potatoes are crispy, turning the potatoes once halfway through the cooking time.
Greek Salad
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
2 large tomatoes
1 1/2 hothouse cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 ounces feta cheese, diced into 1/2 -inch pieces
1/2 cup pitted black kalamata olives
In the bottom of a salad bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and gently squeeze out the seeds. Cut into 1/2 -inch pieces. Add to the dressing along with the remaining salad ingredients and gently toss to coat everything with the dressing. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately.
Cheater’s Rice Pudding
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups instant white rice
1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)
Ground cinnamon for garnish
Combine the milk, rice, salt, honey, and vanilla in a medium saucepan with a lid. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until the milk has been completely absorbed and the rice is tender. For a creamier pudding, stir in the heavy cream as soon as the pudding is done. Serve warm topped with a dusting of ground cinnamon.
Quick Comfort
• Vegetarian
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Quick Mac and Cheese
Baked Tomatoes
Instant Berry Frozen Yogurt
S ome days just cry out for comfort food, something that nourishes the soul as well as feeds the body. To my way of thinking, there is nothing more comforting than macaroni and cheese. The beauty of gluten-free macaroni and cheese is that it is actually easier to prepare than the traditional; no making a roux by cooking flour and butter together. The world seems to be equally split when it comes to a preference of creamy mac and cheese versus baked. This recipe offers an optional step of adding a crunchy topping for those that prefer more of a baked variety.
As a child I smothered my mac and cheese with ketchup. These days I prefer to eat it alongside Baked Tomatoes for that tomato tang. If your idea of comfort includes salad, feel free to add a simple tossed green salad.
Ice cream is another favorite comfort food but in concession to all the cheese in this meal I offer you a quick, low-calorie berry frozen yogurt that is just as tasty as any ice cream. The method of preparing the frozen yogurt in this recipe works just as well with other frozen fruits.
Serves 6
Quick-Cook Strategy
• Start the water boiling for the pasta in a large pan with a lid. Preheat the oven.
• While the pasta is cooking, you have a stretch of time where you can whip up the sauce, prepare the tomatoes, and get the cheese sauce done.
• I timed myself to see how long it took me to shred the cheese by hand using a box grater. It took exactly 90 seconds. If you haven’t got an extra 90 seconds then by all means feel free to use preshredded cheese.
• If I am making the crunchy-topped version of the mac and cheese with the Baked Tomatoes, I prepare the topping for both at the same time: mix the cheese, bread crumbs, and olive oil together; take out half the mixture for the mac and cheese; then add the seasoning for the tomatoes. This saves time and another bowl to clean.
• The Instant Berry Frozen Yogurt is ready in a minute, so make this while someone else is clearing the dinner dishes away.
Quick Mac and Cheese
12 ounces gluten-free macaroni
3 cups low-fat (2 percent) milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 dashes hot sauce
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater
1/2 cup Gruyère cheese, grated on the large holes of a box
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