Gluten Free Wraps!!!

The brown rice wraps I used yesterday at the SGFA Conference were Food for Life. I was calling them life is good, oops!!! Well life is good when you find a tasty wrap. Look for them in the freezer department of your local health food store. If they don't have them ask! Any retailer using UNFI (United Natural Foods) can get them. Their sprouted corn tortillas are also very good. They are great for Mexican lasagnas.

A Mexican Lasagna, sounds silly but they are sooo good. I make home made salsa, that I can in the fall, but your favorite store bought salsa will do.

You will need:
a large lasagna pan
your favorite cheese (soy or dairy), shredded
2 packs of Food for Life corn tortillas, defrosted
3-4 jars salsa

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.Grease your lasagna pan.
3. Spread down some salsa.
4. Layer down about 6 tortillas.
5. Sprinkle cheese.
6. Continue this until all tortilla are used and top with salsa and cheese.
7. Bake until heat through and bubble. Finish under the broiler for a extra crispy edge and toasty brown cheese!!!

This is a great comfort dish for people of all ages and so easy to make. When I have a busy week of catering and cant chop another veggie this is a great dinner. Serve with a salad and you have a quick and tasty meal!!!

White Bean Gratin

I have promised to share this recipe since New Years! Because of the long wait I have provided two. Enjoy!!!

Classic White Bean Gratin
Yield: 8-10 dinner size portions

2 large Spanish onions or your favorite sweet onion, small diced
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 T butter
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds white navy beans, dried
Salt and pepper, to taste

Topping:
3 cups homemade bread crumbs
3 T butter

9 x 13 inch baking dish or 4 qt casserole dish with at least 2 inch sides

1. Soak beans overnight.
2. Drain and rinse beans. Then put beans in stockpot and cover with at least one inch of water. Do not salt beans!!! Bring beans to a boil and skim off any foam that comes to the top. Reduce heat and cover. Allow beans to cook for at least 1 hour. Test for doneness. When done remove from heat and salt beans. Allow cooling in the pot liquor*.
3. While beans cook prepare the onions and garlic. Sauté over medium heat in butter and olive oil until onions are translucent and garlic aromatic.
4. Drain beans, making sure to save at least 4 cups of the pot liquor*. Add beans to the garlic and onions. Add enough pot liquor so the beans stay most during cooking and almost creamy texture is obtained.
5. Pour mixture in to baking dish.
6. For the topping melt the butter and stir in the bread crumbs. Spread this mixture on the beans and bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 45 minutes. Topping should be slightly browned and bubbling at the sides.


Vegetable White Bean Gratin
Yield: 8-10 dinner size portions

2 large Spanish onions or your favorite sweet onion, small diced
10 cloves garlic, minced
6 carrots, small diced
3 bags baby spinach or regular spinach stems removed
2 T butter
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound white navy beans, dried
1 qt favorite tomato sauce (I used my own canned spicy pink Brandywine sauce!)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Topping:
3 cups homemade bread crumbs
3 T butter

9 x 13 inch baking dish or 4 qt casserole dish with at least 2 inch sides

1. Soak beans over night.
2. Drain and rinse beans. Then put beans in stock pot and cover with at least one inch of water. Do not salt beans!!! Bring beans to a boil and skim off any foam that comes to the top. Reduce heat and cover. Allow beans to cook for at least 1 hour. Test for doneness. When done remove from heat and salt beans. Allow them to cool in the pot liquor*.
3. While beans cook prepare the onions, garlic, spinach and carrots. Sauté over medium heat onions, garlic as in the classic gratin adding the carrots near the end. Add ½ cup of water once onions are translucent and garlic aromatic. Once simmering, add the spinach and cover. Cook until spinach is wilted.
4. Drain beans and add to the vegetable mixture. Stir in the tomato sauce.
Pour mixture into the baking dish.
5. For the topping melt the butter and stir in the bread crumbs. Spread this mixture on the beans and bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 45 minutes. Topping should be slightly browned and bubbling at the sides.

*pot liquor or pot likker refers to the liquid resulting from the cooking of meat or vegetables.

Salad Dressing

I always seem to be the one bringing the salad and this simple start to the meal is always a hit. I make my own salad dressing, toast some nuts and rummage through the cheese drawer. Friends are always asking about the dressing and I think to myself it's only a few ingredients, it's so easy. The traditional ratio for salad dressing is 3:1, meaning 3 cups of oil for 1 cup of vinegar. That's a whole lot of oil! Not only does this weigh your healthy salad down, but can hide the subtle flavor of the greens. I like to go by taste! If you are using a sweeter acid like balsamic, citrus juices, rice wine vinegar... I would use only a few tablespoons of a very good oil. I like Zoe Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but I also love walnut, almond, truffle and toasted sesame oil, just to name a few. To make your greens even tastier add a little something for sweetness and crunch. You can use anything! I love celery root, fennel, cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, raisins, toasted almonds, pine nuts and cheese...
Cheese is full of unlimited possibilities. A great cheese adds character to any meal, 1st course to the last. There are great local cheeses from Cato Corner Farm and Beaver Brook Farm, just to name a few. There are foodie books galore and of course the Internet to find local farms. Make a day of traveling around your state and tasting what your local artisans have to offer. For example right down the street from Cato Corner is Priam Vineyard, they have wine tastings and a farmer's market during the summer months. Beaver Brook is located near Ashlawn Farm, Four Mile River Farm, Scott's Yankee Farmer and White Gate Farm. For many of us this all day shopping isn't practical. However, Fromage in Old Saybrook offers a wide selection of cheeses and specialty items for your pantry.
Aside from yummy cheese, tasty tidbits and a simple vinaigrette. The greens have to be the best. Being the foundation of the salad they have to be fresh and have great flavor. We buy ours from White Gate Farm in East Lyme. Yes, they have greens this time of year. The last batch of greens I bought for salad was mache and arugula. They also have great mustard greens, two kinds of watercress, and a gourmet salad blend. Their selection does change regularly, but they are great at sending weekly updates via email.

Simple Vinaigrette

1/2 cup White Wine Vinegar

1t Honey, Three Sisters Farm

1t Organic Dijon mustard

kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

4T Zoe's Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Whisk together and enjoy.

This makes enough for a few days!

Wheat and Gluten Free

Last week my good friend Laurencia asked me to be a part of the Shoreline Gluten-Free Association. Although I'm not wheat and gluten intolerant I have many friends and family members who are. At their monthly meeting I learned that 15% of the population is dealing with this daily struggle. I was surprised by how much wheat is out there. The obvious breads, pastas, crackers and sweets are just the tip of the iceberg. Almost every label you read has modified food starch and now the question has to be, "where does that starch come from?" The starch can come from many places. Potatoes, corn, rice and tapioca are commonly used but wheat by far is the most common. This is where the 1-800#'s can be useful, call them up! You finally have a good reason to use your cell phone in the middle of the grocery store.

I already love many different grains; quinoa, millet and the wide family of rice. Matthew and I cook and eat these on a daily basis. We have been looking to incorporate them into catering and now the time has come. With these grains, as with all your foods, you have to be careful of cross wheat and gluten contamination. Always read the labels! Soups and stocks are another culprit for wheat starch. This never occurred to me because I make my own soups and stocks from scratch. If a thickening agent is needed there are great alternatives to a roux. Not only will cornstarch and arrowroot thicken your soups, stocks and gravies it will do so with out the extra butter!

As for those breads, pasta, sweets and crackers....there are so many WF & GF products out there that are very tasty. I was surprised at how great some of the products are, some even tastier then the conventional alternatives. I love Pamela's cookies! You can find many of these products at your grocery store in the health/organic section or your favorite natural food market. I have enjoyed the last week trying out different recipes. I am trying to stay away from recipes calling for additives and that has been a challenge. Although many come from natural ingredients, I'm not a fan. For instance xanthum gum comes from fermenting corn. There is no avoiding this product in commercially made items (Pamela's cookies,) so I choose to avoid them in homemade baking and cooking. When you start looking at these additives you find they are in everything; livestock feed, cat food, baked goods and meat and poultry packaging. I think you catch my drift! Xanthum gum is used in WF & GF baking because it adds stability and strength to wheat alternative flours. I have made some very tasty brownies and shortbread without any xanthum gum. I used the Arrowhead Mill's GF & WF Baking Mix and the batch used contained no additives. This may not always be true, so if important to you read the label every time you buy. Please enjoy!

Alexa's Chocolate Shortbread

1 cup Arrowhead Mill's GF&WF Baking Mix

1/3 cup Green&Black Cocoa Powder

3T corn starch (WF & GF)

1/2 cup Confectioner's Sugar (WF & GF)

3/4 cup butter

1. Put all dry ingredients into food processor bowl and pulse to mix.

2. Add butter to dry ingredients (for easier mixing cut the butter into small cubes). Process ingredients until they come together in a ball.

3. Divide dough in half and roll into logs about 1inch in diameter. Roll in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. Slice logs (about 16 cookies per log) and place in baking sheet in a 350 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven. Bake about 12 minutes or until cookies are firm but not colored.

5. Let rest 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

Alexa's Chocolate Brownies

140g butter

200g dark chocolate (WF & GF)

340g cane sugar

4 large eggs, beaten

140g Arrowhead Mill's WF & GF Baking Mix

2t baking powder (WF & GF)

1/2t salt

1t vanilla extract

9x11 inch pan (lined with foil and then greased)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

2. Melt butter in sauce pan and then add chocolate, stir with heat proof spatula until chocolate is melted. Mix in the sugar. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Add vanilla to the eggs. Pour egg mixture slowly into the chocolate mixture (be sure to keep mixing so you don't cook the eggs.)

4. Sift dry ingredients together and stir into the wet ingredients.

5. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Be sure not to over bake.

Shepherd's Pie

On this rainy day I'm heading out with my friend Marie and hitting some of my favorite farms. We are going to Four Mile River for beef and pork, Scott's for strawberries, White Gate Farm for produce and eggs and Beaver Brook for lamb, cheese, raw milk and yogurt!!!

This spring I came up with a tasty variation of an old classic. I didn't have any milk or butter, but I had lamb, potatoes, carrots and parsnips. So I made the Shepherd's Pie without mashed potatoes. The horror of such an invention rang loud and clear throughout my family. Then to boot I brought it to Easter, but much to my family's surprise it was very good. They were actually fighting over who got to take home the leftovers. So here is the recipe!!!

2-3# ground lamb
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3-4 large onions, small dice
3-4 large parsnips, peeled and small diced
6 carrots, peeled and small diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 t dried rosemary (fresh if you have it)
2-3 T ap flour
2-3qt favorite stock (we always have home-made in the freezer, I used beef for mine)
1-2 cups favorite red wine (use what you like to drink!!!!)
salt and pepper, to taste

3-4 large potatoes (do not peel)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In an 3-4qt oven/stove proof casserole (I love Le Creuset) brown your lamb in olive oil. Once browned strain fat from lamb and set aside. Now cook veggies in the same pan, you made need to add more olive oil. Cook veggies until slightly caramelized and add back the lamb, dust with flour and cook a few more minutes. Deglaze with your red wine and then add the stock. You may have stock left over, make sure to save room for potatoes. (I didn't have my large Le Creuset when I first made this and if you don't either do what I did!!! Prepare in the pan you have for the stove top and then transfer to a oven proof casserole and cover with foil instead if the lid.)
Let lamb mixture simmer on the stove while you prep your potatoes. Wash potatoes well because we won't be peeling them. Slice potatoes thin on a mandolin if you have one. Be careful of your fingers!!!! I have sliced them by hand using a sharp knife-this takes just a few more minutes. Now arrange slices on top of casserole and cover and bake (on a foil lined sheet pan, juices may run over) for 45 minutes, remove cover and bake another 15 minute (this will help brown the potatoes.)

If you have potato slices left, make some potato chips! You went to the trouble to slice them -don't just throw them away!!!

I hope you find this as tasty as we did. I know my ingredient amounts may look vague, but use your discretion. Remember, this started as a peasant dish to use up leftovers!!!!