Simply . . . Gluten-Free Quick Meals: More Than 100 Great-Tasting Recipes for Good Food Fast (9 page)

• Preshredded carrots are a huge time-saver; look for matchstick cut. Make the dressing for the salad and add the carrots and cucumbers while the meat sauce is cooking. If the dressing sits for a little, it gets better.

• If you have leftover mango sticky rice, serve it for breakfast. Just reheat it for a few minutes in the microwave.

Asian Noodles and Meat Sauce

8 ounces rice sticks or rice
vermicelli
2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive
oil
4 large shallots, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger,
peeled and minced
2 teaspoons gluten-free red
curry paste
1 pound lean ground pork
¾ cup gluten-free chicken stock
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon gluten-free soy
sauce
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/2
cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2
cup fresh mint leaves, torn
¼ cup dry roasted peanuts,
chopped

Soak the rice sticks in hot water until tender, 5 to 6 minutes, or according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and ginger and sauté until the shallots are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the curry paste and stir to combine. Add the ground pork and break it up with a spoon or spatula. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Whisk together the chicken stock, fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar and add to the meat. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the noodles and toss to coat with the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish and top with the torn basil and mint and the chopped peanuts.

Thai Carrot and Cucumber Salad

2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups shredded carrots
1 hothouse cucumber, peeled and
thinly sliced

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Add the carrots and cucumbers and toss to coat.

Quick Mango Sticky Rice

1 cup sticky rice (also called sushi
rice, sweet rice, or glutinous
rice)
One 13.5-ounce can unsweetened
coconut milk, shaken well
¼ cup firmly packed light brown
sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch or
tapioca starch
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
One 16-ounce bag frozen mango
chunks, thawed
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish
(optional)

Place the rice in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with 1 inch of warm water, and set aside for 10 minutes.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Carefully remove the plastic wrap, stir, re-cover, and microwave for another 3 minutes. Continue cooking and stirring in 3-minute intervals until the rice has absorbed the water and is tender, about 9 minutes depending on the wattage of your microwave oven.

While the rice is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a large saucepan, heat the coconut milk, brown sugar, and salt until it just starts to boil. Mix the cornstarch with the water and stir into the coconut milk mixture. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, or until the mixture starts to thicken. Lower the heat and stir in the vanilla, then add the cooked rice and mango. Heat gently for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed some of the coconut milk mixture and the mango pieces are heated through. Serve warm, garnished with sprigs of mint, if desired.

Middle Eastern Dinner

• Vegetarian

• Dairy-Free Adaptable

MENU

Falafel Burgers
Creamy Tahini Sauce
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Honey-Roasted Plums

T
his is a simple vegetarian dinner that meat eaters will love as well. A falafel burger is topped with a creamy tahini sauce and served with a gluten-free version of the classic Middle Eastern salad tabbouleh. Tabbouleh is traditionally made with cracked wheat, but in this recipe the wheat is replaced with quinoa.

It may seem like there is more Creamy Tahini Sauce than you will need for this menu, but in my family we like a high sauce-to-falafel ratio, and I bet you’ll find yourself in a similar position. In the unlikely event you have leftover sauce, save it; it is delicious as a dip with pieces of raw vegetables such as cucumber or carrots.

Serves 4

Quick-Cook Strategy

• Start the quinoa boiling first thing; it has to simmer for about 15 minutes, which creates a pocket of time for you to get most everything else done. Using prerinsed quinoa saves time and effort.

• As soon as the quinoa is started, move on to the plums; they need to roast in the oven for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven before starting to eat and they will cool in time for dessert. If topping with mascarpone cheese, add this just before serving. Chop the pistachios ahead and have them waiting.

• Cook the quinoa in a large pot, such as a Dutch oven or spaghetti pot, which will allow the water to boil faster and the quinoa to cook faster.

• Chop the parsley for both the burgers and the tabbouleh at the same time.

• Squeeze all the fresh lemon juice you will need at one time. Microwaving lemons for about 10 seconds before juicing will yield more juice. For this entire meal you will need 2 to 3 average-size lemons.

Falafel Burgers

Two 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas,
rinsed and drained
1 bunch scallions (6 to 8),
trimmed and roughly
chopped
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley
(about 1 cup), roughly chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2
teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
6 tablespoons chickpea flour,
Sweet Rice Flour Blend
, or any all-purpose
gluten-free flour
¼ cup olive oil
8 whole lettuce leaves
Creamy Tahini Sauce
Chili garlic sauce (optional)

Put the chickpeas, scallions, parsley, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons flour in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the mixture turns into a coarse paste. Divide the mixture into four equal portions and shape into patties. Put the remaining flour onto a plate and lightly coat the patties with flour.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until crispy.

To serve, place 2 lettuce leaves on each plate and top with a falafel burger. Top with a little Creamy Tahini Sauce and offer the rest on the side. If you like dishes with some heat, add a dab of chili garlic sauce on top of the tahini sauce.

Creamy Tahini Sauce

1/2
cup sesame tahini
1/2
cup plain Greek yogurt,
fat-free or lowfat (to make
dairy-free omit and substitute
with another
1/2
cup sesame
tahini)
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon
juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2
to ¾ teaspoon kosher or fine
sea salt
1/2
to ¾ cup water

Place the sesame tahini, yogurt, if using, lemon juice, garlic,
1/2
teaspoon of salt, and
1/2
cup of water in a blender. Blend until smooth and thick; it should be the consistency of lightly whipped cream. Add a little more water, if necessary. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Transfer to small serving bowl. Leftover sauce can be covered and stored in the refrigerator.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

2 cups water
1 cup prerinsed quinoa
¼ cup olive oil
1/2
teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon
juice
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 hothouse cucumber, finely diced
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely
chopped

In a large saucepan, combine the water and quinoa and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes.

While the quinoa is simmering, combine the rest of the ingredients and set aside until the quinoa has finished cooking. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, add the vegetable mixture, and stir gently to combine. Taste and add a little more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve at room temperature.

The salad can be made ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Honey-Roasted Plums

1/2
cup honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or
nondairy butter substitute
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
4 large, firm but ripe red or black
plums, halved and pitted
¼ cup mascarpone cheese, at
room temperature (optional;
omit for dairy-free)
¼ cup chopped pistachios

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small saucepan, melt the honey and butter with the lemon juice over medium-low heat. Pour half the honey syrup into an 8-inch square baking dish, add the halved plums, and toss to coat thoroughly. Arrange the plums in the baking dish, cut side down.

Roast the plums for 15 minutes, or until barely tender and beginning to brown on the bottom. Turn the plums and spoon the remaining honey syrup over them. Roast the plums for 10 minutes more, or until tender but not falling apart. Let cool slightly.

To serve, transfer the plums to individual serving plates and drizzle with the honey syrup. Top with a dollop of mascarpone, if using, sprinkle with the chopped pistachios, and serve.

Spring Fling

• Dairy-Free Adaptable

MENU

Potato- and Herb-Crusted Cod
Skillet Potatoes
Smashed Minty Peas
Balsamic Strawberries with Mascarpone Cream

W
henever I buy instant mashed potatoes from the store, I try to hide them at the bottom of my cart, horrified someone might see them. While I would never in a million years actually use them to make mashed potatoes, they do have their uses in gluten-free cooking. One is making a crunchy, herb-specked crust for fish fillets. It transforms a regular piece of baked fish into a crispy work of art, all the flavor of those fancy restaurant potato-crusted fish dishes without all the work. I serve this on a bed of crispy skillet potatoes with a side of minty smashed peas, and each bite is like a little taste of spring.

You may think that vinegar and strawberries is an odd combination, but trust me, they were made for each other. Topped with a dollop of whipped mascarpone cheese, this dessert is simple but elegant. If you are dairy-free, try a little scoop of dairy-free ice cream instead of the mascarpone cream, or just forgo any accompaniment altogether; the strawberries and balsamic are certainly dessert-worthy all on their own.