 There are certain things that make me crazy, like when gluten is added to foods that are naturally glutenfree! Like canned baked beans! For crying out loud, why ADD gluten to beans? So I decided to make my own baked beans gluten-free recipe for a barbeque but I didn’t want to actually BAKE them because it is almost 100 degrees outside with like 99 percent humidity – ahhh… the joys of Florida in the summer! So with a little help of my slow cooker and a bag of Hurst Family Harvest Tri-Bean Soup mix, I made the most wonderful tasting gluten-free baked beans and kept my cool. They even had this fabulous smoky flavor without an ounce of bacon, thanks to the flavor packet in the bean mix. I really wanted to keep the recipe vegan for my sister but also please my g-kid Julian whose favorite food in the world is baked pork and beans. For a nice vegetarian or vegan meal, serve the beans over some gluten-free cornbread like we did – yummers! You need to plan ahead to make this recipe since the beans need to pre-cook and soak overnight but it takes very little work and I did the pre-cooking while I already had the kitchen heated up making dinner. Love this – do all the cooking at one time! Ingredients 1 packet Hurst Family Harvest Tri-Bean Soup Mix 8 cups water 1 cup chopped onion (about ½ medium onion) ¼ cup ketchup 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar ½ cup molasses ¼ cup light brown sugar 1 teaspoon dry mustard ¼ teaspoon black pepper Directions The night before, combine the bean from the bean mix (reserve the flavor packet for later) and water in a large saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 1 ½ hours. Pour the beans and the cooking liquid into a bowl, let cool and refrigerate overnight (8 -12 hours). In the morning, drain off all but 1 cup of the liquid and put the beans into a slow cooker with the reserved flavor packet and the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 10 – 12 hours (you can cook longer if you like your beans softer). To concentrate the liquid more, turn the slow cooker to high for the last hour of cooking. Can be made several days ahead, it gets better and better with time. Store covered in the refrigerator. This gluten free recipe makes 10 servings. Want to know more about your favorite Gluten Free Recipe or how to avoid being bothered by Celiac with our range of Gluten Free Recipes which are made from Gluten Free raw material feel free to visit us at: http://www.simplygluten-free.com Article Source : http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/07/gluten-free-slow-cooker-baked-beans.html
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 A glutenfree girl, a lactose intolerant boy and a tyke with a nasty peanut allergy get into a car… No, this is not the beginning of a joke, it was the beginning of a family day of adventure, off to trek through the Florida swamps, wrangle alligators, and to top it all off with a refreshing dip in the Gulf of Mexico. A long day and if it was going to be a fun day, allergy friendly snacks were required. Nothing can ruin a fun day like a carload of hungry, cranky kids! So along with fresh fruit, hummus and veggies, and an assortment of salty, gluten-free crackers and snacks, I made some allergy friendly granola bars. The base of these super allergy friendly granola bars is gluten-free rolled oats, Sunbutter (a nut-free peanut butter substitute), a mashedbanana, some melted Earth Balance dairy free butter substitute and coconut sugar. The recipe is almost more like a suggestion because you can elaborate any way you like. I filled mine with pumpkin seeds, dried fruit (a combination of cranberries, blueberries and cherries) and a handful of dairy-free chocolate chunks – healthy with just a touch of naughty, but you can make yours as naughty or nice as you like. Since I was feeding younger kids I used semi-sweet chocolate chucks but rich, dark chocolate would be fabulous. If you like coconut, throw it in! Tree nuts not a problem? Add some slivered almonds. Peanuts ok? Just use peanut butter. You get the idea. You can add up to a cup of additional items with no problem and substitute whatever type of seeds you like, a combination is fine too. Mine were fairly simple (due to a four year old palate) and thus were really moist and chewy, if you add in more stuff such as coconut or nuts, it may be a bit drier. I personally like salt mixed with my sweet so I sprinkled on a little more coarse salt before popping in the oven. I made these for the kids to keep them happy and well fed but to be perfectly honest, they were so delicious my sister and I almost hid them and kept them all for ourselves. (OK, I confess, we did hide a couple and had them for breakfast the next day. I know we are bad grown ups…) Oh, and in case you hadn’t noticed, these granola bars are not only gluten, dairy and nut free, they are also egg free, vegan and if you use coconut sugar and the Organic Sunbutter, they are also refined-sugar free! Seems the only thing there are not free of is amazing flavor! Granola Bars Ingredients ¾ cup Sunbutter (I like Natural Crunch but Creamy is good too) ½ cup coconut sugar, Sucanat or brown sugar 1 medium banana, peeled and mashed ½ cup butter or dairy free butter substitute, melted 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract ½ – 1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt 2 ½ cups certified gluten-free rolled oats ½ cup roasted and salted pumpkin seeds 1 cup dried fruit, raisins or a combination – if using larger pieces of dried fruit, chop roughly ½ cup chocolate chunks or chips (optional – you can add up to a cup of additional ingredients such as coconut flakes, slivered or chopped nuts, flax, chia, sunflower or sesame seeds) Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with gluten-free, non-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the Sunbutter, sugar, mashed banana, melted butter or butter substitute and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the remaining ingredients until they are evenly distributed. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely and then cut into squares. Will keep wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for several days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. This gluten-free recipe makes 8 servings approximately 2 ¾ inches square. Want to know more about your favorite Gluten Free Recipe or how to avoid being bothered by Celiac with our range of Gluten Free Recipes which are made from Gluten Free raw material feel free to visit us at: http://www.simplygluten-free.com Article Source : http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/07/granola-bars-gluten-free-dairy-free-nut-free.html
 I was having a conversation with my g-kid Julian about his following a glutenfree, dairy-free diet and he said to me “I just don’t want to have to worry about what I eat!” Of course he doesn’t, he’s 10! I know lots of grown ups who don’t want to worry about what they eat either. I believe the best way to get kids to embrace their diet, regardless of the intolerance, is to make them a part of the process of creating their food; everything from thinking up menus to shopping to cooking. The best part is enjoying the fruits of their labor. The other day the g-kids and I planned a whole menu for my son’s birthday, everything was gluten and dairy free and it was abundant; we had London Broil, grilled tilapia, dairy-free mashed potatoes, gluten-free pasta salad, a mixed salad filled with all sorts of fresh veggies and of course a gluten-free birthday cake. The kids came up with the menu, prepared the marinade for the beef, peeled the potatoes, picked basil from the garden and tasted, laughed and enjoyed themselves. They even set and decorated the table. It was a great day and an even better dinner. A couple days later we actually worked on developing our own recipe together. We decided to make cupcakes and Miss Milla wanted to make a cupcake that tasted like ONE of her favorite cookies (emphasis on ONE because, as per her, it is simply not fair to the other cookies to pick just one favorite) the Snickerdoodle. What a joy to bring the kids into the whole creative process of developing a recipe, they gave their opinions, stirred and wrote down notes and we had a marvelous time, especially when it came to taste-testing. We kept it easy and started with a packet of Kinnikinnick White Cake Mix which is not just gluten-free but dairy free also. We added cinnamon and vanilla and then topped the cupcakes with cinnamon sugar to replicate the coating from the original inspiration – the Snickerdoodle Cookie. Then we came up with a dairy free “butter” cream frosting and topped it all off with just a tad more cinnamon sugar. The verdict? See for yourself. Gluten Free Dairy Free Snickerdoodle Cupcakes Ingredients Topping: 6 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon Cupcakes: 4 large eggs ¾ cup grapeseed (or other neutral tasting) oil ¾ cup cold water 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 Kinnikinnick White Cake Mix 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Frosting: ½ cup Earth Balance (or other dairy free butter substitute) 4 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 pinch kosher or fine sea salt 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 – 6 tablespoons rice milk (or other dairy free milk) Garnish – Optional 6 cinnamon sticks, each one broken into thirds. Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 standard muffin tins with paper liners. Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl. Combine eggs, oil, water and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whisk (either by hand or with a handheld mixer) for 2 minutes. Gradually add the cake mix and cinnamon, whisk just until combined. Wisk just until combined, mixture will be a little lumpy. Divide batter among prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of the topping on each cupcake. Bake for 20 minutes or until risen, lightly browned and a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool. While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the Earth Balance until smooth. Add the powdered sugar. Cinnamon, salt, vanilla and 2 tablespoons rice milk. Start with the mixer or low and combine. Gradually add more rice milk until the mixture becomes a spreadable consistency. Turn mixer up to medium-high and beat for 30 seconds or so until very creamy. Frost the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle the frosting with the remaining topping. Insert a piece of cinnamon stick into each cupcake cake if desired. Cupcakes and frosting can be made several days ahead. For best results store cupcakes unfrosted in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap. Store frosting separately in a covered container in the fridge. Let frosting come to room temperature before frosting cupcakes. Frost the cupcakes no longer than a few hours before serving. Makes 18 gluten-free, dairy-free cupcakes Ready for dessert? Want to know more about your favorite Gluten Free Recipe or how to avoid being bothered by Celiac with our range of Gluten Free Recipes which are made from Gluten Free raw material feel free to visit us at: http://www.simplygluten-free.com Article Source : http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/07/gluten-free-snickerdoodle-cupcakes-dairy-free.html
 Glutenfree baking can be complicated, fraught with trial and error (emphasis on the error) and frustrating. However I am happy to report that making gluten-free biscuits need not be as difficult as some would have you believe. There are those that will tell you the only way to get perfect baking results is to weigh your flours, measure very carefully, calibrate your oven and what not. While this may be true for some things, I have found that biscuits are very forgiving. Think about it, pioneer women mixed up their biscuits on the “road” in the back of a covered wagon and “baked” them over a campfire. Probably while making sure their children weren’t bitten by snakes and fending off hostile natives not too happy with the intrusion, all the while wearing a corset. Seriously, how much time did they have for carefully weighing their flour? I have found that gums such as xanthan and guar are not necessary in gluten free biscuits, just some type of gluten-free flour and a starch mixed with baking powder and salt. I like my biscuits white and fluffy so I prefer superfine white or brown rice flour but if you want to use another type of gluten free flour such as millet, sorghum, quinoa, etc. or any combination thereof, then go right ahead. For starch I prefer to use either tapioca or potato starch but you could also use cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Again, you can also use a combination of starches if you prefer. After you pick the type of flour and starch you want to use, it is simply a matter of adding some fat and liquid. The type depends on your taste and dietary needs. Personally I like to use butter for my fat and milk for my liquid but Earth Balance, shortening or even bacon fat and any type of dairy-free milk works really well for dairy free biscuits. Just make sure your fat and liquid are cold. Once you have made all your decisions the thing to keep in mind is to use a light hand, don’t overwork the dough. The less you work it, the lighter and flakier the biscuit. And when you add the fat to the flour make sure you keep some larger chunks in there, this is also important for flakiness. When it comes to adding the liquid, start with less than the recipe calls for and add just enough to form the mixture into a dough, various factors such as humidity can affect how much is needed. You may even need a tad more than the recipe calls for. You can roll and cut out your biscuits or drop them by spoons onto a baking sheet. I prefer to pat out my dough rather than rolling it out with a rolling pin. It is easier and there is one less thing to wash. I guess the most important thing to keep in mind is not to be intimidated. Really, what’s the worst that could happen? You bake little hockey pucks and try again. The best that could happen? You have warm, flaky, light biscuits warm from the oven ready for a slathering of jam – a little piece of heaven. Gluten Free Biscuits Ingredients 1½ cups superfine white or brown rice flour plus more for rolling ¾ cup tapioca or potato starch (not potato flour) 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt 6 tablespoons cold fat (such as butter, Earth Balance or shortening), cut into small pieces ¾ cup milk (any kind including dairy free) Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Whisk together the flour, starch baking powder and salt. Cut the fat into the flour either with a pastry cutter, two knives or by rubbing the fat into the flour with your fingers. Make sure you leave some larger pieces of fat. Add the liquid, starting with ½ a cup and gradually adding a little more at a time, mixing until the dough comes together. Put a little flour on a work surface and dump out the dough. Knead 3 or 4 times then either roll or pat it out to about ½ inch thick. Cut into biscuits using a 2 ½ inch cookie cutter. You can gently reform the dough to cut more biscuits. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Makes approximately 12 gluten free biscuits depending on the size. Want to know more about your favorite Gluten Free Recipe or how to avoid being bothered by Celiac with our range of Gluten Free Recipes which are made from Gluten Free raw material feel free to visit us at: http://www.simplygluten-free.com
Article source:http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/07/gluten-free-biscuits.html
 I just discovered my husband’s secret life. I have to say I was shocked to find that for quite some time the man I am married to has been sneaking around and hiding the evidence. I feel partially to blame, he has obviously been driven outside the home to find something that he felt deprive of within the home. Oh, he’s been very clever about it. In order to leave the house without a lot of explaining he pretends he is going somewhere mundane and boring, somewhere I would not be tempted to tag along, like The Home Depot. But it is not hardware he is after. Oh no, instead he meets the beautiful, foreign woman who owns and runs the Polish Deli in the next town. From her he gets what he feels he can not get at home. At the Polish Deli he buys outrageously expensive, itty-bitty jars of Polish blueberry jam, sneaks them into the house and then HIDES THEM! Uh huh, that’s right. He hides them away so that no one else can have any. And of course he only pays cash so there is never a paper trail and he could of course deny the existence of any blueberry jam. Apparently the jam is just too expensive of a treat to share with the rest of us undiscerning people who would be just as happy spreading strawberry or peach jam on our gluten-free toast. Well, I have decided to fight back! Fortunately blueberries are super cheap right now, for half the price of one of those fancy-schmancy miniscule little jars of imported jam, I could buy pints of blueberries. Now in the past I have not had tons of success in the canning department, you can read all about my misadventures here. But this jam is so seriously simple ANYONE can make it. And on top of that, it is refined sugar, pectin and preservative free. Yep, it contains no weird stuff, nothing but fresh blueberries, Organic, Raw Blue Agave from Wholesome Sweeteners, a pinch of salt and the juice of a lemon. That’s it! Of course, I am NOT telling the hubby how easy this jam was to make. I am going to let him think I have worked hard to keep my man at home. So there little Polish lady, let’s just see if your expensive sugar, pectin and preservative filled fruit gunk can compete with my wholesome, healthy and absolutely awesome homemade blueberry jam! Seriously (and Secretly) Simple Blueberry Jam Ingredients 2 pints fresh blueberries, rinsed ¾ cup agave nectar ¼ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt Juice of 1 lemon Directions Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mash the berries with a potato masher or back of a spoon. Lower the heat so that the mixture continues to boil gently. Continue to cook uncovered, for 20 -25 minutes or until the mixture is thick. Cool to room temperature, the jam will jell as it cools. Store in clean containers in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to a year. Makes about 2 cups gluten-free jam. Want to know more about your favorite Gluten Free Recipe or how to avoid being bothered by Celiac with our range of Gluten Free Recipes which are made from Gluten Free raw material feel free to visit us at: http://www.simplygluten-free.com Article Source : http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/07/blueberry-jam-sugar-free-pectin-free-seriously-simple.html
 If I had known is was to be our last time together, I would have paid more attention. I would have etched into my memory every detail, every sensation, and every joyous nano-second. I would not have taken our time together for granted, as if it could happen again at any moment. How could have I been so careless, so blasé? In truth I don’t even remember the last time I ate an Oreo cookie – it never occurred to me that they wouldn’t always be a part of my life. And to be very honest, I didn’t even mourn the loss of Oreos along with other gluten-filled foods such as pasta and bagels at the time of my gluten intolerance diagnosis. It wasn’t as if I ate them every day. But then I saw my husband eating one, gently twisting the two chocolate wafers away from the creamy white center, scrapping almost all of the filling with his teeth then crunching happily on each lightly creamy layered cookie, one at a time. Oh the envy. Oh the remorse. It was then that I mourned. You can imagine my joy when I was meandering through the gluten free section of my local natural foods store and found Kinnitoos – gluten free chocolate sandwich crème cookies! They looked just like the beloved cookies of my past, but how did they taste? Let me give you a clue – I created a whole dessert in honor of them! – No Bake Cookies & Crème Cheesecakes. This dessert is so simple and it takes maybe 5 minutes to prepare. To make it even easier you can forgo whipping the cream and substitute an 8 ounce tub of Cool Whip and if you want to reduce the fat and calories, use fat free Cool Whip and low fat cream cheese. The cheesecakes are ready to eat after just a few minutes in the fridge or you can even make them up to a day ahead. What food would you have taken more care to etch into your memory if you knew it was the last time to eat it? Ingredients 21 Kinnitoos 1 cup heavy cream 8 ounces cream cheese, softened ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Directions Place paper liners in the cups of a standard muffin pan (12 cups). Take 3 of the cookies, cut them in quarters for garnish and set aside. Place 12 cookies in a plastic freezer bag and pound them with a rolling pin until they turn into fine crumbs. Divide the crumbs among the muffin cups and press down firmly and evenly. Place the remaining cookies in the bag and break them up so that there are bigger pieces of cookie as well as some crumbs. Whip the cream on high speed until stiff peaks form with a hand held mixer. Place the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed until smooth and well blended. Fold in the whipped cream and the crushed cookie pieces. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups. Place one of the quartered cookies on top of each cheesecake. Refrigerate until serving, at least 5 minutes, up to a day ahead. Makes 12 gluten free mini cheesecakes. Want to know more about your favorite Gluten Free Recipe or how to avoid being bothered by Celiac with our range of Gluten Free Recipes which are made from Gluten Free raw material feel free to visit us at: http://www.simplygluten-free.com Article source:http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/06/gluten-free-no-bake-cookies-creme-cheesecakes.html
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