Gluten Free Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

These tempting Gluten Free Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms are one of my very favorite recipes. Traditionally, I serve appetizers and cocktails on New Years Eve; these warm, savory, bite-sized beauties always seem to find their way on to my holiday appetizer menu. As a matter of fact, I love these Gluten Free Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms so much that I serve them to my family for dinner throughout the year with a side of quinoa and a hearty dinner salad.

Try adding this easy to prepare gluten free appetizer to your New Years Eve menu... you might just find you love it enough to serve it year round as well!

Gluten Free Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

24 fresh mushrooms, stems removed
1 (10 oz. package) frozen chopped spinach
2 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces feta cheese
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Thaw spinach in a colander; squeeze out as much of the moisture as possible. In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients except mushrooms and parmesan cheese; mix well. Fill the mushroom caps with cheese-spinach mixture and place on a cookie sheet (use a cookie sheet with sides to contain the liquid emitted from the mushrooms during baking). Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of mushrooms. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm. Yield: 2 dozen.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Spring Rolls with Thai-Style Peanut Sauce - Gluten Free

I could eat ethnic food every day of the week and never tire of it. Spring rolls are a favorite of mine that I order anytime they are available in Asian restaurants. Recently I learned how to make spring rolls at home! My gluten free spring rolls taste just as good (if not better) than many spring rolls I have tried in restaurants, and guess what? They aren't difficult to make at all, I promise! My husband and I had so much fun making them together. They were a hit with my whole family (the kiddos too!), and the left overs we had for dinner the next day tasted even better the day they were made. Yum!!


These tasty gluten free spring rolls taste great dipped in the smooth Thai Style Peanut Sauce. I used Earth Balance Natural Creamy Peanut Butter to make the sauce. I prefer Earth Balance Natural Peanut Butter over other brands because it contains no sugar, is sweetened only with natural Agave syrup, and contains flax seeds (which are rich in Omega 3 content). Unlike other natural nut butters, Earth Balance Nut Butters need no stirring... hoorah! Give Earth Balance Natural Peanut Butter a try and let me know what you think!


My Gluten Free Vegetarian Spring Rolls with Thai-Style Peanut Sauce are sure to become a fun family favorite in your household too! Both kids and grown ups alike love dipping these fresh tasting finger foods into the nicely seasoned peanut sauce. Whether served as a main dish, appetizer, or side dish, these beauties are delicious, satisfying, and wholesome.


Vegetarian Spring Rolls with Thai-Style Peanut Sauce - Gluten Free

1 1/4 ounces dry rice vermicelli (thin rice noodles), or enough to yield about 1 cup cooked

1 1/4 cup shredded carrots

1 1/4 cup shredded cabbage

2 scallions (white and green parts) sliced very thin

15 fresh basil leaves, chopped

15 fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup peanuts, crushed

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce (Tamari)

1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon toasted (dark) sesame seed oil

15 (8-inch) round gluten free spring roll wrappers (made from tapioca or rice; in the Asian section of your market)

1 batch Thai Style Peanut Sauce (recipe to follow)

Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Remove from heat and stir in the rice noodles. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until soft and opaque. Drain and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds; drain again. Cut into 1-inch lengths and transfer to a large bowl.

Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the rice papers and sauce, to the noodles and mix well.

Prepare a bowl of warm water large enough to dip the rice papers. Working with one at a time, dip the rice paper in the warm water until it begins to soften, 8-10 seconds. Transfer to a flat work surface. Working quickly, put about 1/4 cup filling on each wrapper. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling, and then fold each side toward the center. Roll from the bottom to the top of each roll, as tightly as you can without ripping the wrapper. Wrap in plastic to keep from drying out. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Serve at room temperature, with Peanut Dipping sauce. Alternatively, refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight, and serve chilled or return to room temperature. Yield: 15 Spring Rolls

Thai-Style Peanut Dipping Sauce - Gluten Free

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (I use Earth Balance Natural Creamy Peanut Butter)

1 1/2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce (Tamari)

1 tablespoon coconut milk

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon Chinese chili paste (use spicy or sweet chili paste depending on your taste preference)

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

In a small bowl, combine the warm water and sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients, whisking until smooth and well blended. Serve at room temperature. Yield: about 1 1/4 cups sauce.

*Recipe adapted from The Gluten Free Vegetarian Kitchen cookbook.

*For more gluten free meal ideas check visit the Gluten Free Homemaker and check out the What Can I Eat? page.

Enjoy!

Tri-Spiced Onion Rings with Horseradish Dipping Sauce - Gluten Free

My fellow foodies, this is the best recipe for gluten free onion rings I have ever tasted! They are crispy, flavorful, perfectly seasoned and have an out of this world dipping sauce to make them even more delicious (if that is possible!). I found this recipe in my new Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook written by Robert Landolphi. Given the success of Mr. Landolphi's onion ring recipe I am eager to try his recipe for gluten free Flaky Pie Crust next. He promises it will taste as good as Grandma's pie crust. My Grandma's pie crust is amazing, so I must put this claim to the test... time to dip into my recent cherry harvest and make a cherry pie! I like the easy, family friendly recipes in the Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook . I wish I had a copy of it when I was newly gluten free, as it has great tips and advice on gluten free cooking that would have cleared up much of the confusion I felt back then. I appreciate this cookbook at this point on my gluten free journey simply because the recipes are so appealing. For my fellow vegetarians: although there are many recipes in the book that contain meat, I found there to be enough meatless recipes in the book to balance it out nicely (several are for baked goods!). Enjoy this recipe for Mr. Landolphi's phenomenal gluten free Tri-Spiced Onion Rings with Horseradish Dipping sauce. Be sure to leave me a comment and let me know how much you like them!



Tri-Spiced Onion Rings with Horseradish Dipping Sauce - Gluten Free

Horseradish Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons ketchup

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Batter

1 cup white rice flour

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 large egg yolks

3/4 cup gluten free beer (I used Redbridge)

Additional Ingredients

Canola oil for deep frying (I used peanut oil)

2 large white onions, cut into 1/2 inch thick rings and separated

For the horseradish sauce: In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients together and set aside.

For the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the white rice flour, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt. Gradually whisk in the egg yolks and beer until a smooth, thick batter forms.

In a large, heavy saute pan or dutch oven (I used my deep fryer), heat 3 inches of canola oil (I used peanut oil) until it registers 360 degrees on a deep frying thermometer (or until your deep fryer is ready if using one). Dip a few onion rings at a time into the batter and then add to the hot oil, cooking until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the cooked onion rings to paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining onion rings until all are cooked. Place the onion rings on a platter and serve with the dipping sauce (tip: as I made the rings, I transferred them to a paper towel lined oven proof platter in a 175 degree oven to keep them warm as I worked). Yield: 6 servings

Enjoy!

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmades) - Gluten Free

I love ethnic food. I grew up eating it, and to me it is comfort food. My Grandma married the nicest man alive (my Grandpa Raoul) when my Mom was little. He was Hispanic, so my Grandma (who was an amazing cook) learned how to make authentic Mexican food from Grandpa Raoul and his mother, my Great Grandma Annie. My Grandma and Grandpa Raoul even owned a Mexican restaurant in the 1960's. It was called "Raoul's Golden Sombrero". Grandpa ran the kitchen and Grandma waited tables. How CUTE is that??? I can still remember eating my Grandma's handmade flour tortillas hot off her well seasoned cast iron pan. The salty butter melted immediately upon hitting the tortilla, and I rolled it up and ate my delicious prize. Melted butter ran down my hands, and I didn't care. Comfort. What does this have to do with Stuffed Grape Leaves? It is connected because it illustrates one of the examples of how ethnic food became comfort food for me at a young age. I have similar memories of Middle Eastern Food as a child. My Mom re-married when I was 8 years old. My Step Dad was Syrian. He had this huge family that liked to celebrate anything and everything all of the time. I think it might have been an excuse for the women of the family to prepare massive platters of the greatest tasting Middle Eastern comfort foods known to man. In addition to mounds of creamy hummus served with bakery fresh Pita triangles, savory rice dishes and Roasted Lamb, there was always a giant mountain of Stuffed Grape Leaves (aka Dolmades). As a child, I thought they looked like shiny green cigars. I approached with caution. After much convincing by a relentless room full of persuasive adults, I finally tasted one. WOW! Lemon-y and salty, yet balanced with a slight fruitiness. I loved them! I could polish off a pile of them in no time. Those Dolmades of my childhood contained meat and I am now a vegetarian, so I had to search for a suitable recipe. I recently found an excellent recipe for vegetarian Dolmades (courtesy of Tyler Florence). I tweaked the recipe a little bit, based on my experiences while preparing this dish. Dolmades make such a perfect light meal for Spring and Summer when served with a vinegar infused cucumber and tomato salad. Add a side of hummus and some GF crackers or lavosh bread if you like. They are a delicious offering as an appetizer when entertaining too. Served hot or cold,

I am sure you will agree that Dolmades stand for one thing. Comfort.

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmades) - Gluten Free

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 small fennel bulb, halved cored & diced

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 cup long grain rice

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (at this writing Swanson's is GF)

2 tablespoons finally chopped fresh dill leaves

1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

salt and fresh ground black pepper

8 oz jar grape leaves, rinsed and drained

2 lemons, juiced (save the peels to grate for the zest in this recipe; freeze extra for future use)

Directions

To make the filling, coat a large saute pan with 1/4 cup of the oil and place over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and lemon zest and stir until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the pine nuts and rice, saute for 2 minutes, stirring to coat. Pour in just 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth and lower the heat. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 10 minutes. Scrape the parboiled rice mixture into a bowl and add the dill and parsley; season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool.

To assemble the Dolmades, lay a grape leaf on a work surface, shiny side down. Put 2 Tbsp. of the rice filling near the stem end of the leaf. Fold the stem end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and roll up into a cigar - it should be snug but not overly tight because the rice will swell once it is fully cooked. Squeeze lightly in the palm of your hand to secure the roll. Repeat with remaining grape leaves and filling.

Place the Dolmades in a 9x13 glass baking dish, seam side down in a single layer. Pour the remaining cup of broth, remaining olive oil, and the lemon juice over the Dolmades, the liquid should reach halfway up the rolls, add some water if necessary. Cover the pan and Bake @ 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or until the Dolamdes are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cool. Tastes great served with a side of Cucumber Tomato Salad (recipe below).

Cucumber Tomato Salad

1 English cucumber or regular cucumber, sliced (no need to peel English type)

4 ripe Roma tomatoes, sliced (or 2 medium sized tomatoes)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Feta Cheese

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Arrange sliced tomatoes and cucumbers on a dinner sized plate. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. Sprinkle with crumbled Feta cheese. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Yield: 4-6 servings