Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread (Spicy and Moist)

This is good stuff people! Kind of low carb, but not really. It's spicy, but not too spicy and the texture is really good, especially for a gluten free bread. Luckily, it makes 3 loaves, so you can either freeze them or give them away...just depends on your preference!  Perfect for the holidays...it doesn't get much better than a piece of pumkin bread and a cup of coffee or tea. Plus, its actually better the 2nd and 3rd days, as the flavors all marry together!

Sorry for the lack of photos, but I made this a couple weeks ago and it was all eaten before I got around to photographing! I'll try to add a picture the next time I make it!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

 1/3  c butter (melted)

1/3 c coconut oil (melted)
1 ½ c brown sugar
½ c stevia in the raw
1 can pumpkin
5 eggs
2/3 c apple juice
1/3 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

IMPORTANT: DRY MIX – WHISK TOGETHER PRIOR TO ADDING TO WET (if not using a food processor)

3 ¾ c LC Bake Mix

2 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cloves

¼ tsp ginger

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Optional Add In: (You could sub just about anything for these…dry cranberries, raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips etc.)
1 1/2 c finely chopped pecans

Option A – Use a food processor and just go in the order described below (easiest method)

 Option B – Use a handheld blender -

Cream butter, coconut oil and sugars. Add pumpkin. Blend. Add eggs, sour cream, apple juice and vanilla. Blend. Add about a cup of dry mixture at a time. Beat after each addition. Add nuts if desired. Beat until blended.

Line bottom of 3 medium (8.5 x 4) with parchment paper (this is IMPORTANT…do NOT skip this step!). Grease sides of pans with coconut oil or butter.  Separate batter evenly into the three pans and smooth out the top with a wet spatula.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Hints: You can freeze the cooked bread as long as it is tightly wrapped in foil and placed in a ziplock freezer bag. This makes an easy, impressive breakfast when you have company…just pull it out the night before and let it defrost in the fridge.

The bread will keep longer if you refrigerate it. I personally like it better cold, but that’s just me J

Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten Free, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies...crisp on the outside
and chewy on the inside...perfect!

Oh my...these are good, like really good...like taste like the real thing good! This is a recipe that I knew from Gluten Free Day 1 would have to be converted. I'm thrilled that my first attempt came out so good, especially on the heels of my (followed a recipe) gingerbread cake disaster this past weekend.  There is a reason I don't follow recipes and the gingerbread cake - that will remain in the fridge until it's so hard we don't feel bad about throwing it away - is a prime example.

This recipe, however, I will forever follow to a T...one becuase I made it up and two because the cookies are freakin' delicious!

The Best Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, EVER...

¾ c butter (softened)
1/3 c coconut oil
1 c brown sugar
½ c white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

IMPORTANT: DRY MIX – WHISK TOGETHER PRIOR TO ADDING TO WET

½ c rice flour (I used white, you could use brown)
¼ c sorghum flour
¼ c tapioca flour/starch
¼ c potato starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 ½ c GF oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill) 

Add Ins: (You could sub just about anything for these…dry cranberries, raisens, walnuts, etc.)

1 bag dark chocolate chips
½ c finely chopped pecans

Cream butter, coconut oil and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and blend. Add half of dry mixture at a time. Beat on low until blended. Add nuts and chocolate chips. Beat until blended.

Put bowl of dough in the fridge for 10-15 minutes or longer (this is important…the  dough spreads too much if you don’t!!!!) Drop rounded TBSPs onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. DON’T OVERCOOK! The middles will still look slightly glossy.  Leave on pan for 4-6 minutes, or just slide parchment off onto counter. If you try to move them prior to letting them set, they will crumble.  After you let them set, they are sturdy…and they look and taste like delicious, gluten-y oatmeal chocolate chip cookies of years gone by!

Hints: Use a cool cookie sheet. Because of the spreading, you don’t want them to start baking on the bottom before you get them in the oven.

You can freeze dough balls, prior to baking them, for an easy dessert on a future date. Just make the dough balls and freeze them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for about an hour, then transfer them into a ziplock. When you take them out, no need to defrost, just add a couple minutes to your baking time.

The dough is delicious on its own, if you don’t get weird about the raw eggs :)

For a more grown up cookie, you can sub 2 TBSP of Kahlua for the 2 tsp of vanilla. J

Gluten Free Pizza Crust (Like REAL pizza dough!)

GF Pizza Dough

Dry:

½ c Sorghum flour

½ c Rice flour (I used white, but you could use brown)
½ c Tapioca Starch (you could use corn starch)
½ c Potato Starch (you could use cornstarch if you didn’t sub the tapioca)
1 ½ tsp xanthan gum
1 ½ tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP Italian seasoning

Wet:

4 tsp bread machine, instant yeast

¾ c warm (110-ish) water
1 TBSP minced garlic
1/3 c. olive oil

Mix warm water and yeast in a small bowl, set aside.

Whisk all dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.

Add olive oil and garlic to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix with a whisk until it gets doughy, then switch to a large spoon. Add garlic and knead with your hands. (This dough feels the closest to real, gluten-y dough that I have found, but shouldn’t stick due to the oil). If the dough is dry, add up to ¼ of a cup of additional water until it feels dough-y but not sticky.

Turn your oven on for a couple of minutes just to warm it slightly and pop the bowl of dough in the oven (after you turn it off…we’re just letting it rise, not cooking it!)  Allow to rise for at least an hour, but 3-4 is better.

 Take the dough out of the bowl and split it into 2 balls. Knead briefly and then roll out using 2 pieces of parchment paper.  It should be relatively thin.

Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough is cooked but not browned. (After this step, you can now freeze these crusts for EASY future use.)  Remove crusts, add toppings of choice and return to a 375 oven for approximately 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and toppings are warm.

Enjoy!

My Splendid Gluten Free Bake Mix Remix

So, I cannot take credit for the initial splendid gluten free bake mix that Jennifer Eloff created. I used her initial recipe from the get go and must say that it is quite good. It was an excellent starting point for me as I embarked on a gluten free lifestyle to compliment the lowcarb lifestyle that I had been living for 4.5 years.  I have since modified it ever so slightly, so I wanted to share...

1²/₃ cups almond flour (Bob's Red Mill or Trader Joes)

3/4 cup certified gluten-free oat flour (Bob's Red Mill)

1/4 cup coconut flour (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045TSUYK)

³/₄ tsp xanthan gum

 

I modified the amount of coconut flour from what Jennifer uses...I feel that this works better, and is less annoying to measure out. It also makes it measure 1 for 1 to regular flour more often than not, in my humble opinion. But, I do want to give credit where credit is due...and my modification is slight, so thanks Jennifer.

 

I just throw everything in a food processor and buzz it a couple of times, then put in a container that I used to use for flour. I make up about 2-3 batches at one time, so that I have it when I need it - less annoying that way!

Coconut Banana Bread (LC and GF)

3 medium bananas
3 TBSP butter (melted)
1/3 c coconut oil (melted)
½ c Splenda
1 TBSP liquid Sugar Free sweetener - equivalent to 1 C of sugar (I used sweet and low, you could use stevia)
1 TBSP molasses
2 TBSP Crown Royal
1 TBSP vanilla extract
½ c sour cream
2 eggs
2 c. splendid gf bake mix
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ c unsweetened coconut
¾ c pecans (mine were toasted - this makes it better)

Add all ingredients, through the eggs, to the food processor. Blend well until liquefied.

Add dry ingredients and pulse a few times to blend, then run food processor for about a minute.  Once everything is mixed thoroughly, add coconut and pecans and pulse to break up the pecans and combine.

Spoon into muffin cups or bread pan, filling approximately 85% (to get a good, rounded muffin). I used mini muffins and they came out beautifully…muffins - 350 degrees for 20 minutes, bread loaf - 350 for 45-50 minutes (check it after 35 so it doesn't burn...toothpick should come out clean)

Smoked Pork Shoulder

Pork Shoulder – Smoked
1 pork shoulder, 12-15 lbs, cut into 6-8 “chunks” by the butcher…yes, they look at you funny when you ask for this, but they will do it…

Dry rub:

1 Tbsp Salt

1 Tbsp Pepper

1 Tbsp Onion Powder

½  cup brown sugar –OR -- ¼ cup brown sugar splenda

1 Tbsp Oregano

½ Tbsp Garlic Powder

½ Tbsp Paprika

(If you have another spice(s) that you like and want to add…probably wouldn’t hurt. This is by no means an “exact” science)

Remove the plastic from your pork pieces and carefully cover each piece with the dry rub…make sure to get into all the nooks and crannies of your pork pieces. I usually do this in a bowl…be generous. If you need to make more rub, that’s ok.

Refrigerate pork pieces (I use the Styrofoam that it comes on and just wrap it up tightly in press and seal, place it on a tray so that when – not if, but when – it leaks, it doesn’t get all over your lettuce) for at least a few hours, preferably a day or two.

 Heat grill to medium heat and add wood chips (our favorite is apple, but hickory is nice too). Place pork on grill and turn every 10-15 minutes or so until all the sides of your pork chunks are browned and caramelized. Add more wood chips if necessary. (When we did this, it took about 1 hour). Once all pieces are browned, remove from grill and transfer to crockpot.  Dump any juice that has escaped into your bowl and pan on top. Don’t add any other liquid!

Cover and cook over low crockpot heat for 8-10 hours (we did this overnight). Once done, remove all bones, as the meat will FALL off of them. Serve immediately or refrigerate until you are ready to serve. To reheat a lot of it – put it on a pan in the oven at 350˚ for 20-30 minutes / 300˚ for an hour. To reheat a small portion, the microwave works spendidly…

 

Pot Roast – Easy & Gluten Free

Angus Choice beef shoulder

1 onion (chopped into large wedges)

1 small bag of baby carrots

1 lb parsnips

½ bottle of red wine (I used Trader Joes Cab.)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

2 tsp splenda (or stevia – 2 packets)

Salt/Pepper/Onion Powder

 

Heat olive oil (in cast iron, dutch oven) over medium heat. Salt, pepper and onion powder the beef liberally on top side. Place in hot oil, top side down. Season other side with salt and onion powder only, while it’s cooking on the other side.  Peel and chop the parsnips to be about the same size as the baby carrots. Once the bottom side of the meat is well-browned (8 minutes or so) Put all the veggies in the pot, just on top of the meat. Add the wine, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add the garlic and spices and kind of stir around a bit. Cover the pot and put in the oven to braise for 3-3.5 hours at 350˚