Spring is full of new beginnings and new publications!  In the midst of lacrosse season, spring break trips to Japan, and getting my students ready for exams, I’ve had two new articles published that I want to share with you. (And, as you know, I always love seeing my name in print!)

Next time you’re at Whole Foods, check out the most April/May issue of Living Without Magazine, which includes an article I wrote about traveling through Montana and Wyoming.  This trip exceeded my expectations with outdoor adventures, beautiful scenery, and gluten-free dining.  It feels like ages ago that I was out west, hiking, fishing, spending time with friends and checking out the restaurant scene, but this article allowed me to reflect on that special time.

The Spring 2011 issue of Atlanta’s Finest Dining (which is free, by the way) has an article I wrote called Simple Spring Grilling, which has the recipe for this yummy salmon as well as thoughts on spring cooking.  (You can see the whole article online by clicking here.)  David and I just purchased a dining table for our back porch, so this gives us even more reason to fire up the grill and enjoy the beautiful Atlanta weather.

Last weekend, our neighborhood girl scout stopped by to bring David his Tagalongs.  As he dove right in to the box of chocolate peanut butter goodness, I was reminded of years of Samoas, Thin Mints, Tagalongs and Trefoils.

Recently, I haven’t had much time in the kitchen, but my friend Wendy sent me this article, which has me inspired: Make Your Own Gluten-Free Girl Scout Cookies

Sounds awesome, right?  They have gluten-free recipes for Thin Mints and the equivalent of Do-Si-Dos.  (Do you remember those?)  Yum!  I was disappointed that they didn’t have a recipe for Samoas so I did some sleuthing on my own and found this recipe for gluten-free samoas, on Gluten-Free Betsy.  (Great name!)

It’s not the same as ripping into the brightly colored box, I’ll admit, but it’s not too bad.  Have you tried making your own version of Girl Scout Cookies?  What’s your childhood favorite?

I always like seeing major publications giving attention to gluten-free dishes.  Of course my immediate reaction is, “Why can’t you hire me?” but then I move on and actually enjoy the recipes and appreciate the gluten-free shout out.

With the help of Gluten Freedom readers, I’ve found:

Food & Wine’s website has a Gluten-Free Slide Show, with links to each of the recipes.  Of course the rack of lamb looks good to me!

Real Simple’s website has ‘Ten Gluten-Free Dinners’ for you to try.  I’m thinking about making their zucchini stuffed with quinoa.  Yum!

What looks good to you on these sites?  Have you seen any other foodie magazines recognize gluten-free cuisine recently?

We purchased a huge bird for Thanksgiving, in order to ensure that there would be plenty of leftovers for the rest of the holiday weekend.  And leftovers there were…lots of them.

After four days of turkey sandwiches, I decided I needed a change in my diet.  I don’t like to waste anything, so I was determined to use every piece of Tom the Turkey.  Normally, I would just make a big batch of chili with my leftovers, but I had made chili prior to our family’s arrival, so we’d been eating our fair share of chili too.

Now that it’s cold outside, though, the idea of a hearty soup or stew sounds yummy to me.  So I went through my mental cookbook and decided to make Brunswick stew.  This dish always reminds me of winters during my childhood.  Who would think that lima beans could be yummy in a soup?  Well let me tell you; they are.

I made up this recipe, based on what I remember my mom’s Brunswick stew to taste and look like.  I was afraid that my stew would be overwhelmed by the turkey (as I was already weary of eating any more bird), but the other veggies and spices made a nice mix.  I really liked the combination of cayenne pepper and Worcestershire, but added the brown sugar to balance out the heat.  Don’t worry too much about the specific size bag or box of frozen corn and lima beans.  Just use whatever the store has.  This is one of those stews that I was just throwing in whatever I happened to have in my kitchen.  (Same goes for the tomatoes.)

Brunswick Stew (Makes 8-10 servings)

• 3 cups (or as much as you’ve got) leftover turkey, chopped into small pieces (you can use cooked chicken as well)
• 4 cups GF chicken broth (I use Pacific brand)
• Chopped bacon or pancetta (this is totally optional but I had leftover pancetta that I wanted to use…a great addition!)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 16 ounce bag frozen corn
• 1 16 ounce bag frozen lima beans
• 1 16 ounce can whole tomatoes
• 1 16 ounce can stewed tomatoes
• 2 pounds red potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gluten-free)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Salt & Pepper

Heat olive oil in dutch oven on medium heat.  Add bacon and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add chopped onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes and potatoes.  Bring to a slow boil.  Let simmer for 20 minutes.  Add cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, lima beans, corn and turkey.  Stir, bring to a simmer and cook for another 30 minutes.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  You can’t really overcook this soup so I found that making it a day ahead, and then reheating, made the stew even better and the turkey more tender.  This dish  is a great use for your dark turkey meat too.

Makes a perfect week night dinner, served with GF cornbread or biscuits.  Or top stew with leftover gluten-free stuffing.  This dish freezes well so I will be enjoying my Brunswick stew throughout the winter months.

What do you like to do with your leftovers?

I’ve been in a food coma for the last week…

We had a very successful and fun Thanksgiving with all of the Metcalves, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to write about the food yet.  David and I are still going through the leftovers, but we’re almost to the end of the feast remains.  (Stay tuned to learn what I did with the leftover turkey once I got to the point where I could no longer look at another turkey sandwich.)

Here are a few pics from the meal…

Brussels sprouts with pancetta

Manchego & Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Simple Green Beans

Butternut Squash

And of course, Tom the Turkey

I think the family would agree that it was yummy.

I’m particularly proud of my first experiment making stuffing.  Sally’s gluten-free sandwich bread worked perfectly, and I added some Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bake House stuffing cubes to ensure that I made enough food.  In retrospect one loaf of Sally’s is plenty for a family of eight.

I followed the basic stuffing recipe from the November issue of Real Simple.  In the article, they include ten variations on stuffing, but since we already had a lot of action at the dinner table (i.e. Brussels sprouts with pancetta and turkey wrapped in a bacon lattice), I decided to keep it simple.  I think it worked well.

Gluten-Free Stuffing (adapted from Real Simple Magazine)

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large loaf gluten-free sandwich bread, cut into ¾ inch pieces (I wouldn’t go with the frozen, store bought bread.  I’d either use homemade or a loaf purchased from a GF bakery)
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• S & P

Heat oven to 375/  Butter a baking or casserole dish.  Divide the bread between two baking sheets.  Bake until dry and browning a little, 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large pan over medium heat.  Add onions, celery, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender and beginning to brown, about 10-12 minutes.  Add the wine and cook until evaporated, 2 to 4 more minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Add bread, broth, eggs, and ½ teaspoon of salt to the veggies.  Toss to combine.  Transfer to greased baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake until browned, 20-30 minutes more.

I made the stuffing on Thanksgiving morning and reheated before serving for dinner.  Before reheating, we added the vegetables that the turkey cooked in, and its pan juices, as a top layer for the stuffing.  Amazing.

The stuffing was delicious and a great addition to the feast.  And it was a perfect addition to turkey sandwiches the next day.  When reheating the stuffing, I would add a little more chicken broth, so that it wouldn’t dry out.  I was very impressed by how well the gluten-free bread held up and was easily used in this typically gluten-filled recipe.

Yes, it’s pumpkin time again.  It’s been over a week since I last wrote about baking with pumpkin, so it’s time.

Last week, I went to a South American wine tasting and was given the task of bringing a dessert.  Of course my first idea was, pumpkin cookies!  Sometimes I wonder if I’m pushing too hard on the pumpkin thing: maybe not everyone sees pumpkin as the ideal sweet treat.  But, I went ahead and made the pumpkin cookies.  Sure, it would have been easier to make a batch of Betty Crocker GF brownies, but it’s fall and we need pumpkin.

When I made these cookies, I wasn’t sure what the response would be.  I brought a few to my friend, Jen, who assured me that she liked them.  (I didn’t actually see her eat the cookies though, so I wasn’t sure how truthful this statement was.

So, at the wine event that evening, I was nervous as to how these oddly shaped orange balls would go over with everyone else, especially the guys in the group.  My pumpkin doubts were quickly wiped away, as the pumpkin cookies were devoured.  I would watch a person eat one, then grab another, and a little while later, another.  I couldn’t believe how quickly they were disappearing!  I had to make sure I got my fill of the goodies before they ran out.

Success?  I think so.  They’re not the most beautiful cookies, but they were a crowd pleaser.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
  1 1/2 cups sugar
  1 egg
  1 cup canned pumpkin
  1 tsp. vanilla
  1 cup white rice flour
• ½ cup sorghum flour
• ½ cup tapioca flour
• 1/ cup amaranth flour
  1 tsp. baking powder
  1 tsp. xanthan gum
  1/2 tsp. salt
  1 tsp. nutmeg
  1 tsp. cinnamon
  1 cup chocolate chips

Mix flours, xanthan gum, salt, and baking powder and spices in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, pumpkin, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients (flours, etc.) to creamed mixture; mix well. Add chocolate chips; mix thoroughly.

Drop by teaspoons onto well-greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutesor until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets while warm and cool on racks. Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies.  Enjoy!

Note to Gluten-Eaters: If you want to make this recipe with gluten, just use 3 cups of regular flour in lieu of the other flours and omit the xanthan gum.

Any more pumpkin ideas for me?

The most recent issue of Atlanta’s Finest Dining Magazine has just hit shelves.  Pick up your free copy and check out my latest article, about making roast chicken.  This is a favorite recipe of mine in the winter months, as it’s super easy to make and looks beautiful, surrounded by roasted veggies.

You can also find the article online: Meals from a Gluten-Free Kitchen

I’ve included the roast chicken recipe below for my devoted readers:

Winter Roast Chicken (Inspired by Barefoot Contessa, via my sister-in-law, Heidi): Serves 3-5

Ingredients:

• 1 whole (4-6 lb.) roasting chicken
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• Sprigs of thyme and rosemary
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 head of garlic, halved
• Salt and pepper
• 2 onions, halved and sliced
• Assortment of root vegetables, chopped into relatively equal sizes (I like to use red potatoes, baby carrots, and rutabagas)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 425.  Remove any chicken giblets from the inside of chicken.

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Brush chicken with melted butter.  (If you would like to make this recipe dairy free, use olive oil instead of butter.)  Sprinkle outside and interior of chicken liberally with salt and pepper.  (You won’t over salt it, I promise.)  Place herbs, garlic and lemon into the cavity of the chicken.

Put chopped veggies and onions in roasting pan and toss with two tablespoons of olive oil.  Spread veggies around pan and place chicken in middle of the pan.  (It’s important that you put the chicken breast side facing up so that the skin of the chicken will crisp nicely.)

Cook for 80-90 minutes, or until the juices run clear.  Once or twice during cooking, toss the vegetables in the roasting pan.  Remove from oven and separate veggies and chicken, covering both with aluminum foil.  Let the chicken rest for about 15 minutes before carving with meat.

Serve with a beautiful salad and you have yourself a gourmet (and gluten-free) meal. Happy Holidays and Happy Cooking!

Quinoa: A staple at Casa Metcalf

Quinoa is a go-to item in my weekly meal planning.  Not only is it yummy, but it has many nutrients and lots of fiber so we can definitely call it a super food.  I love this seed/grain as you can take it in many different culinary directions.

I’ve enjoyed it for breakfast, with cinnamon, blueberries and strawberries…

Quinoa goes well with edamame, red onions, and local cherry tomatoes…

You can make a hearty quinoa dish, similar to risotta with fresh tomatoes and parmesan cheese…

My friend, Mary Stuart, has introduced me to Costco and when I accompanied her on a recent trip to this mega-store, she pointed out the large bags of quinoa to me.  Of course I added the hefty bag to the cart.  We’ll be eating a lot of quinoa in the next few months.

Who knew Costco had quinoa?

Earlier this week, I made a batch of quinoa with sautéed onions and served it as a side dish with honey mustard chicken.  Of course I doubled the recipe so for lunch all week, I’ve been enjoying my quinoa with roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts.  Mmmm…

Last week I tried a new quinoa combo.  I made the Gluten Free Goddesses’ (also known as one of my favorite blogs, Karina’s Kitchen) recipe for Quinoa Salad with Pears, Baby Spinach, Chickpeas and Maple Vinaigrette.  Quite a combination, right?  It was so delicious and the textures worked really well together.  I particularly enjoyed the toasted pecans.  (I just toasted mine on the stove with a little olive oil on medium high heat for a few minutes.  You want to toss them as they cook to prevent uneven cooking.)

Gluten-Free Goddesses’ Quinoa Salad: (Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a side)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic quinoa
  Sea salt
• 2 good handfuls of organic baby spinach leaves, washed, drained
  1 large ripe pear, washed, stemmed and cored, cut into pieces
  1/2 cup chilled chick peas, rinsed, drained
  Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
  A handful of pecans, pan toasted and salted to taste
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  3 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Place the quinoa in a saucepan or a rice cooker. Add 2 cups fresh water, and a pinch of sea salt. Cover and cook on a low simmer until all the water is evaporated and the quinoa is tender- roughly 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and dump it into a large salad bowl.

Toss is the pear, spinach, and chick peas.

Mix in a separate bowl the maple syrup, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Pour on salad and toss gently.  Add S & P to taste.

Enjoy!

Note: If you want the leftovers to keep during the week, I would suggest adding the spinach on an ‘as needed’ basis or even just using it as a bed on your plate for the rest of your salad.  Then it won’t get soggy during the week.

Not only did I make this dish for dinner, but the next night I enjoyed Mary Stuart’s version of the same recipe.  Of course she and I both thought sweet potatoes would go well with the dish.  She also made an amazing GF quiche but more details on that later…

What do you like to add to your quinoa?

I heart Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix.  If you are new to the gluten-free world, Pamela’s is a must-purchase for you.  This is an easy go-to mix for making pancakes, waffles, chocolate chip cookies, and other yummy treats.  The folks at Pamela’s have a great recipe and you can add minimal ingredients to their base mix in order to make a delicious baked good.

David's Saturday morning specialty: Pamela's Pancakes

While I love experimenting with my own flour combinations when baking gluten-free, sometimes you just need something quick and easy.  Pamela’s is just that…oh, and it tastes yummy too.  Even my brother, who is the biggest gluten-eater I know, loves homemade chocolate chip cookies with Pamela’s.

Another thing I heart is baking with pumpkin.  Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin bread are all at the top of my list of favorite sweets, especially as we enter the cool weather months.  I find that baking with pumpkin adds moistness (for a lack of a better word) and sponginess to gluten-free treats.  Last week, I wanted to make a quick and easy pumpkin bread and I found this recipe on Pamela’s website.  Perfect!  I didn’t even make the Crumble Nut Topping and it was delicious.  I also like making this pumpkin bread with chocolate chips, if I really want to please my sweet tooth.  Since I was serving the pumpkin bread with soup, I went the more savory route and omitted the chocolate chips.

Pumpkin Bread with Crumble Nut Topping

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup of canned pumpkin
1-1/3 cups Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves

¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Topping: (optional)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of nuts (sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans)

Beat together butter, sugar, egg, and pumpkin. Add remaining bread ingredients and mix together. Gently mix in chocolate chips.  Pour into a greased loaf pan (8 x 4). Mix nut topping ingredients and smooth evenly over batter to the edges. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or when toothpick inserted comes out almost clean.

Enjoy!

Fall reminds me of many things:  My Dutch oven, Roasted Veggies, Chili,  and all things Pumpkin…

But the cool weather also makes me think about granola.  Don’t ask me why I make the connection between a specific season and granola because I pretty much eat this yummy snack year round.  I heart granola, in a big way.  I’ve had my go-to granola recipe for awhile, but while David was away last week, I was itching to try out a new recipe.

I found a granola recipe in Sara Foster’s Fresh Every Day cookbook that implements a distinctly different cooking process than Mark Bittman’s, which I’ve followed in the past.  I was intrigued by the use of maple syrup, and cooking the ingredients on a baking sheet instead of the roasting pan.  (I didn’t feel like digging the roasting pan out of the back of the cabinet.)

This recipe might be my new favorite and I plan on making a big batch when David’s family comes to Atlanta for Thanksgiving.  Perfect for a simple breakfast on a day where there will be much eating in the later hours.

I made a few changes to the original recipe, but stuck to the basic methods.  It is delicious, crunchy, and the coating of oil, syrup and honey worked really well.  I’ve been putting my granola in my cereal, on my yogurt, and my new favorite: on Breyer’s Dulce de Leche ice cream.  Amazing!

Granola Version 2 (Inspired by Sara Foster’s Fresh Every Day Cookbook)

Makes about 7 cups

Ingredients:

• 3 cups gluten-free oats
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (sweetened is fine too)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds, cashews, pecans and sunflower seeds)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¾ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup dried raisins

Preaheat oven to 275.

Spread the oats, coconut, and almonds on a large baking sheet with sides.  Sprinkle with salt and bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly toasted, but not darkened.  Stir occasionally while cooking.  Remove from oven and transfer ingredients to a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray pan with PAM.  Stir maple syrup, honey and oil together in a small bowl and pour over oat mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Spread granola greased baking sheet and bake for 22-27 minutes, until the granola is crispy and golden brown.  Stir several time throughout cooking process.

Let granola cool completely on the baking sheet, breaking up large clumps before it cools.  Once it has cooled completely, add raisins and cranberries and toss.  Store in an air tight container or freeze.  Enjoy!