Easy and Fast Carbonara Recipe

15:50

I don’t like recipes.

Usually when I cook I do it not only because I am hungry and want something to eat, but also because it serves as a creative outlet for me. I find it to be relaxing and inspiring. Writing down recipes when cooking, or looking at a recipe at the same time, is not as nice, it adds a whole different level of stress to the whole operation in my opinion and just basically ruins it for me.

This is why I have mostly kept this blog about desserts, I don’t mind writing down what I am doing when I bake. It is not as stressful since when I bake I am anyway focused in a different way than when I am cooking.

Of course, there are exceptions to this. There are some recipes I know by heart and I don’t improvise much with them, I thought that I might post some of those during this summer. My desserts have anyway been something along really good fatty cheeses made with goat’s milk and ripe, juicy organic Italian peaches with some whipped cream. Those cheeses and peaches have become something of an obsession lately and they wouldn’t make all that great posts in my opinion - and because I’m not planning on abandoning them anytime soon, I thought that I’ll post regular food for a change.

Besides eating peaches, I swim a lot during these summer months and this is the main reason why I turn to simple, fast and familiar food during summer. It would be an understatement to say that I am hungry as a wolf when I get home from the beach (anyone who has been doing a lot of swimming probably knows what I am talking about); this means that we eat fast pasta dishes, stir fry dishes and Asian noodle soups during summer. Something fast and filling is a must for me and Carbonara is perfect in that way.

The recipe is very simple, but I do like the taste of it, maybe because I layer different fats into it – first the butter and the olive oil, and then the pork fat which dissolves into them. Layering fats into foods is something I like doing because it’s an easy way to get great taste into a dish. I usually use Pecorino Romano here, sometimes it’s Parmesan, but in my opinion Pecorino is much better. I love, love using Pancetta in anything and I do prefer it here.

I think that I wrote about using brown rice pasta as my main gluten-free pasta sometime before; I am not used to the blandness of regular pasta since I always used to prefer whole wheat pasta before going gluten-free. Brown rice pasta was a natural choice for me because of that.

Those of you who miss regular white pasta might want to check out The Gluten-Free Gourmand blog, since Gina there has been doing interesting and thorough reviews about different gluten-free pastas and she does prefer the whiter kind of pasta. You might find some brand you like by following her reviews.

Carbonara Recipe

serves 2, will take approximately 10 minutes to make

-170 grams/ 6 ounces (rice) spaghetti

-100 grams/3,5 ounces pancetta cut into pieces

-3-4 egg yolks, use 3 if you are using bigger eggs

- grated Pecorino Romano cheese according to taste, I don’t use very much of it, it will drown the other flavours if used too much

-2 tbls olive oil

-2 tbls butter

-fresh black pepper according to taste

-salt according to taste

Start by heating the water for the pasta and then proceed by cooking it according to instructions.

Cut up the Pancetta.

Heat a pan on medium heat and add the olive oil and butter, then cook the Pancetta in it.

Separate the egg yolks.

Grate the Pecorino.

Take the pasta when it is ready and rinse with cold water; I can’t tell you how many times I have had mushed up rice pasta because of skipping this.

The saucepan you cooked the pasta in will still be hot after rinsing the pasta, I usually pour the spaghetti back into it and place the saucepan back on medium heat. Mix the Pecorino with the egg yolks. Pour the egg yolks and the cheese into the spaghetti and stir them constantly for half a minute, the heat will cook them fast. Then place the spaghetti onto a plate and place the Pancetta and on top, lastly spoon the remaining fat from the pan on to the pasta. Top it with some fresh black pepper and a tiny bit of salt.

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hearty, healthy gluten free tuna sandwich recipes

15:38

I always liked fish: it was part of my life growing up. I don't like fish bones, so tuna salad sandwich recipes are perfect for me - and the taste is great!

Tuna sandwich recipes really need no introduction - it's how you dress them up that makes the difference.

Tuna (only up to twice a week is recommended) is a good source of essential fatty acids and makes a gluten free tuna sandwich recipe a good basic part of our diet.

Gluten free tuna salad sandwich recipes

Ingredients

1 can tuna, drained
Mayonnaise to taste (helps hold the tuna together)
Gluten free sandwich bread
Butter
Salt and pepper

Directions

Butter one side of each of the slices of bread.
In a small bowl, stir together the tuna and mayonnaise. Season to taste. Add lettuce, tomato or other goodies (check out the ideas below).
Spread the tuna mix onto a slice of bread and cover, butter side down, with the other slice.

Variations on a theme - more tuna salad sandwich recipes

	Try adding a half a stalk or so of diced celery. Or a bit of finely chopped onion.
	I like to add chopped tomato - it gives the mix a pinkish look and tastes delicious. I usually use Roma tomatoes because they have less juice than beefsteak or other varieties.
	Try adding cucumber slices, or pickles, relish, or capers. My son-in-law sometimes adds diced carrot or green pepper.
	Add herbs such as parsley and marjoram. (Remember, when you use dried herbs they pack a lot more flavor than fresh ones and will taste stronger the longer the sandwich mix sits.)
	Turn your tuna salad sandwich into Grilled Tuna & Cheese. Spread the tuna between layers of cheese and grill. This is a pretty substantial tuna sandwich recipe - and it's GOOD!

Notes for your tuna sandwich recipes

I like the flavor of the tuna canned in oil better, but it's probably not as healthy.

Wheat has been genetically modified so that it can keep its elasticity. Primitive wheat would cook a lot more like rice flour. If your rice flour sandwich bread dries out a little, toast it before making the sandwich.

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easy gluten free lunch ideas for cheesy, delicious grilled sandwich recipes

15:35

grilled cheese sandwich recipes

Grilled cheese sandwich recipes are an old favorite for many of us. It's how you dress them up that makes them scrumptious, although I'm also fond of plain grilled cheese - how cheesy is that?

It's all in the bread, and needing to eat a gluten free lunch doesn't mean we can't have this much-loved favorite.

Grilled sandwich recipes work well with gluten free sandwich bread when it's a few days old. Because there's no gluten in rice flour, the bread doesn't keep as long as wheat bread, so grilling crisps it up nicely.

Grilled cheese sandwich recipes

How to make grilled cheese sandwiches:

Butter two slices of bread. Lay one slice, buttered side down, onto your grill or frying pan. Place (lots of) cheese on the bread. Place the unbuttered side down on top of the cheese.

Cook on a low to medium heat. When the bottom of the sandwich is golden brown, gently flip to the other side and continue cooking until it's golden too.

Variations on a theme - more grilled cheese sandwich recipes

Grilled Ham & Cheese	Place a slice of ham betwen two layers of cheese. Using two layers of cheese holds everything together better - and tastes fabulous! This would also work with bacon.
Grilled Cheese & Tomato	Slice a medium to large-sized tomato and slide it between two layers of cheese. I like to use Roma tomatoes because they have less moisture than beefsteak or other varieties.
Grilled Cheese & Tuna	Make up a batch of tuna salad (tuna, mayo, relish, whatever you like) and spread it between two layers of cheese. This is one of the more substantial grilled sandwich recipes, and it might even last you til dinner without a snack break.
Grilled Cheese with Dijon Mustard	Spread a bit of Dijon mustard on the inside of the bread, then add your cheese as usual. Adds a kick! Some folks do this with ketchup (keeps the kids from having a sandwich with their ketchup).

Notes for grilled cheese sandwich recipes

Often times, switching to a gluten free diet involves learning to eat healthier foods.Choosing good quality cheese is a delicious way to give your body healthy food.

I find that a low to medium heat works best for rice bread.

I like a good, strong cheese, so the sandwich takes a little longer to grill if I want the cheese melted. Some folks like to use processed cheese slices, which are quicker to melt.

The picture at the top of the page shows the sandwich I cooked on my old camping grill. It makes the best grilled sandwich recipes.