Gluten-free diet - quick and easy recipes - page 15

Though braising sounds like a time-consuming effort, this recipe from Ana Sortun, chef and owner of the Mediterranean restaurant Oleana in Cambridge, Massachusetts, can be pulled off in less than 30 minutes. The mix of Mediterranean ingredients like anchovy, raisins, capers, olives, pine nuts, and lemon lends tons of bright flavor and unexpected complexity without extra fat or calories.

This shortcut version of the classic Spanish romesco sauce—a combination of tomatoes, red peppers, bread, and almonds—is an easy, quick dip to prepare for cocktail parties. Its flavors pair well with anything from vegetable crudités to grilled chicken breasts and pasta, but one of our favorite ways to serve it is with roasted shrimp. Try pairing it with easy homemade chimichurri sauce for a garlic twist on this classic dipping sauce.

The classic technique for making glazed carrots involves adding just the right amount of water to a saucepan along with carrots, butter, and sugar and simmering for the exact length of time it takes for the liquid to reduce to a syrup and the carrots to become just tender. I usually overcook the carrots or add too little water, so I like this more forgiving technique. Cook the carrots in boiling water until crisp-tender and drain.

Most people don’t try making hollandaise sauce at home because the classic method requires a water bath and constant attention to ensure a perfectly textured sauce. In this fast and easy version, we use a blender to emulsify butter and egg yolks into a perfectly smooth sauce with a hint of brightness from lemon juice. Use it for classic eggs Benedict, or drizzle it over broiled fish or steamed veggies. Pick a great new blender to make this sauce and everything else you want smooth.

A combination of sugar, water, and strawberries cooked together, cooled, and strained. Use this sweet, fruity syrup in cocktails, desserts, or bubbly sodas.

With cabbage, carrots, radishes, and herbs, this slaw is as colorful as it is flavorful. It’s a great make-ahead dish, since the flavor develops as it sits; just be sure to give it a quick stir before you serve.

This tasty cucumber salad recipe combines honeydew, cucumber, and feta cheese in a garlic, lemon, pepper dressing to create an amazing salad. While honeydew is usually the backbone of fruit salads, it can also shine in savory recipes, like this one with crunchy cucumber, feta cheese, and mint. The lemon-and–olive oil dressing has lots of black pepper to temper the flavour of the melon.

You don’t need to pull out the ice cream maker for this elegant cold dessert. Just blend frozen pineapple with rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and ice, then freeze the mixture until solid and scoopable. This tart, tropical sorbet hits the mark as both an after-dinner cocktail and a dessert.

Rémoulade is essentially a homemade mayonnaise loaded with flavor. The sauce was originally created in France, but we put a Creole spin on it with the addition of Louisiana-style hot sauce, Worcestershire, and bell pepper. Though it’s normally served with fried-fish dishes such as our Cornmeal Fried Catfish, we also like it with boiled shrimp or mixed into a potato salad. What to buy: Have all the ingredients at room temperature before you start—the rémoulade will come together better.

I grew up eating a version of this dip made with only dried dill weed, and though it tasted pretty good, I like the addition of some fresh dill and a little parsley as well. The dip needs to hang out in the fridge for a couple hours for the flavors to blend, so this is an ideal recipe to make ahead for a party. Serve alongside some Long Island Iced Tea for an impressive party spread.

This is a milder and more accessible version of my first hot sauce recipe, Habanero Blood Orange Death Kick. When my dad (who grows his own Trinidad Scorpion peppers) said it was way too hot, I took his advice and left out the serranos to curb the heat a bit. I also used easy-to-find domestic oranges and limes. Spoon it over a breakfast frittata for a punch of heat.

This hot sauce gets its heat from hot paprika and cayenne pepper rather than chile peppers. To make it, throw boiled carrots, roasted red peppers, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, smoked and hot paprika, and cayenne into a blender. Serve this tangy, smoky sauce over grilled steak or stir it into hummus for an easy dip. Game plan: The hot sauce is ready to be served after 1 day, but the flavors will continue to meld for 2 to 3 days.

Add sweet cherry heat to your favorite recipes with this easy hot sauce. Just blend boiled carrots, roasted red peppers, and habanero chiles with cherry juice, vinegar, ginger, and a touch of sugar and salt. This sweet and spicy sauce is an awesome complement to pork dishes like cochinita pibil or Cuban-style rotisserie pork loin. Game plan: Habaneros are particularly spicy chile peppers, so we suggest wearing a pair of latex gloves when removing the seeds.

Two summer veggies combine for a light, healthy summer salad. Mix up a simple vinaigrette made with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and shallots. Pour it over crisp blanched green beans and sweet halved cherry tomatoes, stir in some parsley, and serve with Grilled Rib Steaks, Grilled Salmon, a Leg of Lamb, or a Whole Grilled Bass. Game plan: This salad can be made up to 2 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Toss briefly to recombine the flavors just prior to serving.

This classic cocktail sauce is a tangy, slightly spicy mixture of ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, and Tabasco sauce. Serve it with poached shrimp for a traditional shrimp cocktail or on briny oysters on the half shell. Game plan: This recipe can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.

With a flavor somewhere between cocktail sauce and Thousand Island dressing, this tangy, versatile recipe starts with ketchup and mayonnaise as the base and is flavored with brandy, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Use it as a dip for chilled seafood or french fries, or smear it on a toasted bun and proclaim it your secret house sauce for a bacon cheeseburger.