Honey-Lemon Christmas Cookies!

Happy Solstice, everyone!

We like to celebrate the winter solstice with a ritual to re-light the sun, a medieval carol singalong and a yankee swap with close friends. What better snack to have tonight than my childhood Xmas cookie de-glutened and de-cane sugared?!
Here they are, handsome devils:



(yes, these are lambs, squirrels, stars and guitars, or viols!)

Recipe:

Honey-Lemon Christmas Cookies

2/3 c butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 c honey
2 t g-f lemon extract
5 1/2 c g-f flour
(I used 4 1/2 c white and brown rice flours, 1/2 c tapioca and 1/2 c almond meal)
1-2 t baking soda
1 t sea salt

cream together butter (I used half spectrum shortening and half butter), eggs (or egg replacer), honey and lemon extract.
add dry ingredients.
refrigerate for several hours (overnight is best).
take out 15 mins before you want to start rolling it out between white rice flour dusted pieces of parchment paper.
preheat the oven to 350, and prepare baking sheets (either lightly greased or use parchment). roll out your dough (not too thin) and cut out your fave shapes. bake for 5 mins (check to make sure they're done and not too brown). cool, then frost:


Tapioca Maple Frosting

food process:

1 c tapioca flour
1/2 c maple syrup (I used half maple half honey)
2 t vanilla
2 T arrowroot (I used cornstarch)

chill slightly, then frost cooled cookies.

These recipes are tried and true; I wish you success making yours!

love,
goat city

Pear-Cranberry Holiday Season Tart!

this is a good one for the holiday party season!

(adapted from Living Without's recipe for French Apple Tart)

start with a pastry crust:
3/4 c brown rice flour
1/4 c sorghum flour
2 T sweet rice flour
1/4 t sea salt
1 T honey
6 T butter, Earth Balance or Spectrum shortening (I use half butter half shortening)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 T apple cider vinegar

mix flours and salt. work the butter etc in w. your fingers to form a coarse meal.
make a well and add honey, egg and vinegar. use a fork to gather into a soft dough.
shape into a flat circle, cover and refrigerate until about 15 mins before you're ready to roll it out.

preheat oven to 350.

roll out your dough between two pieces of lightly floured parchment paper (I floured mine with br rice flour). fit the crust into the tart pan (it will break apart in places, but just piece it together and trim edges).

slice 4-6 organic pears (I like Bosc for their pretty green and red skins, and red pears are nice for the season :).
place pears in overlapping concentric circles on the crust.
brush with 1 T melted butter whisked with 2 t g-f bourbon vanilla, 1-2 T honey and 1 c apricot preserves, heated to a syrupy consistency.
dot with dried cranberries. cover edges with foil and bake, brushing with apricot mixture every 10 mins or so for 30-35 mins or until crust looks golden and pears can easily be pierced with a knife.

enjoy~

pumpkin pie season

I modified this recipe from the great great magazine Living Without's Thanksgiving menu:

(g-f flour in it makes its own crust! gluten-y flour won't work, sorry :)

Pumpkin Pie

1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1 c rice milk
2 T melted butter or soy-free Earth Balance
1 T tapioca starch
1 T white rice flour
1/2 c honey
2 eggs
1/2 t sea salt
1 t cinnamon
1 t pumpkin pie spice

preheat oven to 425 degrees. grease your pie pan.
mix all liquids, and whisk your dry ingred in another bowl. pour dry into liquid, stirring to combine.

pour batter into prepped pie pan (leave a 1/2 inch between batter and rim) - pour any extra into greased ramekins.

place pie in oven and bake for 15 mins. reduce heat to 375 and bake for 30 more mins til a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

I could eat this every day~

Autumnal Feast: Squash and Lentil Lasagna

OK, fall allergies. You can go away now...! But even you can't stand in the way of my enjoyment of this time of the year. Sheep and wool festivals, pumpkin patches and pies, Halloween, and all kinds of feasting by the fire...brushing off the layers of summer dullness and re-awakening -- autumn is an amazing transformative time.

This fall, I have been looking for a way to make lasagna without nightshades, so here is my solution: roasted butternut squash pasta sauce!

My plan is to layer the sauce with Tinkyada rice lasagna noodles, cooked sprouted lentils and kale. Here is the sauce recipe:

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

* 1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 5 cloves garlic, peel on
* 1 cup broth

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a large, sharp knife, trim ends; halve squash crosswise to separate bulb from neck. Peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut both pieces in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out seeds; discard.
2. Cut squash into 2-inch chunks; transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet. Toss with oil and sage; season generously with salt and pepper. Scatter garlic around squash. Roast until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Remove and discard skin from garlic.
3. Transfer squash and garlic to a food processor; puree. With motor running, add broth through the feed tube; process until smooth. Add 1 to 2 cups water; continue to process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary. Season again generously with salt.

On to the lasagna:

Boil the lasagna noodles as per cooking instructions, leaving them al dente.
I used a 9 x 13 baking pan, and started with a little olive oil and 1-2 cups of sauce in the bottom of the pan.
3 lasagna strips next
then 1/2 of the cooked sprouted lentil/kale mixture:

started with 1 cup dried lentils and followed cooking directions - fast and easy cause they're sprouted! - on the bag [truRoot]. Drain and add: 1/2 c olive oil, sauteed kale, onions and garlic and season with basil, sea salt and pepper to taste.

then 1/3 of remaining sauce
3 more noodles
rest of lentil mixture
1/2 of remaining sauce
top with rest of noodles
and the rest of the sauce!

top with a couple of pinches of nutmeg. cover with parchment, then wrap in tin foil.
bake at 350 for 25-30 mins, til bubbling.

enjoy~

no sugar, no dairy, no gluten baking mixes!!!

purely elizabeth

excited to try one of these out for our anniversary dins this Wednesday, September 29 = 3 years married, 3 3/4 years gluten free!
g-f baking mixes almost always have cane sugar, but not these! more soon~

new puzzle pieces every day

Wow. If you are trying to have a baby, all of your health issues come to light, one by one. Never have I had my health scrutinized so thoroughly and completely, nor have I ever had such good care. I guess this is a good thing. But so many things have been unearthed that sometimes it feels a little overwhelming...I am taking it one day at a time and am reminding myself that I used to feel much, much worse before I took gluten out of my life on Jan 2, 2007.

What seems to be the key to my health in every regard? Diet. Almost every single thing that I am struggling with can be stabilized or turned around with diet, or has been already.

The underlying mystery tying everything together is no longer a mystery. Gluten. My old friend!

Gluten, when you cannot tolerate it, takes its insidious toll in hundreds of ways. Here are some of the ways it's worked its evil spell on me:

dermatitis herpetiformis
anxiety
depression
hormone imbalance
acne
pms
reflux
malabsorption
endometriosis
hypothyroidism
infertility
interstitial cystitis
fatigue
headaches
irritability
gas and bloating
all manner of digestive issues

So many of the above are controlled, abated or have been cured by my strict gluten-free diet. The biggest thing was turning around my infertility. Feeling better overall has been pretty great too though :).

It's been a transformative summer. Ill health and finding solutions to the root causes of your symptoms can be life-changing.

If you're reading this, you might be sick and looking for a way to help yourself through diet. Food is medicine. Give it a try; you may find the path to wellness too. You'll never look back.

I leave you with the sage words of meatwad:
At least you got all your fingers and toes, know what I'm sayin?

surplus zucchini = zucchini bread

Ah, sweet August. So glad you're here -- June and July were long and difficult months. Doing much much better now.
So much better that I am writing songs again and posting up recipes on my blog!

Getting tired of all the zuke action? (Our friend Jesse would never, ever get tired of zucchini). Just in case, here's some amazing zucchini bread I altered from a celiac.com post.

Zucchini Bread

mix:
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c honey
2 eggs
2 t vanilla

add to these ingredients:
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t xanthan gum
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t sea salt
1 c brown rice flour
1/2 c tapioca flour

fold in 1 1/2 c shredded zuke

add chopped walnuts, choc chips, whatevs.

pour into greased baking pan (8 inch is best)

25-30 mins @ 350 (muffins around 15-20) til knife inserted comes out clean.

enjoy~

bready!

my xmas list this year has one thing on it:

bready

gluten-free and cane sugar-free baking

Some of us who can't tolerate gluten in our diets can't tolerate other members of the grass family, namely, cane sugar! As a life-long baker, this was a serious blow to my baking plans. I have come to the conclusion that after removing all cane sugar from my diet that I do not miss it. When I have it, it doesn't even taste good to me anymore. Seriously, it is so sweet and off the charts that it doesn't register in my brain as "good." I have really been into a local honey called golden angels, and agave as a close second, with maple syrup as a pinch hitter if I want to take it up a sweet notch.
That being said, I think I am ok with sorghum flour, also in the grass fam. But if you want to err on the safe side, just replace it with brown rice flour.

I was very happy to read this post about baking without gluten and cane sugar; I hope you find it as helpful as I did:

from gluten-free goddess

it can be done! we've been really enjoying summer's berries and peaches in crumble and cobbler form; of late, peach-blueberry. these recipes I altered came from gluten-free girl and the chef.

hers used sugar and apricots instead, ck it out here.

Peach-blueberry crumble

Fruit filling

1 pint blueberries
2 peaches, pitted and sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
3 T honey

Crumble topping

1 c brown rice flour
½ cup sorghum flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 c honey
3-4 T butter


Turn your oven on to 375°.

Jumble the blueberries and peaches in a large bowl. Stir in the honey, vanilla and tapioca flour.
Pour the prepared filling into a buttered pan. (I like a shallow casserole dish, but you could just as easily use a 9-inch pie pan. Just be sure you have an inch of room, at least, after you have poured in the filling.) Put it into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the fruit is fork-tender and the juices are beginning to run.
As the fruit is baking, put together the crumble topping. (You can also prepare double batches of this and store them in the refrigerator, which allows you to make crumble any time of the day you wish.) Combine the dry ingredients then add the honey and butter (I use my hands to make a coarse meal).

Baking the crumble. pull the baking dish out of the oven. Spoon the crumble on top of the fruit, making sure to cover it all. Slide the dish back into the oven.

Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling juicily, and the topping has browned nicely.

or, if you feel more like a cobbler:

Peach-Blueberry Cobbler

Cobbler topping

¼ cup sorghum flour
½ cup tapioca flour
¼ cup brown rice flour
½ t sea salt
4 T honey
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup sour cream or yoghurt (I have also skipped this and added rice milk til it looked like a wet dough, less than a quarter cup)
3 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Combine all the gluten-free flours with the salt and cinnamon. Add the honey. Cut the pieces of butter into the flour until the mixtures comes together and has the texture coarse cornmeal. Spoon in the sour cream and stir the concoction with a rubber spatula, until it all just starts to come together.

fruit filling

1 pint or so of blueberries
2-3 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
2 T honey
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Turn on the oven and let it heat to 375°.

Prepare the fruit filling using ingredients above.

Cover the fruit with your cobbler topping. Bake for 30 minutes and check the color and consistency. When the cobbler topping has a firm feeling and is lovely and brown, the fruit bubbling up the edges of the pan — the cobbler is done.

We top ours with whipped cream, adding in a dash of vanilla and a spoonful of honey as we whip it.

Enjoy your desserts without cane sugar (or gluten) -- I don't think you'll miss it!

summer g-f menu ideas

whilst I have been convalescing and healing up, mentally and physically, my wonderful hubby Jim has been cookin up a storm!
and never underestimate the healing power of whipped cream...

here are some of our summer menus:

1. pan-fried scallops - sauteed with olive oil, garlic and white wine - on a bed of peas, brown rice fusilli (Tinkayda pasta) (added butter, olive oil and grated pecorino romano), romaine heart salad with balsamic vinaigrette

2. honey-glazed wild salmon on a bed of red onions, pesto basmati rice, greens (drizzle extra pesto on the salmon = yum)

3. baked stuffed zucchini, summer squash and mushrooms (stuffing = shroom and squash scooped out innards, minced garlic, black olives, pecorino romano, salt, pepper, brown rice crumbs)
a side of Tinkyada pasta with sauteed white beans, garlic and a splash of red wine vinegar as it's sauteing, drizzled with olive oil, salad

4. corn meal crusted baked scallops, sweet potato fries, garlicky broccoli

5. charcoal-grilled chicken (marinated in white wine and garlic), roasted golden beet salad, pesto pasta

6. baked goat cheese garden salad, beet relish and zucchini and corn fritters

and, most importantly, what we put the whipped cream on top of:

blueberry dutch pancake (dessert, breakfast, teatime, whenever!)

preheat oven to 450.

in an 8" round or sq baking dish, put 1-2 T butter in it and place in oven to melt.

whisk 3 eggs in a med bowl.
add 1/2 c rice milk
1/2 c white rice flour
1 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
2-3 T honey

pour batter into dish with melted butter; reserve 1/3 of it. add 1-2 c fresh or frozen blueberries, add rest of batter. sprinkle with a little dash of nutmeg.

bake at 450 for 15 mins. then 350 for 5 or until done.
let it rest for 10 mins or so, then serve, topped with whipped cream (we whip ours with a dash of vanilla and a drizzle of honey).

enjoy~

adventures in hypothyroidism

It's been a while, but so much has happened.

What seems like a sad diagnosis of hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) may actually have a silver lining. The road to wellness has been bumpy, but now with my thyroid under control, the gluten beast slayed and my general state of well-being gradually restored, it has led to my unexplained infertility turning out to no longer be an issue. Our first pregnancy ended in miscarriage, but herein lies the silver lining: we can try again!

And, click, the last piece of my fertility and overall health puzzle falls into place.
Thank you, universe.

Raw, Vegan Gluten and Cruelty Free Hair Care!

My new favorite products:

Morrocco Method International

Just ordered some henna and Heavenly Chi shampoo...have used their blood of the dragon hair gel from Juju before and it was great!

More soon after the shipment arrives...

dreaming of life without GMO food...

Hats off to this lady:

Month Without Monsanto

While we do our level best in this house to not consume, wear or buy anything GMO-tainted, it is extremely difficult, what with all of the aggravating lists of ingredients derived from corn or soy...if it is 100% organic, or even organic (95%), the product has been deemed non-GMO. Just one more reason to buy all organic.

My new favorite store:

MOM's Organic

Next step, organic cotton clothing.

snow storm = fish burgers!

Try this--it's really an easy recipe, and so satisfying on a cold winter's day.
From Friendly Food cookbook:

fish burgers

1 lb. potatoes
1 lb. white fish (we used turbot fillets)
2 T sunflower seed oil
1 leek
2 cl garlic
2 scallions
sea salt

Boil 1 lb of chopped potatoes. Drain, mash in a lg bowl, set aside.
In the meantime, fry a lb of white fish, 4 mins a side or til cooked. set aside to cool, then flake w/ a fork and add to mashed potatoes.
In the same skillet, saute 1 chopped leek and 2 cloves minced garlic for 5 mins. add to potato-fish mixture. Add 2 chopped scallions and season w/ sea salt.

Shape into 8 burgers and chill for one hour, or overnight.

Fry in some high heat oil (I use sunflower) in the same skillet from above, wiped out -- use med heat and try 4-5 mins a side. Dredge burgers first in rice crumbs (optional) for more crispy crunch.

We served ours with sweet potato fries with grated ginger root gf ketchup and a slaw made of gf flax mayo, apple cider vin, honey, sea salt, pepper, ground ginger root, shredded cabbage, radishes, carrots, celery, scallions.

Other good sides would be a daikon root salad (spiralized daikon, carrot, honey, app cid vin, sea salt); or, tartar sauce (gf flax mayo, chopped dill weed, chopped bubbies pickles).

Enjoy the snow if you have it!

Veggie and G-F Indian food

Today and yesterday I started preparing Indian food for the week of delicious leftovers for the late work nights. It's working out well thus far:
Chana Masala, Saag Paneer, Aloo Paratha with Raita and Mango Chutney...yum! And just added Malai Kofta!

These recipes are from Indian Vegetarian Cooking At Your House by Sunetra Humbad and Amy Schafer Boger.

And, they are mostly gluten-free; I didn't alter them very much, other than to omit hing, a spice that contains wheat, and to try out some of my ideas for substitutions, additions, shortcuts etc. Here are my altered versions...

Malai Kofta

In a lg bowl, mix:
2 zukes, shredded
1 1/2 c chick pea flour
1/4 c water, more or less to make a thick paste
2 T chopped cilantro
1 T cumin
1 t sea salt
1/8 t cayenne
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t garam masala

Fry mixture 1 heaping T at a time in 1/4 inch of hot oil in skillet (I used sunflower oil).
Drain and set aside.
Make your sauce:
In a large saucepan, heat 3 T sunflower oil and add
1 onion, diced
1 tom, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chopped cilantro
1/4 inch of grated fresh ginger root
1 pinch of hot red pepper
1/2 c water
1 T tom paste
1 t cumin
1 t garam masala
1 t sea salt
1/4 t turmeric
Heat til vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. add more water as needed. I blended mine and put it back in the pan before adding:
1 T yoghurt, stir til blended
then add the balls and heat thru.

Serve over basmati rice with peas. Top with raita (see below for recipe).


Chana Masala

Chop one onion and a clove of garlic and saute in some sunflower oil. Add 1/4 in grated ginger root, 2 t cumin, 1 t turmeric, 1 t garam masala, 1/4 hot red pepper (opt), 6 whole cloves, cinnamon stick broken into lg pcs, bay leaf. Add 1 1/2 chopped tomatoes, or 1 c tom sauce. Saute til onions are soft.
Then add a can of cooked chick peas, 2/3 c water, 1 t salt or to taste, 2 T chopped cilantro. Simmer 10 mins. Mush up some of the chick peas for a creamier sauce.

Saag Paneer

Defrost and set aside 1 package of frozen spinach (16 oz)
Saute in sunflower oil: 1 chopped onion, 1 inch grated ginger root, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 c tomato, 1 T chopped cilantro, 1 t salt or to taste, 1 T cumin, 1 t garam masala, 1 t turmeric, 1/2 t hot red pepper (opt). Saute til onions are soft.
Add thawed spinach. Food process half and dump back in. Add 1 T chickpea flour whisked into 1/2 c water. Add cubes of your fave feta -- I used goat/sheep to keep this recipe cow dairy-free. In the cook book, they use baked ricotta, cut into cubes and deep fried...mmm...
Heat thru and serve with your chana from above atop some white basmati rice with steamed peas (when you make your rice, throw in a handful of frozen peas in the last 5 mins of cooking. Remove from heat and let it stand, covered for a few mins before serving.

Side Dishes: Aloo Paratha and Raita and Mango Chutney:

Aloo Paratha

2 1/4 c garbanzo flour
1/2 t salt
add: 3/4 c warm water and mix to form a dough

Divide up into about 8-10 balls of dough. Roll each out to 1/4".
Filling:
2 large potatoes and 1 c peas, steamed or boiled
Mash with:
1/2 c chopped onion or 2 scallions
3 T chopped cilantro
1 T cumin
1 t salt
3/4 t garam masala
1/8 t hot pepper
Scoop filling onto half of rolled out dough, fold in half, seal edge. Fry in sunflower oil til both sides are browned, and place in warm oven to cook dough through for about 10 mins.

Mango Chutney

Blend in blender til a paste:
2 small chopped mangoes
1 T roasted peanuts
1 T honey
1 T chopped cilantro
1 t salt
1/4 t hot red pepper
1 t cumin seeds
1 t coriander

serve on the side
with
Raita

Roast 1/2 t cumin seeds, grind.
combine in a bowl:
1/2 c give or take of pl yoghurt
1 T water
the cumin seeds from above
1/2 t salt
pinch of hot red pepper
pinch of cumin
1 diced cuke
1/2 scallion, diced
1/2 small tom, diced
1 T chopped cilantro plus more for topping.

serve on the side...
Enjoy!!~

is your toothpaste gluten-free?

I have been using Kiss My Face Triple Action toothpaste for years. When I went g-f, I checked the label, and while it doesn't have the symbol of being certified gluten-free on the label like some of my other favorite products do, the ingredients looked safe. I thought I would double-check when they recently changed their packaging, and here is what Heather at KMF wrote back to me:

While our toothpastes do not contain any gluten ingredients, we do not test the final product for gluten and so cannot guarantee them to be gluten free. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of further help.

OK, and this is also what Seventh Generation says on their website about all of their products from dish-washing liquids to sanitary napkins...c'mon, why can't they batch test their products? Then they could put the official G-F seal of approval on their packaging, making their products then more desirable to folks like me.

If anyone out there knows of guaranteed gluten-free household and beauty products, please let me know!

Great, helpful article

Mark Hyman, MD: Gluten: What You Don't Know Might Kill You

G-F and veggie Shepherd's Pie (without the lentils)

Casserole season is here! Turn on the oven for as long as possible, I say, when it's super cold outside and you just can't seem to get the chill out of your bones. The perfect panacea: Shepherd's Pie, aka, Goatherd's Pie!

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Recipe

(I adapted a spicy version of this from Karina's Kitchen, see link at end of recipe)

For the mashed potato crust:
4 large gold or red potatoes, chopped
Vegetable broth, splash
olive oil, to taste
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh chives, to taste
chopped fresh parsley, to taste
paprika for the top

For the filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 t grated ginger root
1/8 t cayenne
1 small onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. cauliflower florets (about half a smallish head), cut to bite size
3 medium-large carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
1 heaping cup shredded cabbage
diced handful roasted red peppers
1 c. chopped kale
1/2 c your fave g-f salsa (I like Green Mtn Gringo Roasted Garlic)
1 c. veg broth
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 can white beans or butter beans

Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted cold water; bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about twenty minutes.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet and add the cumin, cayenne, ginger. Stir one minute and add the fresh chopped vegetables. Stir and cook about five minutes or so.

Add the salsa, broth and vinegar, sea salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine.

Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce begins to reduce, then remove from heat, and gently add in the beans. Set aside.

Mash the cooked potatoes with a little veg broth and olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. Add chives if you like. Taste test.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Assemble your pie:

Spoon the vegetables into a casserole dish. Top with mounds of mashed potato. I like to leave a few peaks (they get a bit golden). Sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley, paprika is nice. Bake in a moderate oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the pie is bubbling and heated through.

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/04/veggie-lovers-shepherds-pie.html#ixzz0blLxZBMn