Lasagna Florentine

 The cross-country season at the kid's high school is coming to a close. To celebrate, we had  lunch at a local Italian restaurant. They had a buffet with pasta, salad, bread and desserts. (I decided not to risk eating the salad since in a restaurant where pizza is being made, flour is likely to be everywhere, and I was worried about cross-contamination.) I ate my lunch before leaving for the party and didn't really mind sitting there sipping a Starbucks until I spotted a long lost friend, LASAGNA!

Smothered with cheese, piping hot, the lasagna on the buffet smelled and looked delicious! I can't remember when I last ate lasagna. Until finding the brand Tinkanyada, cooking with gluten free pasta was always frustrating. The noodles would turn out chewy or too mushy. No one in my family would touch it.

I  really miss lasagna....especially the day after you bake it when it is at it's best.

 Before I knew how to cook well, I made lasagna a lot. The kids were small and it was convenient to make a one-dish meal while they were napping. I also liked serving it when I had company since I could make it a day ahead of time.

Seeing the lasagna at the restaurant inspired me to give it another try. I really didn't use a recipe, but went by the standard lasagna recipe you can find on the back of a package of lasagna noodles. I sauteed 1/2 lb of ground beef along with some chopped onion and added that to a jar of spaghetti sauce. I also added some chopped fresh spinach to the ricotta, egg, and parmesan cheese mixture both for color and nutritional value. I like the taste of fresh mozzerella and used it instead of the shredded variety.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, my family is highly skeptical of any food I try and serve that has been modified to be gluten free. Texture is the big giveaway with pasta, so I was more than thrilled when my husband really liked this lasagna. He went back for seconds and also brought it to work for his lunch! My daughter, who is a vegetarian, did not eat it and my son is not a lasagna lover, so did not try it. That's okay! More for me!

Rosie's Perfect Pumpkin Bread (gluten-free, of course!)

Fall seems to have finally settled upon us with cooler temperatures and shorter days. I love all that comes with this time of year....the beautiful foliage, a crockpot full of hearty chili, and the aroma of pumpkin bread baking in the oven!

Elizabeth Barbone, author of Easy-Gluten Free Baking has a recipe for  gf pumpkin bread that rivals the traditional one made with wheat flour. The recipe makes 2 loaves, so freeze one to enjoy later.

Dry Ingredients:
 2 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Wet Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
3 cups granulated sugar
1  15 oz can pure pumpkin( not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup dried cranberries( optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together eggs, oil and orange juice. Add sugar and pumpkin. Blend until thoroughly combined.
4. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. (Use medium speed on a handheld mixer or medium- low on stand mixer.) Scrape bowl down once or twice while mixing ingredients. Stir in dried cranberries, if using.
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
6. Remove pans from oven and place on wire rack. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pans and allow to cool completely on wire rack.

* I substitute fresh cranberries for dried and add approximately 1 cup. I also add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

So long, farewell....

Fall arrived exactly one day after summer said goodbye. In our home, I turned the air conditioning off and reluctantly switched the thermostat to HEAT! This inspired me to tackle the vegetable garden. It was looking very overgrown, and not in a good way. The morning glories were thriving, to say the least, but the tomato plants were tired and the zucchini plant gave up it's fight long ago against the stinkbugs.

After a long day of pulling out spent plants and cutting down vines, the garden plots looked clean and tidy. My husband hoed in some shredded paper to aerate the soil as well as compost to enrich it for next year.  I did leave one tomato plant, a jalapeno plant, and the Thai and regular basil. I am not quite ready to say goodbye to homemade pesto, so potted up a few basil plants to (hopefully) winter over in our garage. (Have you ever been in an Italian restaurant that has huge basil plants growing year round?)

It has been a few weeks since I have seen a hummingbird, so I also took down the feeders and cleaned them with hot water, mild soap and a splash of bleach. I soaked the feeders in my laundry room sink and after a few hours, the black mildew was gone. Sadly, I stored the feeders away until next spring. I am always a bit melancholy when I realize those little guys have migrated. (It is a myth that the hummingbirds will not migrate if the feeders are still up, and the stragglers will benefit from the feeders.)

I did put in 2 types of lettuce seeds hoping we will have some for our hungry guinea pigs before a hard frost.

For fall color, I planted yellow and purple pansies in my containers after discarding the annuals that had seen better days. Pansies do well in the cooler weather and will even make it through the winter! (I remember when I moved down here from the Northeast and could not believe pansies were growing in January!)

So yes, we bid the summer farewell....but say hello to pumpkin farms, apple cider, and cozy evenings by the fireplace!

Fontaine Caffe and Creperie, Old Town Alexandria

My husband discovered this restaurant while searching the internet for gluten free dining options. (Isn't the internet wonderful?)  We do not eat out as often as we used to before I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Sometimes, it is awkward, to have to explain to a server what I can and cannot eat, so when we saw that this restaurant makes crepes, both gluten free and with wheat flour, we couldn't wait to try it. Or should I say, I couldn't wait to try it.

I grew up eating crepes for breakfast, "eirepfannkuchen", was a special treat in my family reserved for the occasional Sunday morning. My mother would stand at the stove, making one after the other, until all of us were stuffed! We would smear them with butter, and either syrup or sugar , roll them up and cut them into bite-size pieces. Oh, how I have missed them!

I was excited to make them for my husband when we were first married, but he never really liked the texture of the thin pancake, preferring the fluffier more traditional American version. So when I assured him that he would change his mind about crepes, after dining at this restaurant, he agreed, somewhat hesitantly.

The restaurant is tucked away on a quiet street in Old Town Alexandria VA. It has tables outside, but the inside is welcoming with a definite European feel. They offer both savory and sweet crepes, made with either wheat or gluten free buckwheat flour, with several choices of fillings.( buckwheat flour is gluten free despite the word wheat in the name) I ordered a savory crepe with spinach and feta cheese filling, my husband a ham, cheese and mushroom one. They all come with a generous side salad of fresh greens with a delicious dressing. I asked for a doggie bag for about half of mine as I wanted to save room for dessert. The sweet crepe I ordered for dessert was really the best thing I have eaten in a long time! It is called the Lemon Drop and it has a subtle lemony sweet filling and is dusted with confectionary sugar. I truly could taste no difference in these crepes made with the buckwheat flour, and they reminded me of the German ones my mother used to make.

Give this place a try next time you are in Old Town...you will not be disappointed!

Is there a Vegetarian in your house?

Luau Pig

My daughter has talked about and tentatively gone vegetarian on and off for a few years. She is a natural born animal whisperer and hopes to be a veterinarian. Our neighborhood luau sealed the deal for her. The sight of a pig with an apple in his mouth on the buffet table was too much for her. This time, I think she may never go back to eating meat. It has been over a month and nary a morsel of bacon, chicken or beef has grazed her lips (excuse the pun!)

I have been supportive of her decision and have read a few vegetarian cookbooks. Luckily, she is not a picky eater, loves fruits and vegetables and will still eat fish. I did make one or two recipes chock full of legumes and vegetables but it was lacking in flavor. This recipe below appealed to everyone in the family and can be made with either corn (gluten free) or flour tortillas.

It is super easy. My daughter made these herself with only a small amount of help from me.

Four Bean Enchiladas


Ingredients:


16  6-inch corn tortillas
1  15 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1  15 oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1  15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1  15 oz can navy or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1  11 oz can condensed cheddar cheese or nacho cheese soup
1  10 oz can enchilada sauce
1  8 oz can tomato sauce
1  1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese ( 6 ounces) 
 Sliced pitted ripe olives( optional)
 Chopped green pepper ( optional)


Directions:

• Stack tortillas and wrap tightly in foil. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or till warm.
• For filling, combine beans and cheese soup. Spoon about 1/3 cups filling onto one end of each tortilla. Arrange, seam side down, in 8 individual au gratin dishes or two 2 quart rectangular baking dishes.
• In a bowl, stir together the enchilada sauce and tomato sauce; pour over tortillas. Cover with foil . Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or till heated through.( 20 minutes if using au gratin dishes) Remove foil; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or till cheese melts. If desired, sprinkle with olives and green pepper. Makes 8 servings.

Note- check the ingredients on the soup, as the popular brands are not gluten free.

Bubba Deen's Shrimp Etouffee

I like a lot of Paula Deen's recipes. They are not super complicated and the ingredients are easy to find in the grocery store. And they taste great. One day when watching her show, she featured her brother, Bubba. The two of them made this dish together.

 This recipe for shrimp etouffee sounds fancy....etouffee, but it is really simple to make. It tastes so good, has just the right combination of flavors as well as a creamy texture. I worked for a few months in New Orleans as a travelling nurse and this dish reminds me of the unbelievably good food I ate while there.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup flour (I use Bob's gluten-free all purpose flour)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teas. black pepper
1/2 teas. white pepper
1/2 teas. cayenne pepper
1 teas. Cajun seasoning
1/2 cup minced green onions, plus extra for garnish
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
2-3 dashes hot sauce
1 (8oz) clam juice
1 (4.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
salt 
2 pounds small or medium shrimp peeled and deveined (31/35 count)
1/2 stick butter
Rice (optional)
Diced green onions(for garnish)


Directions:


Make the roux, mix oil and flour in a large heavy saucepan over low heat. Whisk flour into the oil to make a paste. Continue cooking over low heat and whisk continuously, until the mixture turns a caramel color and gives off a nutty aroma, about 15-20 minutes. To the roux, add the onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic and cook over low heat, about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are limp. Add the black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, green onions, parsley and hot sauce to taste. Add 1 can clam juice and the tomatoes with their juice, stir to blend. Add the salt, starting with 1 teas., then add more if needed. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes. Add shrimp and stir. It will take about 3 minutes for the shrimp to cook, don't overcook. Remove from heat. Add the butter and stir, the heat from the dish will melt the butter. Transfer the etouffee to a tureen, serving bowl , or if you prefer, over rice. Garnish with the green onions. 


Tip: I add 1 jalapeno pepper, diced and omit the hot sauce. It is plenty spicy!

Wine Slushies~ Straw or Spoon?

Brace yourself. This drink is awesome. It will be your new "go to" adult beverage.
And, it is simple to make, but you do have to wait for it to freeze. That is really the hardest part of this recipe.

I googled wine slushies when my friend, Judi, told me about how good they were. There seemed to be a few ways to make them, some as easy as buying a pre-made mix and some more time consuming, making a simple syrup etc.

I found this very easy recipe from the Chatham Hill Winery website. They have several recipes but I chose this one made with white wine since we were having fish. I mixed a pitcher up in my blender the night before, placed it in the freezer overnight and it was perfect the next morning! Serve in a margarita or martini glass. Straw or spoon, your choice!

Frozen Wine Slush
"Zingy"


1 bottle Pinot Grigio or Riesling
1 can frozen limeade
1 cup cranberry juice


Add wine, fruit juice, or fresh fruit to blender and blend until smooth, and freeze. The alcohol will prevent the mixture from becoming solid ice. 


Tip:
Our standard size blender could not hold the full bottle of wine, so I made the slushies in 2 separate batches.