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Healthy turkey meatloaf

Gluten-free turkey meatloaf with sun-dried tomatoes and pecan crust.

A Turn Toward the New

By Meet Karina

The morning was cool and bright. It was going to be one of those quintessential Cape Cod autumn days. A day tourists swoon over. Worthy of a post card with The weather is sublime- wish you were here scrawled in black gel cursive between sips of a Hot Chocolate Sparrow latte. The sky was a cake bowl of cobalt blue with that particular pink edge to it that only painters notice, the blush that softened the tree line at the north end of the West Barnstable marsh gentling the heavy greens of the pines and oaks into a bluish, almost violet gray.

She brushed her teeth with fennel toothpaste and spit into the low slung sink, pausing to breathe. A long inhale to slow her heart. The cottage was pin drop quiet. The boys had climbed the rubber lined steps into the school bus hours ago, peanut butter and honey sandwiches bagged, milk money in their pockets. She had waved from the street and watched them navigate the bus aisle in shadow, avoiding her maternal gaze, not turning to wave back. Too risky, she understood. 

The walk back up the curve of road to the rental she had found last spring felt different this morning. Not because of the air and its September clarity that sharpened the asters and the Queen Anne's Lace with impossible precision- though she felt a kinship with the acute focus the turning of the seasons always brings. That sense of realignment, a perennial return to purpose. Ironically, she always felt as if fall was the season of new beginnings. Not spring.

Fall was the season she woke up, as if from a dream. 

Today was the first day of a plein air painting workshop. A post-divorce return to premarital roots, when she painted for the love of it- not the pragmatic bill-paying need of it. Painting for an income (however necessary it may be) is dangerous business. Courting the marketplace changes your work. A self consciousness slithers in and infiltrates your choices. The observer becomes observed. Judged. Rewarded for meeting expectations.

She had always been more than willing to please. To notice the cues and needs of others. It was more than habit. It was ingrained in her bones. She had an uncanny knack for it. And she hated it about herself. She hated her automatic willingness to anticipate and acquiesce. Sometimes she would hear her own words hang in the air and for a quantum, split second wonder who had just spoken. There were entire days lost to living outside herself, hovering above her left shoulder, just beyond reach.

Stepping into the tiny sunlit kitchen she stood still for a moment, tempted by the cluttered breakfast table. The sticky bowls and spoons. The allure of distraction. The comfort of routine. But it didn't take. She snatched her car keys off a hook and grabbed a canvas bag of painting gear by the door, turned the knob with her free hand and opened it wide. Three minutes later she made a right at the empty bus stop, and accelerated east down Old King's Highway.

To be continued...

Turkey meatloaf recipe

This gluten-free turkey meatloaf is studded with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs.

Gluten-Free Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pecan Crust

This simple turkey meatloaf is moist, flavorful and light. And you won't miss the gluten. Using fresh gluten-free bread crumbs (I used Udi's sandwich bread) gave this loaf a wonderful texture. The sun-dried tomatoes (I used Trader Joe's organic dry packed sun-dried tomatoes) and fresh herbs add a satisfying tang and depth. The pecan crust makes a crunchy top that adds a touch of fancy.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground organic turkey (not too lean- for best flavor)
1 large organic free-range egg
1/3 cup plain rice milk
3 pieces of gluten-free bread
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

For topping:
1/2 cup chopped salted pecans

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a 9-inch ceramic or glass loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey with the egg and rice milk.

Process the gluten-free bread into crumbs. Add them to the turkey mixture.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, herbs. Season to taste with sea salt and ground pepper. Mix to incorporate all your seasonings.

Scoop the turkey mixture into the loaf pan and use the back of a spoon to press it into a loaf shape.

Sprinkle with chopped pecans and press them into the top.

Bake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes, until done (internal temp. should be 165ºF).

Let the loaf rest for five minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes:

This is a gluten-free dairy-free soy-free recipe.

Leftover loaf makes fabulous sandwiches. 

If you prefer using regular milk, it will work in this recipe.

To be nut-free, skip the pecan crust. 

Makes one two-pound loaf.

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Homemade Pasta Recipe

Gluten-free pasta with homemade red sauce.

By Meet Karina

Homemade Ragù Sauce Recipe- An Easy Red Pasta Sauce

This basic Italian sauce can be vegan or hearty enough for an omnivore. You choose. If you're doing the whole vegetarian thing, use meaty Portobello mushrooms. Omnivore? Use organic, lean, grass fed or free-range for the healthiest non-inflammatory meat.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound protein (ground meat, or crumbled sausage) or Portobellos
1 good sized onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup organic tomato paste
1 cup organic gluten-free broth
1 28-oz can Muir Glen organic whole tomatoes, with juice
1 cup red wine (may omit, but I'd up the balsamic vinegar)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
A splash of balsamic vinegar

Near the end of cooking:

A dab of honey or organic raw agave, if needed, to balance acidity

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot or dutch oven and add your protein of choice (or chopped Portobellos); stir until lightly browned. Add the onion and garlic and stir; cook until the onion is soft.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the tomato paste and cook it a minute or two.

Add in the broth, tomatoes and red wine. Break apart the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add in the herbs, sea salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Stir. Cover and lower the heat, keeping the sauce on low simmer for an hour.

Check the thickness of the sauce and cook it longer to reduce it, if you like. If the sauce is too thick, add more broth.

Taste test- if the sauce is acidic, add a dab of honey or agave until the flavors balance.

Serve over hot cooked gluten-free pasta, a bed of steamed brown rice, or a bowl of fluffy quinoa.

Serves four.

Mangia!

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Best carrot cake recipe

Frosted carrot quinoa bars. Gluten-free. Dairy-free.

Gettin' Fancy

By Meet Karina 

My intrepid husband slash sous chef was craving a carrot cake style quinoa bar for a mid-morning snack. To be exact, he said, Hey. I'm craving a carrot cake style quinoa breakfast bar. You know. For breakfast. To which yours truly replied, Look who wants to get fancy. My chocolate chip quinoa breakfast bars aren't good enough for you? Now you need frosting? To which said long suffering husband replied, Frosting makes everything better.

Who am I to argue with that?

Need a snack with your café con leche? I've got one for ya.

Vegan cream cheese frosting makes these gluten-free bars dairy-free.

Frosted Carrot Quinoa Bar Recipe- with Walnuts

We love chopped walnuts in our carrot cake, not to mention most muffins and tea breads, but if you prefer pecans, darling, knock yourself out. Nut-free? Add raisins instead.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa flakes
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch or tapioca starch
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum 
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
3 free-range organic eggs, beaten or Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/4 cup pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Stir-ins:

1 cup grated carrots
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or raisins)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a 9x12-inch baking pan with parchment.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours and dry ingredients.

Add in the melted coconut oil, eggs or egg replacer, maple syrup, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat until the batter is smooth and sticky.

Stir in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts.

Spread the batter evenly in the baking pan.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 22 minutes until firm to the touch.

Cool on a wire rack.

Frost with vegan cream cheese icing- find my Maple Cream Cheese Icing recipe here.

Chill frosted bars before wrapping, to set the icing. These freeze beautifully. Remove wrap before defrosting to keep the icing from sticking.

Makes 24 small bars.

Cook time: 22 minutes

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By Meet Karina 

Gluten-Free Italian Stuffed Shells 

Italian Dreams

There isn't a speck of Italian blood in me. Allegedly. No blood lines (even faint ones) to trace back to Italy's flavor and culture rich boot. I claim no Italian grandmother with deft, gnarled hands who could roll out ravioli dough in her sleep. No puttering, gardening grandfather who offered me my first taste of a sun warmed tomato straight off the string-tied vine. We didn't have lasagna on our Thanksgiving table. Or baked ziti. My mother never mixed me an almond infused Italian soda after a rough day at school. 

So why is Italian food- forever, for me- the ultimate comfort food? Hungry, angry, lonely, tired- what do I crave? (Besides a bottle of wine? Darling those days are gone.)

Spaghetti slick with garlicky olive oil. Bubbling hot lasagna. Fresh baked focaccia. Bruschetta. Risotto. Baked stuffed shells.

All heaven.

The tough part is- living gluten-free AND dairy-free can seriously crush your Italian gilded comfort food dreams.

Back in the day, there were no gluten-free lasagna noodles or stuff-able GF pasta shells (not in my neck of the woods, anyway). Though times have changed, pasta-wise- thank goddess. Most supermarkets now carry gluten-free pasta in all shapes and sizes. And if you cook it just right (in salted water, till al dente) and immediately drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil- most of it tastes mighty good. And if you are among the agriculturally evolved among us who can digest milk, your cheesy world still glitters with buttery glory (cream, butter, and cheese go a long way to improving the flavor of gluten-free recipes, let's be honest). But.

If- like yours truly- you have to live without the salty flavor punch of Parmesan or creamy tang of fresh goat cheese, comfort food can turn into one big, ho-hum yawn. Vegan cheese is no substitute (yes, I've tried them all). Unless your concept of cheese involves an aerosol can, plastic-shiny slices in peel-away shrink-wrap or orange powder you added to hot milk (no offense to corporate giant produced fake foods, or anything). In that case, processed oil with pea protein vegan cheese might remind you of something seemingly related to the cheese family.

I can't get past the funky sock odor and poly-vinyl texture.

Maybe because I was lucky. I had two years of Home Economics class. I cooked my own whole milk white cheddar sauce for baked macaroni and cheese (the first thing I learned to cook, at 13, stirring a white roux with flour and unsalted butter). Post honeymoon I shaved velvet slivers of golden Parmesan from precious wedges of Italian Reggiano, thanks to two weeks in Italy. And I spoon-stuffed pasta shells with a classic blend of ricotta and shredded mozzarella thanks to an armful of hippie-vegetarian cookbooks.

So, yes, there are days I miss dairy food. Especially in winter.

And thus, began experimenting, inventing ways to make up for the loss of genuine cheesy goodness. The first part was easy. I turned to organic soft tofu for a ricotta substitute (my mainstay for years as a vegetarian goddess). I may as well admit I not only tolerate tofu, I love tofu. And lucky for me, this fermented bean curd stuff loves me, too (I know this is not the case for everyone- and for those of you with a milk allergy AND soy allergy, I truly feel your pain).

For the topping I use a blend of Italian seasoned bread crumbs (I use Udi's gluten-free white sandwich bread processed into crumbs with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and herbs) and almond meal (almond meal has a soft, powdery mouth feel faintly reminiscent of grated cheese) with sea salt for a salty-cheesier taste.

The latest version (created back in West Hollywood) was a winner- and we've been making it ever since. The family loves it. Even the gluten-eaters. 

All I know is there is never a scrap left over.

Which as any cook knows, speaks volumes

Karina's creamy, non-dairy stuffing for Italian shells.

Stuffing gluten-free Italian pasta shells...

Gluten-free stuffed shells- comfort food, Italian style.

Gluten-Free Baked Stuffed Shells Recipe

These gluten-free dairy-free Italian stuffed shells are lighter than traditional cheese-stuffed shells- and so fresh tasting. Chopped herbs, garlic, and crunchy bread crumbs work serious magic. This recipe is our current favorite comfort food. We make it once a week. Perfect for a chilly winter's night.

Ingredients:

1 8-oz box gluten-free grand pasta shells
4 breakfast sized sweet Italian sausages, chopped
2 cups baby spinach leaves, stemmed
1 14-oz tub organic soft tofu, drained, pressed to release water
1 large free-range organic egg, beaten
2 tablespoons Vegenaise (just trust me)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon mild GF curry powder 
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
16 ounces good marinara sauce (Italian red pasta sauce)

For topping:

2 slices gluten-free sandwich bread, torn into several pieces
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons almond meal
Sea salt, to taste 
Chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a medium rolling boil, add the GF shells, lower the heat to medium-high and cook on high simmer for 6 minutes, gently stirring now and then, till softened but still firm. Drain well, separate the shells and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350º.

In a skillet, saute the sausage briefly, till golden and starting to brown a bit.

Rinse the spinach leaves and drain well. Add them to the sausages and stir till wilted; remove from heat.

Place the drained tofu in a bowl and use a potato masher to break up the tofu into "curds". Add in the egg, Vegenaise, parsley, nutmeg and curry. Stir briefly to combine. Season with sea salt and ground pepper, to taste.

Add in the sausage-spinach mixture and lightly stir.

Pour 3/4 cup marinara sauce into the bottom of a medium-sized baking dish and spread evenly.

Spoon the tofu mixture into the par-cooked shells and place them in the baking pan stuffing side up. Cover with remaining marinara sauce. (The sauce will help cook the partially cooked pasta shells.)

In a food processor, make the topping by processing the gluten-free bread into crumbs. Add in garlic, dried basil and thyme. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil into the crumbs and pulse until the crumbs are moist and fall away from the sides of the processor.

Sprinkle the top of the sauced shells with the breadcrumb mixture.

Sprinkle with almond meal; season the topping with sea salt.

Sprinkle with extra chopped parsley.

That's a lot of sprinkling. Welcome to my world.

Cover with a piece of foil and bake in the center of the oven until the shells are tender, the stuffing is piping hot, and the sauce is bubbling.

Makes 4 generous servings.

GFG Notes:

Yes, you can use moo-cow dairy cheese instead; blend 14-ounces of ricotta cheese with a cup of shredded mozzarella, and use grated Parmesan on top.

If you must be egg-free, omit the egg from the filling.

To keep this vegan, omit the egg and Italian sausage. You might have a few unstuffed shells.