Seasonal Gluten Free Holiday Menu

by admin on Wednesday, November 28th, 2012 | No Comments

I love the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday time for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the pervasive appearance of wonderfully creative, gluten free recipes that recapitulate the excitement, magic and celebratory nature of the season while looking out for gluten intolerance and gluten allergy. What is gluten free in December? It’s great holiday eating.

If I had my way, I’d post in great detail the gluten free recipes and preparation secrets for every one of those culinary miracles of holiday imagination. But, alas, there are “certain” limitations, even on the internet. Mine, today, include the fact that the recipes I choose to feature in this post originate with talented others, on whose websites can be found the in-depth secrets that underlie these divine delicacies. What information I will reveal here is that I’ve indulged myself in these two dishes that follow, and they are indeed delightful, delectable examples of some of the best (gluten free or otherwise) eating you’ll experience this season.

The first recipe I want to highlight is one I feel beautifully captures a “home-&-hearth” essence of holiday warmth and savory delight: Recipe Girl’s mashed sweet potatoes with caramelized onions, brie and sage. Delightfully satisfying with undertones of sweet, salty and savory, this dish skillfully brings together signature seasonal ingredients including sweet potatoes, onions, brie, butter, sugar and sage to form a memorable taste tribute to any holiday gathering of friends and family. Get full details here!

Sweet and savory, mashed sweet potatoes with caramelized onions is a holiday hit.

The absolute sweetness of the holiday season is emphasized by the second of my two recipe picks: Taryn’s melt-in-your-mouth, Gluten-Free Peppermint Chocolate Sandwiches, a truly heavenly holiday dessert that’s “chocolate-lover-delicious”, visually compelling and very quick and easy to put together. The secret to the success of this little beauty is choosing the right chocolate basis, and Taryn’s selection is based on some extensive experience with her local chocolate purveyors.

Sweet and delicious chocolate peppermint sandwiches are nothing short of gluten-free holiday magic.

The cookies are a simple mixture of a select Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix, Egg or Egg Replacer water and oil. The creamy frosting center is a cream cheese base that includes butter, sugar, and peppermint candy canes (surprise, surprise). Get full details here! Thanks, Taryn. Keep up the great work.

Gluten Free Mexican Christmas Latkes with Mexican Christmas Salsa

Here is a great variation on the gluten free holiday theme — guaranteed to capture your holiday imagination on one hand, while dazzling your creative tastebuds with spicy festivity on the other. Top these tangy seasonal beauties with my Mexican Christmas salsa and keep everyone coming back for more.

Mexican Christmas Latkes

Ingredients
3 cups peeled and shredded russet potatoes
2 tablespoons onion, diced
1 large jalapeno, diced
2 corn stocks
1 clove garlic, minced
3 eggs
4 tablespoons of gluten-free potato starch
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil

Instructions
(1) Peel and cook potatoes until tender.
(2) Grate cooked potatoes with a fine tooth grater; then boil up your corn making sure the water covers the corn enough but not so much it will boil over. When the water boils, corn is done.
(3) After all your potatoes are grated, squeeze excess water and all moisture out with cheesecloth. This is very important or your latkes will be mushy and you could dampen Mexican Christmas Hanukkah…
(4) Mix together with minced garlic and diced jalapeno and onions, corn, gluten-free potato starch, eggs and salt. You can also use red chili peppers for color, but test for heat BEFORE cooking.
(5) Heat up the vegetable oil in a pan, and be sure your oil is super hot- this is essential for crispy latkes.
(6) Drop large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the oil, and flatten them down to form ½ inch thick patties. Brown on one side, and then flip and brown the other.
(7) Blot latkes off on a paper towel to remove excess oil before serving. Serve with salsa on top for extra color. Check out my Mexican Christmas Salsa….. Yumbo.