fall recipes – Trading Paper Crowns

Warning before you read this – I cannot guarantee that this soup is low fat. However, it’s gluten free, creamy and will warm your tummy on those cold winter nights.

As soon as I read the name of this soup on ‘Buns in my Oven’s’ blog – I knew I had to make this. I mean, who does not love meat, cheese, garlic and potatoes? But, in a warm soup – wow, I was in heaven! This was easy and fun to make. I slightly modified the recipe to make it gluten free.

The man in your life will love this – 100% guaranteed. It’s like a burger but in soup form. Yum, my mouth is watering just typing about this lovely, little dish.

You will need: 1 pound ground lean turkey, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons butter (or use olive oil), 2 chopped garlic cloves, ½ small chopped onion, 1 tbsp dry or fresh chopped basil, 3 cups gluten free chicken broth, 5 sliced red potatoes, 1/3 cup all-purpose gluten free flour, 2 cups skim milk and 8 ounces sharp cheddar (sliced into small cubes).

You will also want to make croutons to place on top of the piping hot soup – after it’s done. You can read that recipe for gluten free garlic croutons, here.

First, brown your meat in a dense soup bowl on the stove. After that is done, drain excess water – and set aside in a separate bowl.

In the same pot (make sure the meat has been emptied), throw a 1 tbsp of butter, onions and garlic. Sauté these for a little bit. Then pour in the 3 cups of chicken broth. Add in the basil pieces and sliced red potatoes. Let this cook for about 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are soft.

In a bowl, whisk the milk and gluten free flour together. Make sure there are no clumps. In a separate pan on the oven– add in the 2 additional tbsp of butter. Then pour your milky mixture over the hot butter and whisk for about 2 minutes.

Pour in the milk mixture to the soup mixture. Stir up thoroughly. Take the cubed, sliced yellow cheese and add in slowly to the soup pot. It will look very creamy and good. Then, lastly – pour in your turkey meat. I also added a dash of red pepper – for taste.

Top off the bowl with garlic, gluten free croutons. Yum. Dinner is served.

If you are a pasta lover, but, sadly, gluten free – this is the dish for you. I tried to recreate a wonderful dish I had in New York last month on a business trip.

That dish was not gluten free (shame on me). And, I felt horrible after eating it – but it was delicious.

However, this gluten free gnocchi (made from scratch, mind you) was just as good!

I used butternut squash because I had it in the kitchen. Yet, I feel like it is a little bit lighter than potatoes and tastes just as good. So, c’mon cooks, this is a process; but, you will feel like a bonafide chef afterward. Seriously.

You will need: 1 butternut squash, dash of cinnamon, 1 tbsp. poultry seasoning or sage, 1 cage free egg, dash of ground red pepper, dash of salt and pepper, dash of olive oil, 2 ¼ cups of gluten free all-purpose baking flour. And a mix of pesto sauce. If you don’t have this or don’t want to buy a mix, read how to make it – here.

First, cut the squash in half and scoop out all the seeds. You do not want to bake those. Preheat the oven to 400. Set the squash on a lined cooking tray (fleshy side up) and sprinkle olive oil, salt and pepper across the meat of the squash. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

After the squash is done. Let it cool a little while – and scoop out the flesh. You can either mash it up with a big fork or put it in the food processor. I put it in the food processor. Empty the mashed up meat of the squash into a large cooking bowl.

Add in egg, poultry seasoning, cinnamon, red pepper and 1 cup of gluten free flour. Stir this up. And gradually add in the remaining flour until your mixture is thick and creates a nice little ball. You may need to add more flour. Use your judgment on this.

Make sure there is a boiling pot of hot water on the stove. Let it boil for a little bit – while you fashion your gnocchi pieces. You want the pot super boiling hot!

The uncooked gnocchi should look like this. Photo courtesy of: 101 Cookbooks

Roll out the dough ball on wax paper coated with flour (similar to cookies). I rolled the dough into two long ropes – and sliced the rope in little pieces with a cutting knife. Then pressed my fork into the dough making a nice little line design – like peanut butter cookies!

You are almost done – drop the dough pieces one at a time into the boiling pot of hot water. I would not cook more than a dozen at a time. They cook for about 4 minutes – then will float at the top of the pot when done.

After all the gnocchi is done – coat with your pesto. And, you have a gluten free masterpiece made from scratch! Viola!