gluten free cooking

Turkey Posole Stew; Sort of Spicy and So Delish!

I am betting you have some roast turkey in the freezer, maybe a pint of gravy too?  Well, I have just the recipe for you, courtesy of Rachel Ray and foodnetwork.com.  It is nothing like most traditional turkey leftover recipes.  It is a slightly spicy Mexican stew; posole stew can easily be gluten free. Just use care choosing your chicken broth and your tortilla chips that accompany this savory soup. One of these years I will remember to buy an extra carton of gf turkey broth and use in instead of chicken broth; turkey broth disappears immediately after thanksgiving; a bit of a bummer….

I have been making it every fall after Thanksgiving and always look forward to a few bowls of it.  Spicy, crunchy, tangy; unlike any other soup I make.  Posole stew can be made with roasted pork and I have done so but I like it far better created with leftover roast turkey, especially the dark meat.  I have served this stew to many people, and it is always well received and enjoyed, even by my elderly mother.  I made a batch today and it was so delish! You can cut this recipe in half easily which I did this time; didn’t have enough turkey for a whole recipe and my fridge is pretty full anyway; my posole turned out great and I am thrilled to be enjoying it again. 

Notes:  I used most of a good-sized jalapeno pepper and one 15 ounce can of hominy in a half recipe. I used a cup of water for the beer and a carton of gf chicken broth. About 3-4 tablespoons of homemade turkey gravy this time: ate the rest on hot sandwiches. It was absolutely delish!

tomatillos

The more jalapeno pepper you add the hotter it will be. I have tried canned tomatillos, and they are not really a good substitute.  You can get them fresh (found near the fresh tomatoes) in many stores including Giant.  They are used in Hispanic and Mexican cooking and add a lot of flavor and tartness to the soup. I have heard that some folks use salsa Verde instead of tomatillos but it really isn’t hard to chop them up, so I recommend the real deal.

Hominy is a corn product; whole kernels soaked in lye to swell and soften.  The kernels have a mild corn flavor plus they soak up other flavors quickly and add a certain texture and body to the stew.

The wild turkey is native to North America and one turkey species is originally from Mexico.  So turkey is a natural component in this stew.  The Aztecs revered corn and liked to cook it with meat.  Tomatillos are native to Mexico, related to cape gooseberries.  They are used in salsa verde and other Mexican dishes. So this compilation of turkey, corn, tomatillos and lime is a natural combination that will be easy to make and fun to eat. Go on, be adventurous and enjoy a steaming hot bowl of delicious posole and use up that turkey in a totally different way!

Turkey Posole Stew

Ingredients

2 tbsp mild olive oil or canola oil

2 medium onions chopped

4 cloves garlic chopped fine

1-2 jalapeno peppers – seeded and chopped fine –use two if you like it spicy, I use one!

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1 cup GF beer (can use 1 cup water if you want but it gives more flavor)

Coarse salt and pepper

12-16 tomatillos; about 2 lbs, take off the paper cover, rinse and chop up.  Can coarsely chop in food processor

5-6 sprigs fresh thyme; chop it up off the stems.

2   15-ounce cans hominy

1.5 qt chicken stock (can be part gravy)

1 ½ to 2 lbs. chopped turkey meat; can be mixture of light and dark

1 lime juiced

Chopped cilantro leaves to garnish (optional)

Tortilla chips: the ones with lime go particularly well with this.

tomatillos

Cook first six ingredients about 5 min in a large stock pot.  Add beer or water, cook one minute.  Add chopped tomatillos and cook 5-6 minutes until softened.  Add hominy, thyme and stock and cook 15 minutes.  Add chopped turkey and lime juice, stir. Taste and add salt and pepper, stir well.  I never use cilantro; something I just don’t like, but feel free to add it as the original recipe uses a bunch of it.turkey posole soup

Then ladle the posole into bowls and serve lots of white tortilla chips to crunch over the top of the hot soup.  As the soup disappears from my bowl, I like to add more chips to keep the crunch going.

 

 

Butternut Squash, Pancetta and Chard Pasta

This colorful pasta dish is pretty healthy and very tasty. Not too tricky either. I have enjoyed it many times in the years. It makes 4 satisfying servings.

It showcases roasted cubes of butternut squash and tender melt-in-your-mouth Swiss chard. My amounts are somewhat approximate.  I used gf fettuccine noodles. Don’t overcook them! You could buy pre-peeled and cubed squash to save time. I used some I grew this fall and honestly it didn’t take long to peel and cube it. I suggest you roast the cubes from a whole squash and use as much as you think works for you. Valley Farms has great fresh Swiss chard; that’s where I get mine if I don’t grow it myself.  I have made this recipe with thick cut bacon, if that is what you have; go for it.  I got a package of chopped pancetta at Giant for a decent price. It will keep a few days in the fridge.

Butternut, Pancetta and Chard Pasta

Ingredients:

1 bunch Swiss chard, I like the red or white stemmed variety, rinsed off

3-4 tbsp. EVOL

1 cup or so of diced red onion; one decent sized one

1 lg garlic clove minced

1 medium butternut squash; peeled, seeded and cubed; at least a pound in weight

4 oz pancetta, diced

10-12 oz dried gf fettucine noodles.

Good quality Parmesan cheese to grate on plated entree

Directions:

Roast the squash; heat the oven to 400 degrees, spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray; spread the cubed squash, drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp of EVOL and ½ tsp. kosher or sea salt, bake at 400 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes; turn cubes every 20 minutes with a metal spatula to help them cook evenly, a bit of crunch is nice! Start the rest of the recipe as they approach doneness or bake the squash a day before if that works for you. Have done it both ways. Crunchier if made right before serving

Heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta while you make the chard.  Chop it into 1 inch lengths; set the chopped leaves aside separately from the lower stem bits. Heat the EVOL in a large frying pan or smallish wok. Add the stems and cook 2-3 minutes, add garlic, stir, add the onion; cook 3-5 minutes until softening. Add rest of chard in 2-3 handfuls letting it cook down for a minute before stirring and adding the next third. Then push the veggies up the sides or to the edges and add the pancetta. Push the veggies gently back around and over the pancetta. Cook 2-3 minutes until the pancetta is hot and the chard is soft.  Meanwhile you have cooked the pasta to al dente. Add it to the pan with the chard, stir, add the roasted squash cubes. Stir. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top; none of that pre-grated crappy cheese please! Enjoy!

swiss chard pasta plated

Not sure where I found this recipe, but it is a keeper; we generally enjoy it in the fall as chard and squash are fall harvest vegetables.

Blueberry Pancakes, GF – Yet Fat and Sassy!

Who know it would be so difficult to find a really tasty gf pancake recipe?  Tried a few and found some too dry and some too bland.  It took me years to find ones I really liked.  Fat, tender and flavorful.  I don’t miss my old wheat-based pancakes anymore.  Plus, these are super easy to make; dump and stir.  Sorry, no ready-made box mix used here but I do make 2 half batches for camping trips; just need to add the wet ingredients to create scratch pancakes even camping!  Soon, when I can find the time to figure out the way to do it best, then I will have a bulk dry mix and be ready to make almost instant pancakes from scratch! These beauties are from Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s GF cookbook.  I am generally not a fan of celebrity cookbooks, but this recipe is worth sharing.

shrimp bisque 001shrimp bisque 002

So, try these and you will find them to be fat and utterly yummy.  I put blueberries in mine, but they are good plain and would taste fantastic with chocolate chips added on top!  We sprinkled a little cinnamon in our batter too.

shrimp bisque 003

I think someone already took a bite out of one of these beauties!

Elizabeth’s GF Pancakes

1 cup sweet sorghum flour

½ cup sweet rice flour

¼ cup tapioca flour

2 tbsp. sugar

2 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. guar gum

¼ tsp. salt

———

1 2/3 cup 2% milk

2 eggs

½ tsp. vanilla

4 tbsp. butter; melted plus more for griddle frying

Topping: ¼ cup fresh blueberries, sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions: Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix the next three ingredients in a small bowl, whisk well, mix in the melted butter, whisk.  Pour into the dry ingredients, mix with whisk just until no dry shows.  If the batter looks too thick add 1-2 more tablespoons milk and stir up. I heat the griddle while I do the mixing so it is all ready when the batter is mixed; it doesn’t keep well; to get the fattest puffiest pancakes the secret is mix briefly and you have to bake them right away.

Heat griddle until hot, add some butter, I like to use a big kitchen spoon to measure and I do 3 or 4 pancakes on my cast iron griddle at a time. Sprinkle 3-5 berries on top of each pancake and add a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Let them cook until the edges look set; about 2-3 minutes.  Turn with flat spatula turner.  Let cook 1-2 more minutes.  Do not flip again.  Serve with maple or blueberry syrup.

Summer Shrimp Sauté

High summer is the perfect time for a simple sauté of fresh veggies with a light protein like shrimp. Quick, tempting and a super use of your excess cherry tomatoes. I added fresh herbs from my garden and made some long grain brown rice in my InstaPot to serve with it. Refreshing and very nourishing without heavy sauces or cheese. Ready in less than 30 minutes.

This is a recipe for one, just double it if you are feeding someone. Try scallops if you prefer them. Sub in a different kind of squash if that’s what you like. I grew yellow pattypan squash. They are at their best small. This one was just a day from being too big. I cut it in half and scooped out the seeds. I sliced half of it quite thin so it would cook rapidly. You can use a yellow onion or even shallots in place of the red onion. Please try to get vine ripened local tomatoes, organic if possible. You could use large, diced tomato chunks but add them right at the very last minute. The herbs are simple to switch up, maybe mint and basil? I have to say that thyme and parsley freshly picked are delightful. I used 4 jumbo Argentinian shrimps which are deliciously meaty, and their flavor is reminiscent of lobster. Use whatever shrimp you prefer; fresh and do shell them for easy eating. Enjoy!

Summer Shrimp Sauté

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. light olive oil

1 small red onion sliced into vertical ribbons (from top to bottom)

1 cup of thinly sliced patty pan squash (if seeds are big scoop them out)

1 or 2 garlic cloves minced

4 ounces shrimp, peeled

1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 stalk of parsley finely julienned

zest of half a lemon cut in skinny strips – I have a tool that ribbons off 3 strips at a time

1 Tbsp butter

juice of 1/2 that small lemon

1/2-3/4 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

brown rice if you want a starch

Directions: Prep the veggies; slice the onion vertically into narrow ribs, removing the very top and bottom. Thinly slice the squash.

Heat a 9-10 inch sauté pan until fairly hot, add the olive oil, when hot add the onion. Stir a minute. Add the squash slices, stir and add a Tbsp of water to help it steam. Stir or flip the squash a few times. Add another bit of water. I cooked this for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic minced and cook 30-60 seconds. Push the veggies to the edges and add just a touch more oil. Lay the shrimps in the open space. Turn after a minute. After another minute add the butter and then add herbs and lemon zest strips and then juice. Stir and add the tomatoes after a minute. Stir well, add salt and pepper freshly ground; to taste. Serve on brown rice or noodles. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash, Pancetta and Kale Pasta Toss

This colorful pasta dish is pretty healthy and very tasty. It’s a version of a dish I make with Swiss chard. None of that around so I used fresh kale from my garden and some beet greens for that earthy note that is critical to the flavor. Not a difficult dish either. Have enjoyed the original many times in the past 8-10 years.

It showcases roasted cubes of butternut squash and tender kale as well as beet greens. My amounts are somewhat approximate. It will keep a couple days in the fridge. I used gf fettuccine noodles. Don’t overcook them! You could buy pre-peeled and cubed squash to save time. I used some I grew last fall and honestly it didn’t take long to peel and cube it. I suggest you roast the cubes from a whole squash and use as much as you think works for you.  I have made this recipe with thick cut bacon, if that is what you have; go for it.  I got a package of chopped pancetta at Aldi’s pretty cheaply and the flavor is awesome.

Butternut, Pancetta and Kale Pasta

Ingredients:

1 small- medium butternut squash; peeled, seeded and cubed; at least a pound

3-4 tbsp. EVOL

1 cup or so of diced red onion; one decent sized one

4 oz pancetta, diced

1 lg garlic clove minced

1 bunch tender young kale, rinsed off

A big handful of beet greens, preferably young tender ones

9-12 oz dried gf fettucine noodles.

Good quality Parmesan cheese to grate into the mixture and some on each plated entree

Directions:

Roast the squash; heat the oven to 400 degrees, spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray; spread the cubed squash, drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp of EVOL and ½ tsp. kosher or sea salt, bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 60 minutes; if they are chubby they might take all 60 minutes. Mine this time were fairly skinny so 30 minutes was perfect. Do turn cubes every 15 minutes with a metal spatula to help them cook evenly, a bit of crunch is nice! Start the rest of the recipe as they approach doneness, let them stay warm in the oven with heat off or bake the squash a day before if that works for you. Have done it all three ways. Crunchier if made right before serving.

Heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta while you make the kale.  Chop it into 1.5- 2 inch lengths; set the chopped leaves aside separately from the lower stem bits. Heat the EVOL in a large frying pan or smallish wok. Add the pancetta first, cook 2-3 minutes, add the red onion pieces, cook 3-5 minutes until softening. Add the garlic and cook a minute. Add the kale in 2-3 handfuls letting it cook down for a minute before stirring and adding the next third. Add the beet greens with the last third of kale. Cook 2-3 minutes until the beet greens are soft.  Meanwhile you have cooked the pasta to al dente. Add it to the pan with the pancetta and veggies, stir, add the roasted squash cubes. Stir gently. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top; none of that pre-grated crappy cheese please! Enjoy!

swiss chard pasta plated

Not sure where I found this recipe, but it is a keeper; we often enjoy it in the fall as chard and squash are typically fall harvest vegetables.

You could leave out the beet greens if you can’t find them.