Wow, how did that happen! I thought it had just been a little while since I had posted and when I looked at the last date, I was astounded! I've been working with lots of new recipes and modifying old ones. All the questions about gluten free diets end up in my basket at my Cooperative Extension day job. Life is full. Since we all face the dilemma of lack of time, here is a variation on the Chocolate Cake in a Mug recipe. This one is the 2 1/2 Minute Muffin recipe. You can mix it up and bake it in the microwave in a flash. One of the fastest comfort breakfasts I know. Enjoy!
In a large coffee mug mix the following ingredients:
1/4 cup rice flour
2 tbsp finely chopped pecans (chop a bunch when you have time and keep them in the freezer) (If you are allergic to nuts - skip them.)
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. oil
1/4 cup rice, soy, or regular milk
1 tsp. ground flax seed
2-3 tbsp. chopped fruit, dried fruit, or blueberries
Place the coffee mug in the microwave on high for 2 1/2 minutes. (Don't overcook or the muffin will be to dry.) Tip out onto a plate and eat while warm. . . and you are off!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Lost in Blogland
Having just started blogging, I decided to see what others were up to. I was absolutely floored to discover a whole gang of gluten-free bloggers! One of the blogs I visited had done some research and had come up with 90! (Before she quit looking.) The comments were full of newbie bloggers like myself saying "Hi and I blog too." All of a sudden I feel like I'm in a crowd of wonderful people who "get it", who understand "No thank you, I really can't try it.. ." I can see many sleepless nights ahead while I get lost in Blogland.
If you like chocolate cake you have got to go visit Dreena at Dreena's Vegan Recipes: Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cake (2-layer)
This cake is great with a wonderful chocolate ganache made from coconut milk and chocolate:
1 13.5 oz. can whole coconut milk
1 12 oz package dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate chocolate chips
Heat one half the coconut milk to a simmer. Add the chocolate chips and reduce the heat to low. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the rest of the coconut milk. Add a touch of raspberry or orange liquor if you choose.
Chill until thickened to use as a frosting or use warm as a sauce.
Join me as I take a trip. . .
If you like chocolate cake you have got to go visit Dreena at Dreena's Vegan Recipes: Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cake (2-layer)
This cake is great with a wonderful chocolate ganache made from coconut milk and chocolate:
1 13.5 oz. can whole coconut milk
1 12 oz package dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate chocolate chips
Heat one half the coconut milk to a simmer. Add the chocolate chips and reduce the heat to low. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the rest of the coconut milk. Add a touch of raspberry or orange liquor if you choose.
Chill until thickened to use as a frosting or use warm as a sauce.
Join me as I take a trip. . .
Monday, January 5, 2009
It's -40°F, Time to Get Cozy
January usually marks the time for temperatures to plummet in Fairbanks, Alaska and this year is no exception. We have had a mildish winter to this point, so having the temperatures hover between -35°F and -40°F for the past week with no relief in sight could be depressing if not for good books, good food and the internet. I got very cozy with a great cookbook that I ordered last summer. Click on the title to get a copy for yourself: Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Food for Kids: 150 Family-Tested Recipes
My kids are in their 20's, but I got the book because I work with kids and wanted to check out some kid friendly resources. I was pleasantly surprised by the scope of information that Sheri has researched. I really got caught up in all the wonderful information for living a gluten free lifestyle, again well researched. This book also has some fun recipes (try gluten free finger paint or playdough) as well as fun recipes to fill a kid's stomach or an adult's looking for comfort food. (Hey I did say it was -40°F!)
I did have fun playing around with some of these recipes last night but this morning I went back to one of my favorite comfort foods - waffles. Topped with real maple syup or a sauce made from frozen raspberries I picked from my bushes last fall, these make my whole body smile! Here is the recipe in case you are experiencing a comfort food crash. . .
Gluten Free Pecan Waffles
1 cup brown rice flour
½ cup finely chopped pecans
½ teaspoon zanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup melted butter or canola oil
1 cup rice, soy or almond milk
1 egg
Combine eggs and milk. Add dry ingredients and melted butter or oil. Beat well. Cook in hot iron until steam stops and waffle is golden brown. This recipe fills my Belgian Waffle Iron twice.
If you are not dairy-free, these waffles are great with strawberries (even thawed) and sweetened whipped cream.
Ahhh comfort food! What is your favorite comfort food?
My kids are in their 20's, but I got the book because I work with kids and wanted to check out some kid friendly resources. I was pleasantly surprised by the scope of information that Sheri has researched. I really got caught up in all the wonderful information for living a gluten free lifestyle, again well researched. This book also has some fun recipes (try gluten free finger paint or playdough) as well as fun recipes to fill a kid's stomach or an adult's looking for comfort food. (Hey I did say it was -40°F!)
I did have fun playing around with some of these recipes last night but this morning I went back to one of my favorite comfort foods - waffles. Topped with real maple syup or a sauce made from frozen raspberries I picked from my bushes last fall, these make my whole body smile! Here is the recipe in case you are experiencing a comfort food crash. . .
Gluten Free Pecan Waffles
1 cup brown rice flour
½ cup finely chopped pecans
½ teaspoon zanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup melted butter or canola oil
1 cup rice, soy or almond milk
1 egg
Combine eggs and milk. Add dry ingredients and melted butter or oil. Beat well. Cook in hot iron until steam stops and waffle is golden brown. This recipe fills my Belgian Waffle Iron twice.
If you are not dairy-free, these waffles are great with strawberries (even thawed) and sweetened whipped cream.
Ahhh comfort food! What is your favorite comfort food?
Sunday, December 21, 2008
I tried a new recipe last night that had me whooping up and down! Quick, simple, fun, and unfortunately able to pack on pounds if I am not careful. Here is the recipe that I adapted from one a got in an email from a friend. I don't know where the original recipe came from or I would give them credit. . .
GLUTEN FREE 5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
Serves 2 if you want to share
1 Coffee Mug
4 tablespoons rice flour or gluten free flour mix without baking powder
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
pinch of salt
1 egg
3 tablespoons rice or soy milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) some nuts (optional)
Small splash of vanilla
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix
thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil, mixing well.
Add the vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts (if using), and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. May be eaten plain or topped with warm chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce or whipped cream.
This could also be a great last minute gift by putting the dry ingredients in a coffee mug, covering it with self-adhering plastic wrap, making a card with the rest of the ingredients and the directions and wrapping all in colorful cellophane. Let me know how this works for you.
Have a great week.
GLUTEN FREE 5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
Serves 2 if you want to share
1 Coffee Mug
4 tablespoons rice flour or gluten free flour mix without baking powder
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
pinch of salt
1 egg
3 tablespoons rice or soy milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) some nuts (optional)
Small splash of vanilla
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix
thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil, mixing well.
Add the vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts (if using), and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. May be eaten plain or topped with warm chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce or whipped cream.
This could also be a great last minute gift by putting the dry ingredients in a coffee mug, covering it with self-adhering plastic wrap, making a card with the rest of the ingredients and the directions and wrapping all in colorful cellophane. Let me know how this works for you.
Have a great week.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Bread Making Tips
I found a great set of tips from www.glutenfree.com today. Please enjoy them just in time for the holidays.
Tips For Baking Gluten-Free Bread
From Beth Hillson, Founder of Gluten-Free Pantry.
Some bread machines knead gluten-free dough more effectively than others and some recipes work better in a particular machine than in other machines.
To Ensure A Great Loaf Of Bread Every Time, Try These Tips:
• Warm liquids to 100 degrees
• Use "flour" and eggs at room temperature (warm eggs by setting them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.)
• Add ingredients in any order you wish or follow the order for adding ingredients recommended by the manufacturer of your machine
• It's not necessary to mix ingredients in a bowl before adding to the bread machine
• A good gluten-free bread depends on a delicate balance of wet to dry ingredients
• Success is determined in the first kneading cycle where dough should be properly mixed and liquid or dry ingredients should be adjusted
• Proper mixing and proportion of ingredients allow the yeast to be evenly dispersed
• Too much liquid produces a floppy, gummy loaf with large holes and a flat or sunken top
• Too little liquid produces a lumpy, crumbly, loaf
A Few Tricks:
• A few minutes into the first knead cycle, lift the lid and use a rubber spatula to mix the dough, until it is smooth and moist in appearance.
• Don't be afraid to reach right down to the bottom of the pan. If the kneading blade hits the spatula, it will not harm the machine
• If dry flour is sitting on the top or in the corners, the bread needs more liquid and/or better mixing. Add 1 tsp. warm water at a time, mixing after each addition, until dough is smooth and "swirls" in the bread pan
• For soupy batter - Add 1 Tbs. of rice flour (of g-f blend of flours) at a time, stirring after each incorporation, until dough is thick and pulls away from the sides
If Your Bread Isn't Rising, Try One Or More Of These Suggestions:
• Gluten-free bread dough rises best in a warm, draft-free room.
• If the machine is programmable, increase the amount of time in the rise cycle. Make sure to begin with very warm (not hot) ingredients
• Add a little more warm liquid during the kneading cycle
• Add 1 tsp. cider vinegar to liquids or 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ascorbic acid (powdered Vitamin C) to the dry ingredients in the recipe
• The yeast may be old or liquids may have been too hot. (Over 120 degrees will kill the yeast.) Next time, use fresh yeast and water that is not quite so hot
• Don't worry if your bread has not risen to the top of the pan when it begins to bake. It will rise more during baking
General Suggestions:
• Avoid using automatic cool down cycle. Cool on wire rack to prevent bread from becoming gummy. To revive, heat uncut loaf in 350-degree oven for 5 min
• Use butter and milk rather than oil and water to add moisture and create a chewy crust. Egg replacer may be used in place of eggs
• Adding a sweetener helps activate the yeast. Molasses and honey help produce a silky texture in gluten-free yeast doughs. Be sure to count as part of the liquid ingredients
• If the same bread machine is used for all family bread baking, buy a second paddle and bowl or carefully clean blade and shaft of bowl to avoid any cross-contamination
To Store:
• Allow loaf to cool completely.
• Slice and place in a zip-lock plastic bag.
• If you are not using the entire loaf of bread in the next 24 hours, freeze the remainder and take out slices as needed.
• To revive, wrap slices in a paper towel and microwave 30-60 seconds. Toast, if desired, or just enjoy!
Tips For Baking Gluten-Free Bread
From Beth Hillson, Founder of Gluten-Free Pantry.
Some bread machines knead gluten-free dough more effectively than others and some recipes work better in a particular machine than in other machines.
To Ensure A Great Loaf Of Bread Every Time, Try These Tips:
• Warm liquids to 100 degrees
• Use "flour" and eggs at room temperature (warm eggs by setting them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.)
• Add ingredients in any order you wish or follow the order for adding ingredients recommended by the manufacturer of your machine
• It's not necessary to mix ingredients in a bowl before adding to the bread machine
• A good gluten-free bread depends on a delicate balance of wet to dry ingredients
• Success is determined in the first kneading cycle where dough should be properly mixed and liquid or dry ingredients should be adjusted
• Proper mixing and proportion of ingredients allow the yeast to be evenly dispersed
• Too much liquid produces a floppy, gummy loaf with large holes and a flat or sunken top
• Too little liquid produces a lumpy, crumbly, loaf
A Few Tricks:
• A few minutes into the first knead cycle, lift the lid and use a rubber spatula to mix the dough, until it is smooth and moist in appearance.
• Don't be afraid to reach right down to the bottom of the pan. If the kneading blade hits the spatula, it will not harm the machine
• If dry flour is sitting on the top or in the corners, the bread needs more liquid and/or better mixing. Add 1 tsp. warm water at a time, mixing after each addition, until dough is smooth and "swirls" in the bread pan
• For soupy batter - Add 1 Tbs. of rice flour (of g-f blend of flours) at a time, stirring after each incorporation, until dough is thick and pulls away from the sides
If Your Bread Isn't Rising, Try One Or More Of These Suggestions:
• Gluten-free bread dough rises best in a warm, draft-free room.
• If the machine is programmable, increase the amount of time in the rise cycle. Make sure to begin with very warm (not hot) ingredients
• Add a little more warm liquid during the kneading cycle
• Add 1 tsp. cider vinegar to liquids or 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ascorbic acid (powdered Vitamin C) to the dry ingredients in the recipe
• The yeast may be old or liquids may have been too hot. (Over 120 degrees will kill the yeast.) Next time, use fresh yeast and water that is not quite so hot
• Don't worry if your bread has not risen to the top of the pan when it begins to bake. It will rise more during baking
General Suggestions:
• Avoid using automatic cool down cycle. Cool on wire rack to prevent bread from becoming gummy. To revive, heat uncut loaf in 350-degree oven for 5 min
• Use butter and milk rather than oil and water to add moisture and create a chewy crust. Egg replacer may be used in place of eggs
• Adding a sweetener helps activate the yeast. Molasses and honey help produce a silky texture in gluten-free yeast doughs. Be sure to count as part of the liquid ingredients
• If the same bread machine is used for all family bread baking, buy a second paddle and bowl or carefully clean blade and shaft of bowl to avoid any cross-contamination
To Store:
• Allow loaf to cool completely.
• Slice and place in a zip-lock plastic bag.
• If you are not using the entire loaf of bread in the next 24 hours, freeze the remainder and take out slices as needed.
• To revive, wrap slices in a paper towel and microwave 30-60 seconds. Toast, if desired, or just enjoy!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
On The Road With Food Allergies
I just returned from a vacation to Reno/SLC/Denver. The good news is, although we ate out at many wonderful restaurants, I did not gain weight. The bad new is, at times I wondered what was safe to eat? Traveling gluten-free does present it's dilemmas. The first rule of thumb is bring some safe snacks. The second rule of thumb is don't be afraid to ask. Talk to the chef if you need to. Talking "softly" works better than demanding what is in a particular dish. (I hate to be a pain, but these questions are important to my health. . ."vs."I need to know what is in this dish!) Buffets present a wide variety of choices but ask about questionable dishes. Beware of sauces!
Try traveling with this list of allergies: gluten, caisin (dairy), corn, and shellfish.
I did find some fabulous foods. In Reno at the Grand Sierra Resort, a vegan fritata topped my list. In Denver, the sushi at the Blue Moon was innovative and exquisite! The people at both places were helpful with my questions and didn't make me feel like I was annoying them.
Try traveling with this list of allergies: gluten, caisin (dairy), corn, and shellfish.
I did find some fabulous foods. In Reno at the Grand Sierra Resort, a vegan fritata topped my list. In Denver, the sushi at the Blue Moon was innovative and exquisite! The people at both places were helpful with my questions and didn't make me feel like I was annoying them.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Loving Gluten-Free
Five years ago, I came across a Naturopath who started me on a road to life with a lot less pain. I'd been monitored by an internist for about 15 years and he was still scratching his head over my symptoms: swollen painful knees, rashes, bloating, gas, etc. I didn't get it. I ate healthy foods and exercised every day, yet I was a wreck!
The internist's take was this: knees-arthritis from an overactive immune system, rashes-?, bloating, gas-something I ate (but what?!) He couldn't give me any definitive answers. I tried the usual NASIDS without much relief. Enter the naturopath. . .
I went through the allergy testing and came up with an amazing number of foods that my body didn't like. . . foods with gluten, foods with casein, shell-fish, corn, in fact my naturopath recommended I eat an alkaline diet. Google that one for more info. It has made an incredible difference in my life. I am not pain free but I am still able to continue with my athletic lifestyle and enjoy it a lot more. Now I'm finding that there are millions out there just like me. If you are gluten-free and would like to share your experiences and especially any recipes or resources, I would love to share.
The internist's take was this: knees-arthritis from an overactive immune system, rashes-?, bloating, gas-something I ate (but what?!) He couldn't give me any definitive answers. I tried the usual NASIDS without much relief. Enter the naturopath. . .
I went through the allergy testing and came up with an amazing number of foods that my body didn't like. . . foods with gluten, foods with casein, shell-fish, corn, in fact my naturopath recommended I eat an alkaline diet. Google that one for more info. It has made an incredible difference in my life. I am not pain free but I am still able to continue with my athletic lifestyle and enjoy it a lot more. Now I'm finding that there are millions out there just like me. If you are gluten-free and would like to share your experiences and especially any recipes or resources, I would love to share.
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