Curry

The last couple of weeks I've had a desire to eat curry, a lot of it. While I haven't exactly eaten a lot, I have eaten some. It's so nice to be able to put together a quick meal served on rice that warms you through. I think that (other than rice) the total prep and cook time for the meal pictured below was 20 minutes. I love my wok.

There really isn't a recipe. I marinated a beef steak in a couple of tablespoons gluten free curry powder, some soy sauce and about a tablespoon of vinegar. I browned the meat, julienned some leeks, sliced some onions and stir fried them with some ginger and garlic. I added some water to make it a little more saucy and served over brown rice cooked in beef broth. Quick, easy and tasty.

This last weekend we had a spring craft show. I love going to these, it's $5 for entry for the weekend and I get to admire a plethora of crafty peoples handywork. I'm usually sad that I can't taste anything however (due to nothing being gluten free or it all being garnished with a pretzel or cracker.)

This show though I was presently surprised. Not only could I taste something, but it was curry in nature. When the girl at the booth said, "There's no wheat in any of it, I can't eat wheat either," I almost squealed in delight. It was so tasty in fact that I bought one of each variety. I recommend them, they are very easy to use and taste so very good. Head on over to Kali's Table and check them out. Give them a try, if you like indian flavors you'll like these.

Join us over at The Gluten Free Homemaker for What's for Dinner Wednesday. It's fun and there are plenty of gluten free dinner ideas to be had.

Leftover chicken remade.

Please check out the Gluten Free Homemaker and participate in What's for dinner Wednesay?

Every once in a while I'll get a rotisserie chicken or roast a chicken myself. There's nothing like a juicy tender piece of roast chicken with crispy skin seasoned just right for dinner. Maybe even two dinners in a row... three nights is just to much however.

So when I'm looking to remake roasted chicken on a second or third night I have a few go-to's. Chicken noodle soup is one. I'm a soup person and can eat it all year round. Having leftover meat on a bird and Tinkyada noodles makes this easy. I almost always have the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and frozen peas (they are a staple in my fridge/freezer,) and bouillon or broth. This is a meal that makes my family happy and I love to serve it.

Another meal I like to make with leftover chicken is pot pie. I use a vinegar pastry (You can find it in Bette Hagman's The Gluten Free Gourmet, pg. 146.)and it is so yummy. I also use her cream of soup base for making the sauce once I've sauteed all my vegetables up.

A third option for me, and certainly not the last is another recipe I found on allrecipes.com. I've only made a couple of changes to the original as it's a gluten free recipe from the start.

Terri's Chicken Carcass Stew

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups shredded, cooked chicken meat
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can ranch-style beans
• 1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 1/2 tablespoons dry potato flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Place chicken, onion, tomatoes, undrained pinto beans, green chili peppers, oregano, chili powder and pepper into a slow cooker. Add enough chicken broth to cover ingredients and cook on low for 6 hours. An hour prior to serving add potato flakes and let thicken.
2. I like to cook this on the stove top rather than the crockpot I find it helps thicken it up a bit as I can simmer it down if needed. It tastes fine from the crockpot but is much more like a soup than a stew. I also removed the hominy from the recipe as my family doesn't care for it.
   

Banana Bread.

I have a two year old, perfect little person running around the house right now that I'm very happy to claim as my son. He loves fruit of every shape, size, color, texture and taste, and so I almost always have some in the house. Especially bananas.

Seven times out of ten there will be at least one banana leftover from the bunch for the week and so I'll toss it in the freezer. At some point a little while back I realized I had quite a few chilly little morsels in there and thought I should do something with them. Naturally banana bread came to mind. A perfect little treat and a great way to use those under loved bananas in the freezer.

I used my Better Homes and Garden recipe book for this and simply substituted the all purpose flour with my gluten free flour blend (Bette Hagman's four flour bean mix,) which complemented the banana bread splendidly.

Four Flour Bean Mix Formula (Makes 3 cups):
2/3 cup garfava bean flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup tapioca starch/flour

Banana Bread

* 2 cups four flour bean mix
* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1-1/2 cups mashed banana (5 medium)
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup melted butter
* 1 recipe Streusel-Nut Topping (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3-inch or two 7-1/2x3-1/2x2-inch loaf pans; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). If desired, sprinkle Streusel Topping over batter.

3. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes for 9x5x3-inch pan or 40 to 45 minutes for 7-1/2x3-1/2x2-inch pans or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (if necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning). Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

4. Makes 1 loaf (16 slices)

5. Streusel-Nut Topping: In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 3 tablespoons gluten free flour. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Some darn yummy chicken.

One of my favorite recipe sites is allrecipes.com and I find myself there a couple of times a week looking through recipes and trying to find some that are easily converted to be gluten free. There is always so much to look at, beautiful pictures, fabulous feedback from people who have tried the recipes and a great interface. I pass the site on to anybody I talk to as a great resource for online inspiration.

One creative battle I always seem to be fighting is that of finding a new way to serve chicken. So one day while I was traipsing around on allrecipes.com I found this little beauty. It has mushrooms, it has garlic, it has balsamic vinegar. Thinking about it makes my mouth water... slightly tangy with an earthy quality that just hits the spot each time I serve it.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do and if you need a little chicken inspiration maybe you've just found it.

Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic (slightly modified)

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Clean mushrooms. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes).
2. Add the garlic. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms over them. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the vinegar, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover tightly and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
3. Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Swirl in the butter or margarine and discard the bay leaf. Pour this mushroom sauce mixture over the chicken and serve.

It's pizza night.

In my house pizza is served often, my husband and 2 year old love it. They have their own gluten infected pizza stone on which to bake up a nice thin crust as often as they like. I too love pizza, however I don't have it nearly as often as I used to now that I don't eat any gluten.

I've tried many varieties of gluten free pizza and dough. A few frozen, which while edible weren't anything to write home about. Many homemade crusts I didn't find edible at all, and quite a bit of trial and error were involved in finding one that I liked.

Forget a pan crust, there really isn't anything you want in a really thick crust when it comes to gluten free in regards to pizza (in my opinion.) These are the recipes that I more often than not ended up throwing in the trash the taste and bite just not right. Gluten free bread tends to be dense, and I don't feel like chewing my pizza all night long. I'll tell you now, I used to love a pan crust, Pizza Hut was my favorite... nice and greasy. I've since switched to thin crust and I've found one I'll share.

If you have Bette Hagman's Gluten Free Gourmet (revised addition) you'll find the recipe for Pat's Thin Yeast Crust there, pg 244, mine has pizza sauce stains on it. That's what I use, it makes a wonderful tasting crispy thin crust that can be held in your hand or eaten with a knife and fork. Even my husband will eat it and tell you straight to your face that you wouldn't know the difference. I've made a couple of changes to the recipe, and you can too. Cooking/Baking is about finding your own way in the kitchen. Have fun. Enjoy this pizza with a beverage, maybe one of the gluten free beers I've tried lately would go well with it.

Pat's Thin Yeast Crust

1 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast granules
1 cup warm water 105 to 115 degrees (you may or may not need a bit more or less than the cup.)
1 teaspoon sugar
2/3 cup rice flour (I use brown.)
1/3 cup potato starch flour
1 tablespoon potato flour (I use sorghum here)
1 1/2 teaspoons melted shortening (I use butter)
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees

In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water with the sugar added. Let set until yeast bubbles and the quantity doubles.

Add all the rest of the ingredients, using enough of the remaining water to get a dough the consistency of cake frosting that will spread, not run, when all ingredients are thoroughly beaten. On your pizza stone or greased cookie sheet pour your batter out. Spead with a spatula until you have a nice circle 12" to 12 1/2 " around. If you want leave more at the edge for raised sides.

Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven, add sauce and toppings and return to the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

This weeks menu.

This week should be fun. Filled with some comfort food and hitting a couple of my favorite dishes too. If you have any questions about what I'm using just ask. I'll try to post a recipe or two during the week that link back to the menu.

Monday: Grilled cheese sandwiches (using millet bread) and tomato soup.

Tuesday: Baked mac n' cheese

Wednesday: Chicken Pad Thai

Thursday: Garlic Chicken and brown rice pilaf

Friday: Venison steaks in a red wine mushroom sauce and leftover pilaf

Saturday: Chicken pot pie

Sunday: Leftovers

Gluten Free Beers, and the winner is!!

Before I quit gluten I loved having an ice cold beer after a long hard day of yard work, BS at the office, or while relaxing with a movie and popcorn. However since then I've had a very limited choice of beverages, and while I like wine... it's just not the same.

A year or so ago, I found Redbridge. I was very excited as I finally had a gluten free alternative to the beer I used to drink. It was passable, while certainly not on par with my former beer of choice I made due. If I drank it ice cold it wasn't to bad, however even a little bit warm and it left a lot to be desired. I'd put it on par with the Bud/Coor's light beers I used to drink on occasion.

I've tried Bard's gluten free beer, it's a step up from Redbridge with a slightly bolder flavor and more body. If they were on the shelf side by side, I'd reach for this first. I just found that my local grocer Yokes in West Richland carries this beer now. It's much more affordable than the next beer I'm going to mention. Which makes it a decent tasting pocket friendly beer.

I've recently tried a gluten free beer called Toleration. Don't bother. This beverage can't even be classified as a beer. From the moment you open the bottle you're taken over by a whif of sickly sweet fruitiness. If you can stomach the smell enough to actually taste it you'll be dissapointed to find that while slightly bubbly, its syrupy flavor and slight bitterness will make it difficult to swallow. I tried to give it a decent go, but after 6 oz or so I poured it down the drain. For an expensive bottle of "beer" I was quite upset that it was undrinkable. Not only did it taste and smell bad, a couple of hours later I was quite sick from it and subsequently spent much of the late evening hours in the bathroom. This is one you should just leave on the shelf.

There has been only one gluten free beer that has completely impressed me, they have a variety of brews so I can get a "darker" beer just like I want. Drinking an ice cold Green's gluten free beer leaves me wanting for nothing. Just enjoying the flavor and remembering what a great beer tastes like. The ability to get it locally also moves it up on my list.


So if you were to ask me which gluten free beer I recommend, they would be in this order. Green's first and foremost, Bard's and then Redbridge. Try one, or two of these and see what you think.

What's this! Another magazine just for us!!

Gluten Free Living is another great looking magazine on the market available to those of us living gluten free. If you visit their website you have access to a plethora of information. They have a twitter presence, a blog, and much more!! Thank you for the comment to my previous post that led me to the discovery of this magazine as well!!

A magazine just for us!!

"Check out this amazing new magazine! Delight gluten free is a fun food & lifestyle magazine for people with Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance and food allergies. It hosts delicious gourmet recipes and easy semi-homemade as well. Don't miss the Gluten-Free Meals on a Budget either. Whatever your food allergy you should be able to find something that fits your household, in their February issue they offer gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, soy-free and even some rice-free recipes. Not only that, this magazine has a travel section coming in May that will host lots of fun ideas and good advice for when you venture out on the road. Personal stories, inspiring articles on Autism, Q & A with the Doc are among the other features of this magazine."

I'm very excited to see this finally happen. A magazine just for those of us eating/living gluten free. Everyday finding information, recipes, and inspiration for living gluten free gets easier to come by. Please check out this magazine, and if it seems like it's right up your alley try a subscription. http://www.delightgfmagazine.com. A subscription is just $14 a year/4 issues. Not bad if you ask me.

If you know of other gluten free magazines and/or resources leave me a comment and let me know. I'd love to take a look at them too!

Tuna noodle casserole.

One of the dishes I miss on occasion since going gluten free is tuna noodle casserole. My inability to fulfill this craving was not because I couldn't find a pasta that would work. Tinkyada is great and I knew it would stand up to this kind of preparation. I'll admit that what held me back was my fear of the roux and my inability to find a recipe that didn't use cream of mushroom soup. Darn condensed soups all have gluten in them.

So I decided to try making a roux one day for a baked mac n' cheese. I used my favorite four flour bean mix (Bette Hagman) and butter. What do you know, it acted just like the glutenous variety of old. There was nothing to be afraid of. If only I'd tried it years ago. I gained confidence and decided I would try to find a recipe for tuna noodle casserole that didn't call for cream of mushroom soup. I turned to allrecipes.com and found one I thought might work. No canned ingredients here.

I made it, and it tasted fabulous. I hope you enjoy and want to try.

Tuna Noodle Casserole (adapted)

• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked gluten free macaroni
  
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup four flour bean mix (gluten free)
  
• 2 cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained and flaked
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup crushed potato chips
  
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter or grease a medium baking dish.
   
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add gluten free noodles, cook cook until al dente. (follow directions on package.)
   
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion, celery, and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, until tender. Increase heat to medium-high, and mix in mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan, and whisk in gf flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tuna, peas, mushroom mixture, and cooked noodles. Transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle potato chips over casserole. Top with cheese.
5. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Apple Pie.

I love pie. I used to eat pie as often as the chance arose, every variety (except pecan... don't much care for that one.) However, since going gluten free a few years back, my pie consumption has dwindled to zero. I've tried making cereal crusts, cookie crusts and various pastry crusts... and I'm just not that impressed.

After a few recipe trials I've found that my favorite pie crust is a vinegar pastry crust. I use it for both sweet and savory dishes. It's slightly flaky, has a nice texture and holds up very well. A sweet apple or cream pie tastes just as good in it as a chicken pot pie does. This is one crust I can't do without now. You can find it in Bette Hagman's The Gluten Free Gourmet, pg. 146.

I decided to make an apple pie not long ago... well, this last fall. It came out so good that I ended up making four or five of them. I just took my favorite apple pie recipe and replaced the All Purpose Flour with my favorite gluten free blend. I put a wonderful crumble on top, again following the recipe and just switching out the flour for gluten free (I prefer Bette Hagman's Four Flour Bean mix) and used the vinegar pastry crust for the bottom. I can't wait to make another. This was a very yummy pie.

Apple Pie:

1 prepared pastry crust
6-7 cups sliced peeled cooking granny smith apples
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons four flour bean mix (gf)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large bowl stir together the 3/4 cup sugar, flour cinnamon and nutmeg. Add sliced apples and gently toss until coated.

Transfer apple mixture to the pastry lined pie plate and top with crumble mixture (see below)

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until fruit is tender and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

Crumble Topping:

1/2 cup four flour bean mix (gf)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter

Cut butter into the flour and brown sugar with a pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on top of pie.

Note: One great thing about a gluten free crust. I've yet to get a burnt one due to how much longer it takes to brown gluten free flours.