At The Table Together 5 Minute Gluten Free Pizza Dough Mix Review

Happy Monday everyone! Over the weekend I decided to try out a pizza dough mix that I found at Homegoods (one of my favorite places to find cheap GF items). It is made by a company called A Tavola.

Pizza Mix

I was very excited to find this because not only is it GF, but it is vegan as well! I love pizza but it has been very difficult for me to find a dough mix or recipe that is both gluten and dairy free. It also states in several places on the package that it is easy to make, quick, and foolproof.

I started out following the instructions on the package, but soon hit a snag. The package states that you should form the dough into balls on a flat baking sheet, flatten them in the middle, and let them rise. My dough came out WAY too runny to be able to shape it like regular pizza dough. Not foolproof!

I went to the company’s website and discovered that their online tutorial is different from the package’s instructions. The website said to place the dough in pie/cake pans to shape the crust. I separated the dough into two greased 8″ cake pans and used a knife to spread it into the shape I desired.

After letting them rise, I baked them plain for 10 minutes. Then I added the toppings and baked it for 10 more minutes. Here is the result:

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They actually puffed up a lot more than I expected, but did not turn as brown or crispy as I hoped. Because of this, the pizza was not easy to pick up.

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Here is a side view. Hopefully, you can see that the crumb structure was actually pretty nice. It also tasted good as well.

If you would like to try this yourself, I would suggest either using less liquid or adding more of your own GF flour blend to make it easier to work with and easier to pick up when baked.

Gluten-Free Fall Shepherds Pie

This recipe is great for the fall and holiday season. For me, shepherds pie is a comfort food. It is a simple, but filling meal and it is great to have on a chilly day. I thought I’d try something a little different this time around and my results ended up being really tasty! I pretty much made it up as I went along, so by all means, adjust it to your tastes. I also think you could make this by utilizing your Thanksgiving leftovers! You could substitute shredded turkey for the ground turkey, leftover sides as the vegetables, leftover yams/sweet potatoes for the sweet potato topping, and cranberry sauce for the garnish.

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I also made a couple mini pies for my husband and I to take for lunch the next day!

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Ingredients

2 Tbl oil (I used grape seed oil, but you can use whatever you prefer)

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 lbs sweet potatoes

1.5 lbs turkey, ground

1 Tbl poultry seasoning

Salt & pepper, to taste

2 – 15oz cans of vegetables (here, I used 1 can of green beans and 1 can of corn)

1 Tbl butter or buttery spread (I used Earth Balance)

1 Tbl milk or milk substitute (I used soy milk)

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp clove

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 cup dried cranberries, soaked in warm water (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325˚F
  • In a large sauté pan, heat oil and add onion.
  • While the onions are cooking, cook your sweet potatoes, then set aside to cool. I used the potato option on my microwave (make sure you poke holes in the skin to prevent the potato from exploding).
  • When your onions are starting to turn translucent, add in the garlic. When the onions are done remove them from the pan.
  • In the same pan add the turkey, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until brown, then drain.
  • Mix the turkey and the onions together and place them at the bottom of your desired baking dish.
  • Next, layer your vegetables on top of the turkey.
  • Scoop out the insides of your sweet potatoes into a medium sized mixing bowl and mash them with the butter, milk, spices, and syrup.
  • Top your shepherds pie with the sweet potato mixture. You may need to use a knife or the back of a spoon to spread it evenly.
  • Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until heated all the way through.
  • Top with cranberries and enjoy!

Makes about 4 servings

Gluten Free Al Pastor Style Chicken Tacos!

2-3 pound chicken breast shredded
3 garlic cloves minced with cilantro
5 dried guajillo peppers
2 dried ancho peppers
1 tsp powdered chipotle pepper
1 large onion chopped
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 can pineapple chunks, save the juice
1 tbs ground cumin
1 tbs oregano
1 tsp ground cloves
Salt and pepper as desired

  • Grill or bake the chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper and later shred it when it gets cool.
  • Soak the dried peppers (guajillo and ancho) in hot water until they get soft.  Once they are soft, remove the veins and seeds.
  • In a food processor or blender, blend together the guajillo, ancho, and chipotle peppers, as well 3/4 of the chopped onion, diced tomatoes, cumin, ground cloves, and oregano.
  • Put the blended chile mixture in a bowl and add the pineapple juice from the can and 1/2 cup vinegar.
  • Add the chicken and let marinate in the sauce for about a 1 hour to let the flavor seep into the chicken.
  • In a large pan heat up some olive oil, the remaining chopped onion, and the pineapple chunks.
  • Now stir in the shredded chicken with the sauce.  Cook on a medium flame letting all the ingredients stew together.
  • When the sauce begins to evaporate and you are left with deliciously marinated chicken, you know you are finished.
  • Serve in your favorite gluten free tortilla or even over a bed of rice for a tasty meal!

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Cake!

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I made a birthday cake this weekend!I tried a new gluten free recipe and adapted it to be dairy free. No one could tell it was wheat/dairy free (I didn’t tell them until later)!

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cup all purpose gluten-free flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups white sugar

2/3 cup mayonnaise

cup soy milk

2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract

 

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and rice flour two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.

2. Mix the white rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and xanthan gum together and set aside.

3. Mix the eggs, sugar, and mayonnaise until fluffy. Add the flour mixture, milk and vanilla and mix well. Spread batter into the prepared pans.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Cakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool completely then frost, if desired.

For the icing I used a mixture of Earth Balance Coconut Spread, Powdered sugar, vanilla paste (extract works too), and soy milk for consistency. Mix them in a stand mixer to taste. Keep in mind that the coconut spread has a lower melting point than butter. Enjoy!

First Post!

Hello!

In this blog I will be writing about whatever I happen to be thinking about at the time. As a warning, most of my posts will be food (I have a culinary degree and LOTS of allergies) and random reviews of products I try. Happy reading!

~RheaMedb