Recently a group of us hosted a luncheon to celebrate my good friend, Mary Stuart, and her baby that’s on the way.  On a steamy, summer day, it can be difficult to create a menu.  When it’s hot outside, we’re not looking to eat heavy, rich, foods.  Instead your food should be light and refreshing.  Also, this luncheon was not at my house, so I had to take transportation into account when planning.  I  didn’t want to be assembling my dish upon arrival, so my ‘quinoa for a crowd’ actually tastes better when made a day in advance.

As the name implies, this recipe makes a lot of food, and I always make too much food when I’m playing host.  Leftovers are delicious and this quinoa makes for a great lunch during the week.  In our Atlanta group of friends, I’m not the only gluten-free eater, so we labeled the items for the luncheon that were gluten-free and kept them at the beginning of the buffet line, in order to best avoid contamination.

Quinoa for a Crowd (Serves about 10-12)

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups quinoa
• 5 cups vegetable broth (or water)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoons salt & ¼ teaspoon pepper

• 1 red onion
• 1 bag frozen, shelled edamame
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes

Vinaigrette

• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 table spoon white wine vinegar

Rinse and drain quinoa if package instructs you to.  (Some do and others don’t.)  I have a very fine strainer that I use for rinsing my quinoa.

Heat olive oil on medium heat.  Add quinoa and stir for a minute while cooking.  Add 1 cup broth and stir while the quinoa absorbs the liquid.  Once liquid is absorbed, add 3 more cups.  Lower heat to medium-low.  Let cook, stirring occasionally.  Add salt and pepper.  Add more liquid as needed.  You’ll know the quinoa is done because it will ‘pop.’  Not like popcorn, but you’ll see that the quinoa becomes bigger and there will be a little line in the middle of each grain.  It will take about 20 minutes for quinoa to cook.  (Unlike risotto, I think it’s hard to overcook quinoa.)

Remove quinoa from heat and let cool to room temperature.  Meanwhile, finely chop red onion.  Heat shelled edamame (according to cooking instructions on bag).  Drain and let cool.  Cut tomatoes in half.  Put onion, edamame and tomatoes into a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk lemon juice, honey, olive oil, white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard.  Taste.  Depending on how tart or sweet you like your food, add more honey and olive oil (for sweetness) or add more mustard or lemon juice (for tartness).  This is completely about your flavor preference.  I find that anytime I make a vinaigrette, I keep sampling it until I’m content with the flavors.  (Not very precise or scientific, I know!)

Once your quinoa has cooled, add the grain to your large bowl.  Mix with tomatoes, edamame, and onions.  Add your vinaigrette and toss.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  If your salad dries out a little, just add some more lemon juice or olive oil before serving.

As I mentioned, this quinoa, is the gift that keeps on giving, so I brought the leftovers to a dinner that same night.  Still delicious.  And I ate it for lunch the next day.  And the next.

Another highlight of the luncheon was the chicken salad that my friend Meredith made, using one of Emeril’s recipes.  I loved the cashew and apple combination.  Salty, sweet and tart, all in one.  Not too much mayo either.  You can see this naturally gluten-free recipe here.  (The only change Meredith made was omitting the parsley.)  Of course, thoughtful Meredith even remembered to bring gluten-free crackers for the chicken salad!

What do you like to make when cooking for a crowd?

I just learned from the Gluten-Free Examiner, Jennifer Harris, that there will be a gluten-free expo on Saturday, August 7 from 12-4, at the Buckhead Whole Foods.  There will be demonstrations and gluten-free vendors so you should definitely check out this GF event.

Whole Foods has been a very successful grocery chain, with mixed reviews.  Some criticize it for pushing out smaller, local, natural food stores while others applaud it for bringing quality ingredients to communities and supporting some (not all) local farms.  A January article in the New Yorker entitled, “Food Fighter” featured Whole Foods’ founder and CEO, John Mackey.  This article provides an interesting perspective on the store and Mackey.  It’s worth the read.

Whole Foods' CEO John Mackey

Despite the controversy associated with this high-end grocery store, I always appreciate Whole Foods’ large selection of gluten-free foods, and random ingredients like quinoa, almond flour, bean sprouts, and every nut you can imagine.

Here are some of my favorite things about Whole Foods:

• Great selection and prices on wine (10% off if you buy in bulk.)
• Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse Pie Crust (Great for Tomato Pie & Quiche)
• Each item in salad bar is clearly labeled with ingredients
• Amazing cheese selection
• The best store bought gluten-free cupcakes, ever.
• People say Whole Foods is expensive (and it is) but there are good deals to be found.  Cedar’s hummus is often “Bo-Go” and Lara Bars are often the best price in town.  (You get an extra 10% off if you buy the whole box.)
• Whole Foods meets all of the shopping needs for the contestants on Top Chef.  (Sometimes the tilapia’s frozen or one contestant buys out all of the lamb chops before his opponent can get to them, but for the most part Whole Foods has everything.)

Thoughts on Whole Foods?  Favorite Saturday splurge when wandering the aisles?

The 4^th of July gives us a great excuse to break out the grill, cook for a crowd and do some low key entertaining.  Here are a few photos and recipe ideas to get your creative juices flowing for the 4^th.

Old Bay Burgers

Pulled Pork Barbecue

Grilled Salmon

Roasted Okra

Heirloom Tomatoes with Feta Cheese, Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peach Blueberry Crisp

Happy Independence Day!  A special Happy 4th to my family and friends who will be celebrating outside the US of A, in Japan, Austria, and Mexico.  You are missed!

Summer squash is a favorite of mine.  I love the different colors, textures and shapes.  Squash can be roasted simply but I also use it in squash casserole.  Yes, ‘squash casserole’ sounds a bit funny, but I promise, it’s delicious.  This is my grandmother, Dot’s, recipe and even though I never actually ate her version of it (because I was too young to appreciate squash casserole), it reminds me of her.  This recipe also makes me think of my mom because she always makes it in the summer, when I’m around.  My dad doesn’t like squash so when I’m in town, there’s someone else to enjoy it with her!

I found myself with a bounty of squash and onions this weekend so I made squash casserole for a dinner group.  You can bake it before hand so it transports easily.  I posted this recipe last summer, but I realized when making it on Sunday, and following my blog recipe, that I forgot to mention that you should melt the butter.

Oops.  It still turned out alright but I had to laugh at myself for messing up my own recipe.  (It looked a little funny but tasted yummy.)

Dot’s Summer Squash Casserole

Inngredients:
3 pounds summer squash, chunked
3 medium onions, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup water
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup 2% or whole milk
Parmesan cheese (the original recipe also calls for crumbled crackers on top but we just skip that step now to make it GF! Instead I sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top)

Directions:
Cook squash & onions with water, sugar, salt and pepper until mashable (about 45 minutes).
Beat two eggs lightly.
Add milk to eggs and mix well with squash. Add butter and mix.
Bake at 325 for about 30 minutes. (With 10 minutes left in cooking, remove from oven and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.)

Perfect for a 4th of July cookout!  Transports with no trouble and reheats easily.  You make make it and freeze, and just reheat before serving.  Happy cooking!

It’s hot in Altanta.  Really hot.  I’m sure there are better ways to describe this weather, but the only word that comes to mind is brutal.  The heat hasn’t broken either.  Despite the mini-rainstorms, it hasn’t been enough to side track these crazy temps.  It continues to be hot…and brutal.

On Monday, after a sweaty afternoon of running errands  (Who knew it could be so sweltering just to run errands??), I came home to find a bag full of Georgia peaches outside my door.  My wonderfully generous friend, Maury, left me this beautiful treat.   What is a better answer to heat and high temperatures than making a peach crisp?

Is it a crisp?  Is it a cobbler?  I’m not really sure.  I tend to use those words interchangeably, but I’m sure there’s a proper distinction.  (I do know, however, that it’s not a pie.)  I created this recipe on the spot and I made sure to write down what I did so I could share it with you.  I love the combination of GF oats and chopped pecans.  It’s the perfect crunchy duo with the soft, tender peaches.  I’ve found in the past that it can be difficult to find the proper ratio between fruit, crisp topping, and butter.  Too much flour and oats, makes it too dry, too much butter makes for a soggy crisp/cobbler.  Sort of like Goldilocks, I want it to be just right.  (Our girl, Goldilocks was eating porridge…Crisp is much better!)

Peach & Blueberry Crisp

• 8 peaches, peeled and sliced
• 1 pint blueberries
• (Really, any combination of fruit works.  These are what I had on hand.)
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1 ½ T. cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup white rice flour
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup gluten-free oats
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 6 T. cold butter, chopped into cubes

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter an 8 x 8 pyrex dish.

In a bowl, mix peaches, blueberries, cornstarch, lemon juice and sugar.  (I add the sugar last to eyeball just how much I need.)

In another bowl, mix flours and brown sugar.  Add oats and pecans and mix.  Then add butter and mix with dry ingredients.  (A food processor can be helpful for this step but I was feeling a little lazy.

Pour fruit mixture into Pyrex dish.  Spread evenly throughout dish.  Add flour mixture on top of fruit.  Spread evenly.  (It will look like you have too much but you want it to be thick.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until fruit starts to bubble.  You can make this ahead of time and then just reheat for 10 minutes before serving.  (I think it gets better over time.)

Serve warm.  Of course everything tastes better with vanilla ice cream.  Mmm…just right.

I love Thursday nights.  In fact, anyone who eats dinner with me on a Thursday night, inevitably hears me remark about how much I love Thursday nights.  Why do I prefer this particular evening?  You have almost the entire week behind you and the entire weekend ahead.  What a great moment in time with many things to look forward to.

I think part of my enthusiasm for Thursday nights goes back to my life teaching at a boarding school.  Wednesday nights were my dorm duty nights so I basically worked until midnight on Wednesdays, doing sign-ins, proctoring study hall and enforcing lights out.  Having a Wednesday night like that made Thursdays even more amazing.  Also, by Thursday evening I was usually finished with athletic events for the week as well as Dean’s meetings, advisory events, and all of the other things that come with dorm life.  Glorious Thursday nights…

I savor cooking dinner on Thursday nights because I can just relax and enjoy my time with David and whoever else we have in our home.  When I came home from work yesterday, my arms full of fresh vegetables, I smiled to see David on our tiny porch smoking his pipe.  (Yes, my husband occasionally smokes a pipe.)  I joined him on the porch for awhile, chatting and enjoying the fact that it was…Thursday.  Nowhere to be, nothing to do.

Going with the “laid back, chilled out” Thursday night theme, I roasted a bunch of vegetables for dinner, including summer squash, carrots, and onions.  I served them with sautéed yellow snow peas and red quinoa.  A perfect meal for leading into Memorial Day weekend.  So easy.  So simple.

Simply Sauteed Snow Peas:

Snow peas are great for cooking because they can stand up to heat well and still maintain their crunch.  David likes to eat them raw, but I prefer them sautéed, with garlic.

• 1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed (I used yellow this time, but green are great too)
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in pan on medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for a minute.  Add snow peas and sauté for about 2 minutes.  Snow peas will still be nice and crisp.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

I hope your Memorial Day Weekend is full of relaxation, cooking, and delicious food.

I have a little obsession with “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.”  I think it’s because in college we made a big deal about “Bachelor” nights and viewed it religiously, season after season.  Watching episodes of this program was always ‘an event’ for us and of course, that’s what you do in college: use anything, even a TV show, to have an event.

As I’m getting older, I find myself holding onto things that make me feel like I’m still in college and this nostalgia for my youth tends to manifest itself in the form of television shows that I like to watch.  While sadly the “OC” ended a long time ago, fortunately for me, MTV keeps airing new seasons of “Real World/Road Rules Challenge” and ABC continues to set single folks up on “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.”  Yes, it’s shameful, I know.  (I must admit, I’ve given up on “The Real World” as its trashiness factor is too high, even for me, but how can I resist T.J. Lavin’s awkwardness and my washed up old favorites, like Paula and Wes on ‘The Challenge?’)

Ali: The next 'bachelorette'

Can these shows be defined as quality television?  Absolutely not.  Do I identify with the people? No.  Is there anything valuable to learn?  Not unless you count “don’t ever go on a reality TV show” as a lesson.

But I continue to watch them.  I still enjoy making an event of watching “The Bachelor,” even in my old age.  When we lived in Virginia, we watched each week with my brother and his wife, Rob and Alden,  but now they live in Japan, I’m in Georgia, and I don’t own a TV.  Thankfully, I’ve been fortunate enough to find a group of friends that also enjoys spending two hours on a Monday night watching what my mom refers to as ‘trash TV.’  I moved here in the fall just in time to watch last season’s ‘Bachelor’ starring Jake.  Those of you that watched (and I don’t think there are that many of us) will probably agree that it was terrible.  Jake lacked personality and can really only be described as a goober.  Also, minimal drama always leads to disappointment.  I could have told the show’s producers that Jake would be a less-than-mediocre bachelor after his super-cheesy, and even pathetic, role on Gillian’s season on ‘The Bachelorette’ but no one asked my opinion.  Even Vienna couldn’t save the season.

But I don’t let one season get me down.  I’ll be there, ready for the premiere this Monday night.  (It won’t be nearly as awesome/wonderful/amazing as the ‘Lost’ finale the night before, but more on that later.)  Since the producers of “The Bachelor” have adopted the trend of using a reject from a previous season for future seasons, next week Ali will be the new bachelorette.  Now Ali isn’t technically a reject since she chose to leave Jake’s season because of her job, even though she said, “I’m smitten with the boy.”  (Lame!)  Now Ali’s back and I guess her boss gave her the ok this time.

In honor of next week’s premiere of the new ‘Bachelorette,’ David and I hosted our viewing group for dinner this week.  We thought it would be fun to cook dinner and go through each of the 25 men that we’ll meet next week on the premiere.  Why not give even more time to the show than I already do?  You can go to ABC’s website to check out the bachelors yourself.  A word of warning: this group of men includes very little ethnic diversity, unless you count Canada.  Of course we thoroughly enjoyed analyzing each contestant and reading the comments that others had posted.

So now to the food…For our dinner party, I enlisted David to make one of my favorite grill meals: Grilled Salmon from Martha Stewart’s Cooking School. I hesitate to order salmon in a restaurant now because this version of salmon is so good and David cooks it perfectly.  It’s so simple, fresh and beautiful.  I love the presentation.  An added bonus of this dish: We share a communal grill with all of the residents in our apartment building so the bed of oranges and lemons keeps the salmon safe from gluten contamination from the grill.  Perfect for a warm summer night and great for entertaining.

Grilled Side of Salmon (Serves 8 easily)

Ingredients:

• Sunflower oil or other neutral-tasting oil
• 4 lemons, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
• 2 oranges, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
• 1 small bunch of basil
• 1 bunch of oregano (use whatever herbs are in season…lemon thyme would be great too)
• 2 piece wild salmon, (2 ½ – 3 lbs.)

Heat the grill to medium.  Once it’s hot, scrub with grill brush and lightly sweep with olive oil.

Arrange the lemons and orange slices on the grate, then add the the basil and oregano, making a bed for the fish.  Lay the salmon skin side down on the herbs and season with salt and pepper.  Cook salmon 20 to 30 minutes.

Use two large spatulas to transfer the salmon and bed of fruit and herbs to a large platter.  Serve hot or at room temperature.  (I prefer my salmon hot.)

As a side dish, I served quinoa with sweet onions and roasted carrots.  I used regular quinoa and red quinoa, as well as both orange and red carrots.  Mary Stuart and Victoria made a delicious salad with greens, blueberries, beets, and even beet greens.

And of course, blondies for dessert.

So think of me next Monday night as I spend two hours watching Ali meet Chris H., Chris L., Chris N. (yes, there are three Chrises, not including host, Chris Harrison) and the 22 other bachelors.  There’s sure to be a plethora of cheesy lines, awkward moments, and maybe the most dramatic rose ceremony ever.  I’ll be loving every minute of it.

This year, David and I put a ban on purchasing cookbooks because we have very little space in our Atlanta apartment and we already have so many.  For the first few months, I strictly followed our self-imposed restriction, but I couldn’t resist purchasing Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors.  I love cookbooks that tell me a story.  As I flip through the pages of Madison’s Local Flavors, she takes me across the country to different farmers’ markets of all climates, shapes and sizes.  From Santa Fe, to Atlanta, to Alaska, this beautiful book transports the reader to places and seasons that allow you to connect your own local produce with delicious recipes.  The glossy pages in Local Flavors make the photos shine.  You can see every crevice and twist in each green and every seed in a sliced tomato.

Local Flavors organizes its chapters by the type of food, as opposed to most cookbooks who separate by course.  Some of the chapters include, “Small, tender fruits,” “Roots & Tubers,” and “Eggs & Cheese at the Market.”  Doesn’t it sound amazing?  Let me tell you, it is.  If you love beautiful photos, stories and delicious recipes, you should add Local Flavors to your collection.  It’s worth splurging on this beautiful treat.

When I go to The Local Farmstand, I look up any new produce that arrives in the index of Local Flavors to see what recipes Madison suggests.  Recently a shipment of green garlic and leeks came from the farm and as I flipped to the index, I soon found a risotto recipe using both leeks and green garlic.  Lovely.  I followed the recipe strictly the first time I made this dish, but the next week I found myself craving quinoa.  (In warmer weather, I tend to turn towards quinoa, while wanting risotto in the winter months.)  So I tweaked the recipe a bit substituting quinoa for the risotto, but stuck with leeks and green garlic.  This recipe can be a side dish or a main course.

Leek & Green Garlic Quinoa (adapted from Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors)

• 4 medium leeks, white part only
• 3 large heads green garlic
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup white wine
• s&p

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (if instructions on box say to)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 cups GF chicken or vegetable broth (plus extra if needed)
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Fresh lemon thyme (or other fresh herbs)
• s&p

Wash leeks well.  Make sure that you get the grit out from between each layer.  (I cut slits in the bottom to get more water in between the layers for better cleaning.)  Cut leeks in half, lengthwise, then crosswise, then into ¼ inch slices.  Finely chop the bulbs/white parts of the green garlic.

Melt butter in a sauté pan on medium heat.  Add leeks and garlic, stir to coat.  Then add the wine and cook on medium-low heat until leeks are tender, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a wide pot on medium heat.  Add the quinoa and stir to coat.  Cook on medium heat, while stirring for one minute.  Add wine and let absorb, stirring occasionally.  Add broth, ½ cup at a time and cook on medium, stirring as the liquid is absorbed.  This should take about 15 minutes.  Quinoa cooks much quicker than risotto which is a plus.

Once quinoa is cooked, transfer quinoa to pan with leeks and garlic.  Turn to medium-low heat and add parmesan cheese.  Stir and serve warm.  Enjoy!  I admit, it’s not the most colorful dish I’ve ever made.  That’s why I like to serve it as a side to accompany a plate of bright and vibrant veggies, such as roast carrots and mixed greens.

This week, my friend, Peyten, invited us over for dinner.  I know Peyten from my college days as she was my little sister in my sorority.  Ah, college…But I digress.  Back to food.  I emailed Peyten earlier in the week to ask if she had any questions about cooking gluten-free.  She said she would use my blog as a reference for recipes.  Now that’s intimidating.

Sure, I write recipes and cook all the time but there’s a part of me that fears other people reading and using my recipes.  What if the food tastes terrible?  What if the cooking time is totally wrong?  What if it just doesn’t make sense?  (Peyten’s an English teacher so I was also worried about grammar and parallel structure.)  I actually felt like I was back in middle school, getting my essay read and ripped apart by my teacher.  Do you remember that feeling of dread when the teacher told you she was returning your paper?  Same feeling, only this time the success or failure of the assignment would be on display in front of five other people.

As I walked into Peyten’s house on Tuesday night, I didn’t know what she was making or what to expect.  I was amazed when I saw the bustle in her kitchen and all of the delicious things being prepared.  And everything looked like it should look.  I breathed a sigh of relief and was ready to enjoy the gluten-free meal.

Here’s what Peyten made.  Quite a feast and everything was delicious.

Roasted Rack of Lamb with Pesto Crust

Risotto

Roasted Asparagus

Ice Cream & Chocolate Sauce

Peyten’s boyfriend, Stan, added his own component to the meal, grilled fruit.  It was a unique and flavorful addition, especially the pineapple.  It would be a perfect dessert too.

It always means so much to me when people invite me to dinner and want to cook for me.  It’s intimidating to cook for anyone, but especially a person who’s gluten-free.  I’m amazed anytime a friend or family member welcomes me into their home and wants to give “gluten-free cooking” a try.  The time and energy that Peyten must have spent researching, planning and shopping for this meal is much more than cooking for a gluten-eating group.  People have no idea just how moving it is for me to eat outside of my house, but it’s huge.  Our lives can actually be normal, something I doubted would ever be possible when I was first diagnosed.

While Peyten’s use of my recipes intimidated me, this exercise of having other people make my dishes was definitely good and I should really do it more often to get feedback on what works and doesn’t work.  Also, since I’ve been gluten-free for almost three years, sometimes I take for granted the things that I just know and consequently don’t clearly explain in my posts.  I want Gluten Freedom not just to be useful for those who are gluten-free.  I want to provide a resource for gluten-eating people that are hosting a GF person in their home.  I hope to create clear, manageable recipes that will make GF guests feel comfortable, but also minimize stress for the host by using simple ingredients and directions.

While at Peyten’s, I was reminded of a couple of tricky gluten-topics that I should discuss:

• Chicken broth/stock sometimes contains gluten.  Yes, I know.  It’s absolutely ridiculous.  Some of the brands that I use are Pacific and Imagine.
• When buying ice cream, you obviously want to stay away from Cookies ‘n Cream and Cookie Dough, but I also avoid generic brands that have a ton of ingredients, making it difficult to determine whether or not there’s gluten.  When I buy ice cream, I go with Edy’s or Breyer’s.
• Vanilla extract (for the chocolate sauce) can be controversial in regards to gluten content.  While vanilla does contain grain alcohol, it should be gluten-free, since the alcohol has gone through a distillation process.  The same thinking applies with vinegar and liquor.  Beer, however, still contains gluten because it has not been distilled.

So, did the recipes pass the test?  Everything tasted yummy and I woke up the next day feeling great!  (This doesn’t always happen when I eat outside of my home.)  Hopefully my grammar and sentence structure passed too!

Thank you, Peyten, and the many others who have hosted me in the past and those who will have me in the future.

Note: Photos are from when I made these dishes previously.  Peyten’s looked very similar though!  I’m not yet quite tacky enough to take my camera to someone else’s home but I have a feeling I will soon.

I know everyone’s eager for the traditional summer veggies we all love.  Mmm, corn, squash,  tomatoes.  But take a look at what’s beautiful and in-season right now at The Local Farmstand.

Can you resist these beautiful veggies? Decisions, decisions.  What to choose?  What to make?  So many vegetables. So little time.

I made this for dinner last night…Delish.  I don’t have a name for it yet, but it was amazing.

Who knew salad could look so good?  Crystal Organics salad mix and beets.  Woodland gardens micro greens.

Chopped pistachios.  Roast beets, peel, cut.  Saute with balsamic vinegar, honey and olive oil.

Top with goat cheese.  Eat.

The Local Farmstand – 1198 Howell Mill Rd – Atlanta, GA 30318