gluten free

Chickpea Pastina Soup for Supper

Another week, another storm, another hearty soup! This storm I made a chickpea and pasta soup.  It is simple yet filling and savory.  The seasonings are simple, relying on the chickpeas for the predominant flavor. I used up some potato water leftover from mashed potatoes the night before, adding an extra layer of flavor.  I have made this soup many times, in several variations.  This version is my favorite.

It is naturally gluten free, just be careful about the chicken broth you use; most are not safe for celiacs. I really like Kitchen Basics, safe and great flavor.  For my pasta I chose Shar anellini which are tiny rings, about of the size of jewelry jump rings. I suppose you could make it with canned  chickpeas but I would not recommend that; the time you spend cooking up the beans is worth it for their flavor and firmer texture are very important to the success of this winter soup.

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What’s left in the pot after I have a bowl for supper!

Tuscan ChickPea and Pasta Soup

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas

6-7 cups liquid: water, chicken broth, potato water, a mixture is okay

¼ cup EVOL (extra virgin olive oil)

1 cup finely chopped red onion

1 large carrot, chopped small

1 ½ celery stalk, chopped small

2 garlic cloves minced

1 ½ tbsp. tomato paste mixed with ¾ cup chicken broth

Salt/pepper to taste

1/3 cup pasta; anellini work well

Directions:

Put the chickpeas in a big sauce pan, cover them with water, bring to a boil, cook 2 minutes, turn off and cover.  Let sit 60 minutes.  Drain and rinse them well.  Clean out the pot, put the beans in and cover with broth or water.  Cook 1.5 to 2 hours until tender.  Stir occasionally, add water as needed and taste – I like them done but al dente; still a touch firm.

In a large heavy bottomed soup pot, heat the olive oil.  Add the onion, cook 1 minute, add the carrot and celery bits, cook 4 minutes, add the garlic, saute one more minute. Add the broth/paste mixture.  Stir well.  Cover and cook 15-20 minutes adding more water or broth if it seems low.  It is not that brothy of a mixture.  Add 1 tsp. or more of sea salt, a few grinds of fresh black pepper and the pasta; cook the length of time the package says.  Turn off and let rest a few minutes before serving it.  Be sure to taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.  I often have to add more water or broth so it has the consistency I want for serving.

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It’s perfect on a cold winter evening with a slice of gf bread or some biscuits and a green salad.

This is an adaptation from a recipe out of a favorite cookbook “Italy Al Dente” by Biba Caggiano.  I changed some ingredients and revised the proportions a touch.

Great Meal at Pearly Baker’s Alehouse

Oh how I would love a fancy supper out.  One that is safe for me (of course!!)  Last night I got my wish.  We went out for a belated birthday dinner (mine) in Easton.  I had heard comments about Pearly Bakers and wanted to explore them as an option.  Their very nice website menu has clearly noted gluten free options, not a lot of them but enough to make me feel comfortable that they might be doing the gf thing properly.  Still, you never know until you try. I did look at some other Easton eateries but no sign of gluten free choices so I went with a place that was making an effort for those of us who must eat gluten free.

outside pearly bakers

Out into the frigid night we went, to Easton’s Center Square.  No parking open on the circle but we parked in the garage around the corner, cost us 75 cents.  There is a front eating area which is reminiscent of a pub. Tall tables, lots of beer taps and a fairly noisy convivial atmosphere.  We ate in the formal dining room, my choice for a slightly quieter dining experience.  I had been there  for dinner many years ago when it was Charlies.  The dining room seems very different, new colors maybe?  I sat facing an old painting of a boat burning on the Delaware River at Easton in 1860 or so. Impressive.

inside pearly bakers

I was equally impressed with the menu, not lengthy which generally tells me the chef is not using a lot of frozen foods.  There were three gluten free entrée options as well as several sides and one appetizer safe for me. We passed on apps as I tend to get too full on them.  I chose the ginger teriyaki salmon but I requested several modifications.  I just wasn’t in the mood for fried rice or radish cuke salad.  There was mashed potatoes with the pork loin so I requested that for my starch choice and the caramelized Brussels sprouts were right up my alley so a request was made for that in combination with the salmon and potatoes.  Their willingness to alter an entree like that was a sign of a responsive chef.   They didn’t even charge me extra for making it as I desired.

We sat enjoying our drinks, I had the house pinot grigio which was quite tasty.  Joe had his favorite lager; not in the mood, apparently, to try one of their many interesting looking beers.  Our food came pretty rapidly; not too fast though; we had time to chat a bit and relax. He ate a roll.  I suffered from roll envy….

Then plates were delivered and I got over my envy because my entrée was awesome looking.  I totally forgot to take a picture in my eagerness to dive in.  It was a large oval of mashed potatoes with small roasty looking brussels sprouts sprinkled all around the potatoes and on top too. A decently sized fillet of salmon was plonked down on top of the mashed.   There were the peas and corn that came with the salmon as it was described on the menu and my fish was also sprinkled with slivers of red onions and cuke. I dug in, finding great flavor in my fish and really perfect mashed tatters. The salmon was of good quality and cooked to perfection.  I loved the veggies.  I know, it was a tad odd to have mashed with ginger teriyaki flavors, but it worked wonderfully; I scraped every bit off my dinner plate! I think they should add this combo to their gf choices.  My only request would be to maybe caramelize those sprouts just a tad more next time.

Joe had fish and chips; he loved it and the roll he ate beforehand.  He couldn’t finish it and had to take a doggie bag.  He claimed later that the potatoes wedges were his veggie but I say they were a starch.  I pointed out that I had all my veggies and one serving of starch.  He had the breading on his fish, his roll and his chips.  It was understandable that he felt that starch overload sleepiness that can come over me when I overdo the starch.  I didn’t and I felt full but awesome.  I gave him a taste of my salmon and I think he had entrée envy although he refrained from saying so out loud!

The atmosphere was festive and relaxed, the service was perfect; friendly helpful server and well timed food delivery. Most importantly the food was delicious. Memorably tasty and safe for me as a celiac.  That combination is tough to find here in the Lehigh Valley.  I know I will be returning to Pearly Bakers, maybe in the spring when we can enjoy a post meal stroll along the river.

Bagel Bagel!

Bagels, I want bagels; chewy, flavorful and gluten free.  Not tasteless, sponge-like icebergs like the ones they sell in the freezer case.  But, fresh real bagels that are safe for me and anyone else with celiac disease.  So I finally tried to make them myself.  First try, success for most part.   Full of flavor and texture. Yummers!  I made one batch; makes six large bagels.  The blend of several gluten free flours and the long cool refrigerator rising gave them great flavor.  Mine were a bit saggy, a tad deflated! And not as pretty as the bagels in Nicole Hunn’s cookbook and one of mine broke in half in its bath.  Yes, in the bagel bath! Bagels get a quick dip in a molasses and salt flavored hot water bath before baking. I baked my batch 5 minutes longer than the recipe as they didn’t seem quite done at 20 minutes. Next time I will make sure I connect the two ends firmly so they can’t come apart no matter how clumsy I am at turning them in the water bath. The dough gets rolled into a fat snake that you join into a donut shape before letting them rise for an hour. Then their bath and bake and bagel heaven is yours…..

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Now, this recipe is not one I created, you can get it from the cookbook, Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread, page 126. Nicole Hunn is a genius at baking gf breads. Please follow her recipes closely and you gotta use her special gf flour blends; just make the blend up from recipes provided in her cookbook.  The secrets include using some unorthodox ingredients like pectin and whey protein isolate.  The whey is very pricy and you need a fair amount of it.  I don’t bake her breads that often as I find the flour ingredients not that cheap.   But, I love her rolls fresh out of the oven, almost wheaty in texture and flavor.  So well worth a go.

Not bad for my first effort at bagels.  I took pictures as I went but in my excitement I forgot one of them bathing!  Aiden got his fingers in one of the shots; he was standing on a stool watching me shape them.  I had to take him  home before they were done rising, he was pretty disappointed not to have a bagel to munch on tonight.

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Nicole is not happy if other bloggers repeat her recipes therefore I will not provide it here; visit her website where you will find the whole grain bagel recipe: glutenfreeonashoestring.com, you might well return to attempt her other tempting baked goods.  I make things out of her cookbook regularly, some tasty cake recipes in there.

My homemade bagels are a great treat, several will go in the freezer to be consumed later as I am scared they might spoil before I can eat all six.  I sprinkled one with lots of sesame seeds and two with poppy seeds, two with both and one plain.  Do try them if you are yearning for a bagel with bite, one with some real yeasty flavor and you can add the toppings of your choice. I am thinking about getting some onion bits for a topping; wonder if anyone makes them gf? Worth a look for said freeze dried bits.  This recipe is a keeper.  No more dreams of bagels, I have the real deal in my kitchen…at last!

Ten Bean Storm Soup

Day two of this storm, or is it day three? Hah! Anyway, time for another hearty one pot meal.  This one is my multi-bean soup with Italian sausage.  I started with a 1.3 lb bag of 4 bean mix and added two kinds of lentil and a bit of a few others.  The critical thing is that, if you have celiac, most 16 or 15 bean mixtures for soups contain barley which we are hugely allergic to. After much searching I found a four bean mix out at Echo Hill country store (Berks County) and added some French lentils; maybe ¼ a cup and some red lentils; another ¼ cup plus a ¼ cup of dried garbanzo beans and a sprinkling of dried limas.  You can use what ever blend you like but I like a good mix for a rich thick stew.  Let me know if you find any other mixtures that are barley free.

bean mix

My soup has Italian sausage but you can leave that out if you want a vegetarian version.  Ditch the bouillon cube if you are going that direction.  I personally love sausage in a bean stew. Gives you lots of meaty flavor and a healthy dose of protein. I am guessing you could use other things like smoky ham chunks or maybe a ham hock?

I enjoyed a hot bowl of this potage with a slice of toasted multigrain gf bread.  It made a full meal without anything else being necessary.   A fresh crunchy salad would go well if you want to round your dining experience out with some greens!

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Ten Bean Soup with Sausage

Soak 1- 1/12 pounds of dried beans in water to cover.  I set the lentils aside and added them after the soaking as they don’t need the same treatment the other beans need.  Either bring to a boil and let stand an hour or just let stand in the cold water overnight.  I did the quick version!  Drain them well and rinse even better before returning the swollen legumes to the rinsed pot. You want to get rid of the soaking liquid as it is full of the stuff that causes intestinal gas so rinse dem beans! Cover with fresh filtered water, an inch or so above the beans and add a bay leaf.  Cook 1 hour, pour in more water as needed and stir so it doesn’t stick or burn.  Then, add the lentils and cook another hour until the beans are nearly tender.  It is hard to say when beans get done, depends on a number of factors including the age of the beans, I taste often to check for tenderness. And stir that pot! As they are approaching that almost done spot start the rest of the dish.

Chop into dice:  3 sizable carrots  and 1 large onion

Mince: 2 big garlic cloves

Add the veggies, stir and cook 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add water if needed.  I like the soup thick but it can’t be solid so add water.

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As that cooks start the sausage.  Sauté one lb Italian sausage: brown in a Teflon pan with a touch of olive oil until top and bottom are browned and sausage is mostly done. Let cool a bit and slice into rounds or chunks, set aside.

Add to the soup:

½ a 14 ounce can of spicy diced tomatoes (plain if you like less heat)

½ tsp. dried oregano

Sprinkle dried basil

¼ tsp smoked paprika

1 beef bouillon cube

½ bunch of kale leaves cut into big shreds; I cut off the bigger stems as they can be tough.

1-2 tsp sea salt

Some fresh ground black pepper

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Kale closeup! Soup is done. Yumm~

Cook ten minutes, add more water if it gets too thick. Stir occasionally.  Taste and add more spice if you think the soup needs more. Add the sliced sausage and cook five minutes more.  Taste and add more salt/pepper as you see necessary.  Let stand 5-10 minutes before ladling out.  Now that is comfort food that is good for you too!  ten bean soup 017

Berry Good Tartlets

Everyone loved that winter fruit tart I made 2 weeks ago so I decided to try a slight variation on it; individual tarts created in low sided round tartlet pans, they have a removable disk bottom for easy removal of each tartlet. I used some frozen blueberries instead of the pears plus I added a touch of ginger to spice it up differently.  If you are a ginger hater, just leave that out.

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They turned out really tasty, I used my favorite crisp cookie crust covered with a mixture of fruits and the touch of crumb almond topping.  We each had our own tartlet slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream; perfect.  Joe said that he really loves the cookie crust; great cookie flavor.

This is a simple recipe; toss the fruits with sugar and a touch of tapioca.  If you don’t have tapioca use some cornstarch or rice flour mix.  They look like I bought them in a bakery.  I took one to a church event so I would have a safe treat to enjoy and was envied by all the others at my table eating commercially made wheat based pastries. Serve these tartlets and I promise you no one will even believe they are eating gluten free!

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 Fruity Mix Tartlets

Start by making a gf cookie crust and the crumb topping. If you have leftover crumb topping in the fridge you are ahead of the game for making pies and tarts!

Cookie crust

Place the following in a stand mixer bowl and combine

1 cup GF flour (recipe below)

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp xanthan gum

½ tsp cinnamon

Mix well, add 5 tbsp cold butter, cut into 6-7 chunks.  Mix on low until the butter is just crumbs blended in.

Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 1 tbsp water.  Blend well.

tartlet pans

I love these little tartlet pans made by Chicago Metallic.

 

Pour the crust crumbs into six mini tart pans or a ten inch tart pan that was sprayed with cooking spray.  Spread it up the sides ¼ inch (½ an inch for the big tart pan).  Press gently in so it is a cohesive crust but do not press really hard or your crust will be like concrete when the tartlets finish baking!

Crumb topping

Put all four ingredients in the same mixing bowl you made the bottom crust in and mix well with mixer paddle until crumbs form.

¾ c brown rice flour mix

½ c sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

1/3 c cold butter cut into six chunks

You will use a ½ cup of the crumbs. Put the rest in a tightly sealing glass container and store in the fridge for your next pie/tart. It should keep for several weeks.

Almond Topping: mix well

½ cup crumb topping

¼ cup slivered almonds

Heat the oven to 375 degrees while you make the filling.

Filling

1 baking apple

1 ¼ cup frozen blueberries, not defrosted

1 skimpy cup raw cranberries

½ cup sugar

1 tbsp. granulated tapioca

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. ginger

Peel, core, quarter and slice thinly the cooking apple, put in a mixing bowl with the blueberries and cranberries.  Be sure to pick over the cranberries and remove any soft or iffy ones.  Add the sugar, tapioca, ginger and cinnamon, mix with a spoon.

Pour into the crusted tartlet pans.  Mound up a bit; it will sink when it is cooked.  If you have any leftover fruit; you can bake it in an oven safe dish with crumbs on top.  Sprinkle the tartlets with the almond crumb topping.  I put the pans on a baking sheet for easy placement and removal from the oven. Pop the tartlets in the oven and bake 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.  They take that long because the blueberries are frozen. Cool at least 10 minutes.  Serve warm or cold.  Enjoy!

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Brown Rice Flour Mix
2 c brown rice flour (finely ground)

2/3 c potato starch – Not potato flour!

1/3 c tapioca flour