From Chef Oonagh Williams of Royal Temptations Catering

Ingredients

Makes 7-8 cups.

• 2-4 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• ½ lb. fresh parsnips, peeled and chopped
• ½ lb. squash (frozen squash is fine)
• ½ lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 sweet potato (weighing roughly 1 lb.), peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• Salt and pepper
• Sprig of rosemary (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 5 cups gluten-free chicken or vegetable stock
• 12 oz. can of coconut milk, half-and-half or light cream

Instructions

1. You can do step one in one of two ways:
   1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss all the vegetables in olive oil with maple syrup, salt and pepper. Place in a cast-iron skillet or roasting pan and roast for about a half hour, until the vegetables start caramelizing.
   2. In a large, soup-sized pot, heat the olive oil, add vegetables, salt and pepper and start frying until they are starting to brown nicely. Once they start becoming tender, add the maple syrup to make them brown faster. Don’t add maple syrup earlier, as it will stick and burn. Wait until the vegetables start releasing some juices.
2. Add stock, dried thyme, bay leaves and sprig of rosemary. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to simmer and cook, covered, for about half an hour or until vegetables are falling apart tender.
3. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprig. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or by transferring the mixture to a stand blender.
4. Stir in can of coconut milk. (I use the blender again to mix in the milk.)
5. Taste and adjust seasonings. Thin the soup with more stock if it is too thick for you.

Tips & Alternatives

Add some chickpeas or other beans to the pureed soup (perfect for a Meatless Monday!). You can also serve with bits of ham or turkey.

From Chef Oonagh Williams of Royal Temptations Catering

Ingredients

Makes about 1 1/2 lbs. total weight cooked.

• 1 cup Oonagh’s Gluten-Free Flour mix
• 1/2 cup almond meal (or just add another 1/2 cup of gluten-free flour mix)
• ¾ cup cornmeal
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 Tbsp potato flour (not potato starch; optional – makes moister bread)
• 6 Tbsp sugar (you can reduce this amount if you find it too sweet)
• 1 tsp vanilla (optional – add for sweet muffins and leave out for corn bread stuffing)
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup milk (fat-free is okay; can also use buttermilk, lactose-free milk or almond milk)
• 1 stick of butter (4 oz.) melted or ½ cup olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, butter or oil and vanilla together.
4. Pour wet mix over dry mix and gently stir together. Don’t over work; you can use an electric mixer, but make sure to mix in all the dry bits. They don’t disappear on baking. Mix will look very wet, so let batter rest for about 2 minutes until it thickens from the baking powder and xanthan gum.
5. Pour batter into greased muffin top pans, muffin pans or 8 x 8” square pan. If you use muffin top pans, fill only halfway, then wet your fingers and spread the mix out to the edges.
6. For muffin tops and muffins: Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown but the tops are barely colored. The muffin tops won’t mound above the pan, but will rise evenly. Each oven is different, so start checking at 12 minutes and cook longer than 15 minutes if needed. For 8 x 8” pan: Bake for about 35 minutes until golden brown. Insert a fork or toothpick in the center to make sure the bread is cooked through.
7. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-20 minutes before removing from pans.

Tips & Alternatives

• The dairy-free version of this tends to look very pale. It also lacks the buttery flavor. I used Earth Balance butter substitute and plain almond milk.
• For egg-free: Half the recipe (to make 6 toaster muffins), then add 2+1/4 Tbsp water, 2+1/4 Tbsp extra oil and 1 Tbsp extra baking powder. You can also use egg replacer or flax seed meal to substitute the eggs.
• I cut corn bread pan into 3 inch squares, cut each square in half and then toasted each side. Spread with mayo, then top with turkey and tomato for an open face sandwich. My son also approves of serving cooked bacon on top of warm cornbread as a breakfast.
• To restore the ‘just out of the oven’ taste and softness, microwave or toast the bread.

From Chef Oonagh Williams of Royal Temptations Catering

SAUERKRAUT

Ingredients:

• 1 can of sauerkraut (14-16 oz) – drained, rinsed well and drained again.
• Two slices of gluten-free bacon, cut into thin strips
• 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
• a few Bay leaves
• juniper berries, crushed
• 1 conical coffee filter
• 1 cube gluten-free beef bouillon + 1 ½ cups of water
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Place juniper berries and bay leaves in conical coffee filter paper, fold closed and tie with string. Then you can easily find it at the end of cooking.

2. In a small non-stick pan, cook the bacon until the fat starts running, then add the onion and apple and cook covered for 3-5 minutes until softened.

3. Add sauerkraut, water, beef bouillon cube and herbs.

4. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 40 minutes. Add water if it is drying out. I like to add a knob of butter just before serving.

Note: Sauerkraut has a similar effect on your body as beans. If it does not agree with you, it may be due to the fiber.

If you find sauerkraut to be too tangy, you can always try braised cabbage.

BRAISED FRESH CABBAGE

Ingredients:

• Two slices of bacon cut into thin strips
• 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and cut into small dice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ lb raw cabbage, finely sliced.
• ½ cup gluten-free chicken stock
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1-2 tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Heat a 4-6 cup saucepan. Add bacon and olive oil and cook until bacon releases its juices.

2. Add onions and apples and cook for 5-10 minutes over medium heat until onion and apple are both soft.

3. Add cabbage and stir well. Add stock, cover and cook for about 5 minutes.

4. Remove lid and continue to stir and cook until cabbage is as tender as you like it. Finish with a grinding of fresh black pepper and butter.