Three Gluten-free recipes: soup, shepherd's pie, crumble dessert

Having moved to Edinburgh  6 months ago, we are still at the stage of making friends.  The Christian Edinburghers are hospital and what a buzz!  Of course hospitality is anything but confined to Christians or to Edinburgh... So we are planning again for a lunch with new friends but this time it is to be gluten-free.  The 3 hearty recipes could form the first building blocks of a meal. 

New Year 2013 is about to break in 2 days’ time – a new dawn, a new day!  One of our hopes for 2013 is to practice hospitality with love from the heart and without grumbling.

 

 


Peanut soup recipe - gluten and dairy-free.

Bring on the added spicy, hearty Northern African flavours in sweet potato soup with peanut butter, black-eyed peas and beans.  The ingredients promise
a rich, garlicky, peppery brew with a citrus-y finish (thanks to lime juice and coriander),curry spices, you can make this soul-satisfying soup as mild or as spicy as your taste buds prefer.
 
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon light olive oil or peanut oil
1 tablespoon red or green Thai Kitchen curry paste- hot or mild, to taste.
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 medium red onion, peeled, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled, diced
1 large yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
1 jalapeño or other hot chilli pepper, seeded, diced fine
1 14-oz. can black-eyed peas, rinsed, drained
1 14-oz. can white beans, rinsed, drained
1 14-oz. can black beans, rinsed, drained
1 quart light broth (1.13652 liters - to be exact!)
1/2 cup 100% natural peanut butter melted in a half cup of boiled hot water (for one cup total)
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves.
Juice from 1 big juicy lime
2-3 teaspoons brown sugar, to taste
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
For garnish:
Chopped fresh coriander or parsley

Method:
Heat the light olive oil in large soup pot. Add the curry paste and cinnamon; stir for a minute to infuse the oil with spice. Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, yellow pepper and jalapeño. Stir and cook the veggies for 5-7 minutes, until softened.
Add the black-eyed peas, white and black beans, broth, melted peanut butter, red pepper flakes and cilantro.
Bring the soup to a high simmer, cover, and lower the heat; keep the soup on simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Stir in the lime juice and brown sugar or agave. Season with sea salt and ground pepper, to taste. Warm through and taste for seasoning adjustments.
Serves 4 as a hearty meal. Don't like peanut butter? Try sunflower seed butter, or almond butter.
This soup and the Crock Pot is an ideal match!
And here is the second recipe: 

Gluten-free Shepherds Pie with either Chicken or Tofu
Light, healthy and without dairy or beef.
Ingredients:
For the mashed potato topping:

3 cups peeled, diced gold potatoes. Sea salt
Plain soy, nut, or rice or ordinary milk, as needed

For the filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup zucchini/gourgette sliced into half-moons
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained, quartered
1 cup cubed organic non-GMO firm sprouted tofu, or diced cooked chicken
2 teaspoons Italian style herbs (blend of oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, parsley)
1 teaspoon rubbed sage (Rubbed sage is quite simply crushed sage that has been rubbed between the fingers. This is done to release the flavours of the sage and to ensure the maximum amount of flavour is absorbed.)
1 teaspoon rosemary, minced
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

For the gravy:2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice flour
1 and 1/2 cups non-dairy or ordinary milk warmed
2 tablespoons vegan or butter
2 tablespoons GF nutritional yeast (or use some gluten-free bouillon if you prefer)
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
Grated cheese


Instructions:

For the potato topping- boil the potatoes in a pot until fork tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Mash with a potato masher; add a splash of non-dairy milk and season with sea salt, to taste. Stir till smooth and creamy, adding a little more 'milk' until the potatoes are fluffy and smooth. Set aside.
 
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease four single serving 10-oz ramekins with vegan buttery spread (I used Earth Balance). Set aside.

First, make the mashed potatoes. I used "Buttercream" gold potatoes- so full of flavor.Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the garlic. Add the carrots, zucchini, and broccoli. Stir and cook lightly until fork tender, roughly ten minutes. If you prefer your veggies crisper, cook only until tender-crisp.

Add in the artichoke hearts, tofu or diced cooked chicken, and herbs, season with sea salt and ground pepper; set aside.

Make your gravy. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-low heat; stir in the rice flour to make a paste. Stir and cook for half a minute. Slowly add in the warm non-dairy milk, and keep stirring. Add the vegan butter, nutritional yeast, and sea salt. When it begins to thicken remove from heat and taste test. It should taste mild and creamy. The herbs in the veggies will add rosemary-sage flavor.

Pour the gravy over the filling mixture and gently mix until the veggies are coated with gravy.

Spoon the filling into the ramekins. Top with a big spoonful of mashed potatoes.

Sprinkle with non-dairy shredded cheese, if you like.

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet (to catch any bubbling-over drips) and bake in the center of a hot oven for 30 to 35 minutes. I tented my ramekins with foil for the first half of baking time to keep the mashed potatoes moist. Then I removed the foil and let the the topping brown a bit.

Cook time: 30 min

Yield: 4 servings

 

And the THIRD recipe:
Strawberry rhubarb crumble (for 4) Gluten-free

Ingredients:
2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved
1 cup rhubarb, trimmed, halved lengthwise, sliced into pieces
1 tablespoon turbinado/demerara sugar, sugar.
1/2 cup quinoa cereal flakes
1/2 cup gluten-free millet flour (or sorghum flour)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup vegan butter or use 1/4 cup coconut oil

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9x9-inch baking or gratin dish with a little vegan butter (or use two smaller baking dishes, like I did).
Combine the strawberries and rhubarb in a bowl and sprinkle with turbinado/demerara sugar. Toss to coat. Dump them into the greased baking dish and distribute the fruit evenly.
In a separate bowl, combine the quinoa cereal flakes, millet flour, chopped pecans, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt. Add the vegan butter in pieces; using your hands, rub the butter and dry mixture together to create a sandy, crumbly texture.
Sprinkle the crumble topping over the fruit.
Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven till browned and slightly bubbling. Check for desired tenderness with a fork. I baked mine for 25 minutes because I don't like my fruit overcooked. If you prefer your fruit traditionally soft, bake it for 35 minutes.
Set the crumble aside on a rack and allow it to cool a bit before serving. I love it slightly warm from the oven, serve with ice-cream or cream or custard
Cook time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 4