Gluten free lunch – and quark, of course!

We hosted a family brunch last Sunday. One family member has gluten issues so I wreaked my feeble brain to find things I could offer that wouldn’t cause a health issue for her. My BFF Alison suggested that I use #Palmini instead of normal lasagna noodles. Her daughter, Denielle, who lives in Florida had recommended them to her – totally vegetable, totally gluten free.

To avoid any issues with fillers in commercial cottage cheese or mozzarella, I went to my friends, Ian and Hetty Smyth, at Armadale Farm Dairy Products and picked up a tub of quark and some mild cheddar to shred. There are no additives in their products.

And so the ‘prep’ began. A smattering of tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then a mixture of fried lean ground beef, onions, garlic and basil was prepared.

I used two cans of Palmini – emptying both cans, rinsing the ‘noodles’ well and then I boiled them for 10 minutes. After that I drained them well and began preparing and assembling the layers. First a layer of the Palmini went on top of the sauce.

Then, I spread about 1/3 of the meat mixture on top of that. First, I shredded the mild cheddar. Then, I mixed up the 500g (2 cups) of quark, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, two eggs, and some more basil in the food processor.

More layering – 1/2 of the quark mixture, 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Then, more ‘noodles, sauce, the other 1/2 of the quark, 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Finally, the last of the noodles, sauce and shredded cheese – and it was ready for the oven.

After an hour in a 375ºF oven, it was ready. I let it sit for about 30 minutes. Palmini do not absorb sauce, so you have to make sure that your tomato/meat mixture is quite thick. According to our guests, it was a success!

Harley couldn’t wait for company to arrive. He loves being the centre of attention, while Lucy prefers to observe the goings-on from a distance.

Nice to know that I can create a meal that won’t cause problems for someone with gluten issues. Those Palmini ‘noodles’ saved the day!