Gluten Free Potato Pie Dough/Crust Recipe

This is our favourite pastry recipe for Chicken Pot Pie and other savoury pies!

Gluten Free Potato Pie Crust - makes 6 double crust 5" pot pies
2/3 cup rice flour (I use Asian rice flour)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter, chilled
1 cup (200grams) cool mashed potatoes

(If you do not need it gluten free you may substitute the rice flour and cornstarch for all purpose flour and leave out the guar gum)

Method:
Wisk dry ingredients together. Rub or cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add mashed potatoesand mix until combined. Do not add anymore liquid. Knead slightly. Shape in ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.  Remove from fridge and knead a minute or two until smooth.  Roll out for pies or if using a Birds Hill Pie Press form crust form after mixing - no need to chill dough. Bake pies until light golden brown.

Gluten Free Lemon Chiffon Cake

This is a wonderful cake -I got lucky on this one first try!   The combination of flours and changing the egg white and egg yolk amounts from my original recipe made a great cake that you would never guess was gluten free. 
Gluten Free Lemon Chiffon Cake - makes 2 cakes
Set  oven to 325*.  Have two 10" Bundt or tube pans  or one large 10" - 12" Bundt pan and cup cake pans - DO NOT grease pans

Sift together:
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt.
Make a well in the center of the dry mixture.  Pour in:
1/2 cup cooking oil (I used canola oil)
7 large egg yolks
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind - optional
Beat with hand mixer until smooth - about 2 minutes.
Clean the beaters well and in a separate glass bowl beat until very stiff:
7 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.
Pour the first mixture over the beaten egg whites a little at a time, gently folding it in with a spatula until evenly blended.  Do not beat or stir.  Pour half of batter into each cake pan. 
Put both pans in oven and bake at 325 for 50 minutes until the top springs back when you dent it with your fingers.  Top should be golden brown.  Take from the oven and turn the pans upside down on a wire rack and let stand until cold. 
When cold wrap one of the cakes in plastic wrap and a freezer bag and freeze for another time - eat the other!  Tastes good with a bit of whipped cream, lemon glaze or on it's own.

Pork sausage casserole -easy

Put this together today because I was in a hurry and it tasted good!
4-6 medium potatoes, peeled sliced or  diced
1 cup peas
1 lb ground lean pork
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sage
1/8 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon - I use the crumbled bacon from Costco
1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1 tbsp butter, melted

Lighty butter a 9x13 glass casserole dish.  Peel and slice potatoes and spread over bottom of dish.  Sprinkle fresh or frozen peas over the potatoes.  Mix spices through the raw ground pork and sprinkle over peas.  Sprinkle bacon over this layer. Mix can of mushroom with 1 can milk and pour over.  Mix crumbs with butter and sprinkle over this layer.  Bake at 375 for 1 - 11/2 hours.  Serve with a nice salad.

SpicyTomato Vegetable Soup - no noodles

I'm trying to reduce starches in my diet - especially in areas where I won't miss it so much.   I really enjoy this soup and do not miss the noodles at all!
Spicy Tomato Vegetable Soup
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups pureed tomatoes (I had canned my own)
10 cups water
200 grams diced chicken
1 grated carrot
1 cup diced green beans
2 leaks- sliced thin
3 celery stalks sliced thin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup dried parsley
1-2 tablespoons diced hot peppers or sambal oelek - depending on how much heat you want.
salt - (I used 4 teaspoons as my homemade stock had no added salt.  First taste your soup before adding salt)
Bring to a boil in a large Dutch oven, reduce heat and simmer for one hour.  Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Lasy Wife Dinner

Now I have no idea why it is called "Lazy Wife Dinner" - I would prefer a name like "Simple Dinner for Overworked Mom's".   My mom found this recipe recently in a book she read about the Amish.  It's a decent meal - quick and easy to make.
Lazy Wife Dinner
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup - gluten free if needed
3/4  macaroni (gluten  free) uncooked 
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup frozen vegetables
1 cup potatoes, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup meat of choice, diced
1 onion, diced
Mix together and bake in 9x 13 casserole for 1 1/2 hours at 350.

Gluten Free Lasagna -easy!

This is a great recipe! You make a fresh gf noodle so no pre-boiling of the noodles is necessary.
















Gluten Free Lasagna
For the lasagna noodle:
1 1/2 cups sweet rice flour                                        
3/4 cups tapioca starch
3 teaspoons xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups water - or slightly more
2 eggs
1 tablespoons oil
Filling:
1 medium onion, diced
1lb ground beef
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons oil
1 10 oz can sliced mushrooms or 4 fresh mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup - 1 cup cooked chopped and drained spinach - optional
28 ox can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 egg, beaten
1 cup creamed cottage cheese.
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella 
In large skillet brown ground beef onion and garlic.  Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste, spices and spinach - if using.
 Simmer 15 minutes.
Combine the cottage and parmesan cheese with egg.  Set aside.  While meat mixture is simmering make the pasta.  Mix together the dry ingredients.  Stir together the eggs, water and oil and combine withe the dry mixture. If it is too dry add a little more water.  Dough should be slightly sticky to start.  Knead on counter until smooth. At this point it will not be sticky. Dust counter with sweet rice flour . Divide in half and roll out each ball into a thin rectangle at least 13" long. Cut into strips. You should have enough dough for 3 layers of noodles. Repeat with the other ball of dough.  In. 9" x 13" casserole place a little of the meat sauce mixture.  Place one layer of noodles over sauce.  Cover with half the remaining meat mixture. Cover with another noodle layer.  Spread the cheese mixture over this layer. Cover with another layer of noodle.  Cover with remaining meat sauce.  Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Cover with greased aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 - 30 minutes until done.  Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Soup stock from beef bones

We love soup at our house - we eat it for lunch almost every single day - especially during the fall and winter.  Good soup is easy to make and the best soaps use a stock made from beef or chicken bones.










Vegetable Beef Soup
Put about 1lb beef bones in pressure cooker.  Add 6 cups water and 4 tomatoes or 1 can tomato paste .  Put lid and weight on.  Bring to a boil.  Let pressure cook with weight rocking for 30 minutes.  Turn off heat. Let pressure come down.  Or simmer in large pot for 1-2 hours .  Remove meat and bones and set aside.  Strain the liquid if you choose and return it to the pot.  Once meat has cooled you may slice it up.

Add to pot of stock:
 3 stalks celery diced
1 large carrot shredded.
1 bay leaf.
3-4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon pepper
the diced cooked meat taken from the bones
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup orange lentils
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes. Or until lentils are soft. Add fine rice noodles if desired.  Season with salt and pepper. and add more water until it is about 1 " from top of pan.