Swing Eats

As an Irish girl, I love potatoes. When presented with this week's sensational sides theme of mashed, I knew was going to make potatoes. Italian smashed potatoes have become one of my favorite way to mash potatoes. It's just boiled unpeeled red potatoes with Italian parsley, a good Italian hard cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Remember, all those nutritional goodies are in the skins. They go with everything. So simple. The amount of these ingredients listed below is a mere suggestion. Ingredients: 2 pounds of red skinned potatoes 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped 1/4 pound of really good pecorino romano or Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese, grated salt and pepper to taste Directions: Rinse, clean, and cut the potatoes into roughly equivalent chunks to ensure even cooking. Place them in a medium to large sauce pot with salted water. Bring to a boil on medium high heat. Boil under fork tender, about 15 minutes. Remove a...

When I think of brownies, I think of dense, fudge-y, chocolate "cake" with that thin layer on top. I love that thin layer on top. So in developing a recipe for a complex brownie, I made sure nothing would be on top. What is that thin layer? People call it a meringue layer: the proteins from the egg whites combining with the sugar and migrating to the top during the baking process. However, I have seen this with vegan brownie recipes I have made. Maybe in general, a film of protein and sugar forming on top. A syneresis as I would call it as a scientist. (A good example is the liquid whey that separates out on top of yogurt.) I decided to go the Mexican spiced chocolate route, using cinnamon, chili powders, coffee, nuts, and seeds to add depth and complexity. But at first, I pondered, "How am I going to incorporate the seeds and nuts?" I know, make a crust. This will give a unique texture to the brownies without interfering with that special thin meringue layer and ...

I'm a sucker for bar food. Admit it, who is not? My favorite menu item is the loaded potato skins. Problem is, I cannot eat them safely as a celiac. Turns out they deep fry them before stuffing them with cheese and bacon before broiling and topping with sour cream and scallions. Wow, it's probably a good think I can't eat them - far from the healthiest menu choice. At the same token, I never considered making a homemade version of potato skins, since scooping out the baked potato seemed like a waste. Another favorite unhealthy potato recipe of mine is twice baked potatoes. The portion alone is twice too big. Ah, I know, split them in half, stuff with tasty healthier options and bake until crispy. The ultimate potato mash-up: a twice baked potato skin. This version I stuffed with some of my tasty favorites: Gorgonzola cheese crumbles (a blue cheese), Greek yogurt, scallions, parsley, chives, olive oil, garlic salt, and black pepper. Get creative and try with...

Traditional grilled cheese sandwich dipped in tomato soup remains one of my favorite meals, regardless of the fact that I must be gluten-free.  It's a good litmus test for gluten-free (GF) bread.  I have a winner.  Trader Joe's makes the best GF bread, in my personal opinion.  Hands down!  Both of their varieties: plain and the wholegrain (which I love for all seeds and grains).  You know, I rarely promote brands.  However, here I feel compelled to share my experience, strength, and hope of tasty textured GF bread with you.  Another winner is Traina California Sun Dried Tomato Ketchup, and their version with Sriracha.  Yes, Sriracha and California Sun Dried Tomato Ketchup .  So grown up, sophisticated, and full of sass.  I friend back in Cincy turned me on Traina.  It's almost more like a chutney, packed with flavor and substance. Then some kind of culinary genius struck me: grilled cheese sandwich with the Sriracha ketchu...

Every Super Bowl, my friends and I look forward to a giant hot bowl of chili to sit and watch the big football game. All my friends look forward to it. If I changed the menu, I do not know if they would be too happy. This chili sticks to your ribs, warms you up with the complex, deep flavors and slight heat from the chipotles (smoked jalapeños.) Ground meat, tomatoes, chili peppers, beans and a wide array of seasonings/aromatics are the basis of my recipe. With chili, the longer it cooks, the more the flavors marry together. I find this to be true with dishes that have a tomato base with many seasonings. That means you can throw it together after lunch, put it in the slow-cooker, and it will be perfect come game time. Leftovers are even better the next day, if there's any leftover. My favorite pairing for chili is jalapeño corn muffins. Gluten-free, of course. They are delicate, light, spongy, corny, slightly spicy and sweet. These little treats disappear quickl...

  Mac & cheese is the ultimate comfort food. One of my friends was telling me about a crab mac-n-cheese she had at a new highly-rated restaurant.  I thought I can out do this by putting cream cheese into the sauce, adding in sauteed scallions, and add in lots of seasonings like nutmeg, garlic, and cayenne. I used my favorite Italian corn pasta made by Le Veniziane . The taste, texture, and appearance of Le Veniziane proves to be the best time after time for me, and everyone loves it regardless if they are gluten-free or not. I really like the idea of portioning out the six servings into individual ramekins. I only baked baked two in a toaster oven for a friend and me.  Covered the remaining ramekins with plastic wrap and store in either the fridge and freezer. Either way, just pop them into the toaster oven to bake off for easy weeknight dinner or for visiting friends for dinner. Makes cleanup way easier, too. And using the toast...

When I was personal cheffing, my client was allergic to yeast, eggs, and lactose-intolerant in addition to having Celiac.   He lived in Chicago and grew fond of Chicago deep dish pizza before I started cooking for him and learning of his dietary restrictions.  My solution: using a crisped up polenta shell as the pizza pie crust, don't hold back on the fillings, and top with goat milk mozzarella (goat and sheep milk are naturally lactose-free).  Instant new pizza love.  It's just so different, yet very appealing while still obviously a deep dish pizza.  A pizza pie reinvented. While it takes longer to make this polenta pizza pie crust since it's made from dry polenta, it is easier than a traditional pizza crust.  The beauty lies in its natural rustic character, i.e., the more imperfect it is, the more appealing it is.  Another beauty of this recipe is you can tailor it to your likes and needs.  This pizza has two layers of fi...

  At any restaurant in Greece, you can find pastitsio. Pastitsio is a baked pasta casserole with a meat and tomato sauce and covered with a béchamel sauce. I clearly remember having pastitsio before going gluten-free and it was so good. More Greek dishes than not are naturally gluten-free. However, there are a handful of traditional Greek dishes that I occasionally long for that are filled with gluten. Greek cuisine is similar to Italian in regards to having standardized recipes that they have been using for hundreds to thousands of years. One of which is pastitsio.The gluten-free version is no more difficult to make than the standard version. The key as always is sourcing the best ingredients. I cannot stress the importance of using the best gluten-free pasta possible. My favorite is Italian corn pasta; Le Veneziane is the brand I stock up on. If you have a corn sensitivity, rice pasta works but it is imperative not to overcook, cooking to right at al dente . P...