Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Risotto

Years ago, before we were married, there was a dish that was the favorite in our home. I called it Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Pastina, and I had adapted it the Travigne Cookbook, one of the first cookbooks I purchased after moving to Chicago. It was a pretty simple dish - a pureed sauce of roasted red bell peppers, jalepenos and roasted garlic, folded into beautiful little orbs of pastina cooked in broth. If you can eat wheat, try cooking Pastina sometime. It's the smallest kind of pasta you can buy - it looks like couscous' big brother, and cooks up into plump little balls. A simple sauce clings to the pastina beautifully. I would usually top the dish with a few shrimp that had been sauteed with garlic and olive oil. YUM.

I hadn't thought about this dish in many years - giving up wheat, I'd tossed this old favorite into the dustbin of memory, until Mark inquired about it a few days ago. They don't make rice pastina that I've seen, so I decided to dust the cobwebs off the central idea of the recipe - roasted peppers - and turn it into a risotto. The results were just as tasty as the pastina, and now we have an old favorite back on the menu.

To put a new twist on the recipe, I decided to make the risotto in the rice cooker...a technique which I am dubbing "fancy lazyfood." Making a risotto without standing at the stove for 35 minutes?! Sign me up! The finished texture of the dish is a little softer than you'd get with the slow stirred stove-top method, but I can give that up for a nice weeknight meal if it frees me from the stove so that I can catch up on 30 Rock while rocking out on the elliptical machine. If you're making this on the stovetop, refer back to my mushroom risotto recipe for the basic technique, and just add the red pepper puree when the rice is nearly done. Tip: I made the sauce over the weekend, so all I had to do when I got home was take care of the rice.
Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Risotto Serves 3

Sauce:
4 Red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and de-seeded
3 jalepenos, roasted, peeled and de-seeded
4 cloves garlic, roasted, peeled
salt to taste
cayenne to taste
Sauce:

1. Preheat the broiler. Put the red peppers, jalepenos and garlic (in their skins) on a pan. Place under the broiler on the top shelf for 5 minutes, until the tops of the peppers begin to blacken. Using tongs, turn the peppers onto an un-charred side and broil for another 5 minutes until the second side of the peppers is blackened. Turn the peppers again and broil until the third side is roasted. When the peppers are pretty well charred on all sides, move the peppers and garlic to a mixing bowl, cover with a plate or lid, and let the peppers rest for 5 minutes. The heat from the peppers will steam the skins loose.
   
   
2. After five minutes, you should be able to easily peel and de-seed the peppers, and take the skins off the garlic. Put the peppers and their juices and the garlic cloves into a food processor or mini-prep and puree until smooth. Add salt to taste, and a few sprinkles of cayenne if it's not spicy enough. Set aside. You will have some sauce leftover if you're making a small batch of risotto - freeze it, or use it as a pizza sauce, or toss with some noodles for another night.

Risotto:
3/4 cup + 2 T aborio rice
1/2 onion, diced
1 T olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock, heated
pinch of saffron
1/2 tsp salt (only needed if using homemade, unsalted stock)

Garnish: sauteed shrimp and parmesan cheese

Rice Cooker Risotto:

1. Note: I have a fancy "fuzzy logic" (don't ask me what that means) rice cooker that has a porridge setting that I used to cook the rice - a regular rice cooker should take 25-35 minutes to do the risotto.
   
   
2. Heat your stock in the microwave until it's nearly boiling. Warm 3/4 cup of the red pepper sauce in the micro (does not need to be boiling).
   
   
3. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 T olive oil, then add the onions and saute for 3 minutes, until translucent. Add the rice to the pan, and stir around for 2-3 more minutes until the rice is well coated in oil and a little bit toasted. Add the wine to the pan, and stir until the wine is absorbed.
   
   
4. Scoop the rice mixture into the bowl of your rice cooker, and add the stock, salt (if needed) and the saffron. Close the lid on the rice cooker and cook on the porridge setting. It did not need a full cooking cycle - it cooked for about 35-40 minutes in my machine, and I did stir it once mid-cycle just to check on things. When it's done, taste, add a little more salt if needed, and serve in bowls with freshly grated parmesan, and top with a few sauteed shrimp if you're feeling extra fancy.

Indian Spiced Red Lentil and Rice Soup

On my way home from a long week in the office this evening, I somehow managed to get a train without heat. December is giving us a cold start to the holiday season here in Chicago, so between the meat locker-like train and the walk home, I needed something to thaw my chilled bones. The Friday night fridge is a lean proposition since I go to the market on Saturdays; dinner was either going to be another round of bacon-egg-slurry or some kind of soup since I had a quart of stock sitting in the fridge waiting for inspiration.

Heidi Swanson posted a recipe for Red Lentil Soup a couple months ago that seemed intriguing. I'd filed it in the back of my mind on the "culinary to-do list," but didn't give it another thought until my friend Emily tweeted that she loved the soup and had already made two pots of it. I trust Emily's opinions on soup, so I knew this one had to be on the menu soon.

This lentil soup doesn't call for much in the way of ingredients, so I chopped an onion and some garlic and was on my way. I decided to give Heidi's recipe an Indian twist with some freshly toasted and ground spices, and WOW, it really turned up the volume on the flavor in the soup. I love Indian daals, and this is very reminiscent of those flavors. This is a case where I would definitely recommend toasting and grinding the spices yourself - you want the flavors to be fresh and bold. Brown mustard seeds are one of my favorite Indian spices, and I don't use them nearly enough - they add a peppery heat and totally change the character of the cumin and coriander in the dish, making a perfect harmony of heat and spice.

The soup cooks up pretty quickly and with minimal fuss, so you can easily make this on a weeknight. I also made some Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread to go with the soup. And I think that a bowl of soup and warm homemade bread is the perfect kick-off to the weekend.

Indian Red Lentil and Rice Soup
Serves 4
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Spice mix:
1 1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Soup:
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 T parsley (dried or fresh)

3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups homemade chicken or vegetable stock

1 1/3 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed

1/2 cup brown rice
salt to taste

Garnish: toasted slivered almonds, chopped cilantro

1. Heat a small pan over medium heat. Pour the whole spices into the pan - mustard seeds, cumin, coriander, peppercorns an red pepper flakes. Toast for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan often so that the spices don't burn. When they begin to get fragrant, pour the spices into your spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind to a coarse powder. Set aside.
   
   
2. In a big soup pot, over medium heat, combine the olive oil, onion and a pinch of salt. Let them brown, and caramelize a bit, stirring occasionally - about 10 minutes of cooking time. When they start to brown, add the garlic and toasted spice mix. Stir for another minute or two, and when the spices are warm and very fragrant, add the chicken (or vegetable) stock. Cover, and bring to a boil.
   
   
3. When the pot is boiling, add the lentils, rice and parsley. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and cook until the rice is tender - about an hour. Stir the soup occasionally as it simmers. The red lentils will break down into almost a puree and will thicken the soup. If the pot gets too thick for you, add a little water. When the rice is tender, season the soup with salt to taste, then serve. Garnish each bowl with toasted almonds and chopped cilantro.

470 cal per serving, 90cal from fat, 10g fat, 10mg cholesterol, 540 mg sodium, 490 mg potassium, 69g carbs, 11g fiber, 10g sugars, 26.3g protein

Cranberries with Bourbon

I have to subject you to one more Thanksgiving-ish recipe before I move on to other things. I saw the recipe for this cranberry sauce on The Kitchen Sink (another fabulous Chicago blogger), and trust me - you need to make this sauce. Cranberries have always been my favorite thing about Thanksgiving - Mom would make this great raw cranberry and orange zest relish that I always loved - so tart that it made the back of your jaw sting just a little. And really, we need to eat cranberries more than once a year - they're a local and seasonal treat that can go far beyond being the sad sidekick for the Thanksgiving turkey.

This year, I wanted a cranberry dish that was a bit more mellow, so that it would go nicely on leftover turkey sandwiches - this recipe fit the bill perfectly. I added the zest and juice from a tangerine to the original recipe, and cut the sugar in half, as I still like a little pucker to my cranberries. And since Thanksgiving, I've made 2 more batches of the cranberries, as it has become my favorite topping for my morning bowl of steel cut oats.


Bourbon Maple Cranberries
Makes 2 cups, 1/4 cup per serving
Adapted from Bon Apetit

1 package of fresh cranberries (12 oz)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
juice of one small tangerine
zest from tangerine, peeled
2 T bourbon

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients except burbon in a small baking dish. Bake uncovered until cranberries are tender and sugar is dissolved, stirring once, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in bourbon. Refrigerate cranberry sauce and serve however you like - on a turkey sandwich, on morning oatmeal, or by the spoonful! Will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge.

88 cal per 1/4 cup serving, 0 cal from fat, 0g fat, 20g carbs, 2g fiber, 18g sugar

Quinoa Chile Bowl

This is a pretty random concoction that I threw together this evening when I got home and realized that we were out of leftovers for lunches this week. I always try to have yummy leftovers for lunch, since eating out is both expensive and challenging for my gluten-free self. Good leftovers give you something to look forward to, no matter what goes haywire during the day...and on a Full Moon week - there's plenty going haywire, so lunch is a welcome respite.

There's not much more to say about this dish other than it's a spicy bowl of goodness, crafted from odds and ends in the fridge. I didn't have quite enough BBQ pork leftover for 2 lunches, so I tossed in there for garnish, and it adds a nice smoky note to the concoction, but could just as easily be left out, and a can of black beans tossed in.

Quinoa Chile Bowl with Pork
Serves 6

2 cups Quinoa (dry)
1 T butter
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups sliced bell pepper
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
6 oz leftover pork shoulder (optional)
1 T cumin
1 T chile con carne spice
4 T salsa
2 T chipotle puree
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup chicken stock
water
Cilantro to garnish

1. Cook the quinoa in your rice cooker (2 1/2 rice cooker cups of quinoa) with 1 cup chicken stock, water to fill to the 2.5 line on the rice cooker bowl. Add the chile powder, cumin, salsa and chipotle peppers in the rice cooker, and cook on the quick steam setting until done.
   
   
2. In a large saute pan, melt the butter, and saute the bell pepper, garlic and onion 4-5 minutes until soft, then set aside.
   
   
3. When the quinoa is cooked, pour it into a large mixing bowl, and add the cooked onions and bell pepper, corn, cilantro and pork. Mix to combine. If you want it spicier, add more chipotle puree or some siracha sauce.

388 cal/serving, 100cal from fat, 11g fat, 30mg cholesterol, 280mg sodium, 270mg potassium, 56g carbs, 7g fiber, 3g sugars, 18.7g protein

Read All About It!

Hey y'all! If you're stopping on by for the first time - welcome! I hope you enjoy the recipes in this gluten-free joint. If you're one of my regular beloved readers, check out the profile on The Whole Kitchen on Gapers Block Drive-Thru. Read all about it!

Gapers Block Drive-Thru: The Whole Kitchen

Celery Root and Apple Slaw

Celery root has historically been the vegetable the appears each fall in our farm share box, and I stare at it and think "Huh?"...and wonder what to do with it. When cooked, it tastes of celery and has a texture somewhere between a parsnip and potato. Lots of people seem to mash it up with potatoes, but I don't care for mashes, so I usually just peel it, cube it and chuck it in a stew, where it stays in the background.

Over the holiday weekend, while we were comatose on the couch after who knows how many leftover turkey sandwiches, I was watching the Food Network (dreaming of more food, even in my food coma), and saw one of the chefs prepare a celery root and apple slaw. Her salad was far fancier than this one - complete with pan roasted mushrooms sauteed in duck fat - I don't have that, but I can tell you that this salad is super-healthy and has an unexpected lightness from this ugly root veggie. The light, earthy celery flavor against the tart, sweet apple is perfection, and the vinaigrette balances the two with a savory note.

Oh, and I served this excellent salad with my slow roasted BBQ pork shoulder tacos with handmade tortillas. Oh, Yeah. Not bad for a Monday night dinner.

Celery Root Apple Slaw
Serves 2

1 large celery root
1 apple - tart/crisp variety
1 tangerine, juiced and seeds discarded
1 T olive oil
1 T stone ground mustard
salt & pepper to taste
garnish with cilantro

1. Make the vinaigrette - in a small bowl, combine the tangerine juice, olive oil, mustard and whisk to combine. Add salt & pepper to taste - I like quite a bit of pepper in my slaw.
   
   
2. Clean the celery root by cutting off all the rough edges and tough ends. Use a mandoline with the thin-cutting blade and slice the celery root and apple into lovely moon-shaped slices. Stack the slices up into small piles and cut the pieces into thin matchsticks. Place the apple & celery root in a medium mixing bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Let slaw marinate in the fridge for a half hour before serving.

157 cal per serving, 60 cal from fat, 7.1g fat, 380 mg sodium, 75mg potassium, 24g carbs, 4g fiber, 15g sugars, 1.7g protein

Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust and Meringue

This, my friends, is one serious pie. If I were smart, I would have cut this into very small wedges to be savored. But I didn't. Thanksgiving day exists in a place outside any concern for calorie counts or cardio workouts. For one day (okay, one LONG weekend), I eat all of the delicious foods of the season and revel in the holiday treats. So don't feel too bad if you eat this pie, as I really do think it is worth the calories.

I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but I loved this one. The gingersnaps make for a great sweet/salty crust that balances perfectly against the creamy pumpkin custard. I add some almonds to the crust for a nice toasty flavor, and they add a nice chewiness to the crust. If you're using gluten-free gingersnaps, I highly recommend using Pamela's Ginger Mini Snapz for this recipe - I did you the favor of testing all of the gluten-free ginger cookies on the market, and these were the crunchiest and spiciest, and I like the molasses in them. Most Whole Foods stores carry them.

And if the decadence of a cookie crust and rich custard aren't enough for you, why not pile on a meringue topping, right?! Meringue is a tasty trick not pulled out of the pastry hat nearly enough. It can stand in for whipped cream, but the toasted, creamy texture of the meringue is a beautiful thing...and is definitely the healthiest part of this pie.


Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust and Meringue Topping serves 8
Inspired by Closet Cooking

Crust:
1 1/2 cups gluten-free Pamela's gingersnap cookie crumbs (pulverized in the food processor)
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter (melted)

Directions for crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
   
   
2. Pour the gingersnap cookies into a food processor and pulverize into crumbs - I used the entire package of Pamela's gingersnaps. Pour the crumbs into a medium mixing bowl.
   
   
3. Pour 1/2 cup raw almonds into the food processor bowl and pulverize until the almonds are finely ground, then pour into the mixing bowl with the gingersnaps.
   
   
4. Mix the gingersnap crumbs, sugar, ginger and melted butter in a bowl.
   
   
5. Press the mixture into the bottom of a springform pan. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumbs down in an even layer, and to help get into the corners.
   
   
6. Bake the crust for about 12 minutes, making sure to put a sheet pan under the springform pan in case of dripping (or your kitchen will fill with smoke like mine did - oops!).
   
   
7. While the crust bakes, make the filling.

Pie Filling:
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
8oz evaporated milk

Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into the pre-baked pie shell, and then bake for 35-45 minutes, until the custard has set and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the filling. Remove from the oven, and allow the pie to totally cool before making the meringue topping.

Meringue Topping
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 tablespoons confectioners sugar
pinch of salt.

1. You can top the pumpkin pie with meringue a few hours before serving, but you don't want to do it a day in advance - the meringue will get tough.
   
   
2. Preheat the broiler. Place all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip the mixture on high speed until the whites get glossy, white and form stiff peaks when swirled with a spoon - it will take about 5-7 minutes of whipping, so be patient. Just when you think it's not gonna happen, the whites are magically transformed into meringue.
   
   
3. Spoon the meringue over the top of the pie, making a nice thick layer. Use the back of a spoon to make some sexy swirls and waves in the meringue. Place the pie under the broiler for 5-7 minutes, until the top is toasted and the meringue is set. Watch it carefully - don't leave the stove, as it can burn quite easily.
   
   
4. Serve the pie at room temperature.

479 cal per slice, 160cal from fat, 23.1g fat, 85mg cholesterol, 310mg sodium, 230mg potassium, 51g carbs, 2g fiber, 40g sugars, 9.6g protein