Kiss and Make Up GF Mac n' Cheese

This should be called "Martha's Make Up Mac and Cheese for Putting Her Foot in Her Mouth"... Why? Because of her comment in 2011 about not catering to allergies and letting those guests starve instead. I can't tell you how mad I was when I read that. I was disgusted that the woman who I had admired for years, the woman whom my husband fondly compared me to, and the woman whose whole image of being the perfect homemaker and hostess could, or would say such things. But she did. My zeal for all things Martha waned. Significantly.
I suspect Martha more than heard about her faux pas comment. And I suspect that she, like all of us who have had a case of  "foot in mouth disease", felt bad and sheepish about what was said. As proof of her penance, when "gluten free" is searched on her site there are 316 search results. Click here to take a browse and see for yourself: http://www.marthastewart.com/search/apachesolr_search/gluten%20free . So enough about Martha. Let's get to the food.

This was GOOD. My daughter was the one who sought out a recipe this time to satisfy her cravings for Mac and Cheese. She also did, as I do, a few substitutions here and there- and the results were yummy. This one is a keeper! Martha you are forgiven. You and your cookbooks are no longer in my bad books.

Here is the link to the original:http://www.marthastewart.com/900309/gluten-free-mac-and-cheese

On a side note... remember I mentioned a few posts ago about our new pasta discovery? Found it in Safeway- a major grocery chain. The brand is Barilla. Also a major pasta brand. They now have a gluten free line of pastas, and it is the new favorite of my celiac daughter. The Barilla gluten free pastas seem to have a nice spring and bite without being mushy or gritty. They also have more flavor than most pastas we have tried. And...it holds up beautifully to baking. This is what was used in this mac and cheese recipe- so it has been tested too on this front.


Martha's Gluten Free Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

3 tbsp unsalted butter, and a bit more for buttering your dish

1/2 cup gluten-free crisp puffed-rice cereal, slightly crushed (gf rice krispies- use a zip lock bag to make less mess)

1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

1 small yellow onion, diced finely (used powdered onion 1/2 to 3/4 tsp)

2 tbsp potato starch (used our local bakery's gf flour mix that contains potato starch)

2 cups whole milk, warmed (used 2%)

3 cups cheddar, shredded (used mozza-cheddar mix since we were out of plain cheddar- daughter figures cheddar would give it more wow factor)

1 tsp Dijon mustard (used honey mustard- was out of dijon- daughter thinks dijon would be better too)

3/4 lb gluten-free penne, cooked al dente and drained (used 12oz box of Barilla Gluten Free Penne pasta) 

unsalted butter

Coarse salt and ground pepper

 

 Method:

 

Step #1:

Preheat oven to 350'F.

Butter six 8oz ramekins or a 2-quart baking dish (my daughter used a 9x9 pyrex glass pan).
Microwave 1 tbsp butter until melted, then toss with cereal and Parmesan.

Step #2:

In a medium/large saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat.
Add onion and cook until softened- about 4 min. (if using powdered onion just add to butter and move on to next step) 
Sprinkle with potato starch and cook 1 minute- stirring to incorporate.
Slowly whisk in milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened- about 3 min.
Remove from heat.
Stir in cheddar and mustard.
Mix until smooth- then season to your liking with salt and pepper.
Add pasta, stirring to coat- then add your pasta mixture to the baking dish of choice.
Sprinkle with cereal/parm mixture and bake until sauce is bubbling and topping is golden- about 15 to 20 minutes.


In Martha's words: "It's a good thing!"

OMG GF Polynesian Meatballs

These are OMG good. Once again a craving lead me in search of a recipe. And boy did I hit pay dirt. The original recipe was not gluten free but the modifications were simple and I could use what I had on hand. I now make this recipe at least once a month- sometimes more, because I have an eager husband who is more than happy to bring home a fresh pineapple so I can make this (hint, hint). 

Here is the link to the original:

http://www.dontforgetdelicious.com/2009/polynesian-meatballs/

OMG GF Polynesian Meatballs

 

 

Meatballs:
1 lb ground pork

1 large egg

3/4 cup crushed gluten free rice krispies (These are pretty easy to find now. Safeway carries them as well as many chain groceries. A zip lock bag works well for crushing.)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (Optional, but this just makes them better and it won't be spicy- I promise- it's good for you too!)

3/4 tsp grated fresh ginger root (Fresh is best, but you can use dry if you need, just cut back on your ginger if using dry. I also add more fresh ginger than required. Experiment with what you like. This too is super healthy.)

3/4 tsp yellow mustard seeds, ground (Or dry mustard powder- this is what I use. I have also used a good dollop of yellow hot dog mustard and even honey mustard when I ran out of dry mustard.)
2 tbsp soy sauce (I use VH brand soy sauce. It is naturally gf. And it is cheap! Just read your labels!)
 

Add ins:
8 ounces pineapple chunks in juice (If you really want this to sing, use a fresh pineapple. It will be ripe if you can easily pull a leaf from the center of the pineapple top. As well, don't fuss about coring it. To my surprise I discovered that the core contains potent health compounds- higher than the rest of the fruit. Since the pineapple is cooked in this recipe you won't have to be concerned about it being woody either. Also the riper it is apparently the the more potent the good stuff becomes.  Add any juices from cutting your pineapple to your pot when cooking.)

1 medium bell pepper, chopped (This recipe is good with or without the pepper. Just don't over cook the pepper since it will impart an odd taste to the dish. It will still be good, just not omg good.)

1/3 cup chopped onion (I usually use one medium onion. I'm not exact with certain things- like in the case of the ginger. I also halve and then slice my onion thinly.)

For Sauce:

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar (When I first made this I didn't have rice wine vinegar on hand, so I used white wine vinegar. Then on another occasion I ran out of white wine vinegar and used apple cider vinegar. If you have both on hand, go with the white wine vinegar. It adds to the yum factor more so than the apple cider vinegar.)

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

 

 

Method:

Step #1:
-Preheat your oven to 350'F.
-Cover a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with your preferred cooking spray. (To be honest, I skip the foil and the spray- I haven't had a problem. Skipping the spray and foil also makes it easier to scrape all the juices back into the sauce later too, which further adds flavor.)
 

Step# 2:
-Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. (*Important Mixing Tip*: the soy sauce has a tendency to want to be soaked up by the cereal thus making salty deposits in your meatballs. To combat this, mix up all ingredients well leaving out the soy sauce, and then once combined well, then drizzle your soy sauce over your meat mixture and mix well once again.)
-Now using your hands, roll meat mixture into balls approx 1 1/2 tbsp each, or to the desired size.

Step# 3:
-In batches brown your meatballs in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned on all sides. (Again, I tinker with the original recipe- lol. Ok, two things. If you have a large non stick pot, use this instead- it makes mixing everything much easier later. Second, since you are going to be baking these, don't be too concerned with getting the whole meatball brown. I find that when they cook, they want to brown mainly on three sides. This step really is about helping to develop flavor as well as provide good color to your meatballs. If you don't have a large non stick pot, stick with the non stick pan- it makes your life easier and the results are better than adding oil to a regular pot or pan. You can however use a regular pot for the rest of the dish.)
-Now move your mostly browned meatballs to the baking sheet.
-Bake for about 15 min or until they are cooked through. (When cooked, you will notice that the juices that have collected on the pan will be clear and will have started to brown. Yum. Remember the bigger the meatball the longer it will need to stay in the oven. So when in doubt cut open one of the larger meatballs- unless you are talented at getting the the same size- and check for doneness.)

Step# 4:
-Ok, with the meatballs baking away... Place your onion and pineapple with the juice(that collected on the cutting board if fresh, or what was in the can) in same pot or pan you used for the meat. (Remember the note above about pots and pans?- but this time it is solely about developing flavor. So by using the same pot or pan- if you can- you utilize all the goodness left behind when you browned your meatballs. But don't worry- it won't be a disaster if you can't use the same pot.)
-Cook the pineapple and onion over med-high heat until just boiling. Now reduce your heat, cover and simmer for about 10 min or until the onions are translucent. Then add the peppers if using and cook to desired doneness.
-In a small bowl (or a one cup measure works well), combine vinegar, water, brown sugar and cornstarch- mix well. (This step can be done a bit ahead of time- just stir well before adding to the pot, since the cornstarch will settle.)
-Add the sauce mix to the pineapple mixture when ready and stir to combine until thickened.

Step# 5:
-Lastly add your meatballs to the pineapple sauce mixture, scraping up all the juices left behind from the meatballs into the pot too. 
-Stir to coat the meatballs well.
-Serve with rice- jasmine is a favorite in our house.

Bon appétit!

Flourless GF Cornbread

You know how it is when you just have a craving for something. Then, you search for a recipe for that something... and then you have to decide if the recipe can be adapted to be made not only gluten free, but hopefully tasty with not too weird a texture.

But once in a while you stumble across a gem that doesn't need to be adapted or finagled or tried out to see if it "works" as a gf version. This cornbread is one such gem. It is tasty. And it is gluten free already. Yahoo!
I have made this cornbread on a number off occasions and it is the best one I've made pre or post Celiac Disease in the family. It has flavor, and is not too dry. And whenever I make it, it always seems that there is never enough. I don't think a batch has ever lasted a full 24 hours in our house.

Here is the link to the original recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/michael-smiths-cornbread/8544/


Skillet Cornbread

1 stick or 1/2cup or 8tbsp Butter

1 ½ cups Milk

1 ½ cups Cornmeal (the recipe calls for coarse cornmeal, but I just buy what is at my grocery store-plain old cornmeal- couldn't tell you if it is coarse or not lol)                          

½ cup Brown Sugar (I like to use dark brown) 

3 Eggs (at room temp is best) 

1 tsp Baking Powder

¼ tsp Salt

Step#1: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place an 8-inch cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat. (I haven't tried this in another type of skillet, but I think I would stick with cast iron in this case.)

Step#2: Combine butter, milk, cornmeal and brown sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a slow, steady simmer and whisk for a few minutes until thickened. (Make sure your heat isn't too high and burns the mixture- my daughter did this once. Also, cook it long enough that it leaves "tracks" as you are stirring- somewhat porridge like in consistency.)

Step#3: Add eggs, baking powder and salt to a medium bowl and whisk lightly. Add cornmeal mixture and stir until well combined. (Ok, I do things a bit different here... I whisk up my egg mixture and add it to my pot of cornmeal that I have taken off the heat. I figure I use less dishes, since I use my measuring cup from my milk to stir the eggs in. Also to note: the baking powder wants to clump up so make sure you get all those lumps out with some vigorous mixing prior to adding it to your cornmeal batter.)

Step#4: Remove your now hot cast iron pan from the oven and oil it. (I used a dab of olive oil and use a brush to coat the pan.) Carefully pour in your well combined cornmeal batter into your hot pan and bake for 20-25 minutes- or until your cornbread is golden around the edges and cooked through.

ENJOY!

GF Holiday Rice Pudding

I know it can be tricky cooking gluten free meals when you have company coming over for the holidays. What will they think? Will a "normal person" like it? Will they think it tastes weird? Will I have to go looking for all sorts of strange ingredients to make this? The list of worries could go on... Let's face it- you have enough stress already dealing with the holiday season.

But I am here to help alleviate some of your stresses...at least on the gluten free front. And even better, this recipe is easy. The creamy white of the rice pudding drizzled with raspberry puree is also beautifully fitting for the Christmas season. Did I mention yet that it is YUMMY?! Yes my kids fought over who was going to have the last bowl and my company raved about it. I hope you enjoy this dessert as much as my family has. In fact I'm making it this Christmas!

Here is the link to the original recipe:
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Rice-Pudding-21031637  

Rice Pudding with Raspberry Purée

8 cups Milk
1 1⁄4 cups Arborio Rice (same kind as when making Risotto)
1⁄3 cup Sugar
1 1⁄2 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 cups fresh or frozen Raspberries
2 tbsp Sugar

1 1⁄2 cups heavy/whipping Cream

Nutmeg

1. Place the milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the rice and 1⁄3 cup of sugar. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer (stirring frequently) until the rice is tender and most of the milk has been absorbed (about 45 minutes). Remove your rice pudding from heat and stir in vanilla extract and set aside to cool.

Note: Watch your temperature. You can scorch the milk. I did slightly...oops! But don't worry, the taste didn't come through- I caught it in time. So don't make my mistake...don't try to do too much at once and forget about it. 

2. While your rice is cooking away in the milk, it is a good time to make the raspberry purée (I used frozen and it worked fabulous). Place your berries in a food processor and add 2 tbsp of sugar- purée until smooth. Strain your raspberry sauce through a fine sieve to remove seeds and set aside.

3. Just before serving, whip the cream. Fold the whipped cream into your rice pudding and then transfer into bowls or pretty glasses. Now using a spoon, drizzle raspberry sauce around the edges of each serving of pudding and sprinkle with a touch nutmeg (remember that nutmeg is pretty potent- so a dash or two in each bowl or glass should suffice). Serve, and delight in the yumminess!

Additional Note: I made this a couple of hours ahead of time so I didn't have so much to do all at once while preparing the rest of my meal. I kept my rice pudding covered on the counter so it would not dry out- it could be refridgerated likely, but it is nicer when it is warm or room temp when served. I also made my purée and refridgerated it (although not really necessary), as well as made my whipped cream and placed it too in the fridge. Then it is just a matter of assembly before serving.

Adapting to Life as a Celiac... The Silver Linings You Might Have Overlooked

As you can see from my post dates, it has been quite some time since I brought anything to the table. We'll just call my sabbatical as being "blind-sided by life" and blogging ended up being last on the list, and then not on the list at all of 'things to do'. Sometimes things just take your breath away and it takes time to get your breath back after being winded. Celiac disease can have that same effect on a person's life too- and it hits you right in the gut!

As much as one would like to take a break from life or Celiac Disease it just isn't always possible. But sometimes, it is a matter of shifting your perspective- realizing that you can't change being a Celiac, and looking instead for a silver lining. Once you get past all the things you feel that you have been deprived of and are off limits, a whole new world of understanding and possibility of being gf can happen. Focusing on the "can't haves" will only make you feel worse about something you can't change, and you'll just be more miserable for it.

So here are 5 Celiac Silver Linings for you to consider, before you let yourself dip into the "poor me" handbook of woes.

Silver Lining #1:
Since my daughter has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, we have become a much more health conscience family. While my daughter is the only family member who eats completely gf, the rest of us are I believe healthier for eating less amounts of gluten since major meals are always made gluten free in our house. Although I have always been fairly health conscience, Celiac Disease has forced me to act on things I would have normally said someday to.

Silver Lining#2:
Kicking the fast food habit! Let's face it- fast food isn't doing anyone a favor. And though my family didn't consume alot of junk food, less or none is better.

Silver Lining#3:
The gluten free fad is your friend. In the 5 years of my daughter being diagnosed as a Celiac, there has been a lot of growth in the food industry. Having become popular amoungst celebrities and health gurus, eating gluten free has become easier even in just the 5 short years my family has adapted to the diet. Just last week a major name brand pasta had a gluten free version on our grocery store shelf that was fabulous. (I will post later about my discovery.) But aside from products now hitting the mainstream, there is so much available now for recipes too. Almost anything you could imagine or crave is out there on the web, has been developed by a fellow Celiac with a discerning palate. Just visit Pinterest for example and you will be amazed! (You can follow me on Pinterest here http://www.pinterest.com/zomongo/. I have a "Gluten Free Goodness" board- I have tried some of these recipes, while others I have pinned for future reference to try out.)

Silver Lining#4:
This is silver lining is related to the previous one, but focuses on the "where do I buy that?" question. For a time I had to visit specialty health food and organic stores to find the gf food items I needed. But now, not only can I find gluten free foods more readily in major grocery store chains- there is so much on the internet. Gf grocery shopping is now a mouse click away. Specialty gf flours that you might otherwise never try can be easily found and ordered online. This is also a great way to shop for your gf items if your local area stores do not have a great supply of gf groceries. Buying online just makes sense in a lot of ways too. You save the gas and time running around from place to place looking for what you need, not to mention the frustration that is avoided. And what could be easier than having your groceries delivered to your door?! When you tell your friends how you have streamlined your life I'm sure they will be kicking themselves that they hadn't thought of that (Or feel jealous that they don't have the health excuse to take that leap! Lol). http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Foods-Diet/b?ie=UTF8&node=2204829011

Silver Lining #5:
Being catered to. Who doesn't love that?! Yes eating out can be a challenge...however, it can be a terrific experience too. My daughter for example attended her Christmas staff party recently that was held at a restaurant. She was greeted with servers that were already alerted to her condition and appropriate menu suggestions were made to her. However, when it came to dessert she was offered an off menu item. To the servers surprise the whole table decided that my daughter's dessert choice sounded better (Gf Chocolate Ganache Tart with ground nut crust vs Apple Crisp). When dessert arrived, my daughter waited politely and then was about to dig in when the final plate was brought out to be served... and it was announced that it was for the individual with the "allergy"! (Yes there was a brief moment of panic, and then the relief of having dodged the gluten bullet.) When the server was asked if there was gluten then in the rest of the tarts, the answer was "No. They are all made gluten free. We just have a policy to wash our hands before serving allergies." The whole table clapped! But aside from this experience my daughter has had other fabulous meals made by caring chefs who made her complete meal off menu. Who wouldn't want to be asked what they feel like eating and have it whipped up by a chef? Now you have the pull!- who needs star power when you have Celiac Disease?!

Hopefully, I have got you thinking a bit differently about being a Celiac after reading this post. Have you discovered a Celiac silver lining that you may have possibly shrugged off or overlooked? Leave a comment. I would love to know what you have discovered!

2011's Top GF Blog Posts

Thanks to Foodista once again, I bring to you their Top 10 Gluten Free Blog Post List of 2011. Here you will find all sorts of recipes that are sure to please. I hope you enjoy these in the New Year. I know that I will be trying out a number of these recipes!

http://www.foodista.com/blog/2011/12/29/top-10-gluten-free-blog-posts-and-recipes-of-2011

Happy New Year!

Dangerously Addictive... GF FUDGE!!!

As any Celiac knows, gluten is everywhere...even when it comes to chocolate. Well for all those Celiac Chocoholics out there, here is a fudge recipe that is so simple to make it would take you longer to drive to the store to buy yourself a piece of chocolate heaven.

I was lucky enough to discover this recipe gem through Foodista on Facebook. It truly is as simple as it looks. I did only a couple of minor changes. First I highly recommend using the plastic wrap suggestion of lining your pan- it makes things so much easier. I also used Semi Sweet Hershey's Chipits instead of the brand that was recommended. As for marshmellow's make sure you read your labels here again- I've used Jet Puff before, as well as store brands as I did for this recipe. Many do not contain gluten, but I've come across the odd brand that does- so read. Also feel free to experiment with flavorings. I made one batch with orange flavoring and omitted the vanilla and nuts. I used the same amount of orange flavoring as what was called for vanilla- however, next time I try that orange-chocolate combo I may increase the amount of flavoring slightly. Peppermint has also come to mind.

One last tip...if you find that when you are combining the marshmellow mixture with the chocolate that it is cooling too quickly and cracking- put it in the microwave for 30 seconds, give a final stir, and then pour into your pan.

Woops! I forgot...more tips!!! Place plastic wrap over your poured fudge and press into place with your hands while warm. This makes a smooth top, helps get rid of air bubbles, and your spatula wont keep grabbing the surface of the fudge as it cools while you try to press it into the corners and edges. Don't fuss over the size of your pan either- mine was 13x9 inches. Also, store your fudge in the fridge after cutting into squares. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this delight as much as my family and friends did.

I've included the original recipe below. If you want to visit the site this came from, take a peek at foodiecrush.com.

http://www.foodiecrush.com/2011/12/craving-the-best-homemade-fudge-and-a-big-kiss/

WARNING: This recipe results in extremely tasty treats. Potentially addictive.


My Mom’s Fudge with Pecans
1. In a large mixing bowl, add:
1 stick butter, or 8 tablespoons (room temperature)
12 oz. package Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate chips
Set aside
2. In a large pan stir together:
2 cups of sugar and
2/3 cup evaporated milk, until mixed
Then add 12- 15 large, fresh marshmallows
3. Cook over medium heat, (I use an electric fry pan set at 250 degrees) and stir constantly, I use a rubber spatula to stir and clean the sides of the pan. Once the mixture has melted, continue to cook and stir a bit more until you’re sure the sugar has melted; don’t let it change color.
4. Pour the hot mixture over the ingredients in the bowl and stir until the butter and chocolate melt then add:
¾ cups chopped nuts (I use pecans)
1 teaspoon vanilla
5. Continue to stir vigorously until it is very well mixed. [I kind of beat it by hand with the spatula]
6. Spray an 11” x 7” Pyrex baking dish with Pam and pour in cooked mixture, cover and refrigerate until set and ready to cut. FYI Recently I’ve lined the dish with plastic wrap so I could easily remove the fudge and sliced it with a pizza roller.