Penne with Roasted Cauliflower and Butternut Squash Recipe - Gluten Free

Fall is in the air. Yes, even here in Florida the temps have dropped into the high 70s (or low 80s). Not exactly sweater and boots weather but fall none the less.

It is time to say good bye to the lovely tomatoes and basil of summer and say hello to the hard squashes and cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli of fall.

Want me to let you in on a secret I have learned that will make people think you are a gluten-free rock star in the kitchen? Take some seasonal vegetables, roasted them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and toss with some good gluten-free pasta and an herb or two and voila! It is the simplicity that wows people and the fact that it is hardly any work at all is just a bonus (that we can just keep to ourselves).

I recently discovered a new gluten free pasta; Pastato Potato Penne from Maple Grove Gluten Free. It is made with potato and rice flours but enriched with quinoa flour, ground flax and psyllium husks for added fiber and best of all it tastes great and cooks up in about 7 minutes! Yes, that means that you can have this meal on the table in less than half an hour even if you feel the need to add a salad on the side.

This recipe is vegan but if you want to add some meat, just toss some thinly sliced Italian ham in at the end with the veggies. If dairy is not a dietary issue, a good grating of Parmesan Cheese just before serving is spectacular.

So while it may be hard to tell by the weather here in Florida that autumn has arrived, when butternut squash is roasting in the oven and sage leaves are sizzling in (dairy free) butter you can be sure that fall has fallen!

Gluten Free Penne with Roasted Cauliflower and Butternut Squash

Ingredients

1 box Pastato Potato Penne (8 ounces)
2 cups butternut squash cut into ¾ inch cubes
2 cups cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces
½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt, plus more for serving
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, plus more for serving
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons olive oil – use divided
¼ cup dairy free butter substitute
½ cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss the butternut squash, cauliflower, salt, pepper and nutmeg with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the vegetables, stirring occasionally for even browning, for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are browned and the squash is tender.

Cook the pasta in heavily salted water for 7 minutes or until done. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta and then return to the hot pot.

Melt the dairy free butter substitute in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the sage leaves, remove from heat and toss to coat.

Add the roasted vegetables, reserved pasta water, sage leaves and browned butter substitute to the pan with the pasta and toss to coat. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

Want to know more about your favorite Gluten Free Recipe or how to avoid being bothered by Celiac with our range of Gluten Free Recipes which are made from Gluten Free raw material feel free to visit us at: http://www.simplygluten-free.com

Article Source: http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/10/gluten-free-penne-with-roasted-cauliflower-and-butternut-squash-recipe.html

Perfect Gluten Free Pie Crust Recipe

Bakers, start your ovens!  Fall is what I consider to be the beginning of pie season.  The temperatures start to drop, crisp apples and pears fill the produce shelves and a freshly baked pie seems to be the perfect way to cozy-up a chilly evening.   And before you know it we launch into Thanksgiving and the beginning of Holiday Season.  I ask you – what is Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie?

For many years after converting to a gluten free diet I made crust-less pies and was perfectly happy.  After all a crust-less pie you can safely eat is better than a pie with crust you can’t!   But as time went by, I started to resent my crust-less life and started using nuts and gluten-free cookies as a base for my pies.  Nothing wrong with that and in fact in some cases, such as my chocolate peanut butter pie, a nut crust is the ideal choice.  But what was missing for me was the OTHER choice – a white, flaky, traditional pie crust just like Grandma used to make but without the gluten.  So I  embarked on a mission to make the perfect gluten free pie crust.  The first thing I learned is you can’t let pie crusts intimidate you. It is not only possible to make a great gluten-free pie crust, it is completely do-able and many of those who have tried mine, say they prefer my gluten-free crust to regular wheat crusts they have had.

Here are my tips for making the perfect gluten free pie crust:

1. Cold, cold, cold! Get your ingredients cold before using them. Cut up your butter or shortening into small pieces and pop it in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes before starting your pastry. Put ice cubes in your water for a good 10 minutes before using it to really chill it down.

2. Use a food processor. The speed with which the food processor can combine the ingredients and cut in your butter or shortening is so much faster than if you do it by hand and results in a flakier crust. Of course if you don’t have a food processor, just cut the shortening or butter in by hand but work quickly and don’t over do it. Bigger pieces of butter or shortening are not only OK, but preferred.

3. Be skimpy on the water. The biggest mistake most people make in preparing pie crusts (whether it be gluten-free or not) is adding too much water. Add just enough so that the ingredients hold together when squeezed in your hand. Too much water will result in a tough crust.

4. Give it a rest! Let your pie crust dough rest for at least an hour before rolling. Many people think this is to let the gluten rest, which would make no sense in a gluten-free recipe, but in truth what you are doing is letting the moisture distribute evenly. Never skip the resting period.

5. Extrude – don’t roll. Gluten-free pie crust is more fragile than regular pie crust as it lacks the sticking power of the gluten. It is much easier to employ the “extrusion method”. Simply place your dough on a piece of wax paper that is dusted lightly with gluten-free flour, then sprinkle a little more flour on the dough and top with another piece of wax paper and roll it out. This will help keep your crust in one piece. Using the wax paper also helps in transferring the dough to the pie plate. If a piece falls off or breaks, just pinch it back together, don’t be afraid to show your pie crust who’s boss.

6. Use great ingredients. The sum of the parts will only be as good as what you put in it. Start with a good, pastry quality all purpose gluten-free flour blend that is not grainy or cardboard tasting.   For a perfect-just-like-Grandma-used-to-make pie crust you need a flour blend that has a high starch content and some xanthan gum.  You need the crust to be flaky but still stick together.  If you don’t have a brand you like then make your own using either super fine or Asian flours, they are milled much more finely than most. Also use the best quality butter  you can get buy and always use either kosher or fine sea salt.  If you can not have dairy then substitute the butter with all vegetable solid shortening.  In my opinion, the butter flavored shortenings do not produce as good a flavor as the regular, non-flavored.  And actually I think that using Crisco results in the best tasting, dairy free pie crust but if you just can’t get on board with Crisco, I understand.  I also use regular sugar in my pie crusts, it helps with browning and after all – it’s dessert!

This recipe is for sweet pies, if using for a savory dish such as quiche, cut the sugar down to 1 teaspoon.  At the end of the recipe is a variation for a Chocolate Pie Crust which is a unique twist for pudding-type or berry pies.

Perfect Gluten-free Pie Crust

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter or solid, all vegetable non-dairy shortening
2 to 4 tablespoons cold water
*1¼ cups All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
2 tablespoons sugar

* you can make your own homemade version of a flour blend by combining 3/4 cup super fine white rice flour with 1/4 cup potato starch (not potato flour), 1/4 cup sweet rice flour and 1/4 cup tapioca starch (use Asian tapioca to avoid an “off” taste to the tapioca) and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum.  Whisk until fully combined.  This will give you enough for the recipe plus rolling.

Directions

Cut butter into ½ inch pieces and place it the freezer for 15 – 30 minutes.

Add some ice cubes to the water and let it get ice cold while preparing the dry ingredients.
Combine the flour blend, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5 -6 times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 6 -8 times or until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea size pieces of butter.

With processor running, add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture just barely starts to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough together and it holds then you have enough water, if not add more a little at a time. You do not want to add any more water than is absolutely necessary.

Remove the dough from the machine and form into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or for as long as 2 -3 days.  Since the dough is so crumbly and does not hold together at this point, I find it easier (and far less messy) to pour the mixture into a large food storage bag and form it into a disk using the bag to help. Then just close up the bag and put it in the fridge. Remove dough from fridge 5 minutes before rolling.

To roll the dough, lay a piece of waxed paper on a work surface and sprinkle with some flour blend. Lay the chilled disk on the floured paper, sprinkle with some more flour and lay on another piece of waxed paper. Roll the dough into a circle approximately 12 inches wide. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper and carefully transfer into a 9 inch pie plate and remove the waxed paper. Push the dough very gently down so it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. If the dough splits or breaks apart just push it back together. Trim the edge of the pie crust to about ½ – ¾ inch over hang. Tuck the overhang under and pinch the dough into a decorative finish.

To Pre-bake (or Blind Bake) a pie crust:

Sometimes a recipe will call for a pre-baked or blind baked pie crust, here’s how to do that.

Freeze the pie crust in the pie plate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place a piece of waxed or parchment paper (or foil) in the bottom and up the sides of the pie crust. Fill with dried beans, rice or pie weights. (I prefer dried black beans as they help distribute the heat better and are much less expensive than pie weights. I use the same beans over and over.) Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and waxed paper, poke a few holes in the bottom of the crust using a fork and return to the oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Let pie crust cool completely before filling.

A gluten free recipe that makes 1 – 9 inch pie crust.

Variation – Chocolate Pie Crust:

Add 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and proceed as above.  The dough may require just a tad more water.  Make sure to brush off all the excess flour blend after rolling to keep the dark color.

Want to know more about your favorite Gluten Free Recipe or how to avoid being bothered by Celiac with our range of Gluten Free Recipes which are made from Gluten Free raw material feel free to visit us at: http://www.simplygluten-free.com

Article Source: http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/10/gluten-free-almond-chocolate-cherry-cupcakes-recipe.html

I believe firmly that  no living thing thrives with deprivation. That is why it makes me so happy to create gluten free recipes for desserts that are rich and indulgent. If I can create a dessert that is not only gluten free but also sugar free and is STILL rich and indulgent then I am not just happy, I am ecstatic!

I just can not think of the words “chocolate” and “deprivation” in the same thought!  Seriously, who is going to punish you by making you eat chocolate? And I am willing to bet that one does not think “gelato” and then think “diet”. And yet one of my fairly guilt-free go-to desserts is Chocolate Gelato!

Did you know that gelato is lower in fat and calories than ice cream? Well, it is. Gelato is traditionally made with milk and typically has between 4 and 8 percent butter fat versus ice cream’s 14 to 16 percent butter fat content (at least in America).

So if gelato is lower in fat and calories than ice cream why does it seem so much richer? First of all the lower fat content of milk vs. cream makes it so that the flavors come through much more vibrantly. If you want a rich and sinful dairy free dessert make this with the dairy free milk of your choice – just make sure the fat content is similar to that of whole cow’s milk.

Secondly, I think the silken texture has something to do with it. In commercial gelato that silken texture is achieved by the use of corn syrup. It does something technical (that I could pretend to understand and explain but don’t and won’t) to the milk. But you can get the same result with agave nectar AND have the added benefit of a dessert that is free of refined sugar. Since agave is non-crystallizing it keeps the gelato smooth and silky without those little bits of rock hard frozen sugar that can ruin a good frozen treat.

So if we combine lower fat and calories with refined sugar free and the health benefits of chocolate which include everything from lowering blood pressure and possibly fighting cancer to preventing tooth decay, this Chocolate Gelato is actually down right virtuous! Isn’t it great to have a dessert that is rich, indulgent and virtuous? I think so.


Gluten Free Sugar Free Chocolate Gelato


Ingredients

3 cups whole milk (or dairy free milk)
1 pinch kosher or fine sea salt
2/3 cup organic raw blue agave
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

Heat 2 cups of the milk with the salt and agave in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining cup of milk with the cocoa powder and cornstarch. Add the mixture to the heated milk and agave mixture. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to boil and stir for 1 minute. Strain the mixture into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 6 hours. (To hasten the chilling process put the mixture in the freezer for approximately 1 hour instead.)

Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and process for 20 – 30 minutes or according to the manufacture’s directions. Place in a covered container and freeze until hard, about 6 hours. The gelato will keep for a week in the freezer, covered.

A gluten free recipe that makes about 1 quart of gelato.

Want to know more about your favorite Gluten Free Recipe or how to avoid being bothered by Celiac with our range of
Gluten Free Recipes which are made from

Gluten Free raw material feel free to visit us at: http://www.simplygluten-free.com

Article Source: http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/09/gluten-free-sugar-free-chocolate-gelato-recipe.html