While I love making proper Indian dishes, sometimes one that is just thrown together with fresh veggies and a nice curry powder makes a wonderful, filling dish.  Perfect for the fall when the days are getting cooler.  And wonderful with the easy thin GF Naan bread.

Fresh quick curry w/ veggies & chicken served over brown basmati rice with a side of fresh GF Naan

Quick Curry Chicken & Veggies

Serves ~4-6

This takes ~40 minutes to cook & simmer.  So, start some brown or plain basmati rice cooking, if desired.  You can also serve this with some quick GF Naan bread.

Heat in a large high-sided frying pan over medium to medium-high heat:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil 

Add & cook ~2-3 minutes, until starting to become tender:
1/2 onion, chopped

Add and cook 1 minute:
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Add, cooking 2-3 minutes:
1 medium zucchini, chopped

Add to the pan and allow to cook, stirring regularly for ~3 minutes:
4 Tbsp curry powder (more or less, to taste - it really depends on the strength of your curry powder blend)

Add to pan, cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally:
3 1/2 - 4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

Add, allowing mixture to come to a boil/simmer:
3 cups cooked chicken, chopped (more or less, to taste)

Put a lid on your pan.  Lower heat, and allow curry to simmer at least 20 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally.  If your curry not as thick as you'd like, you can remove the lid to allow excess liquid to evaporate.

Serve with a side of basmati rice and/or fresh GF naan bread. Enjoy!

Quick Curry Chicken & Veggies by Successfully Gluten Free!

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes - Fabulous and Gluten Free!!!

I've never been a huge pumpkin pie fan, but these are delicious! They're like eating a tiny slice of pumpkin pie.  I eat them plain, but they're also nice with a tiny dollop of maple syrup and whipped cream.  A perfect fall treat for anytime you're in the mood for pumpkin pie or pancakes, or both!  I've included links to all my pumpkin recipes, in case you're looking for something else pumpkin-y.  However, I highly recommend these delicious pancakes. Enjoy!

Fresh pumpkin pie pancakes, with a dollop of maple syrup and whipped cream. (Though I most often just eat them plain)

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes - Fabulous and Gluten Free!!!
Serves 4-6, Makes 30 small 4" pancakes (you can make larger ones, too)

Blend together just until smooth, using a stick blender (or blender, or food processor):
1 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (OR 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp allspice, 1/16 tsp cloves)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup pumpkin puree (100% canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin puree)
2 eggs
1 cup milk (lactose-free works great)
3 Tbsp oil

Cook on a skillet over medium-low heat, flipping carefully.  These pancakes are a different consistency from ordinary pancakes - like little slices of pumpkin pie.  Great plain, or with a little maple syrup and/or whipped cream.  Enjoy!

These may only have one bubble or two before you want to flip them. Make sure to use a thin spatula and flip quickly.  They'll be wonderfully soft throughout, just like a mini slice of pie! 

I love whipping together my normal hamburger buns - they're great since you can make them without a mixer.  Sometimes, however, it's nice to be able to throw everything into a mixer and just turn it on. Here, you can do that very thing! These hamburger buns taste just as fluffy and buttery as the regular ones.  I'm always looking for ways to simplify my cooking while keeping the wonderful taste in tact.  This nails it! Enjoy!

Fresh from the oven and ready to eat!

Quick & Delicious GF Hamburger Buns!

Makes 10

Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper OR silicon mat.

In a mixer, combine: 

2 1/2 cup Kristin’s gluten-free flour mix

2 1/2 tsp quick/rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp salt

Add the following. Beat 3-4 minutes: 
1/2 cup milk (lactose-free works great!)
1/2 cup warm/hot water
1/4 cup butter, softened/half melted
4 Tbsp honey
2 eggs

Drop 10 even piles of dough on the prepared cookie sheet.  Use wet hands to smooth and shape the dough into hamburger bun shapes.  I prefer them a bit wider and flatter. 

Sprinkle top of dough with sesame seeds (optional)

Brush dough with melted butter (optional, but highly recommended)

Let rise, uncovered, in a warm location for 30-35 minutes. The dough will puff up a bit, but not double in size.

Bake at 400F for 15 minutes, until nicely browned.  Remove to a cooling rack.  Slice and serve!

Leftovers?  Yes, these freeze well!  Just let them cool completely.  Slice them all, then freeze in a freezer ziploc.  I like to let them defrost on the counter in the ziploc to avoid any condensation issues.  You can reheat your GF hamburger buns in the oven or on the grill, both work well.  Enjoy!!!

Ready to eat!

Quick &Delicious Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free! 

Pickled Beets - just one jar for the refrigerator

I nearly died laughing when I served two pieces of pickled beet to my 8 year old alongside a salad topped with leftover pork roast.  He looked intrigued by them and asked what they were.  I told him they were pickled beets.  Since he likes pickles, he popped them both in his mouth (making one very full mouth).  Imagine his surprise to realize that they're a bit stronger than ordinary pickles.  He liked them, but found them a bit too strong to eat all in one big bite.  They're better accompanying something like salad, meat, mashed potatoes, or roasted veggies.  However, unless you like beets, you probably still won't like these.  I find them quite strong - but I find beets quite strong.  I like them best grated over salad.  But, it's an easy way to use up the colorful fresh beets available this time of year.  

Freshly jarred pickled beets, made with colorful organic beets from Heartbeet Organics.

Pickled Beets
Makes one 500ml/1pint jar, stores in the refrigerator up to a month

Preheat oven to 400-425F. (You can also roast these on the BBQ)

Line an 8x8 pan with foil.  Put in your pan:,
fresh beets, chopped to large bite-sized pieces - Use enough beets to cover the bottom of your pan.  

Cover pan gently with an additional piece of foil.  Roast at 400-425F on a foil lined 8x8 pan ~30 minutes.

Put cooked beets in a clean glass jar.  Set aside while you prep the pickling juice.

Pickling juice:
In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
pinch ground pepper
1/4 - 1/2 tsp mustard seed
1/4 - 1/2 tsp fennel seed

Pour pickling juice over beets. Cover with lid.  Let cool and then refrigerate at least 72 hours before eating.  Serve alongside roast dinners (chicken, turkey, pork, beef).  Enjoy (if you like beets)!

The entire bottle will darken over time because of the darker colored beets.

Homemade Gluten-Free Puff Pastry - made easy!

This recipe is easy AND requires little clean-up!  I'm quite pleased with the outcome of this puff pastry.  Will I still try to locate higher quality butter so it doesn't turn scaly in appearance during rolling? Yes. Will it likely make a difference in the end product? Yes. Does this recipe still work wonderfully despite this? Yes!  I've added a pinch of baking powder into the dough, and also used instant yeast.  Both seem to help facilitate the ease in which the dough reacts to the rise during baking.   According to the wonderful book "Baking by Hand" by the owners of the Salem, MA based bakery A&J King Artisan Bakers (SO not gluten-free, but absolutely wonderful - so if you can eat gluten, go there and eat some for me, please!) - they actually use a bit of quick yeast AND baking powder in their puff pastry dough, to give it a bit of extra rise.  I figure if they can do it, I can do it.  It definitely adds a bit of extra rise to the dough, while still maintaining the flakiness from all the folded layers.  Win-win! Good luck and enjoy!

A puff pastry danish topped with vanilla peach jam (from my friend Julie - Thanks Julie!). Yum!

A picture of the flakiness of the homemade puff pastry

Homemade Gluten-Free Puff Pastry!
Makes enough for ~12-20 pastries (size dependent)

In a large bowl, combine by hand:
1 cup sweet white rice flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 1/4 tsp instant/quick yeast
6 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Mix in using a large spoon, just until thoroughly combined:
3/4 cup warm milk
1 egg, RT
1 egg yolk, RT
4 Tbsp coconut oil 

Roll out between two pieces of plastic wrap to ~10"x18"
On 2/3 of the dough, put thin slices of
~2/3 cup high quality butter, chilled & thinly sliced.

Fold the bare side of dough in on top of the middle of the dough.  Then fold in the other side on top of that.  You have what I will call "Letter 1".  Wrap your dough packet/letter in the 2 sheets of plastic wrap.  Put in the freezer for 15 minutes.

This begins your folding/chilling/rolling portion of your recipe.  You will fold and chill 4 times.  I like to think of this like follows:  You will make FOUR letters out of your dough.  A letter is when you fold the dough up in thirds, like you would fold a piece of paper or a letter into thirds to put it in the envelope.   I used the same two pieces of plastic wrap the entire time.

After 15 minutes, remove Letter 1 from the freezer.  Unwrap, and place on plastic wrap, as shown below. Roll out between two pieces of plastic wrap to create a rectangle of the same size as your initial rectangle. Be gentle and slow as you roll out the dough, giving the dough and butter time to stretch.  Fold in one side, then the other so you create "Letter 2".  Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze 15 minutes.

1. Letter ready to roll, 2. Rolled slowly to ~10"x18" size, 3. Folded over 1/3 to create a "Letter"

After 15 minutes, remove Letter 2 from the freezer.  Roll out between two pieces of plastic wrap.  Slowly and gently.  Fold in thirds to create "Letter 3".  Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove Letter 3 from the freezer.  Roll out between two pieces of plastic wrap. Slowly and gently. Fold in thirds to create "Letter 4".  Wrap in plastic wrap.

You now have TWO options:
1. Freeze Letter 4 20-25 minutes, then proceed to preparing your puff pastry danishes, or whatever else you were hoping to make.
OR
2. Place Letter 4 in the refrigerator to use sometime in the next couple days.

To create danishes OR tarts from Letter 4, do the following:
Roll Letter 4 between plastic wrap - try to get a slightly larger and wider rectangle than previously.   Work slowly, giving the dough time to stretch along with the butter.  Fold the dough over on itself long-wise down the middle, giving a very long skinny rectangle.  Flatten a bit so the rectangle is even.  Using a pizza cutter, slice off pieces that are slightly smaller than the final danish you want to create.

Roll the small piece between two pieces of plastic wrap.  Using the plastic wrap, fold up the sides to create an edge to your pastry.  Place dough carefully on parchment paper (It should transfer to your hand and then to the parchment paper easily.  (Or you can flip it onto the parchment paper, and fold up the sides using the parchment paper. This is helpful if you're making a larger tart).  Fill with jam or your choice of filling.  You can use sweet or savory, but top lightly so the filling is not too heavy for the pastry dough.
If desired, you can sprinkle the edges with a bit of sugar before baking.

Danish ~6"x6" topped with vanilla peach jam and ready to bake.

Bake at 400F ~12-15 minutes.  Cook until a nice golden brown.  Remove from oven and place tray on cooling rack.  When danish/tarts are cooled enough, carefully transfer parchment paper to a cooling rack to avoid having too much moisture on the bottom of your tart.  Enjoy!

Fresh from the oven! 

Delicious Hearty Bread w/ 3 add-in options

One hearty bread, with three wonderfully delicious options.  There's a spicy jalapeno cheddar, a hearty five seed-filled bread, or a cinnamon raisin bread.  It may be a bit tricky to find sweet potato flour, but if you can locate it, it adds a depth to the taste.  I find it's pricey, but can be stored in the freezer and since the flavor is strong, you just want to use small amounts per recipe, so it goes far.  If you don't have sweet potato flour, you can replace it with extra brown rice or sorghum flour.  This has been a hit with everyone who's tried it.  I had to get it typed up quickly for our good friends who requested the recipe after I brought some to dinner.  p.s. It's great with butter. Enjoy!

Hearty Bread w/ Jalapeno, Cheddar & Cilantro

Delicious Hearty Bread w/ 3 add-in options
Makes 3 mini loaves or 1 large loaf

Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter 3 mini loaf pans or 1 large loaf pan.

In a mixer combine:
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup sweet potato flour
1/3 cup arrowroot starch/flour
1 Tbsp xanthan gum
1 Tbsp rapid yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt

Add and beat 3-4 minutes:
1 cup warm water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp oil 
2 Tbsp honey 
2 Tbsp maple syrup
3 eggs

Fold in ONE of the following options:
1. Jalapeno Cheddar Bread
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped & loosely packed
1-2 jalapenos, finely chopped
1/2 - 2/3 cup old cheddar, finely chopped (you can use shredded cheese, but I like the larger pieces)
OR
2. Five Seed Bread
2-3 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 1/2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1-2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
1/2-1 Tbsp poppy seeds
OR
3. Cinnamon-Raisin Bread
Mix together in a small bowl before folding into bread dough:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 tsp water
1/4 - 1/3 cup raisins 

Spread bread into pans, filling them ~2/3 full.  Let bread rise in a warm location ~30 minutes, until the dough is even with the top of the pan.  Bake at 350F for 25 minutes for mini loaves or 40-45 minutes for the large loaf, until nicely browned.

Remove from pan to cool on wire rack.  Slice thin or thick.  Enjoy!

Hearty Five Seed Bread, fresh out of the oven

Tasty Hearty Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Kale or Spinach Pesto Pizza - on the BBQ (or oven) *nut free!

I think I may have a new favorite pizza - topped with homemade pesto of some sort, a bit of mozzarella, ricotta and fresh sauteed veggies.  Yum!  I've made this a number of times now and it's always a big hit - although the kids still seem to prefer normal pizza to one topped with veggies.

Fresh off the grill and ready to eat!  I used flaxseed & chia seeds in these particular crusts.

Kale Pesto Pizza
Serves 4 - makes 2 small/medium sized pizzas

Preheat BBQ to medium-low (~400F) or oven to 425F.

Put 2 small/medium sized homemade pizza crusts on a cooling rack.  Prepare toppings as below.

Sauteed zucchini & onion
In a frying pan over medium heat, saute until just tender:
1-2 Tbsp olive oil 
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
~1/2 - 3/4 cup fresh zucchini or summer squash, thinly sliced
salt & pepper

Set onions/zucchini aside.

Ricotta cheese
In a small bowl, combine:
1/3 cup fresh ricotta cheese
salt & pepper

Spread on each small pizza crust with the following:
homemade kale pesto OR homemade spinach-basil pesto (~3 Tbsp per pizza)
ricotta cheese, small dollops around pizzas
freshly sliced mozzarella, spread lightly
sauteed zucchini & onions
grated Parmesan cheese

Cook on BBQ low to medium-low ~5-7 minutes, checking regularly. When toppings are looking close to being done, increase heat to get the bottoms nice and crispy.
OR
Cook in oven at 425F ~7 minutes or until it's melted/crisped as you prefer.

Top with fresh basil, thinly sliced
ENJOY!!!

BBQ'd, sliced, topped with fresh basil and ready to eat!