Most of us have at least one or two friends with food sensitivities, but it isn’t until we invite them for dinner or prepare a dish for a potluck meal that the reality hits home. It’s just not that easy to make something elegant, delicious and gluten- and lactose free. Unless, of course, you follow Michelle Lee’s recipes. Don’t make them for what you can’t eat, but because you’ll want to eat every bite. As for the text in this cookbook, only a diehard deli diner could resist falling in love.
Berenjenas con Miele
Have you ever been in love with something and just not known it yet? It turns out that was the case for me with fried eggplant: love at first bite. Served in pieces pequeñas with honey drizzled on top, berenjenas con miele always seem to stir up passion. Who knew eggplant and honey would be such a fantastic combination? Well, I didn’t, but now you do…prepare to be swept off your feet.
1 eggplant, sliced into 1-inch square pieces ¼-inch thick
Salt
½ c gluten-free all-purpose flour
½ c gluten-free breadcrumbs
½ liter extra virgin olive oil
3 eggs, beaten in a wide, shallow bowl
Honey
- Place a colander atop a rimmed baking sheet. Layer eggplant slices in colander, sprinkling salt on each slice. Place heavy dishes on top of eggplant slices and let sit for 2 hours. Then, wipe salt and surface moisture from eggplant and lay pieces out on paper towel.
- Combine flour and breadcrumbs plus a little salt (¼ tsp or less) in a shallow bowl and mix thoroughly. Set beside stovetop.
- Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat and pour olive oil in skillet (should be approximately ½-inch deep). When oil is shimmering, dredge eggplant in flour mixture and then in egg. Slide coated eggplant into hot oil. Cook until outsides are golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per eggplant slice, turning once with tongs. Once browned, place eggplant pieces on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Work in batches.
- When all slices have been cooked, place eggplant in serving dish and drizzle generously with honey. Serve immediately or to keep eggplant warm, place in oven on low heat, about 250°, until ready to serve.
Salmorejo
I’m surely not the only woman who’s traveled to the Mediterranean and been swept off her feet by a passionate romance. However, the romance I found took the form of salmorejo, a creamy tomato soup. This pseudo-soup is velvety and luxuriant, and its flavors are so fresh and intense that you can easily lose yourself to a bowl’s advances. Spaniards top salmorejo with hardboiled egg and jamón, which complement the tomatoes’ acidity and impart additional color to this sensuous dish. It is best served at room temperature but can also be covered, refrigerated and served chilled.
¼ tsp. salt plus extra for soaking bread
2 to 3 slices day-old, gluten-free bread, broken into large pieces
½ c + 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 to 4 large heirloom tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 to 3 slices crispy bacon, crumbled (or substitute 1 to 2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts)
1 hard-boiled egg, crumbled
Ground black pepper
- Fill a medium-sized bowl with lukewarm water and a dash of salt. Soak bread pieces in water for 30 minutes. Remove bread from water, squeeze out excess water, and set aside.
- In a deep skillet or medium-sized pot, combine tomatoes with 2 tbsp. olive oil and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until tomatoes have begun falling apart, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer tomatoes and bread to a food processor or blender and pulse. Gradually pour olive oil into mixture and continue pulsing until mixture is creamy.
- Pour salmorejo into serving bowls and top each bowl with bacon or pine nuts and hard-boiled egg. Serve immediately with ground black pepper on the side.
Excerpted from Living Luxe Gluten Free (Salut Studio) www.LivingLuxeGlutenFree.com
This article is a part of the February/March 2015 issue of Whole Life Times.