Thursday, November 25, 2010

Gluten-Free Stuffing

For this recipe, I used Udi's sandwhich bread. I cut the slices into cubes and put them in the toaster to harden them up.

2 loaves gluten-free bread, diced into one-inch cubes, toasted and cooled
2 large ribs celery, medium diced
1 large yellow onion, medium diced
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Sautee the onion and celery in olive oil on medium-low heat until they are translucent. Add the garlic,  rosemary, sage, and thyme. Stir these in and cook two minutes. Remove from heat.


Bring the chicken stock to boil on high heat. Place the egg yolk in a medium-sized bowl and carefully ladle two to three ounces of the chicken stock to the egg yolk, slowly, while whisking the mixture. Add the rest of the chicken stock to the egg mixture at this point. (Ladling a small portion of the stock into the egg first, and blending it, will prevent you from having scrambled eggs.)

Add the cooled celery, onion, and herbs mixture into the stock and egg mixture. Toss the bread cubes into this mixture and stir it all around with your hands (or a spoon), to coat the bread. Add the salt and pepper and toss the bread again. Place all of this into a greased casserole dish (big enough to hold three quarts) and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake for twenty minutes at 425°, then remove the foil and bake for another ten minutes. Take a toothpick and stick it into the stuffing. If it comes out clean, the stuffing is done. If not, bake until the toothpick comes out clean.

Gluten Free version of my cheesy garlic rolls

I wanted to give an update on my daughter. Most people who know her, think of her as a happy go lucky outgoing girl. She is beautiful on the inside and out. I have been so blessed. As the years have gone by, she has been struggling. It has been an inside struggle mostly. She would put up an act for everyone, but come home and be sad. Most know she has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), but the last couple years it spiraled into depression. It has been hard to watch the happiness and magic slowly fade from her eyes. How does this relate? I am proud to announce that removing gluten from her diet has transformed her. She is the happy girl again. It is amazing how much it was affecting her skin, her mind, her body. Even her OCD has been tamed. I am so so thankful. I am also in shock how much a food allergy can change everything.
That being said... the one thing she misses so much is my cheesey garlic rolls. So I am attempting to make them for her gluten-free. This is not an easy job, because the original ones were full of enriched flour. Here is my attempt:

1 1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 cup tapioca starch
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons Jello Brand Vanilla Flavored Instant Pudding
Mix the above in a mixing bowl and then add:
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil
1 cup milk

Batter should be thick - let set in mixing bowl until it is.
Spoon out on parchment lined cookie sheet or flat baking pan. Take the back of a spoon and using a circular motion shape into large dinner rolls. You can also snip about 1 inch out of the corner of a large baggy. Fill with mix and "pipe" onto baking sheet. (You're still going to need to shape them with something though).

Now to the top of the rolls add:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

5 cloves garlic minced
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done to the touch.

Gluten-Free Gingerbread

What is the holidays without Gingerbread? I could eat it every day. Course my body would not end up looking so great, so I save it for for the holiday time. I love the way it makes the house smell like a cozy warm place. The best thing about it for me is that everyone likes it. Yes, even the picky son. Doesn't seem to care one bit that it is gluten free either. This is one of the offerings at Thanksgiving in my house. Here is how it is done:
1/2 cup quinoa flour
3/4 cup teff flour
1/4 cup oat flour
3/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon guar gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 stick  unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup hot water

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a  13 x 9-inch pan. Lay down tin foil and either butter well or spray with PAM or your favorite Organic cooking spray... whatever works for you.
Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. This includes the quinoa flour, teff flour, oat flour, sweet rice flour, and tapioca flour, xanthan gum, guar gum, the baking soda and powder, and the spices. Whisk together. Set aside.

In your kitchenaid mixer put the butter and sugars and run at medium speed until they are fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and run the mixer until the eggs are mixed in well. Add the molasses and buttermilk. Dough should look speckled at this point.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients a little at a time, mixing well before you add more. When you have finished with the flours, add the very hot water and mix for 1 minute more.

Spread the batter into the pan. Slide it in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool the gingerbread to just-warm in the pan. Cut and serve. I top mine with my homemade whipped cream. Here is the recipe again.

Homemade whipped cream:
2 cups whipping cream
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Combine and whip till thick. Hello kitchen aid!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Traditional Sweet Potato recipe

I am going to be honest. I cannot STAND sweet potatoes. I do not know why. They gross me out. I rarely ever make them. However it is Thanksgiving and we have guests coming over that like them. So I am making them as a good host would. I don't want to shatter anyones perfect Thanksgiving meal dreams. I made a small portion, because no one in our family will eat them. However I am told they are fantastic. If you love traditional sweet potatoes this recipe is for you:

1 1/4 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 cup butter, softened
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375°.
Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes in a large pan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until very tender.

Drain; cool slightly.

Place cooked potatoes in the kitchen aid mixer. Add sugar and next 3 ingredients (through vanilla). Beat them until they are light fluffy. Scrape potato mixture into an even layer in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. 
Top with marshmallows - or -  marshmellow fluff.
Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until golden.

This can be made the day before and cooked the day of. Or even just reheated the day of.

Gluten Free Stuffed Mushrooms

My husband is a mushroom freak. He can't get enough. I can't say I am. Nor can I say anyone in my family is. I can handle mushrooms "in" things. Or I like them if they are carmelized extra stiff. Like portabello's carmelized in balsamic until they have a steak like consistency. However, stuffed mushrooms offer something to my palate. They are a carrier for the yummy cheesey goodness. They make a nice finger food to serve prior to the meal.

Gluten Free Stuffed Mushrooms
10 large white large mushrooms
1/2 C GF Italian vinaigrette
1/4 C minced green onions (white and green parts)
2 garlic cloves minced
5 oz gorgonzola cheese
5 oz cream cheese
3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
in a saucepan, add vinaigrett, green onions, garlic, and bring to a boil.
Add 3 cheeses, reserving 1/4 cup of parmesan for sprinkling over the top of the mushrooms. Heat until fully melted and then remove from heat.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Fill mushrooms with cooked cheese mixture.
Bake for 25 minutes at 350.

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

I love the holidays. Seems like everyone cooks/bakes with fruit and vegetables more than usual. I like to have several choices of desserts for Thanksgiving. Not everyone likes pumpkin pie. Not everyone likes apple pie, not everyone likes chocolate. I decided to do an apple crisp as one of the available options this year. You can make it all the day before and reheat it for dinner. Here is how I adapted it to be gluten free.

Filling:
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped small
3 tablespoons Gluten-Free all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon

Topping:
3/4 cup Gluten-Free all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into pieces
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the Filling:
I cut my apples into spirals with my handy dandy pampered chef apple peeler/corer/slicer.

Then I cut them into 4ths. Mix all the filling ingredients together. Place in a baking dish.

For topping:
Mix the everything but the butter together and drop on top of the filling. Drop drops of butter over the top of filling.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving. You can top with ice cream if you like.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Gluten-Free Pão de Queijo

Pão de Queijo (Cheese Buns) I got this recipe from a fellow blogger. They are for Cheese Buns. It is a Brazillian recipe. They are naturally Gluten-Free and I am told they are served almost everywhere in Brazil. I hope to go someday, but in the meantime I will cook their food.

Here is what you need:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup tapioca starch
1 egg
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring to boil in a big pan the water, the milk, the oil and the salt.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the tapioca starch. Mix well with a wooden spoon and let it cool down. It will be a really thick mixture.
Put the mixture in a bowl, add the egg and knead well. or put in the kitchenaid mixer with the paddle attachment.

Add the grated cheese and keep kneading until the dough is smooth.
Roll 1 tablespoon of mixture into small balls.
Place the balls onto a greased baking tray.

Bake the cheese buns in oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Put the cheese rolls in a basket and serve them warm.

Greek Salad

One of my favorite salads I order is the Greek Salad at Sammy's. I could live off of it. I decided it is time for me to create my own version of this salad for me to eat at home. So healthy and yummy. I hope you enjoy it!

2 cups Romaine lettuce sliced into small bite size pieces
4 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and cut into cubes
1 red onion,
2 cucumbers, seeded and cut into cubes
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into cubes
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into cubes
1 cup Kalamata black olives sliced
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup cubed feta cheese
1/4 cup  extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse salt and black pepper

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano. In a small plastic container with a lid.add the oil vinegar and oregano and shake vigorously to combine and pour over salad and feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Corn Cut off the Cob

I LOVE LOVE LOVE fresh corn on the cob. However, I sometimes don't like the work involved in eating it. The messy hands, the stuff between my teeth... It is all good sometimes, but not tonight. I am making fresh corn and serving it cut off the cob. SO yummy!

6 ears corn
1 stick butter
Season Salt
juice of one lime.
In a large pan, Boil water. Don't shuck the corn. Add the corn on the cob to the water and cook for 10 minutes.
 Pour out into a strainer. Shuck the corn and cut off the kernels with a big knife. In a large skillet melt the butter over low heat. Add the kernels to the butter and season with season salt and lime.

Gluten-Free Chocolate and Cheesey Cake

It is one of those days/nights. I want to make a yummy dessert. That almost always entails chocolate for me. Why bother with the calories if it does not contain chocolate? The other thing I always like is Gooey. So I am making a Black and White Gooey Butter Cake. I adapted this recipe from Evilshenanigans, another food blogger. But I made it Gluten-Free. One thing I love about baking is that I can hide the fact it is Gluten-Free. No one notices unless I tell them. As long as you sift the different types of flour together as I instructed in my Gluten-Free flour blog, you won't be able to tell at all. Try out this yummy recipe. If you are glutinous... just use regular flour... it's that easy.

For the base:
1 1/2 cups Gluten-Free-all-purpose flour blend
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

For the topping:
1 – 8 ounce block cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Gluten-Free chocolate chips, melted

Heat the oven to 350 F and spray a 9″x13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In the bowl of a mixer combine the flour, cocoa, baking power, baking soda, salt, and sugar until well mixed.

Add the melted butter, both eggs, and vanilla and mix until a stiff dough forms.
Turn the dough out into the prepared pan and press it so it covers the pan evenly. Set aside.

In a medium bowl cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar  mix until thoroughly combined. Pour on top of the chocolate dough mixture.


Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and the center is just slightly jiggly.
Cool at room temperature for one hour then chill in the refrigerator until very cold, at least 2 hours or overnight. Cut the cake into desired number of pieces, Drizzle a little chocolate on the plate and set the cake on top for an extra touch.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Thanksgiving Gluten Free Gravy

Thanksgiving is more of a challenge for me this year. Mainly because I have the world's most finicky son. If he even thinks something might be "vegetarian" or "gluten-free" he has a heart attack and won't even try it. He is very stubborn. He got that from me I guess. One bad thing about being a parent is handing down bad traits. So, I have assured him that I will make him his GLUTEN Thanksgiving and we can have our Gluten-Free Thanksgiving. So that means twice the amount of cooking. I do love to cook, but when it is already a huge meal, and I have to cook a carcass for the meat eaters... makes it not as much fun. I do however have fun making stuff I can eat. Gravy has always been one of my favorite things and it really is not hard to make it Gluten-Free and just as scrumptious.

You can either make your own stock, or use Gluten-Free Stock, you can use the turkey juices of if hardcore vegetarian use vegetable stock (not as good, but it works).
Unsalted Butter (so you can control the amount of salt that is in it)
Kosher salt.
Sorghum flour.
Sweet rice flour.

You need To make a roux. To do this combine equal parts butter and gluten-free flour (equal parts sorghum and sweet rice flour). Cook the roux until it is the color of a brown paper bag. Set it aside.

Heat up the stock to near boiling. Add the cooked roux into the stock 2 TB at a time, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps.

Season the gravy with salt and pepper until the to taste. I like to add fresh herbs to mine. Season to taste and you are done.Tada!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

I am getting in the holiday season. Life has not been the greatest the last few weeks due to my injury from the car accident. I am just venting. Tired of not being to do all I want to do. My mind wants to go go go and my body says stop stop stop. But life goes on. When I have some moments where I think I can handle a little. I cook. It soothes me. Some people say I am crazy. That I should enjoy this down time. I DON'T DO DOWN TIME!
Taylor had  baketball practice today. Already. I forget how much basketball will consume the next 4 months of our lives. It is far away and they went on a bus. She won't be home until late, butI want her to come home to the smell of the holidays. Today I am making some Pumpkin bread.
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted Gluten Free all-purpose flour blend
1 cup brown sugar (more for dusting the top)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer  or Kitchen Aid at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar

Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into servings and topping with my signature homemade whipped cream.

Ginger orange shrimp with fried rice

Is everyone ready for Thanksgiving? I think we are. I have set aside Wednesday for prep work and Thursday for the last minute stuff. I have to say meal planning the "week of" can be difficult. I spend so much time planning Thanksgiving, that it takes away from my daily meals. Taylor has been moaning and groaning that she is craving shrimp. So here goes...

2lbs washed, peeled and deveined shrimp, tails off.
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon gingerroot, peeled and finely minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed chili pepper flakes
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1 TB cornstarch



Heat a skillet over high heat for about a 30 seconds.
Add 1 tablespoon Canola oil.
Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 15 seconds.

Add and stir-fry crushed chiles and green onions.
Add rice wine and stir.

In a small bowl on the side mix together water, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and vinegar. Add  this sauce to the skillet and bring to boil.
Pour half of the sauce in a heat proof measuring cup. Add the shrimp to the skillet with the remaining sauce and cook about 2 minutes on each side. With a slotted spoon remove the shrimp. I put on top of my fried rice and spoon the sauce that you set aside on top.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Gluten-Free Scones

So I have been talking a lot about Gluten free recipes, but haven't talked much about why we are now Gluten-Free. Here are the symptoms for someone with Gluten Intolerance. Keep in mind you don't have to have all the symptoms, you can have just a couple. You can try going off wheat for a bit to see if the symptoms subside, or you can simply go get tested by your doctor.

•Malnutrition and deficiency of iron.
•Abdominal problems such swelling, pain, gastric trouble, constipation and diarrhea.
•Joint pain.
•Nervousness.
•Inflammation over skin.
•Headache and giddiness.
•Fatigue.
•Anger and loss of temper.
•Impotency.
•Irregular MC and miscarriage in women.
•Cramps and numbness.
•Acne
•Dental problems.
My daughter struggles with a huge majority of the list. I have some symptoms as most do. But more importantly, I FEEL BETTER ever since going off gluten.

Our daughter Summer is visiting and she always loves me to make Scones. This is the first time I will be making her Gluten-Free ones. I bet she doesn't know the difference.

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix together in a large bowl:
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder (Gluten Free Baking Powder please)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt plus a pinch
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
Cut the butter in with the pastry blade on your kitchenaid mixer, Keep this mixture cold, chilling it in the refrigerator if the butter starts to soften.

This is the point you can stir in any flavor. Chocolate chips, Cranberries, Cinnamon, Pumpkin...etc... whatever it is you want. Otherwise if you just want plain, leave plain.

Whisk together in a separate bowl:

3/4 cup cream
1 egg

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir until the mixture starts to hold together,
Put the dough on a large baking sheet or baking stone. Gently push the dough into a flat disk about one inch high. Cut into eight equal pieces Dip in Raw sugar on both sides and arrange them on thebaking sheet about one inch apart. Brush some cream onto the tops of the scones. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one comes out clean.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Gluten-Free S'mores Cookies

My daughter loves all things S'mores. She found these little S'more Treats at Sprouts that were Gluten Free and can't stop raving about them. Well, I would rather not pay $8 for a tiny box of treats. I will make my own for her. Conveniently there was a great recipe posted on Foodbuzz by milkncookiezzz I adapted it and made it Gluten-Free.

Gluten-Free S'mores Cookies
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups Gluten Free all-purpose flour blend (2 parts rice flour, 1 part tapioca flour, 1 part potato starch)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate bar, chopped
1 cup marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F and line baking sheets with parchment paper
2. Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.
3. Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter.
4. Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon (5cm) balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches (10cm) apart, on each of the baking sheets.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and push in marshmallows and chocolate
6. Bake for 3 more minutes, and cool on a wire rack.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Gluten-Free Pie Crust

I wanted to post the crust seperate so that those of you that did not want to make pumpkin pie, but still wanted gluten-free pie crust, could follow the recipe easier.
To do ahead: Freeze a stick of butter.

Gluten-Free Pie Crust
1 1/4 cup almond flour (this is not the same as almond meal)
2/3 cup gluten-free oat flour
2/3 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup teff flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons butter, cold
4 tablespoons Crisco
1 large egg
6 to 8 tablespoons ice-cold water

Sift together all flours (all dry ingredients) into a large bowl. Once sifted give a good whisk, it is important to not bite into any one flour taste. Pull the butter out of the freezer and use a grater and grate it into the dry ingredients.
 Drop pea size pieces of the lard into the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, or your hands, cut it all in until the flour feels like sand. 

Combine the egg with 3 tablespoons of the water and whisk them together.
Now put sand textured ingredients into your food processor and slowly add the egg and water as the food processor spins. Once it is a big round ball, you are done.

Wrap the pie dough in plastic wrap  and let it rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.. Take it out and roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. This means you won't work any extra flour into the dough. Roll it out as thin as you can. Carefully, lift the top piece of parchment paper and turn the dough upside down on the top of a pie plate.
Place the pie dough in the pie plate and crimp.

Cover with foil and fill with beans or use pie weights.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

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