Gluten Free Product List

Gluten Free Mixes

Fudge Brownie Mix (makes a 9 x 9 inch pan) $6.00

Muffin Mix (makes 24 muffins) $5.00

Chocolate Muffin Mix (makes 24 muffins) $5.00

Vanilla Cake/Cupcake Mix (makes 36 cupcakes or a 9 x 13" cake) $8.00

Devil's Food Cake/Cupcake Mix (makes 36 cupcakes or a 9 x 13" cake) $8.00

Daily Bread Mix (makes 2 loaves bread) $8.00

Pizza Crust Mix (makes 2-12 inch pizzas) $8.00

Gluten Free Flour Blend 2 pounds for $10.00

Gluten Free Bread

This recipe isn't original with me but is one of the first bread recipes that I tried after going gluten free.  It doesn't use a flour blend but allows you to create your own with whatever you have on hand (or your personal taste preference).  The original recipe was pretty complicated though....hopefully my simplified version will help you see how easy it is to create gluten free bread.  :o)

Spray a 9x5" loaf pan and set aside
Preheat oven to 170 degrees F.

Place in a mixing bowl and stir to combine:
1 1/4 cups gluten free flour (I usually use two different kinds--some ideas are: sorghum, teff, amaranth, quinoa, millet, coconut, almond, oat [make sure the oat flour is gluten free], or any other flour you want.
1 1/2 cups gluten free starch (2 varieties is best--can use potato starch, tapioca starch, cornstarch)
1/4 cup seeds, meal, or additional gluten free flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum or guar gum
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon (or 1 packet) yeast

Add to mixing bowl:
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
2 Tablespoons honey, agave syrup, molasses, or maple syrup
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup warm water (heated to about 115 degrees)

With paddle attachment in mixer, blend all the above ingredients at low speed for about a minute.  Change the speed to high and beat for 1-2 minutes.  Pour dough into prepared pan.  Wet your hand and smooth out the top of the dough.
Turn oven off.  Place pan in oven and allow the dough to rise in the oven for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and preheat to 375 degrees.  Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until nicely browned.  Remove from pan and set the loaf on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Doughnut Muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease 24 muffin tins or line with paper (greasing does work best for this recipe though since the muffins are glazed).

Muffin:
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups gluten free flour blend (one that contains xanthan gum already)
2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Place brown sugar in a bowl and sift the remaining dry ingredients on top of it.  Stir to combine slightly.

Add to dry ingredients in bowl:
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vinegar

Combine with a whisk or spoon to mix thoroughly.  Scoop into greased muffin tins (batter should make enough for 24 muffins)--fill tins 1/2-3/4 full.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the muffins spring back when touched or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Chocolate Glaze:
Place the following in a 1 or 2 quart saucepan:
1/4 cup butter (I used "Earth Balance" dairy free butter alternative)
1/4 cup milk (You can use coconut, soy, rice, or almond milk.  I didn't have any of those on hand so I used water and it worked just fine.)
3 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Tablespoon corn syrup

Bring the above to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and add:
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
Beat well by hand until it comes together and is smooth.  Pour into a small bowl.

Once muffins are cool, dip the tops into the glaze.  Allow to set just slightly and then top with sprinkles, nuts, or any other topping, if desired.  Otherwise, allow glaze to completely set and store in an airtight container.

Pasta E Fagioli Soup (A "Copy-Cat" Recipe for a really good soup from Olive Garden) ;o)

2 pounds ground beef (or sausage)
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped (or grated)
4 stalks celery, chopped
2-28 ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1-16 ounce can kidney beans, drained
1-16 ounce can black beans, drained
3-10 ounce cans beef stock
3 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons pepper
5 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon Tobasco sauce
1-20 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
8 ounces pasta (gluten free)

Brown beef in a skillet.  Drain fat from beef and add to crock pot with everything else except pasta.
Cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours.
Cook pasta according to package directions and add to crock pot with everything else before serving.
Serves 12-14

Not All Gluten Free Flours Are Created Equal....Are You Looking For Something Better?

Sunday afternoon I pulled out a packaged cookie from the cupboard that I had received as a sample at the Gluten Free Expo in Des Moines a couple weeks ago and was reminded of why I am putting so much effort into making my own recipes and specifically my own gluten free flour blend.  I took one bite of the sample cookie and threw the whole thing away...why?  The texture from the rice flour in the cookie was so grainy that any taste or other redeeming qualities that cookie may have had were completely lost by the horrible texture.  This brand isn't the only one out there either.  Literally almost everything available to gluten free people on the store shelves contains rice flour.  Don't take this the wrong way--I am not anti rice as a food cooked and served with some veggies or meat, but rice as a flour and used in baked goods?  Thanks, but I'll pass.

When I initially found out that I was gluten free I told myself I wasn't going to eat nasty food....I would just go without bread if grainy and dried out was the only option available.  Once I started doing some research though I realized that there ARE other options; but it seems that no one is willing to experiment with other flours and completely eliminate rice flour.  Why is that?  It doesn't make any sense.  The only answer I can come up with is that rice flour is cheap and really doesn't have any flavor....but it also doesn't really add any nutritional value either.  

Back when I first started experimenting with various recipes and flours/flour blends I didn't have much success.  I threw a number of "experiments" away...I'm not even sure some of them could be called whatever they were supposed to be.  It took me four or five times before I found a pancake that I could actually eat.  I kept experimenting with various flours and finally created a blend of eight different ingredients (and NO rice flour!) that I could use almost cup-for-cup for a regular recipe.  I say almost because while the recipes that I did try just replacing my flour blend for regular flour did work, they weren't great without a few other tweaks to the recipe.  What I love about this flour blend is that I have made several baked products that people can't even tell are gluten free--the most exciting of which is the Devil's Food Cupcake recipe I created several weeks ago.  (Anyone reading this blog that tasted my cupcakes and wants to comment that would be great!)  :o)  Previously in another blog post I gave a recipe for a simple gluten free flour mixture that can be used for recipes.  I have since created a flour blend that contains eight different ingredients and is nutritionally superior to other rice flour blends. This new flour blend has a texture very similar to regular gluten-containing flour in baked goods.

      

Braided Coffee Cake

Combine in a mixing bowl:
3 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend (one that contains xanthan gum)
1 Tablespoon yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Add the following to the mixing bowl with the flour mixture:
1 egg
4 Tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cups warm milk ("Warm" should be just warmer than body temperature or around 115 degrees if you want to be technical.)
(Side note: if you can't have milk use water--it will be just fine!  I used water for mine because I can't have any dairy.)

Combine all of the ingredients using a paddle attachment of your mixer.  The dough should come together and be kind of like play-do so you may have to add a little more flour to get to this consistency.  It will be pretty sticky still though so don't add too much flour.  Allow to rise for about an hour.

Divide dough into two pieces.  Grease a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan (12 x 18 inches).  Place one piece of dough on the pan and pat out to almost fill the whole pan (you should have 1/2 inch-1 inch of space around all the edges).  You will have to flour (gluten free of course) your hands so you don't end up with a sticky mess.  The dough will be soft.  Your finished patted dough should look like this:

Cut strips 1 inch apart on either side of the dough--about 1/3 of the way across--see picture below.

Spread one can of prepared pie filling down the center of the dough.  I used peach filling for mine and then topped with some frozen raspberries.  Check the label on the pie filling to be sure that it is gluten free--Duncan Hines/Comstock claimed to be gluten free.  I was able to find a local store brand that was gluten free.  The frozen raspberries were just something I added for fun--not necessary.  Use your imagination--apple, blueberry, cherry, peach, blackberry, etc.--or combine a couple for some fun flavors.

Starting at one end, bring one strip carefully over the filling.  Remember the dough is really soft and sticky so you have to be very careful.  You may need to use a spatula to pull the dough up from the pan.  Bring a strip from the opposite side over the filling and repeat, alternating sides to create a braid all the way to the end.  If a strip breaks, just "squish" it back together and keep going--it will be okay!

Repeat for remaining dough.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown (may take longer depending on your oven).  Allow to cool.  If desired, make a glaze with 1 cup powdered sugar and about 1 tablespoon milk or water (more or less water to desired consistency).  Drizzle over cooled coffee cake.  Enjoy!!  :o)  

   

Chicken Teriyaki

This past weekend my friend and I were able to visit Des Moines and attend the Gluten and Allergen Free Expo.  We had a wonderful time and learned lots.  If you are anywhere near Chicago and are interested in learning more about gluten and allergy free products and tips I encourage you to check out the Chicago show on April 20-21st.  Click here for more information.  The show included classes with recipes, tips, and tricks for cooking and baking gluten free.  The first class we attended was done by Mary Capone and she gave tips and tricks for breads, rolls, and flatbreads.  She made an amazing focaccia bread and served us samples with the traditional olive oil dip--yummy!  Carol Field Dahlstrom led the afternoon class and gave tips and tricks for gluten free cooking and baking.  She made her version of tabouli using cooked quinoa instead of the traditional wheat or couscous.  I thought it needed more flavor so I'm hoping to use her recipe as an idea and spice mine up a bit--it will make a great salad for the summertime.

Unfortunately my brain wasn't attached enough to think about taking pictures of the expo.  There were a number of vendors, from Hy-Vee grocery store to Udi's to little local bakeries that were making gluten free products and selling them.  I discovered a new gluten free magazine called "Delight Gluten Free" that looked very interesting--reminded me of my other favorite GF magazine, Living Without.  So, my top three favorite vendors were "Enjoy Life," "Simply Sprouted Way Better Snacks," and "San-J."  "Enjoy Life" was the first company I found that I could sample their chocolate chip cookie because it was dairy free!  I was surprised at how many vendors had very little to offer those with both a gluten and a dairy allergy even though there are many celiac people who can't have dairy.  "Simply Sprouted Way Better Snacks" had some AMAZING tortilla chips made with sprouted flax seeds, sprouted quinoa, sprouted brown rice flour, sprouted radish seeds, sprouted chia seeds, and sprouted broccoli seeds.  They had several flavors but my favorite was the "simply sunny multi-grain" with "simply so sweet chili" a close second.  So the last of my number three is "San-J"--the producers of soy sauces and various flavors of marinades and dipping sauces.  The guy at the booth (whose name I unfortunately can't remember) was fun and jumped in to help my friend convince me that these sauces were the best.  They had samples of their sauces and he told me that if I liked the sauce I tried he would give me a whole bottle of it for free....but if I didn't then I had to buy the bottle myself.  :o)  I tried the Thai Peanut sauce first and it was great--a little bit of a spicy kick with a nice peanut flavor at the end.  As promised he gave me a whole bottle for free...but then I had to try the teriyaki sauce as well.  It was so good that I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home to pick up a bottle and then made teriyaki chicken the next day for lunch--YUMMY!!!  Thought you might enjoy the recipe I used (which is SO EASY!).

Crock Pot Chicken Teriyaki

1 pound chicken, cut up into cubes
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced

Combine everything together in a crock pot.
Cook on low 4-6 hours or until chicken is cooked through.
Serve over hot cooked rice.