Appetizers to Ring in the New Year

Time to think about 2010 and nothing starts the year out right like a wonderful New Year’s Eve party! Invite all your friends, they will never know the food is allergen free! I have included a list of my recipes that will work great for NYE including boeuf bourguignon skewers and white bean dip (this dip is from the holiday lamb chop recipe but is also crazy good on leftover turkey sandwiches, the bean mixture adds moisture to the allergen free bread).
I encourage you to think of any main dish you enjoy and portioning it out in bite size portions - as an amuse bouche (French term for one bite) Click here to access these recipes. I have also included below a new recipe for Spring Rolls and one that looked extra good from the Food Network - thanks Ted Allen!






Spring Rolls



1 package spring roll wrappers

Soyless Sauce:
4 tablespoons beef broth
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons molasses
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
black pepper to taste
½ cup boiling water

Combine all the ingredients
Add to sauce pan and reduced by half.
Store in refrigerator, use within 4 days.

Filling:
1 pound fresh pork or chicken breast
1 medium onion, sliced
2 stalks celery, small dice
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound Napa Cabbage, sliced thinly, 1 inch lengthwise
1 tablespoon sugar
2 green onions, diced

Pork Seasoning:
1 tablespoon soyless sauce (use soy sauce if you don’t have allergies to soy, much easier)
Kosher salt to taste
black ground pepper to taste
¾ teaspoon cornstarch

Gravy:
4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon soyless sauce
Kosher salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons cold water*
2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

Mix soyless sauce, Kosher salt, ground black pepper and cornstarch together, set aside.
Cut the pork into thin strips, add to marinade and let sit for 15 minutes.

Heat saute pan (preferably a wok) over medium-high to high heat.
Add the oil for stir-frying and let heat another minute.
When the oil is ready, add the onion and cook until soft and translucent.
Add celery and cook until soft.Remove from the wok.
Add pork to the wok and cook covered until well done and set aside.
Next saute mushrooms, set aside.
Add cabbage, and cook covered for approximately 1 minute, again adding salt and/or sugar to taste.
Combine all the ingredients in the wok. If necessary, drain some of the juice.

Mix gravy ingredients and add to wok/saute pan, pushing the vegetables up against the sides of the wok to form a well in the middle for the gravy.
Stir to thicken. Mix thoroughly.
Add green onion. Set the filling aside to allow to cool before wrapping.

To wrap, soak spring roll wrapper in water until soft. Lay the spring roll wrapper directly in front of you on a towel, add a second wrap directly on top of the first. Place the filling in the bottom middle closest to you. Tuck the wrapper closest to you around the filling and tuck sides in and roll. Very similar to making a burrito. You can eat the rolls as is or pan fry the rolls until crispy on all sides.

Ted Allen of the Food Network shares his recipe for Crostini with Thyme-Roasted Tomatoes, now for us allergenistas with wheat allergies/celiac, replace the bread with Deerfield Bakeries French Baguettes and you’ll have a hit. Other options for flavoring the tomatoes - rosemary, tarragon or cumin and cilantro.


Crostini with Thyme-Roasted Tomatoes



4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher or sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons dried thyme
8 ½-inch-thick slices baguette, cut on the bias
1 clove garlic

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Place the tomatoes cut-side up in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and the thyme. Roast 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, or until the tomatoes are very soft and slightly shrunken.

Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Rub the crostini with garlic and top each with a roasted tomato.

Next up: My favorites for 2009!