Gluten free, tested, delicious recipes for special diets: Soup and salad (Part 2)

A recent Mayo Clinic study found a dramatic increase in the number of cases of gluten intolerance; Interestingly, the group most affected is women in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

Here are some nutritious, elegant choices for gluten-free dining:

• Roasted Edamame Salad Edamame is just a fancy name for boiled green soybeans in salt water. In East Asia, the soybean has been used for over two thousand years as a major source of protein. Edamame offers a whopping 9 grams in a half-cup serving, about the same amount you'll find in 4 slices of whole-wheat bread or 4 cups of steamed zucchini!
  
• Japanese Style Cucumber Salad Unlike ubiquitous mayonnaise-based potato or macaroni salad, this one only gets better over time. Make it in the morning after breakfast--By the time guests arrive for an afternoon gathering, the salad's flavor is at its peak.
  
• Gramma's Cottage Bean and Ham Soup This recipe features peameal bacon, a cured pork loin that has not been smoked, and is rolled in cornmeal. It is not to be confused with bacon sold as "Canadian Bacon", which is more of a ham in texture and flavor.
  

For more info:
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Grandma's Cottage Bean and Ham Soup

We just returned from a wonderful visit to Canada, to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving at my parents' cottage on Lake Huron in Bayfield, Ontario. The leaves were ablaze with gold, red and bronze, the nearby farmer had grown a tall crop of corn, and the weather was alternately warm enough to play on the beach, yet cool enough to sit in the rocker by the fireplace. My children had a constant sense of wonder about them, examining for hours my father's antique toys, rowing out on the lake in a little boat, and running through rows of corn, or crunching dry leaves underfoot in the woods. My mom had prepared a large batch of soup, and while I may have been influenced by the relaxing surroundings, it was flavorful, hearty and worth trying at home when the weather cools.

1 sweet onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 small parsnips, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 packet Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
1 can low-sodium chicken broth (or home-made)
4 slices peameal bacon
2 cups cured ham, diced
1 can garbanzo or fava beans
1 can white kidney beans
1 cup dry white wine

In a small cast iron fry pan, saute the peameal bacon and set aside. (Unlike regular bacon, pea meal is very low fat so it cooks rather fast.) Next saute the onion, celery, parsnips and carrot. In a large pot, add the chicken broth and vegetable soup mix. Add the sauteed veggies, chopped bacon, ham, and beans. Add water to cover, if necessary. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, then add the wine, and simmer for 10 more minutes. Serves 6.

Food Fact! Peameal bacon is a cured pork loin that has not been smoked, and is rolled in cornmeal. It is not to be confused with bacon sold as "Canadian Bacon", which is more of a ham in texture and flavour. According to Mom's Cafe, it is traditionally a Southwestern Ontario treat. Originally rolled in peameal (or, ground peas) which was available to the French Canadians, peameal fell out of favor and was replaced with cornmeal; the meat retained its name. "It is very lean, perfect for anyone counting calories," writes Mom's Cafe. "It fries up nicely or you can bake it in a chunk. It is a nice, fast-cooking meat that is served often here during the winter months."

Not So Subtle Tomato-Basil Soup

This simple recipe is an orchestra of simultaneously soothing and exciting flavors. It has nothing in common with its wall-flower cousin, sodium-laden and watery tomato soup topped with broken saltines or used as a dip for grilled cheese. Although, by all means, grill some crusty bread brushed with olive oil, and generously seasoned with salt, pepper and crushed fresh garlic. It would make a fitting accompaniment to this lovely gluten-free soup. As the days grow shorter and cooler, this soup is a surefire antidote for whatever chills you.

1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 28-ounce cans tomatoes, including their juice
1 cup basil, puréed
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
2.5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a very large, stock pot, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil for about five minutes or until soft. Add all other ingredients (excluding Parmesan) and bring to a simmer. After simmering for 20 minutes, remove 2 cups of hot soup and whisk the Parmesan cheese into it. Return the soup and cheese mixture to the stock pot. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve. Garnish each serving with a basil leaf if desired.

Food Fact! I'm considering giving my adorably cherubic toddler the nickname xitomatl (pronounced shi-to-ma-tlh), the word Aztecs used for "tomato," meaning, "plump thing with a navel". Often mistaken for a vegetable, the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is both a fruit and a member of the nightshade family, along with chili peppers, potatoes, and eggplant.
According to Andrew F. Smith, author of The Tomato in America, the tomato most likely originated in the highlands of the west coast of South America. After colonization by the Spanish, the tomato began its migration through Spanish colonies in the Caribbean, the Philippines, southeast Asia, and then the entire Asian continent. In the 1540s, the Spanish began cultivating the tomato in Europe, where it grew easily in Mediterranean climates. However, the fruit wasn't incorporated into Italian cuisine until the late 17th or early 18th century---in certain areas of Italy, tomatoes were merely used as tabletop decoration before it was ever incorporated into the local cuisine until the late 17th or early 18th century!

Cioppino

Developed in the late 1800s, Italian immigrant fishermen in the North Beach area of San Francisco are responsible for creating this rich stew. Originally it was made on the boats while out at sea and later became a menu staple as Italian restaurants proliferated in San Francisco. Cioppino is comparable to bouillabaisse from Provence, or to Italy's cacciucco and brodetto.
Recipes for Cioppino vary mostly by fish used, but this Genoa-inspired recipe nearly always includes basil, oregano, parsley and crushed red pepper flakes. I did, however, locate what I might deem "Nouveau Cioppino", with fennel seeds and dried marjoram, if you're looking for a twist on the original.

8 fresh clams in shells (such as littlenecks)
8 oz. fresh fish filets (red snapper, perch, sea bass, or halibut)
8 oz fresh (or frozen) peeled and deveined shrimp
1 (1-lb) king crab leg, thawed if frozen
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
2-3 cloves garlic
2 California bay leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
24.5 oz. can tomatoes, diced
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1.5 teaspoons snipped fresh basil
1.5 teaspoons snipped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1. Scrub fresh clam shells under cold running water using a stiff brush. In a large pot, combine 8 cups water and 3 tablespoons salt. Add clams, soak for 15 minutes, drain and rinse. Discard water. Repeat the soaking, draining and rinsing steps 2 more times.
2. Hack crab leg through shell into 2- to 3-inch pieces with a large heavy knife.
3. Remove and discard fish skin, if present. Cut fish into 1.5-inch pieces. Cover and refrigerate fish pieces and shrimp until needed.
4. In a large saucepan, cook mushrooms, sweet pepper, onion, and garlic in hot oil until tender but not brown. Stir in undrained tomatoes, wine, parsley, tomato paste, lemon juice, basil, oregano, sugar, crushed red pepper, 1/4 cup water (or bottled clam juice), and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add clams, fish pieces, crab, and shrimp to saucepan. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes more until clams open, fish flakes easily, and shrimp are opaque. Discard any unopened clams after 10 minutes and the bay leaves.
Makes about 6 cups of stew, or 4 main-dish servings.
Serve stew with toasted, buttered sourdough or baguette, or with over spaghetti or other long pasta as a main dish.

Food Fact! It's nice to know that clams rank high on the list of eco-friendly seafood; Littleneck clams are farmed in protected bays and estuaries from California to Alaska, which is within their native range. Alaska, where many farms are located, has strict controls over the leasing and harvesting process. Destructive mechanical harvesting is prohibited, requiring that clams be harvested by hand.