The Muffin Blues

It has been so long since I have had a blueberry muffin! So when I found the muffin section in The Gluten-Free-Gourmet Bakes Bread I immediately set out to make up a batch of dry mix to keep on hand, and then I made two dozen muffins the very same day. Once you have the 10 ingredient dry mix all measured out, making the 7 variations listed in the book only requires the addition of an egg, oil/butter, a liquid & your "extras."

Minute Muffin Mix

Ingredients for 6-cups of mix (6 batches)

1 1/2 c Garfava bean flour

1/2 c Sorghum flour

2 c Arrowroot or Cornstarch

2 c Tapioca flour

2 1/2 tsp Baking soda

3 Tbsp Baking powder (Gluten-free)

2 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Egg replacer

2/3 c sugar

1 Tbsp powdered vanilla (I had this on hand from past camping trips!)

To make 12 plain muffins, preheat oven to 375'F. Place 2 cups mix in a large bowl. In a medium sized bowl, beat together 2 eggs plus 2 egg whites, 4 Tbsp oil or melted butter, 1 c buttermilk/soy milk/fruit juice. Pour wet into dry ingredients & beat until smooth. Spoon into 12 well greased muffin tins, or non-stick sprayed paper liners. Bake 15 min. or until done when tested with toothpick.

I found out the hard way that the 2 Gluten-Free muffin recipes I have tried tend to stick to the sprayed paper liners something fierce. So I suggest you spray liberally and wait until they are completely cooled to take them out.

I should try to make them in greased muffin tins, sans liners, but that is a nightmare for another day....if they stick as badly as they do to the paper!

I once made GF waffles....I pretty much ruined my waffle iron. I tried it 3 times, but I had to literally scrape them off with a knife. I had been brushing the iron with canola oil. Then I tried it with butter, and all was fine. SOOOOO....I would try buttering the muffin tins before I ever oiled them! Who has time to de-muffin 12 crusty cups??? No one!

The other Muffin Variations are as follows:

Nut or Fruit Muffins

-Add 4 Tbsp raisins, nuts, mashed banana, chopped dates or grated apple.

Lemon Muffins

-Add 2 Tbsp lemon zest to dry ingredients & substitute 3 Tbsp of the liquid with fresh lemon juice.

Blueberry Muffins

-Add 4 Tbsp frozen blueberries to the dry ingredients. (It DOES sound like a small amount, and YES, I did add more myself, but I do believe that this may have made them too moist and I had to cook them quite a bit longer.)

Almond Banana Muffins

-Add 2 Tbsp almond meal to dry ingr. Use water as the liquid, & after beating the mix, fold in 1 banana chopped.

Apple-Spice Muffins

-Add 1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice to dry ingr. Use apple juice as liquid, & after mixing, fold in 2 Tbsp chopped apple.

Apple-Pecan Muffins

-Add 4 Tbsp almond meal and 4 Tbsp chopped pecans to dry ingr. Use apple juice for liquid.

I keep but 1 or 2 out for my morning tea snack, and I freeze the rest in bags. I have about a 2 weeks' supply now, but after reading all of these variations I can't wait to get baking again!!! The dry mix IS ready and just sitting there waiting for me....It is a good and easy project to involve a toddler in, too. Enjoy.

Chicken Water

This week we were all sniffling so we made lovely chicken soup full of veggies and herbs. Of course our 2 year old would spit out every kernel of corn, pea or parsley fleck & hand it to us with a look of disgust on her face as if to say, "What are you trying to do to me?"

But there was no way we were letting her off the chicken soup hook. She had to get those good liquids in to fight the bad germs! It's just what you do when you are sick, right? So Miki got the abbreviated chicken soup version. Broth, or as she has come to know it, chicken water. This is now a big hit and she sips it through a straw. She is on the mends.

Rice Paper Wraps

Another popular dinner that we make at least twice a month are Rice Paper Wraps with Smoked Tofu and Fresh Veggies. This super simple meal was first made for us by our vegan friends. We oogled over it! They must have thought we were crazy to like them that much. So I will pass it on.

First the mise en place. Set up your station to rehydrate the rice wraps.

A cookie tray with about 1/2 inch of water will be needed to dip the wraps.

Then wet a large kitchen towel slightly, ring it out & place it folded in half next to the water bath.

Cut all veggies before soaking wraps.

Our list of veggies usually reads something like this:

BEAN SPROUTS OR PEA SHOOTS

AVOCADO SLICED THIN

WHOLE BASIL LEAVES

CARROT & CUCUMBER SLICED THIN WITH VEGGIE PEELER

ROASTED RED PEPPERS

FRESH MINCED GINGER

ROASTED GARLIC MASHED INTO A PASTE

SMOKED TOFU (try a couple of varieties until you find a great one!)

THAI DIPPI SAUCE

1 lime juiced

3 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs sesame seed oil

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

1 Tbs minced ginger

1 tsp roasted garlic paste (or raw if you like that kind of thing)

TO PREPARE THE RICE WRAPS (see package or keep reading...)

Dip the wrap, turning it once or twice, and let it rest between the folded towel for about 1 minute. Transfer to a large plate and it is ready to fill when all edges are malleable.

If you place the whole basil leaves down first, the finished product is something of a piece of art. Follow these with long thin strips of tofu, cucumber, carrots, sprouts, ginger....etc. Spoon Thai Dip over veggies before wrapping or just dip the finished product as you eat. (The latter not being a good idea if you are watching your sodium intake.) We usually have about 3-4 wraps per person. Enjoy!

Only once were we not satisfied by the integrity of the rice wraps we bought. They ripped terribly and were not at all sticky. We took them back and got a brand that we knew. Bottom line-experiment with this dinner until you perfect your style and then you may be eating them once or twice a month like us!

Chicken Potpie 2 Ways

With colds coming on, and the weather staying frigid this week, we are trying a variation on the 'chicken soup' theme. Chicken Potpie for everyone. Two separate potpies were cooked. See the recipe below for the filling, buttermilk whole wheat biscuits & Gluten Free biscuits. All were scrumptious!

CHICKEN POTPIE

2 cups cooked chicken

2 cups chicken stock (I used homemade, no-salt-added stock)

1/2 c diced carrots

1/2 c sliced celery

1/4 c minced onion

1/4 c chopped zucchini

1/4 c chopped roasted red peppers

1/2 c each frozen peas and corn

3 Tbsp rice flour

2 Tbsp water

1/4 c natural soy milk (or cream)

Salt & Pepper

Put stock in a large pot & set to boil. Add carrots through zucchini and cook about 15 min. Add red peppers, peas & corn. Cook 5 min more.

Mix rice flour and water together to make a thick paste. Add it to stock with veggies. Stir 2 min on low to thicken. Add soy milk, S & P. Pour the mixture into a glass baking dish or casserole dish. Now top with biscuit recipe(s) below. To be baked at 350'F for 25 min. When bubbly & brown, it's ready.

WHOLE WHEAT BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

3/4 c unbleached flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sugar

1/8 tsp salt

6 Tbsp whole wheat flour

1 egg white

1/2 c low-fat buttermilk

1 Tbsp butter melted

In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients.

Place egg white in a small bowl & mix lightly. Whisk in buttermilk & butter. Pour wet into dry ingredients. Using a fork, stir until just combined. Turn dough out onto a whole wheat floured surface. Pat into a 1/2" thick circle.

Use biscuit cutter to form desired shape. Place on top of the pot pie. Bake.

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

{This recipe uses the Four Flour Bean Mix base that was given in bread making blog entry.}

1 c Four Flour Bean Mix

1/8 tsp Xanthan gum

2 tsp Gluten Free baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp butter cut into 1/2" cubes

1/3 c non-dairy substitute or milk

1 tsp vinegar

Mix dry ingredients together in medium bowl. With pastry blender or fork tines, cut butter into dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form. In a measuring cup mix milk and vinegar together. Add these to flour/butter. Mix until a ball forms. Pat out on a surface covered with rice flour. Cut into desired shapes. Dough is really soft, so I just spooned it on over the chicken potpie. It didn't look pretty, but it tasted heavenly. It has been at least 6 months since I have had biscuits of any sort, so you might sympathize.

Gone Crackers

Last but not least, just because I have been meaning to try a batch of my own homemade crackers for 3 weeks now, I made 'em.

These are sesame crackers. They were easy to make, fun to cut and will go great with my black bean dip (secret ingredient:almond butter).

Sesame Crackers

1/4 cup chick pea flour

1/4 cup gluten free flour of choice (I used my 4 bean flour mix)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp tumeric

1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast (I didn't have any)

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds ground

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds whole

1/4 tsp sesame oil

3+ Tbsp water

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add sesame oil. Add water 1 Tbsp at a time, until a dough can be formed. Wrap and set aside for 10 min. Heat oven to 350'F. Roll out on floured surface, cut into any shape desired, poke a few holes in the top of each cracker & bake 15-20 minutes. Store in a tin.

I have been relying on store bought crackers too much, especially when I know I have a stack of "to bake" recipes at home. Not anymore!!

Gingerbread for Dessert

A Wheatless Gingerbread Cake turned Mini-Muffin.

The good old Joy of Cooking book has a lovely recipe that I have tried three times now, at the request of others.

Rye flour was initially used but I just realized that rye contains gluten. So in keeping with a G.F. theme, I tried their alternate suggestion of brown rice flour. The texture is of course a bit different, ie: not as smooth as rye, but the spongy chewieness is still there!

The recipe made a "pie plate" sized cake and 20 mini muffins which are good for freezing for tea snacks at a later date.

Wheatless Gingerbread Cake

Makes 1 cake if using 9x9x2 inch pan

Preheat oven to 325'F

DRY INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups rye or brown rice flour

1 1/4 cups cornstarch or arrowroot powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp each cloves & ginger

WET INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup molasses

1/2 cup soft butter or melted butter

1 cup boiling water

2 beaten eggs

Pour wet into dry ingredients. Beat until very well mixed. Bake in greased and floured pan for 60-70 minutes. Let cool before cutting. We didn't but YOU should...for best results!

Ultimate Grilled Cheese

What's that story about a chicken who does all the work on the farm to plant, grow, harvest & grind grains to make her own bread? Well I felt like that chicken while making our "simple" supper of grilled cheese with tomato soup.

I baked the bread (see 2 prior postings), hunted down dairy-free soy cheese and I got a good tip on a G.F./dairy-free tomato soup. So after baking, cooling and cutting the wonderful loaf of beany-bread, we finally made dinner! It was delicious and we vowed to do it again. Miki even asked for "More!"

Miki's First Homemade Bread Experience

"Uhmmm...UHMMMM" was all Miki could say the minute the bread came out of the oven. Surprisingly, she waited for it to cool and then was in heaven. This was her snack before dinner. She's 'dough' eyed...

What she didn't know was that she was eating a high protein snack. The flours in the bread include GARFAVA Flour. This is a combination of ground GArbanzo beans, otherwise known as chick peas, and FAVA beans.

SORGHUM is a grain and like the other flours, they were tracked down at a local healthfood store.

CORNSTARCH is a refined starch, and if necessary, may be replaced with Arrowroot powder.

TAPIOCA FLOUR comes from the cassava plant root. It has a velvety texture and makes breads more chewy.

XANTHAN GUM is derived from corn. It is used as a thickener and emulsifier. It is said to improve the texture of breads, but you will probably see it listed on salad dressing labels because it is also a good binder and thickening agent for liquids.

Gluten Free Bread

This golden crusted loaf of bread came from my oven!

This week I bit the bullet and stocked my fridge with all of the necessary flours needed for a loaf of homemade Gluten Free (GF) bread. A friend recommended The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread by Bette Hagman, and I picked up a virtually new copy at a used bookstore. That was three months ago...

But I have been toying with the idea of alternative flours all that while just to mix it up a bit AND to see if I feel any different after going GF. Store bought GF bread is very pricy and it doesn't come with that 'fresh baked bread wafting through your kitchen' aroma.

Homebaked bread takes a while, but after some practice, I hope to be able to whip up a loaf... at nap time, after the laundry BUT before the dishes.

Today I made the following large batch of dry bread mix. The next time I want a fresh loaf, (tomorrow) I can add yeast and the wet ingredients, mix 4 minutes, let rise 45 minutes and cook for 50 minutes.

Bette's Four Flour Bread Mix-

Makes 3 loaves / 12 cups of mix

3 cups Garfava bean flour

1 cup Sorghum flour

4 cups Tapioca flour

4 cups Cornstarch

3 Tbsp Xanthan gum

1 Tbsp Salt

1 Tbsp Egg Replacer

3/4 cup Sugar

Place dry ingredients in a bag, mix & store until needed.

Single Loaf of Four Flour Bread

DRY INGREDIENTS

3 1/3 cups above bread mix

1 package quick rise yeast

WET INGREDIENTS

1 plus 2 whites eggs

4 1/2 Tbsp melted butter

3/4 tsp vinegar

1 cup 115'F water plus 1/2 c more if needed

Grease bread pan and dust with brown rice flour.

Put dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl.

I used a hand held mixer with funky spiral dough hooks to mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. It worked for the first minute, but as the dough was 'mixing for the recommended 3 minutes', the dough started to creep up the hook and wanted to get into the mixer body. So my wooden spoon got a work out for 3 min. instead. The batter looked like cake batter, hence no need to hand knead. Just pour the batter in the prepared pan, cover with a dry towel & put in a warm place for 45 min. to rise. Then bake in a preheated 400'F oven for 10 min. Open oven to place tin foil on top, being careful not to remove bread from oven (or it may not cook through to the center). Cook for another 40-50 min.

Cool on a rack before cutting. Ours baked through & did not crumble when cut. What a happy day!

Baked with Love

On Tuesday I finally got around to my new favorite Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free muffin recipe. I have been adapting recipes to experiment with some of the many types of flours that exist, other than whole wheat.

Joy of Cooking has a rice flour muffin, but I will share my version.

Vehicle for Almond Butter Muffins

1 cup brown or white rice flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)

Melt & cool slightly

2 Tbsp butter

Mix together before adding to butter

1 beaten egg

1 cup natural soy milk (or vanilla soy)

Mix wet ingredients into dry w/ a few swift strokes.

Grate 1 small apple & add to batter.

Fold in 1/4 cup currants.

Line muffin tin with 9 muffin wrapers. Spray well with Pam.

Bake in pre-heated oven @ 450' F for 15 minutes, or until they start to turn brown around the edges and on top.

These are really moist muffins, so bake for the whole 15 minutes or more! Let them cool completely before attempting to take off paper wrappers... Or if you are like Miki, cry until you get one piping hot out of the oven, have your mom peel the paper & then scrape off any 'white' bits with the tip of a paring knife.

The only way we really enjoy day-old or previously frozen homemade muffins the next time around is to cut the tops off, melt butter in a cast iron pan, fry them up, and then top them with almond butter...dipped into apple sauce ain't bad either!

Messy Miki Chick

Our big Sunday night quiche was incorporated into a Monday night feast.

Miki, my little helper, was interested in bashing about the garlic, lemon rind & fresh basil a la Jamie Oliver style, with a mortar and pestle. I took over when the recipe called for adding all of those ingredients to the softened butter...with you fingers...and then rubbing the whole raw chicken with all that lovely flavour. Don't forget to push it under the skin. You probably agree that salmonella and teething shouldn't go hand in hand.

Miki delighted in using one of her favorite new words, messy, and we dubbed the dish, Messy Chicken. Feel free to flap your arms when you say it. One hour in a 425' F oven with pre-steamed potatoes roasting in the buttery basil drippings left the house smelling wonderful. Dinner was devoured by all, and there are plenty of leftovers for a breakfast quiche, (anyone else getting sick of it yet?) some chicken salad sandwiches, and some homefries with the favorite food of the month-Ketchup! Leftovers:

That is what it is all about.

Sharing a Meal

The burners are lit and today's menu includes a quiche-like entree. It was inspired by a Canadian cookbook, Looney Spoons, by Janet & Greta Podleski of Food Network TV fame. It lures you in with a Thanksgiving stuffing as the base and then satisfies the healthnut by allowing you to layer on any veggie that you happen to have. The beaten egg top layer is poured on last & voila- A springform pan full of the tastiest breakfast, entree or side dish! It serves up nicely when released from its collar, too.

Always one to add 'just one more ingredient', I was keen to add more veggies than the recommended mushrooms & sauteed onions. So I added a zucchini, peeled Japanese eggplant, onions, garlic, roasted red peppers from a jar (I am not that gung ho as to roast my own outside in the rain on a grill that is probably moldy from 3 months of Wet Coast rain), steamed broccoli, shredded carrots, spinach 'squeezed of its excess moisture' (about 3 months of freezer frost), and the icing on the cake, so to speak, was the cooked spaghetti squash. I smoothed it out with my heat resistant spatula (a must for all cooks who don't want to worry about that misshapen piece of rubber on a stick that you used to call a spatula), and then I poured my beaten eggs over it all. Needless to say, the squash formed a protective barrier against all incoming ablumen & yolk (I just love that word...). So to rectify the situation, while my 2 year old daughter tugged against my pant leg doing her best kissy faced impression of a yellow fish cracker, I quickly poked holes in the squash with a metal skewer to let the trickle down theory apply itself to my Thanksgiving Quiche. 40 minutes in the oven, a layer of cheese freshly melted on the top and I was happy. Happy that I didn't have to cook any more for dinner, that breakfast was in this same pan, and that a cold midday snack was also staring up at me. I think I will bake one every Sunday just to have one hand at the beginning of every week. Give Thanks.

(And give me a comment if you want recipe details.)

Session 1 Trial Run

Banana Bread! Everyone loves banana bread! But how does it taste if you change the recipe to make it gluten free? Instead of white flour, I mixed 2 cups quinoa flour & 3/4 cup white rice flour. Then I added chocolate chips...They liked it! Come on over. I'll bake you one to go with your tea.