Brussels Sprouts Gratin

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw my announcement a few weeks back that I'm now an Affiliate for BreadSRSLY!! Y'all know how much I love their gluten free sourdough. It's frequently featured in my daily meals (like this, or this, DEFINITELY this or that) and in past recipes like my Parmesan Garlic Croutons, Mom's Caesar Salad and this Ham, Leek & Sourdough Dressing. I can't wait to start dreaming up even MORE delicious ways to enjoy this bread. First up: this creamy, crunchy Brussels Sprouts Gratin!

I actually first made this back in December for my 30th birthday weekend trip to Sonoma. I made this up as I went that weekend and after tasting the result, I knew it was only fair to you to recreate the recipe (and this time take notes). 

 'Gratin' is a French technique that simply means a dish with a browned crust of breadcrumbs. You know what makes a breadcrumb topping even better? Bacon. That's the start of this magical dish. 

The brussels sprouts are first roasted and then tossed in a bechamel sauce. Keeping with French techniques (they sure know what they are talking about), a bechamel is simply a white sauce made from a roux and milk. Don't let the fancy French words scare you! Roux = butter and flour. I'll break it down for you in the recipe, don't you worry.

To bring it all together the brussels tossed in the bechamel go into a baking dish and then are topped with breadcrumbs and bacon. Is your mouth watering yet? After a quick pop in the oven this side dish is ready to enjoy!  

Would you like to give BreadSRSLY a try? Use the code 'myengineerednutrition' with your order on their website and receive 10% off your order! 

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 25 min

Servings: 6

Ingredients: 

Bechamel:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp gluten free flour, Bob's 1-to-1
• 1 c reduced fat milk, 2%
• Salt & Pepper

Gratin:

• 6 oz BreadSRSLY sourdough bread, 3 slices toast
• 6 cups brussels sprouts, cut into quarters 
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 slices bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. While the oven is preheating, toast your bread and prepare brussels sprouts by cutting them into quarters. Toss sprouts with 1 tsp olive oil, juice of one lemon and salt. Roast on a baking sheet in the oven for 10-15 minutes, giving them a toss halfway through roasting. This will give the sprouts a nice roast, but won't cook them all the way through.
2. While the brussels are roasting, put the toasted bread into a food processor and pulse until breadcrumbs form. I personally like my breadcrumbs on the larger side, but you can go as large or small as you choose. On a different baking sheet, spread the breadcrumbs out in an even layer and toast in the oven (at the same time as the sprouts is fine) for about 5 minutes, just so they become a bit more dried out. 
3. Remove breadcrumbs and brussels sprouts from the oven and set the aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
4. Cook 3 slices of bacon until crisp. I fried my bacon in a skillet on stove top, but you can also do this step in the microwave. Blot with paper towels to remove excess grease and chop into smaller pieces. Combine breadcrumbs, bacon and remaining 1 tsp of olive oil in a bowl and toss.
5. Next we make the béchamel! Warm your milk in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. While that is warming, in a sauté pan or a separate sauce pan (something with taller sides so that the sauce doesn't slop all over your stove!) melt the butter over medium high heat. Once melted add the flour, salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste begins to bubble. We want the butter+flour mixture to become a golden color, which will happen after about 2-4 minutes of cooking, but we don't want to let this burn. Pour in warmed milk and continue to stir the sauce. Raise to high heat and bring sauce to a boil. Lower heat and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes while stirring. 
6. In a large bowl combine roasted brussels sprouts and béchamel sauce. Toss so that the sprouts are evenly coated. Transfer into baking dish and top with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. To finish the gratin, raise heat and broil for 5 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information (1 serving):

180 calories - 6.5 g Protein, 24 g Carbohydrates, 7.5 g Fat

Parmesan Garlic Croutons (Gluten-Free)

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Croutons are arguably the best part of a salad. Toasty, crunchy, garlicky cubes of bread which still have that chewy, soft center.

Let there be no mistake - these are not qualities you will find in store bought boxed croutons. Oh no, the best croutons are always homemade. 

I personally cannot stand boxed croutons.  The are usually hard enough to break a tooth on and are covered in a powdered flavoring of some kind. If I'm going to be putting croutons on my salad, the only way that is happening is if they are homemade. Croutons are SO easy to make and I'm going to go ahead and say that 100% of the time, they will taste better than anything store bought (gasp!).

While any loaf I bread technically can be turned into a crouton, I prefer to use BreadSRSLY Gluten-Free Sourdough. I HIGHLY recommend using this bread as not only is it some of the best sourdough I've ever tasted...it is also gluten-free. Win-Win! 

Aside from the bread, you only need garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. It couldn't be any more simple than that.

I guarantee you won't ever think about buying boxed croutons again after you make these once. Throw these on a salad, your favorite bowl of soup...or simply eat them freshly toasted and warm out of the oven. I don't judge! 

Parmesan Garlic Croutons (Gluten-Free!)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Bake Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups sourdough bread (gluten free), cut into 1" cubes - I recommend BreadSRSLY gluten-free sourdough, but any sourdough would do
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

Baking Accessories:

• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. 
2. Slice bread into 1" cubes. This should yield about 3 cups of bread. In a large mixing bowl, toss bread with olive oil and garlic. 
3. Transfer bread to baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, toss croutons on baking sheet and return to oven for another 5 minutes. 
4. After a total of 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle cheese over croutons and return to oven for a final 5 minutes to melt cheese and finish toasting croutons. 
5. Remove from oven and add to dish of your choice. If you would like to reserve for later use, these keep well stored in an airtight container. 

Nutritional Information (1 serving):

155 calories - 4 g Protein, 23 g Carbohydrates, 5.5 g Fat

Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread

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One more recipe, just in time, for St. Patrick's Day!  Yesterday I posted that warm and hearty Cabbage, Ham and Potato Soup and you know what goes perfectly with it? THIS Irish Soda Bread! I'll have to admit, I am by no means a connoisseur of Irish soda bread. I've had it a time or two, but since I stay away from gluten it isn't a frequent food I consume.

I wanted that to change, so I set out determined to make a gluten free version of this simple bread in honor of the holiday.

It took me a time or two (or five) to get a bread that I was satisfied with. The star of this bread is Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. This flour, which is a blend of various gluten-free flours, is amazing to bake with.  The basic recipe for the bread is quick and simple. Flour, buttermilk and baking soda, which is the levaning agent instead of yeast. I've adapted the original formula some and have swapped Greek yogurt in place of buttermilk and have added caraway seeds (I love that Rye bread flavor!).

This bread is dense and savory. If you are expecting a light and airy slice of bread, this is not the loaf for you. If, however, you are looking for a thick and dense slice, able to withstand dipping into a hearty soup - look no further! 

Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 50-60 minutes

Servings: 16 slices

Ingredients: 

• 3.5 cups gluten free flour, I recommend Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds

Baking Accessories:

• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. 
2. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
3. In a medium bowl combine Greek yogurt with water and whisk until well incorporated. In a small bowl crack egg and whisk. Add both wet ingredients to the dry in the large mixing bowl. Initially, stir with a spatula and then use hands until dough forms into a ball. 
4. Once a ball has formed, turn out onto a floured surface and add caraway seeds. Kneed until caraway seeds are even incorporated throughout the dough. You may need to add a bit of water if the dough is not holding together - carefully add 1 tbsp of water at a time! If dough becomes to sticky and wet, dust with a small bit of flour. Form into a disc about 8" in diameter.
5. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 50-60 mins or until a toothpick inserted into bread comes out clean and you hear a hollow sound when you knock on the bottom of the loaf. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing or bread may be too warm and gummy. Serve warm or store in air-tight container for later. I find it is easiest to slice this loaf by cutting in half and then cutting into slices, rather than trying to slice the original diameter of loaf.

Nutritional Information (1 slices):

125 calories - 3.5 g Protein, 27 g Carbohydrates, 0.3 g Fat

Pumpkin Bread

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WARNING: This bread is HIGHLY addictive. May cause urges to eat entire loaf in one sitting.

You think I'm kidding? Wait until you have one bite of this deliciously moist, dense, pumpkin-spice-filled loaf of goodness. 

Did I mention this is also low fat, dairy free and gluten free? 

I made this merely on a whim. With my competition prep in full swing, I wanted to create a dessert that could fit within my nutrition plan. This meant something that was low in fat for my training days, but at the same time not super high in carbohydrates either. Because I absolutely hate wasting food, I first investigated what I had in my refrigerator - an open can of pumpkin puree and an overly ripe banana. In addition to that, I also had a few newly acquired loaf pans (thanks mom!) that I was itching to use. I saw a great opportunity for a low fat treat as pumpkin and banana are regularly used as butter and oil substitutes in baking!

Baking is always tricky to do without a recipe, at least for me. Add in the fact that this was a low fat recipe and gluten free, I had absolutely no idea how this would turn out. The base of this bread is cassava flour. This flour has changed the way I approach gluten free baking. Cassava is a hard root vegetable, also called yuca (not to be confused with yucca), arrowroot or tapioca. This flour is 100% grain, nut and gluten free! Cassava flour, flour made from the cassava root, is almost indistinguishable from all-purpose flour. While I use cassava flour in my recipe (and I highly recommend and encourage you to give it a try!) you could probably substitute an alternative gluten-free flour blend like Cup 4 Cup, however not almond or coconut flour as they have very different baking characteristics. If you absolutely must have wheat based all-purpose, I'm sure that will work as well, although I haven't tried it with different flours.

This bread isn't overly sweet, which is just the way I like it. In fact, I've only added 1/4 cup of unrefined coconut palm sugar. When I was researching recipes for pumpkin bread I was surprised to find that most had upwards of 2 cups refined sugar! Not for me! The majority of the sweetness comes from a ripened banana - nature's sweetener. Rest assured, with all natural ingredients this is a guilt free treat! 

Pumpkin Loaf

Prep Time: 10 min

Baking Time: 45-55 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients: 

• 1-1/2 cup cassava flour (or Bob's 1-to-1 Gluten Free Flour or All-Purpose Flour works just as well!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 ripened banana (brown spotted) 
• 1 cup pumpkin purée 
• 2 eggs

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or grease with a small bit of butter or coconut oil. 
2. Whisk together cassava flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice in a small mixing bowl. Set aside. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat banana and coconut palm sugar with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer until banana is 'creamed', much like if you were beating butter and sugar. Do this until light and fluffy and sugar is well incorporated.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add pumpkin and mix to incorporate.
5. Beat flour mixture into wet ingredients. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes in pan before removing. After 10 minutes, remove from pan to a board or plate and all to cool completely.

Nutritional Information (1 slice, total loaf makes 12 slices) 

90 calories - 1.5g Protein, 18g Carbohydrates, 1g Fat