Everything Peach!

Summer in the South means PEACHES! I adore this fruit, and it is in abundance right now, which means I have been very busy making yummy gluten free peach confections for weeks. Peach pie is my favorite. I was a little skeptical that a "gluten free" peach pie would be just as pleasurable as a traditional one, but I was very pleasantly surprised! While at Whole Foods, I stumbled upon a pre-made frozen gluten free pie crust...I was thrilled! This worked so well! The only issue I had was that there was no dough provided for a top crust, but I worked that out by creating a "cobbler" type topping and it came out beautifully. My sister-in-law Samantha made a gluten-free apple crunch recently using Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free flour. It was so good! I decided to test it out for this recipe. I combined the gluten free flour with brown sugar and butter (and a dash of salt) and put it on top of my peach filled pie. Worked like a charm! For the filling, I simply peeled and chopped about 7 peaches, added sugar, a drop of lemon juice, and tapioca. After filling the pie shell with the peaches, I placed pats of butter on top and then the cobbler mixture over the butter.  I baked it in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. The smell was fantastic! After this pie came out of the oven there was no telling any difference. If you cannot find a gluten free pre-made pie crust, I would suggest making your own by using an all-purpose gluten free flour as a substitute for regular in your traditional pie recipe.

To make the most out of every peach, I took the advice of a good friend, Cherrie, and made Peach Jam out of the scraps left behind from peach pie making and peach freezing. I boiled the little pieces of peach that surround the pits, adding water, pectin, sugar and lemon juice and made a fabulous refrigerator jam that works so nicely on toast, pancakes, cottage cheese, anything! Very easy to do- simply purchase Sure Gel or Ball Fruit Pectin and follow the directions on the box.

For another great peach recipe idea, look in my previous posts for Grilled Peach dessert! It is sooo good!

Tilapia with Heirloom Tomatoes and Capers over Jasmine Rice

Here is a great gluten free dinner idea that works especially well for summer. I created my own sauce for this tilapia dish by heating extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan,  adding fresh crushed garlic, chopped shallots, a little chicken broth, heirloom grape tomatoes sliced lengthwise, some jarred capers, a little sea salt and fresh pepper and a pat of Earth Balance to finish it off. I cooked this just until the tomatoes were tender and the flavors melded nicely together. The sauce simmered on the stove over low heat while I prepared the rest of the meal. I simply cooked the tilapia on the stove in a large non-stick pan for several minutes on each side.  The jasmine rice was steamed in the microwave, and green beans in a pot of water on the stove. It all came together really quickly- 20 minutes max. For a pretty presentation, plate the rice, top with tilapia, cover with the tomatoes and sauce, add green beans (french green beans would have been better but I didn't have any on hand this day) and your done! It really is an easy but elegant dish, and so delish!

Roast Beef "Pitas"

Pitas. Something I had not enjoyed since going "gluten free." I decided last week that had to change. After thinking for a few minutes about how I can create something as a suitable alternative, I remembered the Udi's pizza crusts that are sold at Earth Fare. Though these are not my favorite choice for actual pizza, they are now a "go to" product for sandwiches! These crusts are a little tough, but if warmed individually in the microwave for 30 seconds max, they become softer and easier to work with. I made my husband and I a great lunch by taking a warmed crust, topping it with a slice of Havarti cheese, rare roast beef slices, a squiggle of horseradish cream, arugula, sea salt and fresh pepper. Cut into two sandwiches, and served with raw baby carrots and fruit, it was a hit! We liked it so much that the next day we made "pitas" with just roast beef and fresh mozzarella...sooooo good!

                                                   (1 crust makes 2 hearty pita sandwiches)

Patriotic Stripes Cake

Yesterday, as part of our July 4th Celebration, we indulged in a gluten-free version of a Martha Stewart recipe I found and made last year. The original recipe was in Living last July, and called for angel food cake and peach sorbet. I omitted the peach sorbet to make my cake purely red, white and blue, and I changed the cake to a gluten-free vanilla cake. To my delight, the recipe turned out great! It was refreshing to have on such a hot day, too. Ingredients include a white or yellow cake, blueberry jam or compote, vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, or gelato, and raspberry sorbet.
I started by making 2 boxes of Gluten Free Pantry Old Fashioned Cake Mix as directed except I subbed in for the milk and butter with almond milk and canola oil. I baked it in a 9x13 inch glass dish. After cooling, I sliced the cake in half, and placed the bottom half on a sturdy baking sheet. I spread blueberry jam on the entire bottom half. (I used a combination of store-bought jam and my own homemade blueberry compote). I then placed the cake in the freezer and let vanilla gelato sit on the counter to soften.

Next, I stirred the softened vanilla gelato and spread over top of the jam. Again, I let freeze for about 1 hour, and let the raspberry sorbet soften on the counter. I then spread the raspberry sorbet over top, placed the remaining top half of the cake over top of that, and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and froze overnight. The next day I simply unwrapped right before serving, sliced the cake in three parts lengthwise, and then into individual serving sizes.

For more even/straight stripes, use a blueberry jam that does not have chunks of whole blueberries in it, or simply puree the jam or compote until it is smooth. I personally like the texture and taste of whole blueberries, so my lines were wavy but still delicious. I think this cake has lots of potential...I may be posting a variation using chocolate cake and strawberry, raspberry and vanilla fillings. And that is only the beginning of what I plan to try out with this! Enjoy your own versions! :) Happy Birthday, America!