Gluten Free Chile Rellenos with Cheese

Finally! A recipe for chile rellenos with cheese that is made with gluten-free ingredients. I adapted this chile rellenos recipe from an old Sunset cookbook that I have had for years.

My favorite recipe for stuffed chile rellenos from the book uses either fresh or canned green chiles and has a puffy coating.

For years, I've had to avoid chile rellenos because they are made with flour, but this recipe is gluten-free and just as delicious as the original.

This recipe uses fresh peppers but one small can of California green chiles can be substituted for fresh.

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Fresh Ancho chiles

INGREDIENTS:

Have Ready:
6 to 8 large firm California or Anaheim peppers (ancho or poblano is a good substitute)

Oil for frying

1/2 lb. Monterey or pepper jack cheese










Puffy coating batter ingredients:
3 eggs (separated)
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons gluten-free flour

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Ingredients for Salsa de jitomate (tomato sauce):
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 can (15-oz) tomato sauce
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)

Prepare salsa de jitomate:

While waiting for the chiles to cool as described below, add the salsa de jitomate ingredients into a small covered pot and allow to simmer on low heat until flavors are blended, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let rest until chile rellenos are ready to serve.

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Ancho chiles on broiler tray

PREPARATION:

Chile peppers (skip this step if using canned chiles)

Clean and dry the peppers, if using fresh chiles. Have a clean brown paper bag or a heavy ziplock plastic bag on hand. Arrange the peppers close together under the broiler and turn the heat up to broil. Using tongs, turn chiles frequently until blistered and lightly browned on all sides. Check often, and once chiles are well blistered but not limp, lift out into a heavy plastic bag or brown paper bag, and close tightly. Turn off broiler.

Let the bag cool for at least 10 minutes, while you are preparing the salsa de jitomate.

Ancho chiles, ready to peel

By this time, the peppers should be cool enough to handle. Gently peel or rub off the blistered skin from each pepper, and remove seeds gently. If possible, keep the stem intact as this keeps the peppers from opening up during cooking. Lay cleaned chiles on a plate to rest as you prepare the tomato sauce (salsa de jitomate).

Organize your ingredients to make prep easier

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A peeled chile that has been stuffed with cheese

Cheese filling

Slice the jack cheese into pieces that will fit inside the chiles, into 1/2 inch thick and 1/2 to 1 inch wide pieces. Cut 1 inch shorter than each chile so that cheese will fit completely into the chile. Canned chiles will most likely use smaller pieces of cheese than fresh chiles do. 

Insert a piece or two of jack cheese into each prepared chile and set aside while preparing the coating.

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Puffy batter coating

Separate 3 eggs, with yolks in one bowl and whites in another bowl. Be sure bowls are clean and dry. Beat the yolks with an egg beater or wire whisk until they stand up in soft peaks. Beat the yolks with 1 tablespoon water, 3 tablespoons gluten-free flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until the yolks are thick and creamy. Gently pour yolks into the whites, and use a spatula to fold them carefully into the mixture.

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Cook the chile rellenos

Heat 1-1/2 inches of oil in a wide medium-sized frying pan on medium heat.

Dip the stuffed chiles rellenos into the fluffy batter mixture, then carefully lift out into a clean saucer using a slotted spoon or flat ladle.

TIP: Test if the oil is hot enough by dipping a wooden chopstick or skewer into the oil until tiny bubbles form around it. 

From the saucer, carefully slide the chiles rellenos into the hot oil. Adjust the heat if necessary. When the bottoms are golden brown, use the spatula and fork (or another spatula) to turn them over. Drain on a platter on top of a few layers of paper towel.

Serve hot and top with salsa de jitomate.

Easy Recipe Minestrone Soup

This easy minestrone recipe is an adaptation of my mother's homemade minestrone recipe. I have tried to stay faithful to her original recipe here.

Not only is it the best recipe for minestrone soup according to our family but is also gluten-free and easy to prepare.

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1/2 lb beef stew meat, cut into smaller cubes or sliced thin
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 28-oz can of chopped tomatoes and liquid
• 1 can of pinto beans or other pink beans
• 3-4 medium carrots, sliced thin
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, cleaned and sliced thin (discard leaves)
• 1 box frozen spinach (or equivalent amount fresh spinach, chopped)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
• 1-2 cups water or broth
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese for garnish

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INSTRUCTIONS:
To make homemade minestrone soup, cut the beef stew meat cubes into smaller pieces. Trim the excess fat and discard. Meanwhile, cut up the vegetables and set aside in a bowl. Take the frozen spinach out of the freezer and allow to thaw.

Heat up a heavy stew pot or Dutch oven, then brown the meat in a small amount of olive oil. Stir quickly to brown all sides of the meat. Quickly add the cut vegetables, then the canned tomatoes and their liquid to the pot. Stir again. If not enough liquid, add water or broth to the empty tomato can and stir to get all the tomato sauce. Pour the liquid into the pot. Reduce heat to simmer.


Open the can of beans and drain if desired (optional). Add the beans to the pot and stir.

Meanwhile, add the partially thawed spinach to a separate pot with an inch of water, cover and lightly boil until soft. Using a colander or strainer, drain spinach well. Add to the minestrone soup in the pot. Stir well and continue to simmer covered for another 20-25 minutes to blend flavors.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

For fresh spinach; just rinse, drain, and cut the spinach leaves and add directly to the minestrone soup 5 minutes before serving.

Serve in individual soup plates. Grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the homemade Italian style minestrone, or use canned Parmesan cheese.

Can be served over gluten-free Barilla pasta or with French bread.

Gluten-Free Egg Dumplings (Hungarian Noki)

This is my interpretation of the traditional flour-egg dumpling recipe that is used in Hungarian cuisine, also known as noki.

Because I am gluten intolerant, I have substituted gluten-free flour in this recipe, and it works perfectly! 

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GLUTEN-FREE EGG DUMPLINGS

INGREDIENTS: 

2½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour

1 egg

Salt

1/3 to ½ cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon butter to toss the dumplings

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Put the flour in a mixing bowl. Break in egg, add salt. With the help of a wooden spatula, beat until egg is well blended with the flour. Now, slowly and beating steadily, pour in the lukewarm water. The mixture should have the thickness of a soft dough, slightly sticky.

Have plenty of salted water (or broth) ready and boiling on the stove. Dip the wooden spatula into the boiling water to wet it and scoop out a spoonful of the dough. Then, using the sharp edge of a metal tablespoon, quickly clip off small pieces of the dough from the wooden spoon and drop them directly into the boiling water. You can easily adjust the size of the dumplings, depending on how small you cut the dough with each stroke.

When dumplings have risen to the surface, they are done. For larger dumplings, allow them to boil a little longer before removing from the pot. Strain and rinse under cold water. Put softened or melted butter over them and mix.  Serve at once while hot.

Can be served with either Real Hungarian Goulash Recipe or Hungarian Chicken Paprika and Dumplings, two of our family's favorite dishes.

Real Hungarian Goulash Recipe

Hungarian goulash was one of my mother's recipes, but since she made it so often, she never wrote it down. When I looked for a recipe for Hungarian goulash that was as much like my mother's recipe as possible, I wanted to find a good authentic Hungarian goulash soup recipe.

I've made a few changes to the authentic Hungarian goulash soup recipe to make it more nutritious, including substituting homemade broth for the salted potato water that is called for in the recipe, and replacing lard with butter or organic margarine.

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HUNGARIAN GOULASH RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 pounds of boneless beef shank meat, trim off the white parts and cut into 2-inch cubes (should make 1 pound of cubed meat)

1 medium white onion, diced very small

3-4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon organic margarine or butter

2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet red paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

Prep time: 20-25 minutes
Cooking time: About 1.5 hours

Have ready:
2 quarts prepared vegetable or meat soup stock to boil potatoes in
Salt (add to soup stock to taste)

To save time or if you don't have homemade broth, you may substitute boxed or canned broth.

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Recommended with this Recipe: Gluten-Free Hungarian Egg Dumplings

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Lay the beef shank flat on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut horizontally (with the grain) through the meat. This should give you a nice flat piece of meat. Be sure to trim the boneless beef shank well to remove all tendon and casings. Discard the white parts. Now, cut the flat piece of beef shank longways into about 2-inch wide slices, and then finally, cut ACROSS the grain into cubes. Set aside.

Next, dice one medium onion into small pieces (about 1/2 inch). Add the olive oil and margarine OR butter and melt on low heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Add onions and stir continuously until they become clear and golden in color.

Stir in the paprika, and then immediately add the beef cubes and continue stirring as you allow the beef to brown along with the onions and paprika. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot with a lid.

Important! Resist the temptation to add liquid while the beef is cooking. If the beef seems to be sticking to the pot, stir in a tablespoon of broth occasionally throughout the cooking cycle. A rich brown soup base will be formed from the meat juices, onions, and paprika if you follow these instructions.

After the beef has been cooking for about 1 hour, start heating the soup stock. Add the quartered and peeled potatoes and boil until slightly soft. When the potatoes are cooked, remove them to a separate bowl and pour the liquid from the potatoes into the meat mixture. 

I chose to add just three-fourths of the broth to the goulash and reserved the rest to boil the dumplings in. The soup may seem thin, but if you add dumplings, it will be very thick, especially the next day when reheated.

Add the potatoes into the soup and heat a little longer. 

Lastly, add the boiled egg dumplings and serve with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl. Do not add sour cream to the pot.

Easy Brown Rice Mushroom Recipe (Hungarian Gombas Rizs)

This easy mushroom rice recipe is adapted from a traditional Hungarian recipe. Instead of white rice, I substitute long grain brown rice and use canned mushrooms instead of fresh, which makes this recipe for mushroom rice really fast and easy. 

Mushrooms with rice is traditionally used as a garnish or side dish for roast meats or veal cutlets. Easy Brown Rice Mushroom Recipe is perfect as a one-course meal; it's filling and doesn't need any accompaniment. It can be adapted as a vegetarian dish by substituting olive oil for the butter and using vegetable broth.

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INGREDIENTS: 
2 cups long-grain brown rice 

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 finely chopped onion (optional) 

Salt (Use less if you are using a salted broth)

Freshly ground black pepper

3 cups cold chicken or vegetable broth (use boxed or canned broth if homemade broth is not available)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 small cans sliced white mushrooms with liquid

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Do not wash the rice! In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and fry the rice for a few minutes. At this point, you can add the chopped onions. Stir well but do not let the rice get too browned. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the rice the 3 cups of cold broth. Cover with lid and bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to low and let the rice simmer for 10-12 minutes. 

At this point, uncover the pot and stir in the sliced mushrooms and the liquid from the cans. Allow to simmer for another 5-7 minutes or until the rice is no longer hard and the liquid has been absorbed. Add the chopped parsley and stir again. Serves 6.

Place the rice into a microwave-safe serving dish to make reheating easy.  Keep leftover rice refrigerated. Tastes great the next day, too!

Serves 8-10
Prep Time: About 30 minutes

Easy Gluten-Free Lemon Meringue Pie

Easy Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Pie is my adaptation of my mother's perfect lemon meringue pie recipe. Using a dairy-free lemon meringue recipe and substituting gluten-free flour in the filling, I also used a frozen 9-inch gluten-free crust, and made this lemon meringue pie recipe using fresh lemons. 


Allergy note: This lemon meringue pie recipe uses eggs but no milk. Gluten free crust may contain milk.

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GLUTEN-FREE LEMON MERINGUE PIE

INGREDIENTS: 

Filling:

1-1/4 white granulated sugar

2 tablespoons gluten-free flour

3-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups water

2-3 medium-sized lemons, zested and the juice reserved

1 tsp vanilla extract(optional)

2 tablespoons butter

4 egg yolks, beaten 


Crust:
One 9-inch gluten-free frozen pie crust, baked*

*If gluten free pie crust shells are not available in your area, you can use a gluten-free pie crust mix instead. Prepare according to package directions.


Meringue: 
4 egg whites

6 tablespoons white granulated sugar 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

The Best Way to Separate Egg Yolks 

My mother was very specific in how to separate egg yolks and egg whites. She told me to have two CLEAN bowls ready ahead of time and to use a different clean dry whisk or egg beater for each. This video shows a method of separating egg whites from yolks.

VIDEO: How to Separate Egg Whites from Yolks

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INSTRUCTIONS: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pie Crust:
Unwrap one 9-inch frozen gluten-free pie crust or pastry shell and place it into the preheated oven. As the pie crust begins to soften, use a fork to poke holes into the bottom and sides of the crust so it doesn't bubble up. Continue baking 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Lemon Filling: 

Using a medium saucepan, first add the dry ingredients: sugar, gluten-free flour, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk together well and then gradually stir in the water, vanilla (if used), lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat and continue to stir well until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in the butter.

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How I Make Grated Lemon Zest

How Do You Zest a Lemon?

You might be wondering what is lemon zest? The "zest" is what you get when you grate a lemon rind. I use a firm fresh lemon and just grate the yellow part all around the lemon. Don't shave the white part or it gives a bitter taste. You can use a special lemon zester but I use the tiniest part of my metal food grater to make lemon zest.

I use a clean stiff brush to dust the zest from the grater into a bowl. 

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To the egg yolks in a small bowl, add a small amount of the hot sugar mixture from the saucepan. Immediately add the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan and stir or whisk continuously as you bring the mixture to a boil. Continue stirring until the mixture is thick. Because gluten-free flour is used, the mixture may take a little longer to thicken. Remove saucepan from heat.

Use a spatula to help pour the lemon filling into the baked gluten-free pie crust. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Meringue:

In a medium to large glass or Pyrex bowl with steep sides, whip the egg whites until they are foamy and beginning to stand up in peaks. Add the sugar a little at a time, until the egg white mixture stands up in stiff peaks that only droop a little at their tops. If you wish to add vanilla extract, add it now and whip lightly into the mixture.

Spoon the egg white mixture over the cooled lemon filling in the pie shell. Use a spatula to spread the meringue over the entire filling and onto the edges of the pie crust. The meringue will be very high but will become lower as the pie bakes. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the peaks and edges of the meringue are golden brown. 

Cool on a rack or refrigerate.

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Best lemon meringue pie I have ever made!  

I prepared this to take along to visit family who live on a mountain road. Despite all the twisting and turning on the way, the lemon meringue stayed ON TOP OF THE PIE and did not slide or shrink. That's never happened when I made other lemon meringue pie recipes, and it was a big hit with everyone!

German Pfeffernusse Cookie Recipe (Gluten Free)

My mother did not write down any recipes for pfeffernusse cookies for me, but she did bake them a time or two. This gluten-free pfeffernusse recipe is my adaptation of a traditional pfeffernusse recipe. 

In German, pfeffernusse means "pepper nuts," even though my husband refers to them as "frosted reindeer droppings"! Either way, they are super yummy.

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Although I substitute gluten-free flour in this pfeffernussen recipe, ground spices may contain traces of gluten. McCormick brand spices are reportedly gluten free, but read the labels and do your own research if you must avoid gluten in your diet. Gluten-free suggestions are provided in the links. Despite the name, no nuts are used in this recipe. I have substituted butter for the margarine-shortening mixture in an authentic pfeffernusse recipe that would have been prepared in the 1950s.

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GERMAN PFEFFERNUSSE COOKIES

Ingredients

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup honey

4 oz (one stick) butter

2 eggs

4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (Bob's Red Mill is my favorite)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom 

1 teaspoon allspice* 

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or grated nutmeg 

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 

2 teaspoons anise extract*

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ground ginger 

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup confectioner's powdered sugar (to dust pfeffernussen after they are done)

I like the flavor that allspice imparts to this traditional Christmas cookie pfeffernusse recipe, but if you don't have allspice, you may double the nutmeg and ground cloves to 1 teaspoon each to make up the difference.

*Anise extract is a lightly licorice-flavored essence. Don't skip or substitute for anise extract or the recipe will not turn out right.

Have ready:

Two (nonstick or aluminum) cookie sheets, and nonstick parchment baking paper cut to size of cookie sheets

My daughter and me making German Pfeffernusse aka "Reindeer Droppings"

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Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together molasses, honey, butter over medium heat. Cook and continue stirring until butter is melted and the mixture is creamy. Remove the saucepan from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Add in the eggs and whisk well into the mixture. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, brown and white sugar, and all spices: cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, as well as baking soda, ground pepper, and salt. Whisk thoroughly to mix dry ingredients. Add anise extract and whisk again until well mixed.
4. Add the molasses-sugar-egg mixture and mix well with a sturdy wooden spoon or mixing spoon until blended. Be sure to blend edges and under and over the dough. Put the bowl into the refrigerator and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
5. Remove the dough mixture from the refrigerator and set out on the workspace with the cookie sheets which have been covered with parchment. 
6. Using a teaspoon, scoop a small amount of dough from the bowl and roll between your palms into acorn-sized balls. Arrange the balls on the lined cookie sheets and place into the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 10 minutes and remove immediately to cool. When they are cooled, dust pfeffernussen with confectioner's sugar.

Once the pfeffernusse cookies are allowed to cool completely, 

they can be stored in festive cookie containers. Makes a great gift!

HINT:

Since spice cookies are so expensive to buy ingredients for (and who uses allspice except on Christmas!), you might want to throw a cookie baking party with friends and have each person bring a spice to the party.