better than mashed potatoes

My poor blog has been so neglected lately. Unfortunately, grad school is interfering with all my grand plans for new recipe creation. However, I have quite a few things that I'd like to try, so hopefully soon I'll have lots of new things to post!

I rarely post recipes that are not my own, but I recently bought some parsnips on a whim, came across this recipe, and it was so yummy that I had to share it with you.

In honor of Thanksgiving, I give you something better than mashed potatoes:

Mashed Parsnips

Ingredients

1 pound carrots, coarsely chopped
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup butter, diced and softened
pinch ground nutmeg
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots, cover partially, and simmer 5 minutes. Add parsnips, and cover partially. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well.

Return vegetables to saucepan, and stir over medium heat until any excess moisture evaporates. Transfer to food processor or in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Add butter, and process or whip until smooth (it will still have just a little texture if you use a stand mixer). Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

They're not starch free, and just barely qualify as low starch. However, it's a nice treat and much better than a serving of mashed potatoes, which has roughly 40 grams of starch per serving.

Make 4 generous servings, with approx 10 grams of starch per serving.

My recipe is a slightly modified version of the recipe found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/whipped-carrots-and-parsnips/detail.aspx

Innumerable Berry Pancakes

My children are not big breakfast eaters. Around here, lunch has always been the biggest meal of the day. With that in mind, this is a typical conversation that we have when these pancakes are on the agenda.

me: "Children! Breakfast is Ready!"
chorus: I'm nooottt huuungry
me: "Just have one pancake"
chorus: sigh.... "ooookkaaay"
....
Over a dozen eggs, innumerable "Can I have more please!" and 4 batches of pancakes later, I always end up rethinking the wisdom of that conversation when I make these pancakes.

So if you plan to make these, I'd advise that you have plenty of time and ingredients on hand.



Berry Pancakes

Ingredients
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup milk

1/2 bag frozen berries, about 6 ounces (any berries work, chop them slightly to ensure that no berries or berry pieces are larger than about 1/4")

Method
Whisk together all ingredients except the berries. Fold in the berries.

Cook on Med/MedLow (about level "4" on my stove) for about 5 minutes on side, flip and cook for about 2 minutes on the other side.

"buttermilk" muffins

Doughnuts in muffin form.

What else is there to say?

"Buttermilk" Muffins

ingredients
3 cups almond flour
1/2 cup oat flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup lemon juice

method
Separate the eggs, and beat the whites until stiff peaks form. Add the remaining ingredients, including the yolks. Fold gently, but mix well.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until done. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen muffins.

There are approximately 3 grams of starch per muffin.

Perfectly Awesome Pizza

We have tried lots of different pizza crusts over the last two years. Lots and lots and lots. About six months ago I came up with this variation, and it has been the favorite ever since. In fact, I've been told that it "tastes just like normal pizza". It is pretty good.

Don't be intimidate by the time requirement, it is totally worth it. Besides, most of the time this pizza just wants to be hanging out getting happy. I like to do the first step after lunch, then forget about it until dinner time.



Pizza

Ingredients

2 cups milk, warmed
1 1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Pizza Flour (or flour blend of your choice)

1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups almond flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method

Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl. Place in a warm place for 2-3 hours. I like to preheat the oven to "warm", then turn it off. The oven will stay warm enough for the yeast to get happy, but won't be too warm that it will dry out or get weird.

Add the remaining ingredients, and spread the batter onto a parchment lined pan (parchment is a must here). To keep the starch content low, use a 11x13 jelly roll pan for a thin crust pizza- you could make it thicker if the starch content isn't a concern.

Bake on the top rack of the oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on your planned topping choices. The wetter and heavier your planned toppings, the more well-done you want the crust to be. Add your toppings, and bake another 20 minutes or until the pizza is done. Enjoy!

The starch content will be 6 grams per slice, based on 12 slices per pizza (using a jelly roll pan or other large pan) and Bob's Pizza flour. Using a different pan size or flour substitution will change the starch amount.

German Chocolate Cupcakes

It's my one-year blog anniversary! What better way to celebrate than with cupcakes??



Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
4 c almond flour
1 c ground flax seed
4 eggs
1 stick butter, melted and cooled
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 c sugar
1/2 dutch cocoa
2 t instant coffee granules
1 c milk
2 t vanilla

Method
Separate eggs, beat whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold in remaining ingredients. Place into muffin cups, and bake at 300° for 25-30 minutes or until done.

Frosting
Ingredients
1 1/2 c evaporated milk
1 1/2 c sugar
3/4 butter
6 egg yolks
1 c coconut (to taste- I always add lots extra)
1 c pecans (to taste)
1 1/2 t vanilla

Method
Cook first 4 ingredients until very thick. Stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool before frosting cupcakes.

Macaroons (review and recipe)

I discovered this unassuming little book last fall, and I was so intrigued that I pre-ordered it immediately. It doesn't claim to be either gluten free or starch free... and with the exception of a small amount of powdered sugar, it's both! I recently made some and they were light and rich and minty and chocolatey- amazing!



Mint Chocolate French Macaroons

1 batch french macaroons (there is a similar recipe here but I highly recommend the book, because the instructions are clear and there is a great tutorial, with two different macaroon recipes), made with unblanched almond meal (ie ground almonds) and tinted with teal gel food coloring.

Whipped Mint Chocolate Ganache Filling
7 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon honey or agave
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon mint extract
1 cup dark chocolate mint chips (or whirl some Andes candies in a food processor until they coarsely chopped)

Stir together the first four ingredients and add to a saucepan. Gently melt the chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Pour into a bowl and cool to room temperature about 30 minutes.

Place the ganache in the bowl of a stand mixer, and whip about 5 minutes or until fluffy. Stir in the chips.

Place filling into a pastry bag and pipe onto macaroons bottoms, place another macaroon on top. Refrigerate cookies at least an hour to let flavors meld, serve at room temperature.

I originally made these with a mint chocolate buttercream because I was impatient- definitely take the time to make the ganache. It's totally worth it!!!

Giant Cranberry Cookies

These giant morsels of awesome are somewhere between a giant cookie and a scone- perfect for breakfast, snacks, dessert, or just because. They are not too sweet and wonderfully coconutty, with just a hint of cranberry. Best of all, these are really easy!



Giant Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract, optional
3/4 cup craisins

2 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 scant teaspoon salt
1/4 cup craisins
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Method
Preheat oven to 325°

Combine the first seven ingredients in the bowl of a food processor- blend until pureed.

In a second bowl, mix together the last five ingredients. Add the craisin paste, mix well.

On parchment lined pan, place 1/4 cup scoops of batter 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes, cool for 2-3 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. You could also make these a more traditional cookie size. To do that, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter a couple inches apart, and bake at 350° for about 10 minutes or until done. Either way, Enjoy!

Banana Snackers

This isn't the most original snack, and certainly isn't the most complicated snack out there either. However, my children loved it and I wanted to share it with you.


Banana Butter Bars
1 large banana, halved and split lengthwise
about 1/4 cup peanut butter (or cashew, sun butter- whatever you prefer)
1/4 cup flaked coconut

Spread the peanut butter on the banana, sprinkle with coconut. Makes one serving, and contains about 7 grams of starch (bananas are not starch free).

Fries.

I really wanted french fries. You know that feeling, you really want something and you KNOW it isn't good for you, but you want it anyway.

So, I decided to make some. And in case you're in need of a french-fry fix, I'll share my method with you. (sorry, it's not a recipe, exactly)

Green Bean French Fries

Gather together:
1 cup oat flour (you won't use all of this)
1 lb green beans (my local mega mart sells them in already prepped 1 lb bags)
1 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (use as much, or as little, as you like)
oil
4 eggs, beaten

Prepare:
Heat your oil over medium heat. When a little piece of bread dropped in the oil instantly starts to sizzle, it's hot enough. One of my kids broke my kitchen thermometer when it was mistaken for a sword (a hydrometer was lost in the same incident, sadly) but I'd estimate that the oil temp should be around 360°.

While the oil is heating, combine the flour and the seasoned salt in a bowl. Beat eggs in a separate bowl. Make sure the green beans are completely dry, dust with flour, dip in egg, coat with flour. When oil is hot, drop the fries in the oil, and fry for about 3 minutes or until all golden-y delicious.

Continue frying the fries in batches- place the completed fries in the oven on a cooling rack. Serve with ranch or the dipping sauce of your choice.

This makes approximately 4 servings of fries, with approximately 12 grams of starch per serving. The starch amount will vary based on the age of the beans (older beans are more starchy) and the amount of oat flour used (I had about 1/3 cup remaining after coating the fries)

Doughnut Pancakes

Okay, Doughnuts aren't really Good for you.

My taste buds take issue with that statement.

Thus, a dilemma.

After my son was diagnosed with his starch intolerance, we started to try many different pancake variations, as you can see on this blog. Over time, we started to view pancakes as flat-round-tasteless-vehicles-for-syrup. Sometimes, our quest for THE pancake resulted in a happy accident.

We recently had another happy accident. The pancakes look like yellow-box starch-filled vehicles for maple-flavored corn syrup, but they taste...

like....

(cue angels singing)

DOUGHNUTS.

Yes, my friends. You too can bring doughnuts back into your life. Let me show you how.

Doughnuts

Ingredients

6 eggs, separated
1 TBSP butter
1 8oz package cream cheese
1/4 cup flax seed meal
2 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
dash salt

Method

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

In another bowl, warm the cream cheese slightly with the butter (I use the microwave, and mine only needs about 15 seconds). Add the egg yolks, and mash everything together really well with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the egg whites).

After the eggs are ready, whisk in the cream cheese mixture.

Warm your pan or griddle or other cooking surface to medium-low.

Ladel or scoop or spoon (or even levitate, if you're into that kind of thing) approximately 1/3 cup batter onto your pan. Cook a few minutes on each side or until golden brown. If you cook them too quickly, they won't cook through so make sure that your temperature is low enough. The best way to do this is to make about half a dozen, eating each to ensure your pan is cooking them consistently.

Makes about 6 pancakes, plus about 6 "tester" pancakes.

Roasted Sweet Pepper Soup

This soup can be as spicy or as mild as you like, and is a great accompaniment to a light summer meal. It also is great in the fall as part of a hearty meal- it goes especially well with enchiladas.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

1/4 cup olive oil
6 large Jimmy Nardello peppers,seeded and chopped (these are Italian frying peppers, red bell peppers can also be used)
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced (I like to add extra garlic)
3 thyme sprigs (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
5 guajillo or pasilla chilies**
3 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, or lime juice (I prefer lime)
tabasco sauce, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
sour cream, for accompaniment
tortilla chips, for accompaniment


1. Preheat the oven to 250°. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 4 qt pot. Add sweet peppers, onion, garlic, and thyme. Sweat until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.

2. Remove stems and seeds from dried chilies, toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes, or toast them carefully in a skillet just until fragrant and just starting to soften. Place in a bowl and just cover with boiling water, let stand until the are softened, about 10 minutes. Taste the water, if sweet and and tasty, use when pureeing the chilies. Otherwise, add softened chilies to a blender or a food processor with just enough chicken broth puree them into a thick paste.

3. Add the remaining chicken broth to the sweet pepper mixture, simmer for 15 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree until smooth. Alternately, puree in batches using a food processor or a blender. Strain if desired for a smoother texture.

4. Stir the chili puree, into the sweet pepper mixture. Add the cream, and vinegar, simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, tabasco, and additional vinegar or lime juice.

5. Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips. (I don't actually do this because chips are starchy, thus we don't eat them, but I bet it's yummy)

*This is where I went wrong the first time I made this soup- I roasted a dozen habaneros and jalepenos, seeded them, and added them to the chili puree in step 2. I would advise against it. :)

This recipe was inspired by on a recipe from James Peterson, _Splendid Soups_

Awesome Chocolate Chip Bread

This is a delicious version of a chocolate chip quick bread, and it almost is like a coffee cake. Not too sweet, it makes an excellent breakfast treat- even the "starch eaters" around here devour it!

Chocolate Chip Bread

Bowl #1
6 egg whites

Bowl #2
6 egg yolks
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla

Bowl #3
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown rice flour or oat flour**
2 1/2 cups almond flour

Bowl #4
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks in a large bowl. Add the contents of bowl #2, then add the contents of bowl #3. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. Bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden brown. Cool in the pan at least 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

**I don't always add the rice or oat flour.  Sometimes I leave it out completely, and though the texture is a little softer, the bread is still quite yummy.

Makes about 12 servings, about 2" square. Each serving has ~4 grams of starch, unless you omit the rice/oat flour and then it is effectively starch free.


----
Update 4-1-2012

After months and months (and months!) of making this almost everyday, I've streamlined the process a little. You can make it as written, or:

Place eggs (not separated) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip until doubled, light colored, and thicken. This should take about 5 minutes.

Add all the other ingredients except the chocolate chips. Whip on high for about a minute. Add the chocolate chips, whip for about 30 seconds.

Place the batter in a parchment-lined pan and bake as directed.

recent delays

Sorry for the recent lack of posts. I'm a grad student. This time of year.... well, it's dicey, at best.

Apple Dutch Baby

This is a really yummy cake/pancake/coffee cake. It's not overly sweet if you use a tart apple, and is nicely filling with the protein from the almond meal. It doesn't taste at all like a raisin bread, even though there is a full cup of raisins in the cake. The raisins help stabilize the cake, and add a very subtle flavor.

There are two options given for sweetening the topping. Honey is rather high in maltose, and if you opt to use honey there is over 300 mg of maltose per serving. If maltose or honey isn't an issue, either sweetener is delicious. If you have trouble with either maltose or honey, I'd recommend using the brown sugar option.


(Shown made with a mixture of Jonagold and Granny Smith Apples, brown sugar mixture used to sweeten topping)

Apple Dutch Baby

Pancake:
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup flax seed
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon xantham gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine


Topping:
4 large apples, diced
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
*1/2 cup honey
*2 teaspoons cold water
OR
*1/3 cup brown sugar
*scant 1/4 cup white sugar
*1 tablespoon cold water

Directions:
Preheat at 300 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine the almond meal, flax seed, sugar, xantham gum and baking soda. In a food processor, puree raisins and eggs. Combine raisin puree, almond mixture and milk, mix until smooth.

Place butter in a 10-in. ovenproof skillet. Heat tilt over medium heat until butter is melted, swirl pan to coat bottom and sides. Pour batter into hot skillet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and center is cooked through. Let pancake rest at least 10 minutes before topping with apple mixture.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute apples in butter until lightly browned. Combine topping ingredients, add to apple mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and slightly syrupy. Set aside until pancake is ready.

To serve: Spoon topping over pancake, cut into 8 slices.

There is just under one gram of starch per serving when made with cornstarch, slightly more if you substitute tapioca starch. If you omit the cornstarch and choose to thicken the topping by simmering it for a few minutes, it is effectively starch free, though not entirely starch free as the raisins add about 4.5 grams of starch to the recipe (approximately 1/2 gram of starch per serving).

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins

4 cups almond flour
1 cup coconut flour
1 cup flax meal
2 TBSP cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 tsp guar gum
2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin
8 eggs
1 stick butter
1 cup chopped dates
2 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp vanilla


Combine eggs, vanilla, and butter. Add spices. Add pumpkin. Slowly add almond, coconut, and flax. Add dates, mix very well. Let batter rest.

While batter rests (an important step, since coconut flour needs time to hydrate) preheat oven to 300°.

Fill muffin cups (be careful not to overfill) and bake for 20-30 minutes or until done. Be sure to cool completely before serving. This makes 3 dozen muffins, but they freeze and reheat beautifully. There is less than 1/2 gram of starch per muffin.

Brownies

There are a million gluten free brownie recipes out there. Here is mine, and happily brownies are naturally low in starch without being low in decadence!

Brownies

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup oat flour
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Next, stir in the vanilla extract and eggs. Finally, stir in the oat flour, guar gum, salt and chopped nuts, and chocolate chips (if using).

Pour into the prepared pan and press mini marshmallows, if using, into the batter. Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 16 brownies, with less than 2 grams of starch per serving.

Crepes...

... more or less.


I tried to cook these on the stove similar to pancakes. However, they were just too fragile and didn't hold up. Baking them in the oven solved this. You may notice that this is very similar to my recipe for strawberry shortcake. In fact, aside from the fillings and the time of day that you'd typically serve them, they are nearly the same. The base "cake" (that was invented when I was trying to make a new version of pancakes) is very versatile!

Crepes

Crepe Base

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 Tbsp butter (melted)
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 cup potato flour (not starch)
1/8 cup flax seed
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

Filling
6 ounces marscapone cheese (you can modify this amount somewhat based on the package size available)
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
sugar, to taste (about a tablespoon is probably plenty)

Fresh fruit of your choice


Preheat oven to 350°. Line one 13x19 jelly roll pans with parchment paper.

Combine the liquid ingredients. Slowly whisk in the flours. Whisk in the flax seed, let batter rest for 10-15 minutes. Whisk in the baking soda, pour into prepared pan, spread into a thin layer.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until done. It should be cooked through (a toothpick tester should have no crumbs) but it should not have browned very much.

Invert pan onto a cooling rack, leave parchment on cake and let cool. When cool, remove parchment.

While the crepe base is cooling, using a stand mixer or a heavy-duty whip marscapone, cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until fluffy. Be careful not to add too much sugar- this shouldn't be a sweet filling.


To assemble:

Cut crepe base into nice sections. Place one section on a plate, top with filling and fresh fruit. Fold in half, serve.

Makes 9 servings, with 2.5 grams of starch per serving (depending on filling choice).

Special Occasion Pizza Crusts

Modified from a recipe I found on allrecipes.com, these are "special occasion" pizza crusts because they not as low in starch as many other pizza crust versions that I make. However, they taste so close to "real" pizza (especially if you crisp the crust in step 5) that even starch and gluten eaters will enjoy them. Don't be intimidated by the ingredient list- they are all worth it.

Special Occasion pizza crusts

Ingredients

3/4 cup gluten-free all purpose baking flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
1 cup warm milk
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 18-inch pizza pan or a sheet pan with parchment paper. Stir the all-purpose baking flour, coconut flour, flax seed, almond meal, baking powder, xanthan gum, Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, and Parmesan cheese together in a bowl; set aside.
2. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of white sugar in the lukewarm water and milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over top, and set aside until foamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat the egg in a separate bowl with the olive oil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, and the garlic until smooth. Once the yeast is foamy, whisk it into the egg mixture, then stir in the flour until no dry lumps remain. Let rest about 30 minutes.
3. Using a half-cup disher, place about 1/2 cup batter on a parchment lined baking sheet at least 3 inches apart for mini pizzas. Spread onto lined pizza pan for a large pizza.
4. To par bake: Cook in the preheated oven 12-15 minutes for mini pizzas, or 20-25 minutes for a large pizza, until the dough has risen and has slightly firmed. Flip pizza(s) over.
5. Top with your favorite toppings. Once topped with your favorite toppings, continue baking at 350 degrees F until the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes for a large pizza, or 5-7 minutes for a mini pizza. Remove the pizza from the pan, and cook directly on the oven rack for 5 minutes to crisp crust, if desired.

Makes approximately 12 servings, with approximately 6 grams of starch per serving (excluding toppings)

Strawberry short-"cake"

Yeppers.

Strawberry shortcake. 2.5 grams of starch. No wheat or gluten. All awesome.


This recipe was one of those crazy happy accidents- I was making crepes, and I was sick of trying to fry them. They were too delicate and were falling apart, so I thought that baking them might work a little better. Well, I didn't end up with crepes but using the oven worked like a charm! This cake is a little delicate, but mostly because it is rather thin.

Strawberry Shortcake

Chiffon-style Cake

4 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbsp butter (melted)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp xantham gum
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup potato flour (not starch)
1/4 cup flax seed
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda

Filling
Fresh fruit of your choice, jam, or pie filling
Whipped cream if desired

Preheat oven to 350°. Line two 13x19 jelly roll pans with parchment paper.

Combine the liquid ingredients. Slowly whisk in the flours. Whisk in the flax seed, let batter rest for 10-15 minutes. Whisk in the baking soda, pour into prepared pans, spread into a thin layer.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until done. It should be cooked through (a toothpick tester should have no crumbs) but it should not have browned very much.

Invert pans onto cooling racks, leave parchment on cake and let cool. When cool, remove parchment.

To assemble:

Often macerated strawberries (cut up strawberries tossed with sugar) are used when making strawberry shortcake, but they would make this cake much too soggy. Plain cut-up strawberries plus a bit of jam work much better, or as I did, pie filling (homemade or store bought)with some fresh strawberries works very well.

Cover one sheet of cake with filling of your choice- if you use pie filling plus fresh strawberries you'll need two cans pie filling plus 1-2 cups fresh strawberries. Top strawberry layer with whipped cream. Invert second cake onto the fruit and cream layer, cut into squares and top with additional whipped cream, if desired.

Makes about 18 servings, with 2.5 grams of starch per serving (depending on filling choice).

"Granola" Bars

1 lb (approximately 1 1/3 cups) honey**
8 ounces sesame seed
6 ounces golden flax seed (whole seeds, not meal)
2 ounces hemp seed
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/8 teaspoon orange extract
6 ounces dried fruit (I used a "berry blend")

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a work surface.

Combine honey and orange peel in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil (the longer you boil it the more firm the bars will be). Add seeds stir well- as soon as it returns to a boil stir in orange extract and pour onto parchment. Spread it out until it is approximately 1/4" thick, sprinkle dried fruit over top and press it into the seed mixture. Be careful it's hot- use a silicone spatula or some other tool for this.

Let cool to room temperature. Leave on parchment and cut into pieces. Peel off parchment when you serve it.

Variations- you can leave out the fruit, or change the seed ratio, or add other "toppings" like chocolate or peanut butter chips. You can also change, or omit, the peel/extract combo, or use a strongly flavored honey to change the flavor. There are as many variations as you could imagine!

Here are some ideas:
Replace fruit with 1/3 cup each peanut butter, semisweet, and white chocolate chips

Omit extract, replace fruit with 1/3 cup each cranberries and chocolate chips.

Omit extract and peel. Add 1 teaspoon "apple pie spice". With seeds, stir in 6-8 ounces chopped dried apple. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup caramel chips.

**While this is starch free, it is very high in maltose. If you have difficulty with honey or maltose, agave syrup is a good substitute.

Cheesy Chickeny Casserole

This is just another variation of a million cheesy casseroles that are floating around the net. But it's yummy, and sometimes it's nice to have a recipe that you don't have to modify.

Cheesy Chickeny Casserole

~ 1 lb broccoli, cut into florets (use more or less as you like)
~ 1 lb cauliflower, cut into florets (ditto)
2 lb chicken
1 can GF cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup**
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup oat flour
1/2 milk (adjust amount as needed)
12 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded or cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, to taste
salt
pepper
olive oil
GF croutons or crackers, if desired
1 tablespoon butter, if using crackers or croutons

In a medium saucepan, combine 2T butter and onion. Soften over medium heat, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, cook an additional minute. Add oat flour, cook for 1-2 minutes. Add cream of chicken soup and milk, whisk well. When sauce is hot, add cheese. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, stirring frequently until cheese is melted.

Meanwhile, heat a saute pan over medium heat, add 1-2 T olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. Brown slightly on each side. You will likely need to cook the chicken in batches; set aside as they are cooked. If you have cubed your chicken, or if your chicken breasts are thin, do not cook them completely but leave them slightly undercooked so they won't overcook in the oven.

In a casserole dish, combine uncooked broccoli and uncooked cauliflower. Add chicken. Cover with cheese sauce.

Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and casserole is hot. If using croutons/crackers, combine with about 1T of melted butter, and sprinkle over the top of the casserole about 5 minutes before done.

Starch content:
The starch content of the soup will vary depending on brand and variety. Of course, avoid "common" brands such as Campbells as they are not GF. Also, adding any kind of crackers or croutons on the top will raise the starch content considerably. But without any kind of topping this casserole contains 10-13 grams of starch per serving.

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

My son, the reason for this blog, was "diagnosed" with some food allergies last fall. No nuts, no corn (now including syrup and sugar), no fin fish, no shell fish, in addition to all the "No"s he already had. Well, that was great. Just hunky dory. And it was also fantastic timing, given that it was right before Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Ironically, he was pretty much left with fruit, veg, and meat. The title of this blog also became his menu for a while (figuratively, at least). To be honest, it was more than a little disheartening. I was looking at his previous restrictions as a challenge, but this seemed insurmountable. After all, there is only so much that one can do to a Brussels sprout or a carrot stick.

I didn't really cook much for a month, forget about inventiveness. Most of the recipes here had already been created, but when I ran out of them I really lacked the motivation to create anything new. Thus, this poor blog has been a little bit lacking for the last few weeks.


However.....

Last week I came up with my first new recipe in a long time (which I will post shortly) and even better, we got some good news. It appears that the "no nuts" ban will be lifted(it looks like it might have been a false positive). It is my hope that it will be, and he will get nuts back, and I will be able to create some yummy new things once I have something, anything to work with.

In the meantime, go buy some mascapone cheese and some strawberries. I have some yummy almost-starch-free crepes to tell you about.

Clam Chowder

On a cold winter day, sometimes the best remedy is a hot bowl of soup. Clam chowder is often highly starchy because it's full of potatoes and uses a roux for thickening.

This clam chowder is incredibly good, and is very satisfying. However, there are only 7.5 grams of starch per (generous) serving.

Clam Chowder

4 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, drained with juice reserved
1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced carrots
4 cups water
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced parsley
2-1/2 cups peeled and cubed jicama
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup oat flour
4 cups heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon white sugar (just omit if you can't have sugar)
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar


1. In a large stockpot add clam juice, onion, carrots, water, celery, and parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
2. Add jicama and simmer 20 more minutes. At the same time, start cream sauce.
3. In a Dutch oven melt butter and add flour; blend until smooth. Slowly pour in cream, stirring constantly. DO NOT BOIL! When smooth, transfer to the stockpot.
4. Stir in clams, salt, pepper, sugar and rice wine vinegar. Simmer, never let boil, until smooth and slightly thickened, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Pear "Pancakes"

Looking at the ingredient list, one might think that this is really an omelet. However, though it doesn't taste like a Bisquick-style pancake it tastes more like like a pancake than anything else. While it's in a category of its own, it's delicious and I hope you'll love it as much as we do! It is also delicious made with a granny smith apple (our most frequently served version) and I think it might be really yummy made with plums as well.

Pear Pancakes

1 pear, slightly under ripe
2 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract


Grate pear, and squeeze all the juice you can out of the grated pear, discard juice. In separate bowl, beat eggs well. Add the remaining ingredients, beat well. Stir in grated pear.

In a large heavy saute pan, heat a small amount of oil over medium heat(if you are using a non-stick pan you need just a scant amount). Pour in egg mixture, and pat/press mixture into an even layer about 1/2" thick. It will be about 7" in diameter.

Cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes or until nicely browned. Flip, carefully, and cook another 3 minutes or until browned on the other side. Serve with syrup, jam, sour cream, or just plain.

Chicken "Noodley" Soup

My littlest guy has declared this to be the Best Soup Ever. I usually make this with homemade chicken stock, which I plan ahead to make when I roast a chicken. However, it's still quite yummy with commercial chicken stock. This soup is supposed to be hearty, with a lot of veggies/meat in comparison to the amount of stock. If you like a lighter soup, simply add more stock and adjust the seasonings accordingly.

Chicken "Noodley" Soup

2 quarts chicken stock
4 cups cooked chicken (light or dark meat), cubed
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups mushrooms
2-3 cups shredded zucchini
olive oil
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add a small amount of olive oil and onion, saute until they begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add carrots, cook 2-3 minutes. Add celery, cook about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, cook 2-3 minutes more.

Add stock and seasonings, simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or until veggies are quite soft. Add zucchini and chicken, cook another 10-20 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust, if necessary. Serve over steamed plain TVP if you like a soup with more body (it will be more like a stew) though it is great just as it is.

Tamales. Yes, Tamales.

We love Tamales. By "love" I mean "I make at least 15 dozen at a time and they rarely last a week unless I hide a few in the freezer". However, if you can't have corn or you can't have starch or you can't have gluten tamales are out, right?

Nope. This recipe is for almost-starch-free tamales. It's difficult to estimate exactly how much starch is in each tamale, since the amount of "masa" in each one is somewhat variable. But based on how I make them, there is less than 1/2 gram of starch in each one, so they are almost effectively starch free. The last time I made them I made regular tamales (with corn masa) and served them during a party. I had wrapped them with color coded strings, but most people didn't pay attention and no one (even myself) could tell the difference. They were that good- and that close to the original. It's really important to use almond and oat flour- the two together approximate the nuttiness of the corn masa really well.

Finally, this recipe makes a lot. You can either divide the recipe and make less, or freeze some of the meat (cooked and shredded) and broth for later use. Since tamale making is a serious investment of time, this might be a good option.

Nearly Starch Free Tamales

For the meat filling:

Ingredients

* 4 teaspoons chili powder
* 1 tablespoon freshly toasted and ground cumin seeds
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 10-14 pounds pork butt or shoulder, trimmed
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil, divided
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 6 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced

For the wrappers:

* 2-3 packages dried corn husks or parchment paper if you can't use corn products

For the dough:

* 6-8 cups almond flour (use more as needed)
* 1 1/2 cups oat flour
* 1 1/2 cups flax seed
* 2 tablespoons kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons baking powder
* 12 ounces lard, approximately 1 1/2 cup
* 6 to 10 cups reserved cooking liquid, more as needed (may use chicken broth if cooking liquid is not sufficient)

For the meat filling:

Using a large stockpot, add a couple tablespoons of oil and sear pork on all sides. Add chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, salt, black pepper to the pork and add enough water to completely cover the meat, approximately 2 1/2 quarts. Cover, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meat is very tender and falling apart, about 3-4 hours. Add water as needed, but if possible avoid adding water during the last hour to allow the flavors to concentrate. Remove the meat from the water to a cutting board, and set aside to cool. Leave the cooking liquid in the pot, once cool remove to a large bowl or other container. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, shred discarding any skin, bones, cartilage and excess fat. Return stockpot to stove over medium heat and add the remaining vegetable oil. Once shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is semi-translucent, approximately 2 minutes. Add the garlic and chili and continue to cook for another minute. Add the meat and 2-3 cups reserved cooking liquid and cook until heated through and the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside until ready to assemble.

For the wrappers:

While the meat is cooking, place the husks in a large bowl or container and submerge completely in hot water. Soak the husks until they are soft and pliable, at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours. If you find that they like to float to the top, as I do, place a large heavy dinner plate over the husks to help submerge them. If you are using parchment, cut into several dozen 8" squares.

For the dough:

Place the almond meal, oat flour, flax seed, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and combine. Add the lard and using your hands, knead together until the lard is well incorporated into the dry mixture. Gradually add enough of the reserved cooking liquid to create a dough that is like thick mashed potatoes. The dough should be moist but not wet. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside until ready to use. You may find that the texture has changed with a resting time, add more reserved liquid or chicken broth as needed.

To assemble the tamales:

Remove a corn husk from the water and pat to remove excess water. Working in batches of 6, lay the husks on a towel and spread about 2 tablespoons of the dough in an even layer across the wide end of the husk to within 1/2-inch of the edges. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the meat mixture in a line down the center of the dough. Roll the husk so the dough surrounds the meat and fold the bottom under to finish creating the tamale. Repeat until all the husks, dough and filling are used. Tie the tamales, around the center in groups of 3 with kitchen twine or cotton yarn.

To steam the tamales:

Place a steamer basket in the bottom of an 11-quart pot and add enough water to come to the bottom of the basket. Stand the tamales close together on their folded ends and lean them in towards the center, away from the sides of the pot. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Check the water level every 15 to 20 minutes, and add boiling water by pouring down the side of the pot, if necessary. Steam until the dough is firm and pulls away from the husk easily, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If you are using parchment, be extra careful that the tamales do not rest in standing water.

Serve warm with enchilada sauce, hot sauce, any other condiment of your choice or even just plain. Store leftover tamales, still in their corn husks, in ziploc bags in the freezer, for up to a month (if you can hide them that well, of course). To reheat, remove the plastic wrap and steam until heated through.