Oatmeal Cookies!

Folks - sorry, its been so long since I've posted.  I started a new job, and stopped recording my recipes.  Don't worry though, they are all in there (pointing to my head).

I thought I'd start my blog back up with a nice fall  treat, so here's my recipe for chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.  You could also substitute 2/3 cup of raisins for the chocolate chips if you're not a chocolate fan.



Ingredients:

1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup white or brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 & 3/4 cup gluten free rolled oats
1 stick of butter at room temperature (if salted, don't worry about adding salt)
1/3 teaspoon salt (if your butter is unsalted)
1 large egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Combine egg, salt, butter, and vanilla, blend with a mixer.  Continue mixing, adding the maple syrup, white and brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking power, and xanthan gum.  While still mixing, blend in the three flours and chopped pecans.  When blended, slowly add in the rolled oats.  Last but not least, blend in the chocolate chips.

Tip:  If you are using a stand mixer, mixing in the oats and chocolate chips should be OK.  If you are using a hand mixer you might find using a large spoon might be easier for the last of the oats and chocolate chips.

Using tablespoons drop cookie dough into small rounded balls on a baking sheet.
Bake cookies for approximately 10-12 minutes until very lightly browned.

Yields approximately 36-40 cookies.

Enjoy with a nice glass of milk!

These are a few of my favorite (gluten free) things...

Several friends of mine have been trying the gluten free lifestyle lately.  In general, I like to make most of my food from scratch instead of buying products, however, I don't always have time to make bread, cookies, pasta, etc.  My favorite places to buy Gluten Free groceries are Trader Joe's, Hannaford's and Stop and Shop.  Trader Joe's having the best prices, Stop and Shop having the largest selection, and Hannaford's seems to fall somewhere in between. 

Here's a list of some of my favorite gluten free products by category.  I see it as a good way to get started with a few products that I personally think are pretty good. 

Baking Mix: I like the Pamelas Baking & Pancake Mix   I'm pretty happy with how the pancakes turn out and you can also use it for cookies.  Its a great way to make several gluten free things without having to buy or experiment with gluten free flours.  

Beer:  Redbridge by Budweiser

Bread:  I like Udi's bread - both the white and whole grain variety.  

Breadcrumbs:  Gillian's Italian Breadcrumbs 

Brownies and Cookies for Delivery:  Harvard Sweet Boutique.  They'll send you a box of delicious yumminess in the mail.  http://www.harvardsweetboutique.com.  Best gluten free brownies...ever...

Cakes in the Boston Area: Celia Cakes http://celiacakes.com/ Vita made the cake part of my zombie wedding cake - it was Red Velvet, and absolutely delicious! 
 
Cereal:  Nature's Path Vanilla Sunrise (I like to call in Vanilla Surprise) Super Yummy.  I also like to buy Chex- especially Honey Nut and Cinnamon.

Cookies:  Pamela's Extreme Chocolate Cookies, they are pretty tasty and you can crush them and use them in baking, such as for cheesecake crusts.  Pamelas Products 39439 Extreme Chocolate Simple Bites Gluten Free

Also Pamela's or MiDel's or Trader Joe's Ginger Snaps-  They are all pretty tasty and I haven't noticed a significant difference amongst them all.

Flour: I like Bobs Red Mill Sorghum Flour  - its very versatile - great for cooking and baking and has a nice flavor. 

Granola: Udis Granola and  Bakery On Main Granola Gluten Free . Both brands have a few great flavors. 

Mac and Cheese:  Its a tie between Trader Joe's Gluten Free Mac and Cheese and the Annie's White Cheddar Shells.  I guess it depends on if you prefer shells vs. elbows or orange vs. white cheese.

Pasta: I find that Bionaturae is the most versatile Bionaturae Organic Penne Rigate Pasta Gluten Free. However I'll also buy Schar's pasta and Tinkyada as well.


What else am I missing?  Drop me a comment if you have other good suggestions or have another type of product you'd like me to recommend.  :) 

Southern Style BBQ, Gluten Free!

I find there are certain genres of food that are very compatible with a gluten free lifestyle.  BBQ seems to be one those.  Homemade pulled pork and corn bread are easy choices for a yummy dinner. They are also pretty reliable choices if you're having a few guests over.  I've made pulled pork and cornbread a few times now, and these versions are my favorite.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I just did.  :)  Serve with baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, corn, or collard greens.

Slow Cooker Hard Cider Pulled Pork:

1 pork picnic shoulder (about 5-7 pounds)

1/4 cup BBQ sauce (plus more for serving)

16oz Hard Cider
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

Peel and quarter the onion.  Peel garlic and slice each clove in half.  Place into slow cooker with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar.

Wash pork shoulder and trim off skin and excess fat.  Place into slow cooker.  Fill cooker with hard cider until about half of the pork is submerged with the liquid mixture.  Pour 1/4 cup of your favorite (gluten free) BBQ sauce on top.  Cook on low for approximately 8 hours, flip over the pork approximately 1/2 way through cooking.

Remove pork shoulder from the crock pot (it should be nice and tender) onto a large cutting board and pull the pork into pieces using forks.  Discard bones and fatty pieces. Reserve 1/3 cup of the liquid mixture from the crockpot, and pour out the rest including any onions and garlic.

Set the crockpot on low and return the 1/3 cup of liquid and your pulled pork to the slow cooker (this is very important to add flavor and keep the pork moist).  Add a few ounces of fresh hard cider, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the teaspoon of paprika.  Mix together and let cook for approximately 15-20 minutes before serving.

Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce.

When I first wrote this recipe I just used the word "shoulder" to describe the cut of pork.  I laughed when I re-read this recipe particularly when I said, "flip over the shoulder approximately 1/2 way through cooking"... I giggled thinking of someone literally flipping their crock pot over their shoulder...

Light and Fluffy Sweet Skillet Cornbread
In order to make "fluffy" cornbread it is essential to mostly use corn flour vs. corn meal and to use fresh baking powder (using expired baking powder will reduce fluffiness).  

1/3 cup corn meal

1 cup corn flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon zanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 can creamed corn (or 1 small can)

1 cup milk

1/2 stick salted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a mixing bowl whisk together all ingredients except for the butter.
Over medium heat on your stove top, melt the butter in the skillet (do not brown).  Remove skillet from heat and pour the batter into the skillet, folding the butter into the mixture.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes at 400 degrees, the top should be a light golden brown.

An Easy Gluten Free Treat

Sometimes you just end up with too many over-ripe bananas.  This bread is easy to make on a weeknight and provides a week's worth of breakfast.  I bring this bread into work all the time and its always a hit.  Considering ingredients like bananas, brown rice flour and canola oil are much healthier than what you'd find in your typical muffin, why not treat yourself with a few chocolate chips? ;)

The recipe below was made using a loaf pan, alternatively you could turn it into muffins - just bake it for less time.  I've also successfully made it using the cake setting on my rice cooker. 

Fruit and Nut Bread

Flour mix (You can also substitute gluten free flour mix or your own mix of flours) 
2/3 cup brown rice flour

1/3 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup potato starch

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup canola oil

1/3 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

2 ripe bananas mashed
1 egg

1/3 cup chocolate chips

3 tablespoons apple sauce

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

butter for the pan

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Butter a 9X5X3 Loaf Pan
3. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix together the bananas, egg, and canola oil
4. In a sepate bowl mix flours together + xanthan gum
5. Add in the rest of wet ingredients
6. Add in dry ingredients except for nuts and chocolate chips

If using a hand mixer, turn off hand mixer and add nuts and chocolate chips with a large spoon, If using a stand mixer, turn stand mixer to low and add the nuts and chocolate chips.

Spoon into your loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

No more beer? :( It's okay, I've found a way to cope!

One of the most difficult things... just kidding... the MOST DIFFICULT THING... about going gluten free is not being able to drink beer anymore.  I've always been a "beer girl"- never interested in those "girly drinks".  Once I realized gluten wasn't for me,  not drinking beer was probably the hardest thing for me to get over.  Maybe you're not such a big beer fan, so you might do alright... otherwise you're going to have to find something else to replace it.

The first thing I tried was vodka (the non-wheat distilled kind) with various mixers, etc...  Not really my thing.  The second "replacement" was drinking more wine.  I will say that was definitely a great help (we'll talk about wine again in another blog).  The third "replacement" has been the Margarita.  Why the Margarita?  Well a good Margarita isn't too sweet, has a nice distinct flavor, and is quite dependable in the go-to-drink department.  It's easy to find most places (albeit they aren't always GREAT everywhere you go).  My fourth go-to is Hard Cider.  Cider is typically easy to find and there are some quite tasty varieties such as Magner's Pear.

Fifthly (what a great word), there are some gluten free beers, and those are definitely worth your while.  Mad props to Budweiser for creating RedBridge.  It's pretty decent and available in many places nowadays.  The MOST AWESOME PLACE they have gluten free beer is FENWAY PARK!!!!  Begrudgingly I used to order up a Chardonnay to sip while watching Big Papi hit a home run...(embarrassing!!!)  Now I can confidently order up a RedBridge and spill my beer all over myself during the wave.

That all being said, now it's time to share my Margarita recipe:

You'll Need:

1 Margarita Glass
Margarita Salt
About 4 or 5 Ice Cubes
Shot of Tequila (or two, if you like it stronger)
Shot of Grand Marnier
Juice of 2 Large Limes (or 3 Medium Limes, or 4 Small Limes)
1/3 Teaspoon Agave Syrup

Coat glass with salt
In a shaker mix together ice cubes, tequila, grand marnier, lime juice, and syrup.
Pour into glass and enjoy!!
(Or if you're lazy like me just mix together in a your glass with a spoon.)


Cheers!!

Finally starting my blog!

With the encouragement of many friends, I've decided to launch wheatlessandclueless - a blog for sharing my gluten free recipes, recommendations, and other helpful tips.   At any time feel free to ask me a question, share your ideas, etc.

I look forward to sharing my recipes with you!!

Christy 

A preview of upcoming topics include:

The recipe for my famous fruit and nut bread
Gluten free mac and cheese  : the best of out of box, and how to make your own baked mac and cheese sure to please the whole family
Recipe for gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Some of my favorite gluten free breakfast recommendations