Book of Yum

Being gluten, dairy, nut, and soy free makes coming up with a good cheese substitute difficult. When I was simply dairy free, nut or soy recipes allowed me to enjoy “cheesy” dishes like lasagna or pizza. Once I had to cut out nuts and soy, I was a bit stumped. I still had great pizza- olives were tasty and generally safe, and sunflower seed pesto was my friend. But the cheesy element was just not quite there. Luckily I can still have nutritional yeast, and recently I was inspiredby several recipes online to come up with this everything free, yet still tasty smoky cheesy sauce. Since the only non-dairy milks i can have right now are hemp and coconut and hemp milk makes a weirdly rubbery-tasting sauce, this recipe is alternative milk free, with a base in nutritional yeast and quinoa flour. It’s half gravy-inspired, half uncheese-recipe-inspired… and is so good that I couldn’t stop myself from dipping into it all by itself. It really sings as a “cheesy” topping for veggies. And just last night I used it to make something I hadn’t had in a very, very long time- a luscious and super addicting spinach pie, perfect for a green Saint Patty’s day. This recipe is best suited to a vegan palate- or at least, someone willing to accept a less than traditional “cheese.” DH and my dairy-free mother both enjoyed it, and DH commented that in pie, the cheese smelled like nachos. Mmmm, nachos. Let’s see, if i deep fry some homemade millet or sorghum tortillas in chips… top with sunflower seed refried ‘beans’… add some Smoky un-cheddar… we just might have another use for this recipe! Got any more ideas? Share in the comments!

Gluten-free dairy-free soy-free Smoked un-cheddar sauce Sauces & Condiments  Alternative Grains  American

Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 of a large onion, minced 3/4 cup nutritional yeast 1/4 cup quinoa flour 1 1/2 cup water 2 tbsp Earth Balance soy-free margarine 3 tbsp. tomato paste 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp smoked paprika Directions Heat olive oil on medium in nonstick pan and saute your onion until it turns translucent. Then add your nutritional yeast and quinoa flour, toasting lightly. Lower the heat to medium-low, and whisk in one cup of water that you slowly add to the pan. When you have a nice smooth sauce, add your soy free margarine and tomato paste, mixing thoroughly. Season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Let sauce thicken until it gets to your preferred “cheesy sauce” texture. Add water as needed if the sauce gets too thick. Take off burner and enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Inspired by various recipes online but my original creation. Please do not replicate without my written permission. Recipe ID:  1494 Added:  March 13, 2010 Last Modified:  March 14, 2010

Gluten-free Vegan Smoky Uncheesy Spinach Pie Recipe Main Course  Alternative Grains  American

Ingredients Dough: 3/4 cup quinoa flour 1/4 cup arrowroot starch or tapioca starch 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 cup Organic Palm Oil shortening such as spectrum 2 tbsp dairy free milk of choice (plain hemp, rice, or almond) Filling: 2 or 3 bunches spinach (3 bunches for just spinach, 2 bunches if you add 1 bunch of beet greens), blanched, drained and diced 3/4 recipe of my smoked un-cheddar sauce Directions Combine flours, salt, and shortening in a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Process until all ingredients are combined and it starts looking mealy. Add your dairy-free milk and process again. It should start to form a ball. Using a spatula, scoop out your dough ball and shape into a nice ball in your hands. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. (You can rush this step but dough will be more persnickety.) Meanwhile, prepare your spinach and make the smoked un-cheddar sauce. Mix the two together in a bowl and reserve. Preheat oven to 375. Place your chilled ball of dough in a gallon sized, freezer-safe ziploc bag. Roll thinly to cover the whole interior of the bag. Cut out the sides of the bag and peel back the top. Place with remaining bag side DOWN over an inverted pie pan (a). Place another inverted pie pan (b) on top of the naked dough and flip your tins so that they are right side up. Remove pie pan (a). Carefully peel back the remaining ziploc bag sheet to reveal a pretty pie crust. Pre-bake pie crust for 5-10 minutes. Don’t worry if it cracks on the bottom- it will taste just as good as a gorgeous, uncracked crust and no one sees anything but the top part of the crust. Fill with your blanched and drained spinach in your smoky un-cheddar sauce. Bake for 20 minutes or until top looks set and lightly browned. Serve and enjoy! Tastes great cold the next day!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  The contents of my brain, please do not replicate anywhere without my permission. thanks! Recipe ID:  1495 Added:  March 13, 2010 Last Modified:  March 14, 2010

Welcome to the March Edition of Adopt a Gluten-free Blogger!

Here’s a reminder of how the event works:

Participation is simple.

1) Pick a gluten-free blogger whose recipes you admire and adopt them by commenting on this post with your name, blog name and their name and blog name.

*Blogger’s recipes must all be gluten-free or have a way to sort and read ONLY gluten-free recipes
*Please pick a different blogger every time you participate

2) Pick one (or two!) of your gluten-free blogger’s recipes to try.

3) Make the recipe, photograph it and write a post in your blog introducing the blogger and their recipe. Link back to this event announcement in your post.

*Follow the recipe as written, as closely as possible. And, please don’t print their recipe on your post- just provide your reader a link to their original recipe.

4) Email me at adoptaglutenfreeblogger[at]gmail[dot]com with your photo of the recipe, the URL of your post, name of the recipe and the URL of the original blogger’s recipe post.

*Note: This is a new email set up just for this event. Hopefully this will make it easier to keep track of entries. If you have general questions, please don’t email me at this address but post them here so everyone can read the question (and answer). Companies are NOT welcome to email me at this address, unless a representative is planning to adopt a blogger and write about it. ;)

5) Post YOUR POST’s URL in a comment to this post, and if possible please try to visit two other blogger’s posts that are posted here (and comment!).

*The goal is to make this event more interactive and fun!

Deadlines:
Sign up BEFORE March 25 (loose deadline; late sign-ups are ok)
Post your Review and Email me by April 4 (firm deadline, no foolin’)

If you don’t have a blog, you are still welcome to adopt a gluten-free blogger. Sign up to adopt a blogger, write a review of one of their recipes, including your name (or pen name), the recipe URL and recipe title. Then take a photo of the completed recipe (if you can) and EMAIL ME the review and photo. I’ll create a special page just for our non-blogging participants and post it for you.

I’ll start the ball rolling by adopting Kim Christensen of Affairs of Living.

Adoption Sign-Up Sheet:
1) Kim Christensen of Affairs of Living (adopted by Sea of the Book of Yum)
2) Stephanie of Hope For Healing (http://glutenfreehope.blogspot.com/). (adopted by Iris at The Daily Dietribe)
3) Jill elise of Hey, That Tastes Good (adopted by Autumn of Finding Food)
4) Jenn at the Cinnamon Quill (adopted by Thomas of the GFCF Experience)
5) Margo at Off the Wheaten Path (adopted by Rachel of Living Without Wheat)
6) You Pick!

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
If you sign up and cannot complete this event by April 4th for any reason, please email me immediately at adoptaglutenfreeblogger[at]gmail[dot]com and let me know. Please ONLY use this email account for Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger relevant emails.

Can’t find a blogger to adopt or looking to meet some new gluten-free friends?
Visit my Gluten-Free Blogroll
*Blogroll Updated recently!*

Example of an Adoption Post