The Speedy Version of my Favorite Sourdough White Bread & Rolls

I really do love making sourdough breads (and waffles and pizza crusts and rolls), but sometimes I just don't have the time to let things rise for hours or attend to the starter regularly.  This was an experiment that succeeded with flying colors, giving me that same delicious taste I love in my favorite sourdough bread, but in a short amount of time! Win-win!  I've made the recipe as written below, but I've also doubled it to make an assortment of large loaves, mini loaves and rolls.  I've even used the dough to make thin, crispy pizza crusts, which are delicious.  I'll post the pizza instructions soon! In the meantime, enjoy!

Fresh loaves of gluten-free bread, fresh from the oven.  We couldn't wait for them to cool before we dove into a loaf.

Fresh GF rolls - baked in a 9" x 13" pan.  They were perfect for open-faced tuna melts.

It slices SO well and is filled with holes, just like a proper loaf should be. 

The Speedy Version of my Favorite Sourdough White Bread
Makes 2 loaves or 4-5 mini loaves

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Butter 2 regular loaf pans or 4-5 mini loaf pans.

In a 2 cup measuring cup combine and let rest 5-10 minutes until you have at least 1 1/2 cups of puffy yeast mixture (more is fine):
1 cup warm/hot water
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp quick-rise yeast

This was a double batch, so I needed it to rise until I had 3 cups of yeast mixture instead of 1 1/2 cups.

In a mixer combine:
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour (OR 1/4 cup sorghum flour + 1/4 cup white rice flour)
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup arrowroot
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt

Add and mix in:
1 1/2 (at least) cups puffy yeast mixture, from above
2 eggs
2 egg whites
4 Tbsp oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Beat for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Fill each buttered bread pan a little less than 1/2 full with bread dough.   Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm location until dough doubles and hits the top of the plastic wrap.  This bread will only bake as high as it rises.  For rolls, scoop even scoops of dough into a buttered 9x13 pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.  Remove plastic wrap.

Bread after rising to the top of the pan. 

Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes for mini loaves and 40-45 for regular loaves or about 30-35 minutes for a pan of rolls.   Remove bread/rolls from pans and cool on a cooling rack.  You can slice thin or thick.  Whatever you won't use that day, slice and freeze.  It reheats perfectly.  Enjoy!

Gluten Free bread fresh from the oven! Yum! 

Mini GF loaves, fresh from the oven.  These were filled more like 1/3 full and rose almost to the tops of the pans before baking. 

Honey Garlic Chicken Wings with Oven-Roasted Carrot & Potato Fries

This is a great and tasty meal.  You can easily spice it up more, if you like by adding additional cayenne pepper, or a dash of tabasco.  This is a nice mild version the whole family can enjoy.   Give yourself time for the wings to marinate at least an hour.  Other than that, the great thing is that you can cook your carrot & potato fries and wings all at the same time!  I love when meals easily come together so everything ready at the same time.  Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Honey Garlic Chicken Wings - great served with oven-roasted carrot & potato fries, recipe below

Honey Garlic Chicken Wings & Baked Carrot & Potato Fries
based on a recipe from Barnyard Organics - our local PEI chicken growers. Thanks! 

Mix together the following sauce to marinate chicken:
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup Bragg's Soy Seasoning (GF soy sauce)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Marinate in sauce for at least 1 hour:
2-3 lbs. organic chicken wings

Preheat oven to 400 F.
While oven is heating, prepare the Carrot & Potato Fries below. 

Spread marinated wings on a cookie sheet.  Cook 35-40 minutes, basting 2 times after 10 and then 20 minutes with extra marinade sauce.

Roasted carrot and potato fries: 
Toss together:
6 small potatoes, wedged
3 carrots, sliced into long slices
2-3 Tbsp olive oil infused with chipotle (or add pinch of chili powder)
salt & pepper

Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 F ~40 minutes.   I put the fries and chicken into the oven at the same time.  The chicken gets removed twice for basting, so the total cooking times seem to work out appropriately with both chicken wings and fries being done at the same time! 

Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Cold, snowy winter days are a nice time for a hot bowl of soup.  A hearty homemade chicken noodle soup is wonderful in wintertime.   In order to be able to whip this together, I always try to have cooked chicken available. When I roast chicken (or turkey), I freeze leftovers so I have chicken available in order to whip together this tasty soup.  My kids all love it, veggies included!   We eat it on it's own, or with fresh bread, toasted.  Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, ready to eat! 

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves ~6

Saute about 7 minutes over medium-high heat, until carrots are softening (you want to make sure your carrots are diced very finely because they will be the last vegetable to soften, if they're nice and small they'll be mostly cooked during the saute and then finish up during the boiling):
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 carrots, diced very small
1/2 - 1 onion, diced very small
2-3 gloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup small turnips, diced very small (I had mini ones that I finely diced - leave them out if you don't have any on hand)
~2-3 stalks celery, diced (I used a handful of very thin purple celery stalks)

Add and bring to a boil:
~7 cups homemade chicken broth/stock (or GF chicken bouillon)
1-2 Tbsp fresh parsley, diced
1-2 Tbsp fresh dill, diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
dash turmeric

Add and boil soup 13-15 minutes, until pasta is cooked:
1 1/2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
1/2 package GoGo Quinoa vegetable noodles (they're tiny and circular, perfect for this soup, or you can use small GF noodles of your choice)

Adjust salt & pepper, as desired.  Serve and enjoy!

A hot bowl of delicious homemade GF chicken noodle soup

What to do with leftover candy canes?  I know! I know!  Make my all-time favorite oatmeal brittle recipe!   I'm not a huge fan of ordinary toffee or brittle since I feel like they're amazingly sticky and a bit overpowering in their sugary taste.  This brittle is a happy medium.  It's half crispy oatmeal cookie/half brittle all rolled into one, then topped with chocolate and either peppermint pieces or toffee bits.  How can you go wrong?   These are a favorite among both our friends and family.  It just took me awhile to actually remember to take pictures while I made it, since it's one of those things I usually just whip together quickly, and then we eat - quickly.  Enjoy!

GF Oatmeal Butter-Brittle with Chocolate Peppermint Topping! Yum!

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Butter Brittle!!!

Makes 1 cookie sheet or ~ 24 pieces (depends on how you cut/break up the brittle)

Mix together in a mixer (or by hand in a bowl):
1 cup whole oats (make sure they're gluten-free if you're sensitive)
3/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1/4 tsp baking powder

Add to oats and mix until mixture is crumbly:
1/2 cup butter, softened

Add and mix in until mixture holds together:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Press onto a 7" x 10" rectangle on a parchment paper lined pan, since dough will spread during cooking.

Bake at 350 F for ~ 17-20 minutes, until brittle is a golden brown (edges will be slightly darker).

Remove from oven and immediately top with:
1 - 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or mix of semi and dark chocolate chips)

Let the chips sit a few minutes to melt.  Then, spread around chips, sometimes letting sit another minute until the chocolate is fully melted.

Sprinkle top with:
crushed peppermint candy canes or candies
OR
toffee bits

Once pan is no longer very hot, you can slide the parchment paper onto a cooling rack to fully cool.  When the oatmeal part is cool, you can put these in the refrigerator to set the chocolate.

Chop with a large knife or break into pieces.  (For more uniform pieces, I usually cut these while slightly warm before chocolate has set.  For more irregular pieces and a cleaner brittle, I cut/break these once everything has fully cooled.)

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Butter Brittle Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free! 

Homemade Chicken Stock

Happy New Year!  This is a wonderful way to start off the chilly winter months.  I've made homemade broth both with the carcass of a roast chicken after removing the meat, and also with the uncooked carcass we've received when we get our cut up organic chickens.  I've even frozen carcasses and cooked them later when I've had time, so save that carcass next time you roast a chicken and you can simmer a hearty broth later! (literally, just stick it in the pot frozen and it'll heat up in no time! Some recipes that use chicken broth are listed below. A chicken stock will add a slightly richer taste to the recipes, but they will still taste lovely! Enjoy!
A few recipes that use chicken broth: 
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Delicious Risotto
Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom Florentine
Chicken & Rice Soup
Pumpkin Soup
Chicken a la King
Chicken Pot Pie
Leek & Potato Soup
Flavorful Shrimp Scampi with Wild Rice
Broccoli-Cheddar Soup


Homemade Chicken Stock

In a large pot place:
1 chicken carcass (raw, or picked clean after roasting)
2 - 3 carrots, coarsely sliced
1/2 - 1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 - 2 stalks celery & leaves, optional
~1/4 cup fresh parsley
~ 1/8 cup fresh dill
1 - 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 - 2 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp pepper
pinch turmeric, optional
pinch dried mustard, optional

Fill pot just to the top of carcass.  I use a large cooking pot and fill it half-full, which sometimes doesn't quite cover the carcass if it was a large bird.  It's better to have less water than more, so you get a more flavorful broth.

Bring to a boil.  Cover and lower heat.  Simmer stock for 2-3 hours for full-flavor.

Cool and refrigerate or freeze (as you would soup).  Use in any recipe that calls for chicken broth or chicken stock.  You can also use in any recipe that calls for water and 1 tsp GF bouillon.  1 cup stock = 1 cup water + 1 tsp GF bouillon.

Enjoy! 

Homemade Gluten-Free Wedding Reception Ideas and Arrangements

Credit to Ali Sumsion Photography for the great food pictures here!  Thanks to Milli Garrett for the lovely table decorations.

One year ago, I spent a couple of weeks leading up to December 23rd preparing a fun, delicious, gluten-free dessert-themed wedding reception for my brother and sister-in-law.   In honor of their anniversary, I thought I'd post a few extra pictures from that lovely day.  And provide a few tips on ideas and arrangements that could be applied to any party or gathering.   A full list of all the foods, including links to the recipes are in my original wedding reception post.

Two tables side-by-side filled with delicious gluten-free desserts. 

Fresh fruit added color to the tables.  The Rocky Mountains were a majestic backdrop for this beautiful wedding reception. 

Fresh homemade vanilla pudding with strawberries and mini heart-shaped sugar cookies on top.

So easy, but fresh fruit is a beautiful compliment to a big dessert table.

Tiered serving trays were a perfect location for GF cupcakes.  They were refilled throughout the night.

Small flower arrangements added extra oomph to the dessert tables.

A view of one of the dessert serving areas.  There was space for guests to walk fully around the tables and enjoy the view, too.  Fresh fruit scattered throughout the tables added color as well as taste.

Beautiful and easy, homemade chocolate angels with edible shimmer dust and homemade peppermint bark were served alongside homemade candied orange peel next to the water pitchers (each water picture was half filled - one with lemon/lime slices and the other with orange slices/cranberries).

The second dessert serving table.  Beautiful table clothes, a decorative flower arrangement, and serving platters at different heights made it look great!

A chocolate gluten-free wedding cake - with different flavored fillings for each layer! Yum!  This was before food-safe fresh flowers were added to the cake (just before guests arrived).

Fresh, food-safe flowers were added just before the start of the reception.  

One happy couple! Proud sister and nephew were looking on. 

Slices of delicious cake served around the top layer of the cake.  Peppermint-filled and raspberry-filled GF wedding cake slices were served at the reception.  I believe that's me in the striped sweater in the mirror reflection.  

Eggnog Pudding (lactose-free option!)

This pudding is rich and delicious in flavor.  I served small cups of this pudding topped with a fresh gingerbread cookie decorated with icing to look like a snowflake at my brothers gluten-free wedding reception.  In hindsight, I should have made more because these delicacies went quickly once people tasted them.   The cookies were made by scooping and baking small cookies from my gingerbread house recipe, frosted with the royal icing from that recipe.  Served up on a gold platter in clear glasses, and they looked wedding-ready!  These are also absolutely delicious served with my chewy gingersnap cookies!  Enjoy!

Eggnog pudding served up with homemade gingerbread cookies! Yum!

Eggnog Pudding
Makes ~2 1/2 cups pudding (Yes! You can double this recipe if you're serving a crowd.)

TWO methods for cooking: 

Method 1: 
In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-low to medium heat, stirring regularly with a whisk:
2 cups eggnog (lactose-free eggnog works!)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg

In a small bowl, whisk together:
1/4 cup eggnog
3 egg yolks
3 Tbsp cornstarch

Once mixture has come to a boil, whisk in the egg yolk/cornstarch mixture.  Let mixture return to a boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly.  The pudding should thicken up nicely.

Remove from heat and add:
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place pudding in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap to avoid a film forming on top.  Let cool a bit and then let cool completely in the refrigerator.

***Depending on the eggnog used in this recipe, you may find lumps forming.  Some eggnogs, like lactose-free versions, use thickener, like guar gum, within the eggnog, which can thicken into tiny lumps within your pudding.  No problem!  Just strain the pudding through a sieve (using a spoon to press it through) before serving to remove any lumps.

Method 2: 
In a medium saucepan, whisk together:
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Whisk into dry ingredients:
2 - 2 1/4 cup eggnog
3 egg yolks

Whisking constantly (you can pause every so often, but you never want the bottom of the pan to heat too quickly), cook pudding over medium-low heat.   Once the pudding has warmed through, and is starting to get hotter, you can increase the heat a bit, but don't go hotter than medium heat or you can curdle your eggs.  Be patient! You don't want your pudding to cook too quickly.
Stir constantly until your pudding has thickened and is just starting to bubble.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in:
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place pudding in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap to avoid a film forming on top.  Let cool a bit and then let cool completely in the refrigerator.

***Depending on the eggnog used in this recipe, you may find lumps forming (although I have not found that to be the case with Method 2, because of the slow and steady cooking).  Some eggnogs, like lactose-free versions, use thickener, like guar gum, within the eggnog, which can thicken into tiny lumps within your pudding.  No problem!  Just strain the pudding through a sieve (using a spoon to press it through) before serving to remove any lumps.

Great served with gingerbread cookies or chewy gingersnap cookies.  Enjoy!

 Extra gingerbread cookies, topped with snowflakes, served up nicely on a platter once all the eggnog pudding was gone.