Simply Gluten Free

Gluten Free Asian Cobb Salad Recipe

Carol Kicinski — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:36:20 +0000

I love salad! I could eat it for lunch and dinner and I have even been known to have salad with my breakfast! I love it even more when I can turn salad into a main dish work of art.

Cobb salad is a standard in my life. It is one of my go-to items to order when eating out. With a little questioning of the server or the chef, I can determine if any ingredients need to be left out or substituted. Even though Cobb Salad should be a naturally gluten free recipe (at least in my opinion) you need to check before ordering. Ask if the bacon was fried on the grill along with wheat-filled things like pancakes or grilled sandwiches. Ask about the blue cheese – if there is any uncertainty, leave it off or substitute. And ask what’s in the dressing. I know – you are going to come off appearing “high maintenance” and look like Sally from the movie “When Harry Met Sally” but so what? It didn’t hurt Sally and it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Of course, if you make Cobb Salad at home, you know it is going to be safe to eat. For this particular Cobb I decided to create an Asian version and to “compose it”. Arranging the ingredients in a salad makes it look so much more elegant than tossing everything into a bowl. It takes a minute or two more to compose the salad but trust me – it will transform an everyday salad into a masterpiece! Plus everyone can grab what they want and leave what they don’t – in my house this means there won’ be a little pile of red peppers left on the side of hubby’s plate.

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Gluten Free Asian Cobb Salad Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup San-J Tamari Sesame Salad Dressing – use divided
3 tablespoons honey
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 – 4 depending on size)
Kosher or fine sea salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
6 cups shredded Napa cabbage
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely sliced
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 English (hot house) cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
¼ cilantro leaves

Directions

Combine ½ cup of the dressing with the honey and place in a large plastic food storage bag. Add the chicken breasts, toss to coat and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 12 hours.

Remove chicken breast from the refrigerator and discard the marinade. Pat the breasts dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat the bottom of the pan with the oil. Add the chicken breasts; cook for 2 minutes or until golden browned, flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Cover the pan; lower the heat to medium and cook for another 4 – 8 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts. Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes then slice thinly.

Combine the Napa cabbage with the romaine and place in a layer on a large platter. Arrange the chicken slices, carrots, red pepper, green onions and cucumbers on top of the cabbage/lettuce mixture in rows. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper, the sesame seeds and the remaining dressing. Serve immediately.

A gluten free recipe that serves 4 hungry people.

Ready for dessert?

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“I can now have recipes I know I can count on for every Dessert and Breakfast occasion! I’m thrilled!” – A. M.

“I am amazed! This recipe is BETTER than the ‘regular-with-gluten’ recipe! Thanks so much, Carol” – V. P.

“I love your gluten free recipes - I can now have my desserts.” – F.R.

Need a quick meal?

Simply…Gluten-Free Quick Meals is now available, with over 100 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“The “Simply” in ‘Simply … Gluten-Free Quick Meals’ doesn’t just make for a catchy title. The recipes in this cookbook truly are quick and easy to prepare. – A. C.

“I set the timer on two separate nights and made two complete meals from Carol’s latest cookbook in 30-40 minutes. They not only pleased my family, but gave me new recipes and techniques to get dinner on the table faster every night.” – W. K.

“I love the way this book is laid out – full meals I can make in no time. Love the sense of fun and humor in this book but mostly I love all the gluten free recipes -.” – J. F.

Gluten Free Molasses Brined Pork Chops with Roasted Apples & Balsamic Glaze Recipe

Carol Kicinski — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:29:09 +0000

I am a huge fan of brining pork chops – it is, in my opinion, the way to get juicy, flavorful pork chops and turn an inexpensive, everyday dinner item into something special.

In the past I have made brines with boiling water, sugar, kosher salt, a bit of apple cider vinegar and various seasonings. It is great and I still do that often. But as you may have noticed, I am a sort of an impatient person and the only thing that I don’t like about my normal way of making brines is that I have to wait for the water to cool down before adding the pork chops. We wouldn’t want to put raw pork chops into hot brine, it would compromise the chops.

So I figured if I could use another form of sweetener that was already in liquid form I could skip the boiling water, use cold water and if I choose the right sweetener, could make the recipe refined sugar free also. Makes sense, right? I figured molasses would go well with pork and I happened to have a bottle of organic molasses from Wholesome Sweeteners on hand so I gave it a whirl, and it not only worked well, everyone loved the depth of flavor the molasses added to my lowly chops!

Since the chops were already getting all gussied up with molasses brine, I decided to elevate the whole rest of the meal. Apples are a natural accompaniment to both pork and molasses but I didn’t want to do the whole pork chops and apple sauce thing (it just seems so 1975 to me!) so I just pan roasted some sliced apples on the stove top and then to really “fancy up” my weeknight meal, I added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and some bitter greens dressed ever so lightly with some olive oil. Seriously – this is a Wednesday night meal fit for a Sunday!

I wrote a whole blog post on brining earlier – if you like the science of it all, go here to read all about it. If you could care less and just want great pork chops, then just follow the recipe.

In my recipe I used ¾ inch boneless pork chops but you can use bone in, just buy whatever is on sale – the brining is going to make them amazing no matter how cheap they are! Just realize you will have to adjust the cooking times depending on the thickness of the chops.

For the pan roasted apples, keep the skins on; not only will they be prettier and more nutritious that way, they won’t fall apart it the pan. You want them cooked until tender but still firm – remember, we aren’t making apple sauce here! I used Fuji apples but any kind will work except Red Delicious – they get a bit too soft.

Balsamic glaze is a great way to fancy up almost anything and it tastes great on all sorts of things including (and I am not kidding!) strawberry ice cream! It couldn’t be simpler to make, you just boil balsamic vinegar until it reduces in volume by half. That’s it! And you don’t have to buy expensive balsamic for this, the cheap stuff tastes just as great! If you cook it a little too long it may harden up too much when it cools down but no worries, just reheat it until it comes back to a glaze consistency.

Back to the pork chops for a minute – any brining is better than no brining so you can do it for as little as one hour and up to 24 hours. Personally I think the perfect thing is to whip up the brine before you leave the house for work (or whatever it is you do all day) then cook them up at dinner time. If you do that, you can have a fancy-pants dinner on the table in about half an hour!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Gluten Free Molasses Brined Pork Chops with Pan Roasted Apples and Balsamic Glaze Recipe

Ingredients

2 quarts cold water
½ cup kosher salt
½ cup organic molasses
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon black pepper
Four ¾ inch boneless pork chops
2 tablespoon olive oil – use divided
3 medium apples, cored and sliced into 8ths
Additional kosher salt and pepper
¾ cup balsamic vinegar

Directions

Combine the water, salt, molasses, thyme (no need to remove the leave from the stems), apple cider vinegar and black pepper. Pour into a large, freezer weight food storage bag, add the pork chops and refrigerate anywhere from 1 – 24 hours.

Remove the pork chops from the brine, discard the brine and rinse the chops under plenty of cold, running water. Pat the chops dry with paper towels and let them sit for a few minutes at room temperature before cooking. Brush the pork chops on both sides with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat until hot and add the pork chops. Cook for 5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and then add the apples. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes (until they are browned on one side) then flip over, season with a large pinch of salt and pepper, cook for 1 minute then reduce heat to medium and cook until tender – about 10 – 12 minutes.

Put the balsamic vinegar into a sauce pan, bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the mixture is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.

To serve, place some of the apple slices on each pork chop and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

An easy but fancy-pants gluten free recipe that serves 4 people.

Ready for dessert?

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“I can now have recipes I know I can count on for every Dessert and Breakfast occasion! I’m thrilled!” – A. M.

“I am amazed! This recipe is BETTER than the ‘regular-with-gluten’ recipe! Thanks so much, Carol” – V. P.

“I love your gluten free recipes - I can now have my desserts.” – F.R.

Need a quick meal?

Simply…Gluten-Free Quick Meals is now available, with over 100 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“The “Simply” in ‘Simply … Gluten-Free Quick Meals’ doesn’t just make for a catchy title. The recipes in this cookbook truly are quick and easy to prepare. – A. C.

“I love the way this book is laid out – full meals I can make in no time. Love the sense of fun and humor in this book but mostly I love all the gluten free recipes -.” – J. F.

Gluten Free Nutty Tarts Recipe

Carol Kicinski — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:15:47 +0000

I recall seeing a recipe for a mixed nut tart some time ago and thought to myself – “what a great idea!” After all, I like nuts, I like tarts, what’s not to like about combining the two and coming up with a similar but gluten free recipe

I think that the recipe just used some mixed nuts right from the can. Good in theory but did you know that lots of canned or jarred mixed nuts contain gluten? I know, it makes me crazy (or should I say nuts?) too – what the heck is gluten doing in a can of nuts?

I am fortunate that my grocery store has implemented a system where they put “GF” stickers under all the gluten free food in the store. So that made it very easy for me to notice that in my particular grocery store there were NO cans of gluten free mixed nuts available. I just wanted to take this opportunity to point out once again if you need to be a gluten free diet, you need to read labels. You can’t assume that just because something shouldn’t have gluten in it, it doesn’t.

All right, now that my little public service announcement is over, let’s get to those tarts! I wanted to also make them dairy free and I tried something a little different in my crust instead of just using shortening or dairy free butter substitute – so I experimented with using a can of Solo Almond Paste instead. It was a worthy experiment – the crust was not as flaky as one would be if made with either butter or shortening but the payoff was in taste! It was like a crust made with almond cookies. It is also super simple to make – I just whizzed everything in the food processor and then pressed it into tart pans – no rolling! How much do we love that?

One thing to keep in mind is that you do not want to over process your crust dough or add too much water – you want just enough water so that when you squeeze a handful of the crumbs in your hand, they hold together. Resist with every fiber of your being to turn that bowl full of crumbs into something that looks like dough – trust me on this! And use cold water – I put some water in a glass with some ice cubes to really get it chilled.

The tart crust dough will still look crumbly even when it is done

It will hold together when squeezed with your hand, like this

For my tarts I used a combination of sliced almonds, pine nuts and pistachios because I like those and I had them on hand but you can use whatever combination of nuts you like. My pistachios were already roasted and shelled so I used them as is but I toasted the almonds and pine nuts in the oven at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes, roasting really enhances the flavor of nuts. And take note – it is not just cans, bags and jars of mixed nuts that can contain gluten, cans of single nuts can too so beware and read the label unless you are using whole nuts and shelling them yourself!

If you prefer not to mix flours you can use 1 ¼ cups of good, pastry quality gluten free flour instead – just check to see if it contains xanthan gum, if so leave it out of the recipe.

These tarts are fab just as they are but if you really want to gild the lily, add a scoop of dairy free ice cream!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Gluten Free Nutty Tarts Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup superfine or Asian white rice flour
½ cup tapioca starch
¼ cup superfine or Asian sweet rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1¾ teaspoons kosher or fine sea salt –use divided
One 8 ounce can Solo Almond Paste (not pie filling or marzipan)
2 – 4 tablespoons ice cold water
½ cup sliced almonds
½ roasted and salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
¼ cup pine nuts
¾ cup raw honey
2 tablespoons Earth Balance, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure almond extract
3 large eggs

Directions

Combine the white rice flour, tapiocas starch, sweet rice flour, xanthan gum and 1 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process for about 5 seconds to combine. Break the almond paste into small chunks and add to the flour mixture. Pulse in long pulses until the mixture resembles coarse sand. With the processor running, add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture holds together when squeezed in the hand. Mixture will still appear very crumbly.

Divide the mixture between six 4 inch tart pans with removable bottoms (or one 11 inch tart pan), pressing the mixture into the pans firmly. Refrigerate the crust for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If the nuts need roasting, place them on a baking sheet and cook for about 8 minutes or until the nuts are starting to brown and fragrant. Let cool.

Prick the crust in many places with the tines of a fork. Place tart pans on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until they are just starting to color.

In a large mixing bowl combine the honey with the melted Earth Balance, vanilla and almond extracts, remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt and whisk. Whisk in the eggs. Fold in the nuts. Divide the mixture between the pre-baked crusts. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until the crusts are brown and the filling is set around the outside and just a little jiggly in the center. Let cool and remove from the tart pans.

A gluten free recipe that makes 6 four inch tarts or 1 eleven inch tart.

Ready for dessert?

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“I can now have recipes I know I can count on for every Dessert and Breakfast occasion! I’m thrilled!” – A. M.

“I am amazed! This recipe is BETTER than the ‘regular-with-gluten’ recipe! Thanks so much, Carol” – V. P.

“I love your gluten free recipes - I can now have my desserts.” – F.R.

Need a quick meal?

Simply…Gluten-Free Quick Meals is now available, with over 100 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“The “Simply” in ‘Simply … Gluten-Free Quick Meals’ doesn’t just make for a catchy title. The recipes in this cookbook truly are quick and easy to prepare. – A. C.

“I love the way this book is laid out – full meals I can make in no time. Love the sense of fun and humor in this book but mostly I love all the gluten free recipes -.” – J. F.

Gluten Free Spinach and Ricotta Crepes Recipe

Carol Kicinski — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:23:06 +0000

Whenever someone asks me where to start when embarking on a gluten free diet, one of things I am always telling them is that they need to start looking at the world of food in terms of what they CAN eat, not what they can’t. Despite appearances to the contrary, the foods we CAN eat far outweighs what we can’t. I also tell them when first starting out it is a good idea to concentrate on foods that are naturally gluten free.

This naturally gluten free recipe is proof positive that you can still eat beautiful, sumptuous food on a gluten free diet. There are no unusual, expensive ingredients in the recipe, it is not difficult to prepare and the result is not just “good for gluten free”, it is just plain GOOD!

One of the essential elements of this recipe is my versatile egg crepes recipe. Once you master this recipe (and trust me, that won’t take you long) you will be able to use the crepes in an almost endless variety of recipes. My full post on how to make gluten free egg crepes is here. By using fresh herbs and organic, cage free egg, the crepes are flavorful and healthy.

This is a lighter, quicker, completely pasta free version of manicotti and guess what? It is great not only for those of us on a gluten free diet but also for people who choose to eat low carb.

You can serve this dish for dinner and it also makes a lovely brunch dish. In fact with Mother’s Day coming up this might just come in handy if you plan to make Mommy breakfast (hello – boys of mine – hint, hint).

Whether you are new to a gluten free diet or an old hand at it, I hope you find that by focusing on the abundance of food that IS available to you; you will find plenty of reasons to celebrate your life style.

And for all you Moms or Moms-to-be out there, I hope you are celebrated this coming Mother’s Day as you very well should be!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Gluten Free Spinach and Ricotta Crepes Recipe

Ingredients

5 large organic, cage free eggs
7 tablespoons water – use divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Kosher or fine sea salt and pepper
Gluten free, non-stick cooking spray
2 tablespoon olive oil – use divided
4 cloves garlic, minced – use divided
6 ounces baby spinach leaves
2 cups ricotta cheese (part skim or full fat) at room temperature
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup grated parmesan cheese – use divided
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions

With a fork, beat the eggs with 5 tablespoons water and a pinch of salt until the whites and yolks of the eggs are fully incorporated. Stir in the chopped parsley.

Heat a 6 inch non-stick crepe pan or small skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles immediately. Spray the pan with some cooking spray and wipe put the excess with a paper towel. Immediately ladle into the pan about 2 tablespoons (or enough to create a thin coating on the pan) of egg mixture. Tilt pan back and forth to evenly distribute the egg mixture. Cook about 2 minutes or until the edges come away from the pan slightly and the bottom is browned. Carefully flip over (I find a large silicon spatula the best tool for this job) and cook about one more minute then slide crepe out of pan onto a plate. Continue until you have 12 crepes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for about 10 seconds. Add the spinach, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper and cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Let cool then place the spinach in a paper towel and squeeze out all the water. Place the spinach in a mixing bowl, add the ricotta cheese and ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese and nutmeg and mix well.

Spray a 9 inch by 12 inch baking dish with some cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of the ricotta mixture on each crepe, roll into a log and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all crepes have been filled and rolled. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until the filling is warm.

While the crepes are heating, wipe out the skillet you sautéed the spinach in and heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add the remaining minced garlic cloves, sauté for 10 seconds then add the tomatoes, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have softened, about 8 minutes. Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the basil.

Top the crepes with the tomatoes and serve.

You can make this recipe up to a day ahead; sprinkle the prepared crepes with the parmesan cheese, top with the cooked tomatoes, cover with foil and refrigerate. Take out of the fridge for about 10 minutes while you preheat the oven, and place the dish (with the foil on) in the oven to heat for about 15 minutes.

A naturally gluten free recipe that serves 6.

Ready for dessert?

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“I can now have recipes I know I can count on for every Dessert and Breakfast occasion! I’m thrilled!” – A. M.

“I am amazed! This recipe is BETTER than the ‘regular-with-gluten’ recipe! Thanks so much, Carol” – V. P.

“I love your gluten free recipes - I can now have my desserts.” – F.R.

Need a quick meal?

Simply…Gluten-Free Quick Meals is now available, with over 100 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“The “Simply” in ‘Simply … Gluten-Free Quick Meals’ doesn’t just make for a catchy title. The recipes in this cookbook truly are quick and easy to prepare. – A. C.

“I love the way this book is laid out – full meals I can make in no time. Love the sense of fun and humor in this book but mostly I love all the gluten free recipes -.” – J. F.

Gluten Free Nut Free Cereal Squares Recipe

Carol Kicinski — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:03:12 +0000

These bars are basically the love child of a rice crispy treat and a granola bar. But they are gluten free, refined sugar free and a whole lot healthier. They are also nut and dairy free. And they happen to be crazy good!

With the temperatures already starting to soar here in Florida I also love the fact that these bars require no baking! I would much rather put my fridge to use than my oven when the thermometer is already flirting around the 90 degree mark.

I am going on a road trip with the family next month and as we all know, snacking on a road trip is an essential element to the whole experience. While I do like to have a couple naughty little treats on hand, it is also nice to have something to munch on that feels naughty but isn’t. I think these bars will be a perfect addition to our on-the-road stock of munchies.

These are fun to make with the kiddos – you do the chopping and heating and they can mix and press. You may have a tiny bit of trouble keeping them occupied while the mixture chills in the fridge for an hour but then again, patience is a much needed virtue (or so I am told).

This recipe is loosely based on one I saw in Sunset magazine, they used puffed rice cereal, almond butter, dried cherries, nuts, and chopped dark chocolate. I decided to give my recipe a nut free make over by using Sunbutter and seeds and instead of puffed rice I used Rice Twice, a gluten free cereal that contains a combination of puffed and crispy rice. I added things, took out things and played around with quantities of ingredients to get big fat squares.

The beauty of these bars is that you can customize them anyway you see fit. I like the combination of apricots, tart cherries, dark chocolate and salty, roasted pumpkin seeds but you can use any dried fruit or seed you love. Not a fan of dark chocolate? Use dairy free semi-sweet chocolate chips instead. And if you want to make this recipe vegan just swap out the honey with brown rice syrup or agave.

I looked at someone’s recipe, changed it up the way I wanted and made it my own. How would you take this recipe and make it YOUR own?

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Gluten Free Nut Free Cereal Squares

Ingredients

Gluten free non-stick cooking spray
1/3 cup Sunbutter – any variety
½ cup honey (use agave or brown rice syrup for vegan)
2 tablespoons Earth Balance (or other dairy free butter)
3 cups Rice Twice Cereal (or other gluten free puffed or crispy rice cereal)
1 cup dried tart cherries
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 ¼ cups roasted and salted pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
3.5 ounces (about ½ cup when chopped) dark chocolate, chopped or use chocolate chips

Directions

Spray an 8 inch by 8 inch baking dish with gluten free non-stick cooking spray. Line the dish with two pieces of plastic wrap making sure the wrap hangs over the edges by a couple inches.

In a small sauce pan combine the Sunbutter, honey and Earth balance and heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and fully combined.

In a large mixing bowl combine the cereal, apricots, cherries, chocolate and seeds. Add the Sunbutter mixture and stir until well coated. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with another piece of plastic wrap and press the mixture down really firmly. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Remove the top layer of plastic wrap and using the overhanging pieces, remove the mixture from the dish and place on a cutting board. With a sharp knife cut the mixture into quarters and then cut each quarter into quarters.

The cereal squares can be made up to a week ahead, store in the refrigerator between sheets of waxed paper.

A gluten free recipe that makes 16 squares.

Ready for dessert?

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“I can now have recipes I know I can count on for every Dessert and Breakfast occasion! I’m thrilled!” – A. M.

“I am amazed! This recipe is BETTER than the ‘regular-with-gluten’ recipe! Thanks so much, Carol” – V. P.

“I love your gluten free recipes - I can now have my desserts.” – F.R.

Need a quick meal?

Simply…Gluten-Free Quick Meals is now available, with over 100 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“The “Simply” in ‘Simply … Gluten-Free Quick Meals’ doesn’t just make for a catchy title. The recipes in this cookbook truly are quick and easy to prepare. – A. C.

“I love the way this book is laid out – full meals I can make in no time. Love the sense of fun and humor in this book but mostly I love all the gluten free recipes -.” – J. F.

Gluten Free Focaccia with Grapes and Rosemary Recipe

Carol Kicinski — Sun, 06 May 2012 12:44:44 +0000

I had a rough go of it the other day. I attended a business dinner at a lovely restaurant and despite the continual reassurances from the chef that I would be served only gluten free recipes, I got glutenized. Unfortunately this is one of the risks we face when eating food from any place other than our own safe kitchens.

My symptoms are pretty consistant when glutenized – I woke up with a monster headache, feeling tired and achy and my stomach was queasy. So I did my usual in these instances, I drank gallons of water, downed a handful of probiotics and took to my bed to sleep it off. I had a cooking channel on low in the background, somehow the little bit of noise is better than hearing the pounding of my head.

As I drifted in and out of consciousness various chefs were preparing a wide variety of dishes. I woke up feeling much better and starving! I was craving a focaccia with grapes and rosemary. Someone must have made something similar and I just had to have some. One of the cruel tricks of fate for me is that whenever I get glutenized, I crave something bready afterwards.

I was still a little weak and feeling lazy but determined to satisfy my craving so I needed an easy way to make the focaccia. Fortunately I had a box of Chebe’s Focaccia Mix in the pantry, a beautiful bunch of red seedless grapes in the fridge and rosemary growing in the garden. Within about half an hour, I was happily munching on this comforting yet sophisticated treat!

Hopefully you will try this recipe because it is fast, easy and wonderful, not because you have been glutenized. It makes a delightful treat with a glass of wine and is a great side dish with dinner, lunch or brunch.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Gluten Free Focaccia with Grapes and Rosemary Recipe

Ingredients

1 box Chebe Focaccia Mix
4 tablespoons olive oil – use divided
2 large eggs
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
1 cup red, seedless grapes, halved
1 shallot, sliced into thin rounds
1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a flat baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

In a mixing bowl, combine the focaccia mix with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the eggs. Stir to combine. Add the water and mix, the mixture will appear crumbly. Dump the mixture onto a work surface and knead with your hands until the dough is smooth. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and roll into an oval or rectangle about 12 by 8 inches. Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the dough with the rosemary then the grapes and then the sliced shallots. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil and sprinkle on the salt and pepper.

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until the dough is browned. Let cool slightly and serve.

A gluten free recipe that makes 6 servings.

Ready for dessert?

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“I can now have recipes I know I can count on for every Dessert and Breakfast occasion! I’m thrilled!” – A. M.

“I am amazed! This recipe is BETTER than the ‘regular-with-gluten’ recipe! Thanks so much, Carol” – V. P.

“I love your gluten free recipes - I can now have my desserts.” – F.R.

Need a quick meal?

Simply…Gluten-Free Quick Meals is now available, with over 100 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“The “Simply” in ‘Simply … Gluten-Free Quick Meals’ doesn’t just make for a catchy title. The recipes in this cookbook truly are quick and easy to prepare. – A. C.

“I love the way this book is laid out – full meals I can make in no time. Love the sense of fun and humor in this book but mostly I love all the gluten free recipes -.” – J. F.

Gluten Free Egg Crepes Recipe

Carol Kicinski — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:18:00 +0000

Egg crepes are one of the gluten free recipes that I consider a basic in my repertoire of recipes. They are so simple to master and can be used in a variety of ways. They also happen to be grain free and a really great way to have a little something special if you are following a Low Carb or Paleo Diet.

They are really more like a very thin omelet than a crepe. But I use them as I would a crepe, stuffed with all sorts of delicious fillings or folded in triangles and topped with rich, sweet sauces but I also use them as wraps (lightly dressed arugula and crispy bacon is to die for!) and I even roll them up, slice them and use as noodles. Amazing with chicken soup! And they give new meaning to the term “egg noodle” (sorry I couldn’t resist!).

You can flavor the basic mix in any number of ways; vanilla and sugar or other sweetener make a great base for desserts, fresh herbs and spices give you terrific savory crepe. I add garlic powder, finely minced chives and oregano for my chicken soup noodles.

While the recipe is super simple, there are a few tips I thought I would share with you to get the perfect crepe every time.

For each large egg you will add 1 tablespoon of water and a tiny pinch of salt and it will yield about 3 crepes and since the egg is the star of the show, start with really good eggs! I use organic, cage free eggs from Nature’s Yolk. There really is a difference, not only do they taste better, the eggs beat better and you have a more cohesive mixture.

When beating the egg with the water and salt, use a fork and beat it well! You want to beat that egg white into submission so that the yolk and white come together but you don’t want the mixture to become frothy. Just show those eggs who’s the boss!

If adding herbs or other flavorings, mix them in after the eggs have been beaten properly.

I use a non-stick crepe pan but a small skillet is fine too. Here’s the important part – heat the pan over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles immediately then spray the pan with some gluten free non-stick cooking spray, wipe out the excess with a paper towel (you just want a light layer of spray on the pan) the put the pan back on the heat for about 5 more seconds. You want the pan HOT when the egg hits it so that the bottom will brown.

Resist the urge to crank the heat up too high – you want the crepe pliable and if the heat is too high the crepes will be crispy instead.

After you cook each crepe, spray again with the cooking spray, wipe the pan again and let the pan heat up again before adding the egg.

As soon as you add the egg, tilt and rotate the pan so it spreads evenly onto the pan. Do this quickly. If there are little holes or areas where no egg goes, just add a little bit more egg to fill in the holes.

I make all my crepes ahead and then reheat them all at once on the microwave or warm oven if needed. I find this better than keeping them warm in the oven while I continue making the crepes.

If you are good at multitasking and have more than one pan the same size, have both pans going at the same time if you are making a lot of crepes, it saves time.

I strongly urge you to try these great gluten free basics. Let your imagination run wild and see what you can come up with. One of my favorite ways to eat these when I want a low carb, grain free treat is to spread the crepes with a thin layer of mascarpone cheese and then add some sugar free orange marmalade. I’ll be posting some of my other favorites soon but let me know what you come up with!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Gluten free Egg “Crepes”

Ingredients:

Gluten free non-stick cooking spray

1 large organic cage free egg
1 tablespoon water
1 small pinch salt

Directions:

Mix egg with water and salt with a fork until well mixed and uniform in consistency. You want to beat that egg white into submission but you don’t want the mixture to get too frothy.

Heat a small skillet or crepe pan over medium heat until hot.

Spray pan lightly with gluten free cooking spray then wipe with a paper towel so only a thin layer of cooking spray remains (or wipe pan with a small amount of olive oil or butter on a paper towel).

Return the pan to the heat for about 5 seconds then ladle into the pan about 2 tablespoons (or enough to create a thin coating on the pan) of egg mixture. Rotate the pan to evenly distribute the egg mixture. Cook about 2 minutes or until the edges come away from the pan slightly and the bottom is browned. Carefully flip over (I find a large silicon spatula the best tool for this job) and cook about one more minute then slide crepe out of pan onto a plate. Continue until all egg mixture is used. You can stack these just like you would pancakes.

You can increase this recipe as much as you like. When making a lot of crepes regulate the heat. If it gets too hot the mixture will start to cook to fast and you could have holes in your crepes. Too low and they may become uneven in texture. Medium heat is best and I spray the pan with cooking spray each time I make a crepe.

A gluten free recipe that makes about 3 six inch crepes.

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“I can now have recipes I know I can count on for every Dessert and Breakfast occasion! I’m thrilled!” – A. M.

“I am amazed! This recipe is BETTER then the ‘regular-with-gluten’ recipe! Thanks so much, Carol” – V. P.

“I totally love your gluten free recipes - they have solved my love for desserts.” – F.R.

Gluten Free Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Carol Kicinski — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:10:39 +0000

The men in my family are ridiculously competitive, even about things they don’t need to be, like barbecuing. Honestly, I do not know where they get it from!

Truth be told they all know their way around a grill and are grill-masters in their own right. They can all cook meat over fire very proficiently. And me, being smart, let them swelter over hot coals and take advantage of their competitiveness as the results are always fabulous.

But the difference between us and primitive man, who also cooked meat over fire, is barbecue sauce. And if I am going to be completely honest (and not at all competitive) I have to say, I make the best barbecue sauce!

I also have my own way of making “barbecue” chicken. Chicken over the grill can be tricky no matter how great a grill-master you are. The meat can easily become over-cooked and dry or the sauce can burn. That’s why I bake my barbecue chicken first, letting it remain moist and succulent, then I turn it over to one of the men for a minute of two on the grill. Sure they take all the credit, but that’s OK with me. We all know deep down inside that my barbecue chicken is the best.

It all starts with the sauce. I have tweaked and played with gluten free recipes for barbecue sauce for ages and I finally have one that is the perfect combination of spicy, sweet and tangy with a touch of smoke in there. Early versions of my homemade barbecue sauce had a list of ingredients as long as my arm. I worked hard to get that list down to a where it is much less daunting. And this recipe only takes about half an hour to whip it up.

My award winning (at least in my own family) sauce starts with high fructose corn syrup free ketchup, Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Certified Organic Blackstrap Molasses and Fair Trade Certified Organic Amber Honey for sweetness, pineapple juice for tanginess and gets it’s heat from pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I take a can of chipotle in adobe, puree it in the blender then use it to stir into all sorts of things to add spice and smokiness. I store it in a clean jar in the fridge and it last for months. The beauty of using the pureed chipotle in adobo is that you can make this sauce as spicy as you like. You can also make some of the sauce mild and some spicy. Start off with a little and add to suit your taste.

After I make the sauce, I take about 1 ½ cups of the warm sauce and put it into a large mixing bowl. I cut up a 4 or 5 pound chicken into pieces, season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper then dunk the pieces into the warm sauce. I line two baking sheets with foil and lay the chicken pieces in a single layer on the baking sheets with a little space between each piece. Then the chicken goes into a preheated oven (350 degrees) and bake it for 20 minutes. Then I flip the chicken over, brush with some more sauce and bake for another 15 – 20 minutes or until the juices from a thigh piece pricked with the tip of a sharp knife run clear (not pink at all). From there it goes onto the grill for about 2 minutes per side (or you can just pop under the broiler for a minute to char the top a little. Then I warm up some more sauce and serve it on the side. Perfect barbecued chicken every time!

Unlike most commercial barbecue sauces this one is almost completely free of high fructose corn syrup. There is a bit in the Worcestershire sauce so if you are avoiding HFCS completely just substitute with gluten free soy sauce.

With all the wholesome ingredients in this sauce, you can feel as good about serving it as I do.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Carol’s Gluten Free Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups ketchup (high fructose corn syrup free)
1 cup Wholesome Sweeteners Molasses
1 cup Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Honey
1 ½ cups pineapple juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or gluten free soy sauce
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
6 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon – 3 tablespoons (or more) pureed chipotle in adobo sauce

Directions

Combine all the ingredients except the chipotle in adobo puree in a large saucepan and whisk well. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once it begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until the sauce is thick and glossy. Whisk the sauce well; add the pureed chipotle in adobo sauce, a little at a time, until the desired amount of heat is achieved. Make sure to whisk the sauce well after each addition of chipotle.

Store sauce in a clean glass jar in the fridge for up to a month.

A gluten free recipe that makes about 6 cups of finger licking good barbecue sauce.

Ready for dessert?

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“I can now have recipes I know I can count on for every Dessert and Breakfast occasion! I’m thrilled!” – A. M.

“I am amazed! This recipe is BETTER than the ‘regular-with-gluten’ recipe! Thanks so much, Carol” – V. P.

“I love your gluten free recipes - I can now have my desserts.” – F.R.

Need a quick meal?

Simply…Gluten-Free Quick Meals is now available, with over 100 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“The “Simply” in ‘Simply … Gluten-Free Quick Meals’ doesn’t just make for a catchy title. The recipes in this cookbook truly are quick and easy to prepare. – A. C.

“I love the way this book is laid out – full meals I can make in no time. Love the sense of fun and humor in this book but mostly I love all the gluten free recipes -.” – J. F.

Gluten Free Apricot Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins Recipe

Carol Kicinski — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:54:57 +0000

Barbeque season is right around the corner. And so is swimsuit season. It just doesn’t seem like those two things should go together!

Where I live the weather is just about perfect right now and people are already flocking to the beaches, wearing shorts and tiny little tops and barbequing in the backyard or by the pool is the preferred way of entertaining.

Sadly, I have let my gym membership lapse during the winter and the treadmill I swore I would use every day practically has cobwebs covering it. Unfortunately it is not very fashionable to wear a burka to the beach so it is time for me to make a few changes. This means getting my body moving and cutting back on some fat and calories.

I made these Apricot Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins to serve alongside barbequed chicken and an array of salads. Muffins may not be considered “diet food” but man (or woman in this case) does not live by protein and salad alone – at least this woman doesn’t. Personally I need to have just a bit of carbs to feel satisfied. These muffins are practically fat free. I omitted any oil or butter from the recipe by using a combination of non-fat Greek yogurt and a can of Solo Apricot Cake and Pastry Filling. For a little kick, I added in a couple minced jalapeno peppers. The result was a cornbread muffin with a tender crumb and a delightful contrast of sweet and spicy – perfect for serving with barbeque or for brunch.

I’ve got a busy day ahead. I need to dig out my work out clothes, renew my gym membership, dust off my treadmill and start shedding a few of these winter pounds that seem to have crept up unexpectedly. But first, I think I will have another muffin. And I won’t feel the least bit guilty about it!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Gluten Free Apricot Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins Recipe

Ingredients

Gluten-free Non-Stick cooking spray
1 cup good quality, all-purpose gluten free flour blend
1 cup gluten free stone ground cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey
One 12 ounce can Solo Apricot Cake and Pastry Filling
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and veins removed and finely minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12 cup standard muffin tin generously with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another mixing bowl whisk together the yogurt, eggs, honey, and Apricot Cake and pastry filling until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the minced jalapenos and divided the batter among the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.

A gluten free recipe that makes 12 low fat muffins.

Ready for dessert?

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“I can now have recipes I know I can count on for every Dessert and Breakfast occasion! I’m thrilled!” – A. M.

“I am amazed! This recipe is BETTER than the ‘regular-with-gluten’ recipe! Thanks so much, Carol” – V. P.

“I love your gluten free recipes - I can now have my desserts.” – F.R.

Need a quick meal?

Simply…Gluten-Free Quick Meals is now available, with over 100 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“The “Simply” in ‘Simply … Gluten-Free Quick Meals’ doesn’t just make for a catchy title. The recipes in this cookbook truly are quick and easy to prepare. – A. C.

“I love the way this book is laid out – full meals I can make in no time. Love the sense of fun and humor in this book but mostly I love all the gluten free recipes -.” – J. F.

Gluten Free Ricotta & Tomato Pasta Recipe

Carol Kicinski — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:50:19 +0000

People often ask me “What is your favorite gluten free recipe?” I am always stumped. I know that I should have an answer ready but with over 250 gluten free recipes published in two books and over 400 more on this site; I really am hard pressed to pick a fav!

I suppose it depends on what kind of day I have had, what I am in the mood for and how hard I want to work for dinner.

I have always been a fan of Italian food – I swear, I should have been born Italian! I love traditional Bolognese sauce that simmers all day and lasagna that takes a couple hours to prepare and bake and honestly, I don’t mind the work it takes to prepare a lovely Italian dish. There are times however that I just haven’t got the time or energy to spend hours in the kitchen. At times like that, when I am desirous of something with an Italian accent, this recipe becomes my favorite!

It is a lighter, sort of deconstructed version of lasagna, all the flavors without all the work and in a fraction of the time. In fact this recipe is so quick and easy it can practically be made in the time it takes to boil up the pasta. And to make it even quicker I use gluten free Pastariso Organic Rice Pasta because it cooks up in about a third of the time compared to a lot of the other gluten free pastas. While the pasta cooks, I prep my ricotta and veggies to finish off the sauce, and in no time, dinner is on the table.

I love the way this looks as well as how it tastes, it is simple but elegant – my favorite kind of dish! It is satisfying without being too heavy and for right now anyway, I am going to say this is my favorite recipe! Well, at least one of them!

BTW – this recipe is from my new book Simply…Gluten-Free Quick Meals (with over 100 gluten free recipes) and the pasta PLUS the salad and dessert is ready in about half an hour!

Do you have a favorite recipe? If so, please share!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Gluten Free Ricotta & Tomato Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

14 ounces gluten free Pastariso Organic Rice Pasta – fettuccine style
¾ cup ricotta cheese (preferably fresh)
¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus more for garnish
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher or sea salt
Black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for drizzling
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups baby spinach leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Return the drained pasta to the hot pot.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese mixture and sauce. In a small mixing bowl combine the ricotta cheese with ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, the dried oregano and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil until hot. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic burn. Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook for 4 minutes then add the reserved pasta water and spinach. Cook for another minute or two or until the spinach has wilted. Add the tomato/spinach mixture to pasta and toss. Serve the pasta in large, shallow bowls with a dollop of the ricotta mixture in the center. Drizzle with a little olive oil and a grating on parmesan.

Amount

A gluten free recipe that serves 4.

Ready for dessert?

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

“I can now have recipes I know I can count on for every Dessert and Breakfast occasion! I’m thrilled!” – A. M.

“I am amazed! This recipe is BETTER than the ‘regular-with-gluten’ recipe! Thanks so much, Carol” – V. P.

“I totally love your gluten free recipes - they have solved my love for desserts.” – F.R.