Serves 4—6
4 cups cooked rice, any type is suitable
1½ cups grated tasty cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ teaspoon salt
white pepper, to taste
curried or buttered breadcrumbs (see recipe below)
Heat the oven to 170°C. Grease a 20cm casserole dish.
Mix the rice, grated cheese, parsley and salt in a bowl. Season with white pepper to taste. Spoon into the prepared dish and top with the curried or buttered breadcrumbs. Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through and the topping is crisp.
Buttered breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon softened butter
2 slices gluten-free bread, crumbled finely
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and stir until coated with the butter.
Curried breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon softened butter
1 teaspoon gluten-free curry powder (page 17)
2 slices gluten-free bread, crumbled finely
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the curry powder and simmer one minute. Add the breadcrumbs and stir until coated with the butter.
Serves 4
45g shredded fresh or frozen spinach or silverbeet
250g cream cheese, softened
3 teaspoons snipped chives
⅛ teaspoon lemon rind
100g grated tasty cheese
125g instant gluten-free cannelloni shells
½ cup grated tasty cheese, extra
Sauce
400g tin diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
10 basil leaves, shredded
1 tablespoon gluten-free tomato chutney (page 254) or tomato sauce (page 255)
3 teaspoons gluten-free sweet chilli sauce (page 253)
Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease an 18cm × 28cm lasagne dish.
Pour boiling water over the fresh spinach or silverbeet, stand for 2 minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess liquid. If using frozen spinach, thaw and then squeeze out excess liquid. Mix the spinach or silverbeet with the cream cheese, chives, lemon rind, the 100g tasty cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the mixture into the cannelloni shells.
To make the sauce, place the tomatoes, sugar, basil, chutney or tomato sauce and sweet chilli sauce in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.
Spread one-third of the sauce in the base of the prepared dish. Next place the filled cannelloni shells then pour the remaining sauce over, sprinkle with the extra grated cheese and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and the cheese is melted.
Serves 4—6
60g baby spinach leaves, finely shredded
20g basil leaves, shredded
125g feta, crumbled
1 tablespoon snipped chives
½ cup semi-dried tomatoes, diced
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup grated tasty cheese
½ teaspoon salt or less, if desired
¼ teaspoon paprika
Heat the oven to 200°C. Grease a 20cm pie dish.
Place the spinach in a small saucepan and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Leave for 2 minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess liquid.
Combine the spinach, basil, feta, chives, tomatoes, eggs and ½ cup of the grated cheese in a large bowl. Stir well and season with salt and white pepper.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese and the paprika. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 160°C and bake for 30 minutes more, or until the filling is set.
This frittata can be served hot, warm or cold.
VARIATION
Other vegetables, such as cubes of cooked sweet potato or roasted capsicum, can also be included.
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon ground basil
1 teaspoon ground oregano
2 tablespoons white wine
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups diced tomatoes, tinned, fresh or bottled
1 tablespoon tomato paste
125g grated tasty cheese
2 cups cooked gluten-free pasta (for example spiralli or penne)
½ cup grated cheese, extra
Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm casserole dish.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and sauté until soft, then stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the herbs, wine, sugar, tomatoes, tomato paste, cheese and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring until the cheese has melted.
Place the cooked pasta in the prepared dish and top with the sauce. Stir to combine. Sprinkle with the extra grated cheese, then cover with foil. Bake for 15 minutes, remove foil and bake for a further 10 minutes, until the cheese is lightly browned.
Serves 4
4 cups milk
5 teaspoons maize cornflour mixed to a paste with ½ cup cold milk
125g grated tasty cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1 dessertspoon gluten-free chutney (for example tomato chutney, page 254)
3 teaspoons gluten-free vegetable stock powder
1 teaspoon gluten-free Dijon or easy mustard (page 252)
3 cups cooked gluten-free macaroni
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
Bring the milk to the boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cornflour paste and continue to stir until thickened. Add the tasty cheese and parmesan, if using, the chutney, stock powder and mustard. Stir until the cheese is melted, then stir in the macaroni. Simmer for 2 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste along with the parsley, if using, and serve.
Serves 4
4 medium potatoes
Toppings
sour cream and snipped chives
Mexican chilli con carne (page 101)
peperonata (page 56) and grated tasty cheese
coleslaw or green salad, to serve
Cover a microwave-safe plate with paper towel.
Wash the potatoes and pierce the skin with a fork in a few places. Place the potatoes on the prepared plate. Cook on HIGH in the microwave for 9 minutes, or until cooked through. Wrap in foil and set aside for 10 minutes.
Split the potatoes open and cover with the topping of choice.
Serve with coleslaw or a green salad on the side.
Makes 12
30g butter
1 cup finely chopped vegetables (for example a little onion, sweet potato, corn, pumpkin, sweet potato)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk or pouring cream
½ cup grated tasty cheese
Heat the oven to 160°C. Grease twelve deep patty tins (¼ cup capacity).
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and sauté the vegetables for 5–6 minutes, or until just tender. Cool.
Combine the vegetables with the eggs, milk or cream, salt, pepper and cheese. Spoon into the prepared tins and bake for 15 minutes, or until set and pale golden on top.
Serves 4—6
500g parsnips, peeled and cut into 1cm slices
½ cup milk
½ cup grated tasty cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons gluten-free self-raising flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
2 teaspoons softened butter
1 slice gluten-free bread, crumbled
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese, extra
Heat the oven to 170°C. Grease a 20cm pie or casserole dish.
Place the parsnips in a saucepan with 1 cup of boiling water. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, then simmer until very tender. Drain well and mash until smooth.
Place the milk in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the cheeses and stir until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the flour and eggs, then mix in the parsnip and salt. Spoon into the prepared dish.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and stir until coated with butter. Remove from heat and stir in the extra parmesan. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the parsnip mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and set.
PEPERONATAServes 4—6
This very tasty capsicum-flavoured sauce is ideal for topping jacket potatoes or pasta.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 red capsicums, deseeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
500g diced tomatoes, bottled, fresh or tinned
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon gluten-free sweet chilli sauce (page 253)
1 dessertspoon gluten-free soy sauce
1 dessertspoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce (page 256) (optional)
1 tablespoon gluten-free tomato chutney (page 254)
3 teaspoons gluten-free vegetable stock powder
1 cup water
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and capsicum and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil. Cook for 30 minutes, or until reduced by approximately one-third.
VARIATION
Chopped zucchini and/or mushrooms—about 1 cup of each—can be added to this recipe.
PILAFServes 4—6
This recipe is a staple that can easily be doubled, trebled or more.
1 tablespoon olive oil
30g butter*
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup long-grain rice
3 cups well-flavoured boiling gluten-free chicken stock or 4 teaspoons gluten-free chicken stock powder dissolved in 3 cups boiling water
½ teaspoon dried basil
Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm casserole dish.
Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until transparent, then add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Stir in the rice to coat with the buttery mixture. Pour in the stock and bring back to the boil.
Transfer to the prepared dish and cover (with foil if you don’t have a lid). Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and stir. Cover the dish once more and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and all the stock is absorbed.
Fluff up the rice with a fork to separate the grains before serving.
VARIATIONS
Flavour the pilaf with herbs or add some semi-dried tomatoes.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute dairy-free margarine or 30ml olive oil.
POLENTAServes 4
4 cups water, gluten-free chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup polenta
30g butter*
½ cup grated tasty cheese**(optional)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese **(optional)
Place the water or stock in a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Gradually add the polenta, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 20–5 minutes, or until the polenta is soft and the liquid absorbed.
Stir in the butter or oil and cheeses if using. Add salt and pepper to taste.
VARIATIONS
Top with peperonata (page 56) and a little extra grated or shaved parmesan.
Add 1–2 tablespoons of chopped herbs, such as basil or parsley, with the butter and cheeses. Also nice is the addition of ½ cup of finely diced semi-dried tomatoes.
Any left-over cooked polenta can be spooned into a tin lined with baking paper or foil. Allow to set, then cut into squares or triangles and shallow-fry in olive oil to make crispy polenta treats.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute 1 tablespoon olive oil.
** Omit.
POTATO CAKESMakes approximately 8
These potato cakes resemble hash browns and are nice served at breakfast or as a quick snack at any time of the day or as part of a meal.
500g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 rounded tablespoon gluten-free self-raising flour
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
½ cup vegetable oil, approximately
gluten-free tomato chutney (page 254) or gluten-free tomato sauce (page 255), to serve
Place the raw potato in a food processor together with the flour, egg and salt. Process until smooth.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat. Drop in tablespoons of the potato mixture and shallow-fry until golden, then turn and cook until golden on the other side, approximately 2 minutes each side. Drain on a paper towel.
Serve with chutney or tomato sauce.
Hint: If you don’t have a food processor, coarsely grate the potatoes and lightly whisk the egg.
POTATOES DAUPHINEServes 4—6
Despite their fancy title, these are simply made potato balls, a great accompaniment to a meal, but also good as a snack for children. This recipe makes good use of left-over mashed potato.
90g butter*
1 cup water
150g gluten-free plain flour
2 eggs
375g smooth mashed potato**
¾ teaspoon salt
pinch of white pepper
1 cup light olive, peanut or canola oil
Combine the butter and water in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together in a ball. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Whisk in the eggs, stirring until well combined, then mix in the mashed potato, salt and white pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat. Roll tablespoons of the potato mixture into balls and cook in the hot oil until browned on one side (about 3 minutes), then turn and cook on the other side until crisp (about 2 minutes).
Place a small cube of cheese inside each potato ball, making sure it is well covered with the potato mixture.***
Fresh herbs can be chopped and added to the potato mixture before frying.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute dairy-free margarine.
** Make sure the mashed potato has no added dairy products, such as milk, cream, butter or cheese.
*** Do not use this variation.
Serves 4
125g spinach or silverbeet, shredded
1 cup milk
3 teaspoons maize cornflour mixed to a paste with ¼ cup cold milk
½ teaspoon salt
60g grated tasty cheese
⅓ cup grated tasty cheese, extra
Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 3–4-cup casserole or gratin dish.
Combine the spinach or silverbeet with 2 teaspoons of water in a large saucepan over medium heat and steam for 3 minutes. Drain well, cool and squeeze out excess moisture. (Reserve the juice to use in gravies or casseroles.)
Bring the milk to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the cornflour paste into the boiling milk and continue to stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the spinach or silverbeet, salt and cheese. Pour into the prepared dish and sprinkle the extra cheese over the top. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden.
TEMPURA CAULIFLOWERServes 4—6 as a side dish
½ medium cauliflower, cut into florets
1 egg white
½ cup maize cornflour
½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
pinch of bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon salt
canola oil, for deep frying
Steam the cauliflower in a little lightly salted boiling water until just tender. Drain well and cool.
Whisk the egg white in a bowl until soft peaks form, then mix in the combined and sifted cornflour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and just enough water to make a thin batter.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan until hot (about 180°C).
Dip the cauliflower florets in the batter, gently shake off the excess, and deep-fry in batches until golden and crispy; this may take about 3 minutes. Do not add too many at once as this will reduce the heat of the oil and the batter will be soggy. Drain on crumpled paper towel. Serve immediately.
TOFFEE-CRUMBED ROAST PUMPKINServes 4—6
650g butternut pumpkin
1 tablespoon light olive oil
50g butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1½ cups fresh gluten-free breadcrumbs
Heat the oven to 170°C. Grease an 18cm × 28cm baking tin.
Cut the pumpkin into 1.25cm horizontal slices. Peel each slice that has no hole in the middle (keep the rest for making pumpkin soup) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the pumpkin and sauté, turning once, until lightly coloured and cooked halfway through. Remove from heat.
Melt the butter or margarine with the golden syrup in a small saucepan. Mix in the breadcrumbs. Spread each pumpkin slice with the mixture and place in the prepared tin. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and the topping is crisp and golden brown.
Dairy-free option
Serves 4
These crispy fritters are a great accompaniment to a meal or as a snack in their own right. Don’t leave the mixture to stand before cooking, as the zucchini exudes liquid that will make the mixture too wet.
1 egg
1 tablespoon sour cream
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup grated tasty cheese
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
200g coarsely grated zucchini
3 rounded tablespoons gluten-free self-raising flour
¼ cup olive oil
Whisk the egg and sour cream together until smooth. Mix in the salt, cheese, parsley, zucchini and flour and stir until smooth.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook tablespoonfuls of the mixture for about 3 minutes until golden, then turn and cook for about another 2 minutes until golden on the other side. Drain on a crumpled paper towel.