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!!~