Butterscotch Caramel Pecan and Cranberry Brie

I love this as an appetizer, I love this as dessert, I love this for lunch, I love this for a snack…I just love this dish. Oh, and I LOVE how EASY it is.

Gluten/Wheat Free

ingredients
gluten free butterscotch caramel (regular caramel works too)
craisins
pecan halves
chopped dried apples (optional)
a medium brie
box of Mary’s Gone Crackers gluten free original seed cracker*

preparation
In a medium bowl, mix a handful or two of craisins and pecans with a few dried apples. Pour in caramel and mix until everything has a nice thick coat. Pour over brie serve at room temp. Serve with crackers. Try not to eat the whole thing yourself.

*These are the best crackers with this dish. I have tried others, but these always get eaten first by both non-gluten and gluten eaters.

Asparagus with Lemon Mint Pesto & Prosciutto

I want to say thank you to a group of my friends for being guinea pigs for this recipe...even if you did not know I was experimenting with you. The concept behind this recipe did not originate with me, but the pesto sauce is a Christine original. In the past I played with a recipe calling for prosciutto wrapped asparagus drizzled with a lemon-mint dressing. However the dressing contained too much liquid and would separate making a big soupy mess. Then last Friday, stirred by a craving and a potluck with some friends, I came up with this version. I changed the drippy dressing for a thick, rich pesto. Hope your friends enjoy it as much as mine!

Gluten/Wheat Free

ingredients
3-4 bunches asparagus
8 oz prosciutto
½ medium sweet onion – roughly chopped
1 cup mint leaves packed (about 2 small bunches)
¾ cup pine nuts
½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1½ lemons)
2 small to medium garlic cloves
½ scant teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
pepper to taste

preparation
Blanch the asparagus (should still be firm). Rinse or soak in ice cold water to stop from cooking/softening further and set aside. Chop prosciutto and set aside*. In blender, puree onion, mint, pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Stir pesto on the slowest blender speed and drizzle in olive oil. Dry the asparagus between paper towels then on a serving dish arrange cold asparagus, pour pesto on top and top with prosciutto.

*If you are ambitious and have a smaller group you are serving this to, try wrapping the asparagus instead of chopping it. Wrap 2-3 asparagus together, place on individual plates and serve with pesto.

Putting the Fear of Risotto to Rest

I always enjoyed eating risotto when eating out, but at home…? It just seemed so complicated adding things in slowly, waiting, watching. (Honestly, patience is not a virtue I possess.) It took a little cooking class in France to show me just how easy it is. Even yesterday, I found myself defending the fat little rice to a friend who expressed the same fear.

I now have made risotto several times and no matter how much I try I cannot seem to wreck it. I have found only two simple rules:
1. add liquid a little at a time, and
2. if you are using wine, do so at the beginning (not sure why, but it does make a difference).

Besides following those two rules, you are free to play with bell peppers, spinach, exotic mushrooms, lobster, crab, shrimp or a combination of all the above. You can decide if parmesan cheese or heavy cream better fits your pallet. It really does not matter, because it all tastes great.

This is how I made our Gluten Free Risotto Dinner last night:

Sautéed 1½ small, finely chopped onion in butter with some salt.
Stirred in 1½ cups arborio rice. Heated for a minute or two.
Opened a nice dry chardonnay and poured in about a glass full (1 cup), continued to sip on the rest.
After the liquid was absorbed, stirred in chicken broth about 1 cup. Repeated the sipping and adding chicken broth until almost tender.
Added 1 package fresh, chopped spinach, plus more chicken broth.
Once liquid was absorbed, added a combination of roughly chopped baby bella, shitake and oyster mushrooms, plus more chicken broth.
When the risotto was completely tender, I mixed in shredded parmesan cheese.
Served with scallops sautéed in butter and asparagus.
YUM!

Banana Pancakes with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix

I have to admit that I need to branch out in the pancake mix category. I have not tried enough brands to call Bob’s the best. In fact, I would categorize it only as “decent”. So, why haven’t I tried more?

Well, with Bob’s Red Mill products I find it is what you do with the mix that makes it awesome. His gluten free pancake mix needs buttermilk, sour cream or plain yogurt, otherwise you are faced with a bit dry and gritty pancake. My family and house guests love my pancakes, never knowing that it contains ingredients like white sorghum flour, whole corn flour, or potato starch. This is how I make Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix taste oh so yummy:

Gluten/Wheat Free, Kid Friendly

1½ cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix
1 large egg
¾ cup buttermilk or a combination of regular milk and a dab of either sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tablespoon oil
1 smashed banana
sprinkle in cinnamon

Preheat griddle. Mix all ingredients together. Spoon or pour desired amount of batter on griddle. Cook until bubbly, flip and cook until golden brown. Serve with your favorite topping. Enjoy!

A.B.L.T. Hold the Bread

With avocado, bacon (yum, bacon), lettuce, and tomato who needs bread? It is a perfect start to a delicious salad, all you need is a dressing fitting to this salads name. I like to mix together mayo, mustard and apple cider vinegar and voilà – A.B.L.T. Gluten Free!

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

In celebration of fall, pumpkin pie candles have been burning to scent our house. But yesterday, I let the aromas wafting from my crockpot remind us of fall. The scent was delicious. I found myself leaving the house just so I could walk in and experience that first tempting sniff again and again.

I am not sure where this recipe came from or who I owe credit to (it is in my recipe boxed scribbled on a piece of paper that has seen better days). I am sure that while sitting in a waiting room of a doctor’s office or car dealership I found this tasty dish and had to copy it on the first piece of paper I could get my hands on.

The original recipe called for couscous, but we enjoy it served with quinoa (see cooking notes for preparation).

Gluten/Wheat Free, Kid Friendly

ingredients
2 large onions, sliced
1 3-3.5 lb boneless beef chuck, cubed in 1 inch pieces
¾ cup dry red wine
¼ cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cinnamon sticks broken in half
1 teaspoon crushed, dried rosemary
1 teaspoon allspice
¾ teaspoon salt
pinch crushed red pepper
1 2 lb butternut squash, cubed in 1½ inch pieces
2 large cooking apples, cored and cut in 1½ inch pieces

preparation
Place beef on top of onions in slow-cooker. Mix wine, paste, vinegar and spices in separate bowl. Pour over beef and throw in the cinnamon sticks. Cover and cook low for 6 hours (or high for 3). Stir in squash and cook 1.5-2 hours. Add apples in the last ½ hour. Discard cinnamon sticks and serve over quinoa.

cooking notes
To make the quinoa taste a little more like couscous, I add in some garlic powder, onion (dried or powdered), and salt. Be sure to rinse the quinoa well before cooking to wash away the bitterness; do so 3-4 times.

Orange Pork Stir Fry

I know I have been posting heavier dishes, I think I am trying to fatten up for winter. But this is how I really like to cook. I love Asian anything - stir-fries, curries, noodles, fish… This is my stand-by, 20 minutes to great flavor (20 minutes because the rice is better cooked than raw).

Gluten/Wheat Free, Kid Friendly

ingredients
1 pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
½ large onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
6-8 oz green beans
½ bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), thinly sliced lengthwise
3 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 garlic clove
¾ to 1 peel of orange, zested
sesame oil
salt to taste
sriracha hot chili sauce

preparation
Heat wok with some sesame oil over high. When oil sizzles when sprinkled with water, add pork and onion. Stir for a few minutes until pork is half cooked. Add gluten free soy sauce, honey, ginger, vinegar, garlic, orange peel and green beans. Lower heat to medium-high, cook until meat is cooked through and green beans are tender. Toss in peppers. Serve with rice and chili sauce.

cooking notes
Meat: Slice meat when fairly frozen to get nice thin slices.
Soy Sauce: I prefer La Choy when cooking. It is more like regular soy sauce, but needs a little extra salt.
Ginger: At a cooking class in Japan, I was told to zest/grate ginger when the ginger is frozen. It works like charm.
Chili Sauce: This dish LOVES heat. So do not be shy. If you do not have my favorite Sriracha Chili Sauce, then serve with red pepper flakes.

Moroccan Spaghetti Squash Soup

AKA: Everything-Must-Go Soup (Gluten Free)

Today I started rummaging through the fridge looking for lunch…and there was nothing…or was there? I had tidbits left over from the last couple of days – fresh spinach from Spinach-Pesto Pizza (I will post this recipe later; click here for the crust), spaghetti squash from Meat & Veggie Balls, red bell pepper from salads, ½ can of pureed pumpkin from this morning’s Pumpkin Doughnuts, so on and so forth. Then, as my stomach rumbled, it hit me like lightening – SOUP! An Everything-Must-Go Soup. Sorry I do not have any exact ingredients because this soup did not happen that way. I just dumped things in until it tasted yummy. Here is a rough sketch of what went in:

In a large pot, sauté chopped onions, salt, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper in butter until tender (you can always add more spices later if you want more flavor). Toss in chopped red peppers, minced garlic, and fresh spinach. Stir until spinach is almost wilted. Add chicken broth & pumpkin puree. Stir in spaghetti squash. Stir, taste, and make any necessary adjustments. Spoon into a bowl and enjoy.

Meat & Veggie Balls with Spaghetti Squash

Every year about 40 of us – aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, friends of friends - descend upon a little mountain town in Colorado. Various holiday and traditions draws us there. One tradition is enjoying MaiMai’s (my husband’s grandma) healthy and very hearty version of meatballs. This recipe would make the Sneaky Chef Proud with carrots and bell peppers thrown into the mix. Kids and adults love them…I hope you do too.

Today, I served them with spaghetti squash. Pierce the squash several times with a knife and place on a baking pan. Place in the oven along with the meatballs. Cook for an hour or more until the outside is fairly tender. Remove from the oven, cool for a bit. Slice from stem to base, remove seeds. With a fork scrape the inside of the squash. The squash will pull away from the skin like noodles.

Gluten/Wheat Free, Kid Friendly

ingredients
1 ½ lbs ground beef
½ cup grated cheese
½ green pepper chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 small butter potato grated
2 carrots grated
¼ cup raw rice
1 teaspoon salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp pepper
1 can condensed tomato soup*
¼ cup catsup
1 cup water

preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix and heat tomato soup, catsup and water in a small pan. In a large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients together. Form meatballs with hand (they should be tennis ball size or smaller). Place them in a baking dish and pour soup mixture over meatballs. Cook for 1.5 hours (less time if you made smaller meatballs). Let cool for 5 minutes or so and serve.

*I have used tomato sauce and creamy tomato soup when gluten free tomato soup was unavailable. With sauce reduce the water to ¼ cup. With prepared tomato soup, double the amount of catsup and omit the water.

A Hankering for Pizza

I had a hankering for pizza and no matter what I tried, tasted, or meditated on it would not go away. I tried frozen gluten free pizzas, many of which are made with rice flour, but they are NOT the same. I want a yeasty, bubbly, doughy pizza crust. After days of searching I found it…here is how it came about:

Day 1: I called every pizza parlor listed in the county hoping, even praying, that one of them had gluten free pizza. My vision of grabbing a pizza was quickly replaced with visions of human Maters taking over (you know that tow truck from the movie Cars). After asking, “Do you have gluten free pizza?” The usual response was much like Mater’s very confused, “You hurt your what?”

Day 2: I researched gluten pizza recipes and crust options. Scoured the web for a few possible options.

Day 3: I set out to try several possible pizza recipes. I even tried taking regular recipes and converting them. None were bubbly and all took hours to fail. Then, on the last attempt, I opened the oven to find a yeasty, bubbly, doughy pizza crust in my oven. Tears literally filled my eyes. I quickly took it from the oven and tore into it (luckily, the recipe makes two). The second crust I took the time to top with my pizza favorites.

Now, do not be fooled. It still is not a perfect replica of gluten filled pizza, but wow it does come close. Many of my gluten eating friends/family never knew the difference. Plus, nothing can beat the ease of this recipe. It was actually faster than calling a pizza joint and having it delivered.

A few notes: It did not ball up as much as I thought it would, but WELL oiled hands made the roll out very easy. I did use my own sauce and toppings and have substituted the chickpea flour for an all-purpose gluten free flour when my chickpea supply was low.

Thank you, thank you Zoe Singer & Epicurious.com for taming my hankering!

Here is the pizza crust recipe (for the full pizza recipe please visit www.epicurious.com):

ingredients
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup white rice flour*
1/3 cup chickpea flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup whole milk
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, from 1 (1/4-ounce) package
2 teaspoons sugar
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

preparation
In bowl of electric mixer, whisk together tapioca flour, white rice flour, chickpea flour, sorghum flour, xanthum gum, and salt.

In small saucepan over moderate heat, stir together milk and 1/4 cup water and heat until warm but not hot to the touch, about 1 minute (the mixture should register between 105°F and 115° F on candy thermometer). Stir in yeast and sugar. Add milk–yeast mixture, egg whites, and 2 tablespoons oil to dry ingredients and, using paddle attachment, beat at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until dough is very smooth and very thick, about 5 minutes.

Remove racks from oven, set pizza stone or heavy upturned baking sheet on bottom of oven, and preheat to 400°F. (Preheat at least 45 minutes if using pizza stone or 20 minutes if using baking sheet.)

Have ready two 12-inch squares parchment paper. Scrape half of dough onto each square and form each half into a ball. Coat each ball with 2 teaspoons oil, then use oiled fingertips to pat and stretch each ball into 9-inch-diameter round, 1/4 inch thick, with a 1/2-inch-thick border. Loosely cover rounds with plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free place until each pizza is about 10 inches in diameter, about 20 minutes.

Using baking peel, transfer 1 crust with parchment to preheated pizza stone and bake until top is puffed and firm and underside is crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Using baking peel and discarding parchment paper, transfer baked crust to rack to cool. Bake second crust in same manner. (Baked crusts can be made ahead and frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap, up to 1 month. Thaw in 350°F oven until hot, 4 to 5 minutes, before topping and broiling.)

*Be sure to use white rice flour; brown will result in gritty pizza dough.

Wild Ginger (Seattle, WA)

Hop a flight to Asia or to Seattle, both offer exciting flavors from freshly ground spices and cracked coconuts. The only difference is in Asia you would need to visit 7 different Pacific Rim countries to taste Wild Ginger’s sampling of authentic recipes. And in Asia you may or may not find a chef who keeps gluten/wheat free soy sauce, noodles or satay dipping sauce on hand. At Wild Ginger they can make almost everything on the menu gluten free (minus any pre-marinated meats and wheat noodle dishes). Family style dishes provide a great way to try the incredible flavors of their satay bar, coconut broth soups, and curried main dishes. Feel free to leave your passport at home.

Wild Ginger
1401 Third Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Reservations 206.623.4450
website: www.wildginger.net

Cauliflower Poppers

My kids love these! Thanks to a neighbor’s suggestion, my kids now beg for cauliflower every time they see one. Crazy colors, like orange or purple, add to the fun. On movie night we often nibble on these instead of boring old popcorn.

Gluten/Wheat Free, Vegan, Kid Friendly

ingredients
cauliflower - white, orange, purple or a combination
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into small flowers. Toss in a large bowl with olive oil and salt. Spread out on a baking sheet then pop into the oven for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Serve warm.

Potato & Zucchini Lasagna (Gluten Free & Vegan)

I have to admit I never cared for lasagna; it is what my brother-in-law calls a “gut-buster”. Most traditional lasagna recipes I find are very greasy, heavy and lacking in flavor. So, it might seem odd that I began to seek-out a way to make gluten free lasagna. I did not wake-up one day and decide this quest must happen. My garden was producing more zucchini than I knew what to do with. My family began to moan at the sight of the green vegetable. I had to go stealth, hiding it in dishes and sauces. This recipe came about because I had no more options that my family would accept. In my house, this recipe successfully turned zucchini into a sought after vegetable.

The vegan aspect was not accidental. I recently read a few studies about the correlation between animal proteins and cancer. I also have met a few new friends who have battled their own forms of cancer and found the reduction of animal proteins helpful. I think it is also fitting to post this recipe this month since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Gluten/Wheat Free, Vegan, Kid Friendly, Serves 4

ingredients
2-3 large butter potatoes, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup cashews, soaked
¼ cup pine nuts, soaked
¼ of a lemon zested
¼ small onion chopped
¼ clove garlic
½ teaspoon salt
pinch cayenne
pinch nutmeg
favorite tomato/spaghetti sauce

for assembly
olive oil in a mister or brushed on
salt
garlic powder
onion powder
dried oregano
basil

preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Soak nuts in warm water until softened (about 2 hours) and then drain. Adding a small amount of water, blend nuts, lemon zest, onion, garlic, salt, cayenne and nutmeg until smooth.

Layer 1: Spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of 9x9 inch baking dish. Spread thinly sliced (unpeeled) potatoes over sauce, spray (or brush on) olive oil, sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Add a layer of thinly sliced zucchini, spray (or brush on) olive oil, and sprinkle with onion powder and oregano.

Layer 2: Repeat layer 1 starting with a thin layer of sauce.

Layer 3: Evenly spread nut mixture.

Layer 4: Repeat layer 1 starting with a thin layer of sauce. Top with more sauce and basil.

Cook for 1.5 hours. Careful not to burn top. Let cool for a 5 minutes before serving.

Gluten Free Belgian Waffles

I tried different flours - each giving its own unique flavor and quality to my waffles. But finally, I am able to make WAFFLES, yummy waffles. I love topping them with whipped cream and syrup and serving them with a side of fresh fruit. I also love to double the recipe and freeze the leftovers so we can pop some in the toaster for a weekday treat.

Gluten/Wheat Free, Kid Friendly

ingredients
¾ cup tapioca flour
½ cup rice flour
½ cup chickpea flour
¼ sorghum flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 egg whites
2 cups milk
6 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon vanilla

preparation
Preheat waffle iron. Mix all dry ingredients and set aside. Beat eggs with an electric mixer on high until fluffy but not firm. Slowly add milk, oil and vanilla. Slowly add dry mixture. Spoon batter onto waffle iron and cook according to the irons direction. Remove cooked waffles and let cool a moment on a wire rack to prevent the waffles getting soggy. Serve warm with your favorite toppings. Enjoy.

Gluten Free Dutch Babies or Puff Pancakes

As a kid I enjoyed this breakfast dish on weekends and as an adult I found many B&Bs were serving it as a specialty. I added vanilla and sugar so it is more inline with the B&Bs’ rendition and added apples so it was even more to my liking. The apples are optional. The dish may be served with any kind of fruit, powdered sugar, jam and/or syrup.

Gluten/Wheat Free, Kid Friendly

ingredients
6 eggs
1 ½ cup milk
1 ½ tsp vanilla
½ cup rice flour
½ cup sorghum flour
¼ cup chickpea flour
¼ cup tapioca flour
2 tbs sugar
½ tsp xanthan gum
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter

apple topping:
1 baking apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3 tsp sugar
¼ + tsp cinnamon
pinch of cloves
pinch of allspice

preparation
Place peeled, cored and thinly slice apple in a large bowl. Toss with sugar, cinnamon, cloves and allspice, set aside.

Put butter in a 9x11 baking dish, place dish into oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Be careful not to burn the butter.

Mix all dry ingredients and set aside. Beat eggs, milk and vanilla with an electric mixer. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

When oven is heated and butter is melted, remove pan and pour batter into the buttered pan. Do not mix. Place sliced apples on top of batter. Return pan to oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the sides of the dish stop rising (the edges with be a nice golden to dark brown color). Let it cool for a minute or two. Slice and serve warm with your favorite toppings. Enjoy.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Doughnuts

Growing up my mom use to make these wonderful doughnuts using a waffle iron type doughnut maker. They were so easy, non-greasy and tasted great.

It took some time to find a mini doughnut maker of my own. I hunted for one at goodwill stores and garage sales, but then Williams Sonoma and Target made it a bit easier. Williams Sonoma was carrying a mini doughnut maker for about $40 or $50 (not sure if it is still available). Target offers nonstick doughnut baking pans for $12.99. I have never used the pans, but I have used muffin recipes in my mini doughnut maker and they turned out great. The batters are very similar in texture and cook the same. (Please keep in mind they are more like a cake doughnut than those you find at your local shop.)

I took my mom’s original recipe added pumpkin, buttermilk and, of course, changed the flours for gluten free yumminess. Here it is:

Requires special equipment: mini doughnut maker*

Gluten/Wheat Free, Kid Friendly

ingredients
2 eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
½ can pureed pumpkin
¼ cup oil
1 cup sugar
¾ cup tapioca flour
½ cup white rice flour
½ cup chickpea flour
¼ cup sorghum flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt

preparation
Preheat electric doughnut maker. Mix all dry ingredients, set aside. Beat eggs until slightly fluffy. Add buttermilk, pumpkin, and oil. Slowly mix in dry ingredients. Add batter to the doughnut maker according to the manufacture’s directions. Let cool slightly on a wire rack, serve warm.

*A doughnut pan may also be used. Try preheating oven to 350 degrees. Divide batter among the pan (maybe 3/4 full) and cook until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

About Me

I am passionate about food, who isn't. I love new flavors, beautiful food and would like to try it all! There is only one hitch. I was recently diagnosed with a gluten allergy, with which came a depression of possibly missing out on many food adventures (not to mention the ease of eating something…anything).

Well, like many things in my life, I decided to take it head on. I started this blog to share this latest twist in my diet. I want to share my experiences with recipes, restaurants and gluten free products. Together we can figure out what it takes to make eating worthwhile and what is oh-so-yummy.

If you have any questions, please contact me at youmeandglutenfree@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

[Keep in mind that we all react to gluten and/or wheat in different ways, some are more sensitive then others. All the recipes that I provide work well with my allergy sensitivity. Please eat carefully and sensibly.)