Simply . . . Gluten-Free Quick Meals: More Than 100 Great-Tasting Recipes for Good Food Fast (5 page)
Authors: Carol Kicinski
Broccoli with Garlic Chips
1 pound broccoli florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly
sliced
1/2
teaspoon kosher or fine sea
salt
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, add the broccoli and cook until almost tender, but still crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic starts to soften and brown lightly, about 2 minutes. Return the broccoli to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Ganache with Fruit
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
1/2
cup coconut milk (or dairy-free
milk of your choice)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon good-quality,
dairy-free butter substitute
(such as Earth Balance)
Whole berries, sliced apples,
banana chunks, orange
segments, or whatever fruit
you prefer; plan on about
1 piece of whole fruit or a large
handful of berries per person
Place the chocolate chips, coconut milk, and vanilla in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high power for 2 minutes, or until most of the chocolate is melted. Stir the mixture until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Add the dairy-free butter substitute and stir to combine. Set aside until ready to serve. The mixture will thicken as it sits. To speed up this process, put the ganache in the freezer for 10 minutes, then give it a good stir before serving with the fruit.
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Ricotta and Tomato Pasta
Rustic Salad
Blitzed Brownies
T
his pasta dish is a lighter, more elegant, deconstructed version of lasagna; all the flavors with a fraction of the time and effort. Serve the pasta in individual bowls with a dollop of the ricotta mixture. It is a pretty, rustic presentation and allows the diner to mix in a bit of the ricotta with each bite.
The flourless brownies are ready in less than half an hour, and have endless possibilities. Change the nuts and dried fruit to suit your own taste.
Quick-Cook Strategy
• Start the water boiling for the pasta in a large pan with a lid. Preheat the oven.
• Prepare the brownies and get them in the oven. If you have not taken the butter out of the refrigerator ahead of time, you can soften it in the microwave on 30 percent power for about 30 seconds, but watch carefully, microwaves cook from the inside out and the center can liquefy.
Serves 4 (with plenty of leftover brownies for later)
• The recipe makes plenty of brownies, so you will have dessert or treats for another day. They are good warm from the oven or cold; a scoop of ice cream is a nice addition.
• Once the brownies are in the oven, slice up the bacon and get it frying, cut up the bread and lettuce for the salad, halve the tomatoes for the pasta, and make the salad dressing. Then get on to the rest of the pasta recipe.
Ricotta and Tomato Pasta
14 ounces gluten-free, fettuccine-style rice pasta
¾ cup ricotta cheese (preferably
fresh)
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
cheese, plus more for garnish
1/2
teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher or fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra
for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes,
halved
Pinch of crushed red pepper
flakes
2 cups baby spinach leaves
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve
1/2
cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Return the drained pasta to the hot pot.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese mixture and the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese with the ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, the dried oregano, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic brown. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and
1/2
teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, then add the reserved pasta water and spinach. Cook for another minute or two, or until the spinach has wilted.
Add the tomato-spinach mixture to the pasta in the pot and toss to combine. Serve the pasta in large, shallow bowls with a dollop of the ricotta mixture in the center. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with additional finely grated Parmesan cheese.
Rustic Salad
7 tablespoons olive oil
5 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced
crosswise into
1/2
-inch pieces
4 slices gluten-free sandwich
bread, cut into
1/2
-inch cubes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Kosher or fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 hearts romaine lettuce,
coarsely chopped
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the slices start to brown and have rendered out some fat, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the bread cubes, tossing to coat them in the bacon fat. Spread the bread cubes out in the pan so they brown evenly, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy, about 4 minutes. Set aside in the pan until ready to toss with the lettuce.
Combine the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar, Dijon mustard, and a good pinch of salt and pepper in a small jar and shake well. Just before serving, put the lettuce in a salad bowl, toss with the dressing, add the reserved bacon and bread cubes, and give it another gentle toss.
Blitzed Brownies
1¼ cups good-quality bitter-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter,
softened
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened
cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2
teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1 tablespoon instant espresso
powder (optional)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup coarsely chopped dried
apricots
¼ cup coarsely chopped dried
cherries
¼ cup coarsely chopped roasted
pistachios
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 × 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
Put the chocolate chips and butter in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to roughly combine. Add the eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla and process until combined. There will be small bits of chocolate in the mix; that’s fine. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top. Sprinkle the chopped fruit and nuts over the top and gently press into the batter. Bake the brownies for 20 minutes, or until the batter looks completely set and feels slightly firm to the touch. The outer edges will be a little drier than the inside.
For a rustic presentation, remove the parchment paper from the baking dish, along with the brownies, and set it on a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve. Leftover brownies can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for several days.
Asian-Inspired Salmon and Rice
• Dairy-Free
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Glazed Salmon
Brown Rice with Edamame
Spicy Quick Pickles
T
his salmon recipe will give you an instant reputation as a gourmet chef and yet nothing could be simpler. Serve the salmon on top of Brown Rice with Edamame to soak up the luscious sauce.
Versions of quick pickles showed up on my dinner table often when I was a child. Usually they were as simple as cucumber, salt, pepper, vinegar, and a touch of sugar. Here I have added a bit of Asian flare as well as some heat.
This is a light, quick meal that is as good for you as it is good. If you need some dessert, store-bought sherbet or some chilled, canned lychee nuts would be perfect.
In the event of leftovers, you can flake the salmon and toss it along with everything else and refrigerate; it makes a delicious salad for the next day’s lunch.
Quick-Cook Strategy
Serves 4
• Make the quick pickles first as they can stand for as little as 10 minutes or up to an hour. If you prepare the pickles in a container with a secure lid, you can just shake the mixture a few times, saving you from having to stir them.
• Start the rice next as it takes the longest. I don’t even start the salmon until the rice has been cooked and set aside. That way, I can get everything on the table, stress-free.
Glazed Salmon
¼ cup mirin (Japanese sweet
rice wine)
¼ cup gluten-free soy sauce
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Four 4-ounce salmon fillets, skin
removed
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 scallions, finely sliced on the
diagonal
In a shallow baking dish, combine the mirin, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Add the salmon fillets and let marinate for 3 minutes. Flip and let marinate on the other side.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon fillets and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the fillets over and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish. Add the marinade to the hot skillet. Add the rice wine vinegar and cook, stirring, until it reduces slightly, about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the salmon, garnish with the sliced scallions, and serve immediately.
Brown Rice with Edamame
1¾ cups water
1/2
teaspoon kosher or fine sea
salt
2 teaspoons gluten-free soy
sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2
teaspoon sugar
1 cup instant brown rice
1 cup frozen shelled edamame,
thawed
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Combine the water, salt, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and rice in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and add the thawed edamame. Replace the cover and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and give the rice a final fluff with a fork. Serve immediately.
Spicy Quick Pickles
¼ cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons gluten-free soy
sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
1/2
teaspoon crushed red pepper
flakes
2 small cucumbers, peeled and
thinly sliced
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cucumber slices and toss to coat. Cover and let refrigerate for 10 minutes or up to an hour, stirring occasionally.
• Dairy-Free Adaptable
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Enchilada Lasagna
Orange and Red Onion Salad
South-of-the-Border Sundaes
T
he Enchilada Lasagna has all the flavor of enchiladas without all the rolling and fuss. Many canned enchilada sauces contain gluten, but not to worry, this is a quick, homemade version you can make almost as fast as you can open a can.