Chef and cookbook author, Carol Fenster rocks. She has is all – great tasting recipes, and excellent explanations of the various gluten-free flours and other ingredients and their properties. I have all her books. When I learned she had a new book I wanted to share the good news. I too am a gluten-free chef and love spending my days and nights cooking and perfecting a recipe. I’ve learned that not everyone has the time or inclination for this exercise. Enter Carol’s latest book: “100 Best Quick Gluten-Free Recipes”. Simple and delicious solutions for busy people who want to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. You don’t have to sacrifice flavor or nutrition.
I tried a few recipes and my favorite was a chickpea flatbread with very few ingredients, called Farinata with Sage and Onion. It’s made in a skillet and baked in the oven. How easy is that? I highly recommend “100 Best Quick Gluten-Free Recipes” for newly diagnosed and veterans alike.
So without further ado – here is Carol’s fantastic recipe I’m excited to share with you today! At the end of this post see how you can register to win Carol’s new book!
Farinata is a thin, pizza-like Italian pancake made from chickpea flour and served as bread. It varies depending on where it is made, and it is known as socca in France. When I first tried this bread, it was so good that I ate the whole batch myself. So be prepared—you or your family may like it so much that you might have to make several batches. Farinata can be made in a regular cast-iron skillet, but it won’t be quite as crisp or easy to remove because of the skillet’s straight—rather than sloping—sides. The batter requires a standing time of at least an hour before baking; you can do other things in the meantime, and it’s worth the wait.
- 1 cup chickpea flour or garbanzo flour (or use garbanzo-fava bean flour)
- 1 tablespoon finely diced fresh onion or 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or rosemary)
- 1 cup lukewarm (100°F) water
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse salt, for sprinkling
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, onion, salt, pepper, and sage (or rosemary). Slowly whisk in the water until no lumps remain. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cover and let stand at room temperature, tightly covered, for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F. While the oven preheats, place a 10-inch cast-iron round flat griddle or skillet, with at least a [3/8]-inch rim, that holds about 1 cup batter, into the oven to heat it. When the batter is ready, remove the griddle with an oven mitt. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into the griddle, tilting it to evenly coat the bottom. Pour the batter into the griddle, swirling to cover the pan evenly.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the farinata is firm to the touch. For deeper browning, set the farinata, still in the griddle, about 6 inches from the broiler and broil just long enough to lightly brown the top. Sprinkle with coarse salt, cut into wedges, and serve immediately.
- STORAGE: Farinata is best eaten immediately after baking.
- Per serving: 235 calories; 5g protein; 18g total fat; 3g fiber; 14g carbohydrates; 0mg cholesterol; 550mg sodium
Reprinted with permission from 100 Best Quick Gluten-Free Recipes by Carol Fenster (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014)
Carol’s book is available HERE – please check out her site Savory Palate Blog
I am also happy to announce that I will be hosting a giveaway for you to win Carol’s new book! Leave a comment to be eligible to win – a winner will be announced by Friday, November 7th. Please share this with anyone in your life who would benefit from this great gluten-free cookbook!
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