Baked Brunch Hash Brown Frittata. Vegetarian and Gluten Free

Ingredients

4 Medium Potatoes (Peeled & Shredded)

2 Green Onions (Sliced)

1/4 Cup Diced Green Peppers

1/4 Cup Diced Roasted Red Peppers

6 - 8 Grape Tomatoes (Sliced)

2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley

1/3 Lb Monterey Jack Cheese (Shredded)

3 Extra Large Eggs Scrambled

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Preheat Oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Lightly spray a 2 quart casserole with non stick cooking spray. 
3. Mix all the potatoes, vegetables and parsley in a large bowl and lightly toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place 2/3 of the mixture into the greased casserole. 
5. Evenly pour eggs over entire mixture. 
6. Spread cheese over top of eggs. 
7. Add remaining potato and vegetable mixture to top. 
8. Place in pre-heated oven and bake uncovered for 45 - 55 minutes until top is slightly brown. 
9. Remove from oven and let set about 2 - 3 minutes. 
10. Serve hot and Enjoy!!!

Note:

You can use frozen potatoes, but I like to use fresh potatoes for better flavor and lower cost. 

Tomato, Pepper, Mozzarella, & Caper Salad

A recipe by my friend Amy, from the site "Monkeysee"

I served this already delicious recipe over a bed of Baby Butter Lettuce.

Link to Amy's simple video directions for this amazing dish.

Amy Riolo

Author, Cooking Instructor, Food Writer, Culinary Consultant

http://www.amyriolo.com/  

amy@amyriolo.com

Amy Riolo is an internationally recognized culinary expert specializing in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean culture and cuisine. As a cookbook author, lecturer, food historian, food writer, culinary consultant, and cooking instructor, Amy promotes her philosophy of cooking and living with both pleasure and health. Her first book, Arabian Delights; Recipes & Princely Entertaining Ideas from the Arabian Peninsula has received rave reviews (Capital Books). Her second book Nile Style; Egyptian Cuisine and Culture (Hippocrene Books) will be released in spring 2009. She is also completing The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook, (American Diabetes Association) which will be released in spring 2010.

Amy’s popular lectures range in topics and include everything from Middle Eastern business etiquette to the history of various cuisines. She has been an invited guest speaker for the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Welcome to Washington International, Montgomery College, Les Dames D’Escoffier, The Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee and the Mycological Association of Washington, DC. Amy also makes frequent appearances on numerous television and radio programs both in the United States and Egypt including Fox TV, Montgomery and Fairfax County TV, Nile TV and WHYY.           

Amy currently writes the “Culture and Cuisine” feature for the Baltimore- Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee. She has also written articles for Cooking Light Magazine, Azizah Magazine, and the Kulanu newsletter. A graduate of Cornell University, Amy has experience in vocational, recreational, and children’s instruction, as well as corporate team building and cultural/culinary events. Her knowledge of the Italian, French, Spanish, and Arabic languages has enabled her to interpret many cultures and cuisines with intimacy and ease. She regularly teaches cooking classes at Sur la Table in Arlington, Virginia, and for private organizations.

A successful culinary consultant, Amy enjoys developing menus, recipes, training seminars, and themes for corporations, restaurants, and hotels. Amy is often asked to work as a consultant for museums where she creates menus and décor which represent the theme of new collections. In addition, she works with curators to incorporate sensory components like scent, touch, and taste into the schedule of events, allowing museum patrons to fully experience each exhibit.

Amy is a member of The International Association of Culinary Professionals, Culinary Historians of Washington, Les Dames d’Escoffier, Slow Food DC, Welcome to Washington International (where she co-chairs the Gourmet Committee), Cornell Club of Washington, the Women’s National Book Association, and the Baltimore – Luxor – Alexandria Sister City Committee (Where she is the chairperson of the Baltimore Friends of the Alexandria Library). Amy is based in the Washington DC, area and maintains a home in Egypt. She is currently organizing culinary tours to both the Mediterranean and Middle East.

Product Test - The Really Great Food Company

The Really Great Food Company is based out of St. James, NY which is close to home, here on Long Island. Since 1991, The Really Great Food Company has produced the highest quality baking mixes for people with special dietary needs,including gluten free, wheat free, soy free, dairy free and casein free baking mixes.

We recently got to try two of their products which came with a catalog of all they carry for future orders. They are also available online and you can click their banner at the bottom of this post to view their site. 

The first product we tried was The Really Great Food Company Classic Pancake Mix. 

The directions were easy to follow, and there is even the option of using soy or rice milk in the mixture to keep it gluten free. We have tried other brands of Gluten Free Pancake mixes, but the was the best so far. The pancakes were fluffy and golden brown, and absolutely delicious. In the "sneak" test on the children, they had no Idea it was Gluten Free. 

The next product we tried was The Really Great Food Company Brownie Mix. Like the pancakes, the finished product did not disappoint at all! The brownies were perfectly moist and and were gone in a flash as soon as everybody got a taste. 

We would definitely recommend  The Really Great Food Company for all of your Gluten Free needs, and their online ordering makes it easy to enjoy many  different gluten free products that may not be found in your neighborhood grocery store. 

The Really Great Food Company

Gluten Free Quinoa Summer Salad

2 Cups Quinoa

4 Cups Chicken Stock

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Cucumber 

1 Large Celery Stalk
1 Tomato

1 Carrot 

1 Onion
GF Italian Dressing
Salt and Pepper 
Basil for Garnish

1. Combine chicken stock and quinoa in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes).   
2. Peal, slice, and quarter cucumber. Slice celery, onion, and tomato and mix in large salad bowl with cucumbers. 
3. When quinoa is done, remove from heat, place in a colander and run under cold water. 
4. Add quinoa to vegetables and mix will. 
5. Stir in desired amount of GF Italian dressing to desired taste. Season with salt and pepper as needed.  
6. Refrigerate until cool. When ready to serve, add more dressing if needed and serve in a bowl and top with basil. 

Product Test - Bob's Red Mill Chocolate Chip Cookies

Another Hit!!

We've tried "Store Bought" Gluten Free Cookies, but they lacked that homemade taste. We decided to give Bob's Red Mill Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix. Once again, the directions were very easy to follow, and the final results were amazing!! If I didn't tell you they were Gluten Free, you wouldn't know! I  didn't tell my son they were Gluten Free and I found myself hiding the remainder of the batch so he didn't eat the rest of them. As with the other Gluten Free mixes available from Bob's Red Mill, I would highly recommend their Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix!! It is the closed to homemade that I have tried so far!

Gluten Free Turkey Chili

1 Lb Ground Turkey

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion Chopped

3 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 Cup Gluten Free Beer

1 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes

1 Roma Tomato Chopped

1 Tomatillo Chopped

1 16 Ounce Can Kidney Beans (Drained and Rinsed)

4 - 5 Cloves Garlic Crushed

2 Tbsp GF Chili Powder

1 Tsp GF Paprika

1 Tsp Dried Oregano

1/2 Tsp GF Cayenne Pepper

1/2 Tsp GF Ground Cumin

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

(More Salt & Pepper to Taste May Be Necessary)

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and cook ground turkey until browned. 
2. Stir in onion and cook until just slightly tender. 
3. In a food processor add crushed tomatoes, beans, crushed garlic, chopped tomato, and chopped tomatillos. Pulse until well blended and to desired consistency. 
4. Deglaze pan with red wine vinegar, and stir tomato mixture into pan. 
5. Stir in 1 cup Gluten Free Beer. 
6. Add the remaining seasonings and stir until well blended. 
7. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30-40 minutes until slightly reduced.
8. Serve Hot with your favorite toppings. 

Can be served alone or with your favorite dish, such as hot dogs or chips and salsa if you are entertaining. 

Product Test - Bob's Red Mill Chocolate Cake Mix

Over the next few weeks, we will be testing 4 of Bob's Red Mill Mixes, and we chose to start with the Chocolate Cake Mix. All I have to say is Wow!!! Since we have been Gluten Free, this has been the best cake we have tasted. The instructions were super simple to follow, and didn't require any special ingredients such as buttermilk as others did, and no extra steps such as stand time before baking. Aside from the the packaging, this was the closest thing to conventional "glutenous" cake mix. I didn't have 2 eight inch cake pans, so I used 1 ten inch round deep cake pan. The cake was done at exactly in the time  the instructions called for. For the icing you could use a Betty Crocker pre-made, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone and make homemade. I used the recipe on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa. Here it is:

1 Stick of Butter

2/3 Cup Hershey's Cocoa

3 Cups Powdered Sugar

1/3 Cup Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla (Pure)

1. Melt Butter. Stir in Cocoa. 
2. Alternately add powdered Sugar and Milk, beating on med speed to spreading consistency. Add more Milk if needed. Stir in Vanilla. 

It was Absolutely Delicious!! Liz even had 2 pieces and she doesn't have a sweet tooth. To repeat an earlier post, Gluten Free does not have to be difficult. You don't have to make sacrifices, only substitutions. The key is to make the right substitutions, and we hit the Bull's Eye With this one!!

Bob's Red Mill products are available at most supermarkets, or online at the link below:

Click Here To Order Online