Ground Beef & Biscuits ~gluten free

This is a quick stand by we all love. The biscuits are also great with turkey pie, or breakfast biscuits with jam!
Ingredients
1lb. ground beef
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onions, diced
2 tablespoons. rice flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
5.5 ounce tomato paste
28 ounce diced tomatoes
1 can (10 ounces) beans or peas
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Biscuit ingredients
4 tablespoons buttermilk powder
1 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup potato starch
1 1/4 cups cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons guar gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cooking oil
Method
Fry ground beef and onion until brown. Stir in spices, beans,celery, tomato paste,
diced tomatoes and rice flour. Simmer 30 minutes. While this is simmering, make the biscuits:
Combine dry biscuit ingredients. Put wet ingredients into a measuring cup and whisk together.
 Pour over dry ingredients. Stir until thickened. Pour hot beef mixture into a greased 9" x 13"
casserole dish. Drop biscuit mixture onto hot mixture. Sprinkle on cheddar cheese. Bake
uncovered in a 350 oven for 20 minutes or until biscuits are light brown. Serves 6

Best Whole Grain Gluten Free Bread for the Bread Machine!

After I posted my "Best Gluten Free Bread Ever! recipe my mom suggested I make one in the bread machine. I have never had much luck with that but thought I'd give it a try some time. My Aunt Nellie had given her a bread machine recipe that they liked and I based the format on her recipe but used my ingredients from "Best Gluten Free Bread Ever!". I used the Black and Dekker large bread machine.

Best Gluten Free Bread for the Bread Machine!

2 large eggs

1 2/3 cups very warm water

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

2 3/4 teaspoon yeast

2 tablespoons pysillium husk (available at bulk foods or health food stores)

1/4 cup flax

1 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup tapioca starch flour

1/4 cup sweet rice flour

1/2 cup teff flour

1/4 cup millet flour

2 1/2 teaspoons guar gum

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup milk powder

3 tablespoons sugar

Put ingredients in pan as in above order.  (I recommend mixing the flours together first and then adding in the order with the rest of the ingredients.) Because I use regular yeast (not bread machine yeast) I give a little stir with a spoon to mix the yeast into the wet ingredients.

I used the rapid bake cycle (2 hours) on the machine and chose the "dark" crust setting. I find it is important to bake gluten free bread for 50-60 minutes to make sure it is done in the center and does not collapse. If using a different bread machine check manual to use a setting that bakes for that length of time. Remove from pan after baking.

The gluten free dough does come together into a ball just like "wheat" based breads!

Dough rising in the pan.  Probably a good idea to wet hands and smooth the top at this point.

Just out of the machine.  Just a little flour on the sides.  

 

 

Nice texture for a gluten free loaf - tastes great!

Tip: If your dough hook can be removed - remove it after the last mixing period by using a spatula to move the dough over. This way you will not have a hole in your loaf.

Best Gluten Free Bread Ever!!

We have a gluten free bakery attached to our home where for the last couple of years we have been making gluten free buns (dinner, hamburger and hot dog) along with a few other products.  Bread was always the difficult one.  The dough that worked great for the buns would shrink in when made into a loaf.  I wanted a loaf that was like the whole wheat loaves I used to make.  After a bit of experimenting I have come up with a recipe that we feel is too good to keep to ourselves.  This recipe is very flexible and for me has worked out every time.  You are welcome to share this recipe but please give credit to our blog site.  Thanks!

Booy’s Gluten Free Bread Recipe- makes 2 full size loaves (pans are 8"x 4")

2 ¼ cup very hot tap water

1 teaspoon ground chia seed

1 tablespoon pysillium husk 

1 tablespoon sugar

½ cup or 1 cup cup flax meal (if you like it more like whole wheat bread use 1 cup flax meal - it will make a darker loaf that looks like a whole wheat loaf)

Let sit in large mixer bowl for 20 minutes.

Add to mixer bowl:

1 tablespoon yeast. 

Let sit 10 more minutes.

Meanwhile in another bowl mix together and set aside:

2 cups cornstarch

½ cup tapioca flour

¼ cup sweet rice flour

1 cup teff flour or buckwheat flour

1/3 cup sugar (or 1/4 corn or Rogers Syrup - if using syrup reduce 2 1/4 c water to 2 cups water)

2 teaspoons guar gum

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

Add a few cups of the dry flour  mixture  to the mixture in the mixing bowl. Then add:

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vinegar

¼ cup canola oil

½ cup milk powder (or you can add cottage cheese or ¼ c whey powder instead)

Add remaining flour mixture.

Mix in mixer on med low speed for 15 minutes.

Scoop into two well greased loaf pans. I use the Fat Daddio's pan BP-5642.  The dough is like a heavy cake batter.  I run the tap with cold water and make my fingers wet to shape the loaves or buns.  You can make it fairly wet.

 Cover with a oiled piece of plastic placed loosely over the pans. Let rise until just above top of pan,

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.  If it gets too brown reduce temperature but leave bread in at least 50 minutes otherwise they might sink.

For buns grease a baking sheet and scoop a “plop” of dough onto baking sheet and shape with wet fingers.  Bread tops are also shaped with a wet hand to give loaves a smooth top.

**chickpea can be substituted for part of the teff or buckwheat up to 1/2.

Bread Batter is scooped in loaf pans.

This is how it should look after you wet your fingers and shape it.

 loaves are made with less teff and 1/2 cup flax ,using chickpea flour and lighter flours to make more of a "white" loaf

See the nice texture!  Makes a great sandwich and also toasts great.  

For the other ½ cup gf flours I have used ¼ tapioca and ¼ cup sorghum, or  brown rice and potato starch, or millet.  

I have also doubled the chia and pysillium husk with good results. 

For a round pumpernickel loaf I have added a bit of cocoa powder to give it a nice dark colour and then let it rise in a round pan to give it the traditional shape - great for use with spinach dip.

Cool  loaves a little and remove from pan.   We slice the bread and eat it fresh for lunch.  The remaining bread is sliced when cold and then frozen.  You can either defrost and eat it or if you want it more like fresh, just zap in the microwave until quite warm.  You can then make sandwiches without toasting the bread.

Gluten Free - Dairy Free Carrot Muffins. Delicious, Soft and Moist!

I am pretty excited about our new gluten free/dairy free carrot muffins.  I like my gluten free muffins light, slightly moist and well to be honest - I want my muffins to taste like "normal" muffins - like the kind I turned out before we went gluten free.
The carrot muffins are very good and keep well.  You may keep them in a sealed plastic container or bag on the counter for a few days or freeze and defrost when needed. They retain their moistness and character.
Gluten Free-Dairy Free Carrot Muffins -  Makes 24
1 1/2 cups cornstarch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup teff flour
1/3 cup flax meal
1 teaspoon chia seed meal
2 teaspoons physillium powder or husk
2 1/2 teaspoons guar gum
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup applesauce
1 cup Rogers golden syrup, corn syrup or honey ( I use Rogers Golden Syrup)
1 cup cooking oil (I use Canola)
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely grated carrot (they should be cooked a bit. I cook mine in the microwave with a tablespoon of water to steam for about one minute on high.  Cool before using.
Place dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  Wisk together really well.  Make a well in center of dry mixture.  In another bowl stir together the wet ingredients and pour into well in dry ingredients.  Using a hand mixer mix until combined.  Place muffin papers into muffin pan.  Fill 24 muffin cups.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done.

 

Gluten Free Danish Pastry

 I dream about recipes - gluten free recipes to be exact.  I'm not sure why except I am always thinking of ways to make gluten free foods similar to what wheat flour foods taste and "feel" like. This was one recipe I developed partly in my dreams and partly as I lay half awake thinking about how it would work.  I'm really happy with the way they turned out. They had puffed up nicely much like a simple puff pastry. I find they are best made with the full fat cottage cheese. 
Gluten Free Danish Pastry
8 ounces butter (let sit out on counter for awhile so it is not rock hard)
8 ounces 2%  or full fat cottage cheese
2 1/4 cup gluten free flour mix (shown below)
2 teaspoons guar gum
1 teaspoon physillium powder or husk
Gluten Free Flour Mix
2 cups sweet rice flour
2/3 cup pototo starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
Method:
Combine butter and cottage cheese in food processer using blade.  Process until smooth.  Add the 2 1/4 cups of the flour mix, the guar gum and physillium powder.  Mix very well, until smooth  (dough will keep in fridge for 2 days)
Form into 18 equal sized balls and flatten each ball into a 3" circle and place on parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until edges are golden.  Remove and immediately spread with about 2 teaspoons jam in centers.  Cool on racks.  Drizzle with a glaze (1 egg white mixed with 1 cup icing sugar mix well.  Should be of drizzle consistency).
About 1 cup jam fills 18. 
I also like this Danish Pastry to using in gluten free Samosas.

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.