Meatballs....Polpette

For those of you that check in often, I'm sure you've guessed that something is going on.  Sorry for my lack of posts, but we just moved!  And it's not a proper home until chicken stock is packed into the freezer, cookie dough is chilling in the fridge, meatballs are simmering on the stove and I have a proper nook to sit and write.  This past weekend I unpacked the last kitchen box and finally there is a bit of order in the kitchen.  I have one drawer dedicated to gluten utensils and the rest of my kitchen is gluten-free.  Rather than labeling everything that is gluten-free, I find it much easier to label what it is that is full of that pesky protein.  Many of my students already know that I don't have an allergy or intolerance to gluten, it's my favorite recipe taste-tester and his belly that is intolerant to what is a pesky protein for many of you.  I find that this diet works for me too, so I save all of my glutinous goodies for really good pizza, pasta and other fun gluten-filled noodles; and of course being a pastry chef my sweet creations.  My meatballs really depend on my mood, sometimes I like to bump up the spice and add a bit of red chili flake and hot Italian pork sausage.  Other times, I like to add all sorts of fresh herbs.  Every Italian mamma's meat mixture is different, many use a blend of beef, veal and pork.  My mamma loves all beef polpette and mine as you'll see are a mixture of beef and pork.  I leave out the cheese to keep it dairy-free in our house and serve it on the side for those of us that LOVE dairy!

Victoria's GF Meatballs (Polpette)

makes 24 medium meatballs

2lbs ground beef

1lb Italian pork sausage, mild or hot

8-10 large garlic cloves, minced

2 large pinches dried oregano

1 bunch of basil, chopped

1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, grated

small bunch of green onions, green bits chopped

small wedge Parmigiano Reggiano, grated optional

small wedge Pecorino Romano, grated optional

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, several pinches

In a large bowl mix together all of the ingredients.  Using your hands form the mixture into meatballs, small, medium, large or extra large, whatever your preference.

Warm a skillet over medium heat, add a few glugs of olive oil and once up to temperature brown the meatballs.  We aren't cooking the meatballs through, just getting a bit of a caramelized skin.  Meanwhile, have your favorite tomato sauce simmering and after browning add the meatballs to the simmering sauce.  Cover and simmer on low heat for at least 1-1/2 hours.

Serve with your favorite gluten-free noodles or with a large slice of warmed Gluten Free Belly Baking Company's Rosemary Sea Salt Focaccia!

Buon Appetito!

Victoria's Gluten-Free Pasta Workshop

Winter classes are just around the corner!  Come and join my Gluten-Free Pasta Workshop.  In this class I'll share my recipes and tips for making fresh gluten-free pasta.  You'll get hands-on experience with creating, rolling and forming the dough into pasta.  We'll create my Three Cheese Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce & Fettuccine with Tomato Sauce.  Hope to see you there!

Sticky Sweet Balsamic Chicken

This dish pairs well with pasta (gluten-free of course) and quick sauteed greens.  Simply marinate chicken for a couple of hours and then roast until cooked through and caramelized.

Sticky Sweet Balsamic Chicken

Serves 4

12 chicken drumsticks

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup Tamari soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

7 sprigs of rosemary

7 cloves of garlic, smashed

Place the drumsticks in a baking dish.  In a small bowl whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Tamari, brown sugar and honey.  Drizzle over the drumsticks and turn each piece to coat well.  Toss in the rosemary sprigs and garlic.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  

Once marinated for a few hours, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Roast the chicken uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until caramelized and cooked through to the bone.  Pull out of oven and brush the cooked marinated juices over the chicken pieces.

Serve with your favorite greens and pasta, or one of our favorites risotto.

Buon Appetito!

My Gluten-Free Belly's Gnocchi

My gluten-free gnocchi workshop began last night!  I shared one of my gluten-free belly's favorite dumplings sauced with both Bolognese and Sage Beurre Noisette. There was no ricer to be found in the classroom or gnocchi board (which isn't as important).  But none-the-less it was a little silly for a moment.  One of my students had the brilliant idea of grating the potatoes, so if you find yourself without a ricer or food mill then try using a grater, even a food processor with the grater attachment works which is what this lovely student suggested, however watch out because you'll find mashed potatoes forming at the top of the attachment and this is something we don't want in our gnocchi due to the starch development, no mashing allowed!  So when you've looked through every cabinet in the kitchen and can't find the correct tool reach for the grater.  The texture is a little more dense but we all enjoyed our handmade gnocchi!

Buon Appetito!

My Gluten-Free Belly's Gnocchi
Yields: 4-6 servings

1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, approximately 2 heaping cups riced
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2-3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Flour, more for dusting & dough if necessary
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, optional

Bake potatoes on a bed of kosher salt at 400 degrees F for approximately 30-45 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.  Let cool enough to handle.  Peel, cut in half, scoop out the flesh and pass through a ricer.  Place in a mound on a counter top or in a large bowl and create a well in the center.

In a small bowl whisk together the nutmeg, sea salt and black pepper.  In another small bowl whisk together 1/2 cup of Bob's Red Mill AP GF Baking Flour and xanthan gum, set aside.

Add the egg yolks, grated Parmesan and nutmeg mixture to the potato well and mix into the potatoes with your hands.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the GF flour and xanthan gum mixture and press into the potato mixture.  Fold the mixture onto itself and press down again.  Sprinkle on more flour, little by little, folding and pressing the dough until it just holds together.  Work any remaining bits of dough clinging to your fingers back into the dough.  If the dough is too dry, add a little water or even another egg yolk if it is too wet add more flour.  The consistency of the dough should be firm yet yielding.  To test, take a piece and roll it with your hands on a well-floured surface into a rope about 1/2 inch in diameter.  If the dough holds together, it is perfetto!  If not, add more flour, fold and press the dough several more times and if necessary test again.

Cut the dough into 4 pieces.  Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2" in diameter.  Cut into 1/2" pieces, roll on a gnocchi board for impressions or on the tines of a fork.  As you shape gnocci, dust lightly with flour and scatter them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil.  Cook the gnocchi in boiling water for about 1 & 1/2 minutes from the time they rise to the surface.  Toss directly with your sauce of choice sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.

September Dahlias & Biscotti

 September Blooms

Fig, Almond & Anise Chocolate Chunk Biscotti

September showers always send me into the kitchen.  Figs are a likely candidate for baking and preserving this time of year.  Today I dressed up my Fig & Almond Biscotti with a touch of anise and chocolate.  I'm sharing my classic recipe with students in my upcoming Gluten-Free Italian Festa. And for those of you that will miss out on the class I will post it for you very soon!  Autumn is the season for biscotti...the crisp chill in the air beckons a warm cup of coffee or tea, the perfect pairing with biscotti.  These twice baked cookies are meant to be dunked and eaten, in Tuscany we dipped our biscotti into glasses of Vin Santo, but any wine will do.  I  prefer a warming cup of chai or french-pressed coffee with cream especially during autumn and winter.

Gluten-Free Gnocchi Workshop

We are finally getting a few days of sunshine here in Seattle.  We usually have beautiful summers here in the PNW, occasional rain but this year has been unseasonably gray and wet!? Anyhow, here we are in the middle of summer and I'm looking ahead to planning my autumn and winter classes.  This fall you'll find me teaching my Gluten-Free Gnocchi Workshop at PCC.  The class schedule should be posted very soon (Wednesday, August 3rd) at PCC Cooks. 

So if you have a dairy allergy the Parmesean can be left off and you can drizzle with extra olive oil and or cut a little Earth Balance  or other butter substitute into the tomato sauce. 

Come and check out my class, I'll also show you a fun way to use fennel and we'll make gluten-free fig & almond biscotti!

Buon Appetito!