Gluten-free Au Gratin Potatoes

Today we had a gluten-free Easter feast. I made au gratin potatoes to go with the Ridge Creek spiral sliced ham from Sam's Club (clearly labeled gluten free), green beans amd fruit salad. I combined a couple of recipes and replaced the thickening flour with sweet rice flour. I thought they turned out really well. Here's the recipe.

Gluten-free Au Gratin Potatoes

5-6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/2" pieces, or thinly sliced
1 cup of water
3 T. butter
2 T. sweet rice flour
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Combine potatoes and water in 2-quart glass dish, cover and microwave on high for about 10 minutes, stirring every five minutes, and then uncovered for 5 minutes until potatoes are done and water is gone. (If potatoes are done and water remains, drain it off.) In a sauce pan, melt the butter, and whisk in the flour, salt and pepper and cook briefly. Heat your milk in the microwave and whisk the milk into the flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in all but 1/3 cup of cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over potatoes in casserole dish and stir to combine. Top with remaining cheese. Cook uncovered in a 375-degree oven until cheese melts and begins to brown, about 15-20 minutes.


Sweet rice flour is a very handy gluten-free product. I use it to make white sauce, and for thickening soups, sauces and gravies. I find it that it doesn't get gelatinous when it gets cold like a sauce thickened with corn starch. I buy boxes of Koda Farms brand at a nearby Japanese market.

Pears or Apples with Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cobbler

This recipe uses Annalise Roberts' Brown Rice Flour Mix. The recipe can be found at www.foodphilosopher.com/assets/docs/glutfree.cfm

Pears or Apples with Gluten Free Gingerbread Cobbler
4 medium pears or apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup water
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup Splenda or brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. cold water

3/4 cup Brown Rice Flour Mix
3 T. granulated sugar
2 tsp. buttermilk powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. xanthum gum
3 T. canola oil
3 T. molasses
3 T. hot water
1 egg yolk

whipping cream
Splenda

Spray and 8x8" Pyrex pan with cooking spray. Combine the pears, water, lemon juice and cinnamon in pan and stir. Cook in the microwave for 3 minutes. Stir, being sure to scoop the pears in the corners toward the center of the dish. Cook for another 3 minutes and stir again. Add the Splenda or brown sugar and stir it in. Mix the cornstarch into the cold water and stir it into the apple mixture. Cook for 2 minutes stirring halfway or until the mixture is slightly thickened.

While your fruit is cooking mix up your gingerbread cobbler. In a mixing bowl combine the Brown Rice Flour Mix, buttermilk powder, sugar, baking soda, spices, salt and xanthum gum. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly with a whisk before adding the wet ingredients. Add the canola oil, molasses, hot water, and the egg yolk. Stir just until well blended. Drop by spoonfuls on top of the fruit. Return to the microwave and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the top is no longer wet and a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool for a few minutes before removing it from the microwave (the fruit will be boiling hot). Whip the cream and sweeten with Splenda. Serve warm or cold.

I love this recipe. It is so easy to make in the microwave and has the texture of a steamed cake or pudding, but the gingerbread isn't gummy. It's the perfect dessert for a cold evening.

A couple of tips for diabetics. I don't like to bake with Splenda, it rarely turns out well. But Splenda works wonderfully in fruit and in whipping cream, so cut your carbs there and use portion control. If you aren't worried about carbs or calories, use sugar in the fruit and whipping cream. You could also use the Gingerbread Cake recipe from Gluten Free Baking Classics, or another GF gingerbread cake mix, but you only need 1 to 1 1/2 cups of batter. It doesn't look like much while it is raw, but the batter expands significantly and you don't want to boil it over in your microwave. (You could always make cupcakes out of the leftover batter.)