Lowish Casein Ice Cream, you say? Blueberry ricotta gelato for a hot summer's day

Yes, it's summertime, and most of the country has been swaddled in a heat wave. Here in the Northwest, however, we've been stuck in an endless rotation of "almost 60" rainy days and drizzle all June. But sunnier weather lies ahead, I stubbornly insist. So I wanted to share a gluten-free, lower-casein ice cream recipe. This is not appropriate for people who are allergic to dairy, but if you are sensitive to casein but not lactose, like I am, it works wonderfully to give me an ice-cream like experience in summertime (without the stomachache.)

For the truly dairy-free, I recommend the lovely gluten-free Coconut sorbet from the brand Double Rainbow. Delicious, and the consistently is exactly like real ice cream (the secret is that the main ingredient is coconut cream.) I believe that this sorbet is safely all dairy-free for those of you with allergies - you would be surprised how many sorbets still have traces of dairy in them! (Why?) And it's delicious sprinkled with dark chocolate shavings!

OK, onward to this recipe which I've altered somewhat from a British magazine recipe that I transcribed ages ago. (Gluten-free hint: British Magazines are a great source of gluten-free recipes for some reason. They just eat naturally more gluten-free desserts, for one: meringues, jellies, and custards are all gluten-free.)  

The secret to this recipe's wonderful texture is the gelatin, which sounds really like a weird step in an ice-cream making process but trust me, it yields great results. I also have a variation without the gelatin (for vegan friends) or whipping cream...

Blueberry Ricotta Gelato

Ingredients:

·         1 packet (1/4 oz) powdered gelatin

·         1 cup ripe blueberries

·         3/4 cup sugar

·         16 oz ricotta cheese (drained)

·         1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

1.        Bloom the gelatin in 3 Tablespoons of cold water for 5 minutes.
2.        Stir 1/2 of this gelatin mixture into 1/4 cup hot water (or heat gently over a double boiler or carefully in the microwave) until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Discard the remaining gelatin.
3.        In the food processor, blend the ricotta cheese until smooth, and then add the blueberries, sugar, and gelatin, blending after each addition until creamy.
4.        Beat the cream until thick (not stiff), and then fold in the blueberry mixture.
5.        Churn in an ice cream maker to the desired consistency (check the manufacturer's directions).
Note: I had to 1/2 this recipe because I have a small ice cream maker--the kind with the container that you pre-freeze.)
6.        Serve when set, or place in a chilled container and freeze (this gelato freezes pretty hard, so you will need to thaw slightly before serving).

I  tried it again without the gelatin or whipping cream, but adding eight ounces of cream cheese. (I do well with both ricotta and cream cheese, which tend to be a little lower in casein.) This was a great variation - a great, cheese-cake-y taste and consistency! So go for either one!

Gluten Free Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons for Passover and Easter

For Passover and Easter, these cookies make a wonderful springtime snack! I'm afraid I have eaten three already this morning. There are a lot of different gluten-free macaroon recipes out there; some use rice flour, some ground almonds, and some use condensed milk. These, the simplest in terms of ingredeints, gave me the texture I like the best: chewy, not overly dense, not overly dry. And, as a bonus, no wheat or dairy!

Gluten-Free Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:
· 3 cups shredded coconut (I use organic unsweetened)
· 2 large eggs
· 1/2 cup granulated sugar
· 1 tsp. vanilla extract
· 1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the egg and sugar until smooth, then add vanilla and coconut.
Mix until uniform and the coconut is well moistened. The batter should easily form clumps.
3. Form the batter into golf ball-sized balls and place on the baking sheet.
4. Bake the cookies on the middle shelf for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant.
5. (Optional) cool completely and then dip 1/2 of each cookie in melted chocolate. Refrigerate
until cool and chocolate is set. I use Scharffenberger dark chocolate bars.

A great primer on gluten intolerances

This blog post I thought was helpful and informative in terms of answering - why are so many people sensitive to gluten? Why is sentitivity increasing?
http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/2012/02/gluten-questions-answered/
Sarah posts several bits from medical journal articles and some of the most common scientific "guesses" as to why so many people have developed gluten in tolerances, such as genetic engineering of wheat to contain higher levels of gluten, and the result of several generations of people eating way more gluten than they used to.
I don't agree with Sarah that gluten is a poison for all people, although it certainly is to me. Gluten is a complex and difficult-to-break-down protein, like casein (one of the proteins in dairy products.) So it makes sense that a stressed-out system might react against digesting it. There is some evidence that the ability to digest gluten slows down with age and that more women than men are sensitive to gluten and are unable to digest it. I hadn't read about the thyroid connection mentioned in the blog post, but I guess that makes sense - I also have autoimmune thyroiditis, and apparently people with that condition are much more likely to have celiac disease.
The testing for celiac disease she mentions is indeed problematic, but if you'd like to get tested without going back on wheat, there is a DNA test for the celiac disease gene you can ask your doctor about. (I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice, usual disclaimers, blah blah blah.)
I thought those of you who were curious about gluten and gluten intolerance might enjoy reading her post. It's a pretty accurate conglomeration of everything I've read on the subject thus far, with the above caveats.

Asparagus, Ricotta, and potato frittatas - individual sized!

This has become my fall-back brunch recipe this winter - a perfect way to use leftover roasted potatoes and asparagus, something you can make ahead of time for guests, and, using muffin tins to bake them instead of the greasier cast-iron skillet-sautee method, even kind of...light. For something made of eggs and cheese, anyway :) I happen to use cream cheese and ricotta salata because I'm casein-sensitive and these two forms of cheese don't seem to bother me as much, but you could substitute a more flavor-intense cheese, like a nice fresh goat cheese, if you like.

Gluten-Free Baked Frittata Cups with Asparagus and Ricotta

Ingredients:

· 1 medium to large russet potato

· 1 Tbsp. cooking oil (I use Safflower)

· 4 large eggs

· 2 Tbsps. milk

· 2-3 asparagus spears (or some other vegetable), finely chopped (I use a mandolin)

· 2 Tbsps. cream cheese

· 1/4 cup shredded cheese (I use a sheep's milk ricotta salata)

· Salt and pepper to taste


Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease/spray a six-muffin pan, or else use a silicone pan, which doesn’t require any extra slipperiness.

2. Peel and dice the potato into smaller, 1/4 in. cubes, and rinse to keep from browning (I usually instead toss them liberally with salt and then blanch them in hot water, to give them a little more flavor). If you have leftover potato wedges or little roasted potatoes from the night before, those work here as well - maybe a cup of those.

3. Drain the potatoes well, pat dry with a paper towel, and toss with oil. Then sauté in a skillet over medium heat until well-browned and crunchy. (If you're using leftover roasted potatoes, you can skip this step. You can also broil the potatoes or bake, and I've even used pre-made hash browns here instead. It's a flexible recipe that way!)

4. Beat the eggs and milk until frothy, which is easiest to do in a cup with an immersion blender.

5. Distribute the browned potatoes amongst the muffin cups, then top with small pieces of cream cheese, asparagus, and shredded ricotta salata cheese, and finally pour the egg mixture evenly into the cups and bake until puffed-up and browned on top, about 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.

Holiday Party Appetizer Ideas - Gluten free!

So, since it's entertaining season, I thought I'd post a few of the gluten-free appetizer recipes that have been a big hit with my friends. This one is one I've mentioned before, prosciutto-wrapped dates stuffed with marcona almonds and goat cheese:

Prosciutto-Wrapped Stuffed Dates

Ingredients:

· 1/4 lb. thinly-sliced gluten-free prosciutto (Italian ham)--about 6-8 slices

· 15 large whole dates (Medjools work best)

· 1/3 cup marcona almonds (I use ones that are roasted in olive oil and salt)

· 4oz semi-soft cheese--fresh goat cheese works best, but fresh ricotta also works well

Instructions:

1. With a paring knife, slice the date lengthwise, open the date, and remove the pit.

2. In each date, depending on the size, spread or pipe 1/2 -1 tsp. of the cheese.

3. Press 1-2 almonds into the cheese where the pit used to be, and then re-close the date as mush as possible.

4. Wrap each stuffed date with about 1-in. width of the prosciutto so that the cheese and almonds are covered.

5. Place the wrapped, stuffed dates on a foil-lined sheet pan, about 1-2 inches apart.

6. Broil the dates under the top broiler in the oven for about 2-3 minutes a side, or until the am starts to crisp and the dates begin to smoke a bit, then flip and brown the other side.

7. Remove and cool a few minutes (the cheese can get hot), and then enjoy with maybe a drizzle of a balsamic reduction. Also great cold as a snack.

Okay, a real gluten-free delicata squash crustless pie recipe

This recipe is adapted from the two recipes mentioned in the previous post. I was really happy with the flavor, texture (like a real pumpkin custard pie!) and the performance of this recipe!!

Roasted Delicata Squash Crustless Custard Pie

Ingredients:

· 1 whole delicate squash halved with the seeds removed

· 1/2 cup brown sugar

· 1 1/4 cup milk

· 2 large eggs

· 1/2 vanilla bean (optional)

· maple syrup (optional)

· oil (canola, safflower, or the like)

· 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt (or equivalent) and toasted pecans or toffee for crumbling


Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and cover a baking sheet with foil.

2. Place squash halves, face up, on the baking sheet, rub with oil, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt and drizzle with maple syrup.

3. Roast squash for 20-30 minutes or until soft and just starting to darken, then remove and allow to cool.

4. Scoop squash flesh out of the skins and into a food processor, add the brown sugar and blend until smooth.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until blended, then add the squash puree and mix until uniform.

6. In a medium sauce pan, bring milk to a low boil with the vanilla bean piece and simmer for 10-15 minutes until milk just starts to caramelize.

7. While continuously stirring, slowly pour the scalded milk to temper the squash and egg mixture, then pour into ramekins and bake at 350 until set, around 30-40 minutes. Custards are done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Remove from oven and cool for several hours in the refrigerator before serving. At the last minute, crush your toasted sweet pecans or toffee and sprinkle on top. Add whipped cream if you can have it (you lucky guys!)

Satisfying your pumpkin pie cravings...with no crust...and no pumpkin?

So, you say the one thing you really missed about Thanksgiving was the pumpkin pie? How about trying a crustless "pie" with a crumble topping? And how about trying an alternative to pumpkin...say, a delicata squash maple pie? I tried this recipe:
http://www.glynwood.org/glynwood-blog/2010/10/award-winning-maple-delicata-pie/
Sans the crust with fairly good results! I made mine in individual ramekins instead of a pie plate and cooked for a slightly shorter time...then crumpled toffee pieces over the top for crunch! (If you are not nut-allergic, crushed toasted hazelnuts or pecans work well too...and, of course, add more nutrition than toffee!)
There's an alternative delicata squash recipe up at Wegman's, again, of course, you can skip the crust or use a pre-made gluten free one (I prefer the former to the latter...)

What about you? Gluten-free pie crust or crustless? Pumpkin, sweet potato, delicata squash...or do you have alternative ideas?