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Recipes

Cranberry Sauce, with Orange

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1 bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
2 strips (1/2 inch x 3 inches) orange zest (just the orange part of the peel, without the white stuff)

Pick over the cranberries, wash them and put them in a saucepan together with the sugar, water and orange zest. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Skim off any strange white foam, remove orange strips and transfer the cranberry sauce to a nice bowl. Refrigerate.

Emergency Cranberry Sauce: Should you find yourself in a big hurry, make the sauce as above, then put the hot sauce in a metal bowl, and place this bowl over ice water. Stir the cranberry sauce to cool it down, without allowing the melting ice and surrounding water to creep into the sauce. You are basically using the ice water bath to cool down the outside of the bowl that your sauce is sitting in, and stirring it to make sure all of the sauce gets cooled quickly. Using this method, you can go from a hot sauce to the table in under a quarter of an hour.

Spicy Collard Greens with Lemon and Rice

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Originally, the recipe was for a Turkish salad, but we found that with a few adjustments we had a fine, highly-flavored hot side dish. You can use this recipe with other “braising” greens, such as swiss chard.

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shallots, peeled and sliced
1 cup of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced green peppers
2 pounds of collard greens, cleaned well and chopped (leave out the tough parts of the stem)
2 cups gluten free chicken stock
1/2 cup uncooked Jasmine, long-grain or Basmati rice
salt
freshly ground pepper
Gluten free hot sauce or asian garlic hot pepper sauce, about 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
juice of 1 lemon

Fry the shallots in the oil in a non-stick pan with a lid. Add the tomatoes, peppers and collard greens (don’t worry, the huge amount of collard greens will shrink as it cooks.) and fry for a few minutes while the collard greens cook down to fit into the pan. Add the chicken stock and rice, salt, pepper and hot sauce and cover the pan. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more stock if necessary. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Serve with a sauce made from 1 cup of plain yogurt mixed with 2 cloves of raw garlic, grated, and a dash of salt.

Make sure all of your ingredients are gluten free!

Meatballs in Red Wine Sauce

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Meatball mixture:

1 cup of GF bread crumbs (make your old GF bread into crumbs and store it in ziplock bags in the freezer)
1 1/2 or 2 pounds ground beef (we grind steak to make ground beef), or ground turkey
2 eggs
1 medium onion finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley (about half a bunch)
1-2 teaspoons salt (depending on your taste)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried summer savory (or oregano if you prefer that flavor)
a few drops of gluten free hot sauce
sugar, if needed
red currant jelly as needed

Frying oil:
1 Tablespoons butter or ghee
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
a dried cayenne pepper

Sauce mixture:
Stir these three ingredients together in a glass measuring cup:

2 cups Chianti (red wine)
1/4 cup gluten free tomato paste (or more)
3 cups gluten free chicken broth or beef broth (home made)
More broth if needed

Make sure to use a red wine that is really drinkable – don’t use a red wine that you think is too sour or the sauce will be sour.

Put all the meatball ingredients in a food processor and mix well, or chop everything finely and mix by hand. Most meatball recipes call for soaking bread crumbs in milk and then squeezing out the milk – that is not required. Just mix the gluten-free bread crumbs with the meat and onions etc. and then form the mixture in to large meatballs – larger than a whole walnut.

Heat the oil and butter or ghee with the cayenne pepper in a non-stick pan that can accomodate all the meatballs, and brown the meatballs in this oil. To the same pan that contains the meatballs, add the wine mixture and stir gently. Cook the meatballs in the wine sauce for about 15-20 minutes, stirring as necessary and adding more broth if the sauce becomes too thick. It is not necessary to cover the pan while cooking these meatballs. Taste the sauce for salt and pepper, and add more if you like. If the sauce requires a half teaspoon of sugar to improve the flavor, add the sugar at this point. You might also add, and this is a super addition, a couple of tablespoons of red currant jelly, whcih will melt into the sauce and give it something special. Remove the cayenne pepper before serving.

(If you have only a small frying pan, you will need to brown the meatballs in batches and then put them in a larger pan to make the sauce.)

The original recipe that this is based upon came from Bon Appetit magazine, February 2001. The original included flour, and required the meatballs to be baked and so on. This revision is gluten free.

Make sure all your ingredients are gluten free!

Jelly Roll – a cake

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Jelly Roll is very popular with children, and adults who used to be children. It’s a little tricky to make, because if you overcook the cake it will not roll up!

3/8 cup cornstarch
3/8 cup GF cookie flour mix
1/4 teaspoon powdered gluten free vanilla
1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon water
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam, melted
waxed paper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13×9 inch baking pan (the kind you use for brownies).

Sift together the cornstarch, GF flour, GF vanilla powder, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk or beat the 3 eggs and half of the sugar until the mixture is very thick, and light in color – it should be thick and form ribbons off the beater or whisk. Gently fold in the dry ingredients, and then stir in the tablespoon of water. Pour the batter into the greased pan and smooth it out gently to fill the pan. Bake for 10 minutes – not any longer. The cake will spring back when touched briefly with your finger (don’t burn yourself.)

Spread out a sheet of waxed paper on the counter, and sprinkle it with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Now comes the critical part. Switch into emergency cooking mode: Turn the cake out on to this sugar coated waxed paper immediately after you take it from the oven. Don’t answer the phone. Tell the kids they have to wait. Now, trim off the edges of the cake with a sharp knife. Spread the cake with the jam. Roll the cake up firmly, starting at the short end of the cake. Allow the cake to cool and slice it in 8 or more pieces.

This cake is great with a cup of first-quality Darjeeling tea. Serve the cake on a nice china plate, and enjoy a moment of peace, and the civility and pleasures of bygone days.

Baby Potatoes – are they really worth the $$?

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When we visit the produce section those baby potatoes are sitting there in their little plastic potato prisons, enticing us to remember the stories people used to tell, of creamed potatoes and peas on the 4th of July; of new potatoes just out of the ground. However, at upwards of $4 a box these little tubers are pretty pricey! So, the question is, should we spend our hard earned money on them? Are they worth it? A resounding Yes! Baby, or “new” potatoes are a superior braising or boiling potato.

Definitely buy the baby potatoes – – try the Yukon Golds – try them braised, or boiled plain and served whole with butter. You will not be sorry! Buy two boxes because you will want seconds.

Now, here’s a little useful information about potatoes in general:

If you go to spend the big bucks on tiny potatoes, make sure that they are not green – look at them closely and you may see that some potatoes have a green tinge to the skin. The green is due to the presence of solanine, which is a toxin. Potatoes form more solanine when they are exposed to light, which is why potatoes were stored in root cellars in the old days, and why they are often sold in opaque bags today. If you smell a very green potato, you will notice a bitter, grassy smell like that of weeds broken while gardening. This smell, and the green color, should alert you not to consume that potato. Solanine, in large enough quantities, can make you ill. So, avoid green potatoes.

Here’ the dictionary definition of solanine:
http://www.bartleby.com/61/32/S0543200.html

and here’s the chemical composition:
C45H73NO15

Now, you know more about potatoes than you used to!

Coconut Cream Pie – gluten free, with no cream!

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9″ pie gluten free shell – baked

Coconut Filling:
1 cup gluten free coconut milk (canned, reconstituted or frozen)
2 cups gluten free almond milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
pinch of salt
1/4 cup fresh grated or sweetened dried coconut
5 Tablespoons cornstarch and enough water to make a thin mixture
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon gluten free vanilla

Meringue Topping:
4 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon gluten free vanilla

To make the filling:

Mix the coconut and almond milks, sugar, butter, salt and coconut in the top of a double-boiler over hot water. Stir constantly until the mixture is very hot. Mix the cornstarch with enough water just to thin it to pouring consistency, then add this to the hot mixture, stirring constantly and continue to stir until thickened.

Beat the egg yolks in a bowl just until mixed. Stir a little of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, beating constantly so as not to cook the egg yolks. Add the rest of the hot mixture and the vanilla, again stirring constantly. Put the mixture back over the hot water (double boiler) and cook for 2 more minutes and don’t forget to keep stirring! Cool this coconut custard, and then pour it into the prepared pie shell. Set it aside while you make the meringue.

To make the meringue:

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt tuntil they form soft peaks. Beat in the sugar and beat until the meringue makes smooth peaks. Add vanilla and spread the meringue on the filling in the pie shell.

Bake the pie at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, until the meringue is nicely browned. Chill the pie completely before serving.

Make sure all your ingredients are gluten free!

Basmati Rice in the Zojirushi Rice Cooker

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To cook basmati rice in the Zojirushi (fuzzy-logic) rice cooker – that is the question! Is it possible to make this rice in the cooker and obtain the quality that one gets from cooking it using a traditional method?

Basmati rice is a delicious rice enjoyed by many cultures. It has a mildly pop-corny flavor and a wonderful texture. In some countries, basmati rice is cooked with a delicious bottom crust created by steaming the cooked rice on a base of butter or buttered sliced potatoes. In other countries, it is cooked as biryani, or in many pilaf-style dishes. Basmati rice is enjoyed plain as well. Traditionally, this rice is soaked before cooking and the grains of rice come out separate and elongated from the soaking/cooking. In some countries, after the initial boiling of the rice, after the cooking water has been absorbed, a cotton cloth is placed over the rice and the top placed on the pot. The cloth absorbs the last vestiges of steam from the rice, and leads to even more separate grains. That’s what happens in a traditional way….now for what happens with a rice cooker.

We have successfully cooked delicious basmati rice in the Zojirushi, but read on. We have tried just putting the rice in the cooker and treating it like any other white rice, but if you do that you will not get the double-long, fluffy but slightly chewy grains that make basmati rice one of the world’s premier foods. To obtain the finest quality finished product, you should soak the rice in salted water and not use the water measuring lines on the cooker bowl – instead you need to use the measuring cup – 2 measures of water per measure of rice.

Use the clear measuring cup that is provided with the cooker. We say that to make sure that nobody exceeds the capacity of the rice cooker by using a larger measuring cup.

Do not add lentils to the rice for traditional dishes that require lentils. You want to avoid adding anything during cooking that will clog up the steam vents!

First: Measure the rice using the clear cup. Wash the rice. Soak the rice in a bowl for one half hour, by adding twice as many measuring cups of cold water to the washed basmati rice, and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt for every measure of rice.

Then, transfer the rice and all the soaking liquid to the rice cooker and use the regular white rice setting to cook the rice. The Zojirushi (fuzzy-logic) rice cooker will add another soaking cycle to the cooking time. It will take nearly an hour to cook. When it is done, fluff it up with a fork, without scratching your cooker bowl, and let it sit in the cooker for another 15 minutes. The basmati rice cooked this way, in the Zojirushi (fuzzy-logic) rice cooker, will have separate grains, not stuck together. It takes a long time, but, if you were using a traditional method to cook the rice, whether Iranian (Persian), Indian or other method, there would be a step where the rice steamed after the initial cooking – it just takes longer to cook this type of rice in general!

If you prefer the rice a little bit more “al dente,” or you don’t have as much time, then just put the washed basmati rice and water (1 measure of rice, 2 measures of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt per measure of rice) in the cooker and change the cooking setting to “harder” using the menu button. Push cook. This rice will be ready to eat when the rice cooker starts singing. The grains will have a slightly greater resistance to the bite – our favorite way to eat this rice.

We fried some finely grated garlic in ghee (browned clarified butter), then dribbled this mixture on the cooked basmati rice and fluffed it around with a bamboo rice paddle from Japan. (The Zojirushi comes with a plastic paddle, but we are ashamed to say that we had previously melted that paddle and several other plastic paddles during interrupted cooking adventures…) Anyway, adding a flavored butter sauce was a winning strategy!

Having cooked basmati the traditional Persian way, where it is soaked and then boiled and strained, and then steamed on top of a butter and yogurt mixture, and having cooked it in a couple of different traditional Indian ways, we would say that this method (adding salt to the water and using the rice measuring cup to measure the water,) is acceptable for everyday cooking of basmati rice using a Zojirushi rice cooker.

Thanksgiving Stuffing – from French Fries!

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It’s a dilemma we all face – the complications of gluten free cooking to top off the already complicated holiday season. Traditional holiday meals can be challenging, and the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving challenge is surely the stuffing and the gravy.

We have learned that it is possible to make quite an acceptable stuffing by using gluten free focaccia in place of wheat bread. Basically any of the bread recipes that contain eggs will be superior to the ones that don’t, as they hold together better. Also, and here is a really exciting possibility that just might cross over into the non gluten-free world, – you can use chopped up gluten free french fries in place of the bread.

Here are proportions to use if you would like to try:

For every cup of diced frozen gluten free french fries, you will need:
1 Tablespoon of butter or margarine
1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced spanish onion (you could use scallions or leeks if you prefer)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon of ground coriander (optional)
1/2-3/4 cup diced celery (include the leaves)
2 Tablespoons (1/8 cup) minced fresh Italian parsley
2 Tablespoons (1/8 cup) minced fresh thyme (or 1 Tablespoon dried thyme)
1 1/2-3 Tablespoons of chicken stock
Vietnamese hot sauce (make sure it is gluten free)
salt and pepper

If you are using gluten free bread cubes, toast them on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 7-10 minutes to dry them out. If you are using french fries, you just cut them in stuffing sized pieces!

Fry the onion in the butter and oil for a couple of minutes. Add the celery and garlic and cook for another minute. Mix with the remaining ingredients. If you are using GF bread cubes, you will need to moisten the mixture with 3 Tablespoons of chicken stock mixed with a few drops of hot sauce, but if you are using french fries then less moistening is needed – a Tablespoon and a half fo the chicken stock per cup of french fries should do the trick! Season to taste – use lots of pepper.

Place the stuffing in a buttered covered casserole and bake alongside your turkey – only a half hour of cooking is needed.

Make sure all your ingredients are gluten free, including the spices!

Hutspot – A Dutch Potato Dish

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2 parts potatoes
1 part onions
1 part carrots
water
salt
freshly ground pepper
butter

This is a very simple dish, and completely adjustable. If you use 2 pounds of potatoes, then use one pound of the carrots and onions. If you use more potatoes, increase the other vegetables accordingly. Peel the vegetables, cut the potatoes and carrots in chunks and cut up the onions a bit more.

Put all the vegetables into a pot with a lid. Add water about half way up the vegetables, then salt . Put the top on and cook on medium heat until the vegetables are soft. Drain the extra water (if necessary) – often there is no need to drain it, depending on what kind of potatoes you used. Mash while adding butter and freshly ground pepper. Taste the seasoning, and serve with meat dishes.

A simple dish that expands your potato horizons!

Mexican Hot Chocolate with Cayenne (non-dairy)

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Boil 2 cups of water with one dried whole cayenne pepper until reduced to one cup. Remove the pepper. The water will be spicy!

Add 2 ounces of unsweetened gluten free chocolate and stir until melted. Add 3 Tablespoons honey and a pinch of salt. Stir well while adding another three cups of hot water. Add a pinch of cinnamon or a cinnamon stick to each serving.

Note: We grow cayenne peppers just so we will have them around for producing this drink. It is an excellent breakfast drink.

Make sure all your ingredients are gluten free!

Cinnamon Honey Ice Cream with Rum Raisins

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For the ice cream:

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups light cream
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup local honey
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered GF vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
An ice cream freezer with instructions

For the raisins:
1 cup mixed raisins
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup water

For the ice cream:

Scald the heavy cream and light cream with 1/2 cup of sugar in a saucepan. Transfer to the top of a double boiler over hot water.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until the mixture forms thick pale yellow ribbons dripping from the beater.

Gradually add a little of the cream mixture to the egg mixture, a half cup at a time, beating constantly until you have added about half the cream to the egg mixture. Then add the resulting mixture to the remaining cream mixture in the double boiler. Stirring gently and constantly, heat the custard mixture until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the double boiler from the heat, and stir in the spices and the honey.

Pour the mixture into a shallow pan and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours until cold. Transfer the mixture to the ice cream freezer and freeze. Serve with rum raisins.

For the raisins:

Boil the raisins, sugar and water for about 4 minutes until slightly thickened. Transfer the raisins to a Mason jar and add an equal quantity of GF rum. Let stand until the raisins are fattened – a few hours. Serve the raisins with the ice cream, but not to minors.

Make sure all your ingredients are gluten free!

Cornbread – without gluten or dairy

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Mixture A:
1 cup almond milk
1 egg
1 /4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon GF vinegar

Mixture B:
1/3 cup potato starch (this is not the same as potato flour)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt (or less depending on your taste)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons GF baking powder
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon xantham gum (available at health food stores)

Oven: 375 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

Combine Mixture A with Mixture B. Mix with a whisk to remove lumps. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 3o minutes (roughly) until a cake tester tests clean.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes at least, but serve while it is still hot.

Make sure all your ingredients are gluten-free!

Sweet and Sour Salad Dressing

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1 cup sliced almonds
6 Tablespoons sugar
lettuce
2 whole scallions, chopped, or 1 Tablespoon fresh minced chives
Canned GF mandarin oranges, drained or fresh strawberries, sliced

Dressing:

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon minced Italian parsley
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons GF cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon GF prepared ballpark style mustard
a dash of GF hot sauce

Prepare the nuts: Cook the almonds and the sugar in a non-stick pan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has melted and the nuts are browned. Take care that the nuts do not burn. Transfer the nuts to a ceramic plate to cool. These can be stored in an airtight container so you don’t eat them all before you serve the salad.

Mix the dressing ingredients up. The mustard will act as an emulsifier, causing the dressing to become one with itself and look very nice. Put the lettuce and green onions in a salad bowl, toss with the dressing and the oranges just before serving. Pass the nuts to sprinkle on top. Most recipes of this kind have half as many nuts, but here the nuts are doubled to allow for snacking.

Your GF guests will appreciate your asking which brand of mustard they are able to eat!

Pumpkin Pie with Coconut Milk

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The recipe is adapted from one at www.Celiac.com. Here, the pie has additional spices and coconut milk instead of cream.

Make an uncooked one-crust gluten-free pie crust and use it to line a glass pie dish.

Bottom of pie:
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
3 Tablespoons gluten free margarine (for dairy, use butter)

Filling:
3 large eggs, stirred
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup white or turbinado sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons GF cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon GF ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon GF allspice
1/4 teaspoon GF cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 ounces GF canned pumpkin, or freshly cooked pumpkin, blended and strained to remove excess water
1 cup coconut milk

Mix pecans, sugar and butter and distribute in the bottom of the uncooked pie shell. Prick the part of the pie shell that goes up the side of the pie plate with a fork in several places so it won’t balloon out while cooking. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes and then allow to cool for another 5 minutes.

Mix the filling ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pour the mixture into the partially cooked pie shell, on top of the nut layer. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. A knife inserted into the center of the pie should come out nearly clean. Cool completely before cutting, although we often end up eating pie when it is warm because we can’t wait.

This is a custard pie, and should be refrigerated because of the eggs.

Try this pie for breakfast – it is sure to be more healthy than any breakfast cereal!

Make sure all of your ingredients, including the spices, are gluten free.

Marinade for Steak Tips Or Chicken for Grilling

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Why is it that whenever you see the words “steak tips” it always says “teriyaki” right next door? Teriyaki is made with soy sauce, which is avoided in the gluten free world because soy sauce usually has wheat on the ingredients list.

Here is a nice marinade for steak that does NOT include soy sauce!

1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh garlic
1 Tablespoon kosher or sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons tequila
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2-3 pounds steak or skinless, boneless chicken

Mix the first 6 ingredients together and massage it into the meat. Let sit for a half hour, or as long as overnight.

Barbecue the meat on the grill until cooked to your liking. Steak tips take about 3-4 minutes on one side, then turn and cook another 3 minutes for medium rare. Chicken takes 15 minutes to cook through, turning once after 8 minutes are up.

Make sure that all of your ingredients are gluten free, including the spices and liquors.

Succotash – modern version of American Corn and Beans

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Succotash is a Narraganset Indian word for a mixture of corn and legumes. The Depression era version of this dish included lima beans. If you prefer other vegies to limas, you may want to try branching out with asparagus, green beans or peas. If you like limas, then use them.

1/2 a spanish onion, chopped (spanish onions brown well)
3 Tablespoons butter, GF margarine of olive oil
corn off the cob from 7 ears of sweet corn, or 1 bag of frozen corn
1 bunch asparagus cut in 1 1/2-2 inch lengths, or string beans, or peas
salt
pepper

Stir-fry onion in butter in a non-stick pan until golden.

Add corn and asparagus or beans or peas, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus or beans are done – 10-15 minutes.

Make sure all of your ingredients are gluten free.

Cornmeal Coconut Maple Cake

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2 sticks butter or margarine
1 cup grade B pure maple syrup (this is the darker maple syrup)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla extract
zest of one orange, grated
1 1/4 cups GF cookie flour mix
3/4 cornmeal
1 Tablespoon gluten free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shredded sweet coconut
3/4 cup of almond milk mixed with the juice of 1/2 a lime
1 cup raisins

Grease a large 10-inch bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and maple syrup in food processor. Gradually add the eggs, vanilla and orange zest.

Sift dry ingredients in another bowl, and then add the coconut. Add the dry ingredient/coconut mixture to the food processor alternately with the almond milk/lime juice mixture and process just until mixed. Remove the dough to a bowl and mix in the raisins. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, and bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes in the pan, then turn out on to a cooling rack and cool.

Toasted Pumpkin Seed Cookies with Chocolate Glaze

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1 1/2 cups unsalted shelled pumpkin seeds (toast them on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 20 minutes)
4 ounces gluten free bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips
2 sticks of butter, unsalted
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups of Dream Pastry Mix (see Bette Hagman’s The Gluten-free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy)

2 Tablespoons sugar (for sprinkling)
1 egg white (for topping)

gluten free semisweet chocolate chips

Grind the roasted shelled pumpkin seeds in a coffee grinder or food processor until like coffee grounds.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler and remove it to a bowl. To the melted chocolate, add butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon and mix together well. Add Dream Pastry Mix and ground pumpkin seeds and stir well.

Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll one piece of the dough out between two sheets of wax paper to 1/4 inch thick. Cut 1 1/2 inch circles using a cup or cutter. Place circles of dough on Silpat lined cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Prick each cookie with a fork a few times. Roll more dough and cut cookies, until you have used up the dough. Brush each cookie with egg white and sprinkle with the extra sugar. Bake cookies at 325 degrees fr 18 minutes or until done.

When the cookies come out of the oven, immediately put 3 chocolate chips on each cookie and wait for the chips to melt. Spread the melted chips to make a frosting. Remove the cookies carefully to a cookie rack and let them cool until the chocolate is hardened.

Note: Shelled pumpkin seeds are also called pepitas. They are green in color. You can find them in the refrigerator section of a natural food store. Make sure they are really fresh and shelled, and make sure they are unsalted. Toasting them gives them a nice nutty flavor.

Make sure that all your ingredients, including spices, are gluten free!

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Ginger Cookies

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Chocolate Chip Cookies - cinnamon and ginger, gluten free
Chocolate Chip Cookies - cinnamon and ginger, gluten free

This is the most requested Gf-Zing! recipe ever! The cookies are crunchy, with a complex flavor and interesting buttery sugar coating.
Mixture A:

Cream together:
1 cup butter or gluten free soybean margarine, or a combination of both
1 ½ cups brown sugar, (For a very crunchy cookie use 1 cup turbinado sugar and ½ cup white sugar )
1 teaspoon GF Vanilla extract

Add, and beat well:
1 large egg


Mixture B:

In another bowl, mix together with a whisk:
1 teaspoon GF ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon GF ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xantham gum
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups GF cookie flour mix

GF confectioner’s sugar for rolling.

Combine mixture A with mixture B.

Add: 2 cups of top quality GF chocolate chips, 1 cup chopped walnuts (you can optionally also add dried cherries or dried cranberries.) Form 1-inch balls, roll in GF confectioner’s sugar, flatten slightly, place on Silpat mat-lined (or parchment paper lined) cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 F. Remove pan from the oven, let rest 5 minutes on pans before removing cookies from the pan.

Make sure that all your ingredients, including spices, are gluten free!

COOKIE FLOUR MIX

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COOKIE FLOUR MIX
this mixture works well.

2 cups plain brown rice flour
2 cups plain white rice flour
1 1/2 cups sweet brown rice flour (this is a different kind of rice flour – you could also use sweet white rice flour)
1 1/3 cups tapioca starch or tapioca flour
2/3 cups GF corn starch
1/2 cups rice bran or rice polish
2 teaspoons xanthan gum

Make sure all your ingredients are gluten free. Mix all the ingredients together in a large container or bag. Use as much as you need for your recipe. Store the rest.

Black Bean and Chicken Chili – Slow Cooker Recipe

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Have ready a Crockpot or other slow-cooker.

In a large non-stick frying pan, fry:

2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

until golden.

Add and fry for a few minutes until the chicken is somewhat browned and spices are fragrant:

2 Tablespoons gluten free chili powder
1 Tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, chopped up

Add:
2 14-ounce cans of diced gluten free tomatoes
19 ounce can of gluten free black beans, drained and rinsed

Stir is all up, bring it to a simmer and transfer to the crockpot. Cook on low (slowcookers have heat settings of high and low), for 4-8 hours. Adjust the seasoning with a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar if necessary.

Serve with rice, gluten free cornbread or your favorite choice of starch, and with garnishes of diced scallions, gluten free sour cream, grated cheddar etc.

To serve food to gluten-free friends, check carefully with the manufacturers, or on the reputable internet-based gluten free food lists, making sure that all ingredients including spices are gluten free. Or, ask your friends which brands are safe for them to eat. They will appreciate your concern!

Mashed Potatoes with Brie

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Peel and cut enough potatoes, a combination of baking and waxy potatoes is fine, and place them in a large pot with water to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Check the potatoes to see if they are done, and if not you must boil them for another 5 minutes or so.

Remove from the heat, and mash them with a potato masher, while adding sea salt, freshly ground pepper, unsalted butter and chopped up brie cheese (rinds and all.) Add about 1 Tablespoon of butter per serving, and add about 1/10 as much brie cheese as you have potatoes. Adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Make sure all your ingredients are gluten free. Do not try to add blue cheese to this dish unless you are absolutely sure the blue cheese is gluten free.

Spicy Tuna, blackened, and served with a sweet and sour sauce

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Serve this tuna with Mashed Potatoes and Brie if you are able to use dairy products.

First, make a Sweet and Sour Hot Sauce:

2 cups gluten free rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup minced onion
1 1/2-2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 Tablespoon minced cilantro
1/2 teaspoon of gluten free sriracha or Vietnamese chili sauce with garlic

Cook the vinegar and sugar until it makes a syrup – a half hour or so. Add the next 5 ingredients and set aside.

Make a spice mixture:

1 teaspoon of gluten free cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon of fresh ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon gluten free paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons dried EACH thyme and oregano
1 Tablespoons gluten free garlic powder
2 Tablespoons kosher or sea salt

2 pounds fresh tuna steaks
safflower oil

Coat 2 pounds of tuna steaks (about 1-1 1/4 inches thick) with safflower oil. Sprinkle one side liberally with spice mixture. Heat a very sturdy pan to extra hot, and turn on the exhaust fans on high! When the pan is hot, add the tuna steaks, sprinkle more spice mixture on them, and seer for 5 minutes (cover the pan after one minute), then turn the tuna steaks, and finish cooking the other side for another 4 minutes or so. Some people like their tuna rare and in that case you only want to cook the tuna for a couple of minutes per side. We prefer it cooked through. It is up to you, and what you are comfortable with according to your understanding of safety in cooking fish.

Serve the blackened fish with the Sweet and Sour Hot Sauce, and hot mashed potatoes on the side. A salad of mixed baby greens with a citrus dressing compliments the meal.

This recipe is adapted from one in the Hali’imaile General Store Cookbook by Beverly Gannon, adjusted for gluten free cooking and leaving out some ingredients and spices.

Be sure that your spices are indeed gluten free – some of the spice purveyors promise to include all ingredients on their labels but not all! Check to find out it the manufacturer will ensure that your spices are safe to use.