Simply . . . Gluten-Free Quick Meals: More Than 100 Great-Tasting Recipes for Good Food Fast (8 page)

A
lassi
is an Indian dessert drink similar to a milk shake typically made with mango, yogurt, ice, and milk. I make mine dairy-free and use frozen mango chunks that I don’t even bother thawing. My husband, who is a dairy lover, prefers the dairy-free version to the original because the dairy masks the full flavor of the mango.

Serves 6

Quick-Cook Strategy

• There is no crime in buying precut squash and packaged cauliflower florets, it saves heaps of time. Get the veggies going for the curry and then start the rice.

• Toasting the rice not only adds flavor but also helps it cook faster. If you prefer plain rice, then you can make it in the microwave, increase the water to 3 cups, combine with the rice and salt in a covered, microwave-safe dish, and cook on high power for 5 minutes, then 50 percent power for 20 minutes. Let the rice stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

• The
lassis
are so quick, you can whip them up in just seconds between clearing the table from dinner and serving dessert, or serve them with dinner, no one will mind!

Vegetable Curry

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups butternut squash, peeled,
seeded, and cubed
1 large Idaho potato, peeled and
cubed
1 medium yellow or white onion,
thinly sliced
One 12-ounce bag cauliflower
florets
2 to 4 tablespoons gluten-free,
mild or hot Indian curry paste
(such as Patak’s)
One 14.5-ounce can unsweetened
coconut milk, shaken
well
One 15-ounce can chickpeas,
rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen peas

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the butternut squash and potato cubes and sauté just until they start to brown a little, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the onion, cauliflower, and curry paste, starting with a little and continuing to add until you reach the desired heat level. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the paste is combined and the onion is just starting to soften. Add the coconut milk and stir to combine. Cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the chickpeas and frozen peas and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. If adding cooked chicken or meat to the curry, add it with the chickpeas and frozen peas.

Spiced Basmati Rice with Cashews

2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed
oil
1/2
teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1
1/2
cups basmati rice
1
1/2
teaspoons kosher or fine sea
salt
2
1/2
cups water
1/2
cup cashews

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the ground cumin and cardamom and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the rice and toast until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the salt and water and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, lower the heat, and simmer until all the water has been absorbed by the rice, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes off the heat. Add the cashews and fluff the rice with a fork.

Dairy-Free Mango Lassis

3 heaping cups frozen mango
chunks (one and one-half
16-ounce bags)
Juice of 1 large lemon
3 cups coconut milk
¼ cup honey (or to taste)

Combine all the ingredients in a high-powered blender or a food processor and process until fully blended and smooth. You may have to scrape down the sides of the blender jar or food processor bowl a couple of times. Serve immediately in glasses with a spoon and straw.

Cottage Comfort

• Dairy-Free Adaptable

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Shepherd’s Pie
Spinach Salad with Mushrooms, Red Onions,
and Cranberries
Quick “Baked” Apples

I
have fond memories of eating Shepherd’s Pie (also known as cottage pie) as a child. My mother usually made it with leftover beef or lamb and potatoes but personally, I love it too much to rely on having leftovers. My mother’s baked apples were delicious but took an hour to bake; this is a much quicker version that is equally delicious.

Quick-Cook Strategy

• Start by boiling the potatoes for the mashed potato crust. To save time in peeling, buy the biggest Yukon Gold potatoes you can find; it is quicker to peel 6 potatoes rather than 12. Peel the carrots at the same time. Cutting the potatoes into small pieces will help them cook faster. Cook the potatoes in a large pan to help speed it along, and make sure you cover the pan while cooking; this keeps the heat in the pan where you need it.

Serves 6

• Chop the vegetables for the meat filling in ¼-inch pieces; this will help them brown and cook faster. Use a large skillet.

• Get help where you can and buy prewashed spinach and presliced mushrooms; they are slightly more expensive but a huge time-saver.

• Instead of using half a small red onion for the salad and 1 medium onion for the Shepherd’s Pie, use 1 large red onion, thinly slice a quarter of it for the salad, and chop the rest for the Shepherd’s Pie.

• Get the skillet for the Shepherd’s Pie hot and add the vegetables as you chop them. If you add the ingredients in the order listed in the recipe, everything will cook perfectly.

• While I love the flavor of the white cheddar in this recipe, I have yet to be able to buy it preshredded. If you are really short on time, use preshredded sharp cheddar instead. The cheese can be omitted completely for a dairy-free version.

Shepherd’s Pie

MASHED POTATO CRUST

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes,
peeled and cut into
1/2
-inch
pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or
dairy-free butter substitute
¼ cup milk (dairy-free is fine)
1 cup white cheddar cheese,
grated on the large holes of a
box grater (omit for dairy-free)
Kosher or fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

MEAT FILLING

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 medium onion, cut into ¼-inch
dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1
1/2
pounds ground sirloin
1/2
cup gluten-free beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
sauce
3 to 4 dashes hot sauce (optional)
1 cup frozen peas

Prepare the mashed potato crust. Bring a large, covered pot of salted water to a boil. Add the chopped potatoes, cover, and boil until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes to the hot pot and return to the stovetop. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or a handheld mixer. When there is no more steam coming from the potatoes, turn off the heat. Add the butter, milk, and cheese, if using, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Prepare the meat filling. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then the carrots, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Add the ground sirloin, breaking it up with a spatula into small pieces, and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce, increase the heat to high, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the frozen peas. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Preheat the broiler.

Transfer the meat filling to an ovenproof 1
1/2
-quart baking dish and spread it out evenly. Place the mashed potato mixture on top and spread it out to the edges of the dish, smoothing the top. Rake the potatoes with a fork first lengthwise and then crosswise to create little peaks. Place the pie under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the mashed potato crust is nicely browned.

Spinach Salad with Mushrooms, Red Onions, and Cranberries

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/2
teaspoon kosher or fine sea
salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3
cup dried cranberries
4 ounces sliced white mushrooms
¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
6 ounces prewashed baby
spinach

In the bottom of a salad bowl, combine the vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper with a whisk. Add the olive oil slowly while whisking. Add the cranberries, mushrooms, and onion slices, stir to coat, and set aside until ready to serve. Just before serving, add the spinach and toss. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Quick “Baked” Apples

3 large tart apples (such as
Granny Smith)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
or dairy-free butter substitute
6 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped walnuts

Cut the apples in half and remove the core with a spoon or knife to make a well in the center of each apple about 1 inch wide. Place the apples in a microwave-safe baking dish. Add
1/2
tablespoon of butter to the center of each apple half. Divide the brown sugar and dried cranberries among the apples. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and microwave on high power for 3
1/2
minutes. Test the apples by piercing them with a knife; they should be soft but not mushy. If too firm, microwave for another minute or two. Let cool for a couple minutes, covered, before serving. Top with chopped walnuts and serve.

Asian Ragu

• Dairy-Free

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Asian Noodles and Meat Sauce
Thai Carrot and Cucumber Salad
Quick Mango Sticky Rice

T
his is an Asian take on spaghetti and Bolognese sauce. Instead of pasta, rice sticks (Asian rice noodles) are used and the meat sauce is made with ground pork and is full of Asian flavors such as ginger and red curry sauce.

Mango sticky rice is a delicious dessert served in Thai restaurants. Using the microwave to prepare the rice and frozen mango chunks saves tons of time with no sacrifice of flavor.

Quick-Cook Strategy

• Get the sticky rice and rice sticks soaking first. If they soak a little longer it is fine—better they wait for you than you wait for them.

• If you have a mini food processor this is a great time to use it. You can toss in the shallots, garlic, and ginger for the meat sauce and chop it all up at the same time. If you don’t have shallots, use a medium red onion instead.

Serves 4

• Prepare the meat sauce in a large skillet; it will cook faster and give you the room to toss in the rice sticks at the end.