Tag: gluten free

Gluten Free Lasagne Spaghetti Squash

Gluten free spaghetti squash
Gluten free spaghetti squash

In the spirit of staying healthy this fall season, I have taken one of my favorite recipes and transformed into a healthy weeknight meal. Gluten free lasagna spaghetti squash is a perfect transition into fall. It provides the cozy childhood feeling but still proves to be light on the waistline.  This meal is filled with childhood memories of my mom preparing lasagna without all the calories. Welcome fall, a time of change and moving forward. I hope this dish slides onto your fall meal list.

Ingredients

  • 2 spaghetti squash
  • 1 pound of ground turkey
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 jar of tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Salt and pepper

The Creation of Gluten Free Lasagna Spaghetti Squash

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2.  Cut the squashes in half, season liberally, and place the squash in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
  3. While the squash is cooking, place the onions, garlic, salt, pepper and ground turkey into a pan. Saute until the turkey is cooked throw.
  4. Add tomato sauce and reduce heat to low letting the flavors marry together.
  5. When the squash has cooled enough to handle, take a fork and rake through the squash until just the shell is left. Note: Save the shelf
  6. Season the squash with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
  7. Using the shells, layer the spaghetti squash, meat sauce, and cheese twice over each shell.
  8. Return to the oven for 25 minutes.
  9. Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!
  • gluten free lasagne squash

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

“And the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep and Autumn was awakened.” – Raquel Franco

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Slowly the humid, hot air of summer is being replaced by cool fall evenings. The sun turns in earlier each day, leaving twilight glinting on the city roofs. The season of pumpkin flavored everything is upon us. Fall is by far my favorite season. It offers a moderate temperature, drenches the city in golden light and takes our breath away with one last show. This sweet and savory pumpkin bread is a great introduction to the season. It’s perfect for those chilly mornings, sitting on a porch watching the leaves change or for taking to work during the week.

Fall is by far my favorite season. It offers a moderate temperature, drenches the city in golden light and takes our breath away with one last show. This sweet and savory pumpkin bread is a great introduction to the season. It’s perfect for those chilly mornings, sitting on a porch watching the leaves change or for taking to work during the week. As the weeks turn dark, eat this treat and enjoy nature taking a bow.

Gluten free pumpkin bread

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup of butter softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (Libby’s is my preferred brand)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 and ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 heaping teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour (Pamela’s Gluten-Free Baking Flour is my preferred brand)
  • 2 tablespoons of almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla

The Creation of Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10” loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. While the oven is heating up, combine all ingredients in a bowl or mixture. Beat the ingredients on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl until all ingredients are well combined.
  3. Pour the bread mixture into the bread pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick insert into the center of the bread comes out clean.
  4. Serve with butter and enjoy a warm start to your fall day.

Gluten free pumpkin bread with butter

Gluten-Free Crostini

My group of friends and I have a monthly wine club. It was started as a way to get a more in-depth knowledge of different wine region all over the world. The concept is simple: Pick a region, bring a wine from that region and some food.

For our first tasting, we delved into a region in Spain. I choose a simple and easy idea center around a crostini. The beauty of a crostini is that you can use whatever foods you have on hand. It can be simple or complex based on the flavor profile you want to build. I wanted to have some classic Spanish touches and some fun sweet treats to help cleanse our pallets. These crostinis were a hit! There was something for every palette and taste. In this recipe, I used Udi’s Baguettes toasted with butter in a 400-degree oven for under 10 minutes.

The next time you’re mostly a wine night, a family get-together or a holiday, give the crostini combinations below a try. Please don’t hesitate to post your own combination in the comments!

Ingredients:

Jamón & Cheese:

  • Jamón or prosciutto
  • Pickled red onions
  • pesto
  • Brie Cheese
  • Baguette

Sweet Treat Palate Cleanser:

  • Strawberries
  • Honey
  • Apple
  • Brie Cheese
  • Baguette

Savory Bite:

  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Brie Cheese
  • Pesto
  • Baguette

Creation of the Crostini:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. For the base of the crostini, cut the Udi’s Baguettes into 1/4th inch thick discs. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Using a basting brush, brush the butter onto the Baguettes. Place the bread in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
  2. For the Savory Bite Crustinis, quarter the cherry tomatoes and quick chop the 2 cloves of garlic. Combine the cherry tomatoes, olive oil and garlic in a saute pan. Sautee until soft or about 7 minutes.
  3. Build the crostini!   17264150_10107841837347028_6815011978996017939_n

Jamón & Cheese:

  1. Spread pesto over the bread.
  2. Layer brie, Jamón and pickled red onions on the bread.
  3. Repeat!17264331_10107841836713298_5428892317397108656_n

Sweet Treat Palate Cleanser:

  1. Spread the honey over the bread.
  2. layer strawberries, brie, and apples on the bread.
  3. Repeat!17352068_10107841836703318_3974462613795959520_n

Savory Bite:

  1. Spread pesto over the bread.
  2. Layer brie and tomatoes on the bread.
  3. Repeat!17361704_10107841837007708_5557493248892399032_n

Gluten-Free Churros

Once a month a group of good friends gets together to discuss wine, catch up on life and eat food made in the same region as the wine. This month we cover Barcelona and the unique landscape that cultivates its grapes into Priorat. The grapes are grown at high elevations, in slate and chalk soil that gives Priorat a bold, full bodied minerally taste.

As we drank and ranked the wines, we paired each with a food.

This delicious tradition dessert of Spain went perfectly with a Priorat wine called Black Slate. It was the perfect combination of savory and sweet. With each crunch, I remembered fondly the time I had spent exploring Spain. By recreating this treat gluten-free, I was transported to another country, a place where things move slower, history seems crusted to every structure and etched into every person. I encourage everyone to take a quick trip to Spain with sweet Gluten-Free Churros, no packing required!

The Dough:17200869_10107841835879968_1495395347515849304_n

  • 2 cups of Pamela’s flour
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1/2 powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • Canola Oil

The Chocolate Dip:

  • 1 cup of whole milk
  • 5 ounce of dark chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons of cornstarch

The Topping:

  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 3 tablespoons of cinnamon

The Creation of the Churros:

  1. Combine flour and powdered sugar.
  2. In a medium pot, bring the salt and water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat and add the Flour mixture.
  3. Stir unit the mixture forms a dough that easily pulls away from the sides. Set aside to let cool.
  4. Heat the oil until hot enough to fry. You can test the heat of the oil by flicking water into the pot and listening for it to pop.
  5. While the oil is coming to heat, roll the dough into long strips.
  6.  Drop the dough into the boiling oil for 7 minutes or until the dough is cooked through.
  7. Remove from pan and place in the sugar and cinnamon mix, coating liberally.
  8. Continue step 6 and 7 with the rest of the dough, but remember not to crowd the pot (if they crowd the pot they will stic17264247_10107841835785158_7689377630414735283_nk together).

The Chocolate Dip:

  1. Mix the cornstarch and milk together. Add the mixture to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. Once boiling, add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted.
  3. Remove from the stove, and dip one end of the churro into the chocolate. Place on parchment paper and let cool.
And don’t forget to enjoy!

Gluten-Free Twisted Burrito Nachos

This dish was a fabulous accident. I wanted to take the idea of a normal burrito, twist it with Asian flavor and serve with a wet sweet soy sauce.

However, the tortilla I  fell apart during assembly and the Twisted Burrito Nachos was born. This dish is perfect for a quick weeknight pick-me-up or for a Saturday night party.  The dish is a little sweet, a little sour and a little spicy. A perfect combination of desire and comfort.

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Ingredients:

The Burrito and Nachos:

  • Scallions
  • 1 cup of cook rice
  • cilantro
  • baked beans
  • Tortilla chips
  • Cheese
  • 1 cup Pineapple
  • 4 pork chops

The Marinade:

  • 1/4 cup of soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of peanut sauce

Pickled Veggies:

  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 cup of Asian slaw
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 2 cloves of garlic

The Hot Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons of sriracha

The Sweet Sauce: 

  • 1/4 soy sauce
  • Baked bean juice
  • 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of syrup

 

The Creation of The Gluten-Free Twisted Burrito Nachos:

Pickled Veggies in a Mason Jar:

  1. Chop half a red onion, garlic and cucumber; add it to a mason jar. Add the pre-cut Asian slaw.
  2.  Pour white vinegar into the jar until the vegetables are covered, then add the sugar to sweeten.

*The longer you allow to pickle the better the flavor will be.

The Burrito Filling:

  1. Two hours before serving, cut the pork into cubes and place in a bag. Add 1/4 a cup of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of peanut sauce to the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator before cooking.17103548_10107797214591388_7808892248382392916_n
  2. In a rice cooker place 1 cup of rice, cilentro, salt, and garlic (If you don’t have a rice cooker, follow the instructions on the package for the stove).
  3. Mince the cilantro and chop the pineapple. Set aside.
  4. Place a pan on the stove over medium heat. Add the pork and saute for 2-4 minutes depending on size. Add pineapple, scallions, and cilantro to the pan until the ingredients marry together. Turn the stove to low heat.
  5. Open a can of Baked beans and drain liquid into a bowl. Set aside the liquid.
  6. Add rice and baked beans to the pan. Stir.

The Sauces:

  1. Spicy Sauce: Combine mayonnaise and sriracha together.
  2. The Sweet Sauce: Combine soy sauce, the drained liquid from the beans, rice wine vinager, and syrup. Stir until combined.
  3. Set both aside.

The Construction of the Twisted Burrito Nachos:

  1. On a plate place a layer of tortilla chips, a layer of burrito filling, and a layer of cheese. Place in the microwave for 1 minute or until the cheese is melted.
  2. Add a layer of pickled veggies. Drizzle the sweet and spicy sauces over the nachos.
  3. Top with scallions and most importantly ENJOY!

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Gluten-Free Deconstructed Pork Pot Pie

Hello winter, or lack-there-of in Chicago this year. A month normally spent inside huddled under blankets and telling Netflix, yet again, that we are still watching, has become a preview of spring.

However, lured by the rich taste of wine and a theory I had during the holidays, I decided to make something like a beef stew but with pork. The outcome was the umami that one tastes at thanksgiving, but the comfort of a stew. It pairs perfectly with a delicate cheese biscuit perfect for dunking or buttering. Add your favorite wine to complete this perfect comfort food!

Ingredients:

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Ingredients for the Soup:

  • 3 pounds pork tenderloin
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 4 carrots
  • 1 Spanish onion
  • 1 1/2 cups of wine
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 pint of Baby Bella mushrooms
  • 1 pound of red potatoes
  • 1/2 cup of cream
  • 3/4 cups of Pamela’s Baking Flour
  • 32 ounce of chicken stock
  • 3 cups of water
  • Salt and pepper
  • Dash of cayenne pepper

Ingredients for the Biscuits:

  • 1 1/4 cups of gluten free Pamela’s Baking Flour
  • 3/4 cups of gluten free cornmeal
  • 3 tablespoons of baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons of sugar
  • 3/4 of a cup of milk
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 a cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
  • 3 tablespoons of melted butter

The Creation of the Deconstructed Pork Pot Pie:

Gluten free deconstructed pork pie soup and biscuits

  1. Season the pork loin with salt pepper and cayenne pepper. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Place the pork in the pan taking care not over crowd the pork. I did this by browning the pork in batches. Remove the pork and set aside.
  2. Add the onions, garlic, and oregano to the pot. Allow 2-3 minutes for the flavors to bloom.
  3. Stir in the flour and form a roux.
  4. Add the red wine until it reduces by 1/3.
  5. Next, add the chicken stock, cream and stir to combine the mixture. This is the base of the soup. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Add the pork back into the base and braise over medium heat for 90 minutes.
  7. To finish the soup, add the carrots, potatoes, mushrooms and cover over medium heat for another 90 minutes.
  8. Serve with the cheese biscuits.

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The Creation of the Cheese Biscuits:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together cornmeal, sugar and baking powder.
  3. Next, add milk and eggs stirring until the mixture is just combined. Stir in cheese and butter, mixing until just combined. Over-mixing biscuits will cause them to be dense.
  4. Spray a pan with Pam. Using a spoon, create one inch balls and place them on the pan.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes
  6. Lastly, enjoy the best winter has to offer comfort and taste.

Gluten free deconstructed pork pie soup and biscuits

 

Gluten-Free Eat Your Heart Out Brownies

The middle of February in Chicago is painted with gray skies consuming the skyline framed by the dazzling glitter of the lake. The days beat on slowly moving us towards spring. The holidays are officially over and life falls back into its normal patterns.

What better way to sweeten up a girl’s night or a date night than with Eat Your Heart Out Brownies. This delectable treat will chase away the winter blues and pairs perfectly with some wine and cheese to spice up any night.

Ingredients

  • GF Boxed Devil’s Food Cake
  • 1 can of evaporated milk
  • ¼ cup of canola oil
  • 1/8 cup of water
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 stick of butter or about ½ a cup
  • 1 bag of caramels with the wrappers removed
  • 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Red or pink food dye

The Creation of Eat Your Heart out Brownie

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
  2. Combine boxed devil’s food cake, melted butter, ½ cup of evaporated milk, 3 eggs, ¼ cup of canola oil and 1/8 of a cup of water in a bowl. Stir the mixture until all the ingredients are combined.
  3. Next, grease a 9X9 pan with pam or butter. I prefer Pam because of its easy of use.
  4. Place half of your batter into the pan so that it covers the whole area of the pan.
  5. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
  6. While the batter is in the oven, place the caramels in a glass bowl. Fill a small saucepan with water and set it on the stove. Place the glass bowl over the saucepan creating a double boiler. Add the rest of the evaporated milk and food dye to the caramel. Stir until smooth.
  7. Remove the batter from the oven and allow to cool.
  8. Once cool, pour the caramel over the batter and add chocolate chips
  9. Place the remaining batter over the caramel forming a sandwich of sorts.
  10. Place the pan back in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
  11. Once it is cooked through remove from the oven and let cool on counter top for 30 minutes.
  12. Place in the fridge for one hour before serving
  13. Most importantly enjoy this sweet treat!

Gluten Free Hangover Sandwich

Looking for the perfect weekend brunch fix? Look no further than this breakfast sandwich.It has everything one needs to cure the hangover from the night before or to prepare you for a relaxing day ahead. Pair it with a blood Mary or some orange juice to mix up your morning routine.

I was inspired by what remained in my refrigerator. If you’re looking for something healthy try switching out ingredients to fit your need for the day.

Diced apples and onions

Ingredients:

  • 6 eggs
  • 6 pieces of your favorite cheese (I used Munster)
  • 1/4 onion diced
  • Gluten Free Canyon Bread
  • 6 pieces leftover ham or ham from the deli
  • 1 Tablespoon of butter
  • 1 Tablespoon of vinegar
  • 1/2 an apple
  • 1 glove of garlic

Ingredients for the Sauce:

  • 2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • 1 Tablespoon of stone ground mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon of hot sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

The Creation of the Gluten Free Hangover Sandwich

Cooking the eggs:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cupcake pan with Pam. Crack one egg into each hole and season the eggs with pepper and salt. Bake the eggs in the oven for 15 minutes.

The rest of the sandwich:

  1. While the eggs are baking in the oven, dice the onions, garlic, and apples.
  2. In a pan add the butter; sautee the onions, garlic, and apples with apple cider vinegar until translucent.
  3. Combine remaining apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, stone ground mustard, and hot sauce.
  4. Remove the onions, garlic, and apples from pan.
  5. Toast the bread to your desired crispiness. Then place a piece of cheese on half of bread and allow to melt.
  6. Remove the bread from the pan and eggs from the oven. Add the sauce to the other half of the bread and stack the sandwich as you see fit.
  7. Stack the sandwich: bread, cheese, ham, egg, sauteed onions and apples and bread with sauce!
  8. And don’t forget to enjoy!
gluten free sandwich cut in half
gluten free sandwich
Bloody Mary
gluten free sandwich
gluten free sandwich

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Gluten-Free Chickpea Pesto Pasta

Happy New Year!

The new year has begun, the gyms are packed with people resolute to get in shape (at least mean is), and every one is sharing healthy recipes at the office. My problem has always been that food should not just be good for you but taste good as well.

I came up with this recipe on the fly for meatless Monday incorporating a healthy form of pasta boasting 25 grams of protein per serving called chickpea pasta. The recipe is simple, filling and tastes amazing. I will admit I was afraid the chickpea pasta would taste strange or gummy, but the end result was a healthy, delicious alternative to average pasta. I was inspired by what I had on hand in my fridge and I would encourage everyone to make alterations as needed. Part of the fun of this dish is its versatility.

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 Bell pepper
  • 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 box of chickpea pasta
  • 3 tablespoons of pesto
  • 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 garlic clove
  • red pepper flakes to taste
  • 1 can of garbanzo beans
  • 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
  • 1 cup of greens (arugula)
  • 1 cup of parmesan

The Creation of the Gluten-Free Chickpea Pasta Pesto

  1. Heat 8 cups of salted water in a large pot.When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and stir with a fork to keep the pasta from clumping together. When the pasta is al dente remove from the stove and drain the water. Leave about half a cup to help of pasta water to form the sauce.16195278_10107582320690488_3367683612488414667_n
  2. While the pasta is cooking dice the bell pepper, shallot, tomato, and garlic.
  3. In a separate pan, add olive oil, bell pepper, shallot, and garlic to Sautee.
  4. Add the garbanzo beans and red wine vinegar to the pan and combine.
  5. Add the tomatoes, pesto, greens, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.
  6. When the pasta is cooked, add the leftover pasta water to the pot and combine.
  7. Add pasta to the pan. Before you stir grate parmesan cheese over the top. Combine the pasta with the sauce and cheese.
  8. Serve in a bowl or on a plate and enjoy your health Meatless Monday that is a little less manic because of this yummy dish!

 

Gluten-Free Capris Grilled Cheese

Summer has begun to turn to fall here in the city within a forest. The days are getting shorter, the moon appears brighter in the sky as the harvest draws near and kids had back to school. There is a crisp bite lingering in the air at the end of the day that calls for warm comforting meals with friends and family.

As we welcome summers ghosts, we welcome the need for quick work night meals that suit everyone’s tastes. This recipe will bring everyone together after a long day and the best part is how simple and quick it is to make. Gluten-free Capris Grilled Cheese is sure to please everyone during the busy work week

Ingredients:

  • Gluten-free Canyon Bread (they have serval different types that are all delicious)
  • Mozzarella Cheese
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • mayonnaise
  • Sub-Sandwich Dressing

The Creation of the Gluten-Free Capris Grilled Cheese:

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  1. Slice mozzarella and cherry tomatoes.
  2. Spread mayonnaise on the inside of the bread. Add sub sandwich dressing over top of the mayonnaise and combine with a knife.
  3. Spread mayonnaise on the outside of the bread.
  4. Heat the pan and place the bread mayonnaise side down on the pan. Allow the bread to brown.
  5. Flip the bread and repeat step 4.
  6. Add mozzarella and cherry tomatoes to the top of the bread. Place a sauce lid over the sandwich and add water. The steam will allow the cheese to melt while the bread does not burn.
  7. After 2-3 minutes place the other piece of bread over the cheese and cherry tomatoes.Allow the cheese to bring the two sections together.
  8. Take the sandwich off the heat and serve alone or with tomato soup.