A Gluten-Free Website worth Your time

Amid Curtain washing, rearranging to fit a Christmas tree in the living, dusting things, and having my husband throwing a ball at me so he can play fetch with the dog in the house, I'm popping out a quick blog post.

Who would think tofu, sage, thyme, and pumpkin puree would make a fantastic non-dairy Alfredo sauce?

The Gluten-free Gidget that's who. This is the only cheese alternative recipe I have found that did not include yeast. Her Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta with Kale recipe is so delicious and such a wonderful surprise that after cooking up some of it I just had to share it with you. I also thought I would pour some of this sauce over green beans instead of pasta and kale. Is was good, but it didn't taste much like green bean casserole. I think I'll pick her brain on how to make a sauce taste like mushroom soup without the mushrooms.

I didn't tell my husband the sauce was made from pumpkin puree, and tofu, or sage, which he hates. He is my picky eater, yet he thought the sauce was good. He still has no idea what is in the sauce. I think I'll keep it that way, so I don't spoil it for him. My teenage daughter loves the sauce and even thinks the kale and pasta part was good. So I have a new standard to cook with and experiment with.

I love digging around Gluten-free Gidget, or Katrina's blog. It is has great pictures, it well written, many of the vegetarian food dishes will work with my family, and and the food ideas help me move from foods I can't have to to good choices and good substitutes I can have. To check out Gluten-free Gidget's blog and and her fabulous Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta with Kale click here. Check it often, she blogs more frequently than I do.

Gravy

When you sit down to Thanksgiving Dinner and lively conversation you don't want the conversation to be about who the lumps in the gravy look like. Although my family is very fussy about gravy and have left me with the impression that good gravy is hit or miss with me, I have the basic concept of how to turn a liquid into a gravy. For professional instruction go to the website of The Gluten-free Girl and The Chief. This video is well worth your time and much better instruction then I have here. I'm not a professional; I'm a mom and a grandmother.

These gravy recipes will only say flour, not what kind, because the choice is up to you. To make a more informed decision I will share what I have learned about starches and flours.

Starches
Any recipe that says corn starch can be substituted with arrowroot without any difference to the recipe.

Potato flour
When I first started cooking gluten-free I learned something about potato flour I haven't seen mentioned on blogs, websites, or in books that left me frustrated. If you add a little water to it and stir the starch thickens and keeps on thickening until you can't work with it and adding a little more water doesn't help either, because it keeps on thickening. Yet, the taste is a just right for a gravy that will be going on potatoes. Below I will teach you how to work it into a gravy with my I'm in a hurry and don't tend to follow recipes method.

Brown Rice flour
The flavor of rice flour is mild enough to not overpower the flavor of sauces and gravies. In the right amount it makes a good gravy. Add enough and it makes gravy flavored cream of rice.

Garbanzo bean flour
Garbanzo bean flour is a great way to add a little more protein to you meal. It thickens just as any other flour, but you'll need to cook it 5 minutes instead of 2 to make it digestible. It does impart a flavor I prefer for soups and white sauces.

Roux
Roux is equal parts melted butter with flour cooked in. Don't use potato flour for the above mentioned lumping problem. Roux is a good choice if your main course meat doesn't provide much juice and you'll be using a store bought broth. The butter will add flavor.

To make 2 cups of gravy start with 3 tablespoons of butter. I use a butter substitute, Smart balance Light, which doesn't melt well. To solve this problem I use 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of my butter substitute.

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan on low heat. When melted stir in 3 tablespoons of flour. Once the butter is soaked into all the flour you should have a past. Keep stirring as you cook it for a couple of minutes. From this point it is actually the same instructions as with the slurry. Pour your roux in small amounts into 2 cup of boiling broth. Be sure to include any of the browned juices that the meat has provided. Bring it back to a boil before deciding if your gravy needs more roux.

3 Tbs. melted butter or substitute
3 Tbs. flour

Slurry
This is simply equal amounts of starch and cold water. Use cold water because warm water will cause the pectin in the starch to gel making a lump, not a slurry. No need to really measure, but I use a heaping tablespoons of starch and then add water until I have a thin paste.

Bring the meat juices to a boil. You will need to stir the slurry before you can pour it, because the starch has the tendency to settle. Pour the slurry in small amounts, bring the broth back to a boil before deciding if your gravy needs more of the slurry. The slurry/starch remember has a tendency to settle to the bottom, this will turn into one big lump if you don't keep stirring, using a whisk.

1 heaping Tbs. starch
1 Tbs. cold water, more or less

Quick “I'm in a hurry and don't tend to follow recipes closely” gravy

Warning this method has a higher likelihood of coming out lumpy.

If you have plenty of broth from the meat to work with sprinkle small amounts of the flour, lightly dusting the surface of the boiling broth. Again the most important part of a non-lumpy gravy is to keep stirring it in with a whip. After you sprinkle and stir in about a tablespoon worth stop adding flour, give it a moment check it's thickness. When it reaches your desired thickness turn down the heat and cook on simmer for a couple of minutes, so your gravy doesn't taste like raw flour.

About 3 tablespoons of flour to 2 cups of broth works for me.









Most of the pictures over the past few days have been of my second born son Jared age 18 months. He had wanted thanksgiving dinner so much he pulled the large wooden high chair about 15 feet from the pantry area to the table. Jared is now 24 and has 2 little boys of his own to feed.

Mashed Potato Patties

I'm suffering from a thyroid roller coaster ride. I've had about three hours of sleep. So today I'm making a quick post about a quick fix from leftover mashed potatoes.

Ken didn't like leftover mashed potatoes until I started turning them into fried patties. In last night's version I included leftover ham. He liked them so much he was wishing for more.

Mashed Potato Patties
1 ½ cups mashed potatoes
½ cup ham or other meat chopped into small bits (optional)
1 tablespoon minced onions
2 eggs
¼ millet flour
pepper to taste

Stir all together. Using a large serving spoon and a rubber spatula slide about 1/3 cup of of mix into hot oil. Flatten a little if need be. Cook until brown around the edges then flip over. When brown place on paper towels to drain.Eat plain or topped with one of the following: sour cream, applesauce, or ketchup.

Updates

I have new information on some of my previous posts. I will be posting several of them, so check back each Monday.

I'll start with my goals, directly after publishing my plans I became sick with one illness after another. I had to quit my exercise program for 2 months. I'm finally back on track. I'm sure the goals I have set are too high, but I am going to accomplish as much of it as I can.

When my daughter gets frustrated and overwhelmed by a situation, such getting behind in her chores or her school work, I tell her let's just see what you can do. Well, in this case, what's good for the gosling is good for the goose. Let's just see what I can do.

Vinegar
I'm excited about this. Apple cider vinegar is used as a dough conditioner in bread making and in many other recipes. It also relieves pain in the gall bladder caused by an irritated polyp. I was disappointed when I read that apple cider vinegar is not gluten-free. It has better flavor and nutrients than white vinegar. White vinegar is good for cleaning. As always, while shopping I stopped to read labels. After reading a few on vinegar bottles. I found Fleischmann's Organic apple Cider Vinegar with gluten-free written on the label. It's has a milder flavor compared to Bragg's, my previously preferred brand.

Hot Candy canes
I love my hot candy canes milk, but it turns out that my body can't handle corn, either. That pretty much leaves off most candy. So instead of Spangler's candy canes I use Simply Organics Peppermint oil flavoring. This allows me to make this a cold drink perfect for hot summer evenings. While Simply Organics doesn't tout gluten-free, it's labels are clear and simple. What's more their Vanilla doesn't have corn syrup added. I have not experienced a gluten problem with their products.
I've, also, turned this into two different types of pudding. Here are the recipes:

Candy Cane Milk
2 cups your choice of milk type
¼ cup of sweetener (sugar, agave, maple syrup...)
1 tsp Simply Organic Vanilla Extract
¼ tsp Simply Organic Peppermint oil
½ tsp guar gum
1.If you are making this a hot drink warm your milk first.
2.Pour milk into the blender.
3.Turn blender on low and remove the center of the cover.
4.Add the sweetener, vanilla, and peppermint.
5.Finally add the guar gum and blend for 5 more seconds.

Candy Cane Tofu Pudding
1 pound cake of silken tofu
¾ cup sweetener (best flavor to least, sugar, agave, maple syrup, honey)
½ tsp Simply Organic Peppermint oil
2 tsp Simply Organic Vanilla Extract
¼ cup oil (*optional)
Place all ingredients in the blender, and blend until smooth and creamy.
This recipe is adapted from Tofu Cookery by Louse Hagler. Her pudding recipes call for oil, but I make them without the oil. The oil does make the pudding feel better in the mouth. Another choice I have used is ½ tsp guar gum/xanthan gum.

Pudding Mix
¼ cup your choice of dry milk
¼ cup of Arrowroot starch
¼ cup sugar
Place mix in a sauce pan with 2 cups of liquid milk. Cook over low heat until thickened and comes to a boil. Cook for one more minute before removing from heat.

For Candy Cane Pudding
Mix in:
1 tsp Simply Organic Vanilla Extract
¼ tsp Simply Organic Peppermint oil
Pour into individual serving dishes
Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface to avoid a skin.
Place in the refrigerator to cool before serving (unless you like it hot. :O)
This recipe was adapted from Cheaper & Better by Nancy Birnes.