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.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
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!
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!
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!!
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.
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.
Monday, September 7, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, August 10, 2009
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....
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).
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).
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