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Sunday, April 22, 2007
A Problem Solved!
One of our staples in our wheat free pantry is Tinkyada Rice Pasta. We use it to replace all pasta, noodles, spaghetti, etc. It was an easy transition, and we all enjoy the pasta at our meals. I try to make extra for lunches or dinners for my son, particularly if we are out or traveling. I usually make a whole bag, which can last for two dinner meals and extra lunches.
I follow the package directions for cooking. I drain and rinse the pasta well (otherwise it just sticks together). After that I add vegetable oil or Smart Balance margarine. I reheat the noodles briefly in the microwave before serving (if I'm serving alone as a side dish -- rinsing makes them cold).
The problem is leftovers. Rice pasta doesn't always reheat well. It can get hard and not palatable. But this week I made a discovery that will revolutionize our leftover pasta dilemma! (Those who do not use a microwave can just skip this entry.) Perhaps we're the only family with this problem, but the problem is solved.
On Thursday I was reheating a half batch of noodles I had made on Monday. They were cold and hard. My first attempt at just heating them for a minute in the microwave warmed them, but did not soften then. But then I added some canned chicken stock, just a tablespoon or two to the noodles, heated for a minute or two and eureka! Soft palatable noodles, like they were just cooked. Water might work, but the chicken stock added a touch of flavor.
For a smaller batch, like an individual serving for my son's lunch, I'll cover the dish with a dampened paper towel and reheat for about 30 seconds to refresh the noodles. When you don't do sandwiches, you have to come up with some tasty carb alternatives.
17:23 Posted in Food Allergies , Helpful Hints , Wheat, Egg and Dairy Free | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this
Friday, April 13, 2007
Easter Ham
Christ is risen, Alleluia! He is risen, indeed, Alleluia!
My mother hosted our Easter family celebration this year. For the main meal, she decided to have roast beef and ham, and I offered to bring the ham and bake it for her. I think I've mentioned this before, but many glazes on hams have allergens, particularly wheat. Some hams have injected juices, so it's important to read labels before buying ham.
I bought one at Costco. I follow the reheating instructions, 325 degrees at 8 minutes per pound, but I do not use the glaze packet, instead I follow the recipe from the old version of Joy of Cooking for Spirit Glaze for Ham. This is really taste, keeps the ham moist, and is my family's favorite. When serving dinner, the question came "Is this Jenn's ham? Allright!"
Spirit Glaze for Ham
1/2 to 1 cup dry red wine
1/2 to 1 cup bourbon whiskey (I use Maker's Mark)
1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar
6 bruised cloves
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan until sugar is melted. Pour over the ham and baste throughout the cooking cycle, about every 15 minutes.
The best thing about ham is that it can do double or triple duty for meals. So this ham was part of our Easter feast on Sunday, then a repeat meal on Easter Monday at home. On Wednesday we had Red Beans and Rice, one of my favorites.
12:34 Posted in Easter , Liturgical Year , Main Meal , Wheat, Egg and Dairy Free | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
Easter Lamb Cake
I had huge success for my lamb cake this Easter, and really I have to give all credit to Elizabeth Foss, since she shared her recipe on the Easter Menu discussion from the 4RealLearning Forums. I have a different cake mold than the Wilton version, but the recipe and directions worked out perfectly. I had no breakage, no floppy cake. The cake itself was firm but moist and tasty. The decorator icing was delicious...a bit on the sweet side, but that's typical for decorator icing. I used the No. 21 tip and made stars to recreate the fluffy lamb's wool. I used jellybeans for the eyes and mouth, dyed coconut green and sprinkled on the top of the base to recreate grass.
Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing your family's secrets. I'm reproducing the recipe so I can keep it for my records (every year I forget what I did the last time).
Pound Cake:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese
2 3/4 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Beat butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat eggs, one at a time. Sift flour and add to batter. Add vanilla; mix well.
Place batter into a greased and floured pan; follow Wilton baking instructions.
I didn't need to double the recipe. The leftover batter was enough to fill one 10 inch layer to use as the base for the lamb. Next year I might double to make a layer cake. The pan cooked much more quickly than the lamb, so watch that carefully.
I didn't ice right away. From my decorating class I had the recommendation to wrap up the cake in many layers of plastic wrap and then freeze the cake. I do believe I was supposed to "crumb" the cake, which was to put a thin layer of frosting all over the cake before freezing, but I skipped that part. The freezing would make the cake firm for decorating and keep it moist.
Hazelnut Frosting
1/2 cup Shortening
1/2 cup Butter
5 cups Confectioner's Sugar
4 Tbsp. Frangelico (or more to get the right consistency)
Cream butter and shortening with mixer for 3 minutes on high speed. Add Frangelico. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. Mix on high speed for 5 minutes.
I did double this recipe and had only a little leftover. I LOVED the Frangelico addition. I think next time I might add a pinch of salt to cut the sweetness, but I'll have to think that one over.
I used decorator bags, which turned out to be hard for me to squeeze. Next year I'm going to try to use a Decorator, perhaps like the one from Pampered Chef, which will not require as much thumb movement.
12:23 Posted in Desserts , Easter , Liturgical Year | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this
Good Friday Meal
I ran into some friends (a married couple) one Friday this Lent and we started discussing what kinds of meatless meals we served in the family. Usually a Friday meant tunafish, either tuna salad or tunafish casserole (with rice, not noodles). The husband is Italian, and his family grew up with beans and rice for Friday meals...but not the Louisiana Red Beans and Rice that I love to make, but an Italian version. I pestered for a recipe of sorts and made it this Good Friday.
Italian Rice and Beans
Marinara sauce (I followed Giada's without the carrots
Cannellini Beans (canned is an option)
Rice
First you make the marinara sauce, let it simmer, then add cannellini or any other beans. If using canned, make sure you drain and rinse the beans well. Add some water or stock and let it simmer up to an hour. Season to taste as you go along. Don't let it become too thick, add some liquid periodically.
Cook the rice separately (I use short grain), until it is about done, or al dente. Add the rice to the bean and tomato mixture. The rice will absorb the sauce so add near the end, close to serving.
This was so tasty. My only change would be to use dried beans instead of canned...or find another brand. The beans were a bit mealy, and I like them to be a bit firmer. But I know dried would require some extra steps and time.
11:05 Posted in Liturgical Year , Meatless, Penitential , Vegan , Wheat, Egg and Dairy Free | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
Holy Thursday Meal
On my other blog I've talked about planning the Holy Thursday meal. Should I or should I not have a Seder meal? I know it's a week later, but I thought I would share our menu.
I decided to not do an official Seder, but just incorporate elements that would remind us of Jesus' Last Supper, and the reading and Gospel from the Mass of the Lord's Supper.
Holy Thursday Dinner Menu:
Lamb Chops with Artichoke Hearts (Reminder of the Passover Lamb, and Christ the Paschal Lamb)
Mashed Potatoes (allergy free)
Spinach (reminder of the bitter herbs)
Applesauce (reminder of the Charoses, the bricks and mortar in Egypt)
Bread (reminder of the Unleavened Bread and the Eucharist)
Grapes (reminder of the wine and Blood of Christ)
Dessert (Because it's a festive day in the eyes of the Church)
As a family of three, with a messy 3 year old, we rarely eat in our dining room. But I set the table with a white tablecloth, our china and silver, even for our son. I made a resolution to make sure I do this more often with just us, because my son asked "Are people coming over for dinner?" when he saw the table.
Since dh and I don't really have a taste for lamb and we're a small family, I only made a few lamb chops (frozen from Trader Joe's). The recipe I used was Lamb Chops with Artichoke Hearts, without the olives and tomatoes. It was quite easy and tasty, although it didn't cover up the lamb aftertaste.
Since we were leaving for the Mass that evening, we didn't have wine. We read from the book of Exodus 12:1-20 is read —the story of the first Passover before the meal. We also washed feet, reading John 13:1-17. We also talked about the events that happened with Christ that night, using some picture books to tell the story.
This was just a simple meal, but it was wonderful in preparing our son for the Mass that evening. He recognized the white vestments, like our tablecloth, heard the bells and triumphant singing, watched as Father washed the men's feet, followed Father as he took the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose.
Was my son well-behaved thoughout? No. It was a struggle through the whole night, wanting to talk, play and wiggle. He was loud, and we had to take him out several times. Dh and I weren't able to enter very deeply into the Mass. But it still was a beautiful Mass, and a wonderful experience for ds.
10:45 Posted in Liturgical Year | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this