Delicious gluten-free recipes

If the concept of living gluten-free has you thinking your days of tasty food is over, think again. Gluten-free recipes can be just as satisfying – and even more so, because you won’t be plagued with gastrointestinal distress. These are just three of the easy and fabulous gluten-free recipes to add to your gluten-free dining repertoire.

RECIPES

Recipes courtesy of Chef David Kaye of Dinner du Jour and Wegmans Markets, both in New Jersey.
 

Gluten-Free Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Serves 6 to 8
 

Ingredients:
3 heads of cauliflower, trimmed of leaves
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large Spanish onion, peeled, medium dice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups low-salt, gluten-free chicken stock
1/2 cup brown rice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bunch fresh chives, rinsed, minced
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
 

Gluten-free bread bowls (optional)
White cheddar cheese, shredded
Fresh parsley
 

Directions:
Core cauliflower and break into florets. Rinse in colander and set aside. In a stockpot over medium-high, heat olive oil and butter. Add diced onion and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add thyme and garlic and sauté 2 to 3 minutes more.
 

Pour in chicken stock, rice, nutmeg and cauliflower. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a slow simmer and cover pot with a lid. Simmer slowly for 30 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
 

Remove stockpot from heat. With a hand-held immersion or stick blender,blend the cauliflower mixture until smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender, pour cooled mixture in small batches into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth (be careful not to overfill). Repeat until all soup has been blended smooth. Return blended soup to the stockpot.
 

Add cayenne pepper, fresh chives, heavy cream, salt and pepper to the cauliflower mixture. Gently heat seasoned soup to just under a boil, stirring frequently. Serve hot in small gluten-free bread bowls with a sprinkling of shredded cheese and a sprig of fresh parsley.
 

Gluten-free Sausage Lasagna

Serves 8
 

Ingredients:
1 box gluten-free lasagna noodles (available in most stores or online)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large eggs
2 pounds fresh ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Romano cheese, plus 3 tablespoons more set aside
1 pound sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup small basil leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound gluten-free sweet Italian sausage, cooked thoroughly, coarsely chopped*
3 (28-ounces each) jars gluten-free tomato sauce (available in most stores or online)
 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and spray 9×13-inch baking dish with gluten-free nonstick cooking spray. Cook noodles according to directions on box. Cool noodles in cold water, drain, and toss with olive oil to preserve texture. Set aside.
 

In a large bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, Romano cheese, chopped parsley, basil, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Set aside. Coat bottom of baking dish wish a generous cup of tomato sauce. Place 3 to 4 cooked noodles across the bottom of the pan, overlapping slightly along the edges (trim noodle ends if they are too long for pan). Spread one-third ricotta mix over the noodles. Sprinkle one-third of the cooked sausage over ricotta mixture. Drizzle another generous cup of sauce over sausage, topping with 1 tablespoon of the reserved Romano cheese. Top the sauce with one-third of the mozzarella cheese, pressing down lightly with hands to smooth out any air pockets. Top mozzarella with a small amount of sauce. Repeat until 3 layers have been created. Be sure the top layer is mozzarella and sauce. You may have extra sauce – serve it on the side with the lasagna.
 

Cut a piece of parchment that will fit over the lasagna and spray one side with nonstick cooking spray (to keep the cheese from sticking). Cover with a large layer of foil, folding around the edges of the baking dish. The parchment paper prevents the acid in the tomato sauce from interacting with the aluminum foil. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until lasagna has set. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before removing parchment and foil. Cut and serve.
 

*Talk to your butcher about gluten fillers in sausage at the butcher block and make sure, if buying prepackaged, that the sausage ingredient list is gluten-free (call the manufacturer’s customer service line to double check).
 

Gluten-Free Coconut Macaroons

Makes 3 dozen cookies
 

Ingredients:
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg white, whipped
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (14 ounce) package shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. and line several baking sheets with foil. Grease foil with gluten-free cooking spray or a little coconut oil. In a large bowl, combine condensed milk, egg white, almond and vanilla extract, cinnamon, and shredded coconut. Mix well with a large wooden spoon.

Drop coconut mixture onto baking sheets using a teaspoon, gently rounding mix with fingers. Flatten gently using back of spoon. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until coconut is just starting to brown. Remove macaroons from baking sheets immediately and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container. For an added treat, drizzle finished macaroons with melted dark chocolate or caramel.

For information on celiac disease and gluten-intolerance — and more delicious recipes — check out these links:

• Celiac disease and gluten intolerance
• Tips for gluten-free living
• Gluten-free Hazelnut Cake
• Gluten-free Raspberry Souffle
• Gluten-free Banana Cake