Feast!!!

It's been a crazy summer with lots of traveling.  But we made it through it all and I'm ready to share some delicious recipes with you again.  Last night we had a family from our church over.  Their little girl was just diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  I wanted to make sure she knew what "gluten free" could taste like.  It took me years to find what was yummy!  Here I'm sharing what I made last night.

Simply Seasoned Chicken (from Simple & Delicious magazine)

serves 2-4

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)
2 Tbsp. gluten free Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. Honey
1/3 cup Panko gluten free bread crumbs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp gluten free seasoned salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. butter

Instructions:

1. Flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thickness.  In a shallow bowl, combine mustard and honey.  In another shallow bowl combine the bread crumbs and seasonings.  Dip chicken in mustard mixture, then coat with crumb mixture.

2. In a large skillet (I used an 8" cast iron skillet YUM! which wasn't quite big enough) over medium heat cook chicken in oil and butter for 5-6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees F.

***My chicken got a nice dark crust.  I ended up breaking it up into smaller pieces so that it would cook faster.  Big HIT!

Farmers Market Squash Saute (also from Simple & Delicious magazine)

serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup grape tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil
dash salt
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

In a large skillet, saute squash and zucchini in oil until crisp-tender. Add tomatoes and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat. Stir in mozzarella, basil and salt. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Easy Dinner Rolls (12 rolls)

-One of my favorite recipes.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
3 Tbsp. milk, warm
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. yeast

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin cups.
2. Mix wet ingredients.
3. Place dry ingredients in stand mixer. Beat on low speed and add wet ingredients.
4. Place dough in muffin cups and immediately bake for 25-30 minutes.  (If you are using a larger cupcake size then it may make only 6-8 and take 35-45 minutes.) Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Mashed Potatoes

I don't ever follow a recipe for these.  But I mostly peel, chop, boil my potatoes until they are soft and I can pierce them with a fork.  Then I drain and mash them.  While mashing I add in butter, a little bit of milk, and sour cream or cream cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper.   Yum!

Carrot-Pineapple Cake

This is a Nuzman family recipe.  I have converted it to be gluten free because it's too yummy to go without!

***This recipe makes a large 10x17 cake or two round cake pans full.  I used 9x13

Ingredients:

2 cups brown rice flour

3/4 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

4 eggs

2 cups finely shredded carrot

1 cup crushed pineapple with syrup (total amount of pineapple and syrup should be 1 cup)

2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 10x17 cake pan.  (I don't have a pan that big so I used 9x13 which is barely big enough and it took another 5-8 minutes baking time.)

2.  First add flours, starches, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, xanthan gum, and salt to a stand mixer.  (The recipe says to sift...which I'm sure would be beneficial...but I don't sift)

3. Add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix until all ingredients are moistened.  Scrape down sides.  

4. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed.  

5.  Bake 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.  Cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

6-8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla

dash salt

3-5 cups confectioners sugar

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cream together cream cheese and butter.

2. Beat in vanilla and salt.

3. Gradually add in confectioners' sugar.  (The original recipe calls for 5...I think 3 is enough.  I think I went for 4 because there were kids coming over and I wanted them to like the frosting.)  

4. Stir in chopped pecans (which I left out, unfortunately)

*EVERYTHING WAS SO YUMMY...but especially this CAKE!  MMmmmmm

Bagels...What you've been missing (or paying out the nose for)

I've been trying several bagel recipes lately.  And the best one I've found is here.  I've been super impressed with No Gluten No Problem.  Everything I've tried so far is delicious.

I found the bagel instructions incredibly easy to follow.  The only changes I made were to make my bagels half the size of what they say to do.  I find that if I have huge bagels then I will eat huge bagels. :)  And I tried some different additions to mine such as: cheese (I rolled it in with the balls) which was SO YUMMY, cinnamon craisin...also SO YUMMY, chocolate chip--which I liked and was a hit with the kids (I was thinking of John's Bagel Deli---awesome place, sadly full of gluten), and plain.  I just bought some dried blueberries so that the next batch I make can be blueberry bagels.  All of these additions I rolled in with the balls.

I hope that you are able to enjoy some fresh delicious bagels.  I've used this recipe several times now, and it has worked great!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I just have to say that this recipe is a WINNER!!!!!  I love these muffins.  They never last more than a few days because everyone eats them up so quickly.  They are perfect for anytime of year, but especially the fall. Because I absolutely love stuffing myself with pumpkin in the fall.  By Christmas my husband is begging me not to put any more pumpkin dishes on the table (I just can't help it).  But, he can't resist these.  I have to hide them from him, just so that I can have some too.

Recently we moved down to Alabama to be with my family.  My dad (who is skeptical of anything gluten free) said "wow, these are good, you can eat these?"  See...this recipe is a winner.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

16 ounces pumpkin

1 1/2 cups oil (or 3/4 cup oil and 3/4 cup applesauce)

2 1/4 cups rice flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tsp. xanthan gum

2 tsps. baking soda

2 tsps. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon (I always add more)

1 1/2 to 2 cups chocolate chips

***maybe try adding nuts, chocolate covered raisins, Craisins, etc.

Instructions: 

(super simple)

1. Mix wet ingredients.

2. Mix dry ingredients. Stir into wet ingredients until incorporated.

3. Fold in chocolate chips.

4. Bake in greased muffin cups at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

Can you tell it's a pumpkin???

5. Eat them up, but don't give yourself a tummy ache. 

Buns!!!

 Success at last!  I was determined to find a recipe for hamburger buns and I recently received my August/September issue of Living Without.  I have thoroughly enjoyed being subscribed to this magazine and all of their recipes are delicious!  With a few slight changes to one of the recipes I was able to make hamburger buns!  I used these as buns for dinner that night and buns for breakfast the next morning. Scrumptious!  I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did.

What you will need:

2 cups rice flour (possibly more)*

1 cup cornstarch (possibly more)

1 cup tapioca flour/starch (possibly more)

3 teaspoons xanthan/guar gum

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 extra large egg + 1 extra large egg white **
2 cups warm milk (any milk will work)

*I say possibly more because it depends on the altitude you are baking at, the humidity, and the consistency of the dough.  Add more if it needs it, don't add more if it doesn't.  :)

** I don't buy extra large eggs.  I used a large egg and a large egg white.  I didn't seem to need more, but if yours does, put a tablespoon of mushed up banana in.  It will be enough to act as an egg but not too much to change the taste.

What to do:

Step One: Spray two baking sheets and set aside.
Step Two: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment place the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour/starch, xanthan/guar gum, cream of tartar, and salt.  Mix on low speed until well combined.  Add the yeast and mix again until well combined.

Step Three:  Add the oil, honey, and eggs, and mix until wet ingredients get incorporated into dry mixture.
Step Four:  With the mixer on low, add milk to the mixture in a slow, steady stream.  Once the mixture has started to come together, turn the mixer up to half speed and beat for about 6 minutes.  The dough should be thick and smooth, but tacky to the touch.  If it seems too wet, add more flour by the tablespoon and mix well until you reach the right consistency. It is about here that I realized my dough was not thick and smooth or tacky.  I started adding in tablespoon by tablespoon alternating between my three flours/starches.  2 rice:1starch:1starch.  I ended up adding in the equivalent to about 3/4 cup more flour.  But after doing that the dough was thick, smooth, and no longer "sticky" but tacky.

This is before I added any extra flour.

Step Five: Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured flat surface.  Pat down the dough into a mound about 1 1/2 inches tall and divide into ten balls.  Roll each ball between wet palms (which worked wonderfully) to make a proper ball.

Step Six:  Divide the balls of dough between the two prepared pans, spacing them evenly.  They will be relatively close together.  Cover the pans with sprayed plastic wrap (spray the "bun side" of the plastic wrap with vegetable oil spray so that it doesn't stick) and place them in a warm spot.  Allow the dough to rise for about 30 minutes or until the rolls are about 1 1/2 times bigger than originally.

Step Seven: While the rolls are rising preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Step Eight: Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until they are lightly browned.
Step Nine: Enjoy!

Monkey Bread

This is it!  The one you've all been waiting for!  Monkey bread.  That warm thought on holiday mornings, full of deliciousness, sugar, and fat.  What more could you want!  Why I chose to make this in the middle of summer is beyond me, but here it is.

As a teenager, I would attend early morning seminary every day before school.  Once a week, one of the students would bring a treat.  I always made monkey bread.  Here is the original recipe that I used (I love it for it's simplicity).

Original recipe

1 package (24 rolls) frozen white bread dough (Rhodes)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 package regular butterscotch pudding mix
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Grease Bundt pan, place frozen rolls loosely in pan.  Mix brown sugar and butterscotch pudding mix and sprinkle over rolls.  Mix white sugar, cinnamon, and pecans and sprinkle over rolls.  Melt butter and drizzle over rolls.  Leave uncovered in oven overnight.  In the morning, remove pan from oven.  Preheat at 350 degrees; bake 30-40 minutes.  Let stand in pan 10 minutes before flipping over onto serving plate.

This recipe is so simple because the dough is already made.  I set off to find my own gluten free version.

Gluten Free Version

You will need:
Dough:
9 egg whites
3 tablespoons of oil
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon and 1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan/guar gum
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoons vanilla

Topping: 
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 package regular butterscotch pudding mix (Jello brand specifies that it uses modified cornstarch)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or 2 teaspoons, why not?)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I used almonds)

Icing:
1 eight ounce package of cream cheese softened
1/4 cup butter softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Step One: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a Bundt pan.

Step Two: Beat the egg whites until frothy with whisk attachment on a stand mixer. Add the remaining dough ingredients and stir until thick using the paddle attachment.  (Mine ended up like a thick cake batter/cookie dough mix.  It would be easier to work with if it were a little thicker than that.  If yours ends up runny then add a little more flour until you get the right consistency.) Set aside.

Step Three: Combine the topping ingredients with a fork.

Step Four: Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough into the Bundt pan in layers. (I found here that spraying the spoon once or twice with vegetable spray worked really well.) After the first layer sprinkle a generous amount of topping, do another layer and more topping, and so on.  (I had three layers and more than enough topping)

Step Five: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  If you can see the bread it will be lightly browned.   Let it cool 10 minutes and then invert onto a platter.

Step Six: In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy.  Mix in the vanilla and gradually stir in the vanilla (more vanilla can't hurt either).  Pour/spread over the top of monkey bread.**Make sure that your cream cheese and butter are softened or else you'll have to do what I did.  Which is melt them in a pan and mix it there, it was inconvenient, but it worked fine. 

Step Seven: Voila!!!  Now you have a delicious dish to share with your friends.  This recipe is easily put in halves or thirds to make a smaller amount.

Banana Bread

This recipe came from my friend Hayley Kirkland.  Almost her entire family has Celiac Disease and they have a family cookbook.  I have loved this banana bread recipe.  It is better than the ones I've had that use gluten.  You can add chocolate chips (like I did) or just banana.  This recipe will make one loaf.  In my pictures I doubled the recipe.

You Will Need:
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (I always use 3 bananas)
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
2 cups rice flour (With this recipe I prefer brown rice flour)
3/4 cup brown sugar (pack it down)
1 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I love cinnamon so I do more like 3 teaspoons haha)
1/4 teaspoon salt
chocolate chips (optional)

Step One: Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
Step Two: Mix bananas, oil, and eggs.

Step Three: Add all other ingredients and combine.

Step Four: Pour into greased loaf pan.

Step Five: Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (45 minutes for mini loaves.)
Step Six: Take out of pans and let cool.  I love to eat it while it's still warm.

Step Seven: Enjoy the aroma of bananas and cinnamon and eat!

Sandwich Bread!

I love bread. It is one of the things I would cry about no longer being able to have when I found out I had Celiac Disease. I remember for months eating just corn tortillas. I have been searching for the perfect bread recipe for years. I found it! This is delicious, easy, holds up well, is good hot or cold, and fills your house with the smells of yumminess.

You will need:

1 1/3 cup brown or white rice flour

1 1/3 cup tapioca flour/starch

1 1/3 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon potato flour (not starch)

1 tablespoon xanthan gum (or guar gum)

2 teaspoons salt

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

1/2 cup powdered milk

4 large eggs

1/4 cup butter (cut up in chunks)

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1/3 cup honey

2 cups warm water

Step One: Grease and flour two 8" bread pans.

Step Two: Mix dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl and set aside.

Step Three: Place eggs, butter, vinegar, and honey in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment*, mix ingredients together for about 30 seconds. The butter will be chunky**.

*The consistency of the finished dough is like cake batter. I believe that if you used a hand mixer it would work just as well as a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.

**I cut my butter into chunks before doing this.

Step Four: Add half the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix just until blended. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix for approximately 30 seconds, until blended.

Step Five: With the mixer on low speed (or else you will get splashed), slowly add warm water until well absorbed (I stopped in the middle and scraped the sides with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer to medium high speed and beat for four minutes. Bread dough should resemble cake batter.

Step Six: Spoon dough into prepared pans. Let rise 50-60 minutes. Preheat oven to 375.

Step Seven: Place pans in oven on middle rack and bake for 45-60 minutes. (I usually do 45 - 50 because I like it soft and fluffy.) Insert a knife into the top of the loaf and it should come out clean. (If it's not completely clean and you like your dough softer then that's fine.)***updated June 2013  Since moving to the south and using a different oven...this recipe works better if baked for 55 to 60 minutes.  45 minutes makes it  heavy and squished. (so really it's all up to you!)

Step Eight: Let bread cool in pans for 10 minutes then remove loaves from pans and place on a rack to cool.

Step Nine: Eat and enjoy!