Gluten Free Brownies

So, since I last left a posting here I have gone off the gluten free way of eating many times.  Usually one meal, or one day.  While travelling through Scotland in August there was no way of adhering to the gluten free diet, and frankly I didn't want to-I was in freaking SCOTLAND! Fish and chips, sticky toffee pudding, digestive biscuits...not to mention some yummy pizza in Edinburgh from an Italian run eatery down the block from our hotel (which despite it's upscale set up had the worst food).

October brought my daughter's 13th birthday and news that my dad has diabetes and needs to watch his diet.  We decided on a birthday pavlova and gluten free brownies for my daughter's birthday.  I found a recipe by Ghiradelli for Fudgy Gluten Free Brownies. I switched it up to make it more body friendly for me, replaced the rice flour with coconut flour to reduce the carbs and increase the fiber.  This recipe results in a very fudgy brownie, which is expected given the ingredients. It is necessary to have all ingredients at the ready and mix it quickly and well because coconut flour absorbs a ton of liquid if given the chance so the faster the batter is blended the better.  I find baking 20 to 22 minutes is essential otherwise the brownie edges are very dry and crumbly.


Ghirardelli Fudgy Gluten-Free Brownies

1/2 cup whole almonds* ( I use almond flour)
1/3 cup brown rice flour ( subbed equal amount of coconut flour)
1 cup Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet
Chocolate Chips
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into
chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)


1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the lower third of the oven. Line an 8x8-inch metal baking pan across the bottom and up two opposite sides with parchment paper.
2. If using whole almonds, add them to a food process with the rice flour and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. If using almond flour, mix it with the rice flour. Set aside.
3. Place the chocolate, butter and salt in the top of a large double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Add the almond and rice flour mixture and stir until moistened, and then mix briskly about 40 strokes. Stir in the walnuts or pecans if using.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the brownies are slightly puffed all over and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist but clean. Cool the pan on a rack. Run a knife along the unlined sides of the pan to detach the brownies. Lift the edges of the parchment paper to remove the brownies. Cut into squares.

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Lettuce Roll Ups

So, I've been mostly wheat free since the first week of February.  I had a few days in the last three weeks where I tried the old foods just to see how my body responded (eeps, not pretty!).  Weighing myself this morning, Ugh!, I am so disappointed and frustrated.  I no longer fluctuate in weight AT ALL, I'd go over a ten pound span and never quite lose weight.  When I went gluten free I gained weight, probably ten pounds, and manage to lose a few pounds since but have not budged since.  It is so frustrating!

So, I've been thinking that I need to cut carbs hard.  My gluten free alternatives have primarily been garbanzo flour, coconut flour and almond flour-all low on the glycemic index.  My *bread* intake has been very low so I cannot figure out why the weight won't budge.  I can't even bring myself to take time to exercise anymore, I am so maddeningly frustrated. I hate PCOS, hate it with a blinding passion.  I know that my beta blocker isn't helping any either with the weight loss.

So, fresh start again. I decided to really focus on a more vegetarian diet.  I'm still wheat free and sugar isn't really in my diet either.  I need to eat more, at least 3 meals a day, preferably a couple snacks too.

The garden is struggling, the heat and lack of rain has been hard on my plants, even though I water them daily.  So I am still relying on grocery and local farms for my veg. So my options aren't as abundant in my mind as they should be. I am also trying to get more on board with the blood type diet for type A-so making sure I keep clear of the foods on the avoid list.

Today, however, I decided to try a recipe idea I've been drooling over for awhile now.  I love sandwiches and miss them dreadfully.  So today I gave it a go and this was the end result:

2 large head lettuce leaves
2-4 slices of turkey (I use the nitrate free stuff)
1/2 avocado, sliced
1 carrot, sliced very thin
1/2 cucumber, sliced very thin
basil leaves

Hummus

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained and mashed
2 TB tahini
sea salt, to taste
1 tsp mustard
a few splashes of lime juice (lemon would work but the store hasn't had organic lemons in ages)
several fresh basil leaves, chopped

layer 1-2 slices of turkey on the lettuce leaf, spread with hummus and layer remaining ingredients then roll up.  Not too much hummus otherwise it oozes everywhere and is rather messy.

Homemade Granola

My daughter loves the granola mixes for her breakfast, however the cost is through the roof.  She has spent the last few days shelling pumpkin seeds I had toasted last fall and we went to town creating her own granola blend. Sorry, no measurements,-I threw things in as I went.  I can guesstimate.

Pixie's Granola

gluten free oats-about 2-3cups (maybe 4c)
shelled pumpkin seeds-about 1/2 c
blueberry infused dried cranberries abt 1/2 c
pomegranate infused dried cranberries abt 1/2 c
1/4c golden raisins
1/4c honey
1/4c bittersweet chocolate chips
1/ 8 c butter, melted
1/8c olive oil
3tb Nutella
2 tsp allspice

Mixed all ingredients well and then poured out over a parchment lined shallow pan and baked at 300* about 35min.


I found it too sweet for me but she loves it

Spiced Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto

 My daughter has been craving this warming dish, despite the weather being hot and humid, so I have whipped this up for her today.  I subbed woodear (her favorite) and oyster mushrooms, sliced into thin strips.

Spiced Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto

2 large shallots, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (or more)
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
5-6 cups of hot vegetable stock

2 cans organic pumpkin (or if you have fresh pumpkin 2 cups of finely diced and pureed)
1 cup chanterelles, large dice
1 cup morels, sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 Tb fresh thyme, minced
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Salt and black pepper to taste
toasted pumpkin seeds, garnish (opt)

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, warm olive oil and saute shallots and garlic.  Add rice and stir to coat rice with oil.
Add wine and continue stirring until wine has been absorbed.  Add 3 cups of the hot veg stock so that rice is completely covered.  Add more if needed.
Continue to cook, stirring frequently until stock is absorbed.

Add 1 cup of hot stock and continue to cook and stir until liquid is absorbed, repeat with last 1-2 cups. Rice should be chewy and much of the liquid absorbed.
Stir in pumpkin, thyme, nutmeg mushrooms and parmesan and turn heat to low and let cook 5 min. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.


~Stephanie Lowell-Libby

Kitchin Witchin

So today my daughter and I are tackling homemade granola for her and grain free bread for us both.  She is a huge fan of the granola cereal blends in the natural food section of our grocer.  However, for $5-$7 a pop for her faves that only give her maybe 3-4 bowls its just not worth it and has become a once in a blue moon treat.  The other blends are ho hum for her, she adores pumpkin flax granola, chocolate, anything a bit unusual, so we are going to poke through our supplies and see what we can add.  I usually keep dried dates, cranberries and raisins on hand so I'm sure those will go in and Pixie is shelling pumpkin seeds as I type.  Just bought some gluten free oats, we have organic honey and a lovely supply of local maple syrup we bought last summer so we are good to go.

As for the bread, I'll be trying this Grain-free Sandwich Bread recipe, will comment on the experience later

Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

If you have a mad love of peanut butter, then this is for you!


1 jar of creamy peanut butter
1/2c demarara sugar (original recipe called for 1c but I don't do super sweet too well)
about 1/8-1/4c Ahh-laska (or the equivalent) chocolate syrup
2 TB coconut flour
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder

I scooped with a tablespoon and rolled them like those peanut butter blossom cookies (the ones with the choco kiss pushed in after baking) and pressed them down a bit.  Baked at 350* for 10-12 min til slightly brown.  They lightened up considerably while baking, you'd never know there was choco syrup in the mix.  I might try chocolate or cocoa powder next.  These made 2 1/2 dozen but as they are SO peanut buttery and stick to the roof of your mouth rich, scooping smaller portions out would definitely make this go further.

An excellent first attempt.  The coconut flour gave it a hint of indescribable yum.

gluten free, low carb eating Summer edition!

As the days grow longer (and warmer!) I am looking at what to plant in the garden as well as what will sound good in my belly!  My daughter and I were craving Mexican flavors, she wanted tacos, I balked at the limited and usually overpriced GF, non-GMO options.  So we took a *salad* route-and went with brown rice, organic black beans, fresh squeezed lime juice, organic grass-fed ground beef, browned (she is a cancer patient with a serious meat tooth) with sauteed onion and garlic.  Add to that cumin, chili powder, sea salt, pepper and we had a yummy base to add avocado, some low fat cheese and pineapple salsa and served gluten free, non-GMO tortilla chips on the side.  Still not as low carb as it should be for my needs but it fit the bill for my healing, growing girlie.

So now that I have these cravings for fresh veg, flavor and crunchy goodness with the convenience of a sandwich I am revisiting lettuce wraps again.  I hadn't fully realized the advantages of this back when I seriously low-carbed (ie: pre child) so it was rather unappealing, of course in those days I was fighting a serious carb addiction that has since been eliminated.  So now I dream of flavorful fresh, raw veg wrapped in with pesto, soy-free mayo, tahini or hummus...yummmm.  I am also in love with black beans and plan to tinker with recipes for meals and salads featuring them as well as quinoa. 

I have also found, via my new addiction Pinterest, a coconut flour tortilla that I must find a good recipe for.  It's a great base I think, however after reading on Wheatbelly blog I learned that coconut flour absorbs a ton of liquid and can cause it to stick in one's throat!  So I will try a combo of a small part coconut flour with almond flour and perhaps garbanzo flour. For now, fresh yummy lettuce leaves will be my wraps!

If you have some yummy organic, non soy low carb food ideas please share!  (oh, and must be no shellfish-I'm highly allergic!)

p.s. Speaking of allergies, mowed the grass today, first time this year and on top of seasonal allergies I am still relatively allergy-free!  I have not taken any allergy medicine since March.  Grass mowing has always stirred up massive itchies and congestion for me.  Today it was a mild post nasal drip and a slightly tingly nose.  I love seeing the tangible results of my lifestyle change!  I feel human again!

Bonus of GF living

As Spring settles into New England I am finding in the last few weeks that my usually horrid seasonal allergies are nearly nonexistent! Over the last decade or more my allergies have been getting worse each year.  After a weekend away at the beach late last month I came home to notice my hives, which I believe are connected to my out of control rosacea, have eased up considerably and my environmental allergies haven't bothered me.  It has been a couple of weeks since I took an allergy pill and two of the last three days I have spent around my brother's German Shepherd, who I am rather allergic too, with minimal sniffles and a few hives on my jawline but nowhere near what they once were.  I have to  thank my gluten free lifestyle for this change, I am noticing my immune system is really getting a much needed break from chronic inflammatory responses!  It has definitely sold me on a NO *cheating* GF way of life.  Of course I cannot see it as cheating, because I feel so much better now that it feels more like intentional poisoning than cheating.

In recent weeks I have been working on reducing carbs, when I want my pizza I have been making crusts with almond, sorghum and garbanzo flours.  I have found a Udi's multigrain bread that I like that isn't as high in carbs as most others I've seen and keep a loaf in the freezer for the occasional sandwich.  I am highly frustrated with the weight gain since going GF,even a month after stopping my GF alternative to the extent I was eating them and instead eating much more low carb-lots of veg, some protein...It will get easier when growing season kicks in and I can pull fresh veg from the garden!

pizza crust, redux

So I scrapped the recipe posted earlier, I'll try it eventually however for today I am dealing with a crappy 12 year old coming off of her 5 day cycle of steroids, so I had to make something that sounded good to her ears (this week, any other time she'd be game).

I headed to the kitchen and hauled out my GF flours.  Took a peek at the tapioca flour and potato starch carb counts and WOW, jaw dropping.  As I have packages I'd rather not waste I'll use this on occasion and minimally until gone.  Same goes for the brown rice flour.  I am also looking at non yeast recipes for now as I am struggling with issues when I eat it ever since I was on antibiotics in Feb. I haven't been quite right since despite using probiotics.

So for today I pulled out the chickpea flour, sorghum flour and almond flour and picked apart our fave gluten free pizza crust recipe.  If I recall correctly I added 1/2c sorghum flour, 1/8 c brown rice flour, 1/2 c almond flour, 1 tsp xanthan gum, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1/3 c egg whites, 1 tsp sea salt and enough almond milk to make a good looking dough.

I spread it on parchment paper while the pizza stone heated up.  I spread it using baggie over the hand method to prevent stickage and waste.  Popped it in a 350* oven for 10 min to bake and then pulled it out, added the topping and popped it back in for another 10 min.  My daughter ate HALF the 12 inch pizza.  Holy cow.  The crust was divine, I am still trying to place where the crust would also well in baking.  It was sweetish though no sweeteners were added, so I see a dessert in our future using this.

Quest for Pizza, part 4? 5?

My never ending love of pizza strikes again.  BG-F ("before gluten-free") I limited my pizza consumption because of the carbs, when I did make it I used whole wheat flour and tried to keep it healthier.  Now that I am GF I am looking at pizza again in a low carb light.  I have two new recipes to try, tonight it's Socca Pizza Crust from Nourishing Flourishing, which uses chickpea flour.  I also have an almond flour based crust recipe from Ginger Lemon Girl to try next.  The flax meal recipe made last week was enjoyed my my girlie but not by me, leftovers were not enjoyable at all.   When I did baking for a farmer's market back in the day I made a gluten free bread using chickpea flour and it was good, so I have hope for our pizza tonight.  Buffalo chicken for my girlie.

Will be back with a review..

Hello low carb, we meet again....for pizza.

So the newness of gluten free eating is being kicked over with the importance of eating low carb. hmmpmh!!
Having PCOS and needing to eat at a lower glycemic level is paramount for my health.  I found a month into GF eating that while I was feeling better my butt was not getting any smaller, I was sticking to the same weight despite eating healthy. I've been having troubles eating enough.  I am currently at two meals a day and a snack.  What frustrates me is that my caloric intake is low enough that anyone else would be losing weight (and that caloric intake is not intentional, just how its happening) but not here in PCOSland. So I am looking at taking the carb level down more. It's not that I eat a lot of carbs. Right now it's two pieces of Rudi's multigrain bread at breakfast (I am fixated on egg, cheese and chicken sausage sandwiches for breakfast) and that's usually it.  Any other carb comes from a veggie source.  So frustrating.

I am also keeping a food diary and I think part of the subconscious reasoning behind the lack of eating is my rosacea flareups.  They have been ugly and my face is spotted with angry red welts which later turn to dried spots of skin.  It's horrid.  I know this is a huge sign that my immune system is mad as hell and something is setting off these reactions so I stick with the familiar and try to figure out what is setting it off (so far tomatoes and certain types of coffee).

So in my never ending quest for a perfect for me pizza I am looking at low carb, gluten free pizza crust recipes.  Tonight I have this Low-Carb, Gluten Free  Flax Crust currently cooking in the oven. It whips up so fast, no rising needed.  It's on its first baking to cook the crust and then we'll top it with some buffalo chicken sausage and mozzarella and bake it some more. 

I've missed pizza since I read  how the common GF flours out there eff up one's glucose/insulin levels so I stopped my baking and pouted a bit.  Now I am back and ready to find new options.  With this flax meal that is a much needed addition to my diet.  Back tomorrow with a follow up


ETA: Finally remembered where I read about certain GF flours not being healthy for me.  It's over at Wheat Belly

Trial: Gluten-free Waffles

My daughter and I love waffles, I was gifted with a belgian waffle maker last year and when I went gluten free I sadly thought waffles would be a thing of my past. Happily I realized that with all that is available there has to be something for our bi-monthly waffle breakfasts.

I have a couple of recipes I want to try, yesterday I started with Gluten Free Belgian Waffles. While I prefer buying my eggs local (my neighbor!)  the waste of yolks when I bake just wasn't cost effective for me.  So I found egg whites at the store and have been using these whenever I bake.  These waffles get their fluffiness from beaten egg whites, The only trouble I found was that with gluten free baking once you add liquid to the powder ingredients it all glops up FAST.  So folding the egg whites into a firm dough was challenging. I kept at it  and it did mix in enough to look more batter-like.  In the past waffles were made with about 1/3c batter, probably more. I added my usual amount and within seconds it puffed way up and opened the waffle iron.  the waffle was an inch and a half thick!!  so I put a small amount in, maybe 1/4c, probably less, and it came out perfect.  My niece was here visiting and both she and my daughter loved the end result.  We'll be heading to Maine for a few days in a couple of weeks and I plan to make up a batch ahead of time and pop them in the toaster as needed. Needing such little batter per waffle made this batch made 8 waffles, over twice what my usual recipes made. 

Next up I'd like to try Fluffy Gluten Free Waffles.  Ultimately I'd like to get away from the starchy flours and find a blend that is more friendly to my lower carb focus. Even if we only have this once or twice a month I'd like to keep relatively closer to on track.

Lentils, Onion and Goat Cheese Salad

Looking for affordable ways to eat well and not feel deprived I have been looking over lentil recipes (when prepared right I love them),  I am a nut for goat cheese so when I found a recipe for Lentil, Onion and Goat's Cheese Salad I tucked it in the back of my mind until last night when I was so incredibly hungry that I just HAD to have it.

The result was pretty darn good, my daughter, sister and niece all liked it as well and we sat pondering how to improve upon it.  It was lacking a little something to balance the flavor.  I added garlic powder to give it some more flavor (we also ate it warm as it was a damp, cold night and no one wanted to wait for it to cool).  I'm going to make this again soon, add fresh minced garlic and probably try some indian curry (I have a no salt blend that is divine).

This was yummy and filling not to mention gluten free and happy carb'd.

Girl Scout cookie season

SO the Girl Scout cookies I ordered arrived yesterday.  They were ordered the week before I went gluten free and I was a bit bummed that I could have any (and wouldn't!  I feel SO much better off wheat, thankyouverymuch) and my daughter rapturously enjoying them last night was a bit rough. This morning's FB contributions yielded a link to GF Samoas.  Yeah!  While I am trying to manage sugar and carbs, I do want to offer some GF options to my girlie as she is moving toward gluten free eating as well.  So my morning research has resulted in GF Do-Si-Dos (yum) and (drumroll please) Thin Mints!

Lastly I hit the mother lode of recipes over here.  Now to slowly work through and see which ones work best. :D

Gluten Free Ras el Hanout Lamb Meatballs Stuffed with Chèvre

Not knowing what else to call these bites of nirvana and present without photo (they were just so good!).

On our way home from my daughter's monthly oncology appointment we stopped at a local place up near the hospital for some lamb, her favorite meat.  We had watched Worst Cook in America earlier this week and one of the challenges was meatballs.  Someone made a lamb meatball stuffed with goat cheese which perked our ears and fired our tastebuds.  So today as a treat to my brave girl I got goat cheese and ground lamb and came home pondering how to prepare them. I searched online for a bit and really was not impressed with the recipes I found.  It seems there is one Moroccan lamb meatball recipe that is copied heavily and I think is passed off as several writer's own recipe.  Disappointing when people cannot give credit where credit is due. :(

So, I wandered the kitchen waiting for a burst of inspiration.  My daughter and I love well-spiced foods and I have been craving North African and Middle Eastern fare for ages now.  I poked through my files of spice blend recipes and settled on Ras el hanout, a luxuriously spiced blend from Morocco.  I used to keep a rady-made jar of this but haven't gotten around to making a new batch, so the measurements below are only for this one recipe. Not having watched the above-mentioned show that closely I had no idea how the meatballs were assembled.  I took bits of the ground meat mixture, flattened them and in the centre of the circle added about a teaspoon or so of goat cheese before sealing it into the meatball.  The outcome was absolutely divine, however I think next time I'll allow the meat mixture to sit in the refrigerator for an hour to let the flavors really develop.  We also needed a sauce of some sort but lacked the patience and ingredients for a yogurt-based mint and cucumber concoction we agreed would go well with these bites of heaven. 

1lb ground lamb
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
2 TB brown rice flour
1/2tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 ts ground cayenne
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8tsp ground anise
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Mix all above ingredients in a large bowl until well blended.  

about 8oz goat cheese
1-2 TB olive oil

Scoop about 1 tablespoon of meat mixture, flatten into a circle and add 1-2 tsp of goat cheese to center, seal up and roll into a ball. 

In a large fry pan over medium high heat heat olive oil and place meatballs in (don't crowd) and cook until golden brown, turning several times gently, about 5 min each side or until done.

Quest for best gluten free bread-Attempt 1

While perusing a new blog I found myself at yet another new blog.  There I found a bread recipe that seemed to have a tremendous response to. I had all but one ingredient, teff, I've never heard of it but I'm sure as I familiarize myself with the GF baking world I'll become quite intimate with it.

So today I gave it my first attempt, because there has to be something more palatable than $7 GF storebought bread that tastes hideous. So still no speaking the gluten free flours language yet,  I bravely took on the recipe for Whole Grain Gluten Free Bread over at Wheatless Foodie.  I decided to sub the teff with sorghum flour and hoped that it wouldn't be an egregious error.  Well, I tossed together what I thought was the list of ingredients.  I am baffled by the need for six egg whites so my mind went off wondering what I was going to do with all the dang egg yolks I am accumulating. From there it pondered the necessity for egg whites in GF bread baking, I made a mental note to do some research because I hate waste and if I can use whole egg I full intend to.

I mixed my arm off, telling myself that my grandmother didn't have mixers once upon a time and she did just fine, plus I could use the exercise.  I left it in the bowl to rise and instead took my knitting out and listened to the beautiful birdsong with my girlie and we were treated to a beautiful male cardinal wooing a lovely female cardinal from across the yard. When I returned and was  sorting it to bread pan and parchment lined baking pan for rolls I remembered that I forgot the apple cider vinegar (gasp!), as I was pulling the rolls out of the over I remembered I forgot the baking powder too! (gasp!gasp!) and as I type and review the recipe I see I also forgot the flax seed.  oh bother.

Well, the bread turned out beautifully despite my brain cramps. I am finding my brain isn't fully functioning this week, I think it's lack of fuel as I find without gluten in my diet my blood sugar isn't see-sawing and I don't get hungry in the least.  My brain gets dumb and I find I am getting cold easily, so I am making an effort to keep up the meals as I feel better after eating. Anyway, back to the bread....

We were quite pleased with the outcome, it looked like regular bread and smelled divine.  The loaf cooked up to about half the height of a standard loaf, still respectable considering my screw ups.  We found it chewier and had a rather cooked corn taste to it, not displeasing to us.  All in all a successful first attempt.  I'll be giving it a second go either tomorrow or Thursday morning.

Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken

I have a bag of Meyer lemons which smell so incredibly delicious that it had me craving lemon curd.  Being mindful once again of sugars in my diet I had to go with a different plan of attack-wooing my tastebuds with buttery lemony garlic goodness.  I don't know why I got away from chicken breasts (skin on, bone in), perhaps it was the "low fat" wave of the 90's  I've recently re-discovered the flavorful goodness of the full on chicken breast, not to mention how much more affordable it is!!  As I buy the hormone and antibiotic free chicken when I cannot get free-range or organic, boneless breast is insanely priced.

Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken

2 chicken breasts
juice of three lemons, grated peel of one
1/2c water, chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB butter, melted
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
pepper and sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 400* Mix above ingredients and pour into baking pan, dip in chicken breasts to coat all over and then lay in the liquid.  Cover with foil (I poked a few tiny holes) and bake for 30 min, remove foil carefully (steam), turn breasts and return to oven for another 20-30 min or until done.

gluten-free speed bump?

After eating the bread made from Bob's Red Mill mix I have been experiencing some oddness after.  I felt a bit of a headache last night, then again this morning after eating it.  It was after a third piece with my poached egg that I know experience this raspy, raw, *off*ness to my throat.  Something I have experienced with my shellfish allergy. Damn.

so now I have to figure out what I am reacting to, as I made pizza crust yesterday and had no troubles with it that weeds out chickpea flour, tapioca flour and xanthan gum.  What is left are two ingredients I don't have much experience, if any, in eating-fava bean flour and guar gum.  I also have to look at possible reactions with my beta blocker, which could be the fava bean flour.  That wouldn't be causing the throat reaction but could explain the headaches.

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust experiment, round 1

I love pizza, it is my favorite food and having been a carb-cutter for years it saddens me to have to forgo it. Of course I have spent years when I have said "eff it" and ate it anyway.  So my girlie Pixie and I decided we were in the mood for pizza, we had tried Bob's Red Mill GF pizza crust mix and the parts that were cooked to crispy were good but the chewier parts were like eating old sponge.  yuck.

After gathering ingredients for our two choices of pizza this week, hawaiian and pepperoni, we headed home and I realized I didn't have the crust portion thought out.  oops.  So I googled my heart out, looked over various recipes at various GF blogs.  Studying the photos and perusing the list of ingredients I finally found one that looked appetizing, pizza crust-ish and contained the ingredients I already had. (hooray!)

So I headed over to Epicurious.com and found their GF Pizza Crust recipe.  I didn't feel like wrestling my kitchenaid out so I used a hand mixer and beat until it was smooth.  As a seasoned bread maker I love the moment when the bread sighs, when you know that everything is copacetic in the dough and the gluten is doing it's thing. Well, looks as though I have to relearn this skill for gluten free bread because mixing for a set amount of time as opposed to when the dough is ready is a difficult concept for me.

This recipe mixed up like a dream, I subbed almond milk for the whole milk called for, didn't seem to make a difference as far as I could tell.  Unlike the Bob's Red Mill mix it didn't look lumpy and *curd-y*.  It mixed to a smooth, lovely dough.  Appearances are deceiving though because it is still sticky as can be.  I have found that greasing parchment paper with a tiny bit of olive oil and blopping the dough into that I spread and smooth it out with dampened fingers (cold water smooths it and makes pressing it out easier as the dough sticks less to my fingers.  After pressing it out on the parchment I slid it onto the hot pizza stone and let it bake for a few minutes to dry it out some.  I then quickly added sauce, prosciutto (ick, no hot capicola today so we went with this option. the taste was off but Pixie liked it), pineapple and cheese and slid it back in to cook.  I lost track of time and it over-cooked a bit but the crust was crispy and Pixie loved it, as did I.  There was no telling that the crust was gluten free.  Next pizza will be turkey pepperoni, I'll mind the cooking time and see how a less crispy crust comes out.

until then.

Reviewing Bob's Red Mill GF Bread Mix

The photo does not do the loaf justice, it's not as dense as it looks, though it is a bit dense and rather chewy, but I like bread substantial enough to sink my teeth into.

After our shopping foray yesterday (we have an Ocean State Job Lot here a few towns away and I remember from a few months back that they have a great selection of BRM products.  So to check the selection and price them out to compare to our local grocer we took a trip down.  All in all it depends on the product, this bread mix was a dollar cheaper at OSJL so worth the trip when I lack time or supplies.

So I started this loaf earlier today, the yeast in the packet was bloody useless so I had to dump a second packet from my own stash in.  It calls for one egg plus enough egg whites to make 3/4 cup. WTF? I didn't have that many eggs so I put in two eggs and two whites and maybe got 1/2 cup.  Mixed it up left it to rise for an hour, despite the directions to immediately put it into a greased bread pan to rise.  I gave this two risings, it's the baker in me, I can't neglect the risings.  I will warn you the dough smells atrocious however after baking for an hour and cooling for an hour the end result was delicious and as good as any gluten bread I have made.

Smoothies

My biggest downfall is impatience when it comes to being hungry.  My blood sugar tanks fast and if I do not get fed I get irrational. I had a doctor tell me that the low blood sugar response in some people isn't any different than insulin overload in diabetics, we get combative, irrational, just plain nuts.

Which brings me to smoothies.  I love through all sorts of things into the blender and see what comes out.  I love almond milk, I love kefir...Today's smoothie features almond milk because I am trying to stay off dairy for awhile, or at least minimize it.  I've been taking part in a PCOS jumpstart program and the recipes provided call for ingredients far beyond my budget!  So I tinkered, worked with what I had in the house and added almond milk, (2cups as I made smoothies for myself and the girl-child), about a cup of chopped organic kale, two spoons of brown rice protein powder, two spoons of ground flax (no seeds here), some whole almonds, frozen organic cranberries, mixed frozen berries and what leftover blueberries I had left in the freezer.  All in all it was pretty good.  I could've added a bit of honey or maple syrup but I don't like things too sweet so I was happy as it was.  It's a bit grainy and gritty,  from the almonds and flax meal but still manageable and a great meal or snack. 

I struggle with eating enough, I can easily do two meals a day which is no good for my snail-paced metabolism. So getting in a smoothie or two not only gives me some nutritive goodness I also get more fruits and veg too!

and I'll admit I am feeling damn healthy having had that fresh kale in there (and not tasting it!)

Creamy Lentil Soup with Basil Pesto

Not the prettiest photo, my cellphone camera is lousy. Also, bear with me, I didn't keep track of measurements.  I'm fighting a cold and felt miserable last night. Just wanted food in my belly!

I have to watch my sodium intake, so I use low sodium everything as much as possible and use a "no salt" salt substitute.

Creamy Lentil Soup

1 1/2 cups dried red lentils (rinsed and picked over, tiny rocks hurt!)
3-4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2-1 cup carrots, finely chopped
1/2 of one large onion, finely chopped
2-inch *thumb* of fresh ginger, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced (adjust to taste, I like a lot of garlic)
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1-2 TB ground Indian curry blend (I use Frontier brand as it's organic and salt free)
1-2 cups chopped tomatoes (I used leftover roasted garlic pasta sauce)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Over medium heat, saute carrots, celery and onions until they start to soften, add ginger and garlic and continue to saute over medium low heat with half the curry blend until onions are soft and translucent.  Take one cup of broth and add to pan to de-glaze. Bring remaining broth to a boil in a large pot and add lentils, return to a boil and allow to cook for 5-10 min. Add tomatoes, remaining spices and sauteed veggies, reduce heat to low/medium-low and allow to simmer for an additional 10-15 min, minimum.  (I turn it to low and let simmer 30 min or so)

Remove from heat and let cool (unless you have an immersion blender, then just blend in the pot) and pour 1/2 to 2/3rds of the soup into a blender.  Please be careful, this is hot stuff and blenders can be tricky.  I have a large blender which fit the contents nicely. I set it on low and pulsed it cautiously while holding the cover on with a towel to protect me from any unexpected eruptions.  Blend the soup until creamy and then add back into the pot, stirring to combine.  Serve with a dollop of basil pesto.

Basil Pesto

2 cups basil leaves (or 1/2 and 1/2 using parsley)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup parmesan, grated (I can manage some cheeses thankfully!)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil (about 1/4c or so)
salt, to taste

In a food processor add the above ingredients and process until paste forms, add olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Refrigerate in air tight container.

well, how did I get here?

I have lived with a PCOS diagnosis for fifteen years, lived with the disease for twenty-eight.  Apart from "low carb!" being the biggest catchphrase, I have had a never ending battle with weight and symptoms . This past week I learned that removing gluten and dairy from my diet might go a long way to relieve the PCOS symptoms.  Dairy is easy, I've been lactose-intolerant for a long time and with the exception of kefir, yogurt and certain cheeses my dairy intake is low.  I subbed soy, then rice and now coconut and almond for my dairy needs.

Wheat and gluten is the big hurdle now.  My struggles to remain on a low glycemic diet while schooling, working and raising my 12 yr old solo left my needs kicked aside.  I am limited on space for food storage while we live with family leaves me with less options than I once had.  I used to cook, bake, garden, can, preserve.  Meals were planned endlessly, celebrated and enjoyed. My daughter and I are foodies, we love well made meals with quality ingredients. We just lack the space and finances to work our magic in the kitchen as we once did.

Now I stare down life with no gluten and wonder if this is only the first of many items that will be purged from my diet. I already eat as organic as I can afford, I don't bake like I once did so with the transition to making more of my own and not going for convenience perhaps this way of eating will become easier and more affordable.  Hence, this blog.

I will be trying out new recipes, finding what works, what doesn't.  Locating other gluten-free foodies writing out there. I am a photographer, writer, gardener and culinary Magellan, this is my adventure in eating I hope to share with others.  I'm not looking for fame, fortune or the most blog hits, just a sharing of ideas and recipes.  I rarely use recipes, instead throwing together dishes, so the challenge lies in capturing the measurements, ingredients, etc. I throw into a creation.  I am hoping my sous chef daughter will work as my assistant and write it all down so that I may write it down here after.

for now, I post this and move on to recall all the culinary magic that went into my first recipe made last night-Creamy Lentil soup with Basil Pesto

until then,

bon appetit!