The Gluten-Free Homemaker

The other week I received a squash in my CSA box that I didn’t know the name of.  I did a little searching and learned that it was a delicata squash.  I then found a guest post by Shauna about roasting delicata squash.  I have to agree with her.  It is delicious. In keeping with the Squash Fest theme, I thought I would create a squash picture gallery for you. I’m not covering every single squash here, but maybe you will learn the names of a couple of new ones.


The above (not so great) pictures were all via Wikipedia.  You can find better pictures and more squashes at the following web sites:

The Nibble - Squash Glossary 
What's Cooking America - Squash Varieties

What is your favorite type of squash?

Labels: Squash Fest, vegetables and side dishes

If you are looking for a way to get vegetables into your picky eaters, here’s one way that might work.  My family asked what the green flecks were in the potatoes, but nobody complained.  One didn’t particularly care for the onion, but another really liked the onion.  The zucchini didn’t bother anybody.
Since the zucchini gets cooked and mashed, it’s fine to use a zucchini that has gotten too large for other eating.  That’s what I did.  I did, however, remove the middle seed section of the zucchini.  That’s up to you.

Potato Zucchini Mash

• 3 lbs. potatoes
• 3/4 c. milk
• 2 c. chopped zucchini
• 1/3 c. chopped green onion
• salt and pepper to taste

Peel, cook, and drain potatoes.  I cooked mine in a pressure cooker, but use whatever method you normally use for mashed potatoes.  While the potatoes are cooking, combine the milk, zucchini, and green onion in a small saucepan.  Heat to a simmer, cover and cook 5 – 10 minutes until the zucchini is soft. Use a hand masher to mash the zucchini mixture.  Add this along with salt and pepper to the potatoes and mash the potatoes with a hand masher or electric mixer.

• Delicious Dishes
• Tasty Tuesday
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
• Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

Not long ago I posted a Cucumber Mint Granita.  I liked the flavor combination so much I used it again in this simple recipe.  It’s a great way to use cucumbers from your garden, and it only needs a little bit of mint.  If you don’t have mint of your own (it’s very easy to grow, but can also spread to places where you don’t want it), see if a neighbor has a little you can pick.  About 15 - 20 medium sized leaves is plenty.  Of course, you can buy cucumbers and mint at the store too.

I made this to take to a celiac support group meeting recently and it was a hit.  My family liked it too.  It keeps for a while in your frig and becomes more like pickles as it sits.

The ingredient amounts aren’t very important.  Use as much or little as you like.  I used a small amount of rice vinegar, but you could substitute apple cider vinegar and/or  use a little more if you are fond of vinegar.  You can also peel the cucumbers or leave the skin on if it is tender.  I have done it both ways and both were good.

Cucumbers & Mint Salad

• 4 c. chopped cucumber
• 2 Tb. rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tb. minced mint leaves

Combine all ingredients and chill.

View Printable Recipe

This post is submitted to the following food carnivals:

• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
• Tasty Tuesday
• Delicious Dishes
• Real Food Wednesdays

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

Hopefully you’re not getting sick of my zucchini recipes.  That’s what I’m making these days, and there might be more to come.  Unfortunately, I have powdery mildew on both my zucchini and cucumber plants.  I’m really not a plant person so it took me a while to realize something was seriously wrong.  I hope I’m not too late in treating it.  If so, I’ll probably try to replant some zucchini, but be done with cucumbers.

No matter how well I look through my zucchini plants, I always seem to miss one or two and end up with a huge zucchini that I just can’t bear to throw away.  I find those big ones are good for recipes like this that use shredded zucchini.  I often remove the seeds in the middle and shred the rest. 

This recipe is adapted from The Zucchini and Carrot Cookbook that I showed you the other day.  The original recipe called for lemon juice, but I had a bottle of lime juice and thought that would go nicely.  Lime has a pretty strong flavor, but I liked it with the zucchini and garlic.  My family was a little mixed on whether they liked it.  My picky eater still prefers zucchini with walnuts, but it got eaten.  This is a tasty side dish, but I like cooking up a small batch as my main course for lunch.  It’s pretty quick and easy too. 

Garlic Lime Zucchini

• 2 medium zucchini, shredded
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tb. coconut oil (or oil of choice, or butter)
• 2 tsp. lime juice
• salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the zucchini and garlic.  Sauté until the zucchini reaches desired tenderness.  It is usually better if it’s is on the crunchy side rather than the mushy side of being done.  Add the lime juice and salt.  Stir and heat briefly.  Serve.

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If you have a large zucchini that needs to be used, here are other recipes that use shredded zucchini:

• Zucchini Bread
• Zucchini Muffins
• Zucchini Crust Pizza
• Zucchini Rotini

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

We’re eating lots of zucchini these days.  Friday night one of my kids asked, “Do we have to have it on pizza!?!”  Don’t get me wrong, they like zucchini, but a person can get tired of it after a while.  I’ll admit that three zucchini plants is too much for our family.  I give some away, but I still end up eating it every day at some meal.  I serve it quite frequently with dinner, and this recipe has become a favorite, especially for my pickiest eater.  He now wants me to make it this way all the time.  I can’t complain.  It is a very simple and tasty way to enjoy zucchini.  Feel free to vary the ingredient amounts to taste.

If you are like me and have lots of zucchini to use, or are just looking for new zucchini recipes, Amy at The Finer Things in Life has a list of links.  They are not gluten free (though some are naturally gf), but they might inspire you to try a gluten free version.

Zucchini with Walnuts

• 3 medium zucchini
• 1-2 Tb. coconut oil, butter, or oil of choice
• 1/4 – 1/2 c. chopped walnuts, plus halves for garnish
• salt & pepper to taste

Wash and slice zucchini.  I prefer to make medium to thick slices so the zucchini does not get soft too quickly.  We like ours slightly crunchy.  Heat the oil in a skillet and add the zucchini.  Stir and cook until almost to desired doneness.  Add the chopped walnuts, stir, and heat for about another minute until the walnuts are hot.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with walnut halves.

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This post is linked to Ultimate Recipe Swap,  Delicious Dishes, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday,  Tasty Tuesday, and Real Food Wednesday.

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

Zucchini is one of our favorite vegetables.  The whole family likes it, even the the dogs.  Last year I had one zucchini plant in my garden, but this year I have three.  Two would be enough, but I wanted an extra in case one plant didn’t make it.  Now, all three are thriving and producing lovely zucchini for us.  I will likely freeze some of it, but I might also have to get creative like I did last year when I made zucchini crust pizza.

These zucchini cakes are an easy tasty way to use zucchini, and you can serve them for any meal.  I particularly like them for breakfast, though.  I used dried dill in this recipe, but you can experiment with different dried or fresh herbs for variety.  Fresh basil is very good in this.

Gluten-Free Zucchini Cakes

• 2 medium zucchini, shredded (about 4 c.)
• 1/2 c. sorghum flour (or try any other whole grain flour)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed (or other herb)
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 2 – 4 Tb. coconut oil (or oil of choice)

Place the shredded zucchini, flour, seasonings, and baking powder in a medium bowl.  In a smaller bowl, lightly beat the eggs.  Add the eggs to the larger bowl and stir to mix everything.



Heat the oil in a large skillet using enough to just cover the bottom.  Spoon the zucchini mixture into the skillet to form six large cakes (or you could make smaller ones).



Cook for several minutes on each side, rotating partway through the time to ensure even heating.  Check the center of a cake to make sure the egg is cooked.  The zucchini should be soft and slightly wet, but not mushy.



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If you are cooking for one or two people, View the Printable Half Recipe.

Check out Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Real Food Wednesday for more great food.

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

I have never been a fan of beets.  Because my mom likes beets, I have eaten them before.  However, until last week, I had never cooked them myself.  I received a small bunch of beets in my CSA box, and I was determined to do something with them (besides give them away).    If you don’t know what CSA stands for, look for my explanation on Thursday.



I looked at a few recipes and decided that honeyed beets sounded good, and I thought the honey might help my family to like them better.  I combined ingredients and amounts from several recipes and came up with the one below.  As expected, my family was skeptical about the beets, but they’ll try anything once.  And, as expected, everyone but my pickiest eater liked them. At first my husband said I had ruined them with the honey sauce (I didn’t even know he liked beets!), but then he gave them a good try and was soon reaching for seconds, admitting that I didn’t ruin them after all.

Honeyed Beets

• 6 small beets (about 1 pound)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 Tb. butter (or substitute)
• 2 Tb. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. corn starch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. honey
• 2 tsp. fresh parsley

Wash and trim the beets.  Leave about 2 inches of the stem and do not cut the root. 




Pressure cook:  Add about 1/2 water to the bottom of your pot.  Use a steaming trivet or basket and cook the betts under high pressure for 10 -12 minutes.  Mine were small, so I started with 8 minutes, but ended up cooking them for a total of 12 minutes.

Boil:  You can also cook the beets in 6 c. boiling water with 1 tablespoon vinegar added to preserve the color and 1 teaspoon salt.  Cook 40 – 50 minutes until tender.

Steam:  Place water in the bottom of a pot.  Use enough to cover the bottom of the pot well (1/2 inch) but not enough to touch the bottom of the steamer basket.  Place whole beets in the basket, cover, and heat on high until the water is steaming.  Reduce the heat and cook for 40 – 50 minutes until tender.  Keep an eye on the pot and add more water if needed.

After beets are cooked, run cold water over them.  Remove the skin, root, and stem.  Slice the beets and cut into long pieces, or simply chop them.



In a saucepan, cook the onion in melted butter until tender.  Combine the lemon juice and corn starch and add it to the onions along with the salt and honey.  Cook until boiling and slightly thickened.  Stir in the beets mixing gently and heat until the beets are hot through.  Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fresh parsley.



For more delicious recipes visit  Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Delicious Dishes, and Friday Foodie Fix.

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Labels: vegetables and side dishes

Potatoes are healthier with their skin on, and red potatoes have a nice edible skin.  Here is one way we like to eat them.  They are easy to put together, but do take a little time in the oven.  You can work on other parts of your meal while they are baking. 

You know I like to encourage you to be creative and try different things when cooking.  If you’re not used to doing that and something like my quiche challenge is overwhelming, try making changes to a recipe like this.  Instead of olive oil, use butter, or some other type of oil.  I wonder how coconut oil would be?  Or try changing the seasoning.  We like dill a lot, but I’ve also used Italian seasoning on these which turned out great.
There are plenty of other herbs and spices to try out that I’m sure would be good.

Here is a recipe for those who need it, but I usually don’t measure.  I use enough oil to coat the potatoes and add the amount of seasonings I think we would like.

Roasted Red Potatoes with Dill

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2 lbs. red potatoes
2 Tb. olive oil
1 tsp. dill weed
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Scrub and trim the potatoes.  Medium sized potatoes should be cut in quarters, small ones can be cut in half.  Place the cut potatoes in a bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat.  Sprinkle on the remaining ingredients and stir.  Put the potatoes in a pan that’s big enough to hold them in a single layer without being too crowded.  A jelly roll pan works well.  Bake at 375 degrees about 40 minutes or until tender.  The amount of time depends on how small the pieces are.  Check them after 20 minutes and then every ten minutes.

Let me know if you try a different version, or have one you already use.

This post is linked to these other great food carnivals:

Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

When I was growing up, vegetables were always boiled.  They weren’t necessarily completely covered with water, but there was a significant amount.  I rarely cook vegetables that way, because my understanding is that many of the nutrients are lost to the water.   Of course, when you eat that water, such as when vegetables are part of soup, those nutrients are not wasted.  Try to incorporate water from boiling or steaming vegetables into your meal.  If not, animals can enjoy the benefits of it.  I often put it on my dogs’ food.

Whatever method you use, it is important to not overcook vegetables so they retain as many of their nutrients as possible, and so you’re not grossed out by mushy veggies. Here are some additional ways to cook vegetables.

  1.  Steaming. To do this you need a steaming basket.  It looks something like this, and sits inside a pot.  Put water in the bottom of your pot to create steam.  The basket has feet on the bottom which raises the vegetables out of the water, but the holes in the basket allow the steam to come through.

Steaming is quick and easy and it works for fresh and frozen vegetables.  The advantage of steaming is that it cooks quickly compared to dry heat, but uses little water.  Some nutrients end up in the water, but not as much as if you boil them. 

I think our favorite vegetable is steamed broccoli served with a little butter and salt.  In fact, when we go to Outback Steakhouse, one of my kids always asks for broccoli rather than  fries.

2.  Stir-Frying.  This method uses high heat so you want to cut your vegetables in bite size pieces.  That allows them to cook through without burning.  Usually, a little oil is added to a hot skillet or wok.  Then the vegetables are added and stirred constantly to keep them from sitting in one place and burning.  Vegetables are usually cooked until they are tender but crisp.  That is my favorite doneness for most vegetables.

3.  Roasting.  With this method vegetables are usually covered with a little oil and seasoning and roasted in an oven.  Place them in a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees until tender.  They can also be pan roasted on the stove using a heavy skillet.

4.  Grilling. This is a delicious, but tricky way to cook vegetables.  They can be placed directly on the grill rack, but many times they will fall through.  A special rack, foil, or skewers can all be useful.  Try marinating vegetables before grilling them.

This is the last post in a series on vegetables.  Previous posts include:

Getting Kids to Eat Vegetables
What is a Vegetable?
Cooked Versus Raw Vegetables

What is your favorite way to cook vegetables?

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

I’ve done a little reading about this topic, and you can find pretty strong opinions, especially on the side of raw food.  The question I’m addressing here is not which is more appealing, but which is healthier.   I think that question can be looked at from two aspects:  which is the most digestible and which  contains the most nutrients.  Here’s what I have learned about digestibility and nutrition.

1.   Digestibility.   Raw vegetables contain enzymes that aid digestion.  Cooking can destroy those enzymes and hinder digestion.  However, vegetables also contain cellulose, a fiber which we have difficulty digesting, even with those enzymes.  While fiber doesn’t contain nutrients, it is an important part of digestive health.  Cellulase, the enzyme needed to digest cellulose, is produced by intestinal bacteria.  Cooking vegetables, even lightly steaming them, breaks down that cellulose layer and makes them digestible.  Blending or pureeing vegetables, such as in a smoothie, also helps make them more digestible.

2.  Nutrition.  Generally, minerals withstand heat, especially dry heat.  Vitamins are more easily destroyed, but do better with moist heat.  Both vitamins and minerals leach into cooking liquid, and it is good to use that liquid in the meal.    Some nutrients, particularly vitamin C, are easily destroyed by heat.  On the other hand, some nutrients are made more available by cooking.  In one study, lycopene in tomatoes rose 35 percent after cooking them. 

In addition, fresh fruits and vegetables sold in stores have often lost many of their nutrients by the time we eat them.  It is best to chose items that are in season and grown locally.  Frozen vegetables are usually frozen at their peak and could contain more nutrients than fresh.  Obviously, they would have to be cooked. 

The bottom line for me is that we should eat a variety of vegetables in a variety of ways.  The important thing is to eat them.  If you won’t eat broccoli raw, but you will eat it cooked, then cook it and eat it.   If your child eats carrots raw, but not cooked, then give him raw carrots.  You get what I’m saying:  Eat Your Vegetables! (And I’m speaking to myself as well.)

You can find more information at the following sites (and many more with a little searching).

Surprising News About How Cooking Affects Antioxidants - NutritionData

Vegetable Nutrient Chart - Dr. Decuypere

Fact or Fiction:  Raw veggies are healthier than cooked ones – Scientific American

How to Eat Your Vegetables Raw – Body Ecology

This post is third in a series on vegetables.  I’ll finish next week with ways to cook vegetables.  You can view the first two posts here:

Getting Kids to Eat Vegetables

What is a Vegetable?

What do you think about cooked versus raw?

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

You’ve probably heard it said that a tomato is not a vegetable, it’s a fruit.  Botanically speaking, it is a fruit, but from a culinary viewpoint, it is a vegetable. It is joined by a number of other botanical fruits which we consider to be vegetables:

• cucumber
• squash
• zucchini
• pumpkin
• peppers
• eggplant
• tomatillos
• christophene (which I have never heard of)
• okra
• breadfruit
• avocado

When looking for a good definition of the word “vegetable,” I found it wasn’t as cut and dry as I thought.  I decided I like Wikipedia’s definition the best since it clearly states the ambiguity.

“The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. 

However, the word is not scientific, and its meaning is largely based on culinary and cultural tradition. Therefore, the application of the word is somewhat arbitrary and subjective.”

The vegetables we eat come from many different parts of plants including flower buds, leaves, stems, roots, tubers, and bulbs, among others. 




Is Corn a Vegetable?
 
I have always heard that corn is a grain, not a vegetable.  However, I have read some conflicting information on that.  First, corn, also known as maize, is a grass, just as wheat is a grass.  The kernels come from the reproductive part of the plant and are a dry fruit otherwise known as a grain.

I did find an interesting statement on Wikipedia, though:

“A genetic variant that accumulates more sugar and less starch in the ear is consumed as a vegetable and is called sweet corn.”

A University of Maine site says:

“Field corn that is harvested when the seeds are dry would thus be considered a grain. Sweet corn when harvested before maturity is usually considered a vegetable. It is grown to be eaten fresh as a tender vegetable rather than as a dried grain suitable for grinding into flour or meal.  A vegetable is defined as a plant cultivated for an edible part or parts such as roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or seeds/fruit. 

If you want to be very precise, all cereal grains could be called vegetables, but by convention we separate the cereal grains from the rest of the "vegetables" such as peas, lettuce, potatoes, cabbage, etc.”

My thought is that while all grains could be called vegetables, we don’t call them vegetables.  Why do we only call corn a vegetable?  Even sweet corn contains a lot of starch compared to other vegetables with the exception of potatoes and sweet potatoes.  However, potatoes are not usually considered a vegetable when we do our meal planning.  We usually categorize them with other starchy foods such as pasta and rice.  For that reason, I also categorize corn as a starchy food when meal planning.  We enjoy popcorn, but other than that we don’t eat corn often except in the summer when I can get fresh corn on the cob from the farmer’s market.  When we do eat it for dinner, I considered it to be the starchy part of our meal, and I make sure I provide other vegetables.

Do you consider corn to be a vegetable?  What is your favorite vegetable?


Mine is a toss up between broccoli  and zucchini.

This post is the second in a series on vegetables.  Last week's post was:

Getting Kids to Eat Vegetables

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

I think we all know vegetables are good for us.  Even our kids know that.  The problem is eating them, or at least getting our kids to eat them.  A number of years ago, our family was reading a book together.  It was a character building book for boys, and one of the chapters challenged them to try new foods.  As a family, we decided we were going to work on trying a couple of new vegetables, specifically asparagus and Brussels sprouts.  The great thing was that I wasn’t nagging them.  This was a challenge.  Sort of like a dare they couldn’t say no to.   


The final result was that asparagus is now a vegetable we all enjoy eating.  I have tried quite a few Brussels sprouts recipes and cooking techniques, and with the exception of one of my kids, nobody likes them.  We did give them a good try, though, and I still make them occasionally when I come across a recipe I think might work.  The one thing I’m not willing to do is load them up with sugar to get my kids to eat them.  Another result of that challenge was that my kids become more open to trying new foods.  They realized it can be fun, even if they don’t always like what they try.

If you have kids who are picky vegetable eaters, here are a few suggestions.

1. Don’t give up.  Just because they try something once and don’t like it doesn’t mean they won’t learn to like it.  Try different recipes, cooking methods, and seasonings, and you might find they end up liking it. 

2.  Doctor it up.  For those nights when you don’t have time to prepare a special vegetable dish, let the kids add something to those plain green beans.  My kids used to put salad dressing on theirs.  You put it on raw veggies, so why not on cooked ones?  I didn’t let them go overboard, and it made the vegetables more palatable for them.  As they got older, I stopped offering salad dressing, and they stopped asking for it.
You might find this gross, but I grew up eating mayonnaise on broccoli.  I don’t recall eating fresh cooked broccoli, it was always  frozen broccoli that was boiled, and that was how I ate it.  I still like mayo on frozen broccoli, but never on fresh!

3.  Get the kids involved.  Kids are more likely to enjoy eating something they have helped prepare.  Take them to the grocery store and let them help pick out the veggies, then let them help wash, chop, cook, season, etc.  Of course, make it age appropriate. 

4.  Create incentive.  My kids were old enough that the challenge was incentive enough.  You could try letting them earn rewards for eating their vegetables.  Rewards could be stickers, privileges, or treats. 

I didn’t do this, but it might be fun to create a vegetable chart with your kids.  List different vegetables and keep track of when you tried them, how they were cooked or what recipe you used, and then rate how everyone liked them.  You could use one master chart, or let each kid have his own.  Use a number system or smiley/sad faces to rate them.  It might look something like this Vegetable Chart.  Unfortunately, the faces don’t come out when you print because it does not support the font I used.  However, you can easily create your own in a Word document.  Wingdings font has the faces.  Just use shift J, K, and L. 

Over the next few weeks I’m going to do a short series on vegetables.  I’ll post one per week, and you can look for them to go up Sunday afternoon.

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

Millet has become one of my favorite new foods.  You’ve probably noticed that I use millet flour frequently in baked goods.  I also like whole millet.  It’s a grain just like rice and quinoa and is cooked in the same way.  For this recipe I combined equal amounts of quinoa and millet and cooked them together.  The millet turned out a little firmer than the quinoa, but it was cooked.

I cook my grains in the pressure cooker, because it is so easy that way.  I only need 1 1/2 cup water or broth for 1 cup of grain and I cook it for 5 minutes under high pressure.  When using the traditional method to cook them, follow directions on the package.  The millet will require a longer cooking time so you could probably put in the total amount of water needed for the quinoa and millet, start the millet cooking, then add the quinoa about half way through.

If you’re wondering about the delicious looking fish in the photo, that is Heather’s Parmesan tilapia recipe.

Gluten-Free Quinoa & Millet Pilaf

• 1/2 c. red quinoa
• 1/2 c. millet(or substitute rice or use all quinoa)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 small zucchini, diced (about 3 cups)
• 3 Tb. butter or olive oil
• 1 Tb. dried parsley
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt & pepper to taste

Cook the quinoa and millet according to package directions (see my note above).  Heat a skillet with the butter or olive oil.  Add the copped onion and cook while you dice the zucchini.  Add the zucchini to the skillet and sauté until just tender.  Add the garlic to a cleared area in the skillet and cook it for about a minute until it becomes aromatic.  Add the parsley, salt, and pepper, and combine it with the other ingredients.

Gently mix together the quinoa, millet and vegetables.  Check the amount and salt & pepper and add more if needed.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

My family always loves my mom’s gold potatoes.  Both my husband and I come from potato eating families, so you will always find them served at a holiday dinner.  This recipe dresses them up a bit and makes a wonderful gluten-free holiday side dish.

I made these last week when the ladies I play cards with had our annual holiday lunch as my house.  Everyone loved them.  I took plenty of pictures as I was preparing the dish, but almost forgot to take one after it was baked.  I remembered just in time and scooped some onto a small plate for a photo before they were gone.

Besides being yummy, I love the fact that you can prepare this dish ahead of time.  Actually, it is easiest if you do.  Like making potato salad, the potatoes are cooked whole in their skins, cooled, and then peeled.  I find it hard to do all that the day I’m serving the dish, especially if I’m making it for company.  I love being able to make this ahead of time and have one part of the meal done.  My mom often prepares this up to a month in advance and freezes it.

I think the name “gold potatoes” comes from the yellow cheddar cheese used in the dish.  Mom always uses baking potatoes, but when I made it last week, I used gold potatoes.  They worked great and made the dish more gold than ever.

Gluten-Free Gold Potato Casserole

Preheat oven to 350
Ingredients

• 6 large baking potatoes (or equivalent gold potatoes)
• 16 oz. sour cream
• 1/2 c. butter, melted
• 1/4 c. yellow onion, minced
• 2 Tb. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1/8 tsp. pepper (or to taste)
• 1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated (reserve 1/4 c. for top)

Instructions
Scrub the potatoes then bake or boil them.  Do not cut or peel them. I cooked mine in the pressure cooker.  Cool the potatoes completely.  Give this step plenty of time.  If the potatoes are still warm in the middle they will be mushy, at least the gold ones were.  Using a small knife, peel the potatoes.  Grate them into a large bowl.  As you get to the end of the potato you may have nothing but lumps.  That’s okay, just throw them in the dish.  They will look like this:
In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream, butter, onion, parsley, salt and pepper.
Mix it together well, then stir in the cheese.  Remember to reserve about 1/4 – 1/3 c. of the cheese for putting on top of the dish.
Fold this mixture into the potatoes.  You don’t want to mash the potatoes, so fold it in using a large spatula or spoon until it is well combined.  Spread it into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  At this point you can refrigerate or freeze the dish.
Bake at 350 degrees about 35 – 45 minutes until hot and bubbly around the edges.  Baking time will depend on how cold the dish is.

This post is linked to A Gluten-Free Holiday and Holiday Food Fest.

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

I have mentioned before that my family likes quinoa mixed with white rice.  I try to use brown rice as much as possible, but old habits are hard to break, and white rice is one of them.  At least I feel better about the nutritional value when I add whole grain quinoa to it.

I decided to add a few pecans to this recipe.  Pecans are probably my favorite nut, and I love the smell and taste of them after they have been toasted.  Toasting is a step that is easy to skip, but it makes so much difference in the flavor of the nuts and whatever you are adding them to.

For this recipe, I toasted them in a dry cast iron skillet.  I prefer toasting them in the oven, though.  To do that, spread the nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake them at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Remember to toast them whole and be careful not to burn them.

Gluten-Free Rice & Quinoa Pilaf

Ingredients

• 3/4 c. white rice
• 3/4 c. red quinoa
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1/3 – 1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper
• 1 large clove, grated or minced
• 1/2 c. chopped toasted pecans
• chicken broth for the cooking liquid
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Pressure cooker:  In a pressure cooker, combine the rice, quinoa, onion, pepper and garlic along with 2 1/4 c. broth.  Add the lid and bring to low pressure using high heat.  Cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat and let the pressure come down naturally.  Fluff up the rice with a fork and stir in the pecans, and salt and pepper.

Stovetop:  Saute the onion, pepper and garlic until it begins to soften.  Then combine the rice, quinoa, onion, pepper, and garlic in a sauce pan.  Add 3 c. broth (or however much you would usually use).  Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes until the rice and quinoa are done.  Fluff with a fork and stir in the pecans, and salt and pepper.

You can find more whole grain recipes at the Ultimate Recipe Swap.  This post is also linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Friday Foodie Fix which has a pecan theme this week.

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

Most vegetables I like lightly cooked (except onions and peppers which I like well cooked) and not too dressed up. A little butter, salt, and pepper suits me fine. This simple recipe takes that idea one step further by adding almonds. I made this recipe a few months ago for a dinner party and received a number of compliments. It’s a nice way to make those green beans a little fancier, but still keep them simple and healthy.

Gluten-Free Green Beans Almondine

Ingredients

• fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
• 2 – 4 Tb. butter, or oil
• 1/4 – 1/2 c. sliced almonds
• salt and pepper to taste 
•  

Instructions
Steam the green beans until just tender. In a skillet, melt the butter and add the almonds. Stir to coat the almonds. Heat and stir until the almonds are lightly browned. Be careful not to burn them. Toss everything together and serve.


Visit The Happy Housewife for more side dishes as part of the Bloggy Progressive Dinner.

For other green bean ideas visit The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

I first learned about quinoa soon after starting on a gluten-free diet. I was glad a pronunciation was given many places where I saw the word, because I was saying it wrong. If you don’t know, it is pronounced keen-wah with emphasis on the first syllable.

Nutritionally, quinoa is a great addition to any diet.  According to my box of Ancient Harvest Inca Red quinoa, 1/4 c. dry contains 6 grams fiber and 6 grams protein along with 20% RDA phosphorus, 12% RDA iron, and 5% RDA riboflavin. For more useful information visit the Quinoa Corporation web site.

I admit quinoa hasn’t been a big hit at our house, but it hasn’t been a complete dud either. When preparing it as a side dish, I have found two things that help my family enjoy it. 1. Cook it in chicken broth. 2. Mix it half and half with rice. Usually I use white rice because it cooks in the same amount of time. Of course, the lack of nutritional value in white rice makes it a bit of a trade off. I cook it in my pressure cooker using 3/4 c. white rice, 3/4 c. quinoa, and 2 1/4 c. water/broth. I cook it under low pressure for 5 minutes.

More water is needed when cooking it in a regular pot, just follow the package instructions (1 c. quinoa to 2 c. water.) If there is too much liquid at the end of cooking time, remove the lid and cook it a little longer.

I have added quinoa to soups and casseroles, which my family doesn’t seem to mind. I have not tried it in salads, but I know some people like it that way.

There are two types of quinoa, traditional and red. I prefer the red, but I can’t say why. Maybe it has a firmer texture. For more quinoa ideas, visit Diane’s Friday Foodie Fix blog carnival. 

What is your favorite way to prepare quinoa?

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

For this week’s Friday Foodie Fix at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang, the theme is asparagus. My whole family likes asparagus.  However, I only have one recipe and it’s not really a recipe. It goes like this.  Lightly steam asparagus, add a little butter and salt, and enjoy!

When I came across a recipe in The Washington Post for Asparagus, Shrimp and Spring Pea Salad,  I decided to give it a try. You’ll notice my title says snap pea because that’s what I used. Only two out of the five people in our family like shrimp, and everyone except me is not thrilled with vinaigrette.  Therefore, I knew this wouldn’t go over too well, but I made it anyway. I hoped everyone would try it, though I’m not sure they did. My husband was willing to try it until he found out that everything was cold (and supposed to be that way)! The recipe makes six servings, so I have quite a bit left. I’ll enjoy it for lunch, and hopefully it will get eaten before it goes bad. I kept some shrimp plain for the one kid who likes it, but didn’t like the vinaigrette. He’ll definitely eat all the plain shrimp!

While I liked this salad, I didn’t love it. Since the family didn’t like it, I probably won’t make it again. If the ingredients sound appealing to you, though, it’s worth a try. I don’t think the picture does it justice. It was a very nice looking plate of veggies and shrimp.

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

A few years ago I tried ratatouille and simply loved it. This recipe is based on Bette Hagman's vegetable casserole in her book More from the Gluten-Free Gourmet. Many recipes call for cooking it on the stove. I like Bette's method of doing it in the oven. Either way, fresh vegetables, olive oil and herbs combine to make a delicious dish. It can be served alone or put on top of just about anything. It tastes good the first day, but it's even better if you let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. You can even make it a couple of days ahead of time and just reheat it when you're ready to serve.

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 small zucchini, halved and sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 medium red pepper, chopped
1 Tb. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/3 c. olive oil
1/8 tsp. ground thyme

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. Mix well to coat the vegetables with the oil and herbs. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, stirring about every 1/2 hour. The vegetables cook down considerably so what looks like a large volume to begin with will look much smaller in the end.

Notes: You can try adding any vegetable you like such as carrots, yellow squash, or green pepper. Vary the amounts of vegetables to your taste. You can also substitute chopped fresh tomatoes for the canned ones. Most recipes call for fresh, but I dislike cutting fresh tomatoes.

The Bloggy Progressive Dinner continues today at The Finer Things in Life with main dish ideas. While ratatouille isn't a main dish, it can be a delicious part of the main course. Do you like ratatouille?

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

My mom always loves to serve a jello salad with a holiday meal. I think jello salads are usually sweet enough to be served with dessert, but this one I've served with a main meal. Once again, I don't have a picture to show you, but with the cranberry sauce and raspberry jello, it is a pretty red addition to the menu. It is also naturally gluten free! (Just remember to always check the ingredient list on packages/cans.)

Ingredients
8 oz. can crushed pineapple
2 small packages raspberry jello
16 oz. whole berry cranberry sauce
1 medium apple, chopped
1/3 c. chopped walnuts

Instructions
Drain the pineapple, reserving the liquid. Add enough water to the liquid to measure 2 cups. Pour into a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add the dry jello and stir until dissolved. Add the cranberry sauce and stir until blended. Refrigerate about 1 1/2 hours until thickened but not set.

Stir in the pineapple, chopped apple, and chopped walnuts. Pour into a 6 cup mold that is sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Turn the mold onto a serving plate. Makes 10 servings.

Note: I don't have a jello mold so I have used a bundt pan instead. Worked well for me.

The Bloggy Progressive Dinner continues today with salads at Parenting the Tiniest of Miracles. Stop by for more great recipes.

Labels: vegetables and side dishes