Gluten Free Baked Stuffed Shrimp

This 5-star entrée has all the makings of a romantic dinner for two.  Dine like a king and queen with this old restaurant favorite made right in your own kitchen, minus the gluten!  The addition of crab meat to the butter and cracker crumb stuffing makes it really special!

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Dinner for two

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400º.  Mist a baking dish with cooking spray.  Melt butter in a small saucepan and set aside.

Combine the crab meat, garlic granules, Old Bay, and cracker crumbs with 2 tbsp. of butter in a small bowl.

Rinse the shrimp under cold water and remove the shells.  Drain and pat dry.

Lay each shrimp on its side, and run a paring knife along the backside, be careful not to cut all the way through.  Open the shrimp and lay on a clean plate or cutting board.

Remove the dark vein running down the center of the shrimp.

Mound the crab stuffing onto each shrimp.

Arrange the shrimp in the baking dish and drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp. butter over the top.  Sprinkle with more Old Bay seasoning, bake for 15 minutes and serve.

This is a filling entrée!  Three shrimp each with a side salad and rice would make a wonderful meal.  Make it tonight for your special someone!

Notes ♪♫ For a hearty dinner size portion, choose colossal shrimp (8-12 count).  I always look for sales in the frozen section and stock up when I can.  Thaw in the refrigerator and rinse under cold water to remove the shells.

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Gluten Free Zucchini and Prosciutto Quiche

Making a gluten free quiche has been on my recipe bucket list for a long time.  This week I finally did it!  The filling is a savory blend of zucchini, prosciutto, mushrooms and Gruyere cheese.  I still can’t believe how tasty it was.

Of course, the foundation of a good quiche is the pie crust.  If you missed my earlier post on how to make an easy, gluten free pie crust you can check it out here.

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Roll your pie dough into a circle, using your pie dish as a guide.  You want the dough to fit into the pie dish with a little extra to fold under and crimp.

Carefully lift the dough and place in your pie dish.

Trim the excess (can be used to patch any cracks or holes), fold the edges under and crimp.

Because the filling is made with heavy, wet ingredients, you will need to blind bake (pre-bake) the crust for 10 minutes to keep it from getting soggy.  Be sure to weigh down the crust down to keep the bottom from puffing up.  You can cover the crust with parchment and use beans or pie weights.  Or you can try this gadget, it works like a charm and it’s so easy to remove and clean!

While the crust is baking prepare the filling.  Cut the zucchini and mushrooms into thin slices and chop the whites of the scallions into 1/4″ pieces.  Grate the cheese and tear the prosciutto into small pieces.

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a nonstick skillet, add all of the veggies and sprinkle with seasoning.

Cook the veggies until they have released their liquid and reduced to about 1 cup.  Transfer to a colander to cool and drain.

Take the partially cooked pie crust out of the oven after 10 minutes and remove the pie weight.

To finish the filling, beat the eggs and milk.  Stir in the drained veggies, 3/4 cup of cheese and the prosciutto.  Add about 8 grinds of fresh ground pepper.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

Place the quiche on the center rack of your oven.  I put a cookie sheet underneath, to keep the bottom from getting over cooked.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the top is set, and edges of the crust are well browned.

Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes ♪♫ We had this quiche for dinner, and reheated leftovers for lunch the next day.  Like any pie, the number of servings will depend on your appetite, somewhere between 4-8 wedges.  It was delicious and would be an amazing addition to your brunch menu!

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Megan’s Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and I can’t wait to make this delicious Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread.  The recipe comes to us courtesy of Megan at “Megan P Gluten Free”, who shared the recipe with me a few years ago.  One look at this bread and I knew that I had to make it, especially when I learned that she used my favorite flour, Better Batter!

Thank you, Megan, for the recipe!  You can follow Megan on Instagram, where she shares great content on how to travel, cook and eat gluten free!  Be sure to visit and tell her I sent you!

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Megan’s Lucky Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread 

Ingredients:

Note:  When you shop Better Batter and use my code MGFC30 at checkout, you will receive 30% off any non-sale item! CLICK HERE

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, raisins, and caraway (if using).  Stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined and the raisins are fully coated with the flour mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix together the yogurt, buttermilk, and eggs until combined.  Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.  Mix the dry and wet ingredients together until well combined with a spatula – no mixer or beater required.

The batter will be slightly sticky.  Grease an 8” round pan (see notes***) and sprinkle with a very small amount of flour.  (I added a few strips of parchment for extra insurance.)  Spoon the batter into the pan.  Gently press the dough with your fingers, leaving the rough surface for an authentic look, but you can smooth it down if you prefer.  Sprinkle a very small amount of flour on top.  Take a paring knife and cut a cross on the top of the loaf.  Place into the hot oven on the middle rack and bake for 60 minutes.  Then cover loosely with aluminum foil if already golden brown and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the outside is firm and crusty.

The loaf should sound hollow when tapped when it is cooked through.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.  Allow the loaf to fully cool before slicing. Slather with good quality Irish butter and enjoy!

Notes ♪♫

**Megan’s recipe called for 4 cups of flour, which she measured by spoon and level method.  I always bake by weight and used 600g. of Better Batter Original Blend (converted at 150g. per cup).

***Megan used an 8″ cake pan.  I used my 8” KAF bread baking bowl and it was just perfect to create a nice round loaf.  You can find the bowl here on the King Arthur website.

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Gluten Free Chicken Adobo

Chicken Adobo is a traditional Philippine dish made with pantry staples.  Vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves are used to create a marinade.  The chicken is marinated, then simmered in the same marinade on the stove top until the meat is cooked through.

Is Chicken Adobo gluten free?

The only gluten containing ingredient in a traditional Adobo marinade is the soy sauce.  By replacing it with either Tamari or Coconut Aminos, the dish is completely gluten free.

4 Servings (can be doubled)

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. coconut aminos
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed and skins removed
  • 1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 pcs. chicken legs or thighs (about 1 lb.)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tsp. brown sugar

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Preparation:

Whisk together the first 6 ingredients, vinegar through bay leaves.  Add the chicken, cover and marinate 1 hour at room temperature, turning every 15 minutes.

Add olive oil to a deep skillet or Sauteuse pan over medium heat.  Brown the chicken on all sides.

Stir in the water and reserved marinade.  Cover and simmer on lowest heat, 60-90 minutes depending on size, turning every 20 minutes.  When done, the chicken should easily pull away from the bone.

Take the lid off during the last 10 minutes of cooking to thicken the sauce.  Serve with rice.

Notes ♪♫ There are so many variations of this classic dish.  I used red wine vinegar, but many recipes say to use white vinegar.  It’s just a matter of taste.  I used Coconut Aminos, because it is much lower in sodium than Tamari.  If you are not limiting salt, then gluten free Tamari is a great substitute for soy sauce in gluten free recipes.

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Gluten Free French Meat Pie

Over 20 years ago I clipped a recipe for French Meat Pie (Tourtière) from the local newspaper and have made it many times using a ready-made pie crust (remember those days?).  Everyone loved it!  Years went by, and like many of my old recipes, this one went by the wayside along with gluten.

I’ve had a yearning for this old favorite, and so I added it to my culinary bucket list.  Here’s what I love about this recipe…

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The filling.

The most time-consuming part of this recipe is peeling and shredding the potatoes then pressing out the excess liquid.  I took a shortcut and used frozen shredded hash browns; I always have them on hand in my freezer pantry.

The pie crust.

This beauty of a pie crust was made with my favorite little miracle in a bag, Better Batter Original Gluten Free Flour.  If you have not tried this flour, seriously go and get yourself a bag, and be sure to use my code MGFC30 at checkout for 30% off your non-sale item!  Get the crust recipe here.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Gluten Free Pie Crusts
  • 12 oz. lean ground beef
  • 12 oz. ground pork
  • 3 cups (9 oz.) frozen shredded hash browns, defrosted
  • 1 cup onion, cut into 1/4″ dice
  • 1 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. mustard powder
  • 1/4 tsp. thyme
  • 1/4 tsp. sage
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
  • 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground pepper (about 6 grinds)
  • 2 tbsp. water
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp. milk

Preparation:

Roll out the pie crusts between 2 sheets of waxed paper.

Place one crust in the pie dish.  Trim away the excess and use it to patch any holes or tears in the dough (it happens!).  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Place the other crust, with waxed paper on a baking sheet and refrigerate while you make the filling.

Heat olive oil in a deep heavy skillet over medium low.  Add the onion and cook several minutes until translucent.  Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.

Next add the ground beef and pork to the skillet and sprinkle with seasonings.  Break up the meat with a spatula and stir frequently until all of the meat is browned.

Stir in the hash browns with 2 tbsp. water and continue cooking on low 2-3 minutes longer.  Turn off the heat and let it cool 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375º.  Remove pie crusts from the refrigerator.  Fill the bottom crust with the meat mixture, distributing it evenly.

Top with the remaining pie crust, trim the edges and crimp.  It doesn’t have to be fancy (I’m definitely going to work on my crimping skills though)!

Use a sharp knife to cut slits in the top crust to vent steam.  Whisk the egg and milk, and brush over the top crust.

Place the pie dish on a baking sheet (in case anything spills) and bake 20 minutes on the lower rack of your oven.  After 20 minutes, move it to the middle rack and continue cooking 15 minutes longer.

Remove from the oven and let it rest 5 minutes, that is if you can wait!

This was SO good, just like the one I remember from years ago!  I promise your whole family will love it, and no one will know it’s gluten free!

Notes ♪♫ Convenience foods are great as long as you check the ingredients.  I used Ore-Ida frozen hash browns in this recipe, and they are labeled gluten free.

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Gluten Free Veal Stew with Peas (Spezzatino con Piselli)

This Italian classic is comfort on a plate!  A rich tender veal stew, slowly braised with mushrooms and peas in a light wine sauce.  It pairs beautifully with rice or pasta.

While veal can be quite expensive, veal stew meat is an economical cut that when cooked slowly over low heat becomes melt in your mouth tender.  No wonder this “peasant food” dish is so popular.

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I used a 4-quart nonstick sauté pan for this one dish meal.  It was a gift (thank you Santa), but you can get one here!

4 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 lb. veal stew meat
  • 1/4 cup superfine rice flour
  • salt to taste
  • 4 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1/4 cup white wine (not cooking wine)
  • 1-1/2 cups gluten free broth (chicken or vegetable)
  • 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Preparation:

Season the meat and coat with flour.  You can use any gluten free flour, but for browning meat I like superfine white rice flour, (the finer grind assures your dish won’t taste gritty).  Save your expensive gluten free blends for baking.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan and begin cooking the shallots.  Add the meat, leaving space in between.  Brown the meat about 5 minutes per side.

Add 1/4 cup of wine to the pan.  When it has almost evaporated stir in 1-1/2 cups of broth and 2 tbsp. tomato paste.  Cover and simmer on low for 90 minutes.

During the last 20 minutes of cooking add the sliced mushrooms, cover and continue simmering.

During the last 10 minutes of cooking add the peas, and finish cooking uncovered to thicken.

How to serve

This stew is great served over rice, pasta or polenta.  Here’s mine served over white rice.

Notes ♪♫ Like many of my recipes, this classic Italian dish required only one ingredient change to make it gluten free.  You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to follow a gluten free diet and still enjoy healthy, delicious food.

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Gluten Free Cream Cheese Pie Crust

Pie crust has always been my nemeses.  Gluten free or not, I just could never get the hang of it!  Before my Celiac diagnosis, when I wanted to make a pie, I would buy the refrigerated double pie crust dough in the red box (remember those?) and pretend that I made it myself! 🙂

Today, until someone comes up with a gluten free alternative that doesn’t cost a fortune, we need to make our own.

This beauty of a pie crust was made with my favorite little miracle in a bag, Better Batter Original Gluten Free Flour.  If you have not tried this flour, seriously go and get yourself a bag and be sure to use my Promo code MGFC30 for 30% off any non-sale item!

The recipe is an adaptation of a mainstream cream cheese pie crust made with wheat flour.  The only ingredient I changed is the flour.

You can make one crust, two, three or four at a time.  Use them right away or keep them in the refrigerator or freezer for when you want to bake.  Our own gluten free version of the red box!

Adapted from 12 Tomatoes

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Ingredients:

All ingredient weights are in grams.  USE A SCALE! *See notes

Preparation:

I like to make 3 crusts at a time, mostly because it uses up exactly one 8 oz. package of cream cheese.  I usually make one double crust pie and use the single crust for quiche.  At holiday time this is a win!

Let the butter and cream cheese soften at room temperature until you can mash them together with a fork (don’t microwave!).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter, cream cheese and heavy cream.  Beat on low speed with the paddle attachment.  Add the flour, sugar and salt, and mix until well combined.

Turn the dough out onto a floured cutting board.

Bring the dough together into a ball.  If making more than one crust, use a bench knife to divide it into even portions, 240g. each.

Press each portion into a disk.  That’s it!

Now you can either refrigerate or freeze your pie dough.  Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and store in freezer safe bags.

When you are ready to bake, take refrigerated dough out 30 minutes early (if frozen, defrost it in the refrigerator first).

Place on a sheet of lightly floured parchment and roll into a circle.

This dough rolls like a dream, but if you feel more comfortable, you can place a second sheet of parchment on top before rolling, this makes it easier to flip.

Remove one side of the parchment, turn and place your dough into a pie dish, trimming any excess around the edges.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, if the dough cracks you can pinch it together or use excess dough to patch any holes.

Now fold the edges under and crimp!

Imagine what you can do with an easy to make gluten free pie crust.  Dessert pies, savory pies, galettes, crostata, quiche, tarts?  My mind is racing, what will I make first?

Notes ♪♫ Some readers commented that my original measurements per pie crust were too confusing, so I have converted everything to weight in grams.  I hope this will simplify the process and make it easier to follow.

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Gluten Free Chicken Orzo Casserole

Look at the beautiful colors in this casserole!  Would you believe it’s gluten free?  It absolutely is!  I love that we can enjoy popular orzo dishes like this one, made with gluten free Orzo pasta from DeLallo.

But what I especially love about this recipe is that it uses healthy fresh ingredients, like boneless, skinless chicken thighs, peeled and seeded butternut squash, and bagged baby spinach.  The prep work is a snap!

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups butternut squash, cut into small cubes
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 5
  • 1 cup uncooked gluten free Orzo pasta, (I used DeLallo)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 5 oz. bag baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup white wine, divided use
  • 2 cups gluten free chicken broth, divided use
  • 2 tbsp. heavy cream
  • olive oil
  • Tuscan seasoning (I like this one)
  • paprika
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • cooking spray
  • fresh Italian parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Cut the butternut squash into small cubes.  Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.  Line a baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray.  Spread the squash cubes in an even layer, bake at 425º for 20 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and paprika.

Heat a nonstick skillet with olive oil and add the chicken.  Cook 7 minutes per side, turning once.  Toward the end of cooking add 1/4 cup white wine to the pan and cook several minutes more until mostly evaporated.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and wipe the skillet clean.  Set up a pot of salted water for the gluten free orzo and cook according to package directions.

In the skillet, add 1 tbsp. of olive oil, the minced garlic and pinch of red pepper flakes.  Cook just until fragrant (30 seconds) then add 1/4 cup of white wine.  Add the baby spinach and simmer until wilted.  (It looks like a lot of spinach, but don’t be afraid to add it all, it will cook down to nothing!)

Add the roasted butternut squash back to the pan.

When cooked, drain and rinse the orzo under warm water to remove some of the starch.  Use a fork to break up the orzo if it seems to be sticking together.  Gradually add it to the skillet with the spinach mixture.  Add a pinch of salt, or to taste.

Stir in 1 cup gluten free chicken broth and 2 tbsp. heavy cream.

Simmer several minutes to reduce the liquid slightly, then transfer the mixture to a casserole dish that has been coated with cooking spray.  Arrange the chicken thighs in the casserole, cover with foil and bake 20 minutes at 350º.

Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh Italian parsley.

Notes ♪♫ Some recipes add the uncooked orzo pasta right into a casserole, but for gluten free pasta I always recommend cooking it separately.  Since some gluten free pasta can be quite gummy, you are able to rinse off some of the starch before adding to your dish.

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Gluten Free Banana Date Muffins

Say goodbye to those dry, bland tasting gluten free muffins at the grocery store.  These Banana Date Muffins are incredibly moist and hearty, a real stick to your ribs breakfast!

Dates are wonderful for baking, and they give a natural sweetness to these muffins, not to mention a fiber boost.  I also added a little brown sugar substitute to the mix, but you can omit this or use real brown sugar.

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Ingredients:

Wet Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

280g. Better Batter all-purpose gluten free flour blend

(use my Promo Code MGFC30 at checkout for 30% off!)

  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

Other

  • cooking spray
  • 1 tbsp. butter for brushing

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400º.  Mist a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray or use paper liners.

Boil water and add the dates.  Cover and remove from heat, then let them soak for 15 minutes.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan.

Whisk together the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining wet ingredients (eggs, mashed banana, honey, vanilla and brown sugar).

Pour the soaked dates and their water into a blender, food processor or electric chopper.  Puree into a paste, do it in 2 batches if needed.

Combine the pureed dates with the melted butter and cool 10 minutes.

Next combine the date mixture with the other wet ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir together with a dough whisk just until moistened.

Fill the 12 muffin cups, level to the rim.

For nice, rounded domes, smooth the tops of the muffins with a small spatula.

Bake for 20-22 minutes.  Check that a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Melt the remaining tbsp. of butter and brush over the tops of the muffins.  Cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

Remove the muffins and serve warm, or cool on a rack to freeze.

Thaw frozen muffins in the refrigerator.  To reheat microwave for 1 minute.

Notes ♪♫ I used Better Batter Original All Purpose Flour Blend in this recipe (be sure to use my Promo Code MGFC30 at checkout for 30% off your non-sale purchase at Better Batter!).  If you are using a different flour blend that does not contain xanthan gum, I recommend adding 1/2 tsp. to the dry ingredients.

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Lamb Chops

Isn’t it funny how food can bring back a memory?  I hadn’t had lamb chops since I was a little girl, 60+ years ago!  At a very young age though, I remember my grandmother would often make me a single lamb chop for lunch.  It was the perfect size for a picky kid’s appetite!

Today, lamb can be a bit of a splurge, but I will usually buy it when there’s a sale.

When my herb garden is in season, I use just a bit of fresh herbs and seasonings to bring out the natural flavor of these lamb chops.  You can use dried herbs during the winter months.

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Ingredients:

  • 6 Lamb Chops
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • fresh rosemary
  • fresh thyme
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • fresh parsley, for garnish

Preparation:

Pat the pork chops dry and season with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet with the fresh thyme and rosemary.

The chops will have fat on one side.  Stand the lamb chops on their side in the pan, with the fat side down and cook 5 minutes to render the fat.

Then lay the chops down, cover and cook 7 minutes on one side.

Turn the chops, cover and cook for 7 minutes longer.  During the last 2 minutes of cooking, uncover and add the wine and butter.

Check with a thermometer that the internal temperature reaches 145º for medium.

Place the chops on a serving dish and drizzle with pan juices.  Finish with fresh parsley.

Notes ♪♫ If you love lamb, check out my Braised Lamb Shanks.  A different cut that lends itself to a slow cooked dinner.

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