Gluten Free Brown Gravy - for when you have no gravy!

Last week I wanted to make a few shepherds/cottage pies for the freezer.  I had chopped up leftover roast beef but no gravy.   I did not want to run to the store and had no mixes or onion soup mix in the house so I looked online and put a few recipes together  and this is what I came up with.  It tasted really good!

 Gluten Free Brown Gravy

2 medium onions, diced 

1/2 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon garlic minced

1 tablespoon onion powder

4 cups water*

4 cups coffee ***

8 cups cooked roast beef diced, shredded etc.

beef bouillon or similar make sure it is gluten free.  **

***yes, coffee is an ingredient.  I used decaf. coffee I made in my drip coffee maker.   You could also make instant coffee.  The coffee gives it a nice brown colour like gravy mix from the store.

*reserve 2 cups water to the end.
**it's probably not necessary but if your gravy needs more flavour you can add a little gluten free beef bouillon cubes or paste.  

Melt butter in large heavy bottom pot.  Add onions and the sugar - saute until the onions are well browned but not burnt.  Stir in the spices, garlic, coffee and 2 cups of water.  Stir with wooden spoon rubbing the pan bottom to loosen any of the butter onion mixture.  Add the roast beef.  Add the extra water if needed.  Also, if you like it a little thicker add a couple tablespoons cornstarch to the reserved water and add to the mixture.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Use in pot pie recipes, casseroles or top mashed potatoes with the meat and gravy mixture.

This is a large recipe - cut in half if you have only 4 cups of roast.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake - Gluten Free

This is Maggie's favourite cake - she chooses it for her birthday each year.

Gluten Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake
3 cups rice flour
1 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup butter (margarine or shortening) at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk ** see tips
2 eggs, beaten
2 cans pineapple slices - drain and reserve the juice.
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter- melted.
12 maraschino cherries - optional
Combine rice flours, salt, and sugar in large mixing bowl.
Add the room temperature butter - cutting in with a fork or pastry blender to make a crumbly mixture. Set aside.
In another bowl Stir together the baking soda, cream of tartar and buttermilk..  Add 2 eggs and 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice.
Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon.
Take  your 9x13 pan.  Pour in the melted butter spreading it over bottom of pan.  Sprinkle with the brown sugar.  Drain the pineapple.  Place the slices over brown sugar.  If using maraschino place in center of pineapple rings.  Cover with cake batter - it's a fairly stiff batter.
Bake at 350 for 60 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
Have a baking tray on counter.  Remove baked cake.  Let cook 5 minutes.  Run a knife around outside edges.  Flip upside down onto baking tray.
Some like eating the cake hot.  Warm or at room temperature is also good.

Gluten Free Samosas - Really Easy!

These ones are fried only part way and will be frozen.  

I've been developing gluten free empanada doughs that will bake in the oven without splitting and that are easy to handle.  Not always so easy to do.  I made some Samosa using "Empanada Dough Recipe II Dairy Free"  and it worked quite well.  I baked some and then I fried the last few in a wok in a bit of cooking oil.  Both were good - but if you like the crust to be crispy then I would recommend frying in oil.  I made way too much filling and was thinking of an easy way to make more and decided to try using the Maseca - Instant Corn Masa Flour.   I just used the recipe on the back of the bag and formed them using my Birds Hill Enterprises Pocket Pie Press.  It worked wonderfully!  I had a wok with about an inch of oil heated on the stove and as I formed them I fryed them two at a time until golden.  They were crisp and delicious!  The rest I fried up until very light brown and froze on a baking sheet and then in a zip lock bag in the freezer.  When ready to eat heat oven to 350 and bake until hot.
I'm sure this dough can be used for hot apple pies, empanadas, egg roll fillings etc.
Notes: I tripled the filling recipe however used 8 cups potatoes rather than 6 cups.  We used 2kg (4.4lbs)'of Masa flour.  Total made was 164 4" samosas.

Easy Gluten Free Samosa 
Filling
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked diced potatoes
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. tumeric
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sambal oelek or  1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce (more if you like it "hotter")
1 tablespoon water
Dough - Makes about 30 4" samosas.  Easy to make more if needed for filling.
2 cup Maseca - Instant Corn Masa Flour (found in the Mexican aisle of grocery store)
1 1/3 cup warm water
1/4 tsp. salt

Method:
Saute onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes until onion is soft
Add all the other ingredients.  Saute a few minutes - stir well.  Optional - I mash the potatoes a bit with a potato masher or fork.

Let cool.
Mix the Maseca, water and salt together.  Knead with your hands for 2-3 minutes.  Should make a nice dough that is not sticky.
Using your Birds Hill Pocket Press form the dough as shown in the video below.  Fry in hot oil until golden.  Serve hot or warm. (video coming soon)

If eating right away - fry until golden on each side

Empanada Dough Recipe II Dairy Free "NEW"

This one has a Cornish pasty filling from Food.com 

Tested this recipe a couple times.  Do not overfill the empanadas or they will split.  It's really nice to have a bag of frozen ones on hand .  I serve them with soup on Sundays to both the gluten free and non gluten free members of the family.  They are nice dipped in salsa or sweet chili sauce.


Empanada Dough - Dairy Free
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup fine rice flour (asian kind)
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
2 tbsp. oil
1-2 Tbsp. dried Parmesan cheese or more "to taste" optional
3-4 Tbsp. water or enough to make a soft but not sticky dough.

Mix dry ingredients together in mixing bowl.  Stir the oil and egg together with a fork.  Make "well" in flour mixture and add the oil/egg mixture and 3 tablespoons water.  Knead until smooth adding a little more water at a time until the dough feels "just right".  It will be a dough that is ot sticky and is very nice to handle.
Roll out into circles (size is up to you.  I do either small appetizer sizes about 4" or lunch size 6.5".)
Fillings should not be runny.  There are lots on the internet to choose from.  Place filling on one side.  Fold dough over and crimp with fork.  You can freeze before baking or bake first at 350 for 30 minutes until light brown.  To bake frozen ones place on baking sheet at bake at 350-375 for approx. 30-40 minutes.  They can be eaten hot or cold.    I use the Birds Hill Perogy Press for the small ones and the Birds Hill Pie Machine with empanada dies for the  6.5" ones.
TIP: before baking -
 brush with egg white and a little water to make a glossy finish or with a whole egg and a little water to make a golden finish.  Can also brush with milk.
Large Recipe:
400 grams tapioca flour
400 grams sweet rice flour
400 grams rice flour
14 grams xanthan gum
20 grams salt
16 grams baking powder
500 ml cooking oil
8 large eggs
63ml - 500 ml water (1 1/2 cups - 2 cups)
Method:  Same as above.

Gluten Free Banana Muffins II - Our Favourite ! Easy to Make!

I converted a long used "regular flour" recipe to gluten free last night.  The muffins looked and had texture like "regular" muffins .  Fresh - they were amazing! I kept them overnight in a plastic
container and they were still great this morning.  They stay good for days and freeze well.  Can also me made into Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins or Gluten Free Apple Spice Muffins.
Gluten Free Banana Muffins II
1 1/2 cups fine rice flour (I use Asian -it's not gritty)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup buttermilk powder *see notes below
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon guar or xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup mashed or pureed ripe banana about 2-3 bananas (for other options see notes below)
1/2 cup cooking oil (canola, olive oil etc)
1/2 cup water *see notes below

Notes:
Options:

• add 1/2 cup chocolate chips or raisins
•  I add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice to flour mixture 
•  replace banana puree with thick applesauce or pumpkin puree
•  No buttermilk powder?  Substitute the 1/2 cup water with yogurt, or milk and 1 tsp. vinegar

Method:
Place dry ingredients in mixing bowl.  Wisk together with fork or wisk.  In 2 cup measurer place the pureed banana, oil and egg.  Mix together with fork until blended well. Make well in center of dry mixture.  Pour in the wet mixture and the water (or sour milk) - mixing lightly with fork until blended.  Divide into 12 paper lined muffin cups.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until done.

Gluten Free Pizza Crust - Giant Freezer Recipe!

This recipe makes about about 32 pizza crusts about 12" round.  For a 12" round use about 450 grams.
I like freezing them in weights of 700 grams for a baking sheet pizza.

this is a picture of the bottom side of the crust

4 kg rice flour (Asian, fine rice flour - not gritty)
2 kg tapioca flour
80 grams salt
32 grams guar gum
480 grams sugar
12 tbsp. yeast
32 tbsp. oil
20 cups water

Method:
Weigh out the dry ingredients place it all in the large bowl of your commercial mixer (like a hobart)
Turn the mixer on low for a few seconds to mix the ingredients.

In 8 cup measurer place part of the water, all the yeast and a tablespoon of the sugar,  Stir and let sit until foamy..
Add all the wet ingredients, including the yeast mixture to the mixer bowl.  Mix slowly until incorporated.  You might have to scrape the sides of the bowl.  Mix for 5 minutes until the lumps are out and it thickens.

Have 21-22 freezer containers ready.  Using a digital kitchen scale place the container on the scale and reset to 0.  Add 700 grams dough to each container.  Cover and immediately place in freezer.
Check to make sure the dough has not risen and popped off the lids.

how it looks after spreading

This lasts for 3 months for sure.  To use - take out the containers around noon and place on counter.  Should be defrosted enough by 5 or 6 p.m. to make pizza crusts.  Place on well oiled baking sheets or pizza pans .  Spread with oiled hands.  It will be thin.

gets a little cracked on top - no problem!

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes until done.  Add pizza toppings.  Return to oven and bake at 400 for 10 minutes.