Gluten Free Mom

Bacon Wrapped Chicken - and a few other Naturally Gluten Free Superbowl Snacks

I am lucky to have a great friend who is also a great chef and likes to cook gluten free for my family. 

We spent Thanksgiving together and she served Bacon Wrapped Chicken as an appetizer.  When they disappeared in seconds, I knew I needed the recipe.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts cut into bite sizes (you will get close to 30 pieces)

1 package GF bacon

toothpicks

1 cup brown sugar

2 T chili powder

1 t salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Mix together the brown sugar, chili powder and salt. 

Wrap cut up chicken pieces in a third of a  slice of bacon  and secure with toothpick.   Roll in sugar mixture.

Place on a rimmed (the bacon grease will spill over a non-rimmed sheet) baking tray that is lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.  For crispier bacon, set under the broiler for a few minutes at the end.  Keep an eye on it as the bacon will brown quickly under the broiler.

Other Gluten Free Appetizers:

 

• Artichoke Dip 

• Guacamole Dip

• Hummus

 

 

Other gluten free bloggers recipes for Superbowl Snacks:

The Whole Gang - an extensive round up of snack recipes and ideas

Elanas Pantry - some "healthier" gluten free snack ideas

Gluten Free Girl - for the gourmet "foodie" super bowl!

 

Making our Favorite Gluten Free Cut Out Christmas Cookies and More!

It is that time of the year again when we bring out our recipes for our favorite gluten free cookies!

Last night we participated in the Seattle Christmas Ships Parade on the Puget Sound.  For those of you not from Seattle, the  Christmas Ship festival is a holiday celebration that has been a Northwest tradition for 62 years.

Each night the Argosy Christmas Ship™ sails to different Puget Sound waterfront communities.  Local boaters, like us, join in the parade behind the lead ship.

 

A choirs on board the lead ship sings 20-minute performances that are broadcast to the other boats and people who gather on the beaches to watch the ships.

It was very fun to be a part of the largest holiday floating parade in the world!

 

We invited some very good friends to join us - I served a big pot of Chicken and White Bean Chili and made our favorite Chocolate Decadence Cookies. 

Today I am making the cookie dough for our Cut-Out Christmas Cookies.  This year, I decided to use Jules Cut Out Cookie recipe. 

Baking gluten free Christmas cookies can be tricky - if the dough is too warm, they will spread like warm soup in the oven and spill over the sides of your tray. 

TWO TIPS for MAKING GLUTEN FREE COOKIES:  Make sure your dough is cold!  I refrigerate it over night and I make sure my kitchen is not hot when I am forming the dough.

Second, use parchment paper.  Gluten Free cookies can be crumbly before they set. Using parchment paper not only makes clean up super easy, but also makes it easy to slip the cookies with the parchment paper onto a rack to cool. 

If it is your first year making cut-out cookies, then you cannot go wrong with this recipe. 

 

Jules Gluten Free Cut Out Cookies

• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup granulated cane sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbs. water (as needed)
• food coloring (optional)
• colored sugar or frosting (optional )

Cream shortening, sugar and oil several minutes with an electric mixer, until very fluffy.  Add egg yolks, vanilla extract and food coloring.  Mix in the dry ingredients, adding in tablespoons of water only as needed to keep the dough together and avoid dryness (err on the side of this dough being wetter so that after refrigeration, it’s not too dry).  Pat the dough into a disc shape, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough until very cold, at least 3-5 hours (overnight is best).

Preheat oven to 350º F (static) or 325º F (convection).

Lightly flour a clean surface or pastry mat with Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour.  Roll the dough to approximately 1/8 inch thickness and dust cookie cutters with flour before using to cut out shapes.  You may also roll thin coils of dough of different colors and braid into candy cane or other fun shapes.

Place cookies onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and decorate with colored sugar, if desired.  Bake approximately 8-10 minutes, or just until they begin to lightly brown at the edges.  Cool on a wire rack and frost with gluten free flour.  

Yield: approximately 2 dozen cookies (depending on size).

Here is another recipe that we have also used many times with great success!

Cut Out Christmas Cookies using Gluten Free Pantry Mix

Before we found Jules flour, we used the following recipe.  It actually works really great as well.  I don't remember ever having a batch that did not turn out.

 

• 2 ½ sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter (or Earth Balance for CF) at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 4 large egg yolks at room temperature
• 1 t grated lemon zest or lemon juice
• 1 t vanilla
• 3 cups The Gluten-Free Pantry Country French Bread Mix

In your electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and salt until creamy. 

Beat in egg yolks, lemon and vanilla.

On slow speed, beat in the flour one cup at a time until just combined.

Divide dough into three equal parts, flatten into disc, wrap separately in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour. 

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Flour the work surface and your rolling pin with rice flour and roll out one disk at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. The dough will break up a little bit on the first roll, but then becomes very easy to work with.  On the other end, the dough will be hard to work with after it warms up too much, so keep extras in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. 

Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.

With a metal spatula, transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Depending on the size, makes around 40 cookies.

Bake 10 – 12 minutes, until lightly golden.  Cool on parchment.

Gluten Free Frosting:

• 1 pound box of powdered sugar
• ¼ cup milk (or almond milk for CF)
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 stick butter (or Earth Balance for CF)

Beat with an electric mixer until creamy, scraping the bowl often.

Separate into individual cups and add desired food colors.  

 

Gluten Free Meatloaf with Certified GF Oats

OMG- meatloaf with certified gluten free oats!

We have not eaten meatloaf in years mainly because my Gluten Free Teen was a vegetarian for five years.

It all started with the Evergreen State Fair - when my kids were smaller they loved going to the fair - riding the carnival-style rides and walking through the house of mirrors and seeing the animals and crafts.

About five years ago we were walking through the animal barns at the fair when we saw the baby pigs - there was a pen full of piglets - weighing about ten pounds each at that time, pink and well, cute actually.

We live on two-acres on what we call our little "hobby farm" (we have a big garden, fruit orchard and chickens) and so we thought about buying one of the pigs and adding it to our hobby farm as a pet, of course.

By now three kids are exuberantly picking out their new pet while I am trying to convince Dad that a pig would be fun. Yes, in retrospect, a "what in the heck was I thinking moment!"

In walks the farmer and we explain that we were thinking of buying one of his piglets.  The farmer  was not amused at the city folk thinking we would just buy a pig. 

He went on to explain that these pigs were raised for food, that within a matter of months it would be so huge we would need a backhoe to move it out of our yard and that it would be bacon in about a year.

 

 

Even fully grown, I don't think the pig would ever get as big as the tears my kids shed at the moment they realized their future pet would be dinner.

Jumping into action, I shuffle the kids into the next barn while Dad tries to explain to the farmer what being tactful means.  Of course, we charge into a huge display of a cow neatly dissected showing the cuts of meat juxtaposed against a barn full of living cows.  The reality of where food actually comes from struck home again.

 

From that moment forward, my Gluten Free Teen decided to become a vegetarian.  She said if she could not have a pig as a pet, she certainly was not going to eat it.

I hear that it is pretty common for kids to go through this vegetarian phase - instead of fighting her about it, we adopted the lifestyle ourselves. We did fine on a vegetarian diet - it took time, but we came to the point where the rest of the family would only eat lean meat on a occasion. 

Then last summer the Gluten Free Teen decided she had protested long enough and she ate a hot dog, and then a hamburger, and now we are back to eating meat a little more frequently.

So I decided to try meatloaf and, oh my goodness,  it was delicious!  I know your family will enjoy this recipe as well. 

Now I am thinking that maybe this was not such a great story to share with a recipe for meatloaf!  It is also a commentary on how far removed our modern society is from where our food actually comes from.  My grandparents raised their own beef, while we buy it packaged in Styrofoam from the grocery story.  No wonder my kids were so freaked out. 

And, no, we have not been back to the fair recently. 

 

Gluten Free Meatloaf with Certified GF Oats

 

Ingredients:

 1/3 cup Milk (use non-milk alternative for dairy free recipe)

1 cup dry certified gluten free oatmeal finely ground (we use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats)

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1/2 pounds ground pork

 1/4 cup grated onions

 1/4 cup grated carrots

2 eggs

1 minced garlic clove

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

3/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

 a small pinch cayenne pepper

 

Process the oatmeal in a food processor until finely ground. 

In a medium bowl, combine milk and gluten free oatmeal.  Let sit for a couple of minutes.   Stir in eggs, 1/4 cup ketchup, minced  garlic, Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, pork, onions and carrots.  Stir in oatmeal mixture until combined thoroughly. 

Line a rimed cookie sheet with foil.  Shape the mixture into a loaf.  Score the top diagonally. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. 

While it is baking, make the ketchup glaze by combining ½ cup ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon salt.   Remove meatloaf after 30 minutes and coat with ketchup glaze. 

Bake for another 30 minutes or until done. 

For more of our favorite recipes, go the Gluten Free Mom's recipes. 

 

 

Gluten and Dairy (Casein) Free Macaroni and Cheese

It was one of those days that called for macaroni and cheese.

The sky was like an afghan of clouds placed over Seattle with bits of sunshine sneaking through the gaps in the stitches.

The temperature a nippy mid-30s - just cold enough to make your noise tickle.  The fall leaves the color of warm sunshine on the crisps blue of the cold waters of the Puget Sound.

 

We decided to take the boat over to Bainbridge Island for coffee - my husband said it was not about the coffee but the journey to the coffee.  Being a die-hard convert to the northwest way of life, I said it was about the coffee.

Returning home just as the sunset over Seattle (around here that is about 4:30 pm) we lit our first fire in the fireplace and it was a macaroni and cheese kind of night.

 

I have been making gluten free macaroni and cheese for a long time.  Now that the Gluten Free Teen is also allergic to dairy, it was time to come up with a good dairy free version of the same.

This recipe will not disappoint - the Gluten Free Teen was worried that it had real cheese in in it!  I think I am going to try this new cheese sauce in scalloped potatoes for Thanksgiving. 

This is a five star recipe for our family:

 

Gluten and Dairy Free Macaroni and Cheese

 

• 3 cups gluten free macaroni (we use Bionaturae Organic Elbows Pasta Gluten Free )
• 3 T dairy free butter replacement (we use Earth Balance)
• 2 T Corn Starch
• 1 cup dairy free milk replacement (right now I am really liking Pacific Natural Foods Rice Non-Dairy Beverage, Plain)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 t dry ground mustard
• 1/4 t garlic salt
• 1/2 t salt
• Dash of pepper
• 1 cup Daiya Vegan Cheddar Style Cheese
• gluten free Bread Crumbs  (we use Kinnikinnick Crumbs - Panko Style Gluten Free)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a casserole dish.

Cook the macaroni in salted water according to package directions until almost done but still hard. 

In a saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons Earth Balance.  On medium heat, blend in 2 tablespoons corn starch.

Stirring constantly, slowly add 1 cup  dairy free milk replacement and stir well until it becomes a smoother texture.  Add the onions, dry ground mustard, garlic salt, salt, pepper and lastly the Daiya Vegan Cheese. 

Cook and stir until the cheese is mostly melted.  It does not have to be completely melted as this will occur when baking the macaroni and cheese. 

Mix with the cooked macaroni and turn into the casserole dish. 

Top with the Bread Crumbs - I like to sprinkle a little extra garlic salt on top.

 

Bake at 350 degrees F  for 35 to 40 minutes (my family likes it extra crunchy).

Click here for more of our Favorite Gluten Free Recipes.

 

Seagull with a Starfish

 

 

An Evening with Mario Batali and his recipe for Basic Tomato Sauce

We had the pleasure of attending an event at the Seattle Art Museum which featured the critically acclaimed chef, restaurateur, award-winning author, and television personality, Mario Batali. 

Those of you who are foodies will recognize the name Mario Batali as he has built an empire around his passion and respect for all of the great tastes and traditions of Italian cooking.   He has a restaurant empire, several cookbooks, a line of food products and is currently on ABC's The Chew.

When first invited to this event which featured Italian food (aka food heavy in gluten and dairy) I pondered how I would ever survive the evening.  But thanks to the wonderful staff at TASTE at the Seattle Art Museum, who prepared the meal using Mario's recipes, I was treated to an enjoyable dinner that was as good as, if not better, than everyone else's. 

Thiery Rautureau (of Rover's); my husband and myself, Mario Batali, Dale Chihuly

We were served Fenecchiedde - braised fennel salad; Strangolapreti alla Sorrentina - "priest stranglers" in the style of sorrento; and Artista alla Porchetta - roast pork loin and Brussels sprouts with pecorino and thyme. 

 If you are ever downtown Seattle and looking for a meal, I would highly recommend  TASTE as a gluten-free friendly place to eat.

 In celebration of a great evening, I decided to make pasta with Mario's basic red sauce.  I contemplated converting his gnochi recipe to gluten free as well, but went with our favorite gluten free store bought pasta BiAglut Gluten-Free Penne Pasta.

Mario Batali's Basic Tomato Sauce

(naturally gluten free)

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Spanish onion, 1/4-inch dice
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
• 1/2 medium carrot, finely grated
• 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand (see note below re tomatoes)
• Salt
• Whole basil leaves, for garnish
• Grated Parmesan, (optional)

Directions

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot, and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Serve with Gluten Free pasta and garnish with basil leaves and cheese. 

Warning - once your family eats this, they will never go back to canned spaghetti sauce.

 

NOTE re Tomatoes - I love Pomi strained tomatoes.  The packaging is BPA free (although they are not organic) but it is the taste I love - they remind me of my grandma's fresh from the farm jarred tomatoes.  They add a great flavor to any recipe.

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