kelp noodle salad with baked tofu.

Kelp noodles, huh?

Before you dawg us and declare us hopeless California hippies, imagine this: a noodle that is cool & refreshing, crispy like a mouthful of sprouts and neutral in flavor. It could very easily be an alternative noodle in your run-of-the-mill Vietnamese Bún, or it could just be a member of the supporting cast in soups and stir frys.

So in preparation for the weather warming up, and in favor of not having to cook these noodles over a hot stove (score!), we introduce our Kelp noodle salad with baked tofu recipe.

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Kelp noodle salad with baked tofu
Serves 4

FOR NOODLES
1 12-oz package Sea Tangle Noodle Company Kelp Noodles
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon wheat-free tamari
chili garlic sauce (optional)

FOR TOFU
1 16-oz block extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup wheat-free tamari
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 – 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (optional)

TO SERVE
a few handfuls of mixed baby greens or shredded leaf lettuce

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Mix ingredients, tamari through chili garlic sauce, in 7×11-inch oven-proof glass casserole pan. Set aside and slice block of tofu horizontally into 8 pieces. Place into tamari mixture, turn to coat each slice, then bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn tofu over and crank heat up to 450°. The remaining liquid should evaporate and tofu should become very dark in color in the next 15 minutes of baking. Remove tofu from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, prepare kelp noodles. Rinse noodles per package directions, place in a large bowl, then add remaining ingredients, cilantro through chili garlic sauce. Mix well (fingers are best!) and let rest in fridge until tofu is cooled to room temperature or overnight. Feel free to add more mix-ins that appeal to you. Cucumber cut in julienne and/or shredded carrots would be delicious and would also add some nice color to the mix.

To serve, place a handful of marinated noodles and a handful of mixed greens in a bowl. Top with 2 slices baked tofu.

weekend salmon dinner.

Ah, weekends. To us, it means slowing down a mite bit, sipping cocktails, enjoying dinner al fresco, lingering at the table just a bit longer than usual (yes, yes, there are chores on the list, too, but those are better left forgotten when recounting the events of the weekend). But Saturdays and Sundays don’t always allow for the making of complex meals. In fact, the simpler the better, because it just means more time to enjoy around the dinner table. And with a friend who keeps our freezer stocked with wild-caught salmon from Alaska, this meal came together in no time flat: slow-baked salmon with lemon & thyme, roasted asparagus, and quinoa cooked in chicken broth. Couldn’t get simpler; couldn’t be tastier!

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Slow-baked salmon with lemon & thyme*
Baking salmon in a low-temperature oven slowly melts the fat between the flesh and leaves the fillets incredibly moist and tender. Lemon and a thyme, a classic Mediterranean combination, add another layer of flavor without sacrificing this dish’s elegant simplicity.

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 6-to 8-ounces boneless salmon fillets, skin on
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 lemon wedges (for serving)Preheat oven to 275°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Place salmon fillets, skin side down, on prepared baking sheet. Mix remaining oil, thyme, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Spread thyme mixture over salmon fillets, dividing equally. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.Bake salmon until just opaque in center, 15-18 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.. . .

*from Bon Appétit, May 2011

royal cherry-pecan scones.

It doesn’t take much for us to get excited about food, especially sweets and breakfast treats. Today, in light of the Royal Wedding, we’re all fired up to make a batch of our (royal) cherry-pecan scones! Dense and crumbly, slightly flaky, and bursting with hints of cherry and coconut, we recommend a piping cup of black coconut tea to go alongside. Happy wedding, Charles and Katie!

Cherry-pecan scones
The flavors in these scones can easily be switched up: consider dried apricots and mini chocolate chips, or dried mango and pineapple. You can use a food processor to make this recipe, but use the pulse feature to avoid overworking the dough.

makes 8 scones.

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapoica starch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup light coconut milk, plus more for brushing
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 475°F. Position rack in lower third of oven.

In a large bowl, mix brown rice flour, potato starch, tapoica starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until butter is in pea-sized chunks. Stir in cherries and pecans. Set aside in refrigerator.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, and coconut milk. Remove dry ingredients from refrigerator and stir in egg mixture until just combined. Do not overwork.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and form into a 1-inch-thick round. Using a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges. Transfer each wedge to a light-colored, ungreased baking sheet. Brush the top of each scone with coconut milk, then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on baking sheet.

gluten-free butter crackers.

Remember coming home from school when you were young? Chances are you were absolutely STUH-HARVING from all that play on the playground, and dinner felt like an impossibly distant promise. That’s when your mom would pull out a beige, waxy sleeve of Ritz crackers, slap some peanut butter on a few, sandwich them up, and give you the richest, most appreciated snack of the day.

Keep that memory close, because — chalk it up to nostalgia — we wanted to create a recipe that captures the buttery crispness of the Ritz cracker. We haven’t found anything quite like it on the gluten-free supermarket circuit, and, hey, there are millions of kids coming home from school starving. Every single day! Let’s give ‘em something good to eat…

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Gluten-free butter crackers
Light, flaky and incredibly crisp, these butter crackers won’t last long in anyone’s house!
See why the measurements are in weight

Makes 20

65 g xpandex Expandex® (1/2 cup)*
80 g brown rice flour (1/2 cup)
30 g sweet rice flour (1/4 cup) + more for dusting
10 g granulated sugar (1 tablespoon)
4 g coarse kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon) + more for sprinkling
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and put a third sheet of parchment paper on the counter. Set aside.

Pulse flours, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add cold butter and pulse in 1-second intervals 8-10 times or until mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. With machine running, add 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream through feed tube until mixture just comes together, adding more cream by the teaspoonful if mixture looks dry. Dough should come together into several clumps, but it will look smooth and hold together when crimped in hand.

Sprinkle third sheet of parchment with sweet rice flour and turn dough out from the bowl of the food processor. Sprinkle dough with a little more sweet rice flour and gather into a ball. Flatten slightly and roll out to an even 1/8-inch thickness with a floured rolling pin. If dough sticks, sprinkle with the smallest amount of sweet rice flour possible to prevent sticking. Using a floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter or a 2 1/2-inch glass, cut rounds out of rolled out dough and place onto parchment-lined cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Regather dough and repeat the rolling and cutting process until all the dough is used.

Place baking sheets in freezer for 15 minutes, then remove from freezer, brush lightly with egg yolk mixture, and sprinkle each cracker with coarse kosher salt to taste. Place baking sheets in middle of oven and bake 20-25 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking time, until deep golden brown in color. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Crackers will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

*Expandex® modified tapioca starch is a revolution in gluten-free baking. It enhances the texture and appearance of bakery applications so those living a gluten-free lifestyle can enjoy the foods they love.

are you ready for eggs?!

photo illustration by notion:creative

If you’re one of the millions — maybe even billions — of people who celebrates Easter, you will most likely have eggs coming out your ears for the next few weeks. And — fun fact — did you know that eggs cook beautifully in the microwave? They do. And that is one of The Lab’s most tried-and-true standbys, especially for quick on-the-go breakfasts.

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GF egg-wich
Get the bread toasting while the egg cooks in the microwave, and in about 3 minutes flat you’ll have a piping hot and delicious egg sandwich to get your day started on the right foot!

2 slices gluten-free bread of your choice
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon milk or milk alternative
salt & pepper to taste
1 slice deli turkey breast
1 slice cheese of your choice
nonstick cooking spray
butter to taste

Begin toasting bread. Meanwhile, coat a small rectangular or square tupperware with nonstick cooking spray (use a tupperware that is slightly larger than the bread you’re toasting). Crack eggs into tupperware, add milk and salt & pepper, and whisk to combine.

Cook egg in microwave for 90 seconds on high power or until fluffy and cooked through (cooking time varies in the microwave, so keep a close eye on your eggs the first time you try this).

When bread is finished toasting, butter lightly, place cheese on buttered slice of toast, top with turkey breast, cooked scrambled eggs, and second piece of toast.

Viola. A breakfast of champions.

. . .

Or if you wanna get fancy, try poaching your eggs in the microwave! Bon Appétit recommends this method: Fill a 1-cup microwaveable bowl or teacup with 1/2 cup water. Gently crack an egg into the water, making sure it’s completely submerged. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for about 1 minute, or until the white is set but the yolk is still runny. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the egg to a plate.

springtime risotto.

When a band of hungry rehearsing musicians shows up in The Lab’s kitchen on a gorgeous springtime evening, food must show up fast and in great quantity. And if you follow our Tweets (@glutenfreelab), you know that we’re looking for any excuse to whip up something that features last weekend’s gift of pork belly. Commence Operation Springtime Risotto. (Incidentally, and in the meantime, everyone was kept happy with some Meyer lemon Vieux Mot cocktails!) So together in a pot goes some leek, some rice, some asparagus & crimini mushrooms, some chicken broth & wine, and out comes a deliciously creamy, intensely-flavored springtime meal. Give it a whirl; you won’t be let down.

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Springtime risotto with pork belly, asparagus and mushrooms
Serves 6

5 cups chicken broth (we like Better than Bouillon)
6 slices cured pork belly (or thick-cut bacon), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
2 large leeks, thinly sliced and rinsed well in fine-mesh sieve
1 1/2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice (about 10 ounces)
3/4 cup dry white wine
12 spears asparagus, cut on bias into 1/2-inch pieces
12 crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

FOR GARNISH
Fresh Italian parsley leaves
Additional finely grated Parmesan cheese
Meyer lemon olive oil (we like Merchants & Millers)

In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a simmer; cover to keep warm. Place cut pork belly in a large saucepan and turn heat to medium. Cook until dark brown and crisp, stirring occasionally. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons drippings, reserving for later use. Add leeks; cook until soft but not brown, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice to pan; stir 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; stir until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup warm broth to saucepan; stir until broth is absorbed. Repeat adding broth and stirring until rice is tender but still firm to bite and sauce is creamy, stirring almost constantly, about 23 minutes total.

Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet — cast iron, preferably — over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon reserved drippings. Add sliced mushrooms, stir to coat with drippings, and allow to cook until deep golden brown, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and add asparagus to pan. Stir to coat and allow to cook just until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Add cooked mushrooms and asparagus to risotto along with chopped parsley, butter, and 2 tablespoons cheese. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Divide risotto among 6 bowls. Top risotto in each bowl with crisped pork belly, parsley, additional cheese and Meyer lemon olive oil.

get’chure gluten-free dog, here!

hot diggity dog illustration by notion:creative

Baseball is America’s favorite pastime. So as the baseball season is ramping up, we find it our civic duty to inform our readership of the ballparks that offer gluten-free food options. Gluten-free hot dogs and hamburgers and fries and beer, oh my!

Aramark heads up most parks’ food concessions, and it’s hard not to give them props for debuting what was believed to be baseball’s first gluten-free concession stand at Coors Field in Denver, Colo. (GO TEAM CELIAC!) That was back in 2009, and we’re now starting to see the ripple effect of that single gluten-free concession stand as other ball parks begin including GF options that include hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, fries & chips, cookies & brownies, and, arguably most important of all, gluten-free beer.

The Gluten Free Lab’s home team is the band of misfits, the San Francisco Giants, who we have supported since even before they won the world series in 2010. But going to a game just got more appealing since there are now gluten-free hot dogs available at AT&T Park! A quarter-pound GF hot dog (Saag’s) can be purchased for $7.75 from the Budwiser Brew Pub in Promenade Section 112. GF kettle snacks and GF Redbridge Beer are also available. And let’s not forget about the second annual Celiac Disease Awareness Night, which is scheduled for Monday, June 6, 2011 at 7:15pm (more deets here). Last year ticket-holders were presented with a gluten-free sandwich and samples from gluten-free vendors like Miglet’s Cupcake Shop and Mariposa Baking Co. Pica Pica Maize Kitchen was also there, serving up samples of mini arepas. There was gluten-free beer from Redbridge and a raffle.

If you’re not in the San Francisco Bay Area and are curious about ballparks in your neighborhood that are serving up some gluten-free fare, The Savvy Celiac has put together a great list with links to each concession stand’s offerings, which you can view here.

Batter up! Let’s join the rest of America and watch some ball!