Autumn Ratatouille

This is my all time favorite Fall recipes, perfect for Meatless Monday. Only he has the patience to make it. The recipe is little involved, but the results are fantastic. Luxuriously rich, smooth, and flavorful, this ratatouille is practically the best way I know of preparing vegetables that people can't get enough to eat.

Preparation time:  3 hours 

Ingredients

• 1 lb of yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 lb zucchini, chopped
• 1 lb yellow squash, chopped
• Bell peppers, seeds removed, chopped into 1/2 inch square pieces:
• --1 lb green bell peppers
• --1/2 lb red bell peppers
• --1/2 lb yellow bell peppers
• 1 lb eggplant, 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 (14 1/2oz) can of good quality diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-inch sprig rosemary
• 3/4 cup white wine, vegetable broth or tomato sauce
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Method

1 Preheat oven to 250° F.

2 Using a large oven-proof pan over medium high heat, sauté onions in olive oil until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and reduce heat to low.
3 While the onions and garlic are cooking over low heat, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a another frying pan over high heat. As soon as oil starts to smoke, quickly add enough zucchini cubes all at once to cover the bottom of the pan. Keep on cooking over high heat, stirring, until zucchini is lightly browned on all sides. Remove zucchini cubes, and add them to pan with the onions.
4 Working in batches, repeat this process until all of the zucchini cubes have been cooked. Do the same with the yellow squash. Make sure to add a little olive oil between each new batch. Continue with the bell peppers, then the eggplant cubes, adding the browned vegetables to the onion pan as soon as they are cooked.
5 When all the vegetables (except the tomatoes) are browned and in the pan with the onions, increase the heat to high and stir, making sure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add salt to taste, thyme, bay leaf, and rosemary, the vegetable stock, and stir well. Place in oven, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring occassionally.
6 Add the chopped tomatoes and cover. If serving as a warm side dish, let the ratatouille stand for 10 minutes, just enough to "cook" the tomatoes. The ratatouille can be served at room temperature or refrigerated and reheated the next day.
7 When ready to serve, remove the bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

I like to serve this with Creamy Polenta....
Serves 6-8.

Squash Quesadillas, Meatless Monday

It’s not too difficult to go meatless Monday in the summer. I mean, have you been to the farmers’ market lately? The stands are overflowing with tomatoes in every variety and color, squash, zucchini, onions, beans, peppers, nectarines; from a produce standpoint, it’s the best time of the year. My struggle with the market is restraining myself from wiping out the full stock of heirlooms or those tiny, yellow tomatoes that taste like candy. And if you’re lucky enough to have a garden, you’re bringing in quite the bounty from your yard, too. So like I said, eating vegetables on a summer Monday shouldn’t be a challenge. It might be tougher to stop scarfing down vegetables than it is to start.
So while you’re at the farmers market or in your garden, grab a bunch of zucchini or summer squash and some tomatoes. You’ll need them for this irresistible squash quesadilla. It’s comforting in the way that Tex-Mex food is, with little pockets of melted cheese topped with spicy salsa, but this version of the standard quesadilla is full of smoky, grilled squash. It’s so good, you might want to make two batches.

This recipe is flexible; you can use your outdoor grill or a grill pan inside. Make homemade roasted tomato salsa if you’ve got fresh tomatoes, or take a shortcut and serve the quesadillas with your favorite store-bought salsa.

Grilled Squash Quesadillas with a Charred Tomato Salsa

Makes 8 quesadillas

2 zucchini or summer squash, sliced lengthwise 1/4-inch thick
About 3 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter or a combination
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 GF white corn tortillas
1/4 to 1/2 cup Ancho Chile Paste, recipe follows, or store-bought
8 ounces thinly sliced or shredded Manchego cheese, Monterey Jack is a good substitute
2 green onions (scallions), white and green parts, very thinly sliced

Charred Tomato Salsa, recipe follows, or your favorite green or red salsa

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the zucchini with the oil or butter and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once until just soft, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Halve the grilled zucchini so they will fit into the tortillas.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add about 1 tablespoon of the oil or butter. Lay a tortilla in the skillet and paint a light covering (more or less depending on your taste) of the Ancho Chile Paste over the tortilla. Scatter or lay a slice of cheese just big enough to cover half the tortilla (about 1/2 ounce). Then add a strip or 2 of zucchini and some scallion slices and cover with another layer of cheese. Cook until the tortilla softens, about 1 minute. Fold the tortilla over into a half moon. Flip and cook on each side until golden brown and crisp and the cheese melts, adding more oil or butter if the pan gets dry, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Cut the quesadillas into wedges and serve with the Charred Tomato Salsa, or your favorite homemade or store bought salsa..

.
Ancho Chile Paste:
6 dried ancho or pasilla chiles or a mixture
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
Stem, seed and pull the chiles in half. Toast the pieces in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning until fragrant and blistered but not charred, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl of boiling water and set aside to soften, 30 to 40 minutes.
Put the chiles in a blender with the salt (not a food processor, it won’t be fine enough) and puree until very smooth. Add some of the soaking water, about 1/2 cup, if needed to engage the blender. Strain if desired.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the paste and fry, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Charred Tomato Salsa:
Position rack in the upper part of the oven and preheat the broiler. Line a small broiler pan with foil.
Place the tomatoes and jalapeno in the pan and broil, turning them as needed, until the skins blacken and split, 15 to 20 minutes. Wrap completely in aluminum foil and cool.
Core the tomatoes and stem the jalapeno (remove the seeds if you want to temper the heat). Puree the tomatoes, skins and all, with the jalapeno, oil, garlic and scallions and in a blender to make a smooth sauce. Pulse in the cilantro. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. (The salsa thickens a bit if prepared ahead and chilled; stir to loosen it up before serving.) Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups.
4 ripe medium tomatoes (about 1 pound)
1 jalapeno
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 scallion, white and green parts chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Kosher salt

Au Gratin Potatoes

 

I was recently looking through my Betty Crocker's cookbook, I like to find everyday recipes that are either naturally Gluten Free or can be adapted to be Gluten Free. I saw a recipe for Au gratin potatoes and it looked and sounded so rich, creamy and delicious. Definitely not healthy but sometimes you have to splurge - you know? I was roasting a chicken for dinner and decided the Au gratin potatoes would be the perfect side dish. This was really easy to make (as long as you have a mandolin slicer or cuisinart food processor with the slicing attachment, to cut the potatoes. I used sharp cheddar because it's what I had on hand. I also used non-fat milk because, well, it has plenty of fat with the cheese and butter. It was a huge hit with my entire family. It paired very nicely with my roasted chicken and a fresh green salad.

• 4-5 large Idaho russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 th inch thick
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 2 cups non fat milk
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (divided)
• 1/4 dry GF Panko bread crumbs (I use kinnikinnick brand)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Scrub potatoes and peel. Cut into 1/8-inch slices to measure about 4 cups. If you have a mandolin slicer, use it.

 

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion in butter about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Whisk in rice flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly; remove from heat.

Slowly stir in milk and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute until the cheese is completely melted.

Spread potatoes in casserole dish. Pour cheese sauce over potatoes. Bake uncovered for 70 minutes. Mix remaining cheese and the GF bread crumbs; sprinkle over potatoes; add a bit more salt and pepper. Bake uncovered 20 minutes longer or until top is brown and bubbly.

Green Goddess Dressing

You see, Green Goddess is much more than a dressing. Since I've started making it, it's made its way into a variety of applications. It makes a fantastic dip for just about anything on its own, but toss it into a blender with some white beans and you've got something rather special indeed. I have seen it as a dressing for cold pasta, and served with grilled jumbo shrimp; I think scallops would be at least as delightful.
In researching the dressing, I came across a lot of different recipes with a surprising amount of variation: Different proportions of mayonnaise, plain greek yogurt, sour cream and vinegar; with or without anchovy; and while nearly all call for parsley and chives, others called for basil, tarragon, thyme, mint and even chervil. Despite Martha's greatest efforts to market it, however, chervil remains an elusive ingredient for most of us. While they call for parsley and chives, the original evidently did not include tarragon; this will not stand. For reasons I cannot justify, in my mind Green Goddess must have tarragon. Must. So I added it. And I stand by that decision. Fact is, you could tweak this recipe ten times till Tuesday, and you'd still end up with a delicious, refreshing dressing, so have at it. I opted to use a variet of herbs from this years herb garden. I have a combination of basil, mint, chives, Italian parsley and tarragon.

3/4 c. GF real mayonnaise
1/4 c. GF sour cream
1/4 c. each chives, parsley and tarragon, finely chopped
a small handful of fresh mint, about 6 leaves
a small handful of fresh basil beaves, about 6 leaves
1 small garlic clove
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, mince the herbs and garlic. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar and lemon juice, pulse to blend. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Pulse to combine. Transfer to and air tight container.  Cover and refrigerate. Best if made several hours or up to a day ahead.

Gluten Free Sugar Free Almond Cake, In honor of Fathers Day

Gluten-Free Almond Cake

When it comes to baking, my biggest challenge is creating recipes that are both gluten free and relatively healthy. I stumbled upon this recipe from allrecipes.com of all places. It is pretty simple to make, has only 4 ingredients, but such a rich and wonderful texture and taste. And it’s super high in protein since it’s made of almonds. With a few minor adjustments to the original recipe, this is another guiltless but tasty dessert!

Almonds are great – they are full of goodness! They contain high quality and highly absorbable protein, as well as magnesium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin E and vitamin B complex. Almonds are rich in calcium as well, making them an excellent substitute for dairy products.
For this recipe, you will need ground almonds. These can be purchased from most grocery stores and health food stores, I buy mine from Trader Joes, or you can grind them up yourself to a fine powder.
Enjoy!

You’ll need:

• 4 eggs (farm fresh are preferable)

• 3/4 cup good sugar (such as agave nectar, succanat, or cane sugar if the other 2 are not available)

• 2 cups finely ground almonds

• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Prepare an 8 inch round baking pan by lining bottom with either parchment paper, or lightly greasing it using a good fat such as coconut oil.

2. In a bowl, beat the eggs until thick and tripled in volume. Add sugar slowly, beating until very thick. Slowly fold in extract and then almonds. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden on top and slightly browned on edges. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out.

- Can add slivered almonds and/or powdered sugar on top

Granola Pie Crust, Gluten Free

Ok, here is a really good pie crust whether or not you are gluten free, but it is a perfect option for those that have to eat gluten free. It is a crust that can be used in so many ways and is one that many people would not think twice about being gluten free.
Now you do need gluten free granola for this, If you don’t keep gluten free granola on hand this pie crust would be the perfect excuse to make some. Gluten free granola can also be found in many health food stores or in the gluten free section of your grocery store.
I made this crust for my cheesecake recipe but this crust would work well for just about any no bake pie or any pie that you would use a graham cracker crust for.

Granola Crust

• 1 ½ cups of Gluten Free granola, I like trader joes or Udi's brand.
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon ( you can leave this out if it does not match the filling that you are using.)
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a food processor pulse the granola with the sugar and cinnamon until fine crumbs form. Drizzle in the butter and process until combined.
3. Press into a 9 inch pie plate and bake for about 10 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden.
4. Cool before adding filling.

Welcome Sunshine

Well, we are in the middle of May and it has been a wet one in California. It has felt more like February, mor elike cooking comfort foods rather than spring foods. Today we have sunshine though, at least for the time being, there are scattered showers predicted for the afternoon. I will take this bit of sunshine and write to you all. I am going back a few days to my meatless Monday, yet it is Wednesday. On Monday I tried my hand at a new recipe, something like a cross between eggplant parmesan and lasagne roll-ups. Think Lasagne minus the noodles and add the eggplant minus the breading and frying. I have to say it turned out great. Served with Creamy Polenta and a mixed herb salad. It was the perfect meatless meal.

Feel free to use your favorite fresh tomato sauce or a purchased sauce in place of the tomato and roasted red pepper sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant
• Olive oil, to brush the eggplant with
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup diced red peppers
• 2 large tomatoes, seeded, peeled, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ***Filling***
• 1 cup ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (I used cottage cheese because that is what I had at home)
• 1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper

Preparation:

Remove ends from the eggplant. Slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Brush a large baking sheet with  olive oil and arrange the slices on the baking sheet in a single layer. Brush the sliced eggplant with olive oil. Broil until browned. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and sauté just until tender. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Add peppers, tomato, 1/2 teaspoon basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a dash of pepper. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes, until vegetables are softened.
Combine the filling ingredients, mixing to blend well.
Heat oven to 375°.
Spoon half of the tomato mixture into a baking dish. Spoon a few teaspoons of the cheese mixture onto the end of each slice of eggplant. Roll up and place on the tomato mixture, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices. Top with remaining tomato sauce. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, top with shredded mozarella cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes, uncovered.

Eat what you want day

May 11, 2011 is

Eat What You Want Day

Eat What Your Want Day is officially here. That means you have a whole day dedicated to eating only the foods you love. That doesn't necessarily give you free reign to each chips and candy all day though. In our diet-crazed culture, we sometimes forget that healthy foods can be foods that you love too. What's better than a juicy nectarine on a summer day? Or freshly cut apple slices dipped in peanut butter?

Diets have become wild-crazed fads in the United States. From no carb diets to consuming only cayenne pepper lemonade drinks, people will do anything and everything to lose a few pounds. It's those diets that often make us feel like we're deprived of sweets or missing out on foods that we really enjoy. For example, it's probably okay to have a cup of ice cream, but do so in moderation.

Celebrate Eat What You Want Day by enjoying some of your favorite Gluten Free healthy and not-so-healthy foods. You can even use today to reevaluate what foods you keep in your house and make sure that you make every bite count with tasty foods that both delicious and good for you!

Meatless Monday, Here we go again, So simple, and so delicious!

Fried onions are mixed with rice and lentils, and topped with yogurt or sour cream.

This may sound like a plain recipe, but believe me, it's wonderful! It is an easy-to-make vegetarian comfort food that combines lentils, rice and delicious fried onions. The yogurt really gives it a super flavor!

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 large white onion, sliced into rings

1 1/3 cups uncooked green lentils

3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. Place lentils in a medium saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.
3. Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.
4. Mix half the onions into the lentil mixture. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to serve.

1.	Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2.	Place lentils in a medium saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.
3.	Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.
4.	Mix half the onions into the lentil mixture. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to s

Another Meatless Monday, Asian Style

This recipe for Asian Peanut Noodles is similar to Pad Thai noodle dishes popular at Thai restaurants. Add some stir-fried chicken and veggies (recipe for my favorite vegetable stirfry is included on the bottom of this page), and you've got a tasty dinner that's almost as good as that takeout place down the street.


Asian Peanut Noodles

• 14.5 oz GF Vegetable broth
• 5 tbsp natural  peanut butter
• 1 tbsp sriracha chili sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp GF tamari (soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 8 oz rice noodles
• 2 tbsp chopped peanuts 
• 1 lime, sliced
• 3/4 cup scallions (green onion), chopped
• Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Combine 1 cup vegetable broth, peanut butter, sriracha, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes.
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and toss with peanut sauce, adding additional chicken broth if needed to loosen sauce. Top with chopped peanuts, scallions, cilantro (if using), and squeeze of fresh lime.

I like to serve this with my Thai inspired Stir Fried Vegetables

• 1 medium-size carrot, sliced
• 1-2 cups baby bok choy
• 1 red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
• 5-6 mushrooms, sliced, or left in halves or quarters
• 3 spring onions, cut in thirds
• 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets

STIR-FRY SAUCE:

• 1/3 cup vegetable stock
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (or substitute 2.5 Tbsp. GF tamari  (soy sauce))
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 5-7 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. liquid honey (or substitute agave nectar), plus more to taste
• 2 tsp. corn starch dissolved in 4 Tbsp. water
• 1 red chili, minced

Start by making the stir-fry sauce. Place all ingredients - except garlic and cornstarch - in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.

1. When sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low. Now add the minced garlic and cornstarch (dissolved in water). Stir until the sauce thickens slightly - about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Do a taste test. You're looking for a balance of salty (fish sauce), spicy (garlic and chili), sour (lime), and sweet (sugar). Adjust these flavors to suit your taste.
3. Place a little oil in a wok/frying pan over medium to high heat. Add the carrots and mushrooms.
4. When the wok/pan becomes dry, add a little of the wine or sherry, 1 Tbsp. at a time, to keep ingredients frying nicely. Stir-fry in this way, adding more wine or sherry as needed, for 2-3 minutes, or until carrots start to soften.
5. Add the rest of the vegetables plus 1/3 of the stir-fry sauce and continue stir-frying another 2 minutes, or until the broccoli has softened but still retains some of its crispness.

Chili Taco Tuesday

Slow Cooker

Turkey Butternut Squash Chili

Yes, I know not your traditional tacos, but I will roll with it. Why not chili in taco shells. Sounds great to me. I have seen chili in burritos and even spaghetti in Tacos, so chili has it all, beans, meat, salsa, tomatoes. I am adding a Mexican twist to this chili, maybe it will make me feel more like a taco. Wait a minute, how can I be a taco?  The Mexican twist comes from the use of refried beans, salsa, and a little lime juice.  If you like chili and Mexican flavors, you’re sure to like this too. Another secret to my chili is the addition of butternut squash. It add a sweet, mellow creaminess, that you will love. Plus my kids will eat it, so it's a hidden vegetable bonus....

In my family chili is a stew that is enjoyed year round.  Most soups and stews we like to reserve for cold weather, but chili seems to be just as popular and tasty in summer as it is in winter.  I think we will enjoy this variation year round also.

Remember to always read labels and make sure the ingredients you are using are gluten free.

• 2 lbs. ground meat (I used lean ground turkey)
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
• 16 oz. thick and chunky salsa, choose mild, medium or hot
• 1 can small red beans or chili beans
• 1 can refried beans
• 3/4 c. broth (I used Herb Ox bouillon vegetable flavor labeled gluten free and no added MSG)
• 3 tsp. dried ground cumin
• 2 1/2 Tb. chili powder
• 2 Tb. lime juice
• Tortilla chips

Cook and drain the ground meat.  While the meat is cooking, chop the onion and prepare the butternut squash and drain and rinse the small red beans.
Combine all ingredients except the lime juice in a large slow cooker.  Cook on low about 4 – 6 hours.  Stir in the lime juice.  Serve with hard taco shells or soft corn tortillas. Add your favorite garnishes, shredded cheese, chopped onion, chopped tomato, avocado, sour cream, jalapenos....
A nice green salad or cole slaw goes great on the side.

Another Meatless Monday brings us Broccoli Cheese Soup

As spring arrives and there is still a slight chill in the air, I decide to do a Meatless Monday Soup Dinner. I love soup for dinner, especially hearty soups. What better than a Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, thinking back to the days them I would get it at one of my favorite restaurants. Now being Gluten free and not having the option to go out and have my Broccoli Cheese Soup, I recreated this recipe to make it at home Gluten Free. Boy, is it yummy. This is a thick, rich delicious soup that the entire family will love. I suggest doubling the recipe.

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup Potato Starch/Flour or Rice Flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups vegetable Stock
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and Potato flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the vegetable stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

Fresh Pineapple Upside-down Cake

1/4

cup butter

2/3

cup packed brown sugar

2

tablespoons light corn syrup

4 

1/4" thick slices fresh pineapple, cored

1

box (15 oz) Betty Crocker® Gluten Free yellow cake mix

1/2

cup butter, softened

2/3

cup pineapple juice or water

2

teaspoons gluten-free vanilla

3

eggs

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In 9-inch square pan, melt 1/4 cup butter in oven. Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup; spread evenly in pan. Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar mixture.
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, 1/2 cup butter, water, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple.
3. Bake 38 to 43 minutes or until surface is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately run knife around side of pan to loose cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake. Remove pan; cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Store covered in refrigerator.

Makes 9 servings

Gluten Free French Almond Apple Pie

What better to do on a rainy March day, a Sunday at that, than bake a pie. I'm thinking something almondy, creamy, with hints of nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon, oh maybe some buttermilk. My wheels are spinning. I am going to base my inspiration on a recipe I have made for "Impossibly Easy French Apple Pie" which I got from the www.bettycrocker.com/recipes. I have made this recipe on several occasions, but this time I am going to take the base recipe and run with it. I will be using Bisquick (R) Gluten Free Mix, though. I just love that simply goodness. I am going to add some almond flour, buttermilk, lemon juice, almond paste and chopped almonds. Yummy, my mouth is watering. So here we go, come and join me.

Yes, this is a Gluten Free Apple Pie, in a sense of pie that is.

Filling
3 cups thinly sliced, peeled and cored granny smith apples, (3 medium)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Bisquick Gluten Free Mix
1/4 cup Almond Flour

2 oz Pure Almond Paste, sliced thin and cut into half circles

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk (can use soy milk)
1/4 cup butter milk, optional ( may be substituted by another 1/4 cup cow or soy milk)
3 tbs. butter or margarine, melted
3 eggs

sliced apples

The apples

The batter

Sliced Almond Paste

seasoned apples

into the pie plate

Streusel
1/3 cup Bisquick Gluten Free mix
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbs. cold butter or margarine

The dry streusel

Blended Streusel

1. Heat oven to 325*F. Spray a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix apples, almond paste, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place in pie plate.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir remaining filling ingredients until well blended, Pour over apple mixture in pie plate. In a small bowl, mix all streusel ingredients, using a fork or your fingers, blend until crumbly. sprinkle over filling.

3. Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Store in refrigerator.

Cream of "Your Hearts Desire" Soup

We eat casseroles fairly often during cold weather. When I was first diagnosed, I didn’t know how to replace the cream soups that most of my casseroles called for. Before being diagnosed Gluten Intolerant my go to for casseroles was Campbell's Cream of Soups, Whether it was Cream of Chicken, Celery, Mushroom, Leek, I went to the little red and white can. Not that it was such a healthy turn to but it was convenient. Now making my own Cream of soups, I love knowing exactly what we are eating and the recipe is so versatile, you can take the base recipe and run with it. I was thrilled when I came up with this recipe.

1 c. cold milk (or milk substitute)
3 Tb. sweet rice flour or rice flour, or 2 Tb. cornstarch
2 Tb. butter, margarine, or olive oil
1 tsp. GF chicken bouillon or other flavoring
1/2 tsp. salt
white pepper to taste

I have always used sweet rice flour in this recipe, but if you don’t have any on hand, cornstarch will work.

In a small sauce pan over medium high heat, melt butter, margarine or olive oil, Once melted, add the rice flour or corn starch, whisking continuously. Continue to whisk for about 1 minute.  Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly and heat to a boil while whisking.  Add the remaining of your ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer about a minute until thickened.

This recipe can be used to substitute for one can of creamed soup.

This recipe is flexible. You can add ingredients such as chicken, chopped mushrooms, chopped celery, chopped leeks, or cheese for the kind of cream soup you want.

Short Ribs in a Red wine sauce

3-4 lbs beef short ribs 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons oil 1 can (14 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained 1 medium onion chopped 8 oz sliced mushrooms 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/2 cup red wine 1/2 cup GF beef broth, I use Kitchen Basics 1 tablespoon GF Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons cornstarch Browning the ribs Browned ribs, placed on top of onion, mushrooms and tomatoes Ready to slow cook Season ribs with salt and pepper, Add oil to pan, over medium high heat brown short ribs in pan. Spray crock pot with cooking spray, add tomatoes, onion, mushrooms and tomato paste to crock pot, stir to combine. Once ribs are brown add ribs to crock pot, add wine, broth and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. When done take out ribs cover and set aside. mix water and cornstarch....add to sauce and cook on high for 10 minutes. Serve sauce over ribs. Serve with mashed potatoes, polenta or GF noodles and a salad or vegetable.

So easy, Gluten Free Apple Cake

1 box Betty Crocker® Gluten Free yellow cake mix

1 stick butter or margarine, softened

2/3 cup water

3 eggs

2 tsp. GF Vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups chopped peeled apples, I used granny smith apples

1.   Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom of 9-inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray.

2.   In a mixing bowl combine all ingredietns except the apples. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scrape bowl and continue to beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in apples. Spread in pan.

3.   Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into 16 squares.

Mexican Rice

Mexican rice was a mystery to me and until I had many years of experimentation,  I've made a few changes over the years, mainly to please my kids but the technique remains the same. I used to add lots of spices, including chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, etc...Now I Just throw a whole clove of garlic in the pan with the rice and oil, and remove them later after they've worked their magic.

Where a lot of people go wrong with Mexican rice is in the seasoning. They think any food called Mexican needs to be full of spices. But that is, "totally unnecessary!" Think about it. You need some variety on your plate, something mild to balance out the heat and spice of everything else.

I've found the only way to get consistent results with any rice recipe is to use the same rice and the same pan each time--especially when making a large quantity. I perfected my recipe using Lundberg organic long-grain white rice. So once the recipe comes out to your liking, always use the same rice.

Mexican Rice - Sopa de Arroz

(Makes 4 servings)

2 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth or water, if you're vegetarian)
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup medium- or long-grain white rice (I use Lundberg organic long grain)
2 tbs tomato sauce (I use Muir Glen organic; it is THE best!)


1 In medium pot, heat olive oil and stir in rice (straight from the package--do not rinse). Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until rice is lightly browned. This may take 15 to 20 minutes. Throw in a whole clove of garlic at some point, if you like. They can be removed before the next step or before serving.
2 Gradually stir tomato sauce into rice and cook for a minute or two, then add broth or water and salt to rice. Bring to a full boil and stir just once. Put the lid on tightly, reduce heat to the very lowest setting and leave undisturbed for the length of time specified on your rice bag, usually about 20 minutes.

3 If this is your first time making this, take a really quick peek to see if liquid has evaporated and rice is done. Cover and let stand, off heat, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Garnish, if you like, and serve.

Sweet Corn and Chicken Soup

I have so much to say about this recipe that I don’t even know where to start! While watching a popular food channel last weekend, I felt inspired to try this recipe, of course putting my own spin on it as I just can't follow a recipe without making it my own. This recipe is inspired by Aarti's Party....
 This original recipe called for using 2 split bone-in skinless chicken breasts, I happen to have leftover roasted chicken from a previous nights dinner, so I decided to use the leftover chicken meat, shredded in this recipe, and substitute some of the liquid with chicken stock that I had in my freezer.

Shredded Chicken, so yummy....

4 cups water

4 cups chicken stock
1 tbs. vegetable oil
1 leek, green parts too if you have ‘em, sliced in half and thoroughly washed, then sliced thinly
1 carrot, peeled and chopped 1/2 inch chunks
1″ piece of fresh ginger left whole, plus additional 3″ piece, minced
2 dried bay leaves (optional)
1 tsp. ground coriander

2 cups cooked and shredded chicken, I used leftover roasted chicken, skin removed
3 14oz cans creamed corn, I like Green Giant Brand
1-2 GF chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp sesame oil
4 spring onions, chopped finely, white and green parts (reserve some green for final garnish)
4 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp water
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
GF Tamari/Soy sauce to taste
First off, this is one recipe that intimidated me. Not sure why I guess the complex flavors. This one is very easy. Really. You cannot screw this up. And it’s really cheap to make. Nothing fancy here.
This recipe is a cross between Indian Cuisine and Chinese Cuisine. Both of which fascinate me and encourage me to try new recipes.
Anyway, Have you ever ha an order of the sweetcorn and chicken soup or egg flower soup at your favorite Chinese restaurant. Well, I have on several occasions and I have to say that this soup, leaves your mouth watering for more. It is the perfect combination of flavors.
This recipe will become a regular around here, as soon as one of us gets the sniffles. My chicken soup might be good, but *this* one tastes way better. In addition to chicken soup’s inherent "Jewish Penicillin", the hefty amounts of fresh ginger not only open up your nasal passages and soothe your throat, it also soothes your tummy. Add corn, with its soft, enveloping flavor and, combined with soup’s inherent warm-you-to-the-core properties, this soup leaves you feeling hugged, inside and out.
This is my new favorite soup in the world, hands down. I hope you try it.






You’ll need this stuff:


1)  Heat vegetable oil in a big stock pot, , add in the leek, carrot, 1″ hunk of ginger, 1 tsp. ground coriander and bay leaves. Stir and saute for about 2-3 minutes over medium high heat.  Pour the chicken broth and water into stock pot and bring to a boil over high heat. 
2) Add the shredded chicken. Allow the whole lot to come back to a boil, then turn it down and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes
3) Remove the chunk of ginger and the 2 bay leaves. You don't want to leave any surprises in there.
4) Return the stock to medium heat. Add creamed corn, crumbled stock cubes (I used two), 3″ hunk of minced or grated ginger, spring onions and sesame oil. Allow to simmer.

5) Return the soup to high heat. Bring the soup to a boil. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the corn starch with the cold water, until dissolved. Add to the soup while stirring. Allow to boil until it’s thickened.
6) In another small bowl, beat the egg whites with a little water. Stir the soup in circles as you add the egg whites in a steady stream; it should form pretty white wisps on the surface of the soup. I was really nervous about this step, but much to my surprise it would out amazingly well.
7) Add the rice wine vinegar. Heat gently through. Taste for seasoning.


Serve, with a splash of soy sauce and some of the reserved green portion of the spring onions in the middle. Sniffles be gone.