Gluten Free Broccoli with Lemon Sauce Recipe

Sometimes, recipes are automatically gluten free.  Can you spot the ones that are?

Sorry photo is blurry - it's because of the steam!

So you picked up one of your favorite food magazines in the store, and as you turn the pages and start drooling, that little voice starts nagging in your head about the whole gluten free thing.  Discouraged, you put the magazine back down and leave the store.

Well, friend, I'm here to tell you to fret no more.  There are many recipes that are in national food magazines that are already naturally gluten free.  How can you tell?  KNOW YOUR INGREDIENTS!  There are many sauces and glazes that are cornstarch-based.  Guess what?  Cornstarch is gluten free.  Check out the fillings for fruit pie recipes.  I'll betcha that they are thickened with cornstarch or tapioca.  Tapioca - also gluten free.  Puddings are usually thickened with eggs.  Eggs - gluten free.

Today's recipe is an oldie but a goodie from Taste of Home, probably the most popular food magazine in America because of its easy recipes with down-home flavors.  This one would be excellent with grilled chicken or fish!

SPH Gluten Free Broccoli with Lemon Sauce Recipe
adapted from "Broccoli with Lemon Sauce", Taste of Home Magazine, October/November 2008
3 pounds frozen broccoli florettes, defrosted
1 cup chicken broth (I use Pacific Organic Free Range Chicken Broth - you could also use vegetable stock)
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
2 egg yolks, beaten
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon's worth-ish - eyeball it; you can always add more if you want more lemony flavor)

Put broccoli in a large saucepan or soup pot with about 1" of salted water in the bottom of the pan.  And yes, salt the water - you'll thank me later.  Cover, and heat over medium heat, about 8-10 minutes, or til heated through.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the stock and butter until butter melts.  While stock is heating, whisk cornstarch into 1/4 cup water until smooth.  Add to stock after butter melts, and bring to a boil for about 2 minutes, or until thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat.  Start adding stock to beaten egg yolks a little at a time to temper them.  And by a little, I mean like a teaspoon at a time at first, then upping the amount gradually, until you have about half egg yolks/half stock in your little bowl.  You do this so you don't end up with scrambled eggs.  The mixture will start to feel pretty warm in your hand.  Then, you know it's safe to start drizzling and whisking in the egg yolk mixture to the rest of the stock.  Bring slowly back up to a boil, and whisk for another 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, and slowly drizzle and whisk in lemon juice.  Strain sauce through a strainer into another container - I used the measuring cup from my chicken stock.  Drain broccoli, and put it in a serving dish.  Drizzle sauce over the top.  Serve hot, and should make about 10 servings.

I love this dish!  It is simple.  It is delicious.  It is quick and easy.  Like you can make it in 15 minutes quick and easy.

However...

You could also add some minced garlic to the sauce.  Or top it all with some slivered almonds.  Serve the sauce over some grilled or steamed asparagus.  Or fresh steamed green beans.  Or cauliflower.  I'm also thinking this would make a great sauce over some fried chicken.  Lots of versatility here, too!

Once you know what you are looking for, and get familiar with ingredients that are naturally gluten free, spotting gems like these will become easier and easier.  Make some for dinner this week, and enjoy!

Gluten Free Pork Chop Dinner Menu and Recipes

A great menu for a nice, simple Sunday dinner, a frantic Monday, or even special enough for company...

So for dinner tonight, we have pan-seared pork chops, broccoli and rice with a nice pan gravy for you.  Yes, you can make a nice gravy after you go gluten free!  Here's how...

Let's start with the pork chops, or you won't have any meat juices to turn into gravy.

1 pork chop per person
Salt, pepper and paprika (McCormick brand is safe)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Drizzle skillet with olive oil.  Add pork chops, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.  Allow to brown for a few minutes, then cover, and cook for about 5 minutes more.  Remove lid, and turn chops.  Cover again, and cook until done.  Remove from pan to a platter, cover with foil, and allow to rest.

While chops are cooking, make the rice.  Our family of four LOVES rice!  So, this is the size batch I make for us.
2 cups rice
4 cups stock/broth (I used Pacific brand Organic Free Range Chicken for this meal)

Put rice and stock in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, and allow to stand for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve.

Steam broccoli while rice is cooking.

Also, make your gravy.  To the juices in the meat pan, add a few tablespoons of gluten free all purpose flour (I use Gluten Free Pantry brand) or cornstarch.  Whisk to thicken, then add chicken stock (I used about a cup and a half) to make the gravy.  It's important here to use a whisk because it helps take care of all the clumps.  You may still have lumps in your gravy, but hopefully, they will only be the bits that are left in the bottom of the pan.

This is definitely a nice enough meal to serve unexpected company, without too much effort, and quick enough to feed your hungry hoard between school, soccer practice and piano lessons.  Enjoy!

Princess Makes It Monday - Happy Chinese New Year!

Some homemade not-takeout tonight - and in the crock pot!

If you have recently gotten the news that you need to go gluten free, or if you are just looking for some delicious, simple recipes, you MUST BUY Stephanie O'Dea's two cookbooks - Make It Fast, Cook It Slow and More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow.  Everything is cooked in the crock pot, and everything is gluten free.  In fact, when Hubby got the news, I knew we'd be fine because I had been following Stephanie's blog.  I had a stack of recipes just from the blog under my apron strings, and we were ready to rock and roll!

So tonight, in honor of Chinese New Year, Princess is making Broccoli Beef, based on the recipe in Make It Fast, Cook It Slow of page 350.

Broccoli Beef
1/4 c. soy sauce (I use Bragg's Liquid Aminos, which are GF)

2 T. dry white wine (we used water)
2 T. apple cider vinegar

2 t. sesame oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced (we used a big spoonful from the jar)

1 T. brown sugar (we used raw turbinado)

1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes (we used a good couple dashed cayenne pepper - use the amount that has your desired heat level)

1 pound beef, cut in thin strips (we used rib steak)

1 16-oz. bag broccoli, defrosted
Hot white rice

If you choose to slice your own beef instead of buying it sliced, cut it while it's partially frozen.  It's way easier to get those really thin slices.  Also, by slicing your own, you can better control the fat of the meat.

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for beef.  Stir to coat, then add to crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  If your beef is partially frozen, you may want to start it out on high for an hour or 2, then drop the heat.  Steam broccoli, and serve with beef, over rice.

When we do Chinese at home, I make what we call Not Fried Rice.  I picked up this trick from a Rachael Ray recipe.

Not Fried Rice
a few T. olive oil
a few T. butter
1 small onion, diced fine
2 c. white rice
4 c. chicken or beef broth/stock (choose based on what you are serving it with - we are using beef tonight)

Drizzle olive oil into a medium size pan, then add butter.  When butter has melted, add onion and cook til translucent.  Add rice.  Stir and cook for about 1-2 minutes, to get rice really coated with the flavorful oil.  Add broth/stock, cover, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 more minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve.  This rice, by the way, is phenomenal in soups, because it brings its own flavor to the table - no more bland white little floaties.

Enjoy your dinner, and as we welcome the Year of the Dragon, may fortunes find their way to you.  Take good care of yourself in the year ahead.  Wishing you successes, longevity and health!