Celiac Princess

Gluten-Free White Chocolate Lemon Streusel Bars

We all love desserts, especially when they are gooey chocolate desserts. To help our gluten-free community enjoy the best desserts on earth, I'm working on a new project! The Celiac Program at Children’s National Medical Center has teamed up with Pamela’s Products for a very exciting project. Together, we’ll be Cooking the Books in hopes of converting every recipe to a gluten-free alternative. And, I get to be the Executive Chef who tests out all of the recipes!

The first book our teams selected is the Hershey’s Recipe Collection, which features hundreds of recipes for tempting treats, scrumptious sweets and irresistible desserts. Every recipe you see comes from the Hershey’s book. We’ve simply substituted gluten-free ingredients supplied by Pamela’s Products to convert the tasty treats into gluten-free and fabulous alternatives. The first recipe is White Chocolate Lemon Streusel Bars...Enjoy! 

White Chocolate Lemon Streusel Bars  (Yield: 24 bars)

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• ¾ cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 2 cups white chocolate chips, divided
• ¾ cup butter or margarine, room temperature
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups Pamela’s Gluten-Free Baking & Pancake Mix
• 1 ½ cups quick-cooking gluten-free oats (we used Bob’s Red Mill oats)
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13/x/2 inch baking pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon rind and 1 ½ cups of the white chocolate chips. Mix well and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add in baking mix, oats, pecans, baking powder and salt, and mix well.
4. Scoop out 1¾ cups of the mixture into a separate bowl. Gently stir the remaining ½ cup of white chocolate chips into this mixture. Set aside. This will eventually become your topping.
5. Add the egg to the remaining mixture in the mixer bowl and mix well. Press this mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan.
6. Pour the lemon mixture on top of the bottom layer and spread evenly across the entire layer.
7. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the top of the lemon layer and gently press down.
8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned.
9. Cool completely before cutting. 

Warming Up Winter: Gluten-Free Sweet Honey Cornbread and Chili

As I sat down at my computer yesterday, I looked out the window and instantly forgot I was at work. Snowflakes were falling in a beautiful steady stream, just enough to lightly cover the roof and ground. In that moment as I looked out the window, all I wanted was a hot bowl of soup, a mug of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket to snuggle up with.  

Although I’m typically the kind of girl who craves chicken rice or French onion soup on a cold day, I had a strong craving for a piping hot bowl of chili topped with oodles of cheddar cheese and fresh, right out-of-the-oven sweet honey cornbread. I love dipping the bread in the soup…the subtly spicy flavors of the chili get soaked up in the sweet, moist cornbread and make for the most luscious, warm bite.

These recipes have been transformed many times over and are now the combination of my own recipe mixed in with three family members’ creations. Make them on any cold winter day and your heart and taste buds will instantly be warmed.

Vanessa Maltin Weisbrod’s Sweet & Spicy Chili
Yields 8 servings

3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced red pepper
½ cup diced carrots
1 pound ground beef (can substitute ground turkey)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup red wine
4 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 can kidney beans, drained
Salt, to taste
Grated sharp cheddar cheese for garnish
Sour cream for garnish

1. In a large pot, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, mushrooms, celery, red pepper, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and the onions are translucent.
2. Add in ground beef and cook until the meat is lightly browned and no pink spots remain. Add in minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is tender and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Add in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and red wine and stir until well combined. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add in cumin, chili powder, thyme, oregano and brown sugar. Bring soup back to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover the pot and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings if necessary.
5. Add in drained kidney beans and bring soup back up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for an additional five minutes.
6. Ladle chili into bowls and top with grated cheddar cheese and sour cream. Serve the soup with Sweet Honey Cornbread.

Vanessa Maltin Weisbrod’s Sweet Honey Cornbread
Yields 12 servings

1 cup gluten-free Bisquick
1 cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup skim milk
¼ cup honey
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup melted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9” square baking pan.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine Bisquick, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder.
3. Add in egg, milk, honey, vegetable oil and melted butter and mix until well combined.
4. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 22 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
5. Slice and serve cornbread with the chili.

Gluten-Free White Chocolate Butterscotch Bars...The Best Dessert Ever

My dad has always been the biggest skeptic of gluten-free baked goods. He's a meat and potatoes kind of guy and there's nothing in the world that he loves more than good old fashioned cookies, cakes and pastries. Over the last few years as I've worked on developing new gluten-free recipes, my dad has always been the best taste tester because he's 100% honest and will tell me when my food tastes like crap...

So, when I made these white chocolate butterscotch bars for the first time, I was really worried about what my dad would think. All of my friends thought they were amazing, and my fiance (husband in just 11 days) thought they were "the best dessert ever." So, while we were visting my family last week, I made the bars and much to my delight, my dad agreed...they are the best dessert ever! They are jam packed with flavor, perfectly moist and the most sinful dessert of all time.

White Chocolate Butterscotch Bars

Yield: 24 bars

For the Crust:

1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar

2 ½ sticks butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup brown rice flour

¾ cup sweet rice flour

½ cup tapioca flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups quick cook Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oats

 

For the Filling

1 (12-ounce) package white chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups butterscotch sauce

2 tablespoon brown rice flour

2 tablespoons sweet rice flour

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the crust, cream together the brown sugar, butter and vanilla extract in the bowl of a standing mixer.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together brown rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, cornstarch, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt. Add these dry ingredients slowly into the mixer. Once fully incorporated, slowly add in the oats. Mix together on medium speed until well combined.
4. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and press half of the dough into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for five minutes.
5. For the filling, sprinkle all of the white chocolate chips over the entire surface of the semi-baked dough.
6. Heat the butterscotch sauce in the microwave for 20 seconds. Stir the brown rice flour, sweet rice flour and cornstarch into the sauce and stir until well combined. Drizzle the butterscotch mixture over the white chocolate chips.
7. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the filling. Make sure the top is completely covered with dough.
8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into bars. Serve with a glass of milk.

A Gluten-Free Breakfast: It Does Your Body Good

For many people—including myself—the ideal breakfast consists of a large cup of coffee and, on a good day, a spoonful of peanut butter. Like many other Americans, I’m just not hungry when I first get up, so why force myself to eat? Well, there’s a pretty good reason! According to researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., eating a healthy breakfast “refuels your body, jump starts your day and may even benefit your overall health.” 

My lack of love for breakfast isn’t recent—it actually stems back to being a little girl going to middle school. I didn't want to eat it, but my mom made my little sister and me eat a full breakfast and I should definitely thank her! Current research shows that kids who eat a well-balanced breakfast concentrate better at school, are more alert and creative, tend to be more physically active, miss fewer days of school and have better hand-eye coordination. For adults, eating a nutritious breakfast has proven beneficial for controlling a healthy body weight, lowering cholesterol and risk of heart disease and providing the body with more essential vitamins and minerals. 

So, what’s a healthy breakfast? The Mayo Clinic nutrition staff suggests a combination of whole grains (gluten-free oats, quinoa), low-fat proteins (eggs, peanut butter, lean meats), low-fat dairy (skim milk, low-fat yogurt and cheese), and fruits and vegetables. 

The good news is that most of these items are naturally gluten-free. But when it comes to whole grain foods such as breads, bagel and muffins, making gluten-free alternatives can be a bit of a challenge. Below you’ll find my favorite recipe for homemade Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Scones. Pair these scones with a cup of low-fat yogurt and a bowl of fresh berries and you’ll have a breakfast of champions that will give you energy all morning long! 

Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Scones

Yield: 16 scones

2 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking gluten-free oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks cold butter, diced into small pieces
¼  cup cold milk

½ cup sugar-free maple syrup
2 eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine gluten-free all-purpose flour, gluten-free oats, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and add in the chunks of butter. Mix until the butter is in tiny crumbles within the flour.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup and lightly beaten eggs. Pour into the flour-butter mixture and mix until well combined.  Add in raisins and mix gently.

4. Using an ice cream scoop or two tablespoons, scoop large spoonfuls of dough onto a greased cookie sheet, leaving at least 2 inches in between scones. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

General Mills Launches Live Gluten-Freely Website

Check out the re-launch of General Mill's fabulous gluten-free lifestyle website http://liveglutenfreely.com/

The website is jam packed with information about the more than 250 gluten-free products available from General Mills and offers all of us gluten-free foodies a huge array of mouth watering gluten-free recipes. One of my absolute favorites that you have to try is the Lemon Lover's Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting. If you love a hint of lemon in your desserts, then you'll fall hard for these cupcakes!

Check out the site and you'll be amazed at how easy it is to be gluten-free!

Delight Gluten-Free Magazine Spring Issue Packed with Amazing Recipes, Hot Tips

The Spring 2010 issue of Delight Gluten-Free Magazine has gone to print and it's jam packed with delicious recipes including Super Simple Sides with 6 ingredients or less, Chicken 5 ways, Recipes using Coffee in new and innovative, Healthy Recipe Makeovers, and much more! And, you won't want to miss this month's feature, Culinary School the Gluten-Free Way, where you'll learn to master the most important culinary techniques and pick up some of the greatest no-fail recipes!

Be sure to pick up a copy at your local supermarket, Whole Foods, Barnes & Noble, Borders, or subscribe online at www.DelightGFMagazine.com.

Also, sign up for the weekly E-Newsletter to get bonus recipes, opportunities to sample products from our partners and tips for living the most amazing gluten-free life!

Culinary School the Gluten-Free Way: Gluten-Free Gorgonzola Risotto

When it's cooked correctly, risotto is hands down one of my top  favorite things in the world to eat. You can make an infinite number of variations of a simple risotto recipe and add in any vegetables or proteins that you enjoy. But the key to making risotto is all in the methodology for making it. There's little room for error and if you overcook or undercook the rice, you've got either a pile of mush or rice that's crunchy not in a good way! 

This recipe is for a risotto with a Gorgonzola cream in it, but you can substitute any cheeses you'd like or even try using milk instead of cream for a lower-calorie risotto. Dice up some broccoli or carrots and add them in with the onions. Just use your imagination for a delicious and hearty risotto! Just be sure to follow the instructions carefully and taste the risotto often for seasoning and texture.

Creamy Gorgonzola Risotto

2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, finely minced
1 cup Carnaroli or Arborio rice
1 cup white wine
5-6 cups chicken stock
2 fl ounces heavy cream
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, minced
Salt

1. Heat a heavy saucepan and melt the butter.
2. Sweat the shallots in butter until soft. Add the rice and coat with the butter, stirring for several minutes.
3. Add the wine and stir into the rice until absorbed.
4. Add the chicken stock a little at a time, stirring constantly until absorbed. This should take about 18-20 minutes.
5. While the risotto is cooking, heat the heavy cream, add the Gorgonzola cheese and cook until the cheese melts.
6. When the rice is almost cooked, add the cheese mixture and the parsley. Continue cooking for another two minutes. The rice should have a creamy consistency and may be adjusted with a little extra stock if necessary.
7. Season with salt.

Culinary School the Gluten-Free Way: Spaghetti Squash Pancakes

Today was heaven in my mouth at the Institute of Culinary Education. Not only did we make Wild  Mushroom Risotto (you'll see that recipe later), but I also learned a fantastic new way to prepare spaghetti squash. Usually I make it by baking it, pulling out the beautiful strands of squash and serving it with a marinara sauce. This is a wonderful, low-calorie dinner that tastes amazing. Today, I learned how to make the squash into pancakes, sort of like potato latkes. They are crispy, bursting with flavor and perfect for a twist on a Jewish holiday favorite.

I know it looks like a lot of ingredients, but don't freak out about it. If you want to omit the prosciutto and pine nuts, that's totally fine! The pancakes will still come out great!

Spaghetti Squash Pancakes

 

1 spaghetti squash

1/2 fl oz extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1.5 oz pine nuts

1 shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 oz prosciutto, sliced and then finely chopped

1 1/4 oz flour (use Whole Foods All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 egg

1 egg yolk

4 fl oz heavy cream

Canola oil for pan-frying

 

1. Cut the spaghetti squash in half.  Season with salt and pepper and bake in a 350F degree oven for 30 minutes.  Scrape the cooked squash from the shell with a fork.  Reserve and cool.

2. Heat a saute pan and add the olive oil.  Saute the pine nuts until just golden.

3. Add the shallots and garlic and saute for 1 minute.

4. Add the proscuitto and saute for another minute. 

5. Toss the cooled squash with the flour, pine nuts, shallots, garlic and prosciutto mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Mix the egg, egg yolk and heavy cream.  Combine with the squash mixture, stirring well as you pour in the egg mixture.

7. Heat a large saute pan and add the canola oil for pan-frying.  Add the squash to the oil by large spoonfuls, flattening the mixture slightly to form a pancake.  Pan-fry on each side until golden brown.

Culinary School the Gluten-Free Way: Goat Cheese Timbales with Parmesan Crisps & Beet Vinaigrette

One of my major culinary vices is goat cheese. I love it on rice crackers, in sauces, as a flavor enhancement in risotto and pretty much even by itself on a spoon. I love the texture, the flavor and the creaminess. So I was thrilled at school today when I found out we were making a fabulous appetizer that showcases goat cheese both in the base and dressing. The recipe is Roasted Vegetables Timbales with Goat Cheese, Parmesan Tuiles and a Beet Vinaigrette.

At this particular moment, you're probably sitting there wondering what on earth a Timbale and a Tuiles are. Well, they are basically fancy culinary words to describe the food item. A Timbale actually refers to the shape of the food item. In this case, it's shaped like a large thimble that you'd use when you're sewing. For this recipe, we're going to stack roasted vegetables layered with a goat cheese mixture into a mold and then cook them. We'll top them with a delicate beet vinaigrette that is bright pink! (don't be afraid of the color! The taste is amazing!)

A Tuiles is basically a parmesan crisp. The originally recipe called for 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour. To make these gluten-free, I substituted 1/2 cup of my famous All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Mix. It worked perfectly and my chef instructor even said she couldn't tell the difference. If you don't feel like making the flour mixture, just use the Whole Foods Brand Gluten-Free AP Flour. It works very well! 

I know this recipe sounds complicated, but when you actually break it down into steps, it doesn't really take very long. The taste is well worth the effort!

Roasted Vegetable Timbales with Goat Cheese, Parmesan Tuiles, and Beet Vinaigrette- 4 servings

Timbales

8 plum tomatoes

3 Japanese eggplants, cut in 1/4" thick slices

3 zucchini, cut in 1/4" thick slices

3 yellow squash, cut in 1/4" thick slices

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) as needed

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 log of goat cheese (for added flavor, mix in minced chives, shallots and thyme)

1. Slice the tomatoes into 1/4" rounds.  Place on a sheet pan, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are semi-dry.  Repeat with the eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash, roasting until they are lightly brown, about 10-15 minutes.

2. Soften the goat cheese by pulsing in a food processor.  Add a drizzle of EVOO and season with salt and pepper.

3. Assemble the timbales by placing a layer of roasted tomatoes in an aluminum cup or small corning ware dish.  Follow with a layer of the softened goat cheese, eggplant, goat cheeses, and zucchini.  Continue layering until the cup is nearly full.  Repeat for 6 timbales, reserve.

 

Tuiles

2 cloves garlic, peeled

4 ounces butter softened

2 teaspoons sugar

2 egg whites

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup AP gluten-free flour

2 oz parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons rosemary, minced

 

1. Blanch the garlic cloves until very tender, and drain.

2. Puree the garlic and butter in a food processor until smooth. Add the sugar, egg whites, salt, flour, and parmesan cheese and pulse to incorporate the ingredients.  Do not over-mix or the butter will begin to melt.

3. Pipe 1/2" circles of the batter onto Silpat baking mats and using a small offselt spatula, spread each drop of batter into 2" circles.  Sprinkle the tops of each tuile with some minced rosemary.

4. Bake in a 325 degree oven for approximately 6-8 minutes; be sure the tuiles have browned around the edges.  Remove from the Silpat, place on a paper towel and cool. Serve as a garnish with the Timbales.

 

 Vinaigrette

3 beets juiced

1 fl ounce red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 fl ounces EVOO

1/4 bunch chives, minced

1. Reduce the beet juice to 6 fl oz.  Add the vinegar and mustard.  Emulsify in the olive oil, using an immersion blender and season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the chives. Reserve.

2. Reheat the timbales in the oven.  Place the timbales on a plate and drizzle some of the vinaigrette around. Garnish with the parmesan tuiles and minced chives.

 

Culinary School the Gluten-Free Way: Quinoa Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

This week at culinary school we learned all about grains. There are so many great varieties, all packed with nutritious qualities. If you've been diagnosed with celiac disease, you might be thinking that there are tons that you can't eat. But you're actually in luck! Even though gluten in found in quite a few grains, there are actually more that you CAN eat than you can't.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is considered a grain product. That means that breads, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are all grain-based food items.

One of  my all-time favorite grains and one we learned about this week is Quinoa, or as I like to call it, the Super Grain! It's originally from South America and has a very, very high protein content, about 12%-18%. Additionally, it contains several essential amino acids, is a good source of fiber and is high in magnesium and iron. And, of course it is naturally gluten-free. 

Below is the recipe for a Quinoa Salad we made. It's so simple to make and delicious for lunch or as a pre-dinner salad. Try it with a crisp glass of white wine! Yum!

Quinoa Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette—4 servings

4 ounces quinoa
12 ounces chicken stock
2 ounces red pepper, small dice
½ ounce scallion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon cilantro, minced
Salt
Pepper

*Vinaigrette*
½ fl ounce lime juice
2 fl ounces extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon ginger, minced
¼ teaspoon cilantro, minced
Salt
Pepper

1. Place liquid with salt in saucepan and bring to boil Add quinoa and return to boil. Reduce heat to    simmer. Cover and cook 15 minutes until stock is absorbed.
2. Remove quinoa from heat and rest 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Put quinoa into a mixing bowl and let it cool until room temperature.
3. Add red pepper, scallions and cilantro. Toss with vinaigrette. Adjust seasoning.
4. You can serve the salad now, but it will taste much better if you put it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.