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!

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

This is a recipe that my mother emailed me a few weeks ago. Delicious! And easy to make!!

Hi.

Here is the recipe I talked to you about. Very tasty!!
I am sure you will have a hard time keeping these around for long.

Hugs, Mom  XX00

 

RASPBERRY THUMBPRINT COOKIES
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. sifted flour (use your prefered gf flour or gf flour mix-

rice flour would work well)
2 tbsp. milk
1/4 c.  miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips (or pulse regular chips in a food processor)
Raspberry preserves (seedless is better)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium mixing bowl, cream
butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla together until fluffy.
Blend in flour and milk, stir in chocolate chips. Shape dough
into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Make small
indentation with thumb in top of each ball. Use teaspoon

to place small amount of preserves in each.
Bake 10-12 minutes.

I don't remember where my mother had said she got this recipe from- a magazine I think...maybe Southern Living...but kudos to whomever created this delight.

Cross Contamination- Celiac's and "Wheaties" Can Live in Harmony

When my daughter was diagnosed as a Celiac, my initial instinct was to feed the whole family gluten free food. That way of course there was no possible way for her to get dosed with gluten. However, that was somewhat an idealist idea once I saw the cost of eating gluten free. I was astounded how much groceries were costing for just my daughter- and then just multiply that cost by four people...Gulp!
So the next decision was to revamp the kitchen, and the etiquette there within. Sounds simple enough- and alot of it is easy, it just takes practice and training of all family members. Even for the Celiac herself! (My daughter once used the wrong margarine tub...I felt awful for her, but hers was clearly marked with her name. Everyone in the family takes time in adjusting, celiac's included.)
             1)  A place of their own. Set aside part of your pantry for gluten free items. Having a gluten free shelf does a number of things. Firstly, the chances of a non gf product being mistaken for gf is lessened. Secondly, it also establishes boundaries for the Celiac- "this is my food, and unless you ask me I am not going to share". After all the Celiac has limited choices, and if the rest of the family has eaten their gf food what is a Celiac to do? Anxiety and loss of control I found are greatly lessened just by giving my daughter space for her food. I give my daughter her own space in the freezer too.
            2) Double up on appliances. Don't be alarmed- this doesn't need to get expensive!- and it's still cheaper than feeding a family of four completely gf. Start with a second toaster. There are many price ranges and models available that wont break the bank. I did splurge a little however, but it was worth the extra cash. My daughter's toaster came with a rack that can be used to warm breads. Very handy, since most gf breads taste better warm or room temp. (Also, I keep the gf toaster away from the non gf toaster.) Later on, we bought a small waffle iron. This was at a cost of less than $20cdn. And if you want to be more savvy, employ the toaster and waffle iron to work together. Make gf waffles, freeze them, and then pop them in the toaster when ready to use them! And you're saving money by making your own waffles!!
            3) Label!! Grab your sharpie marker or label maker, and ready-set-go! Write the name of the Celiac family member on things that must coexist, or that you need two of  and are identical (like peanut butter). The fridge is a prime place for this. Label the margarine tub, jams, etc. that will be used only by the Celiac or used to make gf family meals. This can also serve as a reminder for family to not taint jam for example by using a spoon and avoiding the poisonous non gf crumbs. It's up to the Celiac to let others use these items that are labelled for them-otherwise, double up. Margarine is one I have always doubled up on, since the risk I find is too great. Butter that I use for cooking though, is always kept gf in our house, as is mayo and mustard- you must figure out what works for you. Which leads into...
            4) Rules. Rules are perhaps the most important tool you will need to utilize in the kitchen. It may take a bit of time for everyone in the household to adjust, but with patience and gentle reminders everyone will pitch in to keep the Celiac's food gf. An example of a simple rule, is to use separate spoons for each pot cooking on the stove when not all items are gf. Or, clean the counter surface prior to preparing a meal that a Celiac will be partaking in. Little changes such as this will keep gluten in it's rightful place.
            5) Wiping surfaces that look suspicious- from counters tops to standing mixers. Don't panic, I'm not suggesting that you disinfect your entire kitchen- I for one don't have that kind of energy, and neither do you I doubt. Just take it as the situation comes. Wipe a counter that looks like it may be dusted in flour or have crumbs before meal preparation. Wipe the standing mixer off prior to using it for mixing gf baking. All this contributes to a healthy kitchen for the Celiac.
            6) Cutting Boards and Spoon Rests. I have on hand 3 plastic cutting boards in my kitchen. Two would be sufficient however. Cutting boards add an extra barrier against cross contamination. Having more than one means you can quickly grab another if needed to prepare non gf items- great for meat vs veggies too. And plastic means that you can throw the cutting board straight into the dishwasher! As for spoon rests, this again helps keep things gf by keeping cooking utensils off the counter. It also serves as a reminder to those in the kitchen to not mix up spoons or spatulas when cooking gf vs non gf. A small plate works just fine too.
            7) Wash your hands. Basic and obvious, but effective. If you made a sandwich that is non gf, and are about to make a gf sandwich...wash your hands. Or make the gf sandwich first.
I hope that these suggestions help guide you on your way to a harmonious "mixed" kitchen. Bon Appetit and To Your Health! More to come on Cross Contamination for my next posting. Until then, please share what you do in the kitchen that keeps cross contamination at bay.

Quinoa Good - Bulgar Bad

As a Celiac, going GF can be as simple as making a substitution or two. As spring slowly arrives, it has me thinking of different foods. Bulgar salads have always been a favorite of mine, but with a Celiac in the house that is definitely out of the question. So a substitution is in order! Quinoa!! This little grain may be small, but it is truly mighty. Chock full of protein, fibre, amino acids, iron, and much much more- no wonder it was once considered "the gold of the Incas". http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice In fact NASA is considering it for long manned space flights.

Quinoa in my opinion, also holds up better than bulgar in a salad, never becoming mush, and has an added slight pleasing crunch to it. It can be used as a side dish too instead of your usual other starches. Look for it at your local health food store if your grocery doesn't carry it. Lately, I have been getting it at Costco. It is worth adding to your pantry!!

What's for Dinner?...Easy Honey Mustard Chicken!

Gluten free doesn't need to be complicated! Here is a simple chicken recipe that is sure to please the palate.

Skinless Chicken Breast
Brianna's Dijon Honey Mustard Dressing (or other gf dressing)
Olive Oil

Place chicken breasts in a bowl and pour enough dressing over chicken to coat well. Make sure to coat all sides using your hands or tongs. Let sit for a minimum of 30min. Can place in the fridge covered overnight if desired. To cook, heat approximately a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and add chicken breasts. Cook till deep golden brown on both sides, and chicken feels firm to touch with tongs. Let rest 5minutes, and serve with veggies of your choice. Enjoy!
http://www.briannassaladdressing.com/whatcha-eatin.html