Lasagna

[bartfull]

OK, so one of the grocery stores near me has finally started a gluten-free section. Last night I picked up some Tinky-whatever-they-call-it lasagna noodles. I know most gluten-free stuff cooks up differently from regular. I need hints on how to make lasagna using this stuff. I know I can use the same sauce, cheeses, meats, and mushrooms I used to use, but do I have to adjust for the rice noodles? Cook it for longer or not as long? use more sauce or less? That kind of thing. Thanks.

 

 

Oh, and by the way, they have Pacific broths, both chicken and vegetable. They have Schar bread which I bought without looking at the ingredients. (That has to go back because of the soy.) They have those gluten-free crackers someone here mentioned just yesterday as being so good. gluten-free cookies. gluten-free salad dressings and dips. gluten-free Bisquick, Pamela's baking mix and bread mix, a BUNCH of gluten-free brownie mixes and cake mixes. Just TONS of stuff! And it's all cheaper than at the health food store.  

[BlessedMommy]

I usually use DeBoles oven ready lasagna noodles. If I sauce them generously and bake for long enough, they do cook in the oven, so I skip the boiling part.

 

I've made lasagna with Tinkyada occasionally, usually I just boil them for a few minutes on the stove. No real formula or anything.

[mamaw]

I  use  tinkyada  lasagna  noodles  ...I don't  change  anything.... I do  use  a  BIG  pot  when  cooking  & I gently  stir them around  to keep them from  sticking  together &  I  take  them out  a  minute  or  two  early, rinse  in  cold water  & drain  very well  so not  to  water  down  my homemade  sauce....I  feed  this  to gluten  eaters  too  & they  have  no idea  the  noodles  are  gluten-free   !!!!! this  company also  makes  the gluten-free  stuffing  shells   too...... I do believe  they  are  the  only company  that make  the  gluten-free  shells  for  stuffing....again wheat  eaters  gobble  them up.....

[kareng]

I don't pre- cook the Tink noodles. They cook fine in the lasagna. You want to be sure you have enough liquid with un- cooked noodles.

[BlessedMommy]

Good to know thanks! Sounds like if I treat them like DeBoles and sauce them up well, they should cook fine.

[bartfull]

Do they get bigger the way regular ones do? Uncooked they aren't long enough to fit in the pan.

[kareng]

They swell a little. I never get regular noodles to fit. I just sort of piece them together. You can also do lasagna in the crockpot and don't have to pre- cook the noodles.

[bartfull]

As bad a cook as I am, the one thing I can do is make a dynamite lasagna. (Thanks to my Mom.) As a matter of fact, my "brother-in-law" who ALWAYS gives me a hard time about everything once said (grudgingly) that I make the best lasagna he has ever had.

 

I cook and drain the noodles. I make meatballs instead of just browning hamburger and crush them up. I saute mushrooms before putting them in because they retain that buttery flavor, even with sauce. I use extra-sharp white cheddar plus mozarella. And I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta because that's the way Mom did it. (My Dad didn't like ricotta.) And I think the key is the order of layering - noodle, sauce, cheddar, meat, mozarella, more sauce, cottage cheese, mushrooms, more sauce. Then start the second layer.

 

I'm really excited. I haven't had lasagna in YEARS.

 

I probably won't be making it right away though. I got some more elk. I'm doing sauerbratten with it. Chunk up the elk and sear it. Then add a bit of the vegetable broth I got the other day, a bit of rice vinegar, and a package of gluten-free ginger snaps, plus a little salt and pepper. The original recipe calls for wine, but I can't do wine. Vinegar is used in some recipes in place of the wine.

 

I just LOVE the way my diet has expanded! I got some BACON that has no corn syrup in it so I can eat that too! I'll be doing bacon egg and cheese sandwiches, and I'll also be making my rice/sauteed mushroom/bacon dish to go with the chile pepper and cheese dish I like to make.

 

I have Sundays off now and I'm actually LOOKING FORWARD to cooking!

[kareng]

If you aren't cooking noodles put a little sauce below the first layer of noodles. That's usually how it's done.

[bartfull]

Yeah, even if I do cook them I always do.

[Waitingindreams]

Oh no, now I want lasagna!  Lol.

 

I really want to try to make eggplant lasagna (uses eggplant as the noodles) it looks so good! 

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

Also, (since you mentioned someone recommending crackers) I'm not sure if you can have them or not...but I love Mary's gone crackers brand super seed crackers. They are vegan, gluten, tree nut and soy free, but here is what they say about corn:

 

Open Original Shared Link

The alcohol in the tamari we use in our pretzels and crackers is sometimes made from corn (other times it’s made from sugar cane). The distillation process removes the corn protein from the alcohol, and 99% of people with corn allergies are allergic to the protein, so it shouldn’t be an issue for most people.

 

The Super Seed crackers don't have any tamari in them, but it would be up to you if you feel safe consuming them. Here is the link to the product:

 

Open Original Shared Link

[bartfull]

Thanks for the tip, Waiting.

 

Back when Mom was diagnosed with celiac (the '80's), there were hardly any substitute foods available. So she stopped making her incredible lasagna and started making eggplant parm. Same recipe but she used eggplant instead of noodles. It was heavenly! I would do the same but believe it or not, no one here knows what an eggplant is! I have NEVER seen one in any of our grocery stores!! I have asked my friends and they honestly don't even know what an eggplant looks like!

 

I have mentioned before that I live in a "food desert". That's why I'm so glad the store is finally carrying a good gluten-free selection.

[Waitingindreams]

Agh, I love eggplant! My grandma makes the best eggplant parm, but I can't have it anymore since she uses regular breadcrumbs (and I don't want to have to have her go into the whole big deal to make them gluten-free - but her eggplant is soo good)

 

There is a store in Mystic, CT (it's a seaport with a large aquarium and a village with lots of stores - I went there with my bf in June) called Semolina, and they have tons of gluten free pasta...well they also had gluten-free eggplant rollatini. It was soy free as well, but loaded with dairy. I bought it anyway, and it was amazing! You couldn't even tell it was gluten free. 

 

I can't believe that! No eggplant? Are there any farmer's markets, anything? So strange. Oh but I just saw in your signature that nightshades bother you, so you can't eat it anyway? :\  I currently don't eat it either, as I am on a low histamine diet...but someday! Sometimes my bf grills me eggplant, but i definitely love eggplant parmesan and rollatini the best. I'm sure the eggplant lasagna will taste very similar! 

[bartfull]

Maybe eggplant is hard to grow out here because there is never any at farmer's markets either. I can eat SOME nightshades. I just have to go easy. Maybe eat a potato a week or something like that.

 

Mystic is VERY familiar to me. I used to live not too far from there. I loved going to the restaurants in Mystic. The freshest seafood anywhere. There was a little place called Boom's that I loved to go to. It was right next to a dock and you could watch them bringing the seafood from the boat to the restaurant. Is Boom's still there? It's been over ten years since I moved.

 

I loved eating at Seaman's Inn, the restaurant at Mystic Seaport too. They had a Sunday brunch and it was fabulous. As much as I miss eggplant, I would give it up forever if I could just one time, get fresh seafood!!!

[Waitingindreams]

Oh that's right! I think I remember you posting something about living in CT at one point. I've lived here all of my life, and this past summer was my first visit to Mystic since going gluten free. My boyfriend and I went there for our one year anniversary. We spent five days there...we went to both casinos, the seaport, the village, and the aquarium. We had a really nice time, it was amazing. Semolina is located right in the village, it was pretty easy to find.

 

I don't know if Boom's is still there - my boyfriend and I don't like seafood, so we went to 'regular' restaurants...California Pizza Kitchen at Foxwoods is GIG certiified, so I got a gluten free margherita pizza. Margaritaville at Mohegan Sun has a gluten free menu, so I got the nachos and tried their strawberry frozen margarita (I was not on a strict diet for our vacation) 

 

You might know of the convenience store McQuade's marketplace? It was right by the village. We made a few stops there and I picked up some gluten free essentials and brought them back to the hotel. The nachos alone lasted me 3 meals, and the pizza lasted me 2. The rollatini I picked up in the village lasted me 2-3 meals as well, and then I had my gluten-free snacks, like the aforementioned super seed crackers (I brought 2 boxes with me) So even though we both don't like fish, there were a lot of safe options for me! And he's easy - he can just grab a burger anywhere we go. 

 

Yes, New England is great for fresh seafood. Even though I don't like it, I could tell how fresh the seafood was every time we went to Rockport, MA. They had restaurants similar to what you described - they would catch the fish fresh. Rockport had a few restaurants with gluten-free options...I had my first gluten-free grilled cheese there! And Portland, ME was amazing with gluten-free options. It's hard being a gluten-free new Englander who doesn't like fish, but I make do ;P You should definitely make a trip to Rockport at some point for their seafood! I haven't tried it but I've heard good things.

[bartfull]

I used to travel a lot. I've seen most of the country. Once I got here and got old, I have decided I am done traveling. If my friends from Connecticut or California (another place I used to live once) want to see me, they have to come here.

 

If I ever WERE to travel again, it would be to get some good seafood! But I could always have some shipped to me on dry ice. Not the same as going to Booms for some of the best baked stuffed shrimp anywhere, but I think it's the best it'll get for me from here on out.

[w8in4dave]

Ohhh I like to use summer squash for noodles. Thats a good idea! You got me hungry for Lasagna