Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook by Leslie Cerier, Kathie Swift Ms Rd

about 1 inch thick and serve immediately. If you don’t want to wait, you can serve scoops of the mixture piping hot. It will have a texture like mashed potatoes, as it only sets up after cooling a bit.
Red Lentil and Teff Loaf with Red Wine and Porcini Sauce
    I made this fantastic egg- and dairy-free loaf for a summer wedding that I catered and everyone loved it, even though most of the guests weren’t vegan. And while the final product is impressive, it’s quite easy to put together. Yellow-skinned summer squash adds eye appeal to the loaf, but zucchini would also work just fine.
    serves 6 to 8
    2/3 cup red lentils, rinsed
    ½ cup teff
    2½ cups water
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    5 garlic scapes, chopped, or 5 cloves garlic, chopped
    2 cups yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
    1 teaspoon sea salt
    2 cups chopped scallions (white and green parts)
    1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
    1¼ cups Red Wine and Porcini Sauce
    Put the lentils, teff, and water in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the teff is tender and the lentils have practically dissolved.
    Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic scapes, squash, and salt and sauté for about 3 minutes, until the color of the squash brightens.
    Add the sauté to the cooked lentils, along with the scallions and basil, and stir well, and continue cooking until all of the water is absorbed. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired.
    Pour the mixture into a standard loaf pan and let it cool for about 30 minutes, until it sets up. Slice into pieces about 1 inch thick and serve immediately, topping each slice with a few tablespoons of the sauce.
Kasha Loaf with Walnuts and Sunflower Seeds
    Kasha is simply toasted buckwheat groats, and if you like, you can make your own at home. Just toast the buckwheat groats in a dry pan in a 375°F oven for about 20 minutes, and you’re good to go. For a special touch, serve this loaf topped with Red Wine and Porcini Sauce or Mushroom-Leek Sauce . It would make an especially lovely meal if you start with Shiitake Soup with Cashew Cream or Tomato-Lentil Stew with Kale as a first course.

    Soaking Nuts and Seeds
    There’s debate about the merits of soaking nuts and seeds before eating them or using them in cooking. Many avid raw food enthusiast maintain that nuts and seeds (except hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and hempseeds), are difficult to digest, and that soaking helps with this. You might experiment with presoaking and see whether you notice any difference.
    To presoak nuts or seeds, just put them in a bowl or jar and pour in three parts water per part of nuts or seeds. Let them soak overnight or for at least 12 hours. Then drain them and rinse them well.
    If you’ll be using the nuts or seeds right away, you’re good to go. If you’ve soaked a lot and want to save them for later, you have two options: You can toast them in a low oven or food dehydrator until they’re dry and crunchy. Alternatively, you can store them in the refrigerator; if you go this route, it’s a good idea to rinse them once a day.
    serves 6 to 8
    1 1/3 cups kasha
    ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    2 2/3 cups boiling water
    1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    1 cup diced onion
    4 cloves garlic, sliced
    1 cup diced celery
    1 cup diced red bell pepper
    ¾ cup walnuts
    ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
    ½ cup quinoa flour
    1 teaspoon dried sage, or 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
    1½ teaspoons dried thyme, or 1½ tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
    1 tablespoon umeboshi paste or miso
    Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly oil a standard loaf pan or a medium-size casserole dish.
    Toast the kasha and salt in a medium-size dry saucepan or skillet (one with a tight-fitting lid) over medium heat, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, until the kasha is heated through and aromatic. Lower the heat, then slowly pour in the boiling water. Cover