• 15May

    Sandwiches!

    by Sandy |  Add your comment: 0

    I love a good sandwich. Going gluten free has been relatively easy – not really but now I can usually do without cakes and cookies – besides there are some decent gluten free versions of those. One thing I have been missing is bread. Most commercial gluten free/egg free breads are dense and not so appealing. I decided to give making my own a go so of course hit google. I found this recipe and with the raves on the comments section I had to give it a try.

    The first loaf was great but didn’t rise so much – I think because I mistakenly used potato flour instead of potato starch. The house filled with the aroma of fresh baked bread! I had tears in my eyes…not really but it does sound dramatic ;) The next loaf was a winner – as in taller though it is a relatively short loaf so sandwiches are a bit small – portion control, HA!
    I made some adjustments to the recipe and made this recipe for 1 loaf. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

    * Exported from MasterCook *
    GF EF Sandwich Bread
    Recipe By     :
    Serving Size  : 12    Preparation Time :0:00
    Categories    :
    Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
    ——–  ————  ——————————–
    3/4           cup  millet flour — 3 oz
    3/4           cup  tapioca flour — 3 oz
    3/4           cup  potato starch — 3.3 oz
    1/2           cup  sorghum flour — 2 oz
    1/4           cup  teff flour — 1.13 oz
    2          teaspoons  xanthan gum
    1           teaspoon  sea salt
    1/2      teaspoon  baking powder
    1/4           cup  sugar
    1         tablespoon  yeast — proof in 1/4 c warm water with pinch of the 1/4c sugar
    1         tablespoon  extra virgin olive oil — or melted butter
    1                cup  water — warm; or 3/4c water + 1/4 c yoghurt
    2        tablespoons  flax seed — ground + 1/4 cup hot water stir til gelatinous
    Grease 9 x 5 x 3 pan with butter or vegetable oil and dust with rice flour
    Mix together dry ingredients
    Mix together wet ingredients
    Add wet to dry
    Bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes
    - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
    Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 67 Calories; 2g Fat (21.8% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 179mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
    NOTES : variations:
    Rye bread – add 2 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, 2 t molasses, 1T cocoa
    For cinnamon roll dough – replace 1T EVOO with 2T butter
    Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

    Gluten Free / Egg Free  Sandwich Bread

    Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method

    ——– ———— ——————————–

    3/4 cup millet flour — 3 oz

    3/4 cup tapioca flour — 3 oz

    3/4 cup potato starch (not flour!) — 3.3 oz

    1/2 cup sorghum flour — 2 oz

    1/4 cup teff flour — 1.13 oz

    2 teaspoons xanthan gum

    1 teaspoon sea salt

    1 tablespoon yeast — proof in 1/4 c warm water with pinch of the 1/4c sugar

    1/4 cup sugar

    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil — or melted butter

    1 cup water — warm; or 3/4c water + 1/4 c yoghurt

    2 tablespoons flax seed — ground + 1/4 cup hot water stir til gelatinous

    Grease 9 x 5 x 3 pan with butter or vegetable oil and dust with rice flour.

    Mix together dry ingredients

    Mix together wet ingredients

    Add wet to dry.

    Let rise in a warm place until the bread is just to the top of the pan – about 1 – 1 1/2  hours.

    Bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes. The bread is done when you tap it and it sounds hollow.

    I made this variation on Monday so I could have pastrami sandwiches:
    Rye bread – add 2 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, 2 t molasses, 1T cocoa

    After the bread has cooled I slice it thinly and put in the freezer. When I want to make a sandwich or make toast I just take out what I need.

    I’ll post a picture when I make another loaf.

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  • 22Apr

    Gluten Free Blue Corn Griddle Cakes

    by Sandy |  Add your comment: 0

    This is a variation on a recipe I developed for a cooking demo at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center last night on Southwest Cuisine – today’s lunch so P can try them. This version uses ground flax in place of the egg and yogurt + water in place of the buttermilk. I used flax because I am sensitive to eggs and yogurt because it was on hand.

    Gluten Free Blue Corn Griddle Cake

    Gluten Free Blue Corn Griddle Cakes

    1 cup blue cornmeal (organic from Arrowhead Mills)
    1/2 cup brown rice flour (or amaranth)
    1 teaspoon sea salt
    3/4 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

    2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
    2 tablespoons ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup warm water
    3/4 cup whole milk yogurt
    1/3 cup water
    1 cup frozen cut corn (or fresh)
    1/4 cup scallions, sliced
    1/4 medium jalapeno pepper, finely diced
    1/2 cup Monterey jack or Mexican cheese blend, grated

    Extra virgin olive oil for cooking griddle cakes

    Combine dry ingredients (cornmeal through pepper) in bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (butter through cheese). Fold the dry ingredients into the wet.

    Heat a cast iron griddle to medium high heat. Lightly coat the griddle with olive oil. When the griddle is hot, make a griddle cake with ¼ cup of batter. When they are ready to flip, little bubbles will start to appear on the top of the cakes (and the bottoms will be slightly browned) – about 3 to 4 minutes on the first side. After flipping, you can check the bottoms of the cake for doneness – this will take about an additional 3 minutes per cake.

    Makes about 12 cakes. Serve hot.

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  • 16Apr

    Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Bread

    by Sandy |  Add your comment: 0

    The search was on…too many over-ripe bananas and unable to rely on the standby banana bread recipe due to the need to avoid gluten and eggs.

    Here is what I ended up with:

    Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Bread

    1 1/2 cup millet flour
    1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
    1/4 cup teff flour
    1/3 cup sugar
    3 Tbs ground flax seed
    2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    1 Tbs baking powder
    1/2 tsp xanthan gum
    1/2 tsp Redmond Real Salt
    3-4 very ripe bananas
    1 1/4 cup water
    1/4 cup butter, melted
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

    Preheat oven to 350F

    Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

    Mash the bananas and mix with the water, vanilla and butter.

    Mix the banana mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips.

    Pour batter into a well buttered and rice floured 9×5x3 loaf pan.

    Update: I have used a 9 x 9 square pan and it works well too.

    Bake at 350F for 50-70 minutes – until a knife poked into the center comes out clean.

    Cool in the pan for 20 minutes then finish cooling on a rack. Best to slice when fully cool but who can wait…

    Enjoy!
    Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Bread

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  • 18Feb

    Have you had your sea vegetables today?

    by Sandy |  Add your comment: 0

    Most folks these days are mineral deficient. Minerals, as in: calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, iodine, sodium, zinc, selenium, etc….What’s the big deal you may ask? Minerals are needed not just for our bones but for our muscles to contract and relax, for all enzymes to function properly, nearly every physiological process involves a mineral.

    One of the best ways to get minerals is to eat lots of vegetables and some fruits. If you want a mineral packed source – turn to the sea.

    Sea vegetables or seaweed are actually algae and contain nearly all the minerals needed by humans. These mineral include: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iodine, iron, zinc and numerous trace minerals. Sea vegetables also contain important vitamins: beta carotene, B1, B2, B6, niacin, vitamin C, pantothenic acid and folic acid. It also, contains varying amounts of protein depending on type with the some red algae having amounts comparable to legumes.

    Common sea vegetables are brown algae: arame, hijiki, kombu (aka kelp), wakame, agar-agar; and red algae: dulse, irish moss (carrageen) nori (aka laver).

    Of note hijiki contains high amounts of calcium; kelp or kombu contains high amounts of magnesium; dulse is high in B6, iron and potassium.

    Health Benefits include aiding in detoxification of the body (binding to heavy metals), source of minerals, support digestion, support the immune system, beneficial for bone, anemia, aid with hormone balance, may aid with weight loss by induce fat burning, lowering cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar, reducing blood pressure and reducing risk of metabolic syndrome.

    One study showed the ability of iodine or iodine-rich seaweed to inhibit breast tumor development: Smyth PPA. The thyroid, iodine and breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res. 2003;5:235-238.

    Sea vegetables are also a source of lignans (also found in flax seed) which are thought to play a role in preventing certain types of cancer, particularly breast cancer.

    Here are some easy ways to incorporate sea vegetables into your diet
    · Add a piece of kombu or kelp in a pot of beans, soups and stocks
    · A pinch to a handful of most any sea vegetable to any long cooked dishes such as lentil & bean soups, stews, chilis, etc
    · Sprinkle flaked or cut up pieces of sea vegetables on salads, over rice or other grains.
    · Use flaked sea vegetable as a seasoning in place of salt
    · Add a small amount into baked goods
    · Add to a sandwich
    · Dry into snack chips

    This is a favorite soup recipe which features laver or nori:

    Laver Egg Drop Soup
    4 servings

    3 eggs
    4 cups chicken stock
    4 sheets of nori, torn into small pieces
    1 Tbs corn starch
    1/2 tsp grated ginger
    1 Tbs soy sauce
    1 Tbs shaoshing wine or sherry
    3 scallions, sliced
    ¼ tsp ground white pepper
    ¼ tsp toasted sesame oil

    Stir together 1/2 cup of chicken stock with the cornstarch, set aside.

    Lighty beat eggs.

    In a medium size pot, heat together remaining chicken stock with ginger,
    soy sauce, pepper and wine with the nori pieces. Bring to a boil, stir in the
    cornstarch slurry. Let simmer. Add the scallions.

    Turn off heat. While stirring the soup in a clockwise direction, slowly
    add the egg in a thin stream. Garnish with a few drops of sesame oil.
    Serve immediately.
    Enjoy!

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  • 30Nov

    Cranberry Apple Chutney

    by Sandy |  Add your comment: 0

    I can’t remember last year’s best ever cranberry sauce so I winged it and came up with this one. Don’t worry, the jalapeno won’t make it spicy hot.

    Cranberry Apple Chutney

    Ingredients:
    1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
    1 apple (diced, 1/4 – 1/3″) – I used an heirloom apple – Arkansas Black
    1 jalapeno pepper (finely diced)
    1/3 cup sugar
    1/4 cup orange marmalade
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
    1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
    1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
    1/3 cup cider vinegar

    Place everything in a sauce pan over medium heat. Simmer until it thickens, about 15-25 minutes.

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  • 29Nov

    Bourbon and Brown Sugar Glazed Yams

    by Sandy |  Add your comment: 0

    This is the latest candied yam recipe. Slightly healthier than previous iterations. A must have at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

    Bake 4 pounds (4 large)  orange yams (sweet potatoes) at 350F until soft and the skins are “loose” – about 90 minutes. Let cool and peel skins off. Cut into 1 1/2″ disks. Arrange tightly into a 9″ square baking dish. Brush a generous amount of the bourbon brown sugar glaze and bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes. Brush on some more glaze and bake another 20 minutes.  If you want to crisp up the top you can brush on more glaze and put under the broiler for a few minutes. Serve warm.

    Bourbon Brown Sugar Glaze (approximate)

    1/4 cup butter
    1/2 cup brown sugar
    2 T bourbon
    1/2 tsp vanilla

    Put all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. The butter and brown sugar should blend together into a nice thick glaze.

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  • 22Nov

    Thanksgiving Madness

    by Sandy |  Add your comment: 0

    It’s a little busy in the TDK kitchen at the moment – lots of things to prep for making sides for about 60 people total. Of course there are 3 different menus but thank goodness there is some overlap.

    Even amongst all the chopping and dicing and roasting, my mind is always churning with new ideas. Since I have been mostly gluten free I try to avoid wheat as much as possible. I can resist most of the time – like just now when I pulled 6 dozen mini pumpkin muffins out of the oven. And I will indulge with the occasional birthday celebration or when a good slice of New York style pizza calls out or Holiday feast.

    But what about the day after Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwich? …bummer. Will I be able to hold out after having stuffing and other wheat goodies on T-day? I hate to go into wheat overload. Then it hit me…

    Ha! What about a spring roll? You know, the fresh rice paper wrapped rolls…So during today’s grocery run I got a few turkey sandwich fixings minus the bread. Just now, I ate a rice paper roll filled with lettuce, arugula, avocado, roast turkey, mayo, dijon and more lettuce. Rolled it up tight and yum! I’ll have to add some cranberry sauce for the next one.

    Just follow the basic roll instructions from this earlier post, filling the roll with your favorite sandwich filling.

    I’m thinking a watercress, tomato, horseradish and roast beef or a turkey club with avocado, bacon and tomato…the possibilities are endless…burrito anyone?

    Use lots of lettuce or other salad green – makes it easier to roll a nice tight roll.
    When I have a chance I am going to buy the extra large rice paper wraps that are about 12″ in diameter.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

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  • 29May

    Free Cake

    by Sandy |  Add your comment: 0

    It’s gluten free, egg free, dairy free…

    The ‘there’s no there there’ Carrot Cake

    Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
    ——– ———— ——————————–
    8 ounces crushed pineapple — drained, reserve liquid
    4 tablespoons flax seed — ground
    3/4 cup water
    2 cups carrots — shredded
    1 cup walnuts — chopped (optional)
    1 cup brown rice flour
    2/3 cup almond meal
    1/3 cup glutinous rice flour — ‘Mochiko’
    2 teaspoons cinnamon — ground
    1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    1 1/2 ounces coconut oil
    2/3 cup sucanat or rapadura — (dehydrated sugar cane juice)

    Preheat oven to 350. Grease and rice flour a 13″ x 9″ baking pan.

    Drain pineapple well (squeeze), reserving juice.

    In a small bowl, make a slurry with the ground flax and reserved pineapple juice.

    Grate carrots and chop walnuts. In a medium bowl, mix rice flours, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

    In large bowl, beat coconut oil and sucanat on medium until well mixed. Add flax slurry. Beat some more. Fold in dry half dry ingredients. Stir in water then fold in the remaining dry ingredients. Stir in walnuts, pineapple and carrots by hand. Try not to over mix – it will not rise as much if you do. Immediately pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake in the botton third of the oven at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until done – check by inserting a toothpick in the center. The toothpick should come out clean.

    The texture is definitely different than your typical cake – a bit chewy. I like it best the next day :) -the flavor seems to mellow out.

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  • 25Jan

    Flourless chocolate cake

    by Sandy |  Add your comment: 0

    A request for a recipe so here it is…..BUT, if you try it – you have to post in the comments how it turned out for you.   

    I’d still like to get around to doing a sugar-free version…I plan to get to it this weekend for some friends that are coming over for dinner. Keep your fingers crossed…   

    * Exported from MasterCook *   

    Bean Cake – Chocolate   

    Recipe By : Sandy at Tao de Kitchen
    Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
    Categories :   

    Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
    ——– ———— ——————————–
    2 cups black beans, cooked — *see Note
    1/2 cup almond meal
    4 large eggs
    1 cup sugar — or sub sucanat
    1/4 cup cocoa powder
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder — use 1 t if you want it fluffier
    1/4 cup butter
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    1 teaspoon vanilla  

    Mix all ingredients in blender. Pour into a buttered 9 x 9 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.   

    *you can also use a 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinse

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