Gluten Free Black Bean Chicken Flautas

Yields: 12

12 small gluten free or wheat flour tortillas

1 cup cooked shredded chicken

1 cup cooked black beans

1 large diced shallot

Handful chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 small chopped green chili, remove seeds

1 tablespoon cumin powder

Sea salt and black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Add extra virgin olive oil to a large skillet. When hot, saute chili, shallot, cilantro, cumin, and garlic until softened. Add chicken and black beans. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Pre heat oven to 400 F.

Put one tablespoon of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Roll up tortilla and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet, seam side down. Repeat with all of the tortillas until chicken mixture is gone. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the rolled tortillas. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, turning them over half way until crispy and golden brown.

Enjoy hot with dipping sauce of your choice.

Gluten Free Vegetable Tart

Crust:

2 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon sea salt

8 tablespoons chopped cold grass fed salted butter

1 large egg, room temperature

5 tablespoons ice cold water, more as needed

Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. 

Add butter and mix on medium speed until crumbles form. Add the egg to combine. Add water gradually and continue mixing until the dough detaches from the bowl and forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 F

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface. Transfer into a 9" greased tart pan. Press dough up the sides and trim off excess. Line dough with parchment paper and add pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove pie weights and bake a further 15 or until the crust is crispy and lightly browned. Let the crust cool completely.

Filling:

1 small purple eggplant

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 cup crispy onion bits

3 large eggs

1 cup cream

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Handful freshly chopped parsley

Sea salt and black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F

Slice eggplant into very thin slices. Whisk eggs and cream. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Scatter eggplant over the bottom of the crust, followed by tomatoes and crispy onion bits. Sprinkle parsley and parmesan cheese over the top followed by the egg mixture.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the custard is set and vegetables are cooked. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese to serve.

Grass Fed Kerrygold Cheese and Chicken Frittata

6 large room temperature eggs, beaten

6 slices grass fed Kerrygold cheese (white aged cheddar)

1/4 cup fresh cream
1 cup chopped Cremini mushrooms
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
Handful chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped white onions

Sea salt and black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon salted butter

Preheat oven to broil setting.

Blend eggs and cream. Season to your taste with sea salt and black pepper. Heat a 12" non-stick, oven safe saute pan over medium high heat. Add butter and melt. Add onions, mushrooms, and chicken and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour egg mixture into pan and stir with rubber spatula. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set up on top. Arrange cheese according to picture. Sprinkle with parsley.

Place pan into oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned and fluffy. Remove from pan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil over the top. Cut into 6 servings. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Gluten Free Gruyere Basil Scones

3 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend

1 cup grated gruyere cheese

1 tablespoon sucanat or coconut sugar

3 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

8 tablespoons cold grass fed salted butter, cut into chunks

1 large egg, room temperature

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 350 F

Whisk egg and milk to combine. Set aside. Pulse butter, cheese, and all the dry ingredients in a food processor until it binds together. Add just enough of the egg and milk mix to form a soft dough (but not runny - you may not need it all).

Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough onto a lined baking sheet, leaving room in between. Bake for roughly 40 minutes (more or less) or until a stick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Veggie Wrap with Grapes and Gorgonzola Sauce

Wrap:

1 large spinach herb wrap

1 roasted red bell peppers

3 garlic stuffed olives (coarsely chopped)

8 black grapes, coarsely chopped

1/2 cups baby spinach

Small handful red onion, thinly sliced

1 large avocado, sliced

1 teaspoon capers  

1 tablespoon sliced almonds

Sea salt and black pepper

Dressing:

1 roasted red bell peppers

1 tablespoons capers 

2 garlic stuffed green olives

2 tablespoons gorgonzola cheese

1/4 cup cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Blend all the ingredients until smooth (add a little sour cream if you require a thinner consistency).  Refrigerate.

Spread a layer of dressing to cover the wrap, followed by a thick layer of baby spinach. Divide the remaining ingredients evenly over 1/3 of the wrap (closest to you), drizzle lightly with extra dressing (optional), and roll tightly. Cut at an angle into four equal pieces and secure with a toothpick.  Make sure to serve with extra dressing on the side as a dip.

Avocado Egg Tomato Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

To me, the ingredients in a salad can be varied and changed depending on what you have on hand. The quantities are up to you, the cook, and this is just my version. The salad is dressed with a simple vinaigrette and the basic recipe follows.

Salad: 

6 cups mixed salad greens 

2 large ripe avocados, skinned and cut into wedges 

3 hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges 

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges 

1 cup alf alf a sprouts

 Extra virgin olive oil 

Sea salt and black pepper

Arrange salad ingredients on a large serving platter (refer to picture). Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Vinaigrette:

 1 cup Greek yogurt 

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 

1 garlic clove, crushed

Sea salt and black pepper 

Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper and drizzle generously over the salad.

GMO Cow Produces Hypo-Allergenic Milk

www.nzherald.co.nz - October 2nd, 2012

AgResearch scientists have bred Daisy, the first cow in the world to produce high protein milk that may be hypo-allergenic.

AgResearch scientists who may have produced a world-first in genetic modification - the possibility of hypo-allergenic cow's milk - want New Zealand to benefit from their findings.

While some scientists have hailed the discovery as a breakthrough, anti-GM groups have called early results taken from a genetically modified cow as a worrying development.

Its developers have been cautious not to speculate over the research's commercial potential, describing it only as a science discovery whose applications could be several years away from being understood.

The team had sought to find if they could produce milk which contained less beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) - a milk whey protein known to be allergenic.

A large proportion of the 2 to 3 per cent of infants who were allergic to cow's milk had a BLG intolerance, said Dr Stefan Wagner, one of the paper's lead authors.

The scientists first tested the process in a mouse model engineered to produce the sheep form of BLG protein in mouse milk. Using a technique called RNA interference, two microRNAs were then introduced into the mouse to knock down the expression of the sheep BLG protein - resulting in a 96 per cent reduction in the sheep BLG protein in mouse milk.

Read More

Green Onion Aged Cheddar Loaf

2 cups all purpose unbleached flour

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter, cold

1 1/2 cups aged cheddar cheese (grated), plus half a cup to sprinkle on top

2 green onions, finely chopped

2 eggs, room temperature

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut cold butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly. Add cheese and green onions. Lightly mix to combine. Set aside.

  

Mix milk and eggs in a separate bowl. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients (Do not over mix!).

Pour batter into a prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half a cup of cheese on top.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a stick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Serve hot with butter.

Roasted Garlic Mac 'n Cheese (gluten-free)

1/2 packet penne pasta

1 cup grated aged cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 grated gruyere cheese

2 cups whipping cream

4 large roasted garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons capers

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Drain and add to the rest of the ingredients. Divide equally amongst 8 ramekins. Place in a water bath and bake at for 25 minutes or until set and the top crispy.

Veggie and Cheese Quiche

Crust:

1 1/4 cups unbleached white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)

1/4 cup aged cheddar cheese, shredded

5 teaspoons, cold water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Place flour in a large bowl. Rub butter into flour until it resembles bread crumbs. Mix in cheese. Add water a teaspoon at a time. Form into ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Pre heat oven at 375 F

Filling:

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup diced ham or chicken (optional)

1 1/2 cups fresh cream

3 tablespoons pesto

1 cup aged cheddar cheese (grated)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)

1 teaspoon brown mustard

1 cup cherry tomatoes

12 asparagus spears

Sea salt and black pepper

Roll out pastry dough. Place in a 9" quiche pan. Cover sides also.

Arrange vegetable and meat in pastry shell. Leave some aside to garnish quiche when it's set. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, pesto, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese and brown mustard. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Pour into pastry shell.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 320 F. Arrange the remaining vegetable on top and some extra parmesan cheese. Bake a further 30 minutes or until set.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Mini Spinach and Tomato Frittata

8 large eggs

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup full cream ricotta cheese 

1 cup parmesan cheese 

2 cups baby spinach
2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a large muffin pan (12 muffin cups) with olive oil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, cream, ricotta cheese and half of the parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place garlic, cherry tomatoes, and spinach in the pan. Toss quickly for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Divide vegetable evenly into muffin cups.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full with eggs, cream, and cheese mixture. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese on top. Bake 20 minutes or until set and golden brown.