Bourbon Chicken ala Kathi

This dish is a new favorite in our household. I make it at least once a week.

All of the ladies on a bulletin board that I belong to were raving for weeks about Bourbon Chicken so I had to try it also and I'm so glad I did. The original recipe was gfcf except for the soy sauce - which is easy to substitute wheat free soy sauce for - but like every recipe, I tinkered with it and made it my own.

GFCF Bourbon Chicken

20 ounce package of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut in bite size pieces
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Clove Garlic, crushed or finely minced
1 Teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated or finely minced
1/4 cup juice (original recipe called for apple juice, but I just use whatever juice I have in the fridge at the time - I have used apple, grape, orange and raspberry - all worked fine)
1/3 cup Raw Sugar or Rapadura (original recipe called for brown sugar and you could certainly use that if you don't have raw sugar)
2 Tablespoons Ketchup
1 Tablespoon Vinegar
1/2 cup Water
1/3 cup Wheat Free Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
If you want some heat in this, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers to sauce.

Heat oil in large skillet.
Add chicken and cook until lightly browned.
Mix remaining ingredients in a jar or measuring cup - shake or stir to combine.
Pour sauce over chicken. When sauce thickens and boils, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

For extra crunch add 1/2 cup of peanuts or other nuts to sauce right before serving.

Serve over brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli.

Serves 4

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.

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.

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

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:

GFCF Pear Streusel Coffee Cake

Pear Streusel Coffee Cake
Ingredients:
2 medium pears, peeled and cored, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice or fruit fresh powder
Streusel
1 cup gluten free flour blend
1/2 cup rapadura ¼ gfcf margarine
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)
Cake
2 cups gluten free flour blend
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup rapadura
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk substitute (I used soy milk)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup margarine, melted
1. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350° (325° if using a glass pan like I did)
2. Toss chopped pears with lemon juice or fruit fresh powder in a bowl; set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine streusel ingredients, except nuts, cutting in margarine with a pastry cutter or two knives until crumbly. Stir in nuts.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, rapadura, baking powder and salt; stir to blend.
5. Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl until blended; stir in milk substitute, vanilla, and margarine. Add to flour mixture and fold with a wooden spoon or spatula just until dry ingredients are moistened.
6. Spoon half of the batter into prepared loaf pan; spread out to cover the bottom. Sprinkle batter with half of the pears and half of the streusel. Spoon remaining batter evenly over streusel, spreading carefully to cover. Sprinkle with half of the remaining streusel, the remaining chopped pears and then the remaining streusel.
7. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife carefully around sides; invert the cake onto plate. Turn the cake, streusel side up, onto a rack and let cool on a rack completely. Or just keep in the pan like I did.

Sloppy Joes

Andy has been watching commercials on TV for manwich and thinking they looked pretty darn good. He asked me to check and see if they were gluten free.

So I picked up a can the next time I was in the grocery store to read the label and these are the ingredients I found: Tomato Puree , Water , Tomato Paste , High Fructose Corn Syrup , Corn Syrup , Salt - Less than 2% , Sugar - Less than 2% , Dehydrated Onions - Less than 2% , Dehydrated Red and Green Bell Peppers - Less than 2% , Chile Pepper - Less than 2% , Tomato Fiber - Less than 2% , Spices - Less than 2% , Guar Gum - Less than 2% , Xanthan Gum - Less than 2% , Dehydrated Garlic - Less than 2% , Carob Bean Gum - Less than 2% , Natural Flavors - Less than 2%.

I don't really see anything there that screams gluten to me, but it could be hiding in the natural flavors. More concerning to me was the high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. We have now totally cut the high fructose corn syrup from our diet and I really don't see any reason to buy this product. I do remember loving sloppy joes as a kid though so I thought I would see if I could create a dish as good but without the yucky ingredients.



Here is my creation in the skillet - it smelled so good!


And here it is sandwiched between two pieces of gluten free toast.


And here is Andy with a clean plate and a satisfied look on his face after eating them.

It really didn't take much longer to make than opening a can and it was so yummy!

Here is the recipe:

Sloppy Joes
1.25 lbs ground turkey (I used 83% lean)
1 medium onion, chopped (about ¾ cup)
1 bell pepper, chopped (about ½ cup)
¾ cup catsup (I use organic with no high fructose corn syrup)
3 teaspoons raw sugar
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1. Cook ground turkey over medium heat until done.
2. Add onions and bell peppers and cook until onion is translucent.
3. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Serve over bread.



Here are the nutrition facts for it - for a serving size I put 4 servings - which was about 2 sandwiches each.

And for comparison, here is the nutriton facts for manwich made with the same amount of ground turkey - 1 can of manwich and also 4 servings.

These nutrition facts do not include the bread. Mine does contain 20 more calories per serving, and less iron, but it has more vitamin C which is so important this time of the year. Otherwise it is pretty comparable.

GFCF Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

GFCF Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups raisins
4 ¾ cups GF all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Mix)
3 cups raw sugar (I’m sure you could use regular)
1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves
6 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup applesauce
½ cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)

Directions:
Soak Raisins in hot water for 10 minutes to plump, then drain.
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs slightly, then add pumpkin and applesauce.
Mix wet ingredients in with dry ingredients.
Add raisins and nuts
Spoon batter into muffin tins lined with paper liners or well greased.
Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Makes 3 dozen

GFCF Zucchini Muffins

I made these last night and they are so yummy!

GFCF Zucchini Muffins

1 ½ cups GF Flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill GF Blend)
½ teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup raw sugar
1 cup finely shredded zucchini – peel and all
1 egg
¼ cup coconut oil
Zest of one lemon
1 cup chocolate chips (optional – you could also add nuts if desired)

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the first seven ingredients and set aside.
In another medium mixing bowl beat together sugar, zucchini and egg.
Add oil and lemon zest; mix well.
Stir flour mixture into zucchini mixture.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into muffin cups that are lined with paper liners or well greased.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 1 dozen muffins

Yum Yum GFCF Pie

It is so yummy. It is half blueberry and half currants. We got blueberries this week from our CSA and Dan immediately wanted pie - but there wasn't enough so I picked a few currants and added them.

I used a pie crust mix from the gluten free pantry this time.

I used 4 cups of berries.
Mix together 1 cup sugar (use less if using all blueberries), 1/4 instant tapioca and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix with berries and put in unbaked pie shell. Cover with another pie crust. Bake for 40 minutes at 425 degrees.

GFCF Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I made a GFCF Strawberry Rhubarb Pie twice recently. It got eaten before I could get a pic of it - it was that good!

It was one of those funny kitchen times - you know the kind - where it is funny and you laugh because if you actually think about it you will cry.

I had just picked strawberries from the garden and there wasn't quite enough for a pie by themselves so I had the inspiration to make a strawberry rhubarb one. So I go out and get the rhubarb and have everything washed up and sliced up and then I start to make the crust.

I was using my last GF Pie Crust Mix from Miss Robens. I was cutting in the margarine using my pastry cutter and it broke (the pastry cutter) - not only did it break but as it broke apart it caused the bowl to propel itself across the kitchen and landed upside down on the kitchen floor. I just stared at the mess in disbelief. I wanted a pie damn it! And that was my last mix. While I make most things from scratch, my pie crusts just haven't turned out well without a mix.

Frantically I tore the pantry apart hoping beyond reason that I was wrong and there was another pie crust mix in there but no dice. But I came across a Graham Cracker Mix from Miss Robens. Hmmmm - graham cracker crust with strawberry rhubarb......why not? So I made the pie using a graham cracker crust instead and it turned out super yummy.

So - use the crust of your liking and here is the rest of the recipe.

GFCF Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
2 cups sliced rhubarb
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 1/4 cups organic raw sugar (I'm sure you could probably use plain white sugar - but I'm on this health kick you know)
1/4 Minute tapioca
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix the ingredients all together in a large bowl and let sit for at least 15 minutes before pouring into crust. I mix it up first and then make the crust. Fill the crust as desired and bake at 425 degrees F for 45 minutes or until the juices bubble up.

A chocolate lover's cookie!

Warning these cookies are only for true chocolate lovers. They are wonderful. Andy thought they look like Moon Rocks so that is what I have named them. For anyone not GFCF, you could certainly use regular flour instead of the GF Flour and then you wouldn't need the xanthan gum.

GFCF Chocolate Moon Rock Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chunks (or chips), divided
1 ½ cups GF Flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill GF Mix)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup raw sugar
6 tablespoons GFCF Margarine (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
½ cup powdered sugar

1. Melt 1 cup of the chocolate chunks (I prefer to use a small double boiler and not the microwave, but if you use a microwave – start at 1 min and then 10 second intervals – chocolate burns easily). Stir until smooth and let cool to room temperature.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in small bowl and set aside.
3. Beat sugar, margarine and vanilla in large mixer bowl until crumbly.
4. Beat in melted chocolate.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Beat in flour mixture.
7. Stir in remaining chocolate chunks.
8. Chill until firm.
9. Shape dough into small balls between one and two inches in diameter and roll balls in powdered sugar.
10. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees F for about 12 to 13 minutes or until sides are set but centers are still slightly soft.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen depending on the size of the balls you make.

Spring is time for fresh salads!

Here are some recipes to make your own salad dressings to enjoy the fresh lettuce that is starting to show up in the stores. Remember that while making dressing from scratch is a great way to avoid high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors as well as gluten and casein, they also will not have any preservatives and won't last as long.

Here are my three favorite recipes -

Thousand Island Salad Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise (I use Spectrum Canola Mayo)
1/3 cup ketchup (I use organic)
2 tablespoons vinegar (I use Bragg’s apple cider vinegar)
4 teaspoons organic raw sugar (optional)
¼ cup sweet pickle relish (I use my own home canned)
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 hard cooked egg, chopped into very small pieces
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Mix all ingredients together. Chill well.
Makes 2 cups

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
¾ cup organic raw sugar
¾ cup salad oil (I use olive oil)
¾ cup vinegar (I use Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar)
1 to 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Combine all ingredients together in a glass jar. Shake well. Refrigerate. Makes 1 ½ to 2 cups dressing.

GFCF Ranch Salad Dressing or Dip
1 cup firm silken tofu
¼ cup mayonnaise (I use Spectrum Canola Mayo)
2 tablespoons oil (I use olive oil)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon dried or 1 teaspoon fresh dill weed
¼ teaspoon saltpinch of garlic powder
Blend in a blender until smooth and creamy. Chill.
Made as directed it is thick enough for a dip – if you prefer thinner for a salad dressing, thin with non dairy milk.

Carrot Ginger Soup with Cashew Cream

This is another recipe from Rebecca Katz, author, One Bite at a Time, (Celestial Arts, 2004)

I made it exactly as she wrote it out except that I used a hand blender and did the blending right in the pot instead of transferring to a blender. It was so yummy. We are big carrot eaters in our house so I was pretty sure it would be a hit with all of us and it was.



Carrot Ginger Soup with Cashew Cream

Yields 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

3 pounds carrots (about 16) wash, cut in 1 inch pieces
2 to 2 ½ quarts cold water
1 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon coriander
1 small pinch of red chili pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon maple syrup

Cashew Cream Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
1 cup water
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of nutmeg

Soup Procedure

In a 6 to 8 quart pot add carrots and water. Cover and bring to boil over medium high heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, decrease heat to medium low. Cook until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserve cooking liquid and carrots in two bowls.

In the same pot heat olive oil over medium heat, add onions with a pinch of salt, sauté until they are golden. Add in ginger, curry, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, coriander, and red chili pepper flakes, stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with one cup of carrot cooking liquid. Return carrots to pan, mix well to coat with onions and spices.

In a blender, puree mixture in batches adding cooking liquid first and then the carrots, blend until very smooth. Remember not to fill the blender more than 2/3 full! Add additional liquid to reach desired thickness. Return to pot, add maple syrup, and reheat slowly.

Think FASS and taste. Does it need a squeeze of lemon or a pinch or two of salt or a drizzle of maple syrup to round out the flavor?

Cashew Cream

Grind cashews in a mini food processor or nut grinder first. Some blenders are not powerful enough to turn nuts into cream so we give it a head start. If you have a Vita-mix skip this step.

Put water in the blender; add ground cashews, lemon juice, salt and nutmeg. Blend until very very smooth, about 3 minutes. Drizzle a teaspoon of cashew cream on top of each bowl before serving.

Copy write Rebecca Katz, 2004.

GFCF Mexican Soup with Dried Tomatoes

I made this wonderful soup the other night - it was so tasty and a great way to use things I had canned and dried from my garden this year. It was a little too spicy for Andy so the kiddos may not like it - but it's a great soup for the adults. Next time I might add a little less cumin and see if Andy likes it then. If you aren't dairy free - this would be really good with some shredded cheese in it.



Mexican Soup with Dried Tomatoes
6 cups broth (I used turkey broth I had made with the turkey bones after Thanksgiving, but chicken or veggie broth would work just fine)
1 cup salsa (I used my home canned but I am sure store bought would work fine)
3/4 cup dried tomatoes, sliced in long strips
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups corn (frozen, canned or fresh will all work)
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes.

GFCF Caramel Apples

It is caramel apple making time. Unfortunately for those of us GFCF, most caramels contain dairy. Here is a great recipe and then my own variation. Pictures below!

GFCF Caramel Apples
1/4 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup or brown rice syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup water
5 or 6 tart apples (with sticks)
1. In medium saucepan, melt margarine.
2. Stir in sugar, syrup, vanilla and water.
3. Bring mixture to a boil and keep boiling for about several minutesuntil a candy thermometer reads 245 F.
4. Remove caramel from heat. Put a Popsicle stick in the center ofeach apple. When the mixture has stopped bubbling, swirl each applein the caramel syrup to coat. Place apples on a well greased cookiesheet to harden.


Melt the margarine


Add the rest of the ingredients (except the apples)


Use a candy thermometer

These make great caramel apples, but when Andy has had them in the past - he really didn't like biting the whole apple and the way the juice ran down out of the apple. So I thought I could just drizzle the caramel over cut up apples for him to eat.


Great idea - but it was pretty clumpy (is that a word?) and it hardened pretty quickly.


So I heated the caramel back up (it had hardened) and stirred in a little "fake milk" (I used dari free, but any milk sub will work) and it made a wonderful dipping sauce. My son is dipping apples as I type and very happy with this variation (I would take a picture, but well Andy doesn't want to be on the computer this morning).