Gluten-Free « The Hip Hostess

Pumpkin Hummus October 25, 2009

Infuse the flavors of fall into a year-round favorite. Adding pumpkin puree to store-bought hummus adds a slightly sweet, warm flavor to this crowd-pleasing dip, and a healthy dose of beta-carotene. Serve this as part of a Halloween, Thanksgiving or fall cocktail party menu. I even like to whip up a batch for an afternoon snack.

Pumpkin Hummus

1 C. garlic hummus (store-bought or homemade)

1/2 C. pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 ground cloves

1/4 C. toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), optional

crackers, tortilla chips or pita wedges

Combine hummus, pumpkin and spices in a small bowl. Stir until well combined. Transfer to a small serving dish; sprinkle with toasted pepitas. Serve with whole-grain crackers, tortilla chips or pita wedges.

Spanish Tortilla Recipe September 29, 2009

Filed under: Appetizers, Breakfast/ brunch, Dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Tapas, Theme Parties, Vegetarian, party food — hiphostess @ 6:00 am
Tags: appetizer recipes, authentic Spanish recipe, cocktail party appetizer, cocktail party recipes, fritatta recipe, make-ahead appetizer, onion, party recipe, potato, potato and onion fritatta, Spanish tapas, spanish tortilla, tapas menu, tapas recipe, tortilla recipe, vegetarian appetizer

I can think of few things more comforting than crispy potatoes layered with caramelized onions. These delicious bite-size appetizers are a must on an tapas menu and a crowd-pleasing, inexpensive addition to any cocktail party menu. Make the tortilla up to a day in advance. Once cooled, cut into small wedges or squares and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature or warm by heating tortilla bites on a cookie sheet at 300 degrees for 15 minutes or until warm.

Add any of the following complimentary ingredients if you’d like to add more flavor and color to the tortilla: Chopped pimientos or roasted red peppers, diced chorizo, sauted kale, spinach or zucchini. Parsley is an excellent garnish for the tortilla.

Here are the links to my favorite tortilla recipes. The first recipe (from Food Network) is an authentic recipe; the second recipe (from epicurious) is a less labor-intensive variation that’s baked in the oven.

Traditional Spanish Tortilla:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/spanish-tortilla-recipe/index.html

Baked Spanish Tortilla Bites
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chorizo-and-Potato-Spanish-Tortilla-Bites-236695

*I added chopped pimientos to the tortilla pictured above.

Tuscan White Bean Salad August 1, 2009

Serve this simple yet hearty summer salad at a picnic, bridal or baby shower luncheon or serve over mixed greens for a light supper.

This salad is best prepared several hour (or up to 3 days) in advance so the flavors have time to merry. I used navy beans, but cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans) are more traditional in Tuscan cooking. Canned beans are a fine substitute, but fresh cooked will have a sturdier texture.

Tuscan White Bean Salad

1 cup dried white beans (or 2 cans white beans)

½ lb. (8oz) fresh mozzarella, cut into ½” cubes

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

1.5 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1.5 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 Tbs. fresh oregano, chopped

2 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped

½ tsp. salt

fresh-ground black pepper

1. Soak beans in cold water overnight. Rinse beans and cover with water. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Drain and cool to room temperature.

2. Combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano and basil in large bowl and whisk until fully combined. Add mozzarella, tomatoes and beans and toss until well coated. Chill for several hours and serve at room temperature.

Serves 6

Comments (2)

Spring Quinoa Salad With Asparagus and Feta May 26, 2009

I always enjoy the first asparagus of the season simply steamed or sauteed. In the following weeks I find more interesting uses for my favorite spring vegetable, like this Asparagus and Feta Quinoa Salad. If you can find them, use pencil thin stalks in this recipe.

This salad goes well with grilled meat, poultry and fish. It’s a great side dish for a cookout or BBQ since it can be prepared in advance and served at room temperature. Make this salad up to two days in advance and add additional olive oil, vinegar and/or lemon juice if the the quinoa seems dry (it will absorb some of the liquid if prepared in advance).

Spring Quinoa Salad With Asparagus and Feta

1 ½ C. chicken or vegetable stock (low sodium)

1 C. quinoa

Juice from ½ large lemon (about 1 ½ Tbs.)

1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 bunch pencil thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces

15 grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

4oz feta or goat cheese, crumbled

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. While waiting for the stock to boil, place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under warm water for 2 minutes to wash away the natural (but bitter) outer layer of the grain. Once stock is boiling, add quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover saucepan and simmer until quinoa has absorbed most of the liquid, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, fluff with a fork. Cool at room temperature.

2. While quinoa is cooking, steam asparagus. Fill a small pot with 1” water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Place asparagus in the boiling water or in a steamer basket fitted inside the pot. Cover with a lid and steam for 2-3 minutes, or until asparagus is fork tender but still slightly crisp. Fill a small bowl with ice and cold water and plunge asparagus into the cold water to stop the cooking process and keep the asparagus from over-cooking.

3. In a medium bowl combine lemon, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined. Add cooled quinoa, steamed asparagus and tomatoes and stir gently with a fork to keep quinoa fluffy. Add feta and continue until well combined. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Serves 6 as a side

Memorial Day Dessert – Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp with Pistachio Oat Crumble May 23, 2009

A friend of mine picks his own veggies at a nearby farm and brought me some of the farm’s first-picked rhubarb of the season. If you have never tried rhubarb you are in for a treat! It’s deliciously tart and pairs beautifully with sweet ingredients like sugar, berries and red wine. Rhubarb looks like large stalks of celery and ranges in color from green with a hint of pink to deep purple-red (though I have never detected a different in taste between the lighter and darker stalks). When buying rhubarb, pick stalks that look sturdy and crispy with fresh looking ends.

If you are new to the world of rhubarb this is a great introductory recipe for you to try; rhubarb is paired with several sweet ingredients that mellow the rhubarb’s tart flavor. This recipe is a variation of a recipe I found on Epicurious.

This is a great dessert for a Memorial Day cookout or any spring dinner. It’s definitely a crowd-pleaser so double the recipe if you have more than 6 guests. Happy baking!

Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp with Pistachio-Oat Crumble

1/3 C. natural cane sugar
2 Tbs. minute tapioca
2 ½ – 3 ½ C. rhubarb (1-1.5 lbs), trimmed and cut into ½” pieces
3 C. fresh or frozen blueberries

½ C. shelled raw pistachios, finely chopped
½ C. all purpose flour or gluten-free flour
½ C. old fashion oats, roughly chopped in a mini food processor
½ C. natural cane sugar
¼ C. brown sugar, packed
6 Tbs. cold unsalted butter

Fresh whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream (optional)

1. Move oven rack to upper third of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare 2 quart baking dish by coating bottom and sides with non-stick spray or softened butter. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar and tapioca. Add in rhubarb and blueberries and toss to coat. Spread mixture in the bottom of prepared baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats and sugars and whisk until well combined. Cut butter into ½” pieces and blend butter with oat mixture by using your fingers to combine and crumble, until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add pistachios to oat mixture and stir until well combined.

3. Take a small handful of topping and squeeze it into a compact chunk and crumble it over blueberry filling. Continue with remaining topping and crumble evenly over the filling until all of the crumble is used up.

4. Bake in upper third of oven for about 45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden crisp. Serve immediately or at room temperature, topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Comments (1)

Seared Scallops Over Basil-Pea Puree April 30, 2009

Filed under: Appetizers, Dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Main Course, Recipes, Spring, healthy recipes — hiphostess @ 9:00 pm
Tags: basil-pea puree, gluten-free dinner, mother nature inspired entree, scallop recipe, seared scallops, sophisticated spring dinner, spring dinner, spring dinner party, spring recipe

This dish tastes like spring on a plate. It’s sophisticated, yet so simple. It’s a great recipe for entertaining because it can be made in minutes. Serve it as an entrée, or serve a smaller version (3 scallops per plate) as a first course.

The basil-pea puree can be made up to 8 hours ahead and warmed as the scallops cook. If you are short on time you can skip the oven-dried tomatoes, thought they really are worth the minimal effort but advance planning required. The slow oven drying process really concentrates the flavor of the tomatoes, but you can substitute a few raw tomato wedges instead to achieve the same pop of color.

Serve this entrée with herb popovers or crusty bread so you can scoop up the last of the basil-pea puree. Trust me, you won’t want to waste a single bite.

Seared Scallops Over Basil Pea Puree

1 package grape tomatoes or 6 plum tomatoes

(2) 10oz packages frozen peas or 4 C. fresh shelled peas

4 Tbs. fresh basil (about 12 large leaves)

½ tsp. kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

15 large sea scallops, patted completely dry

Extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Slice tomatoes in half and place cut side up on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or coated with a nonstick spray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Place in oven for 2-2.5 hours, or until the tomatoes are shriveled and dry with a tiny bit of juice left inside. Tomatoes can be oven-dried up to 2 days in advance.

2. Place thawed peas in a colander and rinse with cold water. Shake to remove excess water. Add peas to blender with fresh basil, salt and pepper. Puree peas until smooth. To heat pea puree, place in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once warmed through, reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Once hot, coat pan with olive oil. Add scallops to pan in a single layer with room between each scallop. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the size. Scallops should have a nice crust on both sides and be barely firm to the touch. (Do not overcook the scallops or they will become rubbery.) Serve immediately over basil-pea puree and garnish with oven-dried tomatoes.

Comments (1)

Hip Tip – Make Your Own Chocolate Covered Strawberries February 11, 2009

choc_covered_berry

Why pay for expensive chocolate covered strawberries when you can make your own batch in about 15 minutes? These are perfect with a glass of champagne for dessert on Valentines Day. Or place them in individual candy wrappers (as shown), and place them in a small box or bag as a party favor or gift for your Valentine.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

8oz high quality dark (70% cacao) or semi-sweet chocolate

1 lb. strawberries with stems attached, preferably organic

1. Wash strawberries carefully to keep stems intact. Dry them completely – you don’t want any water left on the berries. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper and set aside.

2. Chop chocolate with a serrated knife and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave at 30 second intervals until half of the chocolate is melted, stirring each time you take it out. Once half is melted, stir until the chocolate is smooth and shiny (the heat from the melted chocolate will melt the remaining chocolate and this method ensures that the chocolate won’t seize or burn).

3. Hold the stems of the strawberries away from the berry and dip the berries into the melted chocolate. Twist the berries as you lift them out of the chocolate to let the extra chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place dipped strawberry on prepared parchment lined pan. Repeat with remaining strawberries. Allow the chocolate to harden at room temperature (about 30 minutes). If you make these in advance or on a warm day you can put them in the refrigerator after they have set but cover them with plastic to prevent the chocolate from absorbing other flavors in your refrigerator.

Comments (1)

Football Cocoa Krisy Treats February 1, 2009

They key to any super bowl dessert is to make it bite-size so it can be eaten without looking away from the game. These krispy treats fit the bill. Whip up a batch of these quick-cooking treats for your super bowl party tonight. Serve them for dessert or wrap them individually in cello bags and give them as party favors. These football treats are also great for a kids’ sports theme party.

Football Cocoa Krispy Treats

3 Tbs. unsalted butter

10 oz marshmallows

5-6 C. cocoa krispies

1 C. crushed cocoa krispies, reserved

Nonstick cooking spray

vanilla frosting in a piping bag or a tube* fitted with a pinpoint piping tip

1. Melt butter is a large sauce pan over low heat. Once butter is melted add in marshmallows and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Add 5-6 cups of cocoa krispy treats to marshmallow mixture (until desired consistency), stirring to mix.

3. Crush reserved cocoa krispies in the bowl of a mini food processor to form fine crumbs or crush by hand in a ziplock bag using a rolling pin. Place crumbs on a plate.

4. Coat hands with a few sprays of nonstick cookie spray and rub hands together to coat them with spray. Grab about 3/4 C. of cocoa krispy mixture and form into the shape of a football. Place bottom of the football on the counter and press down to create a flat side. Reshape if necessary. Roll football in crushed cocoa krispies to coat (you are creating a smoother surface to pipe the frosting lacing). Repeat until you have used up all of the cocoa krispy mixture. One recipe should make 10-12 footballs, depending on how large you make the footballs.

5. Place footballs on a cookie sheet coated with waxed paper. Using a fine piping tip, pipe a straight line lengthwise in the middle of the football. Pipe arches along each tip of the football. Let the frosting dry so the laces are easier to pipe. Once the first frosting lines are dry, pipe short perpendicular lines across the middle line to create “laces” on the football. If the edge of each lace is not completely even use the tip of a sharp knife to even them out (wipe the tip of the knife after each cut to remove extra frosting and prevent smudging). Let frosting dry and serve. You can make these up to 1 day in advance.

*Wilton makes vanilla frosting in a tube that is available at most grocery stores in the baking aisle. Couplings and assorted tips are usually available in the same aisle, or pick them up at a cake decorating store, Joanna Fabrics or Michaels.

Comments (2)

Hip Tip – Stylish Shrimp Martinis December 30, 2008

Filed under: Appetizers, Beach party, Christmas, Dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Hip Tips, New Years Eve, healthy recipes, party food — hiphostess @ 6:00 pm
Tags: appetizer serving ideas, hip serving idea, martini glass appetizer, new years eve appetizer, new years eve party recipe, new years eve shrimp cocktail, party recipe, shrimp, shrimp appetizer, shrimp martini, summer shrimp cocktail

shrimp_martini

Serve some shrimp “up” in a martini glass for a hip twist on the traditional shrimp cocktail. It makes a great appetizer for New Year’s Eve, or any other time of year.

Comments (1)

Pomegranate Salsa December 16, 2008

Filed under: Appetizers, Christmas, Dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Holidays, Recipes, Sides, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Winter, healthy recipes, party food — hiphostess @ 8:00 am
Tags: antioxidant-rich recipe, christmas recipe, christmas salsa, cocktail party recipe, fancy salsa, healthy holiday food, healthy party food, jewel tone salsa, make-ahead appetizer, make-ahead recipe, party food, party recipe, pomegranate recipe, pomegranate salsa, red appetizer, winter party recipe

pom-salsa

This seasonal salsa is interesting enough to serve at a holiday soiree. Using pomegranate seeds in place of tomatoes gives this salsa a hip twist. Make the salsa at least a few hours in advance so the flavors have a chance to come together. Serve this jewel tone salsa with red tortilla chips for added color. Yellow or blue chips will taste great too.

Pomegranate Salsa
¼ cup 100% pomegranate juice (fresh or bottled)
2 large pomegranates
½-1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (depending on how much heat you like)
1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 Tbs. cilantro, chopped
½ Tbs. agave nectar or 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. rice vinegar

1. Fill a large stain-resistant bowl with water. On a cutting board lined with paper towel or another stain-resistant surface, cut pomegranates in quarters and put them in the water. With your hands submerged in the water, bend back the peel of one quarter of the pomegranate and carefully remove the seed sacs (called “arils”) from the white pith. The pith will float to the top of the water and the seeds will sink. Use your hand to skim the pith off the top of the water and throw it away. Continue doing the same thing with each quarter until you have removed all of the seeds from the fruit.

2. Combine remaining ingredients and seeds in a medium size bowl and gently mix until well combined. Refrigerate the salsa for up to 2 days.

Comments (1)

The Hip Hostess

Menus, tips and ideas for hosting with style!

Pumpkin Hummus October 25, 2009

Spanish Tortilla Recipe September 29, 2009

Tuscan White Bean Salad August 1, 2009

Spring Quinoa Salad With Asparagus and Feta May 26, 2009

Memorial Day Dessert – Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp with Pistachio Oat Crumble May 23, 2009

Seared Scallops Over Basil-Pea Puree April 30, 2009

Hip Tip – Make Your Own Chocolate Covered Strawberries February 11, 2009

Football Cocoa Krisy Treats February 1, 2009

Hip Tip – Stylish Shrimp Martinis December 30, 2008

Pomegranate Salsa December 16, 2008

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