IBS Diet and Fat Free French Bread

So, I went to see my Gastro last week, and he told me that in addition to having Celiac Disease, he thinks I also have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). I was on the IBS diet a few years ago, before being diagnosed w/ Celiac Disease. In a nutshell, the only changes I have to make are eating a lot more fiber, and a lot less fat. I also have to be aware of the order in which I am eating. I am continuing to avoid dairy, but I am going to try adding (slowly) some soy and potatoes back into my diet. The diet is all about fibers - soluble fiber is key.

My new fiber supplement:

And then the fun part. For the first few days, to calm my system down, I am supposed to detox my system by only eating plain soluble fibers. Which means, since Friday night, I have eaten bread, rice, and potatoes. It has been so boring! But I did find a great new recipe. I was craving bread with a little more "realness" to it. So I scanned my cookbooks, and came across this great recipe by Bette Hagman for Fat Free French Bread. It's awesome! I've gone through half a loaf today alone :)

Yummy French Bread:

Fat-Free French Bread
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour mix**
2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons quick rising yeast
1 teaspoon vineager or dough enhancer
2 egg whites (room temp)
1 1/2 cups warm water

Prepare pan by brushing a cookie sheet very lightly w/ some EVOO (or other oil/spray of your choice).
In the bowl of your mixer, combine the flour mix, xanthan gum, sugar, salt and yeast.
Whisk together to blend well.
Add the vineager, egg whites and water.
Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.
Spoon the dough onto cookie sheet, keeping it in a loaf in the center of the sheet.
Wet your hands, and smooth the top and sides of the loaf.
Cover with a towel and let rise for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400.
Bake 1/2 hour, then turn the oven down to 375.
The recipe called for baking at 400 for an hour, but I was getting worried b/c it was browning so fast, so I turned it down.
Turn the oven down again to 350 and bake 15 minutes longer.
Let cool. Bread doesn't cut well, so tearing it is the best way to break apart. Can be cut (a little) more easlily when cool.
Reheat in toaster oven.
Tastes great plain (when you have no choice), but I bet dipping it in some oil and vinegar would be divine! Next I'm going to try the sourdough variation of this bread. Yum!

**Here is Bette's GF flour mix

Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss

New Guilty Pleasure - worth the $4

Gluten/Soy/Dairy Free

Made with Coconut Milk and Agave Syrup

Mexican Chocolate Cake Fiasco with Cinnamon "Whipped Cream" and Mexican Chocolate Bark

Let's start with the cake:
So, I'm posting this in the hopes that someone else smarter than myself can help me figure out what I did wrong. I think it was the lack of butter, but I'm not sure. I just really have bad luck with flourless cakes.
My first holiday season going GF, I was asked to bring a dessert to my in-laws for Christmas or Thanksgiving or something. Anyway, I had just gotten back from a trip to Portland where I ate the most amazing flourless chocolate truffle cake. So I was very ambitious, and thought I'd try my hand at that.
Needless to say, it was a disaster, and through my tears, I had to throw together a rather expensive batch of rice crispy treats (made with specialty gluten free rice crisp cereal).
This second attempt was disappointing, but still had a bright side to it (quite a delicious one at that!).
I got the original recipe from Carol over at Simply Gluten Free, and it looked to die for! I mean, I had to restrain myself from licking my computer screen! Here's the link: http://simplygluten-free.blogspot.com/2008/02/gluten-free-mexican-chocolate-cake-with.html
I then had to search almost every store in Utah Valley looking for ancho chili powder. I found some whole chilies at the local Hispanic market, and was able to grind them up in my coffee grinder.
The batter for the cake was so good! I should have just eaten that :) The flavors were amazing together! I was literally pacing the kitchen as I tried to watch the cake bake! It was a very slow, nerve-wracking hour.
So, here's the cake when the timer went off:

Only the outside ring was solidified. So, back into the oven for 10 more minutes, then after another assessment, 15 additional minutes. This is the bottom of the cake:
Then, after flipping the cake so it was right side up, and cooling about 5 minutes, this is what happened:I nearly broke down in tears. But thankfully, I had made this while the cake was baking:
Coconut "Whipped Cream" Topping with Cinnamon
And here's that silver lining I mentioned before - the delectable Mexican Chocolate Bark (original recipe here:http://simplygluten-free.blogspot.com/2008/01/mexican-chocolate-bark.html ):


I tried, really I did. The topping melted the second it left the bowl...but it still tasted great. And the cake was soupy except for about an inch of outside ring, which was crunchy and hard as a rock. So, anyway, I'm going to post my recipe for the bark and the topping here, but if anyone has any ideas about the cake, please let me know!!! The only variations I made to the cake recipe were that I used dairy free chocolate chips, and I used olive oil instead of butter (<--that's my guess).

Coconut Whipped Cream Topping
1 c cold coconut milk (don't use the light, I hear it doesn't work well)
I didn't really measure, but I used about 2/3-1 c of powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Beat coconut milk with electric whisk for about 5 minutes. But I don't know if this step is really necessary, because after 5 minutes, I didn't notice a difference in the texture/consistency of the milk. Beat in the sugar and cinnamon. I think this probably just needed another half hour in the fridge before serving. It got soupy fast. But it tasted really good. Next time, I will try it without the cinnamon. It just tasted a little weird.


Now for the redemption of this whole project:


Mexican Chocolate Bark
1/2 c shelled pistachios (next time I think I will chop these a bit)
1/3 c shelled pumpkin seeds
1 12-oz bag chocolate chips (enjoy life chips worked wonderfully!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground coffee crystals
3/4 tsp cinnamon plus a few pinches for garnish
3/4 tsp ancho chili powder plus a few pinches for garnish
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I didn't have any of this, so I used regular ol' chili powder ground red pepper)
pinch salt

Prepare a flat baking sheet with foil.
Toast pistachios for 1 minute in a dry skillet preheated to med-high heat. Set aside. In the same skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds for 1 minute. Add to pistachios.
Melt chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
Add all but a handful of the nuts to the chocolate. Add vanilla, coffee, spices (except garnish pinches), and salt. Stir to combine.
Spread over foil-covered pan, and smooth until even. Sprinkle reserved nuts on top, and press in slightly. I had to press each one individually - trying to use my whole hand just resulted in a chocolate covered hand (which was quite tasty). Sprinkle the pinches of spices over the top of the chocolate. Allow to cool in refrigerator for about half an hour. Break into pieces and dig in!


*One thing - I noticed the heat from the chilies a lot more when the chocolate was still hot...as in, when I was licking the bowl. I think I might add more to the recipe next time. Or maybe if I actually had cayenne pepper, I wouldn't need to...
Most of the people at work said they couldn't taste the chili powder. I suppose that's good. But I really wanted it to be identical to the most amazing candy bar I have ever eaten! http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/red_fire_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars
Hm, maybe I need to find me some chipotle chilies!
But don't get me wrong! I absolutely LOVED this recipe! I am so excited to make it again. And I plan on making it for all my friends and family for Christmas gifts (with regular ol' chocolate chips of course). So, if you are one of those lucky few, start counting down the days to Christmas goodies on your doorstep! If not, make this recipe! Now!

**And while it's cooling in the fridge, read these wonderful instructions: "How to Eat Chocolate" http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/how_to_eat_chocolate


Wow, I wrote an awful lot. Sorry about that :P Hope it all makes sense! It's kinda late here. But I was so excited! I couldn't stop!

Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

These were absolutely scrumptious!

So, last week was Valerie's b-day, and of course the privilege of providing the office with a refreshment was bestowed upon me (since no one else really wants to touch that with a ten-foot pole). So, the night before, I came home from work, frantic about finding an amazing recipe...and worrying because I didn't have any fave recipes coming to mind that I could recreate and share. So I was stuck starting from scratch.

Can I just say how much I love Collette! Seriously! You rock! And saved my butt! We at the office had been talking a few days prior to this event, and Valerie had mentioned how she loved pumpkin cookies.

So I did a search of the gluten free forum recipes for pumpkin, and found quite a few recipes. Except then I got to thinking about the fact that most cookies call for butter, no exceptions, and I wasn't really in the mood to be creative, and hope that butterless cookies would turn out perfect.

Enter Collette! I stumbled across her recipe for a pumpkin cake with a rum/maple glaze. Perfect, right? Except for the fact that I had no rum or maple...nor did I think the rum part would go down with the folks at work.

So I improvised a little. Omit the glaze, and add a bunch of delectable Enjoy Life chocolate chips! Definitely perfect! They all asked for seconds!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

adapted from recipe here.

2 c gluten free flour (I used 1 c white rice, 1/2 c tapioca, and 1/2 c sorghum)

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking soda

3 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

1 c sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c pumpkin pie puree (I used the kind with spices already in it)

3 eggs

2/3 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake tins.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, oil, vanilla, pumpkin, and eggs. Add dry ingredients to wet ones, mix well. Add chocolate chips.

Pour batter into cupcake tins (I filled them about 2/3 full), and bake for about 20 minutes. In my oven, this was perfect timing. Cupcakes do have a little spring in them when pushed on.

Let cool, then serve.

These totally rock when fresh from the oven as well! If you don't want to wait to enjoy them!

Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Here is a great recipe I made last Sunday. A spin-off of my favorite weekend breakfast - pancakes! I was looking for something a little more...decadent, if you will. So I threw in some peanut butter and some allergy-free chocolate chips, and voilà! The perfect lazy Sunday breakfast to be savored while lounging around watching one of my favorite movies: Marie Antionette. The ultimate in indulgence :)

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2 c. featherlight mix

1 tsp. xanthan gum

5 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 Tbs. sugar

2 c. hazelnut milk

5 Tbs. EVOO

2 eggs

about 2/3 c. creamy peanut butter (I didn't measure)

1/2 c. chocolate chips (to add later)

Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Use an electric mixer to help blend the peanut butter. Mix dry and wet ingredients together. I use an electric mixer to combine them, because otherwise I get baking powder pockets in my pancakes. Pour batter onto a preheated griddle over medium heat. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top, and push into batter. I use my finger to push the chips in, and smooth a little batter over the top of the hole, otherwise the chips will burn. It's a lot of work, and you can totally add the chips to the batter, I just don't like mine burned.

Garden Party Lemonade

Here's a goodie! I stumbled across this recipe while perusing the pages of Simply...Gluten-Free. Carol, you rock!
I must admit, I was a bit skeptical, but very intrigued. So much that I went out to the farmer's market to get a cucumber, and stole some dill from my cousin's husband's indoor herb garden (no, I didn't really steal it, he made me trim all his herbs and take them home).
Here's the original post, and while Carol's looks a bit more elegant, I suppose it's how it tastes that really counts :)

Garden Party Lemonade

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled

1 sprig of fresh dill

1/2 cup sugar plus 1/8 cup to add later if needed

2 1/2 cups water

Option Garnishes – lemon slices, dill sprigs, cucumber spears

Put all ingredients (except the extra sugar and the garnishes) in the blender, and blend for about a minute. Taste and add more sugar if desired. Pour over ice, add garnishes if desired, and enjoy. One thing I did notice - when I first poured it up, it was pretty foamy on top. When I let it sit in the fridge for awhile, the foam went away, and it was easier to drink. I think I will let it chill awhile before serving next time.

Makes about 3 cups, and probably 4-6 servings (although I drank half with my lunch, and half with my dinner).

Successful Summer Recipes!!

It's been too long since I posted. So here are a few of the recipes I've tried and totally loved!

Lemon Cream Coffeecake
(Gluten, Soy, Egg and Dairy free)

I made this recipe to celebrate 1 month sugar-free! Hannah came over the day after Millie and Ruben's wedding and we had a cake party and watched Newsies. It was every bit as good as I dreamed it would be! We proceeded to finish off the cake every day this week during lunch!

Recipe adapted from my new best friend Collette!

So, here's a picture of the cake before I took it out of the pan (where it quickly fell apart because the middle wasn't quite cooked). I kept eating the icing while waiting for the cake to finish! It has just the perfect blend of coconut and lemon flavors!

Lemon Cream Coffeecake

Pastry:
2 c Featherlight Flour mix
1 tbsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c sugar
3 large eggs (I used the equivalent of 3 eggs in egg replacer--b/c I was out of eggs)
1/2 c oil (recipe called for coconut oil, but I used EVOO)
3/4 c coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp lemon zest (I got tired zesting my lemon, so I used probably 1/2 tbsp zest and the juice of one lemon)

Lemon Cream:
2 tbsp coconut milk
1 1/2 c confectioner's sugar
1 tsp lemon oil (I soaked a few pieces of lemon peel in EVOO for an hour)

Slivered almonds to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together lemon cream ingredients, place bowl in the fridge.
Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil, milk, and zest. Blend well.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, combine, and pour into 10: greased springform pan.
Bake for 25 minutes (I will probably try 30-35 next time for mine, as the middle wasn't quite solid). Cake will bounc back when you push on it.
Right before serving, pour lemon cream over each slice, and sprinkle almonds on top.



Los Hermanos Fish Tacos
(Gluten and Dairy Free)

I kind of made this one up b/c I was wanting halibut tacos from my favorite mexican restaurant, but Luke didn't want to go :(

Halibut Tacos

Filet of halibut (about as much as you feel you can eat)

EVOO (probably a tsp)

A pinch/dash/other guestimate of cumin, black pepper, and chili powder

Corn tortillas

Lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole (and sour cream and cheese if you can have dairy)

Heat a pan over medium heat. Cut the fish up into bite size pieces. Toss with the spices and the EVOO. Throw into pan (but not too violently). Cook for about 3-4 minutes, then turn pieces over and cook 3-4 more minutes. Stuff into corn tortillas, and top with toppings of choice. Enjoy!

Chicken Peanut Stir-fry

I am probably the most disorganized person. I have literally hundreds of loose papers that I have recipes printed or written on, and I have yet to organize them into a binder or anything. I couldn't find the recipe for this one, so I'm winging it. I know it looks a little wierd, but it was sooo good. If I find the recipe, I swear I will post it.

Oh wait, I just remembered! It's adapted from this great crock pot recipe! I was just in too much of a hurry to wait all day for it, so I threw it in a pan :D But I'm sure the crock pot version is amazing as well!

Indonesian Chicken (we called it Peanut Chicken Stir-fry)

*Note: measurements are approximate*

Chicken for 2 people ( I think I used breasts)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 tsp oil
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c peanut butter
1/4 tsp ground ginger
frozen veggies - I used chopped broccoli, peas and edamame

Heat a large stir-fry pan. Chop the chicken into bite size pieces. Drizzle oil into pan, and add chicken. Add soy sauce, and seasonings. Mix well. Cook until just pink. Add peanut butter and veggies. Heat through. Serve over rice.

Carrot Cake

(Gluten and dairy free)

I pretty much followed this recipe, except I used a GF/DF Pillsbury Frosting:

It turned out so well! It was delicious! Except for some reason half the cake stayed in the pan when I tried to take it out...I still enjoyed it immensely!

K, I have more recipes, but I'm too tired to post them all...thought I'd at least get the really good ones up :)

Lots of Catching Up To Do

Yet another successful meal thanks to the recipe from my favorite GF cookbook "Life Tastes Good Again."

Here we have the finished product - Super Yummy Meatballs over Spaghetti.


Ok so the cheese isn't real, more for the visual remembrance of cheese. True, it shreds and melts JUST LIKE CHEESE, but without that actual cheesy taste...it doesn't quite have me fooled.


Here we have the meatballs in their naked-looking raw form. I actually made this recipe last week, and we liked it so much, I thought I'd try it again last night. The first time, I used onion powder, and in this batch, I used a real onion, much to my hubby's chagrin...curse my mother in law for never making her kids eat real onions! Seriously! They rock. Sometimes. (Ok, I won't admit it to him, but I wasn't as impressed with the oniony batch either...but still, sometimes, onions are great!).


Here's my beautiful red bowl from Williams Sonoma, where I did the dirty mixing. K, so my refrigerator is possessed. Every time it gets too cold, I turn the temp up, and yet, somehow it always turns itself down. I think it's out to get me. I always seem to forget this when playing with raw meat until I get it between my fingers. It was so cold it gave me a brain freeze! True story! So I tried to make the meatballs with the two spoons...then got too impatient, and got my hands messy again. At least it was faster :)


This is proof that yes, I do in fact wear an apron when I cook, and that the oil stains just sneakily work their way onto my shirts. I promise, Honey :)

Meatballs Recipe

1 lb ground beef (first time I made these, I used turkey, kinda liked that better...although it could have been the onions)

1 small onion, minced (or onion powder)

1/2 c GF bread crumbs ( I used the now GF Rice Chex cereal, and crushed it with the measuring cup)

1 egg

2 tbsp milk (I used both almond and soy)

2 tbsp oil (I only used one tbsp w/ the beef, a little fattier)

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium. Combine all ingredients. Form into balls and brown in oil. (I chose to flip the balls halfway. With the turkey, they got very nicely browned. With the beef, I think there was too much liquid in there, and they didn't get as toasty or crunchy). Remove with a slotted spoon, and place on paper towels. Drain oil from pan.

*This part is not pictured, but I continued the recipe with my first batch (sorry for lack of photos, they were gone too fast)*

Add 3/4 c ketchup, 1/3 c water, 2 tbsp mustard, 2 tbsp brown sugar, and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce to pan, and bring to a boil. Add meatballs, and simmer until hot. Serve over rice.

Here's what I had with my wonderful meal. A nice tall glass of Brazilian Lemonade. My favorite summer drink! And yes, it makes a mess in the sink, but even that smells good :)

Brazilian Lemonade:

1 c cold water

2 tbsp coconut milk

1/2 c soymilk

2 small key limes

1/4 c sugar

Chop off the ends and quarter the limes. Throw everything in the blender (vitamix in my case). Blend for about 30 seconds or so, until it gets frothy. Pour over a strainer into a glass with some ice in it. You'll have to empty the strainer a few times (see above picture). Kick back, relax, and imagine yourself lounging somewhere on a tropical beach as you enjoy.

(ok, not really tropical or warm...it was San Diego during Christmas, but still, it looked pretty!)

Here's another great recipe I found one night when I was craving chili, but not wanting to suffer the consequences of opening a can of it. I served it over potato wedges, but I'm sure it would be equally delicious over pasta or even rice. It was sooooo good! I didn't even miss the beans!

Cincinnati Chili
1 large onion chopped
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa or 1/2 ounce grated unsweetened chocolate
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 (16-ounce) package uncooked dried spaghetti pasta

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, saute onion, ground beef, garlic, and chili powder until ground beef is slightly cooked. Add allspice, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, unsweetened cocoa or chocolate, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and water. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat.
Cook spaghetti according to package directions and transfer onto individual serving plates.
Ladle chili over spaghetti and serve with toppings of your choice.
Here's the original recipe.


And Last but not least. The amazing "Lorka-Bread". My first, and very successful attempt at this recipe.

A definite success!I enjoyed a delectable meal of turkey sandwiches with chips and salsa (from Los Hermanos of course!).
Here's where to find the recipe, along with 20 pages of feedback and alterations.

And here's the version of the recipe that I used:

Gluten-Free Flax Bread
12-18 servings
1 loaf
2¾ hours 2 hours prep
1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour (for all the below flours, I just used a Featherlight flour mix)
1/4 cup garfava flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flax seed meal
2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 egg whites ( used enough egg replacer for 1 1/2 eggs instead of the whites)
1 cup water or milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vinegar

Combine flours, flax, starches, gum, yeast, salt. In the mixer, combine wet ingredients, then add the dry. Scrape the sides, and mix on medium for 4-5 minutes. Pour into 9x5 pan, and let rise to top of pan (took about 80 minutes). I always, always let it rise in a turned off oven. Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes. Remove from pan, cool, and slice.

Ah, and we mustn't forget my divine experience at the Pier 49 Pizza restaurant.
Once, we tried to go up to the one in SLC (the one that was in the paper), but we got all the way up there, and they were out of crusts (note to self...call ahead *doh*)
Here's what I wrote about it the day I actually went:
"So I wanted to go out to pizza this week, and was going to be up in SLC on Thursday. Thought I'd plan that into my agenda. Then I read here on the forum about the other Pier 49's in the area bringing in the gluten-free crust. So I called the Springville, both of the Provo, and the AF locations. One of the Provo ones said they're getting some ordered, but they won't be in until next week. Then I tried the Draper location, and they said they had them!!! I asked about how they prepared the pizzas (on a separate, specific tray, using separate utensils, covering the pizza so it doesn't touch anything). I went, and enjoyed a beautiful, warm, delicious, filling pizza with Canadian bacon, tomatoes, and olives! I nearly cried. And I had enough for leftovers for lunch on Friday! Ah, it was divine. I told my husband that we're going to the Provo one as soon as they get the crusts in! YAY!!!"

I do have a copy of the article if anyone is interested. They no longer have it on the Tribune website.

Anywho, that's it for now :) Will try and be more on top of my posting.

So yummy! Double Potato Soup and Gluten Free Focaccia Bread!!

The soup:

Adapted from the recipe from the girls at www.eatingglutenfree.com.

1 Tbs. oil

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

About a tsp. each garlic and onion powder

4 c. chicken broth

1 tsp. thyme

2 dashes ground red pepper

2 c 2% milk

In a large soup pot, heat oil on medium-high. Add potatoes and onion and garlic powder and cook a few minutes. Add chicken broth, thyme, and red pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and mash the potatoes with a potato masher. (Lumps are okay.) Add salt and pepper to taste (I used garlic salt, so ommited adding the salt). Return to heat. Slowly stir in the milk. Heat until hot, but not boiling. Serve with grated cheddar cheese and cubed ham.

The bread:

Adapted from Annalise Robert's "Gluten Free Baking Classics" cookbook.

1 1/8 c. featherlight flour mix.

1/4 c. ground flax seed

3/8 c. amaranth flour

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. sugar

1 packet quick rise yeast

1 tsp. olive oil

3/4 c plus 1 Tbs. warm water

olive oil

salt

Spray an 8-9 inch round pan with baking spray and dust with GF flour.

Mix all dry ingredients, except the yeast, in a large mixing bowl. Combine water and yeast in a separate bowl. Add olive oil to dry ingredients, then add yeast water. Mix until blended, then turn mixer up to high, and beat for 2 minutes.

Spoon dough into pan and spread it out with a spatula. Let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

Place oven rack into lower third of the oven. Preheat to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle olive oil and salt over the top of the bread. Spread oil to evenly coat the bread with your fingers.

Bake for 20 minutes. Bread should be light golden colored, and cooked through. Remove bread from pan and allow to cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve.

More pictures - from my recent trips to Oregon:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetfudge/

Thought i ought to list the story behind the ooey-gooey goodness:

so i used Ursa's recipe for a black forest chocolate cake, link below, and it turned out wonderfully! was worried as i had a few setbacks-the first cake did not cook through, and collapsed on my kitchen counter while cooling. i just used the outside pieces, which were cooked, and used those to create the middle layer of the cake. i also made quite a mess when i knocked over the blender full of almond meal. thankfully i had some extra almonds in the freezer! also, i didn't use rum extract in my recipe b/c when i went to the store to get ingredients, they only had one brand of extract. i called the company, but they were closed. it was mccormicks...anyone know for future reference whether they use gluten-free caramel color? i adapted the recipe a bit by using a different recipe for the chocolate cake. that's listed below as well. and instead of cutting off half of the cake, i made cupcakes. those by themselves were delicious!here's the recipe:http://www.glutenfreeforum.com/index.php?s...mp;#entry347305 here's the chocolate cake recipe: http://www.eatingglutenfree.com/recipes_de.../#chocolatecake (so good even on it's own!).

Gluten Free Black Forest Chocolate Cake

Happy Birthday to ME!

GF Yellow Cake - Coconut Cupcakes

These are amazing! I wanted to show in this picture the texture, and the coloring, which was perfect! These cupcakes were everything I remember of my pre-gluten-free days! Everyone who I shared them with loved them as well!
I adapted the recipe from my sacred "Life Tastes Good Again" cookbook, by the ladies at www.eaetingglutenfree.com

Here goes:

*Adapted* Yellow Cake (shortening based)

1 c. Featherlight mix
1/2 c. GF mix
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. shredded coconut
/12 c. shortening
3/4 c. milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour cupcake pan (if using liners, grease them as well).
Combine flour mixes, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, gelatin, sugar and coconut. Add shortening, and mix w/ electric mixer until crumbled.
Combine the milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients. Beat on low to medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides occasionally. Add the eggs and beat 2 minutes more.
Pour batter into pan.
Bake for 18 minutes (at high altitude), or 14 minutes for mini cupcakes.
Frost and enjoy.

Notes:
Be sure to grease whatever baking pan you use, that was the only problem I had w/ mine. I didn't have enough pam to cover the whole pan, and some got stuck inside.
These are great without any frosting!
Next time I make them I will use 1 c. sugar, it was just a bit overly sweet for my taste.

Heavenly Spaghetti


I had so many veggies in my garden, and no idea what to do w/ them. So I made a batch of spaghetti sauce. It was to die for!

Ingredients:
Lots of fresh tomatoes
A cup or two of chopped zucchini
A can of mushroom pieces
Fresh basil
A can of tomato paste
A few cloves of garlic
Lots of onion powder (husband isn't a fan of the real thing)
1 cup of premade spaghetti sauce (just cuz I had it in the fridge to use up)

I put everything in a big pot and let it simmer for a couple hours. I then put it into a food processor and pulsed it a few times, to make the pieces smaller.
Then I simmered it more. Add 2 cups or so of browned hamburger. Serve, with lots of yummy mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses! Prepare to be amazed!!

Amazing Italian!

Here I have my homemade pesto cavatappi ingredients:

cooked tomatoes and portobello in olive oil


and the super yummy pesto itself


i ate too fast to get a picture of the finished product. i liked it better w/out the chicken (kind of bland). just the gluten-free pasta, lots of spicy pesto, some veggies, and LOTS of cheese on top!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, Sugar Cookies and Lemon-Lavender Muffins


I processed the berries in my food processor. Faster than chopping!


My finished pie. It was so delicious! Even the girls at work thought so! I need to make it again.


Made some great sugar cookies w/ cream cheese frosting. Used the recipe from www.eatingglutenfree.com


Mmm, these muffins are so good! Best when you add a little streusel-like topping to them. Very mild lavender taste. Used homegrown lavender!! Also got the muffin recipe from www.eatingglutenfree.com

AMAZING "BREAD CRUMBS"

So I have experimented on GF bread crumbs without much success. I was given a tip to use toasted waffles, and here's the results! They were great!!!

Just toast 2 Van's waffles, throw 'em in your food processor and grind for a few seconds. Then pour them into a hot pan of melted butter (about 2 tbsp) and let them fry for a couple minutes. Then top your fave dish w/ them and bake. I made tuna noodle casserole for lunch today (first pic), and loved the flavor and crunch the crumbs added!

Threw the rest in the freezer, gonna see how they do second time around. :D

Chicken and dumplings - recipe adapted from the food network's 30 minute meal recipe. I used half and half of Pamela's GF baking mix and Bette Hagman's Featherlight mix flours to make the dumplings, and I added carrots, potatoes, and corn as my veggies (all I had on hand). Next time I'd add peas I think, and make the dumplings way smaller. they each ended up being about a handful sized (measured in a woman's med-sized hand). I also used chicken stock that I had leftover from a bird I cooked awhile back. Cut everything up into small pieces so you can just slurp it all up! The broth was fabulous! The dumplings weren't so bad either, for being GF :D



Gluten Free Eclair Cake
Behold my delectable dessert! A Gluten Free masterpiece! It doesn't look like much, but my was it delicious! Thrown together from a recipe from "Life Tastes Good Again" from my favorite site: eatingglutenfree.com
It didn't hold together very well....I didn't have time to refridgerate it, but that was ok. My friends and I devoured it anyway! Tasted just the same as I'd always remembered cream puffs to taste like, but w/out the gluten!!! Splendid!