GF Masa Flatbread

Basic Recipe

• 1 c. masa harina
• 1 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 tsp. salt

This was easy. Mix it together. Heat your skillet with 1/2" oil. Spoon batter in and flatten to 3-4" circles. Fry on each side until brown. Drain on paper towels and salt lightly.

Pictures coming soon!!

Gluten-Free Flour Mix

I have borrowed every GF cookbook my libary has. I have tried different mixes from heavy on rice, to heavy on sorghum, to heavy on cornstarch - this one was fluffy and so YUMMY - like a flour cake... next day it was like eating sawdust cake!

My favorite comes from the gluten free waffle recipe, so I just made a huge batch. I have determined that (so far) for the things I have made, it doesn't matter if I use potato starch or tapioca starch. So use what you can find of the two, just make sure it is STARCH and not a flour...




Dreamer's Alcove Favorite GF Flour Mix
6 cups brown rice flour
2 cups sorghum
2 cups potato or tapioca starch (not flour)

For a small batch (or to mix your own amount)

3/4 cups brown rice flour
1/4 cups sorghum
1/4 cups potato or tapioca starch (not flour)


Mix well until no streaks remain then use as regular flour.

Click here for "Tips for making GF recipes more "like you remember"!



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Gluten-Free Cooking Tips

Having a had time making your GF recipes like you'e used to?  Can't find (or afford!!) guar or xanthan gum? Or maybe it just doesn't agree with your already sensitive digestive tact?  Try some of these tips I've discovered since I started my GF lifestyle.



If your recipe calls for eggs

• separate the eggs


• beat the yolks into the mixture was usual


• beat the whites until stiff peaks form


• fold them into the mixture

The lightness of the eggs will give your recipes that less dense, fluffy texture.

If you recipe calls for guar gum or xanthan gum

• use double the amount of finely ground flax seed


• stir it into any of the liquids (oil, milk, etc) before mixing dry ingredients


• soak the mixture while mixing the dry ingredients (skipping the "gum")

Add it in just like the other wet ingredients and continue with your recipe.

To replace egg in a recipe

• 1 table spoon finely ground flax seed (per egg)


• 3 tablespoons water (per egg)


• stir (or blend) until thick and gelatinous


• use in place of egg in your recipe.

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Don't be afraid to experiment

My dieting quest really kicked into gear when I talked to a holistic doctor/accupuncturist who suggested the anti-inflammatory diet to discover if food was causing some of my abdominal pain, allergies, and/or headaches.

I discovered that my cuprits were:

• meat (severe PAIN worse than AF cramps when I have even a 3-4oz serving)
• wheat (heavy congestion, hay-fever like itchy/sneezy symptoms, and headaches)
• and dairy products add to the congestion.

I have backed off of meat and dairy and I try my best to cut wheat out of my diet at least 6 days a week.



It was easy enough to cook something with meat/dary and have a serving and just leave my serving of meat in the pot. The broth/stock doesn't bother me. More meat for DH? Yeah, he didn;t complain much!! And when I did make something strictly vegetarian or vegan I just cooked a servoing of seasoned chicken breast on teh side for him.

But it was hard to learn to cook wheat free. I bake a lot, and I had to learn how to thicken (and color) my sauces and gravies without using flour (and roux). I had to experiment  A LOT!

I spent a lot of time in the library and online googling gluten free flours. I check out every GF cookbook my library had.. TWICE! I fiddled around with recipes till I found a flour mix I like and I used it to create other recipes.

Cooking is rarely a science, and when it is it is baking, so converting to GF has been fun.. a challenge for sure, but fun.

As with GF dishes, don't be afraid to experiment with your favorite foods while dieting! If your favorite dinner is obviously high fat & calorie laden, EXPERIMENT!! Change it up to be healthier!

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Anything with heavy cream soups can be recreated at home with corn starch and low-fat milk instead, or you might be able to find a lower fat / wheat free version in the store. 
2. Pasta and rice dishes can be made a little healthier just by switching to a whole grain variety. (When planning remember these take a little longer to cook!)
3. Whole chicken pieces can be made healthier by simply stripping off the skin and trimming off the fat.
4. Switch to boneless, skinless chicken breasts and avoid dark meat for a small calorie/fat decrease.
5. Trim fat off of red meats & pork.
6. Switch to low fat ground beef for your recipes, or even low fat ground turkey!
7. Use healthy "fillers". Instead of using the mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta to fill up, add and extra cup of veggies or beans to your recipe then cut back your starch portion by 1/4 to 1/2 cup. You won't miss it and your grocery bill won't go up THAT much.
8. A baked potato with 1/2 c broccoli florets and a sprinkle of low-fat cheese is healthier than filling it with butter and sour cream... and even better (health and taste wise) than eating a sandwich and chips!
9. Try low-sodium or sodium-free seasonings to add flavor without adding water weight gain! Mrs. Dash and Weber are a few brands that offer many possibilities.
10. MAKE YOUR OWN!! Making your own broths is healthier than buying one in the store. You can control ingredients, seasonings, and salt. Put a decent sized freezer bag in the freezer and every time you peel carrots, cut the stems off broccoli, the ends off onions... wilted carrots, spinach, or kale that are still ok to eat but don't look pretty in your soup. (No potatoes - keep the starch down) put them in the bag and freeze them. When it's full put them in a stock pot with 1.5-2 gallons of water (and salt-free seasoning to taste if you want - I do mine plain) and bring to a boil. Turn it down low and simmer for 3-4 hours then strain the veggies out and store in freezable containers (peanut butter jars work great!) Freeze until used.

I'll add more when I think of it, but I hope that is enough to get you started!

Gluten-free Childhood Faves: Marshmallow Rice Treats

So I have been seeing in stores that Kellog's is marketing Rice Krispies as gluten free. Of course the first thing I thought was RICE KRISPY TREATS!!!!!! But I wanted to eat the 100% natural, whole grain, gluten-free brown rice puffs I bought first. I like them. Really. But I only eat them plain, straight out the canister - they get soggy in milk. So it's taking me a while.

Tonight Kaelyn was asking to eat a marshmallow so I pulled out the bag we got for camping of these HUGE marshmallows and they were labeled "Gluten-Free!"  Maybe all marshmallows are gluten free?? I don't know, but my first thought was "Why don't I make RKT out of the cereal I have?"

First I pulled up the original recipe to get ratios right. 10 oz Marshmallows & 6 cups cereal. I weighed my marshmallows.. 1 OUNCE EACH!!! Like I said they are huge! Easy to remember.. 10 Marshmallows LOL! After measuring out 6 cups of my cereal into my pan I realized I'd need a bigger one.

I did this in the microwave and sprayed everything with non-stick cooking spray first, including your spoon, spatula ANYTHING that will touch the marshmallow.. makes everything SO much easier! 

Gluten Free Marshmallow Rice Treats

Ingredients:

• 3 TBSP butter
• 10 oz GF marshmallows
• 6 cups of your favorite GF rice puff cereal or new Kellogg's Rice Krispies Gluten Free Cereal
• Non-Stick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Spray a large microwave bowl lightly with non stick cooking spray.
2. Put butter and marshmallows into the bowl and microwave for 2- minutes stirring every 30 seconds.
3. When the marshmallow stirs smooth, add in your cereal and stir well until it is all combined.
4. Pour into a 13-9 baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and pat down with your sprayed hands or a rubber spatula.
5. If you have princesses at home top with colored sugar sprinkles.
6. Allow to cool and cut into desired sizes.

Did I wait on the "cooling" part? Of course not!

Gluten-Free Potato Bread

Oh! So. YUMMY!!!! This stuff is soooo amazing I had to put my.. 3rd? 4th? slice down to type this!!! No, I'm normally not such a pig but I LIKE THIS STUFF!!! It has been so long since I had a GF bread that I like!! Even Kaelyn has come back several times just to ask for more bread.. plain bread!! Of course it is great toasted with jelly too!!

I had a recipe in my email this morning and from http://www.glutenfreecookingschool.com and I LOVE IT!! I also have to confess that I used the wrong size measuring cup.. and I didn't have cream of tartar so i substituted...and this still came out GREAT!!!

No. I suppose I NEVER follow a recipe. LOL!

If you want to see the original recipe, go check out Angie's free Travel Bread recipe at GFCS. (I have not joined the pay portion yet, but she sends out a few GF recipes a week, so sign up for the newsletter it is sooo worth it!!!)

Gluten-Free Potato Bread
Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup potatoes, cooked and mashed


• 1/4 cup margarine or butter


• 1/3 cup sugar


• 6 eggs, separated


• 3/4 cup milk


• 2 cups rice flour plus 2-Tbsp GF soy flour


• 2 TBSP GF baking powder


• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.


2. Cook potatoes and mash to remove lumps while warm.


3. Cream them with the butter and sugar.


4. Add the egg yolks and milk. Mix well.


5. Sift the dry ingredients together and combine with the wet ingredient mixture.


6. Beat egg whites until they hold a soft peak.


7. Fold egg whites into mixture. (NOTE: Some streaks may remain - remember, if you over mix your egg whites they deflate!)


8. Pour mixture into a greased bread pan.


9. Bake for 1 hour or until nicely browned, gently turning the pan around about halfway through cooking.


10. Allow to cool in pan for 10-15 minutes then flip onto a cooling rack, flipping to a different side every 10-15 minutes for even "drying".

Slice while still slightly warm for less crumbing, but this is a very soft, moist bread, so don't slice too thin! Store wrapped in one layer of parchment paper, wrapped in cling wrap to keep moist. I have no long it will last wrapped on the counter vs. wrapped in the fridge or freezer.. and I doubt mine will last long enough to test it!!! Traditional potato breads freeze well also.

So far it is perfect for everything I can't wait for lunch sandwiches tomorrow!

EDITED TO ADD: REFRIGERATE!!! With the moistness of the potatoes and the lack of preservatives in the other all natural ingredients this went bad quick at room temperature but my 2nd loaf lasted a while on the fridge!

Gluten-Free Cornbread Recipe

My husband loves cornbread with his chili. I prefer crackers, Well a wheat free girl only has so many options. I'm not ready to try my hand at crackers yet so I opted for a GF cornbread...






since I usually steal a slice (with a huge pat of real butter) anyway! This time I got the first one and it is SO light & fluffy!! I think it's better than making it the "normal" way!







Gluten Free Cornbread Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 c Brown Rice Flour
• 1/2 c Sorghum Flour
• 1 c GF Corn Meal (optional : use Masa*)
• 1/4 c Sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 c Melted Butter
• 1 1/4 c Milk
• 3 large or 2 jumbo eggs
• 1 Tbsp butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If using a cast iron skillet as your baking dish, put in oven while preheating.
2. Whisk all dry ingredients in a dry bowl until well combined.
3. Add in wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
4. When oven preheats, drop the separate pat of butter into the cast iron or into your 8-9" round cake pan. Return either pan to oven for 3 minutes to melt butter.
5. When butter melts, swirl around the edges of the pan to coat, then pour in batter.
6. Bake  at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until it a toothpick in center tests clean. 

NOTE: It seemed to me that this cornbread, though DELICIOUS, did not last as long as a traditional cornbread. I can generally leave that stuff on the counter, covered in foil or in a baggie for a week and we'll still eat it LOL! But this went off about 3 days later. If you have a lot left over, I suggest refrigerator storage.


* Since I served this cornbread with chili so I went with Masa for a slightly Tex-Mex flair. I also used Masa to thicken my chili and it came out GREAT!