Italian Mushroom Apron Pockets from Flying Apron's Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book. Photo by Kathryn Barnard

I started toying around with the idea of a gluten free lifestyle, not for myself, but for my four-year old daughter who is Autistic. There has been some research that suggests children on the Autism Spectrum who are on a Gluten Free diet have less behavior problems.  Despite the fact that my husband and I are carboholics, I thought I’d give a Gluten Free diet a try.   Not knowing exactly where to start, in addition to searching various websites and blogs that is, I decided to check out a couple of the recently published cookbooks specializing in Gluten Free meals.

Amazon.com

Amazon.com

Chocolate-Espresso Chili

From Gluten Free Every Day by Robert M. Landolphi/Andrews McMeel Publishing
Serves 6 to 8

Bittersweet chocolate, coupled with a kick of espresso, adds depth to a great vegetarian chili.

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onions until tender. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, honey, and garlic. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the black beans, espresso, water, salt, chile powder, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, decrease the heat to a simmer, and stir in the chocolate and cilantro. Simmer, uncovered, for  30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Chef's Tip:
Make this chili the day before and refrigerate overnight. This allows all of the flavors to meld together nicely. Reheat before serving.

Italian Mushroom Apron Pockets

From Flying Apron's Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book by Jennifer Katzinger, Sasquatch Books 2009.

The distinctive taste of mushrooms is pleasantly highlighted by traditional Italian spices, making these pockets a really special treat. If you choose to make the Homemade Marinara Sauce recipe I've included, be sure to have it prepared beforehand.

8 TO 10 SERVINGS

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the pockets
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 portobello mushrooms, sliced into 1-inch-thick strips
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, plus more for sprinkling the pockets (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, plus more for sprinkling the pockets (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, plus more for sprinkling the pockets (optional)
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 2/3 cups cooked navy beans, or one 15-ounce can, drained
• 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 batch unbaked Flying Apron Bakery House Bread (page 108)
• Brown rice flour, for rolling out dough
• Homemade Marinara Sauce (recipe follows) or your favorite jarred sauce
  

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until slightly brown, about 7 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic and sauté until the peppers are soft but not soggy, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to release some of their juices, about 7 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and navy beans and stir to combine. Stir in the fresh spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot, about 7 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Divide the bread dough into 8 to 10 pieces, depending on the number of portions you wish to make. Dust your counter liberally with brown rice flour and roll out each piece into approximately 7-inch circles. Spread a spoonful of Homemade Marinara Sauce over the circle, leaving 1 inch around the perimeter of the dough. On one half of the circle, place approximately 1/2 cup of the filling. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling and seal the edges by crimping with your fingers or a fork.

Carefully transfer the pockets to a well-oiled baking sheet. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with additional herbs. Bake until the thickest part of the pocket is firm and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

From Flying Apron's Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book by Jennifer Katzinger, Sasquatch Books 2009.

• 3 1/2 cups
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• One 35-ounce can whole peeled Italian tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until lightly brown, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil, crushing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to break them into pieces. Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 30 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Flying Apron Bakery House Bread

From Flying Apron's Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book by Jennifer Katzinger, Sasquatch Books 2009.

This bread has a wonderful texture and mellow flavor that makes it perfect for sandwiches or toasting.

• 2 3/4 cups brown rice flour
• 1 cup garbanzo bean flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup lukewarm water (94 degrees F)
• 1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup pureed yam, sweet potato, or pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking pan or pizza stone. Dust your work surface liberally with brown rice flour.

Combine the brown rice flour, garbanzo bean flour, flax meal, salt, and xanthan gum in a large bowl. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the olive oil, maple syrup, water, and yeast. As soon as the yeast is activated (the mixture will look cloudy and bubbles should form on the surface-it will take 3 to 5 minutes), turn the mixer on low speed. Add the flour mixture and yam alternately, a little at a time, until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix. (Alternatively, you can mix the dough by hand. Simply add the flour mixture and yam alternately to the oil mixture and mix until just incorporated.)

Once the ingredients are all incorporated, remove the dough from the bowl and quickly and gently knead it three or four times on your floured work surface. Shape the dough into a 12-inch-long loaf.

Moving quickly, place the loaf on the prepared baking pan or pizza stone. Lightly slash the loaf along the length of the side; this will allow excess air to escape so that the bread does not crack.

Bake until a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean, about 2 hours and  5 minutes. Let the loaf cool for about 30 minutes before eating.

Pizza Dough

ONE 12-INCH PIZZA

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Dust your work surface and rolling pin liberally with cornmeal. After kneading the dough a bit to form it into a ball, roll it out thinly and brush it with olive oil.

After adding your toppings, bake the pizza on a lightly oiled pizza stone or large baking sheet until the edges of the crust are firm and golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Individual Flatbreads

8 TO 10 FLATBREADS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Dust your work surface and rolling pin liberally with brown rice flour. After kneading the dough, divide it into 8 to 10 portions. Roll out the individual pieces of dough to ½ inch thick and transfer to 2 lightly oiled baking sheets (reuse as needed).

Brush each flatbread liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh or dried herbs. (Rosemary and coarse sea salt is a winning combination. Za'atar spice mix or curry powder and sea salt are also delicious.)
Bake until the flatbread is light brown and slightly firm, 15 to 20 minutes.

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