Gluten-Free Recipes for Appetizers/Snacks
Tasty Spinach and Artichoke Squares
January 2, 2018Tasty Spinach and Artichoke Squares
So delicious!
From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh
This spinach and artichoke square recipe is based off of a Pampered Chef recipe from their gluten-free cookbook. I knew when I read their recipe for crescent roll dough, that their weight quantities were off. I made my own gluten-free flaky pastry recipe that I use for pot pies, English sausage rolls, then did my thing with the topping.
Gluten-Free Spinach and Artichoke Squares
Makes roughly 24 x 2×2″ squares
Ingredients:
Pastry
I make this quantity of pastry (makes 1+1/2 lbs of dough) and then freeze half of it to use later.
1/2 recipe for 10″ pie crust base or a thick top crust.
- 1 c ( 4oz, 112 g) my gluten-free flour blend. If you sub a different blend, you need to weigh flour and remember that every gluten-free blend cooks up differently.
- 1 c (4oz, 112g) almond meal. This is almonds with skin that have freckly appearance on baking. Almond flour is almonds ground without skin but usually more than $10/lb.
- 2/3 c (3 oz, 84g) gluten-free cornstarch, I buy Argo labeled gluten-free.
- 1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder, I buy Rumford’s labeled gluten-free, non-GMO and aluminum-free.
- 1/2 tsp ( 3ml) xanthan gum
- 1/3 c (80 ml) ice water, ice cube in small cup with ¼ cup water
- 1/3 c (80 ml) liquid egg substitute or a large egg plus 1 tbsp egg sub, broken up with a fork.
- Salt
- 2 sticks (8 oz, 224g) butter, cut into thin slices, put in freezer for about half an hour until really hard and cold.
Topping
Note, that I rarely use just mayo in a recipe but prefer to mix it 50/50 with Greek Yogurt.
- 1 x 10 oz (280g) block of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry.
- 1 x ~ 14 oz (400g) can of artichokes, drained and chopped.
- 2 roasted red bell peppers, rinsed if from jar, patted dry and cut into fingernail size pieces. I normally used freshly roasted red peppers, but with all these flavors, jarred peppers are fine.
- 1 x ~ 6 oz (180g) can of sliced water chestnuts, chopped small. I like the crunch, neutral flavor. I have tried this with cornichons that taste like bread and butter pickles.
- 1 c (4 oz, 112g) shredded Swiss cheese. Original recipe used Feta cheese, I preferred flavor of Swiss.
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely crushed.
- 3/4 c ( 6 fl oz, 180 ml) of mayo and Greek yogurt mixed.
- 4 green onions (spring onions) trimmed and scissored small.
- 1/4 c (60ml) Parmesan cheese to top.
- I didn’t add extra salt. Add some freshly ground pepper.
Optional: add some chopped olives, either black or green with pimiento stuffing.
Use pepper jack cheese for heat. Smoked Gouda. Mozzarella doesn’t add much flavor. Thin slices of baby corn can be added for crunch.
Directions:
Pastry
1. Put gf flour, almond meal, cornstarch, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt in bowl of food processor or in mixing bowl. Pulse or stir to combine.
2. In food processor or in bowl, pulse or cut in 4 oz butter until it is in large breadcrumb size- think panko breadcrumbs.
3. I then change to coarse large shredding/grating blade for food processor and shred remaining 4 oz butter into mix.
4. Empty into 8 cup (2 ltr) bowl. Stir to separate butter clumps. Sprinkle on iced water and egg and stir until mix starts coming together. If you still have dry mix at bottom of bowl, scoop it with your fingers without squeezing butter or warming up mix in your hands. Only if mix stays really dry, add about 1-2 tsp more of iced water. This makes a moist dough, not wet. If dough is dry then it crumbles and cracks on rolling out.
5. Divide dough in half, wrap and freeze one half for later use. Refrigerate dough for half an hour.
6. Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Put dough on parchment (greaseproof) paper and top with plastic wrap. Dust parchment paper and top of dough with gf flour, dough easily sticks. Roll out to roughly 10 x12″, lifting dough to stop it sticking. Try and roll to a rectangle with few cracks or tears. A bit of water on fingers patches cracks, take pieces from uneven edges to patch larger cracks. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect, it still will taste good and will be hidden by topping. I then lift parchment paper with rolled out dough and place it on 10×15 sheet. This is far easier than trying to lift dough from parchment paper. Don’t forget to remove plastic wrap.
7. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, it should be golden brown allover, edges will be a bit crispier than middle, as edges tend to be thinner. I find if you don’t cook it enough now, it will taste under cooked for serving.
Toppings
1. Mix all topping ingredients together except for parmesan.
2. Spread topping on cooked pastry base right up to the edge, it won’t flow over sides or rise.
3. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake in oven for about 20 more minutes. It won’t rise, or really brown. Cooking is to marry the flavors, melt the cheese and cook the garlic and spinach. Parmesan doesn’t brown.
4. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly then cut into squares with pizza cutter. Base should be sturdy to pick up in fingers, good cold, base goes soft if microwaved.
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TAGS: APPETIZERS/SNACKS, SIDE DISHES, LUNCH
Smokemaster Black Forest Ham Kale Salad
December 18, 2017Smokemaster Black Forest Ham Kale Salad
Courtesy of Boar’s Head
This gluten-free salad celebrates the joy of the sweet and salty contrast of the dates and Boar’s Head’s SmokeMaster Beechwood Smoked Black Forest Ham, as well as the healthy and textural use of chickpeas and kale. This is a great salad for someone who doesn’t think he or she likes kale!
Ingredients:
- 2 bunches Kale Lacinato or similar variety
- ½ lb SmokeMaster Beechwood Smoked Black Forest Ham diced
- 1 can (15 ounces) Chickpeas
- ½ cup Dates
- ¼ cup Red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp Delicatessen Style Mustard
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice fresh
- ½ cup Olive oil
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp Black pepper freshly ground
- ½ cup Bold Chipotle Gouda Cheese shaved
- ½ cup Mandarin orange
- 2 tbsp Pomegranate seed
Directions:
- Thoroughly wash kale, spin dry and strip stem from leaves. Chop into bite-size pieces.
- Dice ham into small pieces, reserve.
- Strain liquid from the can of chickpeas.
- Remove pit from dates, and cut the dates into rings.
- In a mixing bowl, add red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, honey, cilantro and lemon juice. Slowly incorporate olive oil until it emulsifies with the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
- Toss kale, ham, chickpeas and dates with dressing. Place in clean bowl and shave Boar’s Head Chipotle Gouda cheese on top. Garnish with oranges and pomegranate seeds.
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TAGS: LUNCH, DINNER, APPETIZERS/SNACKS
Mini Bacon Cheddar Cheesecakes
November 20, 2017Mini Bacon Cheddar Cheesecakes
Courtesy of Crunchmaster
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup crushed Crunchmaster® Multi-Seed Crackers
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 pkg (8 oz) plain brick-style cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives, divided
- 2 strips bacon, cooked crispy and finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp each salt, pepper and granulated sugar
- 1 egg
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24-cup mini-muffin pan with paper liners. Stir crackers with Parmesan cheese until combined; toss with melted butter. Divide evenly into bottom of cups, pressing down, to form crusts. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden and set. Let cool completely.
- Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, salt, pepper and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in egg until blended; beat in sour cream. Fold in Cheddar cheese, bacon, and 2 tsp chives. Spoon over crust.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F; bake for about 15 minutes or until just set. Let cool to room temperature in pan on rack; cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until thoroughly chilled. Sprinkle with remaining chives for serving.
Tips:Garnish with additional bacon, pepper jelly, caramelized onions or chives if desired. Use an aged or sharp Cheddar for full flavor.
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TAGS: SIDE DISHES, HOLIDAY, APPETIZERS/SNACKS
Shrimp and Spinach Dip
November 2, 2017Courtesy of Harvest Stone
Ingredients:
- Harvest Stone® Toasted Sesame Brown Rice & Chickpea Crackers
- 8 oz Cream cheese
- 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 4 oz Cooked salad shrimp, thawed
- 2 cups Fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 Medium shallot, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Garlic paste
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a large skillet, heat the butter at medium high heat, and toss in the shrimp, spinach, shallot and garlic. Stir gently and consistently until the shallot has become translucent, and the spinach is wilted.
- The ingredients should be heated through, about 5 minutes. Pull off heat and stir in lemon juice.
- Transfer mixture from skillet into a large mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise, 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and the cream cheese. Mix well. Place the entire mixture into an 8” x 8” baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Serve warm with Harvest Stone® Toasted Sesame Brown Rice & Chickpea Crackers.
TAGS: APPETIZERS/SNACKS
Smoked Salmon and Herb Cream Cheese Crackers
October 30, 2017Smoked Salmon and Herb Cream Cheese Crackers
Courtesy of Harvest Stone
Ingredients:
- Harvest Stone® Original Brown Rice, Sesame & Flax Crackers
- Gluten-free smoked salmon
- Gluten-free herb cream cheese
- Parsley
Directions:
- Spread a rich layer of herb cream cheese over a Harvest Stone Original Brown Rice, Sesame & Flax Cracker.
- Add a slice of smoked salmon and garnish with parsley.
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TAGS: APPETIZERS/SNACKS
Savory Stuffed Mushrooms
September 25, 2017Savory Stuffed Mushrooms
A gluten-free appetizer that’s sure to delight!
Makes 12-14 mushrooms
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup finely crushed Crunchmaster® Multi-Seed Original Crackers
- 14 oz. container fresh stuffing mushrooms
- 1/4 cup green onion
- 3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
Directions:
- Rinse mushrooms thoroughly and remove stems. Trim and finely chop stems and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Shred the Swiss cheese (or use pre-shredded Swiss cheese), and place ½ cup into the mixing bowl. Reserve ¼ cup of the cheese for topping.
- Add the crushed Crunchmaster® Multi-Seed Original Crackers, sour cream, green onion, and onion salt into the mixing bowl and mix well.
- Place mushroom caps top down on to a 9×12 inch baking sheet. Fill each cap with the mixture from the bowl. Be sure to press the mixture firmly into each mushroom. Sprinkle with the remaining Swiss cheese.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
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TAGS: VEGETARIAN, SIDE DISHES, APPETIZERS/SNACKS
Brie, Prosciutto and Cornichon Crackers
September 13, 2017A simple gluten-free appetizer that’s creamy, savory, and oh so delicious…
Ingredients:
- Crunchmaster® Multi-Seed Original Crackers
- Brie cheese
- Prosciutto
- Cornichon pickles
Directions:
1. Top Crunchmaster® Multi-Seed Original Crackers with a chunk of brie cheese and a slice of prosciutto. Garnish with a small cornichon pickle.
TAGS: HOLIDAY, APPETIZERS/SNACKS
Pumpkin Pie Dip
September 11, 2017Pumpkin Pie Dip
Courtesy of Chobani
Get seasonally pumpkin spicy with this delicious gluten-free pumpkin pie dip—perfect for fall parties, Halloween haunts or for whenever the desire for pumpkin hits!
Ingredients:
- 1¼ cup Chobani Whole Milk Plain Greek Yogurt
- ¼ cup reduced fat cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin pie filling
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- Fresh apple slices
- Gluten-free gingersnap cookies
Directions:
- Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar together on medium speed until smooth.
- Add pumpkin, spices and seasonings, beating well. Fold in Chobani yogurt on low speed until fully blended.
- Cover and chill 8 hours. Serve with apple slices and gluten-free gingersnaps for dipping.
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TAGS: SIDE DISHES, HOLIDAY, FOR KIDS, DESSERT, APPETIZERS/SNACKS
Lasagna Dip
September 5, 2017A gluten-free party dip that’s molto bene!
Ingredients:
- 1 bag Crunchmaster® Tuscan Crackers
- 3 tsp vegetable oil
- 3/4 lb lean ground beef
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Heat oil in skillet set over medium-high heat; cook beef, breaking up with a spoon, for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned and cooked. Stir in tomato sauce; simmer for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Transfer to 8-inch square baking dish.
- Spread ricotta over beef mixture; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes or until heated through and bubbling. Sprinkle parsley over top.
- Serve warm with crackers.
Tips:
- Meat lovers can substitute 2 cups of Bolognese sauce for tomato sauce if desired.
- Make-ahead: Dip can be prepared and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Add 10 to 15 minutes to heating time.
TAGS: APPETIZERS/SNACKS
Tomato Chutney/Relish
August 29, 2017Got tons of tomatoes? Make this gluten-free tomato chutney/relish recipe!
From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh
One of our favorite meals used to be French bread or Irish soda bread, cheese (Kerrygold Dubliner cheese about $4 for 1/2lb), pickles, chutneys. Very, very British meal, so easy to put together when you want to both eat and be lazy at the same time. I used to make homemade pickled onions with malt vinegar, again a very British thing and none of the other vinegars have the same flavor as the non gluten-free malt vinegar. And don’t forget we loved malt vinegar on our chips (french fries). At least we can still make chutneys/relishes that marry wonderfully with bread, but also with grilled meats, wraps, add to meat loaves, burgers, breakfast bagel, whatever you fancy. In England we don’t tend to ‘can’ our preserves. I’ve found that this keeps well in fridge for about a month and is a small enough quantity to easily make again. My mother would make large quantities in a huge 3 foot across preserving pan. I found if I put hot relish in oven hot sterilized jam jar and lid that had been simmered in boiling water, tightened, then lid made popping sound after some minutes as sign of a vacuum.
We love this on a toasted Against the Grain roll with Dubliner cheese, and keep you going breakfast of portions of cooked bacon/ham/sausage with egg stirred in just so it holds together, not scrambled, on top of ATG roll with tomato relish underneath.
Tomato Chutney
makes enough for about 2 12oz jam jars
Ingredients:
- About 2 lbs (1000 g) tomatoes, either fresh or a 28oz can of San Marzano tomatoes in juice. (I’ve also made this with the soft squishy tomatoes reduced at the market or leftover at home as long as they are not moldy. I do peel the larger fresh tomatoes by cutting X in stem end, putting in boiling water for a few minutes, then cold water, then peeling and taking out core from stem end. Cut into small dice, keep seeds and juices to add to pan. Remember cut this size is for bread, crackers etc. I just roughly chop tomatoes in pan with an immersion blender, before I add herbs or fruit. You don’t want a puree.)
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely crushed
- 1 tsp (5 ml) dried thyme or about 6 springs of fresh thyme. (Check that the dried thyme doesn’t smell moldy, I’ve found that a problem.)
- 1 bayleaf
- Salt and pepper, I used 1 tsp salt (5 ml) you might be used to more salt.
- 1/2 c (120 ml) sugar
- 1/2 c (4 fl oz, 120 ml) gluten-free apple cider vinegar. Please use vinegar that says made from apples or cider. If it doesn’t say this, it is probably distilled to be gluten-free but isn’t actually made from apples or cider.
- 1 tsp (5 ml) smoked paprika for just a very slight bite, optional. In England, we would use pickling spice or mustard seed, but that’s not so readily available everywhere.
- 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice. This is a blend of various spices, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, cardamom. Each brand varies, so does strength and flavor, but it’s an easy way of adding some spice without buying lots of spices.
- 1 Gala, Fuji, Braeburn apple, peeled, cored and cut very small, optional
- 1/2 c (12 ml) golden raisins (sultanas) optional
Directions:
1. Put all ingredients in a 6-8 cup pan. Cook covered over a low heat until very soft, liquid is reduced and almost gone, line is left in tomatoes when you draw wooden spoon through.
3. Original recipe said this would take about 30 minutes. I left the lid on and stirred it every now and again. Took less time, and I cooked it until liquid had evaporated even with lid on. You can smell the sugar smell when it is ready. Larger quantities will take longer. You need to cook it with lid on to start so that all vegetables become soft. You can then remove lid and cook until juices are evaporating. Don’t let it burn or become too dry.
3. Remove from heat, remove bay leaf and thyme stems and pour into sterilized glass jars. Let mellow for a day and then use it.
TAGS: HOLIDAY, APPETIZERS/SNACKS