Thursday, June 7, 2012

cooking gf noodles, also homemade gnocchi, quick dressed cellophane noodles

I love wheat style noodles but I hate gummy noodles. These things are pretty expensive and have a tolerance for error somewhat lower than most engineering schools. On the other hand noodles are awesome and allow us flexibility in cooking that is otherwise unreachable to most of us who are wheat free/ gf. My local grocery (Morse Fresh Market) has several varieties (because the guy who runs it is awesome) including these little 2 inch things that looks like tiny lasagna noodles made by  Sam Mills (Pasta D' Oro) that taste like durum wide noodles , are GMO free, egg free, and don't give me breathing problems and claim to be low glycemic (not sure how)...Hooray! Stroganoff returns. They also make a macaroni some other shapes but sadly I haven't seen a spaghetti or a penne from them. When I need a Spaghetti I usually go for the Ancient Grains stuff. They are 3$ for a one lb sack. Sometimes I can't afford my special noodles so I actually go to the T Joes where they sell a passable corn  pasta that does not respond as well to longer term refrigeration, submersion in soups or freezing,etc. What I'm saying here is that unlike wheat pasta there is a greater variety in what you can and can't do with various pastas and the variation between different brands is much more difficult to gauge. The Ancient Grains Quinoa (and corn) one freezes poorly but doesn't get gummy in a crock pot. The T Joe's  is good under sauce but not in soup, freezer or long term cooking as it gets really gummy...but it's 1/2 the price. There are , however, several methods to make gf pasta less of a trial.

1. Set up your colander before you begin boiling. These things have a much smaller tolerance for overcooking because they are gf and the protein doesn't shelter the starch.
2. Set an alarm for 2 minutes before whatever the time on the bag is. Watch it, then taste it. If it's still too hard. Let it cook more. Check again in 30 seconds to one minute. For example the Pasta D Oro I was loving on earlier is gummy as heck at the 9 minutes suggested on the package. 7-7 1/2 is al dente.
3. Get it out of the water in under a a minute or it will get slimy.
4. The "throw it at the wall" test doesn't work. Ooh and cleaner walls.
5. If you only overcook it a little it will firm up if rinsed briefly under cool water. I know , this is the opposite of true for things with gluten.
6.Also rinse if you are planning on storing in fridge ,freezer or before placing in pasta salad. Mix in a tb of olive oil as they dry out really fast and easily.
7. Make sure all noodles are completely covered by sauce before freezing as they will dry out poorly otherwise.

Other noodles to play with
Cellophane noodles/glass noodles are pretty much a gf godsend if you make sure to check the package against wheat starch and coprocessing. They are made of mung beans and can be made in a dorm set up by simply submerging the noodles in question in boiled water for 2 minutes. Easiest thing ever. If it comes in a ramen type package check against wheat and msg. MSG is literally addictive, bad for you and is basically concentrated wheat protein evil in terms of triggering allergic response for celiac and wheat allergic people. Dress with some Sambal Olek (the chunky rooster sauce), a gf soy sauce if you want, add  some cooked protein and some broccoli or another green. 15 minutes= tasteful meal for 4. You can serve them chilled with a dressing and some herbs too. These do not freeze well but given how quick they are I wouldn't bother. If you're sick it also is mild enough for soup and doesn't fall apart in water as much as rice noodles do if left sitting.I prefer the kind that bundles them straight up and down as opposed to the noodle nest bundles but this is truly a personal preference. I also like the kind with the pink net bag on the outside because then I  get a free scrubby for washing dishes. Ball up the net into itself tie at end, leave orange plastic ring attached--->free dish scrubbie! If a bigger scrubby is needed add more old net bags (Such as those used for onions,garlic and apparently, noodles). They are also generally very cheap at Asian markets. I can generally get 4 packages of six bundles for under 2$.

Rice noodles...are simple and lovely and cook  in about 7-8 minutes. Cook them seperately from your broth as otherwise it will cloud your soup and lend an unpleasant texture. Doesn't refrigerate well unless dressed with a sauce containing oil as it dries out even faster than corn gf noodles. Do not store rice noodles in your soup. It will be gross.

Soyflour noodles. Fiddly and unimpressive. Get very tough very easily and have a chemical flavor. I just don't like these.

Yam noodles a touch more expensive 1-2 servings run about 1.70$. To prepare drain and heat. These can be stored and cooked in soup. Do not attempt freezing. You may or may not like the slightly sweet flavour. I do.

Gnocchi- Store bought gnocchi is either overpriced or has wheat in it at this point. To make your own knead together 2 cups mashed potatoes or other starchy roots, 1 tb salt, and 3/4-1 cup gf flour. This has worked with chenna, the gf all purpose king arthur  and sorghum flours.  If you want a richer springier texture add an egg. If you want this to float add 1/2 tb baking soda.If you want herbs chop them fine before kneading them in.Don't worry about overkneading as that issue is typically more problematic for items with gluten. When it resembles playdough, dust a board with flour if making for later in the week.Roll out a few ropes of dough (like making a clay snake in preschool). If using immediately use a pair of scissors to cut into shorter segments. If you want ridges you can roll each piece over a fork but it's not really necessary. Drop into boiling water. Boil 3-5 minutes. Drain immediately. If making for later in the week roll in dusting flour and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freezer for up to one month. If frozen cook 5-7 minutes


 









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