Gluten-free Fried Rice

This is a very easy recipe that my aunt showed me how to make.  This recipe is actually something that I ate constantly when I first started eating gluten-free because it was cheap and easy and I was in college and did not have the time or money for much else.  This is also a great recipe for left-overs and you can easily make as much or as little as you would like.  This is an imprecise recipe that can be modified and made your own. 

Ingredients:

Some kind of meat (this time I used pork but I often use chicken and sometimes beef)
Rice (already cooked; I used left-over rice from the night before)
2-3 cups frozen veggies
2-3 Tablespoons oil (sometimes I need more sometimes less)
2-3 eggs
2 Tablespoons soy sauce (sometimes I use more sometimes less; La Choy is a good GF brand but double check the label!)
onion powder, garlic powder, and ginger to taste (you can also use an actual onion and garlic diced)

Directions:

1.  In a large skillet scramble the eggs; remove when cooked
2.  Add the oil and your choice of meat; cook until meat is done
3.  Add vegetables and spices; cook until crisp
4.  Add rice, egg, and soy sauce; cook until hot all the way through and all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. 

Pretty easy huh?  It is also very delicious!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Tassies (Peanut Butter Cups)

My Dad travels a lot for work and this week he is here in Seattle.  To make things better my cousin, who also works with him, is here for work with my Dad.  Tomorrow my Mommy is going to get here too!  I love having my family around so this week is just going to be fun!  Tonight, I made a wonderful roast with popovers for my Dad and this dessert, which resembles a peanut butter cup, for my cousin. 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

3/4 cup softened butter (1 1/2 sticks)

3 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons white rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, and soy flour

3/4 cup sugar (divided)

1 egg

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips (dark, semi-sweet or milk chocolate)

3/4 cup peanut butter chips

 

Directions:

 

1.  Beat 3/4 cup of butter with the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth; add 1/4 cup sugar and flour and beat until well blended

2.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is firm

 

 



3.  Shape dough into one inch balls
4.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
5.  Press dough balls onto the bottom and sides of a muffin tin

6.  In a separate bowl lightly beat the egg; add the remaining sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, and vanilla. 
7.  Whisk until smooth
8.  Add the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips; stir until well combined

9.  Evenly fill the muffin cups with the egg and chip mixture

10.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is set and lightly browned.
11.  Cool for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely

This was one of the most delicious desserts I have made in a long time.  They really are like a peanut butter cup with a crust!  YUM!

Turkey Pot Pie (The Last of the Leftover Turkey)

Tonight I finally used up the last of our enormous 23 lb. turkey and some other sides still hanging around from Thanksgiving.  I don't know what I like more about this pot pie, the filling or the crust!  YUM!

Ingredients:

Filling:

2-3 medium potatoes peeled and diced
1/4 cup butter
1/8 cup cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Approx. 2 cups cooked turkey (I used leftovers)
1 cup green beans or any other veggie (I used leftovers from Thanksgiving)

Pastry:

1/4 cup soy flour, tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, and white rice flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
3-5 Tablespoons ice water
2 Tablespoons milk

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
2.  In a medium pot cook potatoes until soft
3.  While the potatoes are cooking melt 1/4 cup of butter in a separate sauce pan for filling
4.  Whisk in cornstarch, milk, chicken broth and seasonings; cook until thickened
5.  Prepare the pasty by whisking together the flours and salt in a medium mixing bowl
6.  Cut in the 1/3 cup of butter
7.  Add the ice water slowly
8.  Place dough between two sheets of wax paper and roll out with a rolling pin or press out with your hands
9.  In a glass baking dish mix together turkey, veggies, and potatoes; cover with the crust; brush the crust with milk (if desired)
10.  Bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Turkey Noodle Soup

My husband and I have had almost all the turkey sandwiches and reheated Thanksgiving meals we can handle.  Tonight, I thought I would make something a little more appealing, turkey noodle soup.  The weather has been very cold so soup for dinner was an added bonus to using up leftovers.

Ingredients:

Gluten-free brown rice noodles (I always use Tinkyada brand)
Gluten-free chicken broth (Swanson's is GF and also Safeway store brand)
Baby carrots  or carrots (diced)
1/4 of an onion
leftover cooked turkey meat
salt
pepper

Directions:

1.  Pour broth into a large soup pot (I used approximately 2 cartons of broth)
2.  Cut carrot and onion and add to broth
3.  Cut or shred desired amount of turkey meat and add to broth (I used a lot of turkey meat and vegetables so the soup was very hearty)
4.  Salt and pepper broth to taste bring to a boil and then simmer until the carrots are cooked
5.  In a separate pot cook noodles according to package directions
7.  Strain noodles
8.  Add noodles and soup to a bowl and enjoy

*I keep the noodles separate from the soup because gluten-free noodles tend to become mushy if they are left in the broth. 
  

Gluten-free Popovers: A Great Gluten-free Bread

I just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without some kind of bread.  I have come to love making popovers as a great alternative to rolls (they are much less complicated and not nearly as much work) or biscuits.  As soon as the stuffing was cooked and while the turkey was being carved I threw these into the oven and they were a great addition to our meal.  This recipe is also easy to double or triple.

Ingredients:

2 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon cooking oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup soy flour, white rice flour, sweet rice flour, and tapioca flour 
nonstick spray or shortening

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
2.  Whisk together flour and salt in a large mixing bowl

3.  Add the eggs. cooking oil, and milk
4.  Whisk together thoroughly (This batter will be similar to a pancake batter or a little thinner)
5.  Spay or grease a muffin tin thoroughly (These will stick easily)
6.  Fill each muffin cup about 1/2 way full (They rise a lot!!!)
7.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until firm and golden brown
8.  Immediatly after removal from the oven prick the tops with a fork to let the steam out
9.  Remove from the tin and serve warm with gravy or butter or whatever!

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Sides (Mashed Potatoes, Fried Corn, and Green Beans)

I thought the Thanksgiving sides were the easiest to convert to be gluten-free.  Every year I like to have a couple of different vegetables and, of course, mashed potates.  The fried corn is my favorite side and it is easy to make a lot or a little.  I have found that not many of my Thanksgiving recipes have exact measurements because I know that everyone will need to make different amounts.

Fried Corn:

1 bag frozen corn
1 stick (1/2 cup butter)
Salt
Pepper

1.  Over medium-low heat melt the butter in a fairly large skillet
2.  Add the entire bag of frozen corn
3.  As the corn cooks salt and pepper to taste
4.  Cotinue to roast/fry corn until cooked thoroughly


**The longer and slower you roast/fry the corn the sweeter the corn will be and the more delicious it will be.

***Stir often so nothing sticks and burns to the bottom of the skillet.

Green Beans

I did not do much to the green beans.  I bought a couple of frozen bags and as everything was being put out before we ate I put them in the microwave and cooked them according to the package directions.  I added a little salt and pepper but that is it!  I LOVE THAT VEGETABLES ARE NATURALLY GLUTEN-FREE!

Mashed Potatoes:

Again this recipe is not exact and is usually naturally gluten-free!

Potatoes (peeled and diced)
Butter
milk
salt
pepper

1.  Peel and dice potatoes
2.  Boil in a large pot until the potatoes are soft
3.  Strain out water
4.  Add butter, salt, pepper, and milk (Don't add too much milk at once or you will get soupy potatoes!)
5.  Beat with an electric mixer until smooth

Gluten-free Turkey Gravy

I had an abundance of juices from my turkey this year and that is the best way to make a gravy.  This simple gravy required little effort or time.  You can make as much gravy as you want by adding more chicken broth to the drippings. 

Ingredients:

Drippings from turkey
Chicken broth/water
cornstarch
salt
pepper

Directions:

1.  Pour the dripping from the roasting pan into a medium sized sauce pan
2.  Heat over low heat and slowly whisk in small amount of cornstarch until thickened (I put in a little too much this year so I had to add a little extra water/chicken broth)
3.  Salt and pepper to taste
4.  Serve

Finished Turkey and Gluten-free Stuffing

The turkey took exactly 4 1/2 hours to cook today and it was worth the wait.  I think I have about 12 lbs. of meat leftover (I think I was a little over zealous when I picked the turkey out this year).  Tomorrow I am going to think of new things to make with the leftover turkey.  I am thinking a turkey potpie or a turkey hash...we will see.  For now I wanted to show you how it turned out! 

The butter that I basted it with this morning made the skin very nice and crispy.  Notice all the juices left in the pan from the little bit of water and chicken broth I put in the bottom to keep it moist while baking!  The spices were a great addition.

 

The stuffing also came out great.  After I dried the bread out in the oven I chopped about a cup and a half of celery and about 3/4 of a cup of diced onion.  After I diced the vegetables I melted 1/2 cup butter on the stove and added the celery and onion.  I cooked the celery and onion until it was tender but not brown.

 

Then I added 1/2 teaspoon of poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon sage, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper to the mix on the stove.  All of this then simmered for just a couple of minutes and was added to the dry bread cubes.

 

 

 

 

Finally I added about 1 cup of chicken broth to the dry bread cube mixture.  All of this then baked covered  in the oven at 375 got 25 minutes while the turkey rested before being carved. 

 

 

This is what the finished stuffing product looked like.

 

 



Thanksgiving Morning (Turkey and Stuffing) Part 1

We are hoping to eat today around 2 o'clock.  Since we have a MASSIVE turkey it had to go in the oven pretty early today.  But first I had to get a start on the stuffing.

Stuffing:

For the last couple of months I have saved the ends of my loaves of Udi's bread in freezer.  These pieces are usually a little more dry than the rest of the loaf and are perfect for making stuffing.  Unfortunately, I didn' have quite enough bread ends so I had o use a little of the middle also. 

Before I put the Turkey in the oven I chopped the (unfrozen) bread slices into about 1 inch cubes and laid them (one layer only) on a couple of cookie sheets.  With the oven at 300 degrees place the bread in the oven to dry out, stirring every 5 minutes for a total of 15 minutes.

Here is what the first stage of my stuffing looked like.

Turkey:

According to all of my sources Turkeys must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  That means that our 23 lb. turkey will probably take about 4-5 hours to cook.  Before I put the turkey in the oven I made my wonderful husband pull out the gizzards and whatever else was inside.  Then I took some melted butter (just enough to baste the turkey with) and covered the turkey with the butter.  Then I seasoned the turkey with a little thyme, rosemary, poultry seasoning and salt and pepper.  Finally, I added a little water and chicken broth to my roasting pan (to help keep the turkey moist).  I really don't have a specific recipe for my turkey this year.

 Here is what my turkey looked like before it went in the oven. 

Thanksgiving Pre-game: Part 2: New and Improved Apple Pie

I have posted an apple pie recipe before (around the 4th of July) but since then I have played with the recipe a little and made it even better!  I have added some ingredients and taken a few away.  I hope you enjoy this version of apple pie as much as I do!

I always make the filling first followed by the crust. 

Ingredients:

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I make it a heaping teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
6 cups diced (bite sized) apples (today I used a combination of granny smith and gala)

Crust:

1/2 cup soy flour, tapioca flour, white rice flour, and sweet rice flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter or shortening
6 to 7 tablespoons cold water
milk
sugar

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees

Filling:

1.  Dice all the apples into bite-sized pieces (I left the skin on it is colorful and delicious)

2.  Mix apples well with the cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ground ginger

3.  Set aside

Crust:

1.  Whisk together the flours and salt
2.  Cut in butter with a fork (there should be pea-sized pieces of butter and flour in the bowl)

3.  Add the cold water and mix well (I usually end up using my hands)
4.  Divide the dough in half
5.  Using two sheets of wax paper and a rolling pin roll out enough dough to cover the bottom and sides of the pie plate

6.  Add the apple mixture to the pie plate (make sure the apples are evenly distributed so they cook evenly a.k.a. don't leave the apples in a heap)

7.  Again, using two sheets of wax paper and a rolling pin roll out the dough large enough to cover the top of the pie

8.  Cut away excess dough and use to patch any holes
9. Cut slits in the top of the pie
10.  Brush with a little milk and dust with sugar
11.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until apples are well done and the crust is golden brown

 

 

Thanksgiving Pre-game: Part 1: Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

I love Thanksgiving, mostly because I love to eat and I can eat as much as I want on Thanksgiving without being embarrassed (it is what you are supposed to do right?).  This year we are going to have 7 guests (plus a new baby) and I wanted to get a jump on cooking.  I made the desserts today because they will still be delicious tomorrow.  Tomorrow I will be making the turkey (23 lbs!), stuffing, mashed potatoes, fried corn, green beans, popovers, and gravy.  (Look for new posts all day). 

This is my go to chocolate cake recipe.

Ingredients:

Cake:
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup plus 3 Tablespoons white rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, and soy flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Frosting:

1/3 cup butter (softened)
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Cake:
1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Grease and flour 2 (9in) round baking pans

3.  Stir together sugar, flours, salt, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda

4.  Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla
5.  Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes
6.  Stir in boiling water (the batter for this cake will be thin!)

7.  Pour into greased and floured pans
8.  Bake for 30 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
9.  Cool for 10 minutes then turn out of pans to continue to cool on wire racks (sometimes I turn them out onto a plate)
10.  Cool Completely!

Frosting:
1.  In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy
2.  Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat with electric mixer until combined
3.  Add milk and 3rd cup of powdered sugar
4.  Add 4th cup of powdered sugar and vanilla, beat until smooth
5.  Add milk if needed

I decorated this cake with peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and some Hershey Kisses.  I think it came out really festive!

 

 

Requests

Last night I taught my very first gluten-free cooking class at a local cooking store.  It was by far the most fun I have had "working".  In the class we made an apple pie, a chicken pot pie, popovers, and chocolate cake.  Everything turned out to be very delicious and I sincerely hope that I was a help to anyone in the class.  I know that gluten-free food can be delicious and my entire goal was to teach everyone there last night and anyone who reads my humble blog that gluten-free food can be wonderful.

Next week, I am going to be posting what I am calling my "Thanksgiving Special".  I am going to include a stuffing, popovers, and a couple of other side-dishes that my family will be enjoying that day. 

After Thanksgiving I will have a pretty long (and much needed break from my graduate  school work) and I would love to here from some of my readers any requests that they have as far as recipes or questions or whatever!  So please e-mail me or leave a comment and I will try to come up with a great recipe or answer to your question. 

Delicious Gluten-free Chicken Stir-fry

This is one of my go-to recipes when I need to feed a lot of people or want to have left-overs to take to work for lunch.  It is very easy and very tasty.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. of boneless and skinless chicken breasts (diced)
2 egg whites
4Tablespoons water
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups carrots
1 1/2 cups green beans
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce (CHECK LABELS!)
2 Tablespoons gluten-free hoisin sauce (CHECK LABELS!)
Vegetable oil
4 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
sesame seeds

1.  Whisk the egg whites,  and 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch together to create a marinade for the diced chicken
2.  Toss the chicken in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for an hour or more
3.  Cover the bottom of a wok or skillet with oil and add the chicken stirring slowly until cooked through
4.  Transfer the chicken to a plate
5.  Add the garlic and vegetables (Add the vegetable that will take longest to cook first)
6.  In a small bowl whisk together the remaining cornstarch, chicken broth, powdered ginger soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and 2 Tablespoons of water
7.  Add the sauce to skillet and cooking vegetables
8.  Re-add the chicken and cook until all the vegetables are cooked through
9.  Garnish with sesame seeds and serve over rice

*This dish can be made a number of ways by switching the meat and vegetables.  It is hard to mess up so add what you like best.

Homemade Gluten-free M&M Cookies

I think that this blog is a pretty good picture of how much I love to bake, especially sweets.  We had some guests this week and I wanted to make a treat that wouldn't take much time or leave the oven running for very long.  I haven't made M&M cookies in a long time so that is what I decided to make.  The dough for these cookies is different from regular chocolate chip cookies but it is pretty much the same concept and just as easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 sticks or 1 cup butter softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of soy flour, white rice flour, sweet rice flour, and tapioca flour
2 cups M&Ms

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2.  In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together using a mixer
3.  Add the egg and vanilla
4.  In a medium bowl whist together the flours, salt, and baking soda
5.  Add the dry mixture to the butter and sugar mixture slowly and stirring thoroughly
6.  Add the M&Ms and stir until well combined
7.  Bake for 10-13 minutes until golden brown
8.  Cool on a wire rack

*Store in a sealed container for up to a week.

Easy Gluten-free Biscuits

Making breads is probably the biggest challenge to cooking gluten-free.  This is the second time I have tried to make biscuits and this recipe worked better than the first.  These biscuits were truly delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, and white rice flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk

1.  Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
2. In a large bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cream of tartar
3.  Use a fork to cut in the shortening
4.  Add the milk all at once
5.  Stir until the dough clings together
6.  Spoon small amounts of dough onto a cookie sheet leaving room for the biscuits to expand a little
7.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown

*Serve the biscuits warm
**Store in a plastic bag or container for a few days