100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes

By Carol Fenster

John Wiley & Sons

Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-470-47583-6

Chapter One

BREAKFASTS, BREADS, AND MUFFINS

BREAKFASTS

Gluten-Free Naked Granola

Breakfast Egg and Cheese Strata

Cheese Blintzes with Cherries

Buttermilk Pancakes

Basic Bacon and Cheese Quiche

QUICK BREADS AND MUFFINS

Hush Puppies

Cornbread

Buttermilk Biscuits

Irish Soda Bread

Herb Popovers

Banana Bread

Old-Fashioned Molasses Quick Bread

Cranberry-Orange Scones with Orange Glaze

Chocolate Chip Muffins with White Chocolate Drizzle

Basic Muffins with Streusel Topping

YEAST BREADS

White Sandwich Yeast Bread

High-Fiber Bran Yeast Bread

Light Rye Beer Yeast Bread

Cinnamon Raisin Yeast Bread

French Yeast Bread

Pumpernickel French Yeast Bread

Pepperoni Pizza

Soft Pretzels

Focaccia with Herbs

Fresh Chive Flatbread with Dipping Oil

Breadsticks

BREAKFASTS

Gluten-Free Naked Granola

MAKES 4 CUPS

This is a simple, lightly sweetened yet tasty version of granola. Without the “lumps and bumps” of nuts and fruit it is “naked,” and you can personalize it for piecrusts, toppings for fruit crisps, or as a base for trail mixes for the kids. For a sweeter granola, increase the honey to 1/2 cup.

3 cups gluten-free rolled oats* 1 cup raw natural coconut or sweetened coconut flakes 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup honey 1/4 cup boiling water 1/4 cup canola oil 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a 15 x 10-inch baking sheet (not nonstick) with parchment paper or lightly coat with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, place the oats, coconut, cinnamon, and salt and toss to thoroughly combine.

3. In a small bowl, combine the liquid ingredients and stir until the honey is dissolved. Pour over the dry ingredients and toss with a rubber spatula until thoroughly combined. (The mixture will be fairly wet and look very glossy.) Place the granola on the prepared sheet and spread to a thin layer.

4. Bake 15 minutes and stir. Bake another 15 minutes and stir again. Continue baking in 10-minute increments until the granola is golden brown, or browned to the desired degree. Cool the granola in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Refrigerate, tightly sealed, in a food storage bag or container, up to 2 weeks, or on your pantry shelf for up to 1 week.

CHEWY GRANOLA BARS

MAKES 24 BARS

1/4 cup unsalted butter or buttery spread, at room temperature 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 cups Gluten-Free Naked Granola (page 21) 1 cup Perky’s Nutty Flax cereal 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup gluten-free semisweet chocolate chips

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, honey, and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

2. Stir in the granola, flax cereal, cinnamon, xanthan gum, and salt with a wooden spoon until blended. Then stir in the chocolate chips. Spread in a 13 x 9-inch ungreased glass baking dish. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.

MAKING GRANOLA INTO TRAIL MIX

Add 1/2 cup whole almonds, 1/4 cup dried bananas, 1/4 cup dark raisins, 1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots, and 1/2 cup gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips. Store in a dark, dry, slightly cool place for up to 1 week.

COOKED WHOLE GRAINS FOR BREAKFAST

Living gluten-free doesn’t mean giving up cereal, which is usually wheat-based. These healthy, gluten-free whole grains cook up into marvelous hot cereals. If these grains are new to you, see page 12, for more information.

Cooking times vary by the age of the grains, their moisture content, and the height and depth of your pot. If the grains are not done when the allotted time is up, add a little more water and continue cooking, always with a lid.

You may add salt and vanilla as the grains cook. Jazz them up for the kids by adding cinnamon, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, fresh fruit, jam, jelly, or applesauce.

Breakfast Egg and Cheese Strata

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

This dish is perfect for entertaining because you assemble it the day before, refrigerate it overnight, and bake it the next day while you’re preparing the rest of the meal. For added flavor, replace 1/4 cup of the milk with your favorite dry white wine. This recipe is a great way to use up hard or stale bread.

10 slices White Sandwich Yeast Bread (page 48) or other gluten-free white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 cups Canadian-style bacon, finely diced 2 cups coarsely grated Gruyre or cheese alternative (about 6 ounces) 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese or cheese alternative 1/2 cup store-bought basil pesto 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons grated onion or 1 tablespoon dried minced onion 4 large eggs 3 cups milk of choice 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Generously grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, place the bread cubes, bacon, Gruyre, and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan; toss until thoroughly combined. In a small bowl, combine the pesto, oil, and onion, and toss with the bread until thoroughly blended. Spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

3. In the same large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and pour evenly over the bread cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

4. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish and sprinkle the strata with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until the top of the casserole is brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Cheese Blintzes with Cherries

MAKES 8 BLINTZES

Cheese blintzes, with their sweet topping, are perfect for brunch or dessert. This versatile crpe recipe can also be used for savory dishes as well.

CRPES

3/4 cup milk of choice 2/3 cup Carol’s Sorghum Blend (page 14) 2 large eggs 6 teaspoons unsalted butter or buttery spread, melted, or canola oil 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/8 teaspoon salt Additional butter, buttery spread, or canola oil, for frying

FILLING

1 cup ricotta cheese or firm silken tofu 1 small (3-ounce) package cream cheese or cream cheese alternative, at room temperature 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus 1/2 cup, for dusting Grated zest of 1 lemon 1 large egg, at room temperature 1 (20-ounce) can cherry pie filling

1. Make the crpes: In a blender, combine all the ingredients except the additional butter for frying, and process until the mixture is smooth. Just before frying the crpes, blend again to reincorporate the ingredients.

2. Heat an 8-inch skillet or seasoned crpe pan over medium-high heat until a drop of water dances on the surface. Brush the surface with butter.

3. For each crpe, pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into the pan and immediately tilt and swirl the pan to coat the bottom evenly with batter. Cook until the underside of the crpe is crispy brown, then flip the crpe with a thin spatula and cook the other side until the batter sets, about 20 to 30 seconds. (The first crpe will often not cook as well as succeeding crpes until the pan reaches the right temperature.) Stack the cooked crpes between sheets of aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or parchment paper to prevent drying out. Repeat with the remaining batter.

4. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

5. Make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat the ricotta and cream cheese together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the 3 tablespoons sugar, lemon zest, and egg until smooth. Spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture in a line along the lower third of each crpe. Fold the bottom edge away from you to just cover the cheese filling; then fold the 2 sides into the center. Roll the crpe away from you a couple of times to make a tight package, ending with the seam side down. Place the filled crpes in the prepared baking dish.

6. Bake until the egg is cooked and the cheese sets, 10 to 15 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the blintzes to serving plates. Dust with powdered sugar, spoon the cherry pie filling on top, and serve warm.

CHEESE BLINTZES with ASSORTED FRUITS In step 6, replace the cherry pie filling with apple, apricot, blackberry, or blueberry pie filling.

Buttermilk Pancakes

MAKES 4 LARGE PANCAKES

Serve these easy pancakes with butter and maple syrup, fresh fruit, or your favorite jam or jelly. For kid-size pancakes, use 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake.

1 cup Carol’s Sorghum Blend (page 14) 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/2 cup buttermilk or Homemade Buttermilk (page 29), well shaken, or more as needed 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or buttery spread, melted, or canola oil 1 large egg 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Additional butter, buttery spread, or canola oil, for frying

1. In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, sift together the sorghum blend, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum.

2. Gradually whisk in the buttermilk, butter, egg, and vanilla until very smooth. Let the batter stand 5 minutes and then adjust the consistency, with additional buttermilk, if needed (see Tips for Perfect Pancakes, page 29).

3. In a large nonstick (gray, not black) skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto the skillet and cook until bubbles appear on top of the pancake, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook until browned on the other side, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve immediately.

HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK

MAKES 1 CUP

Rice milk or potato milk will not thicken, so reduce the amount of rice or potato-based buttermilk in recipes by 25 percent. Be sure to shake or whisk the buttermilk well before measuring because the solids tend to settle at the bottom, making the first few cups thinner and the final few cups thicker.

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice 1 cup milk of choice

Put the vinegar in a measuring cup. Whisk in enough milk to equal 1 cup. Let stand 10 minutes to thicken slightly. Refrigerate the unused portion, tightly covered, for up to 1 week.

TIPS FOR PERFECT PANCAKES

Let the pancake batter stand 5 minutes before frying the pancakes. This gives the liquid and dry ingredients time to meld and reach the proper consistency.

Always start with a smaller amount of milk. If the batter looks too thick, add another 2 to 3 tablespoons milk to reach the desired consistency. The batter should be thick enough to spread only slightly when it hits the hot griddle, yet not so thick that it doesn’t spread at all. If it spreads very rapidly, add more sorghum blend 1 tablespoon at a time.

Browning time will vary with the ingredients in your pancake batter, but generally the pancakes are ready to be turned when bubbles start to appear on the surface of the batter. You can also determine if the underside is browned enough to turn by gently lifting the pancake with a spatula and taking a peek. Frying a “test” pancake is always a good idea to see if the skillet heat and the pancake batter are correctly calibrated.

Basic Bacon and Cheese Quiche

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Quiche is a great choice for an elegant brunch, lunch, or a light dinner. Pair it with a tossed green salad and some crusty French bread (see page 55) for a delightful meal. Keep a few piecrusts rolled out and stored flat in your freezer, and this quiche will go together quickly.

Basic Pastry Crust for a 9-inch single-crust pie (page 168) 1 large onion, thinly sliced 3 slices uncooked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces 4 large eggs 3/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk of choice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon sweet rice flour or potato starch 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 1 1/2 cups diced Swiss cheese or cheese alternative 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or cheese alternative

1. Place a rack in the bottom position and another rack in the middle position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400F. Fit the piecrust into a 9-inch pie pan and flute the edges, as directed on page 169; set aside.

2. In a heavy skillet, cook the onion and bacon together over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the bacon is crisp and the onion is tender. Transfer the onion and bacon to drain on paper towels and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, mustard, rice flour, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Stir in the cooked onion and bacon. Toss the cheeses together and add to the mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust.

4. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 15 minutes. Then move the quiche to the middle rack, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil, and continue baking until the quiche is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO QUICHE

In step 3, omit the nutmeg and stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme and 1/2 cup finely diced sun-dried tomatoes. Bake as directed.

SAUSAGE AND LEEK QUICHE

In step 2, replace the bacon with two links of gluten-free sausage, thinly sliced. Replace the onion with two thoroughly cleaned and rinsed, thinly sliced leeks (white parts only).

Hush Puppies

MAKES 10 HUSH PUPPIES

Hush puppies are deep-fried, crispy cornmeal delights-part cornbread and part fritter. They are very simple to prepare and best eaten right after they’re made. Make the smaller sizes for the kids.

1 1/2 cups gluten-free yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup Carol’s Sorghum Blend (page 14) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 large egg, beaten 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk of choice Peanut oil, for frying

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sorghum blend, baking powder, sugar, and salt until thoroughly blended.

2. Whisk in the onion and egg and enough of the milk to form a stiff batter.

3. In a deep pot, heat 3 inches of the oil to 365F, or use an electric deep-fryer, following the manufacturer’s directions. For regular-size hush puppies, drop tablespoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry until they’re golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. For larger hush puppies, use heaping tablespoons of batter. Remove the hush puppies with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Cornbread

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Serve this easy cornbread as a savory bread, or drizzle it with honey and butter for a sweet treat. Make muffins for the kids (see below). You can also add cheese, green chiles, or cooked pancetta for variety. Use leftover cornbread to make stuffing for pork chops or the holiday turkey.

2 large eggs, at room temperature 3/4 cup milk of choice, at room temperature 1/4 cup canola oil 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice 1 cup gluten-free yellow cornmeal 3/4 cup Carol’s Sorghum Blend (page 14) 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum 1 teaspoon salt

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously grease an 8-inch square nonstick (gray, not black) baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer on low speed until light yellow and frothy, about 30 seconds. Add the milk, oil, and cider vinegar and beat on low speed until well blended.

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Excerpted from 100 Best Gluten-Free Recipesby Carol Fenster Copyright © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Excerpted by permission.
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