As part of my 90 day commitments, I'm drinking smoothies and/or shakes as part of my healthy eating plan. (Yes, I've read about the perils of smoothies, and I'm aware of and ok with them.)
One of my FAVOURITE indulgences in days gone by were Booster Juice-type smoothies. They always seemed IMPOSSIBLE to replicate at home, but at up to $6 a pop, they were hard to justify.
Not anymore! Lol!
Berry mango smoothie
1 cup Bolthouse Farms Amazing Mango Fruit Smoothie
1 1/2 cups Western Family Bite Size Blend frozen fruit
1/4 cup water
1 scoop (30g) Kaizen Naturals natural whey - vanilla ice cream flavour
--> blend well. (I use a hand blender and a 1 litre wide-mouth mason jar - less dishes than using a full-size blender!)
Mmmmmm yum!!!
The protein shake mix (Kaizen Naturals) I use is the best I've found (and actually, Todd found it!): whey (not soy) isolate and concentrate, stevia (NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, flavours or colours), GLUTEN FREE, 24g protein to 1g sugars, AND.... It's only $27.99 at Superstore for a 30 day supply (at 1 shake a day). Plus, and I tell you, I've tried a LOT of shake mixes, it is the BEST TASTING one too. I actually like it plain with just milk.
And no, I don't work for Kaizen, nor do I get any benefit from this post. I just feel that people should know that they have AFFORDABLE options for shake mixes, that do the same things, if not better than the expensive ones. :)
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
07 February 2012
19 January 2012
My gluten free all purpose mix & some yum yum yummy cheddar dill biscuits
So I've been asked by more than one person on more than one occasion what "all purpose" gluten free flour I am using these days. Since embarking on this "gluten-free journey" I'll call it, I've learned SO much about what's out there and available, what's not out there (yet), and how we can adapt our "normal" life to be more gluten free friendly, if you will.
When I first started gluten free baking, I posted about an all purpose flour mix that I found the recipe for at glutenfreegobsmacked, and celiac.com. Then, as my reading and researching continued, I learned more about flours, and how to use them to recreate our normal recipes, as close as I could, but using the gluten free substitutes. The most notable source of my knowledge about how flour works in a recipe would probably have to be the posts that I've read that are part of Shauna's (from a gluten free girl) brain child, the Gluten Free Ratio Rally.
***The Ratio Rally is a group of gluten free bloggers who have been experimenting with replacing wheat flour with gluten free flours, based on WEIGHT, not volume measures, under the premise that every good recipe is based on a solid ratio that will create a good product, no matter whether you are using wheat flour or not. Follow the ratio, and your results are almost guaranteed.***
As said by Tara over at "a baking life:"
That said, I have yet to try out any of the GFRR recipes. :O I know. Here I am saying how great it is, and I haven't tried the fruits of their labours. Okay, so I haven't tried the recipes, but the whole WEIGHT thing is a nugget that is stuck in my head - and that is a good thing. Kate (at gf gobsmacked) also mentioned weighing flours vs. measuring them, in fact, most gf bakers recommend it.
This is due to the different density in the different grains. Corn has a different density to millet, to chana, to rice, to the starches.... you get my point. But when we're baking gluten free, we have to mix these flours, and try to get a flour that will mimic wheat as best we can.
Another thing I've learned, that while brown rice flour is the closest match to wheat in taste (yet still SO far), there are so many other flours that give amazing texture, flavour and NUTRITION to your baked goods. So combining these flours to create a whole- and multi-grain flour gives great texture and flavour, and beats wheat flour hands down in the nutrition aspect. (Just don't eat the batters or doughs raw... ummm, grossness.)
I don't use that multi blend mix anymore. Ha ha. It's funny but it's not. This is a learning experience for me, as it is for ANY person taking on the task of learning to bake (and cook) gluten free. I only used the multi blend mix for a couple of months... before the reading and research convinced me that I should be putting more whole grains in. For the first couple of times that I made my own mix, it was just a hodgepodge of flours, to make up the 70% flour and 30% starch by weight. I made it in 1 kg batches, and was using it in place of the multi blend mix. But, because as I said above, more than one person on more than one occasion has asked me for the mix I'm using now, I ACTUALLY wrote it down when I made it last weekend. :) Stoked.
Dinnae's all purpose multi-grain flour mix
350g brown rice flour
150g corn flour (NOT corn meal or corn starch)
100g millet flour
100g chana flour
100g tapioca starch
100g cornstarch
100g sweet rice flour
2 TB guar gum
Mix together with a whisk or seive, store in an airtight container. Use in place of wheat flour in your recipes.
Use as is for cookies, waffles, pancakes, etc. If making cakes, sweet breads, muffins or cupcakes, add 1/4 tsp of guar gum per cup measure of flour in the recipe. (This addition of guar is based on the addition of guar to the Multi-blend mix - I'm just continuing that.) I wouldn't recommend this mix for baking bread, as your ratio of flours to starches is one that needs to be more specific.
And now, my latest gluten free adaptation was a recipe that I got from the lady who actually trained me to cook for treeplanters, Kara. Her mum was (is?) a camp cook for a summer camp, and I do believe that this recipe for Cheddar Dill Bread was originally hers. Using the gluten free flour makes this bread very scone-y, so I'm calling them scones. I made them in muffin-top pans, so they even look kinda like scones too.
Cheddar Cheese Dill Scones
4 c all pupose gluten free flour blend
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 c sugar
4 tsp onion or garlic salt
1 tb dill
1 tsp dry mustard
2 1/2 c grated cheddar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/4 c milk
2 tb veggie or canola oil
1/4 c water IF NEEDED
Oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, including cheese. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients, stir until just moist. Batter/dough will be tough, but if needed, add another 1/4 c of water or milk and mix in thoroughly. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop into greased muffin top pans.
With wet fingers, "smoosh" down the scoop of batter/dough so that it is fairly flat in the pan, wetting fingers anew before each smoosh. (I keep a small bowl of water next to where I'm working so I don't have to keep the water running, or keep walking over to the sink.)
Bake for 12 - 14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Best when eaten fresh. ;)
Makes 40 muffin top scones. YUM.
*** Notes: this recipe halves really well, and makes the PERFECT size batch to accompany dinner. ***
Now, I know I am going to get this question, because *I* would ask if I were you! What kind of ice cream scoop do I use? It is a COMMERCIAL one that I got when my mum owned a café. You should be able to find this same kind, in varying sizes, in any commercial kitchen supply store. They are INDISPENSABLE for muffins, cookies, etc, keeping your baked goods equal in measure, and uniform in shape too (ie with no bake/boiled cookies). If memory serves, it was about $10 (give or take) about 15 years ago. If you find a place to buy one, especially online, let me know! I'd love to be able to pass the info on. ;)
When I first started gluten free baking, I posted about an all purpose flour mix that I found the recipe for at glutenfreegobsmacked, and celiac.com. Then, as my reading and researching continued, I learned more about flours, and how to use them to recreate our normal recipes, as close as I could, but using the gluten free substitutes. The most notable source of my knowledge about how flour works in a recipe would probably have to be the posts that I've read that are part of Shauna's (from a gluten free girl) brain child, the Gluten Free Ratio Rally.
***The Ratio Rally is a group of gluten free bloggers who have been experimenting with replacing wheat flour with gluten free flours, based on WEIGHT, not volume measures, under the premise that every good recipe is based on a solid ratio that will create a good product, no matter whether you are using wheat flour or not. Follow the ratio, and your results are almost guaranteed.***
As said by Tara over at "a baking life:"
"Baking by ratio is not an entirely new concept, but it's been spotlighted lately by Michael Ruhlman's book Ratio. It's an enormously helpful way of understanding traditional cooking and baking, but I've noticed some hesitation about applying it to gluten-free baking. Would it even work with all our crazy flours? Would a good gluten-free ratio be adaptable to a variety of flours? Would it make gluten-free baking even more daunting to the uninitiated?
Yes, yes, and thankfully, no. It really works. And it's easier than you think."
That said, I have yet to try out any of the GFRR recipes. :O I know. Here I am saying how great it is, and I haven't tried the fruits of their labours. Okay, so I haven't tried the recipes, but the whole WEIGHT thing is a nugget that is stuck in my head - and that is a good thing. Kate (at gf gobsmacked) also mentioned weighing flours vs. measuring them, in fact, most gf bakers recommend it.
This is due to the different density in the different grains. Corn has a different density to millet, to chana, to rice, to the starches.... you get my point. But when we're baking gluten free, we have to mix these flours, and try to get a flour that will mimic wheat as best we can.
Another thing I've learned, that while brown rice flour is the closest match to wheat in taste (yet still SO far), there are so many other flours that give amazing texture, flavour and NUTRITION to your baked goods. So combining these flours to create a whole- and multi-grain flour gives great texture and flavour, and beats wheat flour hands down in the nutrition aspect. (Just don't eat the batters or doughs raw... ummm, grossness.)
I don't use that multi blend mix anymore. Ha ha. It's funny but it's not. This is a learning experience for me, as it is for ANY person taking on the task of learning to bake (and cook) gluten free. I only used the multi blend mix for a couple of months... before the reading and research convinced me that I should be putting more whole grains in. For the first couple of times that I made my own mix, it was just a hodgepodge of flours, to make up the 70% flour and 30% starch by weight. I made it in 1 kg batches, and was using it in place of the multi blend mix. But, because as I said above, more than one person on more than one occasion has asked me for the mix I'm using now, I ACTUALLY wrote it down when I made it last weekend. :) Stoked.
Dinnae's all purpose multi-grain flour mix
350g brown rice flour
150g corn flour (NOT corn meal or corn starch)
100g millet flour
100g chana flour
100g tapioca starch
100g cornstarch
100g sweet rice flour
2 TB guar gum
Mix together with a whisk or seive, store in an airtight container. Use in place of wheat flour in your recipes.
Use as is for cookies, waffles, pancakes, etc. If making cakes, sweet breads, muffins or cupcakes, add 1/4 tsp of guar gum per cup measure of flour in the recipe. (This addition of guar is based on the addition of guar to the Multi-blend mix - I'm just continuing that.) I wouldn't recommend this mix for baking bread, as your ratio of flours to starches is one that needs to be more specific.
And now, my latest gluten free adaptation was a recipe that I got from the lady who actually trained me to cook for treeplanters, Kara. Her mum was (is?) a camp cook for a summer camp, and I do believe that this recipe for Cheddar Dill Bread was originally hers. Using the gluten free flour makes this bread very scone-y, so I'm calling them scones. I made them in muffin-top pans, so they even look kinda like scones too.
 |
| Sorry, HORRIBLE photo, but it was taken at night. And they're still yum! |
4 c all pupose gluten free flour blend
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 c sugar
4 tsp onion or garlic salt
1 tb dill
1 tsp dry mustard
2 1/2 c grated cheddar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/4 c milk
2 tb veggie or canola oil
1/4 c water IF NEEDED
Oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, including cheese. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients, stir until just moist. Batter/dough will be tough, but if needed, add another 1/4 c of water or milk and mix in thoroughly. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop into greased muffin top pans.
With wet fingers, "smoosh" down the scoop of batter/dough so that it is fairly flat in the pan, wetting fingers anew before each smoosh. (I keep a small bowl of water next to where I'm working so I don't have to keep the water running, or keep walking over to the sink.)
Bake for 12 - 14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Best when eaten fresh. ;)
Makes 40 muffin top scones. YUM.
*** Notes: this recipe halves really well, and makes the PERFECT size batch to accompany dinner. ***
Now, I know I am going to get this question, because *I* would ask if I were you! What kind of ice cream scoop do I use? It is a COMMERCIAL one that I got when my mum owned a café. You should be able to find this same kind, in varying sizes, in any commercial kitchen supply store. They are INDISPENSABLE for muffins, cookies, etc, keeping your baked goods equal in measure, and uniform in shape too (ie with no bake/boiled cookies). If memory serves, it was about $10 (give or take) about 15 years ago. If you find a place to buy one, especially online, let me know! I'd love to be able to pass the info on. ;)
 |
| The ice cream scoop I use for scooping muffin batter and cookie dough. I believe it is a 1 oz size. |
18 October 2011
GF meatballs
Still on my quest to make easy, yummy meals that my two picky older boys will eat, that are gluten free for the man, and NOW, I have my NEW item to check off: relatively healthy so that I can eat more than a bird's portion. :P
I made some hamburger rolls last night, like sausage rolls, except using ground beef and phyllo pastry instead of sausage meat and puff pastry. They weren't bad, and although high-ish on the calorie side (450 for 2), I used extra lean meat, and phyllo, so the fat was fairly low. :) BUT, I did learn that having them directly on the cookie sheet results in greasy phyllo.
Today, after a MAMMOTH amount of exercise (2 hours of wearing my 25lb baby walking around the mall and dancing him to sleep in the passport office and 20 minutes of one of my new FIRM Express DVDs), I CRAVED carbohydrates. Chippies! Haven't had chippies in awhile, and they're not too bad. (Baked!) What can I make that goes with chippies? Well, I forgot to take meat out, and we have about 20 kg of ground beef left in our freezer.... so, yeah, what can I make with ground beef? The man was stoked about chippies, and suggested "what about mini meatballs?"
So, using some Victorian Epicure Seasoning for Meatloaf, and Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats, I made me my first meatballs. Ever. I've never made them before, really. :D
Dinnae's Gluten Free Meatballs
1 kg extra lean ground beef
3 large free range eggs
1 cup gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp Victorian Epicure Seasoning for Meatloaf
2 tsp seasoning salt
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
If you're able to, put a wire rack over a cookie sheet, so that you can place your meatballs on it, so the fat and juices can drip into the cookie sheet, keeping your meatballs as healthy as possible.
Shape your meatballs in roughly 2-3tsp portions, and place on wire rack.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven, thickness of meatballs, etc. To check for doneness, cut one of your centre meatballs in half.
Makes 50 meatballs.
Nutritional information (based on the sum of the ingredients):
Per 8 meatballs
256 calories; 9g fat; 11g carbs; 2g fibre; 31g protein
I served them with homemade GF beef gravy (leftover from roast night last Friday - thickened with potato starch instead of wheat flour), and of course, those carbs, shoestring chippies, and raw veggies and low fat dip. YUM! And surprise surprise, my boys inhaled them. Score!
I made some hamburger rolls last night, like sausage rolls, except using ground beef and phyllo pastry instead of sausage meat and puff pastry. They weren't bad, and although high-ish on the calorie side (450 for 2), I used extra lean meat, and phyllo, so the fat was fairly low. :) BUT, I did learn that having them directly on the cookie sheet results in greasy phyllo.
Today, after a MAMMOTH amount of exercise (2 hours of wearing my 25lb baby walking around the mall and dancing him to sleep in the passport office and 20 minutes of one of my new FIRM Express DVDs), I CRAVED carbohydrates. Chippies! Haven't had chippies in awhile, and they're not too bad. (Baked!) What can I make that goes with chippies? Well, I forgot to take meat out, and we have about 20 kg of ground beef left in our freezer.... so, yeah, what can I make with ground beef? The man was stoked about chippies, and suggested "what about mini meatballs?"
So, using some Victorian Epicure Seasoning for Meatloaf, and Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats, I made me my first meatballs. Ever. I've never made them before, really. :D
Dinnae's Gluten Free Meatballs
1 kg extra lean ground beef
3 large free range eggs
1 cup gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp Victorian Epicure Seasoning for Meatloaf
2 tsp seasoning salt
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
If you're able to, put a wire rack over a cookie sheet, so that you can place your meatballs on it, so the fat and juices can drip into the cookie sheet, keeping your meatballs as healthy as possible.
Shape your meatballs in roughly 2-3tsp portions, and place on wire rack.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven, thickness of meatballs, etc. To check for doneness, cut one of your centre meatballs in half.
Makes 50 meatballs.
Nutritional information (based on the sum of the ingredients):
Per 8 meatballs
256 calories; 9g fat; 11g carbs; 2g fibre; 31g protein
I served them with homemade GF beef gravy (leftover from roast night last Friday - thickened with potato starch instead of wheat flour), and of course, those carbs, shoestring chippies, and raw veggies and low fat dip. YUM! And surprise surprise, my boys inhaled them. Score!
02 October 2011
Corn bread and a Kitchen Aid...
So, yesterday, whilst making GF bread for the man, I killed not one, but TWO el cheapo hand mixers. Yes, that's right. KILLED 'EM. (Only one of them was brand new though, and that one I was able to salvage to give away, but the other one? Had to actually throw it out, it had dough in the MOTOR. O_o)
Covered in dough, LITERALLY from head to toe, I sent the man some pics and attached a message: "if you want to continue eating GF bread, you head on over to Costco and get the KitchenAid mixer that is on sale."
:D
Regular $379, down to $289. The 575watt motor... hubba hubba. This Empire Red mixin' machine is HUGE, and oh does it ever work well!
 |
| My Empire Red Kitchen Aid 575W Stand Mixer |
BTW, the bread I made yesterday turned out okay (millet bread), but I don't know if it fell hugely because of the mixer debacle or what....
So, today, of COURSE I gotta give it a go. I decided to try this recipe I've used but make some substitutions, and WHOA MAMA... it is SO good!
 |
| Corn bread - YUM! |
Corn Bread
2 1/2 c corn flour
1/2 c cornstarch
1/2 c tapioca starch
1 tbsp guar gum
2/3 c dry milk powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 c warm water
1/4 c melted butter
1 c warm water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (although any vinegar would probably work)
3 eggs (preferably at room temperature, or close to)
Combine the corn flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch, guar gum, dry milk powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix well.
In a small bowl, combine your sugar, yeast and first lot of warm water - stir to dissolve and let sit in a warm spot for 10 min or so until it gets all bubbly.
In another bowl, combine your butter, the second lot of warm water, and the vinegar. Add wet to dry, and then add the eggs, 1 at a time while mixing. Once thoroughly combined, add the yeast mix. Beat for 2 minutes on high (or about 3 or 4 on a KitchenAid ;) ).
Cover with plastic wrap (I spray with cooking spray first) and a towel, and let rise until doubled (your time will vary).
After the first rise, beat again for 3 minutes (high).
Grease a large loaf pan, and fill the pan about 2/3 high. Any extra dough, bake in muffin tins.
Put on a cookie sheet (in case of bubble-over) in your oven with the light on, and let rise until just over the top of the pan. (again, your time will vary, it took mine about 45 min or so.)
Once finished rising, turn your oven to 350 degrees F (do NOT take it out of the oven), and bake it for 30 - 40 minutes. After the first 10 minutes of baking, cover your loaf with foil, so the top doesn't get burnt.
*** This bread is VERY batter-y, almost cake-like. Do NOT be alarmed, it rises beautifully, and tastes SCRUMPTIOUS! ***
For those of you NEW to GF (gluten free) baking, corn flour is NOT corn meal, nor is it corn starch. I get mine at Save-on Foods in the bulk section, for those of you in BC and Alberta. ;)
31 July 2011
Multi Blend Gluten Free Flour Mix and WAFFLE recipe
REPOST:
This is a repost of a Facebook note that I wrote on 20 June, 2011.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As some of you know, Todd is gluten intolerant, and so in order to make it better for him to eat, I'm having a go at gluten-free cooking and baking. Today being father's day, I made him gluten free waffles with a flour mix I found on the 'net.
It's a VERY popular mix, on many sites, including http://glutenfree.wordpress.com (where i found it first - kate is one hella-talented writer and baker!), celiac.com and many others. This mix is touted as a great "beginner's mix"... perfect for me!!! (and so many others too!) As gf bakers get more confident, they rely less and less on "cure-all" mixes like this, and get more adventurous, but I'm just learnin' so I'm gonna go with this for now. So, I'll put down the recipe for the flour mix and notes about the flour(s), and then the waffle mix, along with some notes at the end about how gf works with this recipe.
Multi Blend GF Flour Mix
1 c brown rice flour
1 1/4 c white rice flour
1/4 c potato starch flour
2/3 c tapioca starch flour
3/4 c sweet rice flour
1/3 c cornstarch
3 tsp guar gum (or 2 tsp xanthan gum)
* I tripled this recipe, and it fits nicely in an ice cream bucket.
* you can use straight brown rice flour instead of the white and brown - it's healthier actually, and in some opinion (I agree) tastes better. white rice flour is the one that gives items the chalky, gritty taste/texture, so you want to use the white sparingly.
* you can use any combination of brown and rice flour that suits you, as well as "superfine rice flour". i haven't found superfine yet, so that might be just an American thing.
* you can use pure buckwheat, amaranth, or quinoa flours in place of the rice flours as well.
* this mix can be used for sweets, tortillas, waffles, pancakes, etc.
* if using it for the following, add extra xanthan or guar gum PER 1 CUP OF FLOUR MIX to your recipe:
breads 1 tsp/cup
cakes/quickbreads 1/2 tsp/cup
cookies 1/4 tsp/cup
*use CUP FOR CUP when wanting to replace traditional wheat flour in your recipes.
*guar gum is the least expensive, but you can also use xanthan gum. (edited to add: I've read that you when using guar vs xanthan, you want to use 1.5 times the amount of guar. Ie: 2 tsp xanthan = 3 tsp guar.)
*I found the tapioca (68 cents!) and sweet rice flours ($2.49!!!) at Superstore in the Asian section (I'm sure Save-on would most likely have them in WL folks), and white and brown rice flours in the bulk section at Save On Foods... the remaining ingredients I got at a local place called Organic Grocer. All told, my ice cream bucket of flour cost about $12 (and that is just an estimate, I can't remember how much I paid for the rice flours last year). Next shopping I'm going to check out T&T Supermarket (a biiiiig Asian grocery store here in the Lower Mainland), and I'm guessing I should be able to find other stuff there too.
*this mix will take LONGER TO ABSORB your liquid, so don't panic if it's SUPER watery at first, like I did this morning. :P I ended up adding extra flour to my waffle batter, the first thing I made with it, which it still tasted GREAT, but made for very thick, hard to pour/dish out batter. And coming from someone who makes waffles at least twice a month, I do *kinda* know what I'm talking about. LOL I will be trying it out on some cookies for T's lunch tomorrow.
****A lot of those notes above are a combination of stuff I've learned in some basic researching on the net regarding gluten free baking. Some GREAT sources that I've found are:
http://glutenfree.wordpress.com
http://www.celiac.com
http://www.cookingglutenfree.com
*OLD SCHOOL* Waffle Recipe
--> I'm calling it old school because it came from one of my mum's OLD cookbooks, and my mum doesn't even remember which book I got it from (but I remember what it looked like!), and SHE doesn't remember using a recipe with shortening in it, but I do... LOL I remember making them *myself * over 10 years ago, and have no clue where the recipe is from. I have compared it to other waffle recipes though, and the ingredients are pretty standard.
1 2/3 c flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 2/3 c milk
6 tbsp shortening, melted
2 egg whites, beaten stiff
sift dry ingredients. beat together yolks, milk and shortening (do NOT add yolks DIRECTLY to shortening or it will cook them); add to sifted ingredients. beat until mostly smooth (there will be lumps of shortening though - just ensure your flour is all blended in); fold in egg whites.
*I usually double this recipe, and on my Belgian iron, I get 11 waffles with a doubled recipe. I keep the leftovers in an airtight container, and we toast them (like Eggos) and eat throughout the week. (and the boys LOVE just having a 1/4 of a waffle for a snack. ;) )
*the first time you try these gluten-free, give your mix time to absorb - don't panic like I did and add extra flour. Mine still turned out great, but I think they'd have been fine had I just left the flour to do it's thing for longer.
This is a repost of a Facebook note that I wrote on 20 June, 2011.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As some of you know, Todd is gluten intolerant, and so in order to make it better for him to eat, I'm having a go at gluten-free cooking and baking. Today being father's day, I made him gluten free waffles with a flour mix I found on the 'net.
It's a VERY popular mix, on many sites, including http://glutenfree.wordpress.com (where i found it first - kate is one hella-talented writer and baker!), celiac.com and many others. This mix is touted as a great "beginner's mix"... perfect for me!!! (and so many others too!) As gf bakers get more confident, they rely less and less on "cure-all" mixes like this, and get more adventurous, but I'm just learnin' so I'm gonna go with this for now. So, I'll put down the recipe for the flour mix and notes about the flour(s), and then the waffle mix, along with some notes at the end about how gf works with this recipe.
Multi Blend GF Flour Mix
1 c brown rice flour
1 1/4 c white rice flour
1/4 c potato starch flour
2/3 c tapioca starch flour
3/4 c sweet rice flour
1/3 c cornstarch
3 tsp guar gum (or 2 tsp xanthan gum)
* I tripled this recipe, and it fits nicely in an ice cream bucket.
* you can use straight brown rice flour instead of the white and brown - it's healthier actually, and in some opinion (I agree) tastes better. white rice flour is the one that gives items the chalky, gritty taste/texture, so you want to use the white sparingly.
* you can use any combination of brown and rice flour that suits you, as well as "superfine rice flour". i haven't found superfine yet, so that might be just an American thing.
* you can use pure buckwheat, amaranth, or quinoa flours in place of the rice flours as well.
* this mix can be used for sweets, tortillas, waffles, pancakes, etc.
* if using it for the following, add extra xanthan or guar gum PER 1 CUP OF FLOUR MIX to your recipe:
breads 1 tsp/cup
cakes/quickbreads 1/2 tsp/cup
cookies 1/4 tsp/cup
*use CUP FOR CUP when wanting to replace traditional wheat flour in your recipes.
*guar gum is the least expensive, but you can also use xanthan gum. (edited to add: I've read that you when using guar vs xanthan, you want to use 1.5 times the amount of guar. Ie: 2 tsp xanthan = 3 tsp guar.)
*I found the tapioca (68 cents!) and sweet rice flours ($2.49!!!) at Superstore in the Asian section (I'm sure Save-on would most likely have them in WL folks), and white and brown rice flours in the bulk section at Save On Foods... the remaining ingredients I got at a local place called Organic Grocer. All told, my ice cream bucket of flour cost about $12 (and that is just an estimate, I can't remember how much I paid for the rice flours last year). Next shopping I'm going to check out T&T Supermarket (a biiiiig Asian grocery store here in the Lower Mainland), and I'm guessing I should be able to find other stuff there too.
*this mix will take LONGER TO ABSORB your liquid, so don't panic if it's SUPER watery at first, like I did this morning. :P I ended up adding extra flour to my waffle batter, the first thing I made with it, which it still tasted GREAT, but made for very thick, hard to pour/dish out batter. And coming from someone who makes waffles at least twice a month, I do *kinda* know what I'm talking about. LOL I will be trying it out on some cookies for T's lunch tomorrow.
****A lot of those notes above are a combination of stuff I've learned in some basic researching on the net regarding gluten free baking. Some GREAT sources that I've found are:
http://glutenfree.wordpress.com
http://www.celiac.com
http://www.cookingglutenfree.com
*OLD SCHOOL* Waffle Recipe
--> I'm calling it old school because it came from one of my mum's OLD cookbooks, and my mum doesn't even remember which book I got it from (but I remember what it looked like!), and SHE doesn't remember using a recipe with shortening in it, but I do... LOL I remember making them *myself * over 10 years ago, and have no clue where the recipe is from. I have compared it to other waffle recipes though, and the ingredients are pretty standard.
1 2/3 c flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 2/3 c milk
6 tbsp shortening, melted
2 egg whites, beaten stiff
sift dry ingredients. beat together yolks, milk and shortening (do NOT add yolks DIRECTLY to shortening or it will cook them); add to sifted ingredients. beat until mostly smooth (there will be lumps of shortening though - just ensure your flour is all blended in); fold in egg whites.
*I usually double this recipe, and on my Belgian iron, I get 11 waffles with a doubled recipe. I keep the leftovers in an airtight container, and we toast them (like Eggos) and eat throughout the week. (and the boys LOVE just having a 1/4 of a waffle for a snack. ;) )
*the first time you try these gluten-free, give your mix time to absorb - don't panic like I did and add extra flour. Mine still turned out great, but I think they'd have been fine had I just left the flour to do it's thing for longer.
27 July 2011
Gluten Free Adventures begin...
So the man is gluten intolerant. Not celiac, we don't think, as he doesn't get violently ill, or rashy... just that his tummy doesn't gripe so much when he's off gluten.
And maybe me too? Maybe why I'm always so damn tired (oh wait, 'cause it's 1am right now.. :P ), bloated, cranky, eczema-ey... etc. I'm going to a naturopath next month to get tested... who knows, maybe our whole house will end up being gluten-free....
Anyway, we THOUGHT he had issues with yeast and just wheat, turns out it's pretty much just gluten. (Not that yeast is a good thing in excess, but he had to give up his beloved Vegemite before, now... not so much.)
The last few months have been hairy - the decision to move south to the Greater Vancouver area, the move (whoa), unpacking (double-whoa), and adjusting to life with daddy away from the house for 11 hours a day (when previously, being self-employed, he was here 24/7 to help mummy when she was going batty). And maybe a bit of fb activism regarding HM4HB thrown in for good measure too (see previous post). ;) OOH, AND, fitting time in there to learn/research about being gluten-free.
I've been baking a bit, trying some new recipes, as well as adapting old ones.... and tonight I did the latter. I adapted MY banana muffin recipe. (yes, it's truly mine, I've been tweaking it now for about a decade.) But... I made a boo-boo. Part-way in to baking, I realised that I didn't have enough gluten free flour blend, so rather than wasting a schwackload of time mixing up another batch of blend, I improvised using the chana flour I'd bought today. (Boo hoo! Yeah right, I was stoked to try out baking with the chana!) The result was this yummy Banana Chocolate Chip Flax Seed Muffin that TASTES BETTER than its' wheat counterpart! REALLY! Sooooo excited. :) :) :) Pic and recipe below....
Dinnae's Banana Chocolate Chip Flax Seed Muffin
3 bananas, mashed
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c oil
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 c + 2 tbsp gluten free flour blend (recipe below)
2 tbsp sweet rice flour
1/4 c chana flour (aka chickpea or garbanzo flour - chana is the Indian name for it)
2 tbsp flax meal
2 tbsp flax seeds
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c chocolate chips
Notes:
I used muffin TOP pans, so I baked mine for 7 min, rotated them (my oven is old-school and not even), and then baked another 4-5 min. Full size muffins would probably be about 18 - 20 min, give or take.
This can also be baked in a loaf, but I'd probably drop the temp down to 325F and then bake for 45-60 min.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I found the following recipe at a couple of different sources, but most notably www.celiac.com and GlutenFree Gobsmacked
Gluten-Free Flour Blend
Kate (GF Gobsmacked) uses superfine rice flour, which I haven't been able to find here in Canada, and I also adjusted it for guar instead of xanthan gum. Xanthan is more expensive (like crazy so), and guar gum needs a bit more. On the Bob's Red Mill site, it said that subbing guar for xanthan is ok, but generally one should multiply it by 1.5 to get the same consistency.
Alrighty then, so there it is, my first GF recipe posted to my blog. I've posted a few to facebook (which I think will make their merry little way over here), but this is the first one I've done on here. Yay! Here's to more baking, and more posting yummy recipes and pics!
And maybe me too? Maybe why I'm always so damn tired (oh wait, 'cause it's 1am right now.. :P ), bloated, cranky, eczema-ey... etc. I'm going to a naturopath next month to get tested... who knows, maybe our whole house will end up being gluten-free....
Anyway, we THOUGHT he had issues with yeast and just wheat, turns out it's pretty much just gluten. (Not that yeast is a good thing in excess, but he had to give up his beloved Vegemite before, now... not so much.)
The last few months have been hairy - the decision to move south to the Greater Vancouver area, the move (whoa), unpacking (double-whoa), and adjusting to life with daddy away from the house for 11 hours a day (when previously, being self-employed, he was here 24/7 to help mummy when she was going batty). And maybe a bit of fb activism regarding HM4HB thrown in for good measure too (see previous post). ;) OOH, AND, fitting time in there to learn/research about being gluten-free.
I've been baking a bit, trying some new recipes, as well as adapting old ones.... and tonight I did the latter. I adapted MY banana muffin recipe. (yes, it's truly mine, I've been tweaking it now for about a decade.) But... I made a boo-boo. Part-way in to baking, I realised that I didn't have enough gluten free flour blend, so rather than wasting a schwackload of time mixing up another batch of blend, I improvised using the chana flour I'd bought today. (Boo hoo! Yeah right, I was stoked to try out baking with the chana!) The result was this yummy Banana Chocolate Chip Flax Seed Muffin that TASTES BETTER than its' wheat counterpart! REALLY! Sooooo excited. :) :) :) Pic and recipe below....
 |
| Don't they look stinkin' scrumptious???? |
Dinnae's Banana Chocolate Chip Flax Seed Muffin
3 bananas, mashed
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c oil
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 c + 2 tbsp gluten free flour blend (recipe below)
2 tbsp sweet rice flour
1/4 c chana flour (aka chickpea or garbanzo flour - chana is the Indian name for it)
2 tbsp flax meal
2 tbsp flax seeds
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c chocolate chips
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray or line with muffin liners.
- Mash your bananas; add beaten eggs, sugar and oil - whisk together well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients except the chips.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix well (get out all the dry lumps) but do not overmix.
- Fold in chips.
- Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, and bake until golden.
Notes:
I used muffin TOP pans, so I baked mine for 7 min, rotated them (my oven is old-school and not even), and then baked another 4-5 min. Full size muffins would probably be about 18 - 20 min, give or take.
This can also be baked in a loaf, but I'd probably drop the temp down to 325F and then bake for 45-60 min.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I found the following recipe at a couple of different sources, but most notably www.celiac.com and GlutenFree Gobsmacked
Gluten-Free Flour Blend
- 2 1/4 c brown rice flour
- 1/4 c potato starch
- 2/3 c tapioca flour
- 3/4 c sweet rice flour
- 1/3 c cornstarch
- 1 tbsp guar gum
Kate (GF Gobsmacked) uses superfine rice flour, which I haven't been able to find here in Canada, and I also adjusted it for guar instead of xanthan gum. Xanthan is more expensive (like crazy so), and guar gum needs a bit more. On the Bob's Red Mill site, it said that subbing guar for xanthan is ok, but generally one should multiply it by 1.5 to get the same consistency.
Alrighty then, so there it is, my first GF recipe posted to my blog. I've posted a few to facebook (which I think will make their merry little way over here), but this is the first one I've done on here. Yay! Here's to more baking, and more posting yummy recipes and pics!
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