Sunday, April 29, 2012

Weekend Breakfast: Gluten Free Crepes

Our weeks are very busy, so we like to take time to eat a nice breakfast together on the weekends.  Today I tried this recipe I saw on a great blog called Creature Comforts.  I did not have the gluten free flour mix she used, but I did have exactly the right amount of Cup4Cup left, so I used that.  I followed her recipe exactly, although I did have to add an extra splash of milk to get the batter to be the right consistency.  That is one thing that I have learned with gluten free flour blends - each one differs slightly and you often have to make small changes to recipes.


We filled them with strawberries and topped them with powdered sugar + a little drizzle of maple syrup.  My husband added a sprinkle of Udi's Gluten Free Vanilla Granola to his.  I am going to have to resist the temptation to make these every weekend!


Friday, April 27, 2012

Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers and Pan-Fried Polenta

The first time I had polenta was at my aunt and uncle's bed and breakfast in Italy, long before I went gluten free.  Thank goodness my aunt introduced me to this perfect, gluten-free staple!  She also taught me a little secret - make it, cool it, slice it, and then lightly pan-fry it in olive oil for what tastes like a polenta french fry.  Yum!

This time, I had some leftover polenta from our bean pies, so I didn't have to prepare it. I just sliced the remainder and tossed it into a pan with a little olive oil.  I also had a pack of chicken in the freezer and some bell peppers.  Thanks to a google search, I found a great new recipe from Cooking Light. I stayed pretty close to the recipe, although I could not completely crush the fennel seeds, due to a lack of a mortar and pestle.   How the child of a pharmacist ended up without a mortar and pestle is beyond me, and I have to say that attempting to use the bottom of a plastic prep bowl on a cutting board to do the task was quite unsuccessful.  I used vegetable broth, but only because I did not have any chicken broth.  Honestly, this meal was delicious and got rave reviews from the Gluten Free Frau's Mann.


Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided 
  • 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts 
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper 
  • 1 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper 
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  • 1. Preheat oven to 450°.
  • 2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Brush chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; sprinkle spice rub over chicken. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; cook 1 minute. Arrange chicken in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until done.
  • 3. Heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken.




Thursday, April 26, 2012

Gluten Free Breakfast-for-Dinner: Egg Sandwich

When I was little, I learned from my mom that an egg sandwich has magical healing powers.  A bad day, a loss, or a cranky mood could be cured with a nice conversation over a simple egg sandwich.  I think an egg sandwich is the definition of comfort food.


Thanks to Udi's delicious gluten free bread, the magical powers of the egg sandwich can live on! 

To make the eggs for this particular sandwich, I used a fantastic technique I learned from A Cup of Jo.  Cook your eggs this way - trust me, you won't be sorry.  The cheese to egg ratio is fabulous.

After the eggs cooked, I set them aside to cool a bit.  Then, I lightly buttered two pieces of Udi's gluten free bread, threw them into the same pan in which I cooked the eggs, let them brown, and then assembled all of the eggy-goodness.  I added a gluten free sausage patty to this particular egg sandwich, but that is optional.

Lecker. (That's German for delicious.)



Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Lunchbox Love: Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds

The most challenging meal of the day for the Gluten Free Frau is definitely lunch. I try to make something that will last me a few days, since coming up with creative lunch options is difficult.  This week I decided to try a new quinoa salad recipe.  I love quinoa and all of its protein-filled yumminess.  I made two small changes to this recipe:  I added 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and used a pinch of dried thyme, only because I did not have any fresh thyme on hand.  



Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds
Source: Whole Living



  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/2 cup (3 ounces) quinoa
  • 4 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, ribs and seeds discarded, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 1 large celery stalk, diced
  • 1 lime, halved
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast almonds until crisp, lightly browned, and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Meanwhile, place quinoa in a fine sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear; drain well.
  2. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add yellow pepper, garlic, scallions, and red-pepper flakes; cook until the pepper is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in quinoa, thyme, 1 cup water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 7 minutes. Stir in zucchini, cover, and cook until quinoa is tender but not mushy, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Remove the saucepan from heat.
  4. Stir in celery, almonds, and remaining 2 teaspoons oil, season with salt, and fluff with a fork. Cool to room temperature before packing into two containers and refrigerating. When ready to eat, squeeze lime over salad, if desired. Serve with additional lime wedge and thyme, if desired.






Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Gluten Free Red and Black Bean Pies

A day off from school resulted in Recipe Trial Tuesday.  I cut this recipe out of a 2006 edition of Everyday Food, thanks to a subscription from my grandma, but had never tried them.  I made a few changes (more hot sauce, 0 cilantro because it is the worst herb ever) and they turned out delicious!



Recipe (Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food):
  • 1/2 tablespoon extra light tasting olive oil
  • 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, in juice
  • 1 package plain prepared polenta, patted dry
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • 3/4 cup coarsely shredded pepper Jack cheese
  • Salsa
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium; add white part of scallions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and 1/2 cup water. As you bring to a boil, mash about 1/4 of the beans with the back of a spoon against side of pan to release starch. Reduce to a simmer; cook until mixture has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, brush 4 ramekins with a little olive oil. Slice 4 rounds of polenta; place 1 round in each ramekin.
  3. Remove bean mixture from heat. Stir in green part of scallions and hot sauce; season with salt and pepper. Spoon bean mixture into ramekins; top each with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with salsa.

Darf ich mich vorstellen?

I love being gluten free.  There.  I said it.  My diagnosis of latent Celiac disease was one of the best things that ever happened to me.  Everyone who knows me knows that I am 1) gluten free 2) crafty 3) a German teacher.  I will share my gluten free culinary creations here, along with perhaps an occasional craft.  I can almost guarantee you will learn a little German too.  Stay tuned!
 
Photo by the amazing Alison Conklin