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Gluten Free Pastitsio "Krema"

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D

dimi_pat

Active member
I have a gluten free friend and I am fairly new to getting the hang of pastitsio "krema" as it is. I am wondering if you have any tips for giving it the same texture without the gluten. Already I know that because there is no gluten, this will be tricky. I had an early attempt that was a disaster (very runny).

I had a moussaka where the gluten free "krema" turned out to be mashed potatoes. I mean, would this work on pastitsio? I am hesitant because it's not the same thing - but it had a decent enough texture.
 
The karma seems to be a mild problem. Pastitsio is made with pasta. You have a gluten-free pasta you can use to sub for the pastitsio noodles?

Yes, some parts of Greece top moussaka with mashed potatoes, but that's topping eggplant, not pasta.

Kreme is basically white sauce. You might want to Google white sauce gluten-free flour and see what comes up.
 
I have a friend that uses a King Arthur gluten free flour blend and proceeds to make the Krema with the same proportions as her family's recipe. She said that it doesn't set up quite the same way, but she can get pretty close.
 
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I usually think of briam as a combination of zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and plenty of olive oil. I love how the potatoes absorb all those wonderful flavors as everything slowly roasts together in the oven.

However, I've seen recipes that leave the potatoes out entirely and focus more on the summer vegetables. I imagine that makes the dish a little lighter.

I'm also curious whether there are regional differences in how briam is prepared throughout Greece. Does your family have a particular way of making it? And what vegetables do you consider absolutely essential?

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Do you use a combination of herbs, or do you prefer to keep the seasoning fairly simple? Does your family have a particular recipe that has been passed down through generations?

I'm especially interested in how the herbs complement the avgolemono sauce. What combination do you think gives Greek stuffed zucchini the best flavor?

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For about a pound of ground beef, we add one small grated onion, a handful of chopped fresh parsley, a little fresh mint, one egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, and a small splash of red wine vinegar. Sometimes we add a little grated garlic as well.

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How does your family make keftedes? I’m especially curious about which herbs and seasonings everyone uses. Thought I'd share!

How does your family season dolmades?

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How does your family season dolmades? Do you use mostly dill and parsley, or do you add mint as well? I’ve also seen recipes that include green onions, oregano, or even a little cinnamon, especially when meat is part of the filling.

I’m curious whether you season the rice mixture pretty heavily before rolling the grape leaves or keep it simple and let the lemon and olive oil provide most of the flavor. Does your family add lemon juice directly to the filling, or only during cooking and serving?

I’d especially love to hear about any regional or family traditions. What gives your dolmades their distinctive flavor?
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