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My friends at Attune Foods asked several bloggers to create recipes that would delight Mom’s, especially those who are gluten-free. I am honored that my recipe for Turkey Strata Muffins is among them. For the entire booklet, follow this link to Attune Foods.
Here’s my recipe to whet your appetite.
Turkey Crunch Strata Cups with Orange Slices and Balsamic Glaze
Serves 6
These delicious, muffin-size strata are packed with flavor and a little crunch. They make a hearty, attractive breakfast for Mom and leftovers can be frozen or refrigerated for an ideal weekday breakfast on the go. Maple syrup lends some sweet notes that work nicely with the turkey and cheese. However, if you don’t want that touch of sweetness, it can be omitted.
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 medium leek, white part only, cleaned and chopped
3 uncooked turkey sausage (about 1 pound)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup Erewhon Brown Rice Cereal
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
5 large eggs, beaten
2 to 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Orange segments or slices (peel removed) for garnish
Maple Balsamic Glaze for drizzle (recipe follows)
Lightly oil 12 muffin cups. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add leek and sauté 2 minutes or until fragrant.
Remove casing from sausage. Add sausage to leeks and sauté, crumbling the sausage with the back of a spoon as it cooks. Sauté until sausage is cooked and no pink is visible. Remove from heat and cool. Break apart any lingering chunks of sausage (or chop with a knife) and transfer mixture to a large bowl.
Add carrot, cereal and cheese and mix well. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. (Usually, the sausage has plenty of flavor without additional seasonings.)
Combine eggs and maple syrup. Add to sausage mixture and mix well.
Scoop into muffin cups and press gently. The filling will be above the tops of the cups, but it shrinks during baking.
Bake 23 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit 5 minutes to set and turn onto a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature or serve warm.
To serve, set two strata muffins on a plate and garnish with 3 to 4 orange slices and a drizzle of Maple Balsamic Glaze.
Strata can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated or frozen for future use. This makes a nice grab and go breakfast for Mom’s busy work week, too.
Maple Balsamic Glaze
3 tablespoons real maple syrup
2 teaspoons dark balsamic vinegar
Combine and warm briefly in the microwave. Drizzle over orange slices and strata cups before serving.
About Leeks: Leeks grow in mounds of dirt. The best way to clean them is to remove and discard the green top of the stalk. Rinse any visible dirt from inside the layers of the leek and chop finely. If leeks still seem sandy, transfer the chopped leek to a bowl and add cool water. Any leftover dirt will sink to the bottom while the chopped leek will rise to the top. Scoop out with your hand and transfer to a strainer. Discard any leeks that remain in the bottom of the bowl.
Do ahead: Sauté leeks and sausage and refrigerate overnight. Add remaining ingredients in the morning and prepare as above. Or make the strata cups the night before. Just before serving, reheat gently in a 350 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
PDF Categories: Recipes | Tags: gluten-free breakfast, gluten-free Mother's Day, gluten-free recipes | No Comments »
As with so many great recipes, this one passed through several channels, but rather than the old-fashioned grandmother to mother to daughter or son kind of hand-me-down, this one went through an internet-compressed timeline. One day, I read an account from Mark Bittman in the New York Times Magazine about his friend Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s squash on toast. It was not a recipe, per se, but an account, like someone passing along the gist of a recipe, the flavor, the texture, but never the amounts.
The mention of winter squash and caramelized onions caught my attention. What great flavors and there was nothing unhealthy or fattening, at least in the description. So I created a recipe from what I thought Jean-Georges might have told Mark and that Mark was recounting to his readers. I made the recipe for a Thanksgiving appetizer and served it with gluten-free French bread. Needless to say, it was a huge hit. Even my son wanted the recipe.
So, I figured I would copy the account from the New York Times online and fill in the details with my notes. But what came up was the original recipe from Jean-Georges Vongerichten. In some places, it was quite different than what I had created. It called for cheese, chili flakes, and mint. By then, I was hooked on my version. Here it is, a perfect dip or spread or appetizer that I’ll be serving at all our winter gatherings, especially for the Super Bowl.
Butternut Squash Spread 
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Gluten-free baguette, thinly sliced and lightly toasted
Extra salt, to taste
Heat the oven to 400. Toss the squash cubes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt and spread the mixture over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake, stirring every few minutes, until tender and slightly colored, about 20 to 25 minutes. Edges should be golden brown and squash should be very tender. Remove from the oven.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat, add the onions and remaining teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well softened and darkening, at least 15 minutes. Add the vinegar and syrup, stir and reduce until broken down, an additional 15 minutes or so. The mixture should be jammy.
Combine squash and onions in a bowl and smash with a fork until combined. Adjust seasoning. Serve with gluten-free toast or crackers.
Note: The original recipe says to spread this mixture on toasted bread, top with ricotta, goat cheese or mascarpone cheese, coarse salt and mint. I did not do this, but now that I’m passing this on, you can try your own version of this wonderful recipe!
Categories: Recipes | Tags: gluten free, gluten free and super bowl, gluten-free appetizers, gluten-free recipes | 1 Comment »
Happy Holidays! With Thanksgiving just around the corner, wow your guests with this unique and delicious twist on traditional apple pie. The rich sour cream center brightens the apple flavor and the presentation can’t be beat. For those with a dairy allergy replace the sour cream with soy sour cream or coconut yogurt. This can be made egg-free, too.
Apple Custard Crumb Pie 
Serves 8
Streusel Topping
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup all-purpose flour blend (any brand)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter or dairy-free butter replacement, cut into small pieces
Filling
5 McIntosh apples
2/3 cup low-fat sour cream, dairy-free sour cream or coconut yogurt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½–¾ cup sugar, to taste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour blend of choice or rice flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 Flaky Pie Crust, uncooked (below)
1. To make Streusel Topping, combine all topping ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Reserve.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Peel and thinly slice apples.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine sour cream and egg and beat well.
5. In another bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Whisk into sour cream mixture. Add apple slices, tossing to coat.
6. Spread mixture over uncooked crust. Sprinkle Streusel Topping over the top.
7. Set pie on a cookie sheet for ease of handling. Place on middle rack in preheated oven and bake 55 to 60 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is brown. If crust browns too quickly, cover edges loosely with foil.
TIP: For an egg-free pie, replace the egg in the filling by adding 3 additional tablespoons sour cream (or dairy-free substitute) in step 4. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch in step 5.
Flaky Pie Crust
Makes One 9-Inch Crust
Unless rolled too thin, this dough is not prone to tearing. If it does, pull it back into place and pat it down.
1½ cups + 2 tablespoons High-Protein Flour Blend (below)
1 tablespoon potato flour (not potato starch)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons cold butter or dairy-free butter replacement
4 tablespoons organic shortening
1 large egg or 2 tablespoons additional unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the knife blade, combine dry ingredients. Cut buttery stick and shortening into pieces. Sprinkle over dry ingredients. Pulse several times until pieces are the size of large peas.
2. In a separate bowl, combine egg, vinegar and applesauce. Add to flour mixture and blend just to combine. Carefully gather dough into a ball. (Watch your fingers as steel knife is very sharp.) Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.
3. Place the dough between 2 layers of plastic wrap and press it down with heel of hand. Then gently roll it into a 9-inch circle. Start from the middle and roll out uniformly in all directions to form the circle. Rotate the dough in ¼ turns to help even-out crust to about ¼-inch thickness throughout.
4. Carefully peel off the top layer of plastic wrap. Turn the crust into the pan, slowly peeling off the backing. Press the crust into the pan and crimp the edges, trimming off any excess dough.
TIP: To reduce the fat in this pie crust, replace 3 tablespoons butter or shortening with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce.
High-Protein Flour Blend
Makes 3¼ cups
1 cup amaranth flour
1 cup brown rice flour
¾ cup cornstarch or potato starch (not potato flour)
½ cup tapioca starch/flour
1. Combine ingredients. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator until used.
Short on time? Use a commercial high protein flour blend or add 1 cup of amaranth flour to 2 1/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
A version of this recipe first appeared in Living Without Magazine.
Categories: Recipes | Tags: gluten free apple custard pie, gluten free pie, gluten free Thanksgiving, gluten-free makeover, gluten-free recipes | No Comments »
In celebration of reaching 1,500 “Likes” on Facebook, I am sharing this collections of holiday recipes with all of you. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and tasty holiday season!
Categories: Recipes | Tags: gluten free, gluten-free holiday dishes, gluten-free recipes | 6 Comments »
Crêpes were the first recipe I made over after I was diagnosed with celiac disease more than 35 years ago.
A few months earlier, I had been given Julia Child’s first cookbook, “Mastering The Art of French Cooking,” and I was cooking my way through Julia’s wonderful recipes. Her cookbooks opened a door and, whisk in hand, I went through. I cooked and baked and held parties just to have tasters who would help me devour my experiments. Her book was my beacon, my inspiration.
Then a doctor told me to avoid gluten and I was overwhelmed. I could not simply put those books back on the shelf and close my mind to the delicious foods I had discovered. So I went to culinary school and began experimenting again, but this time, I made my recipes with gluten-free flour. As long as I maintained the ratio in a recipe, the balance of wet to dry and fat and sugar, and replaced regular flour with the same amount of gluten-free flour, I had success every time.
I picked crêpes first because the formula called for a few simple ingredients - eggs, milk, and flour. What could be easier? And the batter sits overnight so the mixture is tenderized and softens. It turns out, the ingredients have an affinity for rice flour. The crêpes held together beautifully. The results were delicious. I flamed them with brandy to make Crêpes Suzette. I filled them with ricotta cheese, lemon and currants. No one had any idea they were gluten-free.
With my taste buds engaged and my curiosity in overdrive, I was ready to try more recipes. Today, I am confident that any recipe can be made over with gluten-free ingredients. My cookbook, “Gluten-Free Makeovers,” is filled with many of these successes.
Last week would have been Julia Child’s 100th birthday and the 50th year since “Mastering The Art of French Cooking,” was released. Celebrations large and small were held all over the world. I made crêpes in honor of Julia’s birthday, reserving an extra shot of brandy for a toast. Happy Birthday, Julia and Bon Appetit!
This recipe is a classic French formula. The trick is to make these very thin so they are pliable and easy to roll. Since this is peach season, I made up a quick peach Melba-style filling. Unfilled crêpes freeze well.
Crêpes with Easy Peach Melba-Style Filling
Makes Fifteen to Twenty 6-inch Crêpes
The Crêpe recipe is reprinted from my cookbook, Gluten-Free Makeovers (Da Capo Press) where you’ll find more delicious fillings for them.
2 large eggs
¾ cup rice flour
¼ cup tapioca starch/flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon sugar (for dessert crepes)
1¼ cups milk, soy milk, or rice milk
1.Whisk together the eggs in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, xanthan gum, and sugar, if using. Whisk into the eggs just until moistened. The mixture will be very thick and gloppy.
2. Add the milk, a little at a time, stirring vigorously until the mixture is smooth and the consistency of heavy cream. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours.
3. Lightly oil one or two 6-inch crêpe pans or heavy frying pans and set over medium heat. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the batter into each pan and swirl until the pan is coated. Pour any excess batter back into the bowl. Cook the crêpe until the edges look very dry, about 1 minute. With a sharp knife, loosen the edges of the crêpe. Using fingers, grab the edges and flip the crêpe. Cook another 30 seconds and remove to a platter. Continue until the remaining batter is used, lightly oiling the pans with a paper towel as necessary.
Peach Melba-Style Filling
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoon brandy
6 medium vine-ripened peaches, peeled and coarsely chopped
confectioners’ sugar
1 peach, skin left on, for garnish
Combine jam with brandy. Spread 1 tablespoon of the mixture over the surface of a crêpe. Add a few pieces of cut up peaches. Roll the crêpe. Repeat until all the crêpes are used. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.
Categories: Recipes | Tags: easy quick gluten-free dessert, gluten-free makeover, gluten-free recipes, Gluten-Free. Desserts, Julia Child | 3 Comments »
I envy Northern California for its long growing season, its verdant farms and endless vineyards. But from June to September, Connecticut is in full bloom and I am content to stay close to home, near the local orchards and farms that rival anything I’ve seen in any other part of the US. Our best chefs know that cooking with fresh, local foods can turn ordinary recipes into three-star meals. I’m reminded of that secret when Connecticut’s harvest smiles. I load up on fresh corn, heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and herbs. I can never have enough!
And just about now, the orchards are bearing fruit – - pears, apples, and peaches. Ah. Peaches. Perhaps my favorite of all the local produce. Nothing else comes close to that juicy, tree-ripened crop. Their faint fruit perfume floats over the back roads as I drive by the local orchards. I buy them by the bushelful. By the time I get home, I’ve devoured a sizable number and my car seat and steering wheel bear the sticky evidence. It’s a race to reach my saturation point before the trees return to their dormant state. So I eat just as many as I possibly can. But I reserve enough to bake a few special treats.
This peach cake is one. Fresh peach slices, fanned out over the buttery cake, turn this into an elegant dessert that bursts with intense flavor. The cake makes the perfect company dessert that fools most into thinking it’s not gluten-free. Perhaps that’s because I started with a great, gluten-filled recipe. This is a makeover from one I saw in Bon Appetit several years ago. It can also be packed and taken to a picnic or a pot luck meal. Don’t tell, but I make this with frozen peaches when the fresh varieties are not available. They beat the hard, unripened fruit that I find in stores throughout the rest of the year. I’ve also used fresh plums. The purple skin makes for an equally beautiful presentation.
PEACH CAKE
3/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend *
½ cup sorghum Flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter or non-dairy buttery spread, at room temperature
1½ teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2 large eggs or egg replacer of choice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
4 ripe, but firm peaches halved and each half cut into 4 slices*
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon for topping
Whipped cream or whipped dairy-free topping
Second Choice: Cascadian Farms or other brand Organic sliced peaches can be used. Thaw fruit before using. Purchase 2, 10-ounce bags and pick the prettiest slices for this cake. Save the rest for another use.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9-inch spring form pan. Combine the flour blend, sorghum flour, baking powder, and xanthan gum in a bowl; set aside.
Beat ¾ cup of the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl until fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and orange zest and beat until crumbly. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the orange juice and beat just to incorporate. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Arrange the peach slices on top of the batter so that they touch and form concentric circles that cover the batter. Press into the batter lightly. Don’t worry if the slices are not perfect. The cake will partially cover the fruit as it bakes. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter.
Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Run a knife along the side of the pan to release and remove the side of the pan. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or dairy-free topping.
* If the blend you use does not contain salt and gum, add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon additional xanthan gum to the dry ingredients.
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