Being gluten free in the workplace is no big deal, but there have been a few things I never anticipated. The reality of being on a severely restricted diet for the rest of my life has made me think in ways I never did about how social eating is.
Business meetings, in particular, typically revolve around food. This means that when I get invited to have lunch as, say, part of an interview day, there might be a restaurant already booked that has nothing there that I can eat! A sit-down restaurant will probably have something that can be made to be gluten free, but it is absolutely necessary to have a detailed discussion with the waiter about everything, which in turn means that the conversation will at least temporarily revolve around something like surprising avenues for gluten cross-contamination. It is a complex issue that most people know just enough about to know what I am talking about and be curious to hear more. Plus, I feel like I have to explain why I am drilling the waiter on whether he has access to the ingredient label for the garlic powder in the chef's seasoning. I suppose this could be a plus if I am trying to show how detail-oriented I am, right? Eh...this is why even though I am not a coffee drinker, I prefer to meet at a coffee place.
Less uncomfortable but sometimes also a challenge is packing my lunch. There is a hidden benefit to this because homemade food is almost inevitably going to be cheaper and healthier than any other option I have, but I run out of ideas fast! Plus, some mornings I get in a rush and want to grab breakfast on my way out the door. This recipe is good for both problems.
There are a lot of lunch ideas out there that revolve around sandwich bread or microwaving things. I am not convinced by anything I have read thus far that microwaving actually damages food in a significant way, but it is a possibility, and at any rate microwaved food tastes funny. Gluten free sandwich bread exists, but I am used to doing without bread and regular bread baking is a hassle to me right now. Some things I do pack are pâte and crackers, leftovers like macaroni and cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and smoothies with coconut milk, egg yolks, yogurt or kefir, and a little fruit. I am always up for more ideas!
Cheese and Egg Muffins
Generously adapted from this recipe from Cheeseslave (the original recipe is also delicious!)
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
3 T. coconut flour
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 lb. cheddar cheese
Method:
Whisk eggs together, then add coconut flour, sour cream, paprika, and baking powder and whisk until there are no lumps and it is completely blended.
Finely grate the cheese. Stir it in. Grease a muffin pan or line with muffin papers, or if you have silicone muffin cups, just put them on a baking sheet. Fill cups about 2/3 of the way; I love my 3 T. large scoop for muffins, which yields 10 muffins per batch for these. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until the centers are no longer runny. These freeze well and I find that four make a decent lunch.
Does anybody have suggestions for packable, nourishing, no-heat lunches? What other muffins do you like that could make a meal unto themselves?
Showing posts with label cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cheese. Show all posts
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
My First Real Macaroni and Cheese
I can't believe it's taken me this long to make macaroni and cheese from scratch. However, through a happy Groupon-related incident, we have multiple pounds of 100% grass-fed cheddar sitting around. Delicious and nutritious! Vitamin K2 comes in such delicious packages that its scarcity in most of our diets is a shame on multiple levels. On meatless days I tend more toward eggy main courses, but c'mon - macaroni and cheese is totally inspired, right? It was to me, anyway.
It probably took me longer to figure out how I would go about this than the actual cooking time entailed. You see, I grew up as most of us probably did, eating Kraft mac n' cheese at least once a week, and Velveeta shells when we persuaded Mom to get the "good stuff". Cringe. The occasional macaroni and cheese from scratch that I encountered at family functions actually disgusted me in my days as a super-duper-ridiculously-picky child, but a combination of exiting adolescence and nixing all gluten liberated me to being merely a picky eater. I feel like an exotic food connoisseur in comparison, despite not even liking Mexican food. Really. Or chili. Or anything spicy. Or peaches. Or lots of other random foods that are normally considered delicious. Suffice it to say I was the kind of kid who lived primarily on cereal without the milk, PB&J, grilled cheese, pasta if free of sauce, and mac n' cheese that came out of a box. Do we wonder why I developed such a terrible problem with gluten?
Getting back on track, I knew that this couldn't be hard to make from scratch, but exactly how would I do it? I doubt the custom of baking macaroni would come about simply because people like doing extra work, so I knew a broiling of cheese would be in order. Part of the point of having enameled cast iron cookware is that it can go from stovetop to oven, so I refused to do something involving more than one pot or dish, just because knew I could figure it out.
This ended up being my template, and I found the nutmeg subtle but a remarkable addition that I advise against skipping. The two of us polished it off with some green salad and called it dinner. As a side it should serve four.
Mr. D was rather crestfallen that we were having this on a Friday and thus were not putting sausage or diced bacon in it, but we both enjoyed it anyway. I expect we'll just have to have it again soon, properly porked.
Simple Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients:
2 cups (a bit less than 1/2 lb.) gluten free pasta; I didn't have macaroni so I used fusilli
2 cups whole milk, plus extra if necessary
6 T. butter
1/2 t. mustard powder
several shakes of nutmeg
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 cup finely grated cheese of your choosing, plus more to top before broiling
I added 1 t. salt as well and this ended up being a tad extra salty, so I think you should just salt to taste at the dinner table since saltiness will vary anyway based upon your choices of butter and cheese
Method:
Combine all ingredients except cheese in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently to avoid scorching on the bottom and to ensure pasta cooks evenly.
Reduce heat and let pasta cook until soft, about 15-20 minutes, while still stirring often. If the pasta:liquid ratio is getting too high, add milk, a little at a time, and make sure you're cooking over a low heat.
Stir in grated cheese. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for five minutes to allow pasta to absorb a bit more liquid.
If your saucepan is not safe for the broiler, transfer its contents to a greased dish that is. Note that your choice of pan gives you power over how much delectable broiled cheesy goodness there shall be. Top your dish with additional grated cheese and place directly under the broiler for 5-10 minutes until desired browning is achieved. Serve while still warm.
It probably took me longer to figure out how I would go about this than the actual cooking time entailed. You see, I grew up as most of us probably did, eating Kraft mac n' cheese at least once a week, and Velveeta shells when we persuaded Mom to get the "good stuff". Cringe. The occasional macaroni and cheese from scratch that I encountered at family functions actually disgusted me in my days as a super-duper-ridiculously-picky child, but a combination of exiting adolescence and nixing all gluten liberated me to being merely a picky eater. I feel like an exotic food connoisseur in comparison, despite not even liking Mexican food. Really. Or chili. Or anything spicy. Or peaches. Or lots of other random foods that are normally considered delicious. Suffice it to say I was the kind of kid who lived primarily on cereal without the milk, PB&J, grilled cheese, pasta if free of sauce, and mac n' cheese that came out of a box. Do we wonder why I developed such a terrible problem with gluten?
Getting back on track, I knew that this couldn't be hard to make from scratch, but exactly how would I do it? I doubt the custom of baking macaroni would come about simply because people like doing extra work, so I knew a broiling of cheese would be in order. Part of the point of having enameled cast iron cookware is that it can go from stovetop to oven, so I refused to do something involving more than one pot or dish, just because knew I could figure it out.
This ended up being my template, and I found the nutmeg subtle but a remarkable addition that I advise against skipping. The two of us polished it off with some green salad and called it dinner. As a side it should serve four.
Mr. D was rather crestfallen that we were having this on a Friday and thus were not putting sausage or diced bacon in it, but we both enjoyed it anyway. I expect we'll just have to have it again soon, properly porked.
Simple Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients:
2 cups (a bit less than 1/2 lb.) gluten free pasta; I didn't have macaroni so I used fusilli
2 cups whole milk, plus extra if necessary
6 T. butter
1/2 t. mustard powder
several shakes of nutmeg
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 cup finely grated cheese of your choosing, plus more to top before broiling
I added 1 t. salt as well and this ended up being a tad extra salty, so I think you should just salt to taste at the dinner table since saltiness will vary anyway based upon your choices of butter and cheese
Method:
Combine all ingredients except cheese in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently to avoid scorching on the bottom and to ensure pasta cooks evenly.
Reduce heat and let pasta cook until soft, about 15-20 minutes, while still stirring often. If the pasta:liquid ratio is getting too high, add milk, a little at a time, and make sure you're cooking over a low heat.
Stir in grated cheese. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for five minutes to allow pasta to absorb a bit more liquid.
If your saucepan is not safe for the broiler, transfer its contents to a greased dish that is. Note that your choice of pan gives you power over how much delectable broiled cheesy goodness there shall be. Top your dish with additional grated cheese and place directly under the broiler for 5-10 minutes until desired browning is achieved. Serve while still warm.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)