Cookbook Review and Giveaway: Denise Jardine's Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Kitchen

Having celiac disease or a gluten-intolerance often arrives with a lactose intolerance in tow, so a very welcome addition to the pantheon of gluten-free cookbooks is The Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Kitchen by Denise Jardine (Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 2012).

Jardine offers 150 recipes for a wealth of scrumptiousness in this well-illustrated cookbook and they run the gamut from breakfast ideas (Spicy Green Smoothie, Crab and Artichoke Frittata) to the bread basket (Maple Raisin Scones, Amaranth Sesame Breadsticks). I have really enjoying thumbing through this tempting cookbook and appreciate that the recipes are a mix of simple, comfort food standbys and more unusual menu ideas.The author provides plenty of instruction in her recipes and I found that each time I made a new dish from this book it worked out beautifully. And deliciously! Each recipe also thoughtfully has a header that indicates if it is suitable for people with other dietary restrictions (egg, soy, nut, sugar, oil).

I made several recipes from this handy cookbook and each has produced a wonderful result. First out of the stove was a batch of moist and tender Lemon Poppyseed Muffins (and I have been advised to produce another batch very soon!). They were perfect tea time treats; not too sweet, with a perfect crumb.

Next, Dan flipped through Jardine's cookbook and requested that I make Cheesy Mac 'n' Nut Cheese, a dairyless version of the classic Macaroni and Cheese casserole. This recipe uses a sauce of pre-soaked cashew nuts, pureed with spices and nutritional yeast to slather over the pasta. It's a rich, satisfying dish.

Another of Jardine's pasta dishes also caught my fancy and it was another fantastic supper dish: White Bean Fettuccine. The pasta is topped with a wonderful sauce of mushrooms, red pepper, garlic, tomatoes, white wine and broccolini.

Finally, I made a batch of silky Broccoli Soup, which was delicious and creamy. I am delighted to be able to share the recipe with you so that you can test drive this great cookbook for yourself with this dish:

Photo by Erin Kunkel, used by permission from Ten Speed Press

Creamy Broccoli Soup
“Reprinted with permission from The Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Kitchen: 150 Delicious Dishes for Every Meal, Every Day. Copyright © 2012 by Denise Jardine. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo copyright © 2012 by Erin Kunkel.”

 Free of      egg     soy     nut     sugar     oil  serves 6

2 pounds broccoli, stems and florets chopped separately into 1-inch pieces

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1¹/₂pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2 potatoes)

3¹/₂ cups Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock

¹/₄teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 bay leaves

¹/₂teaspoon salt

¹/₈teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

³/₄cup Dairy Milk Alternative plus more if needed (I used almond milk)

Herb Toast, for garnish (optional)

Grated lemon zest, for garnish (optional)

to prepare the soup:  

Combine the broccoli stems, onion, potatoes, stock, lemon juice, bay leaves, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, decrease the heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Add broccoli florets; reduce the heat to low, and simmer until florets are just tender, about 8 minutes. (By placing the broccoli florets on top of the other partially cooked vegetables, they cook via steam, and retain their vibrant green color.)

to puree the soup: 

Remove the soup from the heat and discard the bay leaves. Ladle half of the soup into a blender along with ¹/₂ cup of the milk, cover, and puree until smooth. Empty the blender into a large bowl and repeat with the remaining soup and ¹/₄ cup of milk. Transfer the pureed soup back to the saucepan. Thin the soup if necessary by adding a little more milk, ¹/₄ cup at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved. Taste and correct the seasonings. Reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, taking care not to boil the soup. Ladle into bowls and garnish with Herb Toast and lemon zest.

This valuable cookbook is available for sale from your favorite book store or directly from Ten Speed Press and retails for $19.99. I am delighted to be able to offer a giveaway of one copy of this cookbook to one of my Crispy Cook readers (limited to the United States). To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment below. You can also receive an additional entry by liking the Crispy Cook on Facebook and leaving an additional comment below. The deadline for this giveaway is Sunday, April 22, 2012, midnight, Eastern Standard Time. Good luck!

I am sharing this post with Souper Sundays, a weekly roundup of soup, sandwich and salad ideas by Kahakai Kitchen .

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this cookbook and the offer to have another copy as a giveaway from the publisher but I was not obligated to post a review of the book. As always, my comments are entirely my own.

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