gluten free

April 2020 – Down to the Dregs, Pizza Rice
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April 2020 – Down to the Dregs, Pizza Rice

Many of us are down to the dregs of our fridges and pantries right now, I haven’t been to the store for a couple of weeks and the cupboard (not to mention any semblance of creativity in the kitchen) is pretty bare. A yen for pizza had hit but not too much in the way of pizza makings were in sight. Does this sound like your house right now? We are all making do with what we have on hand.

This recipe is vegetarian and gluten free.

I found a couple of large tomatoes and a handful of cherry tomatoes (just about to go bad), some stale flour tortillas, rice, and cheese…pizza rice casserole was born. My pantry did have an onion and some garlic plus oregano in the spice drawer.

Stewed Tomatoes
Tortillas
Layer
Grated Cheese

Make the rice, white or brown, whatever you have on hand. I made about 3 cups finished.

Saute an onion in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil for about 5-7 minutes until soft, add the garlic, some red pepper flakes, and a rounded teaspoon of dried oregano. Continue to cook until everything mingles into a soft tomatoey mess.

Heat your broiler and put a rack near the top.

Heat a good glug of olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet on medium heat. Layer the tortillas in the bottom of the pan, tearing them to cover the entire surface. Cook long enough that they start to puff and brown on the bottom. Spread the rice on top, then the tomato mixture, cover with grated cheese.

Put under the broiler to melt the cheese and heat the tomato/rice layers.

Cut into rough wedges to serve with a salad on the side (there was some lettuce in the garden to harvest).

Pizza Rice

Pizza Rice

Pizza rice is born.

 

April – Gluten Free Italian Meatballs
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April – Gluten Free Italian Meatballs

There must be a thousand recipes out there for meatballs. This recipe is a little different. I was intrigued and inspired by an article in the NY Times for Spicy Meatballs with Chickpeas by David Tanis. I have a couple of his cookbooks and admire his simplicity. There is no bread in his meatball mix, he uses raw (yes, raw) arborio or white rice as a binder, so it’s gluten free.

The original recipe calls for ground lamb, which was not in my freezer, and North African seasonings. This is when you call on kitchen creativity and courage. I did have a pound package of bulk country sausage and one of ground turkey. It was sounding like my meatballs would be more Italian than North African.

This recipe is endlessly adaptable to whatever ground meat and flavorings you have on hand. The meatballs were juicy and delicious, the rice absorbing the flavors of the sauce and the meat.

Meatballs

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

  • 1 ½ pounds ground meat (ground beef, pork, turkey, sausage or a combination)
  • ½ cup raw arborio rice or any white rice, rinsed and drained
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup finely diced onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated or minced

FOR THE SAUCE:

  •  Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 quart of jarred Italian pasta sauce, whatever you have in your pantry or freezer
  • A couple of handfuls of chopped kale, chard or baby spinach, chopped (optional)
  • Grated Parmesan for serving
PREPARATION:
  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground meat, raw rice, salt, red pepper flakes, cumin, Italian seasoning, onion and garlic. Knead mixture well.
  2. Line with a sheet pan or roasting pan with foil for easier cleanup. Coat it lightly with olive oil. With wet hands, form mixture into 1-ounce meatballs and arrange in one layer on pan. Bake, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove and let cool slightly.
  3. Meanwhile, reheat your pasta sauce.
  4. Carefully add meatballs and adjust heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
  5. Add the kale, chard or spinach and cook until just wilted.
  6. Serve with pasta (gluten free) and sprinkle with parmesan.

Of course you could make your own tomato sauce, that would be even more delicious.

The greens are optional, I was looking for a way to add some vegetables but you could leave them out if it’s the end of the week and your produce drawer is down to the last wilted scallion.

I found an almost empty jar of Kalamata olives and tossed them in, capers would be good, anchovies anyone?

Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs

May – Middle Eastern Herb and Cauliflower Salad
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May – Middle Eastern Herb and Cauliflower Salad

What is that grain in the salad? Is it rice, is it cracked wheat, is it couscous? Nope, none of that. This salad is grain and gluten free. It’s my favorite substitution, cauliflower! And this salad is wonderfully delicious as well as healthy; it’s full of chopped herbs plus cherry tomatoes and toasted almonds with a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice. It keeps well so you can make it ahead.

I can find already riced cauliflower in the grocery store, both Trader Joe’s and Safeway carry it. But it is easy to make at home in your food processor if you need to start from scratch (or have cauliflower growing in your garden…lucky you). I don’t recommend using the packaged already riced cauliflower if you are making mock mashed potatoes I think it has a high percentage of stem. It won’t result in a creamy rich amazing mashed potato substitute. You need to have mostly florets for that recipe. But, it is perfect for use in this recipe. The kernels hold their shape and crunch once cooked.

I roasted the cauliflower for extra flavor before mixing it with the other ingredients.

Middle Eastern Herb and Cauliflower Salad

If you are starting with a head of cauliflower, slice the head in half and remove the tough core. Roughly chop the florets. Working in batches, add the cauliflower to your food processor and pulse until the consistency of ‘rice’. Transfer to a large bowl.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower:

  • I head of cauliflower or a package of pre-riced cauliflower
  • 2 tablespoons of fruity olive oil
  • Zest of 1 lemon, preferably organic
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Salad:

  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup of coarsely chopped flat leaved parsley
  • 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup of coarsely chopped mint
  • 4 scallions white and light green, chopped
  • 1-2 lemons, juiced to make about 1/4 cup of juice
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 3/4 cup of sliced almonds

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place the riced cauliflower in a large bowl and add the olive oil, lemon zest and salt and pepper. Mix well.
  3. Spread the cauliflower on the baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes until tender and browning around the edges. You may need to leave it for a few additional minutes but check it so it doesn’t burn. Remove the sheet from the oven and let cool on the parchment paper.
  4. Spread the almonds on a small baking sheet and toast in the same oven for about 5 minutes, again check constantly as they will turn from nicely toasted to burnt in seconds. Remove and cool.
  5. While the cauliflower is cooking you can make the herb salad. Combine all the ingredients for the salad in a bowl and let the herbs and tomatoes marinate until the cauliflower is cool.
  6. Once cool, add the cauliflower to the bowl with the salad and mix well. The parchment paper works well as you can just lift it off the baking sheet. Taste to see if you need to add any additional lemon juice or salt or pepper.
  7. Chill until ready to serve, garnished with the toasted sliced almonds.

I found this salad kept well and was still good the next day for lunch.

You could turn this into an entire meal by adding some sliced feta or leftover chicken to the salad. It would be an excellent side with lamb chops or kebobs.

Middle Eastern Cauliflower and Herb Salad

I’m taking this to share with fellow bloggers at Fiesta Friday #274, over at Angie’s place (where she is feeling the need for spring cleaning). Please click over to meet other food, garden and craft bloggers. And guess what, I am co-hosting with Antonia @ Zoale.com

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

March – Deconstructed Wanton Soup
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March – Deconstructed Wanton Soup

Why is this deconstructed? Because it has all the delicious parts of pork wanton soup, but without the wanton wrappers. Leaving those out makes it both gluten free and low carb. I was inspired by a recipe for egg roll soup and thought…why not wanton? This is a lighter version of regular wanton soup, without the wanton wrappers. It’s perfect when you want a quick, healthy, vegetable laden and warming bowl of soup for lunch or a light supper.

Deconstructed Wanton Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound of ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon of neutral oil like grape seed
  • 2 medium carrots, shredded
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 cup of shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed and sliced
  • 1/2 bunch of scallions, sliced white and light green portions
  • 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
  • 2 baby bok choy, rinced and sliced thinly
  • 6 cups of chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil for drizzling when serving
  • chopped cilantro for serving

Method:

  1. Heat the 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a large stock pot or saucepan over medium heat and sear the ground pork until browned.
  2. Add the carrots, garlic, ginger, mushrooms and scallions. Saute until softened and fragrant.
  3. Add the chicken broth, soy sauce, and fish sauce.
  4. Bring to a simmer and add the bok choy, cook until softened, about 5 minutes. It should still be bright green. if the white stems are large, add them first and cook for a few minutes before adding the tender greens.
  5. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  6. Serve with a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Deconstructed Wanton Soup with Wantons

If you want a heartier meal for dinner, extra bulk can be added with a few steamed wantons. A request from the husband when serving for dinner. I found the lighter version perfect for me.

I think the folks at Fiesta Friday would enjoy this, especially anyone wanting to cut down on the carbs. Angie hosts Fiesta Friday and this week her co-host isJhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook. It’s Fiesta Friday #270. Click the link to read interesting posts about cooking, crafts and gardening.

June – Chickpea Crusted Chicken Filets with Crispy Chickpeas
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June – Chickpea Crusted Chicken Filets with Crispy Chickpeas

Do you ever crave something juicy and yet crunchy? What about gluten and egg free? If you are avoiding gluten, sometimes it is difficult to find both. But these flavorful “breaded” filets will satisfy your craving. Even better, these chicken filets are completely grain-free since they are coated with healthy chickpea crumbs instead of flour or panko. You can find these crumbs at better grocery stores, be on the lookout. I’ve seen them on Amazon but you need to buy a case, a bit too many packages unless you can get a group together for the purchase.

Even if you are not avoiding gluten or other grains, these chicken filets are just plain yummy. You could even turn them into a chicken parmesan. Add some grated parmesan to the crumbs, once they are cooked, coat with a delicious tomato sauce, cover with a slice of melty mozzarella and run under the broiler for a minute. There you go!

Chickpea Crumbs

I seasoned the crumbs with Toasted Fennel Spice, a mixture from Michael Chiarello’s Casual Cooking. I’ve made this spice mix many times and often give it as Christmas gifts.

Fennel Spice

Here is a link to the recipe. Fennel Spice is a mixture of toasted fennel, coriander, black peppercorns, chili flakes, and chili powder. It also calls for ground cinnamon, which I sometimes leave out. It’s delicious with poultry, also pork and fish.

When coating the chicken you can dip it into egg first; or do as I did and dip the filets into the liquid from a can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans, it is called aquafaba. Aquafaba is used in many recipes as a vegan replacement for egg whites. It’s amazing stuff! You can make anything from meringues and macarons to marshmallows and more. It acts as a binder, leavening agent, emulsifier, or anything an egg white traditionally does—but without the cruelty or cholesterol. Actually I just learned that the juice from other canned beans have the same properties, great northern are somewhat milder. Anyway, if you are avoiding eggs for any reason, try aquafaba. Use this link and the one above for some ideas.

Anyway, I dipped the pounded chicken thighs in aquafaba before coating in chickpea crumbs, then served roasted chickpeas with the filets. They got a triple dose of chickpeas. All were additionally flavored with Toasted Fennel Spice.

IMG_7591

Breaded thighs ready for the oven

Chickpea Crusted Chicken Filets with Toasted Fennel Spice Mix

IMG_7598

Chickpea crusted chicken with Fennel Spice

Ingredients:

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
  • 1 cup of chickpea crumbs
  • 1 can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained but liquid saved
  • 1 tablespoon or more of toasted spice
  • Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Parsley for garnish

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
  2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, coat one lightly coat with olive oil.
  3. Add the liquid from the can of chickpeas to a shallow pan.
  4. Spread the garbanzo crumbs in another shallow pan, season with the toasted spice and salt and freshly ground pepper
  5. Flatten the chicken thighs or breasts between two pieces of waxed paper using a heavy rolling pin or mallet. You want them to be of uniform thickness.
  6. Dip the thighs first in the aquafaba, then into the crumbs, coating both sides. Place each on the baking sheet in a single layer. Spritz lightly with olive oil.
  7. Spread the drained garbanzos or chickpeas on the second sheet, sprinkle with lightly with olive oil and season with more Toasted Fennel Spice.
  8. Bake for about 30 minutes until the chicken is browned and cooked through, and the garbanzo beans are crisp. The beans might be done before the chicken so check periodically.
  9. Serve garnished with parsley.

    IMG_7600

    Crunchy crisp chickpeas

 

I think I will take this one to the Fiesta over at Angies, it’s Fiesta Friday #229 and I am the co-host this week. Come on over, and please add your own link. Make sure to read the directions though so you are included in the voting.