Nightshade free chili

2cups black beans

3cups pinto beans

Soak overnight. Drain.

Fill pot with water and 2 bay leaves. Onion if desired. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender (can cook in instant pot or slow cooker).

When beans are tender and there’s not a lot of liquid add:

1lb ground meat (frozen is fine)

1Tbsp each: cumin, coriander

2Tbsp each: oregano, dried cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer 1 hour, break up meat with a potato masher, simmer until meat is cooked through. The pinto beans will make a nice sauce

Adjust spices as desired.

Tortillas

I found this recipe somewhere and have tweaked it into a family favourite.

Blend together with a stick blender or a blender.

3/4c. Milk of choice
2T-4T oil of choice
1/2c tapioca flour
1/2c. Chickpea flour
1/4tsp salt
1 tsp psyllium husk (optional)

Add milk to thin to a crepe batter thickness for wraps, fry in a lightly oiled pan.
For naan, use less milk so batter is more of a pancake batter thickness.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Originally from the Pioneer woman website, but tweaked a bit.

Boil together for 3-5 minutes,until starting to thicken.
1/2c dark cocoa
1/2-3/4c sugar
1c milk. (I use 3/4c So Delicious coconut milk with 1/4c. Real Thai coconut milk)

Add a dash of salt, 1tsp vanilla and about 1/4c ish good chocolate.

 

Fluffy “white” bread

Took my cinnamon bun recipe and tried it as bread. Everyone here is gobbling it up. I’m loving the gluten like texture.

Mix together

1 1/2c warm water
1/2c flaxmeal
1 1/2Tbsp yeast
2Tbsp maple syrup or sugar.

Let sit for a few minutes until foamy
Add 1 1/2c  milk of choice

Mix in:
Note – flours are approximations as it depends on the humidity of where you are.
1 1/2c-2c tapioca flour
1 1/3c- 1 2/3c GEMS flour
1/2 – 3/4c white rice flour
3/4c -1c millet flour
3 Tbsp psyllium husk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4c oil of choice

Beat together, adding the extra flour as needed until it has shape on it’s own in the bowl, and has just started to pull away from the sides. The psyllium husk will continue to absorb moisture as it rises, but if you leave it too damp it won’t bake nicely.

Place in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper and let rise about an hour. Should be about one and a half times as big as the original lump of dough.

Put in oven at 425 for 15 minutes, then 50-60 minutes at 375. Bread is done when a meat thermometer reads 200.

Cinnamon buns…

I’ve been missing a really good, tasty cinnamon bun, as they used to be a specialty of mine. Well, this is just about as good as the real thing – but gf/df – even vegan!

Pour 3/4c warm water over 1/4 flaxmeal. Let sit for a few minutes. Add 3/4c warm milk of choice, 2Tbsp sugar of choice and 2tsp yeast. Milk should be warm to touch, but not so hot you can’t keep a finger in it for long. Gently stir the yeast in and let sit until foamy. About 5 minutes.

Mix in:
Note – flours are approximations as it depends on the humidity of where you are.
3/4-1c tapioca flour
2/3-1c GEMS flour
1/2-3/4c white rice flour
1 1/2 Tbsp psyllium husk
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp baking powder
2Tbsp oil of choice

Beat together, adding the extra flour as needed until it has shape on it’s own in the bowl, and has just started to pull away from the sides. The psyllium husk will continue to absorb moisture as it rises, but if you leave it too damp it won’t roll out nicely.
Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour. Dough will almost double, but not quite.

When dough is risen, mix together:
2/3c brown sugar
1Tbsp cinnamon
1/3c icing sugar (it binds better than just straight brown sugar – but can just use brown sugar if needed)

Soften a bit of coconut oil or buttery spread of choice.

On a tapioca floured surface, roll out half the dough into a rectangle about 1/4″ thick. Maybe 6″ x10″ or so. Spread the coconut oil/buttery spread all over the dough using your hand or the back of a spoon. Make sure you spread it out to every edge. Liberally sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mix – again going to the edges.
Gently roll up the dough into a log, pushing a bit of tapioca flour into the nooks as needed. Cut into about 2″ pieces, and place in a greased baking pan, leaving 1-2″ between each cinnamon bun.
Repeat with the remaining dough. If you have visible tapioca flour on the cinnamon buns, spray with water to help it dissolve.
Cover with a towel and let rise for 45-60 minutes or until doubled.
Bake in a preheated oven at 425 for 15-20 minutes (depending on how large you’ve made them).
Cool, and enjoy

For sticky buns (this does a double batch)
Boil together until thick – about 2 minutes
1/2c. margarine or coconut oil plus 1Tbsp water
2Tbsp water
1C firmly packed brown sugar
1Tbsp cinnamon

Spread a small amount, about 1 spoonful per cinnamon bun in the bottom of the greased baking pan before putting the cinnamon buns in. Once you have the cinnamon buns in the pan, top each with a spoonful of the sauce, and drizzle over the sides – everywhere it looks like it needs it.
Bake as directed above, when finished, remove from oven and hold a baking pan ontop of the hot cinnamon buns and flip upside down so the sauce runs all over the cinnamon bun. Cool and enjoy.

Sourdough bread- yes it’s gf!

I found this recipe and of course had to try it, but with my own modifications. Hubby and child approved. Apparently it’s very close to the real thing, but it only takes about 12 hours from start to finish and no sourdough starter required!

Edit… I tweaked it and the changes made it even better. They’re in brackets.

1/4c flax meal (ground chia seed may be substituted, but it’s not as nice)  (1/2c )
3/4c hot water
3c sorghum flour
1c sweet rice flour (or white rice or brown rice – it works with all) ( 1/2c)
2c tapioca starch/flour (1 3/4c)

(3/4c millet flour)

4Tbsp psyllium husk (this is what makes it mimic the gluten texture!)
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tbsp yeast (1.5Tbsp)
3-4c warm water (or so)
1/4c honey/sugar/maple syrup

In a dutch oven, mix the hot water and flax meal together and let sit about 5 minutes, or until jelled.
Stir in 2cups of warm water, the sweetener and yeast. Let sit until yeast is foamy.
Add in the psyllium husk and mix well, then add all the dry ingredients, adding more water as needed. You want the dough to look like thick porridge -the psyllium husk absorbs moisture quite a bit.

Put the lid on the dutch oven and put in a warm place for 8-16 hours. I leave it in my gas oven overnight.
In the morning, line the pot with parchment paper. Punch the dough down and shape into a ball. Lightly grease the parchment and dough with oil. Put the lid back on and let rise for an hour. (or two… Ish.)
Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 450 with the lid on. Remove lid and bake for 30-40 minutes more, or until an instant read temperature registers 200 degrees.
Let cool, and enjoy.

No corn dogs

I wanted a corn dog, but my girls can’t have corn. So, I searched Google for “no corn bread” recipes and found this one.

I of course tweaked the recipe (does anyone ever follow a recipe exactly?) and my Hubby, who doesn’t like corn dogs, likes these.

1/2c. GEMS flour

1/2c. fluff flour (I used tapioca)

1/3c coarse ground flax

2/3c coarse ground millet

1/4c sugar of choice (I used date)

3/4tsp salt

4tsp baking powder

1Tbsp psyllium husk

3 eggs

3/4-1c milk of choice

approx 18 hot dogs or cooked sausages

 

Mix together until dough is runny, similar to pancake batter. Pat dry cooked sausages/hot dogs, drop into the batter and spear with two tines of a fork. (dough must be runny enough or it won’t stick to the hot dogs). Drop battered hot dogs into hot oil – approx 360 for 6-10 minutes (depending on how golden you like them). Cool on wire rack and enjoy. I did have to add a bit more milk as the dry ingredients absorbed it.

 

 

 

Oatmeal Multigrain Yeast Bread

I found this recipe in Gems of Gluten Free Baking by Wendy Turnbull and enjoyed the first version of the original recipe I made, but of course keep tweaking it the more I learn.  This is the latest version. (As of October 16, 2017)

2cup GEMS flour blend

2/3c tapioca flour (or a blend of tapioca/potato/white rice – whatever you have)

2/3c blend of ground flax and seeds etc. again – whatever you have. I use a mix of ground chia, ground flax, oat bran, millet seeds.

2/3c gf oats (I like a mix of quick and old fashioned)

2Tbsp psyllium husk. (ground or whole is fine)

2 tsp salt

1- 1 1/2Tbsp yeast (I’ve been playing with the amount to see what works for me – I usually use less)

2c lukewarm water

1/4c oil

3Tbsp sugar (can use molasses if desired – very yummy)

Have your water warm to touch – but not hot, and stir in about a teaspoon of sugar. Add yeast, stirring gently until the yeast is all moistened. Let sit until bubbly – about 5 minutes.

Mix all dry ingredients together.  When yeast is ready, add it along with the oil. Beat with electric mixer until it’s a thick oatmeal like texture. If too wet, add a little flour (I alternate flours until I have the right texture), – psyllium husk will absorb some moisture as it rises.  If dough is too damp, it’s likely to fall when baking. Still tastes good, but not as pretty.

Spread into a greased or parchment lined loaf pan (8″x 4″), and let rise for 30-45 minutes (I’m still figuring out how long is optimal).

Preheat oven to 400.  Bake bread for 10 minutes, then lower to 350 and bake for about 45-60minutes. Crust should be golden. Internal temperature when done should be 200degrees using a meat thermometer. (Seriously, using the meat thermometer is the best way to figure out when it’s done!)

Cool in the pan for 10minutes, then tip out onto a wire rack (this is why I use the parchment paper!) and cover with a non fuzzy towel until cool. Or until you just HAVE to try that yummy fresh bread.

This is not a light fluffy bread – Hubby says it’s more European in texture. It’s good as is, and as toast. I bake 3-4 loaves at a time and slice it when cool, freezing it to be ready for eating a slice at a time.

Yeast flat bread/pizza base

Originally, this recipe is from the GEMS of Gluten Free Baking as Focaccia Bread. But, I’ve tweaked it to be mine and so it’s a great pizza crust, can be put around hot dogs and baked… or focaccia bread or even buns… you choose. It likes to spread out, so don’t expect a high rise. Pictures is of my gf/df pizza with Daiya mozza cheese.

1 1/2c. GEMS flour

1/4c tapioca or potato starch (or potato flour)

1 1/2tsp sugar

3/4tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp instant yeast (if you’re using regular yeast, proof as usual, then add to dry ingredients)

1Tbsp psyllium husk

2Tbsp oil

1 1/4c – 1 3/4. lukewarm water

In a mixing bowl, blend dry ingredients together, and add wet ingredients, stirring and adding water until it looks like thick, creamy oatmeal. Don’t expect it to look like regular yeast dough – it should look almost like a thick pancake batter. You want it just past the tacky looking stage.

Let sit 20 minutes, then pat into 2 8″ pans for pizza crust. (line with parchment paper and a bit of oil – as much oil as you wish). Add toppings, let rise another 5-20 minutes, then bake 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

OR – let the crust rise, then bake for 10 minutes at 400. Remove the crust from the oven, add the toppings and put back into the oven for 10-20 minutes (depending on how many toppings you add and how big your pizza is. I find Daiya cheese always needs a bit more time. )

Fudge Oatbars..

Someone on facebook shared a knock-off recipe for Starbucks’ Oat Fudge bars, and it looked so yummy, I had to try to tweak the recipe.  But, my one attempt at making dairy free sweetened condensed milk burned, and I didn’t have time to try again, so I tried it without and Hubby says he’d like to eat the whole pan. I think that means he likes them.

Melt together

• 1/2cup coconut oil (or shortening)
• 2cups chocolate chips
• 3/4cup dairy free milk of choice

When smooth, add in 1 tsp of vanilla and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, cream together

• 3/4c white sugar
• 3/4c brown sugar
• 1c coconut oil (or shortening)
• 1tsp vanilla

Stir in:

• 1c fluff flour (equal parts any combination of tapioca, potato starch, white rice flour, arrowroot or cornstarch. – I usually pick 3)
• 1c GEMS flour (or whole grain gf flours of choice.
• 1tsp baking soda
• 1tsp salt
• 1 tsp guar or xanthan gum
• 3c gluten free oats
• 2Tbsp flax meal  (optional )

Spread 2/3 of the mixture in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking pan. Top with chocolate mixture. Sprinkle remaining third of the oat mixture overtop.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until golden.