Cilantro-Lemon Pesto

When I get tired of plain old tomato sauce on my pasta, the next stop is always pesto. I love the green stuff - I've made a million variations, including vegan pesto and kalamata olive pesto. There is no end to the possibilities. It is hard to go wrong with herbs, garlic, nuts and cheese (or a cheese substitute) pureed into a creamy sauce.

Pesto is for far more than pasta, my friends. It is wonderful spread on a filet of salmon before baking. You can also toss it with freshly steamed vegetables. It has a number of delicious applications. This pesto features the zesty combination of cilantro and lemon. It has a bit more zing to it than classic basil pesto, so use it sparingly. The flavors are particularly suited to fish, but are wonderful with pasta as well. This time I paired it with my favorite gluten-free pasta, Tinkyada Spirals (aka brown rice fusilli).

To make this pesto dairy-free and vegan, replace the romano cheese with 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast flakes, some extra salt, and a little bit of tofu.

CILANTRO-LEMON PESTO

1/3 cup pecorino romano cheese, shredded
2 cups fresh cilantro
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lemon, juice of
Salt, to taste

Combine ingredients in food processor. Puree until ingredients are fully combined and the pesto has a smooth texture with no significant lumps (may still be just a little gritty). You may add additional olive oil if you like. May be served hot or at room temperature. Leftovers can be frozen in small tupperware containers or ice cube trays and thawed when you're ready to use.

Tuna on Gluten-Free "Rye" Bread

Last Friday I came home to a FedEx package from Enjoy Life Foods waiting on the porch. That sure was a great way to start shabbos! The company made a very smart PR move by sending product samples to a couple of us gluten-free bloggers.

I was skeptical about Enjoy Life Foods Rye-less Rye Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread because I have had mostly negative experiences with Enjoy Life products in the past. I find their chocolate chips to be undersized, chalky, and practically unmeltable... And in my opinion, their cookies do not deserve to be called "cookies." I was also skeptical because of my high standards for rye bread. As a New York Jew I grew up eating a lot of Jewish rye bread. My favorite sandwiches in high school were melted cheddar cheese on Jewish rye, hummus on Jewish rye, or tuna salad on Jewish rye. It was a sad day when I learned that rye contained gluten, and therefore was one more grain I could no longer eat. Back when I was eating gluten I liked my rye bread to have a chewy crust and a soft, squishy center. Most importantly, it must be full of whole caraway seeds. Since becoming gluten-free, my standards for bread have certainly become less strict. But I was pleasantly surprised! Though certainly not the "real thing," the Rye-less "Rye" Bread came a heck of a lot closer to what I remembered than I ever would have expected or imagined. It had the perfect amount of caraway seeds. When well-toasted (careful, because it goes from well-toasted to charred very quickly!) it had a really nice texture and is actually one of the better gluten-free storebought breads I've tasted. It unfortunately does not have the chewy, shiny crust that I associate with rye bread, but I really enjoyed the taste. I can't begin to tell you the joy I felt eating my first tuna on "rye" sandwich in eons.

I'll write about some of Enjoy Life's other allergen-free products (which can be purchased here) at a later date. For now, let me leave you with a recipe for my favorite tuna salad. This is a reduced-fat tuna salad that tastes wonderful on rye bread, real or fake. My favorite way to serve this sandwich is on toasted bread with a slice of tomato, a slice of avocado and some lettuce. A pickle on the side, of course. The chopped pickles and dill are key to the fabulous taste - The more sour the pickles the better (cornichons are great for this). You can try substiting a smaller amount of dried dill if you don't have access to fresh herbs.


TASTY REDUCED-FAT TUNA SALAD

1 (6 ounce) can solid albacore tuna in water
1 stalk celery
2 tablespoons finely diced sour dill pickles
1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise (real mayo, preferably Hellman's)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh dill, minced
fresh ground black pepper (generous amount)

Drain tuna. With a fork, break it up in a bowl into the size and texture you prefer (I like to leave some chunks - others prefer it totally mashed). Add all the other ingredients and stir until fully combined. Serve cold in a sandwich or over a green salad.

Why Passover Is a Gluten-Free Goldmine

Please welcome guest blogger Lisa Mandl of Chicago, who generously shares in this post her many helpful ideas for how Passover can be a boon to all gluten-free folks, whether or not they are Jewish. This is the first of a series of articles, links, product reviews and recipes I will be posting over the next two months to help gluten-free Jews have a happy, healthy, delicious Pesach... and to help non-Jewish people with celiac disease take advantage of the wonderful gluten-free products on the shelves during the Passover season.

A PASSOVER REMINDER
by Lisa Mandl

It's getting close to this time of year again. The first seder may not be until April 2, but some stores (especially Kosher ones) are slowly starting to prepare for Passover and bring in the special food. This is just a yearly reminder that you will be finding some additional food choices in not only Kosher stores, but in regular grocery stores. For those who've been gluten-free for awhile, this won't be anything new, but this information could be very helpful to those newer to the diet.

Passover is a great time for finding new and different gluten-free selections due to the restrictions of the holiday. During Passover, wheat, rye, oats, barley, corn, soy, rice & beans (the last two for Jews from European descent only) and several other foods are forbidden. This makes it possible to go to a Kosher bakery and typically be able to find something ready-made that you can enjoy. I take the opportunity to purchase ready-made salads at the deli counters as well.

Now I say typically and this is very important. One main thing people have on Passover is matzah - this is made of wheat. Also made of wheat is matzah meal (ground matzah), matzah farfel (matzah in small pieces) and cake meal (finely ground matzah). You MUST avoid all foods with those ingredients. You want to keep your eyes open for this Hebrew phrase- "non-gebroktz". This means that no wheat was used and means that any item with that on it is safe for us.

Non-gebroktz is a way the very observant know if a food is safe for them to consume. Matzah is unleavened bread, hence the wheat, and for many, there is a concern that even a drop of matzah could become leavened if mixed with a liquid so they only eat non-gebroktz products for the first seven of this eight-day holiday.

Many companies cater to the needs of those who follow a non-gebroktz diet for Passover and there are cookies, cakes and other great foods available only during this time of year. We don't have to worry about cross-contamination because the companies that make these products have to thoroughly clean everything and/or use completely other equipment for the production of Passover items.

There are a few companies I look forward to getting items from: Lieber's has a large line of products that are safe and even marked "gluten free" (their Kneidel mix is outstanding - think matzah balls, yet better); Paskez - they make a product called Pesach Crumbs (Pesach is Passover in Hebrew) and this takes the place of matzah meal in cooking/baking (I also use potato pancake mix as a substitute for matzah meal); Schick's Bakery in NY makes some mouth-watering desserts - I have no stock, I'm just drooling thinking of their Bon-Bons! Wilton's - they make delicious blintzes - you just have to make sure you buy the box(es) that say non-gebroktz because they make blintzes year-round that are not gluten-free. There are ice cream cones and even ice cream sandwiches that are gluten free. They are delicious and sell out very quickly.

Each year, there are more and more products created to make Passover easier and in turn, it can help all of us who follow a gluten-free diet. So keep your eyes open, you may find a new treat and some ready-made items to enjoy right away or freeze for later. Some of the prices can be really high, but when the holiday ends, they drop the price on whatever's left over because other than us, no one else will want them!

For those with corn allergies, you'll find soda, marshmallows (if you eat these), etc - some say they use "Kosher gelatin" which in my mind is an oxymoron since pigs aren't even Kosher, but it's supposedly from fish bones, gum and other foods.

Again, this is a great time to shop for gluten-free items you just can't get the rest of the year. There are some online Kosher stores, but you'll want to make sure items are non-gebroktz before you order - I haven't done this because I'm lucky enough to have a number of great Kosher stores in the Chicago area.

For those observing the holiday who'd like matzah on their seder tables, you can find oat shmura matzah that is made by a Rabbi from the UK who has a daughter who is a Celiac. I have had it (the last time I bought it it was $18 for a box), I miss oat products, so enjoyed the taste, but just couldn't justify the cost so I haven't bought it again.

Have fun finding new items!

--

Note from Isaiah: The gluten-free oat matzo that Lisa is talking about is Rabbi E. Kestenbaum's Shemura Oat Matzos, which are made from completely gluten-free oats. Start looking for them now, as they may not be easy to find and may require ordering depending on where you live. Here is a list of their distributors. The photo above shows part of the production process of these matzot.

Semi-Weekly Gluten-Free Recipe Roundup - 2/8/07

Plantain latkes, pão de queijo and gluten-free tabouleh... Oh my! Putting this roundup together this week sure made my mouth water.

This Week's Featured Recipe:
Can you believe the soup in that beautiful photograph contains just 5 major ingredients, plus salt and olive oil? And that it has no dairy or gluten? Ilva of Lucullian Delights is one of the blog world's biggest allies to us gluten-free folk. Though she herself does not have celiac disease, many of her recipes are gluten-free. As you can see in this photo she graciously shared with us, her photographs are an example of food photography at its best. Her recipes are wonderful, leaning towards sublime simplicity. This week I am happy to feature her Leek and Potato Soup with Fennel Seeds, a simple soup perfect for a cold winter evening.

• Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)
  

• Cole Slaw with Asian Flavors

• Latkes de Plátano and Gingered Plaintain in Coconut and Cashew Sauce

• Chocolate Lavender Tarts

• Basic No-Flour No-Sugar Crepes

• Chicken Breasts with Cilantro and
  Red Thai Curry Peanut Sauce

• Chocolate-Covered Coconut Macaroons

• Gluten-Free Italian Breadcrumbs
  

• Tabouleh with Millet

• Fire-Roasted Quinoa and Black Beans

• Coconut Rice Tart with Mango

• No-Fry French Fries

• Cochifritos and Patatas Bravas

• Baked Bean and Cheese Taquitos

• Papaya Cookies

• Ukrainian Beet and Bean Stew

• Omelette Layer Cake with Smoked Salmon and Rocket

• Coconut Chocolate Chip Cake

• Artichoke and Broccoli Frittata
  

• Mango and Sticky Rice

• Stir-Fried Lemongrass Chicken

• Mediterranean Beef Stew with Rosemary

• THE Cheesecake

• Citrus Chicken with Roasted Onions
  

• Greek-Style Braised Green Beans
  

• Isaiahs' Victorious Vegetable Stock

• Cherry Almond Cobbler
  

• Lemon Tilapia
  

• (Raw) Radish Linguine with Spicy Sesame Sauce
  

• Rustic Red Kale and White Bean Soup
  

• Orange-Chile Roasted Asparagus
  

• Summer Squash and Tomato Galette
  

Artichoke and Broccoli Frittata

Friends sometimes laugh at my version of scrambled eggs, because I put more "stuff" in them than eggs. I like eggs, but I enjoy them less for their own virtue and more as way to hold everything together or give a fluffy texture to a breakfast dish. My scrambles are mostly vegetables and herbs and cheese, with egg serving only to bind them together and add protein. A frittata works on this principle - It is a perfect palette for colorful vegetables and strongly flavored cheeses. What I love about frittatas is that they are one of the few egg dishes that are delicious at room temperature and can be stored in the refrigerator (or even frozen) for days. Basically a crustless quiche, a frittata is not just for breakfast - Frittatas make a wonderful lunch or dinner, accompanied by a salad or steamed vegetables or potatoes. This one has been my breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past few days - Eaten at room temperature at work and heated up in my toaster oven at home. I love the way the fresh dill combines with the light flavor of artichoke. I will post some more vegan recipes soon, I promise!

ARTICHOKE AND BROCCOLI FRITTATA

8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 6-oz jar of artichoke hearts, drained
2 cups small broccoli florets
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp fresh dill, minced
1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Chop the artichoke hearts coarsely. Heat olive oil in a 10-inch cast iron pan over medium flame. Add onions and cook until they are translucent. Add garlic and broccoli, sautee until the onions have begun to brown and the broccoli is cooked through but still crisp. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, herbs and spices and milk. Whisk until well beaten. Add parmesan, breadcrumbs, artichokes, and half of the cheddar cheese. Stir gently. Pour mixture over the broccoli and onions. Sprinkle remaining cup of cheddar cheese over the top of the eggs - Do not stir.

Bake for 30 minutes or until firm. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot or at room temperature. Leftovers can be successfully reheated in oven, microwave or toaster oven. Serves 10.

Summer Squash and Tomato Galette

This colorful galette is one of those cooking projects I'm quite proud of yet can't fully take credit for. The pie crust was created by merging many recipes kindly contributed by the fabulous folks of the SillyYak list with crust recipe from Rebecca Reilly's book Gluten-Free Baking. The idea and the filling came from this recipe. Much gratitude to the many individuals who helped in the creation of my first galette! It turned out beautifully, with a buttery crust that held together remarkably well and a simple, tasty filling. The individual slices looked beautiful. This would be a perfect dish to impress your guests with at a brunch or dinner party. If you aren't gluten-free, or are lucky enough to have access to pre-made gluten-free pie crusts, this is actually a very simple recipe - Simply flatten out a pre-made refrigerated pie crust and go to town!


SUMMER SQUASH AND TOMATO GALETTE

Galette Crust
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
3 Tbsp tapioca flour
1 tsp sugar or other sweetener (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
8 Tbsp (1 stick) cold butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup ice-cold water

Filling
2 yellow summer squash
2 medium zucchini
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh gluten-free Italian breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
4 plum tomatoes
1 egg white, beaten

To make the crust:
Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut the butter into small chunks (about 1/2" thick) and add to dry ingredients. Work it into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or your finger tips, mashing until the butter has crumbled into pea-size pieces.

Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour the egg and apple cider vinegar into the well, and use a fork to stir gently, outwards from the center. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, drizzle the ice-cold water into the mixture very slowly, just a little at a time. Only add water until the mixture has become a cohesive ball of dough that's just moist enough to handle without being wet.

Place ball between two large pieces of parchment paper. Using hands or rolling pin, gently push the dough outward, equally in all directions, until it is a pie-sized thick, even disc of dough. Leave between parchment paper layers and seal well in plastic wrap or ziploc bag. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Leaving the dough in between two parchment paper layers, roll it out gently, as thin as you can When the dough is between 1/4" and 1/3" thick, remove the top layer of parchment and even out the edges of the crust. Place the top of a cookie sheet over the crust so that it is centered, place a hand underneath the bottom piece of parchment, and slowly flip so that the crust is lying in the center of the cookie sheet. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. If any holes have already formed at this point, mend them with a finger or pastry brush dampened in excess egg white or water.

To make the filling:
Wash the summer squash and zucchini, remove ends, and cut lengthwise in 1/4" slices. Wash tomatoes and cut in 1/4" rounds.

Heat a grill or lightly greased grill pan. In a large bowl, combine oil and salt. Toss with squash and zucchini slices. Grill the vegetables on each side, about 10 minutes or until they are tender. Allow to cool.

In a separate bowl, combine cheese, bread crumbs and basil.

To Assemble the Galette:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the breadcrumb and cheese mixture evenly in a 8" circle in middle of piecrust. Place half of the grilled vegetable slices in the shape of spokes radiating out from the center of the crust, covering cheese and breadcrumb mixture. Over this layer of squash place tomato slices, slightly overlapping one another. Arrange the remaining squash slices over the tomatoes, then fold the outer edge of the pie crust over the vegetables. The pie crust should contain but not completely cover the vegetables. Mend any holes carefully with excess dough or a moistened finger. Brush the visible parts of the crust with beaten egg white. Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Slice with a very sharp serrated knife, such as a bread knife.

Gluten-Free Italian Breadcrumbs

I've been saving the ends of all my loaves of gluten-free bread in a ziploc bag in the freezer, and adding to the stash any remaining slices of loaves of bread that become stale as well as storebought bread I brought home only to find inedible. When I had enough saved up, I finally got to put them to use. These breadcrumbs are wonderful for breading meat or vegetables, stuffing mushrooms, topping casseroles and more. Leave the spices out for "neutral" crumbs that can be used in any recipe - Or follow my instructions for flavorful Italian breadcrumbs that are perfect in most Mediterranean and American recipes.

ITALIAN GLUTEN-FREE BREADCRUMBS

12 slices gluten-free bread (stale bread and ends are good)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoons dried basil

For fresh breadcrumbs:

Lay bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in oven on 200 F for 10-15 minutes or until the edges have become a little hard and the bread has become dry to the touch but it has not become thoroughly toasted. Pulse in food processor until it reaches desired texture (crumbs should be distinct but not too large). Combine ingredients in a bowl.

For dry breadcrumbs:

Cube bread slices and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in a 325 F oven and bake until lightly browned, crisp, and very dry. Allow to cool. Blend in the food processor until it has a fine texture not much coarser than sand. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Bread crumbs can be stored in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the refrigerator for about a week for fresh breadcrumbs or 2-3 weeks for dry breadcrumbs. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

A Vegetable Stock Victory: Broth That Can't Be Beat

BEFORE:




AFTER:



Since beginning the process of becoming kosher, meat has taken a less and less prominent role in my diet. It is so much easier to adhere to Jewish dietary laws while eating a diet that is vegetable and fish based. I also find that my taste for chicken and beef continues to diminish, to the point where I could probably happily subsist without it... Well, almost.

For a long time I have been looking for a packaged gluten-free vegetable stock that could hold its own in my cooking. Instead I found watery, flavorless broths - Often unnecessarily sweetened with cane sugar or corn syrup, or flavored with "yeast extract" (a form of MSG). The convenience of vegetable broth in a can or aseptic container paled next to the taste of these anemic stocks. They were just plain awful. Certainly none of them could hold a candle to chicken stock.

This recipe is my answer to the vegetable stock dilemma. This is a stock so chock full of vegetables and herbs that it rivals a good strong Jewish chicken soup in flavor. This broth is very rich, and has a golden color reminiscent of meat stocks. It is naturally sweet, flavorful and fragrant. You can freeze it in tupperware containers, or freeze it in ice cube trays and then transfer the cubes to a ziploc bag so that you can remove only the number of cubes you need for each recipe.

This stock is, of course, gluten-free and vegetarian. If you omit the optional parmesan rind, it is also vegan and parve. It can be used in any recipe that calls for chicken or vegetable broth. Use it as a base for gravies, for stews, for soups. Sautee with it instead of oil if you're watching your fat intake. Add it to foods you're reheating to keep them moist. Boil noodles in it, or float dumplings on it. It would be perfect with matzo balls or potato kneidlach for Passover - Just skip the nutritional yeast! Best of all, this broth is perfectly delightful all by itself.

VICTORIOUS VEGETABLE STOCK

[ Gluten-Free / Soy-Free / Dairy-Free Option / Pareve or Dairy ]

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
5 stalks of celery
3/4 pound leeks, including green part
4 large carrots
2 large parsnips
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium yellow onion
2 apples or pears, cored
1 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
20 peppercorns
1 tablespoon turmeric
3 cloves garlic, peeled
4 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley, tightly packed
1/2 large bunch of fresh dill, including stalks
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons salt
2 sprigs fresh oregano and/or sage (optional)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
Parmesan rind (optional)

Use the flat side of a chef's knife to gently crush the garlic cloves. Wash unpeeled vegetables well and cut them roughly into large pieces. Add to a large stock pot along with all other ingredients. Add entire sprigs of the herbs rather than removing the leaves from the stem. Cover with water. Water level should be about 4 inches above the top of the vegetables. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam from the top of the stock, then partially cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. At the end of the cooking time, if you wish to make the stock richer, remove the lid and continue cooking uncovered to slightly reduce it.

When the stock has cooled slightly, strain it through a seive or cloth, pressing all of the remaining liquid out of the vegetables. Compost or discard the remaining vegetables. What you don't eat immediately can be refrigerated for 3-5 days, or frozen. Makes approximately 15 servings.