April 26, 2024

Gluten Free Graham Cracker

June 24, 2013 by

Here on our At Home with GCH blog, Monday’s are always focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes.  As promised, for the next few weeks we are going to prepare some gluten free treats that you can share at your bbq’s, picnics, hoedowns, and block parties.  Today’s recipe is for gluten free Graham Crackers.  Can you say “s’mores?”

2013-06-21 18.44.45

Gluten Free Graham Crackers*

Ingredients:
2+1/4 cups gluten free flour mix (see below)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2  teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons COLD butter, margarine or shortening of your choice, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons cold water
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping Ingredients:
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

  • Mix together the gluten free flour mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt.
  • Work COLD butter into dry ingredients using a pastry blender, fork, (or even your fingertips) ‘till thoroughly crumbly and all butter is incorporated.
  • Mix the cold water, honey, and vanilla together.  Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing with a fork.  If dough seems too dry, add a very little bit more cold water, just one teaspoon at a time.
  • Place dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, gather up, and shape into a rectangle.  Cover completely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
  • Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your baking sheet with a little overhang for ‘handles.’  For ease of rolling, cut a gallon size zip-top bag open along the sides (leaving bottom seam intact) so that it now opens flat into one long sheet.  Since it is a little thicker than plastic wrap, it will make rolling the dough out much easier!
  • Place parchment paper on your countertop and, when dough is chilled, divide in half and place one half onto the parchment paper.  Cover with the plastic bag and roll the dough out to about  1/4 inch thickness, or thinner…depending on how thick you like your graham crackers.
  • Using the parchment paper, lift the rolled-out dough right onto the baking sheet.  Lightly cut into 2 inch squares (a pizza cutter works well for this!).  Prick lightly all over with a fork and sprinkle with a little of the cinnamon topping.   Chill for 10 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 325 while dough is chilling.
  • Bake for 14-15 minutes or until they start to brown on the edges.  Sprinkle with a small amount of the cinnamon sugar topping IMMEDIATELY after taking from oven.  You might want to run the pizza cutter back over your cut marks while still warm and loosen them. Let cookies cool slightly before transferring to cooling rack.
  • Repeat the rolling, cutting, baking process with the second half of the dough.  I used the same piece of parchment paper and the same plastic bag for rolling, too.
  • Oh!  Any too thin pieces or broken pieces can be saved and crumbled to make a gluten free crust!  Enjoy!

Gluten Free Flour Blend (makes enough for two batches)
1 cup garbanzo +fava or sorghum or chickpea flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 cup corn starch or potato starch or arrowroot

½ cup millet, or amaranth or quinoa or oat flour
½ cup fine brown rice flour
¾ cup almond flour

Whisk ingredients together until well blended.  Use 2+1/4 cups for this recipe and keep extra stored in the refrigerator until needed.

*This recipe was inspired by a similar one from Living Without magazine and website.  They are a great resource for those with not only gluten allergies and sensitivities but other food allergies as well.  You should check their website out!

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

_________________________________

If you would like to send a personal message to Coleen concerning this blog post, you may email her at: Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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Gluten-Free Hearty Whole Grain Bread

June 10, 2013 by

Here on our At Home with GCH blog, Monday’s are always focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes.  We’ve been on a gluten-free kick for quite a while now.  This week I am going to share my husband’s favorite gluten-free loaf of bread.  Shhhhh… (it is made from a mix)!  Really truly!  And it is incredible!  Very hearty…nice, thick crust…tasty…and full of such good-for-you ingredients.

This mix Hearty Whole Grain Bread Mix is made by a wonderful company, Bob’s Red Mill.  They offer an extensive line of gluten-free baking products as well as many other items.  You should check their website out!  Many grocery stores and ‘big-box’ stores carry their products.

IMG_1621

Here’s the list from the label (note there are no preservatives or ingredients with 14 letters):

  • whole grain buckwheat
  • garbanzo bean flour
  • potato starch
  • cornstarch  IMG_1617
  • sunflower seeds
  • sesame seeds
  • whole grain sorghum flour
  • tapioca flour
  • cocoa powder
  • evaporated cane juice
  • fava bean flour
  • dried molasses
  • xanthan gum
  • caraway seeds
  • active dry yeast
  • sea salt
  • whole grain teff
  • potato flour
  • onion powder
  • guar gum
  • soy lecithin

If your home is like ours…this will be gone within 2-3 days.  This bread has no preservatives so you might consider keeping it in the refrigerator.  Slice as needed.

Additional Ingredients: IMG_1615
1+3/4 cups warm (110 degrees) water
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Directions:

  1. Dissolve enclosed packet of yeast in the warm (110 degrees) water; let stand for 5 minutes ‘til foamy
  2. Grease a 9X5 loaf pan; then line with parchment paper, cut to fit.  also grease parchment paper
  3. Pour dry mix into stand mixer bowl
  4. Add yeasty water mixture and run mixer for 15 seconds
  5. Add eggs, oil, cider vinegar
  6. With mixer on low, blend ‘till batter is smooth and all ingredients are incorporated
  7. Turn mixer to medium speed and beat for 15-20 seconds
  8. Pour batter into loaf pan; smooth top of batter with wet fingers or spatula
  9. Cover loaf pan with plastic wrap and put in a warm (75-80 degrees) place to rise for 40-45 minutes; I place mine into the microwave.  Allow dough to rise so it is level with the top edge of pan
  10. Preheat oven to 375
  11. When dough has risen, bake for 60-65 minutes or ‘til internal temperature of bread is 205 degrees (I use an instant – read thermometer)
  12. Cover bread with a loose tent of foil after approximately 35-40 minutes as it starts to brown
  13. Remove from oven; allow to cool for 5 minutes
  14. Then loosen edges of bread with a knife or small spatula
  15. Using parchment paper strips, lift bread from pan and place on wire rack to cool completely before slicing
  16. As the bread is cooling, I rub the top ONLY of the loaf with about a 1/2 tablespoon of butter; this just softens the top crust of this very hearty loaf of bread

 

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

_________________________________

If you would like to send a personal message to Coleen concerning this blog post, you may email her at: Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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At Home with GCH: Strawberry Shortcake (Gluten-Free)

May 10, 2013 by

 

Strawberry Shortcake Whole

Strawberry Shortcake is one of those comfort food recipes that everyone’s Mom or Grandmom makes a version of.  When Spring arrives and berries finally come to the store, what better way to dress up a plain old cake than with sweet, juicy fruit?  I wanted to make a healthier version, so I adapted a recipe for a coconut flour cake, spruced up with orange zest, from Nourishing Days.  Add whipped cream and a basket of berries and you’re in business!

 

Strawberry Shortcake Cut
Strawberry Shortcake (Gluten-Free)

Ingredients:

  • 12 eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil (or butter), softened
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk (or regular milk)
  • 1/4 cup honey (or more, if you like)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
  • 2 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1 cup coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup strawberries, sliced thin
  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • optional – 1 or 2 teaspoons sugar (I didn’t use them, since my berries were really sweet.  If your strawberries aren’t as sweet as you’d like, add the sugar to the whipping cream)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350*F.  Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, and then cut a circle of parchment paper for the bottom of each pan, and grease that too.  (You can do this without parchment paper, but you will need to be really liberal with the coconut oil / butter / cooking spray on the bottom of the pan.  The cake stuck the first time I made it, so the next time I used parchment paper, and it was perfect!)
  2. In a very large bowl, using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the eggs until frothy.  Beat in the softened coconut oil and milk, blending well.  Mix in the honey, vanilla, orange zest and orange juice.  Beat until foamy again.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the coconut flour, baking powder and salt.  Then, a little at a time, blend the flour mixture into the egg mixture.  Mix well, making sure there are no lumps.
  4. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes.  When a toothpick comes out dry, remove from the oven and cool for ten minutes.  Remove from pans, and finish cooling on a rack.
  5. While the cake is cooling, place the beaters of your hand mixer and a metal mixing bowl in the freezer for half an hour.  Slice the strawberries and put back in the fridge until ready to use.
  6. When the beaters and bowl are very cold, beat the whipping cream with the vanilla (and optional sugar) until stiff peaks form.  To decorate:  spread a very thin layer of whipped cream on the top of one cake.  Make concentric circles of strawberry slices (use half the strawberries, saving the other half for the top), then cover with a thick layer of whipped cream.  Place the other cake on top of this, cover with the rest of the whipped cream and the rest of the strawberries.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is not a very sweet cake, since it relies on the berries for sweetness.  If your berries are not sweet enough for your taste, you can add more honey to the cake, and the optional sugar to the whipped cream.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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GCH:What’s on Your Plate? – Gluten-free Muffins

December 14, 2012 by

This will be Renee’s last post for GCH.  She has been offered a job by her local newspaper.  We would like to thank her for the awesome posts she has submitted, and pray that God will bless her new job!  Thanks much Renee!

Gluten-free Muffins

by Renee Porter Sullivan, CHt

Ingredients

1 Very Ripe Banana (approx. 1/2-3/4 cup)

4 Whole Pastured Eggs (Or extra Omega-3)

1/3 to 1/2 Cup Filtered Water (adjust for consistency)

1 Organic Apple (finely chopped) or 2 Organic Carrots (Grated) or approx. 3/4 cup pumpkin or winter  squash (grated)

2 1/4 cups Almond Meal (Trader Joe’s)1/4 Cup Dried Raisins or Dried Cranberries depending on the combination you choose (optional)

1-2 Tbsp. Coconut Flour (adjust as needed)

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

2-3 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg (optional)

1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves (optional)

1/4 Cup Coconut Oil (melted)

Please feel free to be creative with your spices and the combination of fruit/vegetables  and dried fruit you choose.  The recipe is basic and open to experimentation.  Use whatever is in season and fresh.  The Almond Meal is high in fat and coconut flour is very dry, so adjust the quantities according to the desired texture you want.  More Almond flower will give more moisture, more coconut will balance with a dryer texture.  Altitude will change your ratios as well.

Directions

  1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
  2. Mash the banana in a large mixing bowl with a fork
  3. Add the eggs, water and apples or other fruit/vegetables to the banana.  Melt the coconut oil and add here. Mix well.  Add dried fruit at the end.
  4. Mix dry ingredients in another bowl. Almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and spices.  Blend well.
  5. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and mix until all is well incorporated.  Don’t over do it.
  6. Grease muffin tins with coconut oil.  I don’t recommend using papers unless you need to.  Silicone muffin molds are excellent for this as well.  No extra grease is needed in that  case.
  7. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full.  These muffins don’t rise much. You may choose to fill them more after you make these once depending on your results.  I fill mine almost full.
  8. Bake for 18-22 minutes.  Do the toothpick test to see if they are done.  Don’t over-bake.  They will burn due to the high fat content of the almond flour.
  9. These are great hot out of the oven.

These muffins are really easy and a great thing to teach the kids.  They can make these themselves and serve to Mom for breakfast in bed!  There are no power tools needed and only a few ingredients.  Just making them with an apple and nothing else will give great results, no need to get too complex.  An apple and cinnamon alone will be enough.

If you are looking for a great way to fellowship with other Christian women, check into our upcoming online Bible studies!  For more information, click HERE.  If you have any questions, please send us an email at: Christi@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

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GCH: What’s on Your Plate? — Grass-Fed Burger on Marinated Portobello’s

November 9, 2012 by

 

This version of the All-American Burger satisfies our craving for participation in the Sunday Barbecue while honoring our desire to abstain from ingesting gluten.  Just put the Portobello in a Zip-Lock bag or some other container to marinate while the festivities are proceeding.  They will be ready to throw on the grill with the burgers when everyone else is warming their traditional buns.

One note of caution; if you don’t know what condiments are being served by your host be sure to take your own.  Common condiments like Barbecue sauces, mayonnaise, thousand island dressing ketchup and even prepared mustard’s can contain gluten.  Unless you want to be the “Label Police” at your friend’s house, just choose to take your gluten-free condiments with you.

Gracious Guest/ Party Suggestion: I like to make a gift basket with the Gluten Free Condiments as a hostess gift.  This way, you are saying thank you to your host as well as making sure you have the gluten-free dining experience you desire.

It is important that you do your homework on what products truly are gluten-free.  There are some great Apps that help with this as well as the Gluten Free Society website www.glutenfreesociety.com, which is loaded with information on maintaining a gluten-free lifestyle.  This site is my go-to site, as different people have different needs when it comes to gluten.  There are many great choices for information available.  These are just some suggestions.

I am a proponent of complete gluten avoidance, but others may choose to simply remove the main sources such as wheat, barley, and rye.  This is a great place to start, but if you are truly gluten sensitive, a complete elimination is required to protect your health.  If you aren’t sure where you are on this spectrum, get tested.  I will have more information on testing in upcoming posts.  For now, I believe we can all benefit from the elimination of gluten from our diet in order to heal our bodies and our digestive systems.  Our body has been suffering the consequences of the gluten assault we have been perpetrating on ourselves over our entire lifetimes.  I guarantee you will feel so much better in such a short time, you won’t want to go back.

Funny thing, anyone will eat your gluten-free options.  No need to make a fuss over it.  In my opinion, this is a great example of how taking care of ourselves and our own health brings the gift of health and happiness to others in previously unimagined ways.

Make your gift Organic and Gluten-free and you have doubled the value.  Enjoy.

 

Ingredients:

This recipe serves 2 but you can multiply as needed.

1 pound Grass-Fed Organic Ground Beef, Turkey, Lamb, Venison, Bison, Buffalo, Elk etc…you get the idea (Vegetarian Option: Veggie Burger that is confirmed Gluten Free)***

4 – 4-6″ diameter Portobello mushrooms Pull out the stem of the mushrooms, then gently scrape out the gills with a spoon leaving just the firm flesh of the caps to be marinated.

 

Basic Marinade:

2-3 Tbsp Organic Expeller Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1-2 Tbsp Organic Balsamic Vinegar (Modello, Italy)

1-2 Cloves Organic Garlic Crushed and allowed to sit for 5 minutes

1-2 Tsp Organic Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (from a real lemon)

1/2 Tsp Real Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt (to taste)

Ground Black Pepper to taste

Other spices can be added to this basic marinade to accommodate your tastes.  You can make it Italian, Mexican, Indian or any flavor at all.  The options are endless.  Spices add to the ORAC value of this burger “bun”.  Especially good is Turmeric.  But, be creative and make it your own.  Just NO MSG please!

Mix all the marinade ingredients together or just add them to the Zip-Lock bag as you go.  I never measure my marinade ingredients.  Just dump it all in the bag.  After you have added all the ingredients for the marinade, zip the bag shut and squish it around to mix.

You can make the marinade ahead of time and keep it on the counter or in the refrigerator.  It will just get better as it sits.

When you are about an hour from cooking, add the mushrooms to the bag to marinate.  The mushrooms will soak up the liquid so be sure they are thoroughly coated with the mixture right away.  You may even want to agitate the bag periodically to make sure the marinade is evenly distributed.

Note: I do not recommend soaking the mushrooms more than an hour as they will tend to get soggy and no one likes a soggy “bun”.

 

Burgers:

I like to mix spices into my burger.  You can be creative on this, as well.  Maybe some garlic and diced onion, Cajun seasoning, Italian Seasoning, anything you like will be fine.  Even leaving them plain works.  You can always add salt and pepper or other flavors later.

I make my burgers about 8 oz. raw.  They will be about 6 oz. cooked that way.  This depends, of course, on the variety of burger you use.  Grass-Fed beef tends to be more lean than regular hamburger.  Other meats will behave differently of course.

Cooking:

You can barbecue the mushrooms on the indirect heat portion of the grill right along with the burgers.  Make sure you turn them with tongs so that you don’t poke holes in them.  Same goes for the burgers.  Poking holes with a fork allows the juices to drip out.  Not my idea of a juicy burger.

Burgers and mushrooms should be cooked to medium rare status in about 4-5 minutes per side.  Over cooking the mushrooms will result in floppy “buns”.  Over cooking the burger will result in destruction of vitamins and beneficial enzymes, not to mention taste.  But, burger done-ness is a personal choice.

It is also fine to broil the burgers and the mushrooms if the weather is not of the barbecue variety.

 

Condiments as desired:

Romaine Lettuce Leaves

Sliced Tomato

Bubbie’s or Homemade Dill Pickle Slices

Organic Avocado

Sliced Red Onion

Organic Pastures Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese

These are my favorites burger additions.  But, feel free to experiment.

 

Some ideas:

You could toss some sliced Anaheim Chilies, Red Bell Peppers or even Sliced Summer Squash, egg-plant, or other grill-able vegetables into the bag of marinade with the mushrooms and throw those on the grill along with the “Buns” and burgers.  Then add to the burger stack.  The possibilities are endless.


***Note on the Veggie Burger option:

ALL GRAINS CONTAIN GLUTEN!!! If you want to eliminate gluten from your diet completely, and want to have a Veggie Burger you must make absolutely certain you choose an option that is made from beans and legumes.  I am not familiar with all the brands available currently.  Read the label and do your homework.  I do not eat Soy, Beans or legumes myself so I am not a good resource for these options.  The website I have listed for Gluten Free Society is a great resource for this type of information.

Enjoy!

Renee Porter Sullivan, CHt

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GCH: What’s on Your Plate? Launches TOMORROW!!

October 31, 2012 by

 

Beginning tomorrow, we will take the next two days to introduce you to our six bloggers who will be bringing you some amazing recipes each day here on GCH: What’s On Your Plate?!

 

 

Monday:  

Coleen Hayden will bring you “Good for You…and Yummy, too” recipes!

Tuesday:  

Shauna Jared will bring you “Southern Comfort” recipes!

Wednesday:

Liz Lanza will bring you “Family-Style” recipes!

Thursday:

Dana Kim will bring you “Ethnic Cuisine” recipes!

Friday:

Renee Sullivan will bring you “Gluten-Free” recipes!

Saturday:  

Shandy Showers will bring you delicious “Dessert” recipes!

 

Tomorrow, to get us started off to a great start, we are hosting an awesome GIVEAWAY!!  This tool will help you greatly, in the kitchen!!  You won’t want to miss this!  It happens to be one of my most favorite tools in my own kitchen!  So be sure to check out our blog on both Thursday AND Friday for more details!!

 

Until then, What’s on Your Plate?

Christi

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