Yellow Cake

This cake is a recipe that I converted to gluten free from a commercial cook book. It was a tried and true recipe that I had great hopes for... and I was not disappointed. When I follow the recipe carefully, it almost always turns out. The room temperature of ingredients is important. It rises nicely, has a tender crumb, and is moist. We often use it for birthdays and special occasions.

1 1/2 cups white or brown rice flour (I usually use brown because that is what I have on hand)

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup potato starch

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp xanthan gum

3 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup cooking oil (I actually use olive oil - and find it leaves no olive-taste)

1/4 cup milk or substitute, room temperature (often I just use water)

5 eggs, room temperature

3 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk or substitute, room temperature (again, water will work fine)

METHOD:

Grease and flour a 9x13 cake pan. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Add the oil and mix in till well distributed.

Add the first amount of milk and mix for 1 minute.

Combine the eggs, vanilla and second amount of milk and slowly add to the flour mixture.

Beat for 2 min. Scrape the bowl and beat for another 2 minutes.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 minutes or until the cake springs back when gently touched in the centre, or a tooth pick comes out clean. Cool and frost.

If you are making cupcakes, this makes 22-24.

Blender Pancakes

For this recipe, you do not need any ground flour! You first soak the whole grains to soften them, and then puree them in the blender. If you savvy the taste of sourdough pancakes, soak the grains for about 3 days. It will start to bubble and smell like sour starter.

1 cup whole brown rice

1/2 cup buckwheat groats

1/2 cup whole millet

2 1/2 cups pure water (no chlorine)

2 tbsp. lemon juice

3 eggs

1/4 cup oil

2 tbsp honey or sugar

1 cup tapioca starch

1/8 tsp xanthan gum

2 tbsp baking powder

METHOD: In a large jar or bowl, combine the grains, water and lemon juice. Cover with a towel and let soak overnight or up to 5 days (tastes quite sour).

Pour soaked grains and liquid into the blender. Puree until smooth. If you have a large blender (like a Vita-Mix) you can do the next step in the blender. If not, pour the puree into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Whisk until smooth.

Drop batter onto hot, greased fry pan (cast iron works the best because of the even heating). These pancakes will cook at a slightly lower temperature, for slightly longer time than regular pancakes.

Fresh or frozen berries are a wonderful addition to these pancakes. My personal favorite is making these pancakes without berries but serving them with whipped cream and a thickened berry sauce. I make it from fresh or frozen berries and I can sweeten with natural cane sugar or real maple syrup for a much healthier (and tastier) topping than commercial syrups.

Batter For Deep Fried Chicken Strips

For this I either use cut up chicken breast or brown meat cut off the bone. The pieces must not be too thick. Rice flour burns faster than wheat and if the pieces are too thick, the coating will burn before the chicken cooks through.

Traditionally, this is what the kids ask for on their birthdays.

This coats about 3 lbs of chicken cubes or strips.

1/2 cup corn starch

1/2 cup rice flour

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp sesame seeds (optional, but very good)

1 1/2 tsp salt or seasoning salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tbsp gluten free soy sauce or bouillon

2 green onions, chopped fine (optional)

Oil for frying

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

2. Whisk the eggs, oil & soy sauce.

3. Add the eggs to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Stir in onion.

4. Let sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using. This allows the flour to absorb moisture.

5. Heat oil to 375 degrees.

6. Dip several pieces of chicken in the batter at a time and stir to coat. Remove pieces with a fork and drop into hot oil (if the batter is too thick to work with, add a little bit of water). Fry about 10 pieces at a time, turning when they are brown. I usually cut open a few of the first pieces to make sure that there is no pink left and the juices are clear.

7. When I remove the cooked pieces, I put them on a baking sheet, lined with paper towel and keep them hot in a low oven.

We make a Pineapple Dipping Sauce for this chicken.

1. Puree one can of pineapple with juice in the blender.

2. Heat the puree in a sauce pan and add 2 Tbsp vinegar, sugar to taste (does not need much), and a bit of corn starch to thicken.

3. Cool and serve.

Gluten Free Oats!!!

Did you know that there was such a thing as gluten free oats? Well, I didn't until today.

Here is a link.

Cook Book Give-Away

A friend, Amy, gave me a copy of this book as a gift a couple of years ago. I have enjoyed trying many recipes from it. My dear MIL found this like-new copy at a thrift store and picked it up for me, but since I already have it, I am offering to send it to the first person who e-mails me a new gluten free recipe to post!

I will qualify: Bette uses non-dairy liquids/powders in some of the recipes. If you do not eat these, or if you think like me - that non-dairy stuff is a non-food - you will have to substitute other things (like coconut milk).

So, if you have any kind of GF recipe to share... my e-mail address is on the margin of this page. I look forward to hearing from you... and sending you this lovely book!

NOTE (June 26, 2008)

I have recieve a great recipe from Carol and will be posting it shortly. I will be sending the cookbook to her. Thanks, Carol!

Light and Fluffy Gluten Free Biscuits

This recipe was sent to me by my friend, Carol. She asked me if I had a good biscuit recipe. I had to reply that I did not - mine efforts have turned out biscuits that were a cross between lead and glue.

Within a few days, she e-mailed me this recipe that she had found. I tried it and they are the nicest Gluten Free biscuits that I have ever made. OK, maybe that is not saying much, but they really did turn out nice! They were rather ugly, but they were not crumbly, they were moist and light, AND they tasted good!

The original recipe was very easy to follow, I just had to make a few changes to go with the ingredients that I had on hand. This is my altered recipe:

LIGHT & FLUFFY GLUTEN FREE BISCUITS

(Yield: 16 large biscuits)

1 1/2 c. brown rice flour

2 c. corn starch (yes, it is OK to use this much starch!)

1/2 c. millet or buckwheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. xanthan gum

1/2 cup of lard (or butter if you can have it), cubed

2 cups water

1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl thoroughly combine the flours, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum.

3. Cut the lard or butter into the dry ingredients until it is crumbly.

4. Add the water, vinegar and beaten egg to the flour and stir until the dry and liquid ingredients are combined.

5. Using a large spoon, drop the dough onto a greased pan to make 16 biscuits (or make 24 smaller ones). Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

This recipe was lots for our family of 9.

Enjoy!

Just Starting

Welcome to my new blog for gluten, dairy, soy and nut free recipes.

 Over the next few weeks, I will be adding new recipes and moving recipes from my other blog (which is now private and mostly family stuff). Also, I will be adding recipes that  were printed in my newsletter, "The Gluten Free Gathering".

Hope you enjoy.

Jenny