Monday, November 15, 2010

Ciabatta Rolls

These rolls make great sandwiches, garlic bread, personal pizzas, or even cinnamon toast!

1 cup brown rice flour, or white rice flour, or quinoa flour
1 cup GF oat flour, or millet flour
1 cup potato starch, or cornstarch
1 cup tapioca starch, or arrowroot starch
1/2 cup Vance's DariFree powder, or powdered milk of choice
4 teaspoons xanthan gum, or guar gum
4 teaspoons egg replacer powder, or 1 tablespoon potato starch
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon agar powder
2 cups 110 degree F water
1/4 cup pure olive oil, or grapeseed oil, or oil of choice
4 teaspoons cane sugar, or light brown sugar, or agave nectar, or honey
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Pure olive oil to brush tops of rolls prior to baking
  1. Place baking racks in first and third positions; preheat oven to 425 degrees F; line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. In airtight container, combine brown rice flour, GF oat flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, DariFree powder, xanthan gum, egg replacer powder, active dry yeast, sea salt, and agar powder; place on lid; shake vigorously to combine and to introduce air.
  3. Heat water to 110 degrees F; stir in pure olive oil, cane sugar, and apple cider vinegar.
  4. Pour dry mix into mixing bowl; using electric mixer, beat in wet ingredients to form dough; beat dough on high for 3 minutes.
  5. Dust a clean rimmed baking sheet with millet flour or brown rice flour; scoop dough out into center of sheet; sprinkle with GF flour; coat hands in GF flour; pat dough to 3/4"-thickness; using sharp knife, quickly cut dough into desired-sized rolls (square or round - whatever you like); place rolls on prepared baking sheets; brush each roll heavily with pure olive oil; place baking sheets on top of preheating oven; rise dough 10 minutes.
  6. Place baking sheets on first and third baking racks of preheated 425 degree F oven; bake 12 minutes; rotate pan positions; bake 12 minutes; remove baking sheets to counter; remove rolls to wire cooling rack.
Serve immediately, or cool completely and store in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
    Servings: 8 to 12 dinner rolls
    Preheat: 425 degrees F
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Baking Time: 24 minutes

    Tuesday, November 09, 2010

    Lemon Sugar Daddies

    I developed this recipe after talking with my Dad about GF flour and textures, and it was from this discussion that I dreamed of this recipe, so this one is for you, Dad!
          So good, these wonderfully delicious cookies will become the stand-by for every holiday!

    1 cup GF oat flour, or millet flour
    1 cup brown rice flour, or white rice flour, or garbanzo bean flour
    1 cup potato starch, or tapioca starch
    1 tablespoon xanthan gum
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon agar powder
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    1 cup cane sugar, or Maple sugar, or Palm crystals
    1 cup light brown sugar, or dark brown sugar
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    3/4 cup palm shortening, or 2/3 cup 100% pure pork lard
    1/4 cup water water
    1/4 cup cane sugar
    6 ounce glass, bottom wet
    1. Place oven racks in first and third positions; preheat oven to 350 degrees F; line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
    2. In airtight container, combine GF oat flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, agar powder, and sea salt; place on lid; shake vigorously to combine and to introduce air; set aside.
    3. In mixing bowl, beat together cane sugar, light brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, palm shortening, and water; beat until fluffy.
    4. Add dry ingredients; beat to make uniform, soft dough.
    5. Using a 1-1/2"-ice cream scoop, make dough into 18 cookies, packing dough firmly into scoop, placing 9 cookies, well-spaced, on each prepared baking sheet.
    6. Wet bottom of glass with water; place glass in cane sugar; press down to flatten a cookie; repeat process for each cookie.
    7. Place sheet in preheated 350 degree F oven; bake 7-1/2 minutes; rotate baking sheets; bake 7-1/2 minutes.
    Remove baking sheets to wire rack; cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes; remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely prior to storage.

    Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

    Servings: 18 cookies
    Preheat: 350 degrees F
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Baking Time: 10 - 12 minutes

    Friday, November 05, 2010

    Béarnaise Sauce

    This vegan béarnaise sauce can be served over sausage and English muffins, as a sauce on asparagus, or as an accompaniment to a grilled steak.

    1/2 cup water
    1/4 cup white-wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar, or coconut vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
    1 teaspoon dried tarragon or dill weed, or 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves or dill weed
    1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
    1/2 teaspoon onion powder, or 1 teaspoon onion flakes
    1 pinch mustard powder
    1 tablespoon potato starch
    1/4 cup soy-free vegan buttery spread (Earth Balance®), or butter of choice
    1. In small saucepan, stir together water and white-wine vinegar; place over medium heat; simmer 5 minutes.
    2. Whisk in tarragon, black pepper, onion powder, mustard powder, and potato starch; bring to a simmer; cook until desired thickness is reached, whisking the entire time.
    3. Remove saucepan from heat; whisk in soy-free vegan buttery spread; beat to incorporate.
    Serve immediately, or cool completely and refrigerate in glass storage container up to 4 days.

    To reheat: heat 2 tablespoons water, stir in cold béarnaise, heat through; serve immediately.

    Servings: about 1 cup
    Preheat: None
    Prep Time: 10 min
    Cooking Time: 7 min

    Variations
    To use oil: omit buttery spread; at end of step 3, whisk in 3 tablespoons pure olive oil.


    Crumpets

    Easy and yummy!

    Electric skillet with lid
    8 metal baking rings, such as English Muffin rings
    1/2 cup tapioca starch, or cornstarch
    6 tablespoons millet flour, or brown rice flour, or white rice flour, or sorghum flour
    6 tablespoons GF oat flour, or quinoa flour, or millet flour, or amaranth flour
    1/4 cup potato starch, or arrowroot starch, or tapioca starch
    1-1/2 tablespoons Vance's DariFree powder, or powdered milk of choice
    1 teaspoon active dry yeast
    1 teaspoon xanthan gum
    1 teaspoon cane sugar, or light brown sugar, or honey
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    2/3 cup water, heated to 115 degrees F
    8 teaspoons water (less than 1/4 cup)
    1. Preheat skillet to 300 degrees F.
    2. In airtight container, combine tapioca starch, millet flour, GF oat flour, potato starch, Vance's DariFree powder, active dry yeast, xanthan gum, cane sugar, sea salt, and baking soda; place on lid; shake vigorously; pour into mixing bowl.
    3. Heat water to 115 degrees F; beat into dry ingredients to make uniform batter.
    4. Lightly grease surface of preheated skillet with pure olive oil; place metal rings; add even amounts of batter to center of each ring; add 1 teaspoon water to each ring; place lid on skillet; cook 10 minutes; remove rings; flip crumpets over; place lid on skillet; cook 6 minutes; remove crumpets to wire cooling rack; eat immediately or cool completely prior to storage in airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.
    Servings: 8 crumpets
    Preheat: 300 degrees F
    Prep: 10 minutes
    Cooking time: 16 minutes

    Crumpets with strawberry-rhubarb jam and pistashio nut butter.

    Truvia - true sugar substitute?

    Recently I have had several people ask my thoughts about the patented alternative sweetener Truvia (tm).


    Truvia is a combination of stevia (Rebiana) leaf which is steeped in an acidic water then dried and ground together with erythritol (a sugar alcohol) and "natural flavors" which are not openly disclosed by the manufacturer, Cargill. The reading I have done indicates the natural flavors are excitotoxic (meaning they promote neuron death - brain damage). The stevia part of truvia is just fine - it is the sugar alcohol I have problems with (as is the case for many immune compromised or gut compromised people) - as sugar alcohol ferments in the colon, causing large amounts of water to be drawn into the lower colon, causing diarrhea, bloating, and general discomfort.


    The natural flavors are most likely derived from soy or MSG, although the consumer really does not know (and never will) because this part of the "recipe" is patent protected. Personally I would not consume Truvia. It is owned and patented by Cargill and it's true ingredients are unknown. I have tried pure erythritol and have gotten very sick from it (the two times I have used it!).

    Tuesday, November 02, 2010

    Cinnamon Coffee Cake

    Coffee, tea, hot cocoa - this delightful confection is the perfect accompaniment!

    Parchment paper
    8"-square baking pan
    Cake
    6 tablespoons cane sugar, or light brown sugar, or Maple sugar
    1/4 cup potato starch, or arrowroot starch
    1/4 cup tapioca starch, or cornstarch
    1/4 cup GF oat flour, or brown rice flour, or millet flour
    1/4 cup brown rice flour, or quinoa flour, or almond flour
    3 tablespoons Vance's DariFree powder, or powdered milk of choice
    1 tablespoon baking powder
    2 teaspoons egg replacer powder
    1 teaspoon xanthan gum
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    4 tablespoons palm shortening
    3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
    Topping
    1/2 cup cane sugar, or light brown sugar, or Maple sugar
    1/2 cup GF oat flour, or brown rice flour, or millet flour
    1/4 cup potato starch, or arrowroot starch
    1/4 cup tapioca starch, or cornstarch
    1 teaspoon xanthan gum
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    4 tablespoons palm shortening
    1. Place baking rack in third position; preheat oven to 350 degrees F; line 8"-square baking pan with parchment paper; set aside.
    2. In bowl of food processor, combine cake ingredients: cane sugar, potato starch, tapioca starch, GF oat flour, brown rice flour, DariFree powder, baking powder, egg replacer powder, xanthan gum, and sea salt; pulse to combine.
    3. Add palm shortening by the tablespoon; pulse to combine into loose, crumbly mixture; turn mix out into mixing bowl; stir in water; pour batter into prepared cake pan.
    4. In bowl of food processor, combine topping ingredients: cane sugar, GF oat flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, and ground cinnamon; pulse to combine.
    5. Add palm shortening by the tablespoon; pulse to combine into loose dough; scoop topping out, flatten with palms of hands; lay in thin sheets on top of cake batter.
    6. Place pan on third rack of preheated 350 degree F oven; bake 35 minutes; remove pan to wire rack; cool cake in pan 10 minutes; grasp edges of parchment and lift cake from pan to wire rack to cool completely prior to storage in airtight container up to 3 days.
    Servings: 8" cake (6 adult servings)
    Preheat: 350 degrees F
    Prep time: 10 minutes
    Baking time: 35 minutes

    Variations
    To use egg: omit egg replacer powder; reduce water to 3/4 cup; beat 1 large egg in at end of step 3.
    To use milk of choice: omit Vance's DariFree powder; replace 3/4 cup water with 3/4 cup milk of choice.

    Notes
    If you do not have a food processor, use a pastry cutter to cut in palm shortening, or shortening of choice.

    YUM!