Author Archives: kissmyglutenfreebuns

red beans & rice

it’s cabinet organization day and as i work through the shelves, i realize that i have like 20 kinds of beans on hand and i’m not using them anywhere near often enough. the small red beans are the first up at bat. i think the borlotti beans or the good mother stallards will be next. red beans & rice seems like the perfect dish for this slightly chilly day and the cooked red beans will freeze well, for later. my preferred recipe is adapted from The Buster Holmes Restaurant Cookbook, it’s a very simple recipe: beans, water, onions, green pepper, garlic, smoked meat, salt, pepper and margarine. instead of ham hocks, i use bacon ends. i also add finely diced celery and use butter instead of margarine to finish.

 

Red Beans

Ingredients

1 lb. dried red beans

1/2 lb. smoked ham hocks or bacon ends

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped finely

1 rib celery, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) sweet butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Sort the beans and remove any debris (rocks, etc.). Wash the beans and place in a heavy bottomed pot. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, meat and garlic. Add enough water to the pot to cover. Simmer uncovered on a medium low heat for about three to four hours (if you use canned small red beans you can cook this in just about one hour), stirring occasionally. Adjust the heat to compensate for the amount of cooking liquid lost, add liquid if you need to. You’ll want to have enough liquid for the beans to have a nice consistency at the end of the cooking time.

When the beans are a good texture, (you can puree 1/2 of the beans and return to the pot if you like a creamier texture) add salt, pepper and butter. Cook 5 minutes more. Serve on white rice with Louisiana hot sauce

Post Sandy Waffles

in the aftermath of the hurricane, i was feeling the need for some comfort food and waffles and bacon can always fill that hole for me. comfort on a plate with warm grade b maple syrup poured over the top.

nirvana!

Waffles

 Ingredients

2 large eggs

2 cups Cup4Cup gluten free flour

1 3/4 cups milk (I have been known to use half & half)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon raw or white granulated sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

  1. Preheat waffle iron. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a small bowl, set aside. Beat eggs in large bowl with whisk or fork until fluffy. Beat milk and vanilla into beaten eggs, just to combine. Gradually beat in flour mixture, just until smooth, then beat in the melted butter.
  2. Pour mix onto prepared hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

angel food cake

it’s a dull dark lazy rainy afternoon and boredom sent me looking for adventure in the kitchen. what do i spy, but a can of dried egg whites. angel food cake, that’s the ticket. i’ve tried baking with the dried egg whites before but still haven’t settled on the best method of reconstitution before whipping. today i dissolved them in warm water and let the whole mess sit for while before stir them up. while i waited for the egg whites to soak, i measured up my flour, superfine sugar, salt, almond extract and cream of tartar. the egg whites whipped up nicely into stiff peaks in the kitchenaid, but it is harder to gauge when they are in danger of getting grainy. the cake’s all done but i forgot to make a topping. looks like a nice chocolate cherry marnier sauce and homemade chocolate chocolate chip ice cream will fit the bill nicely.

Traditional Angel Food Cake

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

128g (1cup/4.25 ounces) Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour blend
300g (1 1/2 cups/10.5 ounces) superfine sugar
12 (approx. 1 ½ cups) large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract, or a combination
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Method

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, salt and extract. Beat until the mixture is just frothy, then sprinkle the cream of tartar on top and continue beating until they form stiff, glossy peaks. Add the remaining sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, then gradually fold in the dry ingredients.

Spoon the batter into an ungreased angel food pan, and bake the cake in a preheated 325°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until it’s golden brown and the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove the cake from the oven, and place it upside down on a bottle or metal funnel to keep from crushing the top. Let the cake cool for 1 1/2 hours. This cooling period sets the structure, and keeps the cake from collapsing.

Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife, and remove it from the pan. Frost with Seven Minute Frosting, flavored whipped cream, or chocolate sauce.

asparagus, mushroom & chicken pot pie

leftovers again! leftover roast chicken and pie dough means pot pie. i also had some asparagus and shiitake and cremini mushrooms on hand. i thawed out some frozen homemade chicken stock and i was on my way to pot pie nirvana. check out the thumbnails below:

cranberry raisin pie

this pie is adapted from a recipe in “Martha Stewart’s Pies and Tarts“. the pastry is a standard pate brisee and was made with Cup4Cup gluten free flour blend. i used Maker’s Mark bourbon instead of the brandy. i’ve made many versions of this pie over the last 20 years, it’s a holiday season tradition, along with my sweet potato praline pie, but this is the first time i’ve attempted a gluten free version. i must admit, i’m pretty darned happy with the finished product. the dough rolled out beautifully and  it also works nicely with cookie cutters. i even made myself some cook’s treats of pie crust acorns from the extra pie dough, to nibble on.

chocolate sourcream poundcake

this past weekend, i had a craving for chocolate cake, but wanted something with real substance and lots of flavor.  i decided to fiddle around with the recipe for recipe for elvis’ favorite poundcake that i made a few weeks ago.  i substituted valrhona cocoa for part of the gluten free flour blend and substituted sour cream for the heavy cream in the original recipe. see recipe below: Continue reading →

ad hoc buttermilk biscuits

i’ve been doing a lot of biscuit “research,” lately. these biscuits are adapted from “ad hoc at home” by Thomas Keller and i substituted Cup4Cup gluten free flour for the cake flour and regular all-purpose flour called for in the recipe. i did find the original recipe just a tad on the salty side, for my taste, and cut the added salt by one-third.  i was also feeling lazy, so i just “mixed” the dough in the food processor, rather than doing it by hand.

turkey empanadas

another clean out the fridge project featuring a leftover frozen roast turkey breast that was just crying out for a new life. and what’s better than leftovers baked into flaky pastry pockets! shredded turkey, chopped olives, shiitake mushrooms and white wine. mmmmmmmm!

Turkey Empanadas
Makes 24 small (4 inch) empanadas

Ingredients

Dough:
2 1/4 cups Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour blend
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

Filling:
1 lb shredded roast turkey breast (supermarket rotisserie turkey breast is fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, finely diced
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, roughly chopped

dash of spanish smoked paprika
1/4 cup chopped pitted greek or spanish olives
1/4 cup white port or dry white wine
1/2 cup gluten free chicken broth

Egg Wash:
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk

Method

Prepare Dough: Put flour and salt in a food processor and pulse in the butter (or blend in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small lumps. Blend egg, water and vinegar in a small measuring cup. Add to flour mixture and pulse (or stir with fork) until just incorporated. Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather just enough to bring dough together. Divide dough in half, form into two flat disks (again, handling as little as possible), wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, but no more than 4 hours.

Prepare Filling: In a 12-inch heavy skillet, heat olive oil until hot and sauté onions and garlic, stirring frequently, until onions are softened, 4 – 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and paprika and sauté, stirring, about 1 minute. Add olives, wine and broth and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits. Heat about 10 minutes, until liquid is creamy in consistency. Add shredded turkey, reduce heat and simmer until turkey is warmed through. Season with salt and pepper, then cool filling, uncovered, about 30 minutes.

Form Empanadas: Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough disks on floured board or Silpat to about 1/8 inch thick and cut into 4-inch rounds using a cutter or bowl as a guide. (Any leftover dough disks can be stored in the freezer for future use.) Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling into center of each dough round and fold dough in half, enclosing filling. Press edges together to seal, then crimp with the tines of a fork. Transfer each filled empanada to a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly brush top of the filled empanadas with some of the egg wash and bake until golden, about 20 – 25 minutes. Move empanadas to a rack to cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Baked empanadas can be frozen and reheated.

Nana’s Southern Biscuits

these are my gluten free approximation of my Nana’s biscuits, that i grew up making and eating. nana’s kitchen contained all manner of measuring implements, but she mostly used specific chipped and broken coffee cups, depending on what she was measuring, and large bent and dented spoons for measuring and mixing. i’ve taken some liberties with the recipe, over the years, substituting butter for crisco and half & half for buttermilk. the most major substitution has been the flour used. i originally made this gluten free using a blend of brown rice flour, cornstarch and xanthan gum as a sub for southern style wheat flour, but have since discovered Cup 4 Cup flour blend, which saves me a lot of time and measuring and gives a more wheatlike texture. check out the process by clicking on the thumbnails below:

Nana’s Southern Style Biscuits Gone Gluten Free
makes 10-12 regular sized biscuits or 24 mini biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour blend
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
4 Tbsp. (2 oz.) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small cubes
1 cup half & half, chilled (you can substitute buttermilk, if you must)
cooking spray or Silpat liner

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare one baking sheet: line with a Silpat, parchment paper, or line with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

2. Bowl method: In a medium mixing bowl, sift or combine all dry ingredients with a fork or flat whisk until everything is evenly distributed. Add the chilled butter cubes. With your fingers or a pastry cutter, work butter into dry ingredients until the mixture has a sandy, crumbly texture. Pour the half & half into the crumbly mixture and work with a fork until just combined.

3. Food processor method: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in processor work bowl. Add the butter and shortening into dry ingredients and pulse until mixture looks like crumbs. Pour chilled half & half into the processor work bowl. Process until the dough comes together into a loose ball. The dough will be smooth and slightly sticky.

4. Turn dough onto floured surface (I use a lightly floured Silpat). Lightly dust top of dough with flour. Pat the dough into a 1-inch thick disc or rectangle. Cut out biscuits with a 2 1/2-inch cutter. Push straight down through the dough, do not twist the cutter as you cut into the dough or the biscuits will not rise as nicely, as they could. Place the cut biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet. The biscuits do not need to be touching, but if you makes you happy, let them touch. Gather together the scrap dough and pat it flat, working it as little as possible and continue cutting as many biscuits as you can from the dough.

5. Place baking sheet into the oven. Bake until biscuits are golden on top, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm with butter, jam or gravy.

6. These biscuits store well in the freezer, in Ziploc-type bags. Reheat thawed biscuits in the microwave or toaster.

roasted corn soup

still working with leftovers, here. six forgotten ears of fresh corn (getting less fresh with each passing day), a couple of almost past their prime tomatoes and peppers, along with some bacon ends, all cried out for roasting. some chicken stock from my freezer, and the dregs of a pint of cream begged to join the party. a quick whir with a stick blender and you’ve got soup.