Twist on plain ol grilled cheese....

Let me be the first to admit that I sometimes like different...I have been known to throw a breakfast or lunch together with what ever I seem to have in the pantry or refrigerator. Sometimes I just cant decide what it is that I have a hankering for, and other times I am just to lazy to make a run to the store for ingredients, and actually have to use my imagination on these occasions... What ever the reasons are, I just like a change in my cuisine from time to time.

 

Grilled cheese is a all time favorite "go to" food in my house, but it can be just plain boring. Recently I came across a recipe for a Spinach-Artichoke grilled cheese sandwich  that caught my eye. The pic looked delish and I just knew that it was a must try....

 

I have to say the ingredients have such a smooth blend, and the taste was out of this world. So if plain old grilled cheese has left you in a rut, give this recipe a try.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, minced or grated

1 tablespoon gf flour (rice is fine)

1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)

1 ounce cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Greek yogurt 

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup (about 5 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 (6.7 ounce) jar marinated artichokes, chopped

8 slices gluten free bread

butter, for spreading

 

Directions:

 

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Whisk in flour until it makes a paste. Cook over medium-low heat for a minute or two, then pour in milk. Stir and cook one minute, if your paste gets too thick add a little more milk. Remove from heat.

 

Add cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan and pepper flakes. Stir until cheeses are melted. Stir in the Greek yogurt until smooth. Chop artichokes and spinach and add to the sauce. Stir to combine. Dip will be pretty thick at this point!

 

Heat a skillet,or griddle, oven medium-low heat. Butter the outsides of every bread slice, then spread about 3 tablespoons of the spinach and artichoke dip on the inside (the non-buttered side) of each slice of 4 pieces of the bread. Top off with another slice of bread, buttered-side up. Cook until each side is golden and crisp and cheese is melted, then gently flip and do the same.

Slice and serve.

 

If you  have any leftover spinach and artichoke dip you can use it for sandwiches or as a yummy dip the next day!

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2.2

Flour Tortillas that are gluten free...

Lately I have had a craving for a good Mexican burrito, or a great  sizzling hot fajita, or taco's...yum. I am so over most of the pre-made gluten free tortilla shells that you find in the stores, as I find most of them tough and tasteless. So I decided I must try to make my own. Although these take a little effort they are soft, pliable, and rather tasty. Hope you will give them a try and let me know what you think.

Although I use my own flour blend mix I am sure most gluten free all purpose flour blend mixes on the market would do.

Ingredients:

2 c. Gluten free all purpose flour mix
2 Tbsp. shortening (may sub lard or butter)
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. warm water

Add all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Cut the shortening, lard, or butter into the flour so that it’s evenly distributed. (I use a pastry blender, and prefer shortening)

Add the cup of warm water to the bowl and mix the dry goods into the water with your hand. Just squish it all up until all of the dry ingredients are no longer dry.  If you think it is too dry at this point add a little more water, as all flour blends are NOT created equal :-)

Separate the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Place all but one of the dough balls back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap until you’re ready to work with them.

Sprinkle a clean, flat surface with a bit of rice flour and then roll you dough ball into a roughly circular shape. Get is as thin as possible. I roll mine between parchment paper taped to my counter for easy cleanup.

Place each rolled tortilla onto a hot griddle, one at a time, with just a bit of shortening or oil, and let it cook approximately 1 minute or until it has started swelling up and the bottom side is getting puffy brown spots. Flip the tortilla over and cook the other side until it is toasted as well.

Repeat until you have cooked all 8 tortillas. Recipe makes 8 nice size shells...

Enjoy!!!
Sharon 

Pure Maple syrup substitutions...

There are basically two main maple syrup baking substitutions, although a few
others exist as well. The simplest form is to use an equal measurement of honey
in the recipe which calls for maple syrup. Basically a 1-1 exchange.

A slightly more involved substitute is using a corn syrup mixture made with
butter and maple extract. Lets say that a recipe calls for 1 cup of maple syrup,
combine 3/4 cup of corn syrup with 1/4 cup of melted butter, plus 1/2 tsp. of maple
extract.

Many cooks believe refined sugar can replace maple syrup in many baked goods.
Use 1 cup of granulated sugar to replace 3/4 cup of maple syrup. Then increase the
amount of liquid in the recipe by 3T for each cup of sugar that was used as a replacement.

Brown rice syrup could be another option. Brown rice syrup is created by fermenting
brown rice with enzymes to break down the rice's starches. The liquid is then strained and
cooked to a syrup like consistency. Brown rice syrup is organic and known to contain
complex sugars that are slowly absorbed into the bloodstream, helping to stabilize one's
blood sugar levels. It is amber in color with a light flavor similar to that of butterscotch.

Molasses is another sweetener that can be used, although the darker the color of the
molasses the stronger the flavor. So if its a lighter flavor you want, try the lightest
colored molasses you can find.

Pancake syrup is most  likely the first maple syrup substitution that comes to
mind. After all, pancake syrup is widely available, frequently used, as a  inexpensive
maple syrup alternative for use on pancakes and waffles. Please note however that
pancake syrup is basically a corn syrup with added  artificial flavoring. You can use
it on waffles and pancakes in place of pure maple syrup or in your baked goods in a 1-1 ratio.

Just like with all gluten free baking, substituting real maple syrup can be a hit and miss if
you are new to this lifestyle. I recommend making 1/2 a recipe for a test batch, and if
you like the results then go ahead and make the full recipe the next time. Cutting recipes
in half has been a real money saver over the past years for me personally when I am trying
something new.

I hope this information helps in your future baking. I would love to hear your comments
and feed back about how these substitutions worked in your recipes.


Have a great gluten free day!

Sharon

Gluten Free You and Me, guten free bread mixes...

Last week someone posted on my Face book page about how we should cater to local businesses in our areas. Seemed quite logical to me because if we purchase locally it is a win, win, situation. We grow as a community, keep our money locally, improve our neighborhoods, and make friends in the process. Besides I am a country girl at heart and don't like traveling on busy highways. As my husband always says..." You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl". Okay, so he wasn't the first to ever say it, but it never the less holds true in my case.

I was raised in the country where we had to catch a school bus to school. I never really got to join any clubs or participate in after school activities because we didn't have public transportation where I lived. Yet I did come home to fresh baked goods and breads every Friday after school. I am hooked for life...

Okay...I do agree that while living a gluten free lifestyle that never again will I have as good a bread as my mom use to make. Gluten free baking is more complex in nature because the flours used contain no gluten whatsoever, so the taste, rise, and texture will never measure up to what we were use to in our days before becoming gluten free. You will never find a loaf that even vaguely resembled that good ol loaf of homemade bread,  or even that of the famous "WONDER" bread many of us grew up on. Yet there are loaves that are just as delicious and satisfying!

I have been obsessed with finding that perfect loaf of gluten free bread over the past few years. I have tried many boxed mixes, some good, some just so...so...I have made dozens and dozens of loaves from scratch using numerous different gluten free flours which I have purchased then mixed into different flour combinations. Many loaves ended up in the trash. Some were salvageable, but only because I hate to waste money!

I have bought the "frozen" loaves that many of us on a gluten free diet have fallen subject to as that final last resort. Some of which I couldn't believe had even made it to the market as they were almost inedible! Then I came upon a local company right here in Columbus Ohio called Gluten Free You & Me. Figuring I had nothing else to loose...except more money...I ordered three mixes. Italian Herb, Mock Rye, and French White. All you add is 1 1/3 cup water, 2 T oil, and mix for 3 minutes. Simple enough...

I received my mixes today in the mail, and as usual since I had no bread in the freezer I preset my oven and got to mixing.  Even with my arm aching, this I could handle! I decided to make the Italian loaf first since pasta is tonight's dinner choice with a fresh salad. I was purely flabbergasted to see that the loaf was actually LOADED with herbs. This I thought is going to be a delight to dip in fresh olive oil. Yum!

I let the loaf raise for the specified 40 minutes then popped into the oven. Another thing that impressed me was the rising and baking time. Most mixes I have used in the past have taken over a hour to rise, and anywhere from 50-60 minutes to bake. You only have to let the dough rise in the pan forty minutes and bake between 35-40 minutes depending on which variety of loaf you make.

I let the dough rise the 40 minutes as stated on the directions and found it had rose to perfection. I put the loaf in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes at which time I covered  it with foil so it didn't over brown. After just 40 minutes of baking I pulled the loaf out and tested the center with a thermometer to make sure it had reached 220 degrees, to insure a perfectly done loaf. The smells of Italian spices filled the kitchen. I really had to struggle with myself to let the loaf  rest the allotted hour of cooling time on the rack!!! Oh the agony of it!!!

I was so excited by time dinner rolled around that I actually ate more bread than pasta!!! This bread was a true treat! My husband who is Italian, as you well know by now, didn't do too bad in devouring his share as well...Now that's a compliment in itself!

This is one of the easiest breads I have made to date, and probably the only one I will be stocking my pantry with from now on. You can order the mixes at their home site http://www.glutenfreeyouandme.com  if you would like to give them a try. I highly recommend them even if you don't live a gluten free lifestyle, as they are that good!!!

Well that's it for today's post. Until next time...have a great gluten free day!
Sharon

Gluten Free, Diabetic Recipes in progress...

Hi all. Today is one of those Saturdays when I lay in bed a full hour after I had woken up. Just another lazy day... I had a whole list of things to do this weekend. Sign up for a knitting class, purchase my much needed sugar substitute to try some new Diabetic recipes, and even run the vacuum. Yeah right!!!

Seems I am in a much lazier mood than I was hoping to be today. Having physical therapy yesterday did indeed play a roll in my less than adventuress mood though. I was given new exercises to do during the hour spent there, and it seems today I am paying the price. My arm has became numb at least once since my session ended, (which was the reason I was going) and I have pains in muscles I didn't even know existed... A small price to pay I guess for the improvement it has made over all.

I did however  made a  perfect pancake this morning with a new recipe I tried,  thanks to answers of prayer. I don't think I could have handled another failure in this area today of all days. Its been a stressful few past weeks to say the least. Not so good news on the family front, recipe after recipe not reaching up to my expectations, pain consistently....I really need to try not to be so much of a perfectionist sometimes.

I have also decided to make my GF recipes more diabetic friendly, so now it is a whole new ball game with switching up different flours and sweeteners. With that said, I just wanted you to know I am working on several new recipes and flour blends that I hope I will be able to share with you very soon whether you are diabetic or not.  I might even have a GF cook book in the making....Yeah!

Well until next post, I hope you have a great gluten free weekend.
Sharon

 

Gluten Free Contest...Win a box of gluten free goodies...

I am offering one Gluten Free Box of a assortment of  gluten free products to one lucky reader of this blog.  I have been so overwhelmed with products to try that I decided to SHARE...I know how overwhelming it can be when you are just starting out on a gluten free diet, or even if you have been on one for many years.
 

To enter the giveaway, leave the  comment "Following" at the bottom of  this post then sign up to follow this site to the left of the blog.

Some brief guidelines: (1)  one entry per person; (2) Make sure your comment states "following" and provides a way for me to contact you by leaving your name, address, and email for which you can be reached and prize shipped should you become the winner. (Information seen only by me) The contest ends October 15, 2013 at midnight.

 

Prize Items include:

 

1 bag Luce's GF Artisan Bread Mix

1 box Sans Sucre GF-Sugar Free- Chocolate Mousse Mix

1 box Streit's GF Chocolate Cake Mix

1- 8.8 oz  package Le Veneziane GF Shell pasta

1- 10 oz  De Boles GF Rice lasagna

1- 3oz package GF  Kitchen Table Baker's -Sesame Parmesan Crisps

1- 1.9oz Crystal Noodle Mushroom soup (single serving)

1- 1.6 oz Crystal Noodle Hot & Sour Soup (single serving)

1-7 oz  Illinois Prairie Corn Chowder soup mix (serves 6-8)

1 bottle Redmond Clay Daily detox tablets (120 count)

1 packet Nuts.com- Berry mix

 

Good luck to all!

Sharon

 

Freezing Red raspberries for the winter...

Yesterday I ran to our local Meijer to pick up some milk and other basic necessities. As I was going through the fruit  department to purchase some bananas that I needed to make my daily banana-pineapple smoothies, I noticed they were having a sale on red raspberries. I am particularly fond of this fruit because as a child we had red and black raspberry bushes growing along the side of our property. I can still smell the aroma of fresh berry pies my mother always made on Fridays when these tiny delectable fruits were in season. Since these containers of berries are usually sold for a whopping price of $4.99 and higher in other local stores, and the sale price was just 5 containers for $5.00, I grabbed a few.

 

Since I won't be making a raspberry pie soon my best option was to freeze them for around the holidays. I can then give my family a delicious surprise of the fresh sweetness of summer as we sit around the fireplace and try to ignore the iciness of the outdoor temperatures. Oh sweet mother nature....

 

To freeze these delicious berries choose raspberries packed in small containers. The larger the containers the greater the weight of the raspberries on those beneath them. These tender berries crush easily and will be difficult to clean if they have been crushed by other berries.

              

Gently pick up each raspberry and remove any traces of leaves, insects or other debris that might have been left during the packing process. Then place a dozen or so berries in a small bowl and rinse for a minute or two to remove any traces of dirt or sprays, then drain carefully. Lay the berries out on a tray lined with paper towels to absorb any remaining water.

To freeze raspberries, simply lay the berries on a cookie sheet so that they are not touching. I set my berries right side up with the opening towards the bottom. This takes a little while but it will be so worth it in the end! Set the whole cookie sheet in the freezer to flash freeze the berries. Once they are frozen, remove the berries and put them in plastic freezer bags. Put the bags immediately back into the freezer as they defrost quickly. I recommend doing smaller batches at a time. At this point you may even stack the bags, as the berries will now hold their shape and not get smashed as they were pre-frozen. When frozen using this method the raspberries will now hold their shape when thawed. These make excellent berries for on top of your cereal or to use in muffins or your favorite desserts.

             

If you intend to serve raspberries with sugar on a short cake or other desert recipe, simply add 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar, or Splenda to 2 quarts of raspberries and stir to mix well. This is one time when you actually want to bruise the berries to release the juice. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving to get the juices flowing.

              

You can also freeze these  sugared raspberries in plastic freezer bags. To serve, simply thaw the berries right in the bag. The juice created by the sugar will create a wonderful raspberry syrup that will add  flavor to any desert.

As always...Enjoy...and have a great gluten free week!
Sharon

Easy Tomato sauce recipe...

Tomato sauce is the foundation for so many dishes such as pizza, pasta, chicken, and yes, even  fish. This recipe is for a basic tomato sauce that starts with simple ingredients such as onions, carrots, and celery cooked in a little olive oil. Then add garlic, tomatoes and seasonings.

With the end of summer and tomatoes in abundance at farmers markets its a great time to can or freeze batches of this basic sauce. Or you can even make when you catch a great sale on canned tomatoes at your local store! Its a great foundation on which you can add all the extras that your family enjoys, such as browned ground beef, sausage, and even mushrooms.

Its great to have on hand for those evenings when your to tired to cook, of just in the mood for something saucy, and comforting.

Hope you enjoy!
Sharon 

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1 small carrot or 1/2 large carrot, finely chopped

1 small stalk of celery, including the green tops, finely chopped

2 T chopped fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 2 T chopped fresh basil

1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, (I like to use petite diced tomatoes) including the juice, or 1 3/4 pound of fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 teaspoon tomato paste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

 Heat olive oil in a large wide skillet on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery and parsley. Stir to coat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened and cooked through.

 Remove cover and add the minced garlic. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook for garlic for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, including the juice and shredding them with your fingers if you are using canned whole tomatoes. Add the tomato paste and the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a low simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered until thickened, about 15 minutes. If you want you can push the sauce through a food mill, or blend it with an immersion blender, to give it a smooth consistency. (I prefer to omit this step as I like my sauce chunky)

 

Yield: Makes 2 1/2 cups of sauce.

 

          

 

Quick and easy Stuffed green peppers with rice...

1 cup rice  cooked according to package directions, or 1 cup precooked in cups
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
½ cup sliced mushrooms (or 1 small can of mushrooms, drained) I omitted these...
1 bell pepper, chopped (green, red, yellow or orange)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 bell peppers, any color, cut in half lengthwise with stem and seeds removed


In large skillet, brown ground beef. Stir in next five ingredients (chopped onion, chopped celery, sliced mushrooms (if using), chopped pepper and diced tomatoes). Continue cooking until vegetables are slightly browned and ground beef is well cooked and no pink remains.

Combine cooked beef and vegetable mixture with rice, parsley, and garlic. Pack tightly into the 12 bell pepper halves and arrange in a lightly greased 9x13 inch ovenproof casserole dish. Bake at 350’F for 45 minutes until filling is heated through and peppers are fork-tender.

Enjoy!
Sharon

Gluten-Free, Low sugar, BBQ sauce...

A few posts back I promised to try and find more gluten-free recipes that were lower in sugar to post on the blog. Well I believe that the recipe I am sharing with you today will not only meet the needs of my gluten-free friends, but also those who must watch their sugar intake for health reasons as well.

 

We all know that most commercial barbecue sauces are loaded with sugar. That's why they taste so good! Most have up to 16-30 grams per quarter cup, but many can reach as high as 44 grams! It doesn't have to be that way if you take a few minutes to make your own.

 

The one secret ingredient to use is diet cola. It's best to use a cola that is sweetened with Splenda, but any diet cola will do. Although, be aware that aspartame tends to lose its sweetness when heated for long periods of time, so a Splenda based diet cola will work best for this recipe. As always be sure to use GF ingredients when making.

This is so Delish, and great to have on hand for my husband, as he loves his BBQ!

 

Ingredients:

2 strips of thick bacon, chopped fine

1 small onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

6 oz can tomato paste

12 oz can sugar free diet cola, sweetened with Splenda

1/4 cup low carb, sugar-free, catsup

1/2 cup water

3 T mustard

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 pinch ground cloves

Hot sauce to taste

Preparation:

 Fry the bacon in a 2 quart saucepan.

Add the onion and cook over medium until soft , about  3-5 minutes. Add garlic at this point if you're using fresh and stir it for half a minute.

 Add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir well.

 

 Simmer for 20-30 minutes. It will cook down a bit and the flavors will combine.

 

At this point you can adjust the seasonings so you have the balance you want. You can add vinegar, artificial sweetener, or hot sauce.

The recipe makes approximately 10 servings of 1/4 cup each. Each serving has about 3.5 grams of carbohydrate, plus 1 gram of fiber.

 

As always...Enjoy!

Sharon

Potato Soup at its best...

The pool is closed even though the sun is still shining bright and the weather is suppose to be in the high 70's and 8o's this week...go figure! I guess it is all in the eye of the beholder. I have to admit though that I personally have only been to our community pool exactly three times this year. It seems that summer has come and gone right before my eyes and I missed it!

I guess with all the traveling I did this summer, my physical therapy, and trying to find that perfect GF cupcake recipe, that I didn't realize how fast time was flying. With that said, I guess its time to look forward, as it does no good to keep looking to the past...

I am still trying to find that perfect cupcake recipe but everything "good" takes time. In the mean time I came across a great potato soup recipe over at Face book that I wanted to share. This is one of the best potato soup recipes I have ever tried and I hope you enjoy it!




Ingredients:

 2 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, sliced into small bite sized pieces
1/2 regular package uncooked GF bacon, finely diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 bunch celery, diced
8 cups milk
4 cups water
4 GF chicken bullion cubes (use a cup of the hot potato water to dissolve, then use the cup of hot water in place of one of the above cups of water) I just used 5 cups GF chicken broth instead of water and bullion cubes.
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup salted butter
3/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 bunch freshly chopped parsley
1 cup whipping cream

 ***For garnish:***
Shredded cheese
fried bacon bits
chopped green onions

Directions:
In large pot, boil potatoes in water 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. In saute pan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon fat and place on paper towel over plate to drain more. Add onion and celery to bacon pan over medium-high heat until celery is tender, about 5 minutes. To the large potato pan, add milk, water, bullion, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture is very hot, about 8 minutes, stirring often. Do not let mixture boil. In small, heavy saucepan melt butter. Add flour and mix well. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture bubbles, stirring 2 to 3 minutes to make a roux. While constantly stirring soup, add roux slowly until soup is thick and creamy, about 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, reserved potatoes, and cream. Garnish with cheese, bacon bits, onions or all three. Serve hot!

Enjoy!
Sharon