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How to Make the Best Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas

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Gluten-free flour tortillas on plate.

I’m so excited about this one! Finally, gluten-free flour tortillas!

Really, I don’t need to tell you why flour tortillas are awesome. You either love ’em or you don’t. Me? I’m in the love camp. So it thrilled me (thrilled, thrilled, THRILLED me) when this recipe finally came together.

This recipe makes a chewy, flexible wrap. Ready to begin?

Gluten-Free Flour Tortilla dry ingredients in bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Be sure to select a bowl with an opening large enough to reach into. This is important.

Gluten-Free flour tortilla dry ingredients and shortening in bowl.

Add shortening or lard. While this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free, it isn’t fat-free. And that’s a good thing! The fat adds a pleasant flavor and texture to the wraps. Don’t skip it!

Gluten-Free Flour Tortilla dough being mixed. A pair of hands works fat into the dough.

It’s best to do this recipe by hand. Reach right into the bowl and work the shortening into the flour with your hands. A snapping motion of your fingers accomplishes this task quickly. You don’t want any large pieces of shortening to remaining.

Gluten-Free Flour Tortilla dough being mixed with wooden spoon.

Add the water. At first, just half a cup cold water. Stir it into the flour mixture.

Gluten-free flour tortilla dough in mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. The mixture looks dry.

The flour mixture will be dry. VERY dry. This is normal.

Mixing gluten-free flour tortilla dough. The dough is wet and is starting to hold together.

Add 1/4 cup additional water. Stir. If the dough just begins to hold together, stop adding water! If the dough remains dry, add another tablespoon or two of water.

You want to add the water slowly. If this dough gets too wet, it’s impossible to work with. Don’t let that scare you! Just be cautious when adding the water and the dough will be fine.

Gluten-Free Flour Tortilla dough on counter dusted with flour.

Generously white rice flour your counter. Turn the dough and any dry ingredients that are clinging to the bottom of the bowl onto the counter. Dust your hands with flour and begin to knead the dough.

Gluten-Free Flour Tortilla dough ball on counter.

You want the dough to be smooth. If at any point during kneading the dough is wet, knead in more flour. If the dough doesn’t come together, add a splash more water. During this step you really want to feel the dough. The texture you’re looking for is similar to play-doh: damp but not wet.

Once you think you’ve got it, pinch off a piece of the dough. Roll it between your palms. It should be easy to handle. You don’t want the dough to stick to your hands or fall apart. Again, think clay or play-doh.

Gluten-Free Flour Tortilla dough covered with plastic wrap.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap. This prevents a skin from forming.

Gluten-Free Flour Tortilla press covered with plastic.

Cut open a plastic bag and place it on a tortilla press. Dust the bag with flour. Don’t skip this or the tortilla will stick to the plastic.

Gluten-Free Flour Tortilla dough ball on a press.

Pinch dough, you want about two tablespoons, and roll into a ball. The dough should not stick to your hands. Place dough into tortilla press. It’s a good idea to place the dough ball closer to the hinge than right in the center. Then simply close the press. The dough flattens under the pressure.

Don’t have a tortilla press? They are worth the investment. But, until you get one, you can make this recipe. Simply slip the dough ball between two pieces of floured parchment paper. Then use a heavy skillet and “squish” down the dough ball.

Gluten-Free Flour Tortilla dough pressed between a piece of plastic.

Slide the tortilla–still in the bag– off the press. Gently pull the plastic bag off the tortilla. Go slow. If the dough rips, don’t worry. You can re-roll the dough.

Removing gluten-free flour tortilla dough from plastic wrap.

Hold the tortilla in your hand. Pull away the bag. You don’t want to pull the tortilla or it could rip.

 

Gluten-Free Flour Tortilla dough being held in hand.

Hold the tortilla in your hand. Pull away the bag. You don’t want to pull the tortilla or it could rip.

Rolling gluten-free flour tortilla dough with rolling pin.

If your tortilla isn’t as thin as you’d like, re-flour your bag and return the tortilla to the bag. Gently roll out the tortilla.

Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas in a skillet cooking.

Heat your cast iron skillet until it smokes lightly. Add the tortilla. Cook the first side for about three minutes.

Cooked gluten-free Flour tortilla in a skillet with brown spots.

Flip! The second side doesn’t cook as long nor will it get as dark.

Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas on a plate being covered with a towel.

As soon as the tortilla comes out of the pan, place it on a plate under a clean, dry towel. Cover. The steam will soften the tortilla. This is a good thing.

Gluten-free flour tortilla with brown spots.

The tortilla shown in the pan above is just a wee bit dark. That’s ok! Adjusting the heat takes some practice. The tortilla above, however, is pretty perfect.

Gluten-free flour tortilla on a wooden cutting board.

Same tortilla. Different side. As you can see, the second side isn’t as dark. If we cook the second side too much, the tortilla might tip into the “too crisp” stage. At that point, even placing the tortilla under a towel to steam for a minute won’t soften it.

Burnt gluten-free flour tortilla.

Here’s what you want to avoid. Learn from my mistake! The pan was too hot when I put the tortilla in it. The resulting tortilla almost burnt. If you get a tortilla or two like this, reduce both the heat under the pan and your cooking time.

Under baked gluten-free flour tortilla.

And here the pan was too cold. The tortilla did cook but it’s anemic. If your tortilla looks like this, increase the heat under the pan.

If you are new to making tortillas, you might have a few that aren’t “just right.” That’s ok. (Well, it’s a bummer in the moment.) With practice, you’ll get the hang of it. In fact, try making a “play” batch first. You don’t want a wonderful meal waiting for your first batch of homemade flour tortillas.

Gluten-Free flour tortilla filled with lettuce, cheese, and turkey.

If you make a play batch, you could throw in, say, some lettuce, turkey, and lettuce. And you will LOVE it. I promise.

 

Gluten-free flour tortillas on plate.

Or you could just stare at the plate of tortillas you made and beam with pride. That’s a good option too!

Gluten-free flour tortillas on a plate.
4.8 from 20 votes
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How to Make Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas

Soft Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups white rice flour (6 ounces; 170 grams)
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch (2 ounces; 57 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons shortening or lard (1 ounce; 28 grams)
  • 3/4 cup ice water, plus more as needed (6 ounces; 170 grams)

Instructions

  1. In medium bowl, whisk together white rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt.
  2. Using your hands, cut in the shortening. Do this by using a snapping-like motion with your fingers. No large pieces of shortening or lard should remain.
  3. Add 1/2 cup cold water. Stir with a wooden spoon. Dough will be dry. Add another 1/4 cup water. Stir. Feel the dough. If it starts to hold together and feels damp, stop adding water. If the dough feels dry, add another two tablespoons water. Repeat until dough is moist but not wet.
  4. Generously white rice flour your countertop. Turn dough out onto counter. Flour your hands lightly with white rice flour. Gather dough into a ball. Knead the dough until smooth. If the dough is too wet, knead additional white rice flour into it; if the dough feels dry, knead a splash more water into it. You want the dough to be easy to work with. Pull off a little. Roll it between your palms. It should not stick or fall apart. The dough's texture should be similar to clay or play-doh.
  5. Cover dough with plastic wrap. This prevents a skin from forming.
  6. Heat 10-inch cast iron skillet (non-stick pans don't work well. They don't get hot enough.) over medium heat. While skillet heats, line a tortilla press with a cut open plastic bag. (Only cut open the bag on two sides. The "hinge" of the bag should line up with the hinge of the press.) Dust the bag with white rice flour. Pinch off a dough ball, about two tablespoons. Roll dough into a ball.
  7. Place the dough ball into the press and close to flatten. Slide the bag off the tortilla press. Gently pull the bag away from the tortilla. Lift the tortilla into your hand. Pull away the second piece of plastic. If the tortilla seems thick (which doesn't happen too often), dust the bag with flour, return the tortilla to the bag. Dust the top of the tortilla, cover, and roll out a little.
  8. Increase the heat under the skillet to medium-high if the skillet isn't smoking lightly. Place the tortilla into the skillet. Cook, about three minutes, until the tortilla is golden brown.(As your first tortilla cooks, begin pressing out the next tortilla.) Flip. Cook an additional minute. Remove and place hot tortilla onto a plate. Cover with a clean, dry towel.
  9. Repeat. Tortillas are best enjoyed right away. You can store them overnight in a sealed bag. Reheat by placing into a warm skillet.

 

 

How to Steam Potatoes

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Steamed potatoes with butter and herbs.

 

Steamed potatoes. Don’t they sound…kind of boring? I’d never really thought about steamed potatoes.

For my friend’s birthday party, her husband made an incredible clam steam. Along with the clams, sausages, and corn, there were, you guessed it, steamed potatoes. At first I thought I’d give the steamed potatoes a pass. I mean, they were just potatoes! Better to save tummy room for those clams, right?

Well, after I’d eaten my share of clams, I still had a wee bit of room–perfect for half a potato. Since these were large white potatoes, I asked my husband to share with me. (Spoiler: This does not end well for Greg.) I cut the potato in half, poured some melted butter on it and gave it a generous sprinkle of salt.

Oh my! This potato was so good! It’s flesh was creamy while the skin remained almost “snappy” without being tough. When Greg decided to nab his share of the potato, I, um, decided I didn’t feel like sharing!

I wondered if I loved the potatoes so much because they steamed above clams and sausages or if perhaps steamed potatoes were just that good. After making several batches this summer, I can affirm: they are just that good.

Here’s how to make them. (You’ll need a steamer basket to make the potatoes. That’s it!)

Rinsing potatoes under running water in a calendar.

Wash potatoes. You can steam any size potato but I think small ones are best. I picked these up at the farmers’ market.

Pot of water for Steamed Potatoes.

Add about one-inch of water to the bottom of a large pot.

Small potatoes with a smiley face.

Look for the smiling potato. (Okay, you don’t have to do this. But, seriously, how cute is that potato?!?)

Potatoes in steamer basket.

Place potatoes in the steamer basket. Arrange the largest potatoes on the bottom of the basket and the tiny guys on top.

Steamed Potatoes in pot with glass lid.

Cover. This is important! You can’t steam potatoes in an open pot!

Steamed Potatoes in pot.

After about 30 minutes of cooking over medium heat, it’s time to check the potatoes. If you really tiny potatoes, check them after 20 minutes. For big potatoes, wait 40 minutes.

Checking doneness of steamed potato with a knife.

You want your knife to slide easily into the potatoes. (I always check a few just to be sure they are all ready.)

Butter in measuring cup for steamed potatoes.

Melt two tablespoons of butter.

Pouring melted butter on steamed potatoes.

Pour over potatoes.

Stirring steamed potatoes and melted butter with a rubber spatula.

Stir.

Steamed Potatoes with kosher salt in a red bowl.

Add a generous sprinkling of kosher salt.

Steamed potatoes in a red bowl with butter and herbs.

And herbs. You can use dried or fresh. I love (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) Penzey’s Parisien Bonnes Herbes. But use whatever you love. Dill, basil, and chives are especially nice.

Stirring steamed potatoes with melted butter, salt, and herbs.

Stir.

Steamed Potatoes with butter and herbs.
And serve. The finished potatoes are creamy with an intense and lovely potato flavor.

Steamed potatoes with butter and herbs.
5 from 5 votes
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How to Steam Potatoes

Steamed potatoes are easy, quick, and best of all, delicious.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 28-32 ounces small baby potatoes, such as baby Yukon gold or red potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted (1 ounce; 28 grams)
  • Kosher Salt
  • Fresh or dried herbs

Instructions

  1. Wash potatoes. Add about one-inch of water to a pot that has a fitted steamer basket or can hold a steamer insert.
  2. Place potatoes into steamer basket. Cover pot. Turn pot to high. When steam starts to escape from the lid, reduce heat to medium, about ten minutes.
  3. Steam until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Time varies depending on the size of the potatoes.
  4. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl. Pour melted butter over potatoes. Stir. Season with kosher salt and herbs to taste.

 

Travel: Disney Dole Whip (Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free)

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It took three visits to Walt Disney World before I tried a Dole Whip. After one spoonful, I wanted to run into the past and tell past-Elizabeth, “Get a Dole Whip on your Disney trips. Trust me on this. TRUST ME.”

A quick internet search tells me that Dole Whip, in fact, refers to any soft serve ice cream made by Dole. But at Walt Disney World and Disneyland “Dole Whip” equals pineapple soft serve. Sure, they sell it in orange, vanilla, chocolate, and “swirled” but most folks mean pineapple when they talk about Dole Whip.

One of the reasons it took me so long to try a Dole Whip was because it’s not an easy treat to find! While ice cream carts are a ubiquitous sight in all four Disney parks, Dole Whips are only available at two places: at Aloha Isle in the Magic Kingdom and at Captian Cook’s at Disney’s Polynesian hotel. If you want a Dole Whip, you need to search for it. And, trust me, you want a Dole Whip.

On the last day of our Disney vacation, as we sat on a curb waiting for the nighttime parade to begin, I turned to Greg and said, “I’m getting a Dole Whip. Want one?” He declined. (Remember this.)

Aloha Isle at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

© Disney

I left him in Frontierland and headed to Adventureland for a Dole Whip. A long line snaked in front of Aloha Isle, the counter that sells Dole Whips.

Dole Whip Float.

© Disney

Lots of people left with floats, pineapple juice topped with ice cream, but I wanted my Dole Whip straight. When I finally reached the counter, I ordered a “plain” pineapple Dole Whip in a bowl.

Dole whip ice cream in small bowl.
notice: Greg is eating his Dole Whip in the background. This photo was taken on a recent trip.

 

Then I embarked on the longest walk of my life. Ok, maybe it wasn’t the longest but it felt like it. Since I didn’t want to miss the parade, I hotfooted back to Greg, bringing two spoons with me, in case he wanted to taste the Dole Whip.

This was a mistake.

I made it back to Frontierland right before the parade and took my long awaited first bite of pineapple Dole Whip. Somehow it tasted even better than I’d hoped. And I don’t really love ice cream. So that’s high praise. Sweet and creamy, the Dole Whip reminded me of sherbert but better. It was like creamy soft serve and icy sherbert got together and produced Dole Whip. The best part was the pineapple flavor. It didn’t seem fake or cloying. It tasted just right. I offered Greg a taste.

Again. A mistake.

Greg, who up to this point expressed less than zero interest in Dole Whip, suddenly turned into a Dole Whip vacuum. Now, what you might not know is that my husband is really low-key and almost always relaxed. Inhaling food isn’t a trait he’d ever exhibited before.

I watched as his spoon hit my bowl of Dole Whip again and again. Then I started laughing. “Dude! What the heck? You just ate 75% of my ice cream.”

His response? “Oh. Sorry. That was good. I’ll buy you another bowl.”

We watched the parade and–woe–when we arrived back at Aloha Isle, we found it closed for the night. No more Dole Whips for us.

Of course, I retold the story, compete with Greg stealing my ice cream, to everyone. So when my mom and I went to Disney, she wanted to try a Dole Whip for herself.

Our trip happened before Christmas and several nights during our trip the Magic Kingdom closed early for a Christmas party. Thankfully a friend told me that “Captain Cook’s” at the Polynesian hotel sold Dole Whip—and it was self serve. (update: Dole Whip is still sold at the Polynesian but it is no longer self serve.)

Dole Whip stand at Walt Disney World.

Off to the Polynesian we went! I used our snack credits for two bowls of Dole Whip. After paying, the cashier handed me two empty bowls. Here’s where culinary training really comes in handy. I can pull a good bowl of soft serve, complete with a pointy top. (thank you. bows) For her first Dole Whip, my mom wanted it swirled with vanilla ice cream.

We headed outside to eat our ice cream and then magic happened. And it had nothing to do with the Dole Whip. Fireworks starting going off at the Magic Kingdom and we had a perfect view! We noticed folks walking down to the beach. So we followed,  kicked off our shoes, and watched the lovely holiday-themed fireworks. I loved it! In fact, we enjoyed watching the fireworks so much from the beach at the Polynesian (while eating a Dole Whip) that we did it almost every night of our trip.

Then when Greg and I returned to Disney a few weeks ago for the Food Blog Forum conference, I introduced him to this tradition. This time, of course, we got separate bowls of Dole Whip because, come on, steal my Dole Whip once, shame on you. Steal my Dole Whip twice, shame on me.

Obviously, I adore the Dole Whip. However, I’ve talked to folks about this treat and have noticed a trend. People either love pineapple Dole Whip or they can’t stand it. Have you tried a Dole Whip? Do you love it or loathe it?

Oh, and one more thing. Disney put this on their Facebook a few months ago:

Keep Calm and Dole Whip.

Loaded Summer Gluten-Free Pasta

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Pasta with Ricotta Salata, Spinach, Tomatoes, and Olives.

My love for pasta knows no limit. Even in the heat of summer, I bring a pot of water to a boil to cook pasta for dinner. This recipe, which highlights fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden, comes together quickly, making it a nice dinner for busy nights.

For this pasta, I use ricotta salata. Unlike the more commonly used ricotta, which is soft and creamy, this version of ricotta is firm, almost like feta. It’s a mild cheese and while it’s great sliced and eaten with some bread or vegetables, I prefer it in hot dishes. For this pasta, I shred the ricotta salata and toss it together with the hot pasta. Unlike other cheeses, it doesn’t really melt. Rather, it just softens, adding salty-cheesy bites that surprise you while eating. Remember the delight in getting bits of marshmallows in your cereal as a kid? The cheese is like that. Bits of goodness sprinkled throughout your serving!

If you can’t find blocks of ricotta salata, use the crumbled version. If, however, you can’t find it at all, replace it with either feta or fresh mozzarella. Either cheeses work well in this dish. And, if you are dairy-free, simply omit the cheese completely. The pasta tastes great with or without it.

Pasta with Ricotta Salata, Spinach, Tomatoes, and Olives.
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Gluten-Free Pasta with Ricotta Salata, Garlicky Spinach, Tomatoes, and Olives

Ricotta salata adds a mild cheese flavor to this dish. If you are unable to find it, replace it with feta or fresh mozzarella. To make the pasta dairy-free, simply omit the cheese.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 to 6
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 1 pound gluten-free penne pasta
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
  • 10 ounces baby spinach
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, washed and halved
  • 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olive, halved sliced
  • 3 ounces ricotta salata, grated, divided (about 1 cup)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and return to cooking pot, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
  2. While pasta cooks, in a large skillet, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half the garlic and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the garlic is soft and lightly brown, about 2 minutes. Add half the spinach and cook until tender, about 1 minute. Transfer the cooked spinach to a bowl. Repeat with another tablespoon of olive oil, remaining garlic, and spinach.
  3. Add the spinach, tomatoes, olives, and remaining olive oil to the pasta and stir to combine. If the sauce seems too thick, loosen it by adding pasta water a little at a time until desired consistency is reached. Add three-quarters of the grated ricotta salata. Stir to combine.
  4. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour pasta into a large serving bowl or spoon onto individual plates. Top pasta with remaining ricotta salata and basil.

 

How to Make the Best Homemade Special Burger Sauce

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Special burger sauce in glass bowl.

It seems I’ve lied to myself for several years. I thought I knew how to make a mock “special sauce*” at home–yes that special sauce sauce made famous by McDonald’s Big Macs. Turns out, I was wrong. Really wrong.

*It’s not even called “special sauce”. On McDonald’s site, they refer to it as “Big Mac Sauce.” My world just flipped upside down.

The other night, as Greg cooked burgers on the grill,  I whipped up a batch of “special sauce”, snapping pictures for you as I went along. Before writing up my recipe, I did a quick search for special sauce. A video from McDonald’s popped up. I watched it. And what I saw shocked me.

McDonald’s special sauce contains no ketchup.

Let me say that again: there’s no ketchup or tomatoes, in special sauce.

Huh?

Over the years all the “copycat” recipes I saw mixed mayonnaise with thousand island dressing. Since I don’t keep thousand island dressing in the house, I swapped it for ketchup. The combo makes a rich, sweet sauce that I love.

It seems, however, that my sauce wasn’t a copy of the special sauce you’d find on a Big Mac. Boo! Turns out, mayonnaise and mustard make up the special sauce.

Oh well. Can’t win ‘em all. I still think my burger sauce is pretty special.

Here’s how I make it:

Ingredients for Special Burger Sauce.

See. No mustard!

1/2 cup of mayonnaise.

I use canola-based mayo. Use whatever mayo you love–even Miracle Whip*.
*Miracle Whip is NOT my favorite. But, dude, if you love it, use it.

2 tablespoons of ketchup.

Ketchup! Ketchup! Ketchup! For me, the ketchup transforms the sauce. I love it. LOVE IT.

1 teaspoon of dill pickle relish.

Dill relish!

Three pickle slices on a cutting board.

Sweet pickles. I don’t keep sweet relish in the house. So I chop up about three bread and butter pickles. If you don’t have dill relish in the house, chop up three dill slices. Easy peasy.

(Sweet pickles! Speaking of…does anyone remember the “Sweet Pickles” commercials from the 1980s? (Here it is!) I was TOTALLY bummed when a busload of characters in a small green bus didn’t arrive at my house along with my books. SO BUMMED. And now that you ask, I still don’t think I’m over it.)

Heaping teaspoon of chopped dill pickles.

Add about a generous teaspoon of chopped sweet pickles or sweet pickle relish.

Chopped dill pickles in special burger sauce.

See the brown liquid? That’s a dash of Worcestershire sauce.

Stirring special burger sauce with rubber spatula.

And that red liquid? Hot sauce!  Stir it all together.

Stirring black pepper into special burger sauce with rubber spatula.

Taste. Add a bit of freshly ground black pepper, if needed.

Special burger sauce in glass bowl.

Done!

 

Burger on gluten-free bread with special burger sauce and melted cheese.

Go ahead and slather it on your burger.

Ingredients for Special Burger Sauce.
5 from 1 vote
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How to Make the Best Homemade Special Burger Sauce

This easy sauce makes any burger, from veggie to turkey to traditional, shine.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1 /2 cup
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mayo (4 ounces; 113 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup (about 1 ounce; 28 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon dill relish (or three dill pickle slices, chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon sweet relish (or three dill pickle slices, chopped)
  • 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 dash hot sauce
  • pinch garlic powder, optional
  • pinch onion powder, optional optional
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Combine ingredients except freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Stir. Taste. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

  2. Store leftover sauce, covered, in the refrigerator.

 

Gluten-Free BLT Pasta

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Gluten-free BLT pasta on a white plate.

On my list of favorite summer foods, BLTs are right at the top. This easy weeknight pasta came about when I wanted a BLT but (gasp) I didn’t have any gluten-free bread in the house. For once, it was a good thing that I was out of bread because this recipe is awesome.

To make, simply boil a pound of pasta. Toss it with a pint of halved grape tomatoes, sauteed baby spinach (the stand-in for the “L” in the BLT”), and crumbled bacon. If you’re feeling frisky, add some chopped basil or a generous shake of Parmesan cheese. That’s it.

Oh, and as for that baby spinach. That’s what I use. Any green leafy vegetable works (and tastes great!) in this pasta. Use what you love and then tell me about.

 

Gluten-free BLT pasta on a white plate.
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Gluten-Free BLT Pasta

For this pasta, I love the flavor of uncooked tomatoes. To heat them up just a little, I place the tomatoes in a medium bowl. After I cook the spinach, I place the hot spinach into the bowl on top of the sliced tomatoes. It warms the tomatoes just enough to help them release their juices. For the “lettuce” part of the BLT, I use baby spinach. Any leafy green vegetable works well and tastes great in the recipe. Use whatever you fits your diet.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 -6
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 4 pieces bacon
  • 1 pound gluten-free spaghetti
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or put through a garlic press
  • 5 ounces baby spinach
  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, washed and halved.
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Fill a large (5 1/2 quart) pot three-quarters with water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Set a colander in the sink for draining the pasta.

  2. While waiting for the pasta to reach a boil, cook the bacon. Heat one teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until oil begins to shimmer but not smoke. Add bacon and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp. Place bacon on a paper towel-lined plate. Carefully discard bacon grease (don't pour it down the drain) and wipe out skillet.

  3. Check pasta water. As soon as it reaches a boil, add 1 tablespoon kosher salt and the pasta. Stir for the first 30 seconds to prevent the pasta from sticking. Then stir pasta occasionally. Cook until pasta is tender, about 11 minutes.
  4. While pasta boils, cook the spinach. In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat until oil shimmers but doesn't smoke. Add garlic. Cook until garlic is soft, about 30 seconds. Add spinach. Cook until wilted, about 45 seconds. Place hot spinach in bowl with tomatoes.
  5. Before draining pasta, reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water. (Ladle carefully into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup.) Drain pasta and return to pasta cooking pot. Toss pasta with remaining olive oil. Add cooked spinach and halved tomatoes. Crumble crisp bacon over pasta. Toss to combine. (If you prefer, chop the bacon with a knife.) Season pasta to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If pasta seems dry, add a generous splash of pasta cooking water. Transfer pasta to serving bowl. Enjoy!

 

Marcella Hazan’s Roast Chicken with Lemons

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Legendary cookbook author Marcella Hazan passed away on September 29, 2013. On a recent episode of my podcast, Cook Bliss, I chatted with three women whose lives were touched by Marcella. One guest, cookbook publicist, Carrie Bachman, shared a few of her favorite “Marcella recipes”. One really grabbed me: Roast Chicken with Lemons.

Carrie said that the recipe included chicken, salt, pepper, and lemons. That’s it! You don’t even need to use olive oil.

I needed to make this chicken.

Here’s how it went. (Spoiler alert: By the end, you’ll want to make this chicken too!)

Roast chicken with Lemons cookbook page.

See how the recipe states, “2 rather small lemons.” Yeah….I kind of missed “rather small” part when I went shopping, as you’ll see in a second!

Rinsing chicken under running water.

Wash the chicken. Yes, I know that washing chicken is no longer recommended. But for this, I wanted to fully follow the recipe. (And then, like a maniac, I scrubbed down everything afterward.) So feel free to skip this step. In fact, it’s probably better if you do.

Wooden spoon under cutting board.

Marcella tells us to place the bird on a titled plate to drain. My plates don’t really have a ridge. So I used a cutting board with a reservoir and stuck a wooden spoon under it to angle the board.

Drying raw chicken with paper towels.

After ten minutes, I dried it.

Kosher salt on raw chicken.

Then, salt!

Sprinkling salt on raw chicken.

And pepper, inside and out.

Two lemons on a cutting board.

Now, the lemons.

Rinsing a lemon under water.

Wash ’em.

Rolling lemon on a counter.

Roll ’em.

Poking holes in lemon with metal skewer.

Poke ’em (through with a skewer.) You want about 20 pokes. My lemons were so juicy that when I pierced the skin, juice flew out of them!

Stuffing whole lemon into raw chicken.

And this is where I ran into trouble. My lemons were big. One lemon filled the cavity. There was no way two lemons were going inside of this 4.5 pound chicken. No way. Now I was making Roast Chicken with One Lemon. Oh well.

Using a wooden skewer to close chicken cavity.

Then, use two sturdy toothpicks or wooden skewers and close up the cavity. I have to say, this was way harder to do than I thought. That chicken skin was tough. Really tough.

Two wood skewers holding a chicken cavity closed.

Marcella advises not to close the cavity too tight or ” the chicken may burst”. Let me repeat that: “the chicken may burst”. I think this is the first time I’ve followed a recipe that included a note on dinner exploding. I LOVE IT! Danger.

Tying chicken legs together with cooking twine.

Then lightly tie the legs together with kitchen twine. (Does this remind anyone else of that moment in “Bridget Jones’ Diary” where Bridget uses blue ribbon to tie vegetables together for her soup and then the soup turns blue? Lesson I: don’t use blue twine here. Lesson II: Bridget Jones is amazeballs.)

Placing a raw chicken in a roasting pan.

And then, Marcella has us turn the chicken upside down! Yup! For the first 30 minutes, you roast the chicken breast-side down.

Raw chicken, tied with cooking twine, in a roasting pan.

So pretty!

Par cooked chicken in roasting pan.

After 30 minutes, you take it out of the oven and turn it. Fun! (Really, it’s pretty easy. A pair of kitchen tongs makes this a snap.)

 

Chicken, breast side up, in roasting pan.

Hee. I just flipped the bird.

 

During the final 20 minutes of roasting, you increase the oven temperature to 400°F. This gives the chicken a nice golden color. I must say, this step surprised me. I’ve roasted chicken where you start in a hot oven and then decrease but not the other way around.

Roasted chicken in pan.

After following the recipe, you’re rewarded with an incredibly moist chicken with a pleasant lemon flavor. This recipe is a total keeper! And I would not have expected anything less from the late Marcella Hazan.

Roast chicken with Lemons cookbook page.
4.5 from 2 votes
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Marcella Hazan's Roast Chicken With Lemons

From Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. Copyright 1992.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 4
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 3- to 4 pound chicken
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 small lemons

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Wash the chicken thoroughly in cold water, both inside and out. Remove all the bits of fat hanging loose. Let the bird sit for about 10 minutes on a slightly tilted plate to let all the water drain out of it. Pat it thoroughly dry all over with cloth or paper towels.
  3. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and black pepper on the chicken, rubbing it with your fingers over all its body and into its cavity.
  4. Wash the lemons in cold water and dry them with a towel. Soften each lemon by placing it on a counter and rolling it back and forth as you put firm downward pressure on it with the palm of your hand. Puncture the lemons in at least 20 places each, using a sturdy round toothpick, a trussing needle, a sharp-pointed fork, or similar implement.
  5. Place both lemons in the bird's cavity. Close up the opening with toothpicks or with trussing needle and string. Close it well, but don't make an absolutely airtight job of it because the chicken may burst. Run kitchen string from one leg to the other, tying it at both knuckle ends. Leave the legs in their natural position without pulling them tight. If the skin is unbroken, the chicken will puff up as it cooks, and the string serves only to keep the thighs from spreading apart and splitting the skin.
  6. Put the chicken into a roasting pan, breast facing down. Do not add cooking fat of any kind. This bird is self-basting, so you need not fear it will stick to the pan. Place it in the upper third of the preheated oven. After 30 minutes, turn the chicken over to have the breast face up. When turning it, try not to puncture the skin. If kept intact, the chicken will swell like a balloon, which makes for an arresting presentation at the table later. Do not worry too much about it, however, because even if it fails to swell, the flavor will not be affected.
  7. Cook for another 30 to 35 minutes, then turn the oven thermostat up to 400 degrees, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Calculate between 20 and 25 minutes total cooking time for each pound. There is no need to turn the chicken again.
  8. Whether your bird has puffed up or not, bring it to the table whole and leave the lemons inside until it is carved and opened. The juices that run out are perfectly delicious. Be sure to spoon them over the chicken slices. The lemons will have shriveled up, but they still contain some juice; do not squeeze them, they may squirt.
  9. Ahead-of-time note:
  10. If you want to eat it while it is warm, plan to have it the moment it comes out of the oven. If there are leftovers, they will be very tasty cold, kept moist with some of the cooking juices and eaten not straight out of the refrigerator, but at room temperature.

 

Review: Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Joe-Joe’s

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Gluten-free sandwich cookie. Text on Image: Gluten-Free Joe Joe's Review Sandwich Cookie.

 

Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Joe-Joe’s Review

Ah, Oreos. I miss them! Honestly, if Nabisco made a gluten-free version, I would push you out of the way to get my hands on a box. #sorry. #notsorry.

When Trader Joe’s introduced a gluten-free variety of “Joe-Joe’s”, their awkwardly named chocolate sandwich cookie, I HAD to try them.

As I picked up the box, I noticed that the gluten-free Joe Joe’s are more expensive than the traditional Joe Joe’s. A box of gluten-free Joe Joe’s cost $3.99 for 12.5 ounces, compared to $2.99 for 20 ounces for the regular cookies. While I don’t mind that because I know that the demand for gluten-free foods aren’t the same as traditional, I just wanted to mention it.

That breaks down to about $0.32 per ounce. Not bad for gluten-free sandwich cookies! The size of the package beats out other competitors by at least two ounces. Until now, the largest package offered was Glutino‘s cookies weighing in at 10.5 ounces per box.

Package of Trader Joe's gluten-free Joe Joe's.

As soon as I got home, I broke into the package. (Self restraint when it comes to sandwich cookies? What’s that??)

 

Gluten-free Joe Joe sandwich cookie.

Cookie

Nicely “sandy” but not crumbly. Similar to the classic Nabisco “Oreo” texture. The cookie isn’t too sweet. In fact, at first it surprised me by how NOT sweet it was. Really strong chocolate flavor from black cocoa.

 

Gluten-free sandwich cookie spilt open to show white filling.

Filling

Here’s where the cookie lost me a little. The filling wasn’t soft and creamy. It was dry and kind of gritty. It bordered on the waxy. On its own, the filling was sweet but when eaten eaten with the cookie it contained just the right amount of sweetness.

I twisted the cookie apart and licked the filling. It was hard to lick. The disk of filling remained perfectly round after a few licks. At that point, I gave up and just bit into it. The filling broke apart and fell off the cookie when I bit into.

And finally, the box says, “Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies with Real Vanilla Bean Speckles.” I peered at the filling to find them and, sure enough, the filling contained little black dots. I don’t think the vanilla beans added much flavor because the waxy-shortening “flavor” really overpowered everything else.

Overall

Gluten-Free Joe-Joe’s are a tasty sandwich cookies at a really reasonable price.

Would I buy them again? Hmm…that’s tough. Sandwich cookies are a “once in awhile” treat for me. Why? They seem to disappear really fast—which is a problem because I’m the only one eating them. 😉 So when I’m in the mood for these cookies, I think I’d buy the Glutino cookies. BUT I think these cookies would make a great base for a cookie pie crust.

 

Reminder–No need to be perfect. 

Elizabeth Gilbert says that perfection is “the haute couture, high-end version of fear.” Many of us strive to appear perfect. So it’s always fun–and loving–to remind ourselves that perfectionism isn’t worth striving for.

I found a fun reminder in the box of Joe Joe’s.

Take a look at this cookie.

Side view gluten-free Joe Joe.

See the bottom cookie. It’s upside down. It’s not (gasp) perfect. And you know what? It’s just fine.

 

Gluten-Free Ricotta Cheesecake

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Ricotta Cheesecake on a white plate.

Sure, classic New York cheesecake, made with cream cheese is great. But I have a soft-spot for ricotta cheesecake. It’s tangier than New York cheesecake and, dare I say it, lighter. If you’ve never had one before, you might be surprised by the texture. It’s slightly “gritty”. But not in a bad way, I promise! It’s just different.

I like to flavor this cheesecake with lemon. It hightlights the slightly tangy flavor of ricotta. You could use orange juice instead of lemon. That’s lovely too!

By the way, occasionally this cheesecake cracks when cooled. Don’t worry about it. Just sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the top to hide the cracks!

Ricotta Cheesecake.
5 from 1 vote
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Classic Ricotta Cheesecake

Ricotta adds a tangy flavor to this cheesecake.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 1/2 cup white rice flour (2 ounces; 56 grams)
  • 1/3 cup sweet rice flour (1 1/3 ounces; 38 grams)
  • 1/3 cup tapioca starch (1 1/3 ounces; 38 grams)
  • 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar (1 1/3 ounces; 38 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1 stick butter, cold, cut into small pieces (1/2 cup; 4 ounces; 113 grams)
  • 1 large egg (about 1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams, out of shell)

For the Filling

  • 4 cups whole milk ricotta cheese (2 pounds; 1.8 kilos)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces; 198 grams)
  • 1/3 cup white rice flour (1 1/3 ounces; 38 grams)
  • 5 large eggs (8 3/4 ounces; 150 grams)
  • zest of one lemon
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (2 ounces; 56 grams)

Instructions

  1. For the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degress F.

  2. In bowl of food processor, combine white rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, confectioners' sugar, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Pulse to combine.
  3. Add butter. Pulse until no large pieces of butter remain. Add egg. Pulse until dough forms, about one minute.
  4. Press dough into bottom and up 1/3 of the side of 9-inch springform pan. Chill for 15 minutes.
  5. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

  6. For the Filling: While crust bakes, prepare the filling. In bowl of stand mixer, cream ricotta cheese and granulated sugar together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well between each addition. Stop mixer and scrape down bottom and sides of the bowl.

  7. Add white rice flour and lemon juice and zest. Mix until smooth. Pour cheesecake batter into baked crust. Bake until filling does not jiggle, about one hour to one hour and 15 minutes.

  8. Remove pan from oven. Cool on wire rack for two hours. Chill overnight before cutting.

 

Spicy Paleo Sweet Potato Soup

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Paleo Sweet Potato Soup in bowl.

Years ago, I ordered a bowl of sweet potato soup in a small bistro in Burlington, Vermont. I expected a sweet, creamy soup. What I got was a sweet, creamy soup with a noticeable spicy kick. I loved it! At home, I recreated the soup and included the recipe in my second cookbook, How to Cook Gluten-Free . That recipe, like the one served at the bistro, contained dairy. Several readers asked for a dairy-free variation of the recipe. So I created one.

It’s a remarkable simple soup to make. Start by “sweating” onions, celery, and garlic in a little olive oil. Then add cubed sweet potatoes, chicken (or vegetable) broth, and spices. That’s it! The soup cooks for about 40 minutes.  You want the sweet potato pieces to almost fall apart when pierced with a fork. Then blend the soup until smooth. If you own an immersion blender, use it. If not, process the soup in batches in a traditional blender. You don’t want to overfill the blender or the soup could erupt from the blender and burn you. Trust me, you don’t want that to happen.

At this point you could just enjoy the soup. Or you could spice it up! I highly recommended adding a spicy kick to the soup. Smoky chipotle compliments the sweet potato flavor really well. I add ground chipotle powder. If you don’t have chipotle powder on hand, use chipotle hot sauce or regular hot sauce. Around our house, we like the soup with an almost aggressive kick. To achieve this, I add about two teaspoons of ground chipotle powder. Start by adding a half teaspoon and go from there. The heat level of chipotle powders varies from brand to brand. It’s better to start with a little and add more as needed.

To serve, I usually just throw together a simple spinach salad and call it a day. However, it we’re feeling hungry, I brown some ham or sausage as the soup cooks. A link of sausage, a spinach salad, and this soup make for a tasty–and hearty–winter meal. Enjoy the recipe!

Paleo Sweet Potato Soup in a bowl.
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Spicy Paleo Sweet Potato Soup

This sweet potato soup comes together in about one hour. To save time, peel and cube the sweet potatoes the night before you plan on making the soup. To save even *more* time, prep all of your vegetables. I like to do this before I go to bed, when the house is quiet. By prepping your vegetables in advance, you save about a half an hour of prep time. While this soup makes a great meal on its own, it's also great with ham or a link or two of browned sausage. Cook the ham or sausage as the soup bubbles away. Then serve with a big salad--I really like spinach salad with this soup.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
  • 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
  • 5 cups homemade chicken stock or store-bought reduced-sodium broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 to 2 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper optional

Instructions

  1. In a large soup pot (5 quart), heat olive oil over medium heat, until it shimmers but doesn't smoke. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for 7 to 9 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft but not brown. If they begin to brown, lower the heat.
  2. Add the sweet potatoes, chicken stock, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer (look for occasional gentle bubbles) for 35 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are very tender. (Test the sweet potatoes with a fork. They should break apart easily when pierced by the tines of a fork.)
  3. Place a large bowl next to the blender. Purée the soup in batches, never filling the blender more than half full, until the soup is smooth.) Pour each puréed batch into the waiting bowl. Repeat until all the soup has been puréed.
  4. Return the soup to the pot. Stir with a wooden spoon. Reheat over medium-low heat but don't bring soup to a boil. Taste and add more salt if you think it needs it. Add 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle, taste. Adjust heat level by adding more chipotle as desired. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and serve hot. Store leftover soup in a covered container in the refrigerator for four days.

 

 

Going Gluten-Free in 8 Simple Steps

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Going Gluten-Free in 8 Steps

You found out that you have celiac disease, huh? That’s a pretty big deal! After more than ten years of working with gluten-free folks, and being gluten-free myself, I’ve noticed some steps of going gluten-free. For fun, I jotted down the list.

The Eight Fun Stages of a Celiac Diagnosis

1. I don’t even like bread or pasta! This diet will be a breeze for me. A breeze.

2. I got this.

3. Wait…there’s gluten in what? WHY is there gluten in that? I see no reason for it.

4. No seriously, you’ve got to be kidding me. There’s gluten in THAT?

5. Why am I sick after ordering a plain steak and potatoes? Why? (Alternately: this product was marked gluten-free and I swear I’m reacting. Am I crazy? I think I might be either glutened or crazy. Perhaps both. Does gluten make one crazy? Eff you, gluten!)

6. Ok. That’s it! I’m now bringing food everywhere. Getting sick isn’t worth it. I don’t care if I get the side eye from my mother/sister/co-worker. I’m gonna sit here with my gluten-free meal and enjoy it, damnit!

7. A restaurant that understands cross-contact? And they said dedicated fryer? I’m in love! (Also: an entire aisle filled with gluten-free foods from trusted manufacturers? AMAZING.)

8.  You know what, I got this!

What’s the difference between #2 and #8?

Experience. Learning the diet. Healing. Making mistakes. Realizing that oh my god, you poured gravy all over your dinner. Ate it. LOVED it. And only then remembered that your mom thickens her gravy with “Wondra” wheat flour.

Like most things in life, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Honestly, I’m someone who much prefers a sprint. My attitude too often is,  “Let’s tackle this thing! Quickly! And then  get back to our regularly scheduled life.”

But, as I need to learn again and again, most of life requires marathon-like patience and endurance. Right now, a celiac diagnosis means a lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet. No cheating. No “days off.” So while you do need to eat gluten-free, not gluten-light, as soon as you’re diagnosed, remember to remain open. There’s a lot to learn and, luckily, a great gluten-free community happy to share the ins and outs with you.

What was going gluten-free like for you?

How to Make Homemade Spinach Dip

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Homemade gluten-free spinach dip.

 

Time for another round of culinary confessions! Today’s topic: spinach dip. Before going gluten-free, I loved spinach dip. Not high-class spinach dip, mind you. The kind you make from a packet of Lipton soup mix. I added sour cream, mayo, and a little parmesan and called it a day. I didn’t even bother adding water chestnuts or green onions.

Since going gluten-free, I haven’t eaten this dip because (at the time of this piece 1/31/2014), Lipton soup mix contains wheat. Boo!

So when a reader asked about a spinach dip, I headed into the kitchen to get reacquainted with an old friend. And I am so glad I did. Folks, creamy, wonderful spinach dip is back in my life.

Here’s how to make it!

Chopped carrots for gluten-free spinach dip.

Shred a carrot. Remember to peel it before you shred it!

 

Chopping carrots for gluten-free spinach dip.

Chop it. This sounds like a silly step but, trust me, you want small pieces of carrots, not long shreds. You want fine pieces, not a mush.

 

Then chop an onion. You want that puppy finely chopped! (I, um, forgot that photo.)

 

Cooking carrots for gluten-free spinach dip.

Next cook ’em.  Why? Well, cooking not only softens the vegetables, it also takes the bite off the onions. This is key. You don’t want the raw onion and carrot to compete with the other flavors. First cook the carrots.

Cooking onions for gluten-free spinach dip.

Then cook the onions. You only need to cook the onions for about two minutes. That’s it!  Use the same frying pan. If some of the carrots hang around the pan, that’s fine. No need to spend time and energy getting each bit of carrot out of the pan.

Draining liquid from chopped spinach.

While you wait for the onions and carrots to cool, it’s time to deal with the spinach. You want chopped, frozen spinach for this. If you don’t like frozen spinach. Cook fresh spinach, cool it, and then chop.

 

Pressing excess liquid from chopped spinach.

We need to squeeze the water from the spinach. You can do this by hand. However, I find it easier to put the spinach in a colander and press it with the back of a ladle. Try to get the spinach as dry as possible. Spinach loves to hold onto water.

Spinach, carrots, and onions in a bowl.

Stir the onions and carrots together with the spinach.

Mixing ingredients for gluten-free spinach dip.

Add chopped green onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and gluten-free soy sauce. Stir.

Gluten-free spinach dip in bowl.

Plop in mayo and sour cream. Add parmesan if you want.  And not fancy parm. The canned kind. Trust me

Gluten-free spinach dip on cracker.

Spread on a cracker. Die of bliss.

Homemade Gluten-free Spinach Dip.
5 from 2 votes
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Homemade Spinach Dip

Ditch the mix and make this homemade spinach dip. You'll be so glad you did!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 2 cups of dip
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil divided
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrot (about 1 medium carrot), finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 ten-ounce box chopped spinach, thawed
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic
  • 2 scallions, finely chopped
  • 1 cup mayonnaise, regular or low fat
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, regular or low fat
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon gluten-free soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, preferably the canned kind

Instructions

  1. Heat 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in small nonstick frying pan over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the carrots. Cook for two minutes or until carrots just begin to softer. Transfer carrots to a plate. Heat remaining olive oil. Cook onions for two minutes or until onions just begin to soften. Place on the plate with the carrots. Allow to cool for five minutes.
  2. While the carrots and onions cool, squeeze the water out of the spinach. I do this by placing the spinach in a colander and pressing on it with the back of a spoon.
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the carrots, onions, and drained spinach. Add the scallions (green onions) and garlic. Stir until combined. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and gluten-free soy sauce. Stir. If desired, add the Parmesan cheese. Serve. Store leftover dip in the refrigerator for up to three days.

 

Gluten-Free BCT (Bacon, Cheddar, and Tomato Sandwich)

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Gluten-free Grilled Bacon, Cheddar, and Tomato Sandwich.

What’s better in the summer than a BLT? Nothing right? Right! But a BCT (Bacon, Cheddar, Tomato) gives the classic BLT some pretty stiff competition. The reason I love it so much? Grilled.Melty.Cheese. And it’s so easy to make, you don’t really need a recipe. Since this is a recipe-site, however, imma give you one. 🙂

For sandwich perfection, you need two things: smoked bacon and ripe tomatoes. Without these ingredients, the sandwich tastes good but not great. We want GREAT.

First up, let’s talk about bacon. Get good bacon. Really good bacon. The kind of bacon that makes your jaw unhinge a little because it’s so expensive. We’re talking smoked bacon here. I like Dakin Farms from Vermont or Nueskes from WI. Both brands are heavily smoked, thick-cut, and taste like something other than salt. That’s what we want. Flavorful, meaty bacon.

Next up, tomatoes. You want really ripe, really fresh tomatoes. If you don’t grow tomatoes, go to the farmer’s market. (which is what I need to do this year. Why? The %^&$ deer ate all my tomato plants. I’m SO MAD at them.)

As for Cheddar. Use whatever you love. Got an aged Cheddar? Use it. Have a cheapo Cheddar on hand? It’s good! It’ll melt nice and stringy. YUM. Just use Cheddar. No American cheese on this sandwich, please! And if you are dairy-free: Daiya.

Start the sandwich by…not sandwiching it. Butter some bread, heat up your skillet (non-stick, please), and then place the bread, butter side down, on the pan. On one half, put cheese. Then, throw the tomato slices down on the hot skillet for a few seconds, just long enough to warm them. This makes a big difference. Trust me. After the tomatoes have warmed up a smidge, put the tomato slices on top of the cheese, add the bacon, and, finally, sandwich the thing. Then with a firm metal spatula (like this one) press the sandwich down. Wait a few minutes, then flip. Done. Grill until the bread turns golden brown. That’s it.

Of course, with a sandwich, that’s never really it. if you want to add some basil, I’d encourage that!  Or make a BMT by swapping the Cheddar for some fresh mozzarella. That would be amazing too. The formula for sandwich success is cheese, bacon, and tomato. And it really doesn’t get any better than that, does it?

Bacon, Cheddar, Tomato Sandwich on white platter.
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Gluten-Free BCT (Bacon, Cheddar, and Tomato Sandwich)

This recipe is a guide. Adjust it to make as many sandwiches as you need.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • butter
  • gluten-free bread for as many sandwiches as you want to make. You need two slices of bread per sandwich
  • cheddar, about one ounces per sandwich
  • smoked bacon, two slices per sandwich, cooked
  • thin tomato slices, about two per sandwich

Instructions

  1. Butter two slices of bread generously. Heat nonstick griddle pan (or large nonstick skillet) over medium heat. Place the bread, butter side down, onto the pan. On one of the slices of bread, sprinkle the cheese. Place the tomato slices directly onto the pan for about 20 seconds. Just long enough to warm the tomatoes. Transfer the warm tomatoes directly on top of the cheese. Top with bacon. Peek under the bread, using a spatula to lift. When it just begins to brown, top with the second slice of bread. Flip the sandwich. Press down firmly with a large metal spatula. Cook until cheese melts and bread browns.
  2. Remove from pan, cut, and enjoy.

 

How to Make Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

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Gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in container.

Hailing from the birthplace of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream (Burlington, Vermont), my mom has strong feelings about their famous Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream. She hates it. She always says, “Who wants to eat gobs of raw dough in perfectly good ice cream?” Her daughter, that’s who! I love the stuff.

When I thought about making gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough, I knew I could make it by folding cookie dough pieces into soft, freshly churned ice cream. But what if someone doesn’t have an ice cream maker, or just doesn’t feel like making a batch of ice cream from scratch? Is it still possible to make this ice cream? I needed to find out.

My first attempt was a total flop. Halfway through making it, I couldn’t stop laughing. Melted ice cream, everywhere. I even managed to get some in my hair. The reason it flopped? I allowed the ice cream to get really soft then attempted to fold the dough balls into the softened ice cream. Don’t do this. Trust me. The ice cream gets way too melty.

But there is hope—I discovered an easier, much less messy way to make this ice cream. Simply allow store-bought vanilla ice cream to soften slightly. Then transfer the softened ice cream into a freezer-safe container. As you do, dot the ice cream with little balls of chocolate chip cookie dough. That’s it!

Here’s how to do it!

Allow ice cream to soften but not melt. Work from the outside to the inside of the carton. The ice cream melts first around the edges. If you wait for the entire carton to soften, the outsides edges will be soupy. As soon as the edges become soft, begin scooping the ice cream.

Use small balls of dough. At first, I scooped the cookie dough into, approximately, two teaspoon balls. These seemed a little big. To make this process easy, I split the dough balls into smaller pieces as I pushed them into the dough.

Freeze leftover cookie dough. This recipe makes a little extra cookie dough. You can freeze the leftover dough for the next time you make chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. To do this: scoop dough into small balls, chill on a baking sheet, and then transfer firm dough balls to a freezer bag. Or, you could bake cookies with the leftover dough! Scoop dough, about one tablespoon each, onto a lined baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 350°F until golden brown, about 15 minutes. (And now I am thinking about an ice cream sandwich made with chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.)

Allergy Notes

Egg-Free

Since the cookie dough is consumed raw, the dough is egg-free to avoid salmonella from raw eggs. If you are egg-allergic, be sure to select a vanilla ice cream that’s egg-free.

Dairy-Free

Replace the butter called for in the chocolate chip cookie dough with a solid shortening and use dairy-free chocolate chips and dairy-free ice cream. If dairy-free chocolate chip ice cream is hard to find, use vanilla and dot the ice cream with dairy-free chocolate chips as you add the dough balls.

Gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in container.
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Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

If you make homemade ice cream, use it in this recipe!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 1 /2 gallon ice cream
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons ground flax meal (about 1/2 ounce; 14 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons hot water (1 ounce; 28 grams)
  • 3/4 cup white rice flour (3 ounces; 85 grams)
  • 1/3 cup sorghum flour (1 1/3 ounces; 37 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt softened
  • 3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (2 ounces; 56 grams)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Ice Cream

  • 3/4 cup mini-chocolate chips (4 1/2 ounces; 128 grams)
  • 1/2 gallon gluten-free chocolate chip ice cream

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a small bowl, whisk together ground flax and hot water. Set aside. In medium bowl, whisk together white rice flour, sorghum flour,baking soda, and salt.

  2. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or large bowl), cream together shortening and sugars on medium high speed. Cream until a thick paste forms, about 30 seconds. Add flax mixture and vanilla. Cream until mixture is light and fluffy, about 45 seconds.
  3. Stop mixer and scrape down bottom and sides of bowl. Add dry ingredients. Turn mixer on to medium speed. Mix until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn off mixer and add chocolate chips. Turn mixer on to low speed. Mix until chips are combined, about 15 seconds.
  4. Drop dough, about 1/2 teaspoons each, onto prepared baking sheet. Cover pan with plastic wrap and chill until dough balls are firm, about one hour.
  5. Prepare the Ice Cream: Remove ice cream from the freezer. Place it on the counter to soften, about ten minutes. Using a large spoon, scoop softened ice cream, working from the outside of the carton toward the center, into a freezer-safe container. As you work, dot the ice cream with chilled dough balls. (If the ice cream begins to soften too much, return containers to the freezer, allow ice cream to harden, and then finish the recipe.)
  6. After all ice cream has been transferred, smooth ice cream with the back of a spoon.
  7. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream. Cover container with a tight fitting lid. Freeze until firm and serve.

 

How to Make a Gluten-Free Grilled Cheese

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Gluten-free grilled cheese on a cutting board.

I love getting e-mails from readers! Recently this one popped up in my in-box:

Elizabeth–

HELP! I don’t know how to make grilled cheese! I grew up eating grilled cheese made with American Cheese. The cheese always melted. Now when I try to make grilled cheese on gluten-free bread with cheddar cheese, my bread browns before all the cheese melts. Whenever I cut into the sandwich, the middle is NEVER melted. What am I doing wrong???

I am using Udi’s white bread and grated cheddar.

Thanks for your help! I knew you wouldn’t laugh at me even though I have no idea how to make grilled cheese, the easiest food in the world!

Catherine

This is such a great question! And of course I’m not laughing! Sometimes the “easiest” things to make in the kitchen require a bit of know-how that no one ever talks about. Well, I’m talking!

 

Here’s how to make a great gluten-free grilled cheese.

 

Two slices of gluten-free bread and a stick of butter.

Bread and butter. The foundation of grilled cheese. Since Catherine uses Udi’s bread, that what I used. However, you can use whatever bread you love. (Including the “Easy Sandwich Bread” recipe from my book !)

 

Spreading butter on gluten-free bread.

Butter each slice. You don’t want too much butter; nor do you want “just a little.” While I’ve never measured it, I’m guessing you want about one teaspoon per slice of Udi’s. And be sure to butter right up to the crust.

Buttered slice of gluten-free bread.

Mmm! Bread and butter!

Grated cheese for gluten-free grilled cheese.

Next grate some cheddar. About one ounce is perfect for Udi’s slices.

Shredded cheese on top of gluten-free bread in pan.

Place one piece of bread in the pan, butter side down, and top with the cheese. Don’t worry if some cheese gets into the pan.

Gluten-free grilled cheese cooking in pan.

Top with the second slice of bread and turn on the heat to medium-low. This is important!

Catherine mentioned that her bread would toast but her cheese would not fully melt. If you make a gluten-free grilled cheese over high heat, this happens. Over medium-low, the bread toasts as the cheese melts gently and fully.

Flipping a gluten-free grilled cheese over in pan.

Take a peek! Lift up one edge of the bread and look under it. If the bread it golden brown, flip the sandwich.

Pressing down a gluten-free grilled cheese with spatula in pan.

Press down! Unlike a hamburger, which you shouldn’t press down, grilled cheeses benefit from a little pressure. (Think panini!) Use your spatula and press down on the sandwich.

 

Gluten-free grilled cheese in pan. The top slice of bread is light brown and crispy.

 

Okay. YUM! See those little crispy pieces of cheese stuck to the bread? Those are my favorite!

Allow the sandwich to cook for another few minutes. Then peek again. When the bread is golden brown. Remove the sandwich from the pan.

Slicing a gluten-free grilled cheese.

Cut!

Gluten-free grilled cheese on a cutting board.

Enjoy!

Gluten-free grilled cheese on a cutting board.
5 from 1 vote
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Gluten-Free Grilled Cheese

This is a simple grilled cheese. Add sliced tomatoes or a few slices of turkey and ham if you want.
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • Butter about two teaspoons
  • 2 slices gluten-free bread
  • Grated cheddar about one once for small slices

Instructions

  1. Spread butter evenly over each piece of bread.
  2. Place one slice bread, butter side down, into a small non-stick pan. Top with cheese. Turn heat on to medium-low. Cook, about three minutes, until bread is golden brown. (Peek under sandwich to see how it's coming along.)
  3. Flip sandwich. Cook an additional few minutes until bread is golden brown. Remove from pan, cut, and serve.

 

How to Make Over the Top Salted Caramel Gluten-Free Brownies

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Salted caramel brownie on a wire rack.

 

I love caramel. I love brownies. And I love salty-sweet treats. So when I saw Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for Salted Caramel Brownies, I knew I had to make them.

Oh.my.god.

Calling them “brownies” feels like a bit of an undersell. This is an over-the-top dessert. And the prep time reflects that. The brownie is easy to make. The caramel isn’t so easy. It takes a bit of time. So allow yourself enough time in the kitchen. It’s not a recipe that you want to rush through or try to make while your dog nuzzles against your leg or you are texting with a friend.

Let’s get going!

 

Melted chocolate in measuring cup.(left). Melted butter in measuring cup. (right)

Butter and chocolate! Lots of folks melt them together. I like to melt them separately in the microwave since they both melt at different temperatures. It is one more dirty dish but it is worth it!

Eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for gluten-free brownies.

Eggs meet sugar. YUM!

Whisking sugar and eggs together for gluten-free brownie batter.

Whisk the eggs and sugars together until smooth. Doesn’t that already look good?

 

Gluten-free brownie batter whisked until smooth.

 

Add the chocolate, melted butter and vanilla. Inhale deeply to appreciate the scent! When you are done swooning, whisk it all together.

 

Flour in bowl for gluten-free brownies.

The dry ingredients, which have already been whisked together, go into the bowl. Whisk until a thick batter forms.

 

Gluten-free brownie batter in brown bowl.

This is what you are looking for with the batter. Smooth, thick, and shiny. It’s ready for the pan!

 

Springform pan dusted with cocoa powder.

When working with chocolate cakes or brownies, I like to butter and “flour” my pan with cocoa powder. This way I don’t have any white flour clinging to the outside of my baked goods.

 

Gluten-free baked in springform pan.

This is what comes out of the oven! As you can see, the brownie rose and then sank down. (Leaving that little funny bump in the center.) This is good! This is what you want! The caramel needs a place to rest. When the brownie sinks slightly, it provides a place for the caramel. Mmmm….caramel…

 

Gluten-free brownie with sunken center.

Cool the brownie on a wire rack. The bottom of the springform pan will cling to the brownie. That is okay! This is how you get it off…

Gluten-free brownie with plate on top.

Put a plate on top of the brownie.

Removing gluten-free brownie from springform pan.

Using the plate, flip the brownie over so the bottom of the springform pan is exposed. Carefully peel off the bottom of the pan. I use a blunt edge metal spatula to loosen the pan.

 

Gluten-free brownie under wire rack.

Now place your wire rack (upside down) on the brownie. Flip it over and your brownie is right-side-up!

 

Allow the brownie to cool before you make the caramel sauce.

Now it’s time to make the caramel.

 

Cooking sugar syrup for caramel sauce.

In a two-quart pot with a heavy bottom, combine your water and sugar. It will look like the pot is too big for this recipe. That is what you want! When we add the cream, we need the sauce to have LOTS of room to expand.

 

Boiling sugar syrup on the stove.

See that sugar that is clinging to the side of the pan? That sugar is a bad thing! Using a pastry brush and cold water, wash the side of the pan down to remove the sugar. This will help to prevent your caramel from crystallizing.

 

Drops of cooked caramel, from clear to dark brown.

Boil your sugar, never stirring, until it is amber in color. This will take some time. See the blob of caramel on the bottom left? That is what we are looking for!

 

The large blob on the right is the finished sauce. The blob above that? Me being a slob! I slopped some sauce. Sorry!

Dark brown caramel sauce.

This is what you are looking for! Don’t let it get any darker or your caramel will taste burnt.

 

Now the fun begins! We add the cream! This is what happens:

 

Pouring cream into pot with caramel sauce.

Cream goes in. (See how low the sauce is in the pot? Watch this!)

 

Pouring cream into caramel sauce.

As soon as the cream hits the hot caramel it begins to boil violently. This is why you want to use a 2-quart pot.

 

Adding cream to caramel sauce. The caramel sauce bubbles quickly.

It continues to boil.

 

Adding cream to caramel sauce.

And then it dies down just as quickly as it rose.

 

Stirring caramel sauce in pan.

Stir until everything is melted, add your vanilla and then cool the caramel.

 

Caramel sauce in pot, cooling in an ice bath.

I like to use an ice bath because then I can quickly cool my caramel sauce and get it on my brownie. If you don’t want to use an ice bath, cool the caramel at room temperature. This will take about 5 hours. An ice bath? 15 minutes.

 

Caramel sauce cooling in pan.

The cooled caramel will thicken and look just lovely!

Salted caramel brownie on a wire rack.

 

Pour the cooled caramel over the brownie, sprinkle on a little Kosher salt and you are ready to go!

 

Salted caramel brownie on a wire rack.
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Over the Top Salted Caramel Gluten-Free Brownies

adapted from Baking by Dorie Greenspan
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

For the Brownie

  • about 1 tablespoon cocoa powder for dusting pan
  • 2/3 cup white rice flour (2 2/3 ounces; 75 grams)
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch (1 1/3 ounces; 36 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
  • 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 3 large eggs (about 3 1/2 ounces; 100 grams)
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 3/4 ounces; 106 grams)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams)
  • 3 tablespoons light corn syrup (2 ounces; 56 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Caramel Sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces; 298 grams)
  • 1/3 cup water (2 2/3 ounces; 75 grams)
  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream (10 ounces; 283 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Kosher salt for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. For the Brownies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and cocoa powder (or use white rice flour if you don't have cocoa powder on hand) an 8-inch round springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in foil and set it on a baking sheet.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
  3. In the microwave, melt the chocolate and the butter. I like to melt them in separate 2-cup measuring cups. Remember, chocolate will appear to still be solid even when melted. Be sure to stir the chocolate every 45-seconds to prevent burning.

  4. Combine the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and butter. Whisk until smooth.

  5. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

  6. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the brownie is set. The brownie should not jiggle. (A cake tester inserted into the center of the cake might come out with a few wet crumbs attached.)
  7. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, remove the brownie from the pan. (To do this: Remove the outer ring, place a plate over the brownie and flip the brownie and plate over. The brownie is now upside down on the plate. Slowly remove the bottom cake plate from the brownie. Once the plate is removed, put your wire rack on the brownie. Flip the brownie again so that it is right side up.)

  8. Allow the brownie to cool before you make the caramel sauce. Transfer the brownie to your serving dish.

  9. For the Caramel Sauce: Fill your sink with ice cubes and about two inches of water.
  10. In a 2-quart medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Stir to combine.
  11. Turn on heat to medium. Cook until sugar darkens. you want it to be an amber color. This will take about 15 minutes. While the sugar is cooking, be sure to check the sides of the saucepan for any sugar that is clinging to the side. If you see any, wash the side of the pan down with a pastry brush and cold water.
  12. Test the sugar by dropping a little from a spoon onto a white piece of paper. Again, you are looking for an amber color. If you notice your caramel is darkening in one area of the pan more than another, carefully swirl the pan. You don't want to stir as sugar crystals might form. A very gentle swirl will do the trick.
  13. When the caramel reaches the right color, turn off the heat. Standing back, pour the cream into the hot caramel. It will boil violently. Take care while doing this.
  14. As soon as all the cream is added, stir the mixture. If your caramel hardened in the bottom of the pan (this happens sometimes), turn the burner back on to low and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  15. Stir for three minutes off the heat. Add vanilla and stir.

  16. Carefully set the hot pot into the water bath. (Be sure that the water isn't higher than the pan. You don't want any water getting into your caramel sauce. Cool until sauce has thickened.

  17. Pour a generous amount of caramel sauce onto the brownie. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt. (You will have made more caramel sauce than you can put on your brownie. Store the leftover sauce in the refrigerator.)

  18. Cut and serve. 

 

Review: Gluten-Free Ronzoni Pasta

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Ronzoni Gluten-Free Pasta box.

I grew up eating a lot of pasta. How much pasta? Well, both my parents were Italian. Does that give you any idea? We ate so much pasta that in my memory of childhood meals, there’s always a pasta pot on the stove.

So when I learned that Ronzoni, a very mainstream pasta brand across the United States, introduced a line of gluten-free pasta, I wanted to try it! Could this gluten-free Ronzoni pasta taste as good as the pasta I grew up eating?

I grabbed a box of penne at my local supermarket. It surprised me to find the pasta in the “regular” pasta aisle and not shelved in the gluten-free section. The weight of the box disappointed me a little. Instead of a pound like other non-gluten-free Ronzoni pastas, the box gluten-free penne rigate weighed 12 ounces.

What’s up with that? Why can’t gluten-free products include the same amount of product as their gluten-free counterpart? Flour doesn’t come in five pound bags, the Pillsbury cookies I reviewed yesterday are 14 ounces instead of one pound. It would delight me if gluten-free products weighed the same.

Anyway, I digress. In addition to the small size, I noticed that the gluten-free Ronzoni cost considerably more than Ronzoni’s wheat pasta. Bummer. I’d hoped that such a large company could introduce a more budget-friendly gluten-free pasta to the market.

In spite of this, I still couldn’t wait to try the pasta. What can I say? I love the stuff.

Uncooked gluten-free pasta in white bowl. (left) Cooked gluten-free pasta in colander. (right)Cooking

I followed my usual method for cooking pasta: a large pot of rapidly boiling water that’s heavily salted. While the Ronzoni box states that salt is optional, I don’t agree. But that’s just me. I like my pasta to contain, you know, flavor.

Made from a blend of rice flours, corn, and quinoa, this blend is a bit different for me. Most of the time, I cook rice-based pasta. I use Tinkyada the most, followed by Trader Joe’s and Jovial. Occasionally I use corn pasta but, honestly, I don’t love it because the corn tends to taste too strong to me. I like my pasta to nicely fade into the background, instead of competing with the sauce or other ingredients.

When rice or corn pastas hit the water, the boiling water turns cloudy. The Ronzoni pasta didn’t do this, at least not as much. The water clouded a bit but it wasn’t nearly as murky was the pasta water I’ve grown accustomed to seeing over the years.

The box claims that the cooking time takes between eight to ten minutes. My pasta took about ten minutes to cook. At that point it wasn’t too tender and it certainly wasn’t mushy. It felt perfectly al dente which is how I like my pasta.

As always, I reserved some of the pasta cooking water and then drained the cooked pasta. It looked….pretty. All of the noodles retained their shape. Sometimes rice pasta, even when al dente, loses its shape. It flattens out just a little. This pasta didn’t do that!

Cooked gluten-free pasta in colander.

Taste and Texture

While my pasta cooked, I sautéed zucchini slices, onions, and grape tomato halves. In a small pot, I heated up some Alfredo sauce (confession: most of the time I make Alfredo sauce from scratch. But sometimes I don’t. On those days, I use Classico Roasted Garlic Alfredo. It’s pretty good. Just don’t tell my mother. She believes jarred sauce is an abomination. It’ll be our secret, okay?)

It looked good. Even with the sauce and vegetables, the pasta retained its shape. I took a bite. YUM. Like serious YUM. It was as close to love at first bite that I get.

The box of gluten-free Ronzoni pasta claims a “Delicious White Pasta Taste.” At first I wondered why they’d say “white pasta” instead of wheat pasta. Then it dawned on me: most people equate wheat with whole wheat. As you might remember, whole wheat pasta tastes different than “white” pasta. The box was right. This tasted very similar to traditional white pasta.

Gluten-free pasta in white bowl with cream sauce, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts.

 

The bite of this pasta really stood out to me. The texture wasn’t overly firm, nor was it gummy. It really tasted like what you expect from basic dry pasta.

Ronzoni Gluten-Free Pasta Review
White Rice Flour, Brown Rice Flour, Corn Flour, Quinoa Flour, Mono And Diglycerides.

After marveling over the texture, I noticed the taste. Or should I say, I didn’t notice the taste. The pasta didn’t taste too much like corn or quinoa. Like a rice-based pasta, the flavor is mild but not too mild. The pasta added a mild grainy nuttiness to the dish that complemented the rest of the ingredients but didn’t compete with them.

Ingredients

The best part of the ingredient for me is this statement: Produced in a Dedicated Gluten-Free Facility. I worried that Ronzoni would make their gluten-free pasta in a shared facility. Nope! Oh, and the pasta comes from Italy which is interesting. As of this writing, the box didn’t contain any “top eight” allergen statements.

This picture was taken on July 30, 2013. Be sure to read your package in case ingredients or nutrition information change.

Ronzoni Gluten-Free Pasta $2.99 price sticker on shelf.

Price

At $2.99 for twelve ounces, this pasta costs more than the Tinkyada I currently use. (For me, Tinkyada runs about $2.99 for a pound, a dollar cheaper than the Ronzoni.) I wish it cost less and I wonder if Ronzoni coupons will apply to this product. Call me cynical but I’m guessing that the sales and coupons will only apply to their 16 ounces boxes. (let’s hope I’m wrong!)

Is the price worth it? I think so. The pasta’s pretty great.

Overall

This gluten-free Ronzoni pasta is really lovely. The texture’s great; it tastes great. And since it’s made by a national brand, I’m hopeful that the pasta will be easy to find. That would be so nice! Often when I travel, I notice that gluten-free pasta isn’t always easy to access.
Again, I just wish the box was larger and that it cost a little less. I can’t wait to try the other Ronzoni gluten-free pasta. When I do, I’ll report back!

Old Fashioned Gluten-Free Doughnuts

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Old Fashioned Gluten-Free Doughnuts

Culinary confession: I love old fashioned doughnuts so much that I don’t even mind if they’re stale. In fact, a slightly stale doughnut dipped into coffee, in my opinion, is an under-appreciated delicacy.

These doughnuts are a classic cake doughnut. The outside is crisp and the interior is soft, tender, and just lightly scented with nutmeg.

Old Fashioned Gluten-Free Doughnut coated with granulated sugar.
5 from 1 vote
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Old Fashioned Gluten-Free Doughnuts

Roll these doughnuts in cinnamon-sugar or leave them plain. They are great either way.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 12
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

For Cinnamon-Sugar

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the Doughnuts

  • 2 1/2 cups white rice flour (10 ounces; 283 grams)
  • 1/2 cup potato starch (2 ounces; 56 grams)
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch (2 ounces; 56 grams)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces; 100 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 large egg (about 1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams)
  • 1 cup buttermilk (8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (about 1 ounce; 24 grams)
  • Oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Topping: In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon for rolling. Set aside.

  2. Make the Doughnuts: Whisk together white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, and nutmeg. 

  3. Add egg and buttermilk. Mix until a dough forms. (Use medium-high speed on a handheld mixer and medium speed on a stand mixer.) Dough will be thick and sticky.

  4. Generously white rice flour your counter. This dough is sticky. So, you need a good amount of white rice flour on the counter to prevent it from sticking.
  5. Turn half the dough out onto your floured countertop. Generously white rice flour the top of the dough. Pat the dough into a rectangle. Roll out, using a rolling pin, to about 1/2-inch thick using a doughnut cutter. (Or you can use two round cutters. First cut the large round, then cut the small center hole. This center hole, believe it or not, is important. It helps the doughnut to fry evenly.)
  6. Repeat with remaining dough.
  7. Place cut doughnuts on a lightly white rice floured baking sheet.
  8. Fill a fryer according to manufacturer's directions. Heat oil to 375 degrees.
  9. Depending on the size of your fryer, fry one to three doughnuts at a time. It is better to err on the side of frying fewer doughnuts. This will keep your oil hot and your doughnuts won't get greasy.
  10. After one minute, flip doughnuts over and fry until each side is golden brown.
  11. Using a heat-safe spatula, remove doughnuts from the hot oil. Drain on paper towels and toss into cinnamon sugar mixture.

  12. Repeat. And be sure to use the doughnut dough scrapes for doughnut holes! Don't let it go to waste.