Dairy Free Caramelized Pear Ice Cream with Almond Brittle

I love pears.  I am positively crazy for the fresh, clean taste, the juicy, tender texture and the luscious sweetness.

It is not quite pear season which, oddly enough, is why I bought a half a dozen or so recently. See, in my mind nothing makes a house feel more like a home than bowls of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter or dining room table. And as it is not pear season I figured I would get a lot of bang out of my decorating buck by buying a fruit I figured would not really ripen any time soon.
So imagine my surprise and delight when I went to dust the dining room table and caught the unmistakable scent of ripe pears wafting through the air.

While I can certainly polish of a pear or two a day eaten out of hand, I figured I should celebrate a little and make a dessert but considering how the temperatures here in Western Florida are ranging right around hotter than Hades my typical choice of a crumble or tart was just not quite the right choice. Nope, it is definitely ice cream weather.

Considering that my lactose intolerant, coconut milk hating g-kid is in tow I figured I should make a dairy free ice cream to avoid hurt feelings. So I thought how about almond milk? The more I thought about it the more I warmed to the idea (and it is not just because it is 95 degrees and a bazillion percent humidity). After all pears and almonds is a classic flavor combination. And I am no Alton Brown but given the fact that pears are high in pectin I figured they would add some thickness and creaminess to the ice cream and make up for the somewhat watery consistency of the almond milk.

I took my plan for a light, dairy-free pear ice cream one step further. Instead of using sugar I opted for agave nectar. While I am a lot more indulgent with my g-kids than I was with my children even I have learned to do everything possible to ward off the highs and lows created by the spike (and subsequent drop!) of regular sugar. And while I was at it, why not caramelize that agave for some depth of flavor?

May I just say – genius! This may just be one of my new favorite ways to enjoy pears.

Once the kiddos were safely out of sight I took the whole almond/pear thing even one more step and make a quick almond brittle to garnish and glam up the adult portions. Super genius!



The ice cream is really creamy straight form the ice cream maker and gets a little bit more of an ice milk type texture as it cures. A little dash of alcohol will handle that if you prefer a creamier, less grainy texture. Personally I liked the texture without but then I like the texture of ice milk.



Dairy Free Caramelized Pear Ice Cream

(Printable)

Ingredients

3 ripe pears
¾ cup light agave nectar
1 pinch salt
2 cups unsweetened original almond milk
Juice of ¼ lemon
2 teaspoons pear liqueur or vodka - optional

Directions

Peel, core and dice the pears into ¼ inch pieces. Set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan bring the agave and salt to a slow boil over medium heat and continue to cook until it turns a light amber color and has thickened slightly (245 degrees on a candy thermometer). Stir in the pears carefully; the mixture will seize and bubble up. Continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in about ½ cup of the almond milk. Stir in the remaining almond milk, the lemon juice and the pear liqueur or vodka if using. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Working in two batches, blend the cooled pears and milk mixture in a blender for 1 minute. Strain through a strainer and chill until cold; several hours in the refrigerator or about ½ hour in the freezer. Process the mixture in an ice cream maker for about 25 minutes or according to your manufacture’s instructions. Can be eaten as is or “cured” in the freezer for a few hours.

Store covered in the freezer for up to a week.

Almond Brittle

(Printable)

Ingredients

1½ cups sliced almonds
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
1/8 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or with a Silpat mat.

In a separate baking sheet layer the almond in a single layer and cook for 10 minutes or until warm and fragrant. While the almonds are toasting, make the syrup.

In a large, heavy saucepan heat stir the sugar, water, and salt together to combine. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Once the mixture has come to a boil do not stir it any longer. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until the mixture turns a light amber color, swirling the pan occasionally to ensure even coloring. Remove from the heat and stir in the warm almonds making sure the almonds are coated evenly with the sugar mixture.

Working quickly and carefully (the mixture is screaming hot!) spread the almond mixture into an even layer on the prepared sheet pan. Let cool until hard, about ½ an hour. Break into pieces.

Store covered at room temperature for up to a week.

Update on the free flour giveaway – thanks to all who emailed me and left comments. I am so happy I decided to use one of those random number generating internet gizmos because there is no way I could have decided. Your emails made me laugh, made me cry, inspired me and tugged at my heart strings. I wish I could have sent each and everyone of you a bag of flour but…

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Gluten-free Brie Quesadillas with Mango Salsa and Chipotle Sour Cream

I thought I would fill you in on another of my gluten-free pantry staples. I wish I could take credit for this simple flavor-packed puree but in truth I stole got the idea from the book Seriously Simple by Diane Rossen Worthington years ago and it has since become a signature of mine in countless dishes.

Chipotle puree is a fabulous way to add smoky heat to sauces, stews, soups, and dressings. And nothing could be simpler. A can of gluten-free chipotle in adobo sauce whirled in the blender for a minute and viola! Chipotle puree.

Chipotle in adobo sauce is sold in cans in Latin markets or in the ethnic section of the grocery store. They are smoked jalapeno peppers stewed in a sauce of tomatoes, garlic, vinegar and spices. Be careful to read the ingredients on the can as not all chipotle in adobo are gluten-free. I have found San Marco and La Costena brands to be safe.

This is favorite flavor enhancer of mine when I am in the mood for a little kick. It also adds great depth of flavor and that little bit of something that people can’t quite figure out what it is. And it makes good sense to make a puree out the chipotle in adobo as there are not many recipes that call for a whole can and usually you have to chop or puree the peppers anyway.



Chipotle Puree

Adapted From Seriously Simple

(Printable)

Ingredients

1 – 7 or 7.5 ounce can gluten-free chipotle in adobo sauce

Directions

Put the chipotle in adobo sauce in a blender and process for about a minute or until smooth.

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a month.


And here is just one of my favorite ways to use it.

Gluten-free Brie Quesadillas with Mango Salsa and Chipotle Sour Cream

(Printable)

Ingredients

Salsa

2 fresh mangos, peeled, flesh cut off the seeds and diced
¼ red onion, minced
1 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed and finely minced
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
Juice of 1 lime

Quesadillas

12 corn tortillas
8 ounces brie, rind removed and sliced thinly

Chipotle Sour Cream

½ cup sour cream
1 – 2 teaspoons Chipotle Puree

Directions

Salsa

Combine all the ingredients and set aside.

Quesadillas

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot spray lightly with gluten-free nonstick cooking spray.

For each quesadilla lay a corn tortilla in the skillet add 2 -3 slices of brie and top with another corn tortilla. Cook until the bottom tortilla is browned about 1 – 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is browned and the cheese is melted. Remove from skillet and cut into 4 triangles. Continue cooking the rest of the quesadilla.

Chipotle Sour Cream

Mix the sour cream and the chipotle puree.

To serve top the quesadilla with the salsa and serve the chipotle sour cream on the side.

Makes 6 quesadillas.

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Homemade Gluten-free Dog Biscuits

I was teaching a gluten-free cooking class at Rollin Oats Market a while back and mentioned to the audience that mine is a totally gluten-free household.  A woman asked me if I had a dog and if so, do I feed the dog a gluten-free diet.

The answers are yes and yes.

We are owned by an adorable shih tzu named Jake.  Jake is a character; he jumps and carries on every time we come home as if we are rock stars or returning warriors, he is completely unaware of the fact he is supposed to be an inside, frou-frou house dog, and he enters the federal relocation program every time he hears the word “bath” (he is also a bit of a genius as he has learned how to spell and goes deep undercover when we spell out the letters B-A-T-H).  He trained us to give us treats by one day standing on his hind legs like a dancing bear, making a pawing motion with his front feet and giving us the big brown puppy eyes.  It was so precious we just had to give him a treat and he’s been doing the same routine ever since whenever he wants a little snack.

He also happens to be gluten intolerant.  Gluten intolerance in dogs is a lot more common than one might think and is the cause for lots of problems your pup may be having such as scratching, rashes and digestive issues.  You can read more here, here and here.

In a previous post I described how well I feed my dog.  From the time he was a puppy I have made his food from raw turkey and fresh fruits and veggies.  His treats however were a different matter.  Not realizing that Jakes suffered from gluten intake, I was giving him little pet treats now and again that I picked up at the grocery store.  And the scratching began.

Gluten-free dog treats are not so easy to come by and are awfully expensive.  So now I make Jake homemade gluten-free dog biscuits.  He loves them, he stopped scratching and all is well in Simply Gluten-free land.



As a note - Jake declined to have his photo taken for this post.  My son convinced me I could save a ton of money by buying a $200.00 pet grooming device and foregoing his monthly trip to the groomer.  So he shaved off all Jake’s beautiful hair, the groomer has decided she needs to charge me double to fix the damage but of course can’t get him in for 3 weeks and Jake is walking around looking like a Chinese water rat.  Needless to say he is very distressed over the ordeal.

The cost of “saving” grooming fees - $290.00

A well intentioned son – priceless!



Homemade Gluten-free Dog Biscuits

(Printable)

Ingredients

2 ½ cups gluten-free oats
1 ½ cups potato starch (not potato flour)
½ cup white or brown rice flour
3 tablespoons flax seed meal
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg, beaten
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup dry milk powder
1½ cups water
1 sweet potato, scrubbed but not peeled

Directions

Put 2 cups of the oats in a blender or food processor and grind into a fine powder. Combine with the remaining ½ cup oats, potato starch rice flour, flax seed meal and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the egg and olive oil. Mix the dry milk powder with the water and combine with the rest of the ingredients.

Grate the sweet potato using the large holes of a box grater. Stir into the mixture. The dough should be firm, smooth and workable. If not add more rice flour. Cover the bowl with a towel and let set for 20 minutes to let the moisture distribute.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper of Silpat mats.

Flour a work surface with rice flour and roll the dough out to either ¼ inch or ½ inch thick (depending on the size of your dog). Cut the biscuits out with a dog bone shaped (or any shape you like) cookie cutter, pressing firmly to cut through the sweet potato. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared pans.

Bake for 1½ to 2 hours or until the biscuits are dry and firm. Let cool completely.

Store in a food storage bag or airtight container.

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Gluten-free Flour

Do you want some FREE gluten-free flour?

Not just any gluten-free flour but really good gluten-free flour?

Gluten-free flour that is NOT gritty?  That has NO cardboard or beanie taste?  Gluten-free flour that tastes and bakes just like regular wheat flour?

Flour that can make stuff like this?

Gluten-free cupcakes.

Gluten-free banana nut bread.

Gluten-free cookies.

And even this?

Gluten-free pie and tart crust?

Yes? 

That’s what I thought.

In celebration of my flour, Carol’s Amazing All Purpose Gluten Free Flour, making its television debut on Daytime today I am going to be sending out a whole bunch of 2 pound bags of my flour.


Oh and I almost forgot.  I have some pretty big news.   I am now going to be doing regular monthly gluten-free segments on Daytime!  Daytime is a nationally syndicated morning show that airs in over 100 cities nationwide.  This is such a huge step for us!

photo source

Although the gluten intolerant makeup an estimated 20 percent of the population we have been sorely neglected when it comes to cooking on TV.  Yes, there are cooking shows about almost every ethnicity around, there are cooking shows about low-carb and low-fat but gluten-free?  I have yet to see one and let me tell you, I watch a lot of cooking shows!

The forward thinking producer of Daytime thought it was time to change that and asked me to be a regular.

So this is just one more step in making gluten-free mainstream and I think that calls for celebration!

Ok so now back to that free flour.

I have a limited amount of bags to send out so leave me a comment or send me an email at simplygf@gmail.com (make sure I have a way to contact you) and I will randomly pick a bunch of names, email the winners for their address and send out bags of flour.  Make sure you do this by Sunday, July 25th, 2010.

After you get the flour make any recipe you want with it, blog about it or send me a photo along with what you think.  (You do not have to have a blog to enter.)

Deal?

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Gluten-free Sausage and Peppers

I received an email from a reader a while ago that I found a little disturbing. The reader said she was married to a great guy from an Italian family and every time she went to dinner at the mother in law’s house (which was every week!) the mother in law made a big deal out of her not eating gluten. She was constantly trying to get her to “just eat a little, it won’t kill you” and taking offense when she politely declined. There was also very little offered at these dinners that was gluten-free.

My advice? I told her to take the gun, leave the cannoli.

Ok, not really.

Good manners aside it IS dangerous to “just eat a little” gluten if the body can’t tolerate it. If you don’t believe me read here to see what the Simply Gluten-free medical consultant, Dr. Vikki Petersen, has to say about this.

My real advice was to educate the mother in law and to bring some safe, gluten-free Italian food she can eat and share.

One of my favorite dishes to prepare for a crowd is sausage and peppers. Easy, flavorful and comforting, especially when served in a big bowl of creamy polenta, sausage and peppers are sure to win over even the most hardened of mother in laws. And if not, then I default to my earlier advice about the gun.

I have scaled this recipe down to a normal family sized dinner but if you need to feed a crowd or impress your Italian mother in law, the recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, etc. (BTW if you have a Costco membership they sell big quantities of gluten-free Italian sausage that are both delicious and very reasonably priced if you ever decide you need to feed the neighborhood!)

Sausage and Peppers

(Printable)

Ingredients

4 gluten-free Italian sausage links (hot, sweet or a combination of both)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow or white onion, cut in half and then thinly sliced
3 bell peppers – red, yellow green or a combination, seeded and cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated with a microplane grater
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
½ cup gluten-free chicken broth, tomato sauce or dry white wine
Salt & Pepper to taste
Handful Italian parsley, chopped – for garnish
Parmesan Cheese, grated – optional (omit for dairy free)

Directions

Remove the casings from the Italian sausages and cut or tear into 1 inch pieces.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the sausage pieces until browned on all sides, stirring to ensure proper browning. This may take 5 or 6 minutes. Remove the sausage pieces and set aside.

Add the onions to the pan, stirring to coat with the oil. Season with a few pinches of salt and a little pepper. Cook until the onions have started caramelizing and softening, about 15 minutes. Add the sliced peppers, garlic and Italian seasoning and cook until the peppers soften, about 5 minutes or so. Return the peppers to the pan add the chicken broth, tomato sauce or wine and cook until the peppers have heated through and the liquid has reduced, about 5 minutes or more. Adjust seasoning with some more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve over gluten-free pasta, rice or polenta topped with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese if desired. These also make delicious, hearty sandwiches stuffed into toasted gluten free sandwich rolls.

Serves 4 - 6

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