Monday, June 25, 2007

Imagine My Surprise...

...when I was shopping at Walmart in Shorewood strolling through the baking supply aisle and saw The Gluten Free Pantry Muffin Mix amongst the NGF mixes. I bought one package (under $3) because I think it's important to support retailers who support those on a gluten-free diet. So the next time you're at Wally World keep an eye out for gluten-free products. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you find!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Here are two recipes that will satisfy any chocolate chip cookie craving!

Wheat-Free Toll House Cookies
This is the recipe that Jane mentioned at the meeting and she said the cookies were very good. She thinks quinoa flakes could easily be subbed for the oats.

1 1/4 cup rice flour
1 1/2 cup quick cooking oats (sub quinoa flakes for oats to make them GF)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 ounces of Nestle Toll House semi-sweet morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

Mix rice flour, oats, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl; set aside. Beat butter, both sugars and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in rice flour/oat (quinoa flakes) mixture. Stir n nuts and chocolate morsels. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 2 to 3 minutes until cookies are firm enough to move to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

Adapted Original Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
This is the recipe that Tracy uses when making chocolate chip cookies. They're delicious!

1 1/4 cups rice flour mix (2 cups brown or white rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/3 cup tapioca starch)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup (1 sticks) butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large eggs
1 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add egg beating well. Mix in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Cover the mixture and chill until cold.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. Then return to the refrigerator for 5 minutes.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. If the cookies spread too much during baking add a couple of tablespoons of flour to the remaining cookie dough and mix well.

The dough can be frozen if well wrapped and baked as needed.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Deep Dish 'Za???

Mary received this recipe from the Silly Yaks list. If anyone knows the source of the recipe, please let me know and I'll add it.

Deep-Dish Polenta Pizza

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup polenta or cornmeal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup (about 2 ounces) grated Parmesan
½ head radicchio, shredded
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
4 ounces mozzarella, cut into ½-inch dice

Heat oven to 400 F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan, round cake pan, or
pie plate with 1 tbsp of the oil and set aside. In a medium
saucepan, bring 2 ¼ cups water to a boil. Whisking constantly,
slowly add the polenta or cornmeal. Reduce heat to low and cook,
stirring until the polenta starts to pull away from the sides of the
pan, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, ¼ tsp of the pepper, and the
Parmesan. Remove from heat. Spread the polenta over the bottom of
the prepared pan, using a spoon to form a raised edge. In a bowl,
combine the radicchio, tomatoes, mozzarella, and the remaining oil
and pepper. Spoon the mixture over the polenta. Bake for 30
minutes. Cut into wedges.

Restaurant Question

We received the following email. Can any of you offer any input? If so, please reply in the comments. Thanks!

From Donna:
I was at the Texas Roadhouse in Kenosha over the weekend and they no longer carry a gluten free menu, the manager said it was too much of a liability. The manager made it seem like it was a corporate decision. They wouldn't even read my dining card, said I could request something special if I knew what I wanted, however they would not read labels. Just wondering if anyone has experienced this happening at any other Texas Roadhouse Restaurants?

Hungry?

Mary spied Larabars on sale at a GREAT price! The delicious gluten free friendly meal replacement bars regularly sell for $ 1.49 at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, but were on sale at Jewel for $1. The sale will continue through the middle of July. If shopping at Jewel on Caton Farm Road and Route 59 the Larabars are located in aisle 21 near the vitamins.

Free Glutenfreeda.com!

We posted a couple of months ago about Glutenfreeda's free 90 day trial membership. They've since decided to make the site free for everyone forever. There are lots of great recipes and information hosted on that site. Check it out!

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Wilton Tent Sale

The Wilton Tent Sale is currently taking place at 75th Street and I-355 in Willowbrook. It's a great opportunity to replace any baking pans that need replacing and stock up on other Wilton products(birthday products, cake decorating, kitchen items, etc.) at reduced prices. You'll be amazed at all of the different products that Wilton produces.

Run, don't walk as the sale ends on June 19th. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to look...the tent is HUGE!

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Easy and Very Tasty Bread for Sandwiches!

Some of you may remember that we sampled this bread at the Feburary meeting. I think it is one of the best and easiest gluten-free breads. It comes out of the oven slightly brown and rounded just like the NGF breads. Plus, it stays soft even after sitting on the counter for a few days and it does NOT need toasting.

Yogurt and Honey Quickbread

The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread, Bette Hagman

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups Four Flour Bean Mix*
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon egg replacer (can be purchased at a health food store)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon dried lemon peel (optional)
3 tablespoons sugar

Wet Ingredients:
2 plus 1 white eggs
3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dough enhancer or cider vinegar
3/4 cup yogurt
1/3 cup (more or less) water

*Four Flour Bean Mix:
2 cups garfava flour, 1 cup sorghum flour, 3 cups cornstarch, 3 cups tapioca starch

Tracy's Changes:
I bake it for 70 minutes instead of 60 minutes. I always: mix the ingredients together by hand, sub vinegar for the dough enhancer, use butter instead of margarine, omit the lemon peel, reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons if I'm planning on serving it for dinner or sandwiches and have subbed vanilla for plain yogurt in a pinch.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease your loaf pan and dust with rice flour.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, margarine, honey and dough enhancer and whisk until blended. Add the yogurt and half of the water. Whisk again or beat slightly with an egg beater until smoorth.

Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly, beating with a spoon until blended. Add enough of the reserved water as necessary to form a cake-like batter. Spoon into the prepared pan(s) and bake for 55-60 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely beofre slicing.

Variations:
Raisin-Cinnamon Yogurt Loaf: substitute cinnamon for the lemon peel. Add 1/3 cup raisins at the end of mixing.

Cinnamon-Nut Yogurt Loaf: Substitute cinnamon for the lemon peel and add 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans at the end of mixing.

Cranberry Yorgurt Loaf: Add 1/3 cup dried cranberries at the end of mixing. [Orange zest could be subbed for lemon zest to make Cranberry Orange Bread.]

Cranberry Cashew Yogurt Loaf: Add 1/4 cup dried cranberries and 1/4 cup chopped cashews at the end of mixing.

Nutrients per slice: Calories 100, Fat 3g, Carbohydrates 16g, Cholestrerol 25 mg. Sodium 180mg, Fiber 1g, Protein 3g
Dietary Exchanges: Bread 1, Fat 1

PB Cookie Recipes

It seems some of you have had a hard time finding this recipe so I've bumped it up. Enjoy!


Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together. Roll teasponful balls out and place on a baking sheet. Mash the balls down using the back of a fork making crisscross patterns. Bake for about 7-10 minutes at 350*F or until done.

Friday, June 1, 2007

Recipes for Dishes Sampled at June Meeting

Cold Sesame Noodles - Tracy
Adapted from Gourmet, June 2002

The secret to this Chinese favorite is not to let the noodles sit in the sauce very long — toss them together a few seconds before serving.

For peanut dressing:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup warm water
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3-5 teaspoons Asian sesame oil (to taste)
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Sriracha or dried hot red pepper flakes (To Taste)

3/4 lb dried linguine fini or spaghetti
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, chopped
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Purée dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Cook pasta until JUST tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water. If not serving immediately refrigerate sauce and pasta separately.

Just before serving, combine pasta and peanut dressing. Top with scallions, cucumber and sesame seeds. Makes 6 side-dish or 4 vegetarian main-course servings.


No Bake Chocolate Cookies - Tracy
Makes about 50.

1 /2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 1/2 cups quinoa flakes OR 3 cups buckwheat flakes OR 3 cups crisped rice cereal

Combine butter, cocoa, milk, sugar and peanut butter and boil for 1 minute. Add quinoa flakes (buckwheat flakes or crisped rice cereal) and vanilla. Spoon out onto waxed paper and let set.

Summer Food!

Tex-Mex Flank Steak Salad
1 1/4 cups canned unsalted beef broth
3 dried ancho chiles*
4 large garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound beef flank steak, well trimmed
2 cups sliced onion
2 fresh Anaheim (California) chiles*, quartered, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, quartered, thinly sliced
1 2/3 cups purchased fresh salsa
6 to 8 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup grated part-skim reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup crumbled baked (no oil) tortilla chips

Bring 1 cup broth and dried chilis to boil in heavy small saucepan. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Stem and seed chiles. Rinse. Strain cooking liquid. Transfer chiles, garlic and cumin to blender. Blend until smooth. Remove 1/3 cup puree and reserve. Spread remaining puree over both sides of beef. Season with salt. Place in shallow baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Simmer remaining 1/4 cup broth, onion, fresh chiles and bell pepper in heavy medium skillet until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover vegetables and chill.)

Preheat broiler. Transfer beef to baking sheet. Broil 5 minutes, turn and broil 3 minutes. Let beef stand 10 minutes. Cut into thin slices. Add any accumulated juices and 1/3 cup salsa to reserved puree.

For each plate, layer in order: lettuce, salsa, bell pepper mixture, corn, beef, chopped tomato, fresh cilantro, cheese and reserved puree. Garnish with tortilla chips and serve.
Makes 4 servings


Mango, Jicama and Corn Salad
Here's a bright and refreshing salad. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

6 ears fresh corn
6 small mangoes, peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped
2 pounds jicama, peeled, chopped
1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Cook corn in pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain and cool corn. Cut off enough kernels to measure 4 cups (reserve remaining corn for another use). Place corn in medium bowl. Add mangoes, jicama, red onion, cilantro and lime juice. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Serve cold.
Makes 8 servings.


Mexican Pasta Salad
1 1/4 pounds GF fusilli pasta
1 1/2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup olive oil
1 2 1/2-pound roasted chicken, skinned, meat shredded or 7 cups shredded cooked turkey
4 large tomatoes, seeded, diced (about 4 cups)
3 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen, thawed)
3 large carrots, thinly sliced on diagonal, slices cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 large red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 jalapeño chilies, seeded, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 bunches fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Cook fusilli pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse pasta with cold water to cool. Drain pasta well. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and mix thoroughly to coat. Add shredded chicken or turkey, diced tomatoes, corn kernels, carrot strips and chopped onion and toss.

Mix Dijon mustard and fresh lime juice in small bowl. Gradually mix in remaining 1/3 cup olive oil. Mix in minced jalapeño chilies, chili powder and ground cumin. Add dressing and chopped fresh cilantro to salad and mix to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Salad can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Makes 8 servings.

Southwestern Chicken and Pasta Salad
This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
1 pound GF farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced cooked chicken
8 green onions, chopped
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 15-ounce can golden hominy, drained
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1 12-ounce bottle mild green taco sauce
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain; rinse under cold running water and drain again.

Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add oil and toss to coat. Mix in chicken, green onions, tomatoes, hominy, beans, taco sauce and cilantro. Season salad generously with salt and pepper.
Makes 8 servings.