Blueberry Banana Breakfast Bake

Alliteration at it's finest.  A healthy, breakfast bake that's tasty, too!  I am always looking for breakfast meals that I can make in advance.  I also actively search our recipes that don't use dairy (although I find butter to be not a problem - and if it is, just replace it with your favorite oil).  This breakfast bake can be made to eat on the day, but it's also great cooked in advanced - you can bake, cool, slice, and freeze.  Easy breakfasts or snacks during the day!  Enjoy!

A fresh slice of blueberry banana breakfast bake, ready to eat! 

Blueberry Banana Breakfast Bake
Makes one pie-dish size breakfast bake - serves about 8

Beat well, until nice and frothy:
2 small, overripe bananas
1/3 cup organic sugar
3 eggs

Add and mix thoroughly:
1 cup canned coconut milk (mix together the thick/liquid parts (can easily be done if you heat it all a little))
1 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
6 Tbsp melted butter

Add, mixing until well combined:
3/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Fold in:
1 - 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Pour into a buttered pie dish.  Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.  This stores perfectly in the refrigerator and you can reheat pieces any time!  Enjoy!

Freshly made blueberry breakfast bake! 

Real Pumpkin Donut Holes!!!

Delicious hot, gluten-free pumpkin donut holes, made with lots of freshly baked (or canned) pumpkin puree!  These were a huge hit among all the family and friends that enjoyed them together.  I was grateful the recipe made so many, so we had a few extras.  For us, it's the time of year when we celebrate Hanukkah by frying anything and everything. (Maybe not everything, but it's a fun excuse to make and eat fried foods.  Our favorite savory food to make is  latkes (potato pancakes).  They're delicious served with homemade applesauce or sour cream.  I love stacking them with smoked salmon and a dollop of sour cream.  But, it's also fun to make donut holes, too!  These are a fun late fall/early winter treat!  Enjoy! 

Real Pumpkin Donut Holes!!!
makes ~60 donut holes

I love to bake my own pumpkins, for that extra fresh pumpkin taste.  You can bake similar-style squash, like acorn squash, if pie pumpkins aren't available anymore. 

Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 3/4 cups Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 - 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Start heating 1" Avocado Oil (or other frying oil of your choice, but this makes the MOST delicious crisp edges on the donut holes) in a high-sided frying pan over medium to medium-high heat OR in a deep-fryer.  *I aim for 350F to 360F*

I have fallen in love with a small deep-fryer that I have now.  I find it eliminates a good deal of mess.  I tend to strain and then re-use frying oil several times, just adding extra oil as needed, particularly if frying non-meat/fish items like donuts.  I'll use this again for Navajo tacos, hand-held fruit fry pies,  samosas,  and even latkes (potato pancakes)! 

Add to your dry ingredients, and mix in thoroughly until smooth:
1/4 cup oil (i like avocado oil, but any will do)
1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (fresh, homemade or canned 100% pumpkin)
4 eggs

Mix with a spoon until thoroughly combined.  Let rest 5-10 minutes.

Line 1 cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper to place donuts after cooling a bit and/or rolling in cinnamon-sugar.  Line 1 cookie sheet with a double layer of paper towel to place cooked donuts to drain.

Prepare a small bowl of cinnamon sugar to roll donuts after frying:
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon 

Use a small (1 Tbsp) sized cookie scoop to scoop pumpkin batter into the hot oil.

Let the pumpkin donut holes cook until browned on one side before flipping to the other side. (Often, I find they mostly flip themselves).  I usually give them about two minutes per side.  A lighter brown will give you a softer donut hole and a darker brown will give you a more crispy donut.  I prefer a darker brown.

Remove donuts to paper towel-lined pan to drain/cool.   Repeat with remaining batter.

When pumpkin donut holes have cooled enough for you to touch but are still hot, roll donuts in cinnamon-sugar and place on parchment paper or foil-lined pan OR transfer directly to foil or parchment-lined pan to eat later.

This tray was packed with donut holes by the end of frying. Yum!

Pumpking donut holes are delicious rolled in cinnamon-sugar

Enjoy!!!

I decided to make a GF pumpkin spice layer cake as an extra Thanksgiving dessert for one of my daughters who doesn't like pie unless it's a chocolate pie. But, I wanted something a little different in look and shape to accompany the pies.  My daughter LOVED this.  So much so, I made it the following week for a family dinner.  It's remarkably easy, but because of the layering, it has a fancy look.  A fun dessert that's delicious and looks beautiful.  Enjoy! 

Yum! A delicious slice of homemade pumpkin spice layer cake!

Layered & chilled. The frosting was piped for a neater look.

Serving a slice of pumpkin spice layer cake. This one was not chilled before slicing - we couldn't wait! Yum!

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a metal quarter-sized baking pan, approximately 9" x 13", 10" x 10", or 11" x 11" in size, with parchment paper.

Mix in a large bowl (It is important to mix dry ingredients first in gluten-free cooking, or you will end up with inconsistencies in the batter):
3/4 cup Kristin's gluten-free flour mix
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice + pinch of cloves (OR 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp ginger, pinch of cloves)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Add, and mix in thoroughly:
1/2 cup oil (I love avocado oil, but any cooking oil will work)
2/3 - 3/4 cup sugar

Add and mix in until nice and smooth:
2 eggs
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree will work)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (vanilla bean paste is best)

Pour into your parchment-paper lined metal baking pan.  Smooth top of batter.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, until nicely browned on top.  Cool 5-10 minutes in the pan, then remove to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, slice cake into three even pieces.  Frost and layer as follows:

Beat the following by hand OR in a mixer until nice and smooth:
2 Tbsp butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
1-2 tsp milk, added slowly, until desired thickness

You can spread the frosting with a spatula OR you can put it in a ziploc bag, then snip the corner, to pipe for a neater look. Optional, but I found this worked well for a neater looking cake: Line an oversized bread pan (just larger than the size of each slice of cake) with plastic wrap.  Gently place one slice of cake in the plastic-wrap-lined pan. Pipe the frosting on, and continue layering as desired. Top loosely with the plastic wrap and set to chill. 

It works neatly to layer in an oversized bread pan, if you have one. But if not, just on a plate or tray works well. 

TWO frosting options: 

1. Frosting on all layers & top
Spread the cream cheese frosting on top of each third of pumpkin cake.  Carefully pick up and layer the cakes on top of each other on a serving dish. *I find using two spatulas works well to pick up each piece of cake* 

2. Frosting between the layers - nothing on top. 

Pipe or spread half the frosting on one of the cake slices. Top with another cake slice. Add the remaining frosting. Top with the last piece. 

Chill frosted cake 2-3 hours, or overnight before serving.  This cake slices best when it's chilled completely.  Slice with a serrated knife when serving.   Enjoy!     

Chilled cake, slicing neatly. 

Neat slices, prepping to share with a friend. Yum!

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Delicious Garlic-Herb Shrimp

This recipe isn't for the faint at heart.  You have to like two things: garlic and shrimp.  If you do, you're in luck!  I've made this a few times and it's delicious fresh or after it's rested overnight allowing the flavors to really mesh together.  You could serve it over salad or in a sandwich.  It was a perfect post-Thanksgiving meal. Enjoy!

Shrimp served alongside a spinach salad for a flavorful, light lunch. 

Delicious Garlic-Herb Shrimp

Mix together:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil
~6-7 cloves garlic, minced (about 3/4 of a bulb)
1-2 Tbsp fresh dill, minced
1-2 Tbsp fresh chives, minced
dash turmeric
dash salt and pepper
juice of 1/2 - 1 lemon
dash of Tabasco (optional)

Mix in 2 lbs cooked jumbo shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails off).

Refrigerate 1-2 hours, then serve!  Enjoy! 

We happily celebrate Thanksgiving in our house - twice. Thank you Canada and US for allowing us to celebrate both in October AND November.  We're twice as grateful (and probably twice as rolly-polly, too).   In honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving #2, here's a list of a bunch of my favorite recipes that I enjoy choosing from for Thanksgiving meals!  Sometimes it's nice to just have them all in one location!  Happy cooking!!! 

This Thanksgiving meal included stuffed mushrooms, an all-veggie stuffing (just cooked the veggies in butter and spiced like stuffing - yum!), and homemade GF French bread slices. 

Some happy eaters, ready for pie!  (left to right, chocolate, pumpkin-maple, lemon meringue, coconut cream, apple galette, maple tart, pumpkin spice cake in the center) *This is from Thanksgiving #2*

Gluten-free Delicious Thanksgiving Desserts - the best part, right? (lemon meringue, apple galette, chocolate, and pumpkin pies!) *Thanksgiving #1*

A tasty thanksgiving feast included roast vegetables, green beans, and stuffing. 

My Favorite Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes!

Gluten Free Appetizers:

Vegetable or Fruit Platters - just go with what you love and arrange it nicely.

Cheese & GF Crackers Platter (There are plenty of nice store-bought GF crackers, or you can make your own Homemade Rice Crackers)
Spinach Artichoke Dip
My Dad's Favorite Shrimp Dip
Steamed Artichokes w/ butter
Pumpkin Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

A spread for a small Thanksgiving - rolls, cranberry-pumpkin bread, tomatoes & fresh basil (thanks to my neighbor, turkey, gravy, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce). Yum! *Thanksgiving #1*

If only I'd taken the picture BEFORE we had all served ourselves. But it was too tempting to dig in!  *Thanksgiving #2 - how were we still hungry after Thanksgiving#1?*

Gluten Free Main Dishes:

Whole Roast Turkey, Turkey Stock/Broth & Gravy 

Roast Chicken over Roast Vegetables

Homemade Cornbread Stuffing Recipe and/or Cornbread with honey butter (you can make stuffing without bread by sautéing mixed diced vegetables (some good options to mix together: onions, broccoli, carrots, green cabbage, red cabbage, jacama, green bell pepper, radish, celery) in butter and adding the same thyme and sage spices as in the cornbread stuffing recipe!) 

My New Favorite Versatile Rolls Recipe
Julie's Brown Bread

Homemade French Baguettes

Mashed Potatoes (boil, drain, and mash with butter, milk, salt & pepper)
Mashed Sweet Potatoes (boil, drain, and mash with butter, milk, salt & pepper, and other herbs, if desired - like rosemary, oregano)
Au Gratin Potatoes

Potato, Zucchini, & Leek Side Dish

Original Cranberry-Pumpkin Bread

Updated  Family Favorite Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Pumpkin Swirl Bread

Our Family Punch Recipe (great for all ages!)

Little arms awaiting the pies!  Plus fresh fruit and some yummy meringues my neighbor brought along. Yum!  Here we have an apple galette, lemon meringue pie, pumpkin pie, and chocolate pudding pie. 

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Desserts:

Apple Galette

Crumble-topped Apple Pie

Apple Crisp

Apple Muffins

Apple Cider Muffins with Crumb Topping

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie

Blueberry Crumble Pie Bars

Blueberry Crisp

Blueberry-Plum Galette

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie Squares

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake

Lemon Meringue Pie

Coconut Cream Pie

Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie

Peach Galette

Peach Cobbler

Plum Pudding Cake

Tart Cherry Cobbler

Chocolate Pudding Pie - make and cook a buttermilk pastry pie crust. Fill with rich & creamy chocolate pudding made with 1/4 - 1/2 cup less milk.  Press plastic wrap to top of pudding, and let cool/refrigerate until serving.  

Another shot of dessert - because it's our favorite!  *Thanksgiving #1*

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes by Successfully Gluten Free!

Crispy-topped Peach Cobbler (My Quick Version)

This yummy crispy-topped peach cobbler is based off Zilpha's Peach Cobbler recipe, the grandmother of a family friend.  Zilpha used fresh peaches and quite a bit of extra sugar, but I tweaked it a bit to make a recipe perfect for the peach slices canned in water or extra-light syrup.  Still delicious and packed with the flavors and crispy topping Zilpha intended. Enjoy!

Fresh peach cobbler, ready to eat! 

Peach Cobbler/Crisp
Makes one 8 x 8 pan

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In an 8 x 8 glass pan, combine the following:
48 oz/ 1.4 liters/ 6 cups canned peach slices, drained (use peaches canned in water or extra-light syrup)  OR peel and slice ~3-4 fresh, ripe peaches
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-free Flour Mix
1-2 tsp cinnamon

Mix together in a large bowl (if you want a lighter topping, make half the amount listed here - it'll work perfectly well, too!):
1 cup Kristin's Gluten-free Flour Mix
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Add, chopping in with a pastry cutter until you have a crumbly topping:
3 Tbsp butter, chilled
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Sprinkle the crumb topping over the prepared peaches.  Bake at 350 F for ~50 minutes, until topping is browning.  Serve hot or warm!

This peach cobbler is so flavorful, it can be served alone - no ice cream or whipped cream needed!  Enjoy!

A peach cobbler made with the larger amount of crumb topping - for a juicier cobbler, make 1/2 the topping. Either way it's delicious!

Pumpkin Granola Cookies

I love making things with fresh pumpkin puree.  I actually have found that you can cook other fall squash like acorn squash or turban squash and use it just like pumpkin puree, too!  Kind of fun, and helpful if you're having a hard time finding the sweeter pie pumpkins.  (Plus, they tend to be available nearly year-round).   These cookies combine some of my favorite things - pumpkin, coconut, cranberries, and a touch of cinnamon!  I wanted something a little more granola-bar like, but that still had a large amount of pumpkin in the actual batter.  These are ideal! You could even shape them into little granola bar shapes, if you like! Enjoy!

Fresh Pumpkin granola cookies - filled with pumpkin, oats, coconut and cranberries. Yum! 

Pumpkin Granola Cookies
Makes ~36

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients:
1 1/4 cup oats (make sure they're GF if celiac or sensitive)
3/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1/8 - 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 - 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl or mixer, beat together:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or 100% canned pumpkin)
1/3 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Add dry ingredients and mix, just until combined.

Add and mix in:
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Scoop 1 Tbsp scoops onto parchment-lined cookie sheets.  12 per sheet.  Flatten a bit with your palm (yes, it's a little sticky).

Scoop and flatten. They don't spread much, so you can put more than normal on a tray. 

 Bake at 350 F for 12-13 minutes, until cookies are just browned at the edges.  Let rest on the pan for 3-5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Great warm or cooled.  Once cooled, these freeze perfectly - so you can make them in advance and have them for breakfast or snacks!  Enjoy!

Let them rest a few minutes on the tray before removing to your cooling rack. 

Vietnamese-style Fried Spring Rolls - gluten-free with homemade dipping sauce

Fried spring rolls always seem like something to dream of eating, unless you can find ones made with rice wrappers and fried in a designated gluten-free fryer. I've only ever found them at a couple of Vietnamese restaurants and they are delicious!  However, sometimes I want to be able to make and eat them at home.   After many attempts, I finally figured out the trick!  They need to be wrapped tightly, but most importantly, they need to have time sitting and drying in the refrigerator.  Any damp spots on the outer edges of your rice wrapper will be weak and liable to break while frying.  This recipe takes some preparation, but mostly you need to make the filling and roll up your spring rolls well in advance, so they'll have time to dry thoroughly before you fry them up! Enjoy!!!!

Freshly wrapped spring rolls, ready for drying and then frying! 

Yes, these tasted like restaurant-style friend spring rolls! Yum! 

Fried Spring Rolls
Makes ~24 fried spring rolls (yes, you can halve the recipe!)

This recipe requires time for preparation, cooling, and drying.  Make sure you prepare the meat/vegetable filling early so it can cool.  Once you fill/wrap your spring rolls, you'll want them to dry in the the refrigerator ~2 hours before frying to alleviate stickiness upon cooking. 

Filling:
In a large frying pan over medium to medium-high heat, heat:
1 Tbsp avocado oil (or oil of your choice)

Add and cook 2-3 minutes:
2-3 leeks, thinly sliced and rinsed thoroughly
2 bunches green onions (~12 stalks), thinly sliced
salt & pepper (just enough to sprinkle/grind over the top)

Add, stirring until pork is cooked thoroughly (a few minutes):
3/4 lb ground pork

Add and cook 1 minute:
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
6-7 cloves garlic, minced

Add and cook 1 minute, then remove from heat:
2-3 Tbsp Bragg's soy seasoning (or GF soy sauce)
1 tsp agave or 1 tsp sugar

Put pork/vegetable mixture into refrigerator and allow to cool at least 1 hour.

Freshly made filling. 

Fill a large pot 1/4 - 1/2 with water and bring to a boil.
Boil 1/3 pkg of rice vermicelli noodles + 2 tsp salt for 5 minutes.  Drain and place noodles in a bowl.

Have a tea kettle of hot/boiling water readily available for preparing spring rolls.

Fill a plate with boiling water.  Quickly dip spring roll wrapper (rice wrapper) in hot/boiling water.   Place wrapper on a fresh plate, and quickly fill with a small handful of noodles and small spoonful of pork/vegetable filling.  Wrap the spring roll by tightly wrapping one half, folding in both sides, then fully rolling (like a burrito or egg roll).

A dollop of rice noodles and filling in the center of a dampened rice wrapper. 

Roll up one side, then tuck in the two outer edges.  Then you can roll it up the rest of the way.  

Place your freshly wrapped spring roll on a plastic-wrap lined pan or cutting board (one that will fit into the refrigerator).   Repeat with as many spring rolls as you like, changing out the water regularly so you are using very hot water.  You have filling to make ~25-30 - *the extra filling is great mixed with the noodles, or served atop noodles if you don't want to make a huge number of spring rolls.

Let spring rolls dry in the refrigerator 1 hour.  Flip them all over, and let them continue to dry on the other side for 1 hour (or longer).  *This is a key part of making these fried spring rolls.  If you don't let them dry, they'll break/burst during frying.

Spring rolls, partway through drying, being rolled over. 

Heat frying oil in deep-fryer to ~350-360 F.   Carefully place a spring roll into the oil.  Let it cook briefly, before rolling it over, to allow that side to cook briefly.  This will help remove the stickiness from the outer sides of the rice wrapper.  Carefully repeat, until you have 3 rolls cooking.   If the rolls touch before they have a chance to cook a little, they can stick together.  Not the end of the world, since they're still edible, but you don't end up with nice individual spring rolls.

Cook each roll approximately 3 minutes, until just browning.  The edges will be nice and crispy.  Remove to paper towel-lined pan or plate.

Serve hot, alongside dipping sauce of your choice, or the mix together the following dipping sauce:

Delicious fried spring roll dipping sauce: 

Mix together the following:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp Bragg's soy seasoning (or GF soy sauce)
1-2 tsp agave
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic-chili sauce

Enjoy!!!

BBQ Spareribs

BBQ ribs are one of those meals that takes a bit of advanced planning, but it is well worth the effort.  You can whip this together in the morning before work and it'll be ready to devour upon your return.  The method of prepping ribs in this recipe (removing the membrane, broiling and slow-cooking) was taught to me by some good friends while we lived in England. As these friends hailed from Oklahoma, land of BBQ, I can confidently say that they knew their BBQ ribs.  You'll find that broiling and slow-cooking as directed here will result in wonderfully tender, tasty, and utterly delicious barbeque ribs.  Enjoy!

BBQ Spareribs

Serves 4-6

Turn your oven on to broil.

Prepare your ribs:

1) You will want 1-2 racks of spareribs (the ones I usually get are called pork back ribs, you can use beef ribs as well).  You will want around 12 bones w/ meat. 

2) There is a thin membrane on the back side of the ribs, along the bone. Use a knife or something to get under the membrane.  Once you get a bit of the membrane separated, you should be able to pull it all off.  (Note about the membrane: It's okay to leave it on, but if you remove it, it lets more of the taste get into the ribs during cooking - here's a good link for removing the membrane).

Place the ribs on a cookie sheet lined lined with foil. 

Rub the ribs with the following:

4 - 6 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Wrap the ribs tightly in foil, double-wrapping, if needed.  Broil for 5-7 minutes on each side.  Unwrap and cut the ribs into piece sizes with 2-3 bones each.  Place them in the crockpot with BBQ from below. 

While ribs are broiling, put the following into your crock pot one of the two BBQ sauce options:

Option 1: 
1 chopped onion

2 - 3 cups honey BBQ sauce (or your favorite BBQ sauce)

2 Tbsp maple syrup

OR

Option 2: 

1/2 onion, diced (optional)

1/2 cup honey

1 cup apple cider vinegar2 cups canned tomato sauce (plus 1-2 tsp salt if you're using low-salt tomatoes) OR 2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp hot sauce (I use a locally made habanero sauce, which adds a nice kick - adjust depending on how spicy you want your sauce).  2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce2 Tbsp GF soy sauce (Bragg's works well)2 Tbsp dark molasses4 tsp dry mustard2/3 cup sucanat sugar OR brown sugarground pepper, to taste (optional)


Once you've put ribs in sauce, mix gently to coat with sauce mixture.  

Cook on low 8 hours OR cook on high 4-5 hours.  They’ll be deliciously tender and ready to eat!  They melt off the bones. 

Enjoy!!!

My New Favorite Versatile Rolls

I'm always experimenting with my bread and rolls, tweaking a bit here, a bit there, until I find something wonderful.  These are something wonderful!  They're light, chewy, have a great texture but no nuts or seeds, and can be piped into whatever shape you desire!  I've made them as dinner rolls, sandwich buns (or bagels) and hotdog buns.  We've served them with butter, jam, ham & cheese, toasted with garlic butter, covered in condiments with sausages and hotdogs.  All have been delicious.   And, they travel well.  I've made them, frozen them sliced, then made sandwiches on the frozen buns that we brought on a car trip.  They worked perfectly!  One of my favorite versatile roll recipes. Enjoy!

Yummy rolls made for Canadian Thanksgiving.  I made them the day before, then heated them on a pan with a bit of foil on top just before serving - they were perfect! 

Rolls piped into bun-shape - great with sausages or hot dogs. 

Nice, airy, with a great texture thanks to the steel-cut oats and onion flakes

My New Favorite Versatile Rolls
Makes ~15-20 (depends on how you pipe them out)

Mix together and let rest 5 minutes:
1 3/4 cup warm/hot water
6 Tbsp honey
3-4 tsp rapid-rise yeast

In a mixer, combine dry ingredients:
2 cups tapioca starch
1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
6 Tbsp potato starch (not potato flour)
3-4 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
1/2 cup GF steel cut oats (I like the Bob's Red Mill variety)

Add to dry ingredients and slowly mix, then beat at medium to medium-high speed 3 minutes:
yeast mixture from above
3 eggs (OR 2 egg whites + 2 eggs)
6 Tbsp oil (I love using avocado oil)

Scoop batter into a freezer ziploc.  Cut off a corner of the bag and pipe desired shapes/sizes onto 2 parchment-paper lined cookie sheets.

Spritz the rolls with a little bit of water and let rise ~30-40 minutes in a warm location.
Bake at 350 F for ~20-25 minutes, until they're a nice medium-brown color.

Remove from pans and let cool on wire racks.  These make perfect sandwiches, are great alongside soup, can be used as hot dog buns, taste nice with pulled pork, and taste great with cream cheese, like a bagel.

These are wonderful fresh!  I've also made them the day before, left them in a tupperware on the counter overnight, and they were good as new the next day.  Reheated with a bit of aluminum foil over-top, and you'll have perfect rolls for a dinner party.  They freeze well, too.  I like to slice them before I freeze them, so I can use them for school lunches. I've made sandwiches on the frozen buns that we took on a car trip, and they were perfect because the rolls aren't crumbly, which is ideal in a car!  Enjoy!

Rolls piped into bagel shape, leaving a little hole in the center.  They're great toasted with onions & chives cream cheese.   I use these for lunches with ham & cheese, or just warmed with butter. 

A yummy turkey & veggie sandwich made on one of the delicious rolls! 

Steamed Artichokes dipped in Garlic Butter

Steamed artichokes are a fun vegetable to serve because they're so hands-on.  The flavor is rich and hearty, so I find a little goes a long way.  And, they are so amazingly easy to cook!  I was first introduced to eating artichokes whole (and not marinated in a bottle) from my lovely mother-in-law.  She taught me this method of steaming artichokes.  I love the flavor the lemon adds to the artichokes while they're steaming.  They're such fun to eat!  Enjoy!

Artichokes served alongside garlic butter with a dish for leaves/petals once 

Steamed Artichoked dipped in Garlic Butter

Choose 3-4 fresh artichokes that sound squeaky when you squeeze them.
Rinse thoroughly, separating the petals as best you can.  Chop off the bottom stem so they can sit flat on the bottom.

In a pot with a lid that is wide and deep enough to fit your artichokes, place:
juice from 1/2 - 1 lemon
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
3/4 "- 1" hot/boiling water

Place artichokes cut-side down in your pot.  Bring water to a boil, then cover and lower heat to steam the artichokes for ~30 minutes.   Remove artichokes from pot and place on a serving plate.

Mix together the following to serve alongside your artichokes:
1/4 - 1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

To eat: 
The center of the artichoke is where the "heart" is located.  The best (in my opinion) way to eat these are to pull out one petal at a time from the side or top of your artichoke.  The very bottom part of the artichoke petal will have about 1/4" - 1/2" of soft artichoke heart on it.  Dip the petal into your garlic butter and scrap off the little bit of soft delicious flesh with your teeth.  Dispose of the remainder of the petal.  Artichokes are rich and packed with flavor, so I find one artichoke is often more than enough for me to eat alone.  Continue removing petals and eating off the flesh until all the larger, more robust petals have been removed, dipping in butter as you eat.

You'll find there are tiny, softer petals left on top after eating the larger, thicker petals.  Remove and dispose of these petals.  Also dispose of the "fuzzy" or "fibrous" cone that sits atop the flavorful "heart" of the artichoke.  It's easiest to use a spoon to scrap it off.  The heart is the part at the bottom of the artichoke that you've been tasting little bites of each time you eat a petal.   It's delicious and wonderful dipped in the garlic butter.  It's also delicious diced up and eaten atop pizza, a salad, a cracker, or really anything savory that goes well with garlic and butter.  I like the diagram posted on this page in case you're worried about what not to eat.

Enjoy!

Party sized mint brownies

My son (yes, my 11 year old) and I prepared these for my sister-in-law's wedding on Cape Cod this summer, and they were a perfect addition to our collection of gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free desserts.  Once chilled, they can be neatly cut into whatever shape you desire.  For the wedding, we cut them into triangles that were arranged in a single layer on a couple platters.  They were able to be arranged and then stored in the refrigerator until it was time to serve.  These are similar to my previously posted mint brownie recipe, but a bit thinner and nice for an occasion where you want more, smaller servings to go around.  They were a hit with kids and adults at church, and also with my family, who was disappointed I'd share them at all. Those who have tried my original recipe and this version prefer these because they have a higher ratio of mint & chocolate to brownie. Yum! Enjoy!

Gluten-Free mint chocolate brownies, ready to serve!

I love cutting them into little triangles - both aesthetically pleasing and a nice small size for a brownie when feeding a crowd.

Mint Brownies - for a party!
You can cut them larger or smaller, so you can end up with between 50 - 120 pieces easily. 

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a large, flat (not warped), cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a microwave-safe glass bowl, melt:
1 cup butter

Mix in until smooth:
1/2 cup high quality cocoa powder

Add and mix in:
4 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Then add and mix in, just until combined:
3/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1/2 tsp baking powder

Spread onto parchment-lined pan.  Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350 F.

Remove and place pan on a cooling rack.

Brownies just after removing them from the oven.

Mix together mint topping in a bowl:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbsp melted butter
2-3 Tbsp milk
4 drops peppermint essential oil (I like the DoTerra Peppermint Oil for cooking)

Spread the mint topping evenly over the warm (but not piping hot) brownies.   I like to use a spoon to place dollops and then spread gently with the back of the spoon.

Mint layer - don't worry if some parts end up a little messy, just be gentle when spreading the mint layer.

In the microwave at 50% power in 30 second intervals, melt together:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate
4 Tbsp butter

Spread chocolate evenly over the top of the mint layer.

Smooth the chocolate evenly over the brownies.  

Let brownies cool, then chill in the refrigerator until topping hardens.  You'll find they'll look nice and smooth once they've cooled.  You can slice these however you like - triangles, squares, rectangles, large, small.  You can even freeze them once you've cooled and sliced them.  Freeze in a ziploc bag on parchment paper in a single-layer.  Enjoy!!!

Mint-Chocolate Brownies! Yum!

Easy GF Tempura Vegetable Medley

One of my favorite things to have accompany a meal is very lightly battered deep-fried vegetables.   We don't have tempura vegetables often, but when I find vegetables like thin asparagus, fresh broccoli, tasty mushrooms, or fresh onions it's hard to resist.  Enjoy!

Fresh GF tempura vegetables, piping hot and ready to eat!

Easy GF Tempura Vegetable Medley
Based off the Artisanal GF Cookbook Recipe

Preheat oil in deep fryer to ~360 F.  My favorite frying oil is avocado oil, but you can use canola oil, or another frying oil of your choice.

Prepare vegetables as follows, using any/all types as you prefer:
1 - 2 onions, sliced in rounds (You can use ALL onions to make onion rings!)
2-3 handfuls thin asparagus, rinsed and with bottom portions broken off (remove the bottom of the asparagus where it naturally breaks off.  I find this leaves you with the tender tops)
1 pint mushrooms, rinsed with stems removed
2 bunches of broccoli, rinsed with heads sliced off (I don't use the stalks) 
You can use other types of vegetables, as desired -  carrots (slice into thin sticks), green beans (rinsed), sweet potato (sliced into thin sticks), but the ones in bold are my favorites.

In a large bowl, whisk together:
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup cold water (often I add a little extra water to thin the batter if it's feeling too thick, but you can use less water if you want a thicker batter on your vegetables)

I aim for a runny yogurt/thick milk type of consistency.  I like a very light layer of batter on my vegetables.

Toss your vegetables in with the batter.  I recommend adding about half the vegetables, mixing them around and making sure you still have plenty of batter remaining before adding more vegetables.

Vegetables (onions, asparagus, broccoli) tossed in batter.

Fry vegetables in batches in your hot oil for ~3 minutes, stirring once to break up the vegetables a bit.  Remove and place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain/cool a bit.  Serve alongside the main dish of your choice (fish, salmon, shrimp, chicken, or a stir-fry).  Enjoy!

Fresh asparagus on the left, a mixture of asparagus and onion rings on the right.

Yum!