Posts tagged ‘gluten-free’
Blueberry pie
This is the pie I made for Thanksgiving Dinner this year. It’s adapted from Canadian Living’s recipe for Old-Fashioned Blueberry Pie. I’ve made it gluten free and added in more lemon and more blueberries. The overwhelming sentiment about the pie was, “Wow, that is a LOT of blueberries!” I used one and a half big baskets of blueberries that my parents picked up at Granville Island while they were out exploring, and it probably amounted to at least a cup more than what’s below. If you too want a gigantic pie with LOTS of blueberries, go crazy and jam them in there like we did.
In all three big baskets of blueberries came home from Granville Island. We enjoyed the rest with yogurt the morning after Thanksgiving dinner and then each had a big bowl of fresh blueberries for dessert that evening. Just plain blueberries – so good. The rest finally made their way into a coffee cake for breakfast this week.
Blueberry pie
Filling
6 cups blueberries
3/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons gluten-free flour
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pastry
2-1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon lemon rind
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cubed
1/4 cup ice water
3 tbsp sour cream
1 egg white
Mix flour, xanthan gum, salt and lemon rind. Using pastry blender, cut in butter and shortening until mixture is in fine crumbs with a few larger pieces.
In small bowl, whisk water with sour cream; drizzle over dry ingredients, stirring briskly with fork to form ragged dough and adding more water, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, if too dry. Divide in half; press into discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
In large bowl, combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, flour, lemon rind, lemon juice and cinnamon; set aside.
On lightly floured surface, roll out half of the pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Pour in the blueberry filling and then roll out the remaining pastry. I sliced mine into strips for a criss-cross pattern, which I find much easier than trying to transfer over a whole top sheet of pastry.
Brush the top pastry and the edges with a bit of egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in the bottom part of the oven at 425F for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350F and bake until the filling is thickened and the pie is golden, about 35-45 minutes. I usually put a bit of foil around the edges and top of the pie so it doesn’t burn and gradually remove it as the cooking time goes by.
Let cool on rack and serve. Ours made enough for 6 generous helpings plus a big piece leftover.
Potato chickpea and kale curry
I wrote recently about the fact that I am now cooking with real cream. In the days of old, I was a substituter – always finding inventive ways to step around full-fat ingredients like cream, butter, cheese and oil. No more. Cream is now part of the weekly shopping list. That aside, I am usually pretty health-conscious in my eating and cooking and I realize that it’s important to strike a balance. Gluten-free and vegetarian is the main fare coming out of my kitchen, and this curry dish with chickpeas, kale, and potatoes falls squarely in the virtuous category. Kale is also one of the few vegetables that is truly local this time of year. Walking around neighbourhood and community garden plots this winter, I’ve discovered that kale grows year-round in Vancouver. It will definitely be part of my cool-weather gardening mix this year.
Potato, chickpea and kale curry
4 cups cooked potatoes, diced about 1-inch square
1-1/2 cups chickpeas, drained (about 1 can)
2 cups chopped fresh kale
1-1/2 cups coconut milk (1 can)
2 tablespoons green curry paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Combine potatoes, chickpeas and kale in a casserole dish. Mix together coconut milk, curry paste, sugar, soy sauce and ginger juice in a small bowl and pour over top potato mixture. Stir gently to mix. Bake in a 375F oven for 25-30 minutes and top with fresh cilantro.
Raspberry chocolate scones
In honour of Valentine’s Day, here is the recipe for my husband’s favourite breakfast scones – raspberry with bittersweet chocolate. Gluten-free, of course, and best paired with a steamy hot chocolate. What a good wife I am for making these for breakfast today.
1-1/2 cups flour*
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup flaxseed meal or ground flaxseed
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used bittersweet)
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix together flour (and xanthan gum for gluten-free), sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and flaxseed. Stir in raspberries and chocolate chips, and then add yogurt and vanilla. Stir together only until the dry ingredients are well-mixed with the yogurt. Spoon onto a greased baking sheet and bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until scones are lightly browned.
*I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour mix. For gluten-free, also add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum.
Crustless quiche
When we were in Spain this summer I fell in love with the tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelette) that were served at breakfast buffets and on tapas menus. I also really enjoy quiche, but often don’t have the time or motivation to make the crust. Plus, we’re gluten-free and if there is a way to cut out things like pastry, I’m all for that.
I concocted this egg dish as something in between a French quiche and a Spanish tortilla. The recipe is below, but the idea is simple. Grease a glass pie plate or casserole, pile in cooked potatoes and other vegetables until the dish is about three-quarters full, sprinkle cheese on top and then cover with eggs beaten together with a splash of milk. Bake until the eggs set and eat it hot or cold anytime during the day.
Crustless quiche
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
2 cups cooked potatoes, finely diced or thinly sliced
1/2 small onion, minced
1-1/2 cups chopped vegetables (I used asparagus and red pepper here)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
Grease a glass pie plate with oil. Layer in potatoes, onion and vegetables and sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika and dill. Add cheese on top of the veggie mixture. Whisk the eggs and milk together and pour over top of the vegetables. Bake at 400F for about 30-40 minutes until the eggs are set and the top of the quiche is golden brown. Serve with fruit and muffins for breakfast or with salad for lunch or dinner.
Like this:
Strawberry salad!
A quick post to point you in the direction of my strawberry salad recipe. It’s strawberry season again and enjoying the ripe red fruit in a delicious salad is a rite of summer for me. I found beautiful BC-grown organic strawberries for sale at the corner store on our street this week and I’ve been blissfully eating my way through a big basket for the past two days.
I’ve updated the original recipe to include mint and chopped green onions along with the salad greens, strawberries and goat cheese. Those herbs combined with the creamy cheese and the juicy sweetness of the strawberries is a magical pairing.
Happy strawberry finding and salad eating!
