4 U Gluten Free

Creamed Potato Casserole

Cooler weather calls for “stick-to-your-ribs” comfort food. When I ran across this recipe, I knew I had to try it. With a little tweaking and putting my spin on it, I am sharing my Creamed Potato Casserole (recipe follows).

I am a huge fan of creamed, not mashed, potatoes anyway. I shared how I make my creamed potatoes. Please note: if this particular step is replaced with instant potatoes or mashed potatoes, the results will be very different and not as—well—creamy.

Back to the point at hand, this particular dish just hit the spot with me. When you add cheese to creamed potatoes, well what can I say other than “Bring them babies on”. Another thing I especially enjoy about this dish is that it can be assembled, but not cooked, one day prior. Just be sure to allow casserole to come to room temperature before baking.

For those of you concerned about the calories or trying to cut back on casein in your diet, you might want to use low-fat milk or vegetable based milk. The taste, however, will not be the same.

Here are my recipes & how I put these together:

Creamed Potatoes:

4 large red potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups water or enough to cover cubes potatoes

2 tablespoons butter (no substitutes)

1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream, at room temperature

1. Place pealed, cubed potatoes in large sauce pan. Cover with water, about 2 to 3 cups. Add butter. Turn heat to medium high; bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low.

2. Boil for 25 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are very soft. Remove from heat and drain. Add room temperature heavy cream; using an electric hand mixer, whip potatoes until creamed.

Casserole:

2 cups creamed potatoes

1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, softened to room temperature

1 teaspoon dried chives

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, with parsley

1/4 cup gluten free bread crumbs

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/3 cup four cheese blend, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a1-quart casserole with gluten free non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Place creamed potatoes, sour cream, cream cheese, chives, and garlic salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon to combine. Spoon into prepared casserole dish.

3. Combine butter and bread crumbs; sprinkle over creamed potato mixture.

4. Place uncooked casserole on aluminum baking sheet; place in preheated oven. Bake 50 to 60 minutes.

5. Remove from oven. Reposition rack to the top and turn oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle with four cheese blend; broil 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese begins to melt and brown lightly. Remove and serve immediately.

Servings: 6

Author’s Note: I keep bread crumbs that I made in my freezer at all times. Just bake a couple of loaves of your favorite bread, place in your food processor and about 30 of seconds later, you will have plenty of bread crumbs on hand for use when you need them. If you are short on time, a loaf of store bought certified gluten free bread will also work—just more expensive.

Oven Temperature: 350°F

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes

Nutrition (per serving): 406 calories, 216 calories from fat, 24.6 g total fat, 64.5 mg cholesterol, 354 mg sodium, 926.6 mg potassium, 41 g carbohydrates, 2.9 g fiber, 2.8 g sugar, 7.4 g protein.

Author: Dr. Jacquelyn P. Horne

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Hot Crab Dip (Adapted from Hannah Flanagan’s Irish Pub)

This is probably the most successful as well as the most requested dip I make. Seldom is any left. I especially like to serve this elegant dip during the cooler season of the year. Warm on the inside is just plain better when the cooler winds of winter blow.

As elegant as it is delicious, my Hot Crab Dip (recipe follows) makes a real statement at holiday gatherings, or at anytime I want to impress my guests. Just be sure none of your guests have a shellfish allergy. That is a big oops! No one wants to drag out their Epipen.

Three Cheese Risotto

I just love any type of risotto, especially when they include cheese—the more, the better. They are easy to make; cook in the oven freeing you up to do other things, and in our case, I can cook once and then with the addition of just a couple of ingredients, I can have two more completely different dishes.

This recipe is the perfect example. We enjoyed our Three Cheese Risotto (recipe follows) the first evening just as written.

Then, for round 2, I added a couple of thinly sliced mushrooms, sautéed in butter. I simply added enough of the risotto for two generous servings into the skillet with my sautéed mushrooms and added a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream to add to the creamy consistency. When heated thoroughly, we were good to go.

For round 3, again I placed enough of the original risotto in a deep skillet and again I added a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream and 2 cups of fresh, washed and dried baby spinach leaves. When the spinach leaves wilt and the extra liquid is absorb, the risotto is ready to be served with an entrée of choice.

If you want to cut down just a tad on calories, feel free to substitute almond milk or coconut milk for the heavy cream. This is a real keeper in my book.

Roasted Vegetable Frittata

Love, love, love . . . this wonderfully easy gluten free side dish. This hummer makes a huge dish. For me, that means I can divide into two halves, freezing one-half for later use or give to someone from my church who is shut in or sick. Pretty cool and yummy stuff, huh?

Don't like zucchini? No problem! Pick a veggie YOU like; slice/chop into a similar size and follow the same procedure. The results should be the same.

Creating an easy, tasty and very elegant side dish is easier than you might think. Brussels sprouts receive a bad rap, but given a fair shake, these may become your “go-to” favorite side dish. They are mine! This particular recipe, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Mustard Vinaigrette (recipe follows), is free of all the recognized allergens plus gluten.

Tell me! Doesn’t get much better than that, now does it?

There is a finite amount of vegetables to choose from where I live, Finding creative ways to make “ole’ timers” such as asparagus just a little different is one way to WOW your guest ever time.

I especially like to serve roasted asparagus for many reasons. One is the pretty green color really pops on a buffet table, especially if served on a white platter. Two is asparagus cooks quickly, usually in 8 to 15 minutes. Three is the availability and the price.

This is one of my favorites. Since we do not have a problem with anything other than gluten, I add toasted pine nuts to many dishes. A few add, just as in this recipe, provide a nice crunch while the salt simply enhances the flavor. From start to finish, this jewel of a recipe is complete in less than 20 minutes.

You may notice I used toasted sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts, thus eliminating an additional allergen. Otherwise, the process is essentially the same; the results just as fabulous!

With the holiday season right around the corner, it is not too early to stock up on party foods. My recipe for Mini Spinach Frittatas (recipe follows) is naturally gluten free—no converting necessary. Just make, serve and watch them disappear. These are like little bite-sized crustless quiches. If you want to make these little guys a day ahead, they reheat in the microwave really well and make great little breakfast bites to take along on trips any time of the year.

Here is my recipe:

1 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated

2/3 cup mushroom, finely chopped

1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed dry

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

24 1 3/8-inch slices pepperoni slices

Fresh oregano sprigs

Here is how I made these little frittatas:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray 24 miniature muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Place ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, mushrooms, spinach, egg, oregano and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to thoroughly combine all ingredients; set aside.

3. Place one slice of pepperoni into the bottom of each muffin cup. Fill each muffin cup three-fourths full with cheese mixture. Place filled muffin tin in center of baking sheet.

4. Place baking sheet in preheated oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. To remove frittatas from muffin tins, carefully run knife blade around edges of muffin cup to loosen. Serve warm with sprigs of fresh oregano.

Servings: 12 Yield: 24

Author: Dr. Jacquelyn P. Horne

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Peppermint Jelly

With the end of summer past and my herbs getting leggy, I gave them a good haircut, laying the leaves out to dry. Once dried, I grind and store them in sealed jars for use during the winter months.

One of the things I trimmed was my peppermint. Ummm! The aromatic fragrance of freshly cut mint is just beautiful. But, instead of drying, I decided to make Mint Jelly (recipe follows), which only has five ingredients.

One question that was brought to me attention was “What are you going to do with so much jelly—peppermint jelly, to be specific?” Good question! Ah! I have the perfect answer. Gifts! With a little fabric topper in a pretty fall print tied with packing twine and a little gift card attached, you have a perfect hostess gift.

Remember that mint jelly is great with lamb or over cream cheese spread over ginger snaps. Enjoy!

When asked about becoming a part of the outreach ministry for my church, I got to thinking about what I could share in addition to the words of Jesus with others. And because I am so keenly aware of the many, many folks with food allergies, some severe, in addition to those with diseases such as my husband's Celiac disease, I came up with a two part idea that is easy enough children can help. Use canola oil to eliminate all of the recognized allergens.

First, we will make Homemade Sun Butter (recipe follows). Second, the sun butter that is our gift along with a recipe for Sun Butter Cookies ( Click here for the recipe) which the family we are visiting can make with the their children and family.

My Homemade Sun Butter is terrific on gluten free crackers or as a substitute in any recipe that calls for peanut or any other nut butter. My version is much cheaper than the store bought stuff and tastes better. Why does my Homemade Sun Butter taste better? Because it is made with love.

The attached card is easily made with any desk-top publishing program and a color printer, or hand write the recipe and simply add a fall sticker from the craft store.

Smoky Ham and Bacon with Cheese Breakfast Quiche

Anything naturally gluten free is always a plus in my book, saving me the time and frustration of the trial-an-error of converting a traditional recipe to gluten free. A breakfast casserole is always a good choice when short on time. For us, a breakfast quiche is the perfect answer. I like to make up two or three, cook them and then put in my freezer just for those occasions when I don’t have time or feel like cooking. All you have to do is thaw, slice, heat and serve. And, when called on in a moments notice to produce a dish for someone else, you don’t have to think about time and energy.

Just look at the layers of delicious flavors all in one dish!

One of our favs is my Smoky Bacon and Ham with Cheese Quiche (recipe follows). With no crust, this one is naturally gluten free. Boy, when you combine bacon, smoked ham and cheese, you just about can’t get any better than this.

In addition to fab flavor, the terrific thing about this particular quiche is that it takes advantage of leftover ham or those few slices of bacon at the end of a package. Just about a perfect recipe!

Open Faced Mini Muffulettas

Finger foods are a natural for any party, get together, tailgating and the list goes on and on. One that we liked a lot with heavier wines from our the days of our wine tasting parties at The Brass Brassiere was our "Open Faced Mini Muffulettas". The flavors are heavy enough for more robust wine. Here's to you!

Herbed Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Shrimp

During the years we owned a wine, gift and antique shop named The Brass Brassiere, we hosted somewhere between one and four wine tastings per month. Do I need to point out we were busy?

One thing we learned early on was that shellfish lends itself perfectly to lighter bodied white wines. Since I had the responsibility for selecting and preparing the appetizers, I was constantly on the lookout for quick and easy appetizers. During the latter part of our tenure as shop owners, I also sought nibbles that were naturally gluten free.

This appetizer was one of our patrons' favorites, thus there would never be a shrimp left. When serving shellfish, you always need a back up appetizer for those with shellfish allergies.

Chicken Fresca

I have a confession. Sometimes when stumped for something for dinner, I begin by “shopping” in my refrigerator and pantry. What do I have on hand that I can simply throw together, thus taking advantage of fresh veggies I already have on hand.

My Chicken Fresca (recipe follows) is just such a creation. Since I have a dedicated gluten free kitchen, you know this gorgeous dish is naturally gluten free. Just look at the quantity of quality food you are getting for only 260 calories—a really low calorie entrée in my opinion.

I couple this with my Easy Cheesy Risotto (Click link for recipe). The beauty of this winning combination is while the risotto cooks, you can prep and prepare the Chicken Fresca. Everything comes together at virtually the same time.

Here is my recipe:

2 6-ounce boneless skinless chicken breast

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Italian seasonings

3 each small (2 to 3 inch) tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup sweet onion, diced

1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup fresh baby spinach, washed

Here is how I made this dish:

1. Place chicken breast flat on cutting board and slice crossways into 1/4 inch thick slices, set aside.

2. Place olive oil in cold skillet; add chicken breast slices, stirring to coat. Add Italian seasoning and stir.

3. Place skillet over to medium-high heat. Once chicken begins to sizzle, cook 2 minutes on each side.

4. Add tomatoes, onions, bell pepper and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and continue to stir frequently until onion begins to look translucent, about 4 minutes

5. Add spinach, stir until wilted, remove from heat, salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Nutrition (per serving): 260 calories, 97 calories from fat, 11 g total fat, 78.5 mg cholesterol, 177.3 mg sodium, 950.7 mg potassium, 13.2g carbohydrates, 3.4 g fiber, 7.5 g sugar, 28.3 g protein.

Author: Dr. Jacquelyn P. Horne

Easy Cheese Risotto

You know I love anything with cheese. My Easy Cheesy Risotto (recipe follows) is naturally gluten free, no tweaking necessary. The water chestnuts give this dish a little much needed crunch. To jazz things up a bit, just add a dash or two of ground cumin.

What I like most about this recipe—other than the cheese—is the Arborio rice, elevating this dish a couple of notches. This simple change turns a simple risotto into a gourmet delight.

I paired this my Chicken Fresca (Click link for recipe) for a complete, beautiful meal.

Refrigerator Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

These little nuggets of goodness are so sweet and yummy, they truly make you feel pampered and naughty. These are absolutely divine with a cup of coffee or as a little side treat to a bowl of ice cream. But, they are so rich, they will take your breath away if you try to scarf them down. If someone cannot eat peanuts, feel free to substitute sun butter or almond butter. To cut the sweetness, you might like to substitute 1/2 or the granulated sugar with brown sugar. No matter how you cut it, these are to die for: I promise.

Butter Pecan Pork Chops

Want something yummy and quick for dinner tonight? I have the perfect solution for you. My Butter Pecan Pork Chops are quick to get into the oven, moist and absolutely delicious. I plated them with heirloom tomatoes from my little backyard garden and my Brazilian Cheese Bread (click here for recipe) recipe.

I have a true confession here! I call this recipe mine, but my sweet hubby was actually the one who came up with this idea. We tweaked it a couple of times, and this is the final, perfected recipe.

You will notice that the nutritional information for this recipe is conspicuously absent. There is a very good reason. The program I use us calculate the nutritional information is based on data from USDA. However, the calorie count for pecans was incorrectly entered. Until I can manually update my ingredient list, I thought you would rather have this fab recipe without the nutritional information than wait for slow poke here is manually add and calculate this ingredient.

Enjoy!

Here is my recipe:

3 5-ounce pork chops, boneless

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon cognac

1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Here is how I put this entrée together:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While oven is heating...

2. While over is heating, melt butter in 2 cup measuring cup. Add sage and pecans. Mix well; set aside.

3. Prepare grill pan with rack by lining pan with aluminum foil (if desired) and spray rack with non stick cooking spray.

4. Put a thin layer of the pecan/butter mix on pork chops, place dressed side down on rack. Spread remainder of the butter/pecan mix on the top side of the pork chops.

5. Place chops in oven, cook 30 minutes or until juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven, tent with aluminum foil for 5 to 10 minutes.

Author’s Note: Process pecans in food processor until approximately the texture of coarse ground corn meal.

Servings: 3

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Author: Dr. Jacquelyn P. Horne

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Semi-Homemade Marinara Sauce

Let’s face it, sometimes you simply do not have enough time to make everything from scratch. Marinara is one such dish for me. By beginning with a big old can of diced tomatoes (I use Hunt’s Diced with Basil and Oregano), you are way ahead of the power curve. The key to this particular dish is the use of fresh herbs, right off my deck and out of my backyard. If you do not have access to fresh herbs, you can substitute dry. When using dried instead of fresh herbs, use only 1/3 to 1/2 as much as dried herbs are so much more potent than fresh.

I use this marinara sauce over spaghetti or pasta and entrees of all sorts. For an example go to my Italian and Parmesan Stuffed Breasts (click on this link for recipe)that are served over corn pasta.

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

With summer winding down, I have a super recipe for you that is easy, yummy and takes advantage of seasonal fare. This particular recipe is naturally gluten free right out of the shoot—not tweaking needed. However, there is one teeny warning: this recipe is the definition of the words “serve immediately”.

Here is my recipe:

1 medium zucchini, unpeeled, and cut in 1/4" slices

1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly ground grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup bread crumbs, gluten free, toasted,

1 pinch salt

Here is how I made this recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; coat with gluten free non-stick cooking spray.

2. Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch slices. Place olive oil in medium-sized mixing bowl. Add zucchini and toss.

3. Place in a small mixing bowl, combine Parmesan cheese, toasted bread crumbs and salt. Use a wooden spoon to thoroughly mix.

4. Dip each slice of zucchini into the Parmesan mixture, turning to coat evenly on both sides. Gently press coating to stick. Place zucchini slices in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Remove from baking sheet and serve immediately.

Servings: 4

Oven Temperature: 450°F

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Nutrition (per serving): 77 calories, 35 calories from fat, 4 g total fat, 5.5 mg cholesterol, 221.6 mg sodium, 149 mg potassium, 6.6 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 1.7 g sugar, 3.9 g protein.

Author: Dr. Jacquelyn P. Horne