Authors: Carol Kicinski
Simply . . . Gluten-Free Quick Meals: More Than 100 Great-Tasting Recipes for Good Food Fast (16 page)
Trim the bottom ends off the Brussels sprouts and cut in half lengthwise. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, add the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread the Brussels sprouts out in an even layer and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are fork-tender. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with a little more kosher salt, if desired, and serve.
Glazed Carrots
Two 1-pound packages peeled
baby carrots
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup firmly packed light brown
sugar
1/2
teaspoon kosher or fine sea
salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
Put the carrots in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes until the carrots are tender. Drain the water from the pan, return the carrots to the saucepan, and place back on the heat. Add the butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper, stir to coat the carrots, and cook until glazed. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Quick Black Forest Trifle
One 1-ounce package instant
vanilla pudding mix (JELL-O
brand or other brand that is
gluten-free)
1
1/2
cups cold milk
6 gluten-free chocolate glazed
donuts, thawed
Two 15-ounce cans pitted
dark sweet cherries in heavy
syrup
One 8-ounce container whipped
topping, thawed
Cocoa powder for dusting
Whisk together the pudding mix and cold milk until the mixture is smooth and starts to thicken. Set aside.
Cut the donuts in half horizontally and then cut each half into quarters. Layer half the cut donuts into a medium-sized glass serving bowl or divide among 6 large wine goblets or dessert bowls.
Drain the syrup from the cans of cherries, reserving the juice of one can. Spoon 3 tablespoons of reserved juice on the cut donuts, then top with one can of cherries. Spoon half of the pudding on top of the cherries and top with half of the whipped topping. Repeat layers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made up to a day ahead. Dust with cocoa powder before serving.
NO ONE WHO knows me would ever accuse me of being a morning person. I really don’t like to do anything, including speak, until the caffeine from my inordinately large cup of coffee kicks in. However, I know how important it is to feed our families properly in the morning and fuel them for the day’s adventures.
While it is easy to pour some milk over a bowl of gluten-free cereal, or scramble a couple eggs in the morning, variety is essential if you want your family to eat breakfast.
This chapter offers some breakfast ideas that will get your day off to a good start, stress-free. After all, there is no need for stress first thing in the morning.
• Dairy-Free
• Sugar-Free
Serves 1 to 2
For some people, the thought of eating solid food first thing in the morning is just more than they can bear. But starting the day without food is like trying to drive a car without gas. Smoothies are the answer. This is a delicious morning “cocktail” with a secret stash of extra fiber thanks to the flaxseed meal. No one will know it’s there (especially if you use golden flaxseed meal) but it will not only boost the fiber content but also help thicken the smoothie as well.
Depending on the sweetness of your pineapple, you may want to sweeten the smoothie up a bit by adding a teaspoon or so of honey, agave nectar, or even better, two Medjool dates, pitted and chopped. Buying a peeled and cored pineapple will speed your morning along.
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 ripe banana
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1 tiny pinch of kosher or fine sea
salt
5 to 6 ice cubes
Place all the ingredients into the jar of a blender and whirl until fully blended and smooth. Drink immediately.
• Dairy-Free Adaptable
• Sugar-Free
Serves 1
There is just something fun about eating quesadillas for breakfast; it breaks up the routine and, in my experience, anything kids can dip or eat with their hands is good by them.
The trick to making this work is to make a thin omelet out of the eggs first and then sandwich it between the tortillas with some cheese or dairy-free cheese holding it all together. You can add to this basic recipe as you see fit—a smear of black beans would be great as would diced green chili peppers, sliced scallions, chopped tomatoes, or sliced black olives. And for me, salsa is a must.
2 large eggs
Kosher or fine sea salt and
pepper
2 corn tortillas
1/3
cup grated cheese or dairy-free
cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons salsa
Heat a 6-inch, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Whisk the eggs together with a pinch of salt and pepper until fully combined. Spray the hot pan with some gluten-free, nonstick cooking spray. Pour in the eggs, tilting the pan to spread the mixture evenly. Cook for about 1 minute, or until the eggs are cooked around the edges and almost set. Slide a spatula around the edges to loosen and flip the omelet over and cook for another 30 seconds, or until the eggs are cooked through. Transfer the omelet from the pan to a plate.
Spray the skillet with a little more nonstick cooking spray and press one tortilla down into the skillet. Top with half the cheese, place the omelet on top of the cheese, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the egg, and top with the other tortilla. Spray the top of the tortilla lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the quesadilla for 1 minute, or until the bottom tortilla starts to brown and the cheese starts to melt. Flip the quesadilla over and cook for another minute or so, pressing down with a spatula to help the cheese melt. Cut the quesadilla into wedges and serve with salsa.
Whole Grain Overnight Porridge
• Dairy-Free
• Sugar-Free
Serves 8 to 10
This is a healthy, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs dish to start the day that seems almost decadent to eat; it has the taste and texture of a creamy pudding. And the best part is that there is nothing to do in the morning but scoop it out. You place all the ingredients in a slow cooker right before bed and it is there waiting for you when you wake.
This recipe makes a big batch, but it reheats well in the microwave. Or you can halve the amounts of the ingredients if you have a small slow cooker.
Serve with some more almond milk, chopped dried fruit, and possibly a sprinkling of slivered almonds, if you like. I find this plenty sweet as is, but if you are like my husband, who has a quite pronounced sweet tooth, you can add some maple syrup, raw turbinado sugar, or brown sugar to taste. For a tropical version, substitute coconut milk for the almond milk, and add dried tropical fruits in place of the apricots.
1 cup whole millet
1/2
cup prerinsed quinoa (if you
can’t find prerinsed then place
the quinoa in a very fine-mesh
strainer and run cold water
over it until the water runs
clear)
1/2
cup gluten-free, steel-cut oats
1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea
salt
1 cup dried apricots, coarsely
chopped
10 Medjool dates, pitted and
finely chopped
4 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Spray the inside of a slow cooker with gluten-free, nonstick cooking spray. Add all the ingredients and stir. Cook on low for 8 hours. Stir well and serve.
• Dairy-Free Adaptable
• Sugar-Free
Makes 12 muffins
