Simply . . . Gluten-Free Quick Meals: More Than 100 Great-Tasting Recipes for Good Food Fast (6 page)

Quick-Cook Strategy

• Buying low-fat ground turkey saves not only calories but also time; the less fat the faster it browns.

• While the turkey is browning, whip up the sauce in the blender.

• Preshredded cheese will make this meal come together faster.

• Pop the coconut flakes into the oven at the same time as the Enchilada Lasagna but watch them, they go from a lovely toasted brown to burnt in the blink of an eye. If you want, make a little extra toasted coconut and sprinkle in the salad.

Serves 6

• Make the pineapple topping for the sundaes while the Enchilada Lasagna is baking.

• You can prepare the salad up to the point of adding the lettuce and set it aside. Toss in the lettuce just before serving.

Enchilada Lasagna

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 pounds ground turkey
One 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted
tomatoes
One 4.5-ounce can chopped mild
green chilies
1
1/2
teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
1 tablespoon red chili powder
One 15-ounce can black beans,
rinsed and drained
8 corn tortillas
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar
cheese or Mexican cheese
blend (or dairy-free cheese)
One 4-ounce can sliced black
olives, drained
2 scallions, sliced diagonally
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2
cup sour cream (or dairy-free
sour cream) for serving
1/2
cup prepared chunky salsa for
serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a shallow, 9 × 9-inch baking dish with gluten-free, nonstick cooking spray.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove half of the onion and place in the jar of a blender. Add the turkey to the remaining onion, breaking it up as you brown it, about 5 minutes. While the meat is browning, make the sauce.

Add the canned tomatoes, including the juice, along with the chilies, cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder to the onion in the blender. Process until pureed. If the sauce is too thick, add some water, a tablespoon at a time; it should be thick. Drain any excess fat from the browned turkey, and add the sauce to the pan. Add the black beans and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until everything is heated through.

Cut the tortillas into quarters. Add half the turkey mixture to the prepared dish. Top with half the tortilla quarters and then half the cheese. Repeat the layering, and top with the sliced black olives. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Top with the scallions and cilantro leaves. Serve with sour cream and salsa on the side.

Orange and Red Onion Salad

1 tablespoon orange marmalade
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3
cup olive oil
One 11-ounce can mandarin
orange segments, drained
1/2
small red onion, thinly sliced
2 hearts romaine lettuce,
chopped
Kosher or fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a salad bowl, combine the orange marmalade with the red wine vinegar. Whisk in the olive oil. Add the drained orange segments and sliced red onion. Just before serving, add the chopped romaine and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

South-of-the-Border Sundaes

1/2
cup sweetened coconut flakes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or
dairy-free butter substitute
1/2
cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
One 20-ounce can pineapple
tidbits injuice
1 tablespoon dark rum
(or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
extract)
Vanilla or coconut store-bought
ice cream or dairy-free ice
cream

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the coconut in a layer in a pie pan or on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar and salt and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pineapple pieces along with their juice and the rum (or vanilla) and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, 5 to 6 minutes. Let cool slightly. If making the sauce ahead, re-warm slightly before serving.

Scoop the ice cream into individual bowls and top with pineapple sauce and toasted coconut. Serve immediately.

Greek Burgers and Fries

MENU

Greek Burgers
Quick Tzatziki Sauce
Lemon-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Greek Salad
Cheater’s Rice Pudding

T
his is a Greek version of the all-American dinner—burgers and fries. Lamb and Greek potatoes show up on the menu in simplified recipes and there is even a quick recipe for rice pudding, which uses a cheat of instant rice, but leftover cooked rice would work also. Instead of gluten-free buns, the burgers are placed on portobello mushroom caps that are not only naturally gluten-free but also so much more flavorful. Use some of the tzatziki sauce to top the burgers and serve the rest for dipping the potatoes.

Serves 4

Quick-Cook Strategy

• Preheat the oven for the potatoes and get the rice pudding started first thing. The rice pudding doesn’t require much attention other than an occasional stir.

• As soon as the pudding is cooking, slice the potatoes and get them in the oven. Next make the tzatziki sauce so it has time to sit, allowing the flavors to meld.

• The repeated use of ingredients like feta cheese and cucumbers makes it easier to shop for the meal.

• Using Greek-style yogurt is essential to making the tzatziki sauce quickly. Traditional yogurt needs to be strained for hours or it will make the sauce watery.

• Hothouse cucumbers have fewer seeds than the typical garden cucumbers so try to get those, if you can, to avoid having to remove the seeds for the tzatziki sauce. If you can’t get hothouse cucumbers, then cut the cucumber in half and scrape out the seeds with a spoon; the seeds will also make the sauce watery.

Greek Burgers

1
1/2
pounds ground lamb
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2
teaspoon kosher or fine
sea salt, plus more for
seasoning
¼ teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper, plus more for
seasoning
Olive oil
4 large portobello mushroom
caps

Combine the ground lamb, feta cheese, oregano,
1/2
teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a mixing bowl and mix well. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into patties about ¾ inch thick. With your thumb, make a shallow indentation in the center of each burger; this will ensure even cooking and keep the burger flat. Brush both sides of the patties with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

If there is still a woody part of the stem left in the mushroom caps, cut that out with a paring knife. Brush both sides of the mushroom caps with some olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet with a lid over high heat. Place the mushroom caps into the skillet, gill-side up. Grill for 1
1/2
to 2 minutes, flip over and grill the opposite side for another 1
1/2
to 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom caps to a serving platter or four individual plates.

Reduce the heat to medium, place the patties in the skillet, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until firm to the touch. Place the cooked patties on top of the mushroom caps and top with a dollop of tzatziki sauce.

Quick Tzatziki Sauce

1/2
hothouse cucumber, peeled
and grated using the large
holes on a box grater
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
on a microplane grater
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup sour cream
1/2
teaspoon kosher or fine sea
salt
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Lemon-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

1
1/2
pounds fingerling potatoes,
sliced in half lengthwise
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
1/2
teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, top with the remaining ingredients, and toss to coat. Spread the potatoes out in a single layer and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are crispy, turning the potatoes once halfway through the cooking time.

Greek Salad

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2
teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 tablespoons good extra-virgin
olive oil
2 large tomatoes
1
1/2
hothouse cucumbers, peeled
and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2
small red onion, halved and
thinly sliced
4 ounces feta cheese, diced into
1/2
-inch pieces
1/2
cup pitted black kalamata
olives

In the bottom of a salad bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.

Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and gently squeeze out the seeds. Cut into
1/2
-inch pieces. Add to the dressing along with the remaining salad ingredients and gently toss to coat everything with the dressing. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately.

Cheater’s Rice Pudding

2
1/2
cups whole milk
2 cups instant white rice
1/2
teaspoon kosher or fine sea
salt
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2
cup heavy whipping cream
(optional)
Ground cinnamon for garnish

Combine the milk, rice, salt, honey, and vanilla in a medium saucepan with a lid. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until the milk has been completely absorbed and the rice is tender. For a creamier pudding, stir in the heavy cream as soon as the pudding is done. Serve warm topped with a dusting of ground cinnamon.

Quick Comfort

• Vegetarian

MENU

Quick Mac and Cheese
Baked Tomatoes
Instant Berry Frozen Yogurt