Upcoming Holidays...

[prairiemamma]

I made it through thanksgiving without having to worry about the gluten-free menu. (We went to my brothers and my SIL is also celiac). But I am hosting all my inlaws for Christmas...all of them. So I have been searching pinterest and allrecipies, looking for good gluten-free holiday dishes. I don't want to take the easy way out seeing I usually throw quite the little feast when it is my turn to host Christmas. Does anyone have any good tried and true recipes they'd like to share?

[GottaSki]

What items would you normally prepare - almost any favorites can be made gluten free.

If you list your desired menu - we can all help provide replacements.

Traditions are important to retain and you don't need to lose them - just make some minor adjustments

[Adalaide]

I share the philosophy that traditions don't have to be lost. I also am totally for new traditions. I think there is probably room at everyone's table for both. I discovered cornbread pudding for Thanksgiving this year. This is something I will now have for every holiday and I don't see why everyone won't enjoy it. (Except my really picky husband apparently.) Once I'm ready to take on the task of beating people away from the pantry (which contain my MIL's bread) with a broom, I will be making it when we have company for the holidays.

I doubt there is anything that we can't take on as a group to get on your table this Christmas. Bring it on.

[GottaSki]

Thought I'd add favorite for when the whole clan invades -- really large roast beef or prime rib with mashed potatoes, gravy and a few vegie sides followed by sinfully rich chocolate cake.

Roast beef - heat oven to 500 - yes that hot - roast for seven minutes per pound and turn off the oven - keep oven closed for two hours - perfect every time.

[love2travel]

We are also hosting Christmas at our house (my in-laws - no comment). I am traditional in ways but not in cooking! We usually have something like this:

- roast duck or goose or porchetta or roast leg of lamb (we are not turkey fans - there is so much flavourful out there!)

- buttery celeriac and potato puree with mustard seeds (also nice with a touch of apple or pear), browned butter scallion mashed potatoes, or a fabulous mushroom or Milanese (or other) risotto

- cardamom and orange glazed carrots

- shaved asparagus and arugula salad with shaved Parmesan shards, lemon caper vinaigrette and toasted pecans

- purple corn tortillas filled with pea puree, topped with a tiny bit of sour cream and a minute leaf of dill or chive - the colours are vivid!

- hazelnut shrimp in endive leaves

- BACON-wrapped potato bites with spicy sour cream

- mushrooms in a Sherry glaze

- wildflower honey and whiskey-glazed sweet potatoes

- orange-spiked peas with dill

- green beans with frizzled shallots

- chocolate rum truffles

- chocolate pots de creme or chocolate pave or dacquoise or individual pavlovas with lime curd or vanilla bean pear crumble or lavender creme brulee

Believe me, I could go on and on. I literally have hundreds of culinary books. Let us know of your interests (as mentioned above) and we can help make this a Christmas feast to (not quite) die for.

And none of the above is difficult. A few a bit time consuming but not hard.

[Adalaide]

The cornbread pudding has BACON! I see a perfect holiday tradition emerging for all of us.

[prairiemamma]

Loe2travel....that all sounds delicious, but my inlaws are 100% Ukrainian and very very traditional at that turkey with stuffing is a must, mashed potatoes and gravy....cabbage rolls (I make my own and conveniently they are already gluten-free), three different kinds of perogies (still looking for gluten-free recipes), broccoli cauliflower casserole (not traditional but I force it on them because its one of my favorites, will be able to pull off gluten-free easily) a few fun salads......hmmm I'm missing something. For dessert I usually do a Scottish truffle, a couple different pies and a small assortment of dainties. (butter tarts snd jam jam cookies are usually a given)

[DavinaRN]

I just made a crustless pumpkin pie. It looks great, no burned edges on the crust . Also posted a peanut butter Blondies recipe on another thread. My SIL liked it without knowing it was gluten free.

[AshBil]

I recently found this pumpkin pie recipe online that's really great. I actually made two pies tonight. One for home and one for my aunt's house for Thanksgiving since we all go over there for the holiday. I've never made a pie before so it was new to me but I think it came out really good. It's made with an entirely gluten free ginger snap crust. And all the rest of the ingredients are gluten-free on their own so it's really not difficult at all! Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it out for Christmas! Happy holidays!!

CRUST:

2 cups gingersnap crumbs

1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar

2 Tablespoons melted butter

FILLING:

One 16-ounce can pure, unsweetened pumpkin puree

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups skim milk

freshly grated nutmeg, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Prepare the crust: Combine crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Pat mixture onto bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate, lightly greased or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.

3. Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugars, ginger, spice and salt until blended. Whisk in eggs and milk until all is smooth and incorporated. Carefully pour into prepared crust.

4. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F, and cover outside crust with a pie shield (or pieces of foil), and continue to bake 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.

Tips:

*The easiest way to make gingersnap crumbs is to whir the cookies in a food processor. If you don't have a FP, put them in a zip bag and roll a rolling pin over them until they've turned into fine crumbs.

*If you're wanting to make this pie gluten-free, use gluten-free gingersnaps. I used the "Mi-Del" brand of Gluten Free Gingersnaps and needed 40 cookies to make 2 cups of crumbs.

*This pie can be made the night before. It's best if eaten up within a day or two of baking

[Marilyn R]

Here's a recipe I've used a few times for cornbread and am using for my cornbread stuffing tommorrow. It has been bang up on it's own and I think it will be great in thi stuffing.

For the chicken stock that goes in dressing, I make my own or buy a low sodium organic store brand after carefully reading the label each time. (Put my peepers on for that.) Everything else is naturally gluten free...celery, onion, pork sausage, spices (if you've replaced them, since there's the possibility that you double dipped a measuring spoon in the past).

I'm making my sidekick bread stuffing too, but it's going to be Stovetop and contained in a pan. Ewww. He won't know the difference. If you add some sauted onion and celery, maybe a bit of sausage, your in -laws won't know the difference. And you won't have to actually touch the bread...bonus!

I remember seeing a recipe for gluten-free pierogies in "Living Without", but that's not part of my line up for the holidays. If you'd like to add a pasta course though, the brown rice pasta behaves much like regular pastal

You can make some fabulous deserts with meringue and fresh fruit and whipped cream. Or Creme' Brulee (pumpkin Creme' Brulee is on our line up for tomorrow, there's also cheesecakes and chocolate dipped strawberries with chocolate dipped gluten-free pretzels, bananas foster. I make dark chocolate bananas foster that knocks socks off. It's all a game. Outsmart the gluten and the guests. Because I get anxious about entertaining, I usually prepare a written plan several days in advance. Hope that helps, Happy Holidays to you and yours.

[Marilyn R]

Open Original Shared Link

Oops, here's the cornbread recipe.

[luvs2eat]

I've done what I call a perogie casserole a few times. I just mashed potatoes and mixed them up w/ some penne pasta and cheese and baked it. I'd think you could make a casserole w/ any of the perogie ingredients you like. You could even give it a really cool name... haha.

[Meggielynn13]

I made this for my 1st gluten-free Thanksgiving.... it's pretty tasty!

Pumpkin Spice Cake (gluten-free)

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

•1 cup pumpkin puree

•2/3 cup pure maple syrup

•4 large eggs

•1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

•2 1/4 cups Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour

•1/2 tsp sea salt

•1 tsp baking soda

•2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Cream Cheese Frosting

•6 oz organic cream cheese, room temp

•1/3 cup raw honey

•1 tsp vanilla

•1 cup heavy cream (raw milk cream, or pasteurized only is best)

Directions:

1. First make the batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the bottom round of a 9x3-inch springform pan. Using parchment paper, trace the bottom round and cut the paper to fit the bottom neatly. Place the bottom back into the springform pan and secure in place. Lightly oil the pan and then place the parchment cut-out into the bottom of the pan and lightly oil it as well. (If you don't have a springform pan, you can use a parchment-lined 9x9-inch baking dish instead.)

2. In a small bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice. Set aside.

3. Using an electric hand mixer, blend (on low speed) the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla for 1- 2 minutes, until well combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and continue mixing for a full minute, until smooth and well blended.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan, making sure to even out the top.

5. Bake for approximately 25-28 minutes, until a toothpick insert in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely, then place in the fridge to chill.

6. While the cake is baking, make the frosting: Using an electric hand mixer, blend together the first three Cream Cheese Frosting ingredients until smooth and creamy.

7. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft, stiff peaks form.

8. Using a rubber spatula, add the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream and gently fold the two together. Refrigerate frosting until cake is completely cooled.

9. If using a springform pan, remove the cake from the pan and place on a cake stand.

10. Frost the chilled cake and serve immediately. (Or refrigerate up to 12 hours before serving.) Enjoy.

from: thenourishinghome(dot)com