Sweet Potato Muffins

Soft and delicious, these sweet potato muffins are perfect for a cold, winter afternoon snack or to warm you up first thing in the morning! I made these with a combination of brown rice, oat and coconut flour, but you can use whichever flours you love the best!

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup oat flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

14/ tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup mashed sweet potato

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 

2. Beat eggs and sugar.

3. Add oil, then vanilla and beat gently until smooth.

4. Combine flour and other dry ingredients. Add to the egg mixture.

5. Add mashed sweet potatoes and mix well.

6. Fill muffin tins lined with paper about 2/3 full.

7. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 350. Remove when toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in tins for about 5 minutes, then remove and cool on racks.

Makes 12 muffins.

Corn Bread

I have been trying to make my favorite Corn Bread recipe wheat-free, but until now hadn't gotten the texture I really wanted. The oat flour and yogurt give it a very nice, soft texture while adding a bit of extra flavor to the recipe. And this cornbread doesn't fall apart and make a mess!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat flour
• 3/4 cup finely ground cornmeal
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh, or frozen and thawed)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Grease mini-loaf pans or baking dish* (I like Spectrum Canola Oil Baking Spray)

2. Combine oat flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

3. Whisk eggs, milk, yogurt, and oil until smooth

4. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until moistened through. Add corn kernels and fold to combine.

5. Pour batter into prepared baking pans.

6. Bake 15 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

*You can also bake the cornbread in a cast iron pan. Just melt 1 Tbs of butter in the pan in the oven. Remove from oven, add batter, and return to oven to bake.

Wheat-Free Apricot Jam Bars

I just returned from Martha's Vineyard where I had the most delicious gluten-free apricot jam bar! I was in heaven and determined to learn how to make it! Here's what I made yesterday and I'm very happy about the results! The bottom of the bar is a shortbread and the topping is the same dough with some extra bits added. I think next time I will add some shredded coconut to the topping as well! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
• 1 cup barley flour
• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/3 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup apricot jam

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 9- by 9-inch baking pan with butter

2. In a mixing bowl or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well blended. Add the flour and salt and beat just until the dough forms clumps. Don't overmix.

3. Turn out the dough onto a piece of waxed paper. Wrapping your hands around the paper, press the dough into a ball. 

4. Divide the dough into thirds. Crumble one third into a bowl and set it aside. Press the remaining two thirds evenly into the greased pan and bake it on the center oven rack for about 10 minutes, until the edges of the dough are lightly golden. Let cool slightly.

5. Add the oats and nuts to the reserved dough in the bowl and gently mix the ingredients together with your hands so that the mixture becomes crumbly.

6. Spread the jam on the baked shortbread, even if it's still warm.

7. Cover the jam with an even layer of the crumb topping. Bake the bars for 20 to 24 minutes, until the top crumbs are golden brown, then set the pan to cool.

8. While the shortbread is still slightly warm, cut it into squares. Once the bars cool completely (they are very fragile while warm), lift them from the pan with a spatula. 

Adapted from: http://spoonful.com/recipes/raspberry-crumble-bars

Squash Fritters

I'm not sure where this recipe is from since I picked it up at a CSA distribution a few years ago, but my gratitude goes out to whomever came up with it. It's wonderful! I of course modified it slightly, but just by replacing the flour with barley flour and brown rice flour (2:1 ratio), adding salt, and offering more cheese choices. Yummy! 

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 cups grated summer squash / zucchini
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 2 chopped scallions
• 2 tbsp Parmesan, feta, or ricotta
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste
• Canola oil for frying

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Scoop 3-4 tbsp mixture into hot oil (pancake shape and size). Fry both sides until golden.

Empanadas!

My favorite kinds of empanadas are beef empanadas and humita (corn) empanadas (although Thanksgiving empanadas are amazing...more on this another time). Here are the recipes I use, along with some notes about my adaptations....

Empanada dough
Adapted from http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/beef-and-olive-empanadas
(makes about 24 empanadas; replaced shortening with butter, added some wheat flour, used sea salt instead of kosher salt and reduced the amount; method is the same)
1 3/4 cups butter (3 1/2 sticks)
5 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbs sea salt
2 cups water



Gluten-free empanada dough:
I followed this recipe, but I think next time I am going to try the original method (above) but replacing the flour with wheat-free flour and xantham gum and see what happens!
http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/elisas-empanadas/

Beef empanadas:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Argentine-Meat-Empanadas/Detail.aspx

My adaptations:
1. I used butter/ olive oil instead of shortening
2. I don't use hot paprika
3. I don't use red pepper flakes (although since the kids didn't eat them I might next time)
4. I use my own dough recipe.

Humita Empanadas:
http://www.seashellsandsunflowers.com/2009/06/recipe-file-empanadas-de-humita.html

My adaptations:
1. See below for wheat-free version of white sauce
2. I use frozen corn when fresh corn isn't available
3. I use "queso fresco" for the cheese
4. Again, I use my own dough recipe

Wheat-free version of white sauce part of the recipe:
Modified slightly from http://argostarch.com/recipe_details.asp?id=1377

• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Combine corn starch and milk in a small saucepan; stir until smooth. Add butter, salt and pepper. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat

Then continue with recipe for the filling

Before baking, I brush on a mixture of beaten egg and milk.

Enjoy!

Pork Bone Soup with Bok Choy, Tofu, Carrots and Mushrooms

Pork Bone Soup with Bok Choy, Tofu, Carrots and Mushrooms

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 2 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

• 4 -6 large pieces of pork bones
• 3 pitted dates
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped or slices into circles
• 2 or 3 baby bok choy
• 1 block extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
• 7 - 10 white mushrooms, sliced medium
• Blanched sliced almonds, for garnish
• Scallions, for garnish
• Salt to taste, approximately 1 tsp

Directions:

Bring two large pots of water to boil, one with enough water to cover the soup bends, the other with approximately 10 cups of water.

Boil the soup bones for about 10 minutes. Remove and add to other pot of clean, boiling water. Discard the water from the pot in which you boiled the bones. Add carrots and dates to same pot. Boil for about 2 hours.

Remove the soup bones and add the tofu, bok choy, and mushrooms to the soup pot. Remove the meat from the bones and set aside.

When the bok choy are tender, add the pork meat back to the soup pot. Add salt as desired (approx 1 tsp) and serve, garnished with sliced scallions and almonds.

Inspired by thechinesesouplady.com

Leek and Goat Cheese Quiche with Wheat-free Olive Oil Press-in Crust

This recipe is extremely adaptable. Today, I didn't have goat kefir, so I used whole milk (reducing the quantity to about 1 1/4 cups). Instead of the flour combination below I used 1/3 cup each of garbanzo flour, barley flour, and a gluten-free all purpose baking flour. The garbanzo flour is a great one to use as it provides a really nice rich flavor to the crust.

Crust:

• 1 cup flour (I used combination of brown rice flour, quinoa flour, and barley flour)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Stir in the water, then the oil, mixing until thoroughly blended. Knead briefly right in the bowl, about 12 times. Don't over mix or the pastry will be tough.

The dough will be very moist, much like a cookie dough. Press the dough into the bottom of a deep pie or quiche pan.

Filling Ingredients:

• 2-3 leeks, sliced longwise and rinsed thoroughly, and cut into small slices (use white and tender green parts)
• 2 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups goat kefir
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 ounces goat cheese crumbled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sauté leeks in butter and olive oil over medium heat until soft, 5–7 minutes. Whisk eggs, kefir, salt, and nutmeg together in a bowl.

Spread goat cheese over bottom of pie crust. Add leeks and spread evenly. Pour in egg mixture (it's ok if it comes up above the pie crust on the sides). 

Bake until lightly golden brown and center is set but still soft, about 30 minutes. 

Crust recipe adapted from: http://www.onceuponaplate1.com/2008/10/bacon-onion-quiche-with-olive-oil-crust.html