Gluten Free Empanada Dough, (Clazones, Pasty etc)

Gluten Free Empanada/Pasty with Egg Yolk Glaze

I have used cottage cheese in other pastries and thought that it might have a good "binding" effect and moisture holding qualities in "pocket" dough.   The one shown here has tinyl little "cracks" in the dough but it doesn't actually split - most did not even have the cracks at all.  The trick is to use a dough that  has good binding ingredients like the cottage cheese and guar gum.

Gluten Free Empanada Dough for Empanadas, Calzones, Pasty and other Pocket Foods.  Makes 12 6" Empanada's.
Gluten Free Empanada Flour Mix:

3/4 cup millet flour
1/2 cup fine rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour

Wisk the above ingredients together really well - set aside.

Gluten Free Empanada Dough:
2 1/4 cups Gluten Free Empanada Flour Mix (above)
3 teaspoon guar gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons soft butter
3/4 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
Wisk salt, guar gum and baking powder into flour mix. Add 4 teaspoons butter and rub in with hands or a fork.
 In food processor process cottage cheese and oil together.  Add egg white and flour mix.  Pulse until it comes together Remove from processor bowl..  On counter knead the dough for about 2 minute until it becomes smooth.
Cover  your dough with plastic wrap while you make the filling.
Make your filling - a good one is a Pasty filling that I will post later.  The filling should not be runny.
To make empanada, pasty or Calzones roll the dough between plastic wrap and cut into large circles.  Place filling on one half , fold dough over and pinch /crimp well.  Place on greased baking sheet. Prick in center with fork. Glaze if desired with brushed on egg yolk.  Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes until nicely browned.  Less baking and it will be a soft calzone - longer makes it more crispy.  I bake it until light brown the first time and then freeze.  Later when we eat them I will bake the frozen calzones until a darker brown and hot in center.
Another nice way of forming the calzones is to use the Birds Hill Enterprises Fried Pie Machine as shown below.

Birds Hill Fried Pie Machine with 6" turnover die

Cover die with plastic wrap

Add ball of gluten free pasty dough

Cover with another piece of plastic wrap

Slice die back into machine

Close Fried Pie Machine

Open Machine and remove top plastic wrap.

Place pasty filling on front half of circle

Fold the hinged die in half to fold and crimp the pasty

Lift pasty out of die - the extra dough will come off

Baked gluten free pasty without the egg yolk glaze.

Delicious Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie

Had this tonight for supper along with a wheat flour pastry pot pie and the comment was that the gluten free one tasted better!  The butter in the crust gives it a great taste!

Ready to bake!

The recipe I use is from "The Art of Gluten Free Baking" and is Jeanne's gf pie dough.

Ingredients
2 1/3 cup Jeanne's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces (you can also use lard)
1 tablespoon vinegar
5-7 tablespoons cold water (I use 3-4)
extra tapioca flour for rolling out - or use your Birds Hill Pie Machine.
Jeanne's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix
1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 1/4 cup white rice flour (I use oriental rice flour)
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup sweet rice flour (also called glutinous rice flour)
2 teaspoons xantham gum or guar gum
Wisk the above dry ingredients together and set aside.
To make the crust place flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl.  Mix together with a spoon until combined.  Add butter pieces to the dry ingredients mixture.  With fingers, start rubbing together the butter and the dry ingredients.  This will take some time.  Do this until the resulting mixture looks like wet sand mixed with pebbles. You may also use a food processor to do this. Add the vinegar and rub into the mixture.  Add water one tablespoon at a time, rubbing into the mixture.  You want to add enough to create a dough that holds together well but is not wet.  Divide into two fairly equal pieces a slightly smaller one for the top crust.  Chill for 20-30 minutes if rolling by hand.  Roll between plastic wrap or dry waxed sheets.  If you need to dust with flour use tapioca or the sweet rice flour.

Birds Hill Pie Machine

Chicken Pot Pie Filling

 1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup finely diced onion

 3/4 cup finely diced carrot

 1/2 cup diced celery

1 3/4 cups chicken broth (store bought or homemade)

2/3 cup milk

3 tablespoons sweet rice flour (or cornstarch)

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning gf

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder   

 1 pound cooked leftover chicken diced.

1 cup frozen peas or beans

Method:
In large sauce pan, melt butter and saute onion, celery and carrots.  Add chicken broth and simmer until carrot is almost cooked.  Mix rice flour and milk together - stir into the onion and broth mixture and bring to a gentle boil while stirring.  Add the peas/beans, chicken and seasonings.  Simmer a few minutes and then let cool completely.  Prepare your pie shells or take chilled shell out of fridge.  Fill with filling and cover with top crust.  Cut a few slits in.  You make freeze the pie at this point.  If you plan to bake it right away I suggest chilling the whole pie while you preheat the oven.  Bake a "fresh" pie at 400 degrees for 35 minutes until pastry is golden and fillings is bubbly.  Bake a completely frozen pie at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes until golden and bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  If you wish to have a firmer filling use 4 tablespoons rice flour to thicken instead of 3.

Auntie Joanne's Tomato Florentine Soup, Gluten Free

Everyone loves Aunt Joannes Tomato Florentine Soup and I finally got the recipe last night while harvesting swiss chard from her garden.  You can use either Spinach, or Swiss Chard in this recipe.

Tomato Florentine Soup
1 pkg. frozen spinach, chopped (or swiss chard equivalent)

Soup simmering for 20 minutes.  This is before the Parmesan and sour cream.

2 medium onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oregano (or less if using powdered form)
1 tablespoon tarragon
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon basil (1 teaspoon if using powdered form)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
2 oz. butter
2 cups chicken stock
2 10 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 10 oz cans water
4 oz. Parmesan cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups gluten free pasta (shells or noodles)
Method:
Saute onions in butter using large soup pot over medium heat.  Add spices, saute one more minute.
Stir in tomato sauce, water and chicken stock and chopped spinach.  Add bay leaves.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Take 2 cups soup out of pot and let cool.  Stir sour cream into cooled mixture and return to pot.  Add pasta, pasta, simmer about 10 more minutes or until pasta is cooked, stirring occasionally.  Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Ready to Eat!  Yum!

Pressure Cooked Chicken Curry ~gluten free

3lbs chicken pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons Curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 large onions, diced
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 can green beans
Heat pressure cooker. Melt butter and brown chicken pieces in butter. Stir in onions and lightly brown. Stir in curry and salt. Add the vinegar and water. Close cover. Following manufacturers' directions, cook for 10 minutes (regulator should be rocking gently)
Cool pressure cooker at once (I place it under a tap of cold water until I hear the pressure release). Remove chicken pieces. Stir in the canned beans and the cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water. Bring to a boil, simmer 1 - 2 minutes.
Serve over hot rice. Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Pork n' Potato Pie ~gluten free

Serves 6 This one is a keeper! Good way to use up leftover roast pork!
2 lbs potatoes
1/3 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
14 1/2 ounces beef broth (I used leftover gravy from the pork roast)
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 tablespoons parsley
2 1/2 cups cooked pork, cubed.
1 can green beans (or one cup cooked)
Preheat oven to 375
Cook potatoes until soft. Drain well and mash with milk and 2 tablespoons butter, salt and pepper
Spread half the mashed potatoes in a greased, shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
In a skillet, saute onion and garlic powder until tender. Mix 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1 cup of the broth.
Gradually stir in broth, mustard powder, thyme and 2 tablespoons parsley. Stir in pork and green beans. Bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes or until beans are done.
Pour over potato crust.
Pipe or spoon remaining potatoes over top.
Bake uncovered for 35-40 inutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.
Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Gluten Free Fritter Batter

Gluten Free Fritter Batter Recipe
1 egg, beaten
6 tablespoons chickpea flour or yellow cornflour
9 tablespoons rice flour
1/4 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 teatesspoon baking powder
1 cup 7 UP or carbonated water

Wisk the dry ingredients together.  Beat the 7UP and egg together with a fork.  Carefully stir into the flour mixture until combined.  Do not over mix.  This makes a thin batter.
To use:
dust shrimp, chicken, meat, fruit or vegetables with rice flour.  Let sit in fridge uncovered for about 30 minutes until no longer wet.  Dip food in fritter batter . Deep fry 1-3 minutes at 350 F .  Place on paper towel.

G F Pound Cake - Very Good!

Last piece of pound cake from Sunday!  It disappeared so quickly that I didn't get a chance to photograph the whole cake!  Makes a very nice looking bundt cake. Most questioned if it was gluten free!
Gluten Free Pound Cake
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sweet rice flour
1 cup rice flour ( I prefer the fine oriental rice flour)
2/3 cup potato starch,
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon guar gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Combine sugar and melted butter in mixing bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.  Add vanilla; beat until mixed.
Wisk together the different flours with the guar gum and baking powder.  Gradually add flour mixture alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating at low speed until well mixed - 2 -3 minutes.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan.
Freezes well.  Just thaw and serve.  Can be served as is or with a glaze or with whipped cream and fruit.