GLUTEN FREE ROSEMARY BOULE BREAD

December 19, 2014

GLUTEN FREE ROSEMARY BOULE BREAD

Boule in French means “ball”.  This type of bread I make once in a while.  It’s a bit time consuming but worth every minute of your time.  It comes out tasting and looking best when it’s baked on a pizza stone and tastes best if you use fresh rosemary.

Very crunchy crust and the aroma of the rosemary will fill
your kitchen!  Yummy.

1 1/3 cups water heated to about 105 degrees

1 tablespoon of yeast

1 tablespoon of honey

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup potato starch

1 ½ cups tapioca flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon xanthan gum

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 fresh sprigs of rosemary finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon of dry, fresh is best)

 Preheat the oven to 450 degrees

 I always start by proofing the yeast; it’s just the way I was taught so it’s a habit of mine.  I heat up the water, add the yeast and honey, mix with a whisk and let sit.

Next I add all the dry ingredients to the bowl of my standing mixer, give it a quick little mix.  To the dry, add the eggs and oil, give another quick mix.  Then with the mixer on low, add the yeast mixture, mixing slowly at first.  Once that comes together, add the rosemary and turn it up a little bit.  Mix well and set the mixer on high for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom as you do so.  

 Find a big serving bowl with a round bottom; it makes it easier to shape.  Oil the bowl and take the dough from the mixer and transfer it to the bowl.  Place plastic wrap sprayed with oil on top, and on top of that a dry clean dish towel.  Allow this t rise for about an hour and a half.

While waiting for the dough to rise, line a well-oiled cookie tray with parchment paper and oil the top of parchment paper.  Once the dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap and dish towel from the dough and turn it over onto the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  It should resemble a half round ball at this point.  Take wet hands and make sure you smooth the surface out GENTLY, don’t flatten it re-wet your hands as you go.   

 Make a 2 inch long X incision on the top of the dough, don’t go deep or you will let all the air out, leaving the air in the dough before cooking is what makes the inside of this dough so fluffy. Making the x incision allows the air to escape during cooking, otherwise your bread will have many unwanted cracks in the crust.

 

Slide the dough AND the parchment paper onto the pizza stone.  This could be tricky which is why I oil the cookie sheet, it allows the parchment to slide off easier.  If you are having trouble, try pulling on the parchment paper to get it to slide off.  Once it's on the pizza stone, spray the dough down with water.   Repeat spraying it with water every 3 minutes for the first 15 minutes (a total of 5 times).

Right before I put it in the oven.

After all the spraying is done, shut the door and let the bread cook for another 20 minutes, totaling about 35 minute of cooking time.  After it’s cooked it should make a hallow sound when you knock on it, and it should be fairly browned, not burned.  This is how you know it's done. 

Serve warm with butter, or put some olive oil sprinkled with garlic powder in a bowl and dip the bread in, yummy!!

GLUTEN FREE FLOUR MIX

December 10, 2014

I keep this in a canister and use it when ever I need flour.  You can make double or triple just to have on hand.

2 cups rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

I take the flours and put them right into my stand mixer.  It's a little unconventional to mix it that way, but it sure does work.  Don't forget to set it to low or you'll have a counter full of flour, lol.

Enjoy!!

 

GLUTEN FREE, FOOD COLORING FREE, CHRISTMAS COOKIES

December 10, 2014

We decided to make some gluten free Christmas cookies with the boys tonight.  The hard part was tying to figure out how to decorate them since the boys don't get any unnatural food coloring. So I used blueberries and pomegranates in the icing. They came out really pretty if you ask me!!

RECIPE FOR SUGAR COOKIES:

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter (I use Earth Balance soy free)
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla
2 1/4 cups gluten free flour blend (see my other post on gluten free flour blends)
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

Combine sugar and butter in bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy, scraping bowl often, . Add egg yolks and vanilla and continue to beat, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add flour blend and salt; beat st low speed until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.  Refrigerating the dough is very important.

Heat oven to 350°F.

Roll the dough and make sure the surface is sprinkled lightly with gluten-free flour, roll to 1/4-inch thickness..  Roll out half at a time and make sure the other half is kept in the refrigerator.  Cut with cookie cutters, we have some with many different shapes as you can see. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 2 minutes on cookie sheet; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely and then it's time for the icing  :)

ICING RECIPE

Blueberries
raspberries
powdered sugar
vanilla

I put each fruit, separately, in the blender and blended until smooth, then I strained it with a small strainer.  I put it in the microwave for about 3 to 5  minutes, checking after every minute or so, to let it cook down a bit, the time depends on how much you have.  Let it cool for about 5 minutes.  Then I added about a tablespoon full of the fruit to a cup of powdered sugar and a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.  If I had used raspberries and I wanted a lighter pink color, I would add some water with the fruit to lighten it.  If you want white icing, don't add any fruit, just add water or almond milk.

Have a great time with the kids with this one, your kitchen will be a mess, but they will have made some wonderful Christmas memories with you!

GLUTEN FREE TURKEY BREAKFAST SAUSAGE PATTIES

December 10, 2014

My kids love this with an egg or toast for breakfast. Most of the turkey breakfast sausages sold in the stores are full of preservatives, gluten or my favorite, “modified food starch”.  The question is, which starch is it?  Wheat or rice or what?  It drives me crazy when they write that.  So I make them from scratch to be sure.  It’s easy. 

3 pounds of ground turkey (you could even grind it yourself, make sure you use dark meat)

3 teaspoons of dried sage

1 ½ tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons marjoram

1 pinch of ground clove (optional as this has a strong taste, so don’t over do it) 

In a small bowl mix all the seasonings as well as the sugar all together until well mixed.  Add it to the ground turkey.  Now roll up your sleeves and dig in.  Mix it really well, form into patties. 

 

 

Oil a skillet and let it heat up on medium heat.  Shape the meat into patties, they will shrink and puff up, so make them as thin as possible.  

 

Put the patties in the warm pan, they will sizzle if the pan is warm enough.  Allow them to brown on each side before you flip them.

 

Serve with toast, eggs, potatoes or whatever you like.

ENJOY!

 

DELICIOUS GLUTEN FREE WHOLE GRAIN SANDWICH BREAD

December 8, 2014

My sandwich bread recipe is a staple in my family, sandwich bread that doesn’t fall apart in your lunch box by lunch time is really coveted by gluten free folks.  It took me about 4 months to perfect this bread.  You will be very happy with this recipe and so will your kids.  It’s also full of fiber and protein.  Once you have made it a few times it’s truly very easy to do!  We usually go through about 2 loaves of sandwich bread a week.  I bake the 2 on Sunday, and freeze one for when we need it.  This bread will stay tasty in the refrigerator for up to 3 full days, but then it starts to get stale and eventually it will get crumbly.  If you only eat one loaf a week, slice the bread before you freeze it so you can defrost only what you need.    

 

Recipe is for 2 loaves

3 cups tapioca flour/starch
1 ½ cups Plus 3 tablespoons brown rice flour
1 cup Plus 2 tablespoons potato starch
½ cup Plus 1 tablespoon teff flour
½ cup flax seed meal
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
3 teaspoons salt
1 ½ tablespoon baking powder

2 cups warm water
½ cup sugar (saving 1 tablespoon to proof the yeast) (I also use organic brown sugar, white sugar is a bit sweeter so use a bit less)
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
6 large eggs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil 

Directions

Start by proofing the yeast to make sure it's still good. Heat the 2 C water to about 105 degrees, add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of yeast, stir and let sit to make sure it foams up.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a standing mixer bowl, mix it up a bit. Add all the wet ingredients except for the yeast water to the dry and put the mixer on low and start mixing.  Slowly add the yeast water to the mixer scrapping from the bottom to make sure there isn’t any flour stuck to the bottom.  Once it's all combined I turn it up and let it mix for about 3 to 5 minutes.  Xanthan gum takes the place of the gluten so allow it to mix really well. The consistency of this bread is like a very thick cake batter. A spoon, when inserted, should easily stand up.

Take half the mixture put it in a well-oiled metal loaf pan, and do the same with the other half. It will be all lumpy on the top, so use a wet hand or spatula to make it nice and flat in the pan. Let it rise for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes depending on the room temp. It should rise a bit above the top of the loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for an hour. I always let it rise on top of the oven when it's heating up and cover it with a dish towel. Yeast is happy in a dark warm place.

When the bread is done baking, remove from the oven but also remove the loaf from the loaf pan quickly. If it stays in the pan during cooling, it will sweat and you will have mushy bread, not much fun to eat :) I let it cool on a cookie rack. Make sure it's good and cooled before you try to slice it; I know it's hard to wait!

One thing you should know about baked gluten free bread and baked goods is they will go stale quickly, most likely because they aren't filled with preservatives. As soon as they are sliced I place them in the refrigerator or freezer, depending on how soon I will use them. They stay fresh in the fridge for about 3 days. If you won't use them that quickly, slice them, put them in a zip lock bag, freeze them and use them as needed. 

 

GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE LEMON CHICKEN DELICIOUS !!

December 7, 2014

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 11 or 12 thin slices pounded to be about the same thickness

4 garlic cloves chopped finely

2 eggs for an egg wash

1 cup brown rice flour

½ cup teff flour

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Oil for frying, I use canola oil

1 small onion chopped finely

1 cup chicken broth (I use organic)

2 teaspoon chicken paste, or to taste (I use better then bullion organic chicken paste)

½ cup white wine

The juice of one small lemon (adding just enough to taste)

2 tablespoon butter (I use earth balance soy free buttery spread)

2 teaspoons dried parsley to sprinkle over the top when done

 

DIRECTIONS: 

As with all ingredients when cooking gluten free, make sure they are certified gluten free to be sure. 

Mix the brown rice flour, teff flour, salt, pepper and xanthan gum in a bowl, mix it very well.  Break the eggs into a bowl and beat till fluffy. 

Take the chicken and filet them, I can usually get 3 filets out of one chicken breast with one being smaller.  Take the chicken dip it into the egg wash then gently dip it into the flour mixture, you don’t need a lot of flour just enough to coat the chicken. 

Put oil in a skillet set to medium low, I use a 16 inch electric skillet so I can fit 6 breasts at a time.  Start by sautéing the garlic for a few minutes, and then add the onion.  Once the onion is translucent add the chicken pieces that have had the egg wash and have been floured.  Make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through and get’s some nice brown color on the outside.  HINT: do not burn the garlic or onion.  If you see it burning, just take it out and set aside.  Add more oil to the pan if you need to. 

Once all the chicken is cooked, put it in a serving dish with tall sides.  Then to the skillet add the white wine, let it cook down for a few minutes.  Then add the chicken broth and chicken paste.  Make sure you scrap all the browned pieces up from the skillet, they add a wonderful flavor, but if they are burned it doesn’t taste as good so be careful not to burn anything.  Add the juice of one small lemon, I usually add half at a time, then taste it and add the other half if necessary.  You don’t want to over do it.  Add the butter.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour this delicious sauce over the top of the chicken.  Sprinkle the parsley on top to garnish.

 

I usually serve this lemon chicken with rice and a vegetable.  Pouring the sauce over the rice is my favorite!

HEALHTY GUT HEALTHY BRAIN, GLUTEN FREE CASEIN FREE FOR ADHD

December 6, 2014

As many of you know my son was diagnosed with ADHD about a year and a half ago.  I had spent many many hours researching which treatments, other then medication, to try with him.  We researched supplemental as well as dietary changes.  I have nothing against medications; some kids really do well on them.  But my philosophy was even if other natural treatments helped to lessen the medication doses, I would be happy.  I got so much more then that.

 

During our journey I have also read a lot of different articles about autism.  And that parents back in the 50’s and 60’s were told by their doctors that their children were autistic or displaying autistic symptoms because mothers where cold and distant and unloving to their children.  Could you imagine being told that!  Some of these autistic children can’t handle being touched due to sensory integration disorder, NOT a cold hearted mom.  Parent’s knew better and pushed on to find the reason.

 

Once again parents find proof before the medical community.  I have read article after article that claims this diet does nothing for kids with autism, adhd or any other behavioral issues.  That’s just not true, it does work!!  How can they say that, Troy is living proof.  I have spoken to many parents who have children with adhd and have said “yes, they see marked improvement when their children are on this diet”.   Why they do, I don't know, but I do know that they do.

 

Troy has come a long way since before this diet.  I think part of it is supplements and the other part is diet along with being coloring free, preservative free and additive free.  I am not perfect with this diet, but I sure am pretty darn close.  We do have cheat days, and believe me both of my boys look forward to them.  Troy’s brother Jack is on this diet but more for support and ease.  I actually think it’s a great diet and I am on it as well.  I also love that I am feeding my children so well.  We used to eat fast food about once a week, now it’s once every 4 months.  I used to have IBS and now that is almost gone, I still have occasional flare ups but NOTHING like it was.

 

The medical community is now accepting of the fact that there is a connection between the brain and the gut.  And a lot of these children have gut issues, like a “leaky gut” or “IBS symptoms”.  The school of thought now is that if the gut isn’t working right, or absorbing the proper nutrients or have the proper amount of flora, then the brain suffers.  The brain isn’t nourished enough and the signals aren’t getting to where they need to go to.  Essentially there is a “traffic jam” to the brain.

 

You know how when you are nervous you get butterflies in your stomach?  That is how you can understand the connection between the brain and the gut.  The gut and the brain actually have its own nervous system.  What happens in your gut feeds right back to your brain.  A bloated stomach can actually cause a bloated and inflamed brain.  Keeping you stomach healthy is very important for everyone, but more important for children with these issues.  It will allow good flora to grow which helps keep the gut healthy.  Healthy gut healthy brain.

 

Some of the information from the last paragraph of this blog was taken from this website.  It goes much deeper into the connection and talks about good flora and how important it is, it's a great article:

 

http://www.tulsanaturalclinic.com/Brain_Gut_Connection.aspx

Don’t forget to get a great probiotic which will aid your body in making good flora.  In my first blog post I talk about all the supplements I am giving Troy and the diet itself.