Recipe of the Week: Chiles Rellenos with Goat Cheese

I know, I know, I've been on a major Mexican/Southwest/TexMex food kick lately, but bear with me - it seems like the perfect kind of cuisine for this time of year. Back in the days before we were diagnosed with Celiac and forced to adopt a gluten free diet, chiles rellenos was one of my favorite restaurant meals, but I never tried to make it at home. Now that dining out is significantly more difficult than cooking at home, this seemed like the perfect recipe to try

Chiles Rellenos with Goat Cheese

Ingredients
8 poblano peppers
1/2 pound mild goat cheese, at room temperature
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1 Tablespoon cilantro, minced
1 Tablespoon almonds, chopped & toasted
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup Jules Gluten Free flour
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Place peppers on a baking sheet and set oven on broil. Broil peppers until skins char. Turn peppers until skins are blackened all over.

Remove peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. Remove charred skins and make a slit in each pepper leaving stems in tact. Carefully remove and discard seeds.

In a bowl, mix together goat cheese, jack cheese, parsley, cilantro, almonds, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper.

Divide mixture into 8 equal portions and stuff into peppers.

Heat about 3/4" of oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat until temperature reaches about 375 degrees F.

Place flour on a plate and set aside.

Using an electric mixer beat egg whites and salt until they hold stiff peaks. Add 1 tablespoon flour and yolks, one at a time, beating in between each egg yolk.

Dip each stuffed peppers into flour and then into egg batter and then into hot oil. When they are golden turn them over and fry on other side. Remove to a paper towel with a slotted spoon. Cook them in batches so you don't overcrowd pan. Keep them warm as they are cooked by placing them in a 200 degree F. oven.

Top with pico de gallo salsa* and serve immediately.

For the Pico de Gallo
1/2 small white or red onion or 8 slender scallions finely chopped, rinsed, and drained
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded, if desired, and finely diced
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
1 medium garlic clove minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Combine all ingredients.

Photo by mkorcuska on Flickr

GFCF Weekly Roundup: Lemon Polenta Cake

In honor of Oranges and Lemons Day next week (March 30th), I thought this would be the perfect recipe to feature! The whole thing comes together really quickly and the bake-time rivals a pan of brownies. Polenta, reconfigured as grits in the South, comes in both an instant and original varieties.

GFCF Lemon Polenta Cake
Ingredients
2 cups gluten free flour
1/4 cup polenta (coarse ground cornmeal)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lime zest
Powdered sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 9" springform pan on the bottom and sides.

In a medium bowl, combine gluten free flour, polenta, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small, separate bowl, combine oil, lemon juice and vanilla extract. In a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar on medium speed until thick, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually beat in oil mixture and lime zest. Gently fold in dry ingredients until just blended.

Scrape batter into prepared springform pan. Bake for about 50 minutes or until center springs back when lightly pressed. Let cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Release cake from spring form pan and let cool completely. Cut into wedges and dust with powdered sugar.

Photo by avlyxyz on Flickr.

Product Review - Eena Kadeena Mock-Zah Ball Mix

Produced by Eena Kadeena, LLC.
2095 NW Aloclek Dr.
Suite 1114
Hillsboro, OR 97124

Tel. (503) 705-3007
info@eenakadeena.com
Twitter @eenakadeena // on Facebook

Ingredients
Organic quinoa flakes, organic potato flakes, dehydrated onion, salt, organic dehydrated garlic, guar gum, vegetable mono diglycerides, black pepper.

Overall Rating - 5/5 Stars
With Passover coming up, keep these in mind! They are sure to be crowd pleasers and make for a gluten-friendly holiday for everyone. Not traditional, but allergy friendly - I'm down.

Taste
Becky: Delicious. Period. Okay, not really, because I'm not known to be a woman of few words, and leaving my review at "delicious" just wouldn't cut it where Mock-Zah Balls are concerned! I do believe that this will be the first time my review will be an unqualified, no-questions-left-to-ask "Five Stars." I'm not Jewish, and matzah balls have never been in my culinary repertoire, so this was a whole new world for me. My only experience with matzah balls was when I was very young, and I just don't remember anything spectacular about them. That all changed when I made them from this mix. These are truly wonderful - tasty on their own (yes, I ate two right out of the pot), and even more so after dropping into my homemade chicken soup. I will add these to my grocery list from now on because they are... I'm repeating myself... DELICIOUS!

Kelsey: I was actually rendered speechless by these little pockets of perfection. Really and truly! I was incredibly skeptical after the "dump everything in a bowl and combine" instructions, and when the balls floated to the surface of the boiling water only a minute after I first submerged them, I feared for the worst: "25 more minutes? Are they nuts?" But as with every product review, I always follow the instructions to the letter - and were my (non)efforts rewarded! This mix came together so easily, the most difficult part was waiting while the mix chilled in the refrigerator and boiled merrily on the stovetop! They were perfect - better than the "real deal", if you ask me. Perfectly seasoned (not too salty, just enough garlic and spices to taste like they have been simmering in Bubbe's chicken soup all day!), they soak up just enough broth to taste like whatever soup you're serving them in without becoming flavorless themselves - so perfect!

Texture
Becky: It's hard to be critical when something is as tasty as these are! The texture is NORMAL. Yep - totally, utterly, dumpling-y NORMAL! Perfectly chewy and full of the broth flavor of my soup on the outside, tender and flavorful on their own inside. There's nothing more to say here except "perfection".

Kelsey: I swear, better than their gluten-filled counterparts! Not in the least bit dry or mealy, the quinoa and potato flakes combined into the dynamic duo of deliciousness! They weren't gummy or soggy or chewy or crumbly or anything less than unbelievable! Now, I didn't finish all of mine in a single batch, so I took one of the dozen or so that wound up in a tupperware container in the refrigerator and ate it. Cold. Standing right in front of the fridge, door open. It was amazing. They were still moist, 36 hours later in a container that, admittedly, does not seal very well (I'm a broke post-grad, ok?!) and they were still perfect. How do you top that?!

Storage
Becky: This is the most gorgeous, space-saving packaging I've ever seen. There's little waste here - the box is small - about the size of a box of tea - , and I actually held a nagging doubt that there was enough mix in the box to be worth it. There is, and the box is so pretty I might just want to store it on the counter! Inside is a clear plastic liner that I really like - easy to see exactly what I'm getting in that pretty box, and such thin plastic that there's little waste inside the box, too.

Kelsey: Cutest. Packaging. Ever. "Mock-Zah Balls" and "'Chai' our pancakes" - stylish design, conveniently sized box, trendy colors and punny titles - love it!

Cost
Becky: On the Eena Kadeen website this mix sells for $7.95 - not out of the realm of realistic for such a high-quality gluten free product, and I will certainly be purchasing these to have on hand. Also, from what I can glean about the making of gluten-rich matzah balls, the simplicity of making these in comparison makes the cost well worthwhile. I hope the price doesn't go any higher, though - that might put them into the category of "special events food," instead of the category they belong in for me: "staple".

Kelsey: AMEN.

Availability
The Mock-Zah Ball mix, along with a range of other gluten free mixes, is available on the Eena Kadeena website for now. Those living in California, Washington state, and Oregon will find the mixes in a small handful of stores as well. I still give this a five star rating because the web ordering through the company is so safe and easy, and also given the number of people who own computers on which to do their ordering!

Recipe of the Week: Cream of Mushroom Soup

Perfectly paired with our hot sandwich recipes featuring Udi's Gluten Free Bread and some really unique flavors! With winter weather still being felt across the nation, warm up and hunker down with the ultimate comfort foods...

Cream of Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
2 pounds mushrooms, reserve 4 mushrooms and chop the rest
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 shallots, minced
5 cups cream
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon chives, minced
1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped

Directions
Select and set aside 4 nice looking mushrooms for garnish.

In a large heavy saucepan, melt butter and oil over medium heat. Add chopped mushrooms and shallots to the pan and saute for 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Add cream and stir, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 more minutes.

Transfer small batches of soup to a food processor and puree. Return to the pan and add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Reheat the soup. Cut the reserved mushrooms into 1/4" slices and toss them in the lemon juice. Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with mushroom slices, chives and parsley. Serve immediately.

Hale's Kitchen: Hunter's Valentine Lava Cakes

This month, Glutenfreeda's budding young chef Hunter Hale shows us how to make Chocolate Lava Cakes, just in time for Valentine's Day! Perfect single-serving desserts, these decadent cakes come together as easy as pie and are a great way to impress and pamper that special someone this weekend!

Chocolate Lava Cake

Ingredients
Centers**
2 oz. semi-sweet gf chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup whipping cream

For cake
Unsalted butter or gf non-stick cooking spray for ramekins
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup gluten free flour mix (we love Jules All-Purpose Blend)
Fresh strawberries for garnish

Directions
Centers

Add chocolate and whipping cream to the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir until all is melted and blended. Remove from heat and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill. When chilled, scoop chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula and form into 6- 1" balls.

Place balls in a small bowl and keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

Cake
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray 6 ramekins with gf non-stick cooking spray.
Add 4 oz. chopped chocolate and butter to the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir until melted and blended; remove from heat. Add eggs, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla to a medium bowl and beat on high speed for about 5 minutes, until pale and thick. Fold melted chocolate and flour into egg mixture until all is blended.

Spoon batter into ramekins. Place 1 chocolate ball in the middle of each ramekin. Gently press ball to bottom of ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes; remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Run a small knife along the edge of the ramekins and invert onto serving plates. Top each lava cake with sliced strawberries. Serve immediately.

**For an even easier option, use store-bought gluten-free chocolate truffles in the flavor of your choosing and simply press into the batter as you would our chocolate centers!

Hale's Kitchen: Jule's Gluten Free Flour Pizza Crust

In this month's edition of the magazine, we have a new feature: Hale's Kitchen. A new monthly video series featuring Hunter Hale, our teen chef in residence, teaching a cooking class. This month's recipe is for Jule's GF Flour pizza crust (our favorite so far). In this month's video, Hunter shows us how to make both Jule's GF Flour pizza crust and turn it into a pepperoni pizza. We are so excited to have two fantastic video cooking classes - Cybele Pascal's allergy friendly webisodes and now, Hunter in Hale's Kitchen.

Menu Monday: Warm & Cozy Winter Meal

With a new spin on some comfort food classics, this week's menu will keep you warm and toasty on even the coldest and snowiest of nights! Better yet, this meal is perfect for company - just adjust each recipe as needed to serve the number of guests in attendance!

Make this menu GFCF/Dairy-free by substituting EarthBalance for butter in the recipes, omitting the biscuits and swapping out the Butterscotch Pie for Cybele Pascal's Allergy-Friendlty Fudge!

On the Menu
Gougere with Cheddar and Pecans
Apple, Walnut & Endive Salad
Braised Beef with Soft Polenta
Broccoli Casserole
Butterscotch Mousse Pie

GFCF Weekly Roundup: Coconut Tapioca Custard

One of our tried and true favorites, this soymilk based custards is silky and delicious! Topped with sliced bananas and toasted coconut, this dessert combines the best of silky and crunchy, sweet and salty. Perhaps add a drizzle of homemade rum caramel for a more decadent option.

Coconut Tapioca Custard
Ingredients

1 cup, plus 2 Tablespoons soy milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup uncooked, quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 teaspoon salt
One 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sliced bananas & shredded coconut for garnish

Directions
In a medium saucepan whisk together soy milk, sugar, tapioca, salt, coconut milk, and egg. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Bring to a boil over medium heat; stirring constantly. Cook for 30 seconds at a boil; stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract.

Pour mixture into individual ramekins. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

To serve: slice bananas over the top of each custard and sprinkle with shredded coconut.

Recipe of the Week: Apple Cranberry Pie

This week's featured recipe is our famous Apple Cranberry pie - an all-American favorite with a festive twist!

Even better, making this recipe gluten-free/dairy-free (GFCF) is well, as easy as pie! Especially using Gluten Free Mama's pie crust mix (our latest and greatest discovery!) and Earthbalance butter substitute, this can be allergy friendly in minutes. Egg free? Just follow Mama's directions using honey instead of egg white and skip the egg white glaze and you're good to go!

Apple Cranberry Pie

Ingredients
Our Basic Pie Crust recipe OR Gluten Free Mama's Pie Crust Mix
6 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon arrowroot
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F.

Place sliced apples and cranberries in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, allspice, cinnamon, and arrowroot. Add sugar-spice mixture to apples and toss to thoroughly coat. Cover tightly and set aside.

Prepare dough according to package directions. Divide dough in half and roll out to 10 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thickness (this is best achieved between 2 sheets of plastic wrap). Carefully remove top sheet of plastic wrap and invert over pie dish. Peel off top layer of plastic wrap and fit crust into the bottom of the pie dish, allowing about 1 inch to fall over the sides of the dish. Roll out remaining dough to the same size, again between plastic wrap. Place apple mixture in the pie dish. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap from pie crust, invert and lay on top of pie. Remove remaining sheet of plastic wrap and fold under edges to seal the crust. Crimp edges with the index finger of one hand and the thumb and index finger of the other. Cut several small slits in the pie to allow steam to escape. Brush center of pie with egg white (but not edges, since this could cause the outer edges to brown too quickly). Sprinkle top of pie with sugar.

Bake pie at 450°F for 10 minutes. Rotate pie and reduce heat to 375°F and continue to bake for another 45-50 minutes, or until top of pie is nicely browned, apples are tender and juices are bubbling. Remove pie from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour before serving.

This Week's Recipe: Potatoes au Gratin

This week we're actually featuring two different versions of this classic comfort food. The first recipe is more traditional, but still comes together quickly. The second version, in addition to being low-fat, is one of my favorite no-muss no-fuss one-pan dishes! Enjoy!

Creamy Potatoes au Gratin

Ingredients
2 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/4 cups hot Cheddar Cheese Sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
Dash of paprika

Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Place the potato slices and garlic cloves in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook 8 minutes or until just tender. Drain.

Combine the Cheddar Cheese Sauce, salt and pepper.

Arrange half of the cooked potatoes and garlic in a 2-quart lightly buttered baking dish. Pour half of the sauce mixture over potatoes. Repeat the procedure with remaining potatoes and garlic and remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Creamless Potatoes au Gratin

Ingredients
3 cups gf chicken stock
Salt and fresh ground pepper
6 large white new or Yukon potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced to about 1/4"
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 3 quart baking dish.

Add the stock to a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the sliced potatoes in the baking dish and pour the hot stock over potatoes to cover. Cover the dish with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Sprinkle the Gruyere over the top and place under the broiler. Broil until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.