Gluten Free Pancakes with Our House Mix

I was happy to be given the opportunity to try out the Our House brand of pancake mix and AP flour. The AP Flour is fairly straight forward: long grain brown rice flour, rice flour, sorghum flour, & xanthan gum. Nothing that would affect taste or texture over much. What I enjoyed the most, though was the pancake mix! I love pancakes! I have tried many recipes and mixes before, only to find their taste or texture sub par. The Pancake & Waffle mix has a few more ingredients: Rice flour, long grain brown rice flour, cane sugar, sorghum flour, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, tapioca starch, & natural flavor. Aside for the “natural flavor” (which always makes me wonder), the ingredients are recognizable.  You also add similar ingredients as you would to a glutenous mix. Eggs, milk (almond for me), oil, water.

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The ingredients blended pretty easily and formed an initially liquid batter. Because of this, I mixed in in a large measuring cup. I learned this trick from my Mother-in-Law. It makes it easier to pour the batter into the skillet. Less mess!

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However, as you can see below, the batter thickened while I was waiting for the skillet to heat up. It ended up being too thick to pour, so I had to use a measuring cup to portion out the pancakes anyway.

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The end result was spectacular! The pancakes cooked much like glutenous pancakes do, with bubbles rising to indicate doneness. They cooked way lighter (not golden) than wheat pancakes do, so you have to keep an eye on those bubbles to judge when they are ready. As you can tell from the photo below, they have an excellent crumb structure. Light and fluffy, not dense or grainy. They tasted great too! I made both plain and chocolate chip and served them with my whipped vanilla “butter.” So yummy!

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Our House offers a complete line of baking mix products, including: all-purpose flour, brownie mix, cookie mix, pancake and waffle mix, corn bread mix, and baking mix. Please visit the Our House Website for more information on their products and where to purchase them.

Disclaimer: I received this product for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All my opinions are my own. One may or may not have the same results as myself when using this product.

Gluten Free Pan Fried Fish

Have you noticed all the chain restaurants releasing their fried fish sandwiches and fish & chips platters to boost sales on the meatless Fridays during Lent? Since I cannot eat them myself, I decided to try my hand at my own fried fish platter. I thought I would share this recipe for the GF Catholics or for anyone who just happens to love fish and chips. I am still on the starch-less Body Ecology diet, so please excuse the broccoli replacing the fries in the photo.

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I noticed most recipes online use rice flour, but I find that quinoa and coconut blend well together to make an excellent breading (more soft than crunchy). There is a fluffiness to quinoa flour that you don’t get with rice and the coconut adds a little natural sweetness. As a bonus, they both are nutritionally better for you than rice flour. The club soda adds to the fluffiness too, as it creates air bubbles in the batter to mimic beer-batter style fish.

 

Beef Stew

With winter upon us, nothing satisfies me more than a hot bowl of beef stew. It goes back to my child hood, when my mom would make it and serve fresh baked bread along side it. Of course now, I can’t make it the same way she does. After some experimentation, I found a good basic recipe, and will now share my dietary restriction friendly adaptation with you! I use beef bone broth for this, as it is considered very healing for the digestive tract. You can use other broths, if you do not want to make your own. everything in parentheses are the original ingredients that I swapped out for BED friendly ingredients. Use whatever is right for you. Also, I apologize for no photo. Beef stew is not very photogenic.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbl coconut or olive oil
  • 1 pound stew beef
  • 1 medium onion, white or yellow, rough chopped
  • 1.5 quart beef bone broth
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup butternut squash, cubed (or potatoes)
  • 1 cup green beans, cut to bite sized pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 each bay leaves
  • 1 tsp sea salt (reduce or omit if using store bought broth)
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 Tbl coconut aminos (or 1 tsp Worstershire sauce + 1/2 tsp sugar)

Fast prep, slow cooking method:

-Put everything in a 4 quart or larger crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

 

Slow prep, fast cooking method:

-In a 4 quart or larger stock pot, saute onion in oil until translucent, then remove.

-In same pot, sear beef, then drain off fat.

-Add all into stock pot, and simmer until vegetables are softened & meat is cooked through.

 

Middle ground (what I did):

-In a medium saute pan saute onion in oil until translucent, then remove.

-In same pot, sear beef, then drain off fat.

-Put everything in a 4 quart or larger crockpot and cook on high for 4-6 hours.

Pickled Willy’s Gourmet Pickled Seafood #PickledWillys

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Pickled Willy’s is a family/veteran owned and operated specialty seafood processing plant in Kodiak, Alaska. They sell a variety of seafood related items in various forms. Their smoked fish seems popular and they have won awards for it. Their flagship products, pickled seafood, are what is unique about the company. They use an old family recipe with secret seasonings they won’t divulge! Their commitment to quality is commendable. All of their products are 100% sustainable and fished from Alaskan waters. The products are hand packed, low in fat, high in Omega-3’s, all natural, and have no preservatives. Their ingredients are simply as follows: Halibut/Lining Cod/Sockeye Salmon/King Crab, Organic Vinegar, Cane Sugar, Water, Pickling Spice, Onion, Salt (Fish). Bonus:Their products are also gluten free! They are also committed to providing their long-distance customers with the freshest product. They shipped it UPS expedited and it was extremely well packed with bubble wrap, ice packs, and lots of “this end up” stickers (which UPS ignored).

Also, if you car ever in Kodiak, you can visit their shop and sample the various products they sell. Pickled Willy’s products make great souvenirs and gifts. If you happen to do some fishing while you are in Kodiak, Pickled Willy’s will even process and ship your catch back home to you! You choose the preservation method. So cool!

Now, your first question is probably “Does it taste good?”

I assume this is your first question, because it is usually the first question anyone asks before they try something new. Some people might be wary because the combination of pickles and fish is a bit unusual, aside from some tuna salad recipes that contain pickle relish. Also the only pickled fish most people have heard of is the Northern European delicacy pickled herring, which has an unfortunately bad reputation. I want to debunk this unfortunate reputation, because Pickled Willy’s seafood is quite tasty! It is a mild pickling solution, so you don’t notice the vinegar bite you get in many pickle products. The sugar is also not overpowering, which is nice. The pickling spices also compliment the fish, so they don’t cover up the natural flavor of the fish. Best of all the fish tastes fresh. If there is one taste I cannot stand, it is the pungent taste of fish that has been frozen or sitting around for a couple of days. Pickled Willy’s obviously uses fresh caught fish that they pack right away to preserve the natural subtle taste only found in a fresh catch. So overall, the pickled seafood has a mild, subtle taste that can only compliment your meal, not overpower the other ingredients. And don’t forget the health benefits!

Your next question “How on earth do you eat it?”

There are many things you can do with pickled fish. The simplest is to serve it as an appetizer on a cracker, piece of toast, or slice of cucumber. Adding a dollop of sour cream is often recommended (but I can’t say if it is good, because I cannot eat it!). Pickled Will’s packs all of their fish in bite-sized chunks, so they are convenient for appetizers. The seafood is also tasty as a main dish in sandwiches, wraps, and on salads. You can even mix it with other ingredients to make a dip! The Pickled Willy’s website also has a recipe page to give you some ideas. If you want to eat it plain, then some popular pickled fish accompaniments are cold mayonnaise based salads, such as potato or macaroni salad, beets, boiled potatoes, and hard boiled eggs.

Seriously, how great (and unique!) an appetizer would it be to serve the salmon on a slice of cucumber with a dab of sour cream and a sprig of dill on top! This would be a great idea with the holidays just around the corner!! Here is my test batch:

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For more information or to purchase visit pickledwillys.com

Disclaimer: I received this product for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All my opinions are my own. One may or may not have the same results as myself when using this product.

Korean Briased Tofu with Green Onion

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Before I found out about my gluten intolerance, my husband and I used to go to our favorite little Korean restaurant once a week. I love that in addition to your main dish, you also get a variety of little side dishes called banchan. Unfortunately, it is hard to find gluten-free Korean food in a restaurant. Almost every dish involves soy sauce, fried elements, or gojuchang (a Korean chili paste that contains wheat!). So, as always, I have begun to try to replicate these dishes at home. I think that tofu is an under appreciated food here in the US, because it has been labeled as an option for vegans and vegetarians. Omnivores seem to avoid it here. However Asian countries have long since included in in their diets, in addition to meat. I greatly respect that, as it is a healthy and versatile source of protein. This particular dish is normally served as a banchan, but it is so good I could eat it by itself or maybe on top of some greens as a salad!

Ingredients

1 block tofu (14 oz)

2-3 stalks green onion – cut into 2 inch long peices

3/4 cup gluten free or tamari soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp gluten free gojuchang or other chili paste (I used a chili garlic paste I found at the Asian Market)

1/2 tsp minced garlic (omit if using chili garlic sauce)

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sesame seeds (for garnish)

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saute pan.
  2. Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, chili paste, garlic, and sesame oil in a separate bowl.
  3. Drain and cut tofu into desired size. I chose larger rectangles, but smaller bite-size pieces work too. Pat dry with a paper towel (this is very important, since any excess water will cause the hot oil to spit while cooking).
  4. Pan fry tofu on both sides until lightly browned.
  5. Add in green onion and saute to wilt it slightly.
  6. Add in sauce mixture and cook for a few minutes until it is slightly reduced.
  7. Top with sesame seeds, serve, and enjoy!

Easy GF Vegan/Vegetarian Chili Recipe

One of the things that surprised me when going gluten free is the amount of soups and stews that contain gluten, especially chili. Chili is one of my favorite meals to make because it is hearty, wholesome, and delicious! It goes great on hot dogs, hamburgers, and french fries too. However, I have to be careful about ordering it when dining out. Many kinds of pre-packaged chili contain gluten. Premixed chili spice packets also can contain gluten. I even had a friend offer me some of her “famous” chili, but declined when she told me her secret is to dump a bottle of beer in it at the end! That is also why I ask what is in each thing I consider eating, even if it seems obvious.

This recipe is my favorite, because of it’s simplicity. Basically you dump a can of every vegetable you like into a pot and let it stew. You can do it quickly in a stock pot on the stove or let it stew all day in your crock pot. You can easily add or remove any ingredient, based on taste, without damaging the recipe overall. I added an onion and peppers for flavor, but they aren’t necessary. This time, I even replaced the chili spices with two of the new McCormick GF Chili spice packets, to make it even easier! It may not be haute cuisine, but it is great in a pinch. Probably the best aspect is its low cost. I purchase the canned goods when they are on sale, never paying more than $1 per can. I estimate it cost me $12.22 to make the whole pot. I usually get 8-10 servings per pot. Assuming the 8 servings, that is $1.52 per serving! It also freezes well too, so you don’t get tired of leftovers. I portion out the leftovers, so I can bring them to work or eat them later, when I don’t feel like making a meal from scratch.

Ingredients – Chili Base

1 small onion, white or yellow, rough chop

1 bell pepper, color of choice (I used green this time)

2 – McCormick Gluten Free Chili spice packets

1 – 15 oz can of black beans

1 – 15 oz can of kidney beans

1 – 15 oz can of corn

1 – 15 oz can of okra

1 – 15 oz can of sqaush

5 – 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes, flavor of choice (some brands offer chili seasoned ones!)

1 – 6 oz can of tomato paste

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  1. Saute onion and pepper, if desired. Add it to your stock pot or crock pot. If you are using a stock pot, you can saute in the same pot so you have less dishes.

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2. Add in spices or spice packet, cook for a few minutes until fragrant. This brings out the flavors more, so you can use less spice.

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3. Add in mixed veggies, making sure to drain the liquid from each can. Rinse the beans thoroughly too. I usually throw the contents of each can in a colander and rinse.

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4. Add in the tomatoes, also well drained. If you purchased spiced diced tomatoes, do not rinse them or you will loose the spices!

5. Cook on low crockpot setting for 6-8 hours or medium heat on the stove for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. As the vegetables cook down, the chili will look a little watery (see image above).

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6. Add in the tomato paste to thicken the chili. It is ready to eat!

  • I serve mine with vegan cheese and avocado or guacamole. Sometimes I also include tortilla chips or GF cornbread on the side too.
  • For a meaty version, add in 1 lb cooked ground beef or turkey in between steps 2 and 3.
  • For a fall twist add cooked pumpkin or another winter squash. Adding cinnamon to the squash version is great too!

For those of you who don’t want to use a spice packet:

Ingredients – Homemade Chili Spice

2 Tbl Chili powder

1.5 tsp red pepper flakes

1.5 Tbl Garlic Powder

1 Tsp Onion Powder

1.5 Tbl Cumin Powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp sugar

Turkey Meatball Pho

My husband absolutely loves vietnamese pho and it is one of the few stove top dishes he will help me make (he prefers cooking on the grill). While I eat vietnamese food every chance I get, it is difficult to find a restaurant where they have gluten free options. Even though the noodles are gluten free (rice), many restaurants marinate their meat in either soy sauce or hoisin sauce, which are not gluten free. I have even been places where they added soy sauce to the broth. So I make it at home!

Traditionally, pho is made with sliced meat. However, we prefer a meatball version, which I have seen on menus before. It’s great because because you can mix in extra flavorings there too. Also, ground meat is cheaper! This time around, we decided to make it even less traditional and go with  a leaner ground turkey, instead of beef.  Since I used poultry for the meat, I also opted to use chicken stock instead of traditional beef stock. You can easily change the recipe back to the beef, using like quantities of each.

Ingredients

1 quart gluten free chicken broth

2 shallots – 1 quartered, 1 sliced

1 piece star anise

1 tsp cilantro, dried

1 tsp sugar

1 inch piece of ginger, fresh – slice half, and mince the other half

2 shallots – 1 quartered, 1 sliced

1lb turkey, ground

1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs (or crushed GF crackers)

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 medium jalapeno pepper (optional)

1/4 cup white onion, minced

6 oz rice noodles

1 oz bean sprouts, rinsed

Optional Garnishes: 

1/2 bunch Thai basil, shredded

1/2 bunch mint, shredded

1 lime, sliced in wedges

1 tbl peanuts, crushed

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To start, pour chicken stock into a 3 to 4 qt pot. Add the quartered shallot, sliced ginger, the star anise, and the cilantro. Simmer, while you make the meatballs.

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Next, heat up a frying pan with some oil. Mix turkey with the breadcrumbs, minced ginger, garlic, jalapeno, and onion. Roll into balls, preferably bite sized. *My husband made these much too large, so we had to cut them up to eat.*

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Brown the meatballs on all sides. They do not have to be cooked all the way through, yet. While they are browning, skim the shallot, ginger, and anise out of the broth.

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Once the meatballs are browned, add them to the broth and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through. While that simmers, boil some water in a large pot and cook the rice noodles. They cook very quickly, usually 6-10 minutes, so keep an eye on them. While the water is boiling, quickly fry the sliced shallots in the hot oil left over from the meatballs, then set them aside.

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Drain the noodles and divide them between two bowls. Top with bean sprouts. Add some meatballs and broth. Add desired garnish. We used basil, jalapeno slices, and the fried shallot. Lime wedges, mint, and peanuts are other great traditional options.

Honey Sesame Chicken

One type of food that I miss being able to eat at restaurants is Chinese food. I have not once been comfortable ordering food at a Chinese restaurant, since I found out I was wheat-intolerant. It seems like most of the food is cooked in the same few woks, with little to no cleaning in between orders. So much cross-contamination! Also, they never have gluten free or tamari soy sauce available, like a few Japanese restaurants I have encountered do.

Because of this, the only time I get to eat Chinese food, is when I make it myself. The other day, i started craving the sweet honey sesame chicken I used to order as a kid, so I decided to try to make it myself. I did a lot of research and  managed to piece together an excellent and (as always) adaptable recipe.

I also love a good slow cooker recipe, because you can prep it ahead of time, do most of the clean up before the meal has finished cooking, and you don’t have to babysit the pan, which frees up your time to do other things.

Makes 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

1.5 tablespoons of rice vinegar

1/4 cup of honey

½ teaspoon of Sriracha (or other hot sauce)

1.5 teaspoon of sesame oil

1/4 cup of tamari soy sauce (or coconut aminos, if allergic to soy)

1 teaspoon of minced clove garlic

1 medium onion, sliced

2 teaspoons of corn starch (or arrow root, if allergic to corn)

2 tablespoons of water

1.5 pounds of boneless and skinless chicken breast, cubed

For garnish: scallions, sesame seeds

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  1. In a bowl, add the rice vinegar, honey, Sriracha, sesame oil,  and tamari.
  2. Mince the garlic clove and slice the onions. Add these ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
  3. Mix some water and the starch together, whisking to get out any clumps, then add this to the sauce.
  4. Put the chicken breast in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over it making sure that the chicken is covered.

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5. Cook covered on high heat for 3 ½ half hours or 5-7 hours on low heat.

6. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish, and serve with white rice. Enjoy!

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Notes:

  • I don’t like things too spicy, so I only used a little Siracha to balance out the sweetness of the honey. If you do like it spicy, you can always use more hot sauce or add a chili or two to increase the heat.
  • You can sub out the white rice out for healthier options like brown rice or quinoa too!

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!