A successful GFCF Birthday Party

Andy turned 10 yesterday. How is that possible? It seems like just yesterday we got a call in the middle of the night that he had been born and we rushed to the hospital to hold our newborn.

We had a very successful birthday party - here are some pics!

The party was held at a climbing wall. Here is a group shot of the birthday boy with all of his guests.

Before the party, the day was started out with the birthday boy's favorite breakfast - raspberry pancakes (GFCF of course). I'll post the recipe below.

GFCF Yellow cupcakes - I used the new Betty Crocker gluten free cake mix to make these. Andy does not like chocolate so I made these for him.

And I also made chocolate cupcakes - again they are the new Betty Crocker gluten free mix - the devils food flavor. All of the children ate the cupcakes and no one said anything about them tasting funny so I don't think they could tell they were GFCF.

We only did snacks since the party was from 2 to 4. Andy picked the snack menu. The most popular item was the fruit kebobs.

Andy helped make the snacks. Here he is making Ants on a Log (probably the second popular snack).

We also served deviled eggs and a home made trail mix.

GFCF Raspberry Pancakes

2 eggs
2 cups original flavor Almond Milk (or use any milk sub)
¼ cup coconut oil, melted (or use any shortening or salad oil)
2 cups GF flour blend (I used Bobs Red Mill GF Blend)
2 tablespoons raw sugar (or use brown or regular sugar)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries.

Beat eggs

Add remaining ingredients and mix

Pour batter onto hot greased griddle or frying pan.

Turn pancakes when they are puffed up and full of bubbles.

Makes 20 4-inch pancakes

Individual Breakfast Quiches

Here is a yummy breakfast that has become a big hit in my household -

Individual Breakfast Quiches

Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients:
7 eggs
1 cup Almond Milk (or any milk or milk substitute)

Your choice of fillings – I used:
9 ounces Al Fresco Chicken Sausage – Maple and Apple flavor (12 oz package – use 3 of the 4 links to get the right amount) – removed from casing and crumbled into small pieces – I used a knife to cut them up really small.
1 small can mushroom pieces (or use fresh and sauté first)
¼ cup sliced red onion (or use leeks or scallions or whatever you have on hand)
¼ teaspoon pepper

You could also add cheese if you aren’t dairy free (or use a cheese substitute if you have one you like – I think these are great just the way they are) – or bell peppers or really any fillings you would put in an omelet.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees – making sure the rack is positioned in the center of the oven.

Generously coat a regular muffin pan with cooking spray.

Whisk the eggs and milk in a medium bowl.

Cook the sausage over medium heat until nice and brown. Add mushrooms, onions and pepper and cook another minute or two.

Divide the egg whites equally between the muffin cups (about ¼ cup each).

Spoon a heaping spoonful of filling into each muffin cup.

Bake until they are solid in the middle and the tops are starting to brown – time varies with the type of muffin cup you are using – mine take about 45 minutes to cook – I would start checking after 30 minutes to be safe.

Cool for 5 minutes and then turn quiches out.

These can be made ahead and reheated for a quick weekday breakfast.

Ian's Mac and No Cheese

I was doing my regular grocery shopping at Super Target this week and I reached into the freezer case to get an Ian's Allergen Free Fish Stick and an Ian's Allergen Free Chicken Nuggets and what did I see right next to them but this mac and no cheese. I forgot to take a picture so I nabbed this pic off their website.

Andy was with me and begged me to buy it. It looks just like the real stuff and was easy to prepare in the microwave. Andy ate it right down - he loved it. I tasted it and it was *okay* but I wasn't buying it for me, I was buying it for him.

I love that Ian's really seems to be adding to their allergen free line of items. While I still prefer making food from scratch, it is so nice to have options.

I also love that my Super Target carries many of them. My primary grocery store is still my local food co-op (Mississippi Market) but Super Target is so much cheaper on some items - Ian's being one of them.

Ian's also seems to be putting out a lot more coupons lately. You can usually find printable ones on the internet. It all helps when raising a gfcf kid.

And if you buy a lot of Ian's foods, don't forget to save the points and let your kids redeem them for fun things. You can also get points for doing all kinds of things - check out their website for more information.

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

I made the most wonderful soup for dinner tonight. I'm so sorry I didn't take a picture of it - you will just have to believe me that it looked as wonderful as it tasted.

Here is the recipe:

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

3 large leeks, cut lengthwise, cleaned and chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons margarine
2 cups water
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped into small pieces
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash of Marjoram
Dash of Tabasco Sauce

1. Melt margarine in medium sauce pan. Add leeks, cover pan and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.

2. Add water, broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. I also added the salt and pepper at this time - about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper was right for me.

3. Use a hand blender to puree (or transfer to a blender).

4. Add the marjoram and tabasco sauce.

Serves 6

GFCF Pasta with Spinach and Sausage

I made this for dinner tonight and it was really yummy. Next time I make it I am going to add more peppers - otherwise it was perfect.

GFCF Pasta with Spinach and Sausage

6 ounces gf pasta (I used shell shaped, but any shape would work)
1 package Al Fresco Sweet Italian Sausages
1 large onion, cut in half and then into slices
1 bell pepper cut into long slices (I am going to use two or three next time)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup chicken broth
8 ounces fresh spinach
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup vegan parmesan

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions, set aside.
2. Slice sausages in half lengthwise and then again so they are quartered, then slice into 1/4 inch chunks - set aside.
3. In a large skillet, cook onion, peppers, and garlic in olive oil until tender.
4. Add broth and sausages, heat to boiling.
5. Add spinach and basil - cook for a minute or two until spinach is wilted, stirring frequently.
6. Add pasta and parmesan. Toss to coat.

4 servings of yum!

Making Yogurt with Almond Milk

I am experimenting with making yogurt from almond milk. I just don't like the taste (or price) of the coconut milk yogurt and I am trying to eliminate soy from our diet.

This was my first attempt at making it yesterday. It didn't turn out too bad. It was definitely edible.

The consistency was a little more runny than I wanted. I knew it wouldn't be as firm as a dairy yogurt but I want it a little more firm.

I am going to play with it more before I post a recipe, but I really think this is going to be doable - so for those of you out there who don't do soy either, stay tuned - there will be a recipe soon.

GFCF Lasagne without pasta

I was craving lasagne but I didn't have any lasagne noodles and didn't feel like driving across town to the one store that carries them. I did, however, have eggplant in the fridge.

So I made my usual lasagne recipe and used eggplant for the noodles. I fried up the eggplant in a little olive oil first.

It turned out really great.

I made two smaller pans instead of one large pan and froze the other for later.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday. I'm 51. Funny, I don't feel 51. Anyway, I thought I would share my birthday cake pics and recipe with you. I have posted this recipe before but I keep tweaking it and making it a little healthier every time I make it. You would never know there is zucchini in it - it is my go to recipe for chocolate cake.

I actually wasn't going to do a cake, but Andy insisted. At his age, he just can't fathom someone having a birthday and not having 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

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup coconut oil

2 cups organic raw sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups shredded zucchini

1/2 cup milk substitute (I used Vanilla Almond Milk)

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 coconut oil and the sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs to the oil and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla and zucchini.

3 Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk substitute into the zucchini mixture.

4 Pour the batter into a greased and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or Bundt pan. 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.

Sencha Naturals

Sencha Naturals is running a contest on their blog. You can find all of the answers to the questions by reading about their product on their website.

You really should take the time to check it out - even if you aren't interested in the contest.

Why?

Well, their products are all gfcf for one (the bars do have soy for those of you avoiding soy).

They taste great for another - and let's face it so much of what we have to choose from commercially is not all that great tasting.

They are packed full of nutrition and are all natural and fair traded - all things that are as important to me as GFCF.

I entered the contest because I love to win things and when the chance is to win food, I'm there!

GFCF Items at Boston Market

I've been sick. So sick that I didn't feel like cooking - or even looking at food.

Back in the day before the term *special diet* ever entered my vocabulary, I wouldn't have worried about it - Dan and Andy would be able to fend for themselves with take out or ordering pizza or something. Unfortunately, that is not reality for many of us these days. So, sick as I was I started thinking about what they could eat.

Then I remembered that I am a Bzz Agent and that I had recently signed up for the Boston Market campaign after looking on their website and seeing they did have some GFCF items - and enough to make a meal.

They do have a pretty hefty disclaimer on their allergen page on their website: This list is compiled based on production information provided by Boston Market approved food manufacturers as of the date published. Boston Market does not guarantee that cross-contact with other gluten-containing products or allergens will not occur. We encourage anyone with food sensitivities, allergies, or special dietary needs to check back on a regular basis for up-to-date information.

Because of this disclaimer I made sure that Dan questioned the manager and staff before ordering - the manager was great - Dan said that he took our food only out of pans that hadn't been touched. It is great to have another option for food now. The boys were able to eat and I was able to get some needed rest.

The items that are both gluten and casein free are: (if you are only gluten free, you have many more choices)
Entrees -
Rotisserie Chicken
USDA Choice Roasted Sirloin
Sides -
Cinnamon Apples
Cranberry Walnut Relish
Fresh Fruit Salad
Fresh Steamed Veggies
Garden Fresh Coleslaw

My guys had the Chicken, coleslaw and apples. They loved it so much, they had the same thing the next night! Andy did not have a reaction at all - we are so pleased.

Here is a link to a $2 off coupon when you spend $10.

GFCF Blueberry Muffins

These are super tasty and won't last long. I made them from a commercial biscuit mix (arrowhead mills) which I generally don't use but I was using up some items given to me by someone else - and since many of you may prefer mixes I thought I would go ahead and post the recipe.

I think I am going to make another batch tomorrow and use fresh raspberries instead of blueberries.

GFCF Blueberry Muffins

2 cups Gluten Free Biscuit and Baking Mix
½ cup raw sugar
1 egg
1 cup vanilla flavored almond milk
½ tsp vanilla (use 1 tsp if you use plain almond milk)
¼ cup coconut oil
1 cup fresh blueberries

In medium mixing bowl combine baking mix and sugar.
In another bowl, beat egg slightly. Add all of the rest of the ingredients except the blueberries and mix well.
Mix wet ingredients in with dry ingredients just until mixed – do not over mix!
Fold in blueberries.
Fill muffin tins lined with paper liners.
Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Chicken and Bean Soup

I made this for dinner tonight. It was so tasty - even Andy had seconds! Very healthy too.


Chicken and Bean Soup

½ cup dry garbanzo beans
½ cup dry black beans
1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs cut into bite size pieces
1 ½ cups fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into ¼ inch slices
2 ½ cups sliced carrots
1 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped or shredded

1. Rinse the beans; place in a saucepan and add enough water to cover the beans by about two inches. Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for one hour. Drain and rinse beans.
2. Put all ingredients except fresh herbs and spinach in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Add fresh herbs and spinach. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
4 servings

GFCF Fresh Raspberry Pie

Kathi’s Fresh Raspberry Pie

4 cups fresh raspberries

1 cup raw sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons minute tapioca

4 tablespoons water

2 - 9” pie crusts of your choice (I use the perfect pie crust mix from the gluten free pantry)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Line pie plate with one pie crust
3. Mix all ingredients together and spoon into bottom pie crust
4. Place other pie crust on top, flute and seal edges.
5. Make slits in the top so that steam can escape.
6. Bake for 10 minutes at 425, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for 45 minutes

8 servings

Enjoy Life Granola

Enjoy Life has reformulated their granola and is it ever yummy!

If you are not familiar with Enjoy Life Foods, you should be.

All of their products are free of the 8 most common allergens (wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish or shellfish).

All are certified gluten free.

All are made in a dedicated nut and gluten free bakery - so no chance of cross contamination!

No artificial anything in any of their products.

And they taste great.
The granola comes in 3 flavors - Cranapple Crunch, Very Berry Crunch, and Cinnamon Crunch.

Cranapple Crunch

Very Berry Crunch

Cinnamon Crunch

We did a taste test at our house. All 3 of us tasted all 3 flavors. While all of us enjoyed all 3 flavors, I found it interesting that each of us picked a different one as their favorite. Andy loves the Cranapple Crunch, Dan prefers the Very Berry Crunch and my favorite is the Cinnamon Crunch.

All three flavors are very crunchy and they remain crunchy in milk (non dairy milk of course in our household) with nice plump chewy raisins or craisins. They are also good just by the handful. Fill a baggie and take them with you as a snack. My favorite way to eat them is sprinkled on yogurt (soy) - it really adds a nice crunch. I might try using them in baking as well. I can picture them as a nice crunchy muffin.....

If you are interested in trying them, they do have a printable coupon on their website for 55 cents off any of their products.

Say Cheez by Namaste Foods

We've been trying a lot of new foods lately. The selection of gluten free foods out there really has expanded since we started this diet 6 years ago. Shortly after we went gfcf 6 years ago, I gave up trying to find anything with cheese. Nothing tasted good. Andy really loved mac and cheese before gfcf and I was disappointed not to find a good substitute for him. Now he doesn't even remember ever eating mac and cheese.

My food co-op had a special last month on Say Cheez by Namaste Foods and I had a coupon so I bought a package. Wow, was it a hit. I have now bought it two more times. Andy devours it like I remember him devouring mac and cheese. Is it the rich and creamy mac and cheese that I used to bake in the oven for hours? No and not even close. But it is not a bad imitation of boxed mac and cheese.

Here is a picture of the product - it is in a brown bag - so you know what to look for in the store.

And here are the contents of the bag.

And here is the finished product.

It went wonderfully with grilled Al Fresco sausages!

And Andy ate all the leftovers today for lunch!

If you are not familar with Namaste Foods, be sure and to check out their website for more information. They specialize in foods that are free of gluten, wheat, potato, soy, corn, dairy, tree nuts, peanuts and casein. So if you have multiple food allergies, this is a great company to be aware of.

Cherrybrook Kitchens

Dan's birthday was this week. Since I have yet to find a plain cake recipe that I really like (I do have some good killer cake recipes on this blog, but not plain ones that my child will eat), I decided to try a mix from Cherrybrook Kitchen.

This is the mix that I used. It only makes one layer or a dozen cupcakes, so if you plan on making a layer cake you will need to buy two.

It was very easy to mix up and it didn't even need eggs so for those of you who are also egg free, here is a mix for you as well.

Here are the cupcakes as they came out of the oven. They were very dark and rich looking. I think Dan and I could have enjoyed them without frosting, but Andy insisted that we frost them - I guess you can't stick a birthday candle in one without frosting (who knew? good thing I have a 9 year old around to tell me these things!).

And here is one unfrosted closer up.

Making frosting is not difficult, but since I had a coupon I decided to try their frosting as well. The frosting was a bit too sweet for me and kind of gummy. It was fine, though, I did eat it - I didn't scrape it off, but I think next time I'll just make my own. Andy, like most kids, loved the frosting and ate the leftovers out of the canister.

I let Andy frost the cupcakes himself. Here is a pic of the finished cupcakes.

And one of the cupcakes up front.

They were very good tasting and nice and moist. I will buy the cake mix again in the future. It was a success.

Be sure and save the bottom flaps off the mixes. You can save them and redeem them for free stuff (I like Free!).

Larabar

I recently wrote to Larabar telling them how much I loved their product and asking if they had any coupons. As we all know, gluten free is expensive, so I have been writing to my favorite brands asking for coupons - can't hurt to try, right?

They wrote back that they didn't have any coupons at this time, but would send me some samples. Then I got another e-mail that coupons were available. I was very happy with my 4 coupons for 50 cents off - every little bit helps.

So, imagine my surprise when a few days later a package came from them containing 4 full size bars! Happy Day! I never even told them that I write a gluten free blog - so they weren't providing the samples for a write up (although they are getting one) - so that is great customer service!

These are the bars I got free. Andy inhaled the cherry pie one before I could have a taste. We will have to take his word for it that it was great. We also got Apple Pie, Cinnamon Roll and Lemon Bar. All were delicious.

There are many things besides the taste that I like about larabar. First of all, unlike soy bars, they are very moist. All flavors are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, non gmo, vegan and kosher. They have no added sweeteners.

Larabars are also a good source of potassium. One thing I have learned while I have been studying nutrition is that we all get way too much sodium and not enough potassium. Sodium and potassium need to be kept in balance in our body. Potassium can help lower high blood pressure. Here is a link to a potassium fact sheet.

If you haven't added larabars to your gluten free casein free diet, I suggest you try them.

New GFCF Chicken Nuggets!

Coming home and finding boxes on our doorstep is no big deal in our household. UPS brings me packages for work almost daily. But whenever there is one that doesn't have my company's return address on it, Andy gets excited and wants to know right away what is in it. Yesterday we got just such a box and he was right to be excited!

When we opened it, we found treasures inside:
It was from Applegate Farms. Not only did it contain 2 boxes of their new gluten free (and casein free) chicken nuggets, it also had DRY ICE! I really should have taken a picture of Andy playing with the dry ice - that provided over an hour of fun. I should mention that you should never let small children play with dry ice and even with older kids like Andy, you need to supervise them and make sure they know the dangers of dry ice.

We have been struggling to find a great tasting chicken nugget. We used to buy the Wellshire Kids/Garrett County Farms (Wellshire Kids brand is now used only at Whole Foods and Garrett County elsewhere). We used to buy a lot of their products. But ever since the Chicago Tribune exposed that their dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets tested high for gluten, we have crossed them off our list.

We love Ian's products. Andy especially loves their allergen free fish sticks. But he isn't a fan of their chicken nuggets. He reluctantly accepts them in his thermos in his lunch box and eats them, but he doesn't love them like he did the dinosaur ones.

So, I was excited to learn that Applegate Farms had come out with a gluten free chicken nugget. We LOVE Applegate Farm's products. Their chicken hot dogs are what I use to make my wonderful mini corn dogs. Applegate Farms is really a great all around company. I'm not going to bore you with all the details, you can go to their website and read all about it http://www.applegatefarms.com/ (and while you are there, read all about the future of our school lunches).

What I am going to tell you about is how great tasting these new nuggets were. I made one box of them for dinner last night and Andy was begging for more. Even Dan and I enjoyed the taste. They have a wonderful taste and texture. Andy likes that they are soft. Try them. They get two thumbs up from all 3 of us.

Purity Farms Ghee

I have been using ghee in more and more of my recipes. The lemon curd I made recently tasted so good because I used ghee in it.

Ghee is butter so it tastes wonderful in all of your gfcf recipes - like real butter - because it is. I know what some of you are thinking - but butter isn't casein free. Ah, but ghee is. Ghee is butter with the casein removed.

It is fairly expensive but it tastes so good. To cut down on the expense you can either make your own or you can mix it with a healthy shortening like palm oil or coconut oil. I have been using it 50/50 with coconut oil in a lot of my recipes.

I was a little reluctant to try ghee at first because I didn't understand how it could be casein free. But after using it for a few weeks with no reactions I became hooked.

I recently contacted Purity Farms via their website and complimented them on their product and asked to be put on any mailing list they have for coupons. They responded that they are just a small company with no mailing lists or coupons but they would be glad to send me a free product. A few days later, just as promised, a free jar was in my mailbox along with a handwritten letter, a nice pen and some recipes. How nice is that? Gotta love customer service like that.

So, if you haven't tried ghee yet and you want that buttery taste in your food - try ghee. You won't be disappointed.

GFCF Lemon Bars

Since I had lots of lemon curd left over from the lemon bites I made recently, I made these bars over the weekend.

They did not last long! They were so yummy.

You could probably add flaked coconut to the topping if you wanted - I don't personally like coconut so I don't add it to any of my recipes, but I could see it going well in this one - if you liked that sort of thing!

GFCF Lemon Bars

1 cup gfcf margarine (I used earth balance buttery spread)

2 cups gf flour blend (I used authentic foods blend which has xanthan gum in it – so if you use a blend without xanthan gum, you may need to add it)

1 cup raw sugar

2 cups lemon curd (recipe follows)

½ cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
In a large mixing bowl cream margarine.
Add flour and sugar. Mix until coarse crumbs form.
Pat 2/3 of mixture in the bottom of an ungreased 9 by 13 inch baking pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
Cool slightly
Spread lemon curd over baked layer.
Add chopped nuts to remaining crumb mixture and sprinkle over the top of the lemon curd.
Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool thoroughly, cut into squares and enjoy!

Lemon Curd

I like this method of making lemon curd because you don’t have to strain it and it always turns out nice and smooth.

6 tablespoons butter substitute (I use ghee)

1 cup sugar (I use organic raw sugar so mine isn’t as refined looking)

2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy
Gradually add eggs and egg yolks (1 at a time)
Beat in lemon juice – mixture will appear curdled.
Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens and reaches a temperature of 170 degrees – do not let it boil.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and press plastic wrap on top so it doesn’t form a skin – cool in fridge.

Store for up to 2 weeks in fridge or 2 months in freezer

GFCF Pizza

Since the lasagna I made a couple of weeks ago was such a success, I decided to tackle pizza. I made two of these babies for dinner last night and between the 3 of us, there were no leftovers - so I would say it was a success. It is so good to be adding old favorites back into our diet - and for Andy to be able to enjoy things he never has.

GFCF Pizza Recipe

Crust -
3 packets gluten free yeast (I used Red Star)
1 1/3 cup brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. salt
1 packet unflavored gelatin (I used Knox)
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 1/3 cup warm water
1 tsp. raw sugar
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix yeast, flours, xanthan gum, salt, gelatin, oregano and basil
In separate bowl mix warm water, sugar, oil and vinegar
Add liquids to dry ingredients and beat with a mixer on high for three minutesSpray two 12" pizza pan with cooking spraySpoon half of dough onto each pan
Grease your fingers with shortening or cooking spray and use them to spread dough out on pans.
Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven.
Then either add toppings or freeze crust for future use.
Bake the topped crust for 20 to 25 more minutes.

Toppings:
15 oz can Muir Glen Tomato Sauce (1/2 of can for each pizza)Jennie-O Turkey Italian Sausage, cooked – half for each pizza¼ cup chopped onions for each pizza¼ cup chopped red bell peppers for each pizza
1 small can pineapple – ½ for each pizza1 small can mushrooms – half for each pizzaFollow your heart mozzarella cheese, shredded – half for each pizza

Lundberg Rice Chips

If you haven't tried these, you really should. Dan and Andy fight over them when I bring them home. They are super tasty and gluten free.

GFCF Lemon Bites

I have been craving a shortbread type cookie so I got in the kitchen and tinkered today and came up with this delectable bite size cookie!



GFCF Lemon Bites

¾ cup gfcf margarine (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup sugar (I used raw organic sugar)
1 large egg1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups gfcf flour blend (I used Authentic Foods multi blend flour which has xanthan gum in it – if you use another flour blend, you may need to add xanthan gum)
Lemon curd – maybe ½ cup – recipe follows

Beat margarine and sugars until fluffy.
Beat in egg, lemon juice and vanilla.
Beat in flour and baking powder
Chill 1 hour
Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on greased baking sheet – using your finger, make an indent in the middle.
Fill indent with lemon curd
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes
If desired, drizzle icing over cookies

Makes 4 to 5 dozen

Lemon Curd

I like this method of making lemon curd because you don’t have to strain it and it always turns out nice and smooth.

6 tablespoons butter substitute (I use ghee)1 cup sugar (I use organic raw sugar so mine isn’t as refined looking)2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy
Gradually add eggs and egg yolks (1 at a time)
Beat in lemon juice – mixture will appear curdled.
Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens and reaches a temperature of 170 degrees – do not let it boil.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and press plastic wrap on top so it doesn’t form a skin – cool in fridge.

Store for up to 2 weeks in fridge or 2 months in freezer

I really outdid myself tonight!

In the 5 years we have been gluten free I have never attempted to make a GFCF lasagna before. And if I do say so myself, I made a pretty mean lasagna in the past. I think it was the idea of the cheese that intimidated me the most. After all it is hard to find a GFCF cheese that is decent.

So, what led me to try making it today? A friend recently decided that gluten free was not something for her and she gave me a ton of gluten free items that she wasn't going to use and a package of lasagna noodles were included. Well, I'm not one to let anything go to waste and my dear husband was salivating at the idea of lasagna. Andy, has never had lasagna but he sure wanted to try it - after all he knew that Garfield loves it!

And I must say - it turned out wonderful! Really really yummy. It got 3 thumbs up from the three of us! My biggest challenge was figuring out what to replace the ricotta cheese with - I searched the internet (google is my friend) and found several recipes, but none that really seemed to fit what I wanted - most had too much salt or used ingredients I don't have on hand so using them as a guide, I made up my own and I think it turned out wonderful.

Here are the pics of the finished product:

And here is the recipe:

GFCF Lasagna

Step One – make GFCF Ricotta

1 box extra firm tofu (14 oz)
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
¼ cup lemon juice
Mash with potato masher to mix – you want it to have the same texture as ricotta so you don’t want to over mix.

Step Two – Prepare meat sauce

1 lb mild Italian sausage (I used turkey)
1 lb ground meat (I used ground bison – manager’s special at $1.99 – normally I probably would have used turkey)
1 yellow onion, chopped (about ¾ cup)
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 - 15 oz cans diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glen, one with tomato and basil and one with tomato and onion)
2 – 8 oz cans tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
2 Tablespoons sugar (I used rapadura)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
Cook sausage and ground meat with onion and garlic until meat is done and onion is translucent. Drain off all fat.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer for about an hour or until the consistency of runny spaghetti sauce – I wanted it runny since I was using no boil lasagna noodles and wanted the extra liquid for the noodles to absorb.

Step Three – Shred fake mozzarella cheese
I used Follow your Heart brand since it actually melts.

Step Four – assemble the lasagna

I used DeBoles’ Rice Lasagna Noodles

Put a thin layer of meat sauce in the bottom of your dish.
Put a layer of noodles – I used 3 across and then one broken into thirds along the bottom.
Layer 1/3 of the remaining meat sauce
Layer 1/3 of the mozzarella
Layer 1/3 of the ricotta
A second layer of noodles
1/3 of meat sauce
1/3 of the mozzarella
1/3 of the ricotta

Third layer of noodles
1/3 of meat sauce (reserving just a bit for the top)
1/3 of the mozzarella
1/3 of the ricotta
top with reserved sauce – make sure lasagna noodles are totally covered.

Cover pan with foil and bake for one hour at 350 degrees.
Let set for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

And because I like playing with my software, here are the nutrition facts:

Shabtai Gourmet Cookies and Cakes

I received a large package yesterday from Shabtai Gourmet Cookies and Cakes.

Yum.

All of their products are made in a dedicated facility and are free of gluten, lactose, soy, casein and dairy. They are also are certified Kosher for Passover and Kosher Parve . They do not have a storefront, you can order from their website - http://www.shabtai-gourmet.com/ or by calling 516-652-5671. They do offer free shipping on all orders in the continental United States.

We haven't had time yet to sample all of the goodies, but what we have sampled are very yummy. If you are looking for a gluten free product to replace things like hostess cupcake type products - these fit the bill.


The inside of a Ring Ting showing the cream filling.


The Ring Ting's as packaged on the tray. These were my husband's favorite! They are moist chocolate with a cream filling and then a coating.


Raspberry Roll. Very moist and delcious with a coconut topping. Roll cakes like this are very difficult to make with wheat flour - how he manages to produce these without a crumbly texture, I do not know.

My son holding a Rainbow Cookie Square before it disappeared into his mouth. These were very colorful and delicious - like a layer cake with a chocolate coating. These do contain red 40 - which I prefer my child not consume, but for an occasional treat, these are super yummy.

The Rainbow Cookie Squares as they come packaged on the tray.

The entire shipment. As you can see, everything is packaged very well with very little breakage - only the chocolate chip cookies appear to have some broken ones.

Watch for more reviews as we try the rest of the goodies.

If you do not have access locally to a gluten free bakery and do not have the desire to bake yourself, I recommend trying Shabtai. The taste and quality are exceptional.