Authors: Carol Kicinski
Simply . . . Gluten-Free Quick Meals: More Than 100 Great-Tasting Recipes for Good Food Fast (10 page)
Serves 4
Quick-Cook Strategy
• As always when cooking a meal that requires the oven, preheat it first thing.
• Slice the strawberries and let them macerate in the sugar while preparing the rest of the meal.
• I prepare the fish, fry the crispy side, and lay the fillets on a baking sheet ready to go into the oven. Then I wipe out the skillet and use it again to fry the potatoes. Not only does it save time but more importantly, it also means one less pan to wash. I put the fish into the oven about 10 minutes before I am ready to serve dinner.
• Frozen peas are not only a huge time-saver, they are often better quality than the peas you can get in the store as they are flash frozen just after picking. Putting a lid on the pan when boiling the water for the peas will help it boil faster. I bring the water to a boil, then add the frozen peas and only cook them for about 2 minutes, which keeps them bright green and prevents that mushy pea texture that comes from overcooking peas.
• While the potatoes are frying, the fish is in the oven, and the water is boiling for the peas, you will have a little pocket of time to prepare the mascarpone cream, if using. Whip it and keep in the refrigerator until time for dessert.
Potato- and Herb-Crusted Cod
1/2
(heaping) cup of instant
potato flakes
1/2
teaspoon kosher or fine sea
salt, plus more for seasoning
the fish
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper, plus more for seasoning
the fish
1/2
bunch chives, minced
4 lemons
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Four 6-ounce fillets of cod
(halibut also works well)
2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed
oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with gluten-free, nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
On a dinner plate, combine the potato flakes with
1/2
teaspoon salt,
1/2
teaspoon pepper, and the minced chives.
Quarter the lemons. Put the Dijon mustard into a small bowl, squeeze a few drops of lemon juice from one of the lemon quarters into it, and mix. Place the lemon quarters on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on both sides of the fish fillets and then brush the Dijon mixture on one side of each fillet. Dip the coated side of the fish into the potato flake mixture and press down so the mixture adheres to the fish.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Fry the fish, coated side down, in the hot oil until browned and crispy, about 1 minute. Do not overcrowd the pan while frying. If you need to, fry the fish in batches. Lay the fish fillets, crispy side up, on the prepared baking sheet with the lemon quarters and bake until the fish is cooked through and just starts to flake, 7 to 8 minutes.
Serve the fish with the heated lemon quarters.
Skillet Potatoes
2 pounds baby Yukon Gold
potatoes
2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed
oil
1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
Wash the potatoes and cut them into ¼-inch slices. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the potatoes. Season the potatoes with the salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes in the hot oil, then spread them into an even layer in the pan and let them fry for a few minutes, undisturbed, until they start to brown. Then turn the potatoes occasionally to brown them on both sides and cook them through evenly. Fry until tender yet crispy, about 15 minutes. If the potatoes are browning too fast, lower the heat.
If serving with the cod, place a layer of fried potatoes on each dinner plate, then top with a fillet of cooked cod.
Smashed Minty Peas
2 garlic cloves, smashed and
peeled
1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1 pound frozen peas
2 tablespoons olive oil (more if
making dairy-free)
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
2 tablespoons heavy cream
(optional; omit for dairy-free)
Put the garlic cloves into a medium saucepan and fill to three-quarters with water. Cover the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, remove the lid, add the salt and the peas, and boil just until the peas are heated and tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the water and put the peas and garlic cloves into a food processor. Add the olive oil, mint leaves, and pepper and pulse a few times until blended but still a little chunky. Add the cream, if using, and pulse a couple more times. If you are not using the cream, you may want to add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to give it a creamy texture. If you don’t have a food processor, simply mash the peas and garlic with the olive oil, pepper, and cream, if using, mince the mint, and stir it in. Taste and season with a little more salt if needed. Return the smashed peas to the hot pot to keep them warm until serving time.
Balsamic Strawberries with Mascarpone Cream
2 pints fresh strawberries
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons
sugar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tiny pinch freshly ground black
pepper
1/2
cup mascarpone cheese
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Wash and hull the strawberries and cut them in half lengthwise. Place them in a bowl, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the sugar, mix, and set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, the juice of the lemon, and the black pepper. Cook over high heat until the mixture reduces by half and thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Let the mixture cool slightly, then pour over the strawberries and toss to combine.
Whisk the mascarpone cheese with the lemon zest and heavy cream, using a handheld mixer or a whisk, until creamy and smooth.
To serve, divide the strawberries and the juices among four pretty goblets or dessert bowls and top with a dollop of the mascarpone cream.
SOMETIMES WE ENTERTAIN because we want to, and sometimes we entertain because we feel obliged to do so. Regardless of the circumstances, there is no reason for the host or hostess to feel overwhelmed and to spend hours in the kitchen cooking only to become too exhausted to enjoy the party.
In a perfect world we would have plenty of time to decorate, prepare food, and then relax in a nice bubble bath before a party or dinner. Unfortunately, life is never as perfect as we would like.
The first time I ever officially entertained as a young bride, I made every mistake possible; my menu was too complicated, with lots of last-minute preparation, I had fussy, time-consuming decorations, and I didn’t leave myself enough time to get everything ready. I was too stressed out to actually enjoy my guests, spent the whole evening running back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room, and all I could think was that I could not wait for the evening to be over.
Since then I have learned a thing or two. If time permits, I get as much done beforehand as possible: I set the table the night before, make dishes ahead, and I have learned to keep it simple. Instead of making a bunch of complicated dishes, I focus on one that really shines and I take help where I can get it, with items like prewashed salad greens and precut vegetables.
Decorations need not be complicated; a simple vase of flowers or lovely bowl of fruit can be elegant and beautiful.
Often the gluten intolerant feel they cannot serve the same food to their guests as they eat and are compelled to introduce gluten-filled food they normally would not have in the house. Not only is this dangerous because of cross contamination but it is also completely unnecessary. As long as your food tastes good, no one will miss the gluten.
In this chapter, I offer menus for entertaining that can be prepared in an hour or less. If you have time to break up the preparations and do some of the menu ahead of time, then by all means do so.
MENU
Almond-Crusted Chicken Piccata
Quinoa Pilaf
Arugula Salad
Blueberry Fool
A
s much as I love my husband, he does have a habit of springing things on me at the last minute. Impromptu jaunts to New York are very much appreciated by me; last-minute dinner parties for very important clients, not so much.
This dinner party was born with a phone call from said husband stating that he had just been bragging to his clients about what a wonderful cook I was. So they decided to have dinner at our house instead of a fancy restaurant and he would be home, guests in tow, in an hour. The first fifteen minutes of that hour I spent stashing clutter in the closets and running a dust rag (or in this case his favorite shirt) over every surface. The last forty-five were spent making this simple dinner, elegant enough for even the most important of clients.
Serves 4
Quick-Cook Strategy
• Prep all your vegetables and herbs at one time like they do in restaurants. Chopped parsley is used in both the Chicken Piccata and the Quinoa Pilaf; chop the amount you need for both at one time.
• Squeeze enough lemon juice for both the Chicken Piccata and the Arugula Salad at one time.
• Sliced almonds are used in the Quinoa Pilaf and are quicker to grind for the Chicken Piccata; no need to buy two different kinds of almonds.
• Start the Quinoa Pilaf first as it takes the longest, then get started on the Chicken Piccata. Make the Arugula Salad and Blueberry Fool while the chicken breasts are cooking.
• Bags of prewashed baby arugula speed up the salad-making process.
Almond-Crusted Chicken Piccata
4 boneless, skinless chicken
breast halves, 6 ounces each
1 cup raw almonds (or you can
use ground almond meal)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
¼ cup olive oil
4 tablespoons (
1/2
stick) unsalted
butter
1/2
cup gluten-free chicken stock
or dry white wine
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
¼ cup capers packed in brine,
drained
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Additional lemons for garnish
and serving
Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface, place a chicken breast half on top, and lay another piece of plastic wrap on top. Pound the chicken breast with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or the bottom of a heavy skillet until it is about ¼ inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
Put almonds into the bowl of a food processor and process, in pulses, until the almonds turn into a fine meal. Be careful not to overprocess and turn them into paste. Add the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and pulse a couple more times to mix. If using almond meal, just mix the meal, cheese, salt, and pepper together. Spread the mixture on a large plate.
Rinse the pounded chicken breasts in water and shake off the excess. Dredge the chicken in the almond mixture, gently pressing the mixture onto the chicken.