Test Kitchen: Gluten-Free Sauðamaðr Soup

.....Drumroll....and here's what I did with the leftover potato innards from my experiment the night before.  We're going with the whole Viking theme, so the name is in Old Norse, but it is my version of Shepherd's Pie Soup.  You'll probably notice that it shares some ingredients in common with my regular Shepherd's Pie.  NO ACCIDENT!

Sauðamaðr Soup

3 pounds beef
2 tbsp minced garlic
14 cups beef stock
10 extra bouillon cubes
1 cup red cooking wine (didn't like the wine flavor, you might consider leaving it out)
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp thyme
5 tsp seasoned salt
2 tsp pepper
Innards of 20 potatoes, or approximately 8 regular potatoes
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp rice flour for thickening (or gluten-free flour of your choice)
2/3 cup parsley
1 tsp celery seed

Topping:
Gluten free toasted bread slices
Sliced extra sharp cheddar cheese


Okay.  I cooked the beef with the minced garlic, then drained the grease out.  I added everything but the flour and let it simmer approximately 25 minutes, then added some of the liquid from the soup to the flour to blend it, and then returned it to the pot to thicken the soup.  Once the soup was done, I used my ceramic bowls and poured servings for everyone in the house.  I placed a slice of toasted gluten-free bread on top of the soup (floating on the surface), then placed two slices of cheese on top of that.  I put the tray in the oven on broil long enough to make the cheese bubble, like on French onion soup.  Everyone loved the concept and most of the flavors, but the red wine was not a hit.  I plan to try a variant of this recipe again this weekend, and post both pictures and results to see if eliminating that element will help with flavor.  I tried to retain the beef flavor with the added bouillon cubes, but the wine was a bit overpowering, so taking out the wine may change everything quite a bit.  We'll see...

The Best Shepherd's Pie I Have Ever Made

The Best Shepherd's Pie I Have Ever Made

5 pounds ground beef, cooked and drained
4 cups beef bouillon
4 tsp tomato bouillon powder
10 tbsp flour
4 tsp Worschestire sauce
3lbs red potatoes, washed and boiled until soft
1 bulb fresh garlic
2 cups half and half
1 stick butter or margarine
4 cups cheddar

Mix beef bouillon, tomato bouillon powder, flour and Worschestire sauce in a blender or high speed mixer to create the sauce.  After cooking beef, drain grease and add the sauce.  Cook until the sauce thickens slightly and layer in the bottom of a casserole pan. 

Using a garlic press, smash the garlic cloves from one bulb.  Add the smashed garlic to a small sauce pan with the half and half and margarine or butter.  Bring to a gentle boil (continuously stirring), and pour the mixture over the red potatoes.  Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until they reach the texture you desire.  Spread the mashed potatoes over the beef mixture in the casserole pan.  Top the potatoes with the cheddar cheese and bake at 325 degree for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce starts to bubble around the edges of the melted cheese.  I always broil mine for a few minutes afterwards, to brown the cheese a little, but that is all about personal preference.  Enjoy!

Beef Dumplings

My husband was begging me for pork dumplings, but finding ground pork around here is a difficult task.  Sometimes I get lucky and can stock some in the freezer, but I haven't run across any in a month or two, so I don't have any here right now.  He fussed at me a bit, and then insisted that I try my pork dumpling recipe with beef, and it actually turned out quite delicious.  He is now insisting that I only make dumplings with the beef from now on, because they were so good.  Here is what I did:

Beef Dumplings

2 pounds ground beef, uncooked
3 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp ginger
4 tbsp soy sauce, or more to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1-2 packages pre-made wonton wrappers

Puree all ingredients except meat in blender.  Pour the mixture over your meat (beef, pork, whichever you decide to use), and mix together well.  Fill your wonton wrappers with the mixture (I buy these in the salad section at my local grocery store, and if a store way out here in the middle of nowhere has them, you should have no trouble finding them wherever you are).  I use about one teaspoonful per wrapper, and then fold them according to directions on the package, using a drop of water to seal the edges. 

 Dumpling prep

I steam my dumplings in a double boiler.  I use cooking spray to keep my dumplings from sticking, and steam them for at least 20 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through.  Before my husband got on his health food kick, we did fry some of them in our Fry-Daddy, and the fried ones are pretty tasty also.

Steaming in the double boiler

My only problem with this meal is that I can only steam 9 dumplings at a time in my double boiler, so I made him dinner, then I steamed some for myself afterwards. 

 My husband's plate before he ran off with it

When frying, it is a little easier to make more at once.  This isn't the most practical meal when all the children are home, but fortunately, it was just me and the hubbs, so it wasn't a problem.  As always, let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.