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Black Bean Cakes

Black Bean Cakes

2 Cups black beans, drained
1 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Teaspoon ground cumin
½ Teaspoon ground coriander
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 large eggs, beaten
½ Cup gf flour (plus more if needed)
Vegetable oil

Blend beans with spices in blender. Pour into bowl and add garlic, onion and eggs with enough flour to make a thick batter. Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan. Spoon about a Tablespoon (or more) batter and fry for 2 minutes on each side or until crispy. Serve with guacamole!

New GFCF French Toast Sticks from Ian's

I just got an e-mail from Ian's with this new product in it. I don't see it listed on their website and I have no idea how much it costs - but here is another option for our kids! Once I find it in the store and have tried them I'll report back - but I know many of you have been looking for something like this.

Vacations and staying GFCF

When we go on vacation we rent a condo with a full kitchen instead of just staying in a hotel room. It costs more, but we don't go out to eat at all. It is also nice to have the extra room to spread out in. Our favorite vacation spot is Wisconsin Dells and I'm pretty sure you are not going to find a lot of gfcf foods there - so we pack everything from home - we drive so taking extra ice chests is not a problem. If I were flying somewhere I would enquire ahead of time if there is anywhere to buy gfcf foods. If not - I would see if I could fed ex a package to the resort with staples in it.

Planning ahead when site seeing makes the day go smoother. I always pack candy and lots of water with us when we go out. I also pack fruit and healthy snacks, but Andy will see candy and want it and it will be full of red 40, high fructose corn syrup and other things I don't want him to have. By packing my own organic candy I can let him be a kid and not put things in his body that I don't want there. If you don't plan ahead you will find yourself making bad choices.

GFCF Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 1/2 cups gf flour ( I used Bob’s Red Mill GF Mix)
1/2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (use aluminum free!)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups rapadura (you could use regular sugar, but rapadura is healthier)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons grated orange peel (make sure you grate an organic orange - you don't want to know what chemicals are on non organic ones)
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1/2 cup milk substitute (I used Dari Free)
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts, but any would be fine or omit if you are nut free)
Glaze (directions follow)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
1 Combine the four, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
2 With a mixer, beat together the shortening and the sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs to the shortening and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange peel, and zucchini.
3 Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk substitute into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last addition.
4 Pour the batter into a greased and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan (use a stainless steel pan – please don’t bake in aluminum. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes (test at 45 minutes!) or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; turn out on wire rack to cool thoroughly.
5 Drizzle glaze over cake.

Glaze: Mix together 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons milk substitute, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Cut in thin slices to serve. Makes 10-12 servings.

A wonderful tasty soup

I got my first box from the CSA I joined this week and made this wonderful soup. Andy liked it so much he had seconds and then asked for it as a snack!

Kathi’s July Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons gfcf margarine (or butter if you are not gfcf)
½ cup minced onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 baby bok choy, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock (use vegetable stock if you are vegetarian)
2 cups water
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 carrot, peeled and grated
2 kohlrabies
1 head broccoli
½ teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated
Fresh herbs from the garden – I used parsley, cilantro, oregano and basil – I didn’t measure, just a small amount of each
Salt and pepper
2 ounces bean threads, softened (if you aren’t gfcf you could use vermicelli)

Sautee onions and garlic in margarine until soft

Add the rest of the ingredients except the bean threads. Bring to boil and then turn down and simmer for 25 minutes.

Add softened bean threads and cook another 10 minutes.

Currant Sorbet

I'm making good use of all of the currants. This turned out pretty good - but it tastes a little strong of the Brown Rice Syrup - next time I think I'll use a half cup of each Brown Rice and Maple Syrup.

Currant Sorbet

2 cups currant juice
1 cup brown rice syrup
¼ cup maple syrup

To make currant juice – place currants in sauce pan and crush – do not add water. Bring to a boil. Turn off, cover and let cool. When cool strain through a jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth.

To make sorbet: Mix all ingredients together – make sure the currant juice is cold or at least room temperature. Place in ice cream maker and process until desired consistency – about 40 minutes.

GFCF Currant Pie

It was the hottest day of the year in Minnesota yesterday - so what do I do? I bake a pie! I have an abundance of currants and needed to do something with them. This pie was wonderful. I may have to make another one.

Here is it ready to go into the oven:


And here it is baked:


And here is the recipe:

Currant Pie

2 uncooked pie crusts (I made mine using a mix from Miss Robens)
4 cups fresh currants
¼ cup tapioca
½ cup raw honey*
2 tablespoons margarine melted (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Roll out ½ of the pastry and line a pie plate (I only cook in glass pie plates – using aluminum is not good for your health)

In a medium bowl mix currants, tapioca, honey, margarine, cinnamon and nutmeg

Pour mixture into pie crust

Roll out remaining dough and place over the filling – or cut into strips and place on pie lattice style. Trim, seal and crimp edges – if you put a solid top crust on, be sure and cut steam vents in it.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 to 60 minutes more. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack before serving.

*Adjust the amount of honey to your preferred level of sweetness