Recipe Box: Flour-Free Cornbread

I grew up on Jiffy cornbread, which is really just corn-flavored bread.  When a lot of folks list cornbread recipes, they go for this classic flavor by adding a mix of gluten-free flours, gums, and sugar.  Turns out, you don't need any of that.  Classic southern cornbread is simple, slightly crumbly, and naturally gluten-free.

Ingredients:

2 Cups cornmeal*
2 Cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup fat: butter, bacon grease, or vegetable shortening


I use a 12" cast-iron skillet for this, but you can use a 9x11 baking dish instead if you don't have one. 

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees Farenheit

Melt the fat in the microwave, and grease the skillet or baking dish well

Combine all the ingredients and pour into the skillet or baking dish; let it rest for at least 10 minutes, or as long as the oven takes to pre-heat (resting makes it fluff up and soaks the cornmeal)

Bake 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean, and the edges brown and pull away from the pan a bit

Let cool until it is warm to the touch before serving, with lots of butter and honey, or crumble and let it stale to make cornbread dressing.

If you are really acclimated to the sweet corn bread you get in restaurants, you can add 1/4 cup of honey to the mix with an extra tablespoon of corn meal to balance liquids and solids.  

*Corn products are often a cross-contamination risk for gluten because of how it is stored and processed.  Make sure you use a gluten-free labeled brand.  In the Southeast U.S., we use the Publix store brand yellow cornmeal without a problem. 

Elimination Recipe Box: Crock Pot Chicken

The recipe is based on the food sensitivity elimination diet we are doing, and has the bonus of producing a safe chicken stock for other recipes, such as soups and stews. 

4 chicken leg quarters
2 stalks celery
1 large carrot
1/4 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp dried rubbed sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (use butter if you are not sensitive to dairy or casein)

Chop veggies into chunks  Place chicken meaty-side down in a crock pot and layer veggies, herbs, and oil or butter over the top.

Run the crockpot on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8, until chicken is fork-tender.  Add two hours if starting with frozen chicken.  Add a few tablespoons of water if needed to maintain moisture;you should have at least a cup of liquid in the bottom of the pot when you are finished.  

Remove chicken and veggies to serving bowl. 
Pour remaining liquid through a fine sieve into a storage container (jar, tupperware, etc.). 
Rinse the crock pot with about 1/2 cup of water and pour through sieve into same container. 
Store drippings in fridge for up to three days or in freezer for several months.  To add more liquid to container, first remove the layer of fat that forms at the top of the cooled drippings. 

The leftover meat is delicious served cold and shredded on a green salad the next day as a packed lunch. 

Elimination Recipe Box: Smooth Curried Vegetable Soup

This is an easy way to have a soup, sauce, etc. you can keep in the fridge for up to a week and re-heat to serve with almost anything.  The recipe is based on the food sensitivity elimination diet we are doing at the moment, which is why I started with online recipes for curried carrot soup, realized we can't use any commercial vegetable or chicken stock, and started winging it.  It's a great way to pick up some nutrients you might be missing. 

The "recipe" is not just basic; it's forgiving. Hate mushrooms?  Leave them out.  Love asparagus?  put it in.  The ingredients I used are not necessarily the ones you should use.

Throw in a can or two of full-fat coconut milk for a really diabolically tasty cream soup.

Ingredients:

3-4 large carrots, chopped into 1/2" pieces
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 bunch fresh spinach leaves, chopped, stems removed
6 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup diced onion (or 1 large shallot)
3 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried dill
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground cumin*
1/2 tsp ground coriander*
1/2 tsp turmeric*
1/2 tsp mustard seed*
1 tsp dried ginger (or 1 tablespoon minced fresh)*

(If you're not sensitive to or eliminating nightshade plants, you can substitute 1 tablespoon curry powder for these ingredients)

Recipe:

• Heat large pot on medium-high heat
• Add olive oil and wait until it moves like water
• Add onion, garlic, and fresh ginger if using (don't add dried at this point)
• Cook until onion is translucent and starting to brown
• Add all the other ingredients EXCEPT THE BAY LEAVES and enough water to barely cover them.  
• Bring to a simmer, then cook, covered for 15 minutes or until root vegetables can be pierced easily with a fork.
• Set pot in sink of cold water to start cooling.  Add a few ice cubes to the soup to speed the process, and stir until cool enough to touch without scalding
• In batches, process soup in blender until smooth
• Return to stove top and add bay leaves.  Bring back to a simmer.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.  
• Serve warm or chilled, or use as a sauce on chicken or fish.  garnish with fresh parsley for a little crunch, or serve over shredded spaghetti squash. 

Elimination Recipe Box: Sauteed Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is one of those weird, fun, tasty miracles of biology.  Does it taste like pasta?  Nope.  It tastes like buttery, delicious squash, but without the mushy squash texture.  So it does pair great with whatever you would pair pasta with, but if you don't expect it to BE pasta, you can appreciate the deliciousness that it is. 

Most recipes for cooking the squash call for cutting it in half first.  I can tell you that unless you have a handy-dandy kitchen reciprocating saw, that will be both enormously hard work and a little dangerous.  The good news is that it's entirely unnecessary. 

To cook the squash, simply jab it a dozen times all over with a sharp fork or paring knife to allow it to release steam.  Then place it on a plate or glass pie dish and stick the whole thing in the microwave for 7 minutes.  Use hotpads to roll it over onto the other side, and microwave for another 5 minutes.  If it is a small squash, shave a minute off each of those times.  Leave the door shut, and let it sit for another 10 minutes.

You can also roast it whole in the oven for an hour, if you are microwave-less.  It is done when a knife goes all the way to the center without much resistance.

Continue to use hotpads to handle it, but it should be fairly easy now to slice in half with a large knife.  Scoop the super-stringy, darker threads and seeds from the middle, then use a fork to shred the squash flesh into spaghetti-like strands.  Try a large spoon to scrape the last bits out if they adhere to the rind.

This basic pile of squash shreds will keep in the fridge for 5 days, and re-heats beautifully in the microwave or stovetop.  It's another good option to make on a Sunday and throw together into a quick side dish or packed lunch all week. 

Now for the sauteed squash:

Ingredients (2 large side servings):

Shreds from 1/2 cooked spaghetti squash (about 2-3 cups, loose)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons minced onion
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley*

*Also try fresh basil and oregano, or add fresh sage while the garlic is cooking, or use a curry spice mix.  

Recipe:

Heat olive oil in a large pan on medium-high heat
add garlic and onion, and fry until fragrant (30 seconds)
add spaghetti squash
Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until squash is tender (add additional oil if sticking)
Add fresh parsley and cook an additional minute
serve warm

Elimination Recipe Box: Roasted Beets

This recipe is Elimination-Diet friendly.  The downside of beets is that they take a long time to cook.  The upside of beets is that they're delicious either hot or cold, so they're great in a packed lunch, and throw needed vitamin C and fiber into your diet.  Roasted beets are worth it, since they're much more flavorful and toothsome than canned varieties, and less expensive.

If the beets come with greens, you can cook them up like swiss chard.  I would make the greens the first night, roast the beets during dinner, and eat the beets the next day.  


Ingredients:

4-6 beets
1/4 cup olive oil
14 cup balsamic vinegar (optional)

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Peeling beets is just like peeling potatoes, but messier.  Beet juice will stain a lot of surfaces, including countertops, hands, and fabrics.  It's easiest to just station yourself at the sink with a little water running (or a bowl of water if you're in a drought state), 4-6 washed beets, and a vegetable peeler or paring knife. put a plastic cutting board at the bottom of the sink.  Peel and chop the beets into 1/2" by 1" pieces, and rinse as needed. 

Place the beet pieces in a baking dish lined with aluminum foil, or an oven-safe pot with a tight lid (e.g. dutch oven). 

drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and either wrap up tightly in the foil or place the lid.

Bake at 400 F for at least 40 minutes, up to 1.5 hours.  After the first 40 minutes, test for doneness, stir the beets, and add 1/3 cup water if they're looking at all dry on top.  Repeat every 20 minutes. 

The beets are done when they are about the consistency of a canned pear; firm to the tooth but not crunchy.  The easiest way to check is to run a piece under cold water for a moment, then take a bite. 

You can serve the beets warm, or refrigerate them and eat them cold.  I prefer cold, my partner warm.  They stand up to multiple re-heats in the microwave, so make enough to last the week.

Note 1:  I have not personally tried it, but there are a lot of recipes for cooking beets whole in a slow-cooker/crockpot.  Here's one example from Southern Food. 

Note 2: You can also roast the beets whole and unpeeled, wrapped in foil, and the skins should slide off when they're done. It takes longer, and I don't like handling the hot beets, so I peel first.  There's very little difference in the resulting flavor and texture, so see which way you like it!

Note 3:  Beets will add a pink tint to your urine; do not panic and think you are bleeding internally :-)

Elimination Recipe Box: Pan-Roasted Cauliflower

While this recipe is specifically designed to fit a food sensitivity elimination diet, it is tasty enough for anyone, and quick enough for a weeknight side dish. 

I like to use a cast-iron pan for stove-top cooking, as it gives me the nice crunchy savory brown bits that a teflon pan doesn't develop.  I have made this successfully in a steel pan as well. 

Ingredients:

1-2 heads of fresh cauliflower
olive oil
2-3 cloves minced garlic

Recipe:

Wash cauliflower and break off florets at the stem.  Slice larger florets so that everything is about 1/4" thick, but leave the small ones whole.  Discard the main stem and leaves, unless you are motivated to someday make vegetable stock from scratch, in which case add it to the veggie scrap bag in the freezer. 

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan on medium-high heat until the oil flows like water

Add cauliflower and garlic, and stir to coat.  Add more olive oil as needed to get everything a little oily.

Stir every two minutes or so, or as needed to prevent burning (but let it get a little brown between stirrings).  Total cooking time should be about 10 minutes, with the cauliflower still a little crisp.  Run a piece under cold water and taste it to see if it's to your liking.

Serve warm, but leftovers can be tossed with cooked quinoa for the next day's lunch.  

Elimination Recipe Box: Blackened Chicken Tenderloins

We are about halfway through a three-week food sensitivity elimination diet, and I can say that it DOES get easier once you have your routine down.

Since we are avoiding nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant), it also eliminates most seasoning mixes.  Paprika and chili pepper are almost ubiquitous in pre-mixed spices.

But blackening seasoning and pan-fried protein plays an important role in this high-veggie diet of satisfying the need for flavor, sodium, fat, and calories.  This isn't a weight-loss diet, and depriving your body of nutrients while it is recovering from inflammation is a bad idea.

A couple of blackened tenderloins for breakfast with sliced fresh fruit, dates, and a cup of light coconut milk will keep you going for the whole morning. 

Ingredients:
2 chicken tenderloins per person, defrosted and dried with paper towel
olive oil
blackened seasoning: one part each of fresh ground sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, to two parts each dried oregano and dried basil. (example: 1/4 tsp salt, pepper, garlic powder, 1/2 tsp oregano, basil)

Recipe:

Pre-heat frying pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium-high heat.  Cast-iron or steel are best, as a non-stick pan won't give you the "char" you're looking for.

coat both sides of chicken and rub the spice mix into the meat so that it sticks well

When oil flows easily, place tenderloins and let cook undisturbed for 3 minutes.

Blackened doesn't mean burned!  The cooking side should get a little crispy and brown, and the spices should be dark-brown to black.  If you think it's scorching, turn the heat down.

Flip and cook undisturbed for an additional 3 minutes.

Serve warm. These also work very well cold on a salad or quinoa for lunch. 

The first time you make these, test the tenderloins for doneness (no pink in the center) as your pan, stove, and choice of tenderloins will make a difference.  If they're not quite done, flip and cook an additional minute covered with aluminum foil or a pan lid.  Adjust cooking time and temperature next time to add time to each side as needed. 

Elimination Recipe Box: Creamy Fish and Asparagus Stew

This is a great recipe for day one of the food sensitivity elimination diet.  It is hearty and flavorful so that you don't feel deprived.  It's also a great opportunity to create lots of leftover soup and quinoa to eat throughout the week. 

This is a pretty versatile recipe in that you can substitute many different vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke hearts) for the soup, and any mildly flavored protein.  By changing the protein, this recipe becomes vegan. 

If you haven't worked with quinoa before, you really should try it.  It is a delicious and versatile little grain that's packed with fiber and other nutritional goodies. The flavor is approximately that of brown rice, and it cooks up similarly.  The texture is similar to couscous.   It keeps well in the fridge for several days, and can be re-heated for sweet or savory meals. 

 This may look complicated, but once you have made it, it is easy to re-heat some soup and quinoa for a snack or light lunch, or cook up a simple protein like a chicken tenderloin and combine it for a quick dinner. 

Ingredients
(makes 2 servings, with lots of soup and quinoa left over for later meals)

• 2 cups uncooked quinoa (any color, but the white is usually least expensive and easiest to find)
• 2 tilapia fillets (or other mild white fish)
• 1 bunch (approx 1 pound) asparagus
• 1 medium size yellow onion or 2-3 large shallots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can full fat coconut milk (not cream of coconut, and not the light kind)
• 1 teaspoon dried ginger, or 1 tablespoon minced fresh
• Sea salt, pepper, olive oil
• grated nutmeg (optional)

 STEPS

If the tilapia fillets are frozen, thaw them by placing them in ziplock bags under cool running water while you prepare the soup.
Quinoa: 
Prepare the quinoa per package directions.  It will stay hot with the lid on if it finishes before the rest.


Soup:

1. Cut the tips from the asparagus, chop into chunks, and set aside
2. Chop the rest of the asparagus stalk into 1/2" pieces
3. Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium-high heat
4. Stir fry the pieces of asparagus stalks with onion, garlic, and fresh ginger (if using) until onion is translucent (3 minutes)
5. Add 4 cups of water to pot, and bring to a boil
6. Boil until asparagus is tender (10-12 minutes)
7. Add 3-4 ice cubes to pot, or set pot in cold water and stir until it can be touched without pain
8. Puree in blender or food processor until smooth (return some of the liquid to the pot if it won't fit in blender)
9. Add coconut milk, chopped asparagus tips, dried ginger (if using), salt, and pepper
10. Set over medium-low heat to gently warm (10-15 minutes). Stir occasionally

Tilapia:

1. About 6 minutes before soup and quinoa are done, rinse tilapia fillets and pat them dry with paper towels.
2. rub one side of the fillet with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in pan over medium-high heat
4. Place fillets seasoning side-down and let cook undisturbed for 3 minutes.
5. While it is cooking, sprinkle the other side of the fillet with salt and pepper
6. Carefully flip with sharp metal spatula and cook an additional 3-4 minutes
7. If the fillets aren't white all the way through and flake easily, cook an additional minute or two with aluminum foil over the top to trap heat.  They are done when there is no more pink and the flesh flakes apart with a fork.

Finish

Place 1/2 cup cooked quinoa in a soup bowl, top with a tilapia fillet, and follow with 1 cup of soup.  Garnish with a sprinkle of grated nutmeg, if desired. 

Recipe collection: Homemade Salad Dressings

One of the first and most frustrating gluten-free searches we had at the beginning was for salad dressing that was both tasty and willing to declare gluten-free.  Eventually, Hidden Valley Ranch came on-board and started labeling many of their products, but by then I had discovered just how easy salad dressing is to make, and how much tastier it can be when fresh.

The Vinaigrette

I was first introduced to these by a host family in France, who would whip up a little balsamic vinaigrette every night for the salad course.  Since then, I've learned that you can build an enormous range of flavors from the basic combination of acid and oil that is a vinaigrette.  These are best made right before you use them.  If you use a lightweight vegetable oil they may keep in the refrigerator for a day or two, but many oils will thicken up when cold and create an unpleasant texture.  If you are adding dried herbs, make them before you start the rest of the meal prep so that they have a little time to activate the flavor of the herbs. 

You can make vinaigrettes in a cup and whisk with a fork right before serving, but I like to keep a few clean jars (nutella or jam size) around.  Just toss the ingredients in and give it a good shake to mix. 

Classic Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt
pinch of fresh-ground pepper
drop of dijon mustard

(increase amounts as needed for multiple people)

This is the classic recipe my host family used, and works well on salads with strong flavors (bitter greens, spicy peppers or meats, sharp cheeses).  If I want to add some variety I will include 1/4 teaspoon basil or rosemary to the mix.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup-1/3 cup apple cider vinager (to taste)
1/3 cup olive oil
pinch each of salt, pepper, sugar (or a few drops of honey)

(increase amounts as needed for multiple people)

This goes well with a combination of strong, fruity flavors, such as field greens with granny smith apples, dried cranberries, and sharp cheddar cheese.  It is even more delicious with some dried rosemary, but let it steep a few minutes before serving to bring the flavor out.

Red/White Wine Vinaigrette

1/3 cup wine vinager
1/3 cup lightly flavored salad oil (light olive oil, canola, etc.)
pinch of salt and pepper

(increase amounts as needed for multiple people)

This makes a lightly flavored base that will work well with added flavorings like fresh or dried herbs, fruit juice, etc.

Avocado Vinaigrette

1/3 cup mashed very ripe avocado
1/3 cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
pinch of salt

(increase amounts as needed for multiple people)

Spice it up some chopped cilantro, and a few drops of lime juice (a little goes a long way!)  Does not store well, but makes a delicious, creamy, nutritious dressing for taco salad or something with grilled peppers and tomatoes.

Bacon Vinaigrette

1/3 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar
1/3 cup bacon drippings, still warm (or 2 tablespoons drippings with salad oil to make up the rest of the 1/3 cup, plus some bacon crumbles)
pinch of fresh-ground pepper

Eat this on a salad of fresh spinach, gouda cheese, bacon crumbles, candied nuts, and sliced strawberries, and you will never put up with an overpriced restaurant salad again.  If you don't have the candied nuts, try adding a few drops of maple syrup to the vinaigrette. Your arteries might not thank me, but your tastebuds will!

****
Essentially, you mix some form of vinegar half and half with an oil or fat, add a few spices, and mix well to emulsify.  It should be easy to come up with your own combinations!
 ****

THE CREAM DRESSINGS

Most of these are easy to make, and have the added bonus of surviving up to three days in the fridge for future salads and/or chip and veggie dip.  The base is very simple:  mix 2 parts sour cream to 1 part mayonnaise, add spices, then thin with milk until you have the consistency you like.

Blue Cheese Dressing

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles (or chopped Roquefort)
milk as needed to thin.

One of the recipes that will have you swearing off store-bought forever.  It doesn't have to sit; you can toss it together right before you eat.  Blue cheeses go really well with sweet, so salads with chopped apples, pears, and berries will all love this dressing.  It also makes a great dip for pizza, chips, pretzels, etc.

Creamy Dill Dressing

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill (or 2-3 tablespoons dried, but let dressing sit for at least 20 minutes to develop flavor)
milk as needed to thin

Also excellent for a veggie dip

Homemade Ranch

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp dried parsley
pinch salt, pepper
milk or buttermilk to thin as needed

This one does have a time limit; after more than 12 hours or so the garlic gets really potent, and by the second day it is overwhelming.  You want to make it about 20-30 minutes before eating to let the flavors blend, and finish the batch the same day.  Luckily, ranch goes with everything!

TOMATO KETCHUP DRESSINGS

 Thousand Island Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4-1/3 cup tomato ketchup (to taste)
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
salt, pepper to taste
milk to thin, as needed

French Dressing

1/2 cup olive or salad oil
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1-2 teaspoon sugar, or more to taste

To make this Russian dressing, substitute mayonnaise for the olive oil, and add 1 teaspoon horseradish, a dash of hot sauce, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.  

Recipe Box: How to Build a Perfect Soup (Block Method)

I think that many people just learning to cook think a soup is a mysterious high art, or a ridiculously complicated all-day project.  It can be, but it doesn't have to be.  There are a few basic building blocks which, when made in the right order, can give you perfect results every time. 
Setting up each block ahead of time in bowls will make the process really fast and simple, and minimize any problems. 

Try to use the soup pot for the entire cooking process.  All the flavor on the bottom of the pan after cooking meats and vegetables goes to waste if you use a separate pan.  Alternately, you can add water to the frying pan after cooking each step, cook off the nice caramelized bits into the water (deglazing), then use it as your water for the soup.

I use parboiled (instant/10-minute) rice, or cold pre-cooked rice, because I have thrown away too many pots of soup already in my lifetime.  If the soup thickens too much when cooking the rice, it will spend an hour as grit, then go directly to mush.  If you're using raw rice, set it to cooking before you start the soup, and add it last (block 7).  

Block 1:  Protein

This is essentially meat or soy.  It does not include shellfish, as these cook so quickly they should be almost the last thing in the pot. 

Fry up your protein to golden brown in oil, and set the cooked meat and juices aside in a bowl.  If there are a lot of fat drippings (as in bacon or hamburger) reserve a few tablespoons and discard or store the rest.  

Block 2: Root Vegetables you want fully cooked

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, celery root, etc. These take longer to cook, but have enough starch to crisp up nicely.  Have these cut into small bite-size pieces or thin slices for fast cooking. 

Fry in a little oil or drippings over medium heat in the same pan you used for the meat (uncleaned) until golden (2-3 minutes) then add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover for five minutes.  Check to see if the vegetables are fork-tender.  If not, continue cooking until they are.  Set aside in a bowl.

Block 3: Other sturdy vegetables you want browned but not soft

This can include broccoli, zucchini, green beans, peppers, garlic onions, and anything else you want to get a little "fried" flavor before they go into the soup. Do not include delicate vegetables such as leafy greens or mushrooms, as they will over-cook.  Don't fry leeks, as they will turn really bitter when browned. 

Brown these on medium-high heat in a little pre-heated oil or drippings (2-3 minutes) using the same pan as you have been. Don't over-cook, or they'll be mushy by the time they get out.  Set them aside in a bowl. 

Block 4: Liquid

Generally this is water flavored with meat and/or vegetables.  You can spend all day creating homemade stock from scratch, but this is the one area where prepared versions are worth the time/taste tradeoff.  This means canned or boxed broth or stock, bullion, or soup base.  In the U.S., I use the "better than boullion" paste, because one jar lasts a long time, takes up a small amount of space, and ends up costing less than buying liquid broth.  They are good about declaring gluten-containing ingredients, but note that they do not declare gluten-free because they do not test.

If you've used a pan other than your soup pot for cooking blocks 1-3, add the liquid to this pan and cook off any drippings or cooked-on bits from the bottom before transferring to the soup pot.  That's good flavor you don't want to lose!  Otherwise, add liquid to the soup pot and bring to a simmer.

Block 5: Rice or Noodles

Blocks 1-4 all go into the soup pot once it starts to simmer.  Add additional liquid if it looks too thick.  Add parboiled or COLD cooked rice, or noodles at this point.  (hot cooked rice should go in block 7)You are about 10 minutes from the soup being finished!

Block 6: Delicates and Shellfish

5 minutes from the end of cooking time for your rice or noodles, add your delicates.  This includes spinach, chives, or other tender greens, shrimp or other shellfish or delicate fish, mushrooms, leeks, and fresh herbs.

Block 7: Thickeners

Noodles and parboiled rice may take a few minutes longer to cook than in pure water, so test to make sure they are done before beginning this block.

If you are adding starch to thicken the broth into a stew (corn and potato starches work well), mix the starch in cold water to make a slurry first, then pour that into the soup while stirring.  This prevents clumping.  Keep the soup cooking and stir regularly until it reaches the consistency you want.  If it doesn't thicken in 2-3 minutes, add more starch. 

Add any freshly-cooked rice or noodles at this point.  You can also put the rice directly into the serving bowl and pour the soup over, for a nice presentation. 


For a cream soup, remove the soup from heat and let it rest five minutes before adding dairy, as it can curdle if it continues to cook. My favorite method is to just dump a small container of sour cream (about 1 cup) into a two-day batch of soup, and stir until it is evenly distributed.  This adds a light tang and a lovely smooth cream texture.  You can use heavy cream if you don't want the flavor of sour cream, or whole milk if you want a lighter texture.   Adjust quantities to taste. 

For a cheese soup, try a mix of cream cheese for texture and a smaller amount of finely shredded strong flavored cheese (asiago, cheddar, etc.) for flavor.  This can help prevent the cheese from getting stringy or granulated from lack of fat. Stir into the soup until it smooths out. 

Block 8: Garnish

Garnish doesn't re-heat well, so add it to individual bowls on serving.  This includes tortilla strips, bread cubes, crackers, fresh herbs or vegetables, shreds of cheese, and dollops of sour cream. 

EXAMPLE

Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Chowder
(Mix up the vegetables according to what's seasonal!)

Block 1:
1 whole chicken breast, sliced into bite-size strips
1 pound package chorizo sausage, cut into bite-size chunks

Block 2:
2-3 medium-size yellow or red potatoes, sliced thin
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Block 3:
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, cut into bite-size chunks
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin

Block 4:
8-10 cups chicken broth or stock

Block 5:
2 packets parboiled (instant) rice or 2 cups cold pre-cooked rice.
1-2 leeks, white and light green part sliced

Block 6:
1/2 lb fresh spinach (medium-size bag) or 2-3 cups chopped fresh kale, stems and large veins removed
handful of white mushrooms, sliced

Block 7:
1 and 1/2 cups sour cream (adjust to taste)

Block 8:
Optional dollop of sour cream and minced chives

Steps:

(set rice to cook if you are not using instant)

1.  Fry meat, preferably in soup pot, until chicken is cooked through. Remove to bowl with drippings
2.  In the same pot without cleaning, fry up potatoes until starting to brown.  Add 1/4 cup water, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.  If they are not tender, cook up to an additonal five minutes, stirring, until they start to break apart. Remove to bowl.
3.  Add a little oil to the pot and fry Block 3 veggies on medium-high heat until starting to brown, stirring constantly.  Remove to bowl.
4. Pour chicken broth/stock into pot and bring to simmer over medium heat, scraping the bottom to stir up anything that has stuck from steps 1-3.
5.  Add rice and all ingredients prepped so far (steps 1-3)
6.  Bring back to simmer, add spinach and mushrooms.
7. When rice and spinach are both cooked, remove the pot from heat and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
8.  Add sour cream and stir until evenly distributed and creamy.
9. Serve with garnish in individual bowls.  Reheat leftovers in the microwave or stovetop.  Freezable.

Norway Recipe Box: Pork Chops with Lingonberry Sauce and Pan-Seared Vegetables

This is part of my Norway recipe series, developed while living in Trondheim for four months.  These gluten-free recipes include items I was able to easily find locally and cook without access to an oven or microwave, and using no more than two stove burners.  This means they can be prepared in the typical kitchenette unit found in less expensive Norwegian apartments and hotels. Click Here for the full series. 


Pork Chops with Lingonberry Sauce and Pan-Seared Vegetables

This is a one-pan recipe, which reduces cleanup considerably.  Pork is a relatively inexpensive meat in Norway, compared to the very expensive beef.  If it is in season and suits your tastebuds, this same recipe could easily use lambchops. z

I switched to shallots instead of onions, as the flavor is similar.  They're smaller, so I don't have a half-onion sitting in the mini-fridge overpowering the entire apartment every time I open the door.  I store them in the cupboard, in a paper or net bag saved from previous purchases. 

Ingredients for two people (Norwegian word in bold):

2 pork chops (svinekoteletter)
1 jar lingonberry jam (tyttebærsyltetøy)
1 small bunch broccoli (brokkoli)
1 red pepper (paprika)
1 shallot (sjalottløk)
1 clove garlic (hvitløk)
2 sliced mushrooms (sopp)
1/2 lemon (sitron)

The vegetables are all optional and you should satisfy both your own tastebuds and seasonal availability.  The same pan-searing technique works for asparagus, green peppers, cauliflower, very thin-sliced potatoes, carrots, or any other sturdy vegetable. 

By the way, if you want a really tasty snack, add a dab of lingonberry jam to a slice of hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, and eat it alone or on a gluten-free whole-grain cracker such as Wasa.

Equipment:  frying pan with lid, spatula, aluminium foil, extra plate, prep bowl.

Prep:  

Let the pork chops sit out to reach room temperature as you chop veggies; it will allow them to cook more evenly.  Make sure you open a window, turn on any available vent fan, and/or turn off the smoke detector as possible/needed. 

• Slice the lemon in half; the other half can go back in the fridge for other recipes.
• Mince the garlic
• Slice the other vegetables
• Pile everything in a prep bowl
• Heat oil in the frying pan on high heat (judgement call:  I had one underperforming unit where I had to cook meat on the highest setting,  and one over-performing unit where I had to cook it on the medium setting to prevent burning.  The oil should thin out like water but not smoke or spatter dramatically).
• Add the pork chops
• cook for three minutes, flip, then cook an additional three minutes
• remove from heat and put chops on plate covered with foil to rest.  They will continue to cook and absorb their juices back in.
• add more oil to pan as needed and place back on heat
• Add vegetables and stir
• Place the lemon half cut-side down on the bottom of the pan
• Cover and let cook for five minutes
• Uncover and stir
• Cook an additional five minutes uncovered or until broccoli is tender, stirring occasionally
•  Plate chops and vegetables, then add a spoonful of lingonberry jam to each chop.   
  

 

Norway Recipe Box: Fiskeboller Pasta with Zucchini and Potatoes

This is part of my Norway recipe series, developed while living in Trondheim for four months.  These gluten-free recipes include items I was able to easily find locally and cook without access to an oven or microwave, and using no more than two stove burners.  This means they can be prepared in the typical kitchenette unit found in less expensive Norwegian apartments and hotels. Click Here for the full series. 

Fiskeboller Pasta with Zucchini and Potatoes

Fiskeboller are a very traditional Norwegian fish dumpling.  Normally I don't like fish.  Once a year or so I will try something fishy just to remind myself of that.  Because these are mixed with dumpling material and light spices, the flavor is mild enough to be good for that once a year test.  In flavor, fiskeboller are a lot like scallops.  They also come pre-cooked. 

Finding gluten-free fiskeboller was surprisingly easy.  Potato and tapioca starches are much less expensive here than wheat flour, so at least half of the packages I checked had no gluten ingredients.  The ones I used were in the refrigerated section of the supermarket.  There are also canned fiskeboller, which are much more common and more strongly flavored.

The very mild flavor means that you don't want to throw in anything to overpower them, like peppers.  I stuck to potatoes and a white sauce (very traditional) but added some color with zucchini, and mixed it up with some gluten-free rotini pasta and shaved jarlsberg cheese.

Equipment:  12 inch frying pan with lid, pot, colander, whisk, spatula


Ingredients
(serves 4.  Reserve half the pasta and cheese to cook the next day if intending leftovers.  Norwegian word for each ingredient in bold).

 1 500 gram package fiskeboller, drained of juices
 1 large fresh zucchini, chopped
3-4 small yellow or red potatoes, sliced thin (potet)
1/2 large onion or 2 small, sliced thin (løk)
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided (hvitløk)
2-3 white mushrooms, sliced (sopp)
 2-3 tablespoons potato flour (potetmel) or corn starch (maisstivelse)
1 package gluten-free rotini (or substitute extra potatoes)
2 cups milk (melk)
Olive oil for cooking (oliven olje)
chopped slices of Jarlsberg cheese to garnish 


Set pot of water to boil for the pasta, and heat frying pan to medium.
Add oil to the frying pan and heat until it runs freely.  
Add onion and half the garlic to the oil and stir until fragrant
Add potatoes and stir-fry until starting to brown.  
Add 1/4 cup water and cover; turn heat down if necessary to medium-low.
Cook covered for five minutes.
Remove lid, add zucchini and more oil if needed, stirring until starting to brown.  If there is a lot of water left, turn up the heat a little.
Replace lid and cook another 5 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 
Add mushrooms, stir-fry until they darken, then remove all vegetables from pan.    

Start the pasta cooking (only as much as you need for this meal; cook it fresh for leftovers) 

Add the remaining garlic and some oil if needed.  Cook until fragrant.
Turn the heat down to medium-low. 
Mix potato flour or corn starch into cold milk, then pour into pan with the garlic
Use the spatula to stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up cooked-on residue. 
As it starts to clump, use the whisk to smooth out the sauce.  Add more milk if it needs to thin. 
When it is evenly thick and bubbling, add vegetables back into the sauce, along with the fiskeboller.  
Let simmer over low heat until the pasta finishes cooking and the fiskeboller is warmed through, stirring occasionally.  

Drain the pasta. Place cooked pasta in a large bowl, top with the mix, and garnish with chopped slices of Jarlsberg. 

Reheat leftover sauce in a lidded pot or frying pan on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until everything is hot.  Cook up fresh pasta and chop fresh Jarlsberg to serve with the leftovers. 

Gluten-Free in Trondheim, Norway (Part 5: Recipes)

While these will also be available on my Recipes page, they are developed in Trondheim, Norway using ingredients I could easily find there, as well as the tiny no-oven kitchenettes I found in rental studios.  Generally these are for two people, with occasional leftovers. Hopefully this will be a handy index to get started cooking in Norway. 



Fiskeboller Pasta with Zucchini and Potatoes 





Pork Chops with Lingonberry Jam and Pan-Seared Vegetables

Recipe Box: Baked Falafel with Tzatziki Sauce

I try to walk a line between fresh ingredients and convenience.  Some things (like fresh parsley) make a big difference to flavor and are worth getting fresh whenever possible.  Others (like chickpeas) work just as well from a can, and you don't have to start the day BEFORE you are craving these delicious little patties of garbanzo goodness.

Falafel is one of those foods that are claimed by multiple countries, and which have very loyal adherents to specific ingredients.  Cilantro or parsley?  Egg or no egg?  Coriander or cumin?  There are strong regional differences between Falafels, but no recipe is really "correct."  It's about what tastes good to you.  I like a really strongly-flavored, garlicky falafel.  There's a lot of fudge room in the recipe as well.  If you add more or less onion, it will survive just fine.   

Falafel:

1 small bunch fresh parsley (1/2 cup chopped.  You will need an additional 1/4 cup for tzatziki sauce)
1 can chickpeas or garbanzo beans (they are the same thing.  You will get about 1 cup beans, drained)
1/2 small white onion (about 1/4-1/3 cup, chopped)
2 cloves fresh garlic (you will need an additional clove for tzatziki sauce)
dash lemon juice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
dash salt, black pepper
1/4 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (I use Udi's, but see below for substitutes)
1/2 tsp baking powder

4 tablespoons olive oil for baking

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Oven rack should be in center of oven or just below.  If it is too high, the bottoms will not brown.

If you own a food processor, this becomes easy.  Just process everything but the baking powder and spices until it is like wet sand, then mix in the spices and baking powder.

If you're like me and don't have the kitchen space, mince the garlic, onion, and parsley.  Add everything but the baking powder together.  Use your hands to knead and squish until you have reduced the chickpeas to mush with pieces in it.  This will be messy, but also kinda fun!  Mix in the baking powder last.

Brush a rimmed baking pan/cookie sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Form the dough into small flat patties of no more than 1/4 cup each.  Brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. 

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, then carefully flip and bake for another 15.  Make tzatziki sauce while baking.  Serve warm with sauce in a gluten-free wrap or salad.

Tzatziki Sauce

1/3 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup grated or shredded cucumber (peel on)
1 finely minced garlic clove
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
dash lemon juice

Mix all together and let sit in fridge for at least 20 minutes for flavors to blend.  Keeps well for 2 days, stir before serving.  


*Breadcrumb substitute:  I love Udi brand's bread crumbs, but they're not available everywhere.  A toasted and crumbled slice of gluten-free sandwich bread would work well.  You can also use 1/4 cup sweet white rice flour, 1/4 cup chickpea flour, or 1/4 cup bean flour instead.  Plain white rice flour would not work, as you need it to work as a binding agent.  A gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with lots of starch should work well.  If using gluten-free Bisquick, omit the 1/2 teaspoon baking powder called for in the recipe. 

Recipe Box: Gluten-Free Banh Mi

Banh mi simply means bread, and you can usually find these Vietnamese sandwiches in the form of a baguette stuffed with all kinds of deliciousness.  At some places, like the Tin Drum chain of restaurants and some food trucks, the banh mi is referred to as a "Vietnamese taco" and is served on flatbread.  While baguettes are possible to make gluten-free, flatbread is quick, easy, and delicious.

In fact, when I set out to search for a flatbread recipe, I had no idea that I already had one.  Many recipes for gluten-free wraps or pitas online use a ridiculous amount of xanthan or guar gum to create the chewy flexibility.  For some folks, that's fine.  For my partner and I, xanthan gum really messes up our digestive system and we feel really ill for a few days if we have too much.  So the recipe from Gluten Free on a Shoestring caught my eye for being gum free.  Then I noticed that her recipe was pretty much traditional Pão de Queijo (Brazilian tapioca bread) but rolled out and pan-cooked instead of baked into rolls.  Maybe this should have been an obvious solution considering the chewy deliciousness of Pão. 

The best timing on this is to make the dough first so that it can rest in the fridge.  Then matchstick the veggies to give them time to pickle.  Then prep the rest of the filling ingredients.  The exception of course is if you're slow-cooking some fancy pulled pork or something, in which case that obviously has to happen first. 

With Pão de Queijo you bake the dough while it is still warm and sticky, but for wraps they really need to sit in the refrigerator until quite cool to make them workable.  Otherwise you will never be able to roll them flat.  Do not skip this step, but if you need to shortcut it you can separate the dough into individual balls (about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup each), flatten them slightly, and stick them in the freezer for 10 minutes.  I have not yet frozen the dough completely to see how it behaves after thawing, so don't leave them in longer than you have to.

Once you have the dough made up, it can sit in the fridge for three days wrapped air-tight in plastic wrap.  This makes it perfect for quick meals, as you can just tear a couple of hunks off, cook them up, fill them with leftovers or lunchmeat, and have a hot meal in 20-30 minutes. 

Ingredient substitution:

If you can't find daikon radishes, use half the amount of shredded red radishes and increase the carrots.
If you can't find shisito peppers, which might be sold at an Asian grocery as sweet peppers, then you can substitute a combination of green bell pepper and jalapeno pepper to your desired spiciness.  Dice or shred the seeded jalapeno very small. 

WRAPS:  (full Pão de Queijo recipe here)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups tapioca flour (also sold as tapioca starch)
2 cups shredded or grated cheese (anything meltable: mozzarella, cheddar, colby, etc.  We use the bagged pre-shredded Mexican blend or mozzarella from Publix)

THE DOUGH:

• Bring the milk and butter to a full rolling boil, stirring often to prevent scorching
• Remove from heat and dump in the tapioca flour all at once and stir vigorously until it is all moistened
• Move to stand mixer with paddle or dough hook attachment
• Mix on low until cool enough to touch without scorching, but still warm (may need to stop and pull the sticky dough off the beaters if it clumps)
• Add half the eggs, beat until incorporated, then repeat with the other half
• Add the cheese and beat until incorporated
• Separate into two or more chunks and cool completely in fridge (up to an hour).  Will cool faster in smaller pieces, or rolled out into a long snake.  
• Dough keeps in fridge for 3 days if tightly wrapped.

THE WRAPS:

• Preheat a cast-iron or non-stick skillet at least 10" in diameter to medium heat
• Tear a chunk off the dough about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup in size.  
• Flour a surface with tapioca starch (have more on hand)
• Dust the dough with starch and roll out, dusting as it sticks, to preferred thickness.  Tortillas can be very thin, roti should be about 1/8 inch thick.
• Cook on skillet for about 2 minutes. Should be stiff enough to pick up with a spatula, with brown spots on the underside.
• Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If desired, brush with olive oil and garlic/herbs, then flip and cook an additional minute.
• move to a plate and cover with a paper towel to keep warm, or use a tortilla warmer.
• These do not keep well in a cold lunch, but can be re-heated by cooking on a hot skillet for 30 seconds each side.

THE FILLING

Makes about 4 wraps.  Multiply the recipe if you want leftovers for the next few days.

THE PICKLE:
1/2 cup carrots, shredded or cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup daikon (white) radish, shredded or cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup red onion, shredded or cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup shishito peppers (sweet mild peppers) seeded, shredded or thin sliced 
1/2 cup white or rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar

Boil the water, vinegar and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved.  Let cool (can quick-cool in fridge or freezer)
Pour over veggie mix, mix well, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
Drain off liquid. Leftovers are good in fridge for up to 3 days

OTHER INGREDIENTS:  (All optional)
 Chopped cilantro
lime juice
meat (chicken, beef, and pork are most common)
shredded or matchsticked cucumber
mayonnaise

A little meat, a lot of pickled vegetables, a smear of mayo, a handful of cilantro and a drizzle of lime gets you what you see in the photo.  But as this is a pretty versatile wrap, you could fill it with just about anything and be happy with the result. 

Recipe Box: New Orleans Shrimp and Grits with Andouille

I ate this at two different places while visiting New Orleans, and vowed to make it happen at home!  The one drawback was that local grocery stores do not carry a brand of gluten-free grits.  Not even in Atlanta!  So I highly recommend scoping out the grit situation ahead of time, and ordering online if necessary.  In a pinch, cream of rice works just fine, but the flavor will be different.  You can mix cream-style corn into the cream of rice for a better flavor, and at least one place in NOLA did the same to the grits.

Also note that while I would be the first to say there's no such thing as too much shrimp, in this recipe there is such a thing as too much shrimp.  More than a pound overwhelms all the other flavors.  

1 cup uncooked grits, plus whatever you need to cook them per their directions (quick cooking is fine, stone-ground tastes better)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (not olive - it will scorch)
3/4 lb andouille sausage, sliced into thin rounds
1 lb raw shrimp, or 1/2 lb if buying it already peeled and de-veined. 
3 cloves garlic
4 green onions, white and green parts separated
2 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend (or 1 tablespoon corn starch) in a little cold water
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon creole seasoning

Cook grits according to the manufacturer's directions.
Mince the garlic and the white parts of the green onion
Chop the green parts of the green onion
Peel and de-vein the shrimp
Fry the andouille slices in the oil until browned over medium-high heat.  Set them aside.
In the same pan, sautee the garlic and white parts of the green onion until fragrant.
Add chicken broth, cream, and flour or corn starch and reduce to medium heat
Stir slowly, scraping the bottom of the pan.  If clumps form, use a whisk to smooth them out
Cook until thickened (about 3 to 5 minutes) stirring slowly
Add sausage, shrimp, and creole seasoning
Cook until shrimp is no longer translucent, another 3-5 minutes.

Serve with a 1/3-1/2 cup scoop of grits, and a generous amount of the meat and sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with chopped green onion.

Store and re-heat leftover grits and topping separately.  Pick out the shrimp before microwaving.  Once the mix is hot, add the shrimp back in and wait 1 minute for them to warm.  This prevents the shrimp from getting overcooked and tough. 

Recipe Box: Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

For the biscuits, you can't do better than Simply Gluten Free's Mile High Biscuit recipe.  I don't like to buy buttermilk to use just a little, so I started with a cup of milk and a teaspoon of lemon juice (or 1 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar).  Let it sit and thicken while you mix the rest of the ingredients (it's okay if it gets clumpy).  I also don't have powdered milk on hand as a staple, but adding an extra 1/4 cup sweet white rice flour maintains the dry/wet balance well.

You've got 15 minutes while they're baking, which is plenty of time to make the gravy! 

This recipe makes enough for 4-5 biscuits, which means you'll have more biscuits than gravy using the recipe from Simply Gluten Free.  Double the gravy recipe as necessary, or save the extra biscuits for a scrumptious strawberry shortcake later!

For gravy:


1 tablespoon oil
1 pound plain/regular ground breakfast sausage (vegan sausage works just fine)
1/2 tsp sage (skip if using sage flavored sausage)
1 1/2 cups milk (have not tested this with dairy alternatives)
1/2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 tablespoons gluten-free flour, sweet white rice flour, or cornstarch

Heat a large skillet with the oil.  Fry the sausage and sage together until it is all browned and developing crispy bits.  Set sausage aside in bowl.

Mix milk and chicken broth.  If using gluten-free flour, add to pan and stir for 30 seconds or until toasted.  If using corn starch, whisk it into the milk and chicken broth while cold.  

Over medium heat, pour chicken broth/milk into pan.  Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring slowly and scraping the bottom of the pan.  If clumps form, whisk the mixture until it is even.

When the mix is the consistency of thin gravy, add the sausage and pepper and stir well.  Remove from heat or turn to low until biscuits are done.  It will thicken after 1-2 minutes standing.

To serve, split or crumble a biscuit and spoon gravy/sausage over the top. 

Recipe Box: Traditional Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)

The best part about this recipe is that it comes gluten-free straight out of the box, no adaptation necessary.  These are made with tapioca flour, and so have a chewy texture (like mochi) that not everyone will love.  If you do, however, then your dinner roll problem is solved forever!

I posted another recipe earlier for a quick Pão made in the blender. This version is infinitely tastier, but it does take quite a bit longer.

This recipe makes about 2-3 dozen depending on how large you make them.  The larger the roll, the chewier the texture.  They do fridge well, but you'll want to re-heat them in the oven or toaster oven. You will want a stand mixer for this, or really impressive biceps.  I've included directions for hand-mixing.  As the dough gets really thick, it could burn out a cheap mixer.  My heavy duty Kitchenaid even groans a bit and slows down. 

Tapioca flour is also sold as tapioca starch.  Bob's Red Mill makes a certified gluten-free starch.  We use Erawan brand from the local Korean grocery, which is half the price.  It isn't certified gluten-free, but my partner is sensitive below 20ppm and we have not yet had a problem.  You'll want to do your own risk assessment.

Adapted from a recipe at http://www.thekitchn.com

 1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups tapioca flour (also sold as tapioca starch)
2 cups shredded or grated cheese *

*(I use mozzerella or colby, any semi-firm to firm cheese will do.  You could even make it really interesting with cheddar or gorgonzola!)

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  
2. Prep:  
• Put milk and butter in a saucepan.  
• Set up tapioca starch, eggs, and cheese in separate bowls, as they will need to be added quickly in their turn. 
• Set out two ungreased baking sheets (I line with parchment paper, but it isn't necessary) and a small bowl of cold water to keep your fingers wet. 
• Set up a stand mixer with a dough hook (use the standard paddle on a Kitchenaid)
3. Bring the milk and butter to a boil over medium heat, stirring
4. As soon as it is at a rolling boil, add the tapioca starch all at once and stir until it is all moistened.
5. Add to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed for at least two minutes, or until you can leave your finger against the dough for 10 seconds without discomfort.  
6. Add half the eggs.  Once the first half is incorporated, add the second half.
7.  Add the cheese, then turn up to medium speed and beat for two minutes or until the dough is even.
• If you don't have a mixer, beat the dough with a wooden spoon in the pot until it is just cool enough to handle.   Beat in the eggs a little at a time, then add the cheese.  At this point it might be most effective to just knead with your hands until it is smooth, but it will be really sticky.
8. Dip your fingers in water and tear out a small amount of dough (approximately 1 tablespoon).  Roll it into a ball and place on the baking sheet.  Repeat until all the dough is used up, leaving at least half an inch between balls.
9. Put in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 350 degrees
10. Bake 15 minutes, switch sheet positions, then bake another 10-15 minutes until just starting to color.  
11. Serve warm!

Recipe Box: Gluten-Free Crepes

I'm finally posting JD's Gluten-Free Crepes!  This is something he adapted from another recipe to work with the GF flour mix we use (below).   We generally eat them for breakfast, ideally with mascarpone cheese and sliced fruit.   Mascarpone can be found in a lot of food stores that sell specialty cheeses.  It's a very sweet, light, Italian cream cheese that tastes like crème fraîche.  The brand we find locally, Belgioioso, is gluten free.  You can also use regular cream cheese, sweetened ricotta, or Neufchatel. 

Gluten-Free Flour Mix:

4 parts white rice flour
3 parts potato or corn starch
2 parts sweet white sorghum flour  (brown rice flour should work, but we haven't specifically tested it)

Measure parts by pouring into a measuring cup or container and use the same container for each "part".   Mix all the parts together very well (we put it in a big container and shake it thoroughly.  It makes a fairly decent "all-purpose) for unleavened uses). 

Crepes

1/2 cup flour [see above for GF flour mix]
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
5/8 cup milk (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) (should work with non-dairy substitutes)

If possible, use a small round nonstick pan with tapered sides, like an omelet pan.

Preheat the pan on medium heat. Dampen a paper towel with vegetable oil and wipe it on the pan to give it a very thin coating.

 Mix all ingredients together. Whip until well blended. Pour just enough batter into the pan to coat the bottom, tipping the pan to spread evenly.  If it doesn't flow well, add milk by tablespoons until it is thin enough.  

Wait for approximately 1 minute, or until crepe is dry and slides easily in pan.  Flip crepe and cook for an additional 30 seconds.  The crepe should still be light and pliant without browning, but may have brittle edges. 

For the visual learners, here's a Youtube video on how to cook the crepes.  Skip past the mixing of ingredients and use the recipe above, but note the texture of the batter and watch how he pours it to coat the pan.

These unfortunately do not store/re-heat well.  By the second day they are very crumbly.  The batter does keep made for up to three days, however, so you can store a container of it in the fridge and use as needed. 

Recipe Box: Homemade Chicken Noodle/Chicken and Rice Soup

This was a mainstay comfort food of our childhood, and every Thanksgiving after the carcass had been plucked nearly clean she would get out the stock pot and make gallons of turkey noodle soup for the freezer.

You’ll need:

leftover chicken or turkey with bones
6-8 carrots
6-10 stalks of celery
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
either noodles or rice

Large stock pot with lid.

If you’re making the stock to serve with noodles use 3 stalks of celery. If you’re using rice, use the 5 stalks. As mom put it, “for some reason rice always wants more celery.” Use the whole celery stalk (leaves and all) for best flavor in the stock.

Strip any pieces of meat left on the bones.  Discard any stuffing or herbs still in the cavity.  Otherwise skin, bones, leftover pan drippings and nameless wobbly bits go in the stock pot, meat goes in a separate bowl you stick in the fridge until the stock (broth) is made.

Chop 4 carrots, 3-5 stalks of celery and onion into big chunks (about 1”) and toss into the stock pot with the bones etc. Peel and crush the cloves of garlic and add that as well.

Add water until everything’s covered. Heat to a simmer then cover, turn down to low and let simmer for 3-4 hours. You can also toss everything in the crock pot and let simmer all day or overnight, but you won't get as much stock unless you have a very large crock pot. I make this during the week in stages, first night I make the stock, the next night I make the soup.

Strain through a colander into a bowl. Go through the colander and pick off any additional bits of meat you missed the first time. Toss them in the stock pot, then discard everything else you strained out. Pour the contents of the bowl back into the stock pot or freeze to use later.

Turn the heat back up to medium until the stock is simmering.  Chop remaining celery and carrots into bite-size pieces, and add to pot.  Add the meat you set aside earlier plus noodles or rice, and simmer according to rice or noodle package directions (about 20 minutes for white rice, 40 for wild rice, 10 for rice noodles, 15 for corn/quinoa noodles). Salt and pepper to taste.

Either the stock or the soup can be frozen in freezer-bags. It’ll last longer if you make sure there’s no air trapped in the bag. The stock can be frozen in ice cube trays, then bagged for use in flavoring rice, pasta or sauces.

The traditional chicken soup recipe leaves a lot of room to play with flavors. Try adding artichoke hearts or spinach in the last ten minutes of cooking, or maybe a little lemon juice, black pepper, wild rice and fresh asparagus. Up the garlic content and add cilantro and chili peppers for a cold and flu soup.