Gluten & Dairy Free Butternut Squash Risotto

Meatless Monday’s are the latest trend for those trying to be more conscious of our Earth’s environment. As a post-Vatican II, cradle Catholic, my family has observed this tradition on Friday’s for as long as I can remember — at least during the holy season of Lent. Now days vegetarian options have exploded with taste and texture. Gone are the meals of grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup or crunchy tuna casserole. Going meatless isn’t the sacrifice that it used to be.

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it covers all the bases — vegetarian, gluten free, food allergy friendly — pleasing every crowd (including my children). It is a bit more time consuming since the risotto has to be constantly stirred, but the resulting dairy-free creaminess is worth it.

My husband, whose grandfather immigrated from Lucca, Italy, made me a version of this for one of our first dates. It was the first time I had ever eaten Italian Arborio rice — the short grain variety that makes the best risotto. Gratefully, it was one of many firsts that has graced our last 14 years together and now it’s part of the regular menu at our home.

Butternut Squash Risotto

GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (divided)

1 medium or large butternut squash

3 inches of fresh ginger root, pealed and minced

1 medium onion diced

1 cup Italian Arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine (nothing expensive,

an affordable Chardonnay works well)*

4 cups chicken broth (I use an organic box brand)

2 cups water

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

freshly chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 450º

1. With a sharp knife, cut butternut squash in half, vertically. Scoop out seeds. Peal and dice one half of the squash into 1" cubes. Place the solid half (skin side down) and the pealed, diced pieces on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 45 minutes or until the flesh of the solid squash is soft and can be pierced easily with a fork.

2. In a sauce pan, heat chicken broth and water until warm,

but not boiling.

3. In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, on medium heat saute onions in 3 tablespoons olive oil until translucent (about 8 minutes).

Add minced ginger, stirring for about 3 more minutes.

4. Pour in the cup of Arborio rice, stirring quickly to coat with olive oil/onion mixture.

5. Add white wine, stirring constantly.

6. Once wine is absorbed into the risotto, begin adding chicken broth mixture 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continually until the liquid is absorbed with each 1/2 cup. Slowly the risotto will plump and thicken.

7. After all the chicken broth has been absorbed and the risotto has a creamy texture, stir in roasted, cubed squash and lower heat.

8. Scrape soft squash flesh from the skin of the solid half and add.

9. Finish with a little salt and pepper to taste, stirring well to combine.

10. Serve on a plate or in a pasta bowl and garnish with chopped parsley. Eat while warm.

* If looking for a slightly sweeter risotto a light riesling may be used instead of the chardonnay.

** If dairy is not an issue for you, feel free to stir in a cup of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano with the squash and top with a little more parmigiano before serving.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Chicken á la King

On a cold, rainy, late winter day, nothing tastes more comforting than a hot, creamy meal. If you’re avoid dairy and wheat, as I am, making a dinner that meets that criteria can be tricky. Changing out a few ingredients with comparable dairy/gluten free options is much easier and tastier than one might think. The secret is a “roux” that is created from blending dairy free margarine with finely ground rice flour and chicken broth. The best part is you’ll be warmly satisfied and your happy intestines will thank you for it.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Chicken á la King*

Serves 4

4 tablespoons dairy free margarine (I use Earth Balance brand)

4 tablespoons finely ground rice flour** (may use brown rice flour instead)

4 cups warmed chicken broth (I use an organic brand in a box)

1 cup of cooked chicken, chopped

1 1/2 cups of chopped shiitake mushrooms

1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup jar of pimentos (drained)

1-2 tablespoons of sherry

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped for garnish (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 toasted, gluten free, English muffins

1. Coat a small skillet with olive oil and saute the shiitake mushrooms over medium high heat until soft (about 3 minutes). Set aside.

2. Warm chicken broth in a small sauce pan until slightly steaming, but not boiling.

3. In a large, heavy bottomed pot, melt the dairy free margarine over medium high heat. Slowly add rice flour one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly and quickly to make a thick, dough-like mixture called a roux.

4. Slowly pour in chicken broth, continuing to stir constantly and quickly, to incorporate the broth with the roux into a thick, gravy-like mixture. It is important to work fast during this process so that the ingredients blend smoothly. If the base has to much broth, shake in a bit more rice flour one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly.

5. Reduce temperature to medium heat and continue to stir to avoid scorching. Add cooked chicken, sauteed mushrooms, jar of pimentos, sherry, salt and pepper until well combined and warmed throughout.

6. Serve immediately over toasted English muffins and sprinkle with freshly topped rosemary.

* If gluten or dairy is not an issue in your diet, replace dairy free margarine with butter, rice flour with all purpose flour and gluten free English muffins with toasted wheat bread or English muffins.

** gluten free, rice flour can be bought at Whole Foods, the natural food section of your grocery or online. Ener-G brand is the only brand that is free of potential cross-contamination from nut flours.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Chicken

During the rush of weekday evenings it can be challenging to put a homemade meal on the table in less than an hour. Especially when it comes to cooking a whole chicken. So you might choose to save this meal for the weekend when you can be more attentive to preparation, basting and baking. In the end, it will actually save time by providing enough meat for three meals. The first feast is a tender, rosemary, garlic chicken with crispy skin. The second might be a light, sweet chicken salad with apples, tarragon and dried cranberries for lunch (see Cognizable April 2010 for the recipe). The third could be a thick, comforting, warm, “Chicken á la King” served over your favorite toasted bread. All of the recipes using healthier, food allergy friendly ingredients. The added bonus is saving money by spreading the chicken out over three meals (an organic, 3 pound, whole chicken costs around $11 at Whole Foods where I live). Not bad for three meals.

This recipe is inspired from Mark Bittman’s technique of roasting a bird at a high temperature with the breast side down for the first 20 minutes. This tip will keep the meat tender and juicy. My twist on the recipe includes sliding sprigs of fresh rosemary under the skin of the breast and shoving 5 or 6 whole, crushed garlic cloves with more rosemary sprigs inside the cavity of the bird. These additions infuse a subtle flavor throughout the chicken and your house will smell incredible.

Believe me, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever be able to successfully roast a whole chicken. I did not grow up cooking along side my mom (my job was to set the table). So if I can do this, you can too. It’s a lot easier than I ever thought possible. You will be impressed with yourself when you see and TASTE the finished results.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Chicken

serves 4 with leftovers

GLUTEN, DAIRY, EGG and NUT FREE

1 whole, 3 pound organic chicken, thawed

6 sprigs of fresh rosemary

5-6 whole garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups warm water

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Special equipment

Large roasting pan with roasting rack

Baster

Meat thermometer

Preheat oven to 500º

1. Remove the giblets from the chicken (the sack containing the heart, liver and gizzard from inside the cavity). Some choose to saute or fry the giblets for eating later, but I prefer to discard.

2. Whisk together extra virgin olive oil and warm water with a little salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

3. Remove rosemary leaves from two more sprigs, chop, set aside.

4. Slide two, 4-5" sprigs of fresh rosemary under skin of chicken breast.

5. Place two more sprigs of fresh rosemary inside the cavity of the chicken along with the 5-6, crushed garlic cloves.

6. Rub the chicken with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

7. Place bird, breast side down, on the rack in your roasting pan.

8. Cook for 20 minutes, baste with a little olive oil mixture.

9. Briefly remove chicken from the oven and turn breast side up on the roasting rack. Baste with more olive oil mixture, sprinkle with chopped rosemary and return to the oven for 8 more minutes. After 8 or so minutes, baste again. Skin should be beginning to brown (if not, roast a few more minutes at 500º until you notice it taking a golden hue).

10. REDUCE TEMPERATURE OF THE OVEN TO 325º and baste again. Cook at this temperature until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone, reaches 160-165ºF. Total roasting time should be under an hour, about 50 minutes. Baste a few more times... every 10 minutes or so, to ensure the meat will be extra moist.

11. Remove the chicken from the oven and tip the pan to spoon juices into a clear measuring cup. Skim off as much fat as possible, reheat and serve with the chicken.

Carve the bird according to your preference. My kids like the legs, while my husband and I prefer the white meat from the breast. Remember that a serving of meat is smaller than the palm of your hand to allow for enough leftovers to stretch into more meals.

A. Here’s what the chicken looks like with the rosemary slid under the skin. Be sure to roll the skin back over the entire breast of meat to seal in the juices. B. Slightly crush the garlic using your palm and the flat side of a large knife.

Serve with a generous side of vegetables such as sauteed green beans in olive oil with minced garlic (as shown in the photo above) or roasted sweet potatoes and baby carrots spread around the roasting pan while the chicken is cooking.