Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

Monday: Beef & Two Bean Chili

Tuesday: Polenta with Ricotta & Olives 

Wednesday:  Italian Sausage & Cabbage Soup 

Thursday: Pork Chops with Sautéed Mushrooms, Green Beans & Applesauce








 

Friday: Moroccan Lamb Stew over Rice 

January Cookbook Review: Gluten Free on a Shoestring, Quick & Easy

I spent the last month trying out recipes from this cookbook, to see if they really are quick, easy and cheap.  The book is broken down into categories, including breakfasts, breads, dinners and desserts.  Each week I incorporated a few recipes into my life and shared them with my family. 

I cook regularly, creating my own recipes and using recipes from cookbooks and personal collections, so following a recipe is not something I generally have trouble with.  The recipes in this book are labelled as easy, so I assessed them according to how easy I thought they would be for a beginner, someone who doesn't cook on a regular basis.








Here are the recipes I tried, and some thoughts on how they came out:

Beef & Bean Burritos made with Homemade Flour Tortillas: I made the tortillas twice, because the first time I made them a bit thick and had trouble rolling up the burritos but was really happy with the way they turned out once I lost my fear of rolling them too thin.  I thought the rolling part would take forever, but it didn't.  The recipe says to use parchment paper, but I ran out and used plastic wrap instead.  It worked fine.  Disclaimer: I do have a tortilla press (thanks mom!), which makes things easier.  The burrito recipe is for six, but it easily made more.  The flavour was good, and they froze really well.  I'm planning on spending a few hours making a huge batch and freezing them.  A minute in the microwave and it's an instant meal.

 

 

Yeasted Refrigerator Pizza Dough:  I cheated a little on this recipe because I couldn't be bothered to set up the cooking apparatus as described in the book, and instead just spread the dough into a baking sheet and put it in the oven.  It still worked, making this a recipe worth making again.

Goldfish-Style Crackers: When I bought the book, I didn't realize that this recipe was in here.  My son had been asking about "fishy" crackers ever since the daycare staff started giving them to the children at snack time. My son has his own crackers, but they pale in comparison to pretending one is a shark devouring a goldfish.  I haven't been able to find a gluten free version anywhere, so I gave this recipe a try.  I couldn't find fish cookie cutters small enough, so I used one in the shape of a Christmas light that I bought for less than a dollar and it came out great.  Confession: I had never seen or eaten Velveeta cheese prior to making this recipe.  It cost almost $9.49.  Not so cheap, but I imagine it's cheaper in the US.  Regardless, the recipe makes a ton of crackers, and the taste is pretty authentic.  Seeing my son's look of excitement when he got bring his own fishy crackers to the daycare was well worth it. 

Polenta Bake: This recipe is similar to something I make on a regular basis, and it is pretty simple.  It's easy to play around with the flavours, and is a pretty fool-proof thing to make.  I served mine with a side of meatballs in a classic tomato sauce. 

One-Pot Albondigas Dinner: Once the meatballs are made, this meal comes together in a snap.  I found it weird to put rice in the meatballs, because the Italian in me wants to put bread or breadcrumbs, but my Latin American husband told me that they make meatballs using rice where he comes from.  I ended up enjoying the flavour, and the rice helps give them some substance.  This was a cheap, abundant dish that provided lunch leftovers for a few days. My only word of advice is in regards to the pasta: GF pasta gets mushy and weird after being immersed in liquid for too long, so if you're not going to eat it in one sitting, perhaps cook up the pasta and add it in when serving the soup.  Additionally, it could be made with rice.  This one is a keeper.

Quick Chicken Pot Pie with Basic Pastry Crust: I started with this dish, and I was a little concerned at first.  The pastry was easy enough to make, and simple to handle, but the dish calls for mascarpone cheese, which is about $10 for 500g.  I was unconvinced that the recipe could truly be considered to be inexpensive with cheese that costly.  When I took the dish out of the oven, the filling was a little soupy still, and I didn't think I'd be able to serve it.  After letting it sit for a few minutes, it thickened up nicely, and the cheese added a nice flavour.  To the price, since it actually gave me more like 6-8 servings instead of the 4 listed, the cheese cost evens out quite nicely.

Skillet Chicken & Tomatoes: This recipe was probably the easiest of the bunch.  I turned the remaining liquid into a sauce and served the dish over some gluten free spaghetti. 

Masa Stuffed Chicken: Another simple yet delicious chicken dish.  Masa is corn flour, and it's what you use to make corn tortillas.  It's easy to work with and we always have some around.  Like the chicken pot pie, the cheese, Marengo, wasn't cheap, but it was worth it.  Other cheeses could be easily substituted.

Twinkie-Style Cupcakes: The genius of this recipe is in the filling.  It tastes remarkably close to the original.  These went over so well that my niece asks me if I have any every time she comes over.  My niece doesn't have to eat gluten free like my son does.  the recipe offers the option of starting with a boxed mix or starting from scratch.  I used a boxed mix, and I still really liked the results.






This cookbook has recipes for everything from breakfast dishes to breads, main dishes, desserts and make-your-own boxed mixes.  Most of the recipes really are inexpensive and straightforward.  The author has a section at the beginning outlining the tools that she uses in the kitchen, and although there were a few specialty items that I don't have in mine, and a few brands that I can't find where I live, the recipes all worked out anyway.  Some of the cheeses are a bit expensive, but on the whole the recipes are made with inexpensive and easy to find ingredients. 

For an inexperienced cook, the main meals feature familiar titles and take little preparation.  There are a few meatball meals, a couple of burrito/quesadilla type dishes, and several chicken recipes.  Nothing too exotic, mostly safe standbys that have been adapted to be gluten free.  These are meals that are pretty kid friendly.  My son ate most of what I made from this book.

For me, the usefulness of the book lies in the baked goods.  We eat a lot of food with tortillas, and although I like corn tortillas, it's been difficult to find a good, soft, flour tortilla.  Now I can make my own.  Ditto for the fishy crackers.  They just don't exist gluten free, but now I can whip up a double batch, freeze half and have them on hand for the daycare whenever I need them.  It's the baked stuff that most people miss when they go gluten free, because the commercial substitutes rarely taste as good as the original.  The recipes for breads and cakes, and the make your own boxed mixes are the ones that I will refer back to regularly. 

If there's one thing I wish the book had more of, it would be photographs.  There is a section in the middle with beautiful photos of some of the recipes, but I would love to see photos beside each one, especially with baked goods.  The photos on her blog are so well done that I want to have more of them in the book, to hold in my hands. 

Verdict:  This was a good, solid cookbook that has something for new or inexperienced cooks, as well as some great recipes for more experienced ones. 

Buy on Amazon.ca Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, Quick and Easy: 100 Recipes for the Food You Love - Fast!

Buy on Amazon.com Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, Quick and Easy: 100 Recipes for the Food You Love--Fast!

Q & A With Nicole Hunn, Gluten Free on a Shoestring

January's featured cookbook was Nicole Hunn's latest: Gluten Free on a Shoestring Quick & Easy.

She was gracious enough to agree to answer a few questions about gluten free living. 









Q. What piece of advice would you give to the parent of a child who has recently been diagnosed with Celiac disease to help make the transition to gluten free easier?

A. My son was so small when he was diagnosed that he didn't know the difference, but for a child old enough to know that his diet is changing, I'd pick his favorite food, and make it gluten-free. Part of the reason I do a lot of clone-type recipes on my blog is so that parents can change as little as possible about their children's diets, at least at first. And when I get emails about kids dancing around the kitchen as their mom makes their favorite food, safely gluten free, I get all choked up!

Q.  What made you decide to adopt a gluten free household, rather than only cooking gluten free for your son? 

 

A. Three reasons (the last doesn't scale): 1. It's so much easier! If I were making separate meals, I'd feel like a martyr. 2. This is my son's home, and his kinship with his two sisters means everything to me. A lot of that happens around food, quite naturally. I want to enhance that whenever possible. 3. I eat gluten free, too, because if I'm going to talk the talk, I've gotta walk to walk. And it makes it easier for me to develop recipes, too. Adversity leads to creativity.

Q. Your blog and cook books focus on how to make delicious, gluten free recipes that don’t cost a fortune. What are some tips for saving money when going gluten free?

 

A. I would suggest picking the one store-bought gluten-free item that you buy most often and is most expensive, and make it at home instead. That - and don't make impulse purchases of the latest and greatest gluten free packaged products. Do your research first - there's usually a blogger or other author who has done the homework for you.

Q. On the other hand, sometimes a splurge is worth it. Which gluten free ingredient do you never skimp on, and why?

 

A. Well, I'm not sure if it's a splurge, but I always have more than enough gluten-free flour on hand. For me, it's obviously a necessity, but I recommend that to my readers, too. When you have just a wee bit of flour, it's impossible to try new things. When you have enough, you can be open to new possibilities, new favorites.

Q.  What was the most difficult recipe to adapt to gluten free? Is there something you still haven’t been able to adapt to your satisfaction?

 

A. Well, I'm writing Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread, which will be out December 2013, so at any given moment, I'm struggling with one yeasted bread recipe or another. And when I'm in the trenches, and it's failing 5 and 6 times, I'm fit to be tied! Every recipe I publish, in any form, has to succeed at least 2 times, or it isn't going to be shared. That means that I make most bread recipes at least 8 times before I even think about finalizing them. But in the end, it's so much fun. Except when I'm terribly frustrated. But immediately after the frustration, it's the time of my life!

 

Q.  For someone picking up one of your cookbooks for the first time, which recipe would you suggest they try first? Why?

 

A. I always recommend the White Sandwich Bread on page 104 of my first cookbook to readers who are hesitant to bake gluten-free bread. I've made it nearly 1,000 times myself over the years, and it's a consistent reader favorite because it's a very forgiving recipe and can make a big difference in your everyday gluten free life.  

 

I want to thank Nicole Hunn for this chance to gain some insight into who she is and what she does. 

Want to know more? Her website is www.glutenfreeonashoestring.com

She has two cookbooks available for purchase: Gluten Free on a Shoestring: 125 Recipes for Eating Well on the Cheap, and Gluten Free on a Shoestring Quick & Easy

 

My review of her latest cookbook, Gluten Free on a Shoestring Quick & Easy will posted soon!

 

Disclaimer: I purchased my copy of this cookbook, and am writing an unsolicited review. Ms. Hunn was kind enough to answer my questions with no strings attached.  The opinions in my review are mine alone.

Wordless Wednesday

My budding artist. 

Gluten Free Spinach & Ricotta Lasagna

Sometimes a vegetarian lasagna is exactly what's needed for a meatless Monday, or when the thought of all that ground beef is just too much.  I know that lasagna is often considered a complicated dish to make, but this is seriously a pretty foolproof, quick recipe.  There are ways to make it more complicated, but when I'm in a rush, I keep it simple.

A few things first.  I don't precook the lasagna noodles.  I lay them in dry, breaking them to fit as necessary.  They still cook, and don't go all sticky the way GF pasta can sometimes get.  Also, I don't have a fancy lasagna pan.  I use an oval roasting pan, the way my Grandma used to do it.  It takes about 15 minutes to prepare & assemble, and the rest is just cooking time.

Ingredients
(Serves 6)

1 box gluten free lasagna noodles (I use Rizopia)
2 jars gluten free tomato sauce. (I like to have a 3rd jar on hand, just in case.)
1 bag pre-washed baby spinach
2 containers (475g each) ricotta cheese
1 cup (plus more for sprinkling) good quality Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dried basil and parsley, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Olive Oil


Directions
Preheat oven to 350F

1- Mince garlic and place in pot with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Heat on medium for 1-2 minutes, then add sauce.  Season sauce with some basil and lower to a simmer.  The hot sauce helps soften the lasagna noodles.

2- In a frying pan, add another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, and add the baby spinach, cooking over medium heat until spinach wilts.  Stir continuously to ensure even heat.  Season with basil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat.

3- Add ricotta and 1 cup parmesan cheese to frying pan with spinach, stirring to combine.

4- Assemble lasagna. In a lasagna pan, or a roasting pan, ladle a little of the tomato sauce on the bottom.  Lay down a layer of uncooked noodles.  Top with the spinach mixture, and add more sauce.  Continue layering until complete.  Top lasagna with a layer of tomato sauce and sprinkle liberally with extra parmesan cheese.

5- Cook with lid on or covered with tented aluminum foil in a 350F oven until noodles are soft.  I check after 30 min., and then every 10 min. after.  It generally takes between 30-45 minutes.  If you want a browned top, allow to cook uncovered for the last few minutes. 

Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.  This lasagna freezes well.

If you want a more melted cheese type of lasagna, add a bit of shredded mozzarella cheese to each layer, and top with mozzarella as well. 

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

Monday: Gluten Free Spinach & Ricotta Lasagna (Recipe)

Tuesday: Asian Style Salad with Chicken Yakitori Skewers

Wednesday: Braised Tofu in a Mushroom Sauce w/Green Beans & Mushrooms

Thursday: White Turkey Chili 











Friday: Oven Fried Chicken & Sweet Potato Fries  (This is currently in the oven, so I'll update with photos when done.)

Wordless Wednesday

 

Since we're in  the middle of a deep freeze here in Canada, let's turn our thoughts to warmer places, shall we?

 

 

Gluten Free Options in Elementary School

Last night was the open house for the elementary school we're planning on enrolling our son in for September.  It's attached to the daycare he currently attends, which is great because the transition will hopefully be a little bit easier.  It's also a French school, so he'll get the chance to study in French, which means a lot to me.  He's picked it up really quickly at the daycare, and likes it, so going to school in French will hopefully be no big deal. 

After attending the information session last night, I love it even more.  I've mentioned before on this blog that one of the reasons we took my son out of his previous daycare was that he was constantly being fed food with gluten in it, even when I was providing his lunch on a daily basis.  Click HERE for that post.  The last straw was when a daycare worker accidentally fed him a slice of bread before realising that he couldn't have it.  Needless to say, I was livid, particularly since it wasn't the first time something like that had happened.  The aftermath of being "glutened" isn't pretty.  click HERE to read about what it looks like for my son.

At his current daycare, the food is catered by an outside company that has a separate kitchen the is free from the top allergens.  He gets a gluten and dairy free meal provided to him, often one that looks almost identical to what the other children are eating.  We have never had an issue with him being cross-contaminated or given food that made him sick.  We learned last night that the same company provides school lunches to the students at the elementary school 3 days a week, and that my son's gluten and dairy free option should continue to be available.  There is also a pizza lunch day, and we can order him a gluten free option then, as well.  Basically, we only have to send a lunch from home one day a week. 

I think this is great.  I never went to a school where lunch was provided, and I never really thought about it before.  However, having catered lunches means that every kid will be eating the same thing, making the temptation to trade or eat something from another child unnecessary.  This can go a long way toward protecting my son from accidentally accepting something from another child that will make him sick.  The meals this service provides are balanced and healthy.  He eats vegetables, chicken, pasta, beef and even fish.  He points out food in the supermarket that he recognizes from his meals, like peas and squash and eggplant.  I love the idea of my son getting a healthy, hot meal, that looks and tastes like what everyone else is eating, but that is free from the foods that he can't have. 

Registration is in February.  I'm crossing my fingers that there's a space for him.

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

Monday: Creamy Gluten Free Pasta with Campbell's Cream Stock

Tuesday: Skillet Chicken with Tomatoes (from cookbook of the month) on Gluten Free Pasta in a White Wine Sauce 

Wednesday: Cream of Mushroom Soup and Sandwiches on Gluten Free Bread 

Thursday: Pork and Vegetable Stir Fry on a Bed of Rice 

Friday: Chicken Fajitas on Homemade Flour Tortillas (from cookbook of the month) 

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with Feta and Spinach

This recipe is one of my favourites.  I'll be honest, I modify it frequently depending on the ingredients I have on hand, but the base remains the same.  Feel free to substitute goat cheese for feta, or leave out the walnuts, but the sun dried tomatoes are the base that makes this pasta dish so yummy.

Ingredients

1  (450g) bag gluten free pasta (I prefer short pastas like penne, but spaghetti would work too)
1 clove garlic, mined
1 jar (250g) sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil (drained, with oil reserved)
1/2 bag pre-washed baby spinach
2 handfuls chopped walnuts
150 g (or more, to taste) feta cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1- Cook pasta according to package instructions
2- While pasta is cooking, drain sun dried tomatoes, capturing oil in a bowl and putting it aside.  The oil is seasoned and adds flavour to the pasta.  If sun dried tomatoes are whole, slice into strips.
3- Heat 2 tablespoons of the sun dried tomato oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and tomatoes.  Heat through (1-2 min.) and add walnuts, toasting for another 1-2 minutes.
4- Add spinach in handfuls and stir to wilt, adding more when there is room in the pan.  If ingredients are too dry, add more reserved oil, as necessary.
5- When pasta is finished cooking, drain and toss with cooked ingredients.  Crumble the feta cheese and mix well.  Adjust seasonings and serve immediately.