Dutch Pea Soup - Easy and Gluten Free

Great during the winter months!

divided up into individual lunch servings

Dutch Pea Soup - gluten free
16 cups water (tastes even better if you use about 4-6 cups chicken stock in place of water)
4 cups split peas
3-4 stalks celery, diced
1 cup sliced leak - optional but tastes good in this soup
2 tablespoons dry parsley
2 teaspoon salt (depending on how salty your stock is - add last if unsure)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
2 cups diced ham or smoked sausage (optional if using ham bone)
1 meaty ham bone (or use 1 litre of chicken  stock in place of part of the water)
Add everything except salt to the large soup pot.  Simmer, stirring occasionally for 2 hours or until peas are soft. Taste and add salt to your preference.
Pea soup always tastes better the next day.

Gluten Free Dutch Bitterballen or Turkey Croquettes

GF Dutch Bitterballen /Turkey Croquettes
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup rice flour
1 cup turkey broth
2/3 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 cups diced turkey
1 teaspoon parley flakes
1 egg

Coating:
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups dry finely ground bread crumbs

Method:
Melt butter in large saucepan.  Stir in the rice flour gradually stir in turkey/chicken broth - cook over low heat stirring constantly until thickened.  Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme, turkey and parley.  Stir in the egg and stir over low heat for one minute. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight before forming.
Shape into round 1 1/2" balls.

In one bowl - combine remaining egg with milk, beat well. Have bread crumbs in another dish - you may season them a little with salt and pepper.
Roll each croquette in the crumbs, then dip in the egg milk mixture and roll in crumbs again.  Place on a baking sheet uncovered in the fridge so they can dry before deep frying.  Heat oil to 375 F it should be at least 1" deep.  Add croquettes and fry 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side.  Drain on paper towel.
The recipe shows that it makes 12- 18 croquettes - but of course that depends on the size you make them.

roll the chilled turkey mixture into 1- 1/2" balls

roll in gluten free bread crumbs

then roll in egg/milk mixture and then in crumbs again (below)

rolling in crumbs

                                   

nicely formed bitterballen air drying before deep frying

Getting the teens to help makes it much easier!

Gluten Free Speculaas - or Gluten Free Dutch Almond spice cake

Another of our family traditions is Speculaas.  This almond paste filled cake was easy to make gluten free and tastes just as good.
Gluten Free Speculaas
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
2 cups chickpea flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon mace
1/8 teaspoon cloves
almond paste (use store bought if gluten free or make your own - recipe below)
Almond Paste Recipe:
8 oz. ground almonds - I use a fairly fine grind.
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 lemon rind grated. ( I use about 1-2 teaspoons depending on what I have and how lemony you want it.  I freeze the rest for next time.
Place almond meal in mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well with wooden spoon or hands.  Cover and chill.
Method:
Roll out almond paste about 1/4" thick and to fit the 9 x 13 pan.  I roll out between waxed paper.
Cream butter, sugar and egg together.  Sift remaining ingredients and stir into the butter, sugar egg mixture.
Divide in half.

Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Press half the mixture into the pan. Cover with almond paste. Then on waxed paper cut to the same length and width as the baking pan roll out the remaining half of dough and flip over onto the almond paste.  Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with almonds.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

hand pressed into pan

dough rolled on parchment then flipped

over onto almond paste

peel off the parchment paper

second layer of dough placed over almond paste

Gluten Free Stroopwafels (Dutch syrup wafers)

A family tradition for as long as I can remember.  My mom brought a stroopwafel iron home from Holland and has been using it for years.  She even made enough of the wafers to serve to our guests at our wedding in 1978.  For years I tried to mimic my mom's recipe and no matter what her's are always best. They taste great and her's were always perfectly formed - something we are still working on!  This year because I was short on butter I used margarine in the dough and butter in the filling.  These ended up being much closer to hers - for some reason the margarine made the wafer part crisper than the butter did.  I have a feeling that is what she used because at home we always baked with margarine as I was growing up.
Gluten Free Stroop Wafels
13/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
3/4  teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup margarine
1 large egg
1-2 more large eggs
up to 2 tablespoons milk if needed to make dough softer.
Method:
Using a mixer cream the sugar and margarine together.  Mix in 1 egg.  Sift the dry ingredients together and stir in.  Add one more egg.  Mix well. Stir in an additional egg .  Should be like cookie dough.  If required add a little milk to soften the dough.
Syrup
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 lb of butter
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon.  Heat and stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.  Cool a little before using.  If it gets too stiff then warm up a little in the microwave.

Mine are not so nice and round so I trim them while hot with a round biscuit cutter

Heat your stroopwafel iron setting the dial to #3.  Once hot place a 1" ball of dough on iron.  Close iron and let cook until the steam stops and the wafer is golden brown.  Quickly slice in half (try not to burn your fingers!) with a sharp thin bladed knife - I use a filleting knife.  Spread about 1 tablespoon syrup on wafer and cover with other half of wafer.  Place on baking sheet.  Freeze on baking sheet and then stack 6 to a pile and wrap tightly in plastic wrap - this prevents them from separating while in the freezer.

As you can see there is a nice layer of syrup in between.

Gluten Free White Christmas Fruit Cake

My mother-in-law always made a White Fruit Cake and my mother always makes a dark fruit cake.  I have managed to make the White Fruit Cake Gluten free with good success.
Gluten Free White Fruit Cake or Gluten Free Christmas Cake - makes 2 loaves
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sweet rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 cup milk
900 grams glace fruit mixture (red and green cherries and other fruits as desired)
200 grams slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup flaked dried coconut mixed with 1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup brandy (optional) If not using brandy add 1/4 orange juice

 Soak the fruit in the orange juice/or brandy (overnight is best but can be 1 hour).
Soak coconut in the milk for one hour
Heat oven to 250 degrees.
 Cream butter and sugar until light.  Add the eggs one at a time, beat well until incorporated.  Stir in the flour.  Stir in the fruit, nuts/milk, juice and flavoring. Place in two pans about 8" x 4" x 2.5" that have been lined with foil and then wax paper.  Bake at 250 for 2-3 hours or until done.  Place a pan with boiling water on the rack below the loaf pans.
Tips: to keep fruit separate - coat with sweet rice flour before adding.
Wrap well to store.  Store in fridge as there are no preservatives added.

Gluten Free Banana Muffins - Super Moist and Light!

Gluten Free Banana Muffins - makes 24

2 cups rice flour (I use Asian)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup soft margarine or butter ( I have also used canola oil)
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups banana puree ( about 3 medium bananas)
4 large eggs
chocolate chips - optional about 1/2 cup.
Preheat oven to 350.
Sift flour with baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  In mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.  Mix in the banana puree. With a spoon - stir in the eggs.  Add the flour mixture and stir with spoon until blended.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Freezer bag to crockpot recipe - Pineapple Mandarin Kielbasa - Gluten Free

I'm on the look out for easy recipes that are either "Dump" or  "Freezer Bag to Crock pot" .  This one could be either.

The recipe shown in the picture was done as a "dump" recipe right into the skillet and was ready in no time.  The nice thing with this method is that the vegetables and fruit do not get overcooked. The Kielbasa I purchased from the supermarket was gluten free.  We find the sausage tastes like a smokey.  You could substitute with baked or canned ham or with cooked chicken pieces.  Our four teenagers loved it!

Gluten Free Pineapple Mandarin Kielbasa
2 lbs Kielbasa sausage sliced into rings - make sure it is gluten free.  (I used Superstore no-name one and it was gluten free at that time)
1 14 oz. can pineapple chunks to tidbits - reserve 3/4 cup juice and blend in 1 tablespoon cornstarch into the juice and set aside.
1 can mandarin orange segments, drained
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 green onions
2 stalks celery sliced
1/2 cup diced green pepper (optional)
1 carrot sliced thinly (optional)
Method
In large skillet place the sausage, pineapple juice cornstarch mixture, sugar, vinegar, salt, ketchup, green onion celery, green pepper and carrot.  Stir and bring to a light boil until thickened.  Stir in the pineapple and mandarin orange segments just before serving.  Serve over hot rice.