In a Word...Pizza: A Tribute to Carol Fenster, Ph.D.

First Homemade Gluten Free Pizza

 This post is dedicated to Carol Fenster, Ph.D., internationally recognized expert on gluten free cooking. Thank you Ms. Fenster, you have made my families' Friday nights delicious once more! 


Allow me to set the scene, five years ago I was happily making homemade pizza crust every Friday while listening to my son practice the piano. Fast forward two years and 208 pizzas later, my son and I are diagnosed with celiac disease. BAM, it was as if the wind had been knocked out of me.

I spent a long time in a celiac haze not knowing which way to turn. During this period of time I received 1,000 Gluten Free Recipes, by Carol Fenster, Ph.D.  It was the biggest cookbook I had ever seen. With one glance it was clear that Ms. Fenster had spent a lot of time creating this treasure trove.

Wanting desperately to begin making pizzas again on Fridays, I invested in the ingredients to make Carol's Sorghum Blend.  It was the first step to making homemade gluten free pizza crusts.

Recipe Tips: I order a case of each of the following: Bob's Red Mill brand sweet white sorghum flour, potato starch and tapioca flour and triple the recipe right away because I make and use Carol's Blend so frequently.  By purchasing in bulk, I believe the cost savings is beneficial not to mention I am less apt to run out of one of the ingredients. Personally, I prefer potato starch over corn starch for this blend.

"From 1,000 Gluten Free Recipes by Carol Fenster; Wiley, 2008; reprinted with permission from the publisher"

Carol's Sorghum Blend
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1 1/2 cups potato starch/corn starch
1 cup tapioca flour

Whisk the ingredients together until well blended. Store, tightly covered in a cool dark , dry place. You may refrigerate or freeze the blend, but bring to room temperature before using. Makes 4 cups. You may double or triple the recipe.

Homemade Pizza Crust Recipe Tips: I have used 2% cow's milk with success. I usually skip adding seasoning and onion powder to the dough and season the par baked crust (see More Tips below for topping suggestions) While waiting for the sugar and yeast to dissolve in the milk I blend the other dry ingredients with a whisk in my Kitchenaid mixing bowl. I have also used Millet flour for dusting with tasty results. I have always doubled the recipe with much success. Why have one pizza, when you can have two!?

"From 1,000 Gluten Free Recipes by Carol Fenster; Wiley, 2008; reprinted with permission from the publisher"

Homemade Pizza Crust
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2/3 cup warm 1%milk (cow's, rice, soy, potato or nut)
2/3 cup potato starch
1/2 cup  Carol's Sorghum Blend
2 teaspoons xanthum gum
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder 
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Shortening for greasing the pan, such as Spectrum Vegetable

White rice flour for dusting

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm milk. Set aside to foam for 5 minutes. In a food processor, blend yeast mixture, potato starch, sorghum blend, xanthum gun, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, oil, and vinegar, until ball forms. Dough will be very soft. 

2. Generously grease a 12 inch non-stick (grat, not black) pizza pan with shortening. Do not use cooking spray-it will make it harder to shape the dough. Place dough on prepared pan. Liberally dust with white rice flour; then press dough into pan with your hands, continuing to dust dough with flour to prevent sticking as needed. The smoother the dough, the smoother the baked crust will be. Makes edges thicker to contain toppings.

3.Place rack in the bottom position of the oven for the pre-baking and another in the middle position for the secondary baking. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 

4. Bake pizza crust for 10 minutes on the bottom rack, until crust begins to brown on the bottom. Remove from the oven. The crust is now ready to be used as per your recipe.

More tips: Ms. Fenster recommends removing the pizza from the oven and letting it rest for 5 minutes. Also, brushing the crust with olive oil before cutting and serving. If I am making a white pizza I choose from a variety if toppings such as olive oil and minced garlic, and a combination of mozzarella and provolone. Now for a more traditional pizza, Don Pepino pizza sauce is the best. I have enjoyed Don Pepino since I was a little girl, and I appreciate it even more today since they proudly print "Gluten Free" on the label. Don't forget the pepperoni, I never do!

Bon Appetit Ratatouille

Dear Reader, I laugh about this today, but the only reason I went looking for a Ratatouille recipe was because I felt compelled to try the dish that melted the indignant heart of Food Critic Anton Ego from the animated feature film of the same name, Ratatouille. I thank my lucky stars that I found the following recipe from Whole Foods Market. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I won't say that my two children enjoy ratatouille the vegetable dish as much as the movie, but when I spoon a hearty helping of this onto their plates they always want an encore.

Recipe tip: Although the Whole Foods' recipe is gluten free, if you have read any of my blogspot posts you will not be surprised to hear I have tweaked the recipe to suit  my taste and that of my family. I almost did not put green pepper into this dish, again I am thankful I did, it is subtle and delicious. If you compare the Whole Foods version and mine, you will see only a slight difference in the preparation of the vegetables.

I dedicate this post to my mom; much like Ego this dish reminds me of my mom and all the ways she tried to disguise vegetables so that I would eat them. Although I no longer try to hide them from myself, I still enjoy her techniques for slicing and dicing. Thank you mom for helping to create a love of healthy food.

Now on with the show...

Ratatouille

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (In the past I have omitted the eggplant and increased the amount of squash with much success)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons herbes de Provence
1/4 teaspoon chile pepper flakes
Pepper to taste
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped in the food processor
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped in the food processor
2 zucchini or summer squash, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds ( I like one of each for color)
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes (I have blanched, peeled and roasted my own tomatoes from the garden, but jarred works great too)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and set aside in a paper-towel-lined bowl while preparing the other vegetables. (If omitting the eggplant, skip this step)

Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, oil, garlic, herbes de Provence, chile flakes and pepper in a small bowl. Put the processed bell pepper and  onions into a large bowl. Toss in the zucchini or squash and pour the oil mixture over them. Pat eggplant dry with another paper towel and toss with vegetables, coating everything thoroughly. Spread vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice, until golden and very soft, 30 to 35 minutes.

Put tomatoes into a large bowl and break them up using your hands or a spoon. Add roasted vegetables and vinegar and stir well. Cool to room temperature before serving, or cover and refrigerate overnight. The Whole Foods recipe recommends cooling the dish to room temperature; I have eaten this dish warm, room temperature and cold, and have loved them all. Bon appetit!

Steamed Shrimp

The following recipe was taken straight off the can of Old Bay Seasoning, one of my favorites in the kitchen!

Recipe Tips:  Shrimp are delicious alone or accompanied by a small bowl of melted butter for dipping. Although white vinegar is fine, my mother swears apple cider is best for this dish.

2 Tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 lb. shrimp in shells

In saucepan, combine first 3 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp, stir gently. Cover; steam until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Drain, remove shells.
Enjoy!

Baby Field Greens Tossed with Portobello Mushrooms

1 -2 package(s) baby portobellos, washed and dried

3-4 Tablespoons basting oil with herbs

1-2 handfuls of field greens per person

Newman's Own  Light Balsamic

salt and pepper
shredded Parmesan (optional)

Recipe Tip: I used field greens in this recipe, but please use whatever you like. Baby spinach is also delicious.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice mushrooms into desired size. Coat mushrooms with basting oil in a large bowl.  Place mushrooms on a baking sheet, salt and pepper mushrooms and roast for 12-15 minutes. While mushrooms are roasting wash and dry your greens. Once mushrooms are finished toss mushrooms and field greens together. Drizzle Newman's Own Light Balsamic to taste. Sprinkle parmesan if desired. Salad may be served warm or room temperature. Enjoy.

More Salmon Patties, Please!

"More Salmon patties, please",  is the phrase you will hear when you have served this delicious meal. I use two cans of Salmon when I make this dish because if you have leftovers they don't hang around for long.

 Recipe tip: I have used McCormick Salmon Grill Mates for the seasoning, but lately cannot find this product. I recently saw a product called Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Salmon Seasoning which may be just as good, but I have not yet verified it as gluten free. For your safety verify all ingredients as gluten free when following a strict gluten free diet.

Salmon Patties
2 (14.75oz.) cans Salmon, cartilage removed
1 cup Hellman's Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Salmon seasoning 
1 Tbsp. Leah & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (Gluten Free on the label, YAY!)
1 cup bread crumbs (I process unused portions of Pamela's Bread, I make in my bread machine)
2 Tbsp. Canola Oil

1. Flake Salmon with a fork or fingers in a large bowl.
2. Combine remaining ingredients with Salmon.
3. Shape into patties on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and  place in refrigerator for a minimum of two hours or overnight. This minimizes breakage when frying.
4. Heat oil in pan to med-high heat. Fry patties for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned gently flipping halfway through cooking time.
5. Drain on paper towels. Serve.
Enjoy!

Makes a lot depending on how large your patties are. Experiment, have fun!

Corn Fritters

I love corn fritters!  Oddly, I never made them before my celiac diagnose 2 1/2 years ago. Having celiac disease certainly has been bittersweet. On one hand there are a lot of foods I can no longer eat, but as I said in a post last year, "I no longer eat, I taste!" What could be better than that? OK, back to the recipe. I originally found this little gem on All Recipes. It was offered by Joan Zaffery. She adds, "Nothing warms up a cool night like a plateful of old-time corn fritters!" Although I agree with Joan, I will add they are fantastic anytime of year.

Recipe tip:  To make these fritters gluten free I use Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix in place of the sifted all-purpose flour. I also use thawed frozen corn I saved from the previous summer. YUM!

Corn Fritters 
3 cups oil for frying
1 cup Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
 1 Tbs shortening, melted
 1 (12oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

1. Heat oil in a heavy pot to 365 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine Pamela's Baking Mix, baking powder, salt and sugar. Beat together egg, milk,  melted shortening and stir into baking mixture. Stir in the corn kernels.
 3. Drop fritter batter by the spoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, flipping once if necessary. Drain on paper towels. Enjoy!

Yields approx 12 fritters.

I almost forgot, my husband loves these fritters served with jelly or jam. At first, I wasn't so sure, but trying the fritters dipped in a little homemade peach freezer jelly made me a believer. Thanks honey!

Jack Mackerel Cakes

I dedicate this post to my oldest son. If it were not for him I would have never discovered how much I love this dish. He is an avid fisherman and is quite knowledgeable about fish, their habitats, fishing and now recipes. This recipe originally began as Salmon Cakes, but thanks to him is now made even more reasonably priced with the use of Jack Mackerel. I will post a similar salmon recipe at a later time.

Recipe tip: I love McCormick's Salmon Spice, but I will often change what I use either because I cannot get the Salmon Spice or simply because I like to experiment with flavors and spices. I have also used McCormick Garlic and Onion. Today I am using Old Bay Garlic and Herb Seasoning.

Jack Mackerel Cakes
1 15oz. can jack mackerel, drained and spinal column removed
1 egg
1tsp. McCormick Salmon Spice (see recipe tip for substitution)
1 cup stone ground cornmeal
1/4 cup Hellman's mayonnaise (gluten free is written on the label, yay!)
canola oil for frying

1. Place mackerel in a bowl, break large pieces apart so that it combines well with the other ingredients.
2. Place egg, spice, cornmeal and mayonnaise in the bowl with the mackerel, stir thoroughly to combine.
3. Take a heaping tablespoon of mixture and shape into cakes. Place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.
4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours; even overnight. This step is very important so the cakes do not fall apart.
5. Heat enough oil in a pan to fry the cakes. Gently place a few cakes in the pan at a time. Fry until golden brown, turn and fry the opposite side in the same way.  Place on a plate with paper toweling. Serve and ENJOY!

Makes 12-15 cakes

Tuna Topped Corn Thins

This little gem of a recipe is a Gluten Free and You original and can be made in less than 15 minutes. Although I think this recipe cries out to be served at a brunch; I have whipped it up in a jiffy and served it to my family on a Tuesday night before running out to karate.

Tuna Topped Corn Thins

Recipe tips: The corn thins I use are called Corn Thins by Real Foods. http://www.cornthins.com/ Although I don't always have it on hand, freshly shredded Parmesan adds the best flavor to this recipe.  Recipe can easily be doubled.

2 cans tuna packed in water, drained
2 1/2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp pine nuts, roasted
2 Tbsp dried cranberries
2 tsp herbed basting oil
Parmesan cheese, shredded
Corn thins, two per serving

Place pine nuts on a pan in the toaster oven, toast for approximately 2 minutes.  Watch them carefully; do not allow them to burn.  In a medium sized mixing bowl, break up tuna gently with a fork and stir in mayonnaise.  Add toasted pine nuts, dried cranberries and herbed basting oil, stir to combine.  Divide the tuna mixture evenly among the corn thins. Top with shredded Parmesan. Serves 2-4 people.  Enjoy!

This recipe submitted to The Gluten Free Homemaker's Monthly Challenge on June 15, 2011. 

Essential Coleslaw, Chopped

I love the seasons!  All four of them.  I welcome summer, because my boys are out of school and it just seems my family spends more time together, whether it be boating on the lake, visiting friends, or heading "down the ocean".   Ahhhh summers in Ocean City, Maryland. Such great memories I have from childhood.

All this reminiscing and I have lost track of the task at hand. Well, over the weekend I was experimenting and it turns out that I prefer chopping my own cabbage as opposed to shredding it in the food processor or buying it in the bag. So the following is an amended recipe to Essential Coleslaw. The dressing stayed the same with one exception, adding a dash of celery seed. This recipe also omits the carrots, but please add them if you desire.

 Essential Coleslaw, Chopped 
1 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp white horseradish
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 lb. cabbage, chopped
A dash or two of celery seed


Purchase one green cabbage head and one purple cabbage head. Slice each head in half, discard outer layer of leaves and core.  Save halves in airtight containers for other recipes or more coleslaw. Lay head halves flat on cutting board and slice lengthwise into thin strips. Next cut horizontally into smaller bite size pieces.  In a large mixing bowl combine and mix well the first four ingredients.  Add chopped cabbage and a dash or two of celery seed;  mix until blended.  If you have time, allow dish to cool in the refrigerator and serve once chilled. Enjoy! 

Essential Coleslaw

I refer to this as essential because once you have this recipe, there is no need to look any further.  It receives rave reviews and recipe requests every time. This coleslaw is great any time of year. I have had it in the heat of summer and ice fishing in the dead of winter. Where and when will you have it?

Recipe tip:  A 1 lb. bag of shredded cabbage and carrots works fine, but I suggest shredding small batches of fresh cabbage and carrot a little at a time in your food processor. Simply core the cabbage. Discard core and chop the rest into pieces that won't overwhelm your processor. Pulse hunks in your processor until they reach desired size.
Essential Coleslaw  
1 cup mayonaisse 
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp white horseradish
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 lb. shredded cabbage
2 carrots, washed, peeled and shredded

In a large mixing bowl combine and mix well the first four ingredients.  Add shredded cabbage and carrots and mix until blended. For best results refrigerate at least two hours. Leftovers are great too. Enjoy!

Asparagus with Sliced Almonds and Parmesan Cheese

I found what has become my favorite asparagus recipe on allrecipes.com, presented by a contributor named BRENOLA. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/asparagus-with-sliced-almonds-and-parmesan-cheese/detail.aspxThe dish is described as a simple side dish. The description is accurate. For me, the simple applies to the prep, but the taste is out of this world. I made this dish just last night. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Recipe Tip: In my home we prefer thin asparagus and that is what I used...mmmm....mmmm good! The entire process from prep to table took approx. 15 minutes. It just doesn't get much easier.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
1 lb. asparagus, bottoms trimmed or snapped off
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese


Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus, and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Stir in almonds and Parmesan, and cook until the cheese is slightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.