GF Betty Crocker

The day has finally arrived...

If you have not checked your local grocery stores yet, be sure to do so next time you are there. These babies are a hot new gluten free item. We were fortunate enough to get a sneak peak back at the beginning of May 2009, courtesy of Betty Crocker & Price Chopper (a.k.a my Uncle Gary & Aunt Becky). My aunt brought them on a visit to Texas and we tried them out. (They also make brownies, but I will give you more details on that later).

My ratings are as follows; (0 - 5, 0 being worst & 5 being best)

• Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies: Rating - 5. EXCELLENT!!! These taste like the real deal. There is no grittiness when you bite into them, and they are absolutely wonderful! The real test here lied in the hands of my father-in-law who hates all things free of gluten;-) He too thought they were fabulous. So, I very highly recommend this cookie mix. Try it today! If your local grocer does not carry it, recommend that they begin.

  

• Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownies: Rating - 4.5. Wonderful! These taste very similar to the Gluten Free Pantry Brownies (in my opinion) Yum-Yum chocolaty. These were great too.
• Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake (Chocolate & Yellow Cakes): Rating - 3. These cakes (yes, I am rating them together) both remind me of some of the other cake mixes; whole foods brand, gluten free pantry, etc. Of course, if you read any other posts, you know that Namaste has stolen my heart when it comes to cake mixes (which is why I rate this a 3) I have yet to find a GF cake mix as phenomenal as Namaste. But, if you cannot find Namaste cake mix, this is a good choice. I better stop since I am sounding a lot like a spokesperson here.

I hope very much that this has been helpful & good luck on your gluten free adventure!

GF Thanksgiving Turkey idea

Yeah, yeah, I know...It is not anywhere near Thanksgiving, but I have been so busy between back surgery and school that I have SOOOO many posts to catch up on. Since we run from house to house on the holidays and there is no garuntee what will be GF for my son & myself, I experimented with this Martha Stewart recipe for Thanksgiving. It turned out GREAT! I altered it a little, but hey, what recipe don't I alter? :-) It took a while to get used to, since I am still a "moving into intermediate" cook. But, here we go:

Rolled Turkey Breast with Sausage Stuffing

Rolled Turkey Ingredients

• 1 turkey breast (about 5 1/2 pounds), skin on, boned, trimmed, and butterflied
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• Sausage Stuffing (Ingredients listed below)
  
• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup water, plus more if needed

Sausage Stuffing Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
• 1 pound sausage, casings removed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups gluten free breadcrumbs
• 2 ounces pecans, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Unsalted butter, softened, for baking dish, if needed

Sausage Stuffing Directions

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add sausage, and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned (4 to 5 minutes)
  
• Transfer sausage to a medium bowl (using a slotted spoon)
• Add onion and celery to drippings in skillet, adding more oil if necessary.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and celery is tender (about 6 minutes)
• Add mushrooms and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are softened, (about 2 minutes)
  
• Add wine and stir, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan.
  
• Simmer until reduced by half (2 to 3 minutes)
  
• Stir in cooked sausage, remove from heat, and let cool slightly in pan.
• Working in batches, pulse sausage mixture in a food processor (I used my kitchen aid) until very finely chopped.
• Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs and pecans, and season with salt and pepper.
  
• Add egg, and stir to combine.
• Let cool to room temperature.

• To cook stuffing in a turkey: Stuff as directed below in "Rolled Turkey" directions

Rolled Turkey Breast Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, making sure the rack is in the lowest position
  
• Rinse turkey, and pat dry with paper towels.
  
• Place it on a flat surface, skin side up. Using a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon, gently separate turkey skin from breast meat, being careful not to tear the skin.
  
• Remove skin, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Flip turkey over, and lay flat. If turkey is not an even thickness, cover with plastic wrap, and gently pound with a mallet or a rolling pin.
  
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread stuffing evenly on turkey. Starting on 1 short side, tightly roll up turkey.
• Center reserved skin on turkey roll, and smooth to remove any trapped air.
• Season with salt and pepper.
  
• Wrap entire turkey roll in cheesecloth, securing both ends with kitchen string. Tie additional string around roll in 3 or 4 places, spacing evenly.
• Rub with 4 tablespoons butter

• Place turkey roll on a rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
  
• Transfer to oven, and pour water in baking sheet.
• Roast, rotating halfway through and brushing with remaining 2 tablespoons butter, until stuffing registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (about 2 hours and 10 minutes) (Add more water to baking sheet if necessary to prevent pan drippings from burning.)
  
• Let turkey roll rest on baking sheet for 30 minutes.
• To carve the turkey roll: Remove cheesecloth, and transfer turkey roll to a cutting board. Carefully cut roll into slices at least 1/2 inch thick, keeping stuffing intact. Transfer slices to a serving platter, and serve immediately

Another Quick Lunch/Snack Idea

Here is a quick snack or sweet lunch idea. I only wish I could figure out a way to keep my corn tortilla from breaking apart! I did over-stuff mine though. This is a slightly altered recipe from Betty Crocker. It looks pretty yummy. Thought I would share. I just replaced the flour tortilla with a white corn tortilla. My rating of this recipe is a 3.5 out of 5. Hope it works out well for you all.

Peanut Butter & Banana Wraps

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 white corn tortillas
• 2 small bananas, sliced
• 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cups honey (optional)

Directions

• Spread 2 TBSP of the peanut butter evenly over each tortilla.
• Drizzle 1 TBSP of the honey over each tortilla (optional)
• Top with banana slices and chocolate chips.
• Roll up tortillas and secure with a toothpick.

Another Quick but Yummy Dinner

This is a recipe found in Incredible Edible Gluten Free Food for kids, by Sheri L. Sanderson. We make two pies and they don't last long at all. It is an incredibly yummy recipe & I hope you'll give it a try. It is also incredibly easy. When I throw it together, I typically leave out the onion & green pepper. Also, note for step #8; try to picture your spaghetti needs to look like a pie crust, and shape it accordingly. I will post pics to this next time I cook it. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients

• 4 oz rice or corn spaghetti
• 1/2 lb ground beef, turkey, sausage, or combo
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper (1/2 medium)
• 3/4 cup spaghetti or pizza sauce (15 oz)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (1&1/3 oz)
• 1 TBSP butter or margarine, melted
• 1 cup cottage cheese (8 oz)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 oz)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain well. Return to pan.
• Meanwhile, in a frying pan, saute the ground meat, onions, & bell pepper until the meat is browned & the onions are translucent. Drain fats.
  
• Add spaghetti or pizza sauce & stir to combine. Set aside.
• In a bowl, beat one egg.
  
• Add the Parmesan cheese & melted butter, & mix well to combine.
  
• Add hot pasta & toss until combined.
  
• In a well-greased 9-inch pie pan, spread the spaghetti mixture with a spoon across the bottom & up the sides to form a crust. (or you can cover the mixture with plastic wrap & smooth with hands, then remove plastic wrap)
  
• Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl
• Drain the cottage cheese, and combine with beaten egg
• Spread over the bottom of the "spaghetti crust"
  
• Spoon the meat mixture over the cottage cheese mixture.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes & then remove from oven
• Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of the pie & return the pie to the oven for another 5-8 minutes more, or until cheese melts & "crust" sets.
  
• Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing into wedges.
  

Is Vanilla Flavored Almond Bark Gluten Free?

I was recently asked if I knew if Vanilla flavored Almond Bark was Gluten Free. We have the CSA Gluten Free Product Listing Book and I was not able to find this information anywhere! The ingredients on the Plymouth Pantry vanilla flavored Almond Bark are as follows:

• Sugar
• Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
• Whey Powder
• Soya Lecithin
• Artificial Flavor
• Milk

If I was to make a judgment by ingredients alone I would say it was probably ok, however, I am not sure whether there is a possibility of cross-contamination in the factory where it is made and packaged. Since this is the case, I cannot positively guarantee it and don't want anyone to get sick. One option would be to contact the company to find out if it is indeed a gluten free product as well as verifying the cross-contamination risks. The contact information is:

Staple Food Products
700 Berkshire Lane
Plymouth, MN 55441

P.S. This is a little off of the subject, but if you ever send an email to me, please include an email address to respond to because I don't have access to your email address (It says it is a "do not reply" email) Thanks and I hope that this helps. :-)

Finally! Some great homemade pancakes!

I have always been a huge fan of buttermilk pancakes, so you can imagine how it feels to not be able to enjoy them any longer. I found a fantastic recipe on Recipezaar that is absolutely delicious (I made some slight adjustments). It doesn't even taste gluten free. These pancakes are fluffy, white, and oh-so-yummy! I hope you will try them out, you will not be disappointed. Enjoy! This recipe makes about 6 small pancakes.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Gluten-free flour blend (1&1/2 cup white rice flour, 1/2 cup potato starch flour, 1/4 cup corn starch flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vegetable oil.
3. Add milk mixture to the dry ingredients, and whisk until well blended.
4. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
5. Preheat frying pan to medium heat (melt a small amount of butter to oil pan if needed)
6. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot pan for small pancakes.
7. Pancakes are ready to be turned over when the edges are no longer glossy, and the bubbles that pop stay open. To check the second side for doneness, you just have to lift an edge of the pancake up with a spatula and take a peek.

BACK TO SCHOOL GF LUNCHES!!! WHAT TO DO?

This idea has probably been around for a while in other realms. Who knows, it may have even been mentioned as a Gluten Free idea. My son and I were brainstorming lunch ideas and came up with a fantastic idea that allows variety and spunk in your lunch. We even had some non-gluten free peoples try out our ideas and they enjoyed them a lot. So what could make a gluten free child feel better than to bring a lunch to school that other kids think is pretty neat and would like to try, right?

                     

Here is the deal. The fundamental idea revolves around white corn tortillas. The sky's the limit once you get these. One of our favorite creations is spreading peanut butter and jelly onto the tortilla and rolling it up. A few of these work well as a replacement sandwich. You can also go in several other directions with this....Peanut butter and honey; peanut butter and sliced bananas; mayo, ham and cheese; mayo, turkey, and cheese, the sky's the limit! You layer up your tortilla and roll up as many as you desire. They are ultra yummy and definitely hit the spot. 

Here are some of the combos we put together when packing our school lunches:

1. A corn tortilla roll creation, boiled egg, GF crackers with cookie cut slices of meat and cheese,or homemade trail mix
   
2. A drink (water bottle, Capri sun, kool-aide, milk, chocolate milk)
3. fruit/veggie of some kind (watermelon, banana, apple slices w/ peanut butter, carrot sticks, cucumbers, salad, grapes, cherry tomatoes,etc.)
4. Dairy (string cheese, etc)
5. Snack (chips, fruit snacks, candy, etc)

We have had great success since we have implemented this system and I hope that it is a great help to all of you out there looking for creative options to perk up your child's GF lunch. ENJOY!

Mmmmm, Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Nope, I didn't disappear. I have been extremely busy with classes, so my apologizes for the lack of blogging. :-)

So, this is an absolutely delicious recipe. I found this recipe on the Martha Stewart website and have brought it to several family functions. It has actually been a big hit. We just serve it with tortilla chips and "Presto!" fabulous meal, with very little effort.


INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Course salt and ground pepper
• 5 unpeeled garlic cloves
• 2 jars (16 oz each) medium salsa
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
• 12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh, chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper, place with garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until an baking thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees (25-30 minutes)
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine salsa and cream
4. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred meat.
5. Peel and chop garlic
6. In a large bowl, combine chicken, garlic, and 1/2 cup salsa mixture
7. Stack tortillas flat, and wrap in damp paper towels. Microwave on high for 1 minute to soften.
8. Working with one tortilla at a time, dip in salsa mixture, lay flat, and fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture.
9. Roll up and arrange, seam side down, 8 enchiladas lengthwise and 4 crosswise in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
10. Top with remaining salsa mixture, then cheese.
11. Bake until cheese is browned and salsa is bubbling (40-45 minutes)
12. Let rest for 10 minutes
13. Serve, sprinkled with cilantro

Namaste Chocolate Birthday Cake

Did I mention that I love Namaste? SO YUMMY! Here are some pics of a 3 tier cake that I made for my little man for his 8th birthday. Namaste chocolate cake mix and chocolate Pillsberry frosting, topped with sprinkles. So moist and absolutely delicious!!!

More GF Ice Cream Cake Creations!!!

I am really loving my latest GF Ice Cream cake creations! They are a huge hit. Yum-Yum-Yum! Here are some pics of my latest creation for my son's 8th birthday party: