Veggies & Sides Archives - The GF Foodie

Risotto

thegffoodie — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 03:43:56 +0000

I love risotto as a side dish with fish or chicken. It’s versatile and decadent. This recipe is for mushroom risotto but you can also replace the mushrooms for any other vegetables or mix-ins. I also like to make green risotto with peas and finish it with fresh herbs. For another level of decadence, add a ball of buratta at the end with the parmesan.

Risotto

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ¼ cup arborio rice

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 cup grated parmesan or pecorino

In a low braising pan or heavy bottom skillet melt butter over medium heat with the olive oil and then add the mushrooms, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. The mushrooms will begin to release all of their water. Meanwhile, heat the broth in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil. Once all of the water evaporates the mushrooms will start to brown lightly. When this happens, add the garlic and rice and stir well to coat. Keep cooking on medium for 2-3 more minutes while the rice toasts slightly.

Add white wine to the pan and stir well to deglaze the pan. Pour one cup of the hot broth onto the rice and keep the rice at a simmer, stirring well to distribute the liquid evenly. After the liquid is mostly absorbed, add another cup. Repeat this for about 15 minutes. If you’re not using wine, add 1/4 cup of water and stir well. Italians serve risotto “al dente” (after 15 minutes of cooking). Give it a taste and it’s too firm for your liking, let it cook for another 5 minutes. Then, stir in the parmesan and serve. I like to serve with parsley and topped with extra cheese.

The post Risotto appeared first on The GF Foodie.

Sautéed Broccoli

thegffoodie — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 20:32:23 +0000

I truly believe this is the best way to make broccoli and the best way to convert non-broccoli eaters. Both my husband and my son love it cooked this way.

There was one day a couple years ago where I thought, I don’t want to steam and I don’t want to roast. Steaming doesn’t have enough flavor and roasting makes the broccoli dry and chewy, so i thought, maybe I should try sautéeing it. At the time my then 2 year son would only eat veggies that were roasted or sautéed. So, I tossed the florets in a pot with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and I’ve been making broccoli this way ever since. There are a couple tricks to making this the best ever:

Don’t put the broccoli into the pot until it’s hot.
You must salt the broccoli as soon as you throw it in the pot, that way the salt soaks in as the broccoli cooks.
Cook it covered and at a medium or medium-low heat, depending on how your stove cooks. I find that I start on medium and lower the temp as i see the dark spots appear on the broccoli.
Always check the broccoli every couple minutes while cooking to toss it and make sure it doesn’t burn.

Sautéed Broccoli

2 small bunches of fresh broccoli cut into florets
Olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Heat a medium sized saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. When the pan is hot toss in the broccoli, season with kosher salt and pepper then cover the pot. Uncover the pot, check and stir every couple minutes to keep the broccoli from getting too dark on one side. If it seems like it’s getting dark fast, turn down the heat and keep it covered. It only takes about 7-10 minutes for perfectly cooked broccoli. Turn off the heat and uncover when it’s done to your liking.

The post Sautéed Broccoli appeared first on The GF Foodie.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

thegffoodie — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 06:05:01 +0000

Mediterranean is one of my favorite cuisines and now that I have celiac, it’s so much harder to find safe gluten-free Mediterranean food. I have always loved tabbouleh, a traditional Lebanese salad made from parsley, bulgar wheat, tomato, lemon, olive oil, etc. It’s delicious! I started making this tabbouleh-inspired salad about 6 years ago for my mom who found out about her celiac diagnosis almost 10 years ago. It’s so fresh, summery and flavorful. I switched the bulgar for quinoa, used a bit less parsley, and added cucumber. I didn’t use fresh mint in this version as is used in traditional tabbouleh, but I will try it out next time I make this salad! Tabbouleh usually has quite a bit of fresh squeezed lemon and the day I made this, I didn’t have a lemon so I went with just olive oil for the dressing and it turned out wonderful. I might prefer it without the lemon even though I love lemon. Feel free to add a squeeze of lemon if you’d like, or try it both ways! I love the fresh savory flavor of the salad without the tang of citrus. Also, tabbouleh doesn’t usually contain feta cheese but I topped my salad with a little sprinkling of feta and it was SO delicious! A wonderful addition. Without the feta, this salad is dairy-free/vegan. We ate this salad for dinner with smoked chicken, peas from our garden, and sautéd bell peppers.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

1/2 cup dried GF quinoa

1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1/2 of an English cucumber quartered and sliced

good olive oil

crumbled feta cheese for topping (optional)

Boil the quinoa in 1 cup water and kosher salt to taste. Once it comes to a boil, cover, turn to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Let the quinoa sit uncovered for a few minutes after it has finished to cool to room temp. Chop the veggies while the quinoa cooks. After it has cooled, put it into a mixing bowl, spread it out, add the cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions and parsley. Drizzle with a healthy drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt, and stir well. If the salad doesn’t look quite moistened enough after stirring, add a little bit more olive oil. Top with a sprinkle of feta cheese.

The post Quinoa Tabbouleh appeared first on The GF Foodie.

5 Minute Hummus

thegffoodie — Mon, 02 May 2022 23:08:20 +0000

I love hummus–it’s hearty, healthy, contains good fats, garlic and spices. I don’t love store-bought hummus, however. I don’t like how it’s a little bit tangy and not super flavorful. I’m not a huge fan of tahini even though it’s a necessary ingredient in classic Lebanese hummus. This hummus that I throw together in 5 minutes doesn’t use tahini which makes it faster, and you don’t end up with a jar of tahini in your fridge you don’t have a use for. I love garlic hummus but raw garlic would be a little too strong so I sauté rough chopped garlic in olive oil before throwing it in the food processor to tone down the sharpness of the raw garlic. This is delicious with crackers or veggies and is a fantastic snack for last-minute guests or for parties.

5 Minute Hummus

1 can chickpeas

About 1/4 cup good olive oil

3 garlic cloves rough chopped

½ tsp cumin

Heaping ½ tsp kosher salt

Paprika and parsley for garnish

Drain chickpeas and throw them into the bowl of a food processor. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small sauté pan and cook the garlic for about a minute, until it’s barely golden around the edges. Toss the garlic and all of the oil from the pan into the food processor bowl, add the cumin and salt. Start the food processor and while its running slowly drizzle in the olive oil. It may not need quite a quarter cup of oil, just keep an eye on the texture as it processes. I run it for a minute or two, until the texture is like soft peanut butter. Taste the hummus for seasoning and texture. The more you blend, the more velvety it gets.

When it’s done, put into a serving bowl and top with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika and parsley.

The hummus is best at room temperature. It stores well in the refrigerator for about a week but I like to leave it on the counter for a bit before eating it straight out of the refrigerator.

The post 5 Minute Hummus appeared first on The GF Foodie.