Gluten Free Mac n' Cheese

Shared by Laura adapted from Betty Crocker

Double recipe shown here... the recipe below makes half this amount. It has pasta shells (brown rice) substituted for elbows and was put under the broiler for a few minutes to get the crispy top.

2 cups uncooked gluten free elbow macaroni (7 ounces) brown rice pasta works well
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard (dry)
1/4 teaspoon Worceshire sauce (Lea & Perrins is GF)
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded or cubed sharp Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Heat oven to 350ºF

Cook macaroni as directed on the package. Undercook the macaroni slightly -  rice pasta can get very soft and will finish cooking in the oven.

While macaroni is cooking, melt margarine in 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.


Drain macaroni. Gently stir in macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2 quart casserole. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.


When making a double recipe (as pictured above) use a 4 quart casserole. Bake 30 mins. 

Tabouli with quinoa

A gluten free twist on a classic recipe.

1-1/2 c. parsley - rinsed and chopped (1 lg. bunch, larger stems removed)
1 c. red quinoa
2 c. water
1 lg. tomato, chopped
3/4 c. chopped cucumber (seedless or seeds removed)
1/4 c. finely chopped red onion

Dressing:
1/2 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. oregano
dash cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic (crushed or minced)
1/4 tsp. salt

Rinse quinoa 2-3 times, (stirring grains so they rub together) to remove bitter layer (some brands do not require this - check pkg). Bring quinoa and water to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 mins. until water has been absorbed. Cool.

Mix dressing ingredients with a whisk.

Toss together parsley, onion, cucumber, tomato, and cooled quinoa. Add dressing and mix thoroughly. Let stand at least 20 minutes before serving. Best if refrigerated for 2-24 hours before serving.

Shepherd's Pie

A classic favorite cool weather comfort dish.

Filling:
1/2 c. onion, minced
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. carrot, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic (depending on size)
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is GF)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (or blended herbs like bouquet garni)
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1-1/4 c. broth (vegetable, chicken, or beef)
1/4 c. dry red wine (omit and replace with broth if desired)
1/4 c. frozen peas (thawed)
1/4 c. frozen corn (thawed)
1 lb. ground beef (92-95% lean)

Topping:
@ 2 lbs. potatoes (Yukon Gold) peeled and cut into pieces
2 tbsp. sour cream
1 tbsp. butter (melted)
1/2 c. milk (warmed)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. butter cut into small pieces to dot over topping

Cut potatoes into chunks. Bring 2 qts. water to boil in saucepan. Add potatoes and simmer until soft.

While potatoes are cooking, brown ground beef in skillet (drain if necessary). Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic and cook until soft. Add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and corn starch (sprinkle evenly over meat) and mix well. Add broth, wine and herbs. Simmer gently until gravy has thickened (about 20 minutes) if mixture becomes too thick, add a little more water or broth. Add the corn and peas and heat thoroughly.

Drain the potatoes - return to saucepan. Mash the potatoes and whisk in butter, milk and sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

Place filling into lightly greased 2qt. baking dish (use GF cooking spray*). Drop mashed potatoes onto filling evenly and spread to cover. Fill potatoes to the edge to prevent the filling from bubbling out. Dot top with butter.

Bake in preheated 350º oven for 40-45 minutes.


*Pam baking spray is not gluten free but the other Pam cooking sprays are. Mazola and Trader Joe's cooking sprays are also gluten free.

Creamy sweet potato and rosemary soup

From the Today Show 10/7/10

Recipe: Creamy sweet potato and rosemary soup

Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large or 6 small shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (6-inch long) stems fresh rosemary
• 2 pounds (about 2 to 3) sweet potatoes, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

Preparation

In an 8-quart stockpot, melt the butter and oil together over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Add the sweet potatoes, rosemary and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are very tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the rosemary stems. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese and maple syrup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Tips

Cook's note: The soup can also be pureed by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Serving Size

Yield: 4 to 6 servings (8 cups), Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 25 to 30 minutes

Crock pot curried lentil, chickpea, and quinoa stew

From the blog Eat This...

Crock pot curried red lentil, chickpea, and quinoa stew (adapted from ZestyCook/Closet Cooking)
(Printable version)

1 Tbsp oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1" piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 1/2 cups red lentils
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
4 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp hot chili sauce (I used Sriracha)
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can)
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa*
1/2 cup cilantro, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium skillet.  Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook until vegetables begin to get tender (about 8 min).  Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder, and saute for an additional minute.  Add this to a medium crock pot (I used a 3 1/2 quart, and it was almost too small) along with the lentils, tomatoes, water, chili sauce, and chickpeas.  Cook on high for an hour, and then cook on low for another 4 hours.  An hour before cooking is complete, add in quinoa.  At the end of the cooking time, stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper.  Serves 6-8.

*You can substitute 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, and add it to the crock pot at the beginning.  Add an additional 2/3 cup water.

Butternut squash risotto

From the Today Show 10/20/10
Note: Check your broth for gluten!

Recipe: Butternut squash risotto

Giuliano Hazan, from "Every Night Italian"

Ingredients

• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound butternut squash (about 3 cups diced)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 3/4 cups rice for risotto (carnaroli, vialone nano, or arborio)
• 1/2 beef and 1/2 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 5 cups water
• 2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

Preparation

Put the onion and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium low heat. Sauté the onion until it turns to a rich golden color.

While the onion is sautéing, remove the rind and the seeds from the squash, then cut it into 3/4 inch cubes. When the onion is ready, add the squash to the pan with about 1/2 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the squash is tender, which takes about 10-15 minutes.

While the squash is cooking, heat the broth in a saucepot and keep it at a very low simmer.

When the squash is tender and all the water has evaporated, add the rice and stir until it is well coated. Add about 1 cup of the hot broth and continue stirring. Add only enough broth to produce the consistency of a rather thick soup and wait until all the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Continue until the rice is al dente, which takes 20-25 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley, the grated Parmigiano and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Taste for salt and serve at once.

Serving Size

Serves four to six people

Risotto with Porcini mushrooms

From the Today Show 10/20/10

Recipe: Risotto with porcini mushrooms

Giuliano Hazan, from "How to Cook Italian"

Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1/2 beef and 1/2 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 5 cups water
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Salt
• 1 3/4 cups rice for risotto (carnaroli, vialone nano, or arborio)

Preparation

Put the dried porcini in a bowl, cover with water and soak for at least 15 minutes.

Put the broth in a pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer.

While the porcini are soaking, peel and finely chop the onion.

When the porcini are ready, put the onion and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy bottomed braising pan and place over medium high heat. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns a rich golden color, which takes about 5 minutes.

While the onion is sautéing, lift the porcini mushrooms out of the water, squeezing the excess back into the bowl; do not discard the water. Rinse the mushrooms under running water, then chop them coarsely. Pour the water they soaked in into a small pot. Be aware that there may be some sand at the bottom of the bowl so pour carefully or strain through a paper towel. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer.

Add the chopped porcini to the onion, season with salt, and stir a few times. Add the rice and stir until it is well coated. Add about 1 cup of the hot broth and continue stirring. Add only enough broth to produce the consistency of a rather thick soup and wait until all the liquid is absorbed before adding more. As soon as the water the porcini soaked in is hot, add that instead until you’ve used it all up, then go back to using the broth. Continue until the rice is al dente, which takes 20-25 minutes.

Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve at once.

Serving Size

Serves four as a main course or six as part of a multi-course Italian meal