What do you mean you can't eat wheat???

A few years ago when my business colleague and friend, Debbie, told me she had been diagnosed with Celiac disease, I didn’t have any idea what she was talking about. What do you mean you can’t eat wheat??? No bread? No pasta? No pastries??? No way! You must be kidding!

But she wasn’t, and this was serious business. Today it almost seems fashionable to not eat wheat, but for those suffering from Celiac disease, eating foods containing gluten has serious medical consequences.

Wheat is Hidden in Many Food Products

When Debbie told me of her diagnosis, I flashed back to all the meals I had proudly served her loaded with gluten. I had been happily poisoning my friend, what a terrible thought! Although I had no way of knowing, I still felt awful.

Now that I was aware of her gluten intolerance, I had to educate myself about the disease and what foods she could and could not eat. We were soon having her and her husband for a holiday dinner, and I was determined to make her a meal that was as good as ever.

It wasn’t a simple task. Not only is gluten found in obvious foods like baked goods and pasta, it is also in foods that one would never suspect. It is hidden everywhere. As a thickener it can lurk in all kinds of processed foods. It is important to check labels very carefully.

The only places to buy gluten-free foods used to be natural food markets or online stores. Today it is much easier as most grocery stores now carry a wide variety of gluten-fee products.

I’m not an expert on gluten-free cooking and baking like the people that need to do it every day. But I have managed to serve up some pretty fine dinners for my friend, including Thanksgiving dinners complete with stuffing and pumpkin pie.

Here are some of my tips for those that occasionally need to cook for a guest that cannot tolerate gluten:

Shrimp Potstickers with Basil Cream

Potstickers are delicious and fun to make. A few can be served as a starter or add more for a main course.

The combination of shrimp, garlic and goat cheese provides a wonderful tangy and flavorful filling for these potstickers. The pretty basil cream makes for a presentation worthy of company.

Shrimp Potstickers with Basil Cream
(Serves 8 first course or 4 main course.)

Shrimp Potstickers with Basil Cream

• 3 large peeled garlic cloves
• I tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped
• 1/3 cup soft fresh goat cheese
• I large egg yolk
• 24 potsticker wrappers (or, if not available, wonton wrappers)
• Vegetable oil
• Basil Cream Sauce, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Toss the peeled garlic and olive oil in small ovenproof dish. Cover and roast until garlic begins to brown, about a 15 minutes. Cool roasted garlic, and mince.

Mix shrimp, goat cheese, egg yolk and garlic in medium bowl. (Filling can be made I day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Fold Wrapper Over Filling

Place potsticker wrapper on work surface. Place 1 rounded teaspoon of filling in center of each wrapper. Brush edges with a little water, fold wrapper over filling and press edges to seal. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. (Potstickers and sauce can be prepared, covered and refrigerated for up to 4 hours.)

Preheat oven to 200°F.  Heat a 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Brush with vegetable oil once the pan is hot. Add 8 to 10 potstickers at a time to the pan, slightly overlapping, and cook for 2 minutes, without touching.

Cook Potstickers Until Pan is Dry

Once the 2 minutes are up, gently add 1/3 cup of water to the pan, turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook another minute until all liquid has evaporated. Remove potstickers to a heatproof platter and place in the warm oven. Clean the pan in between batches and repeat the cooking process until all the potstickers are cooked. Serve immediately with warmed basil cream sauce and garnish with remaining basil leaves.

Potstickers can be placed in a single layer on a sheet, frozen, then placed in bags in the freezer for future use.


Basil Cream Sauce
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1/4 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Bring cream and shallot to a boil in small saucepan.  Reduce heat and simmer the mixture until it is reduced to 3/4 of a cup, about 7 minutes.  Cool.  Transfer mixture to a blender; add the 1/4 cup basil and blend until finely chopped.  Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Artichoke Gratin

Artichokes are one of those things that I just love, and I make sure to always have a jar of artichoke hearts waiting at the ready in the pantry.  They add such a nice flavor to so many dishes ... I make a stroganoff with them and chicken instead of the traditional beef and serve it over egg noodles. They turn into a wonderful warm dip or stand alone as a side dish ... such as in this recipe.

This is a different kind of side dish -- warm and hearty, with a touch of elegance. It cooks up quickly, bubbly and delicious.

Artichoke Gratin
(Makes 4 servings.)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 can of water-packed artichoke hearts, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup Marsala wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs (use gluten-free bread crumbs for a GF dish)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Artichoke Gratin

Warm the olive oil in a heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the artichoke hearts, parsley, salt and pepper and cook until the artichoke hearts are starting to brown at the edges, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and Marsala wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Transfer the artichoke mixture to a small baking dish.

Melt the butter in the same skillet used to cook the artichokes. In a small bowl mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs. Stir in the Parmesan and top the artichokes with the bread crumbs. Bake until the top is golden, about 10 minutes.

Green Beans with Lemon and Pine Nuts

A perfect vegetable to add to any meal. It takes all of about five minutes to make these light and flavorful beans. I like to use the thin French haricot verts beans, but use the beans you prefer.

Green Beans with Lemon and Pine Nuts
(Makes 8 servings.)

• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Green Beans with Lemon and Pine Nuts

Pour a little olive oil in a sauté pan. Over medium heat, lightly toast the pine nuts.

Cook beans in a 4-quart saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

Transfer to a bowl and toss with parsley, lemon zest, oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Plate the beans and top with the toasted pine nuts.

Crusted Chicken Breasts

This versatile chicken recipe cooks up quickly and is moist and tender. The breasts can be cut in strips to make chicken fingers for the kids. The cooked chicken can also be used in salad or pasta dishes, or to make a quick Chicken Parmigiana by topping it with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Crusted Chicken Breasts
(Makes 4 servings.)

• 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 extra-large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon chopped sage
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Crusted Chicken Breasts

With a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a large plate or pie pan. On a second plate or pan, beat the egg and water together. On a third plate or pan, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, lemon rind and sage. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, dip both sides into the egg mixture, then dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook half the chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add remaining butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Serve immediately.

Chicken Parmigiana

Chicken Parmigiana

A very quick Chicken Parmigiana can be made from the chicken right in the pan. After the chicken is cooked, top each breast with some heated marinara sauce, then top with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and sliced mozzarella cheese. Reduce heat to low, cover and keep over heat until cheese is melted. Serve with a side of spaghetti.