OK, here's a gluten free (but NOT grain free) recipe that is truly a classic. There are a lot of risotto recipes out there, but here is the basic one that I use. You can modify it to suit yourself with various additions or substitutions....I've listed a few possibilities below to get you started.
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
butter (leave out for casein free)
1 large diced onion
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
3-4 C chicken broth
1 C white wine
1 1/2 C arborio rice (you must use arborio rice!)
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional - leave out for casein free)
a few optional additions/substitutions:
sliced mushrooms
green onions or shallots instead of regular onion
vegetable broth instead of chicken
cooked or uncooked shrimp, cleaned and deveined
use your imagination!
Directions:
Saute the diced onion in the olive oil and butter until soft. Warm the broth in a separate, nearby pan, but don't let it boil. Add the garlic and the rice to the onion and saute over medium heat for a couple of minutes longer, but don't brown the rice! If you're going to use mushrooms or other veggies, add them with the garlic and the rice. Lower the heat to a medium low setting, and pour in the cup of wine, stirring constantly as the rice and vegetables simmer. When the wine is mostly absorbed, add a ladle full of warm broth, and again, stir as the rice simmers until it is nearly absorbed, then repeat. You'll have to experiment a little to find the right heat level for cooking risotto; the entire simmering and stirring process should take about 30 - 40 minutes, if done correctly.
The risotto is done when the rice is tender all the way through (no crunch in the middle); at that point you could add uncooked shrimp and continue cooking for about 3 more minutes until the shrimp is pink and thoroughly cooked (don't over cook shrimp or it will be rubbery). Cooked shrimp may be added at the very end, just before serving (all you want to do is heat the previously cooked shrimp through). Add a handful or two of Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.
Risotto demands your attention for the entire 30-40 minutes, but is definitely worth it! Good risotto has a delicate, creamy texture that can't be faked, a direct result of the slow cooking process and your stirring efforts.
For casein-free you can leave out the butter and parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts
Monday, March 15, 2010
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, October 9, 2009
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!!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
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!!
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!!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
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!
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 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.
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.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Julie's Gluten Free Pizza Crust
A WONDERFUL gluten free pizza crust recipe from Mennonite Girls Can Cook:
Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca starch
3/4 white bean flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/3 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tbsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 eggs plus one egg white
1 3/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp active dry yeast
Directions:
Add sugar and honey to warm water... sprinkle yeast over top and let sit until foamy.
Beat eggs, oil, vinegar in heavy duty mixing bowl; add proofed yeast.
Mix all dry ingredients together well -- then add to liquid in mixing bowl. Mix until blended , then turn mixer on high and beat for 4 minutes - you will see the consisency of the dough change. The dough will be sticky, but using a spatula turn it out onto a clean surface sprinkled with sweet rice flour (or tapioca starch) Using as little flour as possible knead the dough gently until you can handle it . It will be a very soft dough.
Using your hands form it into a pizza shape, making the edges higher and thicker. You can make individual pizzas or one big one. Place crust(s) on pans and let rise in warm place for about 45 minutes. When pizzas have risen, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, spread with pizza sauce and desired toppings and bake at 400 degrees for another 20 minutes. Note that this crust is casein free as well as gluten free.
Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca starch
3/4 white bean flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/3 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tbsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 eggs plus one egg white
1 3/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp active dry yeast
Directions:
Add sugar and honey to warm water... sprinkle yeast over top and let sit until foamy.
Beat eggs, oil, vinegar in heavy duty mixing bowl; add proofed yeast.
Mix all dry ingredients together well -- then add to liquid in mixing bowl. Mix until blended , then turn mixer on high and beat for 4 minutes - you will see the consisency of the dough change. The dough will be sticky, but using a spatula turn it out onto a clean surface sprinkled with sweet rice flour (or tapioca starch) Using as little flour as possible knead the dough gently until you can handle it . It will be a very soft dough.
Using your hands form it into a pizza shape, making the edges higher and thicker. You can make individual pizzas or one big one. Place crust(s) on pans and let rise in warm place for about 45 minutes. When pizzas have risen, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, spread with pizza sauce and desired toppings and bake at 400 degrees for another 20 minutes. Note that this crust is casein free as well as gluten free.
Crockpot Chicken Parmesan
Another wonderful (and EASY) recipe from Stephanie's blog:
Ingredients:
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Directions:
Spread the olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot stoneware insert; whip the egg with a fork in a separate bowl. Mix the bread crumbs with the seasonings and the parmesan cheese in another separate dish. Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides with crumbs, cheese and seasonings.
Ingredients:
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 t Italian Seasoning
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t kosher salt
1 T olive oil
1 beaten egg
sliced mozzarella cheese
favorite jarred marinara sauce (most of Newman's Own are gluten free!)
Directions:
Spread the olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot stoneware insert; whip the egg with a fork in a separate bowl. Mix the bread crumbs with the seasonings and the parmesan cheese in another separate dish. Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides with crumbs, cheese and seasonings.
Place the chicken breast pieces in the bottom of the crockpot and layer 2-3 slices of mozzarella cheese on top. Cover it all with the entire jar of marinara sauce. Close lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4. If your chicken is still frozen, it will take longer.
Serve with your favorite gluten free pasta.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)