GF Communion Bread

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Gluten-Free Communion Bread
Original recipe by Reverend Allison R. Cobb

This recipe is pure brilliance. The problem with most gluten-free bread is the freezing/thawing process. Re-heating and eating it warm gives the best texture - it's not as dry and crumbly. However, re-heating is not always possible during a church service - unless one has installed an under-altar microwave. DING! "Come, for the meal is ready."

Pastor Allison's gluten-free "wonder bread" survives the freezing/thawing process amazingly well thanks to molasses and honey. These two ingredients act as humectants - meaning they help retain moisture. We've had excellent results with bread spending four weeks in the freezer. Being able to bake and store ahead is a huge time saver.

This bread has become standard communion bread at St. Stephen's Lutheran, ELCA, Rogersville.

“We are Church Together:
Feeding & Equipping Leaders”

East Central Synod of Wisconsin ELCA Synod Assembly 2018

For the first time in the assembly's history, Peggy made this bread to provide an entirely gluten-free communion to the attendees.

East Central Synod of Wisconsin ELCA Synod Assembly 2019 will be offering this gluten-free bread again for their worship service!

In an effort to increase awareness and expand the knowledge-base, GIG of ECW created
The Gluten-Free Communion Guide.

The purpose of this guide is to give congregations the necessary tools to safely make, prepare, and distribute gluten-free hosts to their gluten-free members.

If you are making this bread for gluten-free members of your congregation, it is important that you read this guide.

Links to Download GF Communion Guide PDF
(including this recipe)

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“Basic kitchen safety rules tell us that we need to separate ready-to-eat foods from raw meats, poultry, seafood, and eggs - and to use separate cutting boards and utensils to reduce the risk of food poisoning.

The same rules apply to gluten and gluten-free foods - they must be kept apart.

Even though a recipe may use gluten-free ingredients, the food must be appropriately prepared, so it remains gluten-free. If you are making meals for a gluten-free guest, you must be mindful of gluten cross-contact.”

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

4 large eggs
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Honey
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Molasses
½ cup water
1 ½ cups Pamela’s Bread Mix – firmly packed (very important to pack)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp gluten-free baking soda (Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda)

Yield: 8 - 6” rounds (Each round serves about 20 people)

Directions:

GF Comm Wonder Bread
Heat oven to 350 degrees

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
[Use a dessert plate (about 6” diameter) as a template to draw four circles on the parchment paper.]

Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add and whisk with eggs the olive oil, honey, molasses and water.

Sift dry ingredients together (I use a strainer over a bowl). Add to wet ingredients a quarter at a time. Whisk well after each addition.
[Can use a stand mixer to mix ingredient for about 3 minutes].

Spoon 8 equal amounts of batter onto each circle. Spread to about ¼ inch thickness. The dough will rise slightly when baking. (they will not spread while baking – desired size is about 6 inches across)

Bake 14 minutes (may have to add 1 more minute if not done). When done use a spatula to transfer the rounds to a wire rack or a cookie sheet lined with three layers of paper towel.

Wrap cooled rounds individually in plastic wrap. Place 3-4 wrapped rounds in large baggie. Put a piece of paper inside the baggie with date of baking on it.

Store in refrigerator for 1-2 days or freeze until ready to use. If possible, set out for an hour or so before using.

(Note: We created a cardboard circle pattern so bakers could draw eight circles on the parchment paper for size).


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Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti Sauce
Al’s Spaghetti Sauce


If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.


FYI - If you make this recipe to save money and/or time - it will do neither. It will give you the satisfaction of making a great homemade product. Truly a labor of love.

Ingredients:

2 - 28oz cans Dei Fratelli Chopped Italian Tomatoes
1 - 28oz can Dei Fratelli Diced Tomatoes
2 - 15oz cans Dei Fratelli Tomato Sauce
1 - 12oz can Everyday Essentials Tomato Paste
1 - Medium Sized fresh tomato (optional - had one on hand)
2 - Cups Cherry Tomatoes - halved (optional - had some on hand)
1 - Large (or 2 Medium) White Onion - diced
1 - 8oz package of Mushrooms - diced
2 to 3 - Medium sized Zucchinis
2 to 3 - Medium sized Yellow Squash
2 - Medium sized carrots - peeled and fine grated.
Minced garlic (you decide how much)
Penzey’s Dried Oregano
Fresh Thyme (stripped from stem)
Fresh Basil (several leaves fine chopped)
Salt & Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 - lbs Ground Chuck.

The ingredients used above will fill a 7QT pot. Scale your batch accordingly. We freeze measured amounts of sauce in a container - enough for 3-4 servings.

Directions:

Place a 7QT pot on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pot. Add carrot, 1/2 of diced onion, zucchini, squash, 1/3 of diced mushrooms, and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, & oregano. Stir.

Sauté until veggies are tender (about 5 - 10 minutes). You might have to add more EVOO during sauté time. Onions will start caramelize. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Add about a teaspoon of fresh thyme and tablespoon of fresh basil.

Add all tomato products and 1/3 of diced mushrooms to pot. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce to a texture of your liking. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a screen and stir often. The goal is to reduce the water content and concentrate the tomato mixture. This process will take 2 to 3 (or more) hours. Place a teaspoon of the sauce on a plate to see how much liquid spreads out from the edges. I don’t like much water in my sauce, so there’s very little. Season to taste with salt and pepper after it’s done reducing. Salting too much before reduction will also concentrate the salt. Add a sprinkle of dried oregano and more fresh thyme if you like. Stir

While tomato/veggie mixture is reducing, brown the ground chuck.

In another pan sauté the remaining diced onions, remaining diced mushrooms, and some garlic until soft. Salt & Pepper to taste.

Add ground chuck. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle of dried oregano. Break up and stir. Drain excess grease. If you are freezing the entire batch - allow to cool before adding to sauce. If you plan to use the sauce right away - add meat to sauce if it’s reduced to your liking.

Cool before freezer packaging. Fill sink with enough cold water ice to reach 1/2 up the sauce pot when placed into sink. Stir every few minutes.

Baked Alaskan Cod

Baked Alaskian Cod

Baked Alaskan Cod


If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

Wild Caught Alaskan Cod, thawed, cut in 4" to 5" pieces
1/2 stick of butter, melted
5 to 6 lemon slices
1/2 187ml bottle White Zinfandel wine
1/2 medium white onion, sliced
1 to 2 tablespoons minced garlic
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Granulated garlic (Penzey's)
Granulated onion (Penzey's)
Smoked paprika (Penzey's)
Tuscan Sunset (Penzey's) (optional)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Place lemon & onion slices, and minced garlic in bottom of 9 x 13 glass pan.
Pour in 1/2 bottle of wine and melted butter.
Season mixture with pepper, and a pinch of salt.

Drizzle each side of cod with olive oil. Season each side of cod with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, smoked paprika, and a sprinkle of Tuscan Sunset.

Place seasoned fish in pan and cover with foil and place in oven.

After 30 minutes, uncover fish and return for another 10 - 15 minutes. Fish will flake apart.

Spoon liquid over the top of fish and squeeze of fresh lemon after plating. The liquid is also great poured over rice

Auntie's Cutout Cookies



Auntie's GF Cutout cookie Paleo

Auntie's Cutout Cookies
Original recipe by Edna Schwandt
Gluten-Free Adaption by Peggy Klapperich

When using any flours/grains, nuts, seeds, etc - make sure they are labeled gluten-free. Gluten contamination of these products are very likely if they’re not produced in a dedicated facility.

To learn more about this, see
Grain-Free for the Gluten-Free

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.


Peggy's Aunt Edna makes
the best cutout cookies. Many years ago, Peggy learned how to make them. They continue to be holiday family favorites - except for me.

When I had to go gluten-free, this meant an end to these cookies. Since 2003, Peggy has been trying to replicate these beloved cookies. Many different custom blended and commercial flour mixes have been tried.

While the GF versions of this cookie have been good - they still weren't like Auntie's cookies - until now. These cookies are the closest version yet. They remain crispy on the outside, soft on the inside - even after freezing them.

Step aside
Almond Flour Sugar Cookies, there's a new favorite cutout cookie in town.


Cookie Ingredients:

4 cups
Bob's Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Sprinkle of Salt


Potato or Tapioca starch (not flour) for rolling.


Frosting Ingredients*:

1/2 cup of butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 or 2 tablespoons of milk or almond milk

*The amounts listed are approximate. Adjust them until it's as stiff or loose as you like.


Directions:

In mixer bowl, cream butter, sugar & vanilla together.

Add eggs - beat until fluffy

Add dry ingredients - mix throughly - at least 2 to 3 minutes.

Chill dough over night (3 hour minimum)

Remove about 1/4 of the dough keeping the rest in the fridge.

Dust counter with starch. Coat dough until it's no longer sticky.

Roll dough to 3/8" thickness. It is best to keep these cookies on the thicker side. They are a bit fragile.

Cut out cookies and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Set scrap aside in the fridge. Do not add rolled dough to fresh dough

Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes - until edges start to brown. Note: cookies brown quickly. Don't let them get too brown.

Remove cookies from oven. Allow them to cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Place on waxed paper.

Repeat rolling & baking process until fresh dough is gone.

Combine dough scraps, re-roll, cut and bake.

Tip: Do not frost these cookies to far in advance. They will absorb some moisture from the frosting.


Yield: 6 dozen cookies


Almond Flour Sugar Cookies

Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
Original recipe by
Erin of MeaingfulEats.com

When using any flours/grains, nuts, seeds, etc - make sure they are labeled gluten-free. Gluten contamination of these products are very likely if they’re not produced in a dedicated facility.

To learn more about this, see
Grain-Free for the Gluten-Free

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.


We have tried a number of sugar cookie/cut out cookie recipes over the years. So far, this is the best one we have found. It’s our gluten-free holiday cookie go-to recipe. Refer to the original recipe for hints and tips for making these.

Cookie Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, ghee, or palm shortening, softened
1/4 cup softened coconut oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (Penzey’s)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (Arm & Hammer)
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour (Honeyville) (scoop and slightly pack it down when you measure it)
1/2 cup coconut flour (Bob’s Red Mill GF)

Frosting Ingredients*:

1/2 cup of butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 or 2 tablespoons of milk or almond milk

Directions:

Cream together the butter, coconut oil, and brown sugar in mixer bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract - mix well.

Combine baking soda, salt, almond & coconut flour in separate bowl - mix well. With mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients 1 cup at a time. Beat well after each addition.

Place dough on plastic wrap and form into disk. Wrap dough and refrigerate for 30 min to overnight. Overnight is best.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper

Sprinkle coconut flour on clean flat surface. Roll out dough until it’s 1/4” thick. It helps to roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper. If not, coat rolling pin with coconut flour.
Cut cookies with your favorite cutters. Work quickly so the dough stays cold. Use spatula to transfer cookies to baking sheet.

Gather the scraps. Ball, roll, and repeat. If dough gets too warm, refrigerate it again.

Bake for 13-15 minutes - until lightly golden. Baking these longer than typical sugar cookies. This allows the outside to get a little crispy, but the inside will be soft. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Frosting Directions:

Combine ingredients into mixing bowl. Mix with stand or hand mixer until fluffy.

*The amounts listed are approximate. Adjust them until it's as stiff or loose as you like.

Grain-Free Pizza Crust

IMG_3132 (1)
Wheat Belly Pizza Crust
Original recipe by
Wheat Belly - Dr. William Davis


After trying this recipe only once - it has become a favorite. Warning: this pizza is very filling. You’ll want to eat more, but you’ll be too full.

When using any flours/grains, nuts, seeds, etc - make sure they labeled gluten-free. Gluten contamination of these products are very likely if they’re not produced in a dedicated facility.

To learn more about this, see
Grain-Free for the Gluten-Free

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/4 cups GF almond flour (Honeyville) or ground almonds
1/4 cup GF garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour (Bob’s Red Mill GF) or GF coconut flour
1/4 cup GF ground golden fax seeds (Bob’s Red Mill GF)
1 teaspoon granulated onion powder (Penzey’s)
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder (Penzey’s)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 Pizza Seasoning (Penzey’s) - optional
2 eggs
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of water

This recipe makes one 14” (if not bigger) crust when pressed to 3/8” thick.
IMG_3158


If you like a thinner crust, consider making two crusts instead of one depending on your pan size.


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a food process or chopper, chop cheese into smaller rice sized pieces.

Place all ingredients into large bowl and mix thoroughly. Stand mixer works great.

Place parchment paper on large (16”) pizza pan or cookie sheet.

Scoop dough on parchment paper and roughly shape into a circle. Use spatula or oiled hands to do this.

Cover dough with parchment paper. You can use a rolling pin, or another large flat pan (pizza pan works perfectly) to roll or press dough out flat. Depending on your tastes - aim for 1/4” or 3/8” thick. This recipe makes at least one 14” crust when pressed to 3/8” thick.

TIP: If you have a smaller pan, place only half the dough if you want a thinner crust (less than 3/8” thick).

Carefully peel off parchment paper and adjust shape or edge with oiled hands.

Bake for 20 minutes or more. Crust will start to brown. The cheese chunks will turn a golden brown.

Remove from oven and apply desired toppings.

Return to oven for another 15 minutes or until topping cheese is melted.

Gluten-Free Stuffing

Submitted by Peggy


If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

1 loaf gluten-free bread
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 carrots, peeled and small diced
2 celery stalks, small diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, peeled and small diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups gluten-free chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Slice the bread into 1-inch cubes and spread out on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and toast for 25 minutes, flipping/tossing once during toasting.

To kick this recipe up a notch, check out our excellent recipe for gluten-free croutons.

Melt butter in a large and deep cast iron or oven-safe skillet. If you do not have a large and deep oven proof skillet, you can prep the stuffing in a skillet and transfer to a 9" x 13" baking dish before finishing off in the oven. To the butter, add carrots, celery, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Sauté on medium heat for 15 minutes until the onions and carrots are soft and tender. If the onions or garlic start to brown, reduce heat to medium-low.

Once the carrots are tender, add chicken broth, sage, and thyme and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes. Taste, and add additional salt or pepper, if needed.

Next, add the toasted bread cubes and gently toss to combine. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 6-8 servings.

Aneh's Awesome Turkey

Original Recipe by: Aneh Mundi
Submitted by Al (with slight modifications)

Shortly after going gluten-free [in 2003], Peggy & I took a gluten-free holiday cooking class from food scientist extraordinaire Aneh Mundi. She went through an entire holiday feast. Lots of great recipes. To this day, we still use Aneh's blend of seasonings when we make turkey and turkey broth. We keep a jar of it on our “Wheel-O-Spices”.


If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

1 fresh or frozen turkey 10 to 13 lbs
2 tbs Black ground pepper (Penzey's)
2 tbs Salt
2 tbs dried basil (Penzey's)
1 tbs white pepper (Penzey's)
1 tbs ground coriander (Penzey's)
2 tsb dried orange peel (Penzey's)
Extra virgin olive oil (optional)
1 medium/large onion, rough chopped
1 celery stalk, rough chopped
¼ lemon, chopped (optional)

Note: Before you start working with the turkey, set some of the seasoning aside for use in the gravy or for future turkeys. It has the potential to get contaminated with raw turkey.

Directions:

Remove giblets from turkey and set aside for broth.
Combine seasonings in a bowl – mix well.
Place turkey in cooking bag (optional)
Drizzle & rub olive oil over entire turkey.
Sprinkle and rub seasoning mix inside, outside, and under the skin.
Stuff cavity with onion, celery, and lemon.
Place bagged turkey in a roasting pan
Roast turkey at 325 for 3 to 3 ½ hours – until juices run clear or internal breast temperature reaches 161 or 162. Remove turkey from the oven, let it rest. The temperature will continue rise. Carry-over cooking will take you to the food safe number of 165.
Drain drippings from bag into large bowl. Strain into large pan for making gravy.

Gravy Ingredients:

Turkey drippings
4 – 8 tbs Gluten-Free Sweet Rice Flour (Bob's Red Mill)
A few pinches of Aneh's Turkey Seasoning

Gravy directions:

Heat drippings in pan on medium-high heat.
Add a few pinches of turkey seasoning to taste.
Make a slurry 3 – 4 tbs of Sweet Rice Flour and a teaspoon or so of cold water. Mix until no lumps.
Whisk in slurry as drippings begin to heat up and start to boil. This when gravy will start to thicken. Keep adding slurry until gravy is the consistency you desire.

Oatmeal Cake


Oatmeal Cake (1)
Oatmeal Cake (a.k.a “Crack Cake”)



The original recipe was designed for baking in a microwave. The directions here are for baking in a normal oven.

Most medical professionals say gluten-free oats can be tolerated in limited amounts [up to 1/2 cup per day for adults]. They also suggest restricting oats for one year for those newly diagnosed.

Some celiacs will react to the protein found in oats [avenin], just as they react to the proteins in wheat, barley, rye.

If you choose to add oats to your diet, please make sure they are gluten-free purity protocol oats.

To learn more, please read our
oats article.


If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.


Cake Ingredients:

1 cup of purity protocol certified gluten-free oats (
GF Harvest Oats)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup favorite GF flour blend (
Krusteaz Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Mix)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Caramel Topping Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown sugar
6 tblsp butter
2 tblspn milk
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions Cake:

Cook oatmeal and water uncovered until mixture boils. About 3-4 minutes in microwave. Stir once and set aside.

Blend all ingredients well. Stir in oatmeal mixture.

Grease bottom of glass12x8 pan. Pour into pan.

Bake at 325 for 40-50 minutes - until toothpick comes out clean.


Directions Topping:

Combine all ingredients and heat. When well blended spread over cake.

Topping may be put under the broiler for a few minutes till golden brown.

Salmon Croquettes

Salmon Croqs

Salmon Croquettes

Original recipe by Anita Johnson


If you have left-over salmon, this is an excellent way to use it! Don't worry reheating these guys if you make too many, they reheat well. Best in a toaster-oven.


If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.


Ingredients:

1 - 6 oz can of salmon (or 1 cup of left over shredded salmon)
1/2 - Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1/2 - Onion, chopped
1 - Egg
1/4 to 1/2 cup - Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs (enough hold the salmon together)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes or Penzey's Forward Blend to taste (optional)
1/4 to 1/3 cup - Peanut Oil for frying (deep enough for croquettes to float)

Directions:

Remove any bones from salmon and shred into a large bowl. Add green pepper, onion, egg, salt, pepper, any additional seasonings. Mix well. Add enough bread crumbs to allow the mixture to form a 4" diameter by 3/4" to 1" thick patty.

On medium heat, preheat pan and oil until it just starts to shimmer. Gently place patties into oil. Depending on size of pan, do not add too many patties. Do not crowd them. Fry patties for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Gently flip to fry the other side. Patties should be golden brown. Watch them carefully so they don't burn. Remove from oil and place on paper towel lined plate. If you have number of patties to fry, keep plate in low heated oven to keep them warm.


Need a quick meal? Instead of eating them, make the patties and put them in the freezer. Get them out about 20 - 30 minutes ahead of time to let them thaw slightly before frying. It only takes minutes to fry.

Twisted Chipsters

Twisted Chipsters Large

Chocolate Chip Cookie - A new twist on an old favorite.
Original recipe by Laurie Donaldson


This was Peggy's entry for the 2015 Cookie Daze Bake & Taste Contest. She tweaked
Laurie's Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe slightly; replacing some of the almond flour with coconut flour. This helped combat the humid weather we have this time of year.


If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.


Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour (Honeyville)
1/4 cup coconut flour (Bob’s Redmill)
1 teaspoon baking soda (Arm & Hammer)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar with 1 tblsp water (consistency of honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla (Penzey’s)
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips (Nestles)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix together the dry ingredients: flours, baking soda & salt.

Mix together the wet ingredients: sugar, vanilla, egg, melted butter.

Combine dry and wet ingredients, then add chocolate chips.

Place tablespoon sized dough balls on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 325 for 14 -15 minutes or until edges lightly
brown.

After removing from the oven, allow cookies to cool slightly before removing from pan.



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Rhubarb Cupcakes

Rhubarb Cupcake
Rhubarb Cupcakes


Peggy converted
this gluten recipe from FineCooking.com, courtesy of Pinterest…of course.


If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Cupcake Ingredients:

1-1/4 cup
Krusteaz GF flour blend
3/4 cup
Pamela's GF Artisan flour blend
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 extra large egg
2 extra large egg whites
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups 1/4-inch-diced rhubarb (7-1/4 oz.)

Topping Ingredients:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon


Directions Cake:

In a large mixing bowl blend together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix well with mixer. Add rhubarb and mix to combine. Scoop into paper lined muffin tins. Top with sugar topping and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until top springs back to touch. Cool for 5 minutes in pan then remove to cooling rack to finish cooling. Makes about 18 to 22 muffins.

Peg notes: You can substitute your favorite gluten free flour blend. Use sugar topping to your taste.




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Croutons & Stuffing


Croutons

Gluten-Free Croutons


Special thanks to my Sister-In-Law Debi for showing Peggy how to make these for our Thanksgiving feast last year. They are great just for snacking on.


If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

1 to 1 ½ loaves of GF bread, cut or torn in desired size. For stuffing, pieces might be smaller vs larger for snacking/dipping.
GF Granulated Garlic
GF Granulated Onion
GF Ground Sage
GF Paprika (optional)
Salt
Olive Oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300.
Spread bread pieces on sided baking sheet. Allow to dry for at least 2 days – 3 to 4 is preferable.
Drizzle olive oil lightly over the bread and mix well.
Season to taste. Mix well after each seasoning.
Bake for 10 to 20 minutes or until GBDC (Golden, Brown, Delicious & Crunchy). Stir every 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread out to cool.

Note: Airbake pans won't brown as quickly. Try not to eat them all before you make your stuffing.

Tip: Instead of throwing out the heels or unused pieces of GF bread, put them in the freezer to be used later.


Gluten-Free Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 loaf gluten-free bread (or the croutons above)
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 carrots, peeled and small diced
2 celery stalks, small diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, peeled and small diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups gluten-free chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Slice the bread into 1-inch cubes and spread out on a baking sheet.
Place in the oven and toast for 25 minutes, flipping/tossing once during toasting. (Skip this step If you are using the croutons you made from above recipe)

Melt butter in a large and deep cast iron or oven-safe skillet. If you do not have a large and deep oven proof skillet, you can prep the stuffing in a skillet and transfer to a 9" x 13" baking dish before finishing off in the oven. To the butter, add carrots, celery, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Sauté on medium heat for 15 minutes until the onions and carrots are soft and tender. If the onions or garlic start to brown, reduce heat to medium-low.

Once the carrots are tender, add chicken broth, sage, and thyme and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes. Taste, and add additional salt or pepper, if needed. Next, add the toasted bread cubes/croutons and gently toss to combine. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 6-8 servings.

Pumpkin Pie

pumpkin pie

Pumpkin Pie

A standard pumpkin pie - gluten-free style. The crust portion is made from a Whole Foods recipe.

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Pie Crust Recipe
Recipe by: Whole Foods

http://bit.ly/WFGFPieCrust

Crust Ingredients:

1/3 cup potato starch, plus extra for dusting
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup millet flour
1/3 cup almond meal
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten

Crust Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Put potato starch, tapioca flour, millet flour, almond meal, sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add butter and pulse again until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and pulse until completely combined to make a slightly sticky dough.

Turn dough out onto a large sheet of waxed paper dusted with potato starch. Sprinkle potato starch over dough and knead gently, working in about 2 more tablespoons potato starch, until dough holds together without being sticky but is still very pliable. Using your fingertips, press dough into a 10-inch circle.

Invert a 9-inch pie pan on top of the dough then quickly flip over both the pan and the dough so that the dough now rests in the pan. Gently peel away and discard wax paper and press dough into pie plate, patching it together, if needed. Crimp and trim the edges as desired then prick sides and bottom all over with a fork.

Peggy Tip: If you don't fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans, do not par-bake, just fill and bake it.

Line crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is just set and slightly dry around the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment paper and pie weights, fill with pie filling and bake as needed. Alternately, for a pie that requires a pre-baked crust, return to oven and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes more.


Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie
Right off the can of pumpkin

http://bit.ly/1xgaduJ

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 9-inch Gluten-Free Pie Crust (see GF pie crust recipe)

Directions:
Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into gluten-free pie shell.

Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Pecan Pumpkin Pie

pecan pumpkin
Pecan Pumpkin Pie

This is a gluten-free version of a Penzey's recipe. The crust portion is made from a Whole Foods recipe.

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Pie Crust Recipe
Recipe by: Whole Foods

http://bit.ly/WFGFPieCrust

Crust Ingredients:

1/3 cup potato starch, plus extra for dusting
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup millet flour
1/3 cup almond meal
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten

Crust Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Put potato starch, tapioca flour, millet flour, almond meal, sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add butter and pulse again until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and pulse until completely combined to make a slightly sticky dough.

Turn dough out onto a large sheet of waxed paper dusted with potato starch. Sprinkle potato starch over dough and knead gently, working in about 2 more tablespoons potato starch, until dough holds together without being sticky but is still very pliable. Using your fingertips, press dough into a 10-inch circle.

Invert a 9-inch pie pan on top of the dough then quickly flip over both the pan and the dough so that the dough now rests in the pan. Gently peel away and discard wax paper and press dough into pie plate, patching it together, if needed. Crimp and trim the edges as desired then prick sides and bottom all over with a fork.

Peggy Tip: If you don't fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans, do not par-bake, just fill and bake it.

Line crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is just set and slightly dry around the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment paper and pie weights, fill with pie filling and bake as needed. Alternately, for a pie that requires a pre-baked crust, return to oven and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes more.


Pie Ingredients:

1 gluten-free pie crust (see crust recipe above)
1 15oz. Can of pumpkin
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon GF vanilla extract
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup of evap. Milk

Topping Ingredients:

1/4 cup of butter unmelted
1/2 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:

Make GF pie crust per directions. Press or roll into 8.5" pie tin.

Preheat oven to 350
Combine pumpkin, brown sugar, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, vanilla, eggs & milk into mixing bowl. Mix well.
Pour mixture into unbaked GF pie crust.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Mix topping ingredients until crumbly.
After pie has baked 40 minutes, sprinkle mixture on pie and bake for another 25 minutes.
Cool and refrigerate for a couple of hours for best slicing.

Tomato Soup




Gluten-Free Tomato Soup

Peggy came home from work and was hungry tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. However, there was a small snag in this plan; we didn't have any tomato soup.

As many of you know, most tomato soup is not gluten-free. Since I'm not a huge fan of tomato soup, this fact was not a hardship for me when I went gluten-free.

It was late and neither one of us wanted to run down to the store to get a can. I said, "It is tomato soup, it can't be that difficult to make, I'll just make some [gluten-free of course]".

So I hop on the iPad and Peg grabs her laptop. In few minutes we a have few recipes that are quick and easy [and good and gluten-free!]. While I worked on the soup, Peg made the grilled cheese sandwiches. We make a great team!


If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes [with juice]
1 1/2 cups gluten-free chicken broth or water
(Kitchen Basics, Swanson’s, Pacific, Imagine)
2 Bay leaves
1/3 cup skim milk (we didn't have any heavy cream)
Salt & fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Place medium sized pot [enough to hold all the ingredients] on medium heat. Add butter and olive oil. Add onion, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté until onion is soft and just start to caramelize [about 10 - 15 minutes].

Add tomatoes and juice to the pan and stir to crush dices of tomatoes. Add the broth [or water] and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Simmer until tomatoes pieces begin to break down, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, remove bay leaves, and allow soup to cool slightly. Carefully spoon some of the soup in blender/food processor [you may have to do this in batches]. Blend until smooth. Return soup to the stove over low heat and stir in cream.

Taste for seasoning adjustments.


Even though I'm not a fan of tomato soup, I have to say, I did like it and will make this again.

If you're looking for a kicked up grilled cheese sandwich, check out our
Pesto Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Sauteed shrimp and steamed asparagus garnish the soup.


Until the next good eats - cook well and be well.

Al

Seasoned Rice with Chorizo



Seasoned Rice with Chorizo

Most meals around our house are like an episode of The Food Network's Iron Chef. We never know what we're going to have too far in-advance.

It usually starts with "You know we have ________ in the fridge yet".

However, in this case, I was digging through the freezer looking for a protein. Chicken - nah, just had it. Beef - nope, need to give it a rest. Pork chops - mmm nah-uh, just not feelin' it.

Tonight's secret ingredient is...Chorizo sausage! Allez Cuisine!

Now...what to do with it? This is what I came up with...

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

1 cup rice (Lundberg)
2 cups of gluten-free chicken broth
(Kitchen Basics, Swanson’s, Pacific, Imagine)
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
Penzey's Forward seasoning

Klemment's gluten-free chorizo sausage - sliced
1 or 2 carrots, finely diced
1/2 cup diced white onion
Salt & Pepper
Granulated garlic
Olive Oil
Green Peas (frozen, but fresh if you've got 'em)
Fresh Parsley - roughly chopped

Directions:

Combine rice, broth, butter, salt and seasoning in a pot. Bring to boil and stir once. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add olive oil and carrots to large pan saute on med-high heat until carrots start to soften. Add a bit of water to help steam carrots.
Add onion and stir
Season with salt, pepper, granulated garlic
Add sausage to pan and stir.
Lower heat once everything is heated thru
Add rice to pan when it's finished cooking.
Mix ingredients well.
Add chopped fresh parsley right at the end.


Until the next good eats - cook well and be well.

Al

Seasoned Vegetable Medley with Shrimp




Seasoned Vegetable Medley with Sauteed Shrimp

This veggie dish has become a favorite in our house. I make a large batch so I can have left overs. I like to make an omelet with these veggies.

This dish is all about timing. You don't want the shrimp to get done first and get cold. You don't want to leave the veggies in the pan waiting for the shrimp to get done.

The veggies will cook at different rates; you can help adjust for that by paying attention to piece size. Cauliflower and carrots tends to take longer to cook due to their density. I like to have a bit larger pieces of cauliflower, so those go in first. I try to keep the carrot slices about 1/4" thick. Broccoli, squash, and zucchini cook pretty quickly - keep a close eye on them so they don't turn to mush.

I tend to like my veggies on the crunchy side, so adjust the cooking times to suit your tastes.

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Veggie Ingredients:

Cauliflower
Carrots
Broccoli
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
1/2 lemon - quartered
Grass Fed Butter
Olive Oil
Granulated garlic (Penzey's)
Granulated onion (Penzey's)
Tuscan Sunset (Penzey's)
Salt
Fresh ground pepper

Shrimp Ingredients:

1 lb raw, peeled, devained, and cleaned shrimp
Olive Oil
Granulated garlic (Penzey's)
Granulated onion (Penzey's)
Forward (Penzey's) Adds a bit of heat and spice
Salt & fresh ground pepper


Directions:

Place shrimp on a plate.
Season shrimp with garlic, onion, Foward, salt & pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Mix well.
Set aside while working on the veggies

Cut veggies into bite sized pieces. Place large saute pan on medium high heat.
Add olive oil to pan. Add cauliflower. Stir.

Squeeze lemon pieces over cauliflower and add lemon pieces in the pan.
Add splashes of water to create steam. When water has evaporated, add a bit more. Do this through out the entire cooking process.

Lightly season with granulated garlic, onion, Tuscan Sunset, salt and pepper.
Stir. Allow cauliflower to saute/steam for about 2 - 3 minutes.

Heat another saute pan for shrimp.

Add carrots - lightly season - stir - add a bit more water - stir for 3 - 4 minutes.

Add a bit of olive oil and shrimp to other saute pan. Stir.

Add broccoli - lightly season - stir - add a bit more water - stir for 1 - 2 minutes.

Stir shrimp

Add squash and zucchini - lightly season - stir - add a bit more water - stir for 1 - 2 minutes.

Remove shrimp pan from heat. Shrimp should be pink.

Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter to veggies. Stir while melting.
Taste and add additional seasoning if needed.
Remove the lemon pieces.

Plate the veggies, top with shrimp.


Until the next good eats - cook well and be well.

Al

Laurie's Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies



Laurie's Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is from our friend Laurie at Food For Primal Thought and teacher extraordinaire. If you are interested in learning more about Primal/Paleo lifestyle templates [and some great recipes], take a look 'round her blog. Good stuff! Be sure to check out the Frizzled Spicy Beef.

If there was room on the recipe title bar, I would've used her name for this cookie. I think you'll agree
"Gluten-free Not-So-Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies That Don't Taste Like Crap" is a much more creative [and descriptive] name.

These cookies have the ideal cookie texture for me - crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups almond flour (
Honeyville - gluten-free certified according to packaging)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar with 1 tblsp water (just enough to create the consistency of honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix together the dry ingredients: almond flour, baking soda & salt.

Mix together the wet ingredients: sugar, vanilla, egg, melted butter.

Combine dry and wet ingredients, then add chocolate chips.

Place tablespoon sized dough balls on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 325 for 14 -15 minutes or until edges lightly GBD (Golden Brown & Delicious).

After removing from the oven, allow cookies to cool slightly before removing from pan.



Until the next good eats - cook well and be well.

Al


Carrot Cake




Gluten-Free Carrot Cake


Peggy converted this recipe she got from a co-worker. We served this cake for GIG of ECW's 5th anniversary celebration.

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients

1/2 cup GF coconut flour (Bob's Red Mill GF)
1/2 cup GF sorghum flour (Bob's Red Mill GF)
1 cup gluten-free flour mix (Jules GF Flour Mix)
1/4 teaspoon Xanthan gum (Ener G)
1 tsp double strength vanilla (Penzey's)
4 extra large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup coconut oil (Dr. Bronner's White Virgin)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 cups grated carrots
¾ cups organic raisins (Roundy's – nothing but raisins)
1 cup raw, unsalted pecans (Nuts.com - GFCO)
3 teaspoons cinnamon (Penzey's)
2 teaspoons baking soda (Arm & Hammer)


Frosting

4-5 oz cream cheese (softened)
3 tbsp softened butter
3/4 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla (Penzey's)
1 tsp milk


Cake Directions

In mixing bowl cream together eggs, oil & sugar. Add vanilla. Mix in shredded carrots. Add dry ingredients. Mix with mixer for 5 minutes. Fold in nuts & raisins.

Grease two 9” round pans. Add parchment paper to bottoms. Spoon mixture into pans.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 min. or until toothpick comes clean or golden brown and pulls away from sides of pan. Cool in pan on rack for 5 min, then remove cakes from pan and allow to finish cooling on rack.


Frosting Directions

Place ingredients in mixing bowl. With mixer whip ingredients mix for about 5 minutes or until fluffy.

Frost cooled cake. Refrigerate after it's frosted to firm up frosting.

Garnish with chopped pecans.

Note: Due to the coconut oil, refrigeration of the cake will result in it being firm. Best to serve at room temperature, unless you like firm cake.


Until the next good eats - cook well and be well.

Peggy & Al



Lemon Garlic Chicken over Cauliflower Mash



Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Breast
over Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash


Facebook is not all time-wasting games, people-sharing-more-stuff-than-we-really-wanted-to-know...it can be a really useful tool. Seriously...

I believe one of my Paleo Diet friends posted the low-carb
Lemon Garlic Shrimp over Cauliflower Mash recipe from Nancy at SheCooksHeCleans.net. Like a good husband, I asked Peggy to Pin it for me so I could make it for her. The ironic thing...it's just the opposite in our house...I cook and Peg cleans...just the way I like it.

I did make the shrimp & cauliflower and we both loved it! We had tried mashed cauliflower in the past, but we weren't impressed [at least with that particular recipe]. This recipe on the other hand...is a keeper!

In my adaptation of Nancy's recipe, I am simply replacing the shrimp with chicken and removing the lemon juice and red pepper flakes from the sauce. Actually the chicken you see was actually grilled the night before. Peggy is not a fan of reheated meat, but she had no problems cleaning her lunch plate.

If you like garlic, you're going to love this dish! It calls for fourteen to sixteen cloves. You'll need a way to peel them quickly; watch this video, it really works:
http://vimeo.com/29605182

Oh yeah, word of caution, don't plan on going out after eating this, you're a walking Garlic Weapon of Mass Destruction. This gives a whole new meaning to "chemical weapon".

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients

Marinade:

Zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound (3 or 4) chicken breasts


Cauliflower Mash:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into even medium to large sized florets
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Half and half or cream / Milk or broth, optional use if needed to correct consistency

Lemon Garlic Chicken:

Marinated Chicken (from above)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup white wine, or gluten-free chicken broth
1/2 sweet onion, minced
Pinch or two of dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped


Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients of marinade in a bowl large enough for all the chicken pieces. Place chicken in the bowl and make sure each one gets well coated. Cover and place in refrigerator for 1 - 4 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 400 and fire up your favorite grill (gas or charcoal). Place cauliflower and garlic cloves in foiled shallow pan [sided cookie sheet or jelly roll pan]. Drizzle enough olive oil to coat the pan/foil and the vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 15 min. Remove foil and carefully stir vegetables so they don't stick and so they brown evenly. Uncover and roast for another 15 – 20 minutes or until cauliflower and garlic are soft and lightly browned. Remove from oven.

3. As the cauliflower is roasting, get your grill grates cleaned and prepped. I like to heat my gas grill to about 500-600° to carbonize anything that might be sticking on the grates. Brush the grates with a grill brush to remove any carbonized food particles then clean with several layers of paper towel that was liberally coated with vegetable oil. This clean the grates, but it also creates a non-stick surface. Close grill cover and allow internal temp to rise back up to 500+

4. Place chicken breasts on the grill. Grill until meat is firm and juices run clear (or internal temperature reaches 165
°). Remove from grill, cover allow to rest and keep warm.

5. Place cauliflower & garlic with a couple tablespoons of butter in a food processor and puree. Add parmesan cheese and mix well. The cauliflower should be a mashed potato or grits consistency (fairly thick, not runny). Add a touch cream or broth if it's too thick. Place in a heat-proof bowl and keep warm.

6. In a sauté pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon set aside on paper towels. When cool, chop into small pieces. Set aside.

7. Add two tablespoons of butter to the bacon drippings and melt on medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Add minced garlic, and oregano – sauté for a minute. Stir in wine/broth. Cook until liquid is reduced by half (only a few minutes). Salt & pepper to taste.

Note: I also had left over bacon, so I did not have bacon drippings to help create a sauce. So, in order to re-heat the chicken and make a sauce, in a pan melt 2 tablespoons of butter, a splash of olive oil and sauté some minced onion and garlic. After onions soften, add some gluten-free chicken stock (1/4 - 1/2 cup?). Cover just the chicken with a small cover and allowed the sauce to reduce & slightly thicken. Near the end of cooking, add some dried oregano. If I had some white wine, I would've used that instead of chicken stock.

8. Slice chicken and place over mashed cauliflower, spoon sauce over the top. Garnish with chopped bacon.


Until the next good eats - cook well and be well.

Al


Peg's Home Econ Banana Bread


Banana Bread


The original recipe is from my 9th grade Home Economics class. I've adapted this version so it's GF. I also modified the GF and the non-GF recipe to reduce the sugar.

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:
1 cup Gluten-free Sorghum Flour
1 1/2 cups Jules Gluten-free Flour Blend
3/4 cup Gluten-free ground flax meal
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening (Earth Balance Baking Sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
(can use un-sweetened applesauce if not enough bananas)
1 1/2 teaspoon Gluten-Free Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon Penzey's Vanilla Extract

Makes 2 regular sized breads or 6 mini breads.

Directions:

Cream butter, sugar, & eggs together well. Stir in bananas/applesauce. Sift dry ingredients together and mix with banana mixture. Pour into grease 2 bread pans or 6 mini bread pans. Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes. Bread is done when inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Peg

Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore



Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore


Slow-cooker to the rescue...again! It's been pretty busy around the Al & Peg House as of late. Weekends are doubly-busy, so in order to make good eats, we need some help. Whilst we're scurrying around the house, the slow-cooker is doing all the hard work.

Peg found this naturally gluten-free recipe:
http://www.recipe.com/slow-cooker-chicken-cacciatore/?esrc=nwrc071212pinc

The original recipe calls for chicken drumsticks, but we used thighs instead - more meat on the thighs.

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped carrot
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
1 green, yellow, or red sweet pepper, cut into strips
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 chicken thighs, skinned (about 3-1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup tomato paste


Directions:


1. Combine mushrooms, celery, carrot, onions, sweet peppers, and garlic in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Place chicken on vegetables. Combine broth, wine, tapioca, sugar, oregano, bay leaves, salt, and pepper; pour over chicken.

2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3-1/2 hours.

3. Remove chicken; cover to keep warm. Remove and discard bay leaves. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in undrained tomatoes and the tomato paste. Cover and cook for 15 minutes more. Serve vegetable mixture over chicken and cooked pasta or rice.





Until the next good eats...

Al & Peg

Pumpkin Bars




Pumpkin Bars


While they are called "Pumpkin Bars", it's really more like a cake. The finished product is about 2-3" tall - not flat like a brownie.

They guys are an annual fave around our house and with family & friends. In almost all cases, Peg makes these [the GF version] since they are indistinguishable from the gluten bars.

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

4 eggs beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp Penzey's cinnamon
1 tsp Arm & Hammer baking soda
1 tsp Calumet baking powder
1 cup of
Jules Gluten Free Flour (GFCO Certified Product)
1 cup of Sorghum Flour (Bob's Redmill)
1 tsp Xanthan gum

Combine all ingredients & mix well. Pour in to greased 11x15 pan.
Bake @ 350 for 25-30 min. 8 x 11.5 pan will work for 1/2 recipe


Frosting:
4-5 oz cream cheese (softened)
3 tbsp softened butter
3/4 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp milk

Mix & beat until fluffy. Spread on warm pumpkin bars.

These will freeze quite well.


Until the next good eats...

Al n Peg

Lemon Blueberry Bread





Lemon Blueberry Bread


It's a cool fall day, so that means baking, particularly when we are on vacation. While I was painting the bathroom, Peg was in the kitchen converting a gluten-full recipe to a gluten-free recipe. The cut loaf shown here didn't last long.

While this might look like a bread, it's more like a cake. Regardless of what you call it, it's darn tasty!

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Bread Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar (scant)
3 eggs
2 1/4 cup Jules Gluten free flour blend
3/4 sorghum flour
1/4 tsp xanthum gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp lemon extract
3/4 tsp double strength vanilla
2 tablespoons tightly packed lemons, zest of
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 ounces or so frozen blueberries

Icing Ingredients:

8 ounces powdered sugar (or 1/2 box)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons tightly packed lemons, zest of
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice


Directions:

1 - Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2 - Important: grease and flour two loaf pans.
3 - Cream butter and sugar.
4 - Add eggs and beat until smooth.
5 - Add buttermilk.
6 - Mix dry ingredients together and add to buttermilk mixture.
7 - Blend well.
8 - Mix in lemon juice and zest.
9 - Gently fold in blueberries and only mix until incorporated.
10 - Pour batter into loaf pans.
11 - Bake loaves on the middle rack of the oven for 60 to 65 minutes.
12 - Cool bread 10 minutes, remove from pan and place on a large cookie sheet, top side up.
13 - For icing: Combine icing ingredients in a bowl.
14 - Beat icing with an electric mixer until smooth.
15 - Drizzle icing over the warm loaves.
16 - The icing will harden when the bread cools to room temperature.

I halved the icing recipe and had plenty.

Original recipe:
http://www.food.com/recipe/lemon-blueberry-bread-69730


Until the next good eats....

Al n Peg

Crockpot/Slow-cooker Beef Roast




Slow-cooker Beef Roast


Have you ever come home from a long day at work tired, hungry and don't really feel like making anything? Yeah, that happens around our house...
a lot. One weapon we rely on is our slow cooker. It's a magic time machine - you put stuff in it [usually frozen] before work and by the time you get home - POOF! Dinner! Good eats without a wholelotta work...I'm all over that like fur on a weasle...

This is crazy simple - takes about 5 - 10 minutes of prep work before you leave for work. Simple is what I need in the morning 'cos I'm usually half asleep when I'm putting this together.

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

Sliced large onion or 2 med. onions
Hand full of carrots
Stalk or two of celery
Chopped tomato (I've used tomato paste in the past, but we had fresh tomatoes to use)
Penzey's Granulated Garlic
Penzey's Granulated Onion
Penzey's Herbs de Provence
Salt & Pepper
1/2 - 3/4 cup of water or gluten-free beef broth or red wine.
2 - 2 1/4 lb Chuck Roast
1 tablespoon of Sweet Rice Flour to thicken gravy


Directions:

Place veggies on the bottom of the slow cooker. This gives the meat a bed of flavor to rest on.

Season both sides of the frozen meat with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, Herbs de Provence. Use whatever herbs/seasoning you like - be creative!

Place frozen meat on top of veggies.

Add liquid.

Set slow-cooker to stun (low). For us, the cooking process is about 9 hours by the time someone gets home.

Walk out the door and return 8 - 9 hours later to some really great smells!

When I get home, I strain the veggies from the liquid. After 9 hours, they've given their little veggies lives to flavor the meat and the liquid for the gravy.

In a sauce pan heat up the liquid. Make slurry with the gluten-free flour and some water. Whisk the slurry into the pan. Allow to come to a boil and thicken. If it's not thick enough, make and whisk in a bit more slurry. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Season gravy to taste.


Homage to the Herbage

If you've ever wondered what type of herbs to use, my Facebook friend Jimmy Boswell [aka the
Gluten-Free Chef] from New Zealand created this very handy chart. He suggest which herbs to use for selected meats or veggies.

http://www.foodie.co.nz/Blogs/Jimmy-Boswell---Gluten-Free-Chef/Herb-Usage-Look-up-Chart.aspx

A great tip from Jimmy -

The general rule for using dried is use ¼ dried herbs for what’s suggested for fresh amounts in a recipe. You can reverse this if dried is suggested and you have fresh.



I took the liberty of putting Jimmy's text chart into a table...

Jimmy Boswell's Herb Chart for Proteins
Protein Herbs
Beef Basil, Bay leaf, Caraway, Chervil, Lovage seed, Cumin, Garlic Fenugreek, Ginger, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme and Peppermint.
Chicken Thyme, Anise, Basil, Bay leaf, Borage, Chervil, Chives, Cinnamon, Cumin, Dill, Fenugreek, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Lovage, Lemon Balm, Marjoram, Mint Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Savory and Tarragon.
Duck Bay, Rosemary, Sage, Sweet Marjoram and Tarragon.
Fish Anise, Basil, Borage, Caraway, Chevil, Chives, Dill, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Savory, Tarragon and Thyme.
Fish - Baked or Grilled Basil, Bay, Caraway, Chervil, Chives, Dill, Fennel, Lemon Balm, Lemon Thyme, Lovage, Marjoram, Mints, Parsley, Savory, Tarragon and Thyme.
Fish - Oily Fennel and Dill.
Fish Soups Bay, Lovage, Sage, Savory, Tarragon and Thyme.
Goose Fennel, Sage and Sweet Marjoram.
Ham Lovage, Marjoram, Mint, Mustard, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary and Savory.
Lamb Basil, Bay leaf, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Chervil, Dill, Garlic, Ginger, Lemon Balm, Lovage seed, Marjoram, Mint, Parsley, Saffron, Rosemary, Sage, Tarragon, Thyme and Savory.
Liver Basil, Dill, Marjoram, Sage, Savory and Thyme.
Pork Anise, Caraway, Cardamom, Coriander, Chervil, Dill, Garlic, Ginger, Oregano, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Tarragon, Fennel, Lovage seed, Marjoram, Savory and Thyme.
Rabbit Basil, Bay, Marjoram, Lovage seed, Rosemary and Sage.
Salmon Dill seed and Rosemary.
Seafood Basil, Bay, Chervil, Chives, Dill, Fennel Seed, Marjoram, Rosemary, Tarragon and Thyme.
Turkey Basil, Garlic, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme, Parsley and Sweet Marjoram.
Veal Basil, Bay leaf, Chervil, Chives, Ginger, Marjoram, Mint, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Savory and Thyme.
Venison Bay, Lovage seed, Rosemary, Sage, Savory and Sweet Marjoram.


Jimmy Boswell's Herb Chart for Veggies
Veggie Herbs
Artichokes Bay, Savory and Tarragon.
Asparagus Chives, Lemon Balm, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme, Chervil, Dill and Tarragon.
Avocado Dill, Marjoram and Tarragon.
Beans Dried Savory, Cumin, Garlic, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Sage, and Thyme.
Beans, Green Savory, Basil, Caraway, Cloves, Dill, Marjoram, Mint, Sage and Thyme.
Broccoli Basil, Dill, Garlic, Lemon Balm, Marjoram, Oregano, Tarragon and Thyme.
Brussel Sprouts Dill, Sage and Savory.
Cabbage Basil, Caraway, Cayenne, Cumin, Dill, Fennel, Marjoram, Sage, Savory, Borage, Dill seed, Mint, Oregano and Savory.
Carrots Anise, Basil, Chervil, Chives, Cinnamon, Clove, Cumin, Dill, Sage, Ginger, Marjoram, Mint, Parsley, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme and Chervil.
Cauliflower Basil, Caraway, Chives, Cumin, Dill, Garlic, Marjoram, Parsley, Rosemary, Savory, Tarragon and Fennel.
Corn Chevil, Chives, Lemon Balm, Saffron, Sage and, Thyme.
Eggplant Basil, Cinnamon, Dill, Garlic, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Sage, Savory and Thyme.
Lentils Garlic, Mint , Parsley, Savory and Sorrel.
Mushrooms Coriander, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Tarragon, Thyme, Basil, Dill, Lemon Balm, Parsley, Rosemary and Savory.
Onions Basil, Marjoram, Oregano, Sage, Tarragon and Thyme.
Parsnips Basil, Dill, Marjoram, Parsley, Savory and Thyme.
Peas Caraway, Chevil, Chives, Rosemary, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme, Basil, Chervil, Marjoram, Mint, Parsley and Sage.
Potatoes Parsley, Basil, Caraway, Chives, Coriander, Dill, Fennel, Lovage, Sage, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Tarragon and Thyme.
Spinach Anise, Basil, Caraway, Chevil, Chives, Cinnamon, Dill, Rosemary, Thyme, Borage, Marjoram, Mint, Sage, Sorrel and Tarragon.
Squash Basil, Caraway, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Savory and Dill.
Tomatoes Basil, Bay leaf, Chives, Chervil, Coriander, Dill, Garlic, Lovage, Sage, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Savory, Tarragon and Thyme.
Turnips Dill seed, Marjoram and Savory.
Zucchini Basil, Dill, Marjoram, Rosemary and Tarragon.



Until the next good eats...

Al


Coffee Cake



Peg ran across a recipe in Bon Appetit magazine showing all the variations of a yeast-dough. This set off a firestorm of ideas. She woke up early Saturday in anticipation of making this coffee cake.

Of course it was a wheat-based recipe, so it'd have to be converted.

She thought a pre-existing recipe might work well as a starting point. The recipe she used was that of my favorite flat bread [bread that I use for making sandwiches & buns]

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Cake Ingredients

1/4 cup GF brown rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup GF Sorghum (Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup Sweet Rice Flour
1/2 cup Tapioca Flour
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 Tablespoon instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 c. water
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2-3 Tablespoons sweet rice flour (for dusting pan/hands)


Streusel Topping Ingredients

1/2 cup Jules GF Flour
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter
3/4 cup of nuts


Glaze Ingredients

1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup powered sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons of milk


Recipe makes 2 - 8" round pans

Directions

Mix together all dry ingredients except sweet rice flour (brown rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, xanthan gum, yeast and salt).
In a heavy mixer, combine wet ingredients (water, vinegar, oil, and eggs).
Slowly add dry ingredients to well blended wet ingredients.
Beat on medium/medium high speed for 4 minutes.
Dust two 8" round cake pans with flour (or oil bottom of pan and lightly dust oiled pan).

Place dough in a warm spot, allow to rest/rise for 35-40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400F.

Mix streusel ingredients in a bowl until crumbly.
Sprinkle on top of dough

Bake for 12-18 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.

Mix Glaze ingredients in a bowl. Add milk slowly as needed - mixing until the desired consistency.

Allow to cool before drizzling the glaze.


Notes:

You could sub-out the flours with your favorite flour blend if you like.



Chili Con Carne

Chili is a fall/winter favorite around our house. It's quick to make and easy scale up if you want leftovers [Gotta love leftovers!].

This is the style of chili that I grew up on. Rarely did we have the "soup-like with pasta" type chili. Peg prefers the "soup-like" chili so she uses my chili as a "concentrate" to create her type [see below]

My mom and I would take a spoonful of chili and place it on top of a Saltine. This is how I learned how to eat chili. It was nothing for me go thru at least an entire sleeve of crackers this way. I shudder at thought of this now. Good grief...

Also, as a kid, I picked out the beans because I didn't like them. Now I like them, but Peg picks them out for "preventative measures". Funny how things change...

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Chili Con Carne

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
2 cans of diced tomatoes (use fresh if you have 'em)
       or 1 jar of Newman's Mild Salsa
1 diced medium onion
2 stalks diced celery
1 diced bell pepper (pick your favorite color or colors)
1 can of kidney beans (I prefer Joan of Arc)
1 - 2 teaspoons Penzey's Chili Con Carne spice blend (start small, you can always add if needed)
1 - 2 teaspoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
       (
Lea & Perrins brand is gluten-free, many brands are not)
Salt to taste
V8 or tomato juice
GF Beer (optional)
A few ounces of shredded cheese (garnish)
1 - 2 Green onions (garnish)
1 fresh diced tomato (garnish)


Directions:

Add peppers, celery and onions to pan, add pinch of salt and Penzey's Chili Con Carne spice mix
Saute' until slightly soft.
Add ground beef and brown on med-high heat. Remove any excess grease.
Drain and add beans - stir
Add canned tomatoes or salsa - stir
Add 1 - 2 cups of liquid (V8/Tomato Juice/GF Beer) - stir
Add Worcestershire sauce - stir
Allow chili to come to a good bubble and reduce heat to simmer.
Stir occasionally.
Salt & season to taste
Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. If chili becomes too thick - add more liquid of choice.


Options:

Soup-like Chili with Pasta
Note: Gluten pasta requires you to be be mindful of cross contamination risks.

Make your favorite pasta and set aside.
Place several scoops of Chili Con Carne into a larger pan on low heat
Add 16 - 24 oz of V8/Tomato Juice
Add cooked pasta
Simmer until heated
Salt & season to taste

You might need to re-season this chili depending on how hot you like it. I tend to like my chili spicier than Peg, so when she adds the liquid and the pasta - it's about right for her tastes.


Notes:

If you are using canned tomatoes, they are going to be sweeter and less spicy than salsa. You'll need to adjust amount of chili seasoning depending on the tomato product used. Taste as you go...


Until the next good eats...

Al


Tuscan Chicken with Veggies

During one of our trips to the Appleton Penzey's store, we ran across a new spice mixture called Tuscan Sunset.

It's a great mix of basil, oregano, red bell pepper, garlic, thyme, fennel, black pepper and anise.

We only purchased a small .5 oz bottle that day, but we will getting a larger bag of it. Sadly, I used it all tonight.

At the checkout, we found a recipe for Tuscan Veggie & Chicken Pasta Salad. I decided tweak how the ingredients were put together. This is my version...

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Tuscan Chicken with Veggies

Ingredients:

1 Package boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in thin strips.
1 package gluten-free pasta (shown here: Jovial GF Brown Rice Penne Rigate)
1 Red bell pepper, thinly julienned
1 Green pepper, thinly julienned
1 Medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (half a lemon)
1 - 2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Teaspoons Penzey's Tuscan Sunset
Salt & Pepper


Dressing:

2 Tablespoons Penzey's Tuscan Sunset
2 Tablespoons water
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar


In a bowl large enough to hold all the pasta, mix Tuscan Sunset and water, let stand 1 minute, then whisk in oil and red wine vinegar.

Prepare GF pasta per directions on package. Leave it slightly al dente because it will be returned to the pan at the end. Place cooked pasta in to bowl with dressing and gently mix until pasta is coated. Let stand.

Using medium heat and large deep pan saute' peppers and onion with small amount of olive oil for several minutes or until peppers have softened. Sprinkle in 1 tsp Tuscan Sunset. Salt and Pepper to taste. Remove from pan.

Return pan to stove, increase heat to medium-high and allow pan to heat up without smoking. Add small amount of olive oil to pan and add chicken strips. Allow chicken to turn golden brown. Reduce heat to simmer. Sprinkle in 1 tsp Tuscan Sunset. Salt & Pepper to taste. Add lemon juice.

Add in saute'ed veggies and dressed pasta. Make sure to get all the pasta dressing into the pan.

Gently stir a few times until all ingredients are fully heated - about 2 - 3 minutes. Be careful not to damage the pasta.


Notes:

The original recipe called for asparagus tips. This is a great addition, unfortunately I did not have any handy this time. Options I want to try in the future: mushrooms and/or artichoke hearts.

If you like more tanginess, add more red wine vinegar or lemon juice.


Until next time...

Al

Crockpot/Slow-cooker Beef Tips & Gravy

We usually have 2 pounds of beef stew meat lurking in the freezer. We mostly use it in the fall or winter seasons, but beef cravings can hit anytime; it's best to be prepared!

Crockpots [technically we have a slow-cooker] are nice - you toss the stuff in - head off to work - when you return - dinner awaits! It's great getting out the vehical in the garage; you can smell dinner even before you walk into the house.

In this case, Peg had off of work, but was busy around the house so she decided to make this. Down home comfort food...

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

1/4 cup GF sweet rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup GF Sorghum Flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 dash black pepper
2 pounds sirloin or beef stew meat -- cubed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
7 1/4 ounces (just shy of 1 cup) gluten-free beef broth
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce (USA Lea & Perrins brand is gluten-free, many brands are not)
1 teaspoon gluten-free ketchup (Heinz)

Optional Seasonings: Penzey's Bavarian Style Seasoning or Penzey's Herbs de Provence


Directions:

Combine flour, salt and pepper. Toss beef cubes in seasoned flour mixture to coat. Place in slow cooker.

Cover with onions and mushrooms.

Combine beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Pour over beef cubes.

Cover and cook on low 7 to 12 hours. Before serving, check gravy consistancy, if it is too thick, add some more beef broth.


Notes:

Mushrooms were omitted this time because for some strange reason we were out. Bavarian & Herbs de Provence were added.


Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Original recipe: Cook's Country

This is our favorite and go-to mashed potato recipe.

Ingredients:
4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, quartered, ½” pieces
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
12 garlic cloves, minced [We use 4-5]
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper

Directions:
Place cut potatoes in colander. Rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain thoroughly. This is a very important step to eliminate excess starch, which produces gluey mashed potatoes.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook garlic and sugar, stirring often, until sticky and straw colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Add rinsed potatoes, 1 1/4 cups half-and-half, water and 1 teaspoon salt to pot and stir to combine. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from heat, add remaining butter to pot and mash with potato masher until smooth. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining half-and-half until liquid is absorbed and potatoes are creamy. Season with salt and pepper.


Cold Pasta Salad

For some, summer is over - many kids are back at school already. [Man, where did time go?! ]

For those of us without kids, we are going to squeeze every last bit out of summer before it slinks into fall.

Summer time = cookouts and family gatherings
Cookouts and family gatherings = cold pasta salads!

Any cookout worth its salt has a cold pasta salad present. Years ago, a relative of Peg's brought this [non-gluten-free] pasta salad to a summer family event. Peg said that I'd really like it - it was tangy, zesty and a bit spicy. Yup - sounds like right up my alley, but I couldn't touch it.

Until today...we made this salad for our group's annual cookout! Nothing is off-limits at this cookout!

Gluten?!? We don't need no stinkin' gluten!

Jovial Foods was kind enough to send us some samples of their pasta [my sole intent was making a rightous cold pasta salad]. I think we accomplished that mission!

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Salad Ingredients:

1 lb Jovial Gluten-Free Penne Rigate Pasta.
1 Small Onion
1 Green Pepper
1 Yellow Pepper
1 Small Zuchinni
½ lb of Mozzerella cheese (cubed)
½ lb of Hormel Pepperoni Slices (chopped)
¼ lb Hillshire Farms Hard Salami Slices – chopped.
3 Stalks Celery (sliced)
3 Fresh tomatoes (sliced or chunked)
1 can pitted black olives (sliced)


Dressing Ingredients:

1 ½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon white pepper
½ cup of canola oil
¼ cup of olive oil
½ cup Heinz White Vinegar
2 ½ teaspoon Penzey's Orgeno
½ teaspoon Penzey's Pizza Seasoning
¼ teaspoon Penzey's Garlic Powder


Mix dressing ingredients, veggies & meat chill for at least 2 hours. Do not mix in cheese.

Make gluten-free pasta several hours before eating. Allow to cool (room temp).
Mix pasta, dressing with veggies and meat, and cheese together. Chill until needed.


Product notes:

Gluten-free pastas have a tendancy to harden when cold. Jovial's Penne has a much better texture [softer] when chilled overnight.

Jovial's GF products are certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization.

Minestrone Soup



This recipe is adapted from Living Without Summer 2005 issue.

It's one of our favorites and gets rave reviews from all who've tried - gluten-free or otherwise.

We save it for the fall/winter when it is cold and yucky on the outside and warm and yummy on the inside.

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves minced garlic
1 large onion - diced
2 medium carrots - sliced
2 stalks celery - sliced
1 medium potato - diced
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 small zuchinni
1 tspn oregano
2 tspn salt
4 cups GF chicken broth (Kitchen Basics, Swanson’s, Pacific, Imagine)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup fresh or frozen green bean (1 1/2" pieces)
1 15oz can kidney beans - drained & rinsed
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (optional) or 2 cubes of frozen homemade basil pesto (See Al Notes)
Parmesan cheese (optional)



Add olive oil, butter & garlic to a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute until onion is transparent and soft.

Add celery, carrots, potato. Sauté for another 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and chicken broth.

Bring soup up to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15-30 minutes. Veggies should be tender.

Add the corn, green beans, kidney beans, zucchini and simmer for another 15-30 minutes.

Stir in fresh basil or add frozen pesto cubes and allow to melt.

Serve hot and don't eat too much. You could also top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.


Al Notes

Since we made a double batch, we use both kidney beans and black beans.

In the summer I will make fresh basil pesto. This is usually a Saturday project for me. We have a little farmers market downtown and I'll get several bunches. I'll whiz up a batch and pour it in ice cube trays and freeze it. After about a month of pesto making, we'll have several freezer bags full of pesto cubes we can use for a whole bunch of things...like this soup!

Peg's Primo Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookie

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup Skippy Peanut Butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla (McCormick's or Penzey's vanilla)
3 cups of your favorite GF Flour Blend (Krusteez)
2 teaspoons gluten free baking soda (Arm and Hammer)
½ teaspoon salt

Yield: 8 – 10 dozen

Cream shortening, sugars & peanut butters.
Add eggs and beat well
Sift flours, baking soda, salt – add to creamed ingredients. Mix well.
Refrigerate in a sealed container overnight.
Shape into balls - ½ tablespoon dough
Place on cookie sheet & flatten with fork. Dip fork in sugar first.

Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes. Time may vary depending on your oven.


Peg Notes:

You can use a single gluten-free peanut butter of choice. I happen to like the Natural Peanut Butters.

If you don't live in a 100% gluten-free household, make 100% sure the peanut butter has not been "double dipped". The easiest way to do this is to use an un-opened jar. Crumbs from non-gluten-free bread will contaminate the peanut butter and thus making it off-limits to those following a gluten-free diet. The butter dish is another huge contamination risk - it's best to get out a fresh stick. The same contamination rules applies for the Crisco & the sugars (or any product) as well.

Yes, crumbs matter.

You can also use any gluten-free flour mix you wish. Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour Mix is readily available in most grocery stores. This recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to the type of GF flours. I use the sorghum flour to slightly boost the nutritional value.


Peanut butter cookie - top


5/7/21 - update recipe