small amount of oil and saute the carrots and onions for about 5 minutes, until soft. Don’t let them brown, though. Add the green peas and let the veggie mixture heat through for a few more minutes.

Grate and add the zest of half a lemon and squeeze in some lemon juice as well, about 1 or 2 tbsp. Also get the chopped parsley in there.

Transfer the vegetables to the oven dish (I used a round glass baking dish with fairly high sides), add the fish and carefully break it up with a spatula. Be gentle, though, don’t stir that poor fish like a maniac. You want the fish to still be in chunks when you're done. Pour the white sauce in there and mix it in gently.

Top it with the mashed potatoes. Kay says she always uses a fork to draw some stripes on the top of the potato layer. Top the mashed potatoes with a generous amount of cheese. Cheddar and Gouda both work really well for this, but I wouldn’t go for a very sharp (aged) cheese. It just doesn’t really add to the laid back flavors of the fish pie. NOTE: I used a mixture of medium cheddar and gruyere.

Bake the casserole at 350F (175C) for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.

Wow....this is REAL comfort food!! My whole family loved it, even my three-year-old son! Good way to get him to eat vegetables....

The Perfect Meatloaf

This recipe probably came from a magazine....the title of this post, "The Perfect Meatloaf", was the name of the original recipe (wherever it was that I found it). "Perfect" may be a little bit of an exaggeration but it is a good recipe!

I've had it for many years and have made it many dozens of times. I've made a few changes to the recipe to make it "mine", but if anyone recognizes it and knows where the original came from, let me know so I can give credit where credit is due! :)

Note: I usually omit the ground veal and just use 1 1/2 lbs of ground chuck and 1/2 lb ground pork.

Ingredients:

Glaze:
1/2 cup gluten-free ketchup (Heinz is gf)
4 T. brown sugar
4 tsp vinegar (I usually use either cider or white)

Meatloaf:
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 med. onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp gluten free Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gf in USA, but not in Canada!)
1/4 tsp gf hot sauce
1/2 cup milk (can use rice milk, almond milk, soy milk, whatever)
1 lb ground chuck
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground veal
2/3 cup gf cracker or bread crumbs (I have used Glutino crackers, crushed, or my own homemade gluten free bread, finely crumbled)
1/3 cup finely minced fresh parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Glaze: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Meatloaf: Heat oil in skillet, add onion and saute until almost soft (5 min), then add garlic and saute another minute or so. Set skillet aside to cool.

Mix eggs with salt, pepper, thyme, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and milk. Add to meat in large bowl along with cracker or bread crumbs, minced parsley, and onion/garlic mixture. Mix with fork until well blended and mixture doesn't stick to the bowl. Add a little more milk if it sticks.

With wet hands pat into approximately 9" by 5" loaf shape, place in foil-line baking pan for easy clean-up. Brush with 1/2 the glaze and bake until top is crisp, about an hour. Remove from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve with remaining glaze.

NOTE: This recipe is casein free if you use non-dairy milk (such as rice or soy) and if the bread or cracker crumbs are casein free. We frequently use Pamela's Amazing Wheat-Free Bread Mix, which is casein free.

Edit (10/20/09): for a grain free version, use grain free bread crumbs. For example, smash up almond or coconut flour biscuits to make the crumbs. You can also substitute 2 T agave nectar for the 4 T brown sugar in the glaze (a little healthier).

Kay's Pasta Gratin (gluten free version)

This recipe is from Kay, and as is usual with her recipes, it's awesome!! It was very easy to modify to be gluten free.

Ingredients:

1 pound sausage (I used gluten free Italian sausage)
1 pound broccoli
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
4 tbsp chicken broth
1/2 pound gluten free shell pasta
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
gluten free breadcrumbs
grated Parmesan

Cheese Sauce:

3 tbsp butter
3-5 tbsp sweet rice flour
3 cups milk
4 oz cheese
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
cayenne
pepper

Directions:

Mince the onion and grate or mince the garlic cloves. Cut the broccoli in small florets. (You could also make this dish with cauliflower btw.)

Heat a tsp of olive oil and cook the onions in a large skillet, over medium heat, for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add 2 tsp oregano and 1 tsp dried basil to the onions. Cook for an additional minute to get the flavors going.

Remove casings from the Italian sausages and add the sausage to the pan; break it up with a spatula. Cook over low to medium heat, until it starts to lose its rawness.

In the mean time cook the pasta. You can use any type of gluten free shell pasta for this. Cook the pasta in salted water according to the instructions on the package.

If there’s a lot of fat coming out of the sausage, drain it. Add the broccoli and cook for a few minutes while stirring. Spoon in 4 tbsp chicken (or vegetable broth), pop the lid on and simmer the meat and broccoli over low heat for about 5 minutes.

Time to whip up the sauce. Heat 3 oz butter and add 5 slightly heaping tbsp flour. Cook for a minute to neutralize the rawness of the flour.

Pour in 2 cups of milk and keep a third cup nearby. Bring the sauce to a boil while gently stirring. Bit by bit, add the third cup of milk until you reach a consistency you like. You may or may not use all of that third cup.

Spike the sauce with 2 tsp Dijon mustard and add salt to taste—I’ve added 1 tsp salt, just keep in mind we’ll also be adding cheese! Let the sauce simmer, over very low heat, for a few minutes.

The pasta and meat should be done by now. Drain the pasta and remove the meat from the stove and set aside.

Finish the sauce with pepper, a good pinch of cayenne and the grated cheese. You can use Parmesan, Gouda, Gruyere or even cheddar for this. Any type of cheese you like. Or be adventurous and mix two types of cheese (I have used a mixture of Parmesan and white cheddar).

Now either add the pasta to the meat & broccoli in the skillet, or add the meat and broccoli to the pasta pot, or even transfer things to an oven dish and mix it there. Your call.

After the pasta, meat and broccoli mixture are well blended, dump it all into a 13" by 9" non-stick baking pan and pour the cheese sauce over all. Yum!!

Sprinkle some gluten free breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan on top of everything.

Put the pasta in a preheated oven and bake at 400F (200C) for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly hot and golden brown on top.

I've made this recipe twice now, and it is FANTASTIC! My family loves it!

Crockpot Pesto Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

This recipe is from Stephanie, who has SO many wonderful gluten-free Crockpot recipes on her blog! If you're not already familiar with her, you should visit her blog site immediately! :)

I'm making this today!

Ingredients:

for the pesto:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
4 garlic cloves
2 cups fresh basil
2 tablespoons pinenuts, or walnuts, or sunflower seeds
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

4 - 6 chicken thighs, or breast halves
sliced mozzarella cheese
aluminum foil or parchment paper
4 small sweet potatoes, well scrubbed, skin on

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, combine the ingredients for the pesto. When liquidy, taste. If you need to add more citrus or salt or pepper, do so now.

In the bottom of a large slow cooker, arrange chicken pieces. You can use frozen chicken. Layer on slices of mozzarella cheese. Pour pesto evenly on top. Cover with a layer of foil or parchment paper. Scrub sweet potatoes well, prick with a fork, and lay them on top of the paper or foil. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. If your chicken is frozen it will take a bit longer.

If you're using fresh chicken, and your sweet potatoes are quite large, you may choose to swap layers, and put the sweet potatoes on the bottom. Newer slow cookers cook from the sides as well as from the bottom, but some people swear the stuff on the bottom cooks faster.

Carefully remove the sweet potatoes with tongs, and remove foil or parchment. The steam that comes out will be quite hot, keep small children away.

Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

I found this recipe on RecipeZaar and altered it slightly to be gluten free. I should mention that Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is gluten free in the United States, but (oddly enough) is NOT gluten free in Canada!

You can cook it on the stove in the traditional manner, or use the Crockpot. Instructions for both methods are included.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs stew meat (tenderized works best)
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (or gluten free substitute)
1 container sour cream, divided
white wine (as needed for taste)
Worcestershire sauce (as needed for taste)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper
milk (if needed)
sweet rice flour (if needed)
cooked gluten-free egg noodles

Directions (stove top):

Heat butter in large skillet. Add stew meat, cook on medium heat until browned, stirring often. Remove meat from skillet and set aside. Add onion and saute in the butter until almost soft, a few minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook until onion is soft but not browned and mushrooms are slightly wilted.

Put meat back into pan, add cream of mushroom soup, wine, worcestershire sauce, garlic and pepper. Stir constantly until soup thins out. Decrease heat to low, cover and simmer.

This can simmer anywhere from 1 to 4 hrs depending on the texture of the beef; you want it to be tender. Towards the end of the cooking time, you can add sweet rice flour to thicken it or milk to thin it out as needed. When almost done add half of the tub of sour cream.

Serve over cooked egg noodles (or rice or mashed potatoes) with the remainder of the sour cream as a topping.

Directions (Crockpot):

Add meat, chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup (or gluten free substitute), wine, worcestershire sauce, garlic and pepper to the Crockpot. Stir well.

Cook for approximately 8 - 10 hours on Low, or 5 - 6 hours on High. You can add sweet rice flour (or cornstarch dissolved in a little milk or water) to thicken it or milk to thin it out as needed. At the end of the cooking time, turn off the Crockpot and allow to cool to the point where the stroganoff is barely simmering, then add half of the tub of sour cream.

Serve over cooked gluten free egg noodles (or rice or mashed potatoes) with the remainder of the sour cream as a topping.

Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup - gluten free substitute

This sauce can be used in recipes as a substitute for condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup. I found it at this site and modified it to be gluten free.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. sweet rice flour
1/2 cup any broth
1/2 cup milk (can use regular, soy, rice, almond, or whatever you have)
mushrooms, chopped and sauteed (I used about 1/2 pound)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt butter in a saucepan over med-low heat. Whisk in flour a little at a time until smooth, then remove from heat. Add broth and milk a little at a time, stirring to keep mixture smooth. Stir in mushrooms.

Return to heat and bring sauce to a gentle boil; stir constantly until sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Crockpot Chicken with Chickpeas and Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken breast, cut in cubes
1 lg onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
3 tomatoes
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
grill seasoning
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp powdered coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 T garam masala (or more to taste)

Directions:

In a large skillet sear chunks of chicken that you've sprinkled with grill seasoning. Drain and pour into Crockpot. Saute onion, garlic, and tomatoes until tomatoes release juice. Add chunks of potato and can of drained, rinsed chickpeas. Season with cumin, powdered coriander, red pepper, garam masala. Dump everything in the slow cooker and mix together; cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or until the potatoes are tender and chicken cooked through.

Crockpot Sausage and Potato Dinner

(Recipe has been slightly edited on 6/21/09)

Ingredients:

2 T butter
2 T sweet rice flour
1 1/2 C heavy cream
1 1/2 C chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground dry mustard
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 C grated cheddar
(NOTE: this is to make a thick cheese sauce to replace the canned cheddar cheese soup in the original recipe - canned cheddar cheese soup is not usually gluten free!)

10 medium potatoes, about 3 pounds, sliced
12 to 16 oz gluten free smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, chicken apple sausage or other similar sausage, sliced
1 large onion, diced

3/4 cup evaporated milk
Paprika

Directions:

Make the cheese sauce first by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the rice flour. Cook, stirring (best to use a wire whisk), for about 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in the cream a little at a time to keep mixture smooth, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Continue cooking, and add the chicken broth a little at time while whisking constantly, until the mixture has the thickness and consistency of paint. You don't want it to be too thick, because it will thicken when you add the cheese. Add more or less chicken broth until you achieve the right consistency.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, dry mustard, black pepper, garlic powder, and cheese; continue to stir until cheese is melted. Set the cheese sauce aside.

Toss sliced potatoes, sausages, and onions together in a 5 to 7-quart slow cooker. In the sauce pan, combine cheese sauce and evaporated milk (NOTE: you can use more or less evaporated milk depending on whether you want it to be thicker or more like a potato-cheese-sausage soup). Gently stir the cheese sauce mixture into the potatoes and sausages. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, until potatoes are tender, stirring GENTLY once about halfway through the cooking time.

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

Ingredients:

For the enchilada sauce:

2 C chicken broth
2 T butter
2-3 T sweet rice flour
1/2 tsp cumin
A good dash of hot pepper, smoky chipotle or cayenne, to taste
1 C diced fire roasted green chiles - mild or hot, to taste

For the enchiladas:

corn tortillas
olive oil
3 cups cooked chicken, cut in bite-sized chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cumin, to taste
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder or Old Bay seasoning
salt and ground pepper, to taste
4 C Cheddar or Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13" baking pan.

First make the sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan; add the rice flour and whisk smooth. Mix in the spices and diced green chilis, then add the liquid, whisking constantly. Heat just until the sauce begins to simmer. Continue to simmer until it thickens; feel free to taste and adjust seasonings to your own liking! You can also add more broth if it seems too thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

Make the filling by combining the beef, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Toss well to coat. Add about 3/4 of the shredded cheese to the filling and mix well. Set aside the remaining cheese for the topping.

Pour about 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

Soften the tortillas by briefly frying them in oil in a small skillet (if the oil is hot, you only need a couple of seconds per side!).

Place a tortilla in the pan, on top of the sauce, spoon in the chicken and cheese filling, and roll the tortilla up. Continue until the pan is full and/or the filling is used up, whichever comes first.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce all over the top. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the enchiladas are bubbling around the edges and heated all the way through.

Crockpot Garlic Balsamic Chicken

This is a modification of a recipe I saw on Cooks.com:

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 T balsamic vinegar
3/4 C chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Put chicken in Crockpot; scatter the mushrooms over the top. Combine the vinegar, broth, and seasonings and pour over all. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low. If you're using frozen chicken it will take a bit longer.

NOTE: Before serving, you may want to thicken the juices with a bit of cornstarch dissolved in white wine or broth, which will give you something nice to pour over gluten free noodles or rice.

Gluten Free Meatball Subs

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/3 C gluten free bread crumbs
1/3 C grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
1/3 C chopped parsley
2 T milk
Olive oil

Your favorite marinara sauce
Sliced mozzerella or provolone cheese
Gluten free sandwich rolls

Directions:

Beat eggs until frothy, add bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper, parsley, and milk and mix well. Add beef, and mix together gently; don't overwork the meat. Roll into bite-sized meatballs. Heat oil in a large skillet; add meatballs in small batches and allow to cook for approximately 3 minutes before moving or turning over. Turn over and cook for another 3 minutes. Continue cooking until all sides are golden brown.

Heat the marinara sauce. Slice and warm the sandwich rolls; fill with meatballs. Spoon an appropriate amount of sauce over the meatballs and cover with a slice of cheese. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Italian Bread

This recipe is from Jill's blog (Chef Silly Cooks Again):

Makes 2 loaves- about 20 servings

2 T active dry yeast
2 T sugar, divided
1 C warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1/2 C egg whites or egg white liquid
1 ½ C potato starch
½ C corn starch
1 cup Chebe Flour Blend or your favorite GF flour blend (preferably on with Tapioca flour in it; if it has xanthan gum, be sure to omit it from the recipe)
½ teaspoon Guar Gum
½ teaspoon Xanthan gum
½ teaspoon Baking Powder
1 ¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Rice or cider vinegar
Flourless pan spray
Water bottle to mist

Directions:

Dissolve yeast and one teaspoon of sugar in the water, set aside

Spray the bread pan or line with parchment paper

Sift together all of the remaining dry ingredients

Combine egg whites, yeast water, olive oil and sifted dry ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer on low for about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl, add vinegar and mix for another 30 seconds on medium.

Working with a rubber spatula dipped in a glass of water, divide dough in half onto each side of the bread pan. Shape the loaves into identical “logs” about 8-9 inches long. Keep the spatula wet as you do this. Square off the ends of the loaves. Make three shallow slashes in the top of the loaves, at an angle. Spray the top of the bread with the pan spray.

Place on the center rack of the oven. Turn the oven on to 425 degrees F and set the timer for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, open the door of the oven slightly, reach in and spray the top of the loaves several times with your water bottle. Close the oven up and set the time for an additional 20 minutes. If you want to repeat the spray 2-3 times, it will make your crust a little crunchier.

After the 20 minutes are up, use an instant read thermometer and check for an internal temperature of 205 degrees. Cool completely before slicing, and wrap tightly once it is cool.

NOTE: If you need sandwich rolls, you can make several smaller loaves instead of 2 large ones; reduce cooking time appropriately.

Creamy Homemade Ricotta

Also from Food and Wine Magazine:

Ingredients:

2 qts whole cow's milk (preferably organic)
1 C heavy cream (preferably organic)
3 T white vinegar
1/2 tsp white vinegar

Directions:

In a medium pot, warm the milk and cream over moderately high heat until foamy and steaming and the temperature reaches 185 degrees. Do not allow the milk to boil. Remove pan from heat. Add vinegar and stir gently for 30 seconds; the mixture will curdle almost immediately. Add the salt and stir for 30 seconds longer. Cover the pot with a clean towel and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

Line a large colander with several layers of cheesecloth, allowing several inches of overhang. Set colander in a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curds to the colander. Carefully gather the corners of the cheesecloth and close with a rubber band. Let the ricotta stand for 30 minutes, gently pressing and squeezing the cheesecloth occasionally to drain off the whey. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl and use immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 4 days.

NOTE: Instead of cheesecloth, you can use a clean cotton t-shirt, or a plain "flour sack" type of dish towel, or even clean pantyhose. Just make sure that any cloth you use doesn't have any textured surface which might leave shreds of fabric in the cheese.

Gluten Free Baked Penne with Sausage and Ricotta

Found in an old Food and Wine magazine; altered slightly to be gluten free:

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb gluten free Italian sausage, casings removed
One 28-oz can tomato puree
1 1/2 C water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp ground fennel
salt and pepper
1 lb gluten free penne
3 C homemade ricotta
1/2 lb fresh mozzerella, cubed
1/4 C freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat 1 T olive oil; add the garlic and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, breaking the meat into small chunks, until browned. Add tomato puree, water, sugar, bay leaf, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until thickened, about 30 minutes or so. Discard bay leaf and set sauce aside.

Cook penne in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and return to pot. Stir in the remaining 2 T of olive oil. Add about a cup of the tomato sauce-sausage mixture to the pasta and toss to coat.

Spoon 1/2 of the pasta into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Pour 1/2 of the remaining sauce over the pasta, spoon half of the ricotta in several large dollops over the penne, followed by 1/2 the mozzerella cubes. Top with remaining penne, sauce, ricotta and mozzerella. Sprinkle the Parmagiano-Reggiano over all.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and turning golden on top. Allow to rest 20 minutes before serving.

Gluten Free White Birthday Cake

Found this recipe at Amanda's Random Ramblings (cute blog!). I used it to make cupcakes for Emma's third birthday:



Ingredients:

1/2 C white rice flour
1/2 C sorghum flour
2/3 C tapioca starch
1/3 C potato starch
1 C white sugar
2 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter or margarine
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 C milk (any type, I used rice milk)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pans or line muffin pans with paper cupcake liners - this recipe makes 18-24 cupcakes, 2 6-inch round layers, 1 9-inch square cake, or 1 10-inch round cake.

Thoroughly combine the first 8 dry ingredients in a bowl.

Place softened butter in bowl of stand mixer and beat until fluffy. Add flour mix gradually to butter, blending on lowest setting until combined, then changing to setting "2" on the mixer until mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute.

In small bowl, lightly whisk eggs and vanilla together. Add eggs to mixer and mix until smooth and thick, about 1 minute. Add milk and mix for 1 more minute. Batter will be light and fluffy.

Spoon into prepared pan(s) and bake until toothpick is clean. Time will depend on the shape of your pan, but should be about 20-22 minutes for cupcakes, up to 45 minutes for a loaf pan.

Allow to cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. Frost when cool. Very good but, like most gluten free baked goods, best when eaten right away. Should be eaten within 24 hours of baking, otherwise it becomes too dry and crumbly.

Crockpot Chicken and Rice

Inspired by one of Stephanie's Crockpot recipes:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C brown rice
1 1/2 C chicken broth
1 1/2 C milk, divided (any type)
3/4 C gluten-free all purpose flour mix (your choice)
1 onion, diced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
3-4 chicken breast halves or equivalent parts
1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup Mix (it's gluten free!)

Directions:

Use a 4-quart or larger Crockpot for this recipe.

Combine all of the chicken broth (1 1/2 cups) and 1/2 cup of milk in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat on the stove. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk with 3/4 cup flour.

When the broth and milk have begun to boil, reduce heat, and slowly stir in the milk and flour mixture. When everything is fully incorporated, set the pot aside to cool.

Spray the inside of the Crockpot with cooking spray.

Add the rice to the Crockpot. Chop up the onion, and add it with the mushrooms. Lay the chicken pieces on top. Sprinkle the Lipton Onion Soup Mix over the chicken pieces, then pour your broth, flour, and milk mixture over all. (Actually, I was thinking about this....I did it this way when I used to make this recipe in the oven, but for a crockpot, you might want to pour the liquid on first, then sprinkle the dry onion soup mix over.)

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for about 8.

When you take the lid off of the Crockpot, stir the rice. If the rice is fully cooked and you have extra liquid, turn to high and keep the lid off for about 15 minutes. The liquid should absorb quickly. This recipe is casein free if you use rice or soy or almond milk instead of regular cow's milk.

Basic Risotto

Another recipe from celiac.com:

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. minced shallots or 1/4 c. minced onions
olive oil & butter
2 1/2 – 3 cups stock (see note in cooking instructions)
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer & keep the liquid hot.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, sauté onions in 1 tbsp. each butter & oil, stirring occasionally, until onions become translucent & slightly golden–about 5–8 minutes.

Add the rice & stir constantly until all the rice is slightly translucent and a white spot appears in the center of the grain–about 3 minutes.

Turn up the heat, pour in the wine & stir until it is absorbed–about 2 minutes. Set the timer for 20 minutes now. The timer is only an approximate measure. The rice should only be cooked until it is tender but still chewy (firm to the bite or "al dente"), but never so long that it is soft in the center.

Add just enough hot stock to cover the rice, stir well, and reduce the heat so it cooks "at a lively pace". Keep gently stirring the sides and bottom of the pot until the rice has incorporated all the broth. This should take about 3–4 minutes. Season w/ salt & pepper.

Continue to add the hot broth, little by little, stirring continuously until at least 2 cups of the broth has been absorbed & the rice is cooked, about 18–20 minutes in all.

NOTE: When this was first posted, a lot of people said that needed more stock. Be careful, especially if you’re using canned or salted stock. All the cookbooks say 2 1/2 to 3 cups stock, so try to adjust the heat until it takes 20 minutes to absorb 3 cups of stock.

Hint: As the risotto nears completion, gradually reduce the amount of liquid you add at each time, so when it is fully cooked, it is only slightly moist–no liquid should be left unabsorbed at the end.

Stir in half of cheese and 1 more tbsp. butter & cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes. Take off the heat & salt to taste.

Serve immediately with fresh ground pepper & the remaining cheese sprinkled on top.

Lemony Risotto with Asparagus and Shrimp

This is a delicious recipe that was posted on the celiac.com forum:

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
3/4 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Bring broth and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add asparagus and simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking, then drain. Keep broth at a bare simmer, covered.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed.

Stir in 1/2 cup broth mixture and briskly simmer, stirring frequently, until absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy and tender but still al dente (it should be the consistency of a thick soup), about 18 minutes. (There will be leftover broth mixture.)

Stir in shrimp and cook until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in asparagus, zest, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, parmesan, parsley, and pepper to taste. (Thin risotto with some of remaining broth if necessary.)

Crockpot Country Captain (Chicken and Shrimp)

From Sunset Crockery Cookbook:

Ingredients:

2 Granny Smith apples
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T raisins or currants
1 T curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup uncooked rice
1 lb raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/3 C slivered almonds
salt
parsley

Directions:

Quarter, core and dice unpeeled apples. Combine apples, vegetables, spices, raisins in Crockpot. Rinse chicken and pat dry; arrange on top of fruit and veggie mixture. Add broth. Cover and cook on Low 6-7 hours.

Remove chicken to warm plate; cover and keep in warm oven (200 degrees). Add rice to cooking liquid in Crockpot; turn heat to high and cook for about 30 - 35 minutes, until rice is almost tender. Add raw shrimp and cook until shrimp are opaque in center (about 10 more minutes). Toast almonds in small pan until golden; set aside. Season rice mixture with salt to taste; mound on a large serving dish and arrange chicken on top, then sprinkle with parsley and almonds. Makes 6 servings.

Directions:

Crockpot Beef Stew

Based on a recipe from the Sunset Crockery Cookbook, altered to be gluten free:

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2 C baby carrots
1 lb baby red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 - 3 lbs stew beef or beef round, cubed
1/4 C sweet rice flour
2 tsp thyme
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 C red wine or beef broth
1 pkg frozen peas (about 10 oz)
salt and pepper

Directions:

Place vegetables into Crockpot; coat beef cubes with sweet rice flour, add to Crockpot and sprinkle with thyme. Add tomatoes and wine or broth. Cover and cook 8 - 10 hours on Low. Skim off any fat and stir in frozen peas. Turn heat to High, cook until peas are heated through (15 minutes or so). Adjust seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste.

Dark Chocolate Gluten-Free Brownies

Such a WONDERFUL, decadent recipe, from Karina's blog:

Ingredients:

5 ounces Belgian dark chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 C almond meal
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional:

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired
1/2 cup extra semi-sweet chocolate chips for the top, if desired

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8-inch square baking pan.

Melt the dark chocolate and butter in a large measuring cup in the microwave. Stir together to combine. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs on medium high till frothy. Add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is smooth.

Add the melted chocolate mixture into the egg-sugar mixture a little at a time - incorporate it slowly- and beat well for a good minute. The chocolate will look smooth and glossy.

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: almond meal, rice flour, salt and baking soda; whisk together. Add the dry flour mix into the chocolate mixture and beat well for a minute. Add the vanilla, beat another half a minute or so.

If you are adding nuts, stir in the nuts by hand and spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Shake the pan a little bit to even out the batter.

Layer the semi-sweet chips all over the top of the batter and press them in slightly, if adding.

Bake in the center of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 33 to 35 minutes, or until the brownies are set. Don't overcook. (Err on the side of gooey, if you must- that's what I do; I find gluten-free brownies taste better slightly undercooked and soft in the middle than over-cooked and crumbly.)

Cool on a wire rack; chill before cutting.

Best Barbecue Ribs (or Chicken)!

This recipe is based on one from RecipeZaar; I've incorporated a number of variations from people who actually tried it and commented:

Ingredients:

3 - 6 lbs pork back ribs (or chicken pieces)
1 (8 ounce) jar honey
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 T Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 C dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 medium onion, grated or finely chopped
12 oz barbecue sauce (I used homemade BBQ sauce)
1/4 C white sugar (or white or apple cider vinegar if you want it less sweet)

Directions:

This can be made in the oven in a roasting pan or in the Crockpot. I've included directions for both, as well as directions for chicken.

Mix all ingredients except ribs together. Cut ribs apart for easier serving. Place into roasting pan or Crockpot and coat all ribs with the sauce.

Roasting pan directions (ribs):

Line the bottom of the roasting pan with silicon sheet for easier cleanup (very sticky!). Spread ribs out evenly on bottom of pan; coat with sauce and cover lightly with foil. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 3 hours. Turn and baste occasionally. At the end of cooking time, broil the ribs for a couple of minutes before serving.

Roasting pan directions (chicken):

Line the bottom of the roasting pan with silicon sheet for easier cleanup (very sticky!). Spread chicken pieces out evenly on bottom of pan; coat with sauce and cover lightly with foil. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour covered, then 1/2 hour uncovered. Turn and baste occasionally.

NOTE: if using boneless chicken, you should reduce cooking time. Bake covered until internal temperature is 160 degrees, then bake uncovered for approximately 15 minutes longer (probably 45 min total).

Crockpot directions (ribs and chicken):

Place ribs in Crockpot, cover and cook on high for 6 - 7 1/2 hours. (Bone-in chicken would probably take about 6 hours; boneless would take about 4-5 hours on high. Check internal temperatures to make certain they are done!)

Homemade Gluten-free Barbecue Sauce

Found this recipe somewhere on RecipeZaar:

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 T butter
1 1/2 C gluten-free ketchup (Heinz works)
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C gluten-free worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gf in the USA, but NOT in Canada)
2 T lemon juice
1 T liquid smoke

Directions:

In a sauce pan melt butter. Add onion and saute until tender. Add all remaining ingredients and heat 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken

There are a lot of different versions of this delicious recipe out there on the Internet; this is mine (based in part on recipes found on RecipeZaar and A Year of Crockpotting):

Ingredients:

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken pieces
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 T sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb mushrooms, sliced thick or quartered

4 T butter
4 T sweet rice flour
1 C milk
1 C chicken broth

8 oz cream cheese

Directions:

Place chicken in crock pot and sprinkle with herbs and spices. Add chopped vegetables.

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and add the sweet rice flour to make a roux. Add chicken broth slowly while whisking, then add milk. Stir until thickened and smooth. It should be thick, but you may need to add a little more broth; I try to aim for the consistency of canned cream of chicken soup (well, maybe a little runnier than that!). Pour over chicken and vegetables in Crockpot, cook on high 4 - 5 hours until chicken is cooked through and can be shredded with a fork.

Add cream cheese to Crockpot and cook on high for half an hour, until cream cheese is melted. Stir to mix thoroughly and serve over gluten free pasta or rice.

Gluten Free Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients:

For the enchilada sauce:

2 T butter
2 T sweet rice flour
2 - 2 1/2 T red chili powder
2 - 3 dashes cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 T cumin
1 T garlic powder
2 T dried onion flakes
6 ounces tomato paste
2 - 3 cups water and/or chicken stock
salt and pepper

For the enchiladas:

corn tortillas
olive oil
3 cups roast beef or canned cooked beef, cut in bite-sized chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cumin, to taste
1/2 teaspoon or chili powder
salt and ground pepper, to taste
4 C Cheddar or Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a or 9 x 13" baking dish.

First make the sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan; add the rice flour and whisk smooth. Mix in the spices and tomato paste; then add the liquid, whisking constantly. Heat just until the sauce begins to simmer; feel free to taste and adjust seasonings to your own liking! Remove from heat after it thickens.

Make the filling by combining the beef, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Toss well to coat. Add about 3/4 of the shredded cheese to the filling and mix well. Set aside the remaining cheese for the topping.

Pour about 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

Soften the tortillas by briefly frying them in oil in a small skillet (if the oil is hot, you only need a couple of seconds per side!).

Place a tortilla in the pan, on top of the sauce, spoon in the beef and cheese filling, and roll the tortilla up. Continue until the pan is full and/or the filling is used up, whichever comes first.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce all over the top. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the enchiladas are bubbling around the edges and heated all the way through.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken

I found this recipe on Stephanie's blog; my 3-year-old LOVES it! In fact, we all do...it's easy and tasty...has a sort of sweet Asian flavor. I served it over white rice:

Ingredients:

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 6 boneless, skinless breast halves
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda (7-up or whatever)
2/3 cup vinegar (white wine, regular white, or apple cider work fine)
3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
2 T soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat free are GF)
1 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

Use a 5-6 quart crockpot for this recipe.

Place the chicken into Crockpot. Cover with the brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic, and soy sauce. Add the vinegar, and pour in the soda. It may bubble!

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. The chicken is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired consistency. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will be. If you wish, you may add 1/3 C cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 water at the very end to thicken the broth a little.

Serve over a bowl of white rice with a ladle full of the broth.

Chicken Artichoke Enchilada Casserole

This is a wonderful recipe from Karina, the Gluten-Free Goddess:

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

2 cups chicken broth
2-3 tablespoons rice flour
A dash of cumin, to taste
A dash of hot pepper, smoky chipotle or cayenne, to taste
1 C chopped fire roasted green chiles- mild or hot, to taste

For the enchilada casserole:

10 corn tortillas
olive oil
2-2 1/2 cups hand torn cooked chicken pieces
1 10-oz. package frozen artichoke hearts, cooked, drained
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1 big juicy lime
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cumin, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning or chili powder
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
4 oz. Cheddar or Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 8 x 11" or 9 x 12" baking dish.

First make the sauce. Heat the broth to almost a simmer. Add the rice flour and whisk smooth. Continue to heat just until the sauce thickens. Add the cumin, hot pepper and green chiles and stir well to combine.

Make the filling by combining the chicken, artichokes, garlic, lime juice, cumin, Old Bay Seasoning, sea salt, and pepper, in a bowl. Toss well to coat. Add about 3/4 of the shredded cheese to the filling and mix well. Set aside the remaining cheese for the topping.

Pour about 3/4 cup of the green chile sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

Cutting some of the tortillas in half to make straight edges, layer five corn tortillas in the bottom of the baking dish. Brush with a little olive oil.

Spoon in the chicken filling, and spread it evenly in the pan. Top with five more corn tortillas, cutting some of them to fit against the sides. Brush these with a little olive oil.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce all over the top, slowly, using a small spatula or knife to make room around the edges of the tortillas, so that the sauce can seep in all around and reach the bottom.

Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the enchiladas are bubbling around the edges and heated all the way through.

Garlic fried Jasmine Rice

Another recipe from Tim Luym, published in the October 2008 Sunset. This is a staple for breakfast in the Phillipines, but it's great for dinner too:

1 1/2 C brown jasmine rice
1 1/2 T plus 1 tsp canola oil, divided
1 T minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Rinse rice thoroughly in a fine strainer, then pour into medium saucepan with 1 3/4 C water (you may want to use chicken or beef broth in place of some or all of the water to add additional flavor). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes.

Pour rice into a rimmed baking pan; let cool, then chill, uncovered, until firm and dry, at least 2 hours (you can leave it overnight if you wish).

Heat 1 1/2 T oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add rice and heat, stirring gently, until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. With a wooden spoon, clear a space in the center, and pour in 1 tsp oil. Stir the garlic into the oil. Let garlic sizzle for about 30 seconds, then stir the garlic and rice together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Beef Adobo Salpicao

I found this recipe in a Sunset magazine (Oct 2008); the author is a Philippino-American chef in San Francisco named Tim Luym:

Ingredients:

1 C thinly sliced shallots (4 - 6 large)
1/4 C each canola oil and olive oil
1 1/2 lbs top sirloin steak, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 T gluten free soy sauce or Tamari sauce
2 T coconut vinegar or 4 tsp cider vinegar (coconut vinegar may be found in Asian grocery stores)

Directions:

In a large skillet over med heat, saute shallots in oils, stirring often, until deep golden brown (7 - 8 minutes). With a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to paper towels to drain. Discard all of the oil except for 2 T.

Increase heat to high. Add diced beef to pan and cook until brown on one side (1 - 2 minutes). Stir in garlic and bay leaf. Turn meat; when second side is brown, stir in pepper, soy sauce, and vinegar. Boil until reduced by half, 1 - 2 minutes. Spoon meat into bowls and top with shallots.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Found this recipe on the back of a package of chicken (probably Foster Farms):

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C white wine
1 C sliced mushrooms
1 C heavy cream
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C Parmesan cheese, grated
1 C (packed) fresh baby spinach leaves
1 C fresh basil (rough chopped)

Directions:

Salt and pepper chicken breasts, then saute in olive oil over medium high heat about 8 minutes per side; set aside.

Add white wine to hot pan; reduce it by half, then add mushrooms and saute 4 - 5 minutes. Add cream, garlic, and Parmesan; bring to a simmer. Add spinach and basil and cook on low until spinach is tender. Add chicken and simmer about 5 more minutes until done (chicken should be 165 degrees F internally).

Vietnamese "Meatballs"

I was taught this recipe many years ago by a Vietnamese friend; I call them Vietnamese Meatballs because I can't remember the Vietnamese name, LOL!

Ingredients:

Filling:
1 lb ground beef
1 cup finely grated jicama
1-2 cloves minced garlic
3-4 green onions, finely chopped
1 egg
salt & pepper

Wrapper:
1 package Vietnamese rice paper (find in Asian grocery store - NOTE: this recipe assumes that you have the large sheets of rice paper, which are circular and at least 12 inches in diameter)

Dipping Sauce:
1 cup gf soy sauce or tamari sauce
2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves minced garlic
2-3 Tbsp sugar (add more to taste)

Large well-washed leaves of romaine lettuce, torn in half with center removed.

Vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients in filling, make small meatballs 1 - 1.5 inches in diameter. Cut the rice paper into fourths, and wet with water front and back (only do a few pieces at a time!). You have to lay the pieces of rice paper out separately on a hard flat surface so that they won't stick to while they soften (a few minutes).

Wrap meatballs in softened rice paper and fry (medium-high heat) in oil until deep golden brown on both sides. Meatballs should be small enough to cook through in a few minutes on each side, to avoid burning rice paper, and oil should be at least 1.5 - 2 inches deep in the pan (a deep fryer would work well, too). Fry only a few pieces at a time, to minimize risk of sticking together. Drain well on paper towels. Serve warm; to eat, wrap each meatball in a narrow strip of romaine lettuce and dip in sauce.

Mujadrah (Lentils and Rice with Onions)

Yummy Middle-Eastern recipe based on one I found on allrecipes.com (there are many versions on the Internet, just type "lentils and rice" into Google):

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 large white onions, sliced into rings
4 minced garlic cloves
1 1/3 cups uncooked green lentils
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice (you can use brown rice, but it takes more time and liquid)
salt and pepper to taste
1 - 2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)

Suggestions for variations on the basic flavor: substitute chicken stock for some of the water, add ginger and/or cinnamon or curry powder, add other veggies (e.g. canned diced or crushed tomatoes), add raisins plus a bit of sugar for a sweet version.

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and turn down the heat to low, cook them slowly until caramelized, about 20 - 30 minutes (this makes them very sweet). Just before the onions are done, add the minced garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside. Place lentils in a medium saucepan with just enough lightly salted water (and/or chicken stock) to cover them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.

Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender. Mix half the onion/garlic mixure into the lentils and rice. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to serve. For casein free diets, just top with onions!

Salmon Croquettes

This recipe may be found in several different places on the Internet, but I love the version on Mennonite Girls Can Cook:

Ingredients:

14 - 16 oz of canned salmon, drained
1/2 c. gluten free bread crumbs (NOTE: you can use other things, including cooked gluten-free oatmeal or leftover gluten-free stuffing or even mashed potatoes)
2 diced green onions
1 T. fresh dill
2 T. lemon juice
1 egg
2 T. mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste.
1 c. grated cheese (optional)

Directions:

Mix together well and form into patties. Brown in a non-stick saute pan with about one tablespoon olive oil. About 3-4 minutes per side. This recipe is casein free if (a) your breadcrumbs are casein free, and (b) you don't add the cheese.

Edit (10/20/09): For a grain free version, use grain free crumbs; for example, crumble almond or coconut flour biscuits up to make the crumbs.