Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped Potatoes
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free

Great as a side dish. The potatoes are creamy and have a subtle favour to compliment your main course.

Ingredients
6 medium potatoes, skins on and thinly sliced
4 tbsp sunflower oil
3 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2+ 1/2 cups rice milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp brown rice syrup (optional)

Optional: 1/4 cup crushed rice crackers or crushed crispie rice cereal

Method
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

In a small saucepan, over medium heat add the sunflower oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Gradually stir in the rice milk, 1/2 cup at a time and add the brown rice syrup. When the rice milk is hot (not boiling), remove 4 tablespoons and put it into a small bowl or measuring cup. Blend in the tapioca starch and stir until completely combined and there are no lumps. Gradually whisk the tapioca mixture back into the sauce pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth and begins to bubble. Heat just to boiling and continue a gentle boil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

In a 2 quart casserole dish, greased with sunflower oil, arrange the potato slices in three layers topping each layer with 1/3 of the finely chopped onion, and 1/3 of the rice milk sauce.

Cover and bake until the potatoes are tender (about 1 hour). Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Optional: Sprinkle the crushed rice crackers or rice cereal on top of the potatoes when you remove the casserole from the oven. This will keep the topping crunchy.

Chicken, Spinach, and Pesto Soup

Chicken, Spinach, and Pesto Soup
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free

This soup has a lot of flavour. It works great as a substantial appetizer, or serve as a main with Joel's Dinner Rolls and a salad.
Makes 5 servings of about 1 and 1/2 cups

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces), cut into strips
1 large clove garlic, minced
5 cups gluten and corn-free chicken broth
1 + 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
6 ounces baby spinach, washed and coarsely chopped
1 15 oz can chickpeas rinsed
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp prepared gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free pesto sauce
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Method
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add red bell pepper and chicken. Brown the chicken on each side and stir the pepper frequently (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add garlic and stir for 1 more minute.

Stir in the chicken broth and marjoram and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through (about 5 minutes).

Remove the chicken strips and cut them into bite sized pieces when cool.
In the meanwhile, add the fresh spinach, basil and chick peas to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Stir the chicken and pesto sauce into the pot. Season with pepper and simmer until hot.

Potato Skins

Potato Skins
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free

A great appetizer, but also a terrific side. Potato skins are rich in iron, so go ahead and eat them guilt free!

Ingredients
6 small to medium sized russet baking potatoes
Olive Oil
Freshly ground Sea Salt
6 strips of turkey (or chicken) bacon
2 green onions, very thinly sliced (including the greens of the onions)
2 firm plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp gluten free Italian seasoning

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
**Use a roasting pan, broiling pan, or other heavy pan. Cookie sheets will warp!

Scrub the potatoes clean. Rub the whole potatoes with olive oil and bake for about 50 minutes, or until they are cooked through and give a little when squeezed. Allow them to cool until you can handle them easily.

While the potatoes are cooking, fry the turkey bacon in a heavy skillet using a little water or olive oil to keep it from sticking to the pan. Cook until it just starts to brown. Chop the bacon into small bite sized pieces and set aside. Toss the seasoned, chopped tomato, green onion, and bacon together in a small bowl and reserve this as a filling for the potato skins.

Cut the cooled potatoes in half horizontally. Use a spoon to carefully scoop out the insides. (Keep the potato insides to make some great mashed potatoes by adding a little rice milk). Leave about a 1/4 of an inch of potato on the skin, so it will retain its shape.

Brush the insides of the potato skins with olive oil and freshly ground sea salt, and return them to the oven for about 10 minutes (they should just begin to brown). Flip the skins over and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and fill them with the tomato and bacon mixture.

Set the oven to broiling temperature and return them to the oven for the last time. Broil the filled skins for about 2 minutes. Use tongs to transfer them to a serving plate and serve hot.

Smell the wonderful aroma and enjoy!

Rice Pasta Carbonara

Rice Pasta Carbonara
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free

Wonderful comfort food for chilly nights, or when you have a big appetite.

Ingredients
4 slices turkey or chicken bacon
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 lb spaghetti rice pasta
3 eggs
2 tbsp rice milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp white pepper (or to taste)
½ tsp freshly ground sea salt (or to taste)

Method
Cook the turkey bacon in a heavy skillet until starting to brown. Use water or a little olive oil to keep the bacon from sticking to the pan. Chop the bacon into small bite sized pieces and set aside. In the same pan, saute the onions in a little olive oil or water until tender. Set the onions aside with the bacon.

Cook the rice pasta as directed on package. Do not overcook the pasta or it may become mushy.
Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, rice milk, and garlic, sea salt and pepper in a medium bowl and beat until well blended.

When the rice pasta is cooked, rinse under warm water to remove the starch, then return to the pasta pot and toss it with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Heat through. When hot, stir in the egg mixture and toss thoroughly until combined. Add the bacon and onions and toss again to coat. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Optional: If you can tolerate dairy, sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese or shredded mozzarella over the pasta just before serving.

Thai Chicken and Tomato Stew

Thai Chicken and Tomato Stew - Adapted from Lucy Waverman's recipe
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free

Serve over rice with fresh steamed veggies, serves 4.

Ingredients
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 +1/2 cups chopped onions
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 cup rice milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups tomatoes, fresh or canned, chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp granulated sugar (may be omitted)
1 + 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless, chicken (thighs cut in half, or breasts cut into strips)
Freshly ground sea salt and pepper
1/3 cup fresh coriander (also called cilantro), washed and chopped

Method
Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and ginger; sauté for 10 minutes or until onions are golden. Season with sea salt and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add a little more oil if the ginger and onions begin to stick.

Stir in rice milk, tomatoes, lime juice and sugar, scraping up any bits on base of skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Season chicken** with freshly ground sea salt and pepper. Stir into mixture and cook, covered over medium low heat for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. Stir in coriander just before serving.

**Tip: If you use chicken breasts instead of thighs, cut in strips, season and sear for 1 minute per side then add to the sauce. Simmer for 4 minutes or until just cooked through.

Lamb Braised in Rice Milk with Anise

Lamb Braised in Rice Milk with Anise

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free

This is excellent served over rice, or mashed potatoes. The rice milk makes it taste slightly sweet, so the kids like it too.

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil

2 1/2 pounds of boneless lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into bite size pieces

Freshly ground sea salt and pepper

Sauce

1 anise bulb, diced (also called fennel)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

2 1/2 cups of rice milk

1 sprig of rosemary

2 tbsp brown rice syrup

3 tbsp arrowroot powder

1/3 cup cold water

Freshly ground sea salt and pepper

1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Optional: 2 cups of rice or 4 medium potatoes (to serve 4 adults)

Method

In a large dutch oven (5 to 6 quarts), heat 2 tbsp of olive oil on medium to medium-high heat. Pat the lamb pieces dry (so they will not spit when put in oil) and season well with freshly ground sea salt and pepper. Place 1/3 of the lamb pieces in the pan so that each has a surface touching the bottom. Brown each side of the lamb pieces before turning it (don't stir it or it will not brown). Remove the lamb from the pan once all sides are brown and set it aside. Repeat this process for the remaining lamb pieces.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Scrape up the brown tasty bits and use this and the oil to cook the anise. Add the diced anise and cook until softened (a few minutes). Add the garlic, and crushed fennel seeds and cook another minute or two.

Add the lamb back to the pot and add the rice milk. Increase heat until the broth simmers then turn it to low. Add the sprig of rosemary, cover the pot and let it cook for 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours, and the meat is tender.

While the lamb is cooking, prepare the rice or mashed potatoes to serve with it.

When the lamb is tender, remove it from the pot and set aside. Remove the rosemary sprig and discard. Add the brown rice syrup and bring the rice-milk based sauce to a boil and reduce it to about 2 cups (about 5 minutes). To thicken the sauce, add three tablespoons of arrowroot powder to 1/3 cup of cold water. When the arrowroot powder is dissolved in the water, add it to the sauce while stirring it the entire time. When the sauce starts to thicken remove from heat. Season the sauce with freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste. Add back the lamb and heat it through.

Just before serving, stir in the fresh chopped parsley. Serve the lamb and sauce over hot rice or mashed potatoes.

Marla's Potatoes

Marla's Potatoes
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free

These are very popular with kids and adults. Count on using one large potato per person, more if they are potato fans. They go great with roasts, BBQs, or just about any meal.

Ingredients
4 extra large potatoes (we like Yukon Gold or Red)
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Optional spices: Gluten-free Italian seasoning, or rosemary, or thyme, or basil

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 2 oblong baking dishes or cookie sheets with baking parchment (makes clean up easy and the potatoes don't stick!)

Wash the potatoes well
Leaving the skins on, slice the raw potatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices width-wise. They look like very fat potato chips.

Place all the slices in a large bowl and pour the olive oil all over the top of them. Toss the potatoes in the oil so that it lightly coats both sides. Place the potato slices in a single layer on the baking sheets and season them (sprinkle it sparingly on top) to taste with salt, pepper and any other desired seasonings.

Bake them for 20-30 minutes or until they are soft and tender when you pierce them with a fork. There is no need to turn them. They will be slightly browned on the bottom and white on the top when done. Serve hot from the oven.