A GOOD READ

Don’t miss the Summer (June 2011) issue of GLUTEN-FREE LIVING. Essential reading for the gluten-challenged, this magazine is exceptionally informative and well-researched. In addition to thought-provoking articles, you will find great new recipes to enjoy. For this issue, I’ve presented different ways to make great-tasting, tender gf pastry for savory and sweet pies and tarts. There’s even an extra-easy press-in pie shell for a berry tart with a delectable cheesecake filling.  For more information, click www.glutenfreeliving.com

GLUTEN-FREE COOKING APP

I’m always looking for ways to make the gluten-free lifestyle easy for people, so I created 24 new recipes for an iPhone app, the Gluten-Free Kitchen with Jacqueline Mallorca. The recipes and photos in this app make a complementary addition to those in my cookbooks, and cover a lot of culinary ground. Even the artisanal-style multigrain flatbread is quick to produce (no yeast!); other simple recipes include a foolproof way to enjoy fish, off-the-shelf minestrone, almost instant but elegant almond-sage chicken, chocolate chip cookies made with almond butter, and a velvety chocolate-orange cake. For a quick look, go online to the iTunes store, Health & Fitness section, at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gluten-free-kitchen-jacqueline/id396404051?mt=8

GLUTEN-FREE FAST FOOD FROM YOUR OWN KITCHEN

For all kinds of good reasons, we’ve all been exhorted to eat more vegetables and less meat, so here are two easy, flavorful recipes that might help your resolve.

ARTICHOKE & LIMA BEANS SAUTE

I unblushingly use frozen veggies in this Mediterranean-style appetizer. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces frozen artichoke heart quarters (half a standard loose-pack bag)

4 green onions, dark green leaf tops discarded, sliced (or 1 chopped garlic clove)

3 ounces frozen lima beans (a couple of handfuls)

1 tablespoon water

kosher salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon pine nuts or chopped pecans

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

•   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the artichoke hearts and sauté until they start to brown and soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the green onions and lima beans, add the water, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let cook until tender (taste to make sure; don’t overcook), about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the nuts and parsley.

Cook’s Tip: This mixture also makes a delicious sauce for gluten-free spiral or penne pasta. Drain the al dente pasta, toss with a little olive oil, and divide among four plates. Top with the artichoke mixture and grated Parmesan cheese.

FOIL-BAKED HALIBUT

A wonderfully easy way to cook fish that doesn’t involve a pan to clean afterwards. This recipe serves one, and can be easily multiplied. Serve a green vegetable alongside, such as lightly cooked green beans or broccoli.

1 medium Yukon Gold potato (about 5 ounces) unpeeled, sliced 1/3-inch thick

Olive oil spray

6-ounce halibut fillet

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sliced green onion, white and pale green part only

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

•   Place a baking sheet on the center oven rack and heat the oven to 400°F.

•   Boil the potato slices until tender, about 10 minutes, and drain.

•   Spray (or brush) the center area of a 12 x 16-inch sheet of foil with olive oil. Place the potato slices in a double layer on one half of the oiled area, season with salt and pepper, and top with the halibut. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the lemon juice and scatter the green onions on top. Fold the foil over the contents, like closing a book, and crimp the edges tightly together to form a D-shaped package. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

•   Transfer the package to a dinner plate. Slit the foil down the straight side and pull it away, leaving the halibut, potato and juices on the plate. Sprinkle with the parsley.

GLUTEN FREE KITCHEN TIPS

•   Use glass jars (recycled, mason, whatever) for storing gluten-free flours, grains, xanthan gum, baking soda, and whatnot. Snip the label off the package and put it face down in the bottom of the jar before adding the contents, so you can identify the stuff later. Adding the date doesn’t hurt, either.

•   For something sweet after dinner, spread a few pecan halves, golden raisins and dark chocolate chips on a small plate and enjoy s-l-o-w-l-y. Much better for you than ice cream.

•   For instant fresh flavor to whatever you’re cooking, wash, dry and chop a whole bunch of parsley or green onions and freeze in a screw top glass jar. They don’t freeze solid, and are ready to use.

•   Keep a “dedicated” electric coffee mill for milling items other than coffee into flour, such as flax seeds (these simply whirl about in a food processor), sunflower seeds, or simply making rice flour or cornmeal finer.

•   Just a little bacon can perk up stir-fried veggies, scrambled eggs, or braised chicken without packing on the pounds. Keep the package in the freezer (it won’t become too hard to cut) and slice across the whole package to make little strips, aka lardons.

•   Cooked veggies are the new finger food. Putting out a platterful on the kitchen counter while prepping dinner keeps jaws busy and increases antioxidant intake.

• Nip the tops off green beans (the tails are tender, leave them be), boil for 5 minutes until just tender-crisp, toss with a little olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Good warm or cold.

• Dust “coins” of zucchini with white rice flour and brown in a little olive oil, 2 minutes per side. Season with coarse salt and black pepper; serve warm.

• Cut small Brussels sprouts in half and toss with a little olive oil. Roast in a single layer at 400°F. for 10 minutes, turn, and roast for another 6 minutes, until lightly browned and caramelized. Sprinkle with chopped salted peanuts. Serve warm.

If you’re new to living gluten free, you can’t do better than to consult The Living Gluten-Free Answer Book, Practical Answers to 275 of Your Most Pressing Questions by Suzanne Bowland. The author does a terrific job identifying the problems that every gluten intolerant individual faces, from how to decipher food labels to strategies for eating gluten-free at restaurants. The founder and president of GF Culinary Productions, Inc., a company devoted to building awareness of the gluten-free lifestyle nationwide, Suzanne Bowland knows what she’s talking about.