Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse Pie Crust, Two Ways

This weekend I created two meals using Whole Foods' Gluten Free Bakehouse pie crusts. I had not yet used this product and it did not disappoint. We’ll be eating the leftovers tonight!

Both of these recipes are two of my favorite meals from my pre-celiac days and they are naturally gluten free, except for the pie crust. The Whole Foods crust worked perfectly with both meals and my non-celiac friends couldn’t tell the difference.



Tomato Pie: This pie is perfect for Atlanta right now, since you can get gorgeous tomatoes at your local farmers’ market. You should not make this pie unless you have great tomatoes…grocery store tomatoes will make for a mediocre pie. This meal is a family favorite from growing up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. As you’ll see, this is an incredibly simple, yet delicious recipe.



Directions:

- Cook GF pie crust at 350 for 15 minutes and let cool
- Peel four large tomatoes and cut into thick slices (have extra tomatoes in case you need more)
- Put first layer in cooled pie crust (use small pieces of tomatoes to fill in gaps), and sprinkle with chives, basil, salt and pepper
- Repeat for second layer
- Mix one cup of Hellman’s mayo and one cup of shredded cheddar cheese and spread over top of tomatoes
- Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes (the mayo/cheese layer of the pie will start to brown)

Quiche: A great meal for Sunday brunch entertaining, I made the quiche in the morning and then reheated it for about ten minutes once our guests arrived. I served it with a simple mixed green salad and strawberries. Nothing too complicated, but looked pretty on the plate.

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cook 4 oz. of Hormel bacon , cut into ½ inch pieces. Remove from heat and drain grease.
- Glaze pie crust with egg yolk.
- Stir together 4 lightly beaten eggs, 1 cup 2% milk, and 1 cup cheese. Add ½ t. salt and ¼ t. pepper.
- Add bacon to mixture and pour into pie crust.
- Cook for 35 minutes, or until the top starts to brown.


Notes about the crust: The crust tasted great and very much like pie crust, but it did seem a little salty to me. I have not yet used this crust to make a sweet pie so I’m not sure what it will taste like with something sweet baked in it. Also, the edge of the crust did not ‘brown’ as much as I would like (even when basting it with egg yolk) so I might adjust the temperature a little bit in the future. Two pie crusts come in a package and the sell for around $5.99. I think this is a very reasonable price. The crusts keep in your freezer indefinitely, but you want the crust to get to room temperature before you start baking. The crust also reheats well when eating leftovers.

Thank you Whole Foods for making a pie crust to help us GF eaters make yummy, quick and savory meals!

Things I Love: Betty Crocker's Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Yesterday I ventured out to the Howell Mill Publix to in search of Betty Crocker’s new gluten free mixes. Having read about them from the Atlanta Gluten Free Examiner, I was eager to try them out. They were a little difficult to find because they were mixed in with the ‘gluten filled baking mixes,’ but the manager was very helpful. I thanked him profusely for carrying them in his store. So I walked out of the store arms full with boxes of chocolate chip cookie, brownie and devil’s food cake mix. The first product I tested were the brownies.



Why I love them:

Simple: There are a lot of reasons why I fell in love with Betty Crocker again yesterday. The mix was extremely simple. All it involved was combining the mix with 2 eggs and half a stick of butter. (And of course I added chocolate chips!) I didn’t even need to break out the Kitchen Aid!

Cheap(er): Betty’s mixes are cheap. They were only $3.99 at the Howell Mill Publix. Most GF baking mixes tend to be in the $5-$6 range.

Taste: The brownies were/are delicious. David and I dug into them last night. Chewy, chocolaty, dare I even say moist? And they don’t leave that weird after taste that some GF baked goods do.

Just Because: I love these mixes because it means that the GF diet is becoming more mainstream and getting more attention from major companies. Hopefully this means that GF prices will start to drop and other companies will follow Betty Crocker, Chex and others that acknowledge what a large consumer base we gluten free eaters (and our families) are!

Ask your local grocery store manager to carry Betty Crocker gluten free mixes! Next week I’ll report on the chocolate chip cookies.

Making Fresh Pesto

Last week I stumbled upon some beautifully fresh basil and decided to make pesto. David and I love pesto and fortunately, we don’t get sick of it because I’ve incorporated it into four dinners in the past week. I went with the classic, no frills pesto and it was absolutely delicious and super easy to make.

I followed this recipe from Simply Recipes

Ingredients
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Special equipment needed: A food processor Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

What I made:

Night 1: Chicken pesto pasta

1. Cook GF spaghetti ( Bionaturae Brand: follow instructions on container, but I would suggest not using as much salt as they recommend)

2. Cook chopped boneless chicken breasts on stove with olive oil for about 8 minutes on medium heat.

3. Once chicken is cooked, add cherry tomatoes to pan and cook on low temp to soften tomatoes…I used all different color tomatoes from the Decatur Farmers’ Market to add more color to the plate.

4. When pasta and chicken are ready, drain pasta and put in a serving bowl with chicken and toss in pesto.

I also roasted some fresh okra (400 degrees for 10 min, olive oil, S and P) for the meal as well. Enjoy!

*More details on Pesto Nights 2, 3, and 4 still to come!

Things I Love: Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats

I love oats and Bob’s Red Mill now produces oats that are certified gluten free. (Make sure you purchase the GF oats…it’s clearly labeled on the bag.)

What I use them for:
- Making homemade granola (recipe still to come…mines not as good as my mother-in-laws)
- Making Monster Cookies
- To add to a topping for a fruit cobbler

- A hearty breakfast in the winter

Why I love it: While oats have been controversial in the past in regard to their gluten content, Bob’s are certified and good to go. Oats were one of the foods I missed the most when first diagnosed and now I don’t have to miss out on them anymore. When following a recipe using oats, you don’t have to change it at all. They cook the same as any other oats.

Shortcoming(s):
- More expensive than non-certified gluten free oats, but unfortunately that’s not unusual in the GF world.
- Sometimes can be difficult to find in stores. Good news! Kroger on Howell Mill Road carries them as does the Buckhead Whole Foods.

A Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Egg Free, Nut Free Feast!

This weekend we hosted two of our friends over for dinner. One of our guests, Chris, is allergic to eggs, lactose, nuts and fish so we made a meal that worked for both him and me and it was delicious! (And not too difficult.)

The Menu:

Appetizers:
Green Mountain Gringo Tortilla Chips
Whole Foods Roasted Pepper Salsa
Refried Bean Dip (purchased at the Decatur Farmers' Market)

Dinner

Beer Can Chicken on the Grill (Made with a can of Diet Coke instead of beer…it tastes exactly the same.)

Spinach and mixed green salad with blueberries, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes (again, Decatur farmers’ market), red pepper and Ginger Pear Salad Dressing made by Maple Grove Farms of Vermonth. I love this brand because they clearly label gluten free products and they taste great too.

Chickpea Flatbread: See below for recipe…I found it in the July 2009 Bon Appetit

Dessert
Sorbet (Strawberry & Passionfruit) and Lucy's Cinnamon Thin Cookies. I was determined to find a dessert that fit all of our dietary needs. I fell in love with Lucy's Cookies about a month ago when a friend brought them to me and it turns out that they're gluten, nut, egg and dairy free. I don't know how she does it, but they're so tasty. (Even non-allergy people like them.)