Recipe Three: Gluten Free Shepherd's Pie

After a much needed vacation, its time to get back to reality. I'm finding that hard to do today because here in Arizona its cloudy and raining, and all I want to do is cuddle up in a blanket and have a movie marathon. After my bride cancelled her appointment with me this morning (I'm a hair and makeup artist) and I had confirmed that I was free for the rest of the afternoon I decided that I was going to make a nice comfort food meal, Gluten Free of course, for me and my boyfriend for dinner tonight.

Gluten Free Shepherd's Pie

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four single serving 10-oz ramekins with vegan buttery spread (I used Earth Balance). Set aside.

First, make the mashed potatoes. I used "Buttercream" gold potatoes- so full of flavor.

You'll need:

3 cups peeled, diced gold potatoes
Sea salt
Coconut milk or rice milk, as needed

Boil the potatoes in a pot until fork tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Mash with a potato masher; add a splash of non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious plain coconut milk) and season with sea salt, to taste. Stir till smooth and creamy, adding a little more milk until the potatoes are fluffy and smooth. Set aside.

For the filling you'll need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup zucchini, sliced into half-moons
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained, quartered
2 teaspoons Italian style herbs (blend of oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, parsley)
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon rosemary, minced
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the garlic. Add the carrots, zucchini, and broccoli. Stir and cook lightly until fork tender, roughly ten minutes. If you prefer your veggies crisper, cook only until tender-crisp.

Add in the artichoke hearts and herbs, season with sea salt and ground pepper; set aside.

Make your gravy. You'll need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice flour
1 and 1/2 cups non-dairy milk, warmed
2 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
2 tablespoons GF nutritional yeast (or use some gluten-free bouillon if you prefer)
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-low heat; stir in the rice flour to make a paste. Stir and cook for half a minute. Slowly add in the warm non-dairy milk, and keep stirring. Add the vegan butter, nutritional yeast, and sea salt. When it begins to thicken remove from heat and taste test. It should taste mild and creamy. The herbs in the veggies will add rosemary-sage flavor.

Pour the gravy over the filling mixture and gently mix until the veggies are coated with gravy.

Spoon the filling into the ramekins. Top with a big spoonful of mashed potatoes.

Sprinkle with non-dairy shredded cheese, if you like.

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet (to catch any bubbling-over drips) and bake in the center of a hot oven for 30 to 35 minutes. I tented my ramekins with foil for the first half of baking time to keep the mashed potatoes moist. Then I removed the foil and let the the topping brown a bit.

Cook time: 30 min

Yield: 4 servings

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Vintage Inspired Spring Break

 I can't wait to spend spring break in California, tanning on the beach wearing my own Vintage Inspired Swimwear. My sister Shelby, her best friend Taylor, and I have been planning this trip for months, our vacation will be filled with shopping, days at the beach, and lots of much needed relaxation.

Recipe Two: Gluten-Free Baked Mac & Cheese (Vegan friendly)

12 oz. dry gluten-free penne, spirals or macaroni pasta.

3 tablespoons light olive oil

3 tablespoons sweet rice flour

2 1/2 cups unsweetened plain hemp milk or other plain non-dairy milk

2 cups shredded non-dairy gluten-free cheese

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon gluten-free honey mustard

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs - for topping

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon paprika and/or dried basil

Halved grape or cherry tomatoes, optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and pre-cook the gluten-free penne just until it is al dente - tender, but still quite firm to the bite. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse it quickly under cold water. Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and stir in the rice flour (I like to use a whisk to do this). Cook and stir the flour for about 10 seconds, then slowly add in the almond milk, whisking to blend the flour paste and almond milk.

Bring the mixture to a bubble (it will thicken as it heats) then reduce the heat to low. Add the shredded vegan cheese, sea salt, mustard, nutmeg, and stir. Continue stirring the sauce until the cheese melts, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a 6-cup baking dish, combine the cooked penne with the hot cheese sauce. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with gluten-free bread crumbs and paprika. Add tomatoes and dried basil, if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes, until heated through and bubbling.

Serves 4.