RECIPE: A&Z's Gluten-Freed Quiche

Gluten-Freed by A: I found the original recipe here, and it is very tasty and flexible. It provides a good basis for just about anything you want to toss into your quiche. We started with broccoli cheddar and then moved on to bacon cheese.

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 2 cups nonfat milk
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 small head broccoli, steamed, and then cut into small chunks
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 Gluten-Freed Pie Crust
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and half-and-half. Season with salt and black pepper. Place broccoli and cheddar in the pie shell. Pour egg mixture over cheese.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for 25 minutes, or until crust is golden and filling is set. Allow to set 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
   

Total From A to Z: 4.5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *
I tried two different versions, one with half and half (like the original recipe calls for) and one with nonfat milk. The original recipe called for half and half, but I found that the nonfat milk could be dropped in with no loss in quality of quiche. We had a broccoli and cheddar cheese variant and a bacon and three cheese variant. Both were excellent. Fluffy, good flavor, and just the right amount of crunch from the crust. I didn't really keep track of what I did with the bacon and three cheese version, so I guess I'll just have to try it again.

Z's Review: * * * *
These quiches turned out really delicious. I think the pie crust mix we used worked pretty well for quiche too. The crust tasted buttery and flaked apart in your mouth. The eggs were light and fluffy, but solid enough to be cut in slices. The one with bacon and cheese had a lovely toasted layer of cheese on top. The broccoli one was really tasty too, but I would have liked a little bit more broccoli in it. Also, next time I might recommend a little less milk to make the eggs a tiny bit more solid. But, all in all, this quiche was delicious - we ate it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

RECIPE: GFE's Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Source: GFE - Gluten Free Easily

Original Recipe: Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe Review by Z: I was intrigued by this recipe when I saw it on GFE because there's no flour in it at all! In fact, the whole recipe has only five ingredients! For peanut butter I used Arrowhead Mills' Organic Crunchy Valencia Peanut Butter, which is labeled as gluten-free. The recipe was pretty simple to put together and quick to make.

Total From A to Z: 5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *
OK, someone tell me how peanut butter, brown sugar, and vanilla can manage to not be awesome? These taste great!

Z's Review: * * * * *
I have to admit: when I originally read this recipe on GFE I was pretty skeptical about it. I didn't see how so few ingredients could be combined and baked into a cookie with the right consistency. But it worked and these cookies were delicious. By following GFE's instructions (especially including the part about leaving the cookies on the cookie tray after removing them from the oven) I was rewarded with perfect and gluten-free peanut butter cookies!! The peanut butter flavor really comes through, too. The second batch with chocolate chips was also amazing!

RECIPE: GFE's Baked Potato Soup

Source: GFE - Gluten Free Easily

Original Recipe: Baked Potato Soup

Recipe Review by Z: This recipe comes from a gluten-free blog that I love: Gluten Free Easily. GFE focuses on how eating gluten-free can be easy by focusing on "real" foods. I chose this recipe because of its simplicity and because it looked like it would make a good, hearty soup! It was really simple to make. For GF flour, I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour. I also added quite a bit of black pepper. I served the soup with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon on top. Next time I think I'll add some chives for a little extra crunch and color!

Total From A to Z: 4 Stars

A's Review: * * * *

Thick and very satisfying. A hearty meal, rich and wonderful. It could have been a little bit thinner, but it was not bad at all. Good with usual baked potato toppings or just by itself.

Z's Review: * * * *
This was a really hearty baked potato soup and it was ridiculously easy to make! It uses ingredients that you might have around your house already and it doesn't take much tending. And one bowl of this soup - with a little bit of shredded cheese and crumbled bacon - was more than enough to fill me up for dinner! My only complaint was that it might have turned out a tiny bit too thick. The leftovers in my fridge look more like mashed potatoes than soup! Maybe I need to make an altitude adjustment and add a little bit more chicken broth next time? But this soup was so yummy that I'm certain there will be a next time!

RECIPE: A&Z's Gluten-Freed Coconut Shrimp

Gluten-Freed by A: I used the same recipe as when I made gluten-free beer battered fish, but I added coconut and put it on shrimp!

Total From A to Z: 3 Stars

A's Review: * * *
The coconut made the whole battering and frying process much more difficult, as the long strands of coconut tended to fall off and pull more batter and coconut with them. The shrimp that did manage to hang on to the coconut batter were very tasty. But the shrimp and batter alone were not very appealing. I think next time I will do this with smaller pieces of coconut and toast them first so they will be drier and hopefully stick better.

Z's Review: * * *
First and foremost I have to say how much I love my A for his willingness to try making gluten-freed versions of things I can't order in restaurants anymore. We saw coconut shrimp on a menu the other day and A immediately decided to try it. That being said, I think this recipe still needs a little bit of work. The shrimp that ended up with coconut on them tasted great, but unfortunately we didn't have a whole lot of luck getting the coconut to stick. A lot of the shrimp just ended up sort of battered and fried, which just didn't taste as good as having the coconut. But A already has some ideas for how to fix it, so we'll update you when we do round two!

RECIPE: A&Z's Gluten-Freed Healthy Meatballs

Gluten-Freed by Z: This is a recipe I made up myself for simple, healthy, gluten-free meatballs.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground buffalo (We like to eat buffalo because it is healthier, but I know it isn't easy to get everywhere. Also, some brands taste gamier than others, which not everybody likes. So ground beef or turkey would work well too.)
• 1/2 cup steamed and pureed cauliflower (You can also use baked and pureed sweet potato or butternut squash. This idea comes from Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious cookbook. She teaches you how to use vegetable purees in cooking to make meals healthier. I think its a great cookbook to encourage you to eat more vegetables even if you don't have kids!)
• 1/2 cup flax seed meal (I use flax seed because it is really good for you- and it is especially supposed to be good for people with RA. I think it makes a pretty decent substitute for bread crumbs. However, it does change the flavor a little bit, so if you don't like the taste you can always use less flax seed and more Rice Chex.)
  
• 2 cups crushed Rice Chex (measure after crushing)
• 1 egg
  
• Italian seasoning - to taste
• Garlic salt - to taste
• Pepper - to taste
  

Directions

1. Combine ingredients with meat until well mixed.
   
2. Form meat into balls! For me, this recipe yields about 20 good-sized meatballs.
3. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and then add the meatballs.
   
4. Cook covered on medium heat, flipping occasionally, until meatballs are cooked all the way through. About twenty minutes. (Note: if you are pressed for time, you can cook faster at a higher temperature, but be careful not to burn the meatballs!)
5. Enjoy!!
   

Total From A to Z: 5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *

Tender, juicy, flavorful. Just simple and good. I think this recipe would work with various kinds of meat as well, such as beef or turkey or pork, even though buffalo is our animal of choice.

Z's Review: * * * * *
I love these meatballs! (But perhaps I am biased, since I created them!) They can be eaten all by themselves - a snack or appetizer - or with pasta and sauce. I have to admit that they are probably a little bit softer than regular meatballs, due to adding flax seed and vegetables to make them healthier. If you don't like the softer texture, you can always use less of those ingredients so more meat will shine through!

RECIPE: A&Z's Gluten-Freed Beer Battered Fish

Source: all recipes

Original Recipe: Beer Battered Fish

Gluten-Freed by A: I started with a highly reviewed recipe from allrecipes.com, so I was already expecting this to be good. I cut the suggested portions in half since it was only going to be for two, and I still had a ton left over. I only ended up using about 1/4 of the batter, so I saved the rest since there is some fish left as well. I think the prep time is a little optimistic, but luckily I wasn't too crushed for time.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup gluten free beer (Gluten-Freed!!) [We used Bard's]
  
• 3/4 cups milk
• 2 cups gluten free flour (Gluten-Freed!!)
• 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• garlic salt, to taste
• lemon pepper, to taste
• paprika, to taste
• 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
• 1 & 1/2 lbs. cod fillets
• lemon juice
• tartar sauce

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Mix in beer. Stir in flour mixture. Season with salt and black pepper.
3. In an electric deep fryer or a heavy saucepan, heat oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Coat fish in batter, and submerge in hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with tartar sauce.
   

Total From A to Z: 5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *
The fish turned out better than I was expecting. Having never done fried fish before, I was experimenting with cooking times and making sure they were just the right shade of golden brown. I also used frozen cod, but I think fresh cod would have been better. They turned out very well and we both kept eating waaaaay past the point of being full.

Z's Review: * * * * *
This beer battered fish was simply awesome! The cooked batter was brown and crunchy and not too oily. It was so very satisfying with a little bit of tartar sauce and some oven-baked french fries. It was also really great to be able to have what is generally a gluten-filled restaurant classic at home and gluten-free!

RECIPE: A&Z's Gluten-Freed Chicken Katsu

Source: all recipes

Original Recipe: Chicken Katsu

Gluten-Freed by A: Chicken katsu is one of Z's favorite foods, so figuring out how to gluten-free this was an obvious choice. Like with freeing the crab cakes, only minor modifications were necessary. This was actually my first attempt with using crushed Rice Chex for the breading and GF all-purpose flour for the batter.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breast, boneless, sliced in half
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups Rice Chex, crushed (Gluten-Freed!!)
  
• 2 cups cooking oil, more as needed
  

Batter Mix:

• 4 tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour (Gluten-Freed!!)
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp lemon pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  

Directions:

1. Mix the GF flour, the garlic salt, and both peppers together in a shallow dish. Place the eggs and crushed Rice Chex into separate dishes as well.
2. Coat the chicken breasts in the flour mix, shaking off any excess. Coat them in egg, and then press into the Rice Chex until well coated on both sides.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the hot oil until golden brown. Turn often to avoid overcooking one side.
4. Serve over steamed rice with GF hoisin sauce and/or GF soy sauce.
   

Total From A to Z: 5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *

The recipe that I used as a basis was very well reviewed to begin with, so I had high expectations. I was not disappointed. It took some trial and error to get the golden brown color just right coming out of the oil, but when I put them down on a bed of white rice with some gluten -ree hoisin sauce, oohs and ahhs abounded. The chicken was just right, perfectly crunchy but still tender on the inside and the taste of the crust was most excellent as well.

Z's Review: * * * * *
This was amazing!! It was the first time I've ever had homemade chicken katsu and it was seriously delicious! It was just as good as resturant katsu. And I was really, really happy to still be able to eat a meal that had always been a favorite. (In other news, A is the best boyfriend ever!!) My only tiny complaint is that I thought the hoisin sauce was a little too spicy with the katsu. I would have preferred a traditional tonkatsu sauce, which is a little bit sweeter, but we were unable to find it at the store. But next time maybe we'll try making our own tonkatsu sauce with this recipe or perhaps this one. Either way, I can't wait to have this for dinner again!

RECIPE: A&Z's Gluten-Freed Crabcakes

Source: all recipes

Original Recipe: Baked Maryland Lump Crabcakes

Gluten-Freed by A: Since crabcakes only have one glutenous ingredient to start with (in this recipe at least), it was an easy thing to substitute crushed Rice Chex for the bread crumbs. This makes our gluten-free crabcakes another food that no one would realize the recipe had been edited unless you told them. Other than the modifications that I made by adding bacon and Gruyere cheese, the credit for the tastiness of this goes to the original creator.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup Rice Chex, crushed (Gluten-Freed!!)
  
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 3 tsp. seafood seasoning
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 large eggs
• 1 lb. lump crab meat
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup bacon, chopped
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
2. Combine Rice Chex, baking powder, parsley, pepper, and seafood seasoning; set aside. Stir together butter, Worcestershire, and eggs until smooth. Fold in crab meat, then fold in dry mixture, bacon, and cheese until well blended.
3. Shape mixture into 12 crab cakes, about 3/4 inch thick, and place onto prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then turn the crab cakes over, and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until nicely browned.
   

Total From A to Z: 5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *
As far as a gluten-free dish goes, this is definitely one of the best we have made so far. The bacon and Gruyere made subtle additions to the flavor of the cake, without overwhelming the crab. I might add more cheese next time, as it could hardly be tasted at all. The cakes were thick and tasty, well-liked by everyone who ate them.

Z's Review: * * * * *
This was really yummy - and it was really fun to see A get so creative with his cooking! I have to admit that I don't have a ton of experience with crab, so this tasted a bit more fishy than I expected. But I guess that's a result of using real crab! (I recently discovered that imitation crab often has wheat starch in it, so be careful with those California rolls if you're gluten-free!) I couldn't directly taste the bacon that A had added, but I'm sure it added to the overall flavor, which was delicious. Plus, A says he'll probably use more bacon next time and you can't go wrong with that!

RECIPE: A Gluten-Free Guide's Celabratory Cupcakes

Source: A Gluten-Free Guide

Original Recipe: Celebratory Cupcakes! (Yellow Gluten-Free Cupcakes)

Recipe Review by Z: This recipe was actually discovered by my friend RK, who has been extremely supportive and encouraging during my transition to a gluten-free lifestyle. And, to be fair, she did most of the work when we were baking these while I just prepared to eat them! As far as the recipe goes, we had a few minor comments:

• We ended up buying two packages of Jello vanilla pudding because we weren't sure which size box was required. In the end we went with the 3.4 oz box.
• We only had to bake the cupcakes for about 21 minutes (less than the suggested 25) and we only got 21 cupcakes (less than a full dozen)
• For the frosting, we had a little bit of trouble with the quantities because the package of confectioner's sugar we had was more than a pound and we weren't sure how many cups to use. In the end, we guessed and then ended up adding a little extra milk to make the frosting less thick.
• ALTITUDE NOTE: Although Boulder is at a higher altitude, we didn't do anything to adjust this recipe and the cupcakes still came out fantastic!
  

Total From A to Z: 5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *
Today, the mac and cheese was de-throned in battle for best gluten-free equivalent. These cupcakes are awesome, fluffy in the middle and just a little bit of crunch around the edges. Somehow the creators of this recipe managed to avoid the density and hardness issues that are so common with other gluten-free bread stuffs. This should serve as a template for all gluten-free bread things from now on!

Z's Review: * * * * *
I'm pretty sure these cupcakes were the very best dessert I have had since I have become gluten-free! Just for fun we used food coloring to turn the frosting pink and added little hearts out of red sprinkles. The cupcakes themselves were fluffy and tasted just like regular yellow cake. No trace of corn or orange juice! They were amazing hot out of the oven and just as tasty when cold hours later. I really enjoyed these cupcakes and I am delighted that we'll have them around the house for the next couple of days. Or at least the next couple of hours!!