Stuffing

I have been spending some quality time with boxes, a tape gun, a sharpie and all of our stuff trying to get ready to move....

So - what and where am I eating while my favorite cooking tools are boxed away and my kitchen is cluttered?

To be honest, here's how I am eating on the fly:

Swiss Chalet - quarter chicken with steamed veggies
Wendy's - Baja Salad
Smitty's (a pancake house in town that has a great new gluten free menu)
Mom's - always something good cookin' there, and when she knows I am coming she takes extra care to make me something sans gluten (tonight was pork, baked potato and steamed veggies - YUM!)

At home, I am keeping it simple with eggs, tuna salad, pancakes made with El Peto pancake mix, GF cereal with banana, yogurt, fruit smoothies, and Glutino oreo-like cookies.  Hey - its only short-term right?  So, fast and easy and won't make me sick - and its all good!

For Easter - just sending the word out to be careful when it comes to ham and turkey which are sometimes injected with broths that contain gluten, so best to call the manufacturer if you aren't getting them from a butcher or store that knows for sure what's up. 

And of course, I need to share a recipe.

STUFFING
(again, keeping it simple - and seems appropriate that I am sharing a gluten -free stuffing recipe while I am stuffing boxes...)

3 cups of day old bread (see previous blog "bread, how I had missed you!"
1/2 cup of melted butter or GF margarine (to learn how to make your own butter see previous blog "butter")
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 heaping tbsp of summer savory (to taste)

Saute the onion in a frying pan with the butter or margarine.
Add savory.
Add bread crumbs and mix well

Wrap in tin foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes at 350F

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Seafood Chowder and Cheesy Garlic Rolls

I love warm chowder on a cold day!  Being a Maritimer, Seafood Chowder is one of my favorites!  My Nanny makes amazing Chowder!  So this recipe is a combination of her recipe, and one I learned at a cooking class put on by Chef Aidan Brunn of Schoolhouse Gluten Free Gourmet http://www.schoolhouseglutenfreegourmet.com/.  If you don’t know about Aidan and Jen and Schoolhouse Gluten Free Gourmet – you absolutely should!  I buy a lot of their product locally, especially their incredible granola, and they are a wealth of knowledge on healthy, organic, gluten free living!

Chowder

1 large sweet onion, finely chopped

3-4 celery stocks, washed and finely chopped

4 small white potatoes, chopped and boiled

6 small asparagus shoots, chopped

1/3 cup of Becel Vegan margarine

2 cups of Campbell’s Vegetable Broth

4 cups of chopped seafood (assorted, your choice)

2 tbsp salt

2 cups of cream blend (10% mf)

2 tsp potato starch

Over medium heat in a large pot sauté onions, celery in the margarine until soft.  Add asparagus.  In a separate pot, boil potatoes until soft.  Add salt and seafood.  Stir often until seafood is cooked and the fish pieces have turned into small flakes.  Add broth and potatoes and allow simmering for about 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to low for about 5 minutes, then add the cream blend.  Slowly increase the heat back to medium.  Boil for 10 minutes again stirring often.  Reduce heat again, allow to cool for about 10 minutes.  Stir in potato starch to thicken.   Voila!

Cheesy Garlic Buns 

This recipe is from www.kingarthurflour.com.  I followed it and used the suggestions of my fellow readers to increase the tapioca starch by ½ cup (so total Tapicoa starch is now 2-1/2 cups rather than their suggested 2 cups).  I also had to bake for an extra 5 minutes.

½ cup butter or margarine

¼ cup water

¼ cup milk

¾ tsp of salt (I omitted this and they came out fine)

2-1/2 cups of Tapioca Starch (used Bob’s Red Mill)

Heaping 2/3 cup of Parmesan cheese (can also use Romano or aged Asiago cheese)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a couple of baking sheets; or line with parchment.  Put the butter, water, milk, and salt in a saucepan, and heat till the butter has melted and the mixture has come to a full boil. While the mixture is heating, put 2-1/2 cups of tapioca flour into a mixing bowl.  Pour the boiling butter mixture over the tapioca flour, beating to combine. Beat at high speed till the mixture becomes smooth and elastic-looking; this will happen very quickly.  Beat the garlic and cheese into the dough till well combined.

Stick your finger into the dough. If it's uncomfortably hot, let it sit for a couple of minutes to cool a bit; you don't want to cook the eggs when you beat them in. If it seems hot but not burning hot, continue with the next step.

With the mixer going, gradually dribble in the beaten eggs, beating till well combined and smooth.

Drop the mixture in 2-tablespoon balls (about the size of a golf ball) onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2" apart. A level tablespoon cookie scoop works well here.

Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes, till they have a freckled appearance (from the browning cheese), and they're beginning to color a bit. Remove them from the oven, and serve hot.

Makes 18-20 buns.

Gluten-Free Brownies

If there is one thing I know about my man, is that chocolate always makes him feel better!  He was feeling a bit under the weather tonight, so I thought some Brownies might cheer him up.  I had never attempted gluten free brownies before...so I thought there was no time like the present to get started.  The baking gods must have smiled on me, because they came out really good!  I took the plate shown above to the "kids" accross the hall (an awesome couple just finishing up University) for them to sample and for a study-snack.  I got 2 thumbs up. 

                                  So, confident it is blog-worthy, here it is!

Gluten Free Brownies!
These are cakey, chewy and not too sweet! :)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp Kahlua (optional)
1/2 cup Agave Nectar

1 cup white rice flour

1/2 cup potato starch

1 tsp xanthan gum

3 tbsp cocoa

2/3 cup white sugar

3/4 cup pecans

1/3 cup melted chocoate chips (about 1 minute in microwave)

Mix on medium speed until the batter is thick (it will be really thick!)  Spread into an 8" square baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 40 minutes.

Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.  Slice the brownie "cake" in half so you have 2 8" squares.  Frost with favorite frosting!  Enjoy!

Ode to Mom's Banana Muffin Recipe

I have been blessed in many ways in my life.  The biggest blessing has been my parents.  They brought me into this world, told me there was nothing I couldn't do, and encouraged me every step of the way.  They have always been there for me.  The last few years, I needed them more than ever.  I was diagnosed with celiac disease only months after moving back in with them after my divorce (my cat in tow, who still is with them).  It was a difficult time, and I wouldn't have gotten through it without them!

When I was diagnosed, food became an even bigger focus in the household.  My Dad is diabetic, so we now had two very strict dietary needs to take care of.  It was a challenge to say the least! 

Mom has always made us muffins, so I think it was a natural progression from the gluten free coffee cake recipe that she started with, to muffins. The ones shown are made by my Mom.  They are currently in the freezer, ready to go to work for easy breakfasts and snacks (the stomach flu has kept me from enjoying them right away).

These freeze up and re-heat in the microwave beautifully and are a great at-your-desk breakfast with coffee.

Mom's Banana Muffins

1 cup becel vegan margarine
3/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs + 1 egg white
1 cup plain yogurt
2 large mashed bananas

2 cups El Peto All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flax Meal
1-1/4 tsp xanthan gum
2-1/2 tsp baking powder (GF)
1 tsp baking soda (GF)
1 tsp cinnamon

Topping:  1/4 cup brown sugar & 1 tsp cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients together in one bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl.  Make a well in the bowl with the dry ingredients and gradually mix in the wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full and sprinkle topping on each muffin. 

Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.

Banana Bread

The smell of Banana Bread baking smells like... home.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

1 cup of mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
1 cup of milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 cup sugar
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp flax meal
1/2 tsp baking powder

Combine and mix on low speed for about 2 minutes. 

Grease a bread pan and scoop the mixture into the pan.  Combine 2tbsp and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon in a separate bowl, and then sprinkle on top of the bread mixture. Bake at 350F for 1 hour.  Allow to cool, slice and enjoy!

Carrot Cake

When my sister went to the USA for a wedding, she brought me back a few of Betty Crocker's New Gluten Free products including the Yellow Cake Mix (since they are not yet available in Canada - Boo!).  I stumbled upon this Carrot Cake Recipe on the Betty Crocker website that called out for the gluten free Yellow Cake Mix. 

My boyfriend's parents live about 2 hours out of town, and we were going to visit for the weekend.  Bringing a gluten free dessert with us sounded like a good excuse to try it out!  So, the night before we left, I set to work. 

I followed the recipe, and at the advice of fellow bakers who had commented on the Betty Crocker website, I added 1/4 cup of crushed pineapple to ensure it came out nice and moist.  It took longer than suggested to bake (perhaps due to the pineapple), but when it came out of the oven it looked and smelled like Carrot Cake!  I was hopeful! 

We took it with us, and his father proclaimed on the first bite "It tastes like Carrot Cake!" - music to my ears!  I tried it and it did taste just like Carrot Cake!  The texture was moist and fluffy!  I challenge anyone to tell the difference between it and one full of gluten!

If you like Carrot Cake - you have GOT to try this one out!  It's a home run for Betty Crocker...

Now that my one and only Yellow Cake Mix is gone, I will have to figure out a suitable base to use instead... stay tuned!!!  I need to finish eating this one before I can make another!!

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/carrot-cake-gluten-free/81350456-95da-4e1b-bcb9-fe84378a2098

For GLUTEN FREE Bread, Brownies, Pancakes, Biscuits, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and GLUTEN FREE PIZZA see my other blog enteries at http:\\ginaglutenfree.blogspot.com

Chicken Stew & Cheese Biscuits

My love of cooking started early.  My Mom and my Nanny are great cooks, and I understand that my Dad's twin sisters are too.  So, I guess I come by my interest in it honestly.  When I was in my mid-teens I started to read through my Mom's recipe books and trying things out.  This was one of the first things I remember doing on my own.

I believe the origins of this recipe came from a Jean Pare Company's Coming book... but I am not sure because I committed my version of it to memory so many years ago (probably 15+).  I simply call it "Chicken Stew", and it is a family favorite!

And here is how it goes....

Sautee in a frying pan:
1 sweet onion
3 tbsp margarine (try Becel's Vegan - its gluten free!)
1 tbsp dried sweet basil
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Sautee until the onion is soft

Boil:
3 small white potatoes
2 medium carrots

Chop:
2 cups cooked chicken

Prepare:
3 cups of gluten free instant or homemade cream of mushroom soup

(I just found out that Campbell's Gardenay Harvest  Mushroom Soup is Gluten Free!  I tried it last night using one tetra pack of the soup and 1/2 cup of milk and it was AMAZING!  http://www.campbellsoup.ca/en/products/health.asp?label=glutenfree)

Combine the cooked onion mixture with the cooked potato, carrots, frozen or canned corn (about 1/2 cup), chicken and mushroom soup in the frying pan.  You can also add peas or any other desired vegetable.  Stir often on medium heat until well combined and bubbling.  Serve and Enjoy!

Tonight we will be enjoying cheese biscuits with our stew!  (Recipe adapted from "Red Lobster Cheese Biscuit" recipe).

2 cups of "Bisquick mix" - see previous blog Becoming a Bisquick Scientist http://ginaglutenfree.blogspot.com/2011/02/becoming-bisquick-scientist.html
2/3 cup of milk
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of melted margarine
1/2 tsp salt

Mix Bisquick and cheese; add milk and margarine. Spoon on an ungreased cookie sheet or in muffin tins (makes about 12). Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Two words... Perfect Pizza

I love pizza. Pizza is everywhere in our world, so after years of having it as part of my diet, it was one of the harder things to give up.

Here is the best Pizza solution I have found so far. I use the bagel dough from my previous post "A visit from the cream cheese angel!" as the crust - the link to the dough recipe is here... (omit the cinnamon and raisins).

http://www.glutenfree.com/index.cfm/homemadebagels.html


I spread it thinly on a greased pan. I use an oiled sandwich baggie as a glove to keep the dough from sticking to my hands.

For extra flavour, I sprinkle a bit of garlic powder on the crust.  For the sauce, my favorite has always been Kraft pizza sauce. 

Top it with gluten free meats (I recently found gluten free deli meats locally!! I can find Buddig meats at the Bayers Lake and Braemar Superstores in HRM). Top with desired veggies and cheeses and I always finish with another sprinkle of garlic powder.  (Shown here, honey ham, mushrooms, tomoto, green pepper, mozeralla and parmesan cheeses).

Bake at 450F for about 12 minutes, depending on your oven.  Cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. ENJOY!
PS - I make bagels out of any left over dough. :)

Flippin' Flapjacks!

When I was nine, my Dad taught me how to make pancakes. Pancakes were always a weekend treat, especially when my Nanny would come over and make them.  Under the instruction of my parents and Grandmother, I could make a pretty mean batch of pancakes by adulthood.  The challenge of making them gluten free has been a bit of a struggle.  I think I may have found the right mix....


Pancakes

3/4 cup "Bisquick Mix" (see previous blog)
1-1/2 tbsp flax meal
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vinagar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp oil

Mix in stand mixer or with hand mixer until well blended.  The mixture will be thick.

Scoop into a preheated frying pan with oil (hot pan, cold oil, my father always taught me).  Keep the heat at low-medium because they are thick they will take a few minutes to cook on each side.

Makes 5 pancakes (see picture) that are surprisingly fluffy!

Like a warm hug on a cold day!

My boyfriend and I used to frequent this little Greek family restaurant in town on cold winter nights just for a bowl of their Tomato Pasta Soup.  It was savory, filling and would warm you from head to toe.  After my diagnosis, of course I could no longer enjoy this soup and after a whole winter without it, he suggested that I could figure out how to make it myself.  I was doubtful, but willing to try just about anything.

So... off to Google I went in search of my favorite restaurant's soup recipe.  I combined my findings from a few to make what I felt was in the soup and ~ Voila!  He declared that it was better than the restaurant soup (which may have been kind, but I think it was at least as good as the restaurant's soup) and we have been enjoying it ever since.

There is some work to this soup, with removing the skins and seeds from the tomatoes, but if you love a hearty tomato-based soup, this one will not disappoint (and it makes a huge batch, so you can freeze a bunch for another time)!

Tomato Pasta Soup

1 large spanish onion chopped

2 stalks of celery chopped

2 large carrots chopped

3 tbsp margarine

8 large tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped (see directions below)

900mL tetra pack of Campbell’s Veggie Broth 

1 19oz can of Heinz Tomato Juice

1 tbsp salt

pepper to taste

1 tsp thyme (to taste)

1-1/2 cups of cooked brown rice pasta shells

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Soften the carrots, onion and celery with the margarine in a large pot. 

In a separate pot, boil water and drop the whole tomatoes (pitted) into the boiling water.   Wait a few minutes (until you see the skins starting to split) then remove the tomatoes and plunge into very cold water. The skins will peel off very easily, right in your hand!.  Chop tomatoes and remove the seeds.  Add the tomatoes to the softened veggies in the other pot and let simmer for 10 minutes with salt and thyme. 

Add the tomato juice, soup stock and parsley. 

In a separate pot, boil the brown rice noodles until el dente.  Rinse in cold water to remove excess starch, and then add to the soup.  Let simmer for about 1 hour on low heat, stirring often.  Season to taste with additional salt, pepper and thyme. 

Freezes and re-heats nicely.

Oatie Cookies

Some Celiac's can tolerate pure, uncontaminated oats.  Some cannot.  I am fortunate enough that I am able to eat guaranteed uncontaminated oats.  I don't eat them often, but when I do, this is my most favorite way to enjoy them (outside of apple crisp, of course!)

I call these my "Oatie" cookies... my boyfriend chuckles at me when I use this childish name for them, but the name has stuck.  These were the first cookies I attempted after my diagnosis.  The simple idea of a cookie was so wonderful, I ate 2 before they had even cooled!

I got this recipe from my Mom's handwritten recipe book... this is the recipe book she started when she got married 37 years ago, so I cannot give credit to the exact origin of these drop cookies.

The recipe originally called for coconut.  I am not a fan of coconut, so I substituted peanuts and have been very happy with that choice.  Otherwise, the below is verbatim copied from Mom's book.

Chocolate Oat Cookies

In a saucepan combine:

½ cup margarine

½ cup milk

2 cups sugar

Bring to a boil and let cook 3 minutes

Add:

3 cups of Guaranteed Uncontaminated Gluten Free Oats

6 tsp cocoa (check to make sure it's gluten free, not all are created equal!)

1 cup of either peanuts or coconut

Spoon by the teaspoon onto wax paper and allow to cool. 

Lemons to Lemon Pie!

My father and I share many things in common... not the least of which is a love of Lemon Meringue Pie... hands down it is my favorite pie!

Strangely enough, the origins of this recipe are from a 35-year old "Five Roses Flour" cookbook of my mothers.  I was over visiting Mom one afternoon over the holidays, and there it was sitting on my mother’s countertop.  I was idly flipping through the book when I stumbled across a recipe for Lemon Pie filling.  I had never known any other way of making a lemon pie filling other than a Shariff mix, so I was curious what went into it. 

I tried it - first with trying to make a gluten-free all-purpose flour and used the full 10tbsp that it called for... that was horrible mistake!  It came out like bread dough.  The second go at it, I just used a few tablespoons of potato starch until it reached the desired thickness and doubled the amount of lemon juice the recipe called for and it came out beautifully!

Lemon Pie Filling

2 cups boiling water
2 lemon rinds grated
¾ cup sugar
2-3 tbsp potato starch
¼ cup margarine
2 egg yolks
Juice of 2 lemons

Use the Gluten Free Pantry Pie Crust Mix and follow directions to make a bottom crust.  Standard Meringue (egg whites and sugar) works beautifully!

Boil water with lemon rind.  Add sugar a little at a time to the boiling water. Slowly add the potato starch, stirring constantly until reaching the desired thichness.  Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.  Cover and continue to cook for 20 minutes longer without stirring.  Beat egg yolks slightly, add a little of hot mixture.  Mix well and return to mixture.  Remove from heat.  Add lemon juice and margarine.

AND DAD COULDN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE!!

Becoming a Bisquick Scientist!

I was super-excited when I found out that General Mills was coming out with Gluten-Free Betty Crocker cake mixes, Bisquick and Chex!  I was very un-excited when I found out its only available in the USA.  I wrote to them eagerly wanting to know if and when we could get it in Canada... only to receive an automated response that "the product I was inquiring on was only available in the USA" - well DUH! ...

My sister was going to Michigan for a wedding and brought me back some of the mixes to try.  The one thing I found I could not live without was the Bisquick.  It made great pancakes and waffles and served as a great base for muffins. 

One of my good work-friends went to Boston on a shopping trip and brought me back 2 more boxes - I was thrilled.  As they eventually ran out, I thought - surely I can figure out how to make this myself based on the ingredients that are on the box... its just a baking mix.

I got very very close, and here it is....

1 cup of white rice flour

1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of potato starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp GF baking soda

Sift well and store in an airtight container... I doubt its exact, but it does the same job as the Bisquick does...

The BEST thing that I made from them is chocolate chip muffins!

1-1/4 cup of the "Bisquick" mix

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp oil

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix well in a hand or stand mixer for about 2-3 minutes - the batter will thicken up.

Bake in greased muffin tins for 15-20 minutes at 400F until browned and cooked through.

Cool and ENJOY!    Makes 10-12 muffins.

A visit from the cream cheese angel!

Finding this recipe online was a total and complete treat!  I tried it, and omitted the cinnimon and raisins and added in a third cup of guaranteed uncontaminated oats and ooooohhh... heaven! 

There have been too many mornings when having a Bagel and cream cheese with my morning coffee at my desk would have just hit the spot!  Now, I toast one up at home (to avoid contamination from using the toaster at work) and wrap in waxed paper (just like I used to when I worked at Tim Horton's!!).  When I get to work I microwave it to heat it up a bit, then smear on some cream cheese or peanut butter! 

http://www.glutenfree.com/index.cfm/homemadebagels.html

TIPS:
1.  You are going to get at best 9 small-ish sized bagels from this recipe.  They say 9-12 but they are dreaming.
2.  The Gluten Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread mix works equally well in this, if not better than the French Bread and Pizza Mix (so buy whichever you can find, and/or get cheaper). 
3.  I have found it best to put a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper down on the cookie sheet when you set them out to let them rise (my best trick for rising is to put them in the oven with just the oven light on), then slide the paper off onto a hard surface and prepare your pan with the oil and corn meal.

4.  Try to be careful when brushing on the egg that not a lot of it gets on the pan, it makes the bagels stick like crazy!
5.  If you are having trouble getting them off of the pan, let them cool, they will come off a lot easier without loosing the bottoms.
6.  They freeze wonderfully, so don't hesitate to put them in ziploc baggies and chuck them in the freezer.

ENJOY!

Why are the simplest things so difficult?? All I wanted was a good Chocolate Chip Cookie! Was that too much to ask??

I don't know anyone who doesn't take comfort in a warm chocolate chip cookie fresh out the oven.... Mmmm the aroma as they are baking is intoxicating!  I bravely continued to make non-gluten-free cookies after my diagnosis for my boyfriend and his son on weekends because they truly loved having a warm cookie and milk on a chilly Saturday afternoon.  I mean, who doesn't?  Not being able to partake in the weekend ritual sometimes got me down.  I occasionally tried different gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipes only to be sorely disapointed.  They called for a laundry-list of various flours and starches (and usually called for sorgrum flour, which I hate the taste of).  They were hard, bland and crumbly.  Hardly the warm and gooey cookie I was craving. 

So, I decided to go back to the basics.  Below is my cookie recipe.  It is essentially my old cookie recipe that I have been using since I was about 7 years old, only replacing the wheat flour with Almond Meal Flour and adding in Xanthan gum to replace the gluten. I also reduced the margarine from the original recipe because of the moistness of the Almond Meal,  I increased the vanilla for flavour/liquid.  This makes a chewy (even after a few days in a ziploc bag!), delicious cookie that we ALL enjoy on chilly Saturday afternoons!

Gina’s Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

¼ cup margarine

¾ cup white sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups Almond Flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

¾ cups chippits

Combine using stand mixer.  Bake on greased pan, 375F for 12-15 minutes.  Makes about 20 cookies.

Bread... how I had missed you!

My Mom said when I was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 29 "Gina, if you didn't like to cook, you'd be screwed.".  Not the most eloquent thing my mother has ever said, but as with everything my mother says - it's insightful and accurate.  It's been a long road since that day. 

My first question was "what is safe to eat?"  Figuring that out was an adventure in reading labels and online research.  Questions like "Is there gluten in ketchup?" became part of my thought process. I had to rediscover food, drink, and even learning that I can have a gluten reaction from licking envelopes... and I had to discover it mostly on my own. 

Celiac disease is not a well-known thing.  When my doctor told me I had it, I had to ask her what it was, then I had to go home and google it before I could tell my panicked family and boyfriend exactly what was wrong with me.  Unless you know someone who has it, you probably don't know much about the diease.  I had a waitress say to me upon telling her that I have a gluten allergy "you're allergic to GLUE?"  It's kind of funny in hindsight, but at the time it was completely disheartening.

Once I figured out the ins and outs of all of that stuff (and no, there isn't gluten in ketchup), my thoughts turned to how can I make THAT (insert any food I was having a craving for here) without gluten???  And that is where my real experimentation in the kitchen began, and that is what I plan to share in this blog.  I am not a chef, a professional cook, a dietician or an expert of any kind.  Just a girl who loves food enough to find a way to have what she likes with all of the taste and texture and none of the gluten.

So the thing I have struggled with the most is probably the same thing most people struggle with  - bread.  Don't let the long lists of ingredients you cannot pronounce scare you.  It kept me out of the kitchen for a long time.  Finally, one day I just went out and bought all of these mysterious flours, starches and gums and started following some recipes.  Then I did a bit of reading and learned a bit about them and how they work together, and that gave me the ability to play around a bit and make it better.

So here it is - my bread recipe

Bread

1 tsp. white Vinegar 

¼  cup Oil 

1-1/2 cups warm water

3 large eggs 

2 cups of white or brown rice flour

½  cup Potato Starch 

¼  cup Tapioca Flour

½  cup Corn Starch

¼ cup Flax Meal (use up to 1/3 cup depending on how you like texture)

1 Tbsp. Xanthan Gum

3 Tbsp. Sugar or honey

1 tsp. Salt 

2/3 cup Skim Milk Powder

2 1/2 tsp. Dry Active Yeast for Breadmaker

Combine liquid ingredients and pour carefully into bread machine baking pan. Mix together dry ingredients except xanthan gum and add to baking pan. Place pan in bread maker. Select normal/basic/white cycle and start machine. After mixing cycle begins slowly add the xanthan gum.  I don’t know why this helps, but it seems to improve the texture of the bread. 

For best results, once the dough has risen in the bread machine, remove the dough and form into rolls in greased muffin tins.  Allow dough to rise in the muffin tins a second time (a good tip is to put them into the oven with just the oven light on, the bulb gives enough heat to allow them to rise) and then bake for 30 minutes at 350F.

Otherwise, keep in bread maker and remove pan from the machine when bake cycle is complete.

Dough just starting to rise

Dough fully risen.  Remaining dough in another roll pan.