Mock Pumpernickel - In the Slow Cooker~gluten free

Often I hear that Celiac's lament that most gf breads have very little fibre.  This bread should take care of that!  This is a very dense bread that you slice into very thin slices.

Tastes just like old fashioned dark rye pumpernickel!
I will include changes at the end if you wish to use cooked rice instead of buckwheat groats.
Ingredients

1 cup buckwheat groats
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 cups boiling water
Mix together, cover and soak overnight

3/4 cup plus 9 tablespoons brown rice flour (can use white)
1/4 cup yellow corn flour (not corn meal)(or other gf flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons corn syrup or molasses
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Stir together the dry ingredients. In a small dish mix the syrup and oil.
Mix all the ingredients into the cooled buckwheat/cornmeal water mixture that has soaked overnight. Mix well with a spoon.
Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan. Line the bottom with greased foil.
Put dough into pan. Cover pan tightly with foil.
Place in large oblong slowcooker. Cover. Cook on High for 6 hours.
Cool. Remove from loaf pan. Place in plastic bag in fridge overnight.
Slice into 1/4" slices with a greased knife.  Slice and freeze.
If you have a round slow cooker- use a round metal pan that fits inside.
Changes for "Mock Rice Pumpernickel"
Substitute :

• 1 cup cooked brown rice for the buckwheat. Soak One Hour instead of overnight.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon guar gum and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.
• Use cornstarch instead of cornflour

Let cool completely.  Store in plastic bag.  Slice thin.

Barb's Green Relish

Neighbor Barb also gave me her great recipe for Green Relish.  The first time I made it I was suprised that it didn't look like store bought relish although it tasted like it.  I had some food colour in the pantry that I had purchased for adding to the kids homemade playdoh and luckily it was green. This was many years ago when I had young kids and everyone I knew made their own playdoh instead of buying it...... I added just a tiny bit and stirred it through.  It looked great - just like store bought.  I want to make this recipe again but the last two years we did not put in a garden.  My son and daughter-in-law have a large garden and are harvesting lots of cucumbers.  That is why I dug out these two recipes.  They gave me enough cukes to make dills, but I will have to hint that I would like enough to make a few jars of relish too.
Barb's Green Relish -makes 4 quarts
Ingredients:
10 4" cucumbers (they are just the dills grown too big)- about 1.5 kg
4 medium onions - 900 grams or 2 lbs
400 grams or 14 oz celery
2 red peppers- 1/2 lb or 225 grams
2 green peppers- 1/2 lb or 225 grams
1/4 cup pickling salt (coarse salt)
Put the vegetables through a food processor with blade or use coarse  shredder.  Place in large glass bowl or stainless steel pan.  Sprinkle the pick
ling salt over and put the lid on.
Let sit for 6-8 hours.
Drain well.
Sauce:
In large pot place:
3 cups white sugar
3 cups vinegar
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
Bring to a boil.  Add vegetables.  Simmer uncovered 30 minutes, stirring occassionally.  This is where you will add the tiny bit of green food colour if you choose.  Seal in clean hot canning (pint) jars.  Place in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Boiling water bath.  Put enough water into your canner that it will cover the jars.  Bring to a boil.  Place the jars into the canner.  Cover and boil for 10 minutes.  Remove jars and place on a towel placed on the counter.  Let cool.  You will hear the delightful "pings" as each jar seals.  If a jar does not seal - do not worry.  Just place it in the fridge to use first.

Barb's Dill Pickles

We have lovely neighbors.  We've been next to each other for 33 years.  When I started gardening and grew pickling cukes- or maybe it's when Barb gave me a bag from her garden - she also gave me her recipe.  Every so often I phone her up and ask once again "do you put these in a boiling water bath?  Or just let the hot jars seal on their own".  After 33 years, I called once again and finally this time wrote it on the recipe card "No Water Bath".  I remember reading all about canning online a few years ago and then everyone was saying you had to put your quarts in a water bath.  The resulting pickles were not nearly as good and crunchy - the way I love them. 
Prepare 2 quart jars by washing them and boiling them or putting them through the dishwasher.  I do the dishwasher method once we moved up to owning one!  The idea is to time the washing of the jars so that they come straight from the dishwasher to the counter to be filled with cucumbers.  Let's back up a bit here..... first the recipe:
Barb's Dill Pickles:
In each hot clean quart jar put: 1 teaspoon pickling spice.
                                               1/4 teaspoon powdered alum
                                               1 clove garlic, peeled.
Fill the jar with scrubbed clean, small pickling cukes.  Right up to the shoulder of the jar. Place one head of dill at the top of the the cukes. 
Liquid:
 in pan on stove put:
3 cups water
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup pickling salt (coarse salt or un-iodized salt)
Bring to a boil and pour over cukes in jars.  There is enough liquid to fill two jars.  Place clean hot snap lid on top and screw on lid.  Let cool on counter.  You should hear two snaps indicating both jars have sealed.  Barb had told me not to double the recipe.  Many times I didn't listen thinking "what difference can that make?"  Well, I should listen and so should you if you try this recipe. The pickles turn out way better if you just make two jars at a time.  Let sit for at least a month in you basement cold storage room for the flavour to develope.
Tips: Clean your cucumbers first.  Assemble all your ingredients and supplies next.  Put your jars in the dishwasher, boil the lids and boil the liquid. 

Overnight Rotini Casserole ~ Easty to convert to gluten free

As mentioned before, we usually have a full house on Sunday's for lunch.  This is a great make ahead recipe!

The recipe calls for Rotini pasta which is the spiral pasta.  To make the recipe gluten free susbstitute with gluten free macaroni rice noodles - it worked great and we all ate the same casserole without anyone noticing it was gluten free.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef                  

1 cups diced onion

1 cup diced green pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 cups hot water

1 envelope onion soup mix (for gluten free please read ingredients and choose a gluten free one)

1 teaspoon italian seasoning (I used 3/4 tsp. oregano and 1/4 tsp. thyme)

3 cups uncooked rotini pasta (or gluten free macaroni rice noodles)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
Method:
Oil or butter a 9"X 13" glass casserole dish.  In a pot, fry the hamburger, onion, pepper and garlic on medium heat until hamburger is brown - stirring frequently.  If there is any grease - drain.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, water , onion soup mix and seasonings.  Stir in the pasta and spoon into the prepared casserole dish.
Cover with aluminum foil and refredigerate 8 hours and no more than 24 hours.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Remove foil, sprinkle on shredded cheese and return to oven for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Serves 8 -10
Serve with salad, sliced veggies, and or buns.



I made this one with rice macaroni noodles from our local chinese store.



What to do with a Gluten Free cake that didn't work out.

On Thursday evening I tried to make an old family favourite spice cake into a gluten free one.  The original cake did not call for an egg but I put one in and then just substituted gf flours for the gluten free.  Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.  This one was so dry the kids would call it sawdust cake. I by accident had doubled the recipe (never do this the first time converting a recipe!) and some of the ingredients were fairly costly so I did not want to throw it away.  What I did was look for a recipe that was similar but NOT Gluten Free.  I crumbled up the gluten free loaf cakes into a large bowl and measured out the crumbs.
Gluten Free Spice Cake- This is the one that flopped .
1 cup teff
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup arrowroot flour
1 egg
3 tsp. baking pwd.
2 tsp. guar gum
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger pwd
1/8tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. mace
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup Rogers Syrup
1 cup milk.

Wheat Flour Spice Cake - this is what I converted the flopped gluten free one too.
2 cups raisins soaked in 3 cups water
1 cup shortening, butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
If  you look at the two recipes you will see they are similar.   To reuse the flopped cake and remake it into a decent wheat cake (for your family and friends who do not have to eat gluten free) you will take the flopped cake and crumble it into fine crumbs into a large mixing bowl.  You can do this with your hands for most flopped gluten free cakes.   When comparing the recipe you will see the flour amounts are almost the same.  Measure out 1-2 cups of the crumbled flopped cake and place in another large mixing bowl.  Add 1- 2 cups wheat all purpose white flour.  DO NOT add any spices, salt  or sugar as there is enough in the flopped cake.  Add the eggs, the shortening and the raisins along with the liquid the raisins were soaking in.  I also added 3 more teaspoons baking powder.  Mix with a hand mixer until well  mixed.  You may have to add a bit more batter to make a  thick batter (should be a batter not a dough).  Pour into greased loaf pans about 3/4 full. 
Bake for 1 hour at 350 until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  What I did above will give you a bit of an idea of how to do it.  My mom gave me this idea.  Last year I was teaching my son to make gluten free Christmas Fruit Cakes for his small bakery.  He ended up with quite a few flopps and my thrifty mom could thought it was such a waste to throw out all that cake and fruit.  We gave her all the flopped ones and she just used her favourite fruit cake recipe using the crumbld flopped cake for about half the flour ingredients.  You would never have known her Christmas Fruit cake was made from flopped gluten free fruit cakes.

You can also make Gluten Free Crumb Cookies out of  your flopped cakes or breads. 

Gluten free Crumb Cookies 

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar (if using bread crumbs, omit is using sweet cake crumbs or just add less)

1 cup dry shredded coconut

1 cup dry cake, cookie or bread crumbs (or a mixture)

1 /4 cup cornstarch.
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Beat eggs until frothy.  Add sugar, coconut, crumbs and cornstarch.  Stir well.  Drop onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 10 - 15 minutes until they just start to brown.  Makes 12.

Nutella Chocolate Cookies ~ Gluten Free

This is a recipe that was inspired by the simplicity of the no flour peanut butter cookie recipe. It worked out really well. I am eating one as I type this!




Ingredients:

1/2 cup chocolate spread (Like Nutella)
1 small egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tablespooons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

Method:  Mix chocolate spread, egg and sugar together really well. (I used a hand mixer). Stir in the sifted cocoa powder, cornstarch and baking soda.

Spray with Pam or line baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop cookie dough by tablespoons (for large cookies) or teaspoon full for medium sized cookies. These do spread out.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 5 - 10 minutes. They should start to look dryer when done. They puff up and then when cooling flatten out. Remove from cookie sheet while warm for easy removal.

Makes 12 large. Enjoy!

Turkey Tetrazzini ~ Easy

With school volleyball season just starting up and two kids involved on separate teams there is a lot of driving involved around the supper hour.  It's casserole and slowcooker cooking for the next few months!  Just after lunch I threw together this casserole and made it gluten free.  (Recipe will have both instructions).  It's a good way to use up pasta that is lying around.  I put in a mixture of spagettii and macaroni as I only had small amounts of both.  The recipe calls for canned cream of mushroom soup.  If you need a gluten free brand the SuperStore in western Canada carries it as their yellow noname brand - make sure  you always read the ingredients.  If you cannot locate gluten free cream of mushroom soup, either make homemade or make a cream sauce and add some sauted diced mushrooms to it.

Turkey Tetrazzini
Ingredients:
2 cups spaghetti, broken into 2" pieces (use rice noodles if you need gluten free)
2 chicken bouillon cubes (for gluten free I omit this and instead of boiling water I use chicken stock from a carton - as usual read the label)
3/4 cup boiling water
1/4 teaspoon celery salt (if you don't have substitute diced celery, or dried celery leaves)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups diced cooked turkey (or chicken)
1 cup frozen or canned peas, or peas and carrot mixture - optional
1 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided.
Method:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain.
Melt bouillon in boing water, in large bowl. (omit if using chicken stock)
Wisk in soup, celery salt and pepper.
Stir in drained spaghetti, turkey, onion and 1/2 cup shredded cheese and peas (if using)
Put in greased 8 x 8" baking dish
Top with remaining shredded cheddar cheese

Bake at 350 F for 40 - 60 minutes.

Comments:  We ate this for supper tonight and the kids said it was a keeper.

Mushroom Egg Foo Yung Casserole - Easy, Gluten Free

 Ingredients  (Serves 8)
8 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 (16oz) can bean sprouts or 2 cups fresh
1/2 cup dry milk powder
2 tablespoons chopped parlsey (fresh or dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Mushroom Sauce:
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons diced green onions

Stir together all of the Casserole ingredients and pour into a greased 9 x 13 casserole or a 10 x 10 baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 30 - 35 minutes until knife inserted comes out clean.

To make the sauce, combine cornstarch with 1/2 cup of chicken broth and set aside. In a saucepan heat the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth to boiling and whisk in the cornstarch and broth mixture. Add soy sauce. Cook, stirring until thickened and smooth. Stir in mushrooms and green onions, simmer a couple of minutes.
To serve cut casserole into squares and spoon some sauce over each piece.
*This was really good. I served it with some simple fried rice. For the rice I had about 2 cups leftover rice in the fridge that I stir-fryed in peanut oil (or any other oil will do) add a little onion, a tablespoon or two shredded carrot, a little green pepper and a little diced celery. Once all fried up add a little soy sauce. It tasted very good. Next time I think I'll try adding the mushrooms to the casserole mixture and just make the sauce.

Sweet n' Sour Meatballs

This is a complete meal with all the veggies and meatballs in it.  Delicious!
Meatballs:
1 1/2lb ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg
Method:
To make meatballs put ground beef, salt, pepper, onion powder, cornstarch and egg in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Form into 1" round meatballs. Brown in some butter or oil in saucepan.
Tips:  If I have gluten free onion soup mix I would just add about 1/2 pkg. to the ground beef with the egg and cornstarch.

Sauce:
14 oz. pineapple tidbits
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 beef cubes ( or 1 tablespoon beef gravy mix - use a gluten free brand of mix or cubes if you require gf)
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup ketcup
3/4 cup sweet pickles, with a bit of pickle juice - 1-2 tablespoons
2 green peppers (or yellow, red, green mixture) sliced/diced
2 carrots - cut into sticks about 1" long.
Method:

Drain pineapple, reserve juice.  In saucepan add the water and beef cubes (if using gravy mix, stir it into a little cold water first and pour into pan.).  (I use a gluten free beef gravy mix). Bring to a boil to dissolve the beef cubes, stirring constantly.   Add the vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar. Stir. Mix the 2 tbsp. cornstarch into the pineapple juice.  Stir into the sauce and cook until thickened. Add meatballs. Simmer 5-10 minutes. Add the carrots and peppers.  Simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender.  Stir in the pineapple.  Serve over rice.

I cut up the vegetable fairly coarse.  Use a mixture of peppers if you wish to have more colour.

Zucchini Casserole~gluten free

zucchini casserole before baking

I've waited 27 years to plant zucchini in our garden! I've always been intrigued by the plant. I think my husband was afraid of what I'd do with all the zucchini this prolific plant produces! I'm known to experiment
Anyhow, this tasted good.
Zucchini Casserole
5 cups zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick in rounds or strips.
1lb lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
2 cans (5.5 ounce) tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup dried or fresh Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped spinach, cooked
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 teaspoons rice flour (white or brown)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Method
Put sliced zucchini in a large microwave bowl. Add about 1" of water and cook on high until soft. (Test after 5 minutes and every minute or two after that). Drain.
Fry meat, onions and mushrooms until beef is browned.
Add: tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, spices, and water.
Stir and simmer for 10 minutes, until thick
In a small bowl, add: egg, parmesan spinach, rice flour and 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix with fork.
Lightly grease a 9 x 13" casserole dish. Spread half of the meat mixture over bottom. Top with half of the zucchini and all of the cheese/egg/spinach mixture. Top with the rest of the meat. Arrange remaining zucchini over the meat mixture. Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F. for 35 minutes.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6-8

Chocolate Zucchini Cake~Gluten Free

I made this today along with the Tomato Vegetable Soup for tomorrow's Sunday Lunch. 
Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut flour (no substitutes)
3/4 cup sorghum flour (can also use amaranth or other gf flour)
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon guar gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup sour milk
Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease the bottom of a 9"x13" baking pan.  In mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
In another large mixing bowl, beat the oil and sugar together for 1 minute.  Beat the eggs in one at a time.  Mix in the zucchini.  Add all the flour and the sour milk (if you don't have sour milk add 1 tablespoon vinegar to the milk, stir and let sit a bit).  Mix with mixer until well combined.  Pour into baking pan. Let this sit for a couple of minutes as it will thicken a bit. Using the same bowl mix the topping ingredients together and sprinkle evenly over the cake batter.
Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Gluten Free Brownies~microwavable GFDF

Microwave Recipe - This is our favourite and easiest gluten free, dairy free recipe!  Very quick and easy to make.
Gluten Free Brownies:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar (Mix the sugar really well with the eggs to dissolve the sugar crystals - about 1 minute)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted butter (we always use cooking oil such as canola)
3/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
Icing:
2 Tbsp. butter (or margarine); 1 cup icing sugar; 1Tbsp. cream; 1/8 tsp. peppermint extract
Chocolate: 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 1 tbsp. butter.
Method:
Make sure all your ingredients are gluten free. Beat together eggs, sugar, melted butter,
vanilla and salt with mixer for 1 minute.
By hand with a wooden spoon (not the mixer) stir in rice flour, cocoa powder and nuts. Spread in greased 8"x8"x2.5"
glass baking pan. .
For 1000 watt microwave bake for 5-6 minutes at 90% power.
Test with toothpick, should come out clean.  Center will look slightly  moist - that's okay.  Do not microwave until it is all dry as it will make the brownies hard, especially on the edges.
Mix icing ingredients together. Spread on cooled brownie. Chill.
Chill. Microwave chocolate chips
and butter until butter is melted, for 10 or 20 seconds, stir. Drizzle over icing. Chill before slicing.

Tomato Vegetable Soup ~gluten free

We have a Sunday tradition in our home.  After church the whole family is welcome to come over for a light lunch and dessert.  I'm not sure why, but the tradition in our families is that as soon as you get home, coffee is made and a dessert such as cake or other baking is served.  This is around noon.  Then about two hours later a late lunch is served.  In our home this is usually a homemade soup with buns, a casserole or something else that is easy.  I find with a house full of at least 16 people it's important to keep it simple.
Tomato Vegetable Soup ~gluten free if using rice noodles:
Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste (optional - makes the broth have more body)
11/2 cup celery, finely sliced
2-3 carrots, shredded, about 1 1/2 cups
4 tsp. salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 bay leaf
2 tbsp. flaked dry parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme
12-14 cups water.
rice or wheat vermicelli
Method:
In large soup pot, brown ground beef, making it crumbly and light brown.  Place 12 cups water, canned tomatoes and spices into pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. If you are making tiny meatballs instead of beef crumble, this is the time to add them to the soup.  Take the raw ground beef and either form into tiny meatballs or pinch of tiny pieces and drop into the simmering soup.  Simmer covered loosely with lid about 1 hour.  During the last 10 minutes of cooking time, break in a handful or so of fine noodles.  I use the rice noodles from the asian store and they are great as they do not get soggy.  Some of the water will have evaporated so you can add 1-2 cups of water at this point.  Serve.  This soup freezes well especially if you use rice noodles as they do not deteriorate.

finely slice the celery

3 medium carrots = about 1 1/2 cup shredded

oriental rice noodles, there are about 6 sections to a pkg. I use 1 section and place in a plastic bag to crush a bit with a rolling pin.  Place it in the bag helps to keep the mess contained from breaking the noodles up.

P.S.  Feel free to add leftover chili, spagettii sauce or even diced leftover vegetables (corn, beans, peas) to this soup.

Super Easy Pizza Crust - Gluten Free

This crust does not use yeast and is very easily put together.  It's so quick that you could have a pizza on the table faster than ordering one in.  You can put the toppings directly on the unbaked crust or for a crispier crust you can prebake it for 10 minutes - add your toppings and pop it back in the oven for another 10 minutes. 

Super Easy Pizza Crust:
Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
1 tsp. guar gum
1 tsp. oregano
shake of pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, large
1 cup milk
Method:
Place dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.  Wisk together well.  In a 2 cup measurer, place eggs and milk and using a fork mix together.  Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients.  Grease and flour a 10" x 15" baking sheet or a 12" pizza pan.  Spread batter on pan.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Spread with tomato sauce or tomato paste and sprinkle with oregano powder.  Place your toppings on.  Cover with mozzarella and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is light brown.

Rice with Cheese and Tomato ~Meatless

Manitoba has been very hot this summer.  We broke the record this week with 37C on the 23rd.  I've been trying to cook meals that suit this type of weather and this one I inherited from my mother-in-law.  I also remember that this is the first meal my husband cooked for me - well he was my boyfriend then. That was also on a warm summer day at the end of the summer, an August day about 35 years ago. He served it with fresh tomato slices and corn on the cob from the family garden.
Rice with Cheese and Tomato
Ingredients:
2 cups rice
3 cups water
1/4 lb cheddar cheese (I prefer "Old")
1/2  teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, diced
4 large beefsteak tomatoes, diced (or one 7 1/2oz can tomato paste and 7 1/2 oz. water)
Method:
Place rice, water and salt in pot on stove.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, turn heat to very low and simmer 20 minutes until done. Or cook in rice cooker.


save a step and place clean uncooked eggs in with the rice to cook.

Carefully mix in the cooked rice to the tomato mixture.



This is what it should look like with the rice mixed in.

In large skillet, fry the onion in 2 tablespoons oil or butter until golden brown.  Add peeled and diced tomatoes (if using fresh) or 1 small can tomato paste and 1 small can water.  Simmer until soft if using fresh, or simmer 5 minutes if using canned.  Add grated cheddar and rice.  Mix well.  Season with freshly ground pepper.  If you wish to add more protein - serve with hard boiled eggs or devilled eggs.  Other extras could be corn on the cob, or sliced cucumber and carrots from your garden.  This recipe serves 4 in our home.  I usually double it for 8.

Gluten Free Brownies ~ Microwave

This is probably one of the most smudged up cards from my recipe box.  This recipe is made at least 3-4 times a month and is a family favourite.  I usually make it into Chocolate Mint Brownies with the addition of 1/8 tsp. peppermint extract in the batter and in the white frosting.      

Basic Brownies~Gluten Free~Microwave
2 eggs
1 cup sugar (may use icing sugar or granulated)
1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt (I have kept reducing this and usually just sprinkle a bit in)
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup rice flour (I use the fine rice flour found in Oriental Markets usually)
1/2 cup cocoa powder ( I use Hersheys)
1/2 cup coarsley chopped walnuts
Method:
Sift rice flour and cocoa together. Using a hand-mixer beat together eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Do this for 1 minute - this is important otherwise your granulated sugar will be a bit crunchy in your brownies as they bake so quickly. Put your mixer out of reach.  The next step should only be done with a wooden spoon otherwise the texture is no good.  It's true - I've forgotten and used the mixer and they are definitely not the same.  Stir in by hand with a spoon the canola oil, then the sifted rice flour and cocoa mix.  Stir in the walnuts.  Spread the mixtgure into a 9'x9" glass baking dish.  In  a 1000 watt microwave microwave on 80% power for 5 1/2 minutes.  Take out of microwave and put a plate on top so that the center can cook a little further. It is normal for the center to be a bit soft - save that piece for those who like gooey, moist brownies. Let the brownies get completely cold and then frost either with chocolate frosting or with our favourite peppermint frosting.
Peppermint Frosting to make this recipe into Chocolate Mint Brownies.
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon cream or milk
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
Method:  You may use your handmixer again.  Mix all the above ingredients together and spread on cold brownies.  Chill in fridge while you make the chocolate drizzle.
Chocolate Drizzle
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1heaping tablespoon butter.
Place the chocolate chips and butter in a small glass dish.  Heat on low for a very short time in the microwave - like 10 seconds or so.  Take out and stir.  When you stir the warmed, melted butter into the choc.chips they choc.chips will melt.  If not, microwave on low another 10 seconds.  Drizzle this over the white peppermint frosting and chill again.  Slice into squares.  The brownies can last for a week covered in the fridge or longer in the freezer.  However, they usually do not last that long at our home. Enjoy.

Unstuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients:

2 cups white rice

1lb ground beef

2 large onions, diced

4 cups diced green peppers (frozen or fresh)

4 cups corn (frozen, canned or fresh)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (more if you wish)
1 tsp. garlic powder, optional
Method:
Cook 2 cups rice in 3 cups water on stove .  Place in medium pot, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Or cook in your rice cooker following manufacturers instructions.

In large skillet on stove brown ground beef, add the onions and the garlic powder.  Fry until until onions are soft.  Add the remaining vegetables and fry on medium low until vegetables are cooked.  Stir in the rice and the soy sauce. Serve with Parmesan Cheese sprinkled on top.  We always eat this with homemade crabapple sauce as a side dish.  A salad would also go well with it.  Serves 6.  If you need to stretch it to serve 8 then cook 3 cups rice rather than the 2 cups.

My Applewood Recipe Box



My much used applewood recipe box... crafted from an old apple tree by husband, Rob.    As you can see - the most favourite recipes can hardly be read due to the finger smudges! 

 Often I get emails or calls from the kids asking for a family recipe. I hunt through my old recipe box for that particular recipe and after squinting through all the smudges on the index cards I type and email it to the kids.  Part of the reason for this blog is to have an electronic family recipe box available to all our children and to share them with others who enjoy wholesome foods .