Readers' Cooking Tips & Techniques

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My son and I run a catering business and we were asked to come up with a gluten free pie crust. After plenty of research and trials, I think everyone would agree, this is good enough to replace their normal pie crust.

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups soy flour
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1/4 - 1/2 cup quinoa powder
1 stick butter
1/2 cup lard or Crisco
1 egg
1/4 cup ice water
Work into small crumbs, adding quinoa slowly to avoid adding too much.

Add one egg to 1/4 cup of ice water, mix and toss onto pie crust until just mixed.

Roll out as usual and fill with desired filling* and place on top crust.

This is a little "tangy" so I sprinkled the crust bottom and tops with cinnamon and sugar.

* pre cook your toppings because the soy browns too quickly so you can't bake it as long or as hot as normal.

Keep the oven at around 330-340 degrees and watch for the doming of the crust to signal it is done.

After chopping garlic or onions the smell often gets into our hands, the way to counteract that is simply touch a stainless steel faucet and the smell will vanish instantly!

Another tip: if you want to avoid watering eyes while chopping onions, put the onion in the freezer for a few minutes before chopping.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil
750g steak
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots
1 potato
2 bay leaves
2 litres veggie stock
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup pearl barley
2 tablespoons parsley
1 pkt (60g) french onion soup

Directions:

Brown steak in oil, garlic and paprika add rest of ingredients and simmer uncovered for 1 hour or until barley is tender and meat cooked, remove bay leaves and serve with garlic bread.

I have many friends of Puerto Rican decent and they have all contributed to the recipe below, which is absolutely fabulous. I keep Sofrito on hand to make this recipe, which I will also instruct you on making.

Sofrito

4 Green, Red, or Orange Bell Peppers
2 Large White Onions
1 Head of Garlic

In food processor pulverize all the ingredients above. Strain out all juices. Spread out in baking pan (7" X 10" or there about). Freeze. Cut into 2 inch squares and place in freezer container for future use. This
is great in hamburgers too.

Rice and Beans

It's a good idea to have all the ingredients measured ahead of time.

2 tbs. Olive Oil
1 or 2 squares Sofrito
2 cloves garlic (chopped fine)
1 Tomato Sauce (small can)
1 envelope Sazon (from supermarket)
10-12 Pimento Olives
1 can rinsed drained Pink Beans
2 cups washed Long Grained Rice (I use Carolina Rice)
1 tbsp. Onion Powder
2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
Water (must equal 4 cups water)

In deep pot place the Olive Oil, Sofrito and garlic. Simmer on medium/low flame for two minutes - add can tomato sauce - cook another minute.

Add the Sazon envelope and olives stir mixture and continue to simmer ingredients. Add 1/2 cup of water to mixture. Stir and continue simmering. Open the can of Pink Beans and rinse them in strainer under water before you add them to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients except the water (Sofrito, Onion powder, Oregano, salt, and pepper). Cook for 5 minutes.

Place 2 cups of rice to strainer and rinse under water several times before adding to the other ingredients in the pot. Add remaining water. Cover and simmer low flame for 15-20 minutes until all water is absorbed. DELICIOUS !!!

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