Pumpkin Bread

I have been thinking about what kind of treats I should make for neighborhood gifts this Christmas. I intended to give away English Toffee, but I started making it too early and ate it all. (The kids helped, of course.) Then, while walking around Costco, I sampled some pumpkin bread. My GF girls were offended that they couldn't have some, so I decided that I would make a gluten free version for them. It turned out so well that I've promoted it to "Chief Neighborhood Treat Plate Filler". Good name, huh?

I had initially intended to use my banana bread recipe and just use pumpkin instead of bananas (plus add some of the right kind of pumpkin appropriate spices). But when I started looking at pumpkin bread recipes online, I realized that they all had at least TWICE as much sugar as my banana bread and a lot more oil. I suppose that the reason for the extra sugar is because pumpkin is nowhere near as sweet as over-ripe bananas. I wasn't sure about the extra oil, but I decided it might have a good reason, too. So I took an online recipe, changed several things (used GF flours, changed the spices to match MY ideas of good pumpkin spices, etc), and baked away. The Costco version was covered with Cream Cheese Frosting. I haven't added frosting to mine because it's so darn good without it! (I must admit that my children have been having a heyday with the Nutella, though. Evidently they believe that chocolate hazelnut butter is the best accompaniment to pumpkin things ever invented. And I haven't really argued too much about it. Who could?)

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups canned pumpkin puree (practically a full 29 oz. can)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 cups white sugar
6 eggs
5 cups EGF all-purpose flour
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. mace

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 4 9x5 loaf pans. (I actually did 3 9x5 pans and then 2 4x3 pans.)

Combine pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. Mix well.

In another bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients. Add to the pumpkin mixture and blend until well combined. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake at 350 for about 60 minutes. (The top should spring back when lightly touched, and a cake tester inserted into the thickest part of the loaf should come out clean.)

Cool. Enjoy!

Is That What I Think It Is?!?!!!

Well, maybe not. This is the proof of our second cookbook. We found a few boo-boos, but once those are fixed, we are all ready to print lots and lots of them! Isn't it pretty? Well, it's prettier in person . . . but it's still pretty darn exciting!

Monster Cookies

My neighbor's son came home from school with a recipe for Monster Cookies, begging his mom to make them. Being eight months pregnant, the last thing she wanted to do was sit in the kitchen and experiment with a new cookie recipe. She called me and together we slaved over these beasts. (We didn't really, but we tell the kids that so they love us more.) Since the title implies that they are extremely large cookies, that is how I made them. You should have seen kids' delight when I handed them their gigantic treat. And the best part is that they were delicious! Even though they were big, I still ate three!

Monster Cookies

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 pkg vanilla pudding mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup m & m's
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 1/2 cups Quinoa or Gluten Free Oats
2 cups EGF all purpose flour


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheet.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, pudding mix, and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, butter, baking soda, xanthan gum, flour, and quinoa (or oats). Stir in m & m's and chocolate chips. Roll 2 inch balls and flatten on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes.

Serve with a large glass of cold milk.

Red Velvet Cake

My neighbor is six months pregnant and one day she had a really strong craving for red velvet cake. She told me that we either needed to make the cake, or she was going to go buy one and make herself sick. Needless to say, we made the cake. It turned out beautiful. The picture doesn't quite do it justice. The color was a deep red, and the cake itself tasted amazing. Happy Cooking!

Red Velvet Cake

1/2 c shortening
1 1/2 c white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp butter flavored extract
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 ounce red food coloring
2 1/2 c EGF all-purpose flour
1 c sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 Tbsp rice vinegar

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Grease round pans or cupcake pans.

Cream together shortening, white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and butter flavored extract in a large bowl.

Mix cocoa powder and food coloring into a paste in a small bowl and then add to shortening mixture. Pour in flour alternately with the sour cream, mixing until just incorporated.

Mix salt, baking soda, and vinegar in a small bowl, and while it is fizzing fold into the batter; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Pour the batter into prepared pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Easy Lemon Meringue Pie

Thanksgiving.

Just the word makes you want take a big breath and brace yourself for the chaos that always comes before the holiday. This is the holiday that is all about food. For some that can be either really satisfying or vastly disappointing. Hopefully, with the help of our recipes on our blog and website (eatingglutenfree.com), we have made the holiday easier and more enjoyable for you.

And to add to those recipes, I just made the easiest lemon meringue pie ever! It was seriously, amazing. If you have time, give it a try and let me know what you think!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Eating Gluten Free,LLC



Easy Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Filling

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Meringue Topping

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Bake pie crust

Lemon Filling: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a large saucepan.

Add egg yolks, then gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups water. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking regularly, 8- 10 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and then the butter. Pour into baked pie crust.

Meringue topping: Mix cornstarch and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan.
Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened. Remove from heat when translucent and thickened.

Preheat oven to 325.
In a large mixing bowl, mix cream of tartar and sugar together.

In mixing bowl whip egg whites until frothy. Add vanilla.
Add sugar mixture 1 Tbsp. at a time. Slowly at cornstarch mixture, 1 tbsp at a time. Whip until stiff peaks form.

Distribute meringue evenly over the top, starting with the edges, and then the middle. As you top the pie lift up the back of the spoon and create peaks in the meringue.
Bake about 20 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown.

Cool completely before serving.

Cherry Cheesecake

I am so amazing!!!


My husband love cherry cheesecake, with oreo crust, so . . since it's his birthday soon, he gets one. It looked so pretty I just had to share. Try this recipe!!!
Happy Cooking!

Cheesecake

Filling:
3 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese,softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract


Topping:
1 1/4 sour cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Choose and prepare a GF crust. (We recommend using the chocolate oreo cookies as a crust. Make it as directed, but instead of cutting it into circles, press it into a pie pan and bake at 375 for 10 minutes.)

In a large mixing bowl cream the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla.

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff. Fold egg whites into cheese mixture and pour into crust. Bake 40 minutes at 375. Cool slightly.

Mix together and pour over slightly cooled cheesecake. Bake for 10 more minutes at 375. Refrigerate for several hours. When completely cooled, top with strawberry jam or cherry pie filling

Thumbprint Cookies

These are one of my most favorite cookies. I always try to keep some frozen dough in the freezer for whenever I get the craving. – Kirsti
Thumbprint Cookies
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese
¾ c. butter*, softened
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ c. EGF All-Purpose Flour Mix ¾ tsp. xanthan gum
½ tsp. baking soda
1 c. finely chopped pecans
Raspberry or Strawberry jam

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until well blended. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla.

Gradually add the flour, xanthan gum, and baking soda. Mix well. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (This makes the dough easier to work with).

Preheat oven to 350°.

Roll dough into 1” balls. Place 2” apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Indent centers with your thumb.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven. Fill each cookie with ½–1 teaspoon of jam. Bake 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on the pan.

Variations:
Instead of using jam, try Hershey kisses, caramel, or peanut butter. You could also use the cookie dough as a base for turtle cookies (caramel, pecans, and chocolate drizzled on top), or as a base for a cream pie.

* Don’t substitute margarine in this recipe. The cookies will not turn out as good.

Bagels

These are really good with vegetable garden cream cheese or plain cream cheese and jam. The trick is to not let them rise at all and to make sure that you add more water as it boils down; otherwise they taste like baking soda. This dough also works amazingly well for calzones or bagel pizzas. Yum!

Bagels

4 ½ c. EGF All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. salt
¾ tsp. xanthan gum
1 ½ tsp. yeast
1 ½ c. warm water 1 tsp. rice vinegar
¾ c. Best Foods mayonnaise

10 c. boiling water
½ c. baking soda
2 large egg yolks, beaten

Preheat oven to 425°.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and xanthan gum; mix well. Add yeast to the top of the dry ingredients, but don’t mix in.

Pour warm water on top of the yeast and let it sit for 30 seconds. Mix on low speed until blended. Add vinegar and mayonnaise. Beat for 2–3 minutes on high speed.

Roll dough into snake-like forms, connecting the ends to form a thick bagel-shaped circle.

In a large pan, boil water and baking soda. Immediately place shaped dough in boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove it and place it on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg yolk.

Place bagels in preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes. Store in a Ziploc bag in your fridge or freezer. Reheat individually in the microwave for 20 seconds.

Variations: Add ½ c. blueberries or ¼ c. ground sundried tomatoes to the dough before baking, or try sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on the bagels once they are baked, or topping them with grated cheese.

Happy Cooking!

Peanut Butter Cookies

These are very simple gluten free and still extremely tasty! Kids love them.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. Peanut Butter
1 egg
1 c. sugar

Mix well. Roll balls of cookie dough in granulated sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press flat with a fork. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Salsa

Salsa

My mother, Vickie Rowley, is the best ever. She came up with this recipe years ago and it quickly became a family favorite. We’ve taken it to several functions and always come home with an empty jar. The best thing about it is it’s not too difficult. – Kirsti

16 c. peeled, chopped, and drained tomatoes
5 c. chopped onions
2 c. chopped green bell peppers
2 c. chopped jalapeño peppers*
12 cloves garlic, minced** 1–2 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. canning salt***
1 1/2 c. white or cider vinegar
4 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 lg. (12 oz.) cans tomato paste

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to a slow boil. Boil for 10 minutes.

Pour salsa into clean jars. Wipe the top edges of the jars with a clean cloth to remove any spilled salsa.

In a small saucepan, bring 2” of water to a simmer. Turn heat to medium low. Place jar lids in the hot water and allow them to sit for a few minutes. (This softens the seal.)

Place jar lids on jars, and screw on bands, finger tight. Process in a hot water bath canner for 40–45 minutes. Make sure that the jars are fully immersed in boiling water the whole time.

Cool. Store at room temperature.

*You may substitute another type of hot pepper for the jalapeño peppers.

** Approximately 4 Tbs. pre-minced garlic.

***This can be purchased in most grocery stores.

Russian Tea Cake Cookies /Mexican Wedding Cakes

Russian Tea Cake Cookies /Mexican Wedding Cakes


I never knew what these cookies were called until Betsy told me. I just called them the "little white ball cookies," but they actually have more than one name, and both names (tea cake cookies and wedding cookies) fit them perfectly. They are easy to make but seem a lot more elegant than a chocolate chip cookie. – Kirsti

3/4 c. soft butter
1/4 c. sour cream
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla 2 c. Featherlight mix
1/4 c. sweet rice flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
3/4 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cream together butter, sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla.

Sift together flours, xanthan gum, and pecans. Stir into butter mixture. Chill dough for 20-30 minutes.

Roll dough into 1" balls, and place 1" apart on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Roll in powdered sugar while still warm. Cool. Roll in powdered sugar a second time if desired.

Glazed Baked Doughnuts

Glazed Baked Doughnuts



It was 5:00 p.m. and I realized that tomorrow was dad's and donuts at school. On top of that my son had been invited to a birthday party, the next day, where donuts were going to be the main desert. I thought about just shrugging my shoulders and saying "oh well." But, my overactive guilt complex kicked in last minute and I decided to try throwing the cursed desert together. I did not want to be up all night frying donuts so I looked up a couple easy baked donut recipes online and went for it. They turned out better than expected, and when they were done I was extremely grateful I did not have to make donuts and cupcakes, or donuts and some other random desert. Huzzah for the overlapping of desert and activities!!

1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 c. Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. milk
3/4 tsp. xanthan gum


Glaze
4 c. powdered sugar
1 c. butter
2 tsp. vanilla
6 Tbs. hot water



Directions

Blend butter with sugar. Add the eggs and mix well.

Sift together flour,xanthan gum, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add to the butter and sugar mixture. Blend in the milk and mix together thoroughly.
Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until doughnuts are golden.
While they are still warm, dip them into the glaze mixture on both sides. Let dry completely on a wire rack.

Creamy Red Potato Salad

To start off, I must just mention how thoroughly I hate potato salad. I do not like mustard. I do not like mayo or salad dressing. I despise pickles. I do not even like to be inside a house where potatoes and eggs are cooking at the same time.

So, that being said, I will add: I LOVE this potato salad recipe, probably because it is nothing like any other potato salad I've encountered. It was brought to a family get-together by my husband's cousin, and I have no idea who initially created it, but it's genius.

Creamy Red Potato Salad

5 lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 c. diced green onions (just the green parts, though)
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix*
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. sour cream

Cut red potatoes into about 1/2 inch cubes. Place them in a big pot and cover them with hot water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer potatoes for 20 minutes or until a fork enters easily and the potatoes are soft all through. Remove from heat and drain.

In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, sour cream, and ranch dressing mix. Add green onions and crumbled bacon. Add drained potatoes and stir well, until potatoes are well coated. Serve warm, or place in the refrigerator and serve cold later.

*Make sure you check the ingredients in case of recipe changes.

Cinnamon Sugar Oat Crackers

Now that school is back in session, I'm working on making varied gluten free lunches. There are definite benefits to having my gluten free kids bring lunches from home; I know that they are getting food that tastes good, and I know that their food is truly gluten free and hasn't been cross contaminated by a poorly trained cafeteria worker. On the other hand, I do have to spend some time coming up with interesting lunch variations so they don't get bored to death with the same old same old.

When I was younger, my mother would put cream cheese frosting on graham crackers and pack them in our lunches. I decided that I would do the same for my kids . . . though it's really more of a "based on a true story" movie than a documentary. (Did that metaphor make sense? It did in my head, but now that it's out on the page it seems a little odd. Ah, well.)

So I decided to take my oat biscuit dough (which I usually have in my fridge), roll it out thin, make cinnamon-sugary crackers out of it, slap frosting on/between them, and send them off to school with them. And . . . it works! (Of course it does, don't be ridiculous.) So now I will share with you the very complex and tricky recipe for these delicious treats. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Sugar Oat Crackers

1/3 c. oat biscuit dough
3 Tbs. butter, melted
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll biscuit dough out very thinly. (If the dough has been in the refrigerator, you may want to microwave it for 10 seconds or so in order to make it easy to roll it out.) Spread the melted butter over the surface of the dough.

In a small bowl (or ziplock bag), combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on the butter. (You won't need to use all the cinnamon sugar. Save the rest for another day.)



Use a pizza cutter (or a knife, if you insist) to cut the dough into whatever size of crackers you'd like.

Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, until cracker edges are browned and crackers are crispy. Remove from oven and cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting or eat plain.

Party Cheese Spread

Here is a recipe that is quick and easy. The kids will love it and its perfect for a party!

8 oz. Cream Cheese
2 cups Shredded Cheese
2 Tbs. Dry GF Ranch powder

Mix it all together in a heavy mixer. And spread on GF crackers and Enjoy!

Coconut Curry

This recipe comes from Jessica Harmon, one of my good friends. Feel free to adapt it according to your own personal taste. – Kirsti

4 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced small
1 Tbs. fresh ginger, grated
1 Tbs. garlic
1 Tbs. red curry paste
1 Tbs. sugar
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk salt and pepper, to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 (15 oz.) mini corn, chopped or whole
½ c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 Tbs. chopped cilantro (optional)

In a saucepan place 2 tablespoons of oil, onion, ginger, garlic, red curry paste, and sugar. Sauté for one minute. Add coconut milk, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the chicken breasts into ½” cubes. In a large frying pan heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, then add chicken. Cook just until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Add zucchini and corn. Cook about 3 minutes more, then add curry sauce and cherry tomatoes. Heat through. Add cilantro just before serving.

Serve over brown or white rice.

Blender Pancakes with Berry Syrup

Hello, again! Long time no see. I've been family reunioning and recuperating from family reunioning for the last several weeks. As you will no doubt have realized, I haven't been posting anything. I thought about going in and typing up several posts and fiddling with the posting dates so it would LOOK as though I had been posting things, but I decided that I just couldn't stoop to that kind of subterfuge. Besides, that would mean that I would have to type up lots of recipes, and I just wasn't feeling it. So instead I'm just going to say: "Vacation was fun!" and start working on being reliable again.

This is a recipe that my mother-in-law makes with whole wheat. When we got home I tried it with gluten free whole oats (also knows as oat groats), and they were just as yummy. Let me know what you think!

Blender Pancakes

2 c. milk
1 1/3 c. whole oats*
2 eggs
3/4 c. oil
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum

Place oats and milk in a blender. Blend on medium high speed for 4 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend on high speed until combined. Bake on a 350 degree griddle. Serve with Berry Syrup and whipped cream.**

*I have used gluten free rolled oats instead, but the texture wasn't quite the same. They baked differently. I'm going to keep experimenting, though, because the gf rolled oats are much easier to find than the whole oats.

**I actually use cool whip 'cause it's faster.


Berry Syrup

2 c. frozen berries (I used a Triple Berry Blend from Costco)
1 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. water
2 Tbs. sugar
1 dash cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Blend with a stick blender or regular blender.

Funnel Cake

A week or so ago, the city of Orem threw their "Summerfest" party. It's several days of baby contests, carnival rides, fireworks, and (of course) carnival foods. I managed to keep my kids out of the food areas this year, but those fair-time food smells (mostly of things frying!) sort of lingered over the whole park. I would almost never buy carnival food at a carnival even if we didn't have our gluten issues, because I am too thrifty; I just can't imagine paying $4 for something that I KNOW costs no more than 20 cents to make! But the smells are certainly enticing.

So . . . I come home and make gluten free versions! It's much cheaper and tastes just as good. (In fact, last year I shared our gluten free funnel cakes with my neighbor's family. She'd never had funnel cakes before, but after eating mine she said: "Oh, great. Now I'm going to have to buy these the next time I go to a carnival.")

Let us know what you think!

Funnel Cake

3 C. EGF all-purpose flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
¼ c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
3 eggs
2 c. milk


Mix together dry ingredients. Whisk eggs and milk into dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into a drink bottle with a squeeze top. (A clean, empty syrup bottle or dish soap bottle would also work. Or you can use a funnel, covering the bottom of the funnel with your finger when you don’t want the batter dripping into the oil, but it’s messier and irritating, and I’d suggest NOT using a funnel if you can avoid it.)

Squeeze batter into hot oil, using a spiral motion, and overlapping the lines of batter. (If you just do concentric circles, you won’t be able to turn it over; it will just fall apart.) Fry to a golden brown (about 2 minutes per side.)

Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve hot or let them cool a bit first.

New Bread Recipe

We have never been completely satisfied with our current bread recipe so over the past couple of months we have been doing what we do best . . . experimenting. This is Betsy's latest test, and we think it may be the winner, but we want your feedback, so please let us know what worked and what did not.

Betsy's New Bread Recipe

3 c. flour mix (I do 2 GF & 1 Featherlight, but other combos should work)
¼ c. sugar
1 ½ tsp. xanthan gum
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. yeast
1 ¼ c. warm water
¼ c. oil
1 tsp. rice vinegar
2 eggs

Combine flour, sugar, xanthan, and salt. Pour yeast on top. Don’t mix it in.

Combine water, oil, vinegar, and eggs. Pour on top of yeast. Let sit for 3 – 5 minutes. Mix on low until combined. Scrape edges. Mix on high for 3 minutes.

Spoon into greased pans (makes 1 ½ loaves about). Cover. Let rise in warmish place for 40 minutes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Crepes

It's summer!!!

What better way to celebrate than making, and especially eating, crepes! My children love to fill them with whipping cream and strawberries. My husband likes them with bananas and chocolate. With this recipe, how you serve them is up to you. Happy Cooking!

Crepes

3 c. milk
6 eggs
1 Tbs. melted butter or oil
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. xanthan gum
1 c. Featherlight mix
½ c. GF mix

In a large bowl, beat milk, eggs, and melted butter until smooth. Slowly add salt, xanthan gum and flours. Mix until the batter is the consistency of heavy cream.

Heat a 6-inch crepe pan or a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. (If your pan is older, it sometimes helps to spray it with non-stick cooking spray.) Spoon 2 to 4 tablespoons of batter into the bottom of the pan. Move pan from side to side to coat bottom.

Brown the crepe on one side and then flip with a spatula and brown the other side. Keep warm in the oven. Serve with your favorite toppings.

These can be frozen to use later. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Makes approximately 15 crepes.

Topping Ideas: whipped cream, any fresh fruit, cinnamon and sugar, syrup, butter, chicken, sausage and eggs, tomatoes and bacon, powdered sugar, hard boiled eggs, cream cheese and jam.

Seven Layer Dip

Ha ha! Two posts in one weekend! I feel very productive. This is a quick holiday side dish that is a perennial favorite at my house. In fact, my 2 year old was eating it out of the pan with a spoon today. Fabulous with corn chips, this is a great barbeque side dish.

Seven Layer Dip

2 cans refried beans
1 recipe guacamole
1 cup sour cream
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 can olives, sliced
1 medium tomato, diced
2 green onions, diced

Layer ingredients (in order) in a 9x13 pan. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Guacamole

This is not an in-depth recipe. It doesn't take a lot of time or a lot of ingredients. But it's WAY better (and much cheaper) than store bought guacamole, takes only a few minutes, and is a great holiday barbeque side dish. Oh, and P.S., on Monday I'll post my 7 layer dip recipe. Also not hard, but delicious.




Guacamole

2 medium avocados (ripe)*
2 tsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 dashes hot sauce















Slice avocados in half. Use a spoon to remove the insides of the avocados.















Remove and discard the pits. Place the insides of the avocados in a medium bowl.















Add lime juice, salt, and hot sauce. Mash and stir until well mixed and mostly smooth.















Keep tightly covered in the refrigerator.

*Ripe avocados are a dark green color and are slightly soft when gently pressed. If they are mooshy or starting to smell funny, they are too ripe. Buy a different one.

Black Bean Salmon

Some people are not fish people. I am not one of those people. I used to be one of those people, but lately, I am really liking the fish. If you, however, are still one of those people, feel free to disregard the following recipe. If you are not one of those people, try this recipe, it is sooooooo yummy. (Notice how many o's I put in that "so"). - Kirsti

Salmon with Black Blean Salsa

Salmon

5–6 salmon fillets
2 Tbs. lemon pepper
¼ c. gluten-free soy sauce*
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 Tbs. olive oil

Make sure salmon is completely defrosted.

Rub lemon pepper onto the salmon. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, and oil.

Place sauce and salmon into a Ziploc bag and marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge. Place marinated salmon onto a shallow baking dish. Pour remaining marinade on top of the fish.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Bake salmon 15–18 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork.



Salsa

2 c. BLACK BEANS (1 can)
1 red onion, chopped
1 Roma tomato
1/4 c. corn
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbs. lime juice
Salt
Pepper

Mix all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.


Spoon generously on top of the salmon and serve.

Coconut Macaroons

Oh, glory. How did it get to be Friday? I have no idea where this week went. Between the peanut butter filled chocolate roses, the mounds-bar-type-filling filled roses, and the fabric partially-sewn-but-kind-of-held-together-with-hot-glue daisies (Teacher Appreciation Week . . .), the whole week has just disappeared. So, in keeping with the "I don't have enough time to do anything" theme, I am posting a quick, quick recipe.

I've tried other recipes for macaroons, but have always been rather underwhelmed. One was so sticky that they wouldn't come off the parchment paper, and the other was more like meringue. (Is that right? Meringue? Merengue? I'm too lazy to open a Word document and use the spell checker to check.) These, however, tasted just like I wanted them to. In fact, if I had more of them right now, I think that I would probably eat them for breakfast. (That is, I would eat them for breakfast if I weren't restricting my sugar intake. But I am, so I wouldn't. Eat them. Probably.) They spread out a little oddly at the bottom, which I'm thinking is because of the lack of gluten to help hold the egg whites together inside the cookie. I'll make them again one of these days and see if they need xanthan gum or if they'll be just fine if I smoosh the cookies down a bit before baking. Maybe one of you will try it and let me know what you find out . . . . In the meantime, this is how I made them.

Coconut Macaroons

1 small bag (7 oz.) coconut
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. potato starch
1/4 tsp. salt
3 egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (in a pinch you could grease your cookie sheet, but I don't know how well they'll release).

Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Drop 1" balls of the mixture on the cookie sheet, 1.5 to 2 inches apart. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes (edges will be light brown). Cool on a wire rack.

Family Dessert Night

So, on Easter I invited a lot of my extended family over for dessert. It seemed like a good idea. I still maintain that it was a good idea. But, oh, the temporary insanity it caused. Oh, my.

For the following story to be as funny to you as it was to me, I must make several things clear from the outset. First of all, I have a very large extended family. I knew people in high school who complained about how much they disliked attending family reunions because "I have like 10 cousins and I don't know any of them." I marvelled at such statements, partly because I love family reunions, but mostly because I know and love most of my approximately 100 first cousins (about 50 on each side of my family). Not very many of them live here in Utah, but since we are all getting older and having our own children, family gatherings can get pretty large very quickly. I knew that I would be feeding about 30 people - give or take a few. The second thing that made my adventure so adventurous is that I don't go shopping on Sundays unless someone becomes suddenly ill and needs medicine. I just don't. It is part of my personal committment to keep the Sabbath Day holy. The final crazy-maker may sound like a nonsensical thing, but it is almost the crux of the whole story: I went on vacation to Washington for spring break and spent a week at my mother's house. We returned from this trip just one week before our story opens . . .

So, on Easter Sunday I invited a lot of my extended family over for dessert. I told everyone that I would be making strawberry pizza (mmmmmm) and something else. Most people volunteered to bring something to share as well, but I was going to be the main dessert maker. This was not going to be a big deal. I like baking and making desserts, and I always have all sorts of dessert-type ingredients on hand. I am one of the few people I know who generally has 5 or 6 boxes of cream cheese in the fridge just in case I get an uncontrollable urge to make cheesecake or something equally as yummy. To make a 13 x 18 pan of Strawberry Pizza, for example, I knew that I would need 3 boxes of cream cheese - one for the crust and 2 for the sweet cream cheese layer betweeen the crust and the berries. This was not a big deal. I knew that I had purchased 3 boxes of cream cheese on a recent shopping trip, had used a couple and had then gone back and purchased 3 more. I was set. In fact I knew that I had enough cream cheese in my fridge to make a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting as well, so that became our "other dessert."

Well, I got my children working on the parts of the desserts that they were capable of helping me with. Three of them began cutting up strawberries and the oldest began putting together the carrot cake. (It's a wonderful carrot cake. My father's sister (who doesn't eat gluten free) says it is the best carrot cake she has ever had.) I helped my 12 year old grind up the carrots, then let her go to town mixing together the rest of the ingredients. Meanwhile, I went to the fridge to pull out the cream cheese.

This is where our troubles began. You remember how I told you that I knew I had purchased lots of cream cheese? You also remember how I told you that I had been visiting my mother in Washington state? Yeah. All the cream cheese that I distinctly remembered purchasing was (and still is, for all I know) in my mother's refrigerator. I had 2 boxes of cream cheese in the fridge, but this was not enough to make the strawberry pizza, let alone the frosting for a 13 x 18 carrot cake. Aaaaand this was Sunday (when I don't go shopping), and Easter (when most of my baking neighbors were gone visiting their own families). *Sigh*

So I got on the phone and managed to find one friend who had one package of cream cheese that I could borrow. (If she had wanted, I would now be obligated to give her my next born child. Fortunately she has several of her own and is uninterested in obtaining more at this time.) Now I had 3 packages of cream cheese . . . but I needed 5. So I decided to improvise. If I just frosted the cake very lightly, I could get away with only using one package of cream cheese in the frosting, so then I would only need 4 boxes total. I decided that I would try to make the crust for the pizza just using butter (omitting the cream cheese). Okay. We would be fine. Except that I got the proportions wrong somehow, and the crust (containing a full pound of butter) turned into a bubbling mess that was nothing like a crust. *Sigh*

Okay. I'd have to make another crust and just do a really thin cream cheese layer. First though (as it was getting rather late) I'd have to make the glaze for the strawberries. This was when I discovered that I had less than one cup of sugar left in the house. Don't ask me how this happened, because I really don't know. I buy sugar 25 lbs. at a time. I keep extra bags in my basement. Just one day earlier I had asked Troy to double check on the amount of sugar we had left. And I was still out of sugar. With 30 people coming over for dessert. *Sigh*

Do you know how hard it is to make a dessert when you have no sugar?!? I did a frantic mental search of my recipes, trying to come up with something sweet that didn't require sugar or too much cream cheese. The only thing I could come up with was Cocoa Pebbles treats. That was okay, though. I like Cocoa Pebbles treats, and I had recently purchased 2 boxes of Pebbles, too. So I got started on them (using my gigantic Campfire marshmallows because I didn't have any smaller ones), only to find (when I sent children downstairs to fetch the cereal) that my Cocoa Pebbles were chillin' with my cream cheese. At my mother's house. In Washington. *Sigh*

So I added some peanut butter to my melted marshmallow goop, hoping to make something similar to Chocolate Scotcharoos. FYI: That doesn't work very well. *Sigh*

So I made the frosting for the carrot cake (which turned out beautifully), and frosted the cake. Then, with about 15 minutes left before everyone was supposed to be showing up, I remembered that my microwave caramel corn recipe only needs brown sugar, which I had in abundance. Okay. Here we go! Microwave caramel corn! Yeah. Scorched it. Not irreparably, but STILL! Like the first 18 disasters weren't enough! *Sigh*

So I took the remaining cream cheese and combined it with some marshmallow creme that I had sitting in the pantry (past its "Best By" date, but still as fluffy and fresh as that stuff ever is) and made fruit dip for the 2 lbs. of sliced strawberries that were sitting on the table. And then my daughter asked if the microwave popcorn were done and I said "Yes, get it out," and she got it out, and the heavy glass carousel tray came out, too, and fortunately missed her foot on its way to shattering. *Sigh*

And just about then my family arrived, and a good time was had by all, probably due to the fabulousness of the carrot cake. The end.

So here's the recipe for the carrot cake. Enjoy!

Carrot Cake

2 c. EGF all-purpose flour mix
3/4 tsp. xanthan gum
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
3 c. finely shredded carrots*
1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 recipe cream cheese frosting

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan.

Combine dry ingredients. Add carrots, oil, and eggs. Beat on low until well combined. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 35-40 minutes, until the edges of the cake start to pull away from the pan and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.

Frost with cream cheese frosting.

*You'll need 5 or 6 large carrots. Peel them first. Then either shred them finely or chop them to tiny bits in a food processor. I always use the food processor, as I am always in a hurry.

Banana Muffins

Did you miss me last week? I am currently recovering from the aftereffects of a Spring Break jaunt to Washington State. It was a lovely trip, but bookended by 12 hour drives with 5 young girls (which inevitably means a bajillion potty breaks). There are still a couple of unpacked suitcases scattered around the house because the older girls are supposed to unpack their own clothes and I haven't yet begun to breathe down their necks about it. Tonight, my pretties! The end of suitcase procrastination is nigh!

Speaking of procrastination . . . I didn't post a recipe during Spring Break (which I feel was practically justifiable), and here it is Wednesday and I still haven't posted one for this week either. I feel (almost) guilty, and will repair the omission at once. This recipe was modified by my brother-in-law, then my mother-in-law, then myself. (I love hand-me-down recipes!) They are my absolute favorite banana muffins, and (thanks to Spring Break) I have some overripe bananas sitting on the counter just waiting to be muffinized. (Also some not-quite-bad milk that needs to be used in frozen waffles.) Baking time today!

Banana Muffins

1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. mashed bananas
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt
4 c. EGF All-Purpose Flour Mix
2 tsp. xanthan gum

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease (or line with paper liners) 2 muffin pans.

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and blend well. Mix in mashed bananas.

In another bowl combine the dry ingredients, then add them to the banana mixture. Mix until well blended.

Fill muffin cups ½ - ⅔ full. Bake for 25 -30 minutes.*

*Mini-muffins will only need to bake for about 15 minutes.

Chocolate Scotcharoos

When I was in the second grade (Mrs. Hanratty's class, and she was the best teacher ever!), we made a class cookbook. One of the boys (I think his name was Jimmy) submitted a recipe called "Chocolate Scotcharoos." I never tried it because 1.) it was submitted by a boy (ewwww), and 2.) I didn't think it sounded very good. It wasn't until I had been married for several years that I learned my mistake.

I'm not positive where or when I acquired this recipe. It's on an 8.5 by 1.5" piece of paper. It's folded and oil/water/mystery ingredient spattered, and has been written on with blue ball point. It has been well used, 'cause it's delicious. I made some about a week ago, and my sister (as she reached for more) said: "This was a bad idea." My 6th grader took one to school in her lunch and shared it with her friends. Now I have been requested to supply 8 or 9 copies of the recipe! I've had people tell me: "I've been looking for this recipe for years!" And if you weren't looking for this recipe . . . well, maybe you should have been!

Chocolate Scotcharoos

1 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
1 c. peanut butter
8 c. corn or rice chex
1 c. milk chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips*

Combine sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Let it boil for about 20 seconds, then remove it from the heat. Stir in the peanut butter.

Place the cereal in a large bowl. Pour the peanut butter syrup mixture over the cereal and stir well. Press lightly onto a buttered (or parchment paper lined) pan. (I generally spread mine in a 13x18" cookie sheet.)

Combine chocolate and butterscotch chips in a microwaveable bowl. Heat the chips in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring gently after each time, just until melted. (This usually takes about 1.5 minutes.) Spread chocolate mixture over the cereal. Cool until chocolate is set. Cut into bars and serve.

*Hershey's are currently gluten free. Nestle's, however, contain barley, so don't use them!

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

This is one of the recipes I taught at our class last night. As anyone who really loves me (and was therefore at my class) will tell you, it was FABULOUS. The strawberry pie was also really good . . . but you'll have to wait for another week or so before I post that one. Don't you wish you'd been at Macey's with me last night?

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

1 c. gluten free oreo cookie dough
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
½ - ¾ c. sugar*
1 - 1 ½ c. heavy cream
1 Tbs. Mrs. Richardson's Fudge sauce**
peanut butter cups (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Press cookie dough evenly into a 9" pie plate, covering the bottom and the sides. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, or until the cookie dough doesn't smoosh under your fingers when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly.

Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, cream together cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Add cream and whisk on high speed until the mixture thickens and gets kind of fluffy. (This only takes about a minute with my mixer, but it's a really good one.)

Spread filling into cooled crust. Drizzle with warmed fudge sauce (I put it in a sandwich bag and microwave it for 5 seconds, then poke a hole in the bag with a toothpick and squeeze lines of fudge sauce over the pie). Garnish with chopped peanut butter cups.

Serve.

*If you’ve got a big sweet tooth, use the larger amount of sugar.

**I have this in my fridge all the time, which is why I used it in this recipe. You can use Hershey's syrup if you want, but I won't guarantee that it will taste as good!

Lemon Cake

I was going to post a picture of this cake and after it was all baked and beautifully glazed. I went and grabbed my camera only to discover that it's batteries were dead. No problem, I'd use the camera feature on my video camera . . also dead. I still wasn't worried cause I had my old digital camera. Dead as well.

I tried to persuade my children not to touch the cake until the batteries on one of the cameras had charged, but the next time I turned around a huge piece was missing. So, I threw my hands up into the air and we all ate cake. I guess if you want to see a picture of the cake, you have to make it and take it with your camera . . unless it's battery is dead as well? Enjoy! –Kirsti

Lemon Cake

¾ c. butter
3 eggs
2 c. Featherlight mix
½ c. GF mix
1 tsp. xanthan gum
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 ¼ c. sugar
1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. lemon instant pudding mix
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 ¼ c. milk

Icing:
4 c. confectioners’ sugar
½ c. butter
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. milk

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 9x13 sheet cake pan.

Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temp for 30 minutes. Combine flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Using a mixer, cream butter, sugar, and pudding mix for 2 to 3 minutes on high speed. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mix and milk, ending with flour. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes.

While the cake is baking, combine all the icing ingredients and mix well. As soon as you pull the cake out from the oven, take a fork and poke holes all over the top of the cake. Immediately ice the cake while it is still warm, so that the icing melts and turns into a glaze.

Cool and serve with whipped cream.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

Okay, I admit it. I don't blog as frequently as I should. And the only reason we've been posting a recipe a week so far this year is because Kirsti is really good at making me feel motivated. So I will readily admit to cheating a little bit and posting two recipes (which actually belong together) as separate posts. I excuse myself to myself on the grounds that someone else might be looking for this frosting recipe for use on a different cake than the one that I used it on, so it really is justifiable to pretend that I've written two distinct posts this week. Right? Right??

Hey! Is anyone even listening to me? *sigh*

Coconut Pecan Frosting

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 c. brown sugar
2 c. coconut
1 c. chopped pecans

Heat butter and evaporated milk over medium high heat until butter melts. Turn off heat. Add brown sugar and stir until the sugar crystals are mostly all dissolved. (The mixture shouldn't feel gritty when you you stick a finger into it.) (Not that I am suggesting that you should stick a finger into it . . . at least, not while it's still really hot, and definitely not while anyone else is looking.)

Add coconut and chopped pecans. Mix well. Stick it in the fridge to cool completely. Stir again before covering your cake with it.

Oh, and you might want to double the recipe. One recipe is just enough to cover a 9x13" cake. But who doesn't need leftovers of this, huh?

Coconut Cream Cake

Yesterday we decided to celebrate the (tentative) arrival of spring weather by having some neighborhood friends over for a Dessert Night. There were 19 kids around the swingset having a good time, and the party didn't break up until my barefoot toes began to freeze and the several of the kids began (literally) howling at an imaginary moon. (It only took an hour and 15 minutes to get to that point, but it was fun while it lasted, anyway!)

I made a Peanut Butter Cup Pie and this Coconut Cream cake, neither of which survived the evening. I guess they must have been as good as I thought they were!

Coconut Cream Cake

¾ c. butter, softened
1 ¼ c. sugar
1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. instant coconut cream pudding mix*
2 c. Featherlight mix
½ c. GF mix
1 tsp. xanthan gum
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 ¼ c. milk

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 9x13" cake pan.

Cream together butter, sugar, and dry pudding mix. Add all dry ingredients and mix together with a stand mixer until it resembles small crumbs. (This might work with a hand mixer . . . I just don't know because I haven't tried it.) Add eggs, vanilla, and milk. Beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed for about 3 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely. Top with Coconut Pecan Frosting (which I have posted in a separate post, so as to make myself feel more productive).

Cornbread

It's been one of those weeks, so this post is coming out on Tuesday instead of Monday. But it's still yummy! - Betsy

Cornbread

1 c. corn meal
1 c. Featherlight flour mix
½ tsp. xanthan gum
2 - 4 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 c. milk
¼ c. oil
1 egg

Preheat oven to 425º.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix milk, oil, and eggs. Slowly add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Beat on high speed approximately 1 minute (until it’s well blended). Pour batter into a well greased 8x8 or 9x13 pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes for an 8x8 pan or 12-15 minutes for a 9x13 pan.

Biscuit Coffee Cakes

When I was in 6th grade, I took a couple of cooking classes. Those classes taught me a number of important things. First of all, never never never cook with expired clams. Secondly, seaweed is a comestible (I refuse to call it food) that I do not want to eat again. Finally, refrigerator biscuits dipped in butter and brown sugar taste really good.

While gluten free refrigerator biscuits do not, to my knowledge, exist, the good news is that I have found a gluten free biscuit recipe that I love and which works just as well. My sister and her husband created this recipe after she discovered that she is allergic to rice. Until I tasted these, I had resigned myself to the fact that I was always going to hate gluten free biscuits. They never had the right texture or flavor, and I had mostly given up trying. Since my sister shared these with me, though, I've begun to make biscuits about once a week. They're not only quick and easy, but they taste wonderful!

Mette's Oat Biscuits (and Betsy's Biscuit Coffee Cakes)

1 1/2 c. GF Oat Flour*
1 c. cornstarch
3/4 c. tapioca starch
1/4 c. potato starch
2 Tbs. potato flour
2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 Tbs. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
6 Tbs. butter flavored shortening
6 Tbs. butter or margarine
1 1/4 c. milk (or dairy free substitute)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add shortening and butter. Mix on medium speed until shortening is blended in. (Mixture will look like small crumbs.) Add milk. Mix until well combined. Let sit for a couple of minutes. Gather dough into a ball.**

Press some of the biscuit dough out on a flat piece of parchment paper (or a lightly floured*** surface) about 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until doubled in size and lightly browned.

To make Biscuit Coffee Cakes, cut out biscuits as directed above. Dip both sides of each biscuit in melted butter. Place each biscuit face down in brown sugar, then place the biscuits brown-sugar-side up on a baking sheet or pie plate. (The biscuits may be placed touching each other or with space between them.) Bake for about 15 minutes.


*I make this at home by taking my gluten free oats (which cost $3.00 a pound, unfortunately) and grinding them finely in a blender. I really like them to be ground very finely, but you can leave some slightly larger bits if you'd like.

**These biscuits taste best fresh, but the unused dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. So place leftover dough in a Ziploc bag, seal it tightly, throw it in your fridge, and make biscuits in moments any day of the week. Refrigerator biscuits ahoy!

***I'd use featherlight mix or cornstarch. Well, actually, I'd use parchment paper cause it's really easy to clean up, but I think that featherlight or cornstarch would work the best if you want to choose the "lightly floured surface" route.

Lettuce Wraps

After trying these at PF Chang’s, I knew I had to be able to make this particular dish at home.– Kirsti

4 Tbs. soy sauce
4 Tbs. brown sugar
½ tsp. rice vinegar
3 Tbs. oil
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 c. water chestnuts (optional)
1 ½ c. diced mushrooms
1–2 celery stalks, minced
6 Tbs. diced sweet onions
2 tsp. minced garlic
5–10 iceberg lettuce leaves

Sauce
¼ c. sugar
½ c. water
2 Tbs. soy sauce
¾ Tbs. rice vinegar
2 Tbs. ketchup
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. sriracha sauce*


Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil on medium high. Sauté chicken breasts 4–5 minutes per side or until done. Remove pan from the heat and allow chicken to cool. As the chicken cools, mince water chestnuts, mushrooms, celery, and onion to the size of small peas. When cooled, mince chicken to the same size.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, if needed. Return pan to medium-high heat and stir-fry the chicken and vegetables, adding the soy sauce mixture after about 1 minute.

In a small saucepan, mix together all the ingredients for the sauce. Heat the sauce just until it boils. Turn off heat. Add ½ the sauce to the chicken mixture.** Simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve the chicken mixture wrapped in lettuce leaves with the remaining sauce on the side.

*This is a hot sauce that I buy from Gifts of Nature (online). You can use another type of hot sauce if you like.

** If desired, you can mix all of the sauce directly into the chicken mixture.

Oreo Pie

My neighbor Cyndi invented a recipe for Oreo Pie that is to die for. It is so good that I can't even think of appropriate descriptions. She was kind enough to tell me her secrets so I could make a gluten free one. (Her only stipulation was: "If you get to be a millionaire off of this, I want royalties!") I changed things a little, but this is essentially her creation. Thanks for sharing, Cyndi!


Oreo Pie

about 1 c. gluten free oreo cookie dough
8 oz. cream cheese
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 - 3/4 c. sugar (depending on how big your sweet tooth is)
a bunch* of gluten free oreos
1 - 1 1/2 c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375.

Press cookie dough evenly into a 9" pie plate, covering the bottom and the sides. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, or until the cookie dough doesn't smoosh under your fingers when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly.

Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, cream together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Add oreos and mix well, leaving some larger pieces of cookie. Add cream and whisk on high speed until the mixture thickens and gets kind of fluffy. (This only takes about a minute with my mixer, but it's a really good one. It might take a little longer with a kitchen-aid.)

Spread filling into cooled crust. Garnish with additional oreos. Serve. Try not to eat the whole thing by yourself.

*This is a technical term that means "as many as you want." Cyndi says she uses a full pound of regular oreos. I probably used about half that much. I rolled about 2 cups of cookie dough out flat in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, baked it until it was firm in the middle, cut it into big rectangles with a cookie cutter, let it cool, filled them with lots of oreo filling, then threw them into the mixer.

Flour Mixes

Okay. It has come to my attention that I have made it rather difficult to find the recipes that I posted for the flour mixes that we are constantly referring to. I'm not really sure how I came to do that. I'm sure that I didn't MEAN to do that. But, however that may be, I am going to remedy the problem right now. So sorry!

The first two mixes listed below were created by Bette Hagman, one of the pioneering writers of gluten free cookbooks. (She wrote the Gluten Free Gourmet cookbooks.) The third is the combination of flours that Kirsti and I use most often. We find that it replicates the taste and texture of "regular" flours better than any other combinations we've tried. The fourth recipe is a pretty darn close approximation of our 3 to 1 combination, but without having to take the time to mix up the two flour combinations separately first. The fourth recipe is the one I use most frequently.

If you would prefer to buy the flour mix already mixed, you can purchase it from gfpreppers.com.


GF Mix

6 c. rice flour
2 c. potato STARCH*
1 c. tapioca starch


Featherlight Mix
1 c. rice flour
1 c. tapioca starch
1 c. cornstarch
1 Tbs. potato FLOUR*


EGF All Purpose Flour Mix

3 c. Featherlight mix
1 c. GF mix


EGF All Purpose Flour Mix

5 c. Rice flour
3 1/3 c. Tapioca starch
3 c. Cornstarch
2/3 c. Potato starch
3 Tbs. Potato flour

I mix up large batches of flour mixes at one time and keep them in my cabinet.

*Potato flour is not the same as potato starch. Make sure you use the right one!

French Bread

We taught this recipe at our last class and it was a huge success! I thought I'd post it here, just in case you weren't able to come to our last class.

I came up with this recipe one night when I was in a hurry. We were eating lasagna, and I wanted bread, but I didn't want to go to the trouble of making breadsticks; I just wanted something I could slap on a pan, let rise, and cook. That night I fed my family plus four other adult guests and five extra children. The bread was the first thing gone! – Kirsti

French Bread

3 c. EGF All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbs. xanthan gum
1 packet Knox gelatin (unflavored)
1 Tbs. egg replacer
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. powdered milk*
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 ½ Tbs. yeast
1 ⅓ c. warm water
3 egg whites (from large eggs)
1 tsp. rice vinegar
¼ c. canola oil

Preheat oven to 425°.

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Sprinkle yeast on top of dry ingredients but don’t mix it in. Pour warm water on top of yeast and let it sit for 1–2 minutes. Add rice vinegar and oil; beat for about 30 seconds. With your mixer on low speed, add egg whites one at a time. Turn mixer on high speed and beat for 4–5 minutes. The dough should be thick but not dry and crumbly. If it is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it forms a ball.

On a greased cookie sheet, form the dough in a long oval. (Wet your fingers with water to smooth out the top.) Let rise for 20 minutes.

Bake 25–30 minutes, or until the loaf is nicely browned and makes a hollow sound when tapped.

Cool for 10 minutes. Cut open and cover with garlic spread.

* Vance’s Foods nondairy milk works really well in this recipe.

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches

My neighbor and good friend called me in a panic one night. Her 15-year-old sister really wanted a spicy chicken sandwich that tasted just like Wendy’s for her birthday dinner, and she didn’t know where to start. I looked up some recipes, and we went from there. They turned out fabulous! Her sister loved them. So, if you are missing that spicy chicken sandwich, give this recipe a try! – Kirsti


Spicy Chicken Sandwiches

7 chicken breasts
⅓ c. chipotle hot sauce
⅔ c. water
6 c. oil
1 c. EGF All-Purpose Flour
2 ½ tsp. garlic salt
4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. paprika
7 GF hamburger buns
Shredded lettuce
Mayonnaise

Mix the chipotle sauce and water in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, garlic salt, cayenne, pepper, and paprika.

Cut the chicken breasts so they are half as thick. Then cut them in half width-wise so each piece will fit easily on a bun. Use the flat side of a meat tenderizer to pound each piece of chicken until flat.

Dip each piece of chicken first into the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients, and then the dry again to completely coat them in batter.

Deep-fry each piece of chicken until cooked all the way through, approximately 4–5 minutes.

Serve on top of a gluten-free bun with mayonnaise and lettuce.

Makes 21 sandwiches (Freeze leftovers and reheat them for 20 minutes at 350 degrees).

Churros

I wanted to make these gluten free from the first time I tasted them. I went online and looked at recipes, and this is what I came up with. They were surprisingly easy, and I’m now kicking myself for waiting so long. My only advice is to make sure you don’t add too much cinnamon, because sometimes more is not better. – Kirsti

Churros

1 c. water
2 Tbs. brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
⅓ c. butter
¼ tsp. xanthan gum
1 c. EGF All-Purpose Flour
2 eggs
½ tsp. vanilla
¼ sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
4 c. Vegetable oil

Preheat 4 cups of vegetable oil in a 10–12” frying pan or a deep-fryer. In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the water, brown sugar, salt, and butter and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and add the flour and xanthan gum. Mix by hand until well blended.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and vanilla together. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until all the egg is completely mixed in.

Fill a decorating tool (I used one from Pampered Chef), or a Ziploc bag with a hole cut in the end, with the dough. Attach the largest star tip you have to the decorating tool, Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off, or pastry bag. Fill the bag with the dough.

Test your oil by placing a small amount of dough in it. If the oil is hot enough, the dough will bubble up to the surface right away. Once the oil is hot enough, squeeze 4” long lines of dough into the oil. Use a butter knife to release the dough from the decorator tip.

Cook about 1 minute and then turn with a slotted spoon. Cook an additional minute or two until golden brown. Remove the churros with the slotted spoon and allow them to drain on paper towels.

While still warm, roll each churro the cinnamon sugar until coated.

These are great hot or cold! For a fabulous cold-weather treat, serve with hot chocolate and whipped cream.

Pumpkin Muffins

I needed something to make with the extra pumpkin I had in the fridge, and since it was close to Halloween I decided on pumpkin muffins. It took several tries to get these right, but I eventually did and they are yummy. – Kirsti


Pumpkin Muffins

½ c. butter or margarine
1 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ c. canned pumpkin
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. xanthan gum
½ c. sour cream
2 c. EGF All-Purpose Flour*
1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cloves
Chocolate chips (optional)
½ c. milk

Preheat oven to 375°.

Grease muffin pans (12–18 regular or 24 mini muffins).

Using an electric mixer, whip the butter until creamy. Add the sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in pumpkin, vanilla, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, sour cream, and spices. Alternately add flour and milk, mixing well after each addition.

Bake 15–20 minutes for mini muffins and 25–30 minutes for regular muffins.

* Make this by combining 1 1/2 c. featherlight mix and 1/2 c. GF mix.