I didn’t taste wasabi for the first time until after I graduated from college. More than 20 years of my life went by without this delightful spicy horseradish passing over my lips. Yes it will clear your sinuses in large quantities, but it hurts so good. Perhaps I’ve been making up for lost time, for now it seems that I am drawn to anything that uses wasabi to heighten flavor. Yes it’s usually the unappreciated middle child on a plate of sushi, but in this recipe it is the star. Sure, you can throw the ingredients together without wasabi and it will be fine. But wasabi will take it from a forgotten dish you eat to avoid awkward conversation at a party to something you crave because it haunts your memories.

This may also be one of the easiest party dips you can pull together. I’m all about maximum flavor with minimum effort. Even my mom, who hates food and cooking, was able to prepare this for a recent party to rave reviews. This is an especially good one for the summer since no actual cooking is involved.

Crunchy Wasabi Shrimp Spread Recipe (serves 8-10 as a party appetizer)

One 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained and diced
Two 4 ounce cans tiny pink shrimp, drained
3/4 cup wasabi mayonnaise
1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
salt and pepper to taste

gluten-free crackers or toasted baguette for serving

In a medium bowl combine water chestnuts, shrimp, mayonnaise, relish, a dash of salt and pepper. Stir to combine completely. Add salt and pepper to taste (be generous with the pepper).

For a low-fat version, replace mayonnaise with non-fat greek yogurt and 2-3 teaspoons wasabi powder. You could also eliminate the wasabi if you can’t handle the heat, but what would be the fun in that?

Another super easy appetizer to pair with this? Tamari Roasted Almonds.

So we are right in the middle of (gluten-free) Thanksgiving and holiday food overload. It’s a time when I should be preparing for over-indulgence with extra exercise and less prurient food choices. But what did I do last weekend? I had a bacon party. That’s right, a whole evening dedicated to the fatty, tasty, cholesterol-increasing, lip-smacking, heavy, awe-inspiring, salty, favorite foodstuff.

I first read of Shauna’s bacon party almost two years ago and tucked it away in the back of my mind as something that would be fun to try someday. Well that day came and it was a glorious and fun as I imagined. Designed as a pot-luck to maximize the number of bacon-containing dishes, my friends delivered deliciousness in way I didn’t know possible.

There were even bacon prizes for the top culinary creatives. The top prizes went to Joy for her bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese and almonds and Rob’s Bacon Old Fashioned made with bacon-infused bourbon. There were bacon-y drinks and rules not to be broken.

There was bacon-nog, candied bacon, bacon and brussels sprouts, a cheesy/potato/slab bacon/slice of heaven, bacon-wrapped asparagus and okra, and gluten-free bacon mac and cheese. That’s right my incredibly thoughtful friends (I was the only one at the party who couldn’t eat gluten) went out and got gluten-free pasta to make homemade gluten-free macaroni and cheese with crispy bits of bacon.

I conducted a bacon tasting of two of the top bacons in the US – Benton’s Bacon from Tennessee and Dakin Farms Bacon from Vermont. At a time that I am trying to eat local and am limiting the amount of meat in my diet, I abandoned all of those environmentally friendly and healthy choices to just enjoy.

I have one recipe to share from the baconalia, a dessert incorporating the salty treat. Because I was the hostess, I wasn’t eligible for the prizes, but I assure you these truffles were drool-worthy and one of the highlights of Bacon-Fest 2009. Yes, I plan on making this an annual event. What’s in store for next year? I don’t know, but surely with a year to plan, the dishes will just continue to get better and I can’t wait to find out….

Chocolate Bacon and Peanut Truffles Recipe (adapted from The Bacon Cookbook by James Villas)
Makes 20-25 truffles

Ingredients:
6 slices lean streaky bacon
1/2 cup salted peanuts
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup smooth cashew butter (you can substitute peanut butter or the nut butter of your choice)
4 tablespoons butter
6 ounces semisweet gluten-free chocolate
1/2 cup cocoa

Directions:
In a large skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat until crips, drain on paper towels and let cool completely. In a food processor or blender, combine the bacon, peanuts and sugar and grind to a fine texture but with little flecks of bacon still visible. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the cashew butter and stir till well blended and smooth. Cover and chill in the fridge for one hour.

Roll the mixture into balls about 3/4-inch in diameter, place on a baking sheet, return to fridge to chill for another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the butter and chocolate in a small microwave safe dish. Microwave for 20 seconds at a time, stirring between until smooth and fully melted. Remove from microwave and let cool until warm. Sift the cocoa into a bowl. Coat the chilled bacon and peanut balls completely in the melted chocolate. Dredge thoroughly in the cocoa and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy bacon?

Someone was asking me recently why I thought food memories are so vivid at times.  I think it’s because it involves so many different senses.  The smell that fills the room and eventually greets your nostrils and the presentation set out for your eyes to take in, the touch/feeling of the texture and bite and finally the actual act of tasting which is affected by all of the other senses. While there isn’t much to hear other than chewing or crunch, a great meal is usually shared and that’s where conversation plays into the vividness of the memory.  I might not remember the details of what was said, but I associate the warmth and comfort of my friendships with whatever I was eating.

I am constantly on a mission to share deliciousness with my friends and family. When I find an ingredient that I love I become almost religious in my fervency as I try to introduce them to something that brings me such pleasure.  If you share my love of food, this is a familiar circumstance.

My recent discovery is Salish Smoked Sea Salt.  It concentrates the perfume of a summer afternoon spent grilling into little crystals you can use long after summer has given way to the chill of fall and winter.  I was lucky enough to visit my friends Jed and Chris in Seattle last week.  My host gifts for them included a small jar of Salish.  On Sunday we took advantage of a beautiful afternoon to experiment with the salt as we grilled with a big group of friends.   One friend made a delicious seared tuna crusted with Salish and chili powder.  I used the salt to make halibut with a yogurt sauce everyone seemed to love.  It makes the perfect accompaniment to fish tacos though this time we just smothered the fish with the salt and topped it with cilantro.

A great starter for this dish would be my Avocado and Fig Salsa, and a side of cilantro lime butter smothered on grilled corn would make the meal complete.

Halibut Fish Tacos Recipe with Salish Smoky Yogurt Sauce
Serves 2
Ingredients
halibut fish fillets for 2
1/2 fresh lime juice
1/2 lime zest
ground salish salt to taste
cumin to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Salish Smoky Yogurt Sauce
4oz nonfat greek yogurt
1/2 fresh lime juice
1/2 lime zest
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
salish salt to taste

cilantro

corn tortillas for tacos or lettuce for wraps
Directions:
Dry the halibut filets and coat with cumin, salish salt, pepper and lime zest.  Squeeze the fresh lime juice to coat.

Mix yogurt, chili powder, salish salt, lime juice and zest.  Set aside.

Heat a medium frying pan lightly coated with grapeseed or olive oil to medium/high heat.  Pan sear the halibut on each side until done. (time will vary according to thickness of the filet and personal preference)

Top the fish with the yogurt sauce and cilantro – serve with tortillas or lettuce for tacos or lettuce wraps. 

Special thanks to Jed and Chris for being such incredible friends and making sure my five days in Seattle were full of great food memories.  They bought a big box of gluten-free crackers before I arrived so we could eat them with cheese.  At the BBQ, Jed went to extra special effort to make sure no one contaminated dishes I wanted to eat with anything ‘gluten-y’.  I felt so cared for and loved.  I will have a vivid memory of all our meals together in Seattle for years to come.  It was truly a magical break from NYC.

I decided to take it easy on the holiday candies since I had so many left over last year. But if you are looking for options – Necco brand conversation hearts and Hershey’s chocolate kisses are both gluten-free. For a full list of gluten-free candy, download this 32 page file.

And if you are looking for chocolate splurge – I highly recommend the chocolates from Chocolatique.  With flavors like ‘Georgia Pecan and Burnt Caramel’ ‘Tahitian Vanilla Caramel’ ‘Root Beer’ and ‘Grand Marnier Truffle’ you won’t lack in decadence. They were my favorite product at the Fancy Food Show last year and they even have a line of sugar-free chocolates.  While not every flavor is gluten-free, I met owner and chef Ed Engoron at the show and he is VERY gluten-aware. There are so many tempting flavors – I want to place another order soon, but can’t decide which ones will fill my box.

Now to the FREE stuff! 

Carraba’s Italian Grill is offering one lucky “A Gluten-Free Guide” reader a $50 gift certificate.  They are also hosting an event on February 10th and 11th called Dal Cuore Nights where you can select from their gluten-free menu and be entered to win an even bigger prize – an Italian Cruise.

To win the $50 gift certificate anyone who leaves a comment with a tip or advice anywhere on the site from now until February 14th will be automatically be entered. It doesn’t have to be witty or profound – let us know what you thought of a recipe or restaurant – just be sure to include your email address or web site info in the comment log-in.  The winner will be selected randomly and announced on February 15th.

If you’d prefer to cook at home, you can enter this contest for $1,000 in chef’s knives. (contest ends February 28, 2009) I was never a believer in entering contests until my friend Farrah started winning more things than I could count.  I followed her example and actually won a trip to Scotland 3 years ago (which is a gluten-free wonderland).  Granted I’ve had a bit of a dry spell since then, but still – it does happen.

Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day!

If you haven’t tried this Fig and Avocado Salsa Recipe, you are truly missing out.

While the photos don’t do this dip justice, a Garlicy Bean Spread is perfect party fare.

If the group wants something more substantial, give this Hearty Turkey Chili recipe a try.

As always, I am a big fan of Gramercy Tavern’s Spiced Mixed Nuts Recipe or the Barefoot Contessa’s Rosemary Roasted Cashews,  but Tamari Roasted Almonds or Toasted Tex-Mex Almonds are even easier.

I adore these Gluten-Free Fruit and Nut Bars and the BEST Gluten-Free Brownies Recipe is a sure crowd-pleaser. For a sweet, but snackable dessert it doesn’t get easier than this Homemade Candy – Dark Chocolate Almond Bark.

As you are preparing a slew of gluten-free party-worthy dishes, just make sure you have gluten-free chips or crudite and watch out for cross-contamination – that darn pita bread seems to be ubiquitous lately….

I hope you enjoy the big game!

While gluten-free dinner rolls were one of my most elusive achievements, the recipe that I developed was so complicated and required such difficult to attain ingredients that I never even posted the recipe to this blog.  Gluten-free bread that tastes as good at gluten-filled bread is tough to make or find — and rolls, they require even more exceptional skill and care.   While I had had success making cheese rolls with the Chebe roll mix, they weren’t really the type of dinner rolls that I craved.  At Thanksgiving this year I decided to give the Chebe bread all-purpose mix a try with a few adaptations.  They were so tasty and unbelievably easy – I feel as though I’ve conquered the unconquerable!

Easy Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls Recipe

Makes 12 small rolls

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons sweet cream butter, softened

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 package Chebe all-purpose gluten-free baking mix

5-6 Tablespoons whole milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

In a medium mixing bowl, using a fork or spoon, mix butter with sugar, add eggs and the Chebe all-purpose mix.  Stir until the mixture forms even-sized crumbs.  Add 3 tablespoons milk and mix.  Add 2-3 more tablespoons milk and continue to stir with spoon.  Once the mixture is almost even, work with your hands until smooth.  Divide dough in quarters and then break into three pieces and roll into balls.  Place each roll onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.

At 10 minutes, rotate cookie sheet. After another 8 minutes remove from oven and gently top with a bit of butter (I just use a stick of butter and glide it over the top).  Return to oven and continue to cook for 2-7 minutes or until very-lightly browned.

As you are getting ready for more holiday dinners and celebrations, these will please your guests and no one will ever suspect how easy they were to make or that they are gluten-free!

During my recent week of repose in California, I was reminded of my summer in Sicily as I again practically ate my weight in fresh figs.  Our wonderful Italian neighbors, Ruby and Carmella have two fig trees in their back yard.  I was glad to ‘assist’ them in clearing out their bounty.  While fresh figs are delightful all on their own, I decided to try my hand at a new appetizer.  I love experimenting with food and recipes when I have others to test my creations.  This ‘small plate’ makes for the perfect party showstopper because they can be put together in advance and popped in the oven right before serving.

It’s so easy it doesn’t even really require a recipe but I’ll do my best to construct one.

Gluten-Free Prosciutto Wrapped Figs

Ingredients:
Fresh Figs
Thinly-sliced Prosciutto di Parma, cut into quarters
Softened Chevre (goat cheese)
Chopped Pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees or turn on broiler

In a small bowl combine the softened goat cheese and chopped pecans

Slice figs in half, spoon a small spoonful of the cheese/pecan mixture into the center of one half of a fig.  Wrap each fig with a small piece of prosciutto and place on a foil lined cookie sheet.

When ready to serve, put the cookie sheet in the oven/broiler for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the prosciutto starts to crisp.  Serve warm. 

If you are looking for more ways to be creative with figs – try this Fig and Avocado Salsa recipe or Shauna’s take on Gluten-Free ‘Fig Newtons’ (though really that does her cookie an injustice because these taste great and Fig Newtons almost soured me to the fruit forever…)

Easy Gluten-Free Cheesecake with Pecan Nut Crust, originally uploaded by A Gluten-Free Guide.

While I posted about this gluten-free cheesecake last year when I made it for Thanksgiving, I made it again for the holidays this week. My brother (who does not bestow praise often) declared it the best cheesecake he has ever tasted. It’s a great example of simple ingredients bringing out spectacular results. I hope you are enjoying some time with family, friends and perhaps some deliciously simple food.

I live in New York City, a place known for its cheesecake. Before I had Celiac disease, a trip to Carnegie Deli for cheesecake was taken with each new visitor I helped to explore Manhattan. Carnegie Deli cheesecake is delicious, but I was never a fan of the crust. To me a cheesecake needed a graham cracker crust pure and simple.

One of the first gluten free treats I set out to conquer was crust. Pie crust and cheesecake crust – I needed to be a part of the holiday tradition. Well, much to my surprise, I was able to make a crust that is even more delicious with cheesecake than the graham cracker crust for which I had longed. Who knew that eating gluten free would keep delivering these small gifts at my door?

I served this cheesecake for dessert at Thanksgiving this year. I just wish it had fewer calories so I could indulge on a more regular basis!

Gluten Free Cheesecake with Nut Crust Supreme (Cheesecake recipe is from my Aunt Barbara, the crust is adapted from Bette Hagman’s “The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Dessert”)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Gluten Free Nut Crust Supreme
2 cups Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking Mix
½ cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Spray cheesecake pan lightly with vegetable oil spray. In a medium bowl stir together the flour mix and brown sugar. Cut in the butter until fine crumbs form. Stir in the nuts and pat into your pan. The crust will be “crumbly” but will hold together once pressed into the pan. This will be more than enough for one large cheesecake and perhaps for a second smaller pie. Though it tastes so good on it’s own you may just end up eating it!

Barbara’s Classic Gluten Free Cheesecake
4 – 8 oz bars of gluten free cream cheese, softened
1 cup of granulated sugar
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla

Mix all of the ingredients with a beater until smooth and pour into the unbaked crust. Place in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

While that is baking, prepare the topping.

2 cups gluten free sour cream
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon of gluten free almond extract
Juice from ½ a lemon

Mix the topping ingredients in a bowl. After the first 30 minutes of baking, remove the cheesecake and spoon the topping onto the cheesecake. Be careful not to overfill the pan. Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake for an additional 10-20 minutes. You may want to place a piece of foil under the cheesecake just to catch any drippings. Cooking times can vary dramatically depending upon the amount of topping you choose to use. Watch to see when it starts to solidify but don’t let it stay in so long that the crust begins to burn.

This recipe is easy to make but incredibly scrumptious, I promise.

]]> http://aglutenfreeguide.com/gluten-free-cheesecake-better-than-the-original.html/feed 37 http://aglutenfreeguide.com/gluten-free-dark-chocolate-almond-bark-recipe.html http://aglutenfreeguide.com/gluten-free-dark-chocolate-almond-bark-recipe.html#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:45:00 +0000 A Gluten-Free Guide http://aglutenfreeguide.com/?p=156
Dark Chocolate Almond Bark, originally uploaded by A Gluten Free Guide.As I gear up for my annual holiday soiree, I want to share a quick and easy gluten-free dessert recipe that is sure to please your guests. I made this for a recent party and it was a huge success. I was looking to create something to pair with a decadent Raspberry dessert wine that I originally discovered during a Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn with Chris and Jed.

I turned to my favorite resource for kitchen experimentation – the book Culinary Artistry. It gives a list of food matches made in heaven. After pouring through the pairings, I knew raspberry, dark chocolate, caramel and almonds were the flavors I wanted to bring together. I decided to adapt an old standby, my Vanilla Butterscotch Bark recipe. I kept the butterscotch and used dark chocolate and almonds. The result was incredible on its own and even better when paired with the luscious flavor of the Bonny Doon Raspberry Framboise.

This is great for a party or would make a lovely homemade gift.

Good luck planning your holiday festivities – enjoy the season!

Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Almond Bark Recipe

2 cups gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Guittard brand)
2 cups gluten-free butterscotch chips (also Guittard)
¾ cup toasted sliced or slivered blanched almonds

Prep work – Toast the almonds in the oven at 300 degrees for 6-8 minutes

Reserve ¼ cup each of the chocolate and butterscotch chips.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips, 2 minutes on high, stirring every 30 seconds.

Spread the melted chips on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Melt the butterscotch chips with the same method. Pour the butterscotch mixture on top of the chocolate and swirl with a toothpick.

Spread the reserved chips and almonds throughout the tray, gently pressing them into the mixture. Refrigerate for one hour. Break into pieces before serving.

If you are looking to serve a savory snack while entertaining – try this Rosemary Roasted Cashew Recipe - it’s another dish your guests will adore!