Loaded Potato Cream Soup

Loaded Potato Cream Soup

4 1/2 cups Chicken Broth

1 cup water

1/4 cup Starch (Arrowroot, Potato, Corn, Tapioca)
1/4 cup Rice Flour

1/4 cup Potato Flour

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

* * * *

5 Medium red potatoes (w/ skin on) diced in 1/2 inch or smaller cubes and boiled

2 Green Onions, chopped

1-2 TBSP Bacon Grease

* * * *

1 TBSP Chicken Bouillon/Herb OX

1/2-3/4 cup Dairy Free Sour Cream

Crumbled Bacon

Grated Non Dairy Cheese

1) Leaving skin on dice red potatoes and precook.

2) Place all wet ingredients of 1st list in a pot.  Mix all dry ingredients of 1st list in a bowl and then slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Whisk to prevent clumping of the dry ingredients.

3) Place pot over medium-hi heat until mixture begins to thicken.  Then add list 2 to the mixture.  With lid on pot, let simmer 'til flavors have blended about 20-30 minutes.   Stir occasionally to prevent caking/burning at the bottom of the pot.

4) Turn off stove mix in sour cream & bouillon and add any additional onion/garlic powder or salt to taste.  

5) Serve and top with cheese and bacon.  Makes about 5-6 adult sized bowls.

Southwest Chicken Alfredo Sauce

Creamy Southwest Chicken Alfredo Sauce

1 recipe Cream of Chicken Substitute

3/4 cup Non-Dairy Sour Cream

3 Boiled and Cubed Chicken Breasts

1/2 cup Canned Green Peppers (I recommend Old El Paso Brand)

Serve over or mixed with noodles.  We like using rotini style noodles the best, even though it does not look Alfredo in the least bit.  Serves 8-10.  

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls.  Shall we just call it a work in progress?  I have been creating this recipe now for the last 5 years.  Seriously, no simple modification for Cinnamon Rolls, you really need to know your gluten free flours and dough enhancers to create a cinnamon rolls recipe.  The down side is that likely, now that I have finally got my final bits together,  Betty Crocker is going to come up with a boxed mix to handle the stress!!  But on the upside, this is an accomplishment and I really did it!! I am so glad that I keep my recipes in a hand scrawled notebook so I can easily check back on past failures and current modifications.  

Most recently I attempted Cinnamon Rolls at Christmas time with failure and again a couple weeks ago.  Both times we landed with a cinnamon casserole in a pie pan.  Don't mistake me, it WAS good, just not rolls.  Just not the same look.  But too bad the glory be in the roll!!  For you have not cinnamon rolls if there be no roll.

So today as I prepped for Valentines Day I died my pizza dough pink with a box of red jello and cut it into heart shapes on top of a piece of saran wrap.  And the moment of awe was supplied!! In indulging in the creations I discovered it is far easier to manipulate rolled out dough using Saran Wrap, so I had to try it.  The final piece to successfully roll a cinnamon roll.  

Cinnamon Rolls


2/3 cup Rice Flour

1/3 cup Sorghum Flour

1/4 cup Jello Brand Vanilla Pudding 
               sugar and fat free (this one is GFCF) 
1 TBSP Potato FLOUR (not starch)

1/2 oz Gelatin (abt. 1 TBSP + 1 scant tsp)

2 1/2 tsp Guar Gum

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Soda, rounded
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

*  *  *  *  

2 tsp Yeast**

1/2 TBSP sugar

2 TBSP Warm Water

*  *  *  *

2 TBSP Butter

2/3 cup Warm Rice Milk

1 TBSP Vegetable Oil 

2 eggs, Room Temperature

**If you prefer yeast free, leave out 2nd set of ingredients and use 2/3 cup of starter.  Make a note that starter adds a sourness to your baked goods (quite sharp compared to commercial sourdough bread) and will affect the final taste of baked goods.


1) Mix each set of ingredients in separate containers.  Making sure the dry group is in the largest bowl.  
2) When the yeast mixture has grown into a frothy airy mixture, combine all ingredients into the Large bowl.
3)  When the dough is mixed, roll out to roughly a 10-12 inch rectangle between two pieces of Saran Wrap.   Very important that you use Saran wrap.
4) Brush flattened dough generously with melted butter .


Filling

1 cup Brown Sugar
1 TBSP Cinnamon
1 TBSP Melted Butter
1/2 tsp Salt


I don't recommend nuts for these rolls.  I found that nuts really act as knives with the dough and causes the dough to fall apart as you roll and cut the dough. If you must have them, you can try the finely chopped pecan/walnut chips that are a bit smaller than lentils.  You could try sprinkling them over the flattened dough after spreading the filling.  OR you could try sprinkling them in the crevices of the rolls after placing the rolls in the pan.

4) Combine all filling ingredients and spread evenly over dough.
5) Prepare a 9 in pie pan/dish  by greasing it, then sprinkling 1/4 cup brown sugar over the bottom and evenly drizzling 3 TBSP melted butter over the sugar.
5) Using the Saran wrap to help you roll the dough, roll dough into a loose roll.
6) Using a Serrated Knife and cleaning after each cut, cut into 9 equal pieces, and place in pie pan immediately after each cut.  
7) Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes then bake 375 for 20-23 minutes.
8) Top with your  favorite glaze

Tips to Better Baked Goods

Had a friend comment to me that it should be rather easy to modify any recipe to fit a gluten free diet.  I was taken aback.  Easy??!!  No!!  Not really, in fact not at all!! Of course, when we first started the allergy free dieting, we had the same impression.  That is until the first few DOZEN loaves ended up in the trash.  It was a hard change.  There was not alot of information on the internet that had many GOOD recipes to offer or tips. AND there is no flour like wheat that has a protein with the same characteristics as gluten.  Gluten is so flexible and stretchable and makes for light and airy breads.  Not to mention taste, I mean try a loaf made of pure Garbanzo bean.  OH, GAG!!! The flavor is just not something that you seek.  Or perhaps straight buckwheat??  SAWDUST ANYONE??  Really, its that bad!! Now maybe if I was raised on the stuff I might feel differently about it, but I was not and my kids knew the 'better' life too, so we DO need to worry about how things taste for success with the way of life. 

After losing so many loaves, I took us down to a local Natural Food store and bought a teaspoon sized sample of every gluten free flour they had.  I walked out with about 10 samples.  My kids and I tasted every sample and chose several we liked.  I then built my recipes around those flours and bought a food storage with all the flours and every dough enhancer I could find. I am not sure any Gluten and Dairy Free person ever cared about flavor and texture so much as I do.  But I wanted my kids to eat, not just fake like they did. 

Because it really is not an easy task to modify a gluten free recipe and failure is highly likely at first, I thought I might write out what I have learned in writing my recipes.

1) Rule number one DO NOT substitute the flour called for in a recipe for only one type of gluten free flour.  I always use AT LEAST 4 different types of flours.  The more the types of flours the less distinct the flavor and the more 'normal' tasting the outcome.  For Dessert breads, use about 50% starches or lighter flours.  For a sandwich bread use 50% medium flours.  For a Whole Wheat type bread, use at least 25% heavier flours and minimal starch/lighter flours.

2) Always use spices that fit the baked good you are making.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, in sweet goods and breads; Onion powder, garlic, pepper, etc in items that are not meant to be sweet.  This brings the concentration of flavor to familiar items while distracting your senses from any new flavors.  Pudding is a good choice for sweet breads too.

3) NEVER pre-mix your flours.  You never know if a flour is not going to work for you, or has poor flavor, or if you might develop an allergy to it.  Once it is mixed, you cannot take it out; only throw it out.  I like being able to choose what flours go into my bread rather than being forced into using one I don't like the flavor of.

4) Always use dough enhancers unless you are intentionally trying to create a rock :o)  Dough enhancers can seriously lighten your loaf.  They won't create that airy pull-a-part soft dinner roll that Gluten creates, but it will at least make the goods better than what a 100% whole wheat flour could create.

5)  Don't like grittiness?  Let your dough set out over night (I used to do a few hours, but overnight is truly superior.  Thanks C.M.)

6)  Usually bigger is better, but with Gluten Free breads, it is the opposite!!  I just RE-learned this lesson a couple weeks ago (yes, I forgot for a brief time, but quickly remembered when my toddler toddled a pre-sliced bagged loaf off the counter).  Big bread means less crust and more crumbs, so save your self the headache or perhaps backache.  Smaller bread stays together a lot better.  I use a commercial hamburger bun pan for regular sandwich bread.  

7)  Did you know that a Gluten Free Diet tends to be more calorie dense??  It truly is!  But think about it, less air and more rock to the breads, not to mention the items we add to alter the natural flavor.  So yes, be careful with your portions and what you put into your breads.  This is one of the reasons you will see lots of vegetables in my breads, over the fruits.  Fruits usually have upper of 2 times the calories as vegetables.  Likewise, vegetables are good fillers in bread, because they are less calorie dense than flour is.  (Knowing this you might want to be careful with using pudding liberally in your sweet breads.) 

8)  Gluten Free breads need more 'glue', truly in need of anything that can help it stay together.  Vegetable purees do wonderfully, fruits too (especially banana or applesauce), eggs, flax, gelatin, guar or xanthan gum.  Typically if a recipe calls for 2 eggs I will add 3 in my gluten free items.

9) 1/4 cup of flax in a recipe for a 9" loaf has equivalent nutrients to a 9" whole wheat loaf.  (Need I say more)

Mac and not so Cheese

Posting this recipe on behalf of a friend in need with a simple desire for some simple Mac and Cheese.  Yes, I had the same desire at one point as did my kids.  Not sure who needed it more me for its simplicity or them for their kiddish desires.  But, honestly, once a child knows about Mac and Cheese it is very difficult to remove.  Hence the dish.

If you are new to the milk free community, you are probably thinking that your days of Cheese, Cream cheese, and Sour cream are over, while in reality just like there are rice, almond, and soy milks, there are also cheeses too.  Before you get too bummed take yourself over to your local health food store and ask them what they have.  There are many wonderful substitutes out there that are wonderful replacements of what you already eat.  Why put yourself through the struggle of finding ways around a food you love when you don't have too?  There are many cheese choices out there that work great.  For example if you are making a Grilled Cheese sandwich, buy Daiya Cheese.  It melts at low temperatures, but yeat it holds up well for a grilled cheese sandwich.  If you need to make a pizza, however, Daiya is not a good choice, because it gets too melty and drools everywhere, such that you cannot enjoy your pizza.  For pizza the best choice I have found is Vegan Gourmet.  Vegan Gourmet melts at a really high temperature, but the end result is a near exact resemblance to real pizza cheese.  So get out there and find the health food stores around you.  And if you don't have one around you, every time you travel, look for one and stop in for a few months supply of items that will make your life easier.

In my mac and cheese I chose to use a butternut squash.  It was not just a random inclusion, however.  I chose it primarily because of its color. It also has had a big hit of its own in the pasta world, as it has been used like spaghetti sauces with garlic and onion flavors for years.  So butternut squash is not just a weird occurance with pasta and fits really nicely with Mac and Cheese.
 

Mac and Cheese

1 TBSP starch (I use tapioca or corn)

1 TBSP Potato Flour

1/4 tsp Garlic Salt

1/4 tsp Onion Powder

1 cup Rice Milk

* * * *

2 TBSP Melted Butter or Shortening

1/3 cup Non-Dairy Cream Cheese

1 cup Roasted Butternut Squash (pre-roasted)

* * * *

1 TBSP Nutritional Yeast

Salt to taste

8 oz precooked gluten free noodle elbows (or your preferred shape)

1) Place first 5 ingredients in a ziploc bag, zip it, and mix with hands until any lumping is gone. Pour into small skillet on medium heat til thickens, then add the Melted butter and Non-Dairy Cream Cheese to it.  

2) When Cream cheese is incorporated, add the butternut squash.  Sauce is finished when it gives the appearance of canned nacho cheese sauce.

3) Pour over 8 oz of pre-cooked noodles and add the Nutritional Yeast and desired salt.  With a Wooden spoon or wooden spatula combine evenly into noodles.  Serve. 

Time 15 minutes 

**You can make ziploc bags of the dry ingredients ready for use to make it a quick lunch

Clean Value - High rise, low crumbs!

This beautifully worn commercial hamburger pan was my absolute first purchase upon adopting the Gluten Free lifestyle.  I think I spent 15 dollars for shipping and all in EBAY. It came to me 36 inches wide and of course, it could not fit in my oven as was.  I took a hack saw and cut it in half so that I would be able to use it. I LOVE this pan!! 

My intentions for it was hamburger bun/English muffin substitutes, however, it has definitely paid its way and proven its value being used for everyday bread too. Several benefits result from using these pans.

• All bread of course is pre-portioned
• The smaller amounts of dough allow for a better rise, because there is no weight of dough 'on top' preventing it from rising and there is also greater absorption of warmth.  Just look at the large air pockets in the picture below!!
• The soft crust all over prevents crumbs; WONDERFUL when you have many little munchkins feasting on gluten free bread!! (imagine a less crummy floor w/o getting rid of your kids :o) 
• I pre-slice these before putting them in the fridge (or freezer) and my kids self serve.  I don't have to cut the loaf for them and I don't have to stress about them crumbling a pre-sliced loaf either.  These are durable, yet soft crusted and just as tasty as a gluten free loaf too. 
• The only down side is that it takes a little more work to get them on trays vs. bread pans.
• One of my kids did not like to have a 'round' sandwich in his lunch at school.  Yeah, it is a little different, but. . .???  To each his own!

Haluski

 

Haluski

1 Small-Medium head Green Cabbage chopped bite size

1 16 oz package bacon cut in 1/2 inch strips (easiest to cut bacon before completely defrosted)

8 oz Gluten Free wide flat noodles, precooked and drained (I use these)

1) In large frying pan cook bacon.  When cooked, turn stove down to med-low, remove bacon from pan and set aside. 

2) Remove all but 1/2 cup of bacon grease from pan and put chopped cabbage in the pan. Turn cabbage over til all is coated in the oil. DON'T SUBSTITUTE GREASE.

3) When cabbage is wilty, add noodles, and bacon to the pan and combine with spatula.  Be careful not to over cook the cabbage. Serve.

*I have made this with 2 cups rice in place of noodles and it works wonderfully too, though we like the noodles better.  We also like to add corn or mixed veggies.

Seven Layer Dip

When you think gluten and dairy free there are so many things that you can't have it is almost very difficult to see what you CAN have or what can easily be modified so you can have it.  Well here is another great one.  Perfect for a lazy day or a holiday party.  Not to mention a perfect healthy snack.

Seven Layer Dip

16 oz can Refried Beans

8 oz Non-Dairy Sour Cream

1-2 mashed avocados

1/2 - 1 cup Grated Non-Dairy Cheese

1 diced Roma Tomato

1 small can chopped Olives

2 Green Onions Chopped 

In a 9" glass pie pan or a 9" in square dish layer the ingredients in the order they are listed.  Enjoy with your favorite chip.  We like corn tortilla chips. SO EASY!!