Graham Crackers March 9, 2010

2 1/2 cups & 2 tablespoons all-purpose GF flour

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 light brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder 

7 tablespoons vegan butter (freeze butter & cut into small cubes)

1/3 cup honey

5 tablespoons rice milk

2 tablespoons vanilla extract GF

 

Topping:

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1. In a mixer or large bowl combine the flour, sugars, baking soda and salt.

2. Mix in frozen butter cubes on low until mixture is like a coarse meal.

3. In a small bowl whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla.

4. Add the honey mixture into the coarse meal mixture and mix on low until dough is just combined. (It will be very soft and a little sticky)

5. Knead the dough once on a lightly floured surface, form it into a rectangle and then wrap it in plastic wrap.

6.  Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours and overnight if you can.

7. Remove the dough from the fridge, cut in half and put the other half back in the fridge.

8.  Roll out the dough on a well floured surface to 1/8 thick. 

9.  Cut into desired graham cracker shape and transfer to a parchment or sil-pat mat lined baking sheet.  (Repeat with remaining dough)

10.  Return cut out dough to refrigerator for 25-30 minutes.

11. Preheat oven to 350°.

12. Remove dough from fridge poke holes with a toothpick and score (careful not to cut through) each cracker in half.  Sprinkle cinnamon & sugar mixture all over the crackers.

13. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

14. Remove from oven put crackers on wire rack to cool.

15.  Served cooled.

*These tasted just like a graham cracker to me.  P ate these and they should be fine for his project tomorrow at school.

**I didn’t have time to refrigerate the dough overnight but I will next time so the dough will have more time to set.  They spread more than I wanted them to so they didn’t hold their shape as well as I believe they would have if I let the dough cool more before rolling out.

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Chocolates & Lollipops February 9, 2010

1 – 10 ounce bag GFCF semi-sweet chocolate chips

Lollipop molds

Chocolate molds

1.  Melt the chocolate in the microwave.  Approximately 45 seconds then stir and another 45 seconds and stir.

2.  Pour the chocolate into the molds.

3.  Put the molds in the freezer for 10 minutes.

4.  Remove from molds, wrap and store in airtight container in the fridge till ready to eat.   They will still hold their form at room temperature.  But I like to store in the fridge.

YIELD: 6 lollipops & 30 small chocolates (per 10 ounce bag chocolate)

*Don’t look for specialty chocolates.  These take two seconds and I can’t taste the difference.  Anyone will eat these.  I’m not making two kinds of lollipops and will give these out to my son’s teachers and his classmates.

**Try dipping strawberries in this chocolate too.

Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce December 18, 2009

1 package Gluten Free spaghetti

1 lb ground hamburger

2 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 medium onion, diced small

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup Gluten Free, Yeast Free Chicken broth

1- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1- 6 oz can tomato paste

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Brown hamburger meat in a large sauce pan.  Drain any liquid once the hamburger meat is browned.

2.  Add olive oil, basil, oregano and diced onion to hamburger meat.  Sauté 5-10 minutes till onions are translucent.

3. Add garlic to sauce pan and sauté 30 seconds.

4. Add the remainder of the ingredients, chicken broth, tomato paste, and crushed tomato.

5. Simmer sauce for 10-15 minutes.

6. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes until al dente.

7. Drain pasta.

8. Spoon sauce over pasta and serve hot.

*This is a quick meat sauce that I almost always have all the ingredients in my pantry and refrigerator.  It tastes better than canned sauces.  Freeze any leftover sauce for later since this makes a good amount.  Or it is a quick meal the whole family will enjoy without feeling like they are missing out.

**If you have the fresh herbs on hand definitely use them.  When I have basil I always throw that in too.  There are also new herbs that come in tubes in the produce section of your grocery stores.  They are to be kept in the refrigerator.  They taste better than the dried herbs and last longer than the fresh herbs.

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Chicken Stock November 12, 2009

1 chicken carcass
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped including green leafy parts
2 large carrot sticks, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
3-4 medium onions, roughly chopped including skins
½ bunch parsley (cleaned well), roughly chopped
whatever peelings and skins you have from vegetables cooked through the week (store these in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator until ready to use)
Salt (add salt after cooking process to adjust to your tastes)
Cold water
2 tbs. canola oil
Tools needed: Cheese cloth

1. In a large stock pot (approx. 8 quarts), add and heat the canola oil till hot.

2. Add all the vegetables and cook until the onions are translucent approx. 5 minutes.

3. Add chicken carcass. Add the cold water to fill the stock pot.

4. Bring the stock to a boil and turn down the heat so the stock is just barely simmering. Let simmer 3 hours. Stir occasionally and spoon off the foam (fat), as it rises to the top.

5. Strain the stock through the cheese cloth into another container. If you would like a clearer broth strain the liquid again through the cloth.

6. Store and freeze in airtight containers until ready to serve.

*This is very easy to do and so worth it. Plus you are using parts of the vegetables you would have thrown out anyways. I have used the green parts or leeks, zucchini peels, green leafy parts of celery and kale, and skins of onions. You can add more fresh or dried herbs too.

**It freezes beautifully. Just store in different containers in the quantities you will be using it in.

***This can be used to make gravy’s, sauces and soups.

****If you are in a hurry I have let this simmer for only 1 hr. When you are ready to use it just boil it down some to concentrate the flavors.

My son only likes the broth of soups so this is perfect for him and he gets all the vegetable nutrients and doesn’t even know. Because produce can spoil so quickly I really like to make this broth right before I go shopping. I make it with all the produce that is close to going bad so I am not wasting it.

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